TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We’ve been at this hotel for 5 days and it was great. The hotel is beautiful and peaceful. The staff is excellent, everyone is friendly and polite, they made our days better. Our room was pretty and very comfortable. We had a bathtub and a shower, very comfy , also we had a security box , that was great because we cared important documents, so we felt safer. The clean lady kept our room glowing all time, and she was very polite. The lobby is very cozy and beautiful. The service at the hotel is great. The Mike Coffe was so relaxing and had such a great climax, we enjoyed our afternoon there, and the attention the best. We are returning next year.

Valentin El Patriarca is absolutely the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed at. We returned on Monday, November 24th, and while every guest we met was amazing and patient, the hotel itself is something I cannot recommend to anyone. I’ve been to Cuba many times—Grand Aston, Roc Arenas, Selectum, and others—and Valentin (El Patriarca has been the worst experience by far.) Customer Service: Most of the customer service was terrible. You could clearly see how frustrated the staff were, to the point that many avoided looking at you. The only exception was the bar staff. The nighttime bar manager—a tall Black gentleman whose name I didn’t get—was excellent. All the bar staff were kind, accommodating, and truly wonderful. But beyond that, service was inconsistent and disappointing. Rooms, Facilities & General Issues: I wasn’t the only one experiencing problems. I witnessed many guests getting frustrated as well—everyone seemed to have an issue. Whether it was something in the room, lights not working, doors not closing properly, or basic things missing, everything felt wrong in that place. On top of that, my own experience included: Room keys not working Doors not locking Getting locked out of the room multiple times No toilet paper No hot water Rooms not properly cleaned Extremely long wait times just to receive a room The hotel feels neglected, run-down, and poorly managed. The staff frustration only added to the overall negative atmosphere. I don’t care if they promote an “elegance” section—none of it is worth the money if basic services fail. Food: The food is ok, and I tried my best to enjoy the trip, but the overall experience was still the worst I’ve had in Cuba. I felt like I spent the entire trip complaining because something was always going wrong. This is nowhere near a five-star experience or two star. Maybe the Alegance side offers better service, but that shouldn’t matter—every paying guest deserves decent service. Bottom Line: Do not waste your money. This place truly sucks. Take my word for it—don’t go there.

This hotel is not a 5 star hotel as claimed, it is a 3 star hotel at best. The people that work at the hotel do the best they can with what they have, and do try to give good service. The hotel is very run down and has not been taken care of very well, over the years. Be prepared for old towels and linens, and cockroaches in your room. The buffet is okay, but at times the food was cold with minimal choices. The restaurants were not all open, and really only 2 choices of places to eat each day, the buffet or one restaurant. The pool is okay, and the beach is nice. But again, this hotel is going in the wrong direction......down hill.

This resort is rated as a 5-star, but I can confidently say it doesn't come close to deserving that rating. If I had the option to give it a zero, I absolutely would, but the lowest I can give is a 1-star. The issues started the moment we arrived at the hotel lobby. There was only one staff member present, who seemed to be busy walking back and forth between the front desk and the back area. The wifi was problematic, and there was an eerie silence throughout the lobby as no other staff members or guests were in sight. Check-in took a frustrating hour and a half. When we finally got to our room, we found a damaged door that wouldn’t lock, a fridge hanging off its hinges that was empty, a coffee maker without coffee provided, a toilet that wouldn't flush, a noisy air conditioner that barely blew cool air, a safe that was locked and unusable, bathtub/shower had broken fixtures and mold present, and no hot water. We mentioned these issues to a young gentleman who was doing his best, but he advised us to speak to the front desk in the morning. Given that my door wouldn’t lock, sleep that night was impossible. Hoping for a fresh start the next day, I decided to grab some breakfast before addressing the problems with reception. To my dismay, the buffet was nearly empty, with only about 20 guests present. I expected more people would arrive, but as I went to get food, I realized the selection was severely lacking. Breakfast options were limited to eggs, bread, and beets, while lunch and dinner offered little variety, primarily consisting of pork, beef, or chicken fillets, rice, and more bread. I tried to order a drink, only to find that the soda was flat, and when I requested a can, I was told I had to pay for it—not exactly the all-inclusive experience we anticipated. For the first four days, there were no restaurants open and no entertainment. To make matters worse, they had our Canadian flag displayed upside down. The only entertainment came on the last few days with a couple of singers and dancers. Overall, this was the worst travel experience I have ever had. The only saving grace was meeting two lovely couples who made the time more bearable. I would strongly advise anyone considering this resort to save their money and steer clear. It’s certainly not a 5-star establishment, nor is it truly all-inclusive. Most staff seemed unhappy except for the maids, who were kind. The attached photos illustrate what they claim is a 5-star experience, but that’s far from my opinion. It's disappointing to see Air Transat promoting this resort as a 5-star experience when it certainly doesn’t meet that standard.

This is our second stay at a Valentin resort having been at the Valentin Cayo Cruz previously. It is obvious that these resorts have good rooms, great pools and beautiful grounds. Unfortunately their buffets are terrible and beach presentations are possibly the worst in thirty years of going to Cuba. The beach is unkept, dirty and covered with rotting seaweed. The main section has only a couple of dozen palapas. Not enough. The Alegance section has half a dozen ratty palapas with a dozen broken loungers on the rockiest part of their beach. It should be on the other end of their beach. If you want to see how it should be done, just walk down the beach where that resort has a hundred new palapas on a groomed and inviting beach. The Valentin seems to be forcing their guests to the pools. People go to Veradero for the sparkling water and long beach. You can get a nice pool anywhere in Cuba. As to the Buffet, the food was below average. One evening they served a Cream of Vegetable soup that was just Army green water! Their pasta sauces are red or white water to put on rubbery pasta. The only good food at the grill stations was the fish. As with every buffet in Cuba the best things were the breads, pastries and ice cream which are all brought in from vendors. As to the Alegance, we were upgraded by Air Transat at no cost, saving us hundreds. The room and pool were nice and the restaurant was very good with a very friendly staff. It allowed us to avoid the Buffet when it wasn’t closed which happened a couple of nights. Unfortunately, the menu never changes. It would be nice if they just flipped the Lunch and Dinner menus a couple of time a week. All in all we will never book a Valentin Resort again.