Iberostar Selection Holguin: Trip to Holguín

I’ve been to Cuba several times. This visit was a sad one. The hotel facilities and grounds are clean and the staff, especially the buffet staff, are very nice. The little beach is good for young children. But a walk or ride to the other side of the bay is needed to enjoy the real beach. No water sports available because they lack a rescue boat. So you cannot use their kayaks, pedalos etc. the water park was closed as it was broken. Of course we never go to Cuba for the food but thi [... read more]s time there was very little and what was available was repeated daily. The bar drinks were extremely limited and what they made was hardly drinkable. There is no entertainment to speak of. In the past we found Cuban resorts put on very nice shows. No games room. Two pool tables with one pool cue, for example. As much as I wish to support the people of Cuba I will find another way to do so through charitable organizations instead. We paid over $1700 per person which is no longer reasonable. I know the cost will be much higher to go anywhere else, but it’s about the value for your dollar.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Still my Favorite

Gracious, well laid out resort. Beach natural and unspoiled with white-gold sand and good safe access to sea bathing. We liked the beach restaurant for lunch, with spectacular view out to sea. Pools and surrounding area excellent. Room decor a little tired, but clean, spacious and comfortable Grounds beautiful: lots of green lawns, flowery bushes, statues, pools and fine tropical trees. The service was excellent, and friendly, everywhere we went. Food was good and plentiful, if a bit limited  [... read more]in some respects. Our favorite memory of this place is perhaps sitting in the airy lobby, sipping cool drinks and listening to the wonderful piano player. So relaxing. We hope to go back before too long.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Great resort!

Nice hotel, small, easy to walk around. Beach was small but not busy (easy to get a chair) we had a blast renting out the paddleboard. Food was o.k. but a bit repetitive but we don't go to Cuba for the food. Rico's pizza beside resort on beach (not included, gotta pay yourself) was good to switch things up. The coffee drinks from Ashley cafe were amazing, went several times a day. The staff were all great, very professional, friendly and helpful.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Very nice resort - Well worth the price.

We knew going in that this resort was not a 5 star and were expecting some issues. But we were pleasantly surprised to see that the resort was quite nice and the room we were given was very spacious with a nice balcony. The bathroom was the szie of a regular hotel room. The only thing we would've like was a coffee maker in the room. If you wanted a coffee in the morning before the breakfast area opened, you had to walk all the way to the main bar to get a coffee. And the line up for the coffee w [... read more]as qute long. There was also the tendency for the power to go off abruptly, sometimes when you were having a shower. One day, due to the power outage and the A/C not working as a result, our room was untolerably hot and we had to finally leave it and go down to the beach. But, all in all, we enjoyed our holiday. The staff are very courteous and very appreciative of any gift you may give them, however small. Makes you realize how much we take for granted in our country. And makes you more thankful.

Playa Costa Verde: Amazing trip!

The grounds are well-kept and beautiful, the food was the best we have had at this resort in the last 6 years, the staff are amazing and very pleasant and helpful, the beach is fantastic! You can swim out and snorkel right from the white sand beach. The pool was well-maintained and the swim-up bartenders are quick and entertaining! The rooms are neat and cleaned daily and there was always water in our room and well-stocked with toilet paper. The restaurants were easy to book and had very good  [... read more]food and the 24-hour snack bar always had lots of food and good food! This was our 6th time back to this resort and hope to go again next year!

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Definitely will return!

We are seniors returning from a pleasant & relaxing vacation, our first stay here. Friendly & efficient staff, plenty of food choices to satisfy, spacious & clean but older corner Junior suite room, comfortable bed & shuttle service available, plenty of sun & shady areas around pool for sitting, beautiful beach to swim or walk, beautiful grounds for walking. Amazing musical talent in lobby, poolside, restaurants & beach. Perfect size of resort for getting around. Power outages were very short &  [... read more]minimal. This was our best all inclusive experience ever!

Brisas Guardalavaca: Excellent place to visit

First you need to remember it is Cuba...you go for the sun and the wonderful people. Food is available and so is water...there was very little entertainment due to lack of fuel for the vehicles to transport staff. Bring your own toilet paper...LOL Feel free to bring gifts for the Cuban people. They appreciate whatever you want to give them. They Love chocolate!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: Great southern hospitality

First thing I’d like to say is thank you to each, and every staff member that I encountered at this resort every single one of you are great people and very down to earth and very helpful and assertive I went on this vacation by myself with minimal expectations I left the resort with great memories. I met great people along the way. I had a couple issues down there that was out of the hotels control just people from other countries being foolish they were very supportive and helpful customer ser [... read more]vice along with the authorities from Cuba they listened to what I had to say and acted on it accordingly as for the hotel the hotel is absolutely beautiful. Anybody that is thinking about this hotel take the opportunity to see the beach one of the best I’ve ever seen in my opinion in today’s world everybody’s opinion is different… I would also like to say a special thanks to Janet the maid from block B. She’s a very beautiful woman. And very kind. And always said good morning. Papasito made me feel real comfortable, even though I was in block a. Just passing by she even got upset when I left asked me why I didn’t tell her. I talked to her and a translator one of the staff members the day. I was leaving. She gave me the biggest hug ❤️ thank you Mamacita …as for the main pool bar you guys are absolutely the best people I’ve met on vacation in a long time. Anything I needed you guys always help me and I appreciate it more than you know. Also, the lady that worked there I’m not sure her name is off by hand called me Papasito. I appreciate it. As for the facilities the buffet I would like to say thank you to one of the girl in the buffet and I wasn’t able to get her name or picture. I do have some pictures of the staff. I would love to share this this girl at the main buffet as soon as you walk through the door during the day and walk straight ahead she has glasses she noticed that I was a little bit off, which I did have a health concern and she kept making sure that I was OK. I had plenty of water. And kept asking me if I felt OK. And if I needed anything, I didn’t have money at the time, but it meant so much to me that I walked all the way back to my room, and I returned and found her at the staff meeting. And I gave her a tip based on the service I received from her and I greatly appreciate it. She is also very beautiful and spoke alittle English as for overall cleanliness in the resort I believe it was a very clean resort you always seen people scrubbing or cleaning something. The effort was there, and they should be rewarded for it. The buffet stuff, especially the pasta bar and pizza seafood and meat bar the people work tirelessly to make sure that everybody is fed on the resort and they should also be rewarded for what they do. They’re sitting in a full suit and stifling hot conditions and they never stop. The beach bar staff deserves a lot of credit too for the service. They provide a lot of drunk people and they do a very thorough job taking care of everybody. I can’t say enough I built great memories if I were to choose a resort again, this one will always come mind I do have some pictures of the staff. I would like to share and I wanna make sure they get the credit they deserve

Brisas Guardalavaca: great resort

All the grounds and public areas were very well kept. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Staff were very welcoming and friendly. Unfortunatly only 2 of the 4 alacart restauarants were open at a time due to the lack of tourists. Travel agents should be recommending this resort.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Loved Our Stay!

We approached our trip with an open mind, considering the resort's age and the ongoing food shortages Cuba has been facing. Let me tell you, it exceeded all expectations. While the resort is older, it’s impeccably maintained, and the lush, beautiful grounds are a real highlight. Its smaller size, compared to most resorts, only adds to its charm—by the end of the week, it feels like everyone knows each other. The atmosphere is incredibly warm and welcoming. The food was hands down the best we' [... read more]ve ever had in Cuba. Our favorite à la carte restaurant was the Japanese one, and the 24-hour snack bar always served fresh, delicious options. The oceanfront restaurant offered the most amazing fish & chips, paired with a view that you truly need to see to appreciate. The beach also provided fantastic snorkeling opportunities. A fun tip is to fill an empty water bottle with small pieces of bread to feed the fish—they absolutely love it! Without a doubt, we would return to this stunning resort. Thank you, Paradisus Río de Oro!

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Beautiful Beach

The resort is beautiful but starting to look run down. They used to get a lot of rewards but none in the last 8 years. There is a reason for this. The entertainment was 5/10 and ridiculous that they had prepubescent looking girls entertaining one evening. It actually made me sick. The workers have become passive and complacent. This is not surprising given the average wage is $20 AMERICAN per month. I would not be motivated either but as far as the job lottery goes, working in the tou [... read more]rist industry is number one for them so maybe pick up the pace a bit. Their preference for American money was no less than insulting. When we tried to tip in CANADIAN dollars, because 75% of tourists in Cuba are CANADIAN, 4/5 workers asked if we had AMERICAN dollars. Money from the country that has imposed an embargo on you. Really? I admit that I'm a picky eater but did find something edible at each meal. Of course I washed it down with some very good beer and rum. (Best part of each meal.) The 24 hours snack bar has better service and food than the buffet. The day trip to the nearest town is A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME! Don't do it. (Only $5 AMERICAN per person that pays for the bus going to that shitty town full of underfed horses and men wearing cowboy shoes and hats.) Another "package" or excursion offered is a VIP service on your last day with a "guided tour" in the city of Holguin, dinner at the top of the city (no choices, you get what they cook) and drop off at the airport while you wait in the VIP lounge. $100 (AMERICAN of course) per person. Holguin is full of beggars and the guided tour lasted 5 minutes. You are better off staying at the hotel that day and enjoying the pool or beach. I would only recommend this resort if all you're looking for is a good beach and decent pool and lots of alcohol. I will not go back to Cuba until their government works out better importing and exporting deals with their allies and there is a reformation of their government policies. Good luck to all the people of Cuba. The sun is beautiful, but you can't eat sunshine. They need more sustenance and help.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Second Time At This Resort

There is really nothing that stands out as negative. I cannot say enough about the hotel staff. We are going back next winter for sure. Food is hugely improved over last year. I am told they are buying more produce from Mexico and Colombia. There was even asparagus and broccoli some nights. If they can build on this then that would be great. It would be helpful if they could point out gluten free and dairy free options in the buffet but there is always someone to ask. The only other suggestion w [... read more]ould be to install proper locks on the beachfront restrooms. A rock on the floor does not cut it :)

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Super resort

To begin with I’m handycuped and got a room with walking shower and grab bar all over. The room itself is big and kept very clean,our cleaning lady Reisa was very efficient and pleasant . The grounds are beautiful and the little golfcarts take you wherever you want to go. Now to the dining The Buffet dining has plenty of food and they have 3 Specialty Restaurants. The bars are well stocked.

Iberostar Coral Holguin: Third trip better than ever !!

It was our third visit and the staff and resort continue to exceed our expectations! The rooms are clean and spacious and well air conditioned. The meals were amazing and so many options. The butlers Junior and Laritza are amazing ! They take care of all your reservations and are always helpful and available. There were many choices at the bar and premium liquor available. It’s easy to get a cart in order to go down to the beach and it’s just perfect there. Lots of sandy beach areas as well as p [... read more]laces to snorkel. There were more options for entertainment in the evening this year which was appreciated! Thank you to the great staff …. We will be back next year!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: A great trip

This was a beautiful resort! The grounds were beautiful and everything was clean. The beach was okay, not as nice as other areas in Cuba, but still nice. I’d recommend water shoes as there were areas that were rocky/had broken shells. The pools in each section of the resort were nice and well kept. We stayed on the sanctuary side, which was actually the busier area of the resort the week we went. Food flavour was as we expected in Cuba, however, there was lots of selection and we always had full [... read more] stomachs. At the main buffet they had pasta, fried rice, and pizza bars at lunch and dinner that were always a hit. I’d recommend bringing any condiments and seasonings that you may want. The drinks were the best that we’ve had in Cuba (this was our 5th time in Cuba, first in Holguin). The sanctuary lobby bar had the best drinks! The rooms were clean, but ours had a musty smell and there was a dehumidifier in our room. The AC didn’t always work, and I was very thankful I had brought a small portable fan. We had premium and our butlers were great (Yosbel and Raciel). They were very helpful. Overall we loved the layout of this resort. We would definitely return!

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Disappointed

We were looking forward to being in a bungalow for our two week stay but had to move to a room in the hotel. Workers shut the water off at night when they left for the day and turned it on when they remembered the next day. We were unable to use the facilities after seven in the evening. No toilet and no showers between 7pm and 8am. They advertised a fridge and Tv in the bungalow. There was no fridge. We did have the TV but it was not connected. There was no Ariel. We did ask and the front desk [... read more] said they would look into it. The 3rd day we were there, the hydro was shut off as it happens throughout Cuba. The resort turned their Generator on during dinner time then again when it got dark outside. The bungalows are not connected to the Generator. I asked to be moved inside the hotel for the night as I require a c-pap machine and cannot sleep without it. We ended up staying in what they call a seaview room, no fridge even though they promised to get one but the TV did work. Overall we enjoyed our vacation because of the company we had, but we are disappointed because we did not get a room we paid extra for. We were in three different rooms which created extra stress, and all the unpacking and packing involved. Club Garcia should not be renting out the bungalows because they are not ready for guests. A credit towards a future trip would be appreciated.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Paradise Golden River

3rd time at this resort. Did not disappoint. Beautiful staff from Anne and Marie checking us in exchanges our room to avoid excessive sun in room. Maryluz our Maid Luis, Edward. Change Marisol and all Bar tenders Elizabeth, yennleydis Marie and rest of Buffet Staff. Rollando for the best burger and chicken fajitas on my Gluten Free breads Monriel at customer service. Beautiful beach amazing grounds for awesome strolls Cannot wait to come back. See you soon

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: odd expectations

i arrived at club atlantico on saturasday February 8th ... at check in i was given a ground level bunkie ( trying to describe the terrible conditon of these units is impossible , so bunkie is my choice of noun ) after a back and forth with keys and whatever ... i had a second level unit ... well; omg grease on the slidding door ... dirty .... seems a strain in the closest had some bioligical beginning ... the bathroom was terrible ( the bathtub was pained in white paint ( slppery ) this  [... read more]unit really belongs in a hooker hotel ! i expected odd food choices and my expectations were accurate ... but private restaurants closeby ... the staff really tried ... no wine with dinner was a disappointment. after 1 1/2 days i meet with the airtransat rep and asked to be moved to another hotel ... this cost me 528.00 plus 40 dollar taxi ride ... i sincerely wished i was advised this was a family hotel ugh ! the aston hotel was ok ... well ; power went out 2 to 3 times a day ... the internet was hit and miss .... the two issues are; staff expecting times each time you ordered ... annoying ... and the extreme size of the hotel ... on the plus side i lost 4 lbs waling miles each day. now what can be improved ; charge effectively to move ... i was believed i was really overchared ... there should not be a penalty to move hotels .... what needs to improve; impower the staff at the front desk ! i had no hot water for 4 days ... well, there was hot water if the staff had bothered to tell me how to operate the system ....secondly, i had no tv for 4 days ... again ; asked another person in the unit and he explained and i finally got the tv to work ( about 10 minutes later the person i had expected 4 days ago , came into the room ! i got sick on the 2nd monday and spent 1 1/2 days wondering if i would ever feel like eating again! not my ideal vacation , i enjoy cuba .... i had excellent service and vacation in the angansa in cayo sant marie in november --- the reason i went back to cuba ... not confident that i will go back to cuba anytime soon.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Very good

Very nice resort looks like a campsite a lot green three and beautiful flowers kept very clean the people are very friendly the beach is clean but a little rocky over all very good the only thing was the air line Sunwing they delayed the flight three times

Playa Costa Verde: happy place

feels like home and family...love. always giving warm and caring charm. beautiful nature, simple but still elegant. 15 time winner for me .not for high maitenance people. Simple reunion spot for me and my besties