Roc Arenas Doradas — Hotel in Cárdenas

Our unit had not been renovated that I could see but it was clean. The beds and pillows were comfortable. The floor was washed before arrive so the tile was cleaned. The bathroom was okay with adequate but not great water pressure and the toilet was okay but needs replacing or repair. Toilet paper is rough one ply so for all you tender bottom people.

Our room had some problems when we arrived and reported it. Our sliding door was missing a chain lock and was fixed the next day. Our safe cost $2 US a day and didn’t work the first day and a half. The repair guy tried the first night and couldn’t get it to work. The next day another good lad came by and ended up replacing all the internal components and got it working.

The grounds are nice. Lots of greenery even though it’s the dry season.

Bars open at 10 am except lobby open 24/7. It is what it is with available liquor. There is one at the lobby, one at the pool and one by the beach. There was no vodka and no piña colada’s which was a main drink my wife wanted and was sad they didn’t have them. Mojitos were available at times at the pool and lobby bar and never at the beach bar. Mint was often run out of which is weird. Mixology of mojitos and other drinks were also hit and miss for taste and accuracy. Cups are in short supply.

A common practice is for the bartender to mix drinks in a person’s personal used uncleaned mug or old hotel glass. Maybe a light rinse. Extremely unsanitary and I’d HIGHLY recommend to resort management to simply have a mixing mug at the bar for each drink or rinse between drinks and then simply put ice in the guest mug and pour the mixed drink into their mug. Then no mixing of spit and backwash between guests.

Coffee bar was great and their Spanish coffee in the morning hit the spot.

Food quality is around North American middle class family home cooking style cuisine with the odd surprise taste sensation. Pork is often over cooked and a little dry but chicken and fish are usually just fine. Key things to know is that the fish have bones almost always, small bones and shards are found in all chicken and pork and rib entrees.

If you are a vegetarian there was lots to eat. Lots of eggplant on the menu, potato and sweet potato. Not a lot of lettuce but lots of cabbage and cucumber and carrots. Cheese is hit or miss. There was a never ending tray of yummy deserts and buckets of fresh ice cream.

Cleanliness of the cooks and serving staff was fine but guests… some people are just idiots. Probably get them everywhere but I saw one guy with a spoon going along tasting food. Anytime I saw food run out I simply asked and they brought more so people… calm down and even if it’s gone for the day it isn’t the end of the world as you know it. That’s called departure day.

Internet gets 5 stars.

The hotel bus to Varadero was broken which was disappointing.

Room door don’t shut flush so expect bugs in your room and not atypical of a tropic destination.

Beach is beautiful. Lots of seating but get out before 8-9 am with your towel to reserve your chairs. I also put some old crocs down as some people are clueless and once we had our towels tossed on the sand. The beach slopes gently but waves in a big wind can be pounding. There is a current by shore during waves but didn’t see a rip tide within sight. Did see Portuguese Man o War on the beach. A nice assortment of small shells were on the beach.

The staff give free 15 minute rides in the hobby cat catamarans. Fishing can be done from them with a guide for $100 Cdn for 2 hours. Marina across the road at the resort entrance charter boats for $450 Cdn. Catamaran to Cayo Blanco is there also. There is a couple peddle boats when the waves are low and kayaks to use. Can’t fish from them.

The small specialty restaurants were okay but nothing wonderful.

Everywhere we went staff was exceptionally attentive and helpful. Language and communication was fine but recommend the Google translate app downloaded with Spanish for complicated questions just in case.

I’d stay here...

After doing a ton of research, we had hoped to find a great place to stay while vacationing in Cuba, and after reading some 5 star reviews about this resort we decided to book it. We have booked through Sunwing before & trusted this would be ok. We have heard many stories from friends who have vacationed in Cuba, so we were prepared for what was described to us as bland, minimal but decent food choices & for older & possibly a bit run down facilities. I have always wanted to see crystal waters and white sand & Varadero is well known for their beautiful beaches we decided that we would do it. The water & beach did not disappoint!! Absolutely gorgeous turquoise water and white sand!! However, the stay was not worthy of a 1 star rating. The staff seemed completely uninterested in having us there right from the minute we stepped off the shuttle from the airport. Not welcoming at all. But we were tired, it was late & were hoping things would improve. We could not wait to just grab a bite to eat and go to bed to start our vacation in the morning.Once we got to our room, we were met with a major musky smell, saw that our "king bed" was just 2 doubles pushed together, the sheets we thought were clean although a bit stained, some of the tiles on the floors in the bathroom & by the bed were missing, but overall, we had been prepared for some of this & decided to just go eat, then get some sleep. We left the room, found the buffet, it was late, so the scarce options weren't a big surprise at this point. I had some rice, beans, cheese and a small bun. Bland, but again expected. Went back to the room ( long walk as we were staying in building 8) and our key card would not work. So had to walk back to the main building to deal with that. I can't remember if it was this room or one of the other 2 we moved to that we had to do this a couple of times before they sent a mechanic to change the mechanism on the door, but after a long day, it was all a huge hassle that we we were NOT expecting. Funny though, having said that, we felt as though we were a nuisance to them! Finally in our room, half asleep i thought I saw a mouse so I flicked on a light and saw that it was a huge cockroach scurrying about. Woke my husband, he dealt with it, but needless to say, I didn't sleep well. Next morning, buffet was much the same as the night before, no real typical ( to us) breakfast options. There were chopped up weiners and rice, beans, chopped greens and some withered fruit. No coffee.Made it to the beach, again it was gorgeous with lots of outdoor seating options for sun or shade. No drink service on or near the beach the whole time so we decided to visit the small gift shop, purchase drinks and pack them with us. Not a very "all inclusive" option, but we are pretty easygoing & kept hoping things would improve. We were warned about being fined for misplacing beach towels, so we brought our own, again not very all inclusive.So this was just night one and first day at this resort.The remaining 5 days were the same or worse. No coffee some days, no food in the 24hr snack bar, no clean towels for our rooms on a day, no bottled water for our room on some days. Bedding never changed, and this was the same for all 3 rooms. Yes we had to change rooms 3 times because of cockroaches, or the safe or door keys not working. We were upgraded at one point & assured of some restaurant vouchers etc, none of which happened. We were happy that we had booked an excursion for a day away on a catamaran that promised great snorkeling with fish & reefs and a lobster dinner. The ride itself was beautiful however where we were dropped off had no fish, no reef and definitely no lobster dinner.We are home now and feeling much more tired, a little sick and much more frustrated than we were before we decided to take a vacation. Not how a person should feel after spending money and time at what is advertised as an all inclusive vacation. Call it what it is, let vacationers decide if the beach is worth all the other hassle, disrespect & 1...

Disappointing Experience at Roc Arenas Doradas, Cuba – January 2025

We recently stayed at Roc Arenas Doradas for two weeks in late January 2025 as a family with two children, aged 10 and 3. Based on our personal experience, I’d like to offer a few recommendations to help others prepare for their visit.

Arrive During the Daylight Hours: If you are flying to Cuba, I highly recommend scheduling your arrival during the daytime. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed, and we didn’t arrive at the hotel until around 1:30 AM. Upon check-in, we were met by an extremely unfriendly receptionist. There was no tour of the hotel grounds, and the service felt very rushed and impersonal.

Double-Check Your Booking Details: It’s important to be vigilant when it comes to your booking. A friend had warned me to take a screenshot of the room I had booked, which turned out to be very helpful. The receptionist claimed that our original room was much more expensive and insisted we pay an extra $16 per person per night for an upgraded room. Upon entering the room, we were shocked by the state of cleanliness: there was a thick layer of dust, broken closet doors, stains on the sheets, mold around the plumbing, and black spots on the mirror. Even worse, after taking a shower, water from the bathroom leaked into the bedroom, making the floor slippery. Unfortunately, I slipped and injured my leg.

We immediately contacted customer support of Sunwing, and they were responsive. The next day, we were moved to a different room, which was much better and located on the same floor. We did not pay anything extra for it.

Be Prepared for Limited Food Options: While we are not particularly picky eaters, the food at the hotel was very disappointing. My children could only eat rice and cucumbers, but even the rice was dry, overcooked, and contained stones. The chicken was so overcooked that it was nearly inedible, and in two weeks, we were only served fried fish for dinner three times. Lunchtime options were especially limited, often consisting of bland root vegetables and boiled vegetables in unseasoned salads. The drinks available were mostly water or alcohol, and ice cream was only available during dinner—on days when it was offered at all.

Despite consistently leaving tips, we found the staff to be distant and unresponsive, sometimes taking 10-15 minutes to bring basic items like utensils or water.

Consider Bringing Your Own Snacks: Given the limited food options, I highly recommend bringing your own snacks and dry soups to supplement the meals.

Concerns Regarding Discriminatory Practices.

During our stay, we encountered a deeply troubling experience that we feel is important to address. The hotel organizes special themed dinners once a week, and we received invitations as Canadian guests. However, upon our arrival at the designated event, the service staff denied us entry, stating that the dinner was exclusively for Canadians.

While we understand that the event may be designed to highlight Canadian guests, it’s important to clarify that we are Canadian citizens with Canadian passports, despite being immigrants. We were disappointed by the way we were treated, as it felt exclusionary and inappropriate.

Such experiences of discrimination are concerning and do not align with the values of inclusivity and respect that one would expect from a reputable hotel. We hope that this feedback encourages the hotel to reevaluate its practices to ensure all guests are treated with fairness and dignity, regardless of their background.

Positive Notes: On a positive note, the hotel grounds were very well-kept, and we really enjoyed the beach, which was clean and beautiful.

Conclusion: While the location and beach were enjoyable, the overall experience at Roc Arenas Doradas did not meet our expectations. Based on our experience, we will not be returning to this hotel...