Villa Cuba Hotel – Varadero – Cuba

Best to come clean right off – this was the first time I have ever stayed in an All-Inclusive beach resort hotel & I realised within 24 hrs that the whole concept wasn’t for me. By the end of my 4 night stay at Villa Cuba I had ‘cabin fever’ because there’s not a lot to see & do in Varadero away from the hotel. Also, a lot of what I saw as problems wouldn’t necessarily have been seen that way by others.

The food was plentiful in the main buffet restaurant but pretty basic – & a little strange at times. For example I was confused by the Brussel sprouts at breakfast – freshly cooked & not even re-cycled from the previous evening’s dinner buffet – I would have had them if they’d been served then! There is an ‘international’ a la carte restaurant as well as an ‘oriental’ one & a Cuban one – but they have to be booked before 8am! I didn’t try these because I decided that I would feel a bit self-conscious on my own – it was mainly couples that appeared to be using them.

I have to admit that my feelings were affected by the behaviour of other guests. I was shocked to witness the amount of food that was wasted at every meal. I couldn’t understand why people would pile their plates high & then leave most of it. If you are not sure whether you will like something then why not just a take a spoonful & if you like it return for more? I’m sure that having to throw away so much food was partly responsible for the surly attitude of nearly all the waiting on staff. Most Cubans do have enough to eat – but not enough to waste it on the sort of scale that I witnessed.

The bedroom was kept clean enough but service was slow – most days it wasn’t done until well into the afternoon – & it took more than 24hrs to return laundry – & only after I asked for it back. What was more of an issue though was the fact that the public areas would start off very clean but would get progressively untidier & grubbier as the day wore on. I think that this was in no small measure due to the behaviour of guests rather than the staff – the pool area would end up littered with half-finished drinks & snacks etc & staff were clearly unsure about which ones needed clearing away & which ones were going to be returned to by a guest taking a dip.

Most guests seemed to really enjoy the entertainment which consisted of a cabaret-style singing & dancing performance most nights on an outdoor stage by the pool. However, to my eyes it was a bit amateurish & under-rehearsed. The hotel disco wasn’t open during my stay but a bus was laid on to take those who wanted it into a disco in the town.

The beach is beautiful & accessed by a short walk through the hotel grounds. I never spent any time on it because, although there were plenty of sun loungers, there is very little shade – less than 30 straw covered sunshades for a hotel with over 400 rooms. No matter how early I arrived in the morning, there were never any vacant sun loungers under the parasols. I suspect that, judging by the general staff attitude to tipping, and despite the fact that there were notices saying that beds couldn’t be reserved, the beach staff were allowing people to do this in return for hefty advance tips. Similarly, there were plenty of loungers around the pool but not a lot of sunshades here either. On the other hand most guests didn’t seem to mind as they seemed to be happy to toast themselves in full sun. I tended to make use of what natural shade there was under the trees set back from the pool (and the relentless reggae played over the PA every afternoon!).

Which brings me to my biggest gripe about this hotel – I am used to tipping AFTER receiving service & in Cuba this usually means leaving just the small coins after each round or maybe adding one CUC when settling a bar bill at the end of the evening. I was, therefore, unprepared for what seemed to be a general expectation to tip before receiving any service at all. I’m not sure whether this is what happens at All-Inclusive hotels in general, or just this one. Either way it made me feel quite bolshy & I made a point on my last day of giving very generous tips to the few staff who had given good, cheerful service without soliciting tips & of not tipping the surliest staff. I don’t know if it would make any difference but it made me feel better!

The hotel itself is a very interesting building, built on a number of different levels with airy walkways connecting different parts of it. I was pleased to be on one of the lower floors to the back of the hotel. This meant that I had a lovely view of the gardens, with a large-ish verandah and a couple of reclining chairs, a small table & I was well away from the at times noisy ‘animation’ around the pool. There are also a number of bungalows spread out over the grounds.

This is the only hotel on my tour that I wouldn’t want to return to but I think that this is as much about not liking the All-Inclusive experience as much as anything else. It is a budget hotel & if all you are wanting is a beachside a-i hotel at an economic price, then the Villa Cuba might suit.