Melia Internacional

Myself and husband went here for our honeymoon, we won't lie it wasn't our first choice but due to covid 19 we had to change our destination. I've got to say I'm so glad we got to go here!! Don't get me wrong we wasn't able to go from the area where we're staying due to covid and that was crap. We've got to say some of the reasons why we are so glad we got to go to this Amazing hotel! First off we've got to say how absolutely AMAZING the staff are here! from the bar staff, the restaurant staff, the entertainment team, the cleaners, the pool staff the list goes on really do make this hotel even more beautiful.. We have got to say just a few people who we got the pleasure to meet and made our stay the best ever!! ERNESTO!! Our concierge well where do we even start with this absolutely outstanding man! We want to thank you personally for making our stay as wonderful as you could, nothing was ever to much for this wonderful, kind, very hard working guy, you really are bloody fantastic at your job and we feel so lucky to have met you. If we could of took this wonderful man home with us then we would of.. THANK YOU SO MUCH ERNESTO!!! We would also like to thank the wonderful ladies YAINA.. ELEIDIS.. MILEYDIS.. n gentleman DAVE from the level restaurant who did our breakfast and lunch for us most days. All of these guys are such beautiful people and would weight on us hand and foot. Thank you so much to you all. HASSLIER was also absolutely fantastic when we was in the evening restaurants.. Also the absolutely beautiful, talented AMI and FERNANDO'S.. These two Amazing people did so much evening entertainment for everyone and the way they can both dance is stunning!! They get everyone involved and I myself enjoyed some dancing With them both.. Thank you both I loved dancing with you. Finally the pool entertainment staff are bloody brilliant.. CLAUDIA, BEBE, RECARDO N YUSNEL all of you beautiful people are so funny, kind, friendly, entertaining and really do know how to get everyone involved.. Thank you so much to you all. Now to the hotel itself! WOW JUST WOW The location itself is perfect and the views are absolutely stunning. Watching the sunset from your balcony really is beautiful! The beach is Amazing and so soft, we enjoyed having a stroll across it may of times. The cleaners do such a fantastic job and work so hard they keep the rooms spotless, as well as all the areas across the hotel. we loved coming back to our room once it had been made up by our Wonderful cleaner MILY We can't wait to come back to Cuba to this Amazing hotel and staff.. THANK YOU so much to each and everyone who made our honeymoon as wonderful and memorable as you all did.. We miss you all so much and can't wait to see you all again xxxx Read less

We loved the Melia International in Varadero- the location can't be beat! We had a spacious comfortable room with beautiful ocean views. The service and hospitality from the staff was wonderful, particularly, Margherita, Rachel in food and beverage, Dayan in the buffet area and the grill chef Osvaldo, amazing people and so very accommodating. Our room had all of the conveniences we could hope for. The hotel was very clean and they took lots of precautions regarding Covid protocols. But nothing can compare to that beach, the sand is like fine white flour, with crystal clear water. We will definitely plan on going back! Read less

We just came back from a 1 week holiday at Melia Internacional (last week of July). We have been to many Club Meds over the years, and so if you’ve also experienced CM in the past, it’ll give you a good idea of what to expect at Melia Internacional. First, let me give some info on something that has nothing to do with the hotel: Covid. When you get to the airport, they test you with a swab in the mouth. They had 2 or 3 people doing the testing, but the process isn’t too long, and I would guess we were leaving the airport about 1 hour after touchdown. The result from the test comes in the next day. We had heard from other Canadians that they had gotten a false-positive test, and so they had to spend 24 hours at a Covid-hotel until they were re-tested, and this AFTER having spent their first day at the hotel they had paid for. Considering that other vacation hotels in Cuba are REALLY sub-par, I can’t imagine what a Covid-hotel must be like. Fortunately, everyone on our plane was negative, and so we all had an un-interrupted stay at Melia. Do note that your room will not be cleaned until you get the negative result. Canadians: bring canadian cash, no need to get USD. And don’t exchange a lot of money from the start, because you can’t trade pesos for dollars at the end of your stay, and so $50 was a good starting point for us. You’ll get 30 pesos for 1 canadian dollar on the beach, and 24 at the hotel lobby if my memory serves me right. 50 pesos is considered a “minimum” tip…. The Hotel is beautiful and vast. The pools are magnificent and immense. The beach, at a 2-3 minute walk from the pools, is one of the most beautiful in the world. Really, you’ll find equivalent beaches elsewhere, but not better, and certainly not for the price of a vacation in Cuba. So at first look, things look better that most of the Caribean Club Meds we’ve visited. Bring mosquito-repellent if you can, it’s not like you get eaten alive, but you do get a few stings every night. The people working at Melia are amazing across the board. Animation during the day is great whether you’re at the beach or the pool, there’s a show every night to entertain the kids, and then dancing for the adults until 11. Club Med is renowned for their animation and their G.O.s, and you can expect the same at Melia. Really, I’ll say it once more, the staff are something special. Tip them well. Rooms: This is a 950-room hotel, and about 30% were occupied during our stay. The beds are very comfortable (we like firm beds). We had hoped for a king-size bed, but none were available, and so we got two double-beds. The rooms are clean and modern, and the air-conditioning works very well. We paid the extra fee for a beach-side view, and we’re glad we did. On the downside, for a hotel that was built just a few years ago, I was surprised that the bathroom only had a shower-bath combo, and the bath base was already showing signs of deterioration. All in all, a great room, but not as nice as Zen in Dominican Republic CM if you’ve ever been there. The food: most of the past reviews are spot-on. The buffet is “OK”, and the restaurants are good. This is where Club Med shines over Melia. The buffet food is mostly the same every day, and the quality is average. Usually you’d expect pasta and pizza to be a safe go-to if the other foods don’t appeal to you, but even that was sub-par, to the point where most of our group of 10 people almost never ate them. As for the À-la-carte restaurants, the food is much better. The problem is that only a subset of the restaurants are open each night, and each one is filled to about 1/3 capacity, so you may have a hard time getting a table if you don’t make your reservations early in the week. You’d think it’d be easier getting a table with the hotel being at 30% capacity, but that’s not the case. For the record, our group of 10 ate at the restaurants 5 of our 7 nights. Sports: there is one tennis court, and one basketball court, and both were always available. We played tennis every morning. You get about 1 hour of shade from 7:30 to 8:30, and then it gets really hot with the sun in your face. It must be unplayable in the afternoon as the court is surrounded by buildings. You can reserve courts in advance if you want, but in hindsight this was not necessary. On the beach, you have the usual sailboats and pedal boats. And Aqua-gym at the beach in the morning and at the pool in the afternoon. Bars: there are supposed to be 15 bars at the hotel I think, and I would say that most are open ? If you like rum drinks, you’re all set. Otherwise, the selection is “OK”. This is Cuba, and you won’t find what you have at home. Still, it’s fine for a sunny holiday. So I give Melia a 4/5 review when I compare to other places I’ve been to. But for Varadero, having spoken to other Canadians that stayed at other hotels for $200 less, Melia is THE place to go. Oh, one last thing, you get tested on the thursday, and get your result on friday, and even though this is more than 72 hours before you depart (on sunday for us), there was no problem getting back into Canada. Read less

The experience was absolutely great! Beautiful hotel and grounds, with the most spectacular beach. The room was modern, comfortable, with good wifi, A/C, and a great sea view. Extremely clean hotel with staff assuring and maintaining covid 19 protocol. The staff in the hotel and on the beach were incredibly hard-working, very friendly, helpful and always smiling. Special shout-out to Osvaldo (buffet grill), to Dayana, and to Gabriel (bar) for their attentive and friendly service. Thank you to Rachel and Marguerita for their dedication to assuring a great vacation. Read less