IBEROSTAR TAINOS, VARADERO, CUBA

We were first timers to Iberostar Tainos and we are hooked!  I will insert pictures from our trip, we just went in December of 2013 so it is still fresh in my mind and my heart!  I wrote reviews for this hotel, as did my husband, it was a beautiful trip and such a gorgeous resort!  The staff there have become part of our family now and we will definitely return in 2014 with our children this time, so that they may enjoy the activities at the resort.  They were doing Reno's on the 3rd floor, updating the rooms, and some of the villas and the grounds area.  It didn't get in the way of or holiday at all.  They were very respectful about times and space around what they were fixing.

We have never traveled anywhere and been treated like complete royalty and part of an amazing family! This resort deserves every one of its 4 stars and more! From the Front Desk and guest services in the lobby to the Bellboys, chambermaids, Waitstaff, Bar staff, all the way out to the pool and beach staff, and maintenance, who were always busy making sure everything was beautiful! We were well known by the time we left and everyday was a smile, wave and "How are you today?" "Can I get you anything?"   Our first visual that made us feel at home was a huge Christmas tree that was decorated to perfection in the middle of the lobby! 

Our Guest Services , Giselle, wonderful, beautiful lady, her English was excellent, and Sunwing Rep, Mabel,  who was a lovely, very informative lady, took such good care of us and made arrangements for us to keep our room for longer after checkout so that my husband, who has movement limitations and severe breathing issues, could rest longer before our flight! 

Our room was lovely, our Maid Yina, was a sweetheart, she would come in daily and make beautiful designs from towels and our quilts, one day even an elephant! She left all amenities needed and fresh flowers for us everyday! Our room was always clean and smelled wonderful! 

The food, OMG, the food! It was spectacular! We ate at the buffet every day, Breakfast,(if we were up! lol) Lunch and Dinner! From the incredible locally grown fruit in season, ours was banana, guava, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, so wonderful, fresh, and sweet! Bananas were my favorite! The buffet had so many choices, I do not eat fish unless it is heavily breaded at home, here I was sampling everything, fresh fish everyday, grilled to perfection, there were cold cuts, locally made cheese that I wish I could have brought home with me! Pork dishes grilled, cooked with pineapple, roasted, beef dishes in sauces, chicken in salads, cold with noodles, grilled, cooked in sauces! Fresh flat bread pizza's, pastas, authentic Cuban dishes, homemade breads, my favorite was made with just a hint of cocoa, ice cream and the deserts were out of this world! All made right there by the amazing Head chef Carlos and his wonderful team! Everyday he would ask us how we enjoyed our food, if we wanted something prepared for us, suggestions on things they could make. we never left hungry or unsatisfied, I tried everything I could except dishes with shrimp, because I'm highly allergic, my husband said they were fabulous! They don't use a lot of spice and you get to eat food prepared in a natural state, slightly seasoned so it is OK for everyone to eat, a lot of people we met, if they wanted more spicy fair they brought their own hot sauces or just asked and they delivered. 

 Carlos, the Head Chef, so talented and very dedicated to making sure everyone enjoyed their meal, quick service and always had his hands in helping wherever his staff needed him to be! 

Papa, one of the Station Chefs, he made Byron Fresh Omelets everyday!  Such a character and always the biggest most welcoming smile!

There are always those that will complain about Cuba and the food not being good but at this resort there was no reason to complain! Carlos and staff went out of their way to please and folks they can only make what they have available to them, that includes spices! The wait staff was always hopping! They had our drinks on the table as soon as they saw us, they got to know what we liked and remembered! They cleared quickly, always had a smile and great conversation! They take the time to get to know you and we will keep in touch with several of the ladies we met, they were so kind and loving, I've only been home for a day and I miss them already! They spoke very well in English too, and asked others to explain our needs if they didn't understand. The bar and restaurant Manager, Roberto was great too, always on the go making sure the staff was ready to go and things were all in order!  Here are our Morning and afternoon ladies:

Hani, my sister from another mother!  So sweet! This lady is so amazing! 

 Beatrez, always a big smile, great conversation and she was a delight to be around!

 Irasems, the youngest, sweetest, always running around busy!

Yanita! Such a terrific sense of humor! She always had us smiling and laughing!

Our Dinner staff, so lovely!  Again big smiles and beautiful people!

These beautiful ladies were always so busy, but they love their job and making people happy!  They made us flowers from napkins, were very concerned if they didn't see us and often we slept in for breakfast and either caught the tail end of it or just went down for lunch.  They gave us the gifts of kindness, laughter and generosity!  Friends for life!

The entertainment was fabulous and they had shows for kids and adults alike, they got the audience involved and that always turned out to be a riot! There were quite a few children at the resort and they had programs for them and gave out awards in a ceremony, it was great and the children loved it! We are going to bring ours next time we travel! Our favorite performer was Elvis, such a comedian, so funny, talented!  The singers, bands, dancers, they had on staff were all amazing!

The beach was one of the most beautiful I have seen, we have been to Cuba before and this by far was the most memorable experience in Cuba we have ever had! We are definitely going to go back in 2014 to this resort, where we left our hearts and met some amazing local people that we carry in our hearts! We became part of the family at Iberostar Tainos. 

 This was our beach at the resort, unfortunately our camera gave out on us the last few days and we didn't get good shots of the pool area but it too was fabulous!

 If you are planning to stay in Varadero, this resort is a must try! Especially if you bring children!

Last but not least, some of our favorite Cubans at Iberostar Tainos.. they were so polite, a little shy but they never complained about the food or some good dinner conversation and every night we ended with some great thank you's and the promise to meet the next evening, same time, same place...

 Swiper (M), at the edge of the chair, Snitch (M) at the middle and Snoops (F) on the ground, these are just babies and from what we could tell, related.

 This is Calypso(F), she was the belle of the hotel.. She was the only one we saw go in and she treated the hotel like it was hers, with respect and care.

 Mama (F), we think she is the mother of the triplets.  She would always sit outside the buffet with Gingy and wait for us to finish our meal, then hightail it to the pool chairs to wait for us to bring then dinner scraps.

 This is Gingy (M), my favorite!  He was so shy at first but by the end he would allow me to pet him and sit beside me.  His only fault was that he liked the ladies to much, the feline ladies that is, and would get chased away during the day from by the outdoor washrooms for trying to make "boom-boom" as the staff called it!

 Calypso (F), saying goodbye on our last night.

 Taffy (f), white and Swiper (M) after dinner.

Patches (F), she came out from under the Cuban restaurant by the beach, the first day to greet us.

Being cat lovers, this was such a treat for us and was comforting since we were really missing our 4 cats at home. We named them all and by day 3, they would come when called! The cats in Cuba are tiny, the males seem to get a bit bigger but not like ours in Canada.  They do a great job on the resorts keeping bugs and other things away from us by eating them.  They do melt the hearts of many and get a bit spoiled, even the staff loves them!  If you are not fond of cats, don't worry, you won't even know they are there, they only come out when the resort is quiet at night and hide during the day, probably from the heat!  They are not overly affectionate and won't come and rub all over you unless you make the first move.  They are so polite, they do not enter the eating areas or the hotel, except Calypso in the main lobby of the hotel, but she stays hidden unless invited!  If a particular one starts to be a pest, the staff will take them home and care for them there. but, they really do great things on the resort to keep pests under control.  They earn their keep!

EXPECTATIONS IN CUBA, Part 2

Like I said in Expectations #1, you need to go into Cuba with an open mind and remember that it is a communist, third world country.  Now this may scare some of you, but it is a thriving country, they survive for the most part on their own by working together to create the best for the tourists so that we keep coming back again.  The government and the military are not all over the place looking menacing with guns etc.  It is very peaceful in Cuba, in fact their crime rate is so low it's barely even heard of.  I feel safer walking the streets of Varadero after midnight than I am walking in my own neighborhood after dark.  The Cubans are very peaceful people, they are so genuinely happy, giving, amazing people, who have gone through things most of us could not imagine, but they pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start again, together, helping each other.

You will be treated like royalty in Cuba and if you treat the people well, they can keep going and making their country a beautiful place to visit.

Hotels and Resorts

We never stay in a resort below 3 stars.  In Varadero you don't have too, there are 3 and 4+ stars everywhere, it is a tourist resort area, specifically set up for us.  There are two specific types of resorts, the government run and the private run resorts.

The government run resorts are a little behind the private run resorts, keep in mind that all of this is changing for the Cubans, they are allowed to now own small businesses and some of the hotels are owned by chains now, none of them Americanized or Canadianized though and this is where people get the impressions that these hotels and resorts should be in better shape for their star rating.

The private hotels are usually part of a chain, Breezes, Iberostar, etc.  These hotels are all over the Caribbean and other countries.  Giving them a bit of an advantage on what they can get.  Usually they have more access to food and spices, but, that doesn't mean that they will always have these things.  It is very hard to get things into Cuba.  They usually do have better access to resources to help renovate and make the hotel visually appealing and more modern.

We have been to Cuba when all the hotels were Government owned and operated in Varadero and they were constantly being worked on to better serve tourists.  In these hotels, they rely on whatever food can be grown locally or traded with countries that Cuba is currently friendly with.  The variety may be a bit different but the taste is still Cuban and whatever they can get to make us happy.

The hotel rooms are definitely dated, in need of some repair, newer beds,linens, towels and visual aesthetics, but the Cuban colors are bright and welcoming, the rooms are always clean.  You can guarantee that your room will be spotless and the little extra care that goes into the rooms goes along way!  I don't know about you but I barely spend time in my room, especially when it is gorgeous and sunny outside, with so much to see in Varadero and the rest of Cuba, you will be falling into your bed at night for a great sleep and ready to start your new adventure!  This picture is of the Hotel Villa Cuba, a 3+ - 4 Star resort and one of our favorite places to stay.

We hear a lot of great things from other travelers about Villa Cuba, Breezes Bella Costa, Sol Sirenas Coral Resort, Blau Varadero, Breezes Varadero and our absolute favorite Iberostar Tainos.

EXPECTATIONS WHILE IN CUBA, Part 1

When traveling to Cuba there are some crucial things that you need to remember, to enjoy your vacation and curtail your experiences from other countries you have traveled from.  First and foremost, Cuba is a third world country.  It is a communist country, trade is very limited with other parts of the world.  Though it seems to be stepping up with things that are available to utilize and make your experience more first world, it is really a lifetime away from the standards that are held in other parts of the world.

I personally wont stay in anything under a 3 star rating. We prefer a 4 star rating, which in other places in the world would be quite luxurious in Canadian and European standards.  In Cuba a 3 and 4 star rating is luxurious in Cuban standards.  You can not compare them to places like Mexico, who are Americanized, or even European countries.  You have to rate them according to what the Cubans have available to them.  When you go there expecting a lavish hotel, you will be disappointed.  When you go there with an open mind, open heart and curtail your exceptions, you will be pleasantly surprised at what you find.  Keep in mind also, most of your vacations to Cuba are all inclusive, meaning free buffet meals everyday, 1 complimentary meal at one of the resorts 2 or 3 restaurants and anything you want to drink, anytime, free!  We found the buffets more than great.  There are also 24 hour snack bars where you can get a bite to eat anytime.

Do your research on resorts, we have heard that the 5 star and exclusive hotels at the very end of Varadero are the ones most Europeans and those who can and want to spend the extra money enjoy.  We took a bus tour our first trip in Cuba and they went by a few of these places and they looked beautiful!  They are also really far from Varadero and other attractions around them.

Look through TripAdvisor.com or .ca, Escapes.ca, the Authentic Cuba travel website and see what others have to say about their trips.  The most common things you will read are about the food being bland or not good.  The linens in the hotel rooms being worn and the rooms being outdated.  These to some people are deal breakers but you have to remember Cuba is a third world country, they only have what is available to them.  If this is the worst you see posted about a resort, go through more reviews and keep them in mind.

Lets first debunk the myth that the food in Cuba is terrible. SO NOT TRUE!

The food in Cuba is not like ours, the Americans or the Europeans.  It is food cooked in its plain form, seasoned with salt and pepper, or whatever other spices that are available to them.  Most people we have met or traveled with will bring their own hot sauce, ketchup, mustard, peanut butter with them to enhance their food.  Also when you realize that your hotel stay is all inclusive with a buffet, you realize they aren't going to be able to make everyone happy, some people say the food is too bland, then if they offer a spicy dish, its to spicy, etc.  The choices we have had at any resort have been amazing!  We have had flat bread pizza's with everything from just Italian spices to blue cheese, ham and fresh Pineapple, if you can work with the ingredients they have, they will make you what you like.  Pasta's with cream sauces, butter and spices, sweet tomato sauces.  Baked, grilled, chicken with pineapple, Cuban honey, skewers, pieces cut into rice dishes mixed with vegetables.  The same with fresh pork, roasted to perfection, top that with a bit of Cuban honey and its to die for!  They have beef as well, that is different from ours, it is very moist and chewy, but is great on skewers or grilled up in small pieces.  Rice dishes, plain fried, boiled, or with sauces, black beans, meat and veggies, even Cuban style.  fresh fish, amazing!  I am not a fish fan but Rock Fish is so good!  There were Cuban made Cheeses that taste like a cross between a Havarti and Dofino cheese, creamy, buttery and a bit tart but heavenly.  They had some feta and Swiss too.  Boiled eggs, cold cuts, I believe more Italian in origin, cold salads and fresh cut tomatoes, cucumbers.  The salad is bitter but so good!

Mornings were filled with fresh eggs, anyway you want them, they would make you an omelette with any toppings you like, including ham, black olives, onion, garlic, cheese etc., french toast, pancakes, cereal, amazing yogurt, bacon, fresh fruit and freshly squeezed fruit juices.

All day you have access to fresh fruit and fresh squeezed fruit juices.  You have never had fruit like this, fresh from the tree or ground.  The oranges and bananas are to die for!  I have never tasted fruit like this in my life! Mangoes, guava, watermelon and the sweetest pineapple!  Oh I could have lived on the fruit!  Fresh baked bread, in many styles, pumpernickel, sourdough, there was even a dark bread made with cocoa, I had some everyday and still managed to lose 12 lbs the week we were there!

The deserts were heavenly!  They make chocolate cakes and brownie type deserts that are not super sweet, they just sprinkle cane sugar on top and OMG, sooo good!  Anything made with Miel or Cuban honey, is so good!  The ice cream is so delicious, again not super sweet, but the flavors are just lovely, strawberry, mango, chocolate, vanilla, a praline type. All made in Cuba.

All I can say is that they Chefs do their very best to try to make everyone happy, they will ask you, what you think, what can they do to make things better, they really aim to please and are so creative!  We have never been hungry in Cuba!  This was a picture of our trip in December 2013 and this is the head Chef at Iberostar Tainos Cuba, Carlos, he and his team were amazing, such beautiful food!

The restaurants in Varadero are popular as well, if you want to wander off your resort and try something new, there are steak houses, that we have heard are amazing, seafood restaurants that you can have a full lobster, depending on size from 3 - 6 peso!  Crab legs, fresh fish, shrimp that are huge, all for way cheaper than we can get it in Canada!  There is a Honey house restaurant and we have heard this place is just amazing!  Cuban honey is unlike anything I have ever tasted, its called Miel and when we were there in December, it was near impossible to find for sale.  Ask the local people what they recommend for restaurants, they know which ones are very popular with the tourists.

2 Pictures of are of the Iberostar Tainos Cuba Buffet from Google, we stayed at the Iberostar Tainos in December 2013, it was exactly like this.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CUBA AND SOME INTERESTING FACTS

I am no historian so I will just give you a brief history of Cuba so that you can understand what the people have gone through in the last few Centuries.  I feel that it is important to have this information when you go to visit a foreign country, especially one like Cuba that seems forever stuck in the past after a disastrous revolutions that left the peoples hero dead, with much speculation still on what really happened and a dictator that betrayed him and made so many promises to the people that to this day have still not come to fruition but the people of Cuba love their home so much and want to stay but they are ready for change and so confused about how to go about it.

In the 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba and he claimed the land for Spain. In 1762, Havana was taken over by the British and by 1763 it was returned to Spain in accordance with the Treaty of Paris and Spanish rule remained until 1898 when the US forced the Spanish to retreat and Cuba was handed over to the US. During these years there was a 10 year war of Independence, where Spain promised reform and many other promises that were never kept.  Though approached for Slaves to supply Europe and the US, Cuba refused to release any of its people. Slavery was finally abolished in 1886.

By 1902 Cuba was independent once again but they were under the protection of the US and this gave the USA the rights to intervene and interfere in Cuban affairs. and   was taken over by Spain, the US really wanted a piece of Cuba, it had beautiful beaches, many natural resources, it was an agriculturally sound country and could really self sustain it's inhabitants with freshly grown fruit, sugar cane, livestock. A paradise the warm weather year round and it's location was so close to the United States.  The ruler that was now put into place Thomas Estrada Palma, he ruled until 1906 when another rebellion ensued and he resigned, leaving Cuba once again in the hands of the United States. In 1909, Another ruler was put into place, Jose Miguel Gomez, under the watchful eye of the US, be he soon became corrupt and once again, threw the Cuban people into turmoil.  In 1924 a new President emerged, his name was Gerardo Mechado, who was a brutal leader and lead a very unforgiving dictatorship in Cuba, forcing the people basically into slave labor to survive. In 1925 a communist party began to emerge and by 1933, Mechado was overthrown and by 1934 the US releases it's hold on Cuba but ensures that there are fair tariffs for Cuba on all it's cane sugar export.

More political unrest settled into Cuba and in 1959 Fidel Castro, his brother Raul and Che Quevera lead a successful revolution against Sargent Batista, who had been ruling Cuba since 1934 on and off, Fidel became president and ruled Cuba until 2007, after a severe illness, he steps down and makes his brother Raul President.  Fidel just made his first public appearance in a very long while, in 2013.  He is still remarkably sharp and motivated at age 87!

In 1965 Che Guevara left Cuba to form a revolution in Congo-Kinshasa which was unsuccessful, then later to Bolivia, where with the help of an informant the CIA and Bolivian forces, he was executed.  This was a real hardship for the Cuban people, Che was a hero to them and this was such a devastation.  Che did many good things while in power in Cuba, he believed in the people and instituted many good things in Cuba like a country wide Literacy campaign and because of his charisma and world travel, he became a diplomat on behalf of Cuban Socialism.

The Soviet Union was the biggest supplier and friend of Cuba until the collapse in 1991.  This left the Cuban people crippled, without rations that they depended on, as their wages could not sustain them.  Canada was one of the first countries to reach out to aid Cuba in this time and have become a great friend of Cuba.

In 2001 the devastation of Hurricane Michelle on Cuba, left  many Cuban's without anything.  The US aids the Cuban people by importing food for the first time in 40 years.  In 2006 once again a hurricane (Dennis) devastates Cuba and leaves the people in peril and 16 dead. In 2008 two tropical storms, Hurricane, Gustav and Ike, leave the worst devastation in Cuban history left over 200,000 Cuban people without homes and crops devastated.

Canada has a long standing trade and investment relationship with Cuba.  We currently have 2 oil plants in Cuba, we have trade, tourism, investments and ongoing relationships with Cuba that bring in millions of dollars to their economy every year.  We as Canadians are loved in Cuba because we are kind, generous and supportive to the people. Every year our relationship strengthens and creates more opportunities for the Cuban people in Agriculture, Small Businesses, Human Relations and Tourism.

As of 2008 the people of Cuba are allowed to own personal Cell phones and Computers, giving them access to friends and family abroad and semi-independence.  They can access the internet in very limited areas and connections.  Cuba still does not allow any devices that have mapping or satellite features.  They, as of 2012, have been able to own land, buy and sell it for the first time in 50 years.  The restrictions on travel of Cuban relatives in the US visiting Cuba have been lifted as has the restrictions on aid from their families in the US.

Thank you to the BBC News, Cuba Wikipedia, Canadian Government Websites for Dates and information on the history of Cuba.