Beach
I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the beach was. There
are enough beach chairs and huts for everyone, and the water was a healthy
bluish color. There was also a bar nearby do you can do some drinking right by
the ocean. The beach was a little bit narrow from the ocean to the bushes, but
that is a minor gripe. The beach was very nice.
Rating 7/10
Pools
There’s the main pool, which is the busier of the pools.
There are always different shows going on and live music will play at the pool
sometimes. There is also a swim-up bar to get your drinks. It can get really
busy at the main pool and the swim-up bar sometimes, and if it gets to be a bit
too much for you, you can go to the relaxation pool. Always less people than
the main pool and offers a very tranquil atmosphere. It also has a swim-up bar
and a waterfall. I spent most of my time in the relaxation pool. It is one of
my favorite spots of the entire resort. There was also the Royal Section pool,
but we didn’t go to that. Overall, the pools were pretty good.
Rating: 7.5/10
Theater Shows
I went to see most of the theater shows while at the resort,
and I found myself bored at the majority of the shows. There were a couple
shows where I walked out before the show had even finished. Seriously, the only
show that was any good was the Michael Jackson show, so if there is only one show
you should go see in the theater, make it that one. As for the other shows,
they can be a bit better, and less boring.
Rating: 4.5/10
Disco
After the show ended, the disco would open for dancing. The
place itself is pretty okay, maybe a little bit small, but still okay. There
were some nights where a lot of people were at the disco, and other nights
where there wasn’t as many people. The absolute worst thing about the disco was
the DJ. The DJ played mostly latin music, mixed in with today’s popular club
jams, which was fine. But the music he played couldn’t get people on the dance
floor at all. Thankfully, the DJ was open to requests, so I requested some real
dancing music, and all was good. Oh, and did I mention he played the exact same
song twice, one before the other? Yeah, pretty crazy.
Rating: 5/10
Internet
You can purchase internet cards, 5 pesos for ½ hour, 10
pesos for 1 hour. The internet isn’t fast at all, but it wasn’t terribly slow
either. Also, one of the PCs wasn’t working, which left only two working PCs.
If you’re not stingy about hi-speed internet, then the internet in the resort
shouldn’t give you much trouble.
Rating: 5/10
Games Room
The games room offers billiards, ping pong, and various
board games. The ping pong paddles were half broken and the pool table only had
one cue stick, which was cracked at the tip. The games room is pretty garbage,
but at least it is something.
Rating: 3/10
Lobby Bar/Piano Bar
The lobby bar is the main bar in the resort, where people
can come relax and have a drink. The lobby bar can get really busy at times,
especially in the evening. The chairs to sit in were pretty uncomfortable, as
well. The piano bar always had someone playing in the evening time, but the
pianist always plays the same 2-3 songs. The most common song on the piano is
“Someone Like You” by Adele. I must have heard that song at least 15 times
during my stay. Overall, the lobby bar is a decent spot to chill at.
Rating: 5.5/10
Final Verdict
The newly-opened RIU Varadero has some nice pools, a
relaxing beach, and decent rooms, but the terrible food was the deal-breaker. I
would not come back to this hotel, and if I were to come back to Cuba, I would
look elsewhere. If you have a strong stomach and food is not an issue for you,
then take a chance on this resort. But for everyone else, see if you can find
something better. I also add that this all-inclusive resort was a bit on the
cheap side, and the saying of “you get what you pay for” rings true here. If
you can spend more money on a better all-inclusive resort, then don’t hesitate
to do it. RIU claims that this hotel is a Cuban 5-star resort. I disagree; this
was probably 3 and ½ stars, maybe 4 stars at best.
Final Rating: 5.5/10
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