Be Live Experience Varadero

After reading many negative reviews here on TripAdvisor of this resort I was reluctant to book but as I have found on many occasions some people see things differently to others so as the price was in our budget I took the bold step and booked us in on a full all inclusive package. On arriving at the hotel it looked quite nice and the people at reception spoke reasonably good English, which made communication a bonus, our room was ready as we had arrived just after midday and was close to the lobby area as we walk to our room I did notice the hotel was quite aged and in need of a real good face lift but putting this aside it was not really a problem once inside our room we found it to be large and spacious, King Bed an LCD TV and a clean bathroom, walking out onto the balcony just made my decision of booking this hotel justified. We were directly looking out to the beautiful pool with the lodge bar area and to our was a stage which in the evening weather permitting provided us with complimentary entertainment. The reviews I had read about the food at this Resort had not been good so this was the next thing to check out the restaurant. It was still serving lunch and on entering it was very large with plenty of tables available in many different seating combinations from 2 all the way up to large group numbers. Walking around it was obvious this was going to be buffet-style and everyday different themes would be what you would find for lunch and dinner, sorry to say but all the negative reviews about the food I could not agree with. I am from a cooking background and can say the food was well presented, hot, tasty and plentiful not sure whether we were just here at the right time but I think some people expected five-star quality in a 3 star resort without doubt the food was more than acceptable for the price you pay to stay here and to add to the value all your drinks from morning to late evening, soft drink and alcohol included a part of you all inclusive package. This takes us to the other amenities of this Resort the pool is awesome large clean easy to access with plenty of deck chairs and umbrellas to provide for all the guests it is also served by a large fully stocked bar where if you are on a full inclusive package very handy for ordering anything you want. Behind the bar area is a snack and hot food outlet which operates around 11 in the morning to late evening, here you can get hamburgers breakfast fare such as eggs and bacon and dessert favorites like doughnuts and ice cream and on different days some other items would also be made available such as nachos, hotdogs & other snack favourites. I also decided to try my luck at the gym, not what you could use for a heavy duty workout but for me there was enough equipment that worked to do the job. Attached to this was also a massage place offering many massage services. It is also beachfront but you do have a bit of a walk then one of the paths to get onto the actual Beach itself once there it is patrolled by the resorts security and you are also provided with ample Beach reclining deck chairs and umbrellas. The rooms were cleaned everyday. We found they did a thorough job and in a convenient time to suit us too. Considering the price you can book this resort on an all inclusive package I have no complaints and we'd book here again if we ever were to return.

This was the 7th hotel I have stayed in while visiting Varadero. By far the best!!! We had a bad start after arriving late at night , tired and hungry. The room we were sent to was possibly the worst I’ve seen... not what I paid an upgrade for. I went to the front desk and talked to the nice ladies... it was a special anniversary that we were there to celebrate over the next two weeks. By the next morning we were all settled in to an amazing room... steps from the beach. Grounds were beautiful and well kept. Hotel and lobby were always being cleaned. Staff was great... bartenders so fun to talk with. Beach was gorgeous, always clean... lots of chairs. Food was average... but that’s not what we came for, we knew what it’s all about the experience and exploring Cuba. We will be going back with the whole family , as soon as possible !!!

Went on a 7 day trip to Varadero with wife, got this Hotel, all inclusive, with a Sunwing package. We arrived at around 23.00 and got 7th floor, with a view to the beach room. Clean. We were issued our two keys, one for the room, the other for the safe. We were told that both keys work for the door, only one for the safe. The one for the safe did not work on first attempt, so we came down, asked the representative and she re-encoded the key, asked us to not put the key near a phone. We did, but the key did not work either. We came down and advised her of that, she looked puzzled and said, ok, if you want I can send you someone to check it. We agreed on that. That person never came, and we were not able to use the safe. Asked again the next day and same excuse, someone is coming to check it. As we had our baggage with padlocks it was only a minor inconvenience. Front desk customer service was really useless as we were never ever given information, just referred to 'some papers' or something else. The only time we had real information was when we asked the frequency of the panoramic bus, a double story bus that tours the island. It costs CUCs (cuban convertible pesos) and you can hop on / hop off as many times as you want in a day. When asked the customer services representative when does the bus pas ? she told us, literally :'The first one comes at 9:00, and then every 45 minutes'.

This was our 2nd time to Varadero. We had low expectations for the most part but were pleasantly surprised with this resort and would definitely stay there again in a heartbeat. The staff were very friendly and so gracious, always smiling and helpful. Our housekeeper Amparo was very sweet and did a great job keeping our room clean and kept us supplied with bottled water. We were lucky on our 3rd day there, we came back to our room to find brand new mattresses on the beds! Very comfortable! The food was pretty good, we always had tons of options to choose from. Lizabet was often our server and she has such a warm smile, just a really nice girl and always attentive to everyone's needs. The Bamboo a la carte restaurant was fantastic. The Cafe Cuba was our daily cappuccino stop in the lobby. Cesar is a great guy and always happy to serve. Not a single complaint here. We always had towels and toilet paper which had been a problem elsewhere. This place is excellent value for your money! We can't wait to go back!!

Let me see, where do I start. Like so many have said, 3 star only so don’t expect any more. We stayed in the Super Saver room and everything worked, no bed bugs so we were happy with the room. We were amazed that out of all the more exspensive rooms, this super saver room was closest to the beach and right across from the beach bar! Perfect location! So much to tell but will take a lot of time to say everything. I will tell as I think of it so my review will be possibly all over the place lol. Just got back March 12/2020. The ladies working at reception I was not impressed with, no smiles, no thankyou’s, not helpful at all if there was no money to be exchanged. The one man working at reception was very pleasant and welcoming. The beach bar bartenders were pleasant, the bartenders at the pool bar were not pleasant and they all were putting way too much liquor in the drinks. The lobby bar was ok, the young male was nice but the others were not. I am a quiet woman aged 63 and found I was ignored numerous times at the lobby bar, reception. The beach is beautiful but not enough available umbrellas, there are umbrellas but in the weirdest places where you can’t fit under. One day we walked up and down the beach looking for lounge chairs, that didn’t happen often but in Feb. and March, the resorts busiest season it will occur and then of course one of my ultimate pet peeves are the greedy that mark their spots and leave for the day. Anyways, Trip Advisor won’t let me write anymore.