Brisas Guardalavaca: Had a blast!!!

Just got back from the Brisas Guardalavaca and must say we had a fantastic holiday there ,we stayed in the villas they were spacious and beautifully kept, the people in this resort could not do enough for us and the Cuban people are so lovely to be around . I can see why people go back time and again we did too & will go back. The managment team was very appreciative and send us a nice gift for our returning visit! Thank you again to all the nice & hard working people ! Forgot the musicians our  [... read more]friends from Mundo band gracias amigos and the sea food restaurant the singers there a must see!!!! Gracias por todos!

Sol Turquesa Beach: Average hotel

Hotel was average..pool had lots of broken tile..pool cleaner threw chlorine in the pool while it was still occupied. Had cockroach in our room. Pillows were flat. Only the seafood a la carte was air conditioned. Front desk staff was rude, especially on check out, she told another guest that she has to pay $10 CUC for face cloth that was missing from room..she threatened to call immigration on guest because she refused to pay. They actually searched her luggage...unbelievable. I love Cuba and n [... read more]ever complained before..this is the first time..Beach was full of seaweed..had 2 Cubans in water with weed remover and plastic bin to collect removed seaweed..Resort is huge so be prepared to walk alot..lots of stairs. Made the best of the vacation..I would not return to this resort. 1 CUC is equivalent to $1.37 Canadian. Need more selection at buffet.

Sol Turquesa Beach: A resort you will never forget

I can guarantee you that any individual that stays at this resort will not forget their experience. By this I mean that you will remember NOT to return to this resort in your future travels. Firstly, this is not a 4 star resort. It is a 3 at best, given the lack of maintenance on the simple things such as toilet seats in the women's washroom in both the lobby and snack bar area. Our check-in took about 20 minutes despite 4 people at the front desk where 3 managers on duty stood around watching t [... read more]he new guests become inpatient. After some questioning as to why it was taking so long by the patrons, the managers finally decided to step in and put bracelets on everyone... not that this sped up the check-in process better. The front desk hostess did not direct us to wait for the golf carts in front of the lobby - in fact, she failed to inform us that to wheel our luggage through the resort would be a chaotic mess of stairs and paths. Sadly, we found this out by another guest who quickly came to our assistance and said "do not walk any further, it's only stairs from here on out and will be a mess to carry the luggage down - let alone if we even find our room. They say the food is "okay" but the selection of food was usually a miss: it either tasted plain as paper or unappetizing - my pancakes tasted sour, the crab cakes tasted like foam. At the buffet, breakfast, lunch and dinner offered a variety of fruits and sweets that were grazed by fruit flies, the ice cream had no sneeze guard. At the 24 hour snack bar you had an option of undercooked cheese pizzas or steamed fries (that's if they were even available). When we made a reservation at the a la carte for the seafood restaurant, the name of the restaurant was not found on the hotel's welcome map. When we asked front desk, he directed us to a different restaurant name to which we found and waited for about 10 minutes until we asked the snack bar server (located next door) that we had reservations. He directed us to a different restaurant located on the other side of the bend - apparently this particular restaurant, 'romantico' served as the seafood AND romantic restaurant (but no one seemed to want to inform the guests this during the actual reservation OR at front desk). The best thing about the resort was the pool area and beach: clean, lots of chair space, the aqua bar was efficient with 'national championship bartender' which were the few of the staff that were eager to serve and make sure you had a good time. Despite the vast amounts of algae, waters were clear and an absolute dream for snorkelling. The staff was a hit or miss, you either met people who loved to help or rolled their eyes at you and snicker. In the four days that we stayed at the resort, we had our towels decorated only on the first and last day (which I assume was only mandatory per hotel rules) since our friends in another room received beautifully crafted towel sculptures every day of their stay. On the last two days, our garbage bins would be emptied but were not lined with plastic bags. The only reason this resort is advertised as a 4 star is because on your first night there is a representative "that doesn't work at the hotel" she says, who goes around requesting a completion of surveys of the resort and its services. Despite not having experienced or seen most of the services, you are asked to complete them and offer suggestions while she stands next to you. Overall, it was a decent experience but definitely not worth a return trip. The food was plain, the resort was boring for attractions/activities and the staff were mediocre.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Memories Holguin

There were large roaches everywhere including near the pool and in my room. My room and bathroom were decent enough. The buffet food was okay, the a la carte was better. The ocean has a lot of seaweed. Beach was not crowded, which was nice. The staff at the resort are friendly.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Gorgeous beach, nice resort! Will return!

This was my 6th trip to Cuba however first to Holguin, with that being said I travel without high expectations and was presently surprised by the resort. We traveled from August 5-12 and were a group of 4 women, ranging from 17-63. Only one person out of the group speaks Spanish but we all mingle with the locals. Hotel: The hotel itself is quite large and is divided into 4 sections, bungalows, villa, tropical and rooms. We stayed in building 3 which is in the villa section. Nightly shows are [... read more] held in the bungalow section and the second bank is also located there. The exchange is better there but only by 3 CUC. The main buildings of the hotel were very clean, and also held the store, buffet, and 1 of the a la carte restaurants. There is also a spa, beauty salon, internet access and massage rooms available. This is something that isn't that important but the resort has many hand made swing chairs from trees which I've never seen anywhere else on a Cuban resort but it was so enjoyable to just relax and they are very comfy, also available for sale in the market! Tip: shuttles are available around the resort and are nice for a little ride. Beach: This was probably the most beautiful beach I've ever been to. Sometimes it's a trade off between the white sand, garbage and clear waters however this beach was clean and had the most gorgeous white sand and clear waters! Behind the hotel there are a few beaches, some can get quite crowded and noisy but there are other smaller little hidden gems that are the best! However they close at 4 but you can still go if you wish to however beach chairs are locked up. Some gentlemen will offer you a chair for a few CUCs so if you really really want to be at the beach after 4, there's that option. Food: There is no AC in the buffet dining room which has to be our biggest complaint as it gets very hot from outside and the body heat from everyone else. It wasn't something I saw in any other reviews and I'm surprised because of how prominent it is. In addition there was also wait lines for dinner some nights closer to closing and people were very upset at that so if you can and wish to, attend dinner a little before 8 just encase. The food itself was okay, as you'd except from Cuba as everyone says however we aren't picky eaters and there was something for everyone's taste. Desserts were great and the fresh fruit in the morning and at lunch were incredible. There was never a shortage of anything and accommodations were present for those who are vegetarian, halal ect... The two a la carte dinners were okay, the choices were obviously more limited however the service was incredible. I would recommend Espalda over Benny's simply because of the food. Something we didn't do was buy a specialty lobster dinner, half for 10 CUC and a full for 20 CUC which I wish we would've because it really is an incredible deal for lobster. Friends we made definitely recommended it! There are more than enough bars and a drink I would recommend is the Cuban version of Baileys, add some ice and it tastes great however they sometimes run out of it as it's mostly there as a coffee additive. Service: I've always been a person who believes that the service makes a place and this was no different, like everywhere else there are people that are incredible, Denis, Juan Carlos in the market, ect.. ect.. however there are those that leave a bit of a sour taste in your mouth, one woman in the shop that by accident added 2 CUC onto our bill for something we didn't buy, and a few gentlemen at the lobby bar, one night my daughter was going to get black tea for us (lobby bar is the only bar that has black tea, the snack bar in the villas section has pepermint and tila which is basically chamomile) at 10:30, lobby bar closes at 11 and when she went, the men refused to serve her the hot water and said they were closed. She didn't have her phone with her and didn't know what time it was but when she returned to the room and realized it was 10:35 or so she wasn't happy. Obviously that's not a big deal but it wasn't all that nice, this also wasn't the only incident with staff. Tip: always ask for a bill to keep track of spending and just to be sure. Another special person we thought was Felix, he was our guide on the Taino village tour but also our representative with us on the way back to the airport after the hotel. He spoke the entire time about the island, little anecdotes and some very funny jokes. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining and everyone learned a lot and saw special sites because of him. Shopping: Beside the main building is a large market where local Cubans come and sell things ranging from jewelry to clothing, artwork, hammocks and chair swings and little things like key chains. They rotate every day meaning there is always a new vendor with different things to sell and are all very friendly, open and willing to bargain. Room: As a group of 4 we had an adjoining room which I thought was incredible an personally have never seen that before, it was very convenient and our maid whose name I don't know unfortunately, was incredible! She kept everything very tidy, was funny and helped us with whatever we needed. One day my daughter was reading a book and left it open without marking her page and in order to make the bed, the maid moved the book but left it open on the page my daughter had last read which she thought was absolutely wonderful! Tip: villa section is the way to go Entertainment/Nightlife: Although I did not check out the local disco, friends we made on the trip said it was nice, good music, drinks needed to be bought however under crowded therefore a little boring when they went however they went on a weeknight which probably explains that. The nightly shows were absolutely incredible, as someone who has traveled much and seen many shows I was blown away at the local talent, there was everything you'd expect and more, including a man twirling around fire. Excursion: We booked with Hola Sun and were given a free excursion to the Taino village of aboriginal Cubans. I highly recommend booking the tour or simply attending if it comes in your package as it's an incredible experience, it's also just nice to be able to venture off the resort. The bus ride was half an hour and we were greeted with a traditional cocktail before being guided through huts and spoken to about the lives of the aboriginal Cubans, their traditions and culture. It was funny, entertaining and the dinner and free drink was very delicious as well. Something else to note was that our Hola Sun representative said there was not going to be anything available for sale on the excursion however there was very beautiful jewelry so bring money encase and also to tip! Airlines: Because we booked with Hola Sun, we flew from Toronto with Cubana airlines, at first we were a bit skeptical to be honest but the flight going was smooth, about 5 minutes of turbulence, the food was very good, coffee was nice to have and all the flight attendants were very nice. However the flight home was less enjoyable, we arrived early and the captain did a few acrobatic laps in the air which was both fun and at times, gave you that rollercoaster feeling in your stomach. One flight attendant made us wait over an hour for a declaration card and was very rude about it, food wasn't all that great either but again, coffee was nice! We would fly again with them. I'm open to any questions and if you're thinking of traveling here or with the airlines, just do it because I personally have never regretted going on a vacation and although there are some very very small things about the experience, and resort that aren't that great, there is so much that is incredible. Therefore you shouldn't write off this, or any other place because of a small bad thing. Enjoy your trip!

Sol Turquesa Beach: Amazing resort!

This hotel is family friendly and my children and I enjoyed every moment of our stay. The staff at the resort are very helpful, cheerfully and very professional. This resort has its own private beach space, Amazing!

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: amazing resort

Clean healthy food .spotless grounds and well manicured. beautifull and spoltess room everydaay .the dininig room was beautifull and on time breakfast. Lunch .dinner .& yo top it off an all night snack restaurant.!the swimming pool cleaned daily .not to mention the open bar 24 hrs.!everynight a different show from fashion .to music ect. I rated 5*****

Paradisus Rio De Oro: An Excellent Choice

Our trip was amazing! The resort was beautiful, clean, well -maintained with everything we hoped for and expected. The food was plentiful and offered a huge variety of choice both at the buffet as well as at the a la carte restaurants. The very best feature of this resort was the staff. Everyone from the gardeners to bartenders, recreation staff to chambermaids, all were warm, inviting, gracious, and a delight to get to know during our week stay. I can't wait to go back.

Playa Costa Verde: Nice beach, Nice staff, Food... hit and miss

The beach was nice. I've stayed in almost all the resorts in the Holguin area and I'd say this is the best beach. It's shared with Blau costa Verde and Playa Pesqero (spelling :() Most of the staff were really friendly but weren't very motivated. Many times I sat down at a table and ate my buffet meal never getting a beverage. It became quite difficult to get glasses of water. It's like the had to search for water for ten minutes. Very understaffed as well. We noticed a trend and asked  [... read more]about it. Turns out that many local Cubans come to the resort on weekends. They can normally only afford one or two nights at the resort so they indulge themselves. Hard to get drinks at the swim up bar or lobby bar. The locals would order 8 drinks at a time. Same with having an omelette made in the morning. I'd be third in line but the chef would have to make 10 omelettes before he got to mine. Each person in front of me was ordering for a whole family. Once the weekend was over, no problem. Seems like the hotel planned for this as the food was terrible on the weekends and during the week it was a complete turn around. Actually had lobster at the buffet??? The hotel has seen better days. I get that Cuba has difficulties getting supplies, but I'm not sure how they qualify this resort as anything beyond a two star. Tiles missing, dead grass, garbage everywhere, broken fixtures, balcony plat pots without plants, etc. Then came our chambermaid. On the first day I noticed a dead bug squashed on the window. I opened the curtains to ensure she would see it. We left two week later, it was still there. Garbage (beer cans) that were in our "empty" plant pots upon arrival, were still there when we left. So here's the good. The lobby bar made awesome cappuccino's and cortados. The mangos are in season and are so delicious. You can walk 3km up the street and get authentic Cuban food and not at the street side restaurant. Tucked away down a dusty street is a cute little private restaurant. The food is pretty good and the prices are excellent. Get some help with the directions from the staff at the resort. Bring a good snorkel and mask because there's lots to see on the Blau Costa Verde side of the beach.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Fabulous resort

This was our family's first vacation and we will have the best memories ever!I only have wonderful things to say about this resort. The surroundings and landscaping were exquisite, the staff were all extremely friendly and kind, pools were clean and they had a variety of food to please everyone! My teenagers also had a wonderful times and formed friendships with quite a few teens that were also at the resort! We will definitely return!

Sol Turquesa Beach: Great resort for the family

I had a week stay with my family of 8 (including seniors and children) and we had an amazing time. We took advantage of the promotional upgrade to Diamond Club when we booked and it was well worth it. All of the staff are extremely friendly and courteous. The rooms are large and the bathroom with the separated shower, toilet, and sink area is genius. The beaches are beautiful, with lots of water sport options available. The entertainment team works hard to have lots of activities and shows for t [... read more]he guests. The food is as you expect in a Cuban resort, but it has a good variety. I think the food is better than the resort I last stayed in Varadero last year. Although there aren't as many tours available as in Varadero, there were plenty to choose from. My family and I did the Bay Adventure tour to Cayo Saetia and it was a great day, despite the long travel to the island. Cayo Saetia is so picturesque and I recommend it. The safari tour of the island was great for the kids. Overall, Memories Holguin is a wonderful resort for the whole family with fantastic staff. Highly recommended.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Rating 3 out of 5 stars

The Good: The staff of the resort were very nice and helpful - polite and professional. The beach was beautiful - crystal clear waters. The room and bed were comfortable and clean. The Not So Good: While I can see the grandeur of the resort from when it first opened (I was told some 15-17 years ago) it has not been maintained and shows as shabby and tired. The property fountains look like they haven't been cleaned in years. The air conditioning in the room was not adequate and just barel [... read more]y kept the room cool. We asked others about theirs and it seems that it is the norm. The water pressure in the shower appears to be an issue as it was just above a trickle and the toilets took some time to refill in between usage. While we are not pool bathers, I did peak at it and it seems not to be cleaned well...There appeared to have algae at the bottom in some parts. The buffet was below standard - there was no change in the daily menu, with some items being brought back the next day particularly at breakfast - I believe the reason was that there were only approximately 250 guests in the hotel so I assume they were trying to prevent waste - as well there was a roaming cat(s) in the buffet dining hall that expected to be fed from the table of guests. The Al a Carte restaurants were better but not stellar. Much more work is needed on the beach to make it cleaner as there were no signs that sweeps were done regularly to pick up leftover straws and plastic cups as well, some of the palapas needed repairs or complete replacement and in need of more of them and they could be spaced out better, as we were so close to one another we could reach out and touch the next person. The entertainment was ok. Overall we give this resort 3 stars out of 5.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Great beach, ok resort

Pick up from airport and bus ride was comfortable. Check in was slow. Rooms were ok, not terrible. Upgraded to Diamond Club. Food was good, not great. Romantic restaurant was surprisingly very good. Beach was beautiful, best part of the trip. Spa was depressing, but staff was amazing at the spa. Weather was perfect. Our stay was only four days, relaxing on the beach was perfect - but I don't think I would have wanted to stay any longer.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Fantastic beach, disappointing resort

The guardalavaca beach is one of the nicest I've seen in the Caribbean; shallow, calm, clean and clear. Free beach volleyball, paddle boats, kayaks and short hobbie cat rides available. The hotel is very shabby and tired. Our room had 10 things broken, including the AC and the sliding glass door. Ocean view rooms can be very noisy. The staff was usually friendly and tried their best to accommodating. The food often tasted better than it looked. The food in the restaurants was better than t [... read more]he buffet, Buccanero was our favourite. The bar near the buffet served the best drinks and filled our thermoses without hesitation. The churros were a fun afternoon snack if you can catch the guy cooking. Be ready to claim a beach chair with a towel at 6am. Very irritating since most chairs are "reserved" but go unused for much of the day. We would not return to Brisas Guardalavaca, even though we got a great deal. But we would give Cuba another try at a five star hotel and hope for and improved resort experience.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Friendly Resort

The hotel was nice, rooms need a bit of updating. Grounds were maintained well. Staff was friendly. The stock of towels and bathroom items were not always updated. It was difficult to reach reception from rooms. The food was good! But the 24hr bar/snack bar was not 24hr for food only drinks after 9pm meal service is available. When your flight leaves late there is no option for food after 5:30 there is no food service

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Wonderful resort!

One of the best resorts I have stayed at in Cuba! I've been to Varadero many times and Cayo Coco and this resort beat them all. Everything was perfect from the staff to the food to the grounds. I would definitely return! Leaving the resort wa ma easy and beautiful beaches all around.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Horribly disappointed and unaware

We did not have high expectations for this trip, travelling on a budget, just wanted to have fun, but weren't we surprised when basically starved for 7 days because the food was not edible, I have been to other places in Cuba with no complaints, but this was horrible. The food, all people were local and belligerent and rude, dirty pools, beautiful beach but public for this time of year and full of drunk local people leaving chicken bones, beer cans, plastic bags and diapers all over the beach.  [... read more]3/4 of the resort was closed so one buffet and 2 a la carte restaurants, one restaurant was no air conditioning, we sweated like in a sauna... We did not get any warning from the agent about the low quality of this place, even after asking many questions, paying for a sea view but there was no balcony!!! Thanks for that!! Never again with this company, hard earned money gone to waste, thx Kevin the rep!

Playa Pesquero: What happened to this resort?

Please find below a copy of the review I wrote on Tripcentral. I have been going to Cuba for several years now and my last visit was about 5 years ago. I use to go to an adjacent resort and had toured Playa Pesquero on my last visit. At the time I was blown away. It was amazing. From the moment I entered the then spectacular lobby and was graciously escorted by a staff member by golf cart to an extensive tour of the resort. The grounds were well maintained, pools shimmered, all the dining fac [... read more]ilities were spotless, and my favourite was being showed all the different styles of rooms. They were incredible, including the then air conditioning that worked. I promised myself on my next visit to Cuba this is where I was going to stay. Well, BIG MISTAKE!!!! Upon arriving at the airport no one from the resort met us until I made my way to the parking lot and had to ask where to go and what bus to take. Upon arriving to the resort only 2 staff were on duty to check in a bus load of people. We were given a welcome cocktail which was appreciated. I had requested at the time of booking either a beach or pool view on the second floor. I also booked a superior room. I asked at the front desk and was told very close to the pool and yes, my room was on the second floor. SURPRISE, room was on the ground floor and no view at all! Two rooms later I finally did get a second floor room. This room looked NOTHING like what I remembered! It was poorly maintained. Although you could tell it had been painted it was not done well. Any child could have done a better job. It also had a musty smell. The room was also unbearably hot. I checked the A/C and it was set at 16 Celsius, but felt closer to 25 Celsius. Room was also suppose to have a coffee maker, which it did not, towels were like sand paper, closet doors barely opened and closed, balcony door would not lock, patio furniture had seen much better days...... I could go on but you get the point. I did speak to Guest Relations who did apologize but did not see my point with how truly disappointed I was. They did finally get a coffee maker to the room. Although the room was suppose to be made up every day with fresh towels, it was not! I called to at least get some towels and after three phone calls and well over an hour the towels arrived without any apology. I did book 4 of the alternate dining rooms and did enjoy them, but dress code was not enforced. Men are to wear a collared shirt and long pants and this was not enforced. Other resorts would have denied entrance into this dining rooms unless dress code was met. The staff did try their best to make my experience better but what can they really do with a ship that has already sunk? The pools look in good shape (only 1 pool bar) but I decided to spend my time at the beach which was beautiful with white powder sand and crystal clear warm water! I have never ever written anything negative about a trip but this was such a shock to see the current condition of this resort. I was told all my comment I made to Guest Relations would be passed onto the General Manager, which they may have been, but I never did hear anything from them. I would love to see Playa Pesquero return to the breathtaking resort it once was. I continually mentioned to Guest Relations that if Playa Pesquero was going to be hosting our American friends they had better take a long hard look at the current state of the facility. Considering Playa Pesquero is rated as one of the top resorts in Cuba I will be curious to see what happens when American Tourism begins in the very near future..........

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Stay somewhere else in Holguin or Guard

pool and disco and show were great. food was awful. no AC in kitchen. kitchen nowhere near large enough to accommodate the number of people. Had to wait along the stairs a bunch. Room outlets didnt work (whatever), construction and lots of noise by lobby (but handy). Booked the al a carte and ate what the snack bar had (fries and ham the usual) to avoid the kitchen as much as we could. Beach is public (fine by me), but really dirty with garbage and chicken bones. Plus side a few restau [... read more]rants so we could eat off resort (which you'll want to do) for $4CUC or so. Rational: frequent cuba traveler. Have stayed at many 2 stars just fine, but dont want to pay 3.5 star prices to do so. Wish I had paid the extra to stay at Brisas (close by, quiet beach) or somewhere else (we toured around a bit on a bike, everywhere else was less scary looking). Still can't complain about a Cuba vacation, but wouldn't recommend if more than about $650.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Club Amigo Guard - Stay elsewhere if you can

The pool was close to the beach (plus) but the beach was gross, very busy, but not in a cool 'happening' way. Just a lot of garbage and chicken bones. Convenient for ther market shopping and being able to eat off the resort though (which we needed). The disco and show we're great. The pool bar and pool was a nice refuge from the August heat and bonus you could see the ocean still. The kitchen was too small for the number of people they had, and we had to wait a lot on some stairs. There  [... read more]was also no AC in the kitchen at all, and the windows didn't open for the first few days (ugh). Add to this the food quality, and well, book the al a carte. The food was okay a few days, but generally poorer than I'm used to in Cuba (not looking for a lot here). The snack bar only has the typical ham burger and fries, which we lived off a lot. They were doing construction by our room (can't fault them at all), plus add the lobby noise and pool noise and it was a loud albeit convenient spot. You win some you lose some. None of the power outlets save for one European style hole in one outlet worked at all. I guess we had some kind of upgraded room to boot! Rational: frequent Cuba traveler. Have stayed in many a 2 star hotel just fine. This is a 2 star at 3.5 star prices. Wish I had paid the extra $$ and stayed at Brisas down the way or somewhere else. We did a tour of the other hotels nearby and they were in much better shape.