Blau Varadero

It was a long 5 years since we have been to the Blau, and we were very happy to get back to it after Covid delays. We have been to Cuba 10 times, 5 to the Blau. We always compared the other hotels to the Blau and have decided that future trips will be only to the Blau. It is always the staff that makes the biggest difference. It is a very nice and clean hotel, the bars and restaurants are top notch (considering the current shortages they are doing a great job) and the pool area and beach are fantastic. As I said before, it is the staff that make it #1 in our opinion. From the kitchen, the grounds keepers, reception, customer relations, housekeeping, bar tenders and wait staff, they make it feel like coming home. Many have been there since it opened, and we have known them since our first visit there in 2010. We are already planning our next trip in 2024. [Details]

The 100 foot ceiling with the hanging plants is amazing. Food is Great by Cuban resort standards. Grand pianos in lobby and restaurant. Very friendly staff regardless of tipping. [Details]

It is like living in a dream at Blau Varadero. We had a tenth floor ocean view select room. A few things were not as advertised, but likely because the hotels were not very full. Food was incredible, staff warm, beach couldn't be nicer, lovely music, fun activities, clean rooms great beds, very enjoyable entertainment. [Details]

The hotel was nice and clean. The staff for the most part were very friendly and polite. There were always “managers” walking around, which I think put some of them on edge. We were told that the hotel was only at 45% capacity- which was nice as there was always loungers available at the pool and beach. All of the staff members were pleasant & friendly- cleaners, bar tenders & wait staff! For being at less than half capacity they seemed “busy”, the main bar had 3 staff on in the evenings and still seemed slightly over whelmed.
The food was VERY limited (more than usual) things like orange juice and potatoes were not
available and hardly any cheese. We noticed they really catered to the European guests with pastries and meats though.
The animation crew was really hit and miss, but when playing their games they were very friendly and engaging.
The one elevator was out of commission for a day as well as the air conditioning for definitely a part of, if not all of the rooms. But was fixed by the time we went to bed that night.
We had an ocean view room but it wasn't the beach side of the hotel- it over looked the parking lot. If the hotel was only half full, it would have been nice to get a “better” room. [Details]

Hello

May 8th
Been to the Blau over 10 times through out the years.
Made many, many friends and treated like family. you can tell though that there are shortages of certain things. But again...its Cuba but you will never go hungry the burgers and fries are good.
Bring them some razors, meds,used shoes and you will have friends for life. I have been going to Cuba since 1992 and the Blau service is great.
Orestas (wait staff) , Myra (Animation), and Ridell is the best Pina colada maker at the beach bar.
Norberto makes the best mojitos right on the beach.
Beach was clean, lots of shade umbrellas, Credit card is only accepted at the government stores in the resorts. The best way to exchange you money is through workers at the resort. 1 can dollar is only 20 pesos at the lobby. Ask a worker for best rate you can get 70 pesos for 1 Canadian dollar. this is a good opportunity for the locals to make some real money as there peso is useless. they use the Canadian dollar to buy things online which they can do now. I just used pesos for tips so dont go exchanging all your money. this is some good information.
So for me the Blau service, beach,friendliness, room , pool was great Ala cart I have some lobster in my spaghetti seafood. Was surprised.
You may be too...oh yes ..FREE wifi for 10 hours a day. Not much lag but resort was not completely full. All Blau staff wore there masks all the time. [Details]

Fair
Will stick with Royalton next time [Details]

Stayed at the BLAU for two weeks.
Very impressed with everything from the building, facilities, beach access to the food and staff (had room service offered twice every day).
Rooms were spotless and maintained to a high standard. Staff were extremely warm, down to the grounds keeper.
Only complaint would be that after the first week, breakfast was no longer offered inside the hotel restaurant, but on the pool-side dining area where the selection was not as good. Enjoyed mostly the seafood dishes offered. Variety was excellent. [Details]

We had a very nice time there. The resort was beautiful and the staff were very accommodating , we will go back again [Details]

all was fantastic. beautiful resort. friendly people , good food. [Details]

This was a great find I think the only reason its not listed as 5 stars is because the hotel is a little dated but very clean. The staff was super friendly, you could tell they like working there just by the way they greeted each other. It had been a while since we choses Cuba as our winter getaway and we had heard that the food was not up to par. Not at this place the food was great between the hot and cold buffet and the only 2 A La Cart where top notch. The beach is in the best spot on that strip further down was rocky. If you visits bring a converter as the electrical plugs are 220vlt [Details]

Been at Blau Varadero the 8-th time starting from 2008. Good location, nice people, the hotel getting old and need more maintenance. The quality of the food need improvement. [Details]

Clean hotel, delicious food, charming stuff [Details]

This was our 6th stay at the Blau Varadero and it was as excellent as our five previous stays. My spouse and I returned for 14 nights at the Blau Varadero from April 28th to May 12th, 2019. We arrived around 21:30 hrs., the check in was quick and efficient, our room was ready. An employee assisted us with our suitcases to our room. Our room (8th floor) was nice & clean. The washroom layout is nice. Bidet, toilet, sink, magnifying mirror for makeup, good lighting and a tub with shower. We had 2 options for the shower: a hand held shower head or the rainfall type. The water pressure and hot water were always available. In the vanity area there is an electrical outlet that you can switch from 220 to 110 volts. I used it (110 volts) and it worked fine for our night light , charging my razor and tablet. All other electrical outlets were 220 volts. The wardrobe has a code lock safe (no charge), shelves and hangers (14). There are 2 bathrobes, 2 blankets, a large umbrella and an iron/ironing board in the closet. The TV has many channels to select from: a few English (CTV, CNN, etc…), 2 French (TVA, TV5) and many Spanish with some having the translation to English at the bottom. The patio door curtains are very opaque. The balcony is private (angled wall on both sides) clear glass railing which does not obstruct your view, 2 chairs small table and an extendable wall rack to dry your clothing. There are light switches on both sides of the bed and adjustable reading lights which were handy when getting up at night. We had a king size bed that we found very comfortable. Our maid service was excellent & we had our fridge (2 beer, 2 soft drinks & 1.5 liter of water) & bathroom towels/items... replenished when needed. Our maid created different towel and/or curtain ornaments on a daily basis. The food was very good at all the locations we ate: Buffet (wide variety of meats, fish, pastas, breads, cheeses, fruits/vegetables, jams, ice cream, deserts, condiments, syrups, etc...) , lunch restaurant near pool hot dog/hamburger/chicken nuggets /fries stand next to pool & at Beach bar (smaller buffet). We went to the International restaurant & the Italian restaurant and enjoyed both of them. The Int. restaurant has AC. Since we were repeat visitors, we were invited and attended a dinner hosted by the Hotel Manager *David* (at the International restaurant) with many other returning visitors. It was nice to mingle with the others & David. We went to the BBQ night (Saturday) which was held at the Italian restaurant next to the pool. We enjoyed the variety of grilled items given. The service at all the bars was excellent even the vacationers who did not tip received their service with a smile. The pool was kept clean and the water was very clear throughout the whole day. Next to the pool bar (new location this year), there is a very friendly woman (MarisLeidy) who serves many different fruits (pineapple, mango, watermelon, papaya, meme,…) on a wood skewer from approx.. 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. These fruits were freshly cut and were all delicious. We really appreciated the locations of all the washrooms. The one near the pool was used by many pool users.... The washroom at the beach was also well located and appreciated. All washrooms were monitored and kept clean. There did not seem to be any problems for anyone to obtain a sun umbrella/long chairs at the beach. We usually arrived early after our breakfast (08:30 hrs.) and always had a sun umbrella /long chairs. The long chairs have a very comfortable blue fabric with armrests (not all hard plastic like some hotels). The location of the Blau Varadero is ideal for beach walkers. You can walk either way (East/West) for very long distances. The Beach is amazing. We appreciated not having salespersons walking the beach and speaking loud to attract your attention. It was quiet at the beach and many times during the day we observed policemen patrolling. We bought Wi-Fi access @ 1.00 CUC for 1 hour. Most of the time it worked fine (we found we had better reception near the lobby/piano bar areas). We did not attend any night shows. The guests are mostly from Europe and Canada. The hotel is quiet, no loud music/noise at night. The gym is small but there is a good variety of exercise equipment. I spoke to a few persons training and everyone agreed that If the AC could be cooler in the gym area it would be appreciated. I had a few 50 min. body massage at the Spa and they were very relaxing (40 CUC). Many employees recognized us and were grateful of our return. The hard working hotel personnel are ALL wonderful, friendly & always give you an excellent service with a smile. To only name a few: we really enjoyed the smile, positive attitude & attention of *Ernesto, Ismary, Mirlayne, Evelio (Buffet areas), Janice (Int'l restaurant), Joel and Jorge (Piano bar)*, Betty (the morning smoothie/ lunch pizza lady) , * MarisLeidy* the fruit lady & Luis at the beach .We also appreciated *Rosie* of the Client Service & our conversations with*David* the Hotel Manager. On many occasions we observed the Hotel Manager (David) walking the grounds to ascertain everything was always perfect. My spouse and I will definitely return to the Blau Varadero as we had another excellent vacation at this resort. [Details]

This is a great hotel for a restful break over the March school break. The adults only policy meant that my wife did not have to encounter any children on her break from teaching. The beach is fantastic and not at all crowded. The staff is very friendly and eager to help in everyway possible. The food Is quite good and variable. This fish and duck are highly recommended. The architecture is inspiring and relaxing. We could not have asked for a better holiday. [Details]

Just got back from one week at the Blau Varadero (Oct 6-13). I have been going to different hotels in Cuba for over 25 years. I can honestly say this was my best experience yet. The service was the best I ever got, the food was good, the room was large, modern and lovely. All the rooms are ocean view. On one side you get the pool view as well (more lively). On the other side, you get the hotel entrance and small marina ocean view (more relaxing). The negatives: beds could be softer and more comfy. Although my room was freshly painted, the smell the first few days was strong. Since I loved by 12th floor view of the hotel entrance (great sun rise views over the ocean), I did not request a change. Can't wait to go back! [Details]

we really enjoyed our week stay, [Details]

This was our5th stay at the Blau Varadero and it was as excellent as our four previous stays. My spouse and I returned for 14 nights at the Blau Varadero from May 2nd to 16th, 2018. We arrived around noon, the check in was quick and efficient, our room was not ready so, we returned later in the afternoon. Our room (8th floor) was nice & clean. The washroom layout is nice. Bidet, toilet, sink, magnifying mirror for makeup, good lighting and a tub with shower. We had 2 options for the shower: a hand held shower head or the rainfall type. The water pressure and hot water were always available. In the vanity area there is an electrical outlet that you can switch from 220 to 110 volts. I used it (110 volts) and it worked fine for our night light and charging my razor. All other electrical outlets were 220 volts. The wardrobe facing the washroom has a code lock safe (no charge), shelves and hangers (14). There are 2 bathrobes, 2 blankets, a large umbrella and an iron/ironing board in the closet. The TV has many channels to select from: a few English (CTV, CNN, etc…), 2 French (TVA, TV5) and many Spanish with some having the translation to English at the bottom. The patio door curtains are very opaque. The balcony is private (angled wall on both sides) clear glass railing which does not obstruct your view, 2 chairs small table and an extendable wall rack to dry your clothing. There are light switches on both sides of the bed and adjustable reading lights which were handy when getting up at night. We had a king size bed that we found very comfortable. Our maid service was excellent & we had our fridge (2 beer, 2 soft drinks & 1.5 liter of water) & bathroom towels/items... replenished when needed. Our maid created different towel and/or curtain ornaments on a daily basis. The food was very good at all the locations we ate: Buffet (wide variety of meats, fish, pastas, breads, cheeses, fruits/vegetables, jams, ice cream, deserts, condiments, syrups, etc...) , lunch restaurant near pool & at Beach bar hot dog/hamburger/chicken nuggets /fries stand next to pool. We went to the International restaurant & the Italian restaurant and enjoyed them. We preferred the Int. restaurant for food offered and AC. Since we were repeat visitors, we were invited and attended a dinner hosted by the Hotel Manager *David* (at the International restaurant) with many other returning visitors. It was nice to mingle with the others & David. We went to the BBQ night (Saturday) which was held at the Italian restaurant next to the pool. We enjoyed the variety of grilled items given. The service at all the bars was excellent even the vacationers who did not tip received their service with a smile. The pool was kept clean and the water was very clear throughout the whole day. In the grass area near the pool, there is a very friendly woman (MarisLeidy) who serves many different fruits (pineapple, mango, watermelon, papaya, meme,…) on a wood skewer from approx.. 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. These fruits were freshly cut and were all delicious. We really appreciated the locations of all the washrooms. The one near the pool was used by many pool users.... The washroom at the beach was also well located and appreciated. All washrooms were monitored and kept clean. There did not seem to be any problems for anyone to obtain a sun umbrella/long chairs at the beach. We usually arrived early after our breakfast (08:45/09:00 hrs.) and always had a sun umbrella /long chairs. The long chairs have a very comfortable blue fabric with armrests (not all hard plastic like some hotels). The location of the Blau Varadero is ideal for beach walkers. You can walk either way (East/West) for very long distances. The Beach is amazing. We appreciated not having salespersons walking the beach and speaking loud to attract your attention. It was quiet at the beach and many times during the day we observed policemen patrolling. We bought Wi-Fi access @ 1.00 CUC for 1 hour. Most of the time it worked fine (we found we had better reception near the lobby/piano bar areas). We did not attend any night shows. The guests are mostly from Europe and Canada. The hotel is quiet, no loud music/noise at night. The gym is small but there is enough exercise equipment and all are functional. I spoke to a few persons training and everyone agreed that If the AC could be a little cooler in the gym area it would be appreciated. I had two 50 min. body massage at the Spa and they were very relaxing (40 CUC). Many employees recognized us and were grateful of our return. The hard working hotel personnel are ALL wonderful, friendly & always give you an excellent service with a smile. To only name a few: we really enjoyed the smile, positive attitude & attention of *Ernesto, Ismary, Mirlayne, Evelio and David* at breakfast/lunch and for dinner, also the morning smoothie/ lunch pizza lady (Betty) & the fruit lady * MarisLeidy*. We also appreciated *Rosie* and Aylen of the Guest Service & our conversations with*David* the Hotel Manager. On many occasions we observed the Hotel Manager (David) walking the grounds to ascertain everything was always perfect. My spouse and I will definitely return to the Blau Varadero as we had another excellent vacation at this resort. [Details]

We stayed as a couple April 9-16 and were very happy with Blau Varadero. The beach is amazing, staff super friendly, rooms are clean, beds comfortable, pool nice and clean and food was good too. [Details]

We stayed here as result of a last minute decision and did not regret one minute. Our room,(View and beds we would like to take home!) the service, the facilities and the beach left nothing to be desired. The buffet restaurants were adequate, breakfast the best, but not as good as other resorts we have visited. The International a la carte is a very pleasant space the music and serving staff were very good indeed but the food (10/12 plates that we ordered) was poor - overcooked and very salty. If we were certain that the quality of food had markedly improved we would love to stay here again. [Details]

The hotel room needs updating. The toilet in my room never flushed properly. The lobby in the hotel is quite nice as are the outdoor facilities. Pool is not heated so the water was quite cold. [Details]

Overall, I was happy with the resort. It seemed to be an older crowd (50s and up). Stayed in the select room and had a beautiful view of the ocean and pool. Room was nice and spacious. Bathroom was also big. Food was what I expected for Cuba. You could always find something to eat even if you were a picky eater. There was little to no day entertainment and no actual pool bar (there is a pool by the bar). Pool was nice, but with no shaded areas and no pool bar it was under utilized. Night entertainment consisted of a music quiz, salsa lessons, and a show. Overall I would give the resort 4 stars. Good resort for the price. [Details]

Hotel has a comfortable setting. People are excellent. service and entertainment good but down from previous year. Food is terrible with lack of variety and quality. Had to look for what you can eat rather what you would like to eat. Unless there are changes I will never go back. Spoiled our vacation. [Details]

This was my first time at this resort, 2nd for my wife and daughter. Food was excellent, friendly staff and beautiful resort and grounds. Loved it, and plan on going again next year!! [Details]

We have been going to Cuba since 2004 and this was my 10th trip there. I can, without any hesitation, say that this was my best trip ever! I've stayed in 3.5* to 5* resorts in Havana, Jibacoa, Varadero, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa Maria and Holguin, so you could say that I know Cuba and what to expect when we go there. The Blau Varadero exceeded all my expectations: the cleanliness, the food and the staff were simply wonderful.
I highly recommend choosing a Select room, the few extra dollars are really worth it: the room is truly great (I had the chance to see a regular room to compare) with a view to die for and the chance to have supper à la carte is incredible (I tried both the Mexican and the International and to my taste there is no comparison: the International is truly in a class by itself).
Now what is mentioned in other reviews: yes there's always a place at the pool and the beach, yes we have to wait sometimes for the elevator but it's truly far less a problem that is stated in some reviews, yes the food at the buffet (for all 3 meals is very good) and yes there seems to always be a manager in view.
On that matter, Mr. Rolando Nunez Garcia (the food and beverage manager) is really amazing, he's always within view: at breakfast, lunch (buffet and beach), supper (buffet and à la carte) and even at the different bars during the day and evening. He is truly an inspiration to all the employees.
This is my first review on Trip Advisor and I can honestly say that, after being back home for 5 days, my vacation was WONDERFUL!!! [Details]

Nous avons choisi cette hotel en voyant les reviews que le monde ont ecrit. C'etait notre premier tout inclus wow. La bouffe est tres bonne, le staff tres gentil ont a bien aimer, Danay, Hanay et Lovio super le fun. Je retournerais a cette hotel mais je prendrais une chambre superieur, je trouve les matelas dure. Il aurait besoin de faire un peu d'upgrade et des chambres que les air climatiser vont pas bien. Mais le restant c'est vraiment super. La bouffe est aussi bonne que sur un bateau de croisiere. [Details]

7th time at the Blau. Well, still the same great place.Last year progress was noticeable compared to prior years, this year it stays the same (almost), which is good. Selection of drinks in the bars has improved, though when I wanted to have glass of port to sip, as was advertised in the drinks card, it turned out they ran out of port by the end of the day. Next day I had more luck with that, though as one can imagine, port was not of the best quality.
I don't care about internet, I have it 24/7 at work/home, so not much of concern to me. One disappointment - no double kayaks on the beach to use this year,only single ones.My wife kayaks only with me as she is not very comfortable going solo.I asked the guy in charge why no double kayaks,he said there were no requests from the hotel in the contract with Marlin nautical services.And no banana flambe at the dinner for the second year in a row - too bad :) Though they've added lobster entree to Palma Real a la carte restaurant menu - excellent. Finally they have replaced last century CRT TVs in the rooms with HD LED ones.Not that I'm into watching TV at resort,but it's nice to connect smartphone/tablet/palmcorder via HDMI cable to the TV and see your photos/footage taken during the day on a big screen. Or just listen to the music stored on your device.So my advise-take HDMI cable with all the necessary connectors if you want to do that too. Quality of night shows is slowly deteriorating-shows are quite repetitive,although one night there was superb Cuban show at the pool area with stilt performers - magnificent !!!. All in all, the hotel maintains quite decent status. And yes, of course - staff people are the best !
And last but not least - it doesn't affect my family,but the decision to turn the establishment into adults only somehow puzzles me. Don't know whom children playing in the pool have irritated so much. [Details]

This was our second time to the Blau after 5 years. Most of the staff were incredible, the beach was fantastic, the hotel is still holding up very well (not great) but well.

The only complaints I would make would be, in the evenings the atmosphere changes quite a bit. The night staff seem to be less friendly. I went to the bar around 9pm and was constantly ignored by the staff who were taking orders from people who had just walked in after me. Every corner of the bar I would move to, to be next, the staff would walk right by me looking me right in the eye then ask another guest what they could get them.

On 2 separate nights my wife and I were woken very abruptly once at 2:30am the second at 3:30am by someone who was very much drunk yelling from the piano bar, echoing through the entire hotel.

From what we have been reading the hotel will be changing into an adults only resort in October which basically means we will not be going back as we are not party goers or drinkers. Other than the issue with the night bar staff and the drunken guests at night. The hotel still has some of the best staff we have seen in any hotel, not just Cuba. The food was fine some items were very good and the Mexican A La Carte was actually very good for me.

If they renovated a touch and were not changing to adults only we would go back for a third time. As for the drunk guest, I understand the hotel cannot control what the intoxicated guests do. [Details]

We booked a 10 day package at Blau Varadero with 6 in our group. Supplier was Westjet vacations and everything went very smooth. This is my top pick for Cuba resorts after travelling 8 times to the island over the last 24 yrs. Great hotel, great service and great food. will definitely will refer and return to this resort in the future . amazing beach as well. [Details]

This was our first time at The Blau Varadero. It was the perfect place for us. Close to the beach. One central location and lots of activities for kids. Mini-Disco Show every night at 8 was a big hit with my kids and the night time shows were fantastic especially the Michael Jackson show, the Magic Show and the Cuban Fiesta.
The Piano Bar provided a relaxing place for a drink or espresso. The Central Birdcage Cafe/Bar was a nice place to hang out too.
The Hotel has 14 floors, we were on the 5th floor with a view of the bay. The Ocean View costs more.
Even though we were 5 floors up, we saw ants in our room the last 2 days which made us a little nervous.
The beach was a very VERY short walk from the pool. The hotel provided a small board walk through the woods to reach the beach. A beach bar allowed people to have lunch and drinks without have to return to the main hotel.
The pool was very big with tons of room for all.
The food was more than decent. There was enough choice for everyone and for the most part very agreeable. I did not experience any of the horror stories you hear about Cuba Resort food.
Breakfast was standard with omelettes, pancakes, french toasts, meat and croissant. You can even have smoothies.
Lunch was served in the hall area by the pool. Again, a nice variety of choice. Many times different meat and fish was being grilled. Another grilling station was located outside the eating area where you can order Hot Dog, Hamburgers and French Fries.
Supper was in the main hall. Many theme nights allowed for different meals (Italian, Cuban, International, Asian)
Two restaurants were on site. One was Palma Real, this was fine dining but not much in the way of kids' menu. MEN, you must wear pants or you will not be let in. In case you don't being pants, they will provide them for you. I preferred the Mexican Restaurant. The servers were friendlier and genuine. The restaurant had a kids' menu and the atmosphere was more fun. The fajitas were awesome.
The crew of the Blau were fantastic. The Minicab Animator, Mayra, was the nicest person. She went out of her way to please young and old alike.
We would definitely return. [Details]

Beautiful hotel.
ROOM: We opted to stay on a lower floor due to other reviews mentioning the wait for the elevator. We were on the first floor with a nice garden view and water feature. The room was very clean and housekeeping was efficient. The only negative about the room was the balcony door which was difficult to open and close. Being on the first floor gave us very easy access to everything.
FOOD: Pretty much what we expected. Nothing spectacular and you aren't going to starve. Local fare is the best such as fresh fruits, fish and pork. The alacarte restaurants were okay. Service was usually good but we did experience some bad.
BEACH: Best beach I've been to. Water is very clear and the sand is soft. Lots of shade provided by the thatch beach umbrellas and plenty of loungers. There isn't much to look at if you snorkel at the beach but you can get the Hobicat to take you out further. Beach bar service was excellent.

Overall, it is a great place to stay and we wish we could have stayed longer. [Details]