Frequent Cuba Visitor

I will start with "3star"... We picked this resort for a few reasons, size, price and bungalow . I was very pleased with our bungalow. We asked for a location close to pool and buffet due to walking ability and the request was granted. We could not have had a better location. No problem with air conditioning or hot water. The bed was a little on the hard side but we managed fine. So.....zero problems with accommodation . We had ocean view. Mini fridge was stocked once with two bottles of  [... read more]water and two Coke, no re stocking. The store sold pop and water so we restocked ourselves. Now for the food!! I know it was three star but I have never vacationed at a resort where the food was this bad. Breakfast was no problem and lunch was ok but dinner was horrible. The main meat dish they offered was liver! Buffet had a small amount of chicken and beef but it was served like slop..mixed in a sauce with who knows what else and was not replenished unless asked. I am not a picky eater so I was a little shocked over what was offered. Liver every night!! The bread was the best...always fresh!!! I didn't starve but let's just say I don't want to see rice for sometime. Here's the reasons I will return to this resort. The atmosphere !!! Staff were great....no mad rush for beach or lounge chairs at the pool or beach!!! It's been a long time since I was at resort where I could head to the pool at 11am and still find lots of vacant lounge chairs. The pool bar had great bartenders...Eddy, Luis and Jose!! Thank you for the wonderful service. To sum it up, if you want a decent vacation at a low cost and your not worried about the food then this is the place for you. If you are a picky eater and want to be entertained then stay away .

Modest resort with a big heart :)

My wife, son and I have just returned from Villa Jibacoa on April 3rd /2017. I should mention first that soon as you drive up to the hotel and exit the bus at the lobby you can immediately see the ocean thru the lobby area first impression was amazing! Check-in was friendly, fast and efficient. The front desk staff was amazing. We were instructed that our room wasn't quite ready yet and were suggested to attend the lobby bar which was a great place to wait. It was here that we stumbled onto the  [... read more]numerous amazing types of drinks that were available one of which is they're amazing Spanish coffee. We eventually checked into our room which was quite comfortable and adequately stocked with personal care products and a bottle of rum. The resort its self is in front of a spectacular mountain range and the scenery is spectacular. Grounds are well kept and clean. Ocean was amazing beach was racked with a tractor most days and we saw very little evidence of washed up garbage. You can only do so much! All staff especially the bartenders were amazing and friendly. buffet staff equally as friendly and took care of your needs promptly.Snack bar at the pool was great as well but could use 2 staff members on as it get very busy there and line ups can be quite long, burgers were amazing ! All in all a great cosy laid back resort. The question isn't if we would go back its when we are going back. Wife who is very picky was talking about returning before we even left and we have been to 4 and 5* in Dominican, Mexico and Cuba but this resort just had a feel to it,which makes you want to return. I should also mention the lobster dinners that are offered off resort. We attended to of the locations, the tower and the La Casiqua don't quote me on that spelling but both were amazing but our preference was the La Caiqua as you can walk to it from the resort. The amount of food you get is remarkable for a cost of 15 pesos. We will be returning this year for sure. Thank you Villa Jibacoa for a beautiful vacation.

This was my twentieth time at this resort.....people keep bringing me back plus it's a little bit of paradise.

Grounds are kept beautiful...great snorkelling .......the little bungalows are pretty neat...some could use a little work like some fresh paint but all around they are pretty good. The bathrooms in them are excellent I think the toilets have been all been replaced. The Food is good there is always something there that you will like you won't go hungry. Lots of old cars that have been done up for taxis......feel very safe there.....I always like going back ...I look forward to it every year.

A very good place to stay

The grounds were amazing. Lots of open places.....(no high rise that meant a lot to us) It was like living in a park. The snorkeling was fabulous. Cuban people .........were absolutely wonderful......but that is not news anyone who goes there will say that. The food..........well lets not discuss that...also just listen to anyone who has gone to Cuba. The price? You cannot do better anywhere!!! Security? I did pay for a safe...and it gave me security, but the country is the safest in th [... read more]e world!! So next time I will not bother with a safe. Will I return to this resort? Yes. I have been back for 48 hours and planning my trip in 2018

Relaxing, peaceful week

The grounds were attractive with the exception to the sea grass on the beach and in the water. The food was okay but the buffet could have been laid out better to minimize congestion. The facilities were clean and well maintained. For a relaxing vacation, it's a good place.

An adult camp like setting!

A very friendly atmosphere, with the staff and fellow vacationers. The front porches on the bungalows encourage people to be friendly and inviting. The snorkelling was awesome, saw eel, a variety of colourful fish, sea urchins and a small ray. The food was plentiful, the bread was great, the rest of the food was adequate. The pork sandwiches at the pool were good. The restaurants surrounding the area were fabulous, The Tower, The Chief ( Chino owns it up the road). There are lots of things to d [... read more]o. Hire a car ( 1955 Impala or 1959 BelAir were the cars we rented) to tour Habanna and to explore, Jacura, Hershey and Santa Cruz. The electric train to Hershey is a one time experience. If you can live with your basic needs met and love to explore, Grand Caribe in Jibacoa is the place for you. We are ready to book again, because we enjoyed exploring real Cuba ( not vacationers idea of Cuba), learning and experiencing. Met lots of wonderful people.

Harmony, Beauty and Peace in Jibacoa Beach Blessed Paradise...

We Love this beautiful place and its people. There is an magical aura of warmth with affection flowing from staff, surroundings and also around the well kept mature immaculate grounds beneath spectacular mountains high above the gorgeous sweep of beaches and turquoise ocean. Many improvements have been made in recent years to this intimate sized 115 guest resort. This was my seventh visit and we came away almost in tears to leave the staff who have become such sweet friends. We cannot wait to  [... read more]go back again. Truly smaller is better at beautiful Villas Jibacoa (Villas Tropico). This place has everything. Fabulous snorkeling, sailing, friendly folks to meet from everywhere. Food is delicious and varied; old tropical charm is here, cottages are squeaky clean. Fine entertainers, musicians, especially world class singer/balladeer Raolld, are reasons why this resort is so special and why we return.

Friendly Staff

Although this resort is not new and is in need of repairs, the bar, waitresses and waiters, housekeeping and entertainment staff are super friendly and make the hotel seem like a big family. I did however find most of the front desk women not as friendly as the rest of the staff and at times kind of rude. The food needs a bit of improvement but the a la carte restaurant is good. My room was always clean, the water was hot and the showers had good pressure. I will go back again!

Beautiful quiet gem

The staff are excellent. They go out of their way to make your stay as pleasant as possible. They always have a smile rather they are waiting on you or not. Rooms are always clean. Food could be better but I don't go for the food.

This is a perfect little resort for those looking for a quiet stay at a great price.

The beach, grounds and bungalow-style accommodations at this resort are the best for the price anywhere in Cuba. It is very spread out with a long wide beach. The pathways are great for strolling about in the evening. Snorkeling is a big draw as it is very accessible with a short swim from the beach or just wade in and watch the fish right a shore. Lots of beautiful birds and watching the pelicans feed every day is quite a treat. While the food is very good in the buffet, if you are in need  [... read more]of a change there are some excellent little restaurants just up the road for very low prices. The staff are wonderful and definitely make you feel at home.

Excellent beach and grounds.. very clean and peacefull

This place is very peaceful and quite. If you don't like the crowds, this is the place for you. The resort has small cottages spread about perfectly kept grounds.. Cottages consist of clusters of 2 or 4 in a row.. If you intend on going, I would recommend the cottages and not the hotel.. Hotel does not look appealing and is situated in a corner at the entrance to the resort, not nice. Cottages are the way to go.. We went for the beach which was excellent and again peaceful and no crowds.. [... read more] It is kept clean and water is crystal clear. The pools are very nice, there are two of them, together. There are activities at the pool side throughout the day and a nightly show starting at 9:30. The dinning area is also nice. 3 meals daily which includes drinks and wine. This is the only time wine is served. If you only drink wine, and would like some other than meal time, you will need to buy your own at the general store on site. We enjoyed our stay very much and love the grounds and the beach. The only part of our trip we did not enjoy as it relates to this resort was the food. We both feel that what brings this resort down, is the food. It was not uncommon to hear people asking each other, "what is that". That is because it did not look like what it was supposed to look like.. i.e. chicken.. Food was bland without taste. This is the only bad thing I have to say about this place... Other than that; it is a wonderful place to just enjoy the sun and beach without fighting for a spot on the beach.. The grounds and beach are excellent. The small cottages gives this resort an inviting appeal of a small town/community.

Wonderful Week at Jibacoa

It was our second trip to Villas Jibacoa and our sixth trip to Cuba. Room was good, housekeeping did a fantastic job. Grounds were well taken care of with beautiful flowering bushes. Pool area was great with the beautiful palm trees and hill in the background. Always lounge chairs available. Good burgers at the snack bar. Enjoyed snorkeling and hiking right at the resort. Buffet was adequate.

Cuba Libre!

This resort was our first in Cuba. It had a great staff, perfect beach for snorkeling, and rooms were nice. Food wasn't incredible, but not a big deal. Off resort felt safe and had a few restaurants and shops to help support locals. We will return!

Beautiful setting

The grounds of this resort were amazing - spacious and beautifully kept. Rooms were clean and spacious. There were activities mornings, afternoons and a show each evening. The beach was long and sandy. There was good snorkeling just off the beach. Meals were plentiful with a good choice of dishes. There was not a lot of variation from day to day. Staff were friendly and mostly able to converse in English (and French and German, I think). It was easy to arrange a taxi to take us around an [... read more]d tours were available. I was unable to find any local transportation.

A study in contrasts

Positives: - The grounds were beautiful and well-cared-for. - The location really is impressive. Areas needing improvement: - When we arrived just after 12:00 noon, our room wasn't ready. In fact, their was someone still staying in the room. 2 1/2 hours later, it still wasn't ready. We were tired and hungry from the travel and just wanted to shower and change. The front desk staff were rude and condescending, waving us away with her hand. So, our first impression, in all honesty [... read more], was very negative. - Being an all-inclusive resort, the menu became extremely tedious and repetitive by the third day. Basically, the majority of the food items were the same each lunch and dinner every day. Even the outdoor "barbecue" was the same food reheated. However, the a la carte restaurant was very nice. The wait staff there were first class. - The majority of the wait staff seemed very indifferent to the clientele. Some meals, you were totally ignored when you arrived as well as while you waited service. A certain wait time is expected, but after a while it becomes blatantly obvious they would like you to go to another servers section. Having said that, I must give tremendous credit to three wait-staff members who went out of their way to make the meal pleasurable for their clientele. - The rooms/bungalows are showing the weariness of age. (mildew in most of the corners, stains on some ceilings from leaks, cracked tiles in the floor, very thin and uncomfortable mattresses, etc.

Loved the community feel!

The bungalows were perfect. Spaced out, yet no unit seemed far away from the amenities. Staff were really nice, and the guests were quiet, friendly, and mostly repeats. Food was blah, but the beach was wonderful. Will most definitely go again, and again, and again.

Snorkel heaven!

Small tidy resort. Food is good and nicely presented. Beach was dirty all week due to a broken tractor but that was the only complaint. Nice to be so handy to Havana. Access to the reef right off the beach requires good weather but superb. If there was wifi I'd never go anywhere else.

Nice 3 star resort

as usual the staff were very nice and accommodating. grounds nice beach better than average with a nice reef not too far offshore. water very clean and clear for snorkelling. rooms in building were ok but you are better to get a cabana room which are a little closer to everything. food was ok limited fruit selection but freshest bread made up for that only 45 min drive to resort and easy check in would recommend as good budget resort

Absolutely wonderful!

This is our fourth year staying at Villas Jibacoa and each year we love it more!!!The grounds are beautifully kept! The pool is new! The beach and snorkeling exceptional!!! The people of Cuba are wonderful hosts!!!

Diamond in the rough

My husband and I have travelled many times to Cuba and we loved this 3 star resort. The snorkeling was great when the weather cooperated, the grounds and surrounding mountains were beautiful, no line-ups for food, staff were wonderful and no fighting for lounge chairs. Yes, this resort is dated and could use some paint etc but remember it is 3 stars and that is what you paid for. The memories resort right next door is twice the price. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will definitely return [... read more].