Friendly atmosphere

Our stay at pestana was remarkably great ,having clean rooms are my priority so I was pleased .The beach was above average .The staff were very helpful and friendly .Meals was to our satisfaction.The entertainment was excellent .My wife and my three children had a blast ,so picking pestana I certainly do it again !

Family Vacation

1- Landing at resort early to get all of our 7 days was not what took place. Check in took till 6.30pm after landing at 11.30am. This could been nice, but pool closes at 6.00pm,and when you are trying for clarification English seems limited. There is only one speed when it gets busy, slowwww! Due to travel to airport in Toronto, had been awake 24 hrs, which was not the resorts problem, but coming into resort, rooms should be ready, not 6hrs later! You are sitting with your luggage in 32 deg te [... read more]mp waiting to refresh yourself. 2- Sheets not changed over the 7 days, no bath linen, started with 3 towels, after 3 days, finally got changed, but only one available for a day, no face cloths. 3- Food was very good, but very plain, no spices. Al-Carte bookings.....we tried, for Italian, but booked till 4 days after our 7 day visit ?? 4- Pool very dirty, not cleaned, had algae growing in the tiles, but closed everyday at 6.00pm till 9.00 am next morning. Beach huts close up at 6.00Pm also. 5- 5 Ft out beach has lot of Coral, if you walk towards other resort gets better. 6- Staff were great, but look very discontent, very little smiles, very strained, it seemed very under staffed! 7- Outside services for day trips, asked about going to Moron, told way to far, and told nothing to see. 8- Shopping, very disappointing ! Went to the "Market" recommended by the staff, everything thing about the Peso's , only to find everything at the airport for half the price ! The souvenirs fell apart before we were on the plane. 9- Money exchange, 100.00 Canadian, for 74.00 CUP, by the time you have exchange and tax, definitely not any deals, buying a Cuban cigar in Cuba, is more expensive then buying same cigar in Canada. 10- No Microwave in rooms. Kids wanted popcorn at night, not available. Check in/ Check out not a smooth transaction. Limited to one or two people for bus load coming in, rooms not ready, not organized. Seems very understaffed at times. Rooms took many hours to get completed, bartenders overwhelmed at times, wait times at snack bar up to an hour for plate of fries. 11- Weather was fantastic, for the kids the evening show was great. Day care, is available, wouldn't use that again. Kids pool was full of sand drained and left empty? Resort is beautiful, goat keeps lawn very well trimmed, A/C in rooms runs great, drinks are fantastic and never ending ! Music at pool very loud and repetitive.....boom,,, boom,,, boom ! 12- Babies crib not safe, held together by a nail sitting on the floor. For a resort that was built in 2013, it requires a lot of upkeep, tiles broken around tub, doors don't close, sink plugs not working. 13- You are assigned pool towels, beware! If you leave them at the pool, and someone takes yours, you are on the hook for 20.00CUP, which is $27.00 CAD, and believe me, those towels are not worth $27.00! 14- Great Location!! +++ 18 kms to resort, There in 20 mins! We have travelled to Mexico over the years, and wanted to try somewhere new. We have tried the new, now going back to the old, Mexico( Cancun)(Mayan Riviera) was by far 2 times the service, accommodations , staff , site seeing & meals. The staff try as hard as they can, but you have a feeling that they are always looking over their shoulder looking to see if someone is watching them. It was an experience, we spent time as a family, which in itself was fantastic, weather was beautiful, there was an opportunity to be great, resort failed!

Mixed feelings

We recently stayed at pestana in cayo coco and unfortunately there were more down sides then up sides . We traveled as a group of 7 . We arrived at the resort around 11am and we're told our rooms wouldn't be ready until 4pm which then later turned into 5pm cause the people leaving wanted to stay longer in their rooms . Traveling with an infant and toddler this was a HUGE inconvenience. Once we got our rooms and settled in we started feeling a bit more relaxed. The pillows were thin and the bab [... read more]y crib was broken held together by a nail very unsafely. The food was better then I expected but we noticed the pig that was served was served 3 nights in a row which made my husband very sick . Very under staffed and had to wait far to long for drinks at the bars in which all the slushy machines were juice and had to have ice in a glass with them . Often the buffet had no dishes or clean tables we found ourselves cleaning tables off ourselves to be able to eat and there was no ac or fans in the buffet area so it was very hot to eat in . The entertainment was decent but to spaced out for the kids and adult shows . The staff was nice and helpful . The room maids were more then understand but there was always a shortage of towels and bed sheets were never changed through the week . The pool was nice and we had no issue finding a chair but the hours of the pool an pool bar were unfortunate and closed to early. We were glad to be leaving and heading home and unfortunately won't be returning to pestana and do not recommend the resort to family or friends . The sun was shining which kept us on the happish side

Pestana Paradise

My family and I just got back from a one week stay at Pestana Cayo Coco. The hotel was nice and the grounds were fairly clean. The staff at Pestana were wonderful and extremely friendly. We really enjoyed their hospitality. The food was average at the buffet, but we really enjoyed the ala cart restaurants - especially the Italian one. The beach at the resort was stunning and the sand was so white. It was looking at a postcard of a tropical paradise. However, I have 2 teenage boys and there wasn' [... read more]t a lot for them to do - they had a nice beasketball and tennis court, but no equipment to use at it. Overall, the resort was very nice and we would definitely go back again!

Ok

We arrived at 11:15 am and didn't get our room until 3;30pm. It was ground floor and saw bugs and crab. Maintenance is not that great, problem with water in the bathroom. Towels were not replaced daily. Beach is very nice.

Lots of emotions

All and all we had a great time at the Pestena Cayo Coco.......this ressort is medium size and everything is within walking distance......most things in general were okay.......certain things need to be improved.......more food diversity,faster service at the snack bar near the pool area,more shows at night,beverages in the mini fridge,water pressure at night to wash,more animation around the pool area,no chairs reservered ahead of time at the pool,and harder beds with better pillows to sleep on [... read more]........the peole in Cuba is what makes the difference for me and my family....they have to travel 5 hours a day 6 days a week to go to work in extreme heat.....they always have a smile on their faces......thats what makes Cuba a special place for me to visit.....great medical service too...24 hours at that.......to conclude my review I would you to know that our return to Montreal was quite an adventure.....Half an hour after our flight left Cayo Coco the aircraft entered a zone of very bad weather.....the pilot called it CAT.......for about 45 seconds the aircraft took 2 drops and me and my family felt that our time was up.....lots a nd lots of screams in the aircraft.......In my years of flying I never experienced such an event......even today I talk about it and believe we are lucky to be alive.......this was more than just a scare......my 2 daughters still s of today keep asking me how the aircraft did not fall or breakup......this was more than a shake.....its a bad memory that some will never forget.....

Lots of emotions

The place in general is fine.....not to big.....the beach is okay......some areas are very rocky.....their is enough chairs for everyone...good bar service.....the pizza and grill place near the beach is okay......the a la carte resto s are so and so.......the buffet is just as good and you can eat what you like......the food in general is okay for cuban standards......I have been to Cuba often and I believe it tastes the same anywhere you go.......the pool was oaky too...lacks a little animatio [... read more]n.......the games are the same everyday.......not enough of animation time......the pool bar is great with excellent service......the snack bar near the pool is great.......however it would take one hour sometimes to get a fry with a hot dog.......the shows at night were almost non existent.....sometimes they would have a young lady play the piano or a man sing to dancing couples.......needs more night shows......the front desk people are very kind and helpfull.......the room were so and so......a little run down for a ressort that is 4 years old......no beverges in the mini bar......no water pressure at night time to wash......the beds are very soft....the pillows are very poor.........toilet paper seems to be a luxe at this ressort........their medical service is A 1....my daughter got a ear infection and see recieved great care in a matter of minutes......would make Montreal feel ashamed off its medical system.......all and all the ressort for me is a 6 on 10.....it ha s alot of potential.....needs a little more improvements in certain areas.....our last comment and not the very least is the scare we recieved coming back home with flight WG 605......a half an hour after we departed from Cayo Coco we got the scare of our lives....the pilot went over what s called a CAT in the Florida area.....the aircraft took two drastic drops and we were sure that this was the end........lots of screaming in the aircraft.....the lunches and beverages in the back all ended up on the ground......this moment me and my family will never forget......I hope no one experiences what we went through.......this was the moment of our trip that we will never forget.....by the way the only reason why we go back ot Cuba is that we believe the people their to be real and hard working.....thank you Cuba and we will be back.....

Disappointed

This resort was old and not kept up with very little choice for restaurants. Small area of beach without coral as you walk in. I wish we would have know about the beach as I could have brought water shoes at the very least. The food was of very little, when the buffet was closed the snack bars would run out of food within 40 mins The overall service of the staff was excellent

Good resort

The resort grounds are beautifully landscaped with many trees, flowers and different plants. This was our second trip to this resort and while the food was less exciting than before, still, no one in our group got sick from the food or water so we were happy with that. What was lacking on the resort are towels, lighting at night ( we needed flashlights to get to our bungalow at night), clocks the rooms and throughout the resort, phones near the beach/ pool to be able to call the room instead of [... read more] having to go to the room to find our family members.

Pestana Cayo Coco Amazing !!

Single parent taking kids for the first time to the ocean, Cuba! The hotel staff were wonderful, courteous, helpful, very kind, nice people. The only negative thing that I could say was one of the reasons I picked this resort was because it had 2 pools but when we arrived, the biggest pool was closed for repairs, I was not advised of this prior to leaving or booking. But as I say that was the only negative thing I have to say. The rooms were clean, AC worked, everything worked perfectly, the [... read more] food was good, only did the Italian a LaCarte restaurant and we enjoyed our meal very much. The ocean was spectacular. I would highly recommend this resort and when we return to Cuba this is the resort we will be staying at. Around the resort was clean, as was the areas in the resort. I give this resort a 5* and my kids agree with me as well, I asked them if they would like to stay at another resort to see something different when we come back to Cuba but they both said NO they really liked Pestana and the people and want to come back here, and if my kids are happy, I am a happy Mom!

I loved it at Pestana!

We stayed here from July 1st to 8th. I loved it. Cuban a la carte was our favourite, but the Portuguese was close. The staff are all amazing! Entertainment was great, too. Food in buffet was weird at times, but the resort was great overall... The beach was PERFECT! Snorkeling was so fun and there's a perfect spot close to the beach for snorkeling.. Gardener's and maintenance staff were great, too... We loved Joel! Katia was our housekeeping lady and left us really cute towel art! My  [... read more]daughter opened the door with excitement each day wondering what was next... Tip them! Tip them all... They work hard and deserve it. Bring little gifts that they can't get there, they are very appreciative. I especially liked Yendri in the snack bar... He was very professional, polite and a gorgeous man to look at ( hehe)... The lobby at night is full of fun.. Have a cappuccino, beer, pina colada, whatever.. It's all good. We had an amazing vacation thanks to Pestana.... We will see you again next year! Can't wait.

Relaxing, Enjoyable, Fun Vacation

We were 3 adults on vacation at the Pestana, Caya Coco from May12 - May 19, 2016 and despite El Nino's negative effect on weather in the south all winter, our week was fabulous! The beach was gorgeous, the water amazing and there were plenty of chairs although guests from other hotels were also enjoying our facilities. Juan Carlos, shouldn't security be checking wristbands and expelling non Pestana folks? Check-in with Annalay was swift and friendly. She made our first impression a good one [... read more]. Randy drove us to our block and RAN up the stairs carrying our suitcases and showed us how to adjust A/C and operate the safe. Despite the late hour we tried the buffet but the selections were tired so we went to the snack bar (a 24 hour operation) where the waitress seemed less than enthused and my first 2 choices from the menu were not available. Hmmm Early morning espresso in the bar from Dani before Breakie became our habit since the buffet coffee was not good. The words cricket piddle come to mind. Dani is a lovely young woman with a ready smile and remembered us and our order over the week. Breakfast is a winner! There is a great selection including made to order eggs and the morning staff like Pedro, Alberto, Juliet and Yuilen are very friendly, helpful and attentive. Lunch was usually either the Ranchero near the beach where Floyd entertained us with his sense of humour or back to the snackbar where the service was slow even if we were the only customers on site. Supper at the buffet boasted a large selection but often tough meat (I would recommend slow cooking to tenderize even the toughest cuts). We all ate and enjoyed the dining experience but it seemed hit and miss. Tuesday and Wednesday were great though. Our waitress, Saily, was brilliant in establishing rapport and we grew very fond of each other. We think she may have influenced the snack bar staff because our last meal there prior to heading to the airport was a far more pleasant experience than during the week. Juan Carlos, given that the buffet is air-conditioned and we enjoyed eating and sipping our wine in that environment, may we suggest that you have your staff keep the doors CLOSED until a guest arrives then let them in and close it again. Leaving them wide open detracted from the comfort of the buffet area and no doubt hurt your electricity bill. Yuan, at the bar, has a memory like a steel trap for drink orders over the week and works very hard at providing a fast, friendly service despite the lack of AC in his workplace. Mandy is a good natured gent who adds a fun vibe to the bar. It must be said that the entertainment teams are athletes who give their performances 100% regardless of audience size or how hot they are under the lights in a non AC venue. The sax payer and salsa lessons were great additions. Kudos to Pestana for having nightly entertainment both in the lobby and on stage later. Our rooms were in block 10 on the third floor and our chambermaid for 5 of the 7 days was Neivis, who did a good job for all of us. She was shy but sweet and sadly, our Spanish is limited so we couldn't communicate more. Juan Carlos, if you could allocate funds from your operating budget to purchase new pillows to replace the existing flat, uncomfortable ones currently in use; it would have given the room full points. Of the 3 on site restaurants we attended the Portuguese. The ambiance, replete with musicians, is lovely and the menu extensive. Juan Carlos, we would suggest you re-examine the English translations to ensure they accurately reflect the meal. e.g. An exquisite mix of seafood" doesn't bring to mind the seafood and bean "soup" with a side of rice that followed. Despite that little deception however, Yusnaigi was concerned and insisted on bringing something more in keeping with expectations. She was very kind. The pool was marvellous and boasted daily entertainment. Checkout with Jessica was a breeze and she gladly answered all our queries. Regarding excursions it would be best to purchase them on the plane where one pays 1.22 per USD instead of the 1.45 in Cuba. Playa Pilar is a must see. We also partook of Juni's catamaran snorkelling trip and had great fun. We enjoyed our vacation at the Pestana which is generally a well run operation with a young, energetic team. We would return next year hoping the issues we've flagged would have been addressed.

Wonderful "soul-o" vacation

Great hotel that truly exceeded my expectations. Even though i travelled low season (april 30- may 14, 2016) i never felt that i was missing out. Great service, never felt it necessary to tip. Would not hesitate to return in the futur.

Good family resort

Bus rode was fourty five minutes there as we were dropped off last but much shorter en route to the airport as we were last to be picked up. Beach was very nice. Thos resort is in between two other resorts abd the beachon this resort was superior to the adjacent memories and melia. Beach bar only had rum and diet coke was difficult to find. Always had enough towels. Priority club ocean view was beautiful. Was unable to get king bed but pushed two doubles together. Very nice bathroom and windows  [... read more]and doors sealed well. Food was excellent as far as variety was concerned. Staff was very friendly. A la carte redtaurants not mich better than buffet in quality. Specialty drink bar near front desk was nice. They had early morning champagne available and cookies. They were able to male specialty coffees. While there were no-smoking areas we were bothered by cigarette smoking on a regular basis likely secondary to the hotel being at full capacity.

Great resort

This was our first time to Cayo Coco and were not sure what to expect but we're very pleased with what we found. The resort was very well kept, the staff were friendly and the food... The food was Cuba. We always find plenty to eat where in Cuba. The beach was also excellent especially in front of our resort. There were areas of rock in the water but it didn't hinder swimming when you stayed to the right of the beach bar. We took some snorkelling gear which kept us in the water for hours. It was [... read more]n't really great snorkelling but the were lots of friendly fish.

So-so

I believe they were under staffed. We had to wait in lines at the bars to get our drinks. Room was worst part of the trip.. toilet seat was broken, no hot water and the room was just worn down period.

Amazing Relaxing Vacation!!!

Travelled from April 8th to 15th and this was the best trip to Cuba thus far. The resort is small but, exactly what we were looking for and more. No line ups at buffet, no overcrowding on the beach. The grounds, rooms, lobby, restaurants are so clean. The staff are so genuinely friend; not fake in any way! The entertainment was the best we have seen in all our trips to Cuba. THE BEACH WAS AMAZING!!! We have found our GEM! we will return. Thank you to Angela, our Tripcentral advisor, who was so p [... read more]atient with me in answering all my questions and concerns so that making the choice of going to Pestana, stress free!!

Nice resort!

Hotel was kept very clean. Grounds were nice. Rooms were small. Many times there wasn't toilet paper in the public washrooms and the hand dryers didn't work all of the time. The beach was beautiful but we did not care for the huts as they were way too crowded.

Fantastic vacation at Pestana Cayo Coco

Loved the hotel, grounds, staff and food. The only complaint would be the wait time at the beach grill for pizza and fish. The snack bar staff were the best, especially Mara. No entertainment past 11:00 pm but there's always the option of going to the disco which is 5 minutes outside the resort, however you do have to pay extra for this.

Second Time to the amazing resort

My wife and I just got back from this beautiful resort, it was one of the best weeks that we have had down in Cayo Coco. I am not going to name staff members, as there is too many to name, but everyone there was great, from the maid, to the people behind the bar, and the people in the restaurants. We especially liked being invited to a special dinner for returning guests, it was amazing. We had a amazing room overlooking the pool, entertainment was great as usual The was only one thing, but  [... read more]no control of it, people going down early in the morning, and putting their towels on chairs, so they can claim them for the whole day, they did this at t he pool and on the beach. But again, we had a great time, and we will try to get down there again next year, and hopefully with other people, I will spread the word to my friends about your great resort.