Blau Varadero Hotel

Find it difficult to fault this hotel. Had a fabulous two week all inclusive holiday in april. Pool and Sea view room was worth the extra money with stunning views over the turquoise blue sea. Room was great and kept spotlessly clean by staff. No issues with sun beds either at the poolside or on the beach, None of the usual reserving in the early hours ! Food in the buffet restaurant, a lacarte and beach bars was exceleelnt with lots of choice, and no bun fights !! Entertainment was very good and the animation team worked very hard to put on very professional shows. Our 6 year old daughter loved the place, kids club was great, pool and beach very safe and clean. As I say nothing to say bad about this hotel. Highly recommended. Close

Just returned from a fantastic 2 week stay at hotel blau varadero & cannot fault the place. It really was as good as it looks in the brochure. All the staff were helpful & friendly & the bar staff in particular went out of their way to please. Also at no time did they expect a tip (unique for hotel staff in my experience). On arrival we were told we had a very nice room & whoa was it a nice room. It was huge with free minibar (local beer, coke & water), 2 huge double beds, sitting area, safety deposit box & views of the pool & sea from the balcony. The food in the main buffet resturant was basic but good quality & in plentiful supply. The alacarte resturants can not be faulted and far exceded our expectations. Also as the hotel has a dress code (men must wear long trousers in the evening), evening meals felt that little bit more special. The lifts were not always very quick to arrive but we were on holiday ........... the only thing we had to rush for was another cocktail. Speaking of cocktails my favourite is the hotel special ......... Blau varadero ........ pina colada with blue curacao & banana liquor mmmmm would go back just for that. If we return to Cuba we will definately stay here again. Close

We stayed at the Blau 25th May for two weeks and had a great time!!! The Beach was fantastic, great for long walks in both directions and the water was very clear and the sand almost white - perfect!! We always found a sunbed and umbrella so reserving them early was not necessary. The pool was also lovely but we spent most of our time at the beach as the gentle breeze in the afternoons was a nice relief from the hot sun. The food at the Blau was good, something for everyone, choice of 2/3 cooked meats in the evening with rice/chips/pasta available. then there would be various other dishes to try. Rooms were always cleaned to a good standard and the staff were always friendly - tip or no tip. entertainment was ok - the shows were mainly the animacion team dancing but it was watchable and passed the evening nicely. the cocktails were lovely but very strong, took a couple days to get used to the cuban measures!! really enjoyed our stay at the Blau, we wanted a relaxing hol with a few trips and that is what we got - would def go back there!!! trips we went on were havana, catarmaran, speed boat and dolphins so if you want more info feel free to contact me. we also went out for a couple meals outside of the hotel, dante restaurant in park josone is very nice!! Close

I just got back from the Blau. Stayed June 6 to 13 2009. My girlfriend and I went there to relax and found what we were looking for. Spent most of our time on the beach drinking, napping, reading and swimming in the ocean. Likes: - Weather was great. The only time it rained was late afternoon on the first 2 days and the other days no rain at all. - Mojito was excellent from the beach bar. - Room/Hotel was clean and spacious. - Beach was great. A little narrow compared to the other hotels but it was not an issue. Last few days some algae showed up but it was a minor thing. The water is so clear and warm. - Food was decent. Always found something to eat. Whole grilled fish was great. Pasta and pizza filled in for stuff we didn't like. Mangoes were excellent but they go fast. - Tours on Catamaran and to Havana were great (via Transgaviota company). Next time I will try the Jeep Safari. - There were not too many people, always found a beach chair. Didn't go to the pool at all but passing by at any time, there were plenty of chairs. Went to the beach at 9:30am and got chairs in front row (no one in front of you and ocean). Also went about 10:30-11:00am and also found available chairs without any problem. Keep in mind the week I went was not the high tourist season. - A la carte restaurant were good although the food a little salty. Palma Real was the better of the two. - I found the waiters/bar staff to be very friendly. They were happy if you tipped and still served you with pleasure if you didn't. Dislikes: - They overcook pretty much any meat at the buffet. - At night, mosquitoes were a problem. Since we were tired at night, we just went to bed early. - The shows at the hotel were ok. Nothing more. I'd say the best was the aquatic show in the pool (we watched it from our room balcony). - "Street performers" in Havana were annoying always trying to get money from you. Comments: - Read all kinds of bad things about the coffee from the buffet. Yes it does not compare to an espresso (a.k.a coffee from europe) or starbucks or whatever you have at home but I found it was drinkable. It has a particular taste to it... almost like it's flavoured. Best coffee I had was at the Palma Real restaurant. - The buffet eating area should be air conditioned. Sweating and eating don't go together and they want us to wear long pants and shoes although not everyone respected that. - I don't smoke and found that it wasn't too much of a bother. The hotel lobby is huge so the cigarette smoke dissipates. On the beach or pool, well it's outside, so not bad. There was no smoking in the eating areas. - We had a room on the 5th floor which was above the buffet. It was low enough that we could use the stairs which was a good thing. The elevators are kinda slow as a lot of people pointed out. The downside was that we could hear people moving their chairs to sit or get up at the buffet. The sound from the show was not a problem, you really had to pay attention to hear it. The show ended before 11pm anyway which is the time we usually went to bed. - There is a club in the hotel next door, I'd say 5mins walk. We didn't go clubbing/partying as our vacation was for relaxing and doing nothing. Overall, I had a great time at the Blau. I would recommend this hotel to others. I like to try different resorts, so I may not go back there next time but will definitely consider it everytime. Close

thats right folks, if your looking for royal service, you might just want to stay home and hire some royal help to come in and pamper you. however, if you are looking for a fun filled, nice cuban holiday, the blau is the place to go! the staff are friendly and do everything in their power to make your stay enjoyable. I have worked in the service industry, and understand that if there are 30 thirsty people , and 2 or 3 bartenders...its a given that someone has to wait...relax...your on holidays...take the time to meet your fellow tourists that are waiting wit you...you never know, you may make some lasting friendships!...take a good look at the cuban life style, do you see any of them in a , hurry, stressed out to the max?...i did'nt.....back to the review....we stayed from may23-june7 , ...the food was great, compared to the Selinas Las Selinas, where we stayed last year and were sick most of the holiday, not one of us became sick from the food at the blau...the hotel was also much nicer and way friendlier. We felt that we hit the jackpot when we found the Blau, and we will be back! It is a place for every one, we had a party of 5, my cousins and my aunt went, it is a place for all ages, the bars are great, the bartenders know what you drink ......... the reveiws about the employees always wanting tips for service is bullsh**, sometimes i tipped and sometimes i didnt, i still received the same service....WITH A SMILE!..not once did i see one of the cuban staff grouchy, rude or without a smile, i also observed rude,demanding tourists...but the staff just smiled and catered more to the jackasses, probably because they were afraid that they would get a bad review, . The beach was fantastic, warm water, i cant say anything about the entertainment, as i did'nt really care what was going on, i was there to get away from the snow, rain and the stress load of a hard working canadian girl, and thats just what the blau did for me! The beach bar was great, i danced till i could not dance anymore, the staff there are great!.... Check in was fast and friendly, security was awsome......while in the bus to the airport, people were talking about their hotels, and how bad the food, entertainment ect were...I can honestly say that I had nothing bad to say about the blau!...in conclusion, i would recomend this hotel for any and all ages, providing that you donot think you are one of the royal family or a high paid spoiled rock star(however you can party like a rock star here!) I think this hotel is the place for you! remember...when in cuba...do as the cubans!..(have fun,relax,learn,eat and enjoy!) Close