Melia Jardines del Rey: Lovely LARGE Resort

the Melia Jardines del Rey is a 4 year old resort that is overall clean, beautifully landscaped and tries very hard to meet expectations. The beach is gorgeous with lots of shade and loungers available. However there are areas that could do with improvement. The food starts as good quality but is bland and somewhat confusing in final presentation. There are issues in some rooms with water flow and leakage. Staff are overall helpful and friendly but some of the younger ones have significant dif [... read more]ficulty with understanding and communicating in English. Overall good value for the price. Good for those with mobility issues as it is flat with smooth surfaces with no steps and transportation is readily available. good for multi-generational family travel.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Great Resort

Me and my family loved this place, everything is very clean, including the landscaping, the food was good, the staff was really friendly and fun, it has a good environment for all ages, my 3 year old was having a blast. Will go there in the future for sure and I will recommend it to all my family and friends.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: A very friendly place

Me and my family really did enjoy this resort, the food was good, rooms always clean, very friendly staff, kids of all ages can have so much fun in this place, we love the beach and the pools. It was a experience that we will do it again in the future. And yes, we do recommend it to you who's reading this 😉

Melia Cayo Coco: Great Resort

Grounds and buildings were well maintained. Room was spacious and clean. Staff very hospitable and pleasant. Food was good and a wide assortment. Only down side was the winter winds. Would return for sure.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Family Friendly but Overcrowded Grand Muthu...

Overall, my husband and son and I very much enjoyed our first ever vacation in the sun at the Grand Muthu Guillermo in Cayo Coco. However, because of overbooking (or maximum booking) at peak season, we often met up with very long line-ups at the buffet hall and had to wait sometimes 1/2 hour or more to get freshly cooked food, e.g. omelettes at the breakfast buffet, fried fish, meat or chicken, etc. I never once got a freshly cooked omelette, as I did not want to spend all my precious vacation t [... read more]ime waiting in line... I felt quite overwhelmed at first by all the crowds, but got used to it towards the end of our 1 week stay (Jan.20 to 26, 2019). I resent having to spend nearly half of my special vacation waiting in line and also waiting to make the A la Carte restaurant reservations which took at least 2 hours of our first morning in Cuba, and this occurred right after 1 hour in orientation class (in a classroom setting yet) which we were strongly recommended to attend by our 1st SunWing rep (a lovely blond-haired Cuban girl) on the shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. She told tourists on the bus that if we did not attend this orientation class, it would 'be on her' and she could lose her job... We were extremely disoriented that 1st morning, having entered our room at about 1 or 2 AM the night before (i.e. that same morning) after our plane landed in Cayo Coco at about 11 PM, as the hotel and grounds appeared vastly different in the daytime than at night time (like 'night & day') and we had only slept about 6 hours in order to make it to the breakfast buffet (open from 7 to 10 AM only). In brief, I felt like we were all 'herded like cattle' in order to satisfy the hotel's structure and agenda. I felt quite stressed out and not like I was actually on a vacation to relax... After 2 days of making a big effort to get up early enough to make it to breakfast so around 8:30-9 AM, we just let go of that rigid schedule and at least made it to the lunch buffet which goes from 1 to 3 PM and is served (thankfully) in 2 different buildings at the same time. Unfortunately, I went hungry in between, as no food is served between 10 AM and 1 PM. There is a 24/7 snack bar that always serves food, but the food is not ' breakfast' material and consists mainly of fries and burgers, or ham & cheese grilled sandwiches, unless it is the lunch buffet, specifically (1 to 3 PM only). Also, the coffee served in the buffet areas is not very good, and is usually served cold as the waiters serve it to you from a canister. If you want milk (like I do), then it cools the coffee even further. Fortunately, there is a microwave oven that you can use to reheat it, that's if it is available to use... Overall, the food is ok. Cooked meat or chicken presented at the buffet (i.e.not freshly cooked) is tough & dry, in spite of being tasteful. However, once you are at the buffet hall, the food displayed is plentiful and it rarely runs out (as opposed to the freshly cooked food). All 3 of us really enjoyed the A la Carte restaurant food, and I would give it a 4 out of 5 star rating. Some tourists were unhappy with their meal choices, however, so it depends on what you choose on the menu. Please take the time to think & ask questions, if you can, before ordering. From what others have said, I would not choose the curried shrimp dish. Just stick to the fish, and you will not be disappointed. The food I enjoyed the most was the following: freshly cooked shrimp & calamari (excellent), fresh papaya & grapefruit, a large variety of beans & olives, blue cheese in large quantities, a large variety of wonderful cheeses, lamb (thin & tough, but tasty), the fresh bread (wonderful), some of the pastries (wonderful!), great salads & more. Re service in the rooms, I give it a 4 on 5 star rating. Our maid was very sweet and as helpful as she could be, so was the maintenance guy who had to fix a major shower issue. Talking of showers, don't run the water too long, they always flood and there is only a very small bath mat & maybe 1 used towel to mop it up... Re beach towels, good luck in getting them - one must get up at 6 or 7 AM and get in line for that...! They are large and beautiful, though, and we finally got ours about 1/2 way into our vacation. Towels are hard to come by, but our room maid tried to provide as many as she was allowed to on a daily basis. She also tried to replenish the shower gel and shampoo (no conditioner!!) daily. Bring your own washcloths, if you need to, as they only provide large towels. Re service elsewhere at the hotel, I would rate it 3 on 5 stars. Perhaps because of cultural & language barriers, I had a few 'run-ins' with some staff who displayed a 'haughty' attitude and ordered me around like I was staff! Example: "...Go sit down! You listen to me..!" I wasn't shy about giving them a piece of my mind! I also complained to the professional Sun Wing Rep(s) and managerial staff at the hotel, one of whom was a bit confrontational with me, but we later straightened out the miscommunication(s). We had a technical issue with our safe in the room, which was readily attended to, thankfully, but it took 3 days to fix. In spite of all the little daily issues (e.g. technical issues especially with toilets, showers, lack of towels, misunderstandings with staff, long line-ups, broken or non functional toilets everywhere but in our rooms, etc) and wasting precious vacation time attending to one or more issues, we enjoyed some free time at the Grand Muthu, walking on the beach or wading/swimming in the beautiful pools. Once, on our 2nd last day, we managed to arrive at the beach just in time to use the free kayaks as it was past 3 PM. The staff allowed us to use them for 10 minutes... Re hotel grounds and our hotel room, I would rate them a 4 on 5 stars, as everything was brand new and very clean, and there were lovely gardens and flowers here and there. Big issue: not being able to find a working toilet in various buildings, except in the main lounge area and in our rooms. Once, I had to empty & fill up the wastepaper basket to flush a toilet. Most were broken. Once, a staff person said 'they are all closed', and I nearly had an 'accident' on my way to the main lobby to use the toilets there... Re the weather: it was wonderfully hot and sunny on our 1st day, perfect for the beach and lounging at the pools (if you could find an unoccupied lounge chair, that is...) with the kids. That night, a wind storm was brewing and for the next 3 days, it was very windy and cool with huge waves so we could not go on any water excursions. We were able, however, to walk on the beach and in the grounds which allowed us to meet many, many people from all over the world who actually now reside in Toronto or in the province of Quebec. My son & I were also able to practice our French (my 1st language) as many tourists spoke French, and we all made lots of friends, a highlight of our trip. My husband loved meeting all those people and he will tell you that was a highlight of his trip. We also joined the bar party 3 nights in a row and had a good time (at the 24/7 snack & alcohol bar). All in all, our week in Cuba was a success and considering we escaped our usual winter cold weather in the -30 degree range, it was a wonderful trip!! Tips if you decide to go to Cuba: 1.bring coffee mugs (very useful and coffee bar servers are happy to fill them up with specialty coffees, very good BTW), bring gifts as opposed to pesos e.g. toys for the children (of room staff for ex), hats, caps, old T shirts with logos, old sweaters, makeup, nail polish & lipsticks, feminine hygiene products (very costly I hear), mint candies (they cannot get them in Cuba), shoes (costly) and other basic necessities, which the Cuban locals will appreciate more than money. An extra note on this subject: Logos are important to them. 2.Brush up on your Spanish first, it may come in handy. 3.Don't expect instant service or even any service at all, and you will be ok. 4.Practice being in crowds before coming to the Muthu 5.Pack very lightly if you can in order to have room to bring souvenirs in your luggage 6. Be aware of the beach bugs, e.g. sand flies and/or fleas. They bite at certain times of the day (mostly morning & evenings, I hear) and you don't see them as they are tiny crustaceans (less than 3 mm long). The bites resemble mosquito bites (or even bed bug bites...) and may not appear until 7 days later. They itch and sting and you must apply some cream (preferably medicated) to soothe your skin, or you will have trouble sleeping. Unless there is a parasitic infection (which is extremely rare), they will disappear in time with no sequels. 7.Expect long line-ups and waits, and you will be fine. It is a great family escape! Try and have fun when you go there with your family, and remember how cold it is way up North, then you will enjoy every moment in the warm Cuban sun!

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Pleasantly surprised!

Spent a week with friends at this budget friendly hotel and was pleasantly surprised. Having travelled to Cuba 4 times previously, I was well acquainted with the cuban cuisine, beautiful beaches and friendly people. The resort is approx. 40 mins from airport. Not a lot to see during the drive, major destruction to the vegetation caused by last year's hurricane. Area consists mostly of hotels, considerable distance from any town. There is a marina nearby for sailing and snorkelling. (I am a snork [... read more]elling enthusiast), not a great coral reef, but the catamaran excursion was still fun. The hotel is small (my preference) with lots to offer. The grounds are well maintained, the pool clean and the beach so beautiful. White powdery sand, lots of chairs and shade available. The water clean, warm, beautiful turquoise, some seaweed growing in areas, beach cleaned regularly. Catamaran, paddle boats, and banana boat activities available short walk down beach. Also parasailing available for very good price, we were able to stay up for 20 mins. and got as high as 480 to 500 meters, very good experience if you get the right weather. The area is very popular for kite surfers as well, provided incredible entertainment on windy days. The hotel itself is older and as I mentioned fairly well maintained. Didn't request upgraded room when booking, took deal of the day pricing. The room I had was clean and comfortable, new mattress, new pillows, etc. Everything worked, view was of pool and oceanview. (All rooms are oceanview) Air conditioner worked, lots of hot water,mini bar stocked daily with water, beer and soft drinks, maid service was excellent. The staff are excellent and try very hard to please it's guests. Check In was well organized, bags portered, no wait for rooms, etc. Desk staff spoke good English and very friendly. Money exchange at lobby desk was actually better than bank! There is a bank on site at the resort. WiFi cost very reasonable for 1 peso/per hour in lobby area, range extended to pool/room area depending on device. Lobby bar by far the most popular for drinks including best coffee, but no smoking restrictions may be problem at times. Dining was a pleasant surprise. Buffet offered many selections and variety. If you like fish you will be very happy, beautiful fresh,local fish/seafood grilled to your liking (sea bass, mahi mahi, baracuda, snapper, large shrimp, and others). For the meat lovers, there was fresh grilled to your preference: pork, chicken, beef, bacon for breakfast if desired. Everything was cooked fresh. Lots of salads, breads, beautiful cheeses, fruit of all kinds. There was a pasta station, pizza station, different stations for different nights. One night sushi, another night amazing burgers need I say more. I can't comment on the desserts as they are not my thing, but I can say the ice cream cannot be resisted. Line ups, yes unfortunately at times, but that is why you book al la cartes, there are three of them, Italian, Mexican and Cuban. Besides line ups are a great way to meet fellow guests. The entertainment was nice, the dancers were very good, couple of ok magic shows, but what I enjoyed most was the informal music in the lobby bar area, local cuban music bands and singers all very, very good. If you like cuban music don't miss out on a opportunity to see the legendary Buena Vista Social Club, not too far from hotel for 25CUC's, up close and personal, small venue for this renowned performance. There are few places I would return to as I love to travel and there is a big world out there to see, but I just might go back to this place. But I would definitely recommend it to the budget minded traveller, lots of bang for your buck!!

Hotel Mojito: Cheap family vacation

Check in was efficient and although we did not get help with bags we managed. Upper floors are all stairs so anyone with mobility issues should get ground floor. Our Superior room in 2220 was dark and filled with ants so we moved to standard room in building 21. Much better clean and bright but no balcony. Adult pool is close to Building 21 and the gym, tennis courts are also close to Building 21. Buffet food was much the same each day. Omelette station for breakfast and meat grilling in eve [... read more]ning were our go tos. As well as pasta bar. Salad bar lacked greens and many premade salads were not to my liking. I am not a picky eater but it was hard to make a salad to enjoy. Suspected drinks watered down as hubby drinks whisky on ice and had only one day he felt like he was affected. mixes are not of great quality so hard to get nice cocktails. Wine was a Spanish poor quality so I bought wine in buffet for 5CUC. White Russian was a good drink. Mojito was not good. No fresh limes. Pool and beach areas had many chairs nor need to save/ Beach quite a walk from main resort area. No A La carte reservations available during our stay so sadly cannot comment.

Hotel Mojito: what I expected for Cuba vacation

Check in was efficient but not baggage assistance available right away so we took our own. No elevators so if you have a third floor room heavy luggage could be problem with lots of stairs. Room was spacious and clean. Mini fridge in room and hairdryer but no coffee makers and no irons in room. No patios but windows open wide to bring fresh breezes in if you like this. Safe was easy to set and use. Water was mostly hot but depending upon time of day you might run out quickly. no facial tissues i [... read more]n rooms. no pens or paper. Pools were not too busy never needed to save chairs and there was an adult pool for a quieter lounge. Pool bar and snacks 24 hrs consisted of pizza, fries and grilled cheese made to order. buffet was the same most days. greens on salad bar not common. many pickled items and premade salads catering to European clientele.I did not enjoy most of ths and I am not a picky eater by any means. Drinks were poor quality. Mixes not up to my standards. No fresh limes. mojitos were lacking minty flavour like the mint was not fresh. wine was Spanish and not very palatable but you can buy a Chilean wine in Buffet for 5CUC so I did this and was happy. A la Carte was unavailable for the four in our family during our stay so cannot comment. Overall would give this resort a 3/5 for sun, sand and expectations for cheap price.

Melia Cayo Coco: Fabulous vacation

We spent 2 weeks at the Melia Cayo Coco from 6th Jan to 20th Jan and had a fabulous vacation,. We flew from Hamilton airport with Air Transat arriving at MCC at 10p.m. While checking in we could hear the 4 Tenors singing. After a quick check-in we enjoyed a glass of champagne and had a dance before taking the shuttle to our lovely ocean view room on the second floor. We had a rocking chair and table in the room and dresser with a chair. Lots of closet space and hangers and a big bath tub which I [... read more] really enjoyed. We would like to thank our maid Maritzer for keeping our room spotless and providing us with fresh towels every day and also with tissues as we came down with a cold a few days after arriving. Fortunately the hot sun and relaxing ambiance of MCC helped us recover quickly. We enjoyed meals at all the Al a carte restaurants and the food was hot and delicious. Service was fast and efficient and always with a smile. All the staff throughout the resort were pleasant, fast and efficient. There was a wide variety of food in the buffet, from fresh fish to pasta to pizza. Something for everyone. Cuban ice cream is so good and we really enjoyed the pastries and merengue for desert. The Spanish wines served with meals was excellent, my preference being the white wine but the red was also good. Our very special thanks go to Yunismy from Customer Service who arranged for us to have breakfast in our room and a special dinner for our Anniversary in the Gazebo above the pool It was a very romantic and magical evening, something we will never forget. Throughout our stay we would see her and she always checked to make sure that everything was O.K. and would ask if there was anything she could do for us. We met the new General Manager Bernard Meyer at a reception to meet the hotel staff. He is a very hard working man and seemed to be everywhere checking that everything was going well. He sat next to us at dinner in the buffet one evening and we enjoyed chatting to him. All the staff spoke highly of him and he is doing a terrific job as the hotel is running very smoothly. I must mention the maids that clean around the hotel in the public spaces. They do a good job and the public washrooms are always spotless and often looked quite pretty as they arranged flowers around the sinks. The gardeners are another asset to the resort and keep the grounds looking pretty and the flowering hedges well trimmed. The evening entertainment was top notch and we really enjoyed the dance Troup and the water ballet. The Cuban band, rock band and all the other bands had us up dancing as the did the dance Troup. It was lovely to see Meite from Activities in the evenings as she would get my husband up to dance and he would joke it made him young. The Activities staff were busy during the day with bingo, aqua fit and other games to keep guests happy and occupied if they wished to join in. The beach was cleaned daily and always spotless and the ocean was warm once you were in. There was a beach bar and beach restaurant which at night became the Cuban restaurant. At lunch time they served hamburgers topped with Ham and a fried egg and ice cream for desert...Delicious !! We did enjoy the king size sunbeds around the pool, hubby could nap and I could read by book in comfort. Everyone seemed to be having fun at the Foam pool party which we watched from the snack bar. They serve pizza, hamburgers, French fires and other food and is open 24 hours. The Lobby bar is also open 24 hours and has a good selection of drinks of high quality. Also they make the most delicious Spanish coffee and cappuccinos. Have I forgotten anything, probably and this review is rather long but my advice to anyone reading this, is to go and see for yourself that Melia Cayo Coco is a wonderful resort to spend your vacation. You will be well taken care of and have a terrific time.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Best in Cayo Coco

Very clean and safe resort, staff are AMAZING! beach is perfect. You would be hard pressed to find a better resort in this price range. As an added bonus it's a 10 minute drive from the airport. 3rd time at memories flamenco. Will definitely book again!

Melia Jardines del Rey: Tis resort should be rated a 2 worse place we have ever vacatioed

This was the worse resort we have ever stayed at! We went for 10 days and the first 5 days were terrible, no water, no power, toilet doesn't work, the shower came off the wall and no beach towels ! For the whole time we had the same towels! The food was terrible as well as the a la carts. We will never return there or recommend this resort to anyone! Everyone was complaining!

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Good for price

The staff at this resort is absolutely amazing; great service in all areas. The resort respected our requests when booking. No hot water for 3 days, but it was fixed afterwards. Towel service is absolutely horrible: no new towels for our entire trip, even after asking. Pool area is very limited in terms of chairs; we had to pay a gentleman to get our chairs from the beach (this is definitely a hacking system to make tips). Beach was ok but not great, very narrow, algae was not picked up until ea [... read more]rly afternoon. Chairs on beach were also staked so that we had to tip the gentleman to get a chair. Food was very good, but the same all week. Room was clean. Asian restaurant was absolutely horrible in terms of food. There was construction of a new "food" area during our stay, so construction noises all week long which really ruined the purpose of the trip.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Good if they did food proper

Was here from January 17-24 - weather was windy and so not the best . Most was really good , nice room most with ocean view , grounds lovely , bars well handled , ala carts not to bad , we got 3 reservations and that saved us from having to go to the most under designed buffet I ever came across with. if you don't mind standing in line waiting for some joke of a cook to make your food with as much interest as a door nail then your fine , me being a 40 year food service manager was having the h [... read more]ardest time with their main buffet , also the staff tries but seems to be lacking direction and most definitely they are understaffed. Believe me I know you don't go to Cuba for the food [ trip 35] but this was and note the worst food provider I have come across . Don't get me started about their 24 hour snack bar , how could you need 30 minutes to serve me a cheese burger that is ,no lie ice cold . Another time waited a hour [ at least beer was cold and arrived] for 2 burgers, they never arrived and complaining about this to manager and customer service does really nothing , they just stare at you like your a spoiled brat , maybe I am ?. Again resort is nice , beach great , and with good weather maybe the week would have been better , not for us . Enough of Cuba , pay the price and head to Mexico , I am . Cheers

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Nightly entertainment was a must see!

This resort was the perfect balance of peace and quiet , with exciting entertainment. Lovely meals and service , perfect sized resort that is easy to navigate. Friendly faces and good music. Great time all around!

Melia Jardines del Rey: Had a great time!

The food was alright it was the first resort I have been to that they did not label the food at the buffet. The staff were wonderful. The rooms were clean and maids were great and helpful. The al a carts were good to, my favorite place to eat was the lunch restaurant beside the pool that had the best chicken and fries. Pools were clean.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Good week stay at Melia Resort

Our week stay was pretty good. We had an issue with the toilet not working when we arrived into our room but was resolved within 4 hours. The rooms were comfortable and clean. The restaurants were large and offered many options amongst them all. The resort is huge a spread out. Lots of walking or you could take a golf cart ride. The weather was not as cooperative as we would have liked with some very windy and rainy days. The pool was green in many areas and needed to be cleaned. The beach is va [... read more]st and amazing. Overall we got what we paid for and would recommend the Hotel and area of Cayo Coco to anyone.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Great resort and atmosphere!

The hotel grounds were well maintained; lots to do; the staff and the entertainment crew were fantastic. Yaisimy and Yidsy in the lobby bar were friendly and offered great service. Alexei at the pool took care of us every single day by getting us chairs. He was friendly and good with our girls. Ubismel in customer service helped me get my best friend’s birthday cake, flowers and champagne. The crew in the kitchen decorated our table and sang happy birthday. Miguel and Roberto in entertainment  [... read more]were fantastic. The morning stretching, aqua aerobics, music, and games by the pool were fun for adults and kids. Kitchen managers Dayesi and Ailyn in the kitchen took such good care of my daughter who has dairy and egg allergies. Every morning they made sure she had her own vegan pancakes and soy milk. They took us around the buffet to explain what had dairy in it. It was very difficult though to find food that didn’t have dairy or eggs in it. The food wasn’t great but there was a good selection of salads. Needed more kids options in the buffet. And sorbet instead of ice cream for allergies. Would have liked apples and bananas. The staff made this resort! Gardeners Osmani and Antonio made the girls hats, birds and grasshoppers out of palm leaves. Beach was beautiful. Bar and kitchen service was excellent. The staff remembered our names and where we were from and what we drank. Room cleaning was good. Hotel was clean. Good atmosphere in the lobby. Kids shows at night were awesome and entertaining. The girls loved it. Norse at the pool bar was so great with the girls and remembered my drink. The hotel was not far from the airport which was nice. disappointed in the room set up. A cot and two beds that were bigger than a twin but smaller than a double. The pillows were either too big and hard or too flat. Not a good sleep for 2 adults and 2 kids. There was too much single use plastic though. Really disappointing. Straws should not be used at all. Totally unnecessary.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Disappointing

We were in Bungalow 9118. The room had a very pungent odour that never went away, I developed migraine headaches because of it. Red Roof has nicer rooms than what we were in. The bed coverings were shabby, the pillows were flat and worn. The room temperature was a lot colder than we could stand and we couldn't seem to adjust it. We only had hot water 2 days out of the week. It was reported to our Hola Sun Agent twice and Customer Service 3 times plus a worker in the building. Overall the room wa [... read more]s definitely not 41/2 stars as publicized. We arrived at the resort late morning. We were up early for a 6:30 flight.t Checkin was was professional however being first timers it would have been nice to be directed to a location to go to and rest. We couldn't access our room until 4:00pm. The food was satisfactory but highly exposed to the public. My husband took sick on Tuesday night and was in bed for the duration. He went to the Doctor when we returned home and was told he either has the Norwalk virus or food poisoning. All staff was extremely efficient and personable. This trip was a gift from our son in law.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Good resort

What I like about hotel: Very friendly staff My first room was with broken show and it’s been changed to nice room. Beach was perfect Food was good Area of improvement: entertainment was quite poor- no traditional Cuban show; Piano playing at bar area was only couple days

Melia Jardines del Rey: Great Resort ☆☆☆☆

The Resort is big & well kept. Public washrooms have a standby maid in each one cleaning regularly. Service at all the bars is quick & everyone so friendly. Washrooms in rooms could use better plumbing. BeachTowel service could improve, although people tend to abuse. I kept same towels all week, they go on beach chairs, how dirty can they get!!! I dried them on balcony. BE A C H is S P E C T A C U L A R! 😍 Food is repetitive 😏 Would recommend 1 week maximum. Entertainment is good.