Unbelievable bad expereince! The hotel is an OLD rotten bulding. Placed in a perfect good location just rightafter a white sand beach and with a cosy hotel hall, the hotel structure looks like some old russian building. The stairs way to rooms is totally dirty and almost scary.
Rooms are big and with air conditioning but not very clean! Toilette are full of muck and ants running everywhere.
Breakfast evalueation is negative as well. Crampy waiters and poor food.
Probably a good choice for maximum one night for a very low price and without any other alternatives.

Let's start with the staircase to your room. Wood, with a fire extinguisher on every landing, and a shaky open railing that comes up to about mid-thigh. Once you're up to your floor, you'll pass through a shared living/lounging/partying area with access to the sea-view balcony before going back to your room, which faces the street. Our room was clean and well-chilled by the a/c running full blast. The maid was sweet and professional. The beds were comfortable and CNN stayed on the whole time (even though a message kept coming up on the screen saying that whoever owns the signal hasn't paid their bill and must do so within 48 hours if they want to continue watching). More humor at breakfast. There seemed to be some kind of daytime conference happening when we were staying, and the breakfast room was full of Cubans waiting to be served their juice and ham and cheese sandwiches. The restaurant staff was swamped trying to make this happen, leaving all other aspects of the buffet (for paying guests) at the wayside. The first morning we had to track down glasses and spoons and butter. The second morning there was no silverware whatever and no cheese or butter. On neither day was there any jam to be had, which was a standard at every other Cuban breakfast we'd eaten (at least the guava marmalade). We just kind of laughed, but one older European guest was doing his best to swear angrily in broken Spanish, causing quite a scene. I hope this doesn't come across as a complaint, because we fully understand you get what you pay for, and where you pay for it. But as a warning to others thinking of booking here, don't expect service with a smile, or functioning facilities. Think ghetto by the beach, and you just might be pleasantly surprised.

I was quite impressed how the personel at Herradura was polite, courteous, respectful and how everyone helps one another. Unlike 4 star hotels, Herradura is a small hotel with a small family like personel. The rooms were clean and breakfast was included in the price (which is very reasonable). It is located close to Varadero where you can visit other places to eat at a reasonable cost. Even the hotel provides good prices for lunch and dinner for about 3 to 5 Cuc per meal. The staff is friendly, the beach was breathtaking and the hotel is quiet. This is exactly what I was looking for after visiting 14 times a 4 star hotel, I prefer Herradura to any 4 star hotel.

It is rated a 2*and is just that, for 40CUC a night when next door the Hotels are 120CUC a night what can you expect.
It is a basic place, and old hotel aged and tired. Don't forget that in this apart hotel, the kitchen and lounge is shared with another room.
The hand rails, were rusted and not safe, only one of the outdoor showers worked, the bar way overpriced, the furnishings simple, no swimming pool and the breakfast not great.
On the positive side the bathroom, was clean, no mould, the rooms have two single bed which were clean and the air conditioner very effective.
A bigger plus is that it is walking distance from the Viazul bus station, and the best part of the beach is a few metres on the right at the front of this hotel. The Hotel provides a shop for your provisions, but it is price twice as much as the shop which is 100m on the main road.
The meals in restaurants in Varadero are the cheapest I have found in Cuba. Averaging 3-5CUC for a main meal, this is what happen when the tourists stick to all inclusive packages. So it is not so much a tourist trap. Being in a tourist resort you will also have restricted meats like Lobster and Beef on the menu. This is one of the few places where the national dish ropa vieja was readily available.
This hotel is perfect for backpackers, people who just need to drop their bags for a couple of days and soak up the sun and beach, which for me rates as one of the best in the world.
In balance there were more positive than negatives, to make Varadero and my stay at this hotel pleasant.