Canadians love Varadero! What is not to love? White sand beaches, all inclusive resorts and no work emails to bother you. It is a paradise. The newest Varadero resort to open is the Iberostar Bella Vista Varadero and it will soon become one of the top hotels in the resort town. It has three pools, an impressive beach, tennis courts and fitness facilities, plus it has nightly entertainment destined to make even the dourest vacationer smile. I am really looking forward to a few days of R&R after my four days in Havana. It will be some beach time, a glass of Cuban Rum and nothing else. Varadero take me away!
We arrived in Varadero towards the end of the afternoon. The road trip from Havana to Varadero is only a couple of hours but the stops along the way are worth taking. Especially the town of Matanzas. Pulling into the newest Varadero resort I can already feel myself sink deeper into vacation mode.
A quick visit to reception to check in and then it is straight up to my room to drop off my bags before I explore the property. I am thrilled with my room. Bright colours, modern design and very clean. I did have to switch rooms as the air conditioning in my first room wasn’t working properly. Every new hotel has a few opening hiccups and this is the worst of it.
Along with the usual amenities of a TV, desk, coffee machine and safe for valuables the room is very modern. This carries over into the bathroom with its orange tiles and the frosted glass window in the shower. I could easily share this room with a friend but I have it all to myself for my stay.
The view from the balcony is also quite impressive. It’s hard to beat this view.
Now that I am settled into my room I want to check out the resort amenities. There are tennis courts, a gym and a spa where you can book massages, facials, etc… I think I will pass on all of these, except perhaps a massage.
The lobby level offers a fantastic bar lounge that is probably where I spend most of my time, except for the beach of course. There is also a gorgeous sun deck that can transform into a performance area at night depending on the weather. I think a few Mojitos with a book may be in order for an afternoon or two.
Pools or beach? Which would you prefer because they have both? There is a kids pool and play area along with two larger pools and a third pool reserved just for Iberostar Premium Gold guests. You can see the larger pools easily from my room.
What I am most interested in is the beach. After all, I can hop in a pool anywhere. The sand is as white and fine as I’ve ever walked on and the water is bluer than my eyes. Oh did I say how warm the water is? It is like a warm bathtub. I am in heaven.
This Varadero resort is an all inclusive which means all your meals and drinks are included. I’m not going to lie and say the food was spectacular. It was ok and there was plenty of it. I found that if I went with the local Cuban fare of Pork, rice and beans etc… the flavour and quality was better than if I steered myself to more Western style cuisine. I will say that you will not go hungry at the Iberostar Bella Vista Varadero. There is plenty of food on offer and the staff service is top notch.
If I found the food just ok I found the lobby bar fantastic. I pretty much only drank Santiago de Cuba Rum 11 year old non-stop. One ice cube and straight up. It is smooth, dark and delicious.
One night at the invitation of the hotel management I headed up to the Iberostar Premium Gold level for dinner at the Gourmet restaurant. A spectacular bar lounge view, more formal design and decor plus plated service at this level makes for a lovely treat.
Again I found the food to be ok, but the view is not to be beat. Check out the sunset we witnessed.
The Iberostar Bella Vista Varadero has a lot going for it. It claims to be a five star and I have no doubt it will get there but as of my stay approximately six weeks after it opened I would have to give it a four star. The newest Varadero resort will no doubt be the jewel of the region in short order and I can’t wait to come back to enjoy a glass of Rum and watch the sunset on the horizon.
