AMAZING FUN RESORT

THE RESORT IS AMAZING. THIS IS MY 4TH TIME TO THIS RESORT.I GO IN OCTOBER FOR THEIR OCTOBERFEST. THE STAFF IS AMAZING AND MAKE THE STAY SO MUCH FUN. THEY ARE DOING SOME RENOVATIONS BUT THE ROOMS ESPECIALLY THE BATHROOMS SHOULD BE UPDATED.VERY CLEAN AND ALWAYS SOMETHING TO EAT.

Great Place, Great Snorkling

Been to the Carribean 20 times or so, this resort is one top places I've been too... 4 star resort with proximity to Havana, did a day trip, visited old Havana. Wow ... The character of the buildings, the cobble stone streets, the roof top bars, great food ....

Relaxing quiet resort

This was a very nice resort...quiet and relaxing. The staff except for the front desk and shop workers were very pleasant. We found front desk and shop (store) staff rude and concerned more with their personal conversations and cell phones than they were with us. The food was ok but became monotonous after a couple of days. I think if they did some upgrades to the resort it would be a definite plus. The rooms were clean and the resort itself was kept clean. This is definitely a resort for an old [... read more]er crowd...40+...definintely not a party resort. The beach is great if you want to do snorkling, however the rocks make it very difficult to get into the ocean..but once youre in..the snorkling is amazing.

Amazing view and hospitality.

I loved my ocean view room, the best I ever had. The staff will do everything they can to accommodate your request, totally satisfied with them. Surrounded by hills and gorgeous beach this hotel and staff makes you feel totally fine. Being able to stay in the swimming pool till evening, having dinner at the buffet with a piano player or local singing group every night (no problem in coming as you are), so good when you just wanna to have break from rules, commitment and etiquette. Plenty of ente [... read more]rtainment available or just to do nothing if you will. I most certainly will return if I have the opportunity.

Relaxing and beautiful

This was our second time at this resort and for sure not the last.We just wanted a place to relax and enjoy the beautiful reef and we found it here.If you like nature and enjoy snorkeling this is the place.Most of the staff (90% like any other place you will find few staff that do not care) are very nice and helpful ,food is good entertainment was OK. A place to visit for sure.

My favorite place in the world

I can't say enough good words about this place, the staff are absolutely amazing, caring, helpful with anything you need. The service is top notch! Jose, Odeitty our bar tenders are the best guys in the world..Denise and I miss you guys big time!

Simply amazing!!

The overall experience was fabulous!! Day trip into Havana with a private tour guide is highly recommended. I can't wait to visit paradise again soon :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) !!!

Great snorkelling!!

This was our first visit to this resort but our 9th time to Cuba. The beach isn't a great walking beach like we have seen elsewhere, however the coral reef right in front is why we went there. From the beach swim about 200 yards straight out and you come to a 30 foot wall of coral in chrystal clear water. Lots of fish of every colour you can imagine. The grounds are very mature and meticulously cared for. There is just one pool so don't expect waterfalls and swim up bars but it is very clean and [... read more] 2 jacuzzis as well. The buffet was standard Cuban, no surprises one way or another. Ditto for the 2 restaurants. The beach Ranchon was nice with great grilled chicken and fish and roasted whole pork once a week. The room was very clean and well maintained. As the resort started in 1999 the only sign of wear and tear was the games room which could use a reno. The resort is built in a bay with hills on 3 sides so it made a nice contrast with the ocean in front. We love swimming and would go back anytime. Staff are very friendly and polite.

Better than expected

Even though the resort is located in Cuban countryside, it still offers lots of fun if you are looking for it. If not, you can have a quiet vacation. The staff is very helpful and will assist you any way they can. I recommend establishing friendly relationships with the staff, this will allow you to better understand the resort and Cuba in general. Ask questions, if the staff member you ask cannot help, they will find someone else who can. Was not too crowded, there was always plenty of space on [... read more] the beach any time of the day. No mosquitoes, even at night, don't know how to explain this. I recommend to venture outside the resort for a walk to see real Cuba. The food in the buffet is great, something new every day. Snorkeling is not as great and scenic as expected, but it is probably because I am just not into snorkeling, only did it a couple of times. Although the hotel brochure states that tips are not accepted, the experience proved otherwise. It is easy to tip to the resort staff, they truly deserve it. The shows at night are great and authentic, giving you the taste of Caribbean/Latin American music and dance. Bring more cash than you think you'll need considering the relative remoteness of the area, was not a lot of fun having to count the remaining funds every day towards the end of vacation.

Average

The grounds were beautiful, nice beach, friendly staff, and great nightly entertainment. What was really disappointing was the food. We probably wouldn't have been so disappointed had we not heard how good it was. Lunch at the beach grill was OK, and breakfast was fine, so it was mainly the dinners that were so poor. We were actually hungry at an "all inclusive"--a rare occurence! What we heard was that in low season--July and August--they cut back. I can understand cutting back quantity, but qu [... read more]ality!

Loved this place!

This was my first visit to Cuba. We picked this resort because it was only an hour out of Havana and was supposed to have wonderful snorkelling right off the beach. We were there in mid May, and had some freakish, unusual weather, and so couldn't go snorkelling, but we still had a fabulous time there. The staff was fantastic, so friendly and accommodating. A quiet beach, great pool, airy, clean rooms, fun daytime activities and terrific nightly entertainment, both during dinner and at night. The [... read more] food was much better than I expected, a huge selection every day! An all day trip to Havana with driver and guide was only 70 pesos for 3 people. I definitely plan to return!

Breezes

My stay was very nice, the hotel had a very large beach, but was situated on a reef. This made for very good snorkeling, but the sand ended after 10 feet and rocks/reef made swimming hard. Other than this aspect, the hotel was cleaned every day, including walkways, the hotel's other guest were respectful towards each other, fresh towels were provided daily and the hotel organized hikes into the surrounding hillsides. 4.5/5

Super staff,location,experience

Fantastic hotel in an isolated location within taxi distance to both varedero and Havana. We have never been treated so well. The staff here are the best we have ever experienced. The cappucchinos and specialty coffees...incrediblly delicious. The scenery and proximity to the beach is ideal and the reef a snorklers paradise.

Beautifully relaxing getaway!

rooms: had a beach front room with direct access to the beach which was beautiful to wake up to. Air conditioning was not too much, slight bit of mold around the vents as a result however. Bed was two twins pushed together but done in a way you could not tell - fairly comfy!The fridge however smelt like cheese so we didn't use it. overall, safe, clean and quiet space. Food and drinks: better than i anticipated.omelet station in the mornings and grilled fish on the beach were the highlights. Them [... read more]ed dinners brought some nice variety. Tasty drinks nothing crazy. Bring a reusable cup as the drinks are served in small plastic cups - means getting up less and better for environment Staff: friendly! and very accommodating, activities everyday but they were respectful and not pushy if you just wanted to relax location: resort being backed by a mountain provided great scenery and privacy. Rustic and laid back feel perfect for recharging your batteries all while being close to hotspots like Havana. music playing in the distance on the beach was nice. A little rocky in spots but beautiful water none the less. Great place to get into snorkeling.

Resort that will not dissapoint you

Very clean resort, friendly staff, good food choices, enough entertainment and options to make your stay enjoyable, tailored for people without kids. Beautiful beach, swimming pool with 2 Jacuzzi. If you are looking for a quite resort, or to be close to Havana for daily visits, look no further.

Better than we expected!

This was the first time my husband had ever gone to Cuba and my 5th time, but both our first time at this hotel. Everyone was telling him how terrible the food was going to be and how Cuba was not a great place to go. To our surprise, the food was better than we expected. There was always a variety of foods and different themes every night. Don't miss out on lobster night on Wednesdays! Since we enjoyed the buffet, we never bothered to go to any of the a la cartes. Everynight at the buffet, ther [... read more]e was always a live band or musician playing while you eat. The room was average and a bit outdated. What was odd was that we had to lock the door from the outside and inside with our key. There was a lock vault in our room to put our valuables. Our t.v. was the big tube type but other rooms had flat screens. The room smelled a little musty but the air conditioner worked very well and at times, we had to turn it off because the room got too cold! The staff were all very pleasant and helpful. On the 2nd night we had a problem with our iron and they came and replaced it right away. The only thing that was disappointing was their gym equipment. It was right beside the dive shop and obvious that the sea air had taken a toll on them and most of them were quite rusted. The beach had white sands but the ocean was a bit rocky. This is ideal if you like to snorkel but not for the average beach-goer. I did a lot of scuba diving and we started from the shore and dove the rest of the way into the ocean. There was also a tennis court and a basketball court. Every day there was a hiking tour and our Sunwing rep was really informative and very good. The entertainment was pretty good. I'm not normally one to watch a magic show but before I knew it....I ended up being entertained and watched the entire show!

Great trip

Our 10th visit,it is like coming home.The people at the resort are great,rooms clean,food good,weather was fantastic,drinks were good,we will be going back. Has a great trip to Havana, we enjoy the Ernest Hemingway Hotel.

Great Food...Great Snorkelling...Very relaxing

The grounds were impeccable and the staff were very friendly and always ready to answer any questions. Our room was very clean and we loved our location which was half way between the beach and the pool. This trip was our 20th (yes 20) to Cuba. We have been to various properties and I would say this is one of the best. Now if you are looking for a beach that has a sandy bottom in the water that goes on forever, then this might not be the place for you. It is definitely a beach for snorkeling. Yo [... read more]u can step out into the water and 2 feet in, you are already able to view the coral, rocks and colourful fish. I recommend water shoes if you're just going in for a dip. There's always the pool which has a very relaxing atmosphere and the view of the mountain from poolside is breath taking. The entertainment at night is your typical Cuban flare but the action is up in the lounge with a nightly piano player. Here you can drink in the lounge or take it out on the patio. You can just sit and relax or join in with the other guest and sing along with the piano player. So much fun! The resort is halfway between Havana and Varadero so plan on a one hour ride to and from the airport. We rented a cab and went into visit a personal friend in Havana and the cost was $60 convertible pesos for a return trip. If you're looking for a place to just relax, eat good food, enjoy the company of other like-minded people or just simply spend good quality time with your spouse/partner then this is the place I would recommend. If you looking for a wild and crazy party atmosphere then I don't think you would enjoy this resort. This adults only resort was just what my husband and I were looking for and we would return here in a heart beat.

Awe inspiring facility

A well oiled machine,this was,everything was done to sched,food wareat as were desserts.The grounds  were prun and spotlessrs Sponotless and the rooms were well looked after.I would recomend this ressort anytime to friends.

Not what we expected

First time in Cuba and not what we are use to when winter vacationing.Traveled to Dominican,Mexico,Jamaica and Cuba ,will not be returning to Cuba for a few reasons.Firstly I had no complaints of the cleanliness of the resort,the staff was very friendly for the most part.My only complaint as far as staff goes was that upon our arrival we were given our room numbers and pointed to the direction of our rooms,older bell hop did not offer to help us with our luggage :{.The manager was very friendly  [... read more]and went out of her way to help us out.The food was the worse I had in my travels,thank god for brussel sprouts lol.The beach was very small and rocky and the begging was relentless.The pool was very shallow and no entertainment,I asked the staff why there was no music or entertainment during the day and they said they keep the music low as the resort was full of elderly people and they did not like the music loud,well it was so low I could not hear it!Took a day trip into the city and ate at I believe it was called La Casa,bland over priced in my opinion.Very dirty and frustrating country,for god sake make sure you take enough money,too long of a tale to tell of our horror story with their version of banking but lets just say getting my money from their scam system of ITMs took 4 hours,be prepared to get taken at the airport as well,told we were over on our luggage when we were leaving even though we flew premium class,was under on our weight departing Toronto,left half of weight there in gifts for the staff,yeah she settled for scaming us for $60.00 Canadian and said she was doing us a favor!If I were not so fed up with entire trip I would of insisted on seeing her supervisor,worth the $60.00 to get out of the country,definately will not be returning!