We had a really great time at this place. Good food, fantastic service, beautiful beach, great pools.

Just don't get a massage from a man. Totally inappropriate touching. Also walked in on me naked: that should have been a hint, I guess.

We would try a different resort next time, but we had a good time at this one.

Make sure you check out some of the excursions. They're worth it.

Just returned from Cuba. I stayed at the Barcelo Marina Palace for one week.

The accomodations were great..nice room and service. The staff was very accomodating and pleasant.

The ocean was beautiful...beach was very clean (some algae) and pool also very clean.

There was no life at this hotel..very few people..almost looked deserted????

The one MAJOR problem were the swarms of mosquitoes at night.

After having supper...there was nowhere to go but your room. The problem was the mosquitoes..wether you were in the lobby having a drink or at the show...I felt bad for the animators of the show who practiced all day but had no audience at night.

The staff advised they fumigate twice a day..but it is not enough!
They say that the hotel cannot afford anymore costs to treat this problem???

Therefore, if you hang around..you get bitten to death or you go back to your room all night because even repelants don't work!

Not sure if it is the same in the other hotels, but I was told this occurs at this hotel because of its location at the end of the penninsula.

I would go back to Cuba for the beautiful beaches and friendly people, but never back to this hotel.

The food at the buffet was always the same, not much variety every day..

I'd like to mention that the staff works very hard and earn so little, so I would encourage you leave them TIPS and anything else you can bring for them. They appreciate it very much., as they don't have the means to get things we have back home.

I enjoyed my visit to Havana and our guide with transgaviota was superb and very knowledgeable.

I would recommend Cuba to all ..it is very safe and super clean everywhere you go...just shop around for your hotel, as the mosquito problem at this resort will ruin your holidays. I am back home and itching like mad as a result of all the bites I got on my arms and legs.

Hope this helps your travel search.

Ok folks....I just returned home to (Calgary, Alberta) on June 14th, 2008. My aunt and I stayed at Barcelo Marina Palace for the duration of one week, needless to say both of us were relieved to be home. The food was absolutely disgusting, and I mean DISGUSTING. I spoke to alot of people around the resort and that was certainly the general consensus, alot of people got very sick from it including both my aunt and I. The service was terrible as well, the front desk people were very rude and unwelcoming, the bar tenders would ignore you if you didn't tip them after every drink you ordered etc. When we arrived to our room our bathtub looked like it had not been cleaned for a very long time and our sheets were dirty. The mosquitos are terrible as well I got around 50 bites and my aunt got closer to 100 and that was with bug spray!! I will never return to CUBA after this experience and I would not reccomend anyone to stay at this resort.
Happy travels.

The extra expense required to stay at the Cayo Libertad Royal Island section of the Barcelo Marina Palace is worth every penny if you're a traveler who likes to be pampered and removed from the throngs of young adults, children and noise that permeates the average Varadero resort.
While children are allowed to stay on the Island it is clearly geared towards the tastes and desires of adult couples who are looking for a quiet vacation with the finest amenities on offer in the restricted context of Cuba.
We chose Cayo because of the food and were not disappointed by what the Island's a la carte restaurant (open from 7:30 a.m through 10:30 p.m.) offered. The menu changed based on the number of guests on the island (180 is the maximum, and we began our week with 20) but the quality, variety and portions satisfied the classically trained chef in our party. We chose not to use any of the a la carte or buffet restaurants at the main resort (although we had unlimited access to them) because our restaurant was more than sufficient. We were well served by all the restaurant staff, most especially the consitently attentive Maylene and Josue. We also enjoyed the live offerings of Fascinacion - the guitar and violin duo who played during dinner.
We were very satisfied with our accomodations. Our clean room had every amenity expected by Canadian and European travelers - including things which are apparently not available in the rooms of the main resort, such as kleenex, face cloths and a soaker tub large enough for two adults. Every Island room has a water view. If our mini-bar was diminished before its daily refill room service, available 24 hours a day at no extra expense to us, happily supplied any drinks or food requested.
Most of the time, however, we went for drinks be it bottles of water, cristal, espresso, or congac, to our pool or cigar bar.
The pool bar, run by the welcoming and attentive Ailadys, was our home away from home. This seemed to be the case for most of the guests on the Island. Ailadys unobtrusive yet friendly personality encouraged both socialization with other guests and quiet relaxation in or around the pool.
Our evening home was the cigar bar, where we were well tended by Zayma. She guided our exploration of the top quality cigars, such as Cohiba Siglo VI, on offer at the bar (the only extra expense incurred on the Island). The pleasant scent of good cigars was complimented by the classically trained pianist who serenaded us most evenings.
Cayo Libertad is at the farthest end of the Varadero penninsula and the Barcelo Marina Palace and that makes the exclusivity of the Island possible. You are made to feel special from the moment of check-in. Rather than having to deal with the main desk at the Palace one is driven by a bellboy to the Island, where you are greeted with champagne by your conceirge. The Island boasts its own beaches, bank, gazebo for your included massage and bellboys. The Cayo bellboys, who exclusively drive Island guests around the entire resort on request, are your first and last contact with the impressive staff and service offered to Cayo guests. With bellboys such as the wonderfully engaging Tony one knows a luxurious vacation is about to begin or, sadly, end.