Playa Costa Verde: Good value

The food,room,people and overall resort were very clean and people very nice. good selections to eat and staff always with a ready smile. Pool was clean and nice. The resort is small and very safe. The beach was nice, not very long and very rocky due to the latest hurricane.The tour company got us to and from the airport in good time without any incidents. I did not like some of the music around the pool some of the morning's and afternoon. Overall a nice place to go, however if you like a  [... read more]long sandy beach without stones/coral, then this resort is not for you.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Large Resort, beautiful beach!

This resort was very large with alot of walking. The beach was absolutely gorgeous with white soft sand and barely a stone in sight. Our twenty-something daughters loved it. The food was fine, but very repetitive. Lobster dinner down the beach on the hill was lovely and quite fancy. The rooms were nicer than what we usually experience in Cuba, but our girls had issues in their room with the air conditioner leaking and the ceiling actually leaked significantly during one heavy storm. We would [... read more] go again for a good price ( we got it for $619 CAN pp) but we prefer a smaller resort. We had a couple wonderful servers but it was not the same "family" type feel as a smaller resort. We did not stick around long for the evening entertainment. It appeared to be the usual cheesy shows but we had some wonderful bands play on the beach and at dinner time. Loved it! If you just want a gorgeous beach with snorkeling and decent food at a good price, by all means check this place out.

Playa Pesquero: Nice resort

Nice big resort, clean and friendly with big pool. Unfortunately, not many facility for young children. There are five restaurants à la carte but just two of them are very good. The food is good, you can eat shrims and languste every day but also have steak or pasta. The service is good also.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Best in Holguin area

Delightful stay in a well maintained resort with very pleasant grounds, large clean rooms and very responsive staff. What I liked best was how peaceful it was there - no blaring entertainment around the pool, and very good live music at lunch (beach restaurant) and dinner in the lobby area. At night the entertainment can be heard in the closest rooms until about 11 so if you don't like that, get a room away from the lobby. It is not a large resort so there are no distant rooms unless you pay [... read more] extra for the Royal Service area.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Made memories!

We found the grounds tidy and safe. Staff were pleasant. The hotel seemed to be populated with Cuban locals. There were a lot of locals asking for handouts in and around public beaches. The food was ok, not much of a vegetable/fruit selection-this impacted by the hurricane as they had to help the opposite side of the island is what we were told. Rooms were comfortable, lots of hot water and very clean. Housekeeping is attentive and grounds crew were very friendly. The 24hour snack bar was sh [... read more]ort and less accommodating. Felt like we were supported last because we were not Cuban.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Good for the price

This was our 9th trip to Cuba, 3rd to Holguin, 1st to this resort. This resort actually offers a good value for a reasonable price. It is a bit of an unusual resort, feels more like a summer vacation home in the mountains. The terrain is mountainous, there are very few palm trees (none at the beach), somehow feels more authentically Cuban to me than other resorts I’ve been to. Food was OK, very standard for Cuban resorts, same food all 7 days. The good: - Flexibility and price. We ar [... read more]e a family of 4 and because my daughter is 13, she is treated as “adult” and most hotels don’t offer settling 3 adults and 1 child in one room. Getting 2 rooms would mean paying adult rates for both children, making a trip much more expensive. Memories has larger rooms where all 4 of us could stay in the same room comfortably, many thanks! - The front desk staff actually knows how to smile! Overall, great front desk experience, quick check in (they scanned our passports, rather than asking me to write down all the names, passport # etc) – the fastest and most pleasant check in I’ve seen in Cuba. - The beach is very nice for swimming, great for kids – calm water, no stones. Great for novice snorkelers, albeit there’s nothing to see there. - Plenty of shades and chairs at the beach, no vendors bothering you. - Free digital safe in the room – many hotels charge for safe separately. - Good drinking water. In two other Holguin hotels we visited, the purified water was undrinkable, but not here: the water in the restaurant tasted much like bottled water, clean and fresh. We also had a bottle of water per day delivered to the room. - Our bedsheets in the room were actually changed daily, not just tidied up. I’m split on this one as find it a bit of a waste of water/energy, but from a service perspective this is the first Cuban hotel I’ve been to below 5 stars that does it. - Animation team was great. Unlike many other hotels, they offered morning activities on the beach, including dancing lessons. We never user pools, only beach, so it was fantastic! - Foam party at the beach – kids had a blast. - “Memories” signature song – cool song, sang everywhere, very addictive. - Take a 20-min catamaran trip to a deep sea for a $5 tip – great value and good fun. - We had a room in a quiet area far away from disco/theater, nothing disturbed the night sleep. - Once per week, the keepers of the nearby nature attraction bring an eagle, a parrot and a small alligator to the beach where anyone can take pictures with them. While I’ve seen this in other resorts, this was a first resort where you could take your own pictures for free, rather than buying them. - Twice I reported the issue with the room equipment, both times they were fixed quickly. - Air conditioner was good. Placed high above and away from the beds, it was cooling the room while not blowing directly at us at night. - Interesting wild life. At night, if you walk the remote paths, you will see many large crabs; at day – variety of birds, small lizards. Great tropical flower scent in the air. - Coffee at the lobby bar is great. Asked for a shot of rum, got Havana Club, not a no-name rum. The bad: - Checkout at noon while most flights are arriving-leaving around 9-10pm. Many families were stuck for 5 hours after the checkout, walking aimlessly on hotel grounds in a scorching sun. Yes, late check out is offered, but is twice аs expensive comparing to other Holguin hotels. Paying 50 pesos (65 CDN) just to take a shower before leaving is way too expensive. If Memories were to offer 8pm check-in and 5pm check out for all night flights, it would cost them nothing but would make them a top Holguin resort in a price/value category. - One of the mattresses in our room was rock-hard. Not firm, but literally hard as a rock with some mesh on top of it, think sleeping on a box spring. My bones rebelled after first night. - Service in restaurants was hit-and-miss. Great during some dinners (prompt, attentive), non-existent during others (plates piling up, water/drinks not offered till the end of meal in a half-empty restaurant). On two separate dinners I ordered beer that I’m still waiting for. Tips don’t make a difference. - Some (not all) local tourists are very rude. Will strike a conversation with a cook, cut in front of you in line, literally take all the meat or fish that is ready. - While the beach is great for swimming, on one occasion the hotel “promoted” kiteboarding on the beach, with staff cruising on dangerously close to swimmers/snorkelers. This is an accident waiting to happen; the two types of activities should never come close to each other. Luckily, it happened only once. - Hotel grounds are vast. We had a 10-min walk to a beach and some residences were further. Not a big problem for us, but may be for some. - I did find a live cockroach and a few dead ones – check your luggage before leaving if you don’t want to bring home some new “guests”. - Found a sea urchin once in the ocean, almost stepped on it. This is beyond resort’s control, just be mindful while in the ocean. - Rum is cheaper at Duty-free. - Pina Colada at the bar has nothing to do with a Pina Colada, it’s some sort of a soft drink, worst I’ve tried in Cuba. Hamburgers at the beach – avoid: the patty is way too salty and the bun is often has portions of raw dough. - Flies and birds in the buffet. This is unavoidable with an open buffet. - Housekeeping bloopers. While the room we moved in was cleaned up, there was garbage from the previous occupants in the balcony. Stayed there for 3 days, until a different maid checked the balcony.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: The resort was amazing

The resort was very nice. Well maintained the grounds were impeccable. The food was excellent. the ala carte restaurant 2nd to none in fact the lobster canolloni was probably the best thing I ever ate. The staff was friendly and very helpful going out of their way to help us. Good entertainment nightly. A bit of a downer The beach was absolutely horrible and excess to it was difficult. We had to walk to the other end of the resort to get to it and walk down stairs . The actual beach area  [... read more]was small and crowded. No room for any beach activity what so ever. To get to the swimming area we had to cross a channel, (that had a slight odor to it, and was quite an eyesore) just to get to the usable part of the beach.. Considering, the reason we, and most people go to Cuba, is for the beach We found it very disappointing

Playa Pesquero: Playa Pesquero is our 2nd home away from home!

The resort is beautiful. We have been many times and this trip we found they have made some very nice changes to update decor and gardens. Our rooms were lovely and the food in the a la carte restaurants was amazing. The rooms were very clean and the service was great. Of course the beach was amazing. Also because we were returning guests they held a special Gala Dinner for all returning guests with entertainment and an amazing dinner.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Beautiful Resort

The grounds of this resort are beautiful and the staff do an amazing job of keeping it clean. The rooms are outdated but clean. The beds were comfortable and when we reported a problem with one of the toilets the staff was very quick to fix the problem. The entertainment staff also worked hard to provide a variety of activities, from bingo to mini golf and ping pong tournaments,aquafit and "bull riding"in the pool. It is a good place to vacation as a family or not.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Visiting Cuba with my grandchildren

I have now been to Club Amigo 9 times and it's certainly home away from home. Never been to any other hotel in Cuba. This was my grandchildren first trip to Club Amigo and the staff were amazing to them. The children are normally shy but opened right up as they were treated special. The staff certainly gave the kids a positive expression and both kids who are 3 & 7 said they want to go back!

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Good resort

Great place great people great beach good food i would recomend the place. The only thing that i didn't appreciate was the fact that they were fixing the bar in the lobby and the were very noisy while people were trying to relax. Entertainment was very good and the entertainment organizers were fantastic.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Amazing resort

This is our third visit to Brisas Guardalavaca and we would certainly visit again. The staff are so friendly and courteous. They never pass by without a Hello or stop to talk. When we arrived the Reception area at the Hotel was under construction and finished before we left. The new area is amazing, the new Lobby Bar is excellent and bright the new furniture also adds brightness to the area. The first floor has been completed and the rooms are bright and clean. The second floor is almost  [... read more]completed as well and looking amazing. We stayed on the third floor and were not too disturbed with it. They worked mostly is the day and we were not in our room. The Villa lobby was open along with the bar at the Villa lobby which was nice because it was just one more place to go to have a great drink and meet more people. We attended a Marriage Blessing with friends from England and the service was beautiful and the area was beautifully decorated.Then to the Seafood Restaurant for a lovely reception. This was a wonderful evening. Our weather this time was not great but we all managed to have a tan when we left. I have visited several resorts in Cuba and find that Brisas is one of the most clean resorts I have seen. Washrooms all over the resort are so very clean. One complaint I do have is in the snack bar area by the pool the birds are always dropping little gifts on people and no matter where you sit under the roof it happens. Not sure if this has a solution but it would be nice. Staff does what it can to keep the table and chairs clean. Staying in the hotel is most convenient for my husband as he has trouble walking and finds the elevator (which allows us to stay on any floor) most helpful. The closeness of the pool and the beach he likes as well. This is a great place to stay and will hopefully return again.

Brisas Guardalavaca: amazing resort, been here 5 times now.

This resort is very very clean, they have made many improvements. Always ready to help you. The staff are amazing , the rooms are getting improvements. The lobby was under construction when we arrived but its wasn't a problem. By a couple of days it was completed and beautiful . They added a new lobby bar . All in all would come back in a heart beat. Great value for my money. Love love this resort and everything about it.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: A resort to return to

Very nice people. Grounds are well kept. Housekeeping staff works hard. Staff was friendly and attentive. You can tell when they went out of their way. Only problem was with one booked restaurant. Felt my friend and I were ignored. Over all I’d definitely return

Playa Pesquero: Amazing Resort!

This was my first time at Playa Pesquero (11-18 Nov 2017), and I LOVED everything about it! I am already excited to go back in 2 years for my 40th birthday! Karaoke, ice cream parlour, 24hr beer gardens - what more could you ask for?!!!! The beach was beautiful, pool was clean and the right temperature, the food was AMAZING (like, amazing, not even "Cuba-amazing"), so many meal options, the drinks were always right, staff were wonderful. The rooms were great - could use some upgrading, howeve [... read more]r for the amount of time your in your room, they are fine! I would give it 2 thumbs up and can't wait to return!!

Brisas Guardalavaca: Lovely resort

We have been at this resort before and we love it there. People there are absolutely amazing. It’s not perfect and I don’t expect anything in Cuba is. We had some problems with the room, but nothing what would affect my great time. Cuban time, manana, just go with the wind. We will be back. Love Brisas Guardalavaca

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Our sad experience at Club Amigo, Guardalavaca

My wife Katherine and I have been to Club Amigo Guardalavaca (tropical section) more than 30 times. We booked several month ago choosing Hola Sun and left November 5, 2017. The Cuban airline and crew were excellent. All went well till we entered the Club Amigo Hotel. Our names were not on their “new arrival” list so there was no room assigned to us. We did have our voucher but that did not seem to mean a lot and were told repeatedly “your name is not on the list”. They did put us up in [... read more] a room with a lot of water on the floor. Hola Sun representative told us, the next day that our registration email, sent from Hola Sun,Toronto, to Club Amigo Hotel, had been found in the “JUNK MAIL” section. Things generally do not get sent to the junk mail unless directed, especially from a Cuban Company “Hola Sun Toronto to a Cuban hotel. The insult is well registered and the chance of visiting Club Amigo again are very slim. Regards Peter Quiring

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Great vacation

I travelled to this resort on November 11th. for 1 week. Overall the resort is nice. I recommend the Plus upgrade. Nicer rooms, more A la carte reservations, Wi fi available in rooms in some buildings. VIP bar access for a quiet drink. Water shoes a good idea if you like to swim in the ocean, but not necessary. Food rating based on it being Cuba. Lots to eat and decent quality. Room rating based on view. Most are garden view, I prefer a pool or true ocean view. Hard to get at this resort. My [... read more] bed and pillows were the best I have had compared to 6 previous visits to resorts in Cuba.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Loved it!

A wonderful resort. We stayed at the Plus side. We enjoyed the A La Carte dining especially the wonderful Lobster dinner! Everything is close by and the beach is so beautiful with clear turquoise water. A wonderful place to snorkel! We enjoyed our daily catamaran rides!

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Nice and relaxing hotel!

This hotel is old but kept nice and clean , the service is ok , some of the staff doesn’t really care about their clients but some are nice and try to be pleasant ,if you tip you will receive better service , I would have actually enjoyed my stay at this hotel after much hesitation to book there , it was a disaster my vacation at this hotel though because I booked my fiancé from Canada only to arrive at the hotel and be told that he was not allowed to stay because we weren’t married, we h [... read more]ave been staying at hotels over a 5 year period with no problems , but yet there were many couples not married and big age difference , I guess there’s big favouritism going on there,because of this nonsense we weren’t able to enjoy our vacation which turned into a disaster, it’s too bad I won’t be returning to this hotel ever again .