It was my first and so far, only all inclusive vacation, as I am usually an adventure traveller. I was a bit hesitant at first because I thought it would be boring, and also, I was a bit hesitant about Cuba; but Meliá Las Americas and Cuba exceeded expectations. I was told, “don’t go to Cuba, the food sucks, it’s bland,” or “the nightlife sucks” and that the hotels are underwhelming.
Even though the food wasn’t spectacular, it definitely wasn’t bad. Does Cuba have all the spices and ingredients as Canada or the USA? No, but they find ways to make it work. When you stay at Meliá Las Américas, there are a ton of different options as the hotel hosts a number of restaurants. There is La Arcada which is international food, which was French based when we went, Limoncello which is Italian, Sakura which is Japanese, La Robleza which is Cuban barbecue, La Terraza, the buffet, and a number of snack bars. Now does the food in Sakura compare to authentic Japanese? No, but it was still a great experience with decent food. The buffet at La Terraza is nice, with relaxing poolside/beach views and has a wide range of options daily. And we were there on New Years and the feast was tremendous.
The rooms were a decent size, the beds were comfy and the décor was old but nice.
As for boring, our stay in Meliá Las Américas was far from that. With quick and easy access to downtown Varadero, in a cab, or by old car, you can change scenery from the resort if you’re getting restless. You can grab a snack and walk around downtown Varadero or enjoy the underrated night life. In addition to heading to Varadero, there are a ton of tours that you can go on, which are sold right from your hotel including day trips to Havanna, Catamaran tours to pristine beaches and ATV exploring. We went on the Catamaran tour to Playa Blanco (hyper link) and Havanna (hyperlink), which were excellent and definitely worth the price. And if you decide to relax on the beach for the day, the hotel activity staff are wonderful, hosting dance contests, aqua gym, a variety of competitive games and beach volleyball tournaments.
Volleyball isn’t my forte, but playing volleyball on a spectacular beach with crystal blue waters in the background is something I can definitely get used to. The beach at Meliá Las Américas is tremendous and one of the best beaches I’ve been to in the world. There water is crystal blue, there are lots of palm trees, there are plenty of umbrellas, reclining chairs, and good service to just grab a drink from the beach bar, or a cigar from the locals and soak up the sun. The water is pristine, and you can go snorkeling for a cheap price just off the beach. And even if you want to take a break from the sun and enjoy the shade, sitting outside with a coffee or a drink and looking down the palm tree lined pathway to the beach is stunning.
The one downside I would say about the hotel was the website was misleading about one thing. I thought staying there you get free rounds of golf. There is a golf course on the hotel and the views look spectacular. But to get your free rounds of golf you must upgrade your package to “the level”. If you upgrade your package, you get more isolated rooms with quicker beach access, an extra pool and golf, but unless you got money to blow or really want to golf, I wouldn’t do it. I was debating to golf, but the price was muy caro. Although, looking back now, as I’ve become more of a golfer, I regret not forking out the dinero and doing a round. And even though we didn’t have “sea view” rooms, the view from the classic room of the golf course with some ocean in the background was an amazing vista to wakeup to while watching the sunrise.
Overall, it was a great hotel, and I couldn’t have imagined a better experience for my first all inclusive experience. It is an adult only resort, so if I didn’t recently just have a baby, I would definitely look to go back to Meliá Las Américas. Unless, the wife allows a solo boys trip… here’s to hoping or we’ll have to wait until the daughter turns 18.
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