Paradisus Varadero

Hi,

Has anyone had any experience with the Paradisus Varadero resort? The brochures make it look amazing but the reviews seem to be really mixed.

Thanks,

Erin

Hi.

I am getting married at the Paradisus simply based on the beautiful gardens and the pictures that I saw. We have never been to Cuba before but wanted to go somewhere different from the normal destination weddings.

Paradisus is an amazing resort. Good food(by Cuban resort standards ),good service and location. I would definitely recommend it.

Hi Erin,

Have you decided on a venue yet??

Yup, I ended up deciding on Iberostar Laguna Azul because I've got a few family members that the price difference would have been too much for them to be able to go. I do like how their wedding packages are set up, but are also quite pricey.

Hi,

That's great at least you have the venue you booked, the Laguna Azul is the new resort is it open yet? I am thinking of spendiing my honeymoon there or at Sandals.

Paradisus is quite pricey but I really like the grounds we have 28 people booked so far and 17 are staying at the Paradisus so our wedding is free.

What month is your wedding? Our is April 2010 and I am so happy we are having our wedding abroad to date it has been so stress free...although I have not found my dress yet.

Erin are you able to recommend any good TA's in Canada?

Have A great Weekend.

Khandie,

Laguna Azul opened Sept 15 so it's up and running. I haven't checked trip advisor yet to see what the verdict is yet.

We're not until Dec 1, 2010 so we've got a ways to go, but now that we've got our group booking confirmed it's time to get the STD & invites out so that people can start booking. I just have to quit arguing with Photoshop.....

We're working with my aunt who's a travel agent here in BC and I'm more than happy to pass her contact to you by PM if you want it. If you're looking for someone in Ontario, you might want to check the Laguna Azul thread as there were some recommendations from people.

Hi Erin,

Hope you are well.

Yes you have plenty of time, it's a new hotel so it should be great and by December 2010 everything will be fully completed. Happy planning :-).

Please send me your aunts details that would be great.

Have a great weekend.

Khandie

 

Hi. I went to Paradisus Varadero in August 2009 for 2 weeks from London, england. It was fantastic.

ROOMS:

The rooms were very comfortable and beautifully decorated with a good maid service. The maids put lovely decorations on your bed each day which was a nice touch. I stayed in a standard room and was perfectly happy with it. also, another sort of random bonus is the rooms have HBO so you get some good movies some nights.

POOL:

Best i've ever experienced! One point tho is the towel war. You have to get up early to reserve a shaded area. My mum jobs at like 7 am so she reserved us places then.

BEACH:

Perfect white sand and blue water. watersports as expected. Not good for snorkeling: nothing to see (paradisus rio de oro exellent for snorkelling but has rocks so would recommend those swimming shoe things). Beach not that long if you're into long walks. paradisus varadero is the last resort on this bit of beach which is nice.

FOOD:

OK. This was the one area that could have been improved. My mum is a vegetarian and fussy at that. She couldn't get a decent salad our entire stay which was awful. For the meat eaters the food is good, and the variety is great. The restaurants are good except the cuban one which is a total waste of time! I went to Paradisus Rio De Oro in July 2008 and I have to say the food there is so much better....the seafood is out of this world! I prefer that resort but they dont allow children so as i'm considering a cuban wedding with my niece attending it'll be Paradisus varadero for me.

STAFF:

Helpful but expect loads of tips. No tips = worse service! Really disagree with this as I hate carrying money around with me... esp at an all inclusive resort. i usually tip at the end of a holiday but in this case it would have been better to tip continuously. Staff more relaxed and friendly at rio de oro. Staff at paradisus varadero still good tho. no complaints really.

ENTERTAINMENT:

Good but repetitive if you stay for longer than a week. Good variety of shows. Beach party was awesome. Nightclub was good if you had people to go with. we met a lovely group whilst there so we had some really memorable nights.

ALL INCLUSIVE ALCOHOL:

Excellent choice! No complaints at all!

AREA

Lively and close enough to Havana to make day trips possible. We also went to this nightclub nearby and had a great time. I go out in London quite regularly so can say that this place was pretty good. Music was awesome. Locals were friendly. Great vibe. Paradisus rio de oro is in a nicer area as its not built up and feels more rustic and tropical but it really is in the middle of nowhere and you have to fly to havava! Really depends on what atmosphere you're looking for. I did go to oro with a large group tho so even tho the resort was quite we definately made up for that!

 

 

OVERALL VERDICT: I'm quite picky but I loved this resort enough for it to be a near definate choice for my wedding. definately if I get married in Cuba it will be here. However, if I didn't have any children coming to my wedding I would get married in Paradisus rio de oro but thats more due to the fact that I felt it was more rustic and tucked away, thus more relaxing and as i mentioned before the seafood was too good to be missed!

 

If anyone has any questions then please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Also, if anyone has more information on the possible locations for the ceremony at paradisus varadero I would appreciate it. I asked but was told gazebo, private spa beach (not that nice) or other? Not sure if its possible to get married on main beach   ???