Sol Palmeras Hotel

1 reader found this review helpful

Having just come back from Valadero i miss it already. Although it is not a true reflection of Cuban life, the people, if you take the time to talk to them, give you a taste of what cuban living is like. It is an extremely poor country by UK standards but the people are open and friendly. At first i thought the hotel staff were rude but i soon learnt that their culture is short and sharp .... once i understood this i warmed to them. The small town of Varadero was friendly and relies upon tourism for most of its trade, there are two markets a few blocks from each other which are filled with holiday gifts to take home. I was disappointed that we did not find out about some of the places to visit as this was not well publicised at all, the caves "Ambrosio's Cave" is home to paintings over 3,500 years old ... i didnt find out about this until i returned home despite doing lots of research beforehand !
The currency is confusing at first as Cuba has two currencies running simultaniously, one for the Cubans and one for the tourists .. be careful, especially if shopping in Plaza Americas as the price on the item is rarely the price you pay ... you pay much more !
Overall the holiday was fantastic, i recommend visiting Dolphinia, where you can watch the Dolphin show and then swim with them afterwards .... well worth it !!
We stayed at the Sol Palmeras, all inclusive, the food was great, even for the vegetarians and vegans in our group. We upgraded and stayed in the bungalows slightly away from the hotel but next to the beach ... all rooms were air conditioned and some had a small kitchen area and some didnt but all were spacious and very lovely but beware ... there are no facilities to make drinks and on an all-inclusive you dont expect to have to buy in drinks for your room ... TAKE YOUR OWN KETTLE etc as its a bit too far to walk to get coffee early in the morning. This was the most frustrating for us as a group as we all had small children and couldnt just walk to the hotel in the evening to get drinks.
The beaches were everything i had expected with plenty of sun loungers and bars along the way. The sea was just warm enough to run straight into without it taking your breath away ....
My friends got married there on the beach, and although the wedding co-ordinator was very laid back about everything the day was perfect and there were lots of little touches on the way.
We found booking the restaurants very frustrating and hit and miss so consequently we only visited two in the whole two weeks ... shame but the buffet was good and since there were 12 of us it proved to be the easiest option.
The hotel isnt really geared up for children, even though they clearly enjoyed them, we never once bumped into the kids club organiser and the games room was only open from 3-7pm ... and since we had six children in our group it was hard for them at times but overall they were happy with the pools and the beach.
I would love to go back and visit again in a few years now i know so much more.

3 readers found this review helpful

It was my first holiday to the Caribbean and definitely won’t be my last!
I got married on the complex in the gardens of the hotel; I was very worried about the day running smoothly as they were so laid back! But it was perfect.
We had pictures on the beach afterwards and a video too, this was another thing I worried about as the one thing I really wanted was lovely pictures, well I wasn't disappointed as the pictures and video was great quality and beautifully done.
We had a lovely meal for us and our guests and a beautiful cake, the staff really looked after us. In fact the whole holiday was a dream. We upgraded to a bungalow which was set in the gardens and right near the beach, the beach was beautiful too.
The food was lovely but you do need to book the different restaurants in advance so do it as soon as you arrive so that you’re not eating in the main restaurant too often.
We went on the trip to swim with the dolphins which was a great day and a trip to Havana which was a great eye opener as to how the Cubans live, we booked the trip through a lady that took the table bookings in the hotel and it was a lot better as it was a local guy that took us on his minibus and took us round everywhere and was cheaper than the coach tours!
Overall a great place.

3 readers found this review helpful

Just back from Sol Palmeras - had a magical two week stay in paradise!
~ ROOMS~ massive compared to others I've been to, always very, very clean as is the whole complex, you see someone cleaning day and night. Hairdryer is great! If you've got something electrical that won't charge up or work in your room, the points in the corridors are 220v great for charging batteries, etc although hotel happily does it for you in the guest satisfaction centre too...
~ FOOD ~ was so much better than I'd anticipated, we're talking about a communist country here, I always had a gorgeous meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack time...Didn't get poisoned in the Chinese restaurant like the lady below, was very tasty and had the beautiful experience of watching a humming bird doing its thing with a banana tree while I ate there! As I said, magical!
~REP'S/TRIPS~ Our rep's were great, really helpful but not intrusive. Went on trips to Havana (very interesting), Catamaran to Cayo Blanco (even more paradise), swam with dolphins (aah!) and did a great dive in the Bay of Pigs to a wreck and round the reef and all for about £200.
~STAFF~ All the staff are there for you, nothing is too much trouble for anyone, I guess you get what you give with all people the world over, so if you've got a good attitude you'll get it back in abundance from the Cubans, very beautiful people...
Would highly recommend this complex for anyone who's looking for a beautiful beach, great food, good entertainment & somewhere to relax, unwind and have a real break...
~TOP TIP No 1~ Remember to tip everyone, they don't get paid much and they do a great job...massive thanks to the lobby bar night waiters who let us sit there singing and playing guitar till the sun came up...you're all stars!!
~TOP TIP No 2~ Oh yes, one other thing, the Cuban people are on rations so any toiletries you've got left over or any clothes/make up that you don't really need/want, give them to the people who took care of you, truly, they'll love you forever & you can replace stuff they can't even begin to think of buying...GO, YOU'LL LOVE IT!!!

3 readers found this review helpful

I have just come back from a fantastic 2 week all inclusive holiday at the Sol Palmeras. After reading other customers negative reviews I cannot believe they stayed in the same hotel.
The facilities were excellent, the staff very friendly and cleanliness second to none. The choice of restaurants and food served in each one was really good.
It was my first time in the Caribbean and certainly won't be my last. Originally I wouldn't have chosen Cuba for my first visit to the Caribbean but I was invited to a friends wedding. Now that I have been I can honestly say how pleased I was she chose Cuba.
Havana is a must but would recommend just doing the day trip. Swimming with the dolphins is another treat not to missed. Fantastic!
The Sol Palmeras is set on a gorgeous beach with a small shopping centre nearby. The centre of Varadero is a short bus ride away and although only small it is worth going to see. I would definitely recommend Cuba and especially the Sol Palmeras.
I was in a party of 25 and we all had a great time and were well looked after.

Virgin usually very good for holidays, but to Cuba as this was a new destination for them at the time, they don't warn you that getting off the plane and through customs at havana airport will take a few hours as they are so slow.
All inclusive varies from hotel to location - don’t expect to see a tomato or cucumber or anything that needs to be imported. Unless you love a frozen brussels or two- even for breakfast in this hotel. Don’t be deceived by the pictures. Popular hotel for Russians. Rep is a local so is not aware of the standard that is available in other countries, so don’t expect to much and you wont be disappointed.
Hardly anything to do in the town. Can’t hire vehicles so has to be organised trips - and if you get a hurricane like we did, then your stuck often with no power, lights, and a restaurant in darkness. Havana itself is great but scary and very, very poor. Been once, wont go back.