My new favorite place!!

from the minute you step on this resort, you already feel welcomed from the staff. the grounds are kept clean and beautiful. the rooms are typical of Cuba but as long you remember that you are only in them to shower and sleep, you will be fine (it actually cured my shoulder pain!! lol) the main star attraction is the beach!! it was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to and not at all crowded!! the food was really good and never the restaurant hungry! loved the pasta station!! eve [... read more]ryone super friendly and appreciated every little thank you gift you left for them. our flights were even great - both ways!! I would, without hesitation, book here again!!

Best vacation

Class A service throughout the entire resort, we had an amazing vacation. I have already recommended the resort to several of my colleagues. We will make this a yearly vacation as we dont want to entertain going anywhere else.

Had a great time.

A good hotel and great location. The beach was excellent as well as the snorkeling. Meals at the a-la-cartes were good, especially the French. We also enjoyed a $15 lobster dinner. We did miss the animation team, did not see them once during our stay.

Fun time had by all

I have been to Cuba 7 times and have stayed all over mainly in Varadero. This was our first time in Hogin. The Hotel Sol Rio de Luna y Mares was excellent. the food was good and the rooms were clean and well kept up for Cuba. This resort like all resorts had the man made shade umbrellas on the beach, but what I loved was all the shade trees on the beach. The Hogin region was beautiful with rolling hills & greenery. The Cuban people are always friendly and happy to help you in any way. The only p [... read more]art of this trip I didn't really care for was the little airport in Hogin. Long line ups, luggage took forever to get to us. But hey if that is the worst thing to happen on a vacation in Beautiful Cuba well then that's okay. Love this beautiful country and the people.

February 19/2016 1 week

rooms need updating also bathrooms are old looking but clean. room had excellent view, beds mattress were excellent, grounds and beach very scenic, long beach with good safe swimming, many steep steps from main pool to ocean could be a concern for some people.lots of act things to due at this resort, excellent entertainment

Great location

excellent beach and pool area, lobby, bars and restaurants were good, food in the buffet restaurant was ok, a little more variety would be nice, personnel and service was very good, the one thing which needs help was our room (2049), everything in there was old, shower was terrible and the coffeemaker has not worked in a long time. Sol/Melia should spend a little to update the place

Great resort

We've been to Cuba 7 times now, and this resort did not disappoint. The location is what really makes this place special. Up on a cliff overlooking the ocean, you can see the water from most vantage points. We go to Cuba for it's beaches, and don't stay by the pool. However, the almost infinity-like view from the main pool area is great. The resort is a combination of two previous resorts (Luna and Mares) and this makes it more interesting IMO. If you've been to Cuba before and stayed at 4+ star [... read more] resorts, the food and drink selection is on par. The buffet can be busy at times, as it is the only one available for the whole resort. We found the al a carte restaurants to be good. The beach area is quite exceptional. Great sand, very little coral for the most part and lots of shade to be found. We stayed near a beach bar that had also had a restaurant for lunch which was quite convenient. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and would return.

Very Good Trip

My wife and I went to Sol Rio de Luna y mares last week of January, and found the resort very good, for an older resort they keep the property is very well maintained and picturesque, the beach was great, and the overall service was very good. would go there again if the oportunity came up.

Nice resort, beautiful view

Very nice resort with a beautiful well maintained beach. Like most all-inclusive resorts the buffet gets a little repetitive but the food is pretty good with lots of choices. Staff is very friendly. Some of the entertainment was less than impressive but there were plenty of other things to do.

Great beach---always lots of chairs; great staff

this was my fifth visit and still found it most enjoyable. the theatre shows were amazing especially the water ballet. Valentine's Day was a great celebration. my son Dean Marett and his wife Cheryl were there twice and my older son Jay-his wife Jennifer and two children are going for a week in March.

Very nice stay

The resort was clean and well maintained. The staff were the most pleasant I had ever met. The first time I felt I tipped because of good service and not just to get good service. Beds were so-so as are all beds in Cuba I've encountered so far. Beach was great. Food was good. Buffet needs to be redesigned so it is not so clogged around the food areas.

Nice Resort..

The Resort was Clean, Well Groomed. The Cuban People are Very Freindly with Smiles every day. The Buffet Food was Good but the same Dishes Every day.. Ours Rooms are Cleaned Daily But Late in the day.. Beds mattress "NEED" to Be RE-PLACED :(.. Beach had Shade trees with 2 beach bars & lunches at each end of beach.. 2 Pools - big pool near front Reception with swim up bar and Entertainment daily.. Other Quiet pool with walk up & out bar & lunch tables...Ice cream bar is yummy too ( beside quiet p [... read more]ool ).. Horse & buggy rides are right out front, with old car cabs.. Reception area has Bar , Bank near by, Store for Souvenirs & T-shirts ect.. Every Day there was Different Venders ... We Will Go Back :)

Great 1st Trip to Cuba

Based on what I've typically heard of Cuban hotels and food, I wanted to adjust my expectations before going on this trip and simply go with the purpose to take in and enjoy/appreciate the beauty of the people, the land, and of course the beautiful beaches. Upon arrival to Sol Rio, I was very pleasantly surprised. As we checked in and headed off to discover our surroundings for the next few days we continued to take it all in and were happy with our selection. Hotel: it is true, the building and [... read more] rooms could use of some TLC, a fresh coat of paint would do wonders for this place, however aside from this I'd say the grounds were very nicely groomed and landscaped, and overall the layout of the resort was well distributed. Our room was in the Mares section, which I liked because there was almost always more lively than the Luna section, but because the whole resort is connected you can hang out in which ever areas you prefer or are in the mood for. Food: We found there was always a good variety of food, and enough selection that will make everyone happy. The food wasn't bland, but nothing a little salt and pepper couldn't fix if you needed it. Our favorite a la cart restaurant was the French, but we only tried 3 of the 6 or so available. I do not recommend the Mexican restaurant although the location it self was nice overlooking the pool and views to the beach. Overall: Give it a try, go with an open mind. Cuba does not have all the resources you are accustomed too, but the whole purpose of visiting a new country is to get a feel for the tastes and cultural flavors of that region and its people. Immerse yourself and consider that despite any blandness you may find in the food, it is still better than what the workers have to enjoy on a daily basis. So be appreciative and respect what this country has to offer and immerse yourself in the lush beaches, countryside and warm friendly faces.

Resort was Good .

The beach was beautiful . No issues getting chairs or shade area's if need be . restaurants were all very good for Cuba .Disco and entertainment was wonderful Rooms are dated and are in need of repairs But very clean . The buffet was the only complaint , very repetitive they need to change it up occasionally . Lineup 's for pasta bar and meat station were 20-30 minutes nightly . they need to find a better solution to accommodate the many guests that choose to dine at the buffet .

Great resort

Beautiful beach,grounds and views of the ocean throughout the resort.Mainly saw young families or over 40 year old couples,which suited us fine.The staff were always attentive and helpful.The room was dated,but large and clean...so no complaints

Our favourite resort in Cuba

After 20 visits to Cuba, this remains our favourite resort. This was our fourth visit. In particular, we enjoy the gorgeous white powdery sand beach, the ideal location, having the choice of a five-storey hotel or a low rise units, very nice staff, and the scenic surroundings. Our favourite restaurant is there on the beach -- under the palm trees -- beside the azure water and the pure white sand. The food has always been plentiful and varied, and the various ethnic restaurants are interesting, b [... read more]ut one does not go to Cuba for the food. On the other hand, the quality of life is fantastic. Take a ride on the catamarans. Visit the nature park on the one side, and the five-star resort on the other. (It's no better...) Climb the escarpment. Go to a baseball game in Holguin.

Good resort with tremendous staff!

We’ve been to Cuba (all over) thirteen times and this was our first at Sol Rio de Luna y Mares, but won’t be our last. It was a great two week stay! When we first arrived late in the evening, there was water on the floor of our room that was leaking from the overhead air conditioning unit, but maintenance staff were very quick to address the issue and when it was determined that it was something could not be taken care of right away, we were quickly moved to another room on the main floor a [... read more]nd then to our ocean view room the following day. The resort is divided into two sections (Luna and Mares) and we were in the Mares area, which is the busier (as it is near the main lobby and buffet restaurant) and lively area. It is however not so lively that noise ever disturbed us in the late evening when we wanted to get to sleep in our room. We had the extreme pleasure of being in a fourth floor ocean view room. The room itself was nothing fancy, a little “tired”, but was spotlessly clean! The housekeeping staff were wonderfully attentive and aside from cleaning, replaced a bottle of water daily! Some rooms in our area were undergoing renovations during our stay and I understand that many in the Luna section have been as well. We hope that the hotel owners and management continue to make this a priority. We very much enjoyed the food in all restaurants there. The variety of well-prepared fresh food in the buffet was a pleasant surprise. Our favourite section was fish grilling station (we visited it every lunch and dinner while there!) had five varieties of fish and calamari which the friendly staff selected, seasoned and grilled according to your wishes. Breakfast featured prepared hot and cold food, along with both fresh omelette and Spanish tortilla stations, along with a wide array of foods, such as cereals, pancakes, French toast, sausages, cheeses, cold cuts, fresh fruits, juices and yogurt. Lunch and dinner were comparably good. We enjoyed all of the à la carte restaurants (French, Mediterranean, Italian and Mexican), with the French being our favourite. We heard a couple of people complaining about the food, but when we asked them for specifics, it became very obvious to us that they were the types that have to always complain about something. We have veryy high standards as far as food goes and had no complaints whatsoever about what was served at Sol Rio de Luna y Mares. During our thirteen stays in Cuba at a variety of service-level resorts, we think that the food variety, presentation and service overall at Sol Rio were the best. We were at a five star resort in Mexico last year and it did not have the wide selection that Sol Rio provided. I must also say that the organized fashion in which the à la cartes are booked (one person dedicated exclusively to bookings) is also the best we’ve experienced. The grounds were very well maintained by a hard working crew and very beautiful. The beach is truly something to behold. Very long, wide and natural, with beautiful white sand. Perfect for walking, swimming and snorkelling, as well as paddle boating, kayaking, wind surfing, volleyball etc., which are all available. It wasn’t crowded and there were plenty of palapas and lounge chairs, as was the case with the main pool. The staff will take you out on a Hobie-type catamaran too, which gives you a great view looking back at the coastline and resort. Although there are live shows each evening, we only took in the aqua ballet, which was tremendous, as well as the fashion show. We preferred the more quiet area of the Luna section during the evening, where there is always a guitarist, pianist, flautist, singer or some other form of very tranquil entertainer performing. Every Friday afternoon, “Cuban Day” is celebrated at the Mares section, with a roast whole pig, drink mixing lessons, coffee roasting, dancing and a few other activities. Even on rainy days, the animation staff did a great job in keeping the guests entertained with plenty of things to watch or participate in. Although we didn’t take part in any day excursions, there are several available, ranging from bus and catamaran tours to hiking to nearby attractions. We rented a motor scooters a couple of times to tour the countryside and the surrounding roads are in quite good condition for that kind of activity. Every staff member we encountered during our stay was extremely and genuinely polite, friendly and helpful! Truly outstanding!!! Various travel and tour company brochures we have seen rate Sol Rio de Luna y Mares as 3.5 to 4 stars, but in my opinion the staff definitely move it upward a notch! We recommend that you bring a reusable thermal plastic cup or mug for getting drinks at the beach and pool bars. Otherwise, you are served drinks in small disposable plastic cups there. From an environmental standpoint, I invite you to think about the amount of plastic waste that produces. We are talking about a relatively small (compared with some) resort of approximately 464 rooms. At full capacity, if everyone there (at two persons per room) used just six plastic cups each daily (and they probably use more), it would amount to 5568 cups per day, or 2032320 (yes, two million, thirty two thousand, three hundred and twenty) cups per year. Pretty alarming, when you consider that they are derived from petroleum and end up in a landfill site or burned after only just one use!!! We went to Sol Rio de Luna y Mares with realistic expectations, open minds and had two wonderful weeks. We hope to return in the not-too-distant future! Did I mention that the staff were great?!! I can’t say it enough!

Another great vacation

I have just spent two weeks at Sol Rio de Luna y Mares and as last year we all had a great time. The staff is wonderful and very helpful. Our rooms were always kept clean and the amenities kept up daily. The grounds were also beautifully groomed which relaxed both my mind and body. We enjoyed our daily helping of fresh fish every lunch hour at the beach bar. The buffet also had a great variety of items (this is where we had breakfast and dinner). The night time entertainment was varied, interest [... read more]ing and fun. We were also there for their 24th Anniversary celebration and we had a ball that day, starting from breakfast to the train ride to all the other hotels with singing and dancing at every stop to the afternoon special activities, the whole day was made special. We only had one problem in the first week as a thunderstorm and lightning strike disabled some of the air conditioning units. They worked quickly to fix the problem and make everyone comfortable again. Thank you all again for a wonderful vacation.

Very nice place to stay, with one problem

The grounds, room, food, pools, drinks were all very good. The big problem was that the air conditioning system wasn't working. The nights were cooler most nights, so the patio door was left open, but 2 nights mosquitoes came in. Screens would be helpful!! I actually like the fresh air, unless it's very hot and humid, or there are mosquitoes!!

Tired and worn, needs some effective management.

Beach and ocean, beautiful and clean. Enough chairs, beach huts. Snorkelling good. 5* Pools, OK. 4* Staff and service. Friendly, helpful, and efficient, Very good. 4* Room clean, but needs upgrade, AC didn't work, old, hard bed, mosquitoes bad. 2* Food. Poor. 1* I've never had frozen vegetables and nuked lasagne at an al a carte before and the Caribbean shrimp cocktail came out of a can. Thailand?