Barcelo Solymar
Carretera Las Americas, Km. 3, Varadero 42200 Cuba
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Pool & Beach (2088)
Room & Suite (1863)
About
#43 of 101 hotels in Varadero
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
The hotel Barceló Solymar stands right on the sea front of the top spot of Varadero beach, Cuba’s best-known tourist destination. With a privileged setting, it’s the perfect place to combine rest and relaxation with a wide array of exciting activities. At a short distance from downtown Varadero.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Paid internet
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Free breakfast
Beach
Tennis court
Babysitting
Parking
Internet
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Snack bar
Poolside bar
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Kids club
Meeting rooms
Concierge
Shops
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Safe
Minibar
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Languages Spoken
Spanish
Location
51Somewhat walkable
Grade: 51 out of 100
13Restaurantswithin 1 km
9Attractionswithin 1 km
Carretera Las Americas, Km. 3, Varadero 42200 Cuba
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I came one year and a half ago. I promised myself not come ever, and yet an event I was invited had part of the attendance lodge here. It is still as terrible or worse than the last time. Food is not only scarce is terribly done. Beverage can be warm. No soap in the rooms, no shower gel, and no shampoo. If you do not have the basic things, just don't open. Nobody was happy, and you got the feeling that it did not matter much to the staff. It seems that the hotel is their opportunity to divert food, and other stuff for selling in the black market. This place needs urgent take over, discipline and a culture of good service is urgently needed. This is not what we expect in Varadero. This is an embarrassment to this tourist place that does not deserve this.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, General Manager at Barcelo Solymar
Responded yesterday
We deeply regret that your experience at the hotel Barcelo Solymar has been so negative. We are very concerned to read your comments about the scarcity and poor quality of food and drink, the lack of hygiene and amenities in the rooms, and the indifference of the staff. These aspects do not reflect the quality and service standards that characterize us and that we want to offer to our guests. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have suffered during your stay, and we thank you for sending us your observations, which help us to improve and correct our mistakes. We assure you that we will take the necessary measures to prevent these situations from happening again in the future and to regain your trust. We hope that you will give us a new opportunity to welcome you at the hotel Barcelo Solymar and show you that we can offer you a quality vacation, in line with your expectations and with the reputation of Varadero as a tourist destination. Thank you very much for your visit and for sharing your opinion on Tripadvisor. A cordial greeting.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
So so sad we have come back to our favourire hotel after 10 year staff are fantastic i feel so sorry for them. Spent ages with guest relations today she says she cant stand it anymore and is leaving no one listening We know there are terrible shortqges but largely no beer coke sprite white wine rose wine food unedible in buffet late night drink offer mango water red wine No plates cups bowls cutlery condiments Room poor cleanliness in buffet horrific So so disapointed
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Go prewarned it helps soften blow
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, General Manager at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 4 days ago
Thank you for sharing your experience in our hotel. We are very sorry that your stay has been so disappointing and that you have found so many problems in the food, the drinks, the room, the cleanliness and the staff. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and we assure you that we are working to improve the quality of our accommodation and our customer service. We appreciate your comments and suggestions, as they help us to identify the areas of improvement and to offer a better experience to our guests. We would like to have the opportunity to make up for your bad experience and to offer you a better impression of our hotel. We hope that you will give us a second chance and that you will enjoy a more pleasant stay in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We are currently here. This is a great hotel where the staff are lovely. I have read a lot of negative reviews. But as a family of 3 (all adults) we have really enjoyed it so far. The hotel is big and there is some need of maintenance but understandable given the size, but the grounds are lovely with staff maintaining the grounds, our accommodation is comfortable and the pools and beach are lovely. We are in a bungalow suite that is close to the beach and one of the pools. The food will not suit all but there is enough to eat and you will find something and the advice on some reviews is bring condiments due to some shortages this is good advice(we brought breakfast tea and milk sachets) However there is plenty to eat and several restaurants that you can book into across both hotels. Would I come again, absolutely for the beautiful country and people and location. The staff work really hard and are so friendly and accommodating. A key point for us is this is walking distance to the old town and I did not want to rely on taxis. There is also opportunity to enjoy some water sports subject to sea conditions. Also this is all inclusive. Enjoy Cuba 😊…
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, Director General at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 3 weeks ago
Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience at our hotel. We are thrilled to hear that you and your family enjoyed your stay with us and that you found the staff to be lovely. We appreciate your understanding of the need for maintenance given the size of the hotel and are glad to hear that you found the grounds to be lovely and your accommodation comfortable. We are delighted to hear that you would come back again and that the location was convenient for you, being within walking distance to the old town. We take pride in our staff and their hard work, and we are thrilled that they were able to provide you with friendly and accommodating service. Thank you for choosing to stay with us and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My partner and I stayed at Barcelo Solymar in Varadero earlier this month for one week. We are young adults and were expecting to see people our age who spoke English (as we read from reviews that were posted pre-COVID). Most of the people staying at this resort were locals and spoke very little to no English. This is no problem at all - we met some great folks but the language barrier was very apparent and it was hard to meet people and do activities together. We had issues with our room from the beginning. We waited 5 hours for check-in to begin. Once we received our room key at 4:00pm, we were relieved and ready to rest after a long day of travelling. We walked into our room and noticed that it hadn’t been cleaned after the last guest checked out (toothbrush left over and even a used condom on the dresser….yuck). We waited another 45 minutes and finally the room was cleaned. Not long into our trip, my partner and I started experiencing cold symptoms. Mine were so severe that I was bed ridden and couldn’t go to the beach or buffet. It reminded me of when I found black mold in my student house years back after my roommates and I were constantly sick. Well, we turned our flashlights on and inspected the room very closely. Black mold was apparent in several areas of the room (it covered the smoke detector that hung above our heads when we slept). We went to the front desk multiple times and politely explained the situation to the lady. We explained that we were sick and required another room. She basically shooed me off and even started laughing shortly after seeing me cry because I felt so horrible. We did eventually get a new room the next day with no mold. However, the balcony door didn’t lock so we didn’t feel secure at night. We were expecting there to be food and drink shortages…Cuba was hit hard by the pandemic. Regardless, we enjoyed ourselves when we left the resort (i.e., the catamaran excursion to Cayo Blanco was lovely). This isn’t the first time my partner and I have been to Cuba…we went multiple times before COVID. We never had an experience this bad. The resort building itself requires a lot of maintenance and you can tell it’s falling apart. Many tripping hazards were encountered. My partner and I are young and able bodied but I can’t imagine how young toddlers and the elderly cope with the large holes in the beach boardwalk and the uneven floor tiles. We brought plenty of small gifts and tips for the resort workers. Some of the workers were lovely but others looked down on foreigners. Needless to say, we learned our lesson and will not be returning to this resort. We have had lovely experiences in Cuba in the past and were utterly shocked by how we were treated at this resort. Be aware and do tons of research before booking a resort!! We thought we did enough research - but clearly we didn’t. …
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, Director General at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 4 weeks ago
Thank you for sharing your opinion about your stay at our hotel. We deeply regret that your experience was not satisfactory and that you had problems with your room, service and food. We take the health and safety of our guests and workers very seriously, and we are very concerned to hear that you felt ill during your visit. We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you and we assure you that we have taken steps to solve the problems you have pointed out. We would like to have the opportunity to regain your trust and offer you a better experience in the future. We hope to hear from you soon and welcome you back to our hotel.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We enjoyed our stay The hotel Is in a great location . Is it perfect no Cuba as a whole is having shortages . They have the most beautiful beaches in the world The staff at this hotel were FANTASTIC . Great entertainment The beach restaurant is really good You enjoy a nice lunch overlooking the ocean We could use Palma real and Arenas Blanco as well. The specialty restaurants are very nice. We found our bungalow clean. Air conditioner did leak but they fixed it . We love walking and this hotel is perfect for walking in day or night. Beatles bar and famous calle 62 are right there. We’ve been to cuba 30 times and have enjoyed it every time. Go with an open mind
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Try to get American ones for tipping. Loonies and toonies are hard for them to exchange
Always...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, Director General at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 23 Aug 2023
Thank you for your kind words and positive feedback. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay at our hotel and that you appreciated our location, staff, entertainment, restaurants, and beach. We are glad that you found your bungalow clean and that the air conditioner issue was fixed promptly. We are also happy that you could use Palma Real and Arenas Blanco as well and that you had fun at Beatles Bar and Calle 62. We appreciate your open mind and your love for Cuba. We hope to see you again soon and make your next visit even more memorable.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Since we arrived at the hotel we were mistreated. The food little varied and poorly prepared. Not counting cleaning and no air conditioning. The beverage had bad quality. I’m very dissapointed. It’s way too expensive for a 4 stars’hotel!!!!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, Director General at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 23 Aug 2023
We are very sorry that your experience at our hotel was not to your liking. We strive to provide quality service and meet the needs of our guests. We apologize for the inconvenience you may have had with the food, cleaning and air conditioning. We have taken notes on what happened to be able to take the necessary measures and prevent it from happening again. We appreciate your opinion and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again and show you our commitment to excellence.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cockroaches in rooms. Worms on meat. Spoiled milk in coffee. Holes in walls. Missing hallway floor tiles and light bulbs. Air conditioning units in rooms leaking onto floors. Shower doors falling off. Remote-controlled TVs not working. Rude and inattentive front desk and social media staff. Lovely employees elsewhere throughout the property, particularly cafeteria, lobby cleaning, bar, and outdoor main entry.
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Don't go here.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, Director General at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 14 Aug 2023
Thank you for sharing your opinion about your stay at our hotel. We are very sorry that your experience was so terrible and that you encountered so many problems with the rooms, the food, the service and the staff. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you and for not meeting your expectations. This is not what we want to offer to our guests and it does not reflect the standards of quality and service that characterize us. We would like to regain your trust and show you that we can offer you a better experience in the future. We appreciate your understanding and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again at our hotel.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Great experience and customer's satisfaction. The Venezia Italian restaurant had excellent customer's attention and food served was amazing in quality and quantity. Overall all attention given by the hotel was valuable to mention. Hope it still keep the same Standards in hospitality. Looking forward to enjoy the precious time I had. Thank you, Luisa
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, Director General at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 8 Aug 2023
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. We are very happy to hear that you had a great experience and customer's satisfaction at Solymar. We are glad that you enjoyed our warm welcome, our convenient location, our Venezia Italian restaurant, and our hospitality standards. We appreciate your kind words and your trust in us. We hope to see you again soon and that you continue to share your experiences with us.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
First strike our bus arrived at 5:10 pm so we don’t have food up to 6:30 that they open the buffet everything else closed at 5 so not even a snack . I got a bungaló superior and it is a nasty humid smell room with stained walls and mold stains too. This his just a room at a 2/3 stars hotel.Superior I think the only superior in here is me .Not internet till 8:00 pm because they need a code that only can have access at that time so no food and no internet . Is still BARCELO a serious hotel chain?I paid like $900 for 5 days here and I just want to leave because of this is the start the end will be a disaster. Oh the beach is righty there the counter lady told me maybe to seek me the idea of fishing some dinner today . No no no do not come here .
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, Director General at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 27 Jul 2023
We are sorry that your arrival at the hotel was not good. We apologize for the problems with the food, the internet and the room. We have taken note of your comments and shared them with the managers to improve our quality. We want you to enjoy your stay and the wonders of our hotel. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
I not recommend this hotel 😕 terrible this hotel is a scam there is no service the food is lousy there are no dishes in the buffet in the rooms there are no towels the best thing they can do is close it it is a total lack of respect and if you go to complain to reception they don't even pay attention to you it's practically a west if you want to spend the worst vacation of your life go to this hotel there you will find the best to have nightmares
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Don't got
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Joan Marqués, Director General at Barcelo Solymar
Responded 27 Jul 2023
We regret that your experience at our hotel was negative. We apologize for the problems you had with the service, the food, the towels and the customer service. We have taken note of your comments and shared them with the managers to improve our quality. We hope you will give us another chance to host you and provide you with a positive experience.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ALSO KNOWN AS
barcelo hotel solymar, barcelo hotel varadero, barcelo solymar cuba, barcelo solymar hotel cuba, barcelo solymar beach resort, barcelo solymar varadero cuba, barcelo sol y mar
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Barcelo Solymar Arenas Blancas Resort
LOCATION
CaribbeanCubaMatanzas ProvinceVaradero
NUMBER OF ROOMS
525
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Claim Your ListingBARCELO SOLYMAR: UPDATED 2023 Resort Reviews and 9,675 Photos (Varadero, Cuba) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Barcelo Solymar
Which popular attractions are close to Barcelo Solymar?
Nearby attractions include Mi Casa Beatles (0.9 km), Calle 62 (0.7 km), and Taller de Cerámica Artística (0.8 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Barcelo Solymar?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Barcelo Solymar?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at Barcelo Solymar?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Barcelo Solymar?
Conveniently located restaurants include La Gruta El Vino, Waco's Club, and Varadero 60.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Barcelo Solymar?
Yes, guests have access to a pool and a fitness centre during their stay.
Are any cleaning services offered at Barcelo Solymar?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Are there any historical sites close to Barcelo Solymar?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Cueva de Ambrosio (9.0 km).
Does Barcelo Solymar have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.
Is Barcelo Solymar accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.