Three close friends and I traveled to the Superclub Breezes varadero on April 25-May 2nd.

The flight was great. We arrived in Varadero around 10am and took the bus to our resrot, which was about a 20-25 min drive.

Check-in
Check-in was brudal! We were at our resort by 10:30 and did not recieve our room until about 3:30. Some friends of ours didn't get thier room till about 6 or 7. It might have seemed worse becausen one of us had slept in 24 hours but we were thrilled to finially get in.

The look of the rooms/resort
Overall, the grounds of the resort were beautiful! The room were clean but dated and we did not have a fridge. Also, we would be forced to turn down our air-conditioning because it had a pretty strong sewage smell. Our room was also in the same building and directly on top of the disco. This was good for us because we are a bunch of 20-somthings who were up all night dancing and partying. If you don't fall into that category, you would probably be miserable because it was very loud and the walls are paper thin.

The buffet/a la carte
We are all relatively picky girls therefore the main staples of our meals were rice and bread. I tryed some mystery meat one night at the buffet and I paid for the for the next few days. Overall, I didn't find anyone really enjoying the food but you're in cuba, and the food is typically more bland than what we're used to. The a la carte meals were really good. My favourite was probably the cuban where we had ribs. They were great! One thing I have to mention though is while we were eating in the buffet one morning, a cockroach fell from the ceiling and landed on one of our friends. Now this is by no means a dirty resort at all, it was just halarious when we all jumped up from the table. Everything at the resort is very open and it's impossible to keep all of the bugs out with such an open concept. Also, on our last morning in cuba, there was a cockroach in our bathroom. Other than that, I didn't see any other bugs around the resort.

The beach
By far the most beautiful beach in cuba. This was my third time to cuba and I had never seen a beach so amazing. We did not see one crab, jellyfish or any other sea creature at all.

Drinks
Very sugary! many of ur spent some nights just drinking vodka/sprite or beer because the yummy tropical drinks were too sweet. And the the cubans definitly don't skimp on thier liquor!

Excursions
We did the snorkling/swimming with dolphins excursion. That was alot of fun! Although when we swam with the dolphins, there were alot of people in the water at one time so we didn't get much time one-on-one with them. Also they didn't give us flippers when we went snorkling. I have done this excursion twice before and we had flippers both times. The current was also very strong and it was dragging us under the boat. On this excursion, you go to a deserted island and eat lunch. By far the most beautiful and hottest beach I have ever seen! We also took the double decker bus into varadero one day for a little shopping. That was really nice and they have a ton of beautiful, handcrafted jewelry.

The nightly entertainment
The shows were pretty cheezey but gave us somthing to do before we would go to the disco or the clubs.

The Clubs
Rumba
we went to 3 clubs during our stay in cuba. The first night we went to the Rumba club. Good music but alot of cubans! 10 dollar cover, 2 dollar drinks

The Cave
The bext club we went to by far. The music was great, 10 dollar cover and 2 dollar drinks. You're literally inside a cave which is pretty cool in itself.

The Mambo club
Fun club. For anyone from Halifax or who have visited halifax, it reminded us of the New Palace Nightclub here in town. Again, 2 dollar drinks, 10 dollar cover.


Hospitality
We would leave small gifts for the maids everyday. They were very greatful and even came into our room one time to thank us. I didn't ever feel pressured to tip around the resort either. That was a nice change!

Traveler tips
1. I would suggest packing any and all medication you could possibly need! I had a terrible heat rash for which I went to the attending nurse at the resort who couldn't do anything for me except call the doctor to come and see me which would have cost 50 pesos. Then it would have cost another $50 pesos for the cream he would have given me. Also, one of our friends was quite sick the first few days we were there and she also had nothing to relieve her sickness

2. pack a bathing suit and anything you might need on that first day you're there because if you're arriving in the morning, your room will likely not be ready.

3. if you want to stick around the pool, get there early. We often had trouble finding seats.

4. Bring an insulated mug. The cups they give you are small and don't last long in the sun!

Hope this helped!

Hi, What a wonderful week we spent at Breezes Varadero from April 26-May 3rd. It was a mother/daughter vacation after university exams-we were 4 in total. I had read all the reviews, and it became a joke when I would say "According to Trip Advisor...". So I feel I must write a review.

I would ike to write about something other than food, accomodation, and activities which are well covered in other reviews. In talking to other Montrealers who had been to Cuba many had talked about bringing "presents" for the staff. So I filled an entire suitcase of give-aways--clothing, hats, bags, pens, jewellery, paper, toothpaste, toys etc. My travel partner thought I was crazy, but at the end of the trip I was happy with my efforts. The average tip is about 1 peso, but to who? In the a-la-carte restaurants we tipped 2 - 4 pesos depending on service. In the bars, I have my favorite and prepared a special present bag for Gladys who made my coffee every morning and beer before lunch. (I bought some of the many dollar store gift bags that were overcrowding my cupboard). I always had a bag for our maid, who wrote me a lovely note every day, and did a wonderful job cleaning our room. I extended my gift bags (I had many!) to the gardners, and kitchen and diinng cleaning staff. The gratitude was unbelievable. I think the waitors and waitresses do OK, but the support staff earns about $20.00 per month, work six days a week and travel far to work each day. They were so grateful and I know that they have little.

I know that the resort is an "All Inclusive" and perhaps tipping and gifting is not necessary, but I felt that it was the least I could do for the wonderful service I received during my week. The staff were so pleasant. At one point I saw one of the cooks dancing with one of the waitresses at the end of the evening, and I thought "wow, what a great atmosphere".

There are people who come back every year and I know why. But then this sort of country isn't for everyone, so you have to be open. But none of us were sick due to the food, it is very safe and we never waited very long for anything. Our room was quiet, the weather and beach was unbelievable, and the gardens were spectacular. But best of all were the Cuban people.

I read other comments before getting to Cuba and it did and didn't help so I figured here's my take on what I've read. The airport skimming your cash is right... I was ripped off about 15 pesos. Count your money again in front of the person - regardless of how rushed you are!! Also, you do need to leave your passport at the hotel desk for 24 hours (wasn't given a reason why but I felt better when I had it back in my hands). The food... I didn't starve and I didn't get sick. Our al-a-cartes were good but El Mojito (the Cuban one) was the best. If you're looking for good food, eat real Cuban food off the resort. We enjoyed that. The hotel itself is okay. Nothing wow but it's nice and they keep the grounds well maintained. They're doing a reno this fall so if you can wait until the end of the year... I'd wait until the renos are done, but our room was clean so we had no complaints (i.e. no ants). Tip the maid with products (shampoo, soap, lotion, toothpaste, tooth brushes, razors, shaving cream, etc.). We were generous with our maid and she always did something nice for us. The beach... breathtaking. Clean sand, crystal clear water... it was heaven. The BBQ by the beach... Noel was our chief and he is by far the sweetest man you'll ever meet. We did 3 tours... Jeep Safari, Havana and the Catamaran. All worth it. We also took the bus into downtown Varadero to do shopping (not really much to buy). It really gives you a chance to enjoy Cuba and see what its all about. The Cuban people are great! No doubt about it. However here is my negative spin... peddlers and stray dogs can break your heart. The other negative ... and this is just me since I'm a non-smoker... but everyone smokes everywhere. I can truly say I enjoyed coming back home - LOL. The last negative comment and really isn't but worth mentioning, I chose this hotel because it was an adults only... however I didn't realize how many 50+ folks would be there. It felt like a seniors place. Very polite, fun and lively seniors but non-the-less when you're in your 30's you hope for more folks your age. When leaving Cuba try and do the VIP service (we booked with Conquest). You pay 20 pesos each and it's worth every cent. You check your baggage and get your boarding pass in a seperate line. Then you give your 25 pesos to leave Cuba and your boarding pass to a woman who gets front-of-the-line service for you. Then you go through the customs person in a sperate line. When she meets you on the other side of the doors, she gets you front-of-the-line service again to go through the metal detectors. Finally she takes you into the air conditioned lounge where you're given a drink, snacks, leather couches, tv... all seperate from the regular waiting area. It literally took us just a couple of minutes to get from the airport entrance into the waiting lounge. Once your flight has arrived, you're notified first and board the plan before everyone else. It was a great way to end a great week. Overall - yes I'd go back and do recommend Cuba and SuperClub Breezes Varadero!!

The Happiest People in the World don’t have the best of everything they just make the best of everything they have! This best describes the people of Cuba.
This was our second trip to Cuba and we are already planning our trip for next year after only being back a week! I have read a lot of reviews and I chuckle at ones that complain everything is not like home! I thought the whole idea of travel was to experience different food, customs and culture???
Okay off of my soap box!
The Rooms, we experienced the bad Garden Suite 180 and the good 284. We had air conditioning problems and were moved. Decors in the rooms were the same but the second room was must fresher and no water stains or mould. This resort is closing Sept 1st 2008 for three months for major renovations. This should resolve the issues with the rooms. However bear in mind this is a humid climate. I spoke to a fellow traveller who stayed at a 5 Star about a year old and he commented on the mould on the walls there already.
Food, My wife and I found the food okay, not as good as the last resort we were visited but we did not go hungry. Lots of fresh fruit and veggies, sweets and a wide variety of cooked dishes some were good and some not so good. People have already mentioned the omelettes and the beach grill and they were good. The sandwich grill at the bar also provides good food. We enjoyed the restaurants as a change and found the food good and service great. The wine is much better in these restaurants.
The Grounds. The grounds at this resort are mature and very beautiful. Just walking around and taking in the palm trees and cacti is so relaxing. The pool is very large and was never crowded. Everything is close by but not on top of each other. There are six bars located throughout the grounds so you can have a drink by the pool or go off to a quite location. The golf course is across the road from the resort, we did not play but will next time. Green Fees are included in your stay!
Staff. We found the staff friendly overall, some were more interactive with guests than others. They were always very accommodating and eager to ensure you had a great holiday.
Beach! What can I say, it was just the best I have ever seen. I walked the beach to Varadero and back about 30 minutes in one direction. We had great weather every day and appreciated the breeze that goes with being on a narrow peninsula.
General if was a very good holiday and look forward to going back. The people so appreciate the gifts you bring. We tried to take gifts items that were hard to get in Cuba and the people appreciated from our previous trip; nylons, combs, hair clips, chocolate, and perfume. We gave to the maids as everyone does but we also tried to give something to those who might not usually get items, gardeners, maintenance and even our Travel Company Rep.
I think what I like best is the people are so polite and the sense you are very safe in this country. When you are in the town/markets people are not in your face trying to sell you something unlike the aggressive sales approach of other Caribbean Countries. People greet you with a smile hello in Spanish!