Melia Las Antillas

Currently staying at hotel, August 2025. Unfortunately, I won’t be coming back.one week from CA is $925 per person, plus $100 for check in luggage with Sunwing. PROS : -beach is beautiful/ typical Varadero sandy beach. , ocean is gorgeous ! -A lot of space on the BEACH, not many guests at hotel, so you can have it for yourself in the afternoon! Amazing. -Some beach towels were changed for microfibre! Which is very helpful . -There is a small bar in the bushes on the way to beaches. NIce, except mosquitoes. -Dinning room was somewhat renovated. -Swimming pool is decent and chairs are clean at the pool. CONS - state of the ROOMS/bathroom is absolutely unacceptable for any hotel. Not to mention 4 stars as they are rated! .You can see some picture. Trust me, it is worse, than what is looks in photos. Doors, tiles broken…. I made me feel unwelcomed and wanting to leave the place asap. Ruined vacation. It is simply unfair from Sunwing and Cuban hotel managment to place us in these rooms! I wouldn’t be surprised they have renovated rooms empty. Most of resort is not populated at all. -Food.. you can see rice and beans. Some bbq chicken for dinner or fish once a week I suppose, if you want to stand in line . That’s fine , we didn’t expect much. We know it is crises. They have papaya and guava mostly. Etc. that’s good enough. Deserts and bakery they are trying with skills and means they have . COFFEE is mixed with some gain. Don’t expect to get real coffee. Doesn’t smell much like coffee actually. But it is ok. Someone makes it for you. -Dirty BEACH CHAIRS. Gross! Haven’t seen a brush in a long time. I don’t understand, they have no staff?! Water they have for sure. -I won’t go much to describe LOBBY, which is disappointing. Stuffy. Not space and no air breeze. The only coffee bar at hotel is with a view of cemented balcony! -Also, There is a dump, stale water canal you have to pass on the way to pool and beach. I don’t know why is it there, is smells bad and looks worse and probably attracts more mosquitoes. Hotel needs to do a lot of work, and rearrangements to improve condition and present as 4 stars and charge what they charge. It is not about not having access to food. It is much more than this. Definitely for this money , I will be going some other place. Melia Las Dunas in Santa Clara or any other place there. Check web sites, this is not worth $900 -$1000 for a week. Should be $750 to $800 max. All the best

We were very impressed with the overall service at this hotel. Out of all the places we've visited in Cuba — and we've been four times in the last two years — this hotel had the best internet connection by far. It's even better than what we experienced at the Melia International Varadero last year, even we were level. We stayed in a Junior Ocean Suite, which was very comfortable and well maintained. The beach was absolutely amazing — always clean, with plenty of free space and good shade available. It never felt crowded, which made it perfect for relaxing. The food was good. While the variety wasn’t extensive, everything we tried was tasty and fresh. In terms of drinks, there wasn’t much variety either, especially when compared to Melia Internacional Varadero. They did have a healthy juice bar, which was a nice touch, but unfortunately, it only operated two out of the seven days we were there. One downside was the elevator situation — there were frequent issues, and this caused some inconvenience. What really made the difference was the staff, Everyone was friendly, helpful, and professional. A very special thank you to Grete from Concierge Service — she went above and beyond to ensure we had a great experience. Despite a few minor issues, we would definitely consider coming back and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for excellent service and a beautiful beach in Cuba.

Melia LA part 2 Revisited the resort again in first week of August. We were here at the beginning of April, first time since we travel to go back to a place in such a short period of time – mainly for a decent price/value ratio. The question of every person that reads a review is to find out if this resort is for them or not. So here is my personal opinion about Meliá LA, the GOOD the BAD and the UGLY. It is GOOD because it is located in the best stretch of Varadero beach. Amazing water, sand and sun for a rezonabile price. GOOD for some special people working hard to make your stay pleasant. Credit to David, a young manager always among the people and not afraid of little work, Kenia a customer representative with a servant heart, Elios a skilled waiter, Anyelina a smiling hardworking waitresses, Yosbel and Yasmani two fine bartenders who would so much more if the supplies were not that limited and Clemente a pleasant server who might greet you in the morning in your own language regardless where you are coming from… and many more. The BAD, renovation, renovation, renovation screams from every room and every corner. Be ready to meet ‘90s, because some things might be from the opening of the resort in 1999. The UGLY is that old things are becoming a safety hazard and is not much desire or effort to make them better – the excuse is that are not funds. The reality is that a lot of things could be done with limited resources but the lack of willingness is present even in the highest office of the general manager. On a different note the atmosphere is good sometimes disturbed by the two predominant clients the resort has (from two different parts of the world) where drinking and being noisy is their first passion. But, hey people are coming to have fun in the end, who am I to decide what FUN is. In conclusion it might not the quiet relaxing place you are looking for but this of course is matter of interpretation. Also avoid the elevator (only one working anyway) if you have your room in the main building at the upper floors – chances to get stuck are high and risky. I cannot recommend it only with the warning – proceed at your own risk. Only 2, maybe 3 stars rating in my books. Happy vacation wherever you choose to travel. LJ

Nothing to say about the hotel. People here in Canada were constantly telling us “don’t go to Cuba” “there’s lack of food” “there’s lack of electricity” “there’s no toilet paper” blablabla. We had a great week in this hotel, never felt hungry, had room cleanup every single day, new towels everyday as well. THE STAFF, definitely the highlight. Amazing people, with warm hearts, very friendly and sincerely humble. Honestly the staff was the best for me. Very special thanks to Mr. Mackay, Jose Javier, David, Aileen, Yasmine and Dania (at the buffet). Also, Eddy Oscar and Denny at the beach (amazing beach by the way). Lazaro and Ibeisi at the reception, Yaqueline, Nelsi, Yaritzy and “grandma”at the lobby bar, she’s literally like a grandma, even with her age and still working. My respect grandma. A warm hug to Jesus the gardener, he’s so sweet and kind. Seriously their people are the best, may God keep blessing each of you and definitely were coming back. We love you.

Day 1 – July 21 My flight arrived late, but that doesn’t excuse what followed. When I got to the resort, not only was my room not ready—they couldn’t even locate my reservation. This made it nearly impossible to get dinner or access anything that night. I had to wait until they created a Wi-Fi account for me just so I could email them my own booking confirmation—something they should’ve had on file already. Day 2 – July 22 Upon check-in, they told me I’d receive two beers in the mini fridge daily, based on consumption. Spoiler: if you don’t hide or chug them immediately, don’t expect a refill. I reported the missing beers that day and again the next. Later, I learned from other guests that the maids often don’t restock them because they resell the drinks outside the hotel to make ends meet. So if you’re excited about the “amenities” they advertise—don’t be. Most of them are just empty promises. Day 3 – July 23 A day of stench and mosquitoes. The resort urgently needs pest control—the lake is covered in green sludge, reeks terribly, and is a full-on mosquito breeding ground. Even drenched in repellent, I got eaten alive. That night, I made the mistake of dining at the Italian specialty restaurant. If you’re Italian—or just someone with functioning taste buds—avoid it at all costs. The pasta was a disgrace, the pizza even worse, and they topped everything with a random mess of frozen vegetables that had absolutely nothing to do with Italian cuisine. It was a culinary insult wrapped in cheese and regret. Day 4 – July 24 I finally escaped the resort for an excursion and it was the best decision I could’ve made. I couldn’t stand another second in that place. Sometimes, self-care means booking an activity just to flee your own hotel! 😂 Sadly, I had to return—and was greeted by the rudest bartender at the pool bar. No name tag (probably for a reason), and I didn’t dare ask for his name because I didn’t want to end the night by telling him to go to hell. 🤣 Day 5 – July 25 It was my birthday, and I’ll give credit where it’s due: the small birthday gesture—a cider and a dinner reservation at the romantic restaurant—was appreciated. The food was okay, but the service was amazing. One of the rare highlights of my stay. Key Considerations About the Resort Rooms – What you see in the photos is not what you get. The HVAC system was broken and outdated. Water Outages – We had no running water—for showers or even brushing our teeth—for three days due to a broken pipe that wasn’t fixed at all during my stay. I’m writing this on July 28th… still no water. Cuban Staples? Forget it – Cuba is famous for coffee, tobacco, and rum. Out of those, the hotel only pretends to deliver. The coffee? Undrinkable. Especially in the buffet—more like dirty water than coffee. The rum? Watered down to absurdity. Bartenders ration it and secretly sell full bottles to locals, so guests are left with weak, sad cocktails. Staff – Reception and Guest Experience: kind, helpful, and professional. RAMÓN (Coffee Bar): One of the rudest servers I’ve encountered. Bad attitude, zero respect. Frankly, I hope he’s removed from guest service duties entirely. Food – Go early if you want a chance at proteins like ham, eggs, or cheese. Staff only display the good stuff at opening hours for show (in case supervisors walk by), and once it’s gone—it’s gone. I stayed near the staff entrance and witnessed them hiding food in their clothes as they left for the day. Snack Bar: Being outdoors, it’s a haven for pests. My burger had an extra crunchy topping courtesy of the cockroaches. I saw them crawling through the food. Hope no one ended up poisoned. Final Verdict Melia should seriously reconsider putting their name on this resort. It falls far below the quality and standards one would expect from the brand. Save your money, save your vacation, and save yourself the trauma—book literally anywhere else.