Hotel Roc Arenas Doradas is a slightly scruffy but perfectly serviceable mid-range option with broad appeal. It’s mostly quiet and relaxed during the day, with couples lounging and reading on the spectacular beach, listening to the sound of the waves, while older children splash in the large infinity-edge pool, where an animation team sometimes leads activities (during our visit, top 40 hits were playing, but not too loudly). Partiers aren’t the norm here but are catered to with a disco that stays open until 2 a.m., and we did meet two extremely drunk Canadian men who told us they’d been up to 4 a.m. drinking with some female Russian guests. Families are more prevalent in the summer months, and mature couples in the winters. Tour groups are common. Canada is the primary market, followed by Germany and Russia, but around 50 nationalities are represented among the clientele. The resort says it is typically about 85 or 90 percent full, and felt completely free of crowds during our visit; no need to get up early to snag a lounger here.

Guests first arrive in a large high-ceilinged lobby with slightly peeling gray wicker furniture and no air-conditioning, where they’ll be treated to a welcome drink (wine and beer are also available on a table for self-service, and the lobby bar is open 24 hours). There’s a piano located here for live music in the evenings. To access Wi-Fi, which is only available in the lobby, guests will need to buy cards with login info for 2 CUC per hour (typical everywhere in Varadero). There are also phone booths in the lobby for international calling, but guests can also make calls from the rooms (they’re unsurprisingly expensive).

The lobby leads to a long hallway with 24-hour shops (uncommon; most shops at all-inclusives close in the evening), the Italian a la carte restaurant (a favorite; guests should make reservations upon arrival to guarantee a spot), tables with souvenirs for sale, and a coffee bar (important, as rooms do not have coffeemakers). The international restaurant upstairs is also popular. Past the coffee corner is the outdoor theater and the indoor disco, and an unkempt decorative river that winds through the property. Rooms are situated in two-story buildings in a U shape around the pool. The property is a manageable size; no golf carts required here to get around (unlike at the sprawling Memories Varadero).   

Though the resort, built in 1996, is undeniably dated, management works hard to maintain everything; two or three room blocks are renovated every year, and the suites are slated for a massive overhaul in 2017. At the beach, we saw staff members diligently picking up litter and sweeping sand off the steps by the beach bar.

Almost all of the 60 or so hotels in Varadero are located along Autopista Sur, which runs along the peninsula and parallel to the beach. Hotel Roc Arenas Doradas is at kilometer 12, about a 10-minute ride (about 10 CUC by taxi) to downtown Varadero. Downtown, guests will find a crafts market as well as a few bars, restaurants, and clubs (the Beatles Bar, Calle 62, and Salsa Suarez are all popular). Hotel Roc Arenas Doradas offers a free bus downtown four times a day; twice in the morning, and twice in the evening. It’s one of the only (and perhaps the only) hotel in the area to offer this perk. The airport in Havana is about a two-hour drive, typically between 100 and 120 CUC. 

The rooms here do not live up to advertised four-star standards, and they’re not a high point. Expect basic wooden furniture, old tube TVs (albeit with 42 channels, more than most resorts, including options in English, German, and Portuguese), four radio stations, no coffeemakers, and functional bathrooms with shower-tub combos and bidets. All rooms have balconies or terraces with two plastic chairs and a table, but views are of the pools or grounds (not the ocean), and ground-floor terraces lack privacy. Rooms don’t get much natural light. Beds are reportedly a bit too hard for some tastes, and there are comforters, not duvets (typical for Cuba). Some guests have reported stains on the sheets, also common for Cuba, where resorts can have difficultly getting new linens. One bottle of water is provided free, and guests can stock their own empty mini-fridges (at some competing all-inclusive resorts, mini-fridges are stocked with free beer and soft drinks). Room keys are kept in a wall slot to power the electricity and air-conditioning. It’s free to use the safe.

The Standard Room has two double beds or a king bed and can fit three people (an extra bed can be brought in). The Junior Suite has a separate living room with a sofa, and some have an extra bed here as well.

The beach is, in a word, spectacular. The stretch of soft white and turquoise water can rival the best in the Caribbean. A lifeguard is on duty and flags indicate how safe it is to swim; during our visit, it was a green flag day, with gentle waves. The water temperature is perfect -- refreshing but not cold – and the bottom is sandy, for easy entry. With 650 lounge chairs and 200 umbrellas, it’s easy for guests to snag a spot. We didn’t spot any vendors harassing guests, or any seaweed. The only noise was the gentle lapping of the waves and the breeze. Though there’s one server to attend to guests in lounge chairs, most guests walk to the beach bar to serve themselves.

The resort has one large pool surrounded by blue mesh and white plastic loungers. There are an infinity edge (but no ocean views), a swim-up bar, an ice cream counter, a stands for fresh juices (in a structure shaped like an orange), and a 24-hour snack bar serving hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, sandwiches, and the like. There is no deposit required for the towel cards provided at check-in, but you’ll have to pay a fee if you lose them.

First off, it's worth noting that Varadero all-inclusive resorts are not known for their food, and cuisine is not a major draw at any of them, so guests need to adjust their expectations before arrival. But the main buffet at Hotel Roc Arenas Doradas has good selection for this price, and is open for all three meals. When we visited during lunch, there were stations serving fresh fish and paella, pizza and pasta, meat and fries, fruit (which can be flambéed), bread, and dessert. In the center is the salad station with cold sides (though no lettuce, missing from just about every salad bar in Varadero we saw). Guests recommend coming early for more selection. There’s another buffet option at lunch by the beach, called El Galeon, with another small salad bar and a grill area where fish, pork, and burgers and the like are cooked up (there are usually two or three options here). There were also pitchers of sangria. At night, this becomes the a la carte Tex Mex restaurant; it’s the only restaurant with ocean views. The nearby beach bar has views as well, and has the all-inclusive liquor options displayed on the shelves to the right, and the top-shelf liquor options (for an extra fee) on shelves to the left.

The Italian and international a la carte restaurants are located in the main building and tend to be the most popular. Guests usually are able to dine at two a la carte restaurants a week, depending on availability.

The all-inclusive package covers all meals at the buffet, two a la carte dinner reservations a week (more if available), and non-motorized water sports (such as catamarans and pedal boats). Guests should make reservations for a la carte restaurants as early as possible during the stay, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. All guests must wear wristbands.

The resort has an animation team of around five staff members to lead activities, which may include darts, bingo, dance lessons, or Spanish lessons. There are 16 people who put on the evening theater shows, which include dancing and music; the shows typically get positive reviews from guests. Parties by the beach are held once a week.

This resort is very family-friendly, with a staffed kids club for children 4 to 12. It’s colorful, with a fence that looks like a string of crayons, a small playground with slides, spring seesaws, hopscotch, and an indoor area with mats. During high season there may be up to around 10 kids here at a time, and one or two supervisors. In the morning, the supervisors lead activities at the beach such as sandcastle sculpting, and in the afternoons they head to the pool. Sometimes children younger than 4 can be accommodated but extra fees may apply.