Very Nice cuban flavor

i payed 988$ all inclusive for this wonderful week at la plaza de Mar del sur. large place, very safe (there is guards at every entries.) very confortable personnal and friendly. Of course its not a 5 stars hotel, but in my opinion you dont need royal treatment when you go to cuba, you want to taste the country....there was not alot of variety in the food but it was acceptable, plus there a really cheap snack bar....2,50 pesos for a good omelette....very near the beach and the main street (next block) good animation every night,like jazz shows, professional dancers, music quizzes. very very nice staff (Jovier). Dj plays american music. Salsa classes every day at 4pm... massage service....

The clubs are fun: Havana Club, very american, same music everynight, but alot of exitement and nice tourists.

La Rhumba: bigger, original decoration, mix of american and cuban music

La Mediteraneo: very cuban, outside. big show of cuban band and cuban rapper...alot of salsa dancing.

Ask the animation guys for a cheap bus to get to the bars ( 1 pesos per person)....

I suggest you pick a room with patio doors that way you wont get any cockroaches since they cant come in trought the flaps like in other rooms. the pool is nice, the bar tenders are friendly...Deal everything you buyoutside the hotel, you can always get it for less...and bring gifts like shaving cream, old shoes, clothes, soap, make up or whatever...bar on the beach,and 2 in the resort. most wonderful week in my life yet.... and definetly going back next year...

viva cuba si!

Worth it !

I paid 670$ CAD. for the trip , taxes included , let me tell you that it was worth every penny . That's the kind of hotel you go to when you don't have the budget for a 4-5 star but the food was alright , the animation was good and the place was clean . There's 5 minute walk to the beach but the resort has their own bar right on the playa so it compensates . Other than that I have to say that the other tourists over there are very friendly , of course you won't run into snobbish people in a 2 star resort , that's what I liked about this place . Definitely a good place to party and drink up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WARNING - DO NOT GO THERE!!

If you want your vacation to be a enjoyable one, do not waste your time at this hotel. if you do not care about terrible food, bad drinks, lousy entertainment, cockroaches in the rooms and being a kilometre from the strip, then this is the place for you - if you do care, then for the love of pete - stay clear of this hotel!! I stayed there one night and left the very next morning. The only -and I stress only - saving grace is the friendly and helpful staff (Paco and Conchita), otherwise this is a craptrap.

P.S. The mystery meat at the buffet was a particularly nice touch.

Very friendly people

Just came back from 1 month stay at Mar Del Sur in Veradero Beach, basic hotel but with warmth and mostly efficient staff. food was basic but good. met lots of friendly people am a senior and went solo with no problems about my safety, yes would do it again.

Time of my life !

Loved every thing about my stay here the staff was the best, can went to go back and I will.

Great for budget minded tourists

First let me say that if I wanted a 5 star hotel I would have paid the extra grand.

Airport: First things first, go find the tourist bus for your resort or you'll end up paying 25 bucks U.S. for a cab.

Food: Breakfast-ok, who can screw up an omelet right in front of you?

Lunch- just a snack if youre even there anyway. Dinner- forget it, go enjoy the local restaurants, youre on frikken holidays. I ate lobster 4/7 nights at a little corner cafe just down the street, ten bucks.

Maids: Great, leave the poor girl a dollar/day or your pocket change and they are nothing but helpful, remember they live there and can tell you things to see you never even thought of.

Location: Fabulous, right in town where the action is. I spent most of my time off the resort watching the Cuban world go by. Beers were always under a buck just about anywhere so go live a little.

Safety: Cubans are the friendliest people I've ever met, they're not out to steal from you like where I live, maybe the odd one will ask you for a t shirt but hell the average salary is $8.00 a month!

Hints: Bring little shampoos, toothbrushes, things with canadian flags, band-aids, (geez go to the dollar store and drop twenty bucks) extra clothes you havent worn in six months. This stuff is gold.

Bottom line: For me the room was a place to hang my hat, have a shower and sleep. Clean - No Bugs.

Very enjoyable!

I love this hotel. It is cheap but the location is great, the rooms are clean, and the staff is fantastic. The only downfall is the food.

NEVER going back there.

You definitely get what you pay for- a cheap, dirty, "almost all inclusive" 1 1/2 star resort, that isn't on the beach, nor has little soaps and shampoos in the bathrooms, and has terrible food. The staff were nice, and the pool was alright. The "all inclusive" bar, served neither Mohitos, nor Pina Coladas, and was only open till 10 pm.

Definitely an experience.

Will Definitely Go Back!!!

You know the saying, "you pay for what you get", well, that's exactly how this place is... The hotel is very basic. The room we had had two twin beds and we even had a view of the ocean! The only thing was that the room was backing onto the highway so it was a little loud at night when you're trying to sleep. The bathroom was a good size - bring your own hairdryer. The water (from the shower) was nice and warm. No problems with bugs. The food was well, not bad. Very basic - chicken one day, pork the next, there's always fish. But we later realized Cuban food is very basic. The pool was cold. So I only went in once.

But when you're on vacation, you don't want to stay in the resort the whole time!! Not me!! The one thing I really liked about this resort was the proximity to the main street - 1st Avenue, where the action really is. It's walking distance to the flea markets -- good deals and everything is hand made. And the beach, it is absolutely beautiful, the water and the Chicos Cubanos. They are just gorgeous!!! The beach is public so you will get a mixture of tourists and locals but that's what it's all about --- getting to know the life of the locals! They are sooo friendly. We met fellow Canadians who work there and they showed us around. We went to Havana on our own, yes me and two other girls on this bus called Viazul which was very comfortable. The trip is just under 3 hours (I slept the whole way so didn't see the scenery, heard it was beautiful) It cost $10 one way. When we arrived in Old Havana there were ladies waiting offering Casa Particular - private houses.

These are regulated and approved by the government. We stayed with a lady and paid $10/person for a room to sleep. The room was clean and had access to a bathroom - don't think of being able to take a shower - well, what do you expect for $10! The whole point is to learn the culture and their way of life, so why get stuck in a resort!

The discotheque in Varadero were pretty good. There is no disco in the Hotel. They had nightly entertainment but as you can probably guess, never saw any of them. We were never at the resort. Overall, I loved it. Cuba is the best and safest place to visit. People are so friendly and warm. And there's an abundance of gorgeous looking men. But don't fall in love. That's trouble - that's another issue.... So If you're looking for a decent All Inclusive, Cheap place in Varadero, this place is not bad at all. Just don't expect to get pampered, I don't think they know what that is.... Oh, bring your own toilet paper, we were given one a day and you'll have to bring some with you everywhere you go. Bring wetnaps or those hand cleanser things, some public washrooms don't have soap. Bring your own beach towel or pay $2/day. Oh, and bottled water is not part of all inclusive but don't buy it at the resort, go to a grocery store, it's much cheaper. HAPPY TRIP!!!!

Fantastic

It was great, loved every minute of it!!!