Just returned from a weeks stay at the Paradisus. Beautiful, clean resort. I don.t know what people expect but the food was average. Once you can navigate around the buffet and find what u like it's not bad. Pasta is not that good but they do have turkey, pork and beef. Eat at the Raquet club, it is 24 hrs and the food it better than the buffet. A la cartes- we liked the Sakura, Japanese restaurant, show was awesome and food was good. French was o.k. as was the hilltop. I did not care for the Bamboo-Chinese and found that was the concensus of most people. Do not upgrade To Royal near all the construction and talked to people that aactually downgraded because of that. We were in the 1000 block of suites. Very close to the beach, and the rooms were clean and had king sized bed. Peddlers on the beach are not bothersome they ask you once if u like to puchase something and move on, better than Mexico or Jamaica. If you are a young person 20 or 30's i dont know if the is enough nitelife within the resort for you. they have a short show everynite and a disco but if you r looking to party might not be the resort for you. Piano Bar-very nice Yusmila, Yadiana and Junior can't do enough for you. Tipping is most appreciated but you get good service with or without. Remember no face cloths in this country so if you like to use bring your own. Beaches are nice and you neever have problem finding a chair. Like all resorts people are up early reserving chairs at the pool so if that your thing you must follow suit but i diddnt find it as bad as Mexico. Catamaran tour was awesome as long as u have a nice day. Stopped at Cayo Blanca beautiful island, lunch was terrible, the guys on the catamaran were great. Went into Havana was very nice lots of history. If u do not take the bus tour u can take a cab do not pay anymore than 150 pesos. The bus tour is air conditioned the cabs r cars from the 50's most r not and just about everything there is diesel so i found i was inhaling alot of diesel fuel on that trip. All in all a very nice clean resort, remember this is Cuba with an embargo against it. they do their best. If you r very picky or expecting to get waited on hand and foot this is not the resort for u but then again maybe Cuba is not the country for u either!!! Iwould definately return to this ressort

Spent 11 glorious days at the Paradisus Princesa Del Mar and enjoyed every minute of it. Went on our vacation with friends and were able to get rooms in the same building and two doors down from each other. The building we had was very nice as it was away from the construction that is going on day and night so we didn't hear anything...building 1000. We were in the junior superior suites on the third floor and had a view of the gardens as well as the ocean so it was perfect, and a very short walk to the beach...couldn't be better. The room was clean however it would be nice if it was swept now and then as we found there to be a lot of sand left day after day. It was hit and miss on having the fridge restalked however if we needed something, it was easy to get.

The food overall was good, we chose to eat at the Bamboo Chinese restaurant two times during our stay as we all enjoyed it very much despite what some of the reviews had said...well worth the try; the Japanese restaurant was also very entertaining. We were able to experience all the a la carte restaurants as well as the buffet which was also very good and had something for everyone. Yes there are birds in the buffet and the resort was trying to get rid of them the best they could. The service staff was wonderful, especially Jean and Daily who are two very genuine people. We had breakfast most of the time at the Racquet Club, which also serves great sandwiches and wonderful coffee. The pool bar and the lobby bar were the best, didn't care for the Racquet Club during the night, oh and don't forget to bring the Bubba mugs...well worth it. Was able to book the a la carte restaurants online which was a huge plus.

The beach was very nice and not overly busy, so it was easy to get lounge chairs. The water was fabulous, however it did get windy during our stay so we opted for the pool most of the time, where space was a premium so be sure to get there early or you won't get a lounge chair.

The entertainment was okay, with the magic show being the best. Spent some time at the Captain Morgan disco, however it was musty and got very smoky. Something to keep in mind while out around the resort is the toilet paper and hand soap very rarely get replenished.

Aside from the resort we went on the catamaran excursion which was fantastic and another into Havana which included Tropicana...it was a very long day and probably would have skipped the Tropicana, if we would have known. For gifts...go to Varadero...well worth the day there and better selection then in Havana. Best piña colada is a roadside stand on the way to Havana.

Keep an open mind as it is Cuba, but the people and atmosphere more than make up for any small downfalls. Truly enjoyed the trip and would have no problem returning to this area and resort.

Overall this place is typical of all-in resorts: don't expect much and you won't be (too) disappointed. Having said that, I feel it's my duty to inform people of the highlights and lowlights, for everyone's edification. Take out of this whatever you please.

The Good:
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Few. The beach was nice and the waters clear. The resort was nicely laid out, I suppose -- 3-story buildings scattered around the central gathering/eating areas and pool. Few mosquitoes or other nasties. Varadero itself is a silly little tourist-trap of a beach town, but thankfully you can find the occasional decent Cuban restaurant (not saying much, but at least you can escape the daily buffet boredom). The only bar that mattered, or seemed to care in the least about mixing a decent drink, was the lobby bar. Room maids are generally good -- tip the poor ladies whenever able.

The Not So Good:
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So far from Varadero... trying to escape the resort is an ordeal, but try to do so at any opportunity. The nightly shows/reviews are silly tourist tripe -- go ahead an indulge if it's your thing. (The so-called "magician" was the worst -- we saw right through every trick.) And can't these places afford real grilles? What's with all the flat-topped griddles? Feh.

The Bad:
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Food was downright awful; bad even by Cuban standards. We didn't understand the fuss over the Japanese place -- it wasn't; just glorified overcooked Chinese with a small sushi-style starter... avoid at all costs. That, and the ultra-horrendous Rock House, where the food is made a million miles away and shipped in for your dining displeasure. Ditto for the "swank" HillTop. In fact, I'd say all the food in all the a la cartes are like this; don't waste your time on that silly reservation business... just eat at the crappy buffet and be done with it. While there: Avoid the meats (tasteless, tough), and stick with fish where possible.(BTW, in the buffet, try to get into Rigo's section... he seems to be the only server who genuinely gets it -- efficient, courteous, no nonsense, will likely treat you well even if you don't bribe him.)

Luckily the pool bar is a nice gathering sport, because the bar and serving staff couldn't care less (unless, I suppose, you keep bribing them with tips) and can't mix a drink to save their lives. Don't expect any pool-deck service -- it doesn't exist.

[Speaking of tips: What is it with this country and their constant need to remind us of who, what, when, where and how to tip? Good job, Castro, on creating this wonderful beggar-nation. Am I the only one who found this annoying and distasteful? They should abolish this ridiculousness and just pay people what they are worth, so we can all get on with our lives and our holidays. Jeez.]

The Disgusting:
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We had a late flight, so "took advantage" of their "guest suites" to change and get ready. The guest suite was clearly just-used, had wet towels in the showers and was sopping-wet on the floor, no toilet paper, hair and soap scum in the drains, etc. etc. Basically, it wasn't cleaned, perhaps ever. The front desk staff were wholly unsympathetic ("Whatya mean you want clean dry towels?" and "Sorry, there are no more guest suites, you will have to make do") but we did manage to yell enough -- i.e. until we were blue in the face -- and get them to send a maid in to clean up the place and gives us some new towels.

Nice way to end a trip. Five-start resort, you say? By whose reckoning -- a troll's?

All in All:
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Visit -- or better yet, stay -- in Havana instead.

My husband and I stayed at this resort 2 weeks and just got back two days ago! Overall I would say this is a lovely resort a little small, missing some lighting on the grounds but well kept. Our room spacious,clean but can use some renovation, we had a problem with our matress and when I told them after 10 days it took 1 hour before they changed it(wished I would have spoken at first). I didnt like Captain Morgan Disco because it s situated in basement and it smelled of humidity, Piano Bar was great and the staff Terific especially Yamine. Food was very good with a large selection the only down was that it wasn't hot! If your Italian like me forget the pasta and the Italian Resto! Stayed last August at the Iberostar Laguna Azul and I must say that I liked better the resort but the quality of the food although not always hot was way better here.
Also the animation can use more conviction and the customer at this resort seem to be mosty over 55. I also disliked the fact that smoking was permitted everywhere and I think they should consider designated areas to accommodate non smokers.