Booked here for some winter sunshine, not quiet knowing what to expect.Like most people looked through the comments on this web site which were very mixed.First I will have to say I agree with most people the Hotel is described as a 5* and I would say more 4* .But star ratings abroad are very different from the UK.Saying this, for two of us we had a new two bedroom apartment with tv in lounge and bedroom with a few English channels, kitchen ( not sure why as the hotel is all inclusive). bath and a very powerful shower.All fittings excellent quality, with a very modern feel.Also nice seating area on a balcony.All in all spotless and modern.The hotel is modern also, with minimalistic feel.Staff pleasant, but do remember some only speak a little English so can not always under stand, so have a little patience.All staff smart and clean.The food is typical of a hotel,with air conditioning not always that hot,but great fish, and if you don't want self service, then book into the restaurant where we found the food hotter.The grill by the beach was good with great service, go for the fresh grilled tuna.The beaches are fantastic and in my view better than the Barbados.The island is windy, so watch out you do not get burnt.If you do not want to get the shuttle bus into saint maria,then you walk along the beach and pass on the way some beautiful clear blue waters. OK remember,this is an unspoilt island and this shows in st maria, a few bars and basic resturants very expensive, £15-£20 for tuna salad.Sun cream from one shop £20.Every thing is imported so at the moment expensive.Beers not that bad, but on the whole basic.Would not recommend self catering as no supermarkets as yet.Local crafts but not much else.This is a beach holiday,there is not a lot on the island so relax and read a few books.If you want to do a trip think twice, rip off.The hotel is all inclusive so the unbranded drinks were fine.Cava on tap.A good modern hotel, great spa but do feel overpriced, basic massage £80.Gym small but good equipment (Techno gym).Will go again, but I found a week was enough.The only down side was the flight, Thompson class this as a mid haul flight. For a 6 hour flight no films or any entertainment,rubbish food,and very small seating.I was told we could book extra leg room on board, my partner is 6'5, we were told by cabin staff a big fat no, even though there was a spare seat .This is a totally no frills flight, but might improve in time.Take euros, not many places take cards.Change your euros a bit at a time into escudos.Just remember this, at the moment is an unspoilt island but I am sure it will change in the next few years, so enjoy it while you can.

We spent January 19-26/2012, basking in the sun on the Varadero Beach by the Villa Tortuga Resort. Seriously, I truly felt like I died and went to heaven while I lay in the sun on this spectacular beach listening to the peaceful sound of the ocean.

The Villa Tortuga Resort, while being rated a 3 star at best, suited all that we required. The resort is very old, much like most places in Cuba, however, this is a very clean resort. The staff are very friendly and were very quick to assist with anything we needed. The room was a bit small but due to the person prior to us taking the safe key home, it was necessary to change rooms. The next room was great! I don't know if all the rooms have twin beds but we put ours together and it worked out just fine.

The food, well, we believe there is something for everyone! You cannot be a fussy eater here as the choices are often similar in nature. For a change we did go to a Restaurant called Kiki's, it was awesome! They make fantastic pizza and very reasonably priced. We lucked out and our waiter "Joe" spoke English well and was able to convey to the chef that I have a severe shellfish allergy. We ate without worry and enjoyed the early evening atmosphere on their outside patio.

We met a wonderful waiter by the name of "Roberto" in the buffet restaurant. A true gentleman! I hope you are as fortunate as us to have had the pleasure. Although there are many wonderful staff working in the Buffet, we only got to know Roberto and Marielle.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Villa Tortuga. The pool was very clean and there are lots of chairs available. The Bar Cafe is fantastic thanks to the wonderful gentleman who makes the best "special" coffee. (Unfortunately, I cannot remember his name). My husband is not a big coffee person but we both went every day and enjoyed 2 cups, sometimes 3. Cuban coffee is by far the best I have ever tried. We brought home 3 bags.

Tips are very appreciated. If you are planning to take extras for the people, we were told by various staff, they are in need of clothing and shoes. They will share with others if what is given them does not meet their needs.

We are already planning our next trip and cannot wait to return.

Overall we enjoyed our trip, arriving home this morning. I was not impressed by our room, we were in block 8. Food was very bland and monotonous. But we always found something to eat. Service was good. Hubby wasn't impressed there was no beer at the lobby bar. Entertainment team was virtually non-existent, one show every night, but no activities through the day. Relaxing trip. Do not stay here if you are looking to party.

Enjoyed our stay, but won't return to this resort. Stayed at Puntarena 5 years ago and it was much better.

Traveled to Varadero February 2011 with 2 other girls. We're all university students from Canada and we're looking for an inexpensive trip for our break. We got a deal through signaturevacations for 7 nights here under $700, not a bad price but also not the best hotel you've ever been to.

Check in went fairly well, we only had one room and the roll-out bed wasn't too bad and the room fit us well. We visited some other rooms during the course of our stay and they were all pretty different. Villa Tortuga is made up of many smaller buildings, probably max 3 stories with 4 rooms on each probably, a pretty wide spread set-up.

You definitely want to pay the fee for the safe, you get a key for it, so make sure to keep that safe and on your person at all times. They were good about giving out key cards if you forgot them/ locked yourself out. You also make a down payment for towels. Well worth it, you can exchange them during the day time, though it was sometimes tricky to find the towel guy.... the little shack sometimes closed up early.

Staff was entertaining and welcoming. Bartenders were great as long as you were nice to them . We were loving the mojitos until the mint ran out :( it happened twice. They were generous with the booze though, you could tell. There are 3 main bars: Lobby, Poolside & Beach.

Lobby bar - open 24hrs, coffee, hard liquor, no beer. Bring your own cups if you don't want to carry around teeny tiny plastic ones all day. People would be around all sorts of hours. Always someone to talk to. People smoked a bit there, but it wasnt too overwhelming. Late at night they'd make us grilled cheese, sometimes with ham. Partying usually continued a bit after we got home from the bars.

Poolside- Pretty good place, there is a covered area incase you want to hang out in the shade, some umbrellas at the tables and a bunch of lounge-chairs. entertainment took place here at night, we watched one of the shows and were corralled into trying the dancing. Funny once or twice, but then it got boring. I loved the 530 bingo though, you won a bottle of rum if you were the first to get the bingo, we were sooo close.

Beach - unbelievable water, endless beaches and crystal blue water. I couldn't get enough. There werent that many chairs, you would have to do a bit of searching but every day worked out alright for us. Water was warm enough to swim in but still refreshing. There was a beach bar, had beer and rum. You could also get a guy to slice up coconut for you with a machete, they were good.

Food - Nothing special, its Cuba. We didnt go in expecting wonderful things, sooo it wasnt the worst. In the morning you can have eggs cooked to your preference, it became our go-to. Lots of the other food was runny. They had a lot of bread selection and some good juices. Coffee and things weren't hard to come by either. There was usually fresh cut up fruit, mangos and stuff... Salads and the main meals were alright, there was a pasta dish and a beef stew we liked. All the food was labelled so you generally had an idea of what was going on. We never went hungry. Also the poolside bar did burgers and hot dogs most days. Also mini pizzas, there was usually a line up, so it would take awhile but it was worth it. One or two days the guys mysteriously dissapeared for hours and left a ton of us waiting at the bar in line... No pizza that day. But it gave you a break from some of the mundane food choices. We never got too hungry- some people we met were a bit pickier but had thought to bring snacks and things from home.
On another note we were told that a place called Kikis, just around the corner was good so we went one night. wowww huge portions. Share with a friend. But it was delicious and affordable.

People: When we got there we were shocked there weren't more university aged students, we met a group from Montreal and a couple from Ottawa that we hung out with for most of the week. There were some people who'd been there for a month already, and a variety of ages. A huge group of people from Finland came in and made our week, tons of beach volleyball, billiards and great people.

Clubs & such: Varadero is a long skinny peninsula so you've got to travel a bit because Tortuga is right at the base, we went to Havana Club (maybe twice?), International and the bar in the Cave. International was maybe the most authentic, but if you're not planning on dancing like the cubans then it wont be your favourite spot, also cover was ridiculously high. Havana Club and the Cave were hot and sweaty and full of Canadians with top 40 music mostly.

Its not fancy, but it did the trick, all we really wanted was sunshine, booze and warmth!

This spring I'm headed back, but to another place just down the beach. Wanted to try another place out.