Hotel Sol Caribe Beach — Attraction in Cárdenas

My friends and I came here near the start of April. I've been coming to Varadero for a little more than 10 years now so I my review is based off of Cuban resort expectations. This resort has room for improvement but when this resort does something well, they do it REALLY well. ||Food and drink:|Food-wise, it's a little hit and miss. The buffet's food is good but very limited. Pretty much the same dishes every day. Points go out to the fresh made donuts though, I have had donuts at other resorts and they're always thawed little bricks. Not here, I saw them make them and they were warm and soft and delicious! They even had Nutella to spread on them (or toast, or whatever). Like I said, when they do something well, they do it exceptionally well. The lady manning the waffle station was also really kind and polite. Pasta station was a bit of a disappointment. Only one sauce option and it's kind of bland. Breakfast, the potato cakes were the clear winner for everyone at the resort (saw one guy just eat a whole plate of them). A la cartes: Not impressed. We would tend to hit the buffet before or after just to make sure we weren't hungry after. We tried 3 or 4 of them and I was kind of disappointed. The salt and pepper one at least had nice ambiance. The snack bar was actually VERY good and the service was also top notch. While I've always been happy with the service at most Cuban resorts, there are many here that are JUST that much better, the snackbar is no exception. The snackbar is the best food you'll get at this resort. |Drinks: Great and not so great. Best pina colada I've ever had at an all-inclusive. Seriously, try it out. Snackbar made the best ones. There was also a lemonade slushy that was my go-to drink of the week (with and without alcohol) but be careful to specify lemonade and not just lemon. The latter is just unsweetened lemon juice and no amount of sugar seems to make it better. Coffee bar. Seriously, THIS is the best thing this resort has to offer. Ice frap... what the heck? It's a liquid dessert. If you come to this resort, you must try this, because you'll line up every day to have one (the other coffees are also very, very good). Beach bar is adequate but basic. Jazz bar is really nice but fix the lighting! Way too bright. Glaring top down lighting. They should turn that off and place a bunch of floor lamps. Missed opportunity for an exceptional venue. Also, make it easier to find.||Beach, pools and animation: |Pools are expansive with one quieter side and a livelier side and another quiet pool further away. Was pretty clean except for one afternoon in the quieter side where it had a lot of stuff in suspension. Went in, saw it, came right back out. Filtering system wasn't keeping up and it was kind of gross. Watch out for the tiles walking into the livelier pool as they can be very slippery. Not enough shade around the pool but the few sections where they have the climbing flowers blocking the sun is once again, tops in terms of what Cuba has to offer. If you want to relax, check out the quiet pool, I wish I had found it sooner. Beach was nice, palapas in good condition but chairs were not so great. If you get a newer blue one, count yourself lucky. The white ones look like they date from the 90s and are all busted up and really uncomfortable. I'm surprised Melia haven't replaced them all. I'm guessing they will eventually. I never saw anyone clean the beach and the rare time there was some sargassum, it was left to accumulate on the beach whereas, at the sister resort, Sol Varadero, I saw that someone had raked it up into small piles. There was also some discarded cigarette butts here and there but it was still an all around nice beach. Animation team were lively and put their hearts into it without being pushy so good on them.||Rooms and resort:|The rooms were nice and clean with functioning AC. Hot water took some time to get there in the morning but it got there. I was less crazy about the half glass wall blocking the shower, despite a lip to keep the water in, the shower still sprays outside of the shower area and soaked the floor. Pressure was good. Beds were decently comfortable. No chairs on the patio in our room (not something that bothered me, just that I noticed it seemed to be missing something). Maids were very nice and efficient. |The resort buildings are quite nice and renovated and the grounds up to, and including the pool are quite nice but once you get passed the pool to head to the beach, this is where things could improve. The paths used to be roads and not enough has been done to make it feel like you're still on the resort. There are private villas adjacent to the resort, which is fine but having a chain link fence up isn't a good look. Have plants and bushes to landscape and block out unsightly fences and edgeways would go a long way to improving this problem. Also, I noticed that the pool area used to be filled with palm trees prior to the renovations. It's unfortunate that they got rid of these because it could use a bit of shade. ||All in all, we had no real complaints. What they did really well here, they did better than most other resorts in Varadero. Everything...

We visited Sol Caribe Beach Resort from August 29 to September 5, 2024, and just returned. This was our second stay, as we had an amazing experience in 2023—clean rooms, great service, good food, and a wonderful vacation overall. Naturally, we were excited to return this year. Unfortunately, this time was a huge disappointment and a complete contrast to our previous stay.

From the moment we arrived, things were off. The rooms had leaking toilets, no hot water, faulty balcony doors, and dirty shower glass walls that were never cleaned properly from day one. The bathrooms were filthy, and the room cleaning was subpar throughout the stay.

Additionally, many of the restaurants were closed, and there was a lack of food and alcohol available despite being advertised as all-inclusive. The overall experience felt disorganized, and we were left with the impression that the resort has degraded significantly compared to the previous year.

On a positive note, the beach and ocean remain incredible, with crystal-clear water and a stunning beachfront. But unfortunately, the hotel itself is not what it used to be. The customer service was terrible, and none of our issues were addressed despite our complaints.

It’s disheartening to see how much the resort has gone downhill in just one year. While the beach remains top-notch, the overall experience at the hotel was extremely disappointing. I hope management takes this feedback seriously, as this resort has great potential but is currently falling short in almost every aspect.

Exceptional Beach Vacation at Sol Caribe Beach Resort in Varadero, Cuba (June 2023)" My family and I recently returned from a wonderful stay at the Sol Caribe Beach Resort in Varadero, Cuba in June 2023, and we couldn't be happier with our experience. In fact, we've already booked our return visit for August 29th, 2024, as we were so impressed with the resort, and we're hoping to write a very positive update on our stay after our return in September. The highlight of our stay was undoubtedly the resort's stunning beach. The wide, long stretch of pristine sand and crystal-clear, warm waters were simply breathtaking. Unlike some other resorts in the area, we didn't encounter any issues with seaweed or water quality - it was absolute perfection. The food selection at the resort was also fantastic, with plenty of variety and no shortage of options, unlike what we've heard about at other Varadero properties. The bars offered a great selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and the coffee at the lobby was truly one of the best we've tasted in Cuba. The staff at Sol Caribe were incredibly friendly and accommodating. When we encountered a few issues with our rooms, the management promptly addressed them and provided us with a fair and reasonable solution, moving us to a lovely house near the pool and beach. One of the additional perks was the ability to rent an SUV from a car rental across the road and take a trip to the vibrant and colorful city of Havana. It was an experience we'll never forget. While the resort doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment, we were perfectly content to simply enjoy the stunning beach, delicious food, and warm hospitality. The reliable internet access, although requiring frequent reconnections, was also a bonus. Overall, our experience at the Sol Caribe Beach Resort in June 2023 was exceptional, and we can't wait to return in August 2024 for another unforgettable family vacation. If you're looking for a breathtaking beach, great food, and friendly service in Varadero, I highly recommend this resort. We're hoping to provide an even more positive update after our upcoming stay...

I went to this hotel between August 4-11, 2005 with a group for my wedding, then four other families joined us separately for total close to 30 people. I had been planning since March, emailing back and forth and chose this hotel because of the positive reviews (cleanliness), newly renovated and for its proximity to the city centre. Upon visitation, we were disappointed in the small size however impressed by the stacked bar and beautiful flowers. Also the head coordinator was, at first, attentive and accommodating. As time went on, disappointment and deception followed. Everything we were promised didn't not come a reality and were taken advantage of in the process. So much back and forth between emails and meetings for nothing. I was left on read for a month. Though I kept my calm and cool and went with the flow because after all, it's Cuba and nothing is a guarantee. My Cuban husband warned me to not have high expectations and he was right. The day before the wedding, they basically wanted to change the whole plan on us, from the location, to the dinner to the flowers. I told them I have a certain vision and want to see it through. I urged them to fill the altar with as many flowers as possible and they said they had bows for the chairs which we never e ded up getting. I had to bring my own runner to walk on the sand, altar sheet and white linens for the reception dinner. In addition to other decirations for the reception and cake topper which is no where to be foundn We were also told our dinners would be private especially on the day of the wedding yet it was at full capacity. The background music, voice and clinking cutlery took away from my speeches. There was no designed menu, it was the same they serve everyday day at Salt& Peper, however tasty according to my guests. I barely ate due to last minute change of menu and my cousin couldn't have a bite due to unsafe kitchen conditions and allergies. Our rehearsal dinner at Parole was barely eatable but the table wine was good! They wanted us to pay for better bottles. They also wanted us to pay $30-40 USD per person for our private party at the upstairs Jazz bar however dinner ran super late, the elevators malfunctioned and we got less than an hour. They also wanted us to pay for our duo band that we hired. The only saving grace was our photographer Yunia and that we were in good company with a lovely group of people. The head coordination Yolanda was not present for days and her assistant, Danya, although sweet and helpful, was barely around and never checked in with me to see if things were to our satisfaction. The officiant didn't even introduce herself and just started speaking while the music was still playing. It was poorly done, unorganized and not handled in a professional matter. I would not recommend having your wedding or any important function there. Definitely not a four star hotel. They barely made a fuss for us aside from granting us a suite that we and my agent had to beg and plead for time and time again. Our beach towels and robes were never replaced. Our floors were never washed and our breakfast trays were left for days. Our guests didn't get their requests. They claimed the resort was full even though it's not high season. So many lies. Such a shame. Not worth the price nor the hassle and stress. I do however highly recommend a destination wedding just not at this resort....