Blau Arenal Habana Beach

I was quite impressed with the location and amenities at Blau Arenal. It's the perfect location for a good mix of beach and city exploring - as Havana is only a short bus ride away. The air-conditioned bus is only $5 for a round trip and picks/drops you off at the hotel entrance. So easy. The staff were very welcoming. It's a smaller resort and I enjoyed seeing the familiar and friendly faces each day. The customer service was quite good and all my needs were taken care of. They are professionals who take pride in their work. As a female solo traveller, safety was very important. I had no concerns at this resort (or when travelling outside). I especially appreciated my visits to the beach, as staff and security did a wonderful job of helping with beach loungers, umbrellas, and watching my belongings as I swam in the ocean. It was so lovely to not worry and truly relax. The food was good (despite being a picky eater) and I always found something I liked. The coffee, especially, was wonderful! If you are a solo traveller and are looking for a safe, clean, and friendly place to stay, I can't recommend this resort enough. Happy travels!

Service by staff and crew is excellent! We always feel welcomed and they made us feel special. The place is amazing from the golden sunrise to the mesmerising sunset. There were lots of entertaining shows during our stay.

First time we booked stay in 14 April -21 April 2024 at this resort . All the staff were very courteous and helpful. Our room is large and clean. Hotel has a very good location for visiting Havana every day,only $5.00/1 person for 2 way Daily food is also fresh and delicious.At the bar there must be a list of drinks, especially cocktails. Beautiful beach ,the staff working here take care very good of customer , with chairs and umbrellas always ready. I will advise my friends to come here. I will come back here on the next vacation. Thank you for everything.

Wonderful experience living in this part of the Cuba, beautiful beach next to the hotel, lovely staff. Had a good experience

We booked our stay in April 2024 at this resort for 2 reasons, it was close to Havana and it was All Inclusive. Our plan was to sneak up on our best friends who were staying in an Airbnb in Havana. We really didn’t know much about this resort and we were not expecting anything at all. We only wanted to be close to Havana to surprise our best friends and yes we were only 30 minutes away by bus. As a bonus we ended up experiencing a very clean, enjoyable resort. Our room was very clean, A/C was great, and well taken care of by the staff. All the staff were very courteous and helpful. There is only one restaurant, not a lot of selection, but all the food was Hot, for sure this not something you find at all resorts. The biggest and cleanest pool we have ever seen at a resort. The beach was clean and the staff were always there to ensure you were comfortable. The 2 bars were great but could use a bit more staff. We played pickleball on the single tennis court putting down our own chalk lines. We met with the manager Miguel and presented him a pickleball proposal. The existing courts (tennis & basketball) are in need of repairs, something Miguel is currently working on. We provided him with diagrams outlining Pickleball lines on the tennis court, advising him that if he built it they will come. So stayed tuned all of you pickleball players because Miguel has a plan to put smiles on all of our Pickleball players faces. Thank you Miguel and Blau Arenal for all your friendship and hospitality. Chris & Karen / Orleans ON Canada

It was amazing experience to be in the hotel Blau Arenal. The food was excellent, the staff was very kind and with positive energy. Room was neat and cleaned every day. Hotel has a very good location for visiting Havana every day, but also is right next to the beach. I would especially like to praise the General Manager of Blau Arenal - Jose Miguel who was so welcoming, kind and warm doing his job responsibly and professionally. I highly recommend everyone to visit this hotel. I will definitely return to this hotel in the summer. Thank you for everything! See ya soon! :)

This was our first time to this resort but our 11th time to Cuba. It is a very well kept resort. We were lucky enough to be able to stay in a Superior Room, which I have to say definitely matched the name. One of the rooms was set up as a sitting area with large lovely chairs, a coffee station, and fridge. I would suggest bringing your own Tassimo pods as the ones they provided do not quite fit right. The bedroom portion was huge. King sized bed with another 2 large comfy chairs. The room was spotless. As well there were sewing kits, slippers, shoe polishers, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner and soap provided, which was a totally new experience for us in Cuba. There was food food and more food. Zero shortages, and unless you are super picky you will not go hungry. Every third day, lunch is served outside, which is just lovely. It would be really nice if there was a way to accommodate an a la carte. Salt and pepper were available on most tables. The lobby was huge and clean and beautiful. Very easy place to go and relax, with a covered outdoor area at the front of the hotel and a very large patio area off the back of the lobby. Once again both areas are clean. Lobby bathrooms also very clean throughout the entire stay. The beach, quite simply is amazing. There are attendants who will come as soon as you start making your way to the loungers, which there are more than enough, to brush off any leftover sand and adjust the chairs so that they are in the shade. If they see you trying to adjust your chair later, they will run over to assist you with it right away. If you have young children or are not a strong swimmer I would suggest just taking in the beautiful ocean view as the waves can be quite strong with a decent undertow. There are also some vendors who will wander by selling what we affectionately called "beach food." If you get a chance to try the tamales from a lady walking by DO IT! So worth it. The vendors will not harass you, they just walk by yelling out what it is they are selling. If they stop too long the security guard is right there asking them to move along. The pool, is beautiful and not too deep anywhere. Lot's of loungers, a little more shaded areas would be awesome, but definitely more shaded areas than other places I have been. The music isn't too loud so you can hear it but not have to scream over it. The Monday afternoon seemed to be a disco themed music day which was awesome! The $5 bus ride into Havana is so worth it! They drop you off literally in the heart of old Havana. From there you can literally do anything. We rented bikes for the day from Havana Bikes (look for that review too) But we spoke with another couple who had gone in one day and did a 3 hour tour in an old car, then went back the next day to do a horse drawn carriage tour. Hotel Inglaterra is right there when you are dropped off, definitely a place to sit enjoy the scenery of Havana have a drink, and a nice cheap meal! While there my partner bec

This resort was lovely, and so was the staff. Miguel, the Hotel Manager, was welcoming and kind. Every server, bartender, and hotel worker was a delight. The bar on the bridge heading toward the beach was our favourite - we absolutely loved the views and the fresh drinks made for us there. Our room was large and well-kept, the team works really hard to make each stay comfortable. Wifi was hit or miss, but it wasn't a problem for us as we bought a SIM card at the airport. The bus into Havana is extremely convenient and we used it multiple times. The beach is beautiful, clean and perfect for a swim. The chefs work diligently in preparing nice meals for each buffet, especially considering the limited resources they work with. One note is that if you're vegetarian, I recommend bringing some snacks as many dishes are meat forward. It's a charming, relaxing resort that feels like real community. The only experience that was confusing was our shuttle from the hotel back to the airport. We were told that the shuttle would arrive for 6:10am, but then we got a call that the shuttle was about to leave at 5:25am. Luckily, we were able to scramble and catch it, but I imagine this would be a problem for others, so be prepared for an early wake-up call! Overall, we'd love to come back - thank you to everyone who made our stay so comfortable!