on July 27, 2005Reception at hotel: Long lines ups and did not get requested room. Next morning , was able to change room, great view. Front desk staff not very quick and helpful.
Rooms: Very clean. No issues, however, very basic for a 4 star (i.e.: no Kleenex/tissue, no bottled water, empty fridge, no conditioner or moisturizer, glasses not wrapped, no clock, etc..)
Facilities: good location, nice size hotel, well laid out. Entertainment and animation was good. Discothèque however was not busy, very bad smell (musty) and played same music mix every night. Bar choice also very limited there.
beach: Excellent, although lots of broken chairs and difficult to get an sun umbrella/papalpa
Bars: staff not friendly, had to wait numerous minutes before being server, while they tended to other things like cleaning counters, filling ice buckets...They are not client oriented at all. You advertise that the beach bar has beer/wines, but not so.
Restaurant: this is the worst part of this hotel. Definitely not 4 star. Same items for breakfast, repetitious buffet, the grill at the Rancho only has chicken thighs (no white meat) meats are not tender, overall food very bland. The pool snack bar serves cold hot dogs, with ketchup, mustard, mayo diluted with water. Toasters in the morning was either burning bread or not toasting at all. Whenever they were good items (such as tortellini one night) it would be gone within minutes as word went around that that item was good. Prosciuto was cut by an attendant, not thinly as it should be but in 1/4 slices...try to chew that !...Overall, food was not appealing, not tasty, lacked variety...I'm not a difficult person and usually can eat everywhere/almost anything, but with some elementary food preparation...
Last thing..noticed that if you tipped, you get attention. (bar attendant, waiter, etc..) which I believe should not be necessary to be served normaly in an all inclusive resort.
beach, but then again , most varadero hotel have it too
