Reviews of Barcelo Solymar Beach Resort, Varadero, Cuba

This is the worst hotel we've...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr S Arslan

Comments:

This is the worst hotel we've ever stayed. We're in the middle of a compensation claim. I will leave more feedback later. Don't waste your money here go somewhere else. Very very disappointing. I am writing this to prevent other people going through what we've been through. Pools too filthy to use, same food lunch and dinner for 2 weeks, meat often inedible or almost raw, we all suffered upset stomachs. Very poor hygiene, awful customer service. We don't know why It has been advertised as a 4 star hotel. Not suitable for families, hotel was full of noisy students and backpackers. Hotel needs refurbishment . The list is too long to mention here. We've written a seven page comlaint letter.Lots of muggings in excursion areas. Never been so glad to come home.

Barcelo Solymar was a fantastic...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mrs J Ward

Comments:

Barcelo Solymar was a fantastic hotel; the staff were friendly and couldn't do enough to help.



I was married at the resort and can 100% say that we definitely made the rite decision in going to this hotel for our special day. The wedding co-ordinator, Maylene was amazing; she gave us the personal touch that a bride requires on the build up to the big day.



Overall the hotel was clean; the food was good (especially the a-la-carte Cuban restaurant) and the staff very friendly and welcoming.



The only negatives were that the reception area was not None Smoking and at times we found it unbearable to sit at the lobby bar due to the amount of cigarette smoke. The other thing was that the hotel is in need of refurbishment, the bedrooms and bathrooms in particular need updating.



Overall we had a fantastic experience and we will definitely return to this resort.

I READ WITH DISBELIEF AT SOME OF...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook/Airtours

Submitted By:

Mr Leroy Wilson

Comments:

I READ WITH DISBELIEF AT SOME OF THE POOR RATINGS GIVEN TO THIS HOTEL AND THE RESORT IN GENERAL. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FOR GODS SAKE ITS A COMMUNIST COUNTRY STUCK IN THE 1950'S, AND WITH THAT IN MIND I THINK THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB



I HAVE BEEN TO CUBA MANY TIMES AND HAVE ENCOUNTERED NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER WITH REGARDS TO MOST DESCRIBED IN PREVIOUS REVIEWS. I NORMALLY STAY AT THE HOTEL BELLA COSTA BUT DUE TO REFURBISHMENT ONE YEAR, I STAYED IN THE "BARCELO SOL Y MAR" AND LIKED IT THAT MUCH I NOW STAY THERE EVEYTIME I VISIT CUBA.



THE HOTEL IS PLEASANT, DIDN'T ENCOUNTER THE RUDENESS OF THE RECEPTION STAFF QUITE THE OPPOSITE REALLY. THE LOBBY IS WARM AND HUMID AT NIGHT, BUT HEY WHAT DID YOU EXPECT TO FIND ON A CARRIBEAN ISLAND ?? THERE IS NO AIR-CON DUE THE FACT THAT THE WHOLE LOBBY IS FILLED WITH GREENERY TO KEEP IT COOL DURING THE DAY.



HOTEL STAFF IN GENERAL VERY PLEASANT AND POLITE AT ALL TIMES..........................................



DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CUBA; VARADERO OR THE BARCELO SOL Y MAR

Solymar is not unpleasant but...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Ms M E ANDERSON

Comments:

Solymar is not unpleasant but not special either. This was my tenth visit to Cuba - so yes I like it. It was also third time I had booked into Solymar. First time (1 night) drank too much was sick. Staff fantastic help. Second time arrived at airport 8:30am for 9:15 flight (after boarding commenced) and Thomas Cook would not allow me to board, so missed overnight stay. This time, finally, a week to see what I missed: Lobby is a sauna, nice to look at but impossible to stay in for any length of time. Reception staff only marginally avoided being rude, and they don't even know it. One, having captured my attention by recognising my scent as No5 lotion (it was indeed No5 body satinee) remarked that my (Cuban) husband had a kind face and didn't look like he was only with me to improve his life (LOL) re-assured I imagined a UK receptionist volunteering this. Hotel was populated with a couple of rowdies from each represented country, completely unchecked, and a lot of super people having a good holiday. Worst part - I thought I had to deal with Alex, the Thomas Cook rep for my hotel, who I have encountered before, and is as useful as a chocolate fireguard. Needn't have worried, I didn't see him at the hotel once! but I heard that he was in the hotel on Tuesday, a woman was sick and he directed her across the road to the international clinic, and when requested he advised some people to exchange thier money at the hotel (rate 1.70 cucs) but they went to the local bank for 1.75 cucs anyway. Food- good (for Cuba) with some great cheeses; Bathroom- adequate but not really clean and extractor screamed - Air cond in room inadequate and no remote, elsewhere also inadequate or none; location- near 62 and int. clinic, massive beautiful grounds, fabulous beach, service fair to poor.

My references: Have stayed in (no particular order)(a) Palma Real across the road - similar quality, cheaper, not as good-looking (b)Los Delfines (Pricipally italian hotel) renovated rooms to left of reception and not so nice to the right: as good as Solymar same sort of price. (c) International Hotel; old hotel, great disco, nasty pool and best entertainment was watching staff removing food from restaurant for thier own comercial ventures- almost nothing left for guests to eat (d) Kawama - no water to room for 72 hours - staff ignorant(e) Puntarena great staff best in Cuba in my opinion - need taxi or motor really as hotel is out on a limb. (f) Aqua-Azul - basic but cheap and cheerful (must cross the road to beach) (g) Oasis (2* on very edge of Varadero) No telephone facilities for duration of my stay (my son was rushed to a UK hospital on the day of my arrival; in the middle of nowhere, no free drinks after 10.30, cheap as chips, and best value for money. Must mention Club Amigo in Trinidad - waited 3 hours as pool of water inches deep formed around our feet in the ala carte restaurant for a pizza which arrived cold almost raw and (of course) inedible. Was in ala carte because buffet restaurant had no food and no plates or cutlery and was becoming violent (not surprisingly)- received apology.

We had a fantastic time at this...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs L P

Comments:

We had a fantastic time at this hotel. It was very clean and tidy, the beach was fantastic and the staff were very friendly and looked after you!

The food got boring after a while - but what do you expect from All Inclusive. The Italian a la carte was fantastic - not too keen on the seafood & I like seafood.

A tip - the hotel was invaded by Canadian students during the last 2 days, who were extremely noisey.

I would recommend checking your holiday dates against the canadian university calendar before booking!

The lobby is just how you see it...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss A HORRELL

Comments:

The lobby is just how you see it in the reviews, the staff are friendly and helpful. The food was varied and very good. The entertainment was interesting and enjoyable.



The trips where the best part, the catamarans, speed boats, jeep discovery trip we went to havana for the weekend by taxi and this was best for us. You don't have to spend much money but havana you need plenty as you have to pay for everything but it's all worth it.



Enjoy your holiday we did.

The bed was a mattress on a...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Sunquest

Submitted By:

Mrs K Nichol

Comments:

The bed was a mattress on a board. The speciality restaurants were more about getting you in and out, and they were not even busy.



The front desk staff were totally unhelpful to the point of rudeness. You had the feeling the rest of the staff lived on your tips and the hands were always out (not literally).



We had a good time, but would not go back to that area again. The beach was beautiful.

We went to Varadero, Cuba last...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

MyTravel

Submitted By:

Miss JL Harris

Comments:

We went to Varadero, Cuba last year for a romantic break together! We loved the Barcelo Sol Y Mar!



The people were friendly, the sea was clear, the beach was beautiful, the rooms were spacious and cleaner than we thought they would be.



The food was good and the service even better, we tipped every day, the pools were clean and the entertainment was fantastic.



I don’t understand how people can disapprove of the Barcelo Sol Y Mar it was a perfect holiday and we would love to get married over there if only we knew how!



Our photos were beautiful and everyone was jealous when we got home! Considering Cuba is a third world country I would rather go on holiday again there than somewhere more upmarket!



Our holiday to the Barcelo Sol Y Mar was the perfect holiday ever and I definitely want to go again!

We flew to Cuba last May with...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

missing

Comments:

We flew to Cuba last May with First Choice for the Wedding of my daughter, to be held at the hotel, we were a very large and mixed bunch of family and friends. The flight was comfortable and on time, on one of First choices newly refurbished long haul planes.



Half the party upgraded but the leg room was so good it did not matter to the rest. We took up 2 coaches to the hotel so check in took a little while, some of the party had not got the type of rooms they had booked, so were a little disgruntled. The lobby had no air conditioning and was dripping with Liana vines which made it quite dark and stuffy.



However once we had all checked in, the rooms proved to be large and well equipped, the resort is quite large and sprawling, and the overall effect of the painting on the exterior of the bungalow blocks and the main hotel had the effect of an explosion in a paint factory, but hey this is the Caribbean and it worked. The main restaurant of the hotel was always very busy, and you had to queue a lot of the time, the amount of food and variety was plentiful, if not to hot, but you could always opt for the freshly cooked meat or fish.



The a la carte options had to be booked in advance and were very samey. I wish that I could say that the bar service was good, but you had to bribe the waiter to serve you a drink after 9.30 at night!



Having said all this the hotel holds about 800 people, so some allowances had to be made, the restaurant staff were very pleasant and helpful, the bar staff were from a different planet, in the rude and surly galaxy. The wedding coordinator was however a dream and she made my daughters wedding the fairy tale she wanted. Every little detail was no problem, even when we had a tropical storm the day before the wedding, no problem we can change the day, or even the time of the wedding, put the flowers in cold storage whatever she wanted was the attitude of this wonderful calm lady.



She even arranged for a private moonlight catamaran trip to one of the cayo's for the reception. Wedding day dawned cloudless, so all went ahead, the pavilion was draped in muslin and red roses, all the chairs for the guests had fans of palm leaf and red roses, and out came the red carpet along the long path to the wedding site, horse and carriages arrived to bring the bride her father and 11 bridesmaids to the ceremony.



I don't think the hotel had seen anything like it, they all gathered to watch and cheer, After the ceremony which was in Spanish and English (A communist ceremony but very moving) champagne and strawberries was enjoyed by all the wedding guests. As the sea was too choppy and we could not go to the island the hotel arranged a sit down 3 course lobster dinner for us all, and we had the restaurant to ourselves for 3 hours.



The wedding was a success and the holiday wonderful, but Cuba itself was even more fascinating you need to get out of the hotel and eat locally which is very cheap, visit the salsa clubs, explore the island, if not for the wedding I would have spent very little time in the hotel itself, I would go back to Cuba but not to the Solymar, Smaller and friendlier next time for me.

I just wanted to add what a...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr A Paton

Comments:

I just wanted to add what a wonderful resort this was. First Choice were amazing. Very comfortable flight with loads of leg room and an easy transfer.



We stayed in a bungalow and it was exceptional. The food is pretty good (though somewhat repetitive if you are a vegetarian), the staff are very friendly and the atmosphere is fantastic.



It's not in your face, and it's not dead; it's a lovely compromise where you can be secluded if you wish, or join in with the crowds should your mood take you.



The beach is fantastic. The resort is only 2 hrs away from Habana and the journey goes very quickly as there's so much to see on the way.



I would also agree about tipping. Most people didn't tip. We tipped after everything and we received exceptional service (even to the point of getting drinks quicker, better made & with more alcohol!).



The holiday is excellent value for money, so spending another £50 on tips really pales into insignificance when you're there.



I would also like to add that this was the first time in my life I’ve ever been on a 'package' holiday, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Well worth it. 10/10

This hotel was a shambles from...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Miss L Barrett

Comments:

This hotel was a shambles from start to finish this hotel ruined our holiday, the only nice thing was the beach but I wouldn’t go back to Cuba or this hotel just for a beach.



The food was appalling, they don’t know the meaning of hygiene there were birds and flies swarming the food it was hard to find something that wasn’t either raw, burnt or cold.



The pool was disgusting never got cleaned, and maintenance of rooms was stupid we had 3 different rooms throughout our stay. We were fuming!



I would not recommend going here, good luck if you’re already booked!

Virgin Flights. Virgin fly into...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Virgin

Submitted By:

Mrs T Lee

Comments:

Virgin Flights. Virgin fly into Havana which necessitates a 2 and a half hour transfer. Although it is quite a long transfer it was worth it to experience the Virgin flights. Plenty of leg room, free drinks all the way and first class service.



Transfer was tiring after a long flight but soon passed. Clearing immigration in Havana was tedious and took over an hour so you need to be patient as the room they keep you in is not air conditioned!



The Hotel Solymar.



First impressions are wow - you arrive and the Hotel looks fantastic and the foyer is full of tropical plants. For this reason they do not use air conditioning in the Foyer leaving it very humid and attracting lots of mosquitoes. The staff on the reception desk are possibly the most miserable unhelpful people I have ever encountered who only speak when spoken to and find it impossible to smile or make conversation.



The Rooms.



We were allocated a room in the main building overlooking the gardens. The room was huge with a nice dressing area and well fitted bathroom. The air-conditioning was super efficient and the bed linen and towels changed almost every day. The maids work so hard and nothing is too much trouble. Initially we felt our room smelled damp but it was because the room had not been occupied for a few days and the air conditioning had been turned off. Within a couple of hours it was fine. The bungalows in the garden were really lovely and if we went again we would pay the extra and take one of them.



The Gardens and Pool.



Absolutely fantastic. The gardens were so well tended and a pleasure to walk through. The pools were well maintained and treated every evening. Spotlessly clean.



The Beach.



Rated one of the top 10 in the world and I can definitely see why. White powder sands and a brilliant blue sea - absolutely fantastic. The Hotel has its own bar on the beach serving drinks. TIP. Take a large plastic beaker - the ones that they serve you with hold the equivalent to a small measure of Bacardi and a splash of coke - two mouthfuls and its gone! The guy serving behind the bar used to laugh at our pint plastic ones but they were a lifesaver in the 100 degrees that we experienced. You can buy souvenirs on the beach at really fair prices.



All inclusive meals and drinks.



There is so much choice at this hotel and the buffet is incredible - it is just a shame that they cannot get the temperature of the food right. The show chefs work really hard but they look totally fed up all the time and you can wait 10 minutes for a fried egg in the morning and longer for them to cook you a piece of chicken or similar in the evening. The queues get longer and longer and they get more frustrated always resulting in everything else on your plate going cold!



The Italian a la carte restaurant is included in the AI price and the food and service here is brilliant. You have to book and it is a real treat to eat here. We didn’t try the seafood restaurant but was told it was good and the Cuban restaurant we were told was average.

The snack bar serving hot dogs, pizza, sandwiches etc was excellent, the food was always hot and the service quick.



Drinks



Our favourite bar was the piano bar in the lobby - it did get hot with no air conditioning but just gave another reason to have another cocktail. The list was endless and they were great measures served by friendly staff. The service at all of the bars was quick and friendly. The drinks were great.



Tipping.



Everyone who serves you in Cuba expects a tip. We made sure that we changed up plenty of pesos into 1 peso coins. We tipped for everything - every drink, porters, maids, gardeners everyone and they were so grateful. They find it very hard to buy shampoo, medicines, stationery and all sorts of things and we took lots of these types of things to give to the maid and other staff at the Hotel. We gave away half our clothes and most of our little ones T shirts and shorts and my husbands beloved trainers which he is just getting over! It was like giving a fortune and they were so grateful.



Some tips for you:



Be careful completing your visa - especially the date of birth as one slip means buying another visa. Take English pounds and change to pesos at the airport, ask for some small peso 1 peso coins for tipping the porters etc. Take extra toiletries, unwanted smellies, makeup etc the staff are equally happy with these for tips. Take a large plastic beaker to the beach for a full pint of your favourite drink and to save you queuing every 5 minutes.

Take Mosquito repellent - you cannot buy it there and they are the smallest hungriest mozzies you will ever meet. Book the a la carte restaurant 3 days in advance

Request a room away from the Piano bar - it is open all night and can get noisy avoid room 1163! Finally remember to keep 25 pesos per person departure tax to pay at the airport when leaving.

All I want to say the person...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

SUZIE FRIEND

Comments:

All I want to say the person before has said it all. It was a fantastic holiday. The only downfall I would say is that the food at the buffet is warm not hot and some days it was cold, but to me that’s the fun of holidays.



There was always something to eat Hot at the snack bars. Over all I will be going back Maybe not to Varadero as I would like to see the other end of the Island. We did hire a car but it was going to be a 12hr drive to the other end.



Our car trips were very good, we saw a lot of the real Cuba and got lost a few times but it was fun.

Our main aim for this holiday...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2004

Tour Operator:

Go Travel Direct

Submitted By:

Mrs M.A. Welsh

Comments:

Our main aim for this holiday was to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary and it did not let us down.



The hotel room was very clean and the room staff extremely friendly. A nice touch was a mini fridge with a daily supply of bottled water, beer and coke at no extra charge.



The pool areas each had a bar and served snacks and were well looked after and at the larger pool, drinks were served at the loungers, so we didn’t even have to go to the bar. There is an extensive cocktail list to please even the fussiest person. It was a very short walk to the beach with yet another bar and more than enough loungers and parasols to go round. In total there are seven bars, including a piano bar (for a quiet evening) and a bar in the theatre. The best one for cocktails is definitely the Lobby Bar, open 24 hours.



There are two buffet restaurants, one of which opens for breakfast and dinner, and the other (just at the beach) for lunch. The choice of meals was fabulous, with fresh fish on the grill every day and numerous other hot options, including chicken, pork, and beef. Their salad buffet is one of the best I’ve seen, and often included things like fresh crab, langoustine and numerous cold meats. Don’t miss the flambé bananas for dessert!! I would highly recommend both the Cuban & Seafood a la carte restaurants (no extra charge unlike some others I’ve seen).



The only aspect of the holiday I would like to see some improvement in is the evening entertainment. While the team who performed in the shows were excellent in their roles as dancers or singers, the shows themselves were all very similar, however this is not a criticism of the participants capabilities.



We found all of the staff at the hotel to be cheerful all of the time, although they did manage to smother their laughs at one point when my husband dropped his partial denture down the sink! This was retrieved by a very sombre maintenance man who I’m certain was beginning to grin widely as he made his way out of our room. After this, my husband made a point of smiling broadly at the girls in Reception who had arranged for the necessary to be done.



There are also various trips on offer. We only took one, the overnight to Havana, which was terrific, especially as our guide, Ray, was more than happy to express his pride in his country and did not drag us from one hotel to another as we heard other guests mention. We got to see both old and new Havana and see the efforts being made to regenerate both the buildings and the economy.



One tip - take plenty of one dollar bills for tips, it could be the only thing you’ll spend unless you venture off the resort.