Starfish Varadero - All Inclusive

“Wonderful Vacation”

Big shout out to Noslen and Karla and the whole entertainment group. Thank you for your hospitality and positive energy. You guys made our 2 weeks stay for enjoyable. Big shout out to Jason the bartender in the lounge always severed us with a smile. We had a great holiday and will be definitely be … more

Big shout out to Noslen and Karla and the whole entertainment group. Thank you for your hospitality and positive energy. You guys made our 2 weeks stay for enjoyable. Big shout out to Jason the bartender in the lounge always severed us with a smile. We had a great holiday and will be definitely be going back next year.

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“The Starfish Experience”

Some friends and I stayed at Starfish Veradero from March 6-13 which included 4 adults and 2 kids. CHECK-IN /CHECK-OUT Check-in was pretty slow. There were several people who arrived all at the same time and their system seems to be mostly manual. Check-out was pretty quick and easy. STAFF The … more

Some friends and I stayed at Starfish Veradero from March 6-13 which included 4 adults and 2 kids. CHECK-IN /CHECK-OUT Check-in was pretty slow. There were several people who arrived all at the same time and their system seems to be mostly manual. Check-out was pretty quick and easy. STAFF The staff here is truely what makes your stay enjoyable. So I've highlighted a few notable people. ANDY - the entertainment manager was sooo kind. He found out I was diabetic on my first day and every day afterwards checked in on me and asked how my blood sugars were doing. He told me if I needed anything specific; food or drink he'd hook me up. He was also just a pleasant person willing to go the extra mile. FILLIPE - At the main pool bar looks rough and mean, but when you catch his smile or a laugh he brightens up the space. ARLEY- At the main pool bar, he was so kind, so helpful easy to talk to, and always had a smile on his face. INGRIS- Part of the entertainment team. She was kind and gentle with the kids. Warm heart, a joy to chat with, great smile and overall you can tell she's a good person. ERNESTO - Security guard. He was a nice guy to talk to, kept a good eye out for us and a good human. IDA - The sunwing rep, had all the answers we needed, was super nice and hooked us up with someone to brain out hair in our room which was cool. DRINKS You can get delicious drinks at the pool bar in the morning, but they often run out of mix and ice come the afternoon. The 24hr bar would also run out of mix or ice at different times of the day/night. And we never got drinks at the sports bar. FOOD I would say most of the food was ok, but some of it was really good. Specifically the hamburger, chicken and ham sandwiches you can get by the main pool and the sports bar at night. My friend loved the spaghetti at the main pool and the fries and fried banana was really good too. Be careful though, the food runs out there throughout the day. The food at the buffet in the main building was ok most of the time. We never went hungry at the very least. We tried both à-la-carte and they were pretty good. AMENITIES Some of the amenities are rough. More often than not, the public washrooms do not have soap or toilet paper. We had read about that, so we brought our own everywhere we went. We asked to upgrade from our original room because it wasn't great. The resort was built by Fidele Castro in 1977. You can tell it was stunning back then. This place is in rougher shape now. There are 2 pool areas. The main pool has a bar, bathrooms, a lot of the entertainment during the day, plenty of chairs and the Kids Club. The second pool has bathrooms, the gym, "serenity spa" where you can get a massage, plenty of chairs and beds, but the bar was only staffed and stocked during the foam party which was fun. There's a square on the resort where there are shops, the 2 à-la-carte restaurants, towel exchange; they often run out of towels before 11am, and sometimes nighttime entertainment. Wifi was spotty for some people, but i didn't have much issues. I did have to keep losing back in ever day, but it wasn't a big deal. ENTERTAINMENT Most of the entertainment team were a great time, but there were 2 or 3 members of them who were a bit pushy with the kids, and ai could tell they were making the kids feel pressured into participating. There were games at the pool, a kids club, night time entertainment for the kids around 8:30pm which was too late, many kids missed it, and participation was sparce because of the "pushiness" with the kids. It often felt awkward and the kids seemed to have more fun afterwards when the mini-disco was over. The later entertainment at 9:30 for the adults was fun the dancers and musicians are really talented. There was also live piano in the main building many nights which was awesome. BEACH The beach is BEAUTIFUL. There is music at the main entrance to the beach along with a bathroom and a bar. There's a second entrance as well. You can faintly hear the music and so you can enjoy listening to the waves. There is a clear "line" in the sand where people selling things on the beach cannot pass, so they weren't allowed to come up to your chair and bother you which was nice. Many other places I've been in other countries this was not the case. At the end of the day, we made the most of the downsides and the best of the upsides. We had a good time, the kids were happy playing in the pool, at the beach and with the other kids and we never ent hungry or thirsty.

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“Fun, beautiful beach!”

We stayed here March 6-13. Check in was pretty fast with Myladys(front desk). The first room we got was in rough shape it was on the older side of the hotel. We were able to upgrade to a superior room 7104. That room was much better but it could use a facelift. The resort grounds is pretty big so b… more

We stayed here March 6-13. Check in was pretty fast with Myladys(front desk). The first room we got was in rough shape it was on the older side of the hotel. We were able to upgrade to a superior room 7104. That room was much better but it could use a facelift. The resort grounds is pretty big so be prepared to walk. The hotel itself needs improvement but it’s Cuba so keep that in mind. The best food is at the pool bar, get the pasta! I regret trying it only on our last day there. The buffet is pretty simple/basic, but there was always eggs in the morning. Lunch and dinner there was always pasta and mini pizza. We went off resort to eat a few times to change it up. Both a la cartes were really good! Good drinks are always available in the morning at the pool bar but as the day goes by they run out of mix and ice. We purchased orange pop and mango juice from the store for when that would happen. We always went to the main pool, and there was always chairs available. Like I said, the resort is huge so it never felt crowded even though we were there during March break. Switch your towels everyday before 11am as they tend to run out. They always had hamburgers, chicken/ham/fish sandwiches, pasta, fries and fried banana at the pool bar but not always at the same time. Burgers and fries tend to be gone before noon but sometimes available later if they replenish. The staff at this resort are amazing! From the gardeners to the waiters to the entertainment team. Those are the ones who make this resort stand out. A big shout out to Andy ( entertainment manager), Ingris ( entertainment) and Arley(pool bar), they give their 1000% and are so pleasant to be around. Foam party was lots of fun! I would go back just to see them! We went with some friends and their kids. The kids had the best time. There’s a mini disco for them but it doesn’t start until 8:30pm. A few times they were too tired since it’s a bit late and they would miss it. Maybe start it earlier, 7:30 would be good in my opinion. Overall we had a good time, we didn’t let anything ruin our stay and made the best of it :) We saw a few guest giving staff a hard time over things that they cannot control, not cool. You’re not at home, things will be different so come with that in mind. Thanks Starfish for a good week!

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“Tips and tricks for a family visit, plus there's more to Cuba than Varadero”

Here's something I hope is useful, particularly for families. Transfers. It's confusing, as I am more accustomed to the phrase, "shuttle bus," but major airlines like SunWing, WestJet and Air Canada offer "transfers," nice, Greyhound-style buses that take people from Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport … more

Here's something I hope is useful, particularly for families. Transfers. It's confusing, as I am more accustomed to the phrase, "shuttle bus," but major airlines like SunWing, WestJet and Air Canada offer "transfers," nice, Greyhound-style buses that take people from Juan Gualberto Gomez Airport to the resorts. It's included in your fee, so TAKE IT! There are reps from airlines just outside JGG airport, with prominent signage to take you to air conditioned buses. The transfer takes 30-40 minutes in total, as there are stops at 3 hotels typically. And the time passes nicely, as the guide is entertaining and there are cheap beers available. On the way back, transfer buses leave 4 HOURS PRIOR to departure - or at least, that is when they START picking up passengers heading to the airport. There could be delays, but again, it's $30 in your pocket vs cab. Accommodations. A number of posters have mentioned that star ratings need to be taken with a grain of salt when it comes to Cuba. That's very much true for Starfish. The accommodations can best be described as spartan, but fine. The bidet didn't work, the toilet needed a bit of finagling, but the staff was nice and accommodating. The rooms MOSTLY look like what's pictured, but expect far less refinement. The halls were kinda dark and dingy. And of COURSE there are bugs, as lots of it is open to the outdoors/breeze. Our AC worked, as did our TV (I caught a few Champions League matches en espanol!). The shower pressure was low, but we were swimming 3X a day, so it wasn't incredibly important except for hair-washing. Wi-Fi. Internet was mostly good, but cut out on several occasions. Also, you don't need an international power adapter as rooms have plugs for our electronic devices. My fam of three stated in the hotel portion, rather than the numerous duplex/triplex townhouses dotting the north side/beach side. The hotel-side, southwest-side hotel pool was far more quiet. It's not nearly as well-used as the northwest-side pools, which have a volleyball net, poolside bar and grill and frequently, DJ music playing all day and people drinking all day. As other reviewers have noted, yes, there are quite a few short stairs - so take note if you have mobility issues. Where we were was quiet, but it's always good to have a white noise app or plug-in fan/noise maker, if you're a light sleeper. Checkouts: if your flight back to Canada is in the evening, you can pay for a later checkout! The going rate is $10/extra hour, Canadian, which is pretty reasonable for a few hours so you aren't lugging your stuff from beach to restaurant, etc, at noon checkout. Drinking. Restaurant staff are more than happy to refill your water bottle, and the hotel water is safe to drink. Staff provide water bottles as needed, and it's a good idea generally, to tip as locals need it. Tipping. Bars/restaurants will exchange a $20, for individual $1 dollar bills - provided they have them. Ask throughout the day, and you'll be accommodated eventually, as staff likes bigger denominations for local banking. We exclusively spent American and Canadian dollars and didn't touch CUC/local currency. Get your Canadian bank to give you small U.S. denominations (5s and 10s), so you aren't stuck with 20s. Food. The third floor restaurant (Hemispheres) has set hours, while the others (Milans) require a reservation. There were multiple rice options, always a pasta, salted fish, mussels, or meatball option, and breakfast featured a grill and thin omelets, as well as a pseudo French toast chef station. The scrambled eggs were terrible, so go for a nice thin omelet made for you. Given how many Russians frequent this place, it's no surprise there were cold salad options (mayo tortellini pasta/cucumber, quite good) as well as cheese and multiple cold cuts. Bread was widely available, as was a bubble-gum-style ice cream. The food's not great, but not nearly as bad as some people would have you believe. It's cafeteria-style, but if you're picky, beware. Occasionally, they run out of cola. For families, there is a daily kid menu, which had mini pastries for breakfast and pizza/fries/pasta options for picky eaters. Also for families, if you are IN BETWEEN hours, fries were ALWAYS available any time of day at the bar and grill, northwest pool. Just head down the ramp from the main hotel desk, and keep left until you find the bar/grill. Also, as far as kids are concerned: bring LOTS of snacks. At the last minute, we threw a loaf of bread and mini peanut butter jar in our checked luggage, just to have an impromptu snack. We had mini snack bars, fruit packets and fruit rollups to use in a pinch. Very handy. The Ocean. Flags indicate safety. In March, there were some days where the surf was too rough/jellyfish threat (red flag) and you weren't allowed in with kids. When it was placid, however, the beach was perfect. And I mean it was comparable to ones I've experienced in Thailand. PRISTINE. For families, mornings and early afternoon were free from touts hawking rum/cigars, evenings, less so. Also, evenings staff occasionally throws dance parties for 20 and 30-somethings. Bring extra sunscreen as you'll go through it. Bugs. Bring cream insect repellant for evening/morning walks, as there are quite a few mosquitos then, but it's also a great time for photos. The sunsets in particular, are blazing and beautiful. Local attractions. We opted to hire a convertible to drive us to the city of Matanzas (the hotel first quoted $100 USD return, but we negotiated), rather than to the touristy, bland, Varadero and the inexplicably popular Beatles Bar. We were the only tourists in Matanzas, and the bustling, little city offered a taste of Havana, with the bonus of only being 30 minutes away. The driver waited patiently at places like Plaza de la Vigia and the neo-classical Teatro Sauto (a pretty theater where Segovia and others once performed) and Libertad Square and Monserrat, the Spanish church at the hill overlooking the city (the latter is really peaceful and pretty). In retrospect, should've probably included Castillo San Severino, a Spanish fort, in the itinerary. In the town squares, locals may approach you (but not aggressively), more just to hook up their friends' restaurants/stores for a kickback. It's typical of other developing countries. However, it's great to get out of the resort and see Cuba as Cubans see it, and despite having a population of 100k, Matanzas is a frenetic, lively place. Cuevas Ambrosio. The cave is NOT 2km away as we were told (to push a taxi fare), but rather, 0.7km away. It's an easy walk, even with small children. You just keep to the left, past the motorbike rental, the old, out-of-commission Havana bus...don't take the Y-junction, left, but press on the main road until you see the wooden arch sign. The cost is $5 USD per adult, kids free. The guide is knowledgeable and you get to see pre-Columbian cave paintings, and most importantly, LOTS OF BATS! A super-cool, creepy attraction. Caveat: Wait a little bit if nobody is occupying the booth - the guide probably has a tour inside,

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