Cuba AI - Varadero - Anyone been?

Dizzyduck

Hi there
We are looking for a holiday and were offered a good deal by Thomas Cook for Cuba which is tempting!
I was wondering if anyone had stayed at the Sirenis La Salina or Barcelo Solymar and could share their experiences - Trip Advisor is a bit hit and miss.
The alternative is the RIU Palace Macao Dominican Republic which is great but we were there last year.
By the way we are looking for something fairly quiet but with things to do if we decide to go look (IYSWIM)
TIA

Dd

budgetflyer

I stayed at Hoteteur Palma Real in Varadero which Thomas Cook labeled a 4*(Although I didnt actually go with TC).The food was absolute slop, and the general service pretty poor.
Id be very carefull as the overall standards in Cuba are pretty poor IMO compared to most places.
As a communist country, the wages are pretty uniform across the board + there doesnt seem to be any incentive to do any more than the bare minimum for their wages, -except tips.
The only way to get any form of service is to constantly tip $1 bills. After 2 weeks this is not only expensive but does get a bit irritating.
Mind you, the Iberostars get a good reputation though I think they are a lot more expensive.
Varadero beach was beautiful, but apart from that, theres not much there outwith the hotels.