Meliá Marina Varadero

We want to express the largest thanks to The Level Team at Melia Marina Varadero! This is our 5th visit to beautiful Cuba and by far the best food and attention to detail with service. We usually say we don’t go to Cuba for the food…. This time was a completely different experience!

I’m worried we will miss acknowledging some of the amazing staff, but that is not for lack of gratitude. It is because I am terrible with names.

At the bar: Nancy, Thalía, Melany, Chiqui and Roselin.
At the Front desk: Vladimir, Johana, Yaneh and a server.
In the kitchen: Yaneisi, Ilisio Arlettis and Taimí.

We always enjoyed the pool bartender and entertainer as a stop along the way to and from the beautiful beach.

The elevator was broken for the entire trip, but they did forewarn us and gave options to switch room floor or hotel. They worked daily to try to fix it. It was probably for the best as we were so busy relaxing that a few trips up and down the stairs each day was good for us.

An amazing and relaxing experience and will definitely go back as soon as possible.
Thank you 💕 Kelly and Danielle

I recently had the pleasure of staying at Meliá Marina Varadero, and overall, I would give this resort a 5-star rating. The standout feature of my experience was the exceptional chef, Elisio Reis, and the dedicated staff members who were always friendly and helpful despite their limitations. Their service truly elevated my stay.

One of the highlights of the resort is the spacious rooms with a bathtub and a stunning view of the pool. I thoroughly enjoyed the comfort and luxury provided in the accommodations. Additionally, the swimming pool was absolutely fantastic, offering a great place to relax and unwind. It's worth noting that the pool closes at 6:30 PM, so plan accordingly.

The resort's proximity to the beach was another major plus. Although it's about a 10-minute walk away, the stunning beauty of the beach makes it well worth the effort. The pristine shoreline and crystal-clear waters were truly mesmerizing, and it provided a perfect spot to soak up the sun and enjoy the natural beauty of the surroundings.

However, there were a few aspects of my stay that I didn't particularly like. One major downside was the prevalence of mosquitoes after 6 PM. It made it difficult to sit anywhere in the lobby without being bothered by these pesky insects. I would recommend bringing mosquito repellent and taking precautions to avoid getting bitten.

Another issue I encountered was the lack of Wi-Fi availability in the rooms. To access the internet, you have to sit in the lobby, and even then, you have to renew the Wi-Fi every five hours. This can be inconvenient, especially if you need constant connectivity during your stay.

Furthermore, I found the food at the resort to be below expectations. While there were options for vegetarians, it seemed limited to pizza and pasta, which can get monotonous after a few days. However, I would like to highlight that chef Elisio Reis was willing to accommodate vegetarian requests and created some delicious and flavorful dishes upon request. So, if you're a vegetarian, be sure to seek him out for a more satisfying dining experience.

In terms of activities and attractions, I highly recommend going on the catamaran tour with dolphins, which was an incredible experience. It costs approximately 101 USD per person but is definitely worth it. Another affordable option is a private tour of Havana, which costs around 180 USD for four people. Personally, my favorite part of the resort was the YHI Spa, which offered a serene and relaxing atmosphere to indulge in various treatments and rejuvenate.

As for suggestions, I recommend bringing essential medications, mosquito repellent, ketchup if you enjoy it, and extra toiletpaper. Buying cigars at the airport is also a good idea since they tend to be cheaper. Additionally, it might be helpful to pack ready-to-eat food and a waterproof phone pouch for added convenience and peace of mind.

Overall, Meliá Marina Varadero is a wonderful resort with spacious rooms, a beautiful pool, and a stunning beach. While there were some drawbacks such as the mosquito issue, limited Wi-Fi, and average food, the exceptional staff, including Chef Elisio Reis, made up for it with their attentive service and willingness to accommodate guests' needs. With proper preparations and expectations, this resort can provide a memorable and enjoyable stay in Varadero, Cuba.

Best ever experience! I was worried about hot water from the comments, but the water is warmed enough for me. Food in Cuba is same in everywhere so no surprised. Staff are friendly, free upgraded room, free boats, and you can still enjoy the service after checkout! Perfectly!

I have been here 6 times. Love the people, love the beach, love the activities. If you want to join in activities, the recreation team will be thrilled! Start your day with the beach stretching, play volleyball or do aquagym, dance lessons, zumba, pool volleyball. The air-conditioning and WiFi work. Snack bar at the pool sometimes has these great banana chips with their sandwiches. Food options are limited but they do what they can to make it work. The breads in Cuba are delicious. If you're a foodie, right now Cuba is not for you.

A very elegant and extremely large property. It is one of the very last resorts on the Varadero peninsula. Great beach, with amazing large Marina plenty of water sports and fishing opportunities. Be prepared to walk or wait for shuttles if you stay in the apartments and condo areas. This resort was built with American tourists in mind unfortunately a change in USA government policy caused the resort some grief as the Marina is often empty. They hoped for boats from Florida.

The hotel is amazing and stunning, in the last few days all of the staff go above and beyond to make sure your stay is perfect even the first 3 days were not our best hotel experience, since last week we have seen many different changes in the personal behaviour, the quality and presentation of the food, looks like the chef was on vacation :). Anyway, even they open them once a day, all the restaurants and bars onsite are gorgeous and the food is amazin now. The shop is brilliant and the men who works in it was so helpful and nothing was too much for him and he was very helpful.

I went to this hotel last moth and I love the place and the people that work there, very good attention and the food was fresh all the time, rooms and the interior of the hotel very clean all the time, the lady that clean my room Yaimary was her name she was very friendly and always with an smile every morning, also Mr Neninger one of the manager of the Hotel I meet him in the bufet while he was checking if everything was ok with the service and Johana the lobby lady instruct us about everything that we should know about the Hotel. For me was very good time during the days I spent there and definitely I will come back.

My husband and I spent a week at this resort and we had the greatest time. The food was amazing, specially breakfast, always well organized and really varied, they offered us everything we needed to have a healthy and well balanced meal. Every single part of the hotel was immaculate, and the house keeper made a good job with our room, which was very comfortable. We would like to thank every single employee, specially the manager Guillermo, who makes a great job in this hotel, he not only takes care of the customer, but also he looks after his employees. Thank you all we are already looking forward to our next trip.

It is an Excellent Resort on account of the wonderful staff that they have. Always smiling and they are helpful. The rooms are extra clean. The food is very good with many choices to choose from. The pools and beach are very clean. Also it's a new Resort only 6 years old. I would certainly go back. You should try it out. Trust me as you won't regret it..Just came back from a 12 day wonderful vacation.

It was a great stay. Especially I want say thanks, to the hotel staff.
Also thanks them for the evening entertainment and dancing team.
I liked that in the evening You can safely go outside the hotel to walk along the embankment. there is a magnificent orchestra at the nightclub, and a terrific lobster dinner at the seafood restaurant.

Yes the variety of food is not that great. but it is fully consistent with the price, and do not forget that you are in Cuba)

the quality of rest in the hotel is higher than its cost

the hotel was fantastic. the infinity pool at the spa gorgeous, they provided us with fruits and teas in order to get some refreshments while enjoying it, the service at the level was good even being a bit crowded the hotel. we used the gym everyday, fantastic machines. the beach was amazing, clear waters full of life. definitely it is a must while in Varadero

Stunning resort. The food in my opinion was good but others I travelled with brought spices, personally I had nothing to complain about. The beach is beautiful, didn't spend too much at the pool. Staff are wonderful and accomodating, room was cleaned every day and contrary to what everyone told me about Cuba surpassed my expectations. I took a Havana tour and it's three hours from the resort but was well worth it.

Great food, people are incredible and it is a wonderful resort to stay. We had a private pool and upgraded room indeed. We were given a condo directly upstairs from the manager, his wife and two adorable dogs. I had a steak dinner which was definitely world class. Yes in Cuba!!!!!!

It’s so beautiful lovely staff extremely nice I would recommend but food is ok they book Ubers for you and set up fun things for you to I would recommend the pool bar that’s right a the pool they have the best hackery daiquiris!!! Oh also have great internet but you have to reset it every 10-14 hours 💓

Very helpful staff. Food wasn't the greatest but it is decent. Beautiful beach. I have a baby under a year old and they always accommodate us in every aspect. I enjoyed every minute of my stay. Hotel is well maintained. Clean and tidy. I totally recommend this place.

We visited as a family of 6 the week of February 2-9. I do not even know where to begin with all the amazing things I have to say. The hotel is beautiful, the staff are AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, HELPFUL, FRIENDLY. I can not say enough about the service, from the drink guys stocking the mini bars, the cleaning staff, the front desk, the concierge, the guys that helped me with my luggage the last day, the pool staff. And I have to mention a few in particular-- the pizza guy! Took care of us, we have 3 vegans in the family and he made sure they had pizza! My waiter/drink person whose name I didn't get but is at the outside buffet patio every morning taking care of outside tables, amazing person and had my sparkling water every day and always great conversation! The lobby bar staff in the Am for my espressos and drinks. The lobby bar staff in the evening and night especially Sol who was amazing and kind and made our kids feel special! The beach bar folks took care of us well! The pool bar people, the pool restaurant people, the bartender down by the marina at night. The entertainment people were awesome, the folks at the beach in the am, by the pool in the afternoon. We had so much fun with beach volley ball and the other games by the pool. And of course Alex and 3PM water polo or water Frisbee polo every day! I could write a book! The food was great, the service always great. The security guys were amazing, make sure you tip them also, they are out all day and night. The staff for the hobie cats were great and took us out sailing a few times. The night entertainment crew were awesome and fun!
Our rooms (we had 2 on the 3rd floor overlooking the marina) were great. Spacious, nice patio for post pool time evening drink and cigar. I have no complaints about the upkeep or bathroom or showers or toilets. That said we are not the type that gets upset about a small crack in a tile, it is irrelevant when you are in such an amazing place.
The pool is great, the beach is spectacular and super close, the marina is nice. I honestly do not have a single complaint. I have read some negative reviews and I think they may have been elsewhere or they are from people that can create issues anywhere about anything. If you end up Cuba at this resort and somehow have a bad time it most likely is of your own doing. Relax, have fun, enjoy Cuba and the experience! We had an incredible week full of great drinks and memories and experiences and cannot wait to go back again next year! Our whole family had an amazing time... both parents and all 4 kids!

One of the best hotels in the country not one complaint from me or wife we had our honeymoon there for a week we stayed at The Level though it's like a VIP experience the staff was amazing at the reception and the housekeeping lady Jenny exceptional always left the room in a brand new condition. Food was pretty good though we always went to a different La Carte restaurant for dinner (offered by The Level upgrade) and for lunch the buffet. Weather was not to great and we couldn't enjoy the beach thought but still the marina view and places around the hotel were nice enough. Might not go back for a while due to US travel restrictions and the hotel being "black listed" now.

First of all let me say, this is the touristic area of Cuba (about 2.5 hrs from Havana driving). If you're into getting to know the more rustic, less touristy area of Cuba, this is NOT your place. We chose this area for the commodity and tranquility to spend time as a family. My husband and I stayed in July 2017 with our two kids ages 5 and 3. We ended up booking the Level room and I must say we weren't disappointed at all. Rooms were cleaned daily, Unlimited room service and a la carte restaurant every night as well as optional The Level Restaurant and unlimited internet cards. Breakfast at the buffet were fine, nothing very impressive. We went to the beach and didn't have to wait too long for the golf buggy. Lots of activities at the beach and had lunch at the snack shop by the beach, food was amazing there by the way. We also lounged by the pool with the kids who thoroughly enjoyed it. We hung out at the lobby quite a few times and were able to catch the nightly shows, the lobby bar was excellent and my kids thought the frozen chocolate milk was exceptional, they still talk about it to this day. All in all I would say it was an awesome first trip to Cuba.

Really nice staff, good facilities and a nice pool + beach. I've been in other Cuban hotels where the facilities themselves were not in a good state, but it was not the case here.
Food was as good as you would expect from beach hotels in Cuba, so no complains.

I enjoyed this family trip (we actually come almost yearly to the apart-hotel side of the hotel as well, so my review is based on experiences of both hotel rooms and apart-hotel sides)

My husband and I and our 1 year old were here in March 5-12. We had an amazing time! Beautiful resort, super friendly staff especially Dionel at the towel exchange by the pool.
The food was good, more than enough variety. We will definitely return to this resort!