Trip Central should remove the airport "Santiago De Cuba" from they site because there is no flights to Santiago and the resorts you are going to is transported in by ether a taxi or mini van! Resorts that are open and running are struggling with lack of tourists and the tourist that are in are complaining of misled by falls advertisement!! Corales resort is open and fits the number of stars rated. Food adequate, drinks limited to beer and rum which is ok. for us. Local tourists at the resort were very polite. The grounds kept in shape also some repairs and new construction going on. Rooms are clean only 7 days out of fourteen issue with hot water only in our room. The beach is kept clean but main issue was: see weeds in the ocean that should be cleaned and only a little patch of sand for non swimmers! The ocean was very clear and very warm!! I would recommend this hotel if the Santiago airport was open or if you like 4 hr. of site seen and some bad roads, yes! The staff are friendly and appreciates our stay. The south part of Cuba is being neglected by the Cuban government with everything from food to medication etc., etc.

Updated rooms, very nice and cozy. Beautiful view of ocean and palms. Good times. Natural beach and clean with umbrellas. Food was very good on arrival late at night. Bar is open late.. Friendly and happy staff.

We had booked to stay at Lis Galeanos, which we had loved in a past visit. On arrival however we found we were transferred to the sister resort ‘Sierra Mar’ while Galeanos under went renovations. We didn’t really want a big resort but found Sierra Mar quite pleasant, like Cuba in general the people were friendly and warm, the beach was fantastic, there was lots to do, there was a small town nearby to explore…. Cuba is still rebounding from the pandemic, there were only 28 people at our gorgeous resort of 100 rooms. The airport in San Diego is not taking flights right now. We had to travel from Holguin which was a trek but it meant we were off the beaten path- we loved that.

Some people very unhappy about the sudden change, was there from Nov 28 to December 12, hotel is not ready, lack of everything including tourists, will not return until things improve a lot, employees do their best with what they have but for the price paid, not worth it, use Holguin airport and bus people for 4 hours after to get there, loose the first and last day travelling to and from airport

I was in that resort 2 times about 6 years ago, right now is so much worse in everything looks like they try to fix some parts of hotel with no luck of materials,it is dirty rooms with no working lights ,problem to close every door ,problem with towels .Room was clean partialy about 4 times during 2 weeks,little dirty refrigerator . No beach intertiment ,water in ocean was cover with algas so no body use beach including my self. Food was limited and horrible (first time I came from vacation with lost few pounds) Bars provides only few kind of alcohol ,always problem with soft drinks, no bottle water During my time they closed 24 hours bar . Intertment only weekend .over all ghost hotel . Few years before was 300% better

The room was very good. There was always hot water available for showers. But the buffet was small. There was a snack bar previously where I could get a pizza in the afternoon. This did not exist anymore. For lunch, spaghetti and pizza had always been available in a separate lunch area. This was no more. My security box took 5 days to fix. The internet was non-existent for the first 8 days. The pool was not cleaned every day. Some days the pool was very dirty. But the weather was excellent! And most of the hotel workers are really excellent. The taxi ride from the airport was long...3 hours and more, especially because of the terrible road conditions. There used to be bicycles available for visitors but no more. But with all the negative issues, I will still return to this hotel even though similar hotels in the Holguin area are better and more reasonable.

My original booking for a December 2022 holiday at the hotel Brisas Los Galeones was cancelled by HolaSun. Sadly the hotel was not open at this time. I am hopeful that this beautiful hotel will be available for international tourism in the near future as it was a favourite among many of us and really nothing can compare. Brisas Guardalavaca was offered as an alternative and it was nice if not as tranquil. Thank you Cuba for being such gracious hosts especially in these continuing turbulent times.

I am a frequent traveler to cuba, I have been all over The country, and I have been to corales about 10 times. Because of covid I haven't been in almost 3 years. When I booked it said it wasn't all inclusive and only 3 meals are included. This almost made us book another hotel, but because we were going to visit friends we decided to do it anyway. Your drinks are included and you have no limit. What is not available is the 24 hour snack bar..there are no snacks at all.(this is only during off season goes back to normal in Jan) The food is no longer buffet style. They serve you at your table, a four course meal. For money exchange , there is no longer CUC. You can change your money at bank for 18 pesos for one Canadian dollar. I do not recommend this. The man at snack bar outside holguin airport will give you up to 80 pesos per Canadian dollar. And the guys at the beach by corales will give you about 70 pesos per canadian dollar. It helps you and it helps them.You can no longer buy anything in the store without a card no cash is accepted. A visa debit card works great :) The whole world was affected by covid, but Cuba and this area were especially affected. If you have friends there you should check on them Everyone is asking for sandles or clothes. Which is normal for this area but the need is even more noticable now. Alot of people were walking around completely barefoot because they have no shoes. I brought seeds and nobody said anything at the airport, my friend says the laws have changed you are now allowed to bring food and medicine. They have no Tylenol or pain meds , antibiotics are impossible to find. The amazing service and people are the same , always willing to go above and beyond with a smile on their faces.

Very clean hotel. The grounds are beautiful. The food for cuba was great. Rooms were very clean but tired. For the most part the staff was great. I would recommend this hotel. Lost my bags first day. The hotel tracked them down. When I received my bags same night they were untouched. Nice to see that honestly

Firstly, when I arrived at the Hotel Costa Morena at 10:30 pm, I expected to meet my friend. She had come to the hotel at 4:00 pm at my request. Her name was NOT on the tourist list beside my name and she was sent home. She lives quite far away. I went looking for her at 11:00pm. This was totally wrong! Pedro, the HolaSun rep, had on file both our names together. WHY WAS SHE SENT AWAY??? WHO MADE THIS ERROR??? I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! The workers at the hotel are excellent. However, we did not have beer for five days at the resort. Toilet paper was in short supply. No milk for my coffee for many days. No sugar for several days. No butter for several days. No cooking oil at breakfast on the grill for several days. Eggs had to be scraped off the grill due to lack of oil. We had only pork every day for two weeks for lunch and supper. I do not eat pork. Two days there was in addition chicken or beef. I obtained fish from an outside source and fish was cooked for myself and my sister on several occasions. The kitchen staff were very helpful. There were no eggs for breakfast on many days. HOW COULD ALL THIS SHORTAGE OCCUR AT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE HOTEL CHARGING A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY??? Considering the large amount that I spent for the two weeks, this was totally totally unfair, unacceptable and overpaid.

We were originally booked for the Brisas Sierra Mar, but due to circumstances we were transferred to the Brisas Guardalavaca While the resort is beginning to show some of its age, it is well kept. Grounds are beautiful and the groundskeepers are very pleasant. Would not recommend this hotel solely because we prefer smaller resorts. This one was too big for our liking, and very busy.

I like the hotel Los Corales , because I like to walk around outside the hotel grounds and visit some friends and other small farms. The beach area is very nice to lie around in shade or Sun, bat the water part of the beach is not great, most of the area is covered with weeds at the bodem. The hotel itself , the grounds and the rooms and the pool are very nice and of cause the staff is very nice and friendly. Now comes the part I don't like, its the food, it is OK for me but if somebody likes good food and likes to eat, it is below the average and good for somebody who likes to loose weight. Harry

It was our 15th trip to Cuba since 2009 and third to the Hotel Carisol los Corales, so we knew what to expect. We paid $1,295 CAN per person for 2 weeks (from Toronto) for a junior suite in the Carisol Section. We departed Toronto on January 8, 2020 from Toronto’s Pearson Airport (Sunwing Airlines). The take-off was late due to deicing. The flight lasted 3 hours and 41 minutes and we landed in Santiago de Cuba. Because of TripAdvisor’s Cuban forums, I knew that unexpectedly the US dollar had become a hot commodity in Cuba—and we happened to have plenty of US dollars anyway. Within minutes of getting on the bus we exchanged $200 US and got 200 CUC—more than enough for our whole stay. I also ran to the nearby kiosk and got 2 cans of Cuban beer (Cristal). It turned out that I bought the last 2 cans—and that was the only Cuban beer (in cans or bottles) I had during my whole trip. Some tourists also discovered that their luggage was not on the plane and it was supposed to be delivered the next day(s). It took us over 1 hour to get to the hotel. Our very nice and personable rep on the bus, Sahidy, told us a lot of interesting things on Cuba. HOTEL We got the Junior Suite C-3 (upper level). We were not very thrilled with the room (or rather the location of the building), but decided to stay—we liked better the Junior Suite H-4, where we had stayed previously. We had the same maid as 2 years ago, Martha. The staff were overall nice and helpful, although I saw a lot of new, young people working at the reception and most of them barely spoke English—and I had a feeling they were not too eager to practice their meager linguistic skills with tourists. The two-level room was nice, but there was cold & hot water, although the pressure was bad in peak hours. Otherwise everything else worked (A/C, TV, fridge, hairdryer). There was no phone in the room. We had to ask for the safe a few times—eventually it was brought (!) to our room and bolted to the wall (2 CUC per day). Both the safe and the room use traditional keys, so bring a lanyard. IMPORTANT!!! Some electrical outlets in the room were 110 V, others 220 V and they were NOT clearly marked, so ASK the maid before using them or you might damage your electronics! We brought a small coffee maker (and coffee) along with a surge protector bar—2 year ago, due to a spike after a power outage, we had lost our coffee maker. There was no Canadian channel on TV, only the CNN, which I never liked watching. We tried to watch the 6 pm news, but sometimes such ‘momentous’ news like the story about the royal couples announcing their intention to step back as senior members of the royal family took up the first 20 minutes, relegating other ‘inconsequential’ news items as the Ukrainian plane disaster, Iranian Crisis or the coronavirus outbreak in the background! That was why we spent just minutes watching TV. From our balcony we could see the ocean and, mostly covered by vegetation, the ruins of old hotel buildings (disco), destroyed years ago by a hurricane. There were always various animals grazing the grass around, mostly horses and donkeys (with cattle egrets hanging around them), which gave this place a very rustic look. Cats and dogs were not as numerous as in the past. The beach was nice and the beach guys quickly brought us loungers. The coco bar served cold beer and other drinks—Frank the bartender did a great job and I especially loved the piña colada. There was a massage place on the beach and Catherine had a massage every day. I hoped to do snorkeling, but every day was quite windy and there were relatively high waves near the reef, making snorkeling there too risky. But closer to the shore I did see a lot of colorful fish and even a moray eel, luring from an opening in a rock. We had the best January weather ever in Cuba: every day was sunny, about +30 C and it rained a few times, but by the time we reached our room, the sky was blue again. Because of the wind there were no mosquitos or other bugs. The Carisol section (where we stayed) was much quieter than the los Corales section, where all the entertainment took place—and it was one of the main reasons we decided to stay in the Carisol part of the resort. On the bus to the resort we ran into a couple from Streetsville that we had met at the hotel two years ago and during our stay we frequently enjoyed dinners together. We also (finally!) met in person two well-known TripAdvisor members, Cubacarol and CoralQueen, whose posts I had read for many years and often relied on their valuable advice. In fact, it was CoralQueen who had recommended our casa particular in Santiago de Cuba in 2010! We met Karen from Quebec, with whom we had gone biking two years ago to the Jardin de Cactus and whose excellent Spanish greatly enhanced our outing! Besides, we often intermingled with other tourist from Canada and exchanged a lot of interesting stories on travelling in Cuba and in other countries. FOOD/DINING The food was average, but tasty and I had no complains. For breakfast I always had fried eggs, coffee and yogurts. Most of the time we skipped lunch, but a few times we went to the Ranchon Restaurant for excellent ribs and fish. Dinners offered a lot of various dishes. I loved grilled pork at the cooking station, it was delicious—unfortunately, twice I tried beef and it was tough & stringy—well, at least the local dogs enjoyed it… We brought several salad dressings which greatly enhanced the taste of salads. Yet after a week I did experience some mild stomach problems—there was nothing wrong with the food, but I guess the greens did not agree with my gut flora. Although we never noticed any beer or wine shortages in the resort, the wine was ‘rationed’—the servers poured only half a glass of wine and never left a bottle of wine on the table. Every evening a Cuban band would provide musical entertainment while we were dining. I had really mixed feelings about them: on one hand it was nice to listen to one or two songs and admire their artistic talents, but after a while they kind of overstayed their welcome, making it literally impossible for us to conduct any meaningful conversation at the table. The performers were standing very close to our tables and were very deafening! Even if Frank Sinatra were singing like that, I’d say, “Get lost, Frankie, and pop up somewhere else!” We were often relieved when they finally went elsewhere in search of other victims... I mean, tourists! HOTEL STORES (TIENDAS) For the first time in 11 years it was impossible to buy any Cuban beer in the hotel stores! What’s more, on the second day after our arrival I purchased one bottle of mineral water and 2 bottles of Cuban liquors—it turned out that from then on there were no liquors and no mineral water available at the store! I brought tabasco sauce, hoping to make a Bloody Mary—but there was no vodka and no tomato juice in the store either. Well, I’m glad that there was draft beer at the bars. RENTAL BIKES, WALKS AROUND THE HOTEL AND BUS TRIP TO SANTIAGO We had been looking forward to renting bikes at the hotel and exploring nearby attractions. This year there were only 4 bikes available for rent. We rode to the blow holes (past the aquarium) and then Catherine’s bike got a flat tire—it was literally peeling off the wheel, so it was impossible to even walk the bike. She rode my bike to the hotel and sent a horse carriage to pick up me and the broken bike. We got another one and the next day in the morning rode to the village of Baconao—just in time to see the start of the elementary school at 8:00 in the morning, where students were reciting some revolutionary stanzas and singing. Later we toured the small school and spoke to the teachers, giving them several bilingual periodicals. Since we were supposed to return the bikes at 10 am, I was already at the rental place at 9:45 am, but it was still closed. I waited for over one hour (in the meantime, two people wanted to rent scooters and another tourist was impatiently waiting to return one), but the rental place remained closed, its sole employee nowhere to be seen. Just before 11 am I dragged the bikes to the reception and in spite of the protestations of the reception clerk, I placed them in the storage room. I suspect that the hotel is going to be very pleased when the remaining bikes finally break down—one less issue to deal with! In the morning we walked around the hotel and twice explored the nearby caves along the coastal cliffs with indigenous cave art from Central and South America (Exposición Mesoamericana). On a couple of occasions we spoke to the gardener working there—he showed us bats (“murciélagos”) attached to the caves’ walls. We also noticed that the restaurants that we had seen two years ago were gone. The hotel offered a free trip to Santiago de Cuba, which was leaving at 10 am on Saturday and we took advantage of it twice. The first time the bus was full, the second time there were two buses and there were still some empty seats on the second bus. Each time Julio, a very entertaining man, was our guide on the bus and kept regaling us with a lot of interesting stories. Overall, we experienced less problems than 2 years ago, the weather considerably better and we had a very good time. Of course, we always travel to Cuba with a very open mind and do our best to overlook as many flaws as possible—after all, we come to enjoy our vacation, NOT to complain! Yet it’s obvious that this resort needs a lot of renovations and enhancements—thus, I’m not surprised that some tourists are disappointed. Unfortunately, given the current economic problems in Cuba (furthermore exacerbated by the unexpected coronavirus situation), I’m not very optimistic that any significant improvements will take place any time soon. So if you go, just focus on the positive and have a great time!

C'était notre 2ème fois Au Brisas Sierra Mar, un hôtel certes désuet et qui mériterait des rénovations, mais qui offre en contrepartie tant de qualités ! Un bémol pour commencer : vous ne trouverez pas de beau site de plongée immédiatement au Sierra Mar, il vous faudra aller plus loin en mer, prendre une excursion. La nourriture y est franchement bonne sinon variée. Beaucoup de légumes, de choix de viande ou poisson. C'est très correct. On ne trouvera pas poisson plus frais. Les chambres sont correctes. Les employés sont incroyablement gentils ! Tous ou presque ! Les musiciens qui s'y produisent sont talentueux et sympathiques. Le paysage est absolument somptueux à toute heure, la longue plage - lorsqu'on sort des limites - est splendide, les hameaux environnants méritent qu'on s'y promène à la découverte de vrais lieux de vie des Cubains. C'est une zone rurale pauvre, les habitants proposent des échanges de biens et soyez préparés à participer à ces échanges (café, fruits, promenades guidées, contre vêtements, produits d'hygiène, etc.) Sortez du complexe et de vos complexes ! ;) Les excursions sont super. Celle à cheval vers la grotte aux chauves-souris et celle à Santiago. Voici une liste non-exhaustives de produits à apporter trouvables au magasin 1 dollar et + : linge, sacs durables et surtout sacs à dos à donner aux enfants, stylos, papier, savon, produits d'hygiène féminine, ciseaux. Vieux électroniques à réparer. Fil à pêche Cordes pour instruments de musique Boyau pneu de vélo

Great little resorts. Very charming. Although the resort needs some work, it is a 3* In Cuba. You make due. There was plenty of food, although repeatitive. I've been many times and will continue to go! My mom's 1st trip and she loved it.if you want fancy accommodations and dinners, go elsewhere If you want great staff who care, beautiful weather and surroundings, then try this out!

My girlfriend and I just recently returned from a great week at this resort. For one of the less expensive options we found while looking for our trip, we were both completely satisfied with our experiences. Nearly an hour ride to get from the Santiago airport to the resort, but as you go through the Cuban countryside with mountains and landscape all around, the bus ride seems very quick. The staff at the resort were all excellent, without a single issue in that regard. We enjoy how the resort has plenty of shrubs and greenery all throughout, something neither of us had seen at a cuban resort before. The food was as good as you'd expect in Cuba, so we were content with that, and we found the Cuban a la carte to be exceptional. The rooms were not exactly beautiful, but they served their purpose with beds and a washroom, and a mini fridge. The beach had a good amount of seaweed in the water, but also clear patches of sand to wander into the water. Aside from the seaweed in the water, the beach itself is beautiful. Something else to make note of is the amount of dogs and cats on the resort. We are animal lovers so we enjoyed their company, but if you aren't, it is something to be mindful of with this resort. In conclusion, considering the price of this resort compared to others, we found the value to be incredible. While we might look to spend slightly more next year in hopes of a better room and beach, we certainly got more than what we paid for and expected with our visit here.

This is a great resort for 3stars for easy going and not-picky travellers. If you are travelling because you want sun and beach, but also a coral by shore full of fish and sea life, then great spot! The hotel is older, and not at it’s full peak in maintenance. You will come across broken path ways and some worn areas. Some public bathrooms don’t have toilet seats so I used my rooms bathroom primarily. The staff do a wonderful job at cleaning but I blame other guests for being messy and inconsiderate. Please understand that the staff are all lovely hard working Cubans that put up with lots of drunk people. I did my best to tip and show appreciation and it was always rewarded in turn. The room was basic but I liked the high ceilings and AC. We always had warm water and only experienced a water shortage after a night black out stopped the resorts pump. It returned to normal flow hours later with little inconvenience as the resort provided bottle water. Only got bit by mosquitoes from vent into bathroom. We enjoyed the Disco and Isreal the dj was a great entertainer. The food was a decent selection for a 3 star. We thought the staff did a great job of keeping it clean and tasty. We really were happy to have guava, plantains, bananas and beach coconut. We didn’t feel sick at all and it’s the first resort that the water was safe to drink. We did stick to bottled bar water for most the time. The pool was very clean all the time, on the beach water gear and boats were always available day hours. The beach is rougher white sand, coral and weedy. But cleared areas by the shore still should wear water shoes. Snorkeling was great and easy to swim to and saw lot’s of sea life! All in all, great experience but definitely for seasoned travellers who know that despite the embargo the Cubans offer great service as hosts. We plan on continuing our yearly vacation to Cuba, and would return to this hotel if returning to Santiago region. Im giving it a 5 star rating because we didn’t want to leave! It is a personal rating regardless of some of it’s faults.

Our first impression of this hill side resort as we climbed the 100 steps to our room was, "Great view, we gotta change rooms to a lower floor!" The following morning, thanks to Mercedes at the front desk, we were moved to an ocean view room a short, downhill, walk to the beach. The view was stellar! The beach isn't soft powder white sand, it's a bit gritty with some fair sized rocks so I'd recommend swim shoes (something I didn't have). There's a shortage of beach loungers and some are in need of desperate repair, but we're not fussy and always found a shady spot under a palm tree to spend the day. We ate lunch on the beach each day so I have no idea what the lunch buffet was like The food, overall, was good but repetitive and for some reason there wasn't any cheese. We were told by a long stay guest there was cheese two weeks ago but none now. Reason unknown. The bars occasionally did not have certain drinks, so if you're a fan of Cuba Libres or pina coladas you were out of luck some days. However: you could drink the tap water at this resort!! Yes it's true. We did and NO ill affect and I can say that my partner usually gets some gastro trouble in Cuba but not this time. Our room was very clean and well kept but dated. So to sum up: dated resort, amazing location, wonderful staff, centrally located to Santiago and Chivirico (shopping, sightseeing). A lower end 3 star resort BUT we met so many retirees that book long stays (10+ weeks) that definitely says something about the resort staff and location. I would recommend this hotel for budget-minded travellers and those who enjoy venturing off the resort to truly get a feel for Cuba. If you are looking for a luxurious all-inclusive stay in a bubble Brisas Sierra Mar isn't for you. If you want to EXPERIENCE Cuba, not just visit,this resort is for you. My partner and I enjoyed our vacation and will go back again. But I know my friends, and they'd expect more than Brisas Sierra Mar had to offer which is the ONLY reason I answer "No, I would not recommend this hotel to a friend." I would recommend this hotel to travellers who want to know the real Cuba and its people.

I really like this resort. It’s small and intimate. The rooms are average as is the food, but it’s Cuba. The staff are some of the nicest people. I’ve been before and will go back again. If you want a relaxing vacation of sun, beach and pool this is a great place

We (as a couple) have been on this small resort 5 times and love it. Great people, great service, great beach and amazing snorkeling !!! Los Corales Hotel is great but Carisol area needs some renovation.

We love this place. A small resort,quiet and relaxing.The staff was anazing.This was our third time at the resort. We met fantastic people and will definitely return next year.?We were a little disappointed that the bogeguita restaurant was closed

Fantastic, friendly staff and a beautiful view of the ocean. We enjoyed snorkeling, seeing the sights and even did some hiking while there. Although we stayed in the older section of the resort our room was clean, comfortable and gave us all we needed for our stay. Our housekeeping staff Cecilia was amazing. One week just wasn’t enough time to see all that we wanted but it was a great vacation!!!

This is the second time we have been to Los Galeones. If you want to party all the time, this place might not be for you. If you want a quiet place with friendly staff beautiful weather and a great chance to make life long friends, This is a great place. It is not a new Resort but very clean. The food was always plentiful and good tasting, they even BBQ’D a whole pig one night. The staff are amazing, they really look after you well. When we returned this year they greet you like long lost friends. There are goats that come every day for a visit and a drink. The place is fantastic if you just want to relax. The climb down to the beach is not as hard as the climb back up ( 300 steps) but most people can do it and spend a lovely day by the sea with a made to order lunch if you wish, a bar, shower and washroom facilities. Most people who come here return year after year, we might too.

Only problem was the 2 hour wait at the airport in Santiago while lost luggage was dealt with before we could drive to the resort.(February 19)While waiting for the plane to take off in Toronto I saw luggage being off loaded and other bigger pieces like bicycle boxes put on..about 20 pieces of luggage were left behind.This has happened to us before at Santiago. Sunwing needs to get their act together.This reminds me to write a complaint to them!!

Love this resort It's are go to place, The friendliest there and always see familiar faces Its to be recognized by some of the staff. Been to other resorts in Cuba but this one pulls at my Heart strings, I have no desire to visit any other resort in Cuba, the scenery will take your breath away

Had a great week. Have been to this resort a few times but noticed this time they have put a lot of work into addressing issues of concern. Definitely cant go wrong for the price. Great and friendly staff.

The hotel needs work, there are definite maintenance issues. Service overall is good. Sadly, my largest compliant would be the large amount of Cuban nationals that enter the hotel now. They have little too no respect or regard for anyone! They act terribly to be honest . Many of us (visitors) have been mistreated, and left disappointed.The staff seem to have little to no control over this. I do not recommend booking at high holiday times eg : christmas, st valentine.

I’ve been many places in Cuba and I keep returning to Sierra Mar because of its location. The mountains are beautiful. I cycle early every morning and return to the resort before it gets too hot and before breakfast ends. No Cuban hotel is perfect and there are challenges. Food is fine but it’s a country dealing with a blockade from the most powerful country in the world, now in the hands of a vindictive leader so it’s limited in its selection. Fruits and vegetables must be acquired locally and must be in season. Don’t expect avocado and kiwi. Having said this, they should have guava and bananas but they only have it once in a blue moon. Rooms are fine. I’ve been given an ocean view room. Service depends on individuals; some are great at it, others don’t give a damn. Great beach to walk and swim. It’s safe to wander. Take a trip to Santiago, either on your own or with an organized group. Cigars sold by locals are not banana leaves as some may tell you. They may not be the brand the label says but they are Cuban cigars. Cubans need everything from electrical outlets to bicycle tires. Bring something to give away, not only toiletries and pencils. Both Sunwing and Air Transat are fine. Got stranded by both because of mechanical issues but Air Transat put us up in hotels instead of sleeping on the terminal floor. Weekends are busy with Cuban customers but there’s space for everybody. It might be a good time to book an excursion.

This resort is very plain with no bells and whistles but like many resorts the staff were fantastic. The rooms were clean and the bartenders particularly at the pool bar were so much fun. Francesco, Ivan, Dennis, Jorge and Santos were always smiling and joking making your stay more fun. My only issue was the food. not that it was bad but it was never hot. except for the soup of course, There was very little fruit, as well. I am pretty easy going but if you are a picky person then this is not the place for you.

I love the resort and all the staff and have been going here for the last 4 years. The last couple of years they have been allowing some of the more affluent Cuban families come to the resort on the weekends and this year I am afraid it was more than just on the weekends. As I said I love Cuba and most Cubans, but I do not like the attitude of the more affluent ones that are allowed weekend passes or day passes. There are far too many and they are loud, rude and obnoxious and filthy. They throw garbage all over the resort and they pile their plates high with food in the Buffet area. No one could possibly eat the amount piled on their plates and we have seen them put large amount of food in their bags or purses to take home. This leaves a shortage of foods for the rest of us They also take cups silverware and other things out in their purses. We get up the next morning and there are no coffee cups to have coffee. They also sit at in the pool at the pool bar all day and evening and not once do I see them get out to use the bathroom, so you know what is happening in the pool while they are drinking all day and never getting off their bar stools The poor staff are run ragged trying to keep up with everyone and they are not happy with the amount that are let into the resort. I do not feel this way about all Cubans. I visited 3 villages while I was there this year, as I had brought children's clothing to help some of those in need. These families are wonderful and so appreciative for anything. They also want to give us gifts of fruits they grow there. So different from the ones they allow into the resort. I am afraid I will be looking at other Cuban resorts next year as I cannot handle this one anymore. At one time I would have recommended this resort but not anymore.

Rooms were clean, staff friendly, food was definitely better than on our previous visits. Eco ala cart restaurant was excellent as usual. There is something magical about eating outdoors, in a lovely garden, with excellent and personal service by wait staff and chef, with only 4 tables. NOT TO BE MISSED, if you have the chance.

We were in Brisas Sierra Mar February 5 to 12. Resort was as good as always (it was our 5th vacation here). First 3 days there were waves, preventing us from snorkeling, so we played volleyball in the pool 10-12 and 3-5 pm. It was fun. The last 3 days water was clear and we were snorkeling for hours each day. Food was good - lot of salmon, shrimps, calamari. Pork and chicken were very good, as always. No fruit due to problems with had in Cuba, but we traded our old clothes with fruit with local guys. Walk to the waterfall was great, we came there twice. Staff was very helpful. Ana from beach restaurant El Yarey makes best Spanish coffee. We enjoyed our vacation.

A great place with spectacular scenery. The staff is trying very hard to keep everything working properly. With no help from the Government, who runs the place, it is almost impossible. It needs work everywhere. Do not expect to get 5 stars for a 3 star price. You get what you pay for. The people that work there are all outstanding. The music around the pool area could be a little less loud, but they listen and turn it down when told. On weekends they have some Cuban Families as guests. Sometimes that is a disaster. They are throwing their garbage, empty plastic cups etc. everywhere. They are very loud and it's understandable since it probably doesn't happen often in their lives that they can stay a day with free drinks and food. Sadly, there are no salt and pepper shakers left after their visits and forks and knifes also disappear. One of the bartenders went all over the place to find 2 glasses because he is responsible for them. If missing, he has to pay for them. There are shortages everywhere, but that is Cuba. The people working at Brisas go out of their way to please the guests. We missed the fresh fruit that we had in the past. It's almost gone. Even Bananas and oranges are in short supply lately. Fish very rare. Papayas we had on only three days in four weeks. The wine and beer is good.

The Brisas Sierra Mar is in a lovely location and the weather is warmer at this time of year than the more northern resorts in Cuba which we have also visited. The people are friendly and as resourceful as they can be. The embargoes placed on them by the US have created shortages. The food is average and adequate but we return there because of the weather and feeling safe even outside the resort. There was a problem with people reserving beach chairs- even the evening before. The music was great and there were lots of activities if one wished to participate. We went to salsa dance on the wrong day and one of the animators found someone who gave us a shortened lesson simply as a goodwill measure. We had many wonderful hikes through the countryside. There were seven of us and we were well looked after by the staff so we had a lovely time at the resort.

The hotel is dated but very relaxing. Great showers, clean towels every day, good variety of food at buffet, great beach nd good snorkling. Second time there and will be returning again because of the weather. Nice guests from all different places. Staff friendly and great music. Sunwing reps need to be more informative at info sessions concerning things-ex: can you drink the water? , excursions, money exchange. etc. Will be returning next year !!!

The hotel itself is situated I'm a very nice piece of property overlooking the ocean the beach was good some weedy spots but you and navigate around them. When area of improvement will certainly be the beach chairs there was never enough of them and they look like the original chairs from when the resort was built in 1991! The food was good and overall the service was also good. I would come back here

The grounds and surrounding area were beautiful! The hotel was very dated and beds and pillows not the best. Live music was frequent and excellent! There was a shortage of beach chairs which was the cause of some fighting among guests. Overall, the place would benefit from better management to ease tensions among guests. The beach was very nice and the staff were excellent. I would give the resort a 3 star rating.

Our 3rd visit to this resort. We were pleased with almost everything - food and drinks were good, friendly personnel as usual. However, we have one huge complaint about the beach chairs (so did many of the other guests). Firstly, there are not enough chairs for the guests, and the chairs that they do have, half of them are broken or at the point of being unusable. It is very disappointing that nothing has changed with the awful chair situation since our first visit to this resort three years ago. If we would recommend this hotel to anyone, it would have to be with a warning about the lack of chairs on the beach.

This was my 5th time at this resort. As opposed to my past visits, this resort has slid a little downhill, figuratively speaking. There were nowhere near enough beach lounge chairs on the beach causing people to come down just after sunrise to put their possessions on chairs to reserve them. This did not always work. There was no orange juice, often no mango juice, no lettuce, often no cucumbers. However, there was a good variety of meats, root vegetables, and breads. One major change that affects smokers is the sudden change from allowing smoking almost everywhere to forbidding smoking in all rooms and at the main lounge. I understand that there are many people who do not smoke and who have difficulty with the contaminated air. However, they could have gone half way with smoking and non-smoking rooms and public areas.

The place didn’t improve much since our last visit. We had some repairs done ( fallen head board, broken light switches) turning the light on head board fell down bruising my right hand. It took couple days to have it fixed. The last night we had rain water leaking on the hallway floor. BUT, nothing can beat the weather ! Very nice nightly entertainment. Very loud music by the pool .

This was my third stay at carousel Corrales resort I was there two years ago in a Junior suite and requested the same great room everything works although water pressure could be a bit low at times! Weather was wonderful very windy which I liked :) snorkeling was good beach clean! some food seem to be in short supply the first week such as cheese and fruitBut it improved !the tienda was out of beer Juice vodka liquers water which was something new I didn’t use the pool but it looked clean À la cart restaurant wonderful for fish as was the Palapas style lunch hut And both restaurants have great outdoor eating area’s with evening music groups coming into play during dinnerBike rental available but bikes in bad shape free Saturday bus to Santiago wonderful nearby villages to visit Plenty of dogs around plus mules and horses grazing on the lawn at carrisol Plenty of manure too :-)Lots of Canadians seniors Cubans on the weekend and some families With preschool or school-age kids

First the airline. Sunwing plays with Canadian luggage. Our flight they lost nine bags the longest mine six days with no bathing suit only one pair of shorts one t shirt and no sandals. Oh compensation they give you a Visa card with money on it but only at store in hotel and in town but since your name was not on it could not use. I am 6 ft 7 in 285 lbs,they had nothing I could buy and card expired in 8 days,and elite ,you paid extra for this and luggage was to be first off. I had so much stress from all of this I had a heart attack. Next the resort needs lots of work to be done but they do not do it. When Cubans came on weekend they stole cutlery,salt and pepper shakers plates glasses it was endless. They would even pick up food out of buffet then put it back. The weekends suck there was slime on top of water in pool. So bad would not go in pool. Will NEVER fly sunwing again,very disappointed. Good deal not to good hotel.

I wish I was able to give a good review! After doing my online check in the night before we arrived at Toronto Airport at 6:30 am with boarding passes in hand believing 90 minutes was plenty of time to check bags for 8 am take off . The park and fly bus never came to get us for 45 minutes and we were turned away from our flight ✈️ never again will I book with tripcentral or sunwing

This resort is worth the visit. Set on the top of a hill overlooking the town of Chivirico and the ocean. The views from any rooms are breathtaking. Goats will visit and drink from the pool on occasion. Food is exceptional!! Very clean resort. The staff will accommodate your needs,,,,,just have to ask. Take a flashlight with you and walk down the hill after dinner and visit the town of Chivirico.

I have stayed at this hotel many times. It is small and convenient as to places to eat, change money, find a cab. The accommodation is basic but always very clean. Breakfasts are good,though not extensive in variety. This time, the rooms were updated with new curtains and bedspreads. The reason I choose this hotel is that it is one of the few city hotels that has a pool, and is still reasonably close to the centre. However, both the pool area and the reception area were absolutely rammed with local day visitors, meaning that other than one's own room, there was nowhere to relax and read in quiet. The pool area was overcrowded, very noisy with drunken visitors and screeching children. The Melia, across the road , offers a beautiful pool where one can go instead, CUC 18 including your lunch, if you wish. But double the price to stay there. I was there during New Year week, (school holidays) so possibly at other times this would not be such a problem.

Nice resort beautiful scenery and very relaxing the staff we're very friendly and very helpful , the rooms were a little bit outdated but work out ok. The service and the food was amazing overall I give it a four out of five would definitely recommend the Resort

This was my second visit to this property since 7 years ago. The buildings are old and in disrepair. The roofs are leaking in many places. I guess nobody repaired them since the hurricane Sandy a few years ago. If you'll need repairs, be persistent but polite. It will take some time, though. The lagune at the entrance of the hotel is very dirty with garbage floating on the top. Really an eye sore for the hotel. I noticed it first as arrived to te hotel. The food is quite good and tasty; good presentation, the buffet well stocked and replenished frequently with small portions. I would give the chef and the lady in charge for food service a credit. Really well organized. Good food control. The gym is dysfunctional. The machines are disconnected most of the time and to find the stuff to reconnect them is a hassle. Coffee at the 24.hour bar is excellent and the stuff supper. We had some problems with the water, mainly the pumps broke down and the spare part was hard to come by. There are no phones in the rooms. The bottle of water in the store cost 65c CUC. This is the chipest price I payed anywhere in Cuba. On the 24 of Dec., there was dinner fiest the grande. It was really fantastic. The stuff is pleasant and accommodating. I might return to this place sometime in the future.

This hotel provided a picturesque view of the ocean and town of Chivirico. Pool is extremely well kept and sparkling clean. The food was the best surprise!! It was like having your own personal chef at each meal. Staff are exceptional. Would book this resort over and over again.

Beautiful hotel grounds. Very clean with a pleasant atmosphere. This is my second time at this resort which I was looking forward to the same great experience I previously had with my partner. However, I was disappointed with the everyday same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner for seven days. The staff was great. We got a great room with a huge balcony overseeing the Caribbean Sea.

Great people, warm, attentive and responsive. Weather was perfect and snorkeling was fantastic! Someone wrote on a previous review that los corales was like a mini- Jibacoa and they were right! We went with our elderly parents and they enjoyed themselves as the beach is clean and the waves gentle enough to allow for them to get in the water and look at the fish right off the beach just a few feet into the water! 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙

Below average hotel in a good location, 3 out of 7 days they didn’t have beer in the outside bar , everyone in hotel would ask you to give them your cellphone, shoes hat , and if you say no they will be rude to you for rest of your stay, is better to stay in private home so the staffs will stop hustling you!

good food ,good entertainment, great staff from the managers to the cleaning staff. beautiful scenery. great for a reasonable price get way, you could spend more money but it has everything you need sun, sand, good food and great staff.

Rooms are clean and showers worked great. Grounds are clean and well maintained. Food was good only complaint was no jam for toast in morning and no bacon all week. Dogs are loose on resort but so well behaved you really dont know they are there. They were a nice touch. Shows were ok only saw a couple as they start at 930 and usually going to bed as I'm an early riser. Drinks are basic at this time of year as they are shutting down for season but service was excellent and everyone so kind. This is our 2nd time at this resort and for quiet and relaxation one of the best places.

I’ve been to this resort before but it has been a while. The place is still very nice. The beach is gorgeous and the view of the mountains doesn’t get better. And getting a $10 CUC massage on the beach is so worth it. It’s a relatively small resort which I appreciate. The only downfall is the food. But it’s Cuba. I don’t go expecting to eat like a king.

This was my first time to this resort. The resort itself is very outdated and the rooms need an upgrade but they work with what they have and my room was clean and tidy. The first room we were given had no shelving in the bathroom, no blankets, rotten food in the fridge and the safe was ripped out of the wall. I was moved to a new room the next day with no problems. The hotel clerks were very helpful. The overall experience of all the staff and servers was wonderful. Everyone is very nice and they try to make you feel welcome. I have been to other resorts in Cuba and I found the food at this resort much better. The pool is cleaned everyday. I stayed away from the beach area due to the sand fleas and seeing all the hurt dogs and cats broke my heart. I went to this resort for some relaxation in the sun and that's exactly what I got! The views at this resort are amazing.

Nice rooms.Very clean resort.Staff very friendly staff.I would say mostly older couples.Beach was grey sand also very small not a great beach for long walks.Lobby bar had excellent musical entertainment.

People were absolutely marvelous. Breakfast was superb. Evening meals very good. Grounds well kept. Too bad the pool was not in operation as would have been great we think. Room was clean, quiet and reasonable size.

Friendly staff, tasty freshly made food even though repetitive Clean rooms, bed mats not very comfortable, loud air-conditioning Nice views from the whole resort, possibility to see domestic animals, perfect for people who like small hotels with a family like feel Nice sandy beach with trees, chairs, swimming and snorkeling 300 steps to the beach Live music everyou night Not for people who like disco, loud crowds and parties

My family has been many times to cuba and have never been dissapointed. This vacation was no exception. For an older resort (charming one), the grounds were always impeccable and clean. The staff is awesome....polite, helpfull, and just plain nice. As with all resorts in cuba, the food was fine. Although this buffet was smaller then most, it was surprisingly tasty. I actually enjoyed dishes that i don't normally eat, so the quality impressed me. The rooms are large and are very clean. Beds were surprisingly comfortable, and sleep was never an issue. Beaches....well, your in cuba...so enough said. Excursion are great...as this is a very mountainous area, some excursions allow you a private meal at the top of a mountain and sleep over in a hut....breathtaking Everything functioned...i.e. hot water, fridge, air con...ect.. I would return in a heartbeat, just like the rest of cuba If you have never been to cuba, keep your expectations in check, and you will never be disappointed.

We recently stayed at this resort and it was “ok”. While the rooms were clean and the staff was good. The resort overall was run down and the food selection was horrible. We all ended up on Imodium on day 3 for the remainder of our stay. The so called Al la carts restaurant was basically non existent. Holus Sun Tours flies into Holguín which means a 3.5 hour transfer to resort. On the way home the pick was way to early and we arrived at the airport 4 hours prior to departure which was too early to even check our bags

This was my 6th visit to Carisol Los Corales. It just keeps getting better! The staff are wonderful, and the grounds are always improving. I always have a wonderful room, with an amazing room attendant. It is always kept clean. Can't wait to go back!

This was my 4th visit and this resort did not disappoint. Always something good to eat. Lots of entertainment. Snorkelling off the beach was great. Rooms were in good condition. Staff always friendly and helpful

Staff was amazing from the front desk and serving staff right to the grounds and maintenance staff. My feet had swelled due to the flight and a staff member (Quality Assurrance Representatve, a very lovely and caring lady who happened to be having a coffee in the lobby) noticed and was very helpful with her personal remedy lotion, expecting and accepting nothing in return. Great improvements have happened around the grounds. We did miss having pig on the spit but were happy to see the Johnny walker and fire breather shows. Entertainer Julio was awesome and actually thanked us for returning during his nightly introduction of the show. We went on the Sunwing Santiago de Cuba complementary trip, Julio as the guide gave a very detailed history of Cuba, and we enjoyed the fort as well as the cemetery where mother and father of Cuba, Fidel Castro and the Bacardi family are laid to rest, along with the changing of the guard ceremony, which was fantastic. The balance of the trip was in the heart of the city where we mingled fairly comfortably and ended up at the Casa Grande rooftop patio for a cervesa and enjoyed the panoramic view of the bustling city. Our pool bartenders and lifeguard, Francisco and Ivan, were absolutely amazing and could not have made us feel more welcome. With only an hour or two of rain all week and a steady temp of around 30 all week, Sanitiago de Cuba never disappoints. We feel overall good value and lovely small resort.

great nature and great warm water perfect for snorkling fod is decent and rooms are good serviceos ok too. so many returner in this resort only thing i would like is more activity and more local music

The Hotel was good, we wanted another bed for my son and it was arranged immediately. The rooms were cleaned well, water pressure excellent, hot water always available, public bathrooms well-maintained. Staff were very friendly, never obnoxious or assuming. Food was excellent, great choices, including meatless, always available. Fruit - great variety! The beach equipment (peddle-boats, etc. always accessible and in good condition). The only problem I had was the bugs on the beach, - regretted not taking the insect repellent with us. Water shoes is a must for that beach, as there are some urchins, etc. in the water, - great snorkelling though!

We first went to Brisas Sierra Mar in April 2015. At that time, the hotel was in a bit of disrepair: they had been hit hard from hurricane Sandy (IIRC?!?) a few years earlier, and the resort showed some signs of decay. Pool was in need of repair, rooms A/C went down, water interruptions, etc. Upon returning this year (2019), we found the place to have been significantly repaired, with the pool liner redone, new coats of paint all around, and as always the grounds were well maintained and the modest beach well manicured. We took daily hikes and bike rides, enjoyed snorkeling and swimming, attended a fiesta in the town below the resort, and in general enjoyed the atmosphere. The only slip-up was the water pump failed the morning of our departure. In Cuba, these things happen. One has to accept the infrastructure is old, and in general, never gets updated or upgraded. That said, a very minor inconvenience throughout s week’s stay. The staff were very kind and helpful. On the south shore, this resort has the best food - 4 years ago, and this year as well. We have been disappointed many times elsewhere, but Brisas Sierra Mar consistently had the best food we have experienced on the southern shore 5 times now. BTW - there are ‘shortages’ in Cuba: the situation with Venezuela and Chavez’s death has caused ‘trade’ problems, and no known solutions have been worked out as yet. Hopefully Cubans can see a better future with their prospects, and some element of predictability and sustainability comes out of it. Tourism appears to be their ‘golden egg’, and supports a ton of Cubans, on and off the resort. Please tip generously: the staff work hard, and they desperately need your tips to assist in making daily ends meet. We go to Cuba for their traditional music and dance, and are rarely disappointed. The shows on site are good, and the music, dancers, magicians and entertainers are well-rehearsed and are performing at a high level. The only downside is lack of PA/mics etc for singers (off the main-stage, but regarding acoustic performers around the resort) - unless they are very strong vocalists, they tend to be drowned out by percussion, and the odd instrumentalist (tres/violin/electric guitar) that bring an amp to the gig. To keep the playing field level, the singers deserve a mic, or the instrumentalists should forget amplification. They’ve been doing it acoustically for centuries - why re-invent the wheel? All in all, we really enjoy our time at this resort, and most likely we will return here. Absolutely stunning scenery, sunsets and sunrises, and the staff are the best we’ve encountered in all of the southern Cuba destinations we’ve been to. NOTE: if you travel to Cuba, PLEASE - bring a big flight case and fill the extra space with: shoes, kids clothing, adult clothing, and VERY IMPORTANT - BICYCLE TUBES AND/OR TIRES. Used 26/175 standard issue tires and tubes are like gold to the Cubans. Please, do what you can to help these people with some very basic items. Cheers, and happy travels!

This was my second stay at this resort. This stay we had a bungalow facing the ocean! It was beautiful. The pool bar bartenders are the most friendly, fun bartenders you could ask for. Food is decent for Cuba, eggs and buffet for breakfast , pizza and pasta available at lunchtime as well as buffet and grill. Buffet and grill at dinner time. Showers were hot, although not much pressure. Wifi is available in the lobby. Would definitely recommend this resort to others, really can’t be beat for the price of it.

This hotel is in a gorgeous wild location - just ocean and mountain views, hence the name. Lots of amenities and activities, great food and thoughtful little additions to the experience. Snorkelling, hiking to waterfalls, cycling, sea kayaking all make for a well rounded vacation.

Impossible to swim at beach. Only knee high water. Several swimmers had cuts on their feet due to stones and broken shells. Travellers should be advised beforehand that they MUST take water slippers with them. There was NO internet availability and this created a lot of frustration amongst the guests who wanted to keep in touch with their families at home and know what's going on in the world. The hotel staff and food were excellent and the grounds were very nice. Very difficult and expensive to arrange travel into Santiago de Cuba. The HOLA travel reps at the hotel seemed to be not interested in collaborating and talking with the guests.

I had an amazing time! This is definitely not a 5 star hotel by any means. But the place is clean, the staff are friendly. The staff take the time to get to know you and are always smiling. The locals are fantastic people to spend time with off the resort. Cant wait until we go there again!!

We arrived at the hotel ready for a great week. Well it started off not so great. They did not have our reservation so we were moved to the adjoining resort. We were suppose to have adjoining rooms, we ended up being 5 bungalows apart. We were upset at first but We made the best of it with what was given to us. The pools were great the beach was nice. Some seaweed but there were areas we could swim. But what made our trip was the wonderful entertainment staff. These 6 men got us involved in everything. Made sure we were happy the whole entire time. They started at 10am and were right there at the disco till 2am. Those men would be the only reason we would return to this resort. The food was the usual for Cuba. I didnt starve. Fruit, eggs, and pizza and pasta.

We have been to Cuba 12 times and fully understand the economic profile of the country. We are usually very patient and have never made a complaint about any of the resorts........until now. The Carisol los Corales on the Club Amigo side needs to be investigated and shut down. So many lies on their webside it's hard to decide where to begin. First of all the resort is not a 3 star... It barely makes a 2. It is not 1/2 an hour from the airport... It's over an hour (depending how much livestock is on the road). The food at this resort is the same every day ! Some of the staff are nice...the rest act like they hate their jobs. No phones in the rooms. No smoke detector or wall lights in our room. My daughter was verbally assaulted on 2 accounts..My wife both verbally and physically assaulted. There is a prostitution ring run at the resort (not sure if the resort controls it but they stand by and watch it happen). My 14 year old daughter's verbal assault assault came in the form of a sexual proposition made by one of the resort staff. He tried to lure her back to his room/accommodation. We spoke to numerous other guests at this resort and had a variety of other complaints themselves. One couple had no water the entire week they were there. Nor would their room door stay shut even when they locked it. Most of the grounds and pathways are unlit and a number of people took falls on the uneven surfaces. In conclusion we cannot in good faith recommend this resort and are even considering contacting our lawyer to try and get a full refund at the very least.

While the resort may seem a touch run down, the rooms have a lovely view of the Carribean from their balconies and staff and music more than make up for the lack of maintenance and occasional problems with the elevators. This is a place where many can have extended stays and build lasting relationships. Overall - a wonderful time!!

This would not be the resort most people would like.If you want luxury accomadations,excellent food,lots of activities,white sand beach you wouldn't come here. If you want friendship,adventure, relaxation and the best weather and the most beautiful scenery this is the place to come. I have been here 9 times and each time has been a different experience.The staff are amazing,All the little hitches make it part of the experience.?Will the elevator work this year.What food will or will not be available?This is the adventure and if you bring a bike (leave for someone)you can explore the villages around and cycle being perfectly safe.Great cycling with a challenge on hills. Take a chance and visit this resort.I will certainly be returning next year.What adventure awaits me!!!!!!!!!

Before visiting Carisol Los Corales, I had read probably over 200 reviews to prepare myself. A lot of the reviews had me extremely worried - from bad food, to tons of mosquitoes and even one guy complaining they didn't have pepper. I was honestly amazed by how wonderful everything was for the cheap price we paid. Myself and those I traveled with were honestly questioning how they even make money with how much we received for our money spent. The entertainment they had scheduled was absolutely fantastic. There's such a wide range of food available that it's impossible to not find a lot of things you'll like - but the part that I think most people have trouble with is trying new things. I had read reviews and heard verbal reviews from family and friends stating that you do not go to Cuba for the food or the desserts, but I was amazed to find that I thoroughly enjoyed almost everything. Their ice cream is in my opinion better than most in Canada, and their beef stew was DELICIOUS - and that's coming from a girl who grew up on a beef cattle farm. They had a wide range of excursions available for the visitors, so you don't just sit at the resort the whole time - although I kind of wish I spent more time sitting at the resort because it was absolutely beautiful. There are pools with pool bars that you can swim up to on both sides of the resort. The ocean in between is fantastic. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. It was rare to see any unhappy visitors (I only saw one lady who was grumpy, but I think she was just a naturally grumpy old lady). The only thing I honestly had a hard time with was all the animals - a lot of them are healthy and happy, but a lot of the dogs do have fleas and other clear issues. There was one dog who clearly had mange, and another extremely skinny cat who I believe had worms. I found out recently that there are a lot of people looking out for her though, and she received treatment, cleaning and healthy food etc. I would recommend bringing whatever you can to help the animals (healthy treats, medication of any sort) especially if you are an animal lover. I could go on and on but those are the basics. The resort is beautiful and I'd definitely visit again, I'd just be more prepared next time. :) P.S. There is pepper, it's just white pepper. I wasn't bit by bugs at all, even without wearing any sort of bug repellent at any point.

Visa NOT accepted at the hotel as shown in the tripcentral info sheet. Almost ran out of money. Room assigned without consultation while on the bus Oceanview room stipulated, not provided. Our room overlooked the main hotel and parking lot. Earplugs used. Five flights of stairs, no elevator. Upon arrival, asked for a different room, as we have mobility issues. Front desk staff rudely rejected our request, both upon arrival and the next morning. They actually argued that you could see the ocean if we craned our necks and looked real hard. We have been to Cuba a number of times and recognize that it is usually a bargain priced destination. The specific hotel incurred significant damage during hurricane Sandy and repairs have not been completed, which we understand completely, given the realities of Cuba. Call for more detail.

This hotel offered a wide variety of food. The hotel staff are so very friendly and helpful. The pool is in good condition and well maintained by the pool staff. The rooms are comfortable and always kept extremely clean.

For a center town hotel, it is amazingly accessible to many of the museums and attraction places in Santiago de Cuba, If you like to walk. The staffs are very helpful and professional. The room was clean and bed comfortable. The breakfast was very good with a variety of meal for every taste. The only thing, the coffee was not strong enough for those of us who like strong coffee. However when request espresso was promptly serve.

I am repeat guest at Costa Morena. No issues at all. Good food and cold beer was always at your finger tip. Clean Swimming pool. Clean rooms.. I would go there again. The lobby bar is always crowded. Not enough tables and chairs. Lobby Bar has to have ceiling fans, very hot at all times. The price is right. Cheers

Great great service and experience amazing Beach people. people working at the reception desk extremely helpful spoke well English. I greatly enjoyed Cuban people and their great and respectful attitude towards me.

The hotel was immaculately clean and the staff were unbelievably respectful and kind. The rebuilding of this resort after all of the years of storms was impressive and said a great deal about the pride of the Cuban people. We were catered to with everything we could possibly ask for; good food, great cooks and waiters/waitresses. Great room, fantastic bar tenders and unbelievable entertainers and entertainment staff. I fell in love with Nora, Houlio, Jesus, George and so many others, too many to name them all. I do believe that I left part of my heart in Cuba.

The grounds are very nice and the setting is very pretty. Staff is friendly and helpful. Beds are a bit hard and unforgiving. Water sports are very good. Sailing trip on the small catamaran was wonderful. It was hard to get a reservation for the a la carte restaurants. Entertainment was okay - the walks and hikes were very good. The repeat customer event had good entertainment but the dinner could be improved.

This was a great resort food was good shows were good people were great and the view was amazing. We did run out of internet cards but had more bye the end of the week. If you want a quiet week with lots to do this is the place

The people were older quiet the view was amazing and staff were great, would go back for sure my wife would love it lots to do and food was good a little short on toiletries nearness the end. Went to san Diogo on the Cuban bus saved huge the bat cave trip well worth it as you meet people they all help you

The hotel location is amazing but poorly maintained. The hotel should invested in more gardener to clean up the place and a handy man to keep up with the structure of the building and the walkways. A lot of places are unsafe as people can fall due to hole in the sidewalk and stairs. The staff seem to be under staff as we were required to get our own fork , knife, napkins and glasses. Staff did not change the table clothes all week long. It was very uncomfortable to eat on a dirty table cloth. The bedding seem to be dirty and even after I did complained, it was partly clean. I will not return to this location. ***DO NOT PUBLISH MY REVIEW AS I JUST WANT TO GIVE BACK MY FEEDBACK***

Below average! after 4 months the pool is still closed , the breakfast used to be okay but terrible now, nothing to eat ,the only good thing about this hotel is the location nothing else! I would stay in private house next time, no point of spending the money to stay here!

Hotel was great value for the money. Enjoyable atmosphere and staff was extremely friendly. Food was good and there was plenty of variety. Hotel staff was always there to make your stay enjoyable. Entertainment staff made sure a good time was had by all

very poor beds, but great weather and views it was worth seeing , I recommend for this money. Fantastic stage performances and good rest , good trip to relax , friendly people , beach little, the water in ocean is warm and clean

We loved this resort the incredible views, the people, lush vegetation and the variety of excursions available. We had an ocean view room in the lower building and it was great...small but no issues with water or electricity or A/C. The snorkeling on the reef was amazing and not far from the resort. We liked the food...lots of chicken, pork, had roast turkey a couple of nights. The beach restaurant had limited offerings and ran out of pizza so we never got to try it. The music in the lobby was great....one group had an amazing violinist. We will definitely be going back here!

Returned customer, familiar faces all over, people staying there for up to 5 months, good budget hotel but far from everything, shortage of toilet paper this time, hotel was full in February and they had more food than usual, my place to escape winter

The hotel location is great. It is between warm sea and mountains and the views are amazing. The service and food are adequate for the money paid. The sea water was very warm at the end of January and we were swimming with grandkids in sea every day. There is an affordable horse riding service for kids. During heavy rain, our room on the first floor was flooded and we were moved fast to the second floor. Then we returned back to the first floor room after room cleaning on the next day. The water in shower was not always hot. We will go back again to this hotel as we like warm sea, mountain views and friendly service.

This was our 2nd visit to this resort, but have to admit our first visit was better. Pros: Great location & views. Services were good. As usual, personnel is friendly. Shows and musical entertainment were also good. Good selection of meat dishes, fruit and desserts. A-la-carte restaurants were very good. Cons: Buffet lacked hot/cooked vegetables. Except for breakfast, food was mostly cold or barely warm. Beach: The most disappointing was that almost half of the beach lounges were ripped/broken. On top of that, there are definitely not enough chairs on beach. The reservation of lounges must be stopped, since most of the chairs are tied together already the day before. So you dont’t get a chair even if you are down at the beach at 8:00. This would not be the case if there would be enough useable chairs for everyone. There are plenty of chairs in the pool area, so why can’t the same be said for the beach area? I go to Cuba for the sun, warmth and especially to swim in the ocean (not to sit at pool, which I can do at home), so not having a chair to sit at the beach is most frustrating. This is the main reason why I would be hesitant to return or recommend this resort.

I truly enjoyed this little Resort. It was unpretentious and yet offered some surprises. If you appreciate Cuban music then you will like all the entertainment at this hotel. There were solo musicians at lunchtime, groups in the evening, wonderfully choreographed dance groups as well as a fantastic synchronized swimming team. The entertainment was much better than at the five star resort I stayed at in December, also in Cuba. The tourists that I met at the Costa Morena were all friendly and relaxed and that is a testament to the kind of resort it is. Simple, yet giving. The only downfall is the lack of a sandy beach but people made the best of the 'natural pool'.

Just got back from one week there. Regret it was not two week stay. Very relaxing. Food very good, not much selection but what is served is delicious. Very friendly staff. Made lots of new friends. Beach worth the climb all those stairs. Excellent bar at the beach, with full lunch served daily, no problem finding long chair and shade, great swimming and snorkeling. All this makes you stay at the beach all day. Nearby village very nice and friendly. Cuban music every night. After many stays at various resorts in Cubs, first time we want to come back for another stay and we will bring friends with us.

Our stay at Brisa Sierra Mar caused mixed feelings. We decided to stay in this hotel, because 20 years earlier we admired the beautiful coral reef over there. We were using a paddle boat to get to them and snorkeled there. However, while on the trip by a boat to the coral reef, it turned out to be dead, dark and unpleasant. The reef area was like an old burial ground. Also the beach disappointed us. Twenty years ago there was a beautiful yellow sand there. Now the beach is covered with gray sand. It is probably a result of erosion once beautiful colourful coral reef. Maybe reef decays, turns into sand that is thrown on the shore. Of course, the death of the coral reef is not Cubans fault, but the higher temperature of sea water. The water in the sea was warm, but near the shore the water was not clear because of dark sand. There was an insufficient number of lounges on the beach. Many lounges were damaged although they could be repaired at small expense. Similarly with life jackets with straps and buckles broken or damaged making them impossible to use. We borrowed a two- person kayak, unfortunately one of the paddles was repaired improperly and it was difficult to use. To summarize, there was equipment for water sports but lack of maintenance did not allow us to use it with pleasure. After using a paddle boat outside the small bay at the hotel we encountered considerable plastic in the water here and there. Similarly, around the beach there were lying plastic pieces from damaged lounges. How badly the hotel needs proper maintenance was shown when the rain poured for half of the day. The corridor of the front building at the beach with ocean view windows was completely flooded with water, similarly two rooms on both ends of the corridor (they were unusable). In front of the elevators and in the hall there was deep water. We had #134 room and dirty water came out of plumbing filling the shower tray and flooding the bathroom floor. The staff was extremely nice and eager to please the holidaymakers. We went on a trip to Santiago de Cuba organized by Hola Sun. The tour guide Tania Vivar Perez was very knowledgably, could answer each of our questions and was very nice. Although we heard stories about the revolution every time we visited Cuba for last 25 years, we listened with interest to her version of it. We were very happy with the trip thanks to her. We were happy see that the hotel replaced a Cuban cutting grass with a machete in the mid day heat with free running horses which were also pleasant attraction.

OUTSTANDING SCENERY, SUPER PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE. Brisas Sierra Mar is one resort with the most repeating guests in the Caribbean's, true. People come here because they like to encounter a power failure once in a while, or serviettes instead of toilet paper, (none was available for days), or water running in to their rooms when it rains, as it happens for many years now, because the roofs need fixing badly. They come here to eat anything else but noodles, they were not available anywhere at this time, not even spaghetti. There are no ways to dry your hands in the public toilets, use your shirt. There are plugged up sinks and showers in the room, and seldom will you get warm water to shower. Bicycles are free, but almost fall apart and are somewhat dangerous to drive. There are very slippery floor tiles everywhere when it rains, and some people did break bones when they slipped and fell on them. I know of three persons while I was there. Some guests must be coming back to listen to music around the pool area that is louder then a jet taking off and just goes boom, boom, boom, boom, on and on and basically is preventing anyone from simply relaxing after lunch. Some guests are actually coming back year after year and stay for a few month. They are the tough ones and probably have hearing problems already from years gone by. The people working at the resort are outstanding and know most guests by name because of the many gifts they bring for them year after year. It is also my reason for going back there. Do not expect gourmet meals at Brisas. Food is very basic, but good. If one likes to go back in time to a more simple way of life, this is the place to go too. One can sit on the main highway for 30 minutes without having to move for a vehicle, but may be passed by some goats, pigs, a bike or a horse. What I wrote here are not complains, but simply observations, because I have been coming back to Brisas for the last 20 years and I still like it somewhat, but lately less and less because of the stupid security searches at the Santiago Airport on arrival. One has to go down a few flights of stairs to reach the beach or take an elevator that mostly doesn't work. The old one was replaced recently, but the new one seems to have the same problems. The resort is in desperate need of a major repair, overhaul and upgrade Since it is owned by Cuba this will probably never happen as this also goes for the rest of the country. The most annoying thing are the security searches at the Santiago Airport, just coming from Toronto. Everyone is going through the same procedures again as we just did on the Toronto departure. Do the Cubans think that we stop in midair to pick things up? It would be the only reason not to go back to Cuba for me, it feels degrading and absolute stupid to have to go through this procedure twice. The Cuban people are warm and open to visitors. The Cuban Government is trying everything to make life as miserable as possible to the tourists visiting their country, and that is very sad.

We just returned from a 2 week trip to Brisas Los Galeones. It has been 3 years since our last visit there. Some improvements are gradually being made to the resort ...new Westinghouse remote controlled air conditions, and new sinks in the bathrooms. As always we thoroughly enjoyed the 2 weeks and were warmly welcomed back by the staff. With only 32 rooms at the resort you will quickly meet all of the other guests and have new friends by the time you head home. The rooms are basic but clean and comfortable. Views are amazing.

It was my 5th time at Galeones...not a resort for everyone perhaps but it is laid back, quiet, and the local music is good as are the people. The Beach is 293 steps down the hill so be a little fit before you come. There are no bad rooms. The views are all good and the rooms are all the same. People have their preferences after a while. You can't reserve but you can hope! The food is fine, actually very good for me. Not in the middle of nowhere with Chivirico right there at the bottom of the hill. Be prepared for a culture shock. We have so much and they don't.

Very clean, tasty food, good service, furniture needs some repairs. Friendly people very interesting and catchy entertainment well organized excursions. Like the chances of using the bicycles , paddle boats, kayaks and interesting snorkeling. Certainly would like to come back , for a longer stay.

Explicably clean in all areas of resort including public washrooms. The grounds were beautiful. Lovely vegetation everywhere. The restaurant buffet was huge and we loved the buns from the homemade bun and bread area. The food was average and we didn't try everything because we were not sure what the ingredients were. I wanted to try out the al la carte restaurants but it didn't happen. The pool was a lot of fun. We played volleyball with friends and enjoyed their swim up bar. Lots of lounge chairs around the pool and plenty of room. You didn't feel that you were right up against the next person. I was disappointed in our room. The closet doors kept getting stuck and were difficult to open and close easily. It was immaculate clean and the chamber maids did a great job of making sure we had everything we needed. Wonderful view of the ocean from the second floor balcony. Who spends much time in their bedroom anyway! Every night we listened to entertainment in the overly large lobby that was open to the fresh night air. We had spanish coffees at the lobby bar and sat in comfortable couches and chairs. They have to repair those elevators though. They broke down the day we checked out with all our luggage, but had staff right there available to carry our luggage up three flights of stairs to the lobby. One week went by quickly. We will definitely return here for two weeks.