Melia - Sol Palmeras
Varadero, CubaAll travelers
Our take
Sprawling beachfront resort in Varadero with rooms and bungalows and all‑inclusive amenities
- 608 rooms
- ~35 min from VRA
Resort facts & overview
- Location
- Varadero, Cuba
- Audience
- All travelers
- Brand
- Independent
- Rooms
- 608
- Dining listed
- -
- Airport
- VRA
- Transfer
- ~35 min
Why travelers love it
“Sprawling beachfront resort in Varadero with rooms and bungalows and all‑inclusive amenities”
Guests consistently praise the white‑sand Varadero beach, extensive family‑friendly programming, and spacious rooms and bungalows
Food & drink
StrongBuffet-forward Cuban cooking with grill stations, seafood, and standout Italian and Chinese à la cartes. Not gourmet, but consistently satisfying with real variety.
high confidence
What you'll enjoy
- Grill stations for fish, chicken, steak
- O Sole Mio Italian and Chinese restaurants praised
- Beach bar with panchos, burgers, tacos, midday paella
- Plenty of pastries and omelettes at breakfast
Heads up
- Fresh fruit and veg can be sparse
- Occasional undercooked meat at buffet
- Restaurant hours not always flexible
Dining overview
Fourteen restaurants and bars onsite including buffet, Italian, Chinese, Tex‑Mex, international à la carte venues and snack bars
Beach
StandoutThe headline reason to book: a wide, clean strip of soft white sand with warm turquoise water and easy entry. Consistently called the best beach in the area.
high confidence
What you'll enjoy
- Wide, extensive white-sand beach
- Calm, clear turquoise water
- Kayaks, snorkeling, and beach animation
- Plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas
Heads up
- Gets crowded when pool areas are closed
Wide stretch of fine white sand with loungers and umbrellas, gentle slope into turquoise water
Pools
MixedA pleasant, well-maintained main pool with a swim-up bar, though ongoing renovations have taken sections and the pool bar offline for some stays. Expect a solid pool day, not a showstopper.
high confidence
What you'll enjoy
- Clean water at comfortable temperature
- Swim-up snake bar when open
- Open sections stayed well maintained during works
Heads up
- Swim-up pool bar under renovation
- Partial pool closures pushing guests to beach
- Closures not communicated at booking
Multiple pools including two adult pools, a kids pool, whirlpools, poolside ice‑cream kiosk
Rooms & suites
608 roomsRoom categories
- Sol Room
- Superior Room
- Junior Suite
- Xtra Sol Suite
- Bungalow One Bedroom
- Suite Bungalow
- Family Bungalow
Room details here are AI-assisted, compiled from the resort's own website and public sources. Categories and names change often — confirm the exact room when you book.
What’s included
MixedSolid Cuban all-inclusive value when expectations match the destination, with beach and staff carrying the experience. Booking irregularities and surprise charges have burned a vocal minority.
medium confidence
What you'll enjoy
- Strong beach and animation for the price
- Repeat guests returning year after year
- Warm service without expecting tips
Heads up
- Paid room categories not always honored
- Reports of duplicate or surprise charges
- Renovation closures not disclosed at booking
Package inclusions and upgrade access have not been collected yet. Confirm them for your room and dates when booking.
Amenities & activities
Couples
Good fitA comfortable choice for anniversaries and honeymoons, with a paid beachside romantic dinner that lands as the highlight. Atmosphere skews family and group, not intimate.
medium confidence
What you'll enjoy
- Romantic beach dinner worth the upcharge
- Long white-sand beach for sunrise walks
- Return honeymooners and anniversary couples
- Warm, personal customer service touches
Heads up
- Large, busy resort, not secluded
- Some room-category bait-and-switch complaints
Families
Good fitA genuine family favorite in Varadero, with lively animation, kids activities, and a safe swimming beach. Bungalows and kid-friendly touches make multi-generational trips easy.
high confidence
What you'll enjoy
- Kids animation team (Yuri, Elrick, Enzo) called out
- Calm, shallow water for safe swimming
- Bungalow layouts good for families
- Staff genuinely warm with children
Heads up
- Limited food flexibility for infants and toddlers
- Long walks across the sprawling property
Peace & Quiet
StrongA relaxed, low-rise property with green grounds and an unhurried Cuban rhythm, livened by Latin music and evening dancing rather than club-style noise. Peaceful without being sleepy.
high confidence
What you'll enjoy
- Low buildings, well-kept green spaces
- Calm atmosphere without fuss
- Live Latin music and evening dancing
- Wide beach absorbs the crowds
Heads up
- Noisy chairs in one restaurant
- Can feel crowded when pool sections close
Spa, fitness centre, tennis courts, non‑motorized watersports, mini‑golf, kids club, evening entertainment, beauty salon, gym
What guests say
Medium confidence44 reviews · through Oct 2026
Read all reviews on TripAdvisor ↗Google ↗
Guests praise the service, food and dining, beach, and drinks and bar, while some complain about the rooms and cleanliness, and the resort is best for foodies, beach lovers, quiet relaxation, couples, and families.
Consistently praised
Recurring complaints
Best suited for
What past guests say
“Terrible food and hygiene”
★☆☆☆☆
“The best hotels ever!!!! Congratulations to the team”
★★★★★
“Excellent stay at Sol Palmeras! Congratulations to the entire team, thank you for giving us a wonderful vacation. Highly recommended!”
★★★★★
“We were here in 2009, everything was great, they upgraded our room for free for the entire two weeks, and instead of a regular room they gave us a large bungalow for newlyweds)”
★★★★★
★★★★★
Latest reviews from Tripadvisor
Loaded live from Tripadvisor when you ask — the newest reviews and the current rating.
Read all reviews on Google (3,236) ↗
Videos
SOL PALMERAS BEACH 4*, CUBA. OUR RATING 8,9/10. LIVE 4K VIRTUAL HOTEL TOUR. #varadero #cuba #review
SOL PALMERAS RESORT, VARADERO CUBA, Complete Resort Walk Through, GoPro Hero 10 4K
SOL PALMERAS RESORT, VARADERO CUBA, Breakfast Buffet Full Tour
Ask Rosie
Have a specific question about Melia - Sol Palmeras?
Rosie answers from this resort’s guest reviews and our research — with quotes.
Know before you book
- Some maintenance issues noted
- Entertainment can be noisy or repetitive
- Gets crowded when pool areas are closed
- Fresh fruit and veg can be sparse
What you should know
What to Know
The resort reopened July 2025 after a remodel, so some venues and the swim-up bar have been in phased renovation. Confirm your room category in writing and expect a sprawling layout that requires comfortable shoes.
high confidence
What you'll enjoy
- Recently remodeled rooms and public areas
- Doctor on site (Dr. Olivia noted for kids)
- Free beach activities including kayaking
- Romantic beach dinner available as upcharge
Heads up
- Confirm pool bar and restaurant status before booking
- Room category and bed-type mix-ups reported
- Late checkout fees have been disputed
- Bring walking shoes, property is large
All photos
Photo: Tripadvisor
Photo: Tripadvisor
Photo: Tripadvisor
Photo: Tripadvisor
Ready?
No ResortFinder markup. We just do the work.
What we know
Everything below comes from data we collected: here's the inventory for this resort.Updated September 2026- Photos
- 5
- Review excerpts
- 20
- Dining venues
- Not yet collected
- Menus
- Not yet collected
- Room categories
- Not yet collected
- Videos
- 3
- Editorial lenses
- 8
We aggregate. We don't trap. Verify on any of these:
Where this data comes from
We tell you what we know, and what we don't.
- Last updated
- September 26, 2026
- Sources
- Google PlacesDirect resort media
- Completeness
- 67%
Source collection snapshot
These collection totals can differ from the items available on this page. Video totals include screened results; the inventory above counts published tours.
- 5 photos
- 40 videos
Still verifying dining, menus. If something looks thin, ask Rosie or ask our booking team and they can usually fill in the gaps.