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Blau Club Arenal Hotel: Traveler Reviews


Blau Club Arenal Hotel
Laguna Itabo | Sta. María del Mar y Boca Ciega, Havana, Cuba
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Traveler Reviews

53% Recommend
3.0 of 5 stars 50 reviews
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got good value for my money and more

Blau Club Arenal Hotel

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4 of 5 stars
babewalker 1 contribution
ontario
Oct 23, 2008
2/2 found this review helpful

we visited in march and were never in the caribbean before, but had been told not to have high expectations. We brought small gifts to give staff that are not available otherwise and were very grateful to receive. I tried to make sure that anyone I had received service from got a t- shirt, pen, shoes, shampoo, children's clothes, or whatever I wasn't going to need to take back. I made sure I wrote a note and said what the item was and that it was a gift for them. No need to steal as they got little money tips and bigger gifts that I was grateful not to have to drag home. I never heard about anyone missing things when I was there.We received an incredible experience that I will never forget and encourage others to go and see for themselves with open eyes. It's a 3 star place and I was well taken care of as I use a cane to get around. I was offered a room on the bottom floor which was acceptable. Navigating to the beach over the sand dune was no big deal and the beach was cleaned by a work crew every morning to eliminate what came in from the tide. The salt water pool was very clean and felt great. Security made one feel comfortable after I got used to them by the 2nd day and then never gave them a second thought except to say hello on my way to and from the beach. Staff worked often very long hours yet were very pleasant. I was amused with the nursing station. The full massage was great and very inexpensive! Our room was very large with a safe, fridge and a 2 liter bottle of water for each of us. Entertainment is pleasant with a 4 peice band and dancers later on in the evening. We were lucky to have the Havana Club there so we did get a definite upgrade of service and a spectacular show that impressed me. The building is needing some repairs but that is Cuba right. The food was very plain but I had been told to expect that so I wasn't surprised. The bread was great! The coffee is great at the bar in the morning if you can't wait for the dinning room to open up. I wasn't going to Cuba for the food. The free bus into Havana twice a day was a great deal considering the first day I paid $22. for the tour to Havana. Mind you it did give me a better understanding of things and where I was. I should have taken more tours as the guys who went seemed to really enjoy themselves. Bring some bug spray for the evenings as they can come out. They didn't bother me except for the one night. I would recommend bringing your own asprin , bandages,and other first aid products as it can be hit and miss. Batteries were hard to find at the local resort store so be sure to bring back up batteries for camera and maybe your own little flashlight just in case. You just can't expect them to have things that we take for granted. Get off the resort and you will understand things better. Go with an open mind and you will be paid back in culture and many great memories. Remember we are a guest in their country so give them a little respect.

  • Date of stay March 2008
  • Member since October 23, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $112 (year-round)
Nice and close to Havana

Blau Club Arenal Hotel

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4 of 5 stars
legallyblonde-it 24 contributions
Milan, Italy
Sep 1, 2008 | Trip type: Couples
2/2 found this review helpful

Huge lobby with ancient furniture very well kept.
Huge rooms with bathrooms and balcony, not so well furnished but overall fine.
Nice swimmingpool.
Not very large beach, but enough space and beach chairs.
Wery controlled by policemen: we felt safe because there was a policeman standing there every 200 meters. On the baech we saw someone being arrested just for having approached a couple of tourists, we have not picked up the exact circumstances, though.
The beach really gets overcrowded with cuban people on saturdays and sundays, but mostly on the right side, not exactly in front of the hotel. Good food but not large quantity.
Nice little orchestra of 4 elements playing every night starting early, at the restaurant, entertaining and not annoying at all.

  • Liked — location near Havana and shuttle bus of the hotel riding back and forth to Habana 4 times a day
  • Disliked — shortage of food although the quality was very good
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 1 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay June 2003
  • Visit was for Hobbies / interest / culture
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 35-49
  • Member since August 29, 2008
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
  • I recommend this hotel for A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $112 (year-round)
ever see The Shining? its at the Blau

Blau Club Arenal Hotel

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1 of 5 stars
mellyne 1 contribution
Ajax, Ontario
Jul 10, 2008 | Trip type: Friends getaway
2/2 found this review helpful

just got back.. arrived July 3---
somehow i felt like i was in The Shining...
empty, quiet, no staff, no service, no food, bad food, too many cats, urine smell in rooms, only a pool--beach is off over a bridge over a swamp,,,, yes, I left the next day after requesting a transfer from Holasun tours...
apparently this hotel is closing down soon... and i am not surprised however how can any service book their clients there??
do they not have people down there who monitor these places??
felt trapped in the middle of nowhere for 24 hours...

OH, and because only 7 of us on the plane were booked for that hotel, there ceased to be someone there to pick us up at the airport... we took a cab from the airport to the hotel.. at 10 cuc a person.. --the aiport is about 25 mins from the hotel, however it took us an hour to get there because the driver wanted to pick up his son from work on the way.....YAH, pretty crappy welcome.

  • Liked — it didnt rain
  • Disliked — its a hole---
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay July 2008
  • Visit was for Quality time with friends
  • Traveled with Friends
  • Age group 25-34
  • Member since July 10, 2008
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? No
  • I recommend this hotel for A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Tourists
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Beach / Sun, Great food / Wine, Concerts / Music festival
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $112 (year-round)
Wait!!!

Blau Club Arenal Hotel

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2 of 5 stars
Flyingdutchman951 6 contributions
Orillia
May 12, 2008 | Trip type: Couples
3/3 found this review helpful

My 27th trip to Cuba
Sunwing flight and transfer good as usual. Extra "legroom" seat a blessing for us tall people.
After a long 90 min.bus ride arrived at the resort.
First impression (after a career in the travel industry) long gone glory.
Everything in bad shape,crumbling walls, rotted wood , mold everywhere.Tennis impossible due to ripped net, bridge to beach broken, on the beach no bar service.
Staff aware they were out of a job soon due to planned renovations so not the usual "Cuban care"
Personally I put the blame completely on Sunwing Vacations who totally misrepresented this property. Give this property a 2 star rating which it barely deserves. After complaining it took Sunwing Vacations 3 Month to reply and their final answer was "you get what you pay for and we do not care that you were unhappy"
I have faith in the Blau Management (their other properties in Cuba are much better) but for the time being 1/Do not book with Sunwing Vacations, 2/ Wait till you hear this property has been totally renovated.
As other reports stated the bus service to Havanna was great, food OK and bar service slow but manageble.
Re. internet booking;Red Tag was of very little help and I will not deal with them again.

  • Liked — location
  • Disliked — shape of property
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 2 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay February 2008
  • Visit was for Romantic getaway
  • Traveled with Spouse / significant other
  • Age group 50-64
  • Member since January 26, 2006
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? No
  • I recommend this hotel for Great pool scene
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Beach / Sun, Great food / Wine
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: $112 (year-round)
Was Robbed Blind

Blau Club Arenal Hotel

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1 of 5 stars
karazmatic 1 contribution
winnipeg
Apr 21, 2008 | Trip type: Solo travel
1/2 found this review helpful

The first day there I noticed my perfume missing, at first I thought I had miss placed it because the lid was still on the vanity.
the second day the lid was missing too and so was my new batteries in my camera ( they had put the old one back in) and my dress shoes were missing as well. the third day i had my hair pins make up brushes, and another pair of shoes stolen.
i complained and they told me to lock up anything i didnt want stolen ( the safe is fits my passport and money) and they told me they would contact the manerger but there was not much they could do. another day passed i had clothes and more make up stolen. i couldnt understand why they were stealing it not like i wasnt tipping the,.
i would not repeat my stay here EVER.

  • Liked — leaving
  • Disliked — the staff
  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service (e.g., internet access)
  • Date of stay March 2008
  • Visit was for Hobbies / interest / culture
  • Traveled with Solo traveler
  • Age group 18-24
  • Member since April 21, 2008
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? No
  • I recommend this hotel for Older travelers, Tourists
  • I do not recommend this hotel for Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
  • I selected this hotel as a top choice for Museums / Cultural / Historical sites
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
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Average price*: $112 (year-round)
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Blau Club Arenal Hotel Address

Laguna Itabo | Sta. María del Mar y Boca Ciega, Havana, Cuba