TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

TLDR; My boyfriend and I had a relatively good stay, but there were some major drawbacks that had us badly stressed out. Food was decent, drinks were good, staff was okay, beach was great and pool was okay. Front desk staff were terrible. BRING LOTS OF CASH. We didn't know that Varadero wouldn't have ATMs, and we stupidly didn't realize it would only give us pesos until we got there. We were lucky to bring enough for tips for the week, but we weren't able to do much outside of the resort because of the lack of physical cash. . The resort was mainly older people, as well, probably around 40-50 and older. MY boyfriend and I were some of the only young people on the resort. If you're young and wanting to socialize with other younger people, this isn't the resort for you, but we managed just fine. My boyfriend and I came here for a week (wednesday to wednesday) on a 50% discount. We wouldn't come here again without a big discount like that. They're advertised as a 5 star resort but I believe it's self proclaimed because it was not perfect or fantastic by any means. Don't get me wrong; we had a great time in Varadero, but the resort could see some improvements. I'll start with the pros:) They had a good variety of drinks and even had strawberry daquiris by the end of our stay. The buffet had a huge variety of food to offer with three hot food stations - one with a meat selection of the day (typically pork or chicken, with simple salt & pepper seasoning), one with bechamel pasta (similar to fettucine) and one with what we believed was seafood. During the mornings, the stations were turned into meat or eggs. The beach was huge and stretched far, but be careful not to take chairs of another resort (or at least get caught doing it, because my boyfriend and I were asked to leave the wrong area). It is pretty rocky and sea shell-y at the start but a 5 minute walk to the end of the area fixes that right up. We didn't bump into any sea animals in the ocean except for one small crab who didn't claw at us (thank god). The pool was also pretty big with a volleyball net in the middle of it. It wasn't too deep, but it was nice to relax in after the heat and easy to find spots without people if you didn't want to socialize. There weren't many people in the pool after 5, either, and we THINK it stayed open until dark, so it was nice to go in when the sun was setting. The same goes for the beach. We didn't use the pool bar much, but they had stools in the pool you could sit on and gave you paper cups so no glass got in the pool. They almost always had pina coladas, too. Mosquitoes and bugs weren't a huge problem. The mosquitoes only bothered us at night, really, and it's probably about the same amount you'd see at a cottage. Lots of reptiles and birds on the resort that were awesome to see, and even a few stray cats that were pretty friendly. I'm not sure if they were a part of the resort or simply stray, but the resort didn't shoo them away so we assumed they were fine. The housekeepers were extremely friendly and great at their jobs. They replaced whatever we needed and always seemed patient when we were rushing out at the last minute before they came to clean. The lobby bar was easily our favourite. Most of the bartenders made very good drinks, and their only bad drinks were when they were in a rush and moving quick to get past it, which we can't fault them for. The glasses they used were never consistent so you never knew what size drink you'd get, but we were always able to ask for another. Three bartenders were exceptional at making drinks. And, if you're looking to socialize, a lot of people are very friendly and stick to the lobby bar around night time. The snack bar was okay. The staff during the day were nice but kind of rude at night. It wasn't open one day because of an event, but was otherwise open all the time. You have to be dry to go in, though, which we learned the hard way. The food there was fine, and the hamburger surprisingly tasted like Harvey's. Easily made the best sangrias out of all the bars. The bus stop and taxis were right outside the gate of the resort so it was easy to go out and about. We didn't take any taxis (lack of cash) so we stuck to the bus. It was about half an hour in and half an hour out and 15 CAD for a day pass for two people. Stay on the left side if you're on the roof to avoid getting hit by a tree branch. If you're wearing a dress, hold it down up the stairs. There were a lot of parts of this resort that needed improvements, though. For example, the front desk staff were terrible. The first night with the front desk started our trip out rough, especially with a delayed flight and no food in over ten hours. The lady at the front desk didn't give us our wifi log in and it wasn't in the room. We had to come back 5 times to get the Wi Fi working and, after that, we had to repeatedly log back in every hour or so to make it work. Sometimes it simply wouldn't work. As well, they gave us the wrong room. It wasn't a huge problem because we were given two beds instead of one and we just pushed them together (which the housekeepers didn't seem to mind), but it was a bit frustrating every now and then. This, however, was an easy fix by talking to the front desk but we weren't bothered enough to do so. The first night we got there, it took about 20-30 minutes to check in and she didn't tell us anything about the room. She told us to go with the bellboy and they forcibly took our bags and drove us to our room. There was only one woman there that was kind and actually helped us when we needed it and was happy to fix the same issue twice (demagnetized card). On our last day at the resort, our Nexus shuttle bus was an hour late and we received 0 warning. Because we had no cash, we couldn't get a taxi without paying an absurd amount of pesos (one taxi asked for 7,000 pesos which is about 400 CAD). The front desk was absolutely no help and our Nexus rep was no where in sight until a few minutes before our bus surprisingly showed up. The bank at Varadero was down (which no one had told us about when we arrived) as well. When we were checking in, we didn't mind the bellboys driving us, but it was our very first night and weren't prepared on the tipping culture quite yet and we would have preferred to walk so we could explore together. It was extremely awkward when they brought our bags in the room for us and opened doors, curtains and turned on the lights then waited by the door for their tip when we never asked to even be taken to our room. Simply put, we would've liked the choice to walk to the room ourselves and explore the resort a little. Similar to the front desk, there was one bellboy who was extremely kind and they exchanged big bills for smaller ones which was very helpful, as we forgot to bring a lot of cash. The theatre was entertaining enough, starting at around 10pm to accomodate the end of the dinner buffet, but there was one show that was downright disturbing and threw off our entire night. They asked for four volunteers and chose four young women to be on stage. The point of the show was to find out who was the sexiest. The first challenge was a sexy strut, the second had included 4 men who would do a push up on top of the girls, laying flat, who would yell something loudly. We didn't stay to find out the rest because it was extremely disturbing and none of the girls "performing" looked comfortable doing it. That was the entire show; there was no real performance, just the harassment of four young women. We're hoping this isn't a weekly performance. We weren't bothered by this too much as we went to the beach and pool to swim and mess around in the waves, but the chairs were constantly taken. There weren't many around the pool and beach, but whenever we got there, seats were reserved and unused for hours because people came at 6am and put towels and other things down to hold their spot. Some people tried to hold chairs overnight, and many people were left without chairs. The beach was similar, but most of the chairs were being used in contrast. We usually went to the beach around noon so we're not sure when people went out for chairs. They had a disco as well that had inconsistent open and close hours, but we never ended up going so we're not sure what it's like inside. People seemed to like it. This one isn't for everyone's stay, but we experienced a partial eclipse while we were there. I understand that handing out glasses to every resort go-er would have been difficult and expensive, but the resort gave out no safety warnings to the start of the eclipse. It was a little concerning given that this was an all inclusive resort with a lot of people drinking and not thinking straight, but this was a very unique experience that won't bother people until the next eclipse. Ultimately, we enjoyed our stay. The only stressful moments we had were the first and last day of our trip due to the front desk and our airport transfer. There were a couple of moments in between- for example, the solar eclipse and things not caused by the resort. The front desk could be severely improved upon, but it was a good trip and had nice drinks, food, bar and restaurant staff, and a great pool and beach. I would've added more photos, but the files were being weird. This place is absolutely gorgeous when it's sunny.

We are in allegance and are very happy with our stay. Service, environment have been great. Food in the allegance section is very good and all the a la carte meals have been very good. Highly recommend. Every body is very friendly. I will come back for sure

We got back, last night, from our sixth vacation in Cuba and this resort was the worst experience ever! Not beacause of the staff, actually, YADIRA and Noelia and the staff do amazing job making something from nothing. They deserve 5 star rate, but it is, I would say, about the owner(s) who do not care about supllies in their hotel! ( cheap ) Shortly, if you go to this hotel bring with you your sugar, your food, your tablespoons and teaspoons, your bath towels and face towels, your toilet paper, your cups for drink on the beach and your internet (conection is worst then 10 years ago). Lack of everything and, even, lack of the beach space (it is so small for such big resort). We love Cuba, beaches, ocean, people, we will go there again, but definitely not in this resort. This time our vacation was a fiasco bacause of this resort. Sunwing, Westjet, Air Canada, please check what you offer to us before you take our money. Thanks!

Just got back from a week at Valentin El Patriarca, March 28-April 4. We were a group of 5 and had booked in the Alegance. We took the shuttle from the airport to the resort and the guide really pushed people to exchange currency into Cuban pesos. Don’t fall for it. Cubans don’t want the pesos. The majority of what they purchase and pay with is in USD. Just smile and say no gracias! I think next time I would just take a cab or classic car for my transport to and from the resort as when you leave the shuttle picks you up 4 hours before your flight. We arrived in the morning, and we were able to check our luggage into a secure area, change into our swimsuits and enjoy the resort until our rooms were ready. Our rooms were ready at 4pm, and we were able to settle in. The rooms are dated, but ours was very spacious for three people. There were two areas: one with the bed, and the other with a pull-out bed. There was also a half bath, and the main bath had a tub and shower + a separate glass doored rain shower, and another toilet. All of this helped with three gals getting ready at night! The AC consistently worked; the bath water was not hot but always warm. We also had toilet paper every day…even though we brought some just in case. We were at first given two bath towels and two beach towels, but when we went to the front desk to have another of each delivered, they came that day. I would bring some face clothes if that is something you may miss. Housekeeping came daily and swept the room and made the beds. Because of different types of shortages, the towels were not replaced. Bring a to go cup as there aren’t always enough glasses at the bars, and your drink will be put in a paper cup. Also bring a water bottle if you drink lots of water. All the bars will fill it up for you. The grounds are manicured so beautifully. We saw other resorts, and this one stood out to us as well cared for. The gardeners were also so helpful if you ever had lost your way on the pathways. The beach has been affected by storms, but still good. The Alegance side has fewer loungers, and it is a rocky entrance into the water. I had a pair of slip-on runners and easily was able to get in and out. The water is crystal clear and warm. You could see little and big fish swim by you. There is some excellent snorkeling that can be done along the beach. I saw all types of fish, and one I had never seen before in all my travels. The beach to the right of the Alegance side has the majority of the loungers and I could always find a spot if I was out there before 9am. The sand has shells and some little rocks in it, but when you enter into the water the sand is soft and invites you into a warm oasis. We had calm days, where the water was still, and we enjoyed a good float. There was also one wavy day, where you could go out and enjoy some jumping in the waves. There was only one day where the waves were quite rough, and I enjoyed watching the beauty of the scenery around me. There are two pools on the resort. The main pool is large, and not very deep. There are also not many loungers for the amount of people using it. There is a swim up bar as well. There is also a pool in the Alegance area, which is smaller, but has the new loungers, and didn’t seem to be as busy. The Alegance pool also has a pool bar where Roberto made the most delicious drinks, always serving with a smile! There was always lots of food, even though there were shortages. Because there were shortages the food may not have had the same items each day, but we ate well at every single meal. We ate breakfast at the Alegance a la carte. There were omelettes with many toppings at least 3 days. I missed breakfast there a couple days because of going on excursions, so eggs could have been there more days. There were also different types of pastries, a yogurt bar and fruit: pineapple and papaya. You could also get a fancy coffee there too. We ate lunch at the main buffet, where there was always roasted vegetables: squash, carrots, corn, cabbage… There was also a grilling station where you chose your meat: fish, chicken or pork, and it was grilled right in front of you. There were at least four types of seasonings that you could choose from. I think they were salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. There was also a pasta station where you chose your pasta, it was plunged in hot water and then a white sauce with any extras you wanted were grilled up. Extras included ham, green peppers, chili peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, cabbage. It was consistently delicious and really tasty. We ate supper at the Italian a la carte, but I want to highlight the excellent experiences that we had at the Alegance a la carte where we ate almost every night. We had choice of white, red, rose, and sparkling wine every night. You could also order beer or other drinks as well. The food was delicious! And huge portions! There was an appetizer, main, and dessert every night. The choice for appetizers was normally a vegetable salad (cucumber, red and green tomatoes, and cabbage), some sort of soup, or bruschetta. We had each of those and each was very tasty. The vegetable salad came deconstructed, and there was oil to add to it. We had brought with us salt, pepper, and a few other seasonings just in case, but there was salt and pepper each day. Because Varadero is a tropical destination, the seasonings do get stuck in the shaker, but all you have to do is give them a good shake and you are ready to go… or bring your own. Mains included fish and chicken, and one day we had a beef dish. We tried all of them and they were very tasty. The mains came with rice and cabbage. Desserts were beautifully presented and were just luscious. I was always full by that point but somehow made room to eat them. Desserts included rice pudding, bread pudding, eclairs, and different types of cakes. I am not kidding when I say that the rice pudding may be the best I have ever had! I have to write a separate paragraph about the staff at the Alegance a la carte. They all were so fun, loving, helpful, funny, and humble. There service was professional, my wine and water glass were never empty, and food came in a timely manner. Each day they treated us like family, and we looked forward to going there to catch up with them. It felt like connecting with friends. A big thank you to Rosa Amelia, Edel, Ailema, Kuki, and Blanea. You are all such lovely people, and we wish you much love and light in your life! There is also a Snack Bar near the main pool. It seemed to be opened any time I went! They list what they have available for drinks and snacks on a board. There were hamburgers, hotdogs, sometimes pasta, cheese sandwiches, chicken sandwiches. Definitely something for everyone, and it always hit the spot. The nightly show was also a highlight. Each one is very well done, and we enjoyed the talent that was displayed each night. The music, dancing and the water ballet were so special. I can not believe how fast those dancers feet move! The water ballet is something to see! They do all these amazing movements in water that comes up to your waist, which is talent! The disco started at 10:30pm after the nightly show. It normally really got hopping around 11:30, but like all clubs, its as fun as you make it. I met lots of beautiful and fun people there and we enjoyed each night. There was a mix of music, something for everyone. The DJ set the tone depending on who all was there so there was always something for everyone. The bartenders were also excellent, serving many people efficiently. We did two excursions arranged through our person at the hotel. We went to Havana for the day with the walking tour. It was really good but keep in mind that Havana is about 2.5 hours away from Varadero. I would recommend doing a 30 min classic car tour on your free time while there. We also went on the catamaran tour which was amazing. Time out on the water, snorkeling, and then time to enjoy Cayo Blanco. The beach is all that you would want it to be; white sand, palm trees, and crystal blue water. I you are looking to bring items for the staff: medicine, make up, shampoo, toothpaste, are all things that are quite expensive for Cubans. People in our group had brought items for ourselves to use, such as spices, which we left for staff at the restaurant, and also brought aloe, suntan lotion, lotions, OFF Mosquito cream, and we left that for staff as well. The entertainment crew at the nightly show could also use make up, or other items that you think they may like. I would recommend staying at Valentin El Patriarca. Enjoy the beautifulness of all that Cuba has to offer! This outlines our experience, and I am not looking for opposing comments.

Allégeance service is excellent they are dying everything to make customers happy. Many thanks to Blanca, Yolaisy y Roxana for your excellent work. Good food clean place I still recommend after being more than 15 times at this hotel and will go back again. .