The Playa Vista Azul is a five-star resort, located on the first line of the heavenly Varadero beach, with white sand and crystal clear waters. The hotel has a spectacular ¨Infinity Pool¨, the only one of its kind in the Varadero Peninsula, spacious and bright rooms, attractive themed restaurants, an entertainment program designed for the whole family, Wellness Center and an excellent Premium Service, with rooms and high standard personalized facilities. All of the above highlights it as a product of excellence preferred by many customers.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Trendy
Languages Spoken
English, French, Russian, Spanish and 1 more
Location
Autopista Sur, Varadero Cuba
Hotel Playa Vista Azul
6,045 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled close to the beach, Hotel Playa Vista Azul is often commended for its stunning beaches and infinity pool. Guests have called out the entertaining atmosphere with live music and themed events, although a few find the music too loud. The service receives accolades for its warmth and dedication, yet some guests have experienced inconsistencies.
While the rooms and cleanliness are generally praised, there is feedback suggesting a need for better maintenance. Despite mixed opinions on food quality, the location's convenience is widely appreciated.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Neglected
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Satisfactory
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We were there over the Christmas week in 2019. Arrival was a bit rough because of the Sunwing busses but can’t complain since Cuba’s under sanctions still. Food took a little getting used to but I got used to it. My wife and kids however did not. Our maid was outstanding (Dianiry) and the guys stocking the fridge were always knew how to take care of us well. Pool was always clean and well kept. The buffet was as good as can be expected giving the lack of spices in the country. Room service was not to par at all, didn’t deliver items more than once. The beach towels were not available to be swapped several times. There was a lack of waiters and staff serving drinks on the beach and the pool. We had no shampoo/ conditioner and couldn’t get a soap bar in the middle of the week so I strongly advise taking your own. Kleenexes were not heard of so I assume they were hard to get in the country. Over all I say that this resort needs a bit more maintenance since we paid about the same as going to grand moon palace in Mexico. The Cuban people try very hard and make things very good for visitors with what they have. Tipping will get you a long ways with them. Over all Cuba is a beautiful country and this resort has a lot of potential. Also worthy of mentioning was the catamaran trip to swim with the dolphins was amazing. The staff in the catamaran Antares were awesome. Money well spent on that excursion.
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CustomerServiceOcean, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Jan 8, 2020
Dear Mahogany604, Thank you for choosing our resort for your past holidays. It is with a great regret that we learn we were not able to exceed your expectations and that there were some aspects of your stay that were not satisfactory. We want to thank you for your comments, which give us the opportunity to evaluate our performance. Thank you for posting your review at this site. We hope that you will give us the opportunity to host you again in the future and change your perception about our resort. Warm regards, The Ocean Vista Azul Management
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We went for a week to the plays vista azul in varadero. We paid to upgrade to the privilege rooms which I highly recommend to do . The privilege rooms were fantastic with a separate lounge area , walk in wardrobe large twin sink bathroom with separate toilet and walk in shower. The two TVs in the room were 55” and ultra Hd . Amazing. We had a butler who would do anything fit you , he even offered to do any ironing we wanted. The separate privilege restaurant was fresh cooked a la carte, which was of good quality tho a bit repetitive. You also get the use of the privilege bar by the infinity pool which serves you international branded booze like ciroc vodka etc, they can’t do enough for you and very friendly. I also had a massage by the beach which only cost £23 for 55 mins and was amazing value and gorgeous. We would definitely go back to this hotel in the future especially as the weather is very hot almost all year round .
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lázaro Manuel Sánchez Portela, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Jan 13, 2021
Dear sarahtM7850DF, With reward we learn that your vacations at our resort were enjoyable and that you appreciated our facilities, activities and the good service provided by our staff; furthermore, that you choose to be pampered by contracting our Privilege package and overall you had an amazing time. We are truly thankful for posting your review on this site. We will be glad to host your next vacations. Warm regards, The PLaya Vista Azul
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Hotel is situated in the middle of 2 beautiful beaches, friendly and hard working staff. Great bar service,. Overall the food was decent, tasty and healthy. We tried 3 restaurants, but preferred the buffet as we traveled with one vegetarian and one gluten free person. Our rooms were clean but were shabby and the bed was so, so. Apparently the hotel is only 4 years old. Bring your own room towel. Towel service varied from day to day and only 1 towel per person. We stayed for 7 days and our towels were only changed 4 times. This is a problem in a high humidity environment as fabric does not dry very well. Clean beach towels were provided, but again sporadically. If you are looking for a hotel with a beautiful beach and a fun party atmosphere this place may suit you,
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CustomerServiceOcean, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Feb 17, 2020
Dear Shannon L, Thank you for posting your review on this site. We would like to thank you for the good comments you have made about our performance, staff, and offer; and also for taking the time to point us out the aspects of your stay that did not fulfill your expectations and need our attention, which will be analyzed by the pertinent departments in order to correct them. Thank you for choosing our resort for your last vacations. We hope to have the opportunity to host you once again on your next visit to our destination. Kind regards, The Ocean Vista Azul Management
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Very disappointed in this resort. The hotel rooms & hallways are very dirty. Lots of light bulbs burned out in the hallways & stairwells. Cigarette buts were on the steps all week..I don't think they swept or washed those steps all week. Our bed linens were soiled, and our pillows had no stuffing left in them. Trying to get water left in our room was a real struggle.coffee creamer for the room was not available anywhere on the resort.and yes, we tip our maid very well. Food not great. Meat was so tough, we couldn't cut it. Bacon was usually 75% raw. Pasta Bar was not even edible. I couldn't even find good fruit to eat. The only consistant thing was the drinks and of course...the people. Snacks were never available, unless you brought your own or bought something in the gift shop..or shall I call it a closet shop... The gift shop was about the size of a closet and only 2 people could go in at a time. Wifi was only available if you purchased an internet card and it did not work in the hotel rooms … was scattered through out the pool area. We love Cuba and the people, and this was not our first time on the island but this was definately the worst hotel we have stayed at. We seriously felt like leaving the day we arrived. If you are used to staying at a 5 star resort like we are..you will not like this resort.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CustomerServiceOcean, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Feb 3, 2020
Dear marson16, Thank you for choosing our resort for your vacations and for sharing your opinion about your stay with us. We lament learning that you did not receive the Ocean service we are used to give to our valued guests and our food offer did not match with your preferences. We want to thank you for your comments, which give us the opportunity to evaluate our performance. Thank you for posting your review at this site. We hope that you will give us the opportunity to host you again in the future and change your perception about our resort. Kind regards, The Ocean Vista Azul Management
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We paid the extra $300/person to upgrade to Privilege for the food but absolutely not worth it. If you are willing to pay $300 for an amazing room then go for it. Room = 10/10, one of the best rooms we've ever had in the Caribbean, Beach = 5/10, down some banks, picked up lots of glass during our walks, A la carte = 1/10, had to switch to the buffet to get enough to eat (yes you read that correctly). Portions were very small and lacking quality. For instance you would get a small soup, chicken drumstick, 1 cup of white rice and a couple of vegetables for supper. I was starving after 3 days! Buffet = 5/10, found enough top eat here, Pool = 7/10, Service 5/10 (overall) Snack bar = 0/10, had a very lazy server who blocked the stairs to reduce foot traffic and stayed on her cell phone, plywood tables and floor absolutely filthy with pop/beer/food all over the place, items placed out on trays were 75% eaten by birds who continually walked all over the food, they left the closed sign up when open, food absolutely terrible here. Coral restaurant (Privilege section) = 2/10, long waits and the food is just OK, service was overall poor at this restaurant. Privilege bar = 10/10, Maykal was around every 10-15 minutes and super courteous and everyone complimented him on his service.
We paid $1700 per person for this resort which was way over priced (should be closer to $1200/person) for the overall mediocre service and food quality.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CustomerServiceOcean, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Feb 10, 2020
Dear Scott W, We are thankful for posting your review on this site. It is with regret that we learn we were not able to fulfill your expectations on your visit to our resort. Be sure that your comments will be shared with the pertinent departments in order to evaluate our performance. We truly appreciate that you chose our resort for your last vacations. We hope to have the opportunity to host you once again in the future and improve your impression about OVA. Bests, The Ocean Vista Azul Management
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After reading all the wonderful reviews here, we decided to book our vacation at Ocean Vista Azul. Upon arrival to the resort, we almost immediately regretted our decision. Hotel overall is a 3 star at the most. Expect to wait forty five minutes to an hour just for a snack. The room towels were changed twice throughout the duration of our stay, our bedsheets were changed once, the floors were never mopped and so on. The buffet was similar to any other Cuban resort. Our second last day there we had an entertainer from the resort come to us and ask my friend and I to give him a shoutout on trip advisor because it was the end of the month and he needed good reviews. They’ll tell you that they can be fired if they don’t have good reviews. It began to make sense why the resort had amazing reviews. Please don’t make the same mistake we did and pay 5 star pricing for a 3 star resort. The reviews are misleading unfortunately.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CustomerServiceOcean, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Feb 3, 2020
Dear Gregorykentmore, We are thankful for choosing our resort for your last vacation. We lament learning that your stay was not satisfactory and that our resort was not able to meet your expectations.. We truly appreciate that you took the time to share your comments about your stay with us and for pointing us out the areas that need our attention. Be sure that your remarks will be shared and analyzed by the pertinent departments. We hope that you keep choosing Cuba as your vacation destination, and that you give us the opportunity to host you once again in the future. Kind regards, The Ocean Vista Azul Management
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Beautiful location between 2 sandy beaches, hop on hop off bus stops right outside hotel giving you access all through Varadero. Lovely pools, nice clean room, nice staff. Covid secure, plenty of sanitiser, tables/chairs wiped after every guest. Thats the good but now the bad, shop sells nothing but cigars/cigarettes/rum (no food!!!) Closed without warning on 31st and still shut when we left on 4th Jan. Mini bar was never replenished despite numerous requests. Specialist restaurants hardly ever open (only 2 ever open during our stay), tried Italian and food was cold just like the buffet. Lobby bar constantly ran out of glasses, whilst I don't mind drinking out of plastic cups by the pool, I expect something better in the evening in the lobby bar of a 5 star hotel. Food in the buffet was awful, lived on pasta and soup for the entire fortnight. Kept running out of plates and the New Years Eve buffet was a joke, ran out of fizz on arrival and the pig which had been BBQ'd all day was raw! I know this hotel has only just reopened but it was clearly not ready, I think they just wanted the profit from the lucrative xmas market (a fact borne out by the influx of several hundred cubans for new year) without a thought for customer service. We paid a lot of money for this hotel and feel we have been ripped off. Stay away from this place until the management get their act together
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Date of stay: December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lázaro Manuel Sánchez Portela, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Jan 14, 2021
Dear Freedom13996526820, We are thankful for choosing our resort and for sharing your comments about your stay with us. We truly appreciate that you took the time for pointing us out your suggestions to our operation. Be sure that your remarks will be shared and analyzed by the pertinent departments. We really hope to have you back to our property for your next vacations, and that you give us the opportunity to host you once again in the future and improve your impression about our property. Warm regards, The Playa Vista Azul Management.
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I spent a fantastic time at Ocean Vista with a very dear friend. We stayed in the Priveledge area and enjoyed our room very much. Our refrigerator was restocked each day with water, pop and beer. We found the meat to often be a little "gamey" and harsh on our North American palette (makes us wonder about what exactly is in our meat by the way) but there were lots of options and we were never hungry. Breakfast and lunch were most often in the Privelidge restaurant and breakfast was always great with amazing bacon. The bartender in priveledge was really good and we only wished we could carry him with us as we spent a great deal of time at the beach. The entertainment team were extremely intuitive to the clients they served. We interacted with Lulu most and found her to be attentive whether she was encouraging participation in Cuban dance by the pool, or on the beach encouraging participation in sport. I even saw her assisting a young girl with a sand castle. The rest of the entertainment team was excellent as well including: Ivis, Nana, Melissa, and Fredes. There are details the resort can work out to make the experience smoother, but no real worries as anything we expressed concern over were addressed in respectful ways. My one concern that can affect how the space is viewed were how the roomservice dishes were handled. Now the priveledge building is only 4 months old, so this is likely a kink to be figured out. Essentially the roomservice dishes are not picked up promptly and may be left in the hallways for a couple of days. A better system of retrieval is needed, or an air tight container to hold them for example would be more slightly. We had an extremely good time, for a very good price. I will be back to Ocean Vista Azul and can hardly wait.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CustomerServiceOcean, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Jan 27, 2020
Dear 152colleenl, We are glad to learn that you were satisfied with your experience at our resort, and that you chose to upgrade to our Privilege package and to be pampered with the special benefits and facilities it has to offer. Thank you for your suggestions about our Room Service and also for sharing your kind comments about your stay at this site. We are looking forward to host your next vacations. Best regards, The Ocean Vista Azul Management
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We travelled to Playa Vista Azul from October 9-16 and it was Paradise! We were a group of 7 with kids!
Nothing to worry about Covid wise Everything was super clean lots of sanitization the Covid test is organized and done on site only cost $30 US had no problems at all with the Covid regulations.
The beach Is amazing, the pool is amazing clean huge and all to yourself the infinity pool views are to die for!
The staff are amazing here They go out of your way to make your stay memorable everybody goes above and beyond from the room maid to the bartenders to the cleaning staff’s to the gardeners everybody is amazing and friendly. Havier, Horaio, amaury and Alexander was the best! And the bartenders at the main lobby bar were always so hard working and never left your hand empty.
Food was not the greatest but it was the best I had in Cuba!!! if you come prepared with ketchup, steak sauce and seasonings and pepper they will cook your food with it so you won't miss a thing! We ate at the à la cart to every night Italian was our favourite the chicken Parmesan is a must!
My only complaint was The pop was not on fountain everything was bottled and no cans so it always tasted flat couldn’t enjoy a Mojito because the soda water was always flat. Its not a big deal though there are way more things at this resort that way out the one two negatives things.
I recommend not changing pesos everyone accepts Canadian dollars over there and credit cards they actually prefer the Canadian money instead of the pesos so just be sure to bring lots of fives and tens and maybe only change a few pesos for tip during the week for the smaller denominations and you will get lots of people that will give you a great rate!
The staff are so So humble and genuine they appreciate any clothes children’s clothes medicine toothbrushes school supplies as things are super expensive for them right now so if you have any extra stuff at home I recommend bringing it they will be forever grateful.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lázaro Manuel Sánchez Portela, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Oct 20, 2021
Dear nazeeml2021. It is gratifying to read your opinion about your past experience in our resort classifying it as a paradise. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed the beach, the pool, the incredible views in the infinity pool, the staff, but most of all your stay with us. We regret that the food and soft drinks, as well as the soda for the mojito, were not entirely to her liking. Let us in the future invite you to contact us during your stay and send us your observations so that, within our possibilities, we can attend to them in our desire to find a convenient solution for you. Thank you very much for choosing us on your past vacation, for sharing your experience with other travelers on Tripadvisor, and for mentioning some of our staff. We sincerely hope to welcome you back to our resort. Kind regards. The Playa Vista Azul Management.
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My wife and I spent a week at the Ocean Vista Azul from January 25- Feb.1 st. We spent a little extra to upgrade to "Privilege " and it was well worth it. Ocean Front room, breakfast and lunch at separate restaurant for Privilege guests only, Privilege lounge with premium drinks, and access to La Carte restaurants every night, (we did not eat at the buffet at all the entire week). Privilege guests are also provided with a butler that you can contact if you have any questions or problems. Our butler was Yuri and was always pleasant and eager to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
We have been to Cuba almost 20 times and found the food here to be some of the best we've ever had in Cuba. The service in the Privilege restaurant was outstanding thanks to the incredibly hard working staff including Yanelky, Alex, Katy, Yaribey and Jizandra. You made us look forward to your smiles and impeccable service at every meal!!
The rooms are a little tired, but the beaches are fabulous, which is the reason why we keep going back to Cuba. The A La Carte restaurants are all terrific, and the entire staff at the resort from gardeners to waiters are hard working and extremely friendly.
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Date of stay: January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from CustomerServiceOcean, Director General at Hotel Playa Vista Azul
Responded Feb 10, 2020
Dear Kantraci20, We are glad to learn that you were satisfied with your experience at our resort, and that you chose to upgrade to our Privilege package and to be pampered with the special benefits and facilities it has to offer. Thank you for your suggestions about our rooms and also for sharing your kind comments about your stay at this site. We are looking forward to host your next vacations. Best regards, The Ocean Vista Azul Management
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Hello Mike D I stayed there in April 2024 i was in Block 8 it had an Elevator but it was out of commission you had to use the Stairs I think I was on The Third Floor if I remember correctly all The Blocks of buildings are 4 Storeys High.My advice is to explain the situation & request a Room Floor there is Golf Carts to give guests a Ride to whatever Building they may be staying at . It's not a Massive Resort like The Aston Costa Verde in Holguin Southern Cuba & yes a fair number of Hotels in Cuba unlike most Hotels in Mexico don't seem to have Elevators.
I stayed in Premium and never saw a room service “menu”. Not sure what you mean. No one delivers food to your room, you can get items off a menu at the specialty restaurants at dinner or around the pool.
Hi ….. I am not sure if there is an additional fee - likely but not sure what it is. I would say if you are just looking for the services that would be no problem. It’s the rooms that are challenge as they are often fully booked. We just returned on Friday. It was my first time at that resort and I found it wonderful. The infinity pool at sunset (around 7) is amazing.
I have a friend in customer service ….. his name is Alberto. Very helpful and speaks very good English
Enjoy your time
Mel
There are more places to choose from in the Varadero area.
LOCATION
CaribbeanCubaMatanzas ProvinceVaradero
NUMBER OF ROOMS
501
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