Melia Cayo Coco: Melia deserves its good reputation
We've been to 11 different resorts in 4 different areas of Cuba, and found this resort to be right at the top of our list for many reasons. You will not be disappointed by a visit to it, understanding that it is Cuba you are going to. Given the difficulties we have all experienced over the last almost 2 years (plus hurricane Ida), we were very happily surprised by the excellent condition of virtually all of the resort. The grounds are neat and well maintained, the rooms all were clean with s[... read more]trong, hot showers, and the beds comfortable. The lagoon rooms have nice sunrise/sunset views, and in the shallow water you can see some fish (look near the mangrove roots for 4 - 6 inch barracuda floating motionless), Whistling Ducks (endangered on the mainland where they are hunted), and some entertaining small jellyfish that mainly lie upside down on the bottom of the lagoon looking like algae. Except for a couple of visits to newly built resorts we haven't been to a better maintained resort in Cuba - a bit dated but in good repair.
We were a bit concerned that we'd find food to be an issue given the supply difficulties that Cuba is experiencing, but I have to say that this was the best food experience that we've had in Cuba. One of us was vegetarian and had no difficulty finding a satisfying meal at any mealtime - the specialty restaurants (all 3 were quite good) each produced a special meal without hesitation when asked. The buffets were all well staffed because no one is allowed to serve themselves with only a couple of minor exceptions (yogurt in glasses for example). All staff wore masks all the time everywhere, and all visitors wore masks when approaching the staff at the buffets, bars, stores, reception desk etc.
The resort manager meets every arrival and explains what they are doing for our safety, and asks that everyone respect the efforts being made by caring about others' well-being. He sets the tone at the resort - we found all of the staff welcoming and very responsive to any sort of request (that they could meet). The same was true (somewhat surprisingly) at the airport where the staff seemed less officious than in previous years and worked hard to keep things moving. There is an initial lineup on the way in while they inspect the online form that Cuba wants filled out before arrival. Masks are worn in the airport and on the bus, but are generally not worn on the resort except in close proximity to others indoors.
COVID testing for return flight: It is well organised here. Your airline rep (Sunwing, Air Canada etc) will tell you what day to go for the test – the doctor waits between 8 and 11 am every morning in front of his office by the lobby. He fills out an official form, you sign, get nasal swab and are done in 5 minutes. You will pay $30US at reception by credit card at checkout time (or before if you want). The results will be delivered to reception the night before you leave probably around 8pm. This resort has had no cases among staff or guests to date. We know the Tryp had cases this week most likely due to the lax approach certain guests there took.
The resort layout works well with everything a short walk away. There was a gentleman there in a wheelchair who told me that access was decent everywhere - a little rough in places but not restricting. The room was large enough, with one rocking chair, one dressing table stool and 2 plastic chairs on the balcony. The air conditioning worked well with a remote. We unplugged the fridge every night since the compressor can be loud. The water is very hot (after a minute or so, so be careful), and the pressure in all four rooms we had was strong throughout our stay. Closet includes 2 umbrellas and many wooden hangers.
Currency: Cuban pesos are only good for tipping. 20 pesos is about $1 Cdn. $1US is the handiest bill (coins are useless of course). If you are going to use Cdn bills, try to bring new ones down - the Cuban banks reject bills with even the slightest blemishes - since they will have to take them to the bank to convert into useful money. All tours and all purchases in shops are purchased in US$ using credit (VISA, Mastercard on a Cdn bank - not Capital One, Citi, AmEx etc) or maybe debit if you have a US dollar account. Because our cards need a PIN there is no need to lug around passports anymore. The Gaviota Commercial Center (10 minutes walk from the resort) has a number of small retail stores that accept cash.
Cigars: The shop at the resort has a reasonable selection, the shop at the Pullman has many more (to go there walk down the beach and ask the security folks to go to their shop. They will radio for permission and direct you to it. Prices are all the same. Once a week a man comes to the lobby and sells cigars that he rolls for significantly less (they looked fine to me but I'm no expert). The large store in the Colonial is now closed along with the resort. The shop in the airport was closed when we left in the middle of the day, so don't count on it.
Birds: If you are interested in birds, get in touch with Paulino Delgado. He's great. There are a pair of Black Hawks that cruise the beach each morning, Cuban green and West Indian woodpeckers that visit, 10 different types of warblers nearby, Anis, Bullfinches, stripe-headed tanagers, 2 types of oriole, kingbirds etc. all easily found within a half kilometer.
The sports bar has 2 small pool tables that are in good repair with decent cues, and 4 TVs that show various sports (and one music video channel). It has outside tables for smokers overlooking the lagoon. Speaking of which, we were never bothered by smoke as we have been at some resorts, and yet smokers are well accommodated for at all of the venues. Rooms are all non-smoking, but balconies are covered and have ash trays.
The sports center was also relatively well equipped. They have one table tennis set with decent paddles, a reasonable tennis court, a fusball table, an air hockey table, and even an archery range with both left and right-handed bows and decent arrows. Pedro enjoys teaching boxing and knows what he is doing. He also is available for tennis or any of the other sports if you need a partner. He's a great person.
We tried to scuba dive, but the Gaviota Dive boat failed on us so we missed out. And they didn't bother calling so we wasted half a morning. There are 2 other scuba places on the island, but we found out too late to switch. One is just down the beach in front of the Pullman resort (it also teaches kiteboarding - 3 hour lesson to start, or just rent the board). They pick divers up off the beach in a smallish boat and do 2 dives in the morning - deep then shallow. You can also go out with the shallow dive just to snorkel - reasonable price for one hour on the reef. We’ll try that next time. The other scuba place is on Cayo Guillermo which will send a bus for you. We'll probably try them next time. We tried snorkeling from the beach with little success because it was a bit too windy all week so the water wasn't clear enough and the reef is a long way out.
There was a volleyball game on the beach most afternoons, and Jesus and Joel at the bar kept everyone happy. The bar has 5 or 6 tables under a roof, and there were lots of palapas on the beach. My guess was that the resort was about half full so there was no crowding anywhere and no waiting for drinks etc. Even if it had been full, though, I think that they have the capacity to serve everyone without much waiting.
The last night we took music and drinks and watched the sunset from the ruins of the old Sol resort on the point at the west end of the beach. You get there either on the beach or on the road from the lobby. It gives you a nice view up the beach towards the Tryp resort (don't stay at it, it has changed for the worse).
We had one problem that didn't really get resolved. On the third night a group of locals moved into 3 of the rooms in our building with one of them between 2 of ours. From about 2am until 3:30am when I finally got up and went to reception a few of them were shouting and banging on their doors and one of ours. Once I complained, reception called them and they quieted down. They left the building until 4:30am when they came back and woke us up again with loud talk. Customer Services called them the next day and so they were quiet for one night, but the next night at 3am we went through it again. Melia offered to change our rooms, but I decided not to - a mistake as it turned out, although I was pissed off that they weren't moved instead. So, if you encounter noisy neighbors jump on it right away with reception and make sure it is actually fixed. We ended up having to re-organize our rooms since our daughter was very uncomfortable (to say the least) having a couple of drunken 20 to 30 year old men banging on her door and shouting in Spanish in the middle of the night, not to mention losing the better part of 2 nights sleep. This was the only negative we encountered there, and I think it is not something that is normal there. But it was infuriating.
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Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Decent resort
Not the best in the world, but still decent enough keeping in mind the money you pay!
I being the diamond club member was not given all those extra services as promised. The only plus point with diamond club was the diamond club restaurant. rooms were okay, beach was excellent!
50% of the resort staff only spoke Spanish which didn’t bother much but still they don’t speak much English.
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Memories Caribe Beach Resort: pleasant
rooms were large and clean, very comfortable, would like a door on washroom The gardens were beautifully kept. The beach was perfect. The food was ok, service was sometimes poor (we waited for our silverware while our food was getting cold, they would not give any to me when i approached them.) The bars\cafes gave good service and were very pleasant. Staff were friendly, usually acknowledgeing us with a hello as we passed them. Musical entertainment was enjoyable, very talented. Pizza at[... read more] the beach was delicious.
All staff practised covid protocal - wore masks and practised self distancing and sanitzing. There were no clear cut rules for wearing masks by patrons in the dining room. I was not comfortable with this . Food was put on your plate by workers while other people stood around not wearing masks right next to you. Everyone should at least wear masks when they are getting their food. Hotel needs to make this a rule. Other suggestion would be to have servers behind glass and on other side of bar.Also give cutlery out while you are gettting your food.
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Melia Cayo Coco: What a gem!
First, the staff. They are amazing friendly people all around. The beach is amazing and probably the best in Cayo Coco. Service is amazing, rooms are comfortable albeit a little dated but really, who cares when you are in paradise. A la cartes were good. Buffet was ok but honestly, I’m not picky. All in all, great trip during pandemic. Bravo!
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Melia Cayo Coco: Nice stay at a small friendly all-inclusive resort
Grounds and public areas were well maintained and clean. Covid protocols were strictly adhered to by staff.I did come across a couple of items on the grounds that needed attention. While walking to the beach on the eastern most boardwalk over the dunes, I noticed a loose plank, which was a potential hazard to visitors. This was promptly fixed by maintenance after I pointed it out. There were also some exposed rebars extending from a wall entrance to the pool area (next to the boardwalk previousl[... read more]y mentioned), which looked dangerous if someone were to slip and fall against one. I did not point this out, but it should be obvious to hotel management and maintenance who pass it daily.
We stayed in a ground floor classic room which was cleaned daily and felt comfortable. There were some minor issues which were an annoyance. Water on bathroom floor and plumbing disruption (no water during one day but back on by evening so not a big issue), old batteries which failed in the safe and door (needed to have maintenance replace). A sliding door that did not slide in the built in closet. I needed to lift and move it each time.
The beach was nice and not too busy. It was blowing close to 40km/h wind gusts the week we stayed, but this can happen in Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, which are off the mainland and more exposed. However, it was mostly sunny with highs of 28c which felt comfortable and the wind helped keep any mosquitos away. This is an excellent area for kite surfing.
The a la carte restaurants were very good for Cuba, especially the Mediterranean restaurant. My only complaint was entrance to that a la carte requires a stair climb (no elevator) which is problematic for people with walking disabilities (clientele skews older here so a potential issue for some). The buffet restaurant had a good selection of food and I very much appreciated that the staff served the food rather than having everyone use the same utensils to fill their plates (big Kudos to Melia Cayo Coco for this!!!). I felt service (coffee and drinks and sometimes place settings) was a little slow at times in the buffet. The staff numbers may have been lower than normal in the buffet for a hotel close to capacity. More supervision could have helped.
The bars were good (especially the lobby bar). Excellent service and friendly staff. No issues getting served anytime of the day.
The reception desk staff were also excellent. I went there frequently to change money (CAD to Cuban Pesos) for tips and they changed it without issue. They also dealt promptly with any issues such as the safe and door lock batteries.
The medical staff on site were also excellent. We had our COVID pre return flight PCR test on the Thursday morning and received the results Friday evening before flying back on Saturday. The doctor personally handed out the test results at reception. He was on site all the time.
I found the garden staff to be very friendly. It was a genuine friendliness. They went about their work happily with smiles on their faces every day to keep the gardens looking great. Kudos to them.
The entertainment staff were also great. We enjoyed the shows, live music in the lobby, live cuban music at the beach restaurant daily. We think Cuba is one of the best places for entertainment in the caribbean. Their entertainers are all well trained (from a young age I think). We saw some excellent dancers and enjoyed some amazing singers while staying at this hotel!!!
All in all, despite some of the minor issues, we had a very good stay at Melia Cayo Coco. We liked the small intimate feel of the hotel and the friendliness of the staff. If you enjoy beach walking (which I do) there were KMs of walking either side of the resort along the beach. Walking to the right takes you past the Pullman and the areas for kite surfing onto a virgin beach with virtually no-one and long stretches of flats out to the sea. Walking to the left takes you to the rocks at the end of the beach..walking from there to the left takes you to a lagoon and you can walk for KMs past a number of hotels (Iberostar Mojito etc) to the end. If you choose that walk, prepare for some tired legs from walking in the sand. Thoroughly enjoyable though.
If you like to fly fish ( the salt water variety) Melia Cayo Coco is a good place to stay. There are a number of flats nearby that you can try for the elusive but famed bonefish that salt water fly fishers dream of. I did bring my rod but opted not to go this time. However, I noticed three fly fishers staying at the hotel. They seemed to go every day during our stay and looked quite happy.
A great week to escape from the wall to wall news about Covid and enjoy life for a bit.
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Melia Costa Rey: My favourite resort in Cuba!
Beautiful beach, clean and well designed resort, great food, warm and friendly staff. The animation team is energetic and engaging. Lots of animals on the resort which we all loved, there is a feeling of community there. My second time going and I would return again. Highly recommend!
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Tanya -
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Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Home away from home
We’ve been coming to this resort since it opened! We have now been 19 times! We can’t wait to go back. Yes it needs paint and of course they have had challenges with Covid so not all perfect but we still really enjoyed our 11 days! Food was great and the beach is fabulous! The people that work there are amazing! Shout out to Janet in the Cuban restaurant. Pedro at his special beach bar Emslie on the beach. Armando is the cigar bar. Yusniel at the pool grill Arie & Orlando at the[... read more] pool bar. Fantastic mojito’s by the pool Grounds and gardens are stunning! Shout out to all the gardeners! Rooms need updating We also met Alba director residents and I’m sure she’ll do a fabulous job in her new position Hope to see you all again in the near future Stay safe. Love you all â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸â¤ï¸
We have visited Cuba many times. 8 times to Cayo Coco...first time at Memories Caribe.
Where to start... Cuba is an amazing place to relax. The people are educated,friendly, and work hard to make your trip enjoyable. Cuba has had a difficult time during covid since tourism is such a large part of their economy.
Here we go:
Arrival: airpirt was well organized in Cuba...short lineups and handled very well. (Much better than Pearson was during our departure). Just have your paperwork ready. (Th[... read more]ey are in process of switching to phone apps...watch for that)
The bus: As always air conditioned and beer to buy during ride 3/$10.
The resort:
Check in was easy and quick. Luggage stored until our room was ready as it was a morning flight. John at the reception desk was amazing!!!
Lobby Bar: loved going for cappucino and espresso with a breakfast beer every morning. In the evening they do close at 11 but start shutting off air conditioning and preparing for closing by 10...there was no entertainment there other than another traveller who played the piano a few nights.
Outside the lobby bar: there are tables...they will bring you drinks from lobby bar and the mixed drinks are very good.
The bugs are bad at sundown, and if you are a non smoker...there can be lots of smokers sitting out there. They did have a saxophone player out there on Sunday nights.
Buffet:
Best meals are breakfast!Bacon every morning...fresh cooked eggs...lots to pick from. Catherine is amazing at buffet and always wants to help.
Other buffet meals are good...but pretty repetitive. We took a zip lock bag with salt and pepper and spices that we love. Also...i did not see ANY mustard ketchup etc while there. (I think this is in good part due to covid etc).
Sports Bar (Route 66). Eduardo is amazing. Makes a fabulous strawberry pina colada...beer is cold.
Our room:
had requested a main floor room...they did not disappoint. Great location 2204. Air conditioning quiet and worked well
Hot showers all week!
Most comfortable bed we have had in Cuba.
Entertainment:
This is where they fell down...there were a couple of shows and karaoke one night...just got people into it though and shut it down. 10 pm all finished.
They had a beach party and a pool party one night...but really.meant for the 20 somethings...and bugs bad.
A piano player in the bar each evening would have REALLY helped.
Ice cream parlour:
right beside pool. Lovely treat...with specialty coffees there also.
Covid tests:
Well organized to get tests done before return to Toronto. Results come back 9 pm the night before you fly out. The problem is that this created high stress on your last evening. I dont know how to fix that though...may be just part of the travelling with covid thing.
Pool bar:
Dave at pool bar makes great drinks and quick to notuce your empty glass.
Pools were pretty warm still so swimming was great.
A la carte:
They were ok. Staff tried to make a special event...but foid overall not memorable. My husband had steak tar tar appertizer in meditteranian and he said it was very good (but only 4 bites)
Odd things we noticed:
Almost NO seafood...not even much for fish.
Desserts were quite good
Wasrooms kept quite clean. Except for the one beside route 66 bar...ladies room never had toilet paper...hand siap ir paper towel. I would avoid this one. I checked on it a couple times to see if it was a one off...but numerous times it was not taken care of.
All in all a great relaxing get away before returning to reality.
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Doc Welbz -
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Melia Cayo Coco: Happy to have been there!
From start to finish it was a great stay. We got the same room as last time which we had asked for. The staff were great, very professioal, friendly and Covid safe. The Canadian government should take lessons from Cuba. Our intentions are to return in April 2022 so long as our government hasn't brought on a lockdown preventing us from doing so. The only drawback is I have come home to a driveway full of snow.
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Melia Cayo Coco: Excellent Hotel and Resort
We stayed for 2 weeks, on our 14th visit to the Melia. As always the service from the staff was outstanding. Despite COVID precautions, the buffet and restaurants offered the usual excellent service and meals.
We will be back in 2022
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Monika -
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Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Bang for Your Buck!!
This was my 2nd visit to Memories Caribe and I will return again ! The hotel in general was kept clean and covid sanitary measures were taken.. ie sanitary gel available outside restaurants before entry, all staff wearing masks and distance measures drawn out on floors for guests to abide by when approaching front desk or buffet tables for example. No guests were able to as much as grab a plate from the buffet table, as everything was handed to you and food was served on your plate by the extr[... read more]emely hardworking and efficient staff... I agree with many of the other reviews...the staff is fabulous .. all of them.. from the gardeners to the technicians , the entertainment team , the front desk , housekeeping etc... Any minor issues were resolved quickly and efficiently.. These people need to be respected and rewarded !! Unfortunately I witnessed many guests doing quite the opposite... not following covid guidelines and restrictions .. and partying like its 1999.... Hello People! You know who you are.. its nice to have some freedom again , but lets do it with respect and safety in mind.
The food was good. Always found something to eat, even with the major food shortages happening in Cuba right now. Excellent Spanish coffees as usual.
I have to say if you are a wine drinker you will be disappointed with the wine at the Buffet.. there is a wine store and the Tiendo that do sell bottles, which you can bring to dinner.
My room was 2105.. with a nice kingsize comfortable mattress.. which can be a challenge in Cuba. Location was a bit noisy until 11pm.. as it was close to entertainment and dining areas.. but very convenient.. The resort is small and well laid out. There are quieter sections of rooms which are still only a short walk to lobby/services.
The pool was beautiful, clean and fairly empty most of the time..unless organized classes/games were held.
OK. Last but certainly not least.. The Beach is absolutely stunning!! Crystal clear calm water. no red flags.. swimming was beautiful.. beautiful sandbars .. can walk it for miles.
Cuba is known for their beaches... and this is one of their best!!
This is the only resort that I have gone to more than once, as I like to explore other options,, and I will return again. If youre looking to party and good nightlife, this is not for you.. If you want to just chill , connect with nature and enjoy some of the most friendliest and unassuming people Cuba has to offer, you will love it here!!!
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Lisa -
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Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Nice Stay
We stayed at the Grand Muthu this past week and found it enjoyable. The resort is a nice size and not to big. The rooms clean and comfortable (building and rooms cleaned daily). We were in building 8 and had a beautiful ocean view. This resort has a buffet, 24 hour snack bar, along with Italian, Cuban and Indian themed restaurants all of which were decent. Some days the food was exceptional and others it was just ok. Nightly entertainment was lacking. However I would imagine this was due to Covi[... read more]d. Pools were nice however we found the water to be a bit cold although refreshing once you get used to the temperature! The beach and ocean is quite nice if your a beach person. The ocean water was nice and a great temperature for swimming. When the tide is out the water is shallow and you can walk out from shore quite a bit and during high tide the water gets deep a little quickly. There are some reefs near the shore if you snorkel and water activities available at the beach and pool. The beach does have a bar and small restaurant which was open from 1-3 pm daily for lunch so you weren’t obligated to go to the buffet from the beach. The staff was exceptional. They were attentive to all guests. Many of them fluent in 3-4 languages. So communication was not an issue. Overall nice resort for couples and families would definitely recommend.
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Melia Costa Rey: Loved it.
Beach and sand was stunning! Resort was great. People were friendly. The shows were great, som DJ and dancing outdoors every other night, but left the crowd craving dancing on nights music and dancing didn’t happen. Pool is large, but oddly shaped. Excellent covid protocols, we weren’t worried at all. Testing in advance of flight home was done at the resort and made SUPER easy and exceptionally organized. Everything was spotless.
Great food, even greater bars and drinks! Food was served [... read more]by staff rather than people sharing scoop utensils which was appreciated. Room was comfortable, the washroom doors didn’t close probably but I mean these are all minor things, and didn’t matter to us since we only ever went to the room to sleep! Didn’t matter which building you were at in the resort, there was entrance to the beach only steps away. I’ll certainly return :)
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Wrong way -
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Gran Muthu Imperial: Spoiled at Rainbow!
6 seniors Nov. 23-30/21 Booked Muthu Imperial- reopening delayed so offered credit, refund, or move to new LGBTQ next door which we accepted. Great decision. Low occupancy meant we were totally spoiled by 100% of the staff and no crowds or lineups. Seriously, and fellow guests a blast!
Quick easy checkin after 45 minute ride from airport. Crystal Beer available onboard - $10.00 Cdn cash for 3 cans.
Room - clean, spacious, love having screen door to balcony, faithfully restock of frig (beer, wa[... read more]ter, pop) locks, digital safe, AC, all worked perfectly. Good sized shampoo, b. wash & lotion provided but bring facecloth and creamer from home. Direct dial phone for room# to room#.
Pools/beach - pool large and clean. Hard-working gardeners keep things lovely. Suggestion … too late now for me but they could sure all use some work gloves😠Outstanding service at both swim up and snack bars. Pizza, fries, cheeseburgers, ham & cheese from panini press all very good. They appreciate guests using the seating provided there and not pool loungers to eat.
Small coral (need shoes) beach great for shelling. If you’re lucky there are 2 local gentlemen who collect them and will give you some beauties. Hope you will tip and/or gift them. Beautiful swimming/walking beach further down. Magdiel at beach bar will make you a cold tasty beverage just before you reach the sand. Can’t get snorkel from Nautica so bring your own. 4 of us waded out near buoys one calm day into field of jumbo conchs. They were all still inhabited by the animals so please just have a look and put them back.
Food - weren’t able to get A la Cartes but found buffet and snack bar more than enough. Again, the servers and cooks were fabulous and treated us so well even in this covid situation. Staff must plate each item for you and I can see difficulty when number of guests increase. Fresh cheese omelette made to order my favourite. Very enjoyable Cuba Day outdoor bbq lunch one afternoon. Coffee in buffet just ok. It was best in lobby, coffee and pool bars. Try ‘special’ cappuccinos with coffee liqueur, or Spanish!
Entertainment - had the most fun at karaoke night. Wish it were more often than just Tuesday. Song trivia was fun but way too young for most of us seniors. How ‘bout a 60’s, 70’s - 80’s night? We’d rock!! Good games poolside each afternoon. Sometimes caught between music from both pool and snack bars.😒 More music selection would be great as it would get a little repetitive after a week.
Friend & I took hopon/hopoff bus to the market and it’s still $5 pp but credit card only. It was Friday and quite a few less vendors - apparently more on Saturdays. Little bar there near bus stop makes really good pina coladas -$2.50 glass or $6.25 in a pineapple. Again, credit card only, same as the shops. You can also get beer, rum, etc.
Seamless check out. Covid test was done Sun. am for Tues. departure at $30. US pp on credit card at check out. Actually got our negative certificates on Monday. Don’t forget to complete the ArriveCAN sometime during the last couple days of your stay. Out of room by noon and no airport bus till 4 but luggage well looked after and we kept valuable stuff with us and still used all amenities. CUCs aren’t used anymore. (actually, we had about 24 old peso coins which we were told could be turned into bank by local Cubans -minimum 20? at a time) Not sure but passed the coins & info on. Make sure you have a credit card, you can buy peso notes for tipping eg. 20 peso equals 1 cdn. dollar, 100 peso equals $5 cdn. etc. Loonies & toonies can’t be exchanged in Cuba so I also suggest Cdn. $5 & $10s whereby tip more, less often. No exchange and you’re not always digging for tip money.
Obviously we were thrilled with our stay, know and love the people and area very well. Hope this info helps people.
Most of you can skip this but I have to mention some above and beyond staff - Luibel & Andy, Magdiel, Carlos, Dani, Taimy, Bebe, Kitty Nova, and each and every server in the buffet.ðŸ‘ðŸ¼ðŸ’•
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Melia Cayo Coco: A lovely resort
The Melia Cayo Coco, Cuba is one of the older resorts in the area and it is starting to show its age. However, everything was clean and well taken care of. The staff were exceptional in their care and kindness to all of the guests. The food was very good at the buffet and it was exceptionally good at the 'a la carte' restaurants. A lovely beach and plenty of sun chairs and awnings. The animation team were energetic and worked very hard at getting everyone involved.
There was a snaffoo o[... read more]n the final 'check-out' day. Many of us were not notified that the flight had been delayed 4 hours. Sunwing, the front desk at check-out or the Sunwing information board nor the Sunwing representatives at the hotel and airport did not give us the information which lead to a lot of confusion and missed time on the beach.
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Melia Cayo Coco: Travel in COVID Times
This was a 3rd 1 week trip to this resort in the past year and I was impressed by how deligent the staff were to adapting to COVID restrictions. Staff always wore thier masks and politely asked guests to wear them in covered areas (ie buffet, restaurants and Front Desk) The required COVID test was admistered within the required 72hours by medical staff.
The beaches are lovely and the resort is very clean. As an older resort they are keeping up the required maintenance and had no issues with t[... read more]he room (hot water and cold air conditioning). The daily replemishing of the fridge was welcomed. As a frequent guest to Cuba it never fails to amaze me as to the friendleness of the people and the geniune appreciation of the gifts you bring down (toiletries, school supplies, kid's toys, etc). The food choices were good and of course the drinks were great
I am looking forward to my next trip
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Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Covid changed Cuba
After traveling to Cuba for 25 years and staying in roughly 15 different hotels I still rate this the best. The staff make it what it is. But everything about the hotel is top notch. The food is outstanding. The cleanliness is impeccable. The grounds are spotless. Management goes out of there way to greet guests. It is and will remain to be my go to resort in Cuba. Being 15-20 from the airport is also a huge plus.
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Shari -
Verified Purchaser
Melia Costa Rey: Awesome Resort
I forgot to say that in cuba you paid 30.00 72 hours before you leave to go back to your country for a covid test. It is done on the resort and they give you the time and date. The wait is long to get it done because they only have a doctor and one nurse doing the testing. You wear your mask on the plane in the airport and at certain spots at the resort. Thank you Shireen Harding.
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Rufito -
Verified Purchaser
Hotel Playa Paraiso: Impressive resort
We arrived in Cayo Coco after dark and not much to see on the way to the resort. Arrival at hotel was an impressive delight, beautiful lobby area, were served a welcome cocktail during an efficient check-in, all staff encountered masked. Transfered with luggage to our low rise by electric vehicle. Our first floor room was similar to the all-inclusive we use in Varadero, a clean room, reasonably comfortable king bed, three piece bathroom,tiled floor through out, patio door leads to a generous bal[... read more]cony.
First view to the grounds, loved it, well kept lawns between trees, shrubs and other plantings. In morning walk to lobby area and have an espresso or two and then onto to the buffet. An ample dining area, well spaced tables. Our habitis to find a table, greet, the server, request coffee or what ever drink, and then onto the buffet. Relatively standard offerings, well prepared should be something for most, I don't know about accomodations for dietary issues. The best thing about the buffet was that there were servers, something that should continue even after the Covid era, nothing worse than seeing people "pawing over" the food items.
Beach is beautiful, sandy, with coral and seashell bits, recommend water shoes for sensitive feet. Rock is visible just off the beach into to the blue water, sand covers it out into the water with sand bars rising and falling as you go out. Not many people when we were there so no problem finding beach chairs and shade.
I'm closing just to say it's Cuba temper your expectations, Cubans can only do with what theyhave to work with, so enjoy the sun and the universally pleasent hotel staff.
We'll be back.