Breezes Varadero Hotel

I stayed at the Iberostar Bella Costa between December 15, 2003 to December 22, 2003 with my fiance. The hotel was pretty good... the staff was friendly and accomodating. When we were lining up to check into the hotel, we were greeted with a very tasty cocktail drink. Our hotel room was not bad... it consisted of two twin beds put together to form a king-sized bed and there was a mini-fridge & tv in the room. There were a few english-speaking channels on the tv but the majority were spanish-speaking channels. We watched MTV most of the time cause it was the only consistent english-speaking channel. Every room has a safe that is stored in the main closet. It costs $2 U.S. per day to use the safe and you are given a key to the safe so you can open/close it as often as you need to. We used the safe to store our passports, money & other important items. There is air conditioning in every room but it is very loud so if you keep it on at night, you may have trouble falling asleep. We had tiny ants in our room... I saw at least 4 or 5 ants every day but after a couple of days, they did not bother me. I made sure to close up my suitcase during the day and at night so that I would not bring any ants back home with me. The maid staff was very nice. Each day, we left them a $1 tip along with a couple of small gifts that we picked up at the loonie store (such as first aid kits, hair clips, perfume samples, makeup, etc) cause it is very expensive for them to buy these items in Cuba. The food in the hotel was pretty good... we used the buffet restaurant for breakfast cause the other restaurants do not open till later on. For lunch, we usually went to the outdoor restaurant by the beach cause it did not have a dress code and you could wear your swimming gear. There is an outdoor grill by the pool that opens everyday around 2pm to 4pm and offers hamburgers and hot dogs as a snack.. mmm... it was a nice change from the dishes that are served in the restaurants. There are 3 speciality restaurants in the hotel that you need to make reservations for if you want to don't want to have dinner at the buffet. If you are staying at the hotel for one week you get 3 dinner coupons, one per specialty restaurant, and you have to book at the front desk between 9am - 3pm. The restaurants fill up pretty quickly so make your reservation as early in the day as you can (ie. before 9:30 or 10am if you can). Beware that the reservations fill up very quickly towards the end of the week (ie. Fri, Sat and Sunday) cause the people that are leaving on Monday want to use up their coupons before the end of the vacation. Everyday from 10:30am to 5pm, there are scheduled activities such as aerobics, dance classes, spanish classes, water games, soccer, bingo, archery, bike tours, etc. Every evening around 9pm - 9:30pm, the hotel staff puts on a music/dancing performance outside on the stage by the pool. I highly recommend going to them. During our one-week stay, we watched all 7 shows. The singing / dancing is incredible and the costumes are very nice. Unfortunately, when we went to Cuba the weather was very cloudy and windy. We got maybe 2 days of sun and the other days were cloudy and fairly cold. I recommend going to the beach and getting some sun as soon as you can cause you may not get the chance to catch some rays later on in the week if the weather is bad. Bring long-sleeved shirts and pants and sweaters in case it gets cold. I longed for a warm fleece sweater during my stay in Cuba. Also, bring some travel board games, a game boy or a deck of cards to entertain yourself cause there is not much to do in the hotel when the weather is cloudy & windy. I recommend the day tour to Havana.. it is definately worth the money. Also, check out downtown Varadero if you can. We walked along the beach from our hotel and then cut across a resort to get into downtown. It took about 20 minutes to walk but I hear for $5 U.S. you can buy a day pass for the bus and it takes you to the major sites in Varadero. Finally, don't forget to tip the waiters/waitresses and bartenders whenever you can but also remember that the security guards, maids and gardeners work just as hard an barely receive any tips. Have a good trip!

We arrived in Varadero on Dec. 14th and returned on Dec. 21st. The Bella Costa hotel is good hotel to stay in, the beach area is great. Unfortunately the weather was poor. We had only 1 day of sun and the wind kept blowing every day. The locals say it's the coolest weather they have had in 2 years. The staff at the hotel were very friendly and couldn't do enough for you. The all inclusive is certainly the way to go. I think if we go on vacation before Christmas again it will be further south were the opportunity to have sunshine is better.

I agree with the previous reviews. The Bella Costa was a pleasant hotel with (mostly) friendly staff. The situation on the beach is good and we enjoyed the Mirador restaurant, which is beachside. We were there from December 1-8, 2003 and were disappointed with the weather, which was cloudy and windy. The beach was closed for swimming most of the days. Aside from the rough surf, another reason for the closure may have been jellyfish, which we saw one day washed up on the beach. Our room was infested with tiny ants. In addition to that, our safe was missing its key (which is supplied for a daily fee of $2 US). The reception staff person I dealt with was not terribly helpful, but we did get moved to another room. Our room was without a balcony; there are planters outside the hotel windows which may harbour the insects. Aside from that, we enjoyed our stay. The hotel is good for families. I appreciated the fact that the music played around the pool area was not too loud; the mood was more relaxed than "party hearty".

I went end of November 2003 to this resort with a few friends ranging from 24 years old to 32. The Food was great. They changed the food around a bit each meal, but hey, better than nothing and I didnt get sick from the food. The Coffee was awsome in the Buffet restaurant, brought some back with me. They have a snack bar almost 20hours and they make hamburgers and hotdogs. The drinks, however, are not 24 hours. So if you like drinking after 1am, but some booze from the liquor store in the hotel to have some in your room for the morning hours (don't buy it from the Rum Factory, it is expensive there $5 instead of $2.80). The rooms were ok. Even though they offer mini-fridges, they aren't cold, I thought ours was broken. The room had some ants in them, but just kill them and you're fine. The thing I liked the best, they had WATER PRESSURE in the showers. The thing I didnt like, we had an adjoining room, and you can Hear EVERYTHING. We woke up at 4am over-hearing some pretty interesting conversations with the boys next door. The entertainment was pretty good. The crowd at the resort was a mix of everyone. The thing that got a little bit irritating was all the servers that were pigs. Constantly checking you out and hitting on you. Havana was good. Certainly makes realize just how much we take for granted. If you go, and want to give stuff to the locals, take Cuban money that you exchange from your own country. Don't give them American bills, Cuban residents aren't allowed to use American bills or coins. If you like club, even though there is a club in the hotel, it sucks and no one goes. La Rhumba is Honestly a 2 min walk from the Hotel and is usally packed Wednesday nights til Saturday ($10 to get in and get free drinks all night). They take you to other bars throughout the week, Taxi costs you $1-2 each way plus the $10 to get in. If you are female, just be careful of all the guys who just want 1 thing. If you go this time of year, remember, the sun still sets at 5pm and it cools down in the evening, so take some long pants and a thin jacket. ENJOY!!! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Stayed at the Bella Costa Nov 28 to December 5th. I picked it after reading a lot of reviews on tripadvisor. We had an excellent time there. On the whole I would give the vacation a 8/10 only because the weather didnt cooperate. We had about 3 days of sun out of 7. When the weather is bad for a few days it puts a real damper on your vacation. You can only take so much eating/sleeping/hanging out in the lobby. I have no complaints about the buffet food. The buffet is huge and it varied during the week. It may be too much if you are there 2 weeks cuz theyprobably repeat it. There was always a fresh roast beef/fish etc as the main dish, lots of salads, fruits, and lots of side dishes. Lots of desserts. The service at the buffet was always excellent. The servers are always refilling your wine and seeing if you need anything at all. The only a la carte restaurant we ate at was the steakhouse. The steak was good, if you like well done, ask for extra extra well done and u will only have a little pink. I had the salmon, excellent. To comment on the service at the resort: Everyone was excellent. Ya, some were a little happier than others but thats expected. I would say that 90% of the staff goes above and beyond to make your stay enjoyable. And dont be cheap with your tips. I noticed that a lot of people staying there never tipped. It goes a long way and what is a couple bucks to us?? Nothing. Our chambermaid was the best. Always leaving us notes and making wonderful towel animals/decorations. Fresh flowers in our room. I left her a tip and a bag of things I didnt have a chance to give to the children there. I didnt bring my children but wouldnt hesitate to. The kids there had a great time. Lucy always kept them busy from morning to evening. They did shows and water activities and seemed to really love it. The beach is beautiful. You cannot ask for more. The sand is like silk, the water like a bath. We didnt get to use the boats etc cuz we had red flag so many days. But the days I did snorkel there, it was great. We did the catamaran tour and the Havana tour. Catamaran was great although once again the weather interfered. It got a little cool riding to Cayo Blanco. You get there and have lunch then about 3 hours free time to wander the island. Its very beautiful there. You get a chance to snorkel the reefs and suntan. I wasn't that pleased with the Havana tour. Looking back I think it would be best to rent a cab, maybe with another couple and have the cab take you there for the day. There was about 40 people in my group and it made for slow moving. Just too many people, you can't even hear the tour guide. At $75 each you could definitely get a good cab tour. People were so slow that we only got 45 minutes at the market which was part of the reason I went. Havana itself is great. So much to see and do that it would be better in 2 days. Another nice thing is to take a horse/buggy around Varadero. $20 for 2 hours. Well spent. The driver shows you the sights and will stop if you want to shop anywhere. He took pictures of us at a beautiful park in Varadero which we wouldnt have even known about had we not taken the ride. You see more of the real life, houses, restaurants etc. I will mention the shows at the hotel. The first few nites in the crappy weather, they were indoors. They were however fun you wanted to make them. If you get involved, more fun. Kinda little plays, games etc. BUT when they brought the shows outside. My goodness. They were professional. From the costumes to the dancing, I don't know how these people remember it all. The shows were EXCELLENT. I was very impressed. I really suggest making the effort to leave the resort. Althought its enjoyable there, you are basically there with a bunch of people exactly like you. Getting out is an eye opener to how real people live. We left the resort a couple of nites with some friends to go to clubs in Varadero town and had a great time. Live music always. $5 cover gets you in and open bar. Overall, the hotel was excellent, Cuba itself was excellent. I would go back and wouldnt hesitate to recommend Bella Costa. You will meet people from all over the world at the resort. Mostly Canadians and Europeans. Mostly you will see how warm and happy the Cuban people are and how welcome they make you feel.

Everything was nice, from hotel to service and people working there to the weather and beaches...sea temperature is just fenomenal and you'll have the best time getting a tan and swimming in the nicest waters you can imagine...one and only tip we can give you is to book those restaurants every night and eat there, if not then show up on time for buffet meals, but other then that you're gonna love it at Bella Costa and everybody will go out of their way to make your stay fenomenal and memorable.

Our trip was actually from Aug 16-23 but I just recently had the time to do this now. I read the reviews here before leaving and all I have to say is I personally had the best time ever in Cuba. We spent the first few days lounging around the beach, using all their water equipments including snorkeling gear, peddle boats, catamaran, and kayaking. There is a bar near the pool and in the creole restaurant. Tip the bartenders early on, and they won't forget you the next time you show up. But that doesn't mean slow service, they pay attention to everybody. Forget fruity coctails, all the drinks taste like pina colada. That's what I ended up having the whole trip. A negative thing about the drinks is that it's served in little plastic cup and when you're so thirsty that's not enough to quench your thirst. We booked a trip to Havana for the day. It was great. We bought all our souvenirs from the local market in Old Havana. Bargain, bargain, bargain. Buy your cigars from there as well cause its fresh but the liquor at the souvenir shop in the hotel is actually cheaper. Another trip is Crusero del Sol. The best time in Cuba. Dolphin swim, snorkelling, and a fantastic lobster lunch on Cayo Blanco (incredibly white sand island) The food at the hotel was fine with us. We all agreed that the brekfast buffet was the best. They served everything from pancakes to eggs, to bacon, to sausages, and assorted cold cuts and cheeses. The best thing about the buffet is all their tropical fruits. We ate all the guavas, pineapples, and star fruits we could imagine. Most of our lunches were at the Creole restaurant. They served amazing paella dishes topped with gigantic shrimps and mussels. We ate at all three restaurants for dinner and yes, you have to get up early and make reservations. If you like sea food then you'd be happy to know that they've got the most delicious salmon at the Steak Restaurant. Service was fine, rooms were always cleaned. Maid left us a decorative towel fold everyday. We left her some money and candy as a tip. The gardener cut up a coconut and gave it to us, we filled it with liquor afterwards. It was a nice treat. Entertainment was ok. Although corny at times it was alright to go and meet other tourists. Clubs were fine as well. Meet up with Star friends at night and they will take you. Hang out at the lobby bar at night or maybe sing some karaoke. They've got tons of activities like dance lessons, aerobics, volleyball, spanish lessons, archery, chess, etc. If you want to have a great time this is the place to go. Although I think this is more of a family resort rather than a party place. You can always go to the clubs and meet other tourists from other resorts there. All in all, we had a fantastic time at Bella Costa.

We did 3 days in Havana (which was plenty) and then transferred to the Bella Costa for 10 days (23/09/03). We were greeted at reception by the porter with a cocktail (nice touch) and shown to our air conditioned room with a fantastic sea view & a view of the pool & the outside cabaret area. It was my boyfriends 30th on the day we arrived & the hotel left a cake & a bottle of bubbly in the room. I emailed them in advance & this was done free of charge. Having read a few guides on here & the Rough Guide to Cuba we were aware that food isn't supposed to be up to much but I don't think we had any idea how dire it was going to be. There are 3 "A La Carte" restaurants & the buffet. You have to be up & book the A La Cartes quite early in the morning as there are limited places (dunno why as the restaurants were half full every night). The Buffet had a selection of luke warm food that reminded me of school dinners or loads of pickled vegetables & salads resembling frozen mixed veg. If you are creative with food you wont go hungry! There is an abundance of fruit & ice cream & cheese, just lacking in the main courses. After learning this on the first night we got up early & reserved the steak restaurant for that night. The starters were again pickled onions & peppers & loads of cucumber with & without slices of meat on it & olives & cheese etc all laid out, its first come first served. Rather than waste a meal we choose the steak & it was ok, cant really go wrong with a steak. Desserts were mainly garish iced cakes or ice cream & fruit again. We also tried the Creole restaurant which was right on the beach & nice when it wasn't being invaded by birds, they are quite friendly & seem to be encouraged by the staff & as a result they fly onto the tables & the buffet & help themselves to food - which is pretty off putting. During the evening they pull down screens to keep them out but during the day this restaurant is open for late breakfast & lunch but is bombarded by birds. The Mediterranean restaurant was pretty bland too, pizza is the safe option here. Again same naf starters & more sickly iced cakes than you would ever want. We ventured out on 3 nights for dinner & tried La Barbacoa & The Fondue. We ordered T-Bone & Lobster at La Barbacoa & got exactly that, nothing with it! The Fondue however was superb, if you get fed-up of lukewarm bland food go to The Fondue, we went back there on the last night for a blow out. The bar staff were ok, some were keener to serve us than others. A young guy in the lobby bar does some mean cocktails, they vary so much from bartender to bartender. The sizes vary from bar to bar! The entertainment was pretty cheesy, but quite funny after enough Cuba Libres. The entertainers are multi-lingual & announce everything in 4 languages so it can get a tad boring after a while & the programme repeats each week, so if your really lucky you'll catch it twice! I also tried a massage there & think it might have been better with more oil. I know its a poor country but sun lotion isn't the way to go for a massage. The gym has a couple of medieval looking machines in it & the odd free weight. There are 2 Jacuzzis outside near the Mediterranean restaurant, they worked once while we were there. Apart from the food being seriously hit & miss the hotel itself & the setting/beach/pool etc are fantastic. The sea was as warm as a bath & so buoyant you can float effortlessly or take out a pedallo etc if you have the energy! The room was clean & comfortable with a decent shower. I imagine that it was the height of luxury when it was built but they just haven't got the money or the materials to maintain it now - that pretty much sums up Cuba. All in all the amount of drink we consumed in 10 days made the all inclusive financially worth doing.

Bella Costa is the most amazing place to go. Three friends and I went at the end of August and had a great time. As soon as we got there, we were served with tropical drinks and the pampering began. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with a smile. The resort crew were extremely helpful in providing tips and service. I personally am a vegitarian and the horror stories I heard about the food in cuba were unbelievable. But, after the first day, i talked to the chef, and told him my situtation, and boy was i surprised. Everyday, the lunch buffet had atleast 3 vegitarian selections. If you go there, make sure you are friends with Jose, he's the best. Boy i was happy. The a la carte restaurants were amazing. you have to try the italian restaurant. The lobby bar had the most funnies bartenders you can think of. They serve the most amazing drinks, and believe me, there is no limit for them. The music is great, the entertainment is excellent, and once again, the service is superb. I loved it and can't wait to go back next year.

My boyfriend and I went to Bella Costa from Aug 31-Sept 6 2003. Before we left, we read every review on this site about the resort and had great expectations of it. The hotel itself was average. Our room was infested with ants for 6 out of the 7 days we were there and no matter how many times the housekeeper cleaned them up, they still came back. They ended up in our suitcases, on our clothes and in our bed! We had to pay $2 US per day to use the safe in our room which we didn't know about until we checked in. The food was okay. It was very bland so if you like hot and spicy food, you'll be dissapointed. I used Tabasco sauce in all my meals. We also noticed that left over food from the previous meal was used again with some added ingredients for the next meal. There was lots of European cheese and butter and pickels and I noticed some of the cold veggies were canned veggies. The other 3 a la carte restaurants were average also, nothing fancy, however, they were tastier than the buffet. The milk is very rich and thick and fresh so if you're lactose intolerant, bring your Lactaid because that's the only milk they have. The staff were very nice and helpful to us. We gave the gardner a dollar every morning and he cut coconuts for us to drink. We gave the housekeepers one dollar per day or some gifts or Tylenol. They seemed to appreciate the medicine and gifts more than the money because it's much more expensive for them to buy it. I bought some stuff from the dollar store to give them as well as some of my old clothes and shoes. Bring some of your old stuff to give away to any of the staff, they'll surely appreciate it. You have to ask the housekeepers for extra towels because they only give you two and they don't refill the soap and shampoo unless you ask. The resort has no irons which was dissapointing to us so bring your own. If you live in Canada, the power outlets in the rooms are the same. The beach is great and you must get a beach view. All the rooms in the hotel are oceanview but not all are beachview. The beach was very clean and we only saw a couple of jelly fish. It was also filled with lots of sea shells. The resort is quite close to the beach also. It is also the last resort on its road with the Tuxpan resort right before it and a nightclub La Rhumba on the other side. We went to La Rhumba which was a 3 minute walk away. The music they played was Cuban, dance, hip-hop, RnB and reggae and admission was ten US with all you can drink. The nightly entertainment was pretty good and they do involve the audience which made it more interesting. Make sure you go on a day tour to Havana. We actually did the day and night tour where we go to see the Havana night life. That was $69 US and it's approximately 2 hours from Varadero. Make sure you bring your own toilet paper because all the public toilets don't have and there's usually someone in the front giving you a piece with a tip bowl beside them. There are shops on the resort selling cigars, alcohol, souvenirs, toilettries, snacks and a phote center and a hairdresser (which was very expensive). If you want to braid your hair, don't do it there. Get a native to do it, it's a lot cheaper and faster. We also found Varadero to be a little bit more expensive than Havana. We wouldn't go back to this resort , we'd try somewhere else. It wasn't a bad resort but it wasn't anything great either. The beach is big and very private, the location of the hotel is great and the people are wonderful. I would say the biggest dissapointment would be the food, but I've heard at other resorts the food wasn't the greatest either. This 4 star resort cannot compare to a 4 star hotel in Canada. Remember, everyone's opinion is different and others may have greater times than we did.