Barcelo Marina Palace Hotel

Excellent place for a family...we travelled with our three daughters and another family with three daughters. The children had the time of their lives...no lack of activities. The mini club staff were phenominal (Milene & Arnet) our children were never bored (very kid friendly). Activities such as pool, play station, ping pong, biking,soccer; and the list goes on. The food was a little tiring after the third day, however, the excellent customer servive we received and the fact that our children were not complaining... was all good. The waterslide was a big hit with our girls (and the adults alike). Daily and evening entertainment was great....especially the kids disco(our children looked forward to this nightly). as for the adults; just observing the happy faces on our children was so worth it. I would certainly recommend this resort as a great relaxing family getaway!!!! The staff with the exception of our check out experience were amazing....special hats off to our Martini Man...BEST MARTINI EVERRRRRRR, Monica (waitress), Yimmy (waiter), Jesus (pool bar waiter) and Xavier (pool bar)............Can't wait to see Phase Two of resort :)

had a wonderful time , can't wait to go back and see the resort when it is completed. Staff excellent, very friendly.

We returned from Marina Palace on April 29th and I must add we were in tears. We didn't want to leave. Everything was wonderful from the food, service, cleanliness, hospitality, entertainment, disco, beach and the warmth of the Cuban people. They were wonderful! In my eyes definitely a 5 star. Hope to go back next year!

We left for Cuba on the 7th of April 2005 and hoped for a wonderful week of sand and sun. The resort is brand new and very big and very clean , so far so good. Our room were the standard double occupancy very clean and tastefully done. How ever the biggest problem in Cuba was the food this resort was rated as a 5 star and the food which there was lots of and wonderfully presented was greasy and nothing had any to it flavour .I don't think the chefs had any spices or if they did didn't know how to use them and not every thing should be fried in butter or oil. Vegetable were soggy and nothing that was suppose to be hot was not even warm . The speciality restaurants 1 Italian was disgusting not every one can stomach looking at a shrimp with it's head and eyes plus all it feet looking back at you. If you could get over that I had the salmon and there was a faint taste of salmon underneath the oils they used. The Spanish restaurant was no better and was so bad I couldn't eat it. If it wasn't for the BBQ. Hamburgers served at lunch time I didn't eat much. Breakfast consisted of a omelette and was very good if you could find ketchup. Dinner consisted of soggy vegetables and lot of bread and desserts which were wonderful.At one point during our stay the main dinning room ran out of white wine. Lots of red and rose though. On a Wednesday night the resort had a fish and seafood wonderfully displayed but again the crab legs lobster shrimp all tasted the same and very difficult to eat cause the crab legs were not cracked and no fish forks so a lot of them use their fingers. Not to impressed . Regular every day coffee was only served in the morning and the rest of the time the served coffee American which was horrible.I had switched to tea and near the end of our hoilday was getting harder and harder to find. Another thing I found very hard to believe every other resort had a dinner dress code no shorts men wore long dress pants and ladies usually a dress of some kind , not here short stained shirts . The beach needed lots of work big sand dunes and empty plastic glasses orange peelings and lots of sea weed. The pool was big and the pool bar nice but very slow.Drinks were not mixed so all the rum was at the bottom of the glass and you had to mixed it up yourself. Those nice slushy drinks were made at the lobby bar. The resort only had two or three CDs so bring your old ones and donate them, not much to do so bring books to read. The language barrier was huge considering 95% of guest were Canadian . The trip to Havana is a must but then again buy more Cuban money at the air port cause the resort did have any and the interest rates change every day. Take the double decker bus and go to the markets nice buys there. It was a experience and glad I went, but I wil not be returning to Cuba any time soon, Thanks

We had a GREAT time in Cuba, This resort was awesome and compared to the rest it definitely looked the best! Of course being new it had an advantage. The rooms were big and clean, the maids did a great job. The food was great, there was a lot of variety so no matter your taste there should be something there for you. We dined at both a la carte restaurants and i would recommend the spanish one over the italian one although both were good food and service. The nightly entertainment was fantastic - they are such great dancers and I loved their music! The last night we were there they had opened their disco which was great. One thing I would have liked was if we could charge massages, etc to the room as i found I ran out of money really quick. And yes they charge you extra to use your credit card to book tours so bring lot of money if you are planning on doing anything outside the hotel. I found all the staff to be very friendly and the majority could speak enough english (a lot better than i could speak spanish!) and they were always very helpful. One thing I would have liked is if we could book the tours with the front desk as the tour desk was only open 9-5 and if you were out all day on another tour you would have to wait until the next day to book. Or else be really organized and have your day trips planned from the beginning. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone.

We stayed at the Marina Palace AL 10-17, and had an OK time. The resort itself is beautiful but they still have a few things to work out. The room is very nice and big, the fridge was stocked daily with water, beer, and pop.The maid did a great job every day. The beach is nice, not as soft as other places we have been to, there is tons of palapas, the water was warm although a little windy. The pool has a swim up bar, waterslide, lots of afternoon activities, close to the lunch buffet and BBQ, although the water only goes up to your waist. The lobby bar is very nice and has the best drinks and coffee. Night time entertainment was torture, very hokey!! And the disco is not ready yet, you learn to make your own fun with friends that you meet. The money exchange thing is quite annoying, make sure you watch that they do the exchange rate correctly (have lots of $1 bills, Cuba loves their tips!!!)Also, if you use your Visa, they charge an extra 11%!!! We did the Catamaran tour which I highly recommend, it is $150.00 for 2 people and well worth it. They take you out for about 1 hour, then let you snorkel in the water, we swam with dolphins in the middle of the ocean and then take you to an isolated island where you have lunch (chicken or lobster) then stay on there for 2 hours to enjoy the beautiful beach of white powder sand.Amazing!!(free drinks on the boat!) We also rented a scooter from the hotel and went in to Varadero which is only about 20 minutes away. They have a big market, outside bars, etc. We also went to Al Capone's house which they have made into a restaurant. The worst thing we found about this resort was the food, we thought it was horrible. You can only eat so much bread all week,and lots of flies crawling around everywhere. The 2 A La Carte restaurants were alright, not great. We found ourselves comparing this place to other resorts we have been to and there was no comparison. Also, don't forget your bug spray! If there is no wind, there are tons of mosquitos and little "no-see-um" bugs. Everyone had bites on their legs. All in all we did have a good trip and met some great people from New Brunswick and PEI. In a couple of years this may be a great resort, but I think next year we will head back to Mexico.

After reading the reviews on this site, we didn't expect much. But from the first, till the last day we enjoyed our holiday (22-30 March) very much. We made contact (a few words in Spanish), with some of the employees and they trusted us so much they even spoke (when possible) about their personal life, Fidel Castro and what things they would like to see changed. The food was good, drinks also although at the pool you really need your own mugs, because Jesus and other staf is not as quickly serving as we're used to in The Netherlands (yes, we're not Canadians, as most of the guests at this hotel). The only thing we would like to see different: in the evening there is only the theatre (semi-professional)and the lobby-bar, which we didn't like. It would be nice if there was something else as well. One more thing: we liked the hotel as it was now with 300 rooms, but -pity- it will become much bigger (750 rooms). This is the only reason why we will not return in the future. We want to go back to Cuba sometime, but we like smaller hotels, where you recognise the people now and then. And we again, will bring gifts, soap, lotion etc. for the Cubans. Even the adults were happy with a drawing/colouringbook and pencils, what more need we say...

My boyfriend and I just returned after a week at the Barcelo Marina Palace. The food is great, the resort is brand new - just opened in January of 05 and it is simply beautiful. The beach is lovely with lots of lounge chairs and the staff are so friendly especially the bartenders at the pool bar. The rooms are spacious and clean - there is lots of hot water. There is not one thing bad that I can say about this resort - oh well, maybe one, there are some sand flies so ensure to bring along the repellent. There is another new phase opening in June and I am sure it will be just as lovely as the rest. Jo-Anne - Halifax, Nova Scotia

I have read the other reviews and have said to myself did I stay at the same resort!! This resort (in my opinion) is not 5 star. I travelled with 4 other adults and three kids. To start the trip off, our room was not ready upon our arrival. No big deal we went to the lounge and got ourselves a drink and took the kids to see the beach and tour the resort. I was not very happy about having to hand over my passport to the reservations clerk to find out I would not get it back for 24 hours!! (We have always been taught never leave our passports with anyone) We were told to return at 3 o'clock and our room would be ready. I arrived at 3 to find yes my room ready but no staff there to take luggage to room. So I carried the suitcases to the room (which is a fair hike from the reservation counter). Anyhow that was my first disappointment. The next thing was getting service. I found that unless you tipped the staff (whether it be money or clothing item, etc) the service was poor. The staff ignored you and went to the people that tipped them. I am sorry but I did not pay all this money to go to a 5 star resort to find that I had to spend more money in tipping. I always thought tipping was for something deserved not something expected!! I will admit my room was nice. I would have given the maid a 5 star rating on my survey but she didn't sweep the sand out of the sheets before remaking the beds. Not very comfortable for sleeping. She did make nice things out of the towels everyday that my daughter was always excited to see. The bar fridge in the room was suppose to be restocked daily. Maid always claimed that she didn't have beer or pop. Complained to reservations desk and finally received fridge stocked with 2 cans of pop, 1 bottle of water, and 2 cans of beer. They call this a stocked bar fridge!! The food was not very good. Most of the meat selection was not cooked properly (Turkey actually had blood running out of it!!) We survived on eggs, bread and butter and yes we to took peanut butter!!! The flies landing on all the food isn't that appealing either. Mind you the staff didn't seem to mind the fly crawling across the food. Be sure to bring snacks for your kids and yourself. The 24 hours food service was almost non existent. If you had the patience to wait 1 hour for some french fries you would eventually get some from the 24 hour food service. I know I was on holidays 1 hours is a little much. We ended up walking away. I purchased some chips (like our Pringles up here) cost me 4.50 pesos. That is an expensive bag of chips!! Water was always bottled and cold!! Nice. The pool was nice. Water a little cold but refreshing when the wind died down! I did experience a concern with my hotel patio doors being left open and I am unsure if anyone enterred my room. (I was on the first floor facing the marina and road) I had a meeting with the security people and customer relations person. They spoke spanish 90% of the time and then they said to me "no big deal lady" but to I am sorry yes it was and is a big deal to me. I did end up having a meeting with the General Manager, Esteban Sedano. He sent me a form letter upon my arrival home. Nice 5 star hotel response (Yes, I am being sarcastic). The entertainment was okay. The kids disco at 8:30 everynight was enjoyed by my daughter. The kids club also was very good. Staff friendly, however they did ask me for my daughters clothes!!! The adult entertainment was good. Show should have been earlier. 10'oclock was to late to wait around. Show should have started at 9:30. They most likely would have had more people watching. You will need bug juice. I took some and my daughter and I did not get bit but my fellow travellers were not as fortunate and the first night received tons of bites that actually welted up and itched for the remainder of the vacation. The second night they took my advise and put on the bug juice! The daytime entertainment would have been better but unfortuantely the Pope passing. The Cuban government requested 3 days of mourning, so that mean't no Cuban entertainment so they played funeral music for one day. It did improve after several guests complained and the music returned to Cubian style. Watch the bartenders when they pour drinks for your kids. My daughter was given a drink with rum in it. I questioned bartender and he claimed didn't speak english. "no problem lady". The people that went to the resort were wide age range. Met families with kids, honeymooners and senior citizens. Most Canadian. All great people. I had spoken to several guests before departing. I told them I would be sending a review letting people know that this is not a 5 star hotel. The staff are not of 5 star quality. Perhaps in a few years when the staff (both managment and workers) have more experience under their belt the resort could be called 5 star. The new section will be opening in the next month or so, I would avoid this resort, if they are unable to manage the half that is open what will happen when they add another section equal to the size that already exists!! I would not recommend this resort. I have contacted my travel agent and tour company expressing my dissatisfaction.

I stayed at this hotel with a group of friends and I must say that in no way is this place a 5 star resort. Maybe once they have finished with the constrution and landscaping and fully training some of the staff, it can be rated 5 star...but not yet! Hotel: Arrived at the hotel at night...was given a room key, entered the room and found it already occupied!!! Was told that I had to wait a couple of hours for another to be prepared!!! Luckily, I came with friends and so shared a room with them for the night. I was here to have a good time so I did not kick up a fuss. The resort is huge...because it is so very new, it spotless. The room are quite spacious and kept extremely clean by the maids (please remember to tip them, they work very hard). The pool bar was staffed by the nicest bartenders...Xavier & Jesus. Service was always good and courteous!! Food: Hearing so many things about the bland food in Cuba, I must say that the food at this resort was surprisingly good. Each of the a la carte restaurants were well staffed by terrific waiters & waitresses...there are two string bands who entertain you whilst you dine. The only problem we encountered was that on 3 occasions, the 24 hour grill ran out of food...not a very nice experience when you have just returned from clubbing and you are famished!!! Entertainment: There are dance classes poolside with the most amazing girls & guys. They teach you samba steps etc as well as pool aerobics....the nightly shows in the theatre will astound you!!! The calibre of the dancers and magicians was first rate!!! I must mention girls like Libertad, "Lola" (her real name was difficult to pronounce) & Lillie. These three did their utmost to ensure that we were well entertained and happy at the resort...they truly are valuable assets to the Barcelo Marina Palace! Lobby Bar: One of the best places to start off your evening, everyone congregates here...ask Alberto to make you an "Alberto Special"...incredible!!! This bar appears to be 24 hours...no matter what time we returned from clubbing it was opened and crowded. The staff at this bar must take a lot of credit for making it an especially warm and inviting venue! Beach The beach is not as some described it...it does not consist of sharp broken shells...it is well stocked with beach umbrellas and lots of chairs. Entertainment is also provided on the beach...with dance lessons and volley ball.... Overview: In general, we all had a terrific time at this resort. The service was exceptional. I would recommend staying here. CHECKING OUT!!! What a nightmare!!!! Checkout spoilt what was for us thus far...a wonderful experience. On checkout not only us, but others were charged for a broken drinking glass in the room (10 pesos...or equivalant to 10 US dollars), another was charged for a scratch on the toilet paper roll...having stayed in hotels world wide, we were confused about the broken glasses...my god, a broken glass is the cost of doing business...and you better never lose a beach towel...28 pesos!!! It is so unfortunate Public Relations woman, her manager & the General Manager have jobs that does not allow them the authority to make good customer service decisions..."Its not us, its the government or its the rules"...is the excuse we heard...and what did they do to compensate me for a night without a room???? NOTHING!!! Truly, this left a bad taste for us since we did enjoy our stay, other guest that we met also complained about the "expensive check-out surprises" and most indicated that they did not expect such a mickey mouse style of management at a new resort that should be doing its best to encourage guest to return instead of eliciting negative remarks!!! If this is fixed then I am certain that this property could one day truly be a 5 star facility!!!