Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Love love love

The staff made my trip! I loved making friends with your team:) I did not stay in the plus side though I think I enjoyed the "older" side more! More my style! The gardens are beautiful. The pool is so fun! And the beach was amazing out and in the water xo thank you so much for having us!

Sol Turquesa Beach: Great family resort

Medium-sized resort, main restaurant is excellent, fresh food, clean eating areas, gorgeous views. Fun nightly entertainment, amazing dance troupe. Try the rums, not much tequila selection. Yes there are stairs, but no big deal. Tennis courts are fun and free to use. Ask at the front desk about the bat cave tour. Cuban time means "relax, we'll get to it when we can". Slow down and enjoy the open bar! Late night snacking is so-so, but it's there at the 24 hour snack bar. Kids will love it. Kids  [... read more]club is for 5ish and under. Advice: Realize that this is a developing country. Great staff, tip a dollar for every transaction, it's really appreciated. Go on a trip outside the resort to see how Cubans live, the perspective is essential (catamaran trip with safari was super fun). Leave stuff for staff; razors, tampons, shoes, cloths, whatever you can.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Resort changes not an improvement!

We stayed at Memories Holguin for two weeks in March 2017. This was our 3rd time at this resort. We had a great time and really enjoyed the very friendly and helpful staff and the nightly entertainment – piano player etc. This is why we returned this year. Unfortunately, management has made some changes that are not an improvement and I suspect to save money. Coffee machines have now been installed at the buffet and guests are expected to serve themselves at the machines. This means  [... read more]waiting in line for coffee, carrying hot cups back to the tables and often cups are chipped because they are handled more often. This feels more like a cafeteria and the quality and taste of the coffee has deteriorated. It does not taste very good out of a machine. What a shame since Cuba has such great coffee! We hope this is not the way all the Memories resort are planning to go. Also, we much enjoyed the piano music in the main lobby last year. This year, the piano has been moved to the hallway. Why? It’s ridiculous, it was so much better in the lobby where everyone could enjoy the music. This year, also we had an issue with the lack of hot water in our room. We mentioned it to customer service but it was never resolved. We had very lukewarm showers for two weeks. There is a very frustrating issue with the bank in the lobby at this resort. You line up for at least an hour sometimes, to be told they do not have any Cuban pesos or they might give you 10 at the most if they feel generous. They seem to think they’re doing you a favor. It’s hard to understand, since the staff at the resort will not be getting tips if we cannot get pesos. My suggestion is to tip with Canadian loonies. What else can we do? Even though we had some issues, we still enjoyed our stay but will probably try somewhere else next trip.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Did not disappoint...hasn't yet.

Rio de Oro continues it's status as the number one resort in Holguin and perhaps in all of Cuba. You do not have to buy Royal Service to experience the great service from friendly, professional staff at every level as well as the good food and impeccable surroundings. This was our third trip to Rio de Oro and we met some people who were 10-20 time repeaters including one couple who were there for the second time this season. The pool has been recently completely refurbished and while the boardwa [... read more]lk into the ocean has been blown away there is still excellent swimming and snorkeling. The optional restaurants we reserved were top notch as to service and food quality. I recommend the deluxe junior suite; for a few extra dollars you get your own patio and back yard with a hammock.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Beautiful Resort

Grounds are well kept and rooms are in bungalows and very spacious. Pool was large and clean. Never had to wait for a drink at any of the bars. It was difficult to get coffee however in the morning in the restaurant - I think I would have preferred to just pour my own coffee. 2 tennis courts - one of which was very nice. Some interesting activities: Snorkeling tours, horseback riding (for a small charge) and we went on hike up a hill which was very worthwhile. We didn't enjoy the food at al [... read more]l however - very bland and overcooked. Also there wasn't a lot of options when the restaurants were not open and a very limited room service menu.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Week at Paradisus

This hotel is kept up beautifully and has nice walking paths with places to stop and sit. We were given 2 bottles of water every day & the fridge was stocked as well. The room was cleaned daily and we always had fresh towels. I would have loved the resort except for room ventilation, the air conditioner blew out musty smelling air all the time & the sheets always felt damp. We probably should have asked for a different room. The hotel is older and altho it is rated as a 5 star , it seemed the  [... read more]same to us as the other 3 star resorts we have visited. The only difference was water was plentiful and so were the towels. Even the food seemed exactly the same as the other resorts we have been to in Cuba. My husband is not a fan of Cuban food but loves all the fresh ice cream. He also enjoyed the Hawaiian pizza. We mostly chose this hotel for the access to snorkelling and we were not disappointed. The service is excellent and the people warm & friendly.

Playa Costa Verde: playa costa verde

Just got back from 1 week stay... NUMBER 7....,,,.ANOTHER AMAZING TIME!!!! The hotel has made a lot of upgrading changes, looks great. The staff and service was exceptional, plenty of choices for food and the beach was beautiful. Cant wait till next year and trip number eight.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: A Perfectly Lovely Get Away

My husband and I just returned from a week at Paradisus Rio De Oro in Holguin, Cuba and were very pleased with all aspects of our stay. The hotel buildings were lovely, with a beautiful lobby, lounge and restaurants. We had a lovely room with a king size bed in a Junior Suite. There was a good sized separate sleeping area which connected to a spacious living room area. The unit had a great balcony overlooking beautifully groomed gardens. The bathroom was spacious with a separate "powder room" [... read more], and the shower was great. The hotel grounds had immaculately groomed gardens everywhere, and the pool area was gorgeous. There's a lovely beach for swimming and walking, and the "nautical centre" provides free kayaks, peddle-boats, and windsurfers. We also went on a couple of Hobie Cat sailboat rides. Lots of fun! The quality of musical entertainment was exceptional. There were wonderful singers, musicians and dancers at various locations throughout the day and a great nightly show in the central performance area. The food was delicious and there was a wide menu selection. Service staff were friendly and courteous. We found the Cuban beer delicious, but the wine left much to be desired...try to figure out a way to bring down some of your own!

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Loved it!

The hotel is a bit old, so don't expect it to be 5 star - it is a good 3 star hotel:) The territory is huge, location is amazing, and the beaches are so beautiful it will hurt your eyes just looking at them. I will defiantly go back many times.

Playa Costa Verde: Friendly, Dependable, Just the right size

Costa Verdi is looking a little tired, but that is why it is a little more affordable and the food is great, nice pool, nice beach....great staff. Public bathrooms need to be redone, but they are clean. We were a group of 5 and we are all returning guests......we will go again next year.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Our favourite Place

We love Paradisus Rio de Oro! This was our 7th. visit and we were treated so well as always. Sadly my husband could not sail on the hobicats with his Cuban friends at the beach...he has prostate cancer and is weak. We were given rides when we needed them and a wheelchair was provided as he went through a bad patch. We were taken to the clinic for medical help in Guadevalaca and there we received excellent care at a very reasonable cost. In spite of health issues , all went well and we are home s [... read more]afe.The food was , as always very good, and tempted my husband to eat ,even though his appetite is low.We did find the resort very crowded and once there was nowhere to sit at the pool area.However, the staff coped very well with a full resort as always.Our weather was lovely.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Lovely Resort

We went end of March, no student spring breaks. We stayed in the Villa part of this resort. It was fairly quiet, very clean, very friendly staff, good food. The beach was not crowded, and clean. We could not get over the number of people who are repeat customers to this resort. Many visitors had a good rapport with the staff. We had an excellent holiday and happy to say no complaints!

Playa Pesquero: Some Great, some not so great

Although this hotel had some great things going for it, like the Beer Garden, Mojito Bar, Beach and Pool area, the overall sense from my group of 5 was that it was really getting dated. The rooms were small and had some pest issues. The food was typically Cuban, but you certainly don't go to Cuba for the food. You could always find something to eat that was ok, perhaps even good but never great. The biggest issue with this resort was that it was too big. If you get this resort for the right [... read more] price, it's probably not a bad option.

Playa Costa Verde: Another great week at Playa Costa Verde!

This was our 6th visit to Playa Costa Verde and it did not disappoint! Staff are very friendly, resort is clean and food is pretty good by Cuban standards. The best part of this location is the snorkeling... you never have to leave the resort, just wade out to about knee deep water and you will start to see beautiful coral and brightly coloured fish!

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Worth the money resort!

I have been visiting Cuba for 20 years and have stayed in a variety of hotels there. My experience at this resort was pleasurable. The resort was clean, staff were great, food was standard, the grounds are OK and the beach is wonderful. The common areas in the hotel are great and very well staffed. My only complaint would be that the bathroom is very small. I was alone so it was Ok but it would be very small for a couple, eg: a pedestal sink, toilet and shower. My opinion would be that as a [... read more] 3 star it is definitely rated right. This is one of the oldest hotels in Cuba and with a little upgrading it could be made very beautiful again. It is in a nice area of town where one can do lots of walking. I would definitely return there.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Return to PRDO

My wife and I stayed at PRDO during the last week of March 2017. This was our fourth visit to the resort and our eleventh visit to Cuba. We stayed at the Royal Service section for the second time. PRDO is still one of the best resorts in Cuba ; no doubts about that. The grounds are beautiful ; the guys-in-green are doing a great job. Security is good, understanding and helpful. Public areas are clean. Can change money all days of the week ( don't forget your passport ! ). A nice smoke sh [... read more]op is hidden behind the bank, close to the lobby bar. Surprising selection of cigars. Good service, no matter if you want to buy one cigar or a full box. Fairly priced too.No need to go to Guardalavaca to find good smokes. About Food / Restaurants ; PRDO has a good selection of restaurants and even picky eaters will find something they like. Yes, there are a few birds zooming around in the buffet restaurant ; but so-what. They won't attack you... A few changes we've noticed ; Only one " Japanese " chef at the Japanese restaurant ; he moves from one table to the next, so the GOOD SHOW from previous years is no longer there ; he has no time for that. In the Mediterranean restaurant we felt part of a manufacturing system, aimed at getting people fed-and-gone in 45 minutes. No manager or waiter ever checked / asked if we liked the food...no smiles on the faces there. Maybe they had a bad night....? The food in the Royal Service restaurant has a higher standard, but that's what you should get when you pay the big bugs. The Paradisus Burgers at the Royal Service bar, are really....really good ! Try the one with the fried egg. Services ; Our Royal Service butler...we have seen him one time in the lobby. Never saw him again ; he must have been busy....somewhere. I'm sure we could have found him if needed. Internet is a bit iffy in Cuba, but you know that before you go. Good internet service in the Royal Service ; no complaints. Internet Cards are free / included there. Also two computers available for guests. Spa service is good, though quite highly priced. All scuba diving is included at PRDO ! Register the day before. Deep dives early morning. 20-25 meter dives mid-morning. Shallow dives ( beginners ) early afternoon. Divers are picked up at PRDO lobby by dive center and brought back after the dive. Dive center is at the Blau resort. Good outfit...well equipped. Recommended tour ; organized by PRDO on Wednesdays....bus tour to two small village schools...a village medical center....a fishing village and a homestead farm. CUC 8 per person..approx. 5 hours. To be booked at the Club House. Really worth it !

Playa Costa Verde: Always the Best in Cuban Hospitality

Once again returned and was treated like a best friend or family! Awesome treatment as well as top food and truly International selections at the bar. Upgrades are continual here and the new bar is no exception....this resort strives hard to keep you coming back.The place constantly works to achieve your vacation dreams.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Comfortable setting feels like a home away from home

The grounds are beautifully kept, they were repainting the exterior of the building while we were there. There are several things that need updating ie: new mattresses, mine was very uncomfortable and the plumbing in the bathrooms need to be updated. The food in the large dining room was upgraded from last year and I enjoyed everything I chose to eat. Plenty of choice and the last couple of days they presentation of the food was awesome. You can choose a la carte dinner at specialities whic [... read more]h we recommend. The entertainment was good. There largest asset is their staff, I was there last year and they all remembered me. Mary Lou has been there 4 times mainly because it's comfortable and feels like a home away from home. Thanks for asking Gloria/Mary Lou

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Loved it.

Loved this resort. Smaller and relaxing. Perfect beach area and the staff were friendly and the rooms were well looked after. I would go back in a heart beat!! I only did a 5 night. Longer needed next time. ..............

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: economical but not well managed.

Service in this hotel has deteriorated since our last visit in November 2016. Food is about the same but items are often cold on the buffet counter. In November we had a coffee maker in our villa room and a large and small towel for each of us, four towels in total. On this visit there was no coffee maker in the room and we had only one towel each, a small towel at that. When we asked about towels we were told that they were only supplying one towel now for each person. We go to this hotel twice [... read more] a year because we have many close friends in the surrounding area but we are becoming disappointed lately.