I went to Turquesa from Jan 23- Jan 30/12.
The weather was great all week and even though it was cloudy at one point, it was still warm enough to go swim in the ocean.

OCEAN- the water was clear and warm. I didn't find the water cold and enjoyed every minute in there. There are pelicans that you can feed for 1 CUC, however they can be seen flying freely and a picture of them alone doesn't cost anything. The only negative that i will sa\y about the ocean is that it has rocks and shells that can cut your feet. I recommend that you bring crocs or water appropriate shoes as precaution.

Beach- VERY CLEAN and we found enough loungers to lay on as a big group. I also recommend that you spend 1-2 CUC for a person to bring you the loungers if you go to the beach later on in the morning as it may hard to find them after 10:00 am. plus a lot of people will hold a lounger by placing a towel or a clothing article on it even if they are not on the beach at that time. A negative aspect of the beach is that again like the ocean, there are many shells, rocks and even tree branches that can cut your feet so wear appropriate shoes.
Also the vendors on the beach weren't pushy or tried to sell you stuff by force. If i said no, they continued on. another thing you may encounter with vendors is that they will ask you to bring them a drink or food as they are out in the sun all day. I had no issues with that and went and brought food and drinks to which they were appreciative.

Pool- didn't like it that much as pool was extremely cold however it was cleaned daily and had many activities happening around it.

Hotel grounds- Always clean and impressive. Many birds flying around especially next to the food places. Many lizards running around or laying on rocks and enjoying the sun and they dont harm anyone. Me and my friends fed both birds and lizards with bread and it was fun to watch them interact together and separately. you can also find a playground for kids, a doctors office, a gym and money exchange booth (CADECA). in the cadeca you will find 1 computer with internet access. 30 minutes will cost you 5 CUC and internet doesn't always work. The connection IS VERY SLOW!!!!!!!! the best email to use is Gmail as it will load up faster.

Room- My room was good and closer to the beach. the room was always clean, had a fridge and TV and a safe. the bathroom was great with great water pressure from the shower and always had HOT water. the bath was deep and great for bubble baths. but you saw the flaws as paint was chipped of the walls and falling apart but nothing to severe or not livable. Maid was amazing and almost every day left me some towel art. I left her a gift and a 1 CUC every day which was VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

Food- Food in general was okay. Breakfast main menu was bread, butter,cold cuts, cheese, fruits and omelets, Lunch was hot dogs, burgers, salads, seafood, pasta, chicken and rice. Dinner was variety of fish, seafood, chicken, pasta, pizza and also a la crate restaurants which included Italian, Asian and Creole cuisine. You couldn't go hungry. plus there was a snack bar that served hot dogs and burgers and fries, however it didn't work during the hours it was specified and the menu wasn't varied even though the menu on the wall said differently.

Beverages- I don't drink alcohol at all but my friends seemed to enjoy it and to them it was good. people would bring thermal cups and pour the alcohol in it. The cuban cola was disgusting same with sprite and all soft drinks as its not imported from US but made in cuba. I took with me a reusable water bottle and crystal light packages to drink what i want plus i really enjoyed drinking lemon juice ( it can be found at the bar) Its non alcoholic and tastes great, Def worth a try.

Staff- Just amazing, kind and warm. Didn't have an issue communicating with them.

For souvenirs and gits go into Veradero's flea market and find great deals and gifts. you can take a bus into town for 5 CUC for the whole day with no safety concerns what so ever. I felt extremely safe and so did my friends.

A few tips: Bring your own PILLOW!!!! The hotel pillows were the worst. Bring your own towel as well, Bring toilet paper anywhere you go outside the hotel. Bring a plug converter if you bring any electronic devices. bring gifts for the maids and DO NOT TIP IN CANADIAN COINS. they have no value in Cuba and no money exchange or bank will exchange them. PLEASE tip only in CUC. Exchange money in the cadeca (exchange booth) and not reception as its a better rate.

All in all i was satisfied with my trip and probably go back there one day.
hope you found this review helpful for your future endeavors.

We were there from January21 to January28 2012. One of the features we really liked was that it was a smaller resort with very friendly staff. The beach and water were amazing. There was one pool which was kept very clean as was the resort in general. The first night we arrived we were given a main floor room, not the 2nd floor that we had requested. The front desk moved us immediately upon request.

The food was varied and one could always find something appealing.
The entertainment was good, especially the aqua ballet. All in all it was a good experience and would definitely return to this resort.

Margaret and Marlene ,Toronto

My daughter organized this trip to Cuba with Sunwing. We were very pleased with the Sunwing Service, and pleased with the Be Live Turquesa. The beach is wonderful and we made a point of going down to enjoy the sunsets just before dinner.The major negative for me was the bed which was very hard and I had difficulty sleeping. The others did not have this concern. We had lots of hot water for showers. I first visited this resort with my two daughters about 8 years ago (they were 15) when it was the Rui Turquesa. This time we went with my daughter's friend and her mother. We all had a good time and I think the resort was just right for us. We left on January 1 and returned January 8. I noticed a number of improvements: the food seemed to be way better, for starters. Keep in mind this is Cuba and people go for beach and rum, not the food. Our reviews were mixed about the quality of the food, Suffice it to say we did not go hungry. I found things I liked and stuck to these. At breakfast, I really liked the coffee, the bread and the papaya. At lunch I found good salads and Cuban dishes at an open air dining room near the beach (I think it was called Guantanuamara). While we ate most dinners in the dining room, there are two a la carte restaurants and you can book each day, starting a 9 o;clock near the main desk. There is an Italian a la carte restaurant in an enclosed building and the food was fine, with really nice ante pasto, and the room was cosy (we had some cool nights). The oriental a la carte was not as good. It is on the terrace beside the main dining room. By Canadian standards, the generic oriental food in the oriental a la carte restaurant was not good and lacked authenticity. I would suggest they pick one country (china? thailand?) and reorganize their menu. While fish and seafood is not my favourite, there were a number of fish dishes which looked interesting. Our favourite lunch place was the freshair eating place on the way to the beach - I like the food there best, and liked the roofed outdoor set up.
The nightly entertainment was good and the entertainers did their best to involve the audience in the games and salsa lessons etc. The synchronized swimming show in the pool was great but could have been lit better. Hint: the bridge near the pool seemed to be the best place to see the show. The only trip we did as a group was the catamaran trip which included a swim with the dolphins. That was the first warm day after three cool days and we really enjoyed it. The photographer took a great picture of my daughter, delivered it to the hotel within an hour of us returning, and we were very pleased with the photo and thought it worth the ten pesos. We limited our trips to shopping, once to the Plaza las Americas which has a post office (great earrings for under $5) and the craft markets in downtown Varadero. If you want really nice crotchet tops wait on the beach for the vendors to go by - their prices are cheaper than the markets and cheaper than just buying the crochet cotton at home. This was my fourth trip to Cuba (first went in 1978) and I feel comfortable there. Next time I want to spend a week in Havana.

Truly much better than Mercure Playa De Oro which is the property right beside this resort. The food was not bad for Cuban food, The pool was excellent; The ocean even better.I believe this resort deserves the 4 star rating however 4 months ago We went to Playa De Oro next door and that one although is bigger barely deserves a 3 star rating even though it says 4 star as well.
Hotel Be-Live Turquesa was clean, everything worked but did not have 115 volt plugs (North American type). It is almost impossible to find a voltage converters there. I brought one but only lasted 1 day then burned out. The staff was very friendly. All the restaurants and stores are accessible by wheelchair. The Italian one was the best one besides the buffet however reservations are done on a daily basis only at 9:am. The Cuban and Chinese restaurants were not terribly good but were OK.
As with all places in Veradero, bring bug repellent because there are very tiny ants that bite. I think they are a type of fire ants. The room was clean but they are everywhere outside.
All in all, it was a great vacation here but I recommend you stay away from Playa De Oro which is next door to this resort.