I have just come back from a two week holiday at the Grand Caribe Club Puntarena. I loved Cuba but the Puntarena was very average. I went with my 3 girlfriends (we are all aged between 24 & 25) and found the hotel lacked activities. The animation team did their best to get everyone involved but there is only so much Volleyball and bingo you can play in two weeks! The animation team do do daily Spanish and salsa/reggaeton dance classes which were very good and came in handy at the nightclubs we went to!

The hotel was nice, the rooms were very spacious and we had an ocean view balcony. The maid service was excellent but this could have been due to the gifts we left for our maids. We would recommend that you take toiletries, make-up, sweets & other little gifts as it’s very appreciated by the maids & other hotel staff and gets you a little extra service.

Now on to the food… be prepared to either eat out or lose weight!!! There is plenty of food on offer but not necessarily things you would normally chose to eat, if you love chicken & rice you like the food. Breakfast is good, so make sure you don’t miss it after a heavy night. The restaurants are poor quality but the beach restaurant was our favourite choice.

The pool is a good size with lots of lounges and a pool bar which is good and there are lots of activities to do around the hotel. There is a basketball court, giant chess, volley ball, table tennis, lots of pool tables, crazy golf, football pitch and a gym but don’t expect modern apparatus.

The beach is gorgeous… white sand and crystal clear water and there is always a lifeguard on duty. There is also lots of beach activities to do like beach volleyball, canoeing, water bikes, catamaran trips (one trip is free for 20 mins, the other trip is 20 pesos for a 3 hour snorkelling trip). On the snorkelling trip you may see wild dolphins on the return journey! We recommend you take a walk along the beach as it stretches the whole peninsular and you get to visit the Cuban beaches as we as the hotel beaches and there are lots of bars along the way!

The hotel disco is ok. It tends to be busy after the nightly show finishes but then gets quiet which is a shame as it doesn’t close until 2am and the DJ will play pretty much whatever you request. We went to nightclubs out of the hotel almost every night so check out our recommendations on the go list page (browngirl06’s golist – nightclubs in varadero)

We recommend you go to Havana for a day and a night. We booked through Thompson’s and spent two days and one night there. The Tropicana show was amazing and we hit a club after (casa de music, central Havana) which was very very good.

The Cubans are very friendly so don’t be afraid to venture to downtown and mingle. Don’t get caught short like we did and make sure you can use your debit cards before you leave home. You can only use Visa or MasterCard and make sure your bank isn’t affiliated to an American bank. You cannot use meastro!!

All in all Cuba was beautiful and well worth the trip and we look forward to returning but will book a 5 star hotel next time.

I am really surprised seeing some poor references. I have spent 2 weeks in this hotel and i had the best time ever. The hotel is located by the beach and has lots of facilities for everyone. (We had an amazing view from our hotel room). People were great, the hotel staff very friendly and attentive. There was always something to do, but the most important thing was that the downstairs bar was open 24 hr and sometimes it was still busy at 5 in the morning. I have read some reviews where people were complaining about: food...well Cuban cuisine might seem to be slightly blant...(please dont expect full English on holiday)...personally i really enjoyed (well i have put 4 kg on )Tthe choise was excellent...there was even a night chef who was ready to cook you a burger at 5 in the morning.
If you are looking for a place where you can have fun this hotel is perfect for you...i have met lots of great people there and have to say that people of every age group were really enjoying themselves.

We just returned from this resort and I am pleased to say , we really enjoyed it. Okay the food wasn't the greatest, but if you go to Cuba for McDonalds etc. you will get very hungry. The place was spotless, including the grounds. The people that work the resort are some of the best we have met in Cuba and this is our fourth visit. The rooms are clean and the views on the ocean side are incredible. Four pesos to town by taxi and for those of you who like a drink , one of the bars is open 24 hours. We are planning on going back in the early New Year.
Oops I forgot, THE BEACH is absolutely amazing. With an outside bar an restaurant that opens for lunch and acres of sand and that beautiful water we all dream about. Take a hobey cat ride if you get a chance, it's in with your all inclusive and the guys are very accomadating.
Robin and Deb

I am really bothered to see people give out bad reviews like this for a place that's absolutely terrific!!! To be honest I was a little sceptical to go there since I read these reviews, but I have to tell you it was an amazing trip. The staff were great, food was fabulous, and the beach was superb. I highly recommend that you take the tour of Habana city, you will not regret it, and also to check out the local discos in Varadero such as La Red... All in all it was an absolutely amazing experience, and we'll be coming back very soon... Hugz and Kissez for DANO :)