Great relaxing atmosphere

Overall I would say that we enjoyed the vacation. We didn't realize that it was so remote. For a relaxing vacation, it was great. We prefer to be closer to the culture of the area, to be able to experience the native aspects of the area.

Mom and Daughter Surprise Secret Trip!

I am a return client at this resort but this year I made it a surprise trip for my 12yr old daughter. She has NEVER been out of the country let alone to a hot destination during the cold winter months. It was everything I wanted it to be for her and more! When arriving at the hotel we were quickly processed and in our room within 5mins. I had sent a special request a couple of weeks prior to our arrival with regards to location of our room and they were more than happy to accommodate our reques [... read more]t. Our room was clean and welcoming and, like most resorts, did a cute towel display on the beds. My daughter is 12 and can, for the most part, be a picky eater. She loved the food there and tried many different foods that she doesn't normally eat. We went to the return guest dinner, the Cuban and Mexican a la cartes and all were great. She didn't want to do the French but I have on both my other stays and it is by far the best a la carte to go to. **Special mention goes to Hector and Max at the Mexican for making it just a beautiful experience (as usual). My daughter was over the moon when she was able to go have pizza at the 24hr restaurant on the Luna side and ice cream at the ice cream parlor with Nicolas! The beach...what can you say about this beach but AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL. The beach is long, the palapas are not clustered but are spread out enough so that you are not on top of the next group beside you. They cleaned the beach every morning, picking any seaweed up and raking the beach to have it great. We even took a walk to the end where the 5 star resort is and their beach/palapa area wasn't nearly as great as ours was. The resort has different theme nights going on such as the 'White Night' on Thursdays where the guests and performers/entertainment crew wear white with all sorts of things from a fashion show, to hair braiding and massages to the water ballet performance (make sure to get your chairs well in advance as it packs up quickly). Overall, the management and staff were more than welcoming. I felt safe to allow my daughter to go off and peruse the grounds on her own or go and get ice cream from Nico. My daughter never once had issues trying to get a drink for herself at the bar (I've heard of other resorts where the children weren't treated as nice due to no tip but here that was never the case). When we had to leave it was with heavy hearts. I will , again, be going back to this resort but this time it'll definitely be with my daughter in tow as the next planned trip is with a group of our 'Cuba family' (friends we've met at this resort over the years that are from different places in Canada and the UK). I would highly recommend this resort to anyone who wants to go with friends or family. **things to know** 1) the Luna side is more geared towards older couples/young families who want to have a quieter time. Mares is for the more active nightlife as that is where the 24hr bar and 'Disco' are located. 2) French is phenomenal out of all the a la cartes but the others are pretty close.

Still the best staff in the Caribbean.

Just back from one week but planning to return very soon for friends anniversary. This hotel has the best staff of any hotel anywhere we have stayed. The building is charming especially when lit at night. The beaches awesome with two snack bars at either end. A la carte restaurants all good. Our favorite is the French, Mexican and Italian. Fonzy and Williams meet us at the bus on arrival to take our luggage, Juan Carlos, Arnoldo, Edder and the desk staff are so organized you have your braceler a [... read more]nd room number in minutes. Franco,, Vladimir, Paula, Giacomo and Junior are some of the hardest working bartenders you will ever meet. Sadly our favourite and long time friend Ivan was not there this time. At the buffet see Roger for the best fish in the Caribbean. No one cooks better or hugs more people than this chef. This year we met Enrique who is a new chef with a passion to make dining an even better experience and who can hopefully get the culinary staff the food and tools they need to make that happen. Best of luck Enrique! We will be back soon.

Amazing beach

Rooms needed an update but they were very clean. Our rooms location was close to lobby, buffet and pool area. French restaurant was very good and great service. All the staff were friendly and polite. Good resort for the price we paid.

Nice Resort

This small set of two hotels has been upgrading their grounds, rooms, buildings, kid activity area, and restaurants over the last few years. Situated on the beautiful Emeralda beach about 1 1/2 hours from the Holguin airport. The staff is excellent and accommodating. This year for some reason the evening presentations were not like in the past, spectacular and talented presenters in classy shows.. The beach is the best in the area, Shaded with trees and with two beach restaurants. There are some [... read more] off hotel excursions ( the catamaran the best) If you want to rest on a beautiful beach, snorkel, a bit, walk a bit at a reasonable price then this is it. This resort is well worth you travel dollar.

Beautiful resort with potential to be 5 star

The beach is the star attraction. Immaculately clean, powdery sand, abundance of lounge chairs, kayaks, pedal boats, Hobie Cats and clear gentle water with good snorkelling at the Paradisus end. Since there are only 2 hotels sharing the beach, it never feels crowded. There are 2 grand lobby areas, open to the sea breezes with bars and lots of seating. Entertainment is provided daily/nightly in the lobbies and in a large, airy theatre. There are 2 large free form pools that are very well maintain [... read more]ed, one with a swim up bar. The rooms are kept clean, have nice views and are functional but getting tired. Renovations are apparently under way. The buffet was generally good but could stand improvement. It is hard to please everyone and sometimes better not to attempt it. Sacrifice some choice for improved quality. We had a wonderful holiday.

Great resort, fantastic service, dull crowd

Stayed at the Luna Jan 16-23rd and I can say without a doubt: this is the best resort I've visited in Cuba. Pros: Great hotel, well maintained; great beach; professional staff; food above average; very good nightly entertainment Cons: Young people will find themselves bored very quickly; always long lineups at buffet; some food may be under- or over-cooked Beach is pristine, very long and wide. Plenty of room without having to fight for a spot in the shade. Very calm and relaxing beach experi [... read more]ence. Great windsurf instructor, and all equipment was always available for use. Also, the east end of the beach by Paradisus offers great snorkling. Unlike many resorts in Varadero, etc, the staff is very professional. They don't treat you any differently regardless if you tip or not. There are 2 24hr bars, one of which has great snack at night. Also, the bars are well stocked, including some aged spirits. Although the resort seemed 90% full, it was mostly older retired folk and boring crowd with no interest in staying up late to drink/dance/party. This can also be contributed to the sparse layout of the resort: it is indeed hard to find people you've met the day before in another part of the resort. However, Holguin offers music and parties every night of the week and is a 35-45 min drive away (do not pay over 30 cucs each way!). For a change of scenery, take a taxi or scooter into Guardalavaca and visit the market and the beach there. We may go back to this resort next season, as the comfort and amenities outweigh the lack of friendly/fun patrons. Enjoy!

An entertaining experience..wonderful staff!

Everything from food to staff to entertainment to the beach... Was excellent! The mattresses were old and sunken... I would recommend the mattresses to be replaced... And also to have double or queen beds for couples.

Amazing resort!

The most beautiful grounds, gardens and beach, rooms are modest but comfortable, dining at the Buffet - delicious , good variety of entertainment at night and activities during the day,friendly and helpful staff.My best vacation!

Very good location

Our 3rd time because it is very good location, very friendly hotel staff (not eager to be tiped for whatever reason), no jinerismo. For quiet holidays this hotel is perfect. But this hotel is really overpriced (hotel is pretty old_not renovated and really a 3*** hotel)

Great time in Cuba

After a lovely trip to Cayo Santa Maria a few years ago we decided to try Holguin and were not disappointed! We loved the location of this resort- the beach was amazing! The resort had everything we needed including wifi (for a fee). Would definite return!

Very good resort

This was my fifth or sixth time at this hotel,used to go to Varadero.This time,was better then ever before,even though weather did not fully cooperate.As on my earlier visits,I've brought another copula with us.They were amazed with everything about this hotel and its location.They used to go to Varadero,but definitely switching their vacation destination! Service was excellent,so was location and beach,rooms very clean,bathrooms need renovation,but still functional and clean. Food:Variety of fo [... read more]od was good.Problem was long wait for vegetarian meals,asking lady cook to wash her frying pan (cross contaminated with meat). Suggestion: Please, have a pasta and fried rice and vegetables grill, meat free zone,with sign above "Vegetarian Food".Will not cost hotel any extra cost or additional workers,but would make a lot of happy guests and attract new!

Just ok

Hotel for me was just ok. Beach and staff were good, hotel itself is tired and needs lots of work to update it, needs to be freshined up! Food, well it just wasn't good, I have visited approx. 10 all inclusive hotels in many different country's and the food at the Sol Rio Luna Mare was by far the least enjoyable.

More than hoped for!!

I found the rooms to be very clean. The beach was quite extensive and never had a problem finding a wonderful spot to lay. The food was exceptional, especially for the fresh seafood every day!! Also the variety of meat that could be cooked to your liking was a bonus! A favorite of mine was the pasta bar at night and the omelette bar in the morning. The staff were very friendly and helpful specially Robert and Suzi from the excursions team.

Love Sol Rio de Luna y Mares in Holguin Cuba !

I love the scenery, the beautiful beach with lush green trees all along the white sand beach . The valleys and hills behind the resort are breathtaking. Very country setting with goats, pigs, horses and cattle roaming. Nature all around. The staff are so nice and work extremely hard. There was 3 others in our group that never have been on a all inclusive and were very happy with the entire resort. They told me that they have recommended this resort to friends that were reluctant to travel to Cub [... read more]a. This was my 2 nd visit to this resort and can't wait to go again.

A Great Place to Return To

I''ve been to the Luna y Mares 5 times now and don't have any plans to look elsewhere. The beach is beautiful as is the water and staying in for 2 to 3 hours a day snorkeling and walking through the water is a big part of my winter fitness program. The flexibility and muscle tone these activities produce simply can't be duplicated, by me at least, in our norther climate. I've never been in the L y M pool but it looks nice. kids love it. There is also some weight loss involved over the two weeks [... read more] but this is not guaranteed given the lethal ice cream served at the L y M. I don't know what flavour the type I tried on my last night was but it may as well have been frozen butter. Love it! The L y M is simply beautiful looking out the front over the grounds, beach and ocean or looking out the back at the hills and the dolphin lagoon. There are lots of things to do and short hikes to make. Go up to the 4th floor in the Mares section and walk along its entire length. The view over the hinterland is fabulous. Note the hill about 1 km directly south with the flat top and the well worn path up the side. This is the water building hill and you can walk to the top and give the guard a peso or two and then go up on top of the flat roof. Incredible 360 degree view. You actually don't have to pay the guard but why wouldn't you give him something? Running shoes are mandatory. Stroll over the 200m bridge over the swamp between L y M and the Rio d'Oro resort and you will see a good many egrets and cranes. It doesn't smell that good sometimes but suck it up. It's a swamp. You can also take the natural history trail just a few metres west of the Mares section which shows the original people and how they lived and the types of native flaura and fauna. This actually does cost 3 or 4 pesos and will take you about 45 minutes. It includes several nice overviews of Playa Esmerelda, the 700m beach the L y M sits on. The area of Guardalavaca and Holguin is lovely countryside and there are various trips you can arrange. Cubans are beautiful but tourists are definitely seen as a source of income. The area has been hit directly by hurricanes Ike and Sandy over the past 5 years and the coral has suffered but it is still pretty interesting down at the Rio d'Oro end and along the cliff face out for 400m. The good stuff starts at the white chapel but getting in the water near the Rio d'Oro end will have you surrounded by fish looking for pieces of banana. This end of the beach is pretty rocky but you can get in easily by picking the path near the new small peer they are putting in. Ugly but maybe necessary for the Rio d'Oro guests. You can go walking in the surrounding area anytime night or day (I'm speaking as a man here) and be perfectly safe. This is true of most of Cuba but I've never been to Havana so can't say how their big city is. Freedom of movement is one of the things which make Cuba stand head and shoulders above any other southern destination. I simply do not like being in a compound with wire and armed guards nor having to have an escort to venture outside the grounds. The Luna facing the beach is the quietest spot and the Mares rooms are probably the noisiest overlooking the pool as they have a lot of activities there. I stay in the Mares is possible for the views, tropical breezes and ignore any noise. The L y M is not a state-of-the-luxury hotel and always needs some finishing but the staff and the location and the beach and the Cuban people draw me back every year. I am not alone. You will find people who have been going back for 10 and 15 years for 2 and 4 weeks at a time. There are reasons for this. The L y M is not party or glitter central but it is a solidly beautiful experience on many levels. Hope you enjoy it!

The best in Cuba

I've been to this hotel five years in a row and each time it keeps getting better and better! Luna is quiet and Mares is louder if you want entertainment, so there's something for everyone. Clean, friendly, good food, incredible service, and an amazing beach. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Perfect holiday

Just returned this morning. Perfect place to relax and enjoy beach. Staff excellent and surprisingly no pressure felt to tip. They seem to enjoy their work and are grateful to have the opportunity to be employed. Entertainment good thanks to Albert and the crew. Rooms need renovating but common places are well maintained. Congrats to gardeners the landscape is impeccable, it's not easy working outdoors in the heat and these are people who we tend to forget to tip.

“Best Cuba Vacation Ever”

I never wrote a review before, because I usually didn't have anything to add to what was already said. This time I have to, because the people working at this hotel definitely deserve a prise! What a great experience!!! This hotel is rated 3 ½ stars in travel brochures but it has 5+ service! We were a group of seven and stayed at the Sol Rio for one week in August, and that was the only negative about this vacation – it was to short. We have been in Cuba before, stayed in different hotels in  [... read more]Varadero and this time we decided to go to Guardalavaca for the first time. This hotel was recommended to us but, it was still a very plesent surprise. It exceeded our expectations. We will definitely be back!!! We arrived quite late in the evening, the hotel is about an hour ride from airport. Thanks to reading some reviews, we bought some cold beer at the airport, that made the trip pass fairly fast! Once at the hotel, we were greeted by a very kind lady that made the check in go smoothly. We got our room in the Luna part (as requested by e-mail) , only we were a little disappointed because it was on the ground floor. We went back to reception to ask for a different floor, and the new room was promised for the next day (it was 3 of us sharing one room, that’s why they couldn't do it the same night). Next day we got the second floor room with a million dollar ocean view! The room was huge, very comfy and clean. One king sized bed and two double beds. AC worked great, beds are comfortable and water bottles are replenished daily. We were in block 5 as per other travellers suggestions and it was a nice and quiet place, yet close to everything. This hotel has a very nice: area, lay-out , surroundings, views…. Very clean, it shows its age but the management and employees are doing their best. We noticed that they are doing some improvements and renovations, very discretely must I add, not to disturb any guests. Food was excellent! We stayed at the five stars hotel before, their buffet was bigger, but not better. Food was very tasty and nicely presented. If you can’t find anything to eat, look for the problem in yourself! Service was top notch, we never waited for a table, they were very fast to reset the tables. They would even go to the lobby bar if you asked for a drink they didn't have. We went to the French and Mexican restaurant, French being our favourite. Fine dining experience, excellent food and service. I read that some people complained about locals being on the beach. Locals were there everyday, not only on weekends.But what wonderful people they were! They would arrive in large groups, family and friends together. They would occupy shade under the trees and enjoy the beach and ocean. They NEVER begged for anything, they never talk to you unless you start the conversation. They just give you a beautiful smile for no reason at all. We all should learn from them, smiles don't cost anything and is a wonderful gift that can make someone's day. It made mine. It was very nice to observe how they had fun spending the day together. We always bring some stuff for the locals, they are very appreciative. We had each a carry on for us, and a big suitcase of stuff to give away. We made a few families happy, they were very surprised that we had something for them. At the end of the day we made new friends, exchanged addresses and hugs. So I don’t understand anybody complaining about the locals. It is their country and they are sharing it with us. Thank you! Anyway,what is point of travelling if you are not going to meet people and learn about their culture and their way of living? The best is saved for the end. To all personnel of Sol Rio Luna y Mares :Thank you for a best Cuba vacation ever. As somebody said before: yours smiles, hospitality and quality of service are so far unmatched. You are doing it right. Great service first, and tips are coming after. This is the first time in Cuba that we got a 100% service without tipping in advance. To my fellow travellers: Please tip. All inclusive package doesn't include tips! Show them appreciation for the great service! Ernesto it was very nice talking to you. It is nice talking to someone who is actually listening. You and your entertainment team are doing great job. We really enjoyed the young band that played Cuban music. Every night was special. I apologize for not remembering the name of young trainee at the reception, she was very professional, fast and nice…a great addition to your team. I hope she will be with you next time we visit. And last, but not least two bartenders that are true jems at Sol Rio: Jose Anthonio (Mare Lobby Bar) and Ivan Jose (La Niña beach Bar). Jose Anthonio is a superb bartender and entertainer in one! Thank you all for a great vacation. Viktorija and Tiho

Great value, food, location, staff.

Had a great time at this resort. Food was fresh and of top quality. Activities abundant. Friendly staff. Room clean but dated. My only reason to rate it a 4/5, would be the fact the beach wasn't private to the hotel. The rep on site stated beaches aren't private in Cuba. Daily, the locals come (by the busload on the weekend) to the beach and are everywhere. The problem is the few that annoy you for things. When they start to talk, they don't stop. They stare at you like they're stalking their ne [... read more]xt victim. They make it sound like they have nothing. One local told us that they do have everything they need, and that some tell you a sob story to get things but isn't true. Play off of our emotions. That was the only drawback of a near perfect trip.