This was our first trip to Cuba and we enjoyed our stay at this resort. The grounds are beautiful, the staff is friendly and the pools are nice. The beach has alot of shells so you need to be careful when you walk. The food was good but the japenese was not to my liking. A little disappointed that you are limited to only 3 a la carte dinners for a 7 days stay. It gets boring to eat at the buffet. The rooms are clean but a little dated. I was frustated that I couldn't plug in my straightner in the washroom (the plug doesn't accomodate it) so I needed to do my hair in the living area while looking in a tiny mirror. I would recommend this resort to others, especially after seeing some other old looking resorts on the way. I'm not sure that I would travel to Cuba again (not the nicest place in the world) but if I did, I would return to this resort for sure.

The review 'BEWARE! Rip-off exchange rate at this hotel' (December 20th 2011) has now been WITHDRAWN by me.
This is because the general manager of the hotel - Rafael Carmona - after contacting me, took great pains to thoroughly investigate my allegation. As a result of his determination and integrity, the problem has been resolved. Well done!
The Cuban authorities set the same exchange rates for ALL hotels.
All guests staying at this hotel will NOW benefit from those rates (so you need not go by taxi to the Plaza America Centro Commercial to exchange your money!)
It is very evident that the Iberostar Varadero hotel had no intention whatsoever of disadvantaging its guests via this short-term subterfuge.
Best wishes to Mr Carmona and his great staff.

I am taking vacations in Cuba often, and this hotel is absolutely the best! The grounds are spectacular, the rooms - comfotable and spacious, the food is great and the service - top notch ! Would go back tomorrow !

We visited in Jan 2012 and were very pleased with the hotel, although it was a little quiet. Of course that meant excellent service, no queues and no trouble getting sunbeds but we would have liked a little more life. The disco had real potential with the DJ booth in an old truck and swings down one wall, but there were too few people to have much atmosphere.
No complaints about the food; we ate very well! The buffet was very good and the people who complain about it being monotonous obviously haven't perfected the art of buffet eating - if you have a little of everything each day it is going to get monotonous! So choose one style of meal per plate and there is enough variety to have something different every day! We visited each of the a la carte restaurants too and the Japanese was definitely the favourite. In fact as you're restricted to 3 bookings per week I would recommend skipping the International (limited choice and just served in the buffet area they use for lunch) and go to the Japanese twice. The Mediterranean was nice too with the best wine on site. The wine served at other bars was pretty bad but more drinkable than what we were served in Mexico! I tended to stick to champagne - it's all inclusive so why not?! Chocolate martinis were another favourite.
I personally like a relaxing day by the pool with a good book so would recommend the spa pool which was always quiet. It's enclosed by hedges so there isn't much breeze and that did make it a bit too hot on occasion. My boyfriend can't sit still so he preferred the main pool with the swim-up bar and plenty of activities. He played hours of volleyball and also tried shooting, archery, bowling, water polo and sailing. There always seemed to be something going on, but the staff never hassled anyone if they didn't want to join in. The only thing I found annoying was the bingo calling every afternoon and the same music used for the water aerobics every single day - if you're visiting soon please take them some new music!
The entertainment in the evenings was a bit hit and miss. The Circus show was amazing and unmissable but some evenings just made us cringe and there wasn't really any alternative. The lobby bar is right next to the stage bar so you can still hear everything.
Excursions from the hotel were a bit limited as we'd already done 3 nights in Havana (which was wonderful - I will review under Parque Central Hotel). The catamaran cruise was recommended by other guests but we thought we'd try something different and did the 'speedboat adventure'. You get to drive your own boat through the mangroves and a bit on the open sea and you visit a little 'zoo'. My boyfriend enjoyed driving the boat but I can't say I enjoyed it at all! It was a bit choppy so I got soaked and a very sore bottom! The zoo was pretty awful; just half a dozen cramped cages with rather unhappy-looking crocodles in stagnant water.
Varadero is worth a visit for shopping. The double decker bus is only 5 CUCs for a day ticket and you catch it from the main road which is about 10 mins walk. (Keep your ticket and give it to a local when you've finished). The craft markets are perfect for gifts for everyone back home. A necklace on the craft stall at the hotel was 5CUCs but only 1CUC in the market.
Varadero beach is narrow but lovely and the sea is shallow for quite a distance. We took a pedallo out and tried snorkelling but there isn't a great deal to see.
Tipping is expected of course but the staff never asked. We probably tipped each bar once a day and I left the maid 1CUC and a small present like a mini pot of moisturiser or a nail polish each day. They will happily change notes for you at the main desk so you have coins for tipping.
The rooms were clean, spacious and comfortable. There is a safe and a mini bar stocked with water, soft drinks and beer. The hairdryer is OK but I used my own as it's a bit more powerful. Sockets are 220V 2 round pins - our adapters needed a bit of a shove to fit though!
All in all we had a lovely time and I would recommend this hotel.