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> Destinations > Cuba > Trip Reports > Trip Report
Arrival:
We arrived at Breezes after several days in Havana. My parents rented a car and hired a driver, so I cannot comment on Varadero airport or the transportation. We went to check in and they told us that our room would not be ready for an hour, but that we could go to one of the bars or beach grill for a drink or something to eat. No one offered to help us get our bags out of the car even after we asked. They just pointed to where we should put them. I was also a little disappointed that we weren't offered a drink while we waited as I had read in other reviews. While we waited for the room, we read that the buffet would be closed for dinner and that we could either make reservations at the Italian or Cuban restaurants, or their would be a smaller buffet at the beach grill. The Italian restaurant was already booked. I was tired, hot and starting to get pretty annoyed at this point.
The Room:
When our room was finally ready, and we tracked down a bell-boy to bring our bags, we made our way to our Junior Suite. Our travel agent said he had requested an upgrade to a Master Suite for us because it was our honeymoon, but when we asked, they said there was nothing available, that we should check back tomorrow. The Junior Suite was nice. It was fairly large for the 2 of us. It had a king size bed and a little sitting area. The balcony was a nice size with a view of the ocean. the decor could use some updating, but it wasn't a problem. The bathroom was pretty big, but kind of old looking compared to the rest of the room. It served our purposes, so it didn't really bother us. We decided not to pursue upgrading, we were content where we were.
The Grounds:
The resort it pretty big. It took several looks at the map and a couple of days to figure out where everything was. The grounds are maintained beautifully. All the trees and flowers offered some shade from the sun when walking around. There was always someone cleaning up any trash around the pool or on the beach.
The Bars:
There are at least 5 or 6 bars open at different times throughout the day. The lobby bar is open all the time and that's where the "good stuff" is (as someone told me). We found most of the bartenders very friendly and reasonably quick to serve. However, if you tip a dollar here and there, they'll come out to your table to wait on you and your drinks tend to be stronger and in bigger glasses. The Disco was dead everytime we went in. I even saw one of the bartenders napping one night.
The Beach:
I would have to say that this is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The sand is white and the water is calm and clear. We never had a problem finding chairs or shade on the beach. This may be because we were there during the slow season. We spent most mornings and late afternoons on the beach.
Restaurants and Food:
It turns out that the buffet was open for dinner every night. their intention was to have a smaller buffet at the beach grill, but because it rained everyday for an hour or 2 they ended up setting up in the covered buffet dining room. The buffet is not air conditioned, it is incredibly hot in there. Also there are birds everywhere because it's open air. There is always lots to choose from at every meal. The food is not bad, but not great either. Service at the buffet was not great. We never bothered to tip any of the servers here because they never returned after serving us wine.
Martino's the Italian restaurant was excellent, from the service to the food. The atmosphere is nice too, kind of romantic. There was a wonderful pianist. El Mojito the Cuban restaurant was ok. there was a trio, walking around singing. Definately a more lively and fun atmosphere than the Italian. My dinner choices were better than my husband's. His steak, although flavorful, was really tough.
We ate at the beach grill most days for lunch. They have good grilled Chicken, burgers and hotdogs. Their sign says they have pizza, but they never did.
I heard that there were supposed to be snacks served somwhere at some point, but we never saw them. We were also told that the lobbby bar had food available all night, like pizza, burgers, etc. but the one time we asked for pizza, the bartender pointed out 2 chafing dishes with what I think was calamari in it. It looked like it hadn't been hot in hours, so we passed.
Entertainment:
The animation staff worked hard. their shows were cute and well done. We only saw a couple of them. During the day they will annouce games by the pool. There is a schedule of activites in the lobby.
Off Grounds:
We left the resort a few times. We went out to dinner one night, we went to the craft markets to buy souvenirs one afternoon, and we went to the Mambo Club one night. Each outing was lots of fun.
Overall we had a good time. We aren't too particular about things and won't let much ruin our vacation. I was trying to be honest about our experience. I do wish it had been a little nicer. My biggest piece of advice would be to wear insect repellant and carry it with you in the evenings. The mosquitoes are relentless!!
We will definately return to Cuba, but probably not Breezes.
Thanks to Susie for this trip report ...
June 2003
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