Perfect Size!

This hotel is on the newer side which is refreshing going to Cuba, you don't see the typical worn down damage you normally see.The grounds are nice, clean and well kept. The size of the resort was perfect for us. You were no more then 3-4 mins from anything including beach and lobby. We would definately return. Oh, and for once I'm not leaving Cuba thinking the food sucked. It was actually really good here! Also it was only about 20 mins from the airport!!

Second time at Pestana Cato Coco

This was my second time at the Pestana. My husband and I enjoyed the food between the buffet, the four a la carte restaurants, the fresh made pizza (located by the beach) and the panini bar which is also located near the beach. The beach was absolutely amazing as usual and you could walk down the beach both ways for a long time. If you want to use the kayaks, paddle boats or catamaran you had to book them so suggest you do that first thing in the morning as they were quite busy on the days when  [... read more]there was little wind. It is a great resort for families however we found there were too many kids for us which is not the resort issue it's just our preference. The gym was small but adequate as long as you don't need weight machines. There were two stationary bikes, a treadmill and free weights which was enough for me. Howvever, it did not open until 9am which again was ok for me. The lobby has a bit of entertainment in the evenings and it gets very loud so kind of hard to have a conversation. There is also entertainment at the pool and the Zumba class at the pool are amazing. There is also a market within walking distance and another market approximately 20 minutes by car which we liked better.

Excellent Trip

The last time I was in Cuba, it was 17 years ago and it was not a positive experience. I decided that I wanted an inexpensive break and after doing research, booked a week vacation. Best decision, I had a wonderful time. Commute from Airport - Short, about 20 mins from Cayo Coco Airport. Room - Spotlessly clean and had all the amenities that I needed, all supplies were replenished daily and I liked having the mini fridge to keep my water cold. Bed was a little hard for me but I like a bed  [... read more]on the softer side. You should try to look at a map of the resort on line before you go. I was originally assigned to Bungalow 8 on a higher floor, this is a long walk to the main lobby and the beach for me as I have a knee problem. Upon request, they moved me to Bungalow 3 the next day on Floor 1 and it was a more central location. Food - This is where a huge improvement has taken place. Lots of variety, hot dishes, cold dishes, made to order fish, meat and omelettes. Pastas, breads, appetizers, fresh fruit, cheeses, salamis and cold meats, pastries, delicious yogurts, desserts and a variety of ice creams. There are 3 a la carte restaurants. I tried the Portuguese and the Cuban, both were nicely decorated and the food was good, a nice change from the buffet. One of the restaurants that I loved was the Beach Grill right beside the beach area Lunch Buffet. They do made to order pizzas which are very good and beside the pizza guy there is a man grilling burgers, chicken wings, hot dogs and pork. He also had a huge pan of paella, not much seafood in it but a delicious flavour. I loved to get either pizza or something from the grill and get a table in the buffet restaurant so that I had a break from the beach and could get a nice cold glass of wine. There is also a 24 hour Snack Bar beside the pool, I went there for breakfast a couple of days because I wanted something simple, I had good coffee, yogurt and a delicious cheese omelette. Bottom line is that there is lots of variety and I could always find something that I liked and I am fussy. Lots of condiments are also available at the buffets etc, I brought some with me due to prior experience but I did not need them. Beach and Ocean - AMAZING!!!!! I have been to Mexico, Mayan Riviera, Dominican Republic, St Thomas, the Bahamas, Jamaica, many areas in Florida, Cayman Islands and the Greek Islands. This is the best, wide beach of soft white sand and the colours and the clarity of that water, it does not get any better. I loved the natural shade by the mangrove trees and there are many palapas. I never had a problem getting shade no matter what time I went to the beach. There are attendants on the beach who will bring loungers to wherever you want to sit. There is a beach bar and occasional wait service or you can get off your butt and get a drink yourself. N.B Apparently the beach was widened significantly late last year. You can also walk for miles around the bay in either direction. Pool - Very nicely maintained and in great shape, it is absolutely huge with a shallow part for kids. Bars - All were good, the beach bar only serves Cuban drinks and beer, soft drinks and water. I think that the pool bar is the same. There are 2 bars in the lobby area and one is open 24 hours a day (can you believe that) and they serve everything that you could want. I found the drinks to be very good, they made a great margarita and if you were willing to pay a few extra pesos, premium drinks were available. The Lobby Bar also makes great made to order coffees. Resort - Modern in design with an open air lobby. I really thought that it was tasteful. Staff - The staff are so friendly and helpful and the majority seemed to genuinely enjoy their work. A special thank you goes to Solansh who cleaned and maintained my room and Roberto at the beach. They both made my vacation extra special with their kindness. Internet - You buy time - 2 pesos for a special card which gives you an hour. Needs to Improve - The lighting on the paths through the resort, some parts of each path are very poorly lit. This made me afraid that I would trip and fall at night coming from and going to my room, They seriously need to add more lighting and signs. They need markers indicating the way to the various bungalow numbers. You really need to take a flashlight with you. Bottom line a great vacation and I would not hesitate to go back. So do not listen to the negative reviews, just go!

Small and cozy

The resort was small - which meant not a lot of guests which was great for relaxing and for having family vibe (resort next door looked like everyone was shoulder to shoulder on the beach). The food was decent for Cuban food. There is not a lot going on during the day - if we didn't have kids with us excursions would have been the way to go. The kids club was never opened and the playground was really run down unfortunately. They did provide a play pen for our kids to sleep in inside the room -  [... read more]so that was a bonus. The resort was not big on advertising meal themes, el la carte or evening show times which made it more difficult in planning meals and evenings etc. Beach was clean and lovely!

Amazing Resort!

Everything was clean: pool, buffet, beaches, rooms, even bathrooms from lobby and pool areas. this management is really working hard. the food tasted good. the drinks were amazing. You can even bring your own bottle and let em fill it with your favorite drink! no kidding! i had my bottle always with rum! this is not a review spam! i'm actually recommending this place to all my friends.

Pestana Cayo Coco

We travelled to the Pestana Resort on Dec 28\16 returning on Jan 7\17. We went with another couple. Since this is our second time to the resort, I sent email to reservations manager to get us in the same building. At the time of check in I was in building 3 and my friends in building 10. That wasn't going to work, they told us to come back in one hour because the rooms weren't ready. When we returned to front desk all four of us were in building 3. Once in the room the safe didn't work, which go [... read more]t fixed the next day. The water pressure for shower was low, then it got better. Some people had beach towel issues but we didn't. We went to the buffet for dinner and I noticed that the pasta cook had been removed. The pasta was so good last year when he cooked it. I was so disappointed about that. The food was very good, in buffet and the restaurants. The cookies on the desert table were fantastic. The beach is very beautiful since they made it much bigger. We got toasted on stage as it was our second time at Pestana. We had a special return guest dinner with all the returning people to Pestana, which was really nice. The New Years eve party was a blast. They went all out to bring in the new year. We met a waiter named Agusto and a waitress named Yanesly, they went out of their way to make sure our vacation was most enjoyable. They even gave us a tour of the city of Moron where they live. This was very nice of them to show us around on their day off. All the people where very nice, but those two went way far above the call of duty. The Pestana resort is very lucky to have these two hard working caring, individuals. They make you want to return to the resort every year. I can truly call these two individuals my friends now. We truly enjoyed our 10 day vacation and would definitely return to the Pestana in Cayo Coco Cuba.

Good resort, lots of potential.

We had a good team. The resort allowed for a great relaxing weekend for us. I can't say more about the staff. We enjoyed most encounters with the staff and most just wanted to please! They don't seem to be after our tip money or clothing.. but they did appreciate it. Unfortunately, we did not have a shower. We could take a bath but the shower hose leaked and was not hooked up on the wall. Mid way through the week, a plumber replaced the hose for the showered but did not install it  [... read more]on the wall. So we were left shower less for the week... Baths were ok. Some other family mentioned having plumbing issues as well (not hot water and not toilet water for a day). Made us feel good by at least having hot water and a working toilet. ;) The resort is not huge so it makes for a more intimate experience. The resort was fully booked and we had no problems getting chairs by the pool or at the beach. We even got the beach huts two times! The food was good, I enjoyed it. The pizza was great, you just had to wait in line for it. The beach was awesome. We arrived for NYE and the staff prepared a great festivities with a bunch of goodies for all!

Fantastic vacation

We stayed at the Pestana Cayo Coco and had a wonderful two weeks! The food is plentiful and tasty. The a la cartes were excellent! The beach was breathtaking while the pool with so much activity was a lot of fun! We would return most definitely! The grounds were clean and the people friendly! We enjoyed our vacation and would love to visit again soon! Highly recommended!

Great resort....For Cuba

The hotel was clean and well maintained. The staff and Cuban people are amazing. The resort has a fantastic beach. The food quality was decent for Cuba but selection was limited and often the same at the buffet. Towels were always an issue at the pool and we went days without fresh towels. The priority club was a joke and a complete waste of money. We didn't get anything we paid for and I would highly recommend you don't upgrade. This was our 3 time to Cuba and this hotel was the best one ye [... read more]y despite its problems.

Christmas holiday

We returned to this resort for a second time! Pool staff were very friendly. Beach was beautiful and Robert was very kind and friendly. Buffet was busy and tables stayed uncleared for a long time even though there weee people waiting. Suggest that there is a clean up and set up crew. Instead of bringing people drinks have drinks self serve.

One of best beaches in carribean

We just returned from the Pestana and were very satisfied. The highlights can be summarized as follows: The beach in this part of the island is now about 150 feet wide, even at high tide. It's really one of the best beaches in the carribean that we have been to. The public area washrooms are always clean and always have toilet paper. Staff at the resort is friendly, helpful and quick to fix problems Yoan, a waiter, in the lobby is probably about the best and hardest working waiter [... read more] I have ever run across in our travels, and that includes here in Canada. My wife and I were amazed with the speed he worked a busy lobby one night. The food is good, but not great. The fried chicken at the buffet and the Pestana burger at the snack bar were the highlights. The buffet would really benefit from adding a pasta bar like many other resorts have. Rooms are nice and clean. The safe in the room is free. Management really seems to pay attention to customer reviews and address issues pointed out

Amazing resort

I have to say we were extremely pleased with everything. The beach of course was breathe taking. The rooms and grounds were very clean. We stayed in bungalow 6 and was close to everything. Was the perfect size Staff was always smiling and very helpful. I'm picky with food and from past experiences found Cuba food to be bland but here I always found something and was very tasty. So far the best food I have had the Italian restaurant was amazing and at the 24 hour snack bar they even had poutine [... read more]s. We will definitely go back

Good and bad

This hotel is smaller than the average in size. Good for little kids since don't need to walk too far for everything. Food is average, but the fruits are really baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Service is average as well. Beach is good, but currently part of it is under some construction....

Amazing activities

Ground area is wonderful & well keep. They just need to trim some branches when we were there. Our building is nicely located not to far from buffet, swimming pool & beach. They could have improvement on cleanliness in washroom near buffet & swimming pool.

Praise for Pestana!

A great resort with friendly, helpful staff in all areas. Food was very good at the buffet and specialty restaurants. Rooms were clean and comfortable,with everything in working order. Phones were down for a few hours. We loved both the pool and the beach. We would certainly go back to this hotel. Our expectations were met a all levels.

Great Holiday

The resort is very clean and well maintained. This is our 6th trip to Cuba and our first stay at the Pestana. The resort is a smaller resort but very clean and well maintained, the resort staff are very friendly and helpful especially Annaleece at the customer service desk. We found the food choices very good for Cuban standards and the best from all the resorts we previously stay at in Cuba. The beach is white sands and stunning. Over all we had a great holiday and I would definitely be returni [... read more]ng to the Pestana in the future again.

Great Time at a Very Nice Resort!

As Cuba goes, this was a very nice resort. Modern, new, clean and well laid out. The staff are friendly as all took the time to offer a friendly, "Hola Amigo"...right down to the grounds crew. The centre of the action starts at the beach then seems to move to the pool in the early afternoon. In the evening and night, the lobby bar is the scene. All the critical areas are within a few steps of the pool...the a la cartes, the buffet, the kids club, the 24hr snack bar, the theatre and the lo [... read more]bby bar... well laid out property. The beach and a few of the bungalows are a bit of a longer walk but only a matter of 3 minutes or so. The beach itself is great. There are some rocks (think bedrock) that come up through the sand near the entrance to the beach but to the right, it opens up to a beautiful sandy walk right into the water and out. IMPORTANT NOTE: Starting the week of October 31, 2016, there are machines taking sand from a km out and pulling it into the shore. Some kind of beach expansion/improvement. Should only last a week or so but you will be able to use beach at the Melia next door. The food is as expected... not Mexico but well done considering the limitations they have. Fresh stations at the buffet and a well-priced lobster add-on to any evening (20 pesos and highly recommended). The entertainment was a slight let-down though not by much...just a little below what I would have expected. Also, the lobby entertainment is far too loud. While most of the time, you are OK to sit and enjoy beverages while socializing, there are times when they have live music playing but rather than having it as background music, it is cranked up and you are unable to talk with friends. Disappointing but not a deal breaker by any means. The staff at the lobby bar are wonderful. Dani was always welcoming in the morning and Migue was quick to bring your favourite drinks. If traveling before March and looking to bring gifts, Dani is expecting around March/April. Regarding the famous "towel game" on the chairs...no need. There were plenty available at both the beach and pool areas and if there were none...they had plenty in back just waiting to be used. If you're looking for something to do off property, I highly recommend taking a cab out to Playa Prohibida and have a great lobster meal and some drinks at "Lenny's". Overall, this resort is above average and the staff were great. I will definitely return and suggest it for any kind of traveller... couples, families and social gatherings. I witnessed all three groups having a wonderful time and saw staff go out of their way to make the time memorable. Finally, regarding Tripcentral...Robyn and Alexandra were very helpful throughout the booking process and made this trip planning simple and stress free...Thanks to them.

Amazing resort

great resort for the price food amazing for Cuba beach was amazing service was amazing if you tip.the rooms need some upgrade and they need to add the mini bar included in the price I was surprised since my mini fridge was alway empty for the stay never got filled

One of the best in Cayo Coco if not thee BEST!!!

People were great!!! The food was better than we expected. The Beach was good but not as good as Pillar Beach. Still stuff to do despite being on an isolated island. Recommend taking some of the excursions. The nightlife shows were OK but not the greatest. They never did fix our patio doors or the shower curtain that kept falling in our daughters room but the rooms were nice and clean and the staff were wonderful!!

Really nice resort

My boyfriend and I went during the quiet time (beginning of September) and it was very nice. The resort is small but perfect size to find things. The beach is nice and the water is warm. Although there were not a lot of people, there were still a lot of activities and tons of food options (vegetarian and vegan). The room was nice and spacious. Always cleaned properly and very nice. A/C worked and so did the hot water. Highly recommend for any couple.