Crowded beach and cold food

The food at the ale carts was bad, at the Portuguese restaurant I ordered pork with baked potatoes, I received three small pieces of pork on a handful of fries and ice cold vegetables. Most items at the buffet are the same cold, they bring the food out from the kitchen and place them on the warming trays hoping this will warm the food. We never had a stomach issue but cold food always. Beach was small and both pool area and beach very crowded.

Perfect Holiday at Pestana Cayo Coco

I very recently returned with a party of 4 from Pestana Cayo Coco for a week long holiday I booked through tripcentral. My only knowledge prior to the trip were reviews I had read online. I am an active person who likes long walks on beaches(15 or more kms daily), swimming, snorkeling, beach yoga and pristine nature. I was more than impressed on all counts. The beach is amazing, or should I say beaches. They stretch for kms in both directions, one can wade along in knee to waist deep water obser [... read more]ving various fish, crabs and conch, starfish and spiny urchins while coming upon low tide sandbars full of feeding birds from plovers to pelicans. All this without meeting another person. The snorkeling via Hobie to the outer reef is spectacular. The reef is very healthy and diverse. I have been to some acclaimed snorkeling locations but this was by far the best. Some people complained about the narrow beach and rocks. I do recommend bringing water shoes, more to protect against urchins, crabs and rays than from rocks etc. And yes, the beach is narrow in places. I would sum up by saying if your intent is to walk to the nearest lounge chair close to the bar, then it is indeed narrow and crowded, as there are many like minded vacationers , but if you don't go for that scenario and like to explore and get away from the crowds, then it is perfect. The resort itself is less than 20 minutes from the airport. It is quite new and clean. The rooms were very fresh and beds super comfortable. Maid service was excellent and A/C was powerful with no musty smell. It is not a large complex so everything is relatively close by. The buffet was varied and food was excellent, bearing in mind this is Cuba. Chicken dishes were always excellent, carved turkey was the best I've ever tasted. House wines were from Spain and also very good. Staff in the dining area were superb. The bar stocked many premium brands and the beer on tap was Crystal, a Cuban beer that is perfect for a hot day at the pool or beach. Entertainment was top notch, very good music and dancing, unlike some cheesy shows at other resorts I've been to, and so this was unexpected. It is family friendly with an excellent pool setup for toddlers and many young families were there. All in all I was very impressed with this resort and with tripcentral who provided excellent service and helped make this a flawless week in paradise.

Relaxing winter getaway

This was our second stay at the Pestana in Cayo Coco. The hotel and grounds are in good condition. Staff were all quite friendly and accommodating. Pool, rooms, restaurants were all clean and neat. Spent most of our time at the beach which is really nice and you can walk kilometers in either direction! Lots of food options all day long. If you are looking for a family friendly, slower paced holiday (* not much night life) than this is a good choice.

Just OK

The Resort was very nice. The staff were great but not enough staff on the bars in the evening. We were given an upgrade on our room without asking for it. There were 12 of us all together. The beach was very crowded. You were on top of each other. The pool was very crowded also. Wasn't enough chairs there either. People were claiming chairs in the morning around the pool and leaving them vacant all day. The fish on the beach was great and the poutine was great at the snack bar. The food in the  [... read more]buffet on the steam table was cold all the time. I noticed that the food being carried by the staff for the steam table was carried with bare hands. So you knew it was cold. if it was hot they would have to use pot holders. Very disappointing.

Great Vacation

Had a great, relaxing vacation. By Cuban standards, I would say this was the best resort of the three I have stayed at in Cuba. Food was good, beach was amazing and the service was wonderful. There was not much in the way of excursions in this area but I was there to relax!

Loved Pestana!!!

We stayed from Feb 13th to Feb 20th.We were six people my Mom,my sister,her 2 daughters and 1 of daughters boyfriend and I.Check in at 2 Pm was great and we got 2 of 3 rooms we requested previously in an e-mail.Having been to Mexico,Dominican and Jamaica in past this trip exceeded my expectations and was the best by far.The beach is beautiful and the best on the strip.The food was great and well worth it to go to meat(chicken,beef,pork and fish) and pasta stations to ensure hot and fresh food.A  [... read more]la carte restaurant was ok but no need as buffet plenty enough.Although Cuban restaurant was really good. We stayed in bungalow 9 and my sister was overwhelmed by the view of her room.She had full view of ocean.The rooms are not fancy but clean but did not care as we are there to sleep and shower. As far as service that is the one thing that I was mostly pleased with.Exceptional service at restaurants and bars and never feeling pressured to tip but could not help to tip as they are so friendly and mostly smiling.Even had somebody placing our beach chairs at the beach. The shows were the best I've seen in any past resorts.One thing I would have liked is maybe a DJ and disco after the shows were done. In all very happy with this trip and I know if I go to another resort I would be disappointed as it would not be up to par as Pestana.I will be back. Thanks Pestana for a wonderful stay.

Peaceful resort

Quiet resort perfect for older couples Beautiful grounds, easily walked Expert service in all restaurants and bars Rooms spacious and clean, tub limited access for those with mobility issues Will not regret this choice if looking for a relaxing vacation

Great Adult Vacation

The Pestana is a great place to relax for a week. The grounds are very well kept and easily walk able. The beach though small from the ocean to the palapas is that Caribbean calm aqua green waters. Rooms are spacious, but the tubs/shower can be tricky for those not no nimble. Food was good by Cuban standards. I would go back

Less than average

After 11 visits to Cuba this resort came in at the bottom of the heap. This was a smaller resort that catered to older adults and couples. The rooms were clean and in good repair and the location of rooms was good. The staff were capable but notably unhappy and under challenged. Most had very poor English skills and had no preparation or training to do their jobs, especially the grill chefs who over salted and overcooked everything. Their was only one pool that had non-stop music and shouting by [... read more] their animation staff attempting to get people activated. There was no quiet time, no non-smoking areas, and a daily grab for chairs at both beach and pool. If you didn't have a chair by 8:00 a.m. you were just out of luck. The pool deck was uncomfortably crowded. The evening of entertainment was preceded by children running on the stage, knocking over props and lights with little or no adult supervision. There were many hostile and aggressive guests that made it difficult to have an enjoyable vacation. We will not return to this resort.

The Friendly Resort

The staff was great. Great food with great service. The beach was clean and the water was warm. My room was relaxing. The weather was great. Always something to do. You'll enjoy the live entertainment, s nice variety of shows.

Fantastic beach!

The beach is fantastic. Lots of lounge chairs with sun or shade locations...your choice. Great beach for long walks in the surf. The pool area had too little shade for our liking. The food was good especially at the buffet. We tried each specialty restaurant but preferred the buffet, in particular, the fish & meat grilling areas. The main lobby is the only gathering area in the evening & was too noisy to be enjoyable. The staff was very friendly & helpful. The biggest issue we had was getting wa [... read more]ter for a shower before going to dinner during our second week. We never did find out what the issue was.

Poorly run resort

The hotel is only 2 years old and is already showing a lot of wear and tear. We paid extra for Priority Club but decided it had been a waste of money. The bathroom shower head and come away from the wall fixture, so had to be hand held. The toilet leaked at the bottom making the floor very wet. There were only 2 towels in the bathroom, which were not changed for 5 days. There were no beach towels available until the 5th day of our week's vacation. The Priority Club beach was like a building site [... read more] and the Priority Club area by the main pool was a joke, as it only held about 12 loungers, which was totally insufficient. The lighting on the walkways was totally inadequate, making it difficult to walk at night. The only plus for this resort were the beautifully maintained grounds.

Enjoyable Resort ~ Pestana

Love the Cuba Hospitality! Everyone was so friendly and happy! Excellent room in Unit 4 - being close to the main beach was awesome yet it centrally located to the buffet and main lobby. Paying the extra for Junior Sweet Priority Club was so worth it in the end. "Jorge" (Sunwing Rep) was awesome with bookings and finding us a '58 Station Wagon for our Sat. night birthday tour to Lennie's Lobster Hut. Even though it poured rained, we loved our Sunday tour to Pilar beach. Food was great - beyond w [... read more]hat I was expecting for our 1st time in Cuba. A good holiday is all about the people you travel with and the interesting people you meet. This great resort was the bonus! Thanks Pestana! xoxo

Nice resort. Compact size.

The beach is beautiful and clean. The food was alright with a lot of variety. However, the beach towels were not available to change for at least 5 days. Even the bathroom towels were not always available to be changed. That was a huge frustrating problem. The staff was very friendly.

Good resort

The hotel in general is good and clean,the priority club beach very bad ,it need a close bathroom area on the beach ,the staff was excellent and funny, friendly and nice ,the hotel location was really good. We never see the manager?

Single in Cayo Coco

This was my first time in Cayo Coco and I traveled solo. My maid surprised me with a "Happy Birthday" banner, flowers and a bottle of rum on my birthday, so nice! :+) The activities staff made me feel comfortable and my stay enjoyable & fun. The rooms are nicely laid out. Having umbrellas available in your room is a nice touch. The food at the Cuban restaurant is amazing! The buffet has a wide selection and variety. The evenings can be chilly so bring a fleece/hoodie. Bring your own towel so  [... read more]there will be no need to wait in line for beach towels.

Great resort

Place was clean and staff were great. maintenance staff were fast and well mannered. Close to market and other resorts. Entertainment was fantastic and they really catered to the kids. All the resorts there were having trouble with towels. was better when we left. would go back no problems

Beautiful Resort

Great place. Food was a little bland but the people were great. I will definetly return. It is a beautiful resort for friends and family. The beach is very nice, rocky on the left nice sand in the right.

A lovely clean resort.

Finally a resort with clean bathrooms in public areas AND lots of toilet paper. We Loved the food. Recommend priority club for the preferred seating area at the beach. The staff were all very nice. 8th time to Cuba and this place was the best

Very Nice Resort

The Resort was very clean in and out of our room.The Staff was very friendly and helpful and the Priority Dinner was very enjoyable.Our Host Agusto made the evening very memorable and a lot of fun.There were no major issues other than trying to get clean Beach towels.Floors were very slippery when wet and we did see several people fall because of it including myself.The Beach was very crowded but Priority area was fine.There was never a lineup for dinner and the food was good but not much variet [... read more]y .