Gaviota reopens Playa Luxury hotel in Varadero on 23 October

Gaviota is due to reopen Playa Luxury Varadero in Cuba on 23 October 2026, bringing an 85-room adults-only hotel back to the tip of the Hicacos Peninsula. The reopening is part of the group's 2026-2027 high-season programme for Varadero.

Playa Luxury Varadero reopens on 23 October

Gaviota announced the date during a presentation of its new high-season offers in Havana. The hotel is in Cayo Libertad, an area at the end of the peninsula and slightly separated from the main resort area. CiberCuba reports the 23 October reopening as an announcement by Gaviota's sales director, Elia Elena Cortes.

The property previously offered services in 2025, so the 2026 date represents a reopening rather than a first opening. The hotel is being presented under Gaviota's Luxury brand, with Standard rooms, Suites and a Grand Suite. Its announced facilities include a restaurant, spa, gym, water-sports equipment and a Cigar Bar.

The reopening is also reported by Prensa Latina's tourism report, which describes the 85-room property as reserved exclusively for adults. The announcement places the hotel within a broader effort to concentrate Gaviota's active operations in selected Cuban resorts.

Cayo Libertad places the reopening at Hicacos Peninsula's tip

Varadero is a resort town in Matanzas province on the Hicacos Peninsula. The peninsula lies between the Bay of Cardenas and the Florida Straits, with the resort's long beach running along its northern shore. The new hotel therefore sits at the far end of the same narrow landform that defines the destination's geography.

The Hicacos Peninsula is about 22 kilometres long and around 700 metres wide on average. Its eastern end includes the protected Varahicacos area, while the main access road follows the southern coast. These physical features matter for the reopening: Cayo Libertad is not a separate Cuban destination, but a resort area at the peninsula's outer end. An IUCN information sheet describes the peninsula and its position north of Matanzas province.

What the 2026 reopening adds to Varadero

The date links a named hotel change to a specific part of the resort rather than to a general seasonal promise. For travellers, the practical distinction is that Playa Luxury is being announced as an adults-only property, while the wider destination continues to include beaches, protected areas and other accommodation zones.

Gaviota's announcement also lists the hotel among its higher-end properties. The reopening is thus a change in available accommodation at the end of the Hicacos Peninsula, not a new public attraction or a new section of Varadero's beach.

Visiting Varadero: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Playa Luxury Varadero is announced to reopen on 23 October 2026 in Cayo Libertad, at the end of the Hicacos Peninsula.
• The hotel is reserved exclusively for adults and is being presented as a reopening after services in 2025.
• Varadero is in Matanzas province, north of the city of Matanzas, on the Hicacos Peninsula. Access to the resort area follows the road along the peninsula.
• The peninsula is narrow and coastal, with beaches along its northern shore and protected land at the eastern end. Travellers should expect a resort environment shaped by beaches, roads and natural areas rather than an urban centre.
• Spanish is the official language used in Cuba, and the national currency is the Cuban peso.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Varadero

When does the Playa Luxury reopening take place at Varadero?

Gaviota announced the reopening for 23 October 2026. The hotel is in Cayo Libertad at the end of the Hicacos Peninsula.

What is Playa Luxury Varadero?

It is an 85-room adults-only hotel operated under Gaviota's Luxury brand. The property previously offered services in 2025.

Where is Varadero and how do you get there?

Varadero is in Matanzas province on the Hicacos Peninsula in northern Cuba. The resort area is reached by road along the peninsula, with the airport serving the destination west of the peninsula.