BelleVue Sunbeach Hotel

“ First, this hotel isn't four or five star, so don't expect it to be!

However, we did have a comfortable stay. The room was very basic - twin beds (altho we asked for a double!), TV with Chinese, Spanish and Canadian TV, decent bathroom, and an air con unit that was noisy due to being dripped on from the one above (by the looks of it, a problem with many of the rooms).

Hotel itself was spacious - lots of seats in the reception, a fair number of pool loungers (altho typically always swiped by 7am!). Beach is fantastic with gorgeous sea... some static parasols, but always taken by 6.30am (!!!). A good number of sun beds too, but will need to be there early to grab them.

Drinks available from a couple of bars around the hotel, altho fruit juice is mosrtly articificial stuff, and it's all plastic cups (unless you're a Canadian and bring the customary giant cup of your own ?!).

Restaurant was ok - we're not meat eaters, and we did ok. Soup every day, deserts and mains, and breakfast has an omelette chef and fresh juice usually. Problem was too many flies in the restaurant...

Pizzeria was ok, but strange service!

Entertainment was good - excellent dance group and some good music.

Staff are good, altho some (especially bar and restaurant) suffered a lack of smiles!

Good location tho - right next to the craft market, and just across the road from the beach. Varadero hop-on/hop-off bus goes right past the hotel (5 CUC for a whole day).

Seems this hotel isn't served by British tour groups, so ideal if you want to get away from your fellow countrymen. Less ideal if you have an aversion to Canadians and Europeans, for whatever reason.

All in all, budget, basic, but good value.

“ Top Tip: Craft market next door is worth a look!

“ A basic but faded accommodation with very few other English patrons using this hotel. Easy chairs in reception area were too low and felt dirty. Walls on the stairs needed painting. Table clothes in the restaurant needed changing more often. Not enough crockery, often had to wait for plates to be washed. Bedrooms basic and the furniture needed replacing, but it was clean and the bed comfy, we slept well though it was noisy with traffic. No plug for bath or sink and no hand towels just bath towels but clean. Rooms can be noisy but usually quiet after 12 o'clock unless other quests were very drunk and loud. Not enough chairs on the beach or around the pool, limited water sports equipment. Food OK, basic and repetitive but we were not ill, sometimes it was difficult finding a table and if eating later the carved meat had run out mainly because of very greedy people which the staff did not regulate. Freshly squeezed orange juice every morning was wonderful and the wine very good. Most of the staff were helpful and friendly, entertainment OK but the excellent shows performed each night were repeated each week. Using the phone for ringing other area's of Cuba from the hotel expensive. It is not a hotel we would return to as overall we didn't find it comfortable but adequate for the price and quite well located.

“ Top Tip: The beach was lovely with white sand and an azure coloured sea. The open decked tourist bus was a good way of seeing the area and other hotels. A nice park about a mile from hotel on the right.
If you want to be independent, information is quite hard to find especially if you don't speak Spanish and the trips are expensive. Tourist bus at bus station to Havana takes three hours and at approx £10 is very good value.
A great restaurant in Havana at 107 Malecon, main road by the sea.

“ all the night clubs are atleast 5 pesos away by taxi, but the food at this hotel is very good for cuba with a good selection of items on the menu.this puts this hotel atthe top of the list for consideration.

“ Top Tip: the beach,varadero beach brilliant

“ Hotel was in a good location, right across the road from the warm shallow sandy beach, with its own sunbeds, beach shades and water toys; canoes, cat yatch and pedallos all included free. The local market was next door and other craft markets were a 10 min stroll. Hotel itself a bit dated but the rooms were large and there was a floor show most nights, even in the quiet season when we went. Food in Cuba generally not exciting but ok. Staff very friendly. Whole Varadero completely safe to walk late at night (as Havana is, stayed 3 nights there). The express tourist coach (VIATUR) to Havana was about 2.5 hrs and cost 10 cucs (£7) one way pp. Well worth the experience - Havana easy to explore, so much music in every cafe and bar. Cubians very friendly indeed and seek to help at all time - very little hard sell, they go away when you just say no thanks to unsolicited offers.

“ Top Tip: al capones house - now a bar / cafe - 5mins by taxi (£1.80).