Paradisus Princesa del Mar — Hotel in Cárdenas

Dear Meliá Customer Service,||I am writing to share detailed feedback regarding a recent stay at Paradisus Princesa del Mar – Royal Service in Varadero , as part of a wider trip across Cuba where we stayed exclusively at Meliá properties. Unfortunately, our experience at this particular resort was deeply disappointing and fell far short of both our expectations and the consistently high standards we encountered at your other hotels.||While many of the issues we experienced were tangible and easily verifiable — from delayed check-in, lack of cleanliness, non-functional butler service, no hot water for two days, and poorly maintained facilities, including outdoor furniture, gardens, and pool areas — the most striking failure was the overall feeling of neglect and lack of hospitality throughout the Royal Service experience.||For example:||• Upon arrival (which coincided with my birthday on July *), no effort was made to acknowledge or celebrate the occasion. (simply happy birthday would suffice – attention to detail is free & expected in a luxury establishment)||• During our five-night stay, bed linens were never changed, and towels were only partially replaced after multiple requests. (I am there was an unexpected delay with the towels delivery, I suggested pool towels would suffice to prevent delays getting showered for dinner, I was assured a few minutes more, an hour passed & we were still without towels to shower before dinner)||• When presented our room by the butler, the private garden area was clearly in a poor state, a discarded plastic glass on the grass immediately visible to all was not removed by the butler, the palm branches protruded blocking the path to the pool & at the other side half of the day bed. (They could be pushed aside to pass but it was not possible to permanently move the obstruction without attention from a gardener)||• The butler service did not respond to either of our calls for assistance.||• Despite the resort being nearly empty, the daybed and loungers were unusable due to damage or overgrown foliage, and walkways remained obstructed throughout. (It seems inconceivable that inspection of the room would have confirmed the loungers were of acceptable standard & that given the barely occupied resort, serviceable loungers could not be found elsewhere)||• A hazardous, broken tile area outside our room was visible and never addressed.||• Pool maintenance was poorly scheduled, with grass trimming immediately following cleaning, leaving it dirty for the day.||Initially, I tried to justify these shortcomings by considering the broader logistical challenges in Cuba. However, after reflecting on our stays at other Meliá properties during this same trip — all within a span of a week — it became clear the issue lies specifically with management and operations at Paradisus Princesa del Mar Royal Service.||To provide contrast:||• INNSiDE Habana Catedral (Booking Ref. *) was a flawless one-night stay, professionally managed with immaculate facilities and attentive service.||• Meliá Cohiba (Booking Ref. *) was exceptional. Despite only staying one night, staff went out of their way to recognise my birthday with a thoughtful in-room gift: a bottle of Havana Club rum, chocolates, and a handwritten note. This simple gesture had a huge impact and restored my trust in the Meliá brand.||• Just last year, we spent five nights at Meliá Habana, which was also faultless and exceeded expectations.||What these properties have in common is consistency, genuine service, well maintained, and attention to detail — all elements sorely lacking at Paradisus Princesa del Mar. Ironically, while Royal Service is promoted as your most premium offering, it delivered the weakest experience of all. It felt like overhyped branding masking substandard delivery.||By the end of our stay in Varadero, I felt relief to be leaving (At this stage I had no desire to ever return to Cuba) — a sentiment no guest should feel after staying in a property meant to offer luxury and rest. The experience that was meant to be a celebratory birthday trip became a week of frustration and...

My wife and I visited Cuba for our first time, we've had a few nice tropical vacations together(Jamaica, Dominican ect,).we were traveling on vacation to embrace "our honeymoon" we've been married for 3 years now, covid buggeredot up. (Woopidy doo) Our check in experience took some time, we booked the worst flight times in hopes of having more time at the resort. When we arrived concierge was great we were brought to royal service side of the hotel and were seated to arrange our week. Sadly , due to some flight delays and weather we arrived much later than expected, we were a bit tired and cranky. We found our initial room poorly maintained and had some issues. We shared our dissatisfaction with the manager and he showed is another room that was of equal value. Underwhelming, unfortunately we had high expectations based on the royal service upgrades. We we told that this was it, that's all the hotel had to offer. We then looked at eachother and commented , "how do we make this " we dragged our bags back to the front desk sadly and shared our dissatisfaction. The desk agent on the phone for some time, grazed over our file and noticed the comments about our honeymoon. She assured us there was something better to come. We were greeted with a cocktail and a solution. A solution much more enthusiastic than expected. We were upgrade to the "matrimonial suite". Basically a cottage, on its own with an obscene amount of space. Clean and well maintained. We were over the moon. The meals were sufficient most nights, aittle awkward not having printed menus. But it has us a chance to chat with staff and other guests. This hotel has alot to offer! In comparison to other 5* locations, the foundation needed attention, care , and probably just more money.

But the staff!! The beautiful , friendly, funny ,appreciative team went out of their way to make us feel like they were sharing their home with us! The bartenders at the lobby bar were attentive, clever, and in tune. The entertainment was amazing! Talented young individuals that deserve to be recognized for their hard work! The technitions, groundskeepers, bell desk were personable and nice. Questions were answered, no matter how rum soaked we were. After visiting Habana on a "private" tour I was intrigued and humbled to learn about the things that Cubans have to overcome in everyday life. It was a lot to take in. The device we recieved, the smiles and the friends we made, really made this place (paradisus Princesa Del Mar) special. After speaking with other groups and families at other resorts in veradero it was clear that we chose the right spot.

My wife and I have worked in hospitality for our careers for the majority of our adult lives . I really wanted to share my appreciation to the hotel staff that made our stay memorable (and doggy, due to the delicious rum) If you are planning on visiting this hotel keep in mind that the beach is the best! Soft white sand an tranquil. It's was wonderful to be left alone by staff(but attended to), not selling goods or pressuring to spend more. I a hat collector brought several baseball caps with me in anticipation of Cuba's enthusiasm for baseball! I passed on all of them but one, I wish I could have done more. Share your stories, let your guard down and try to embrace Cuba for it's lovely culture. I will be back to share and trade goods soon and hopefully reconnect with those that have met! Special thanks to those were adirect part of our stay. It's been more than a month since we've returned so names are... Well they are what they are Joel, our butler - man with a plan Marianna & Anna -slaying Pina coladas at the pool bar Rigo- what an amazing server, the moves on this guy. (Future dance battle, this guy has some slick glides) A pool side attendant(regrettably don't remember his name) - the sweetest man in Cuba ( when I shared my first limited edition spring traingJays cap with him, we both teared up and hugged it out. He gives the best hugs) Thank you Cuba , want to come back ! I'm @chefbrule Cheering for Cuba vs USA...

My wife and I recently stayed at this resort for a week. This was our 3rd time in Cuba. Our last stay was 2 years at the Iberostar next door.

The highlights: the beach and the staff. The rest was either average or below average. The resort deserves a 3-star only - and any ratings below 2 stars or above 4 stars are, in my opinion, out of line. Check to see the history of some of the reviewers here - many only have ONE review - that's suspicious! The resort is not "horrible" as some describe and it's hardly "the best place ever" as some imply. Full disclosure: I have no vested interest in this review - I want to help others make the right decision when making their travel plans.

The beaches of Varadero are excellent. While I did prefer the beaches in the Santa Maria region (finer/whiter sand, you can walk out further), the beaches in Varadero are excellent too.

The staff were very friendly and were generally willing to help. Special consideration goes to Leonydas who was always around the front desk and pool area to help with any concerns. The man deserves 6 stars out of 5 - a true asset to the resort and the company.

As for my criticisms and concerns - in no particular order. The pool area is very nice but there is no shade - no umbrellas at all, which makes sitting in the hot sun uncomfortable and, unsafe for many. In my many travels to sunny destinations, I've never seen a resort absent of umbrellas or shady zones poolside. There were, however, plenty of umbrellas by the ocean.

Food - nobody goes to Cuban resorts for top-notch cuisine. While we never went hungry, the resort consistently repeated the same options - whether it was fruits, vegetables or even hot foods. They were 'barely average'. Soft drinks were very low in supply, with no colas. Bread was unavailable on some days, eggs on others. No pina coladas (!) on many days. While we aren't big drinkers, a pina colada is always a nice drink to have poolside. The specialty restaurants were fair at best. With the various food shortages, it is no surprise that the restaurant staff had to repurpose and reinvent the menu.

Wifi - being on vacation, disconnecting a bit is nice but getting on the wifi is a real chore. While this is not atypical in Cuba, and shouldn't have to be this way either. The resort could easily implement a secure system that allows you to input your room number and surname into the login screen rather than a code that even the CIA couldn't crack. Adding a few more wifi antennas across the resort would be helpful too. Pool and room towels were often in short supply. This is unacceptable.

While our room was nice, we lacked air-conditioning for 1.5 days. It would have been very helpful to have screens on the balcony doors so at least you could let an evening or night breeze to enter and ventilate/cool the room without allowing any insects.

I spoke to several guests who had all kinds of horror stories during their stays.. One fellow from Vancouver, BC said part of his ceiling collapsed - fortunately, he was unhurt. Several people waited hours beyond the check-in time to get a room. Another one was checked into a room where the walls were lined with mosquitoes.

A few tips if you haven't been to a Cuban resort - bring small US bills ($1 is fine) and some small CDN bills too. The staff appreciate and deserve tips. If you have any baseball caps or shirts, they love those too. They will gladly accept common medicines. A day trip to Havana is interesting but things are especially tough there due to economic hardships - be prepared to be followed by locals looking for money. The local hop-on hop-off bus in Varadero for $5/day is a bargain and makes for a nice ½ day trip.

In conclusion, any deficiencies at this resort are squarely on the shoulders of Melia - a Spanish company with many resorts around the world. My wife and I have stayed in many of their properties - Spain, Mexico, Cuba and elsewhere. They have great local staff working here but are providing them with limited resources and oversight....