Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Fabulous Resort to Get Away from it All

Stayed in the Mares section, overlooking the pool. Booked last-minute for part of March Break with teenage sons. Rooms were comfortable, clean and cheerful. Overall, staff were friendly and warm with some notable super nice and extra helpful standouts. Food was best food we’ve had in Cuba (hamburgers and beef were delicious!). Beach was perfect with lots of activities and you can snorkel right offshore and see many types of fish). The pools were perfect as well, with refreshments available nea [... read more]rby. The transfer to/from the resort was seamless and did not take long to get through Cuban customs/immigration in both directions.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Beautiful report

Resort was beautiful - grounds and facilities well maintained. Drinks in lobby bar were top notch, and staff were friendly and very helpful - very good with kids. Pool area was clean, and always chairs available. Beach area was excellent. Food just ok but this was expected in Cuba.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Awesome!

We both had an amazing time at this resort. The rooms were comfortable and clean and the amenities were top notch. The pools were always a good time, but the beach took our breath away. Definitely recommended!

Sol Palmeras: Great Resort!

Just returned from a week at the Sol Palmeras. We travelled as a couple and had a fantastic time! We upgraded to a bungalow just steps from the beach, well worth it!!! The staff were very friendly and helpful. Special shout out to Olga and Nivia at the buffet for making us feel so welcome! The beach was amazing! There was never an issue finding a lounge chair at the beach or pool. if there were no chairs at the pool, a staff member would bring them from the beach for you. The buffet was very go [... read more]od,always plenty of options. We had dinner at the Asian and Latino ala cartes and found them both to be excellent! I don't usually like to repeat vacations, but we both agree we would like to return to Sol Palmeras!!!

Melia Las Antillas: Cheap and cheerful as advertised

If you are looking for more than a basic beach vacation, consider a newer and higher rated resort. This is our third time staying at the Melia Las Antillas. A family of women, ages 27, 47 and 60. We go for the beach and nothing more. We know what to expect. No surprises, good or bad. By far the beach and the staff make your stay. The hotel is seeing its age with wear. I would recommend paying for the upgraded room (at which point you may want to consider a higher rated resort). The food is plain [... read more] but you won't starve. Pizza at lunch at the Italian restaurant is the best. We never waited in line for food (stories we heard from other large resorts) and always got a choice spot on the beach, as long as we were there by 9:00. If we go back again for a fourth time, I would like the management to recognize our confidence in the resort with a few perks, like maybe a room upgrade and late check-out.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Marvelous Resort.

This resort is so great that the staff were very friendly, always wear a smile and approachable. Yanet, the lady at the reception is very helpful and attentive to our needs. She always addresses our issues and make sure that it's dealt with properly. Fresh towels and bedding everyday. Thanks to housekeeping. I recommended this resort to my friends and planning to go back again next year. A very cheerful place, clean and great for families and couples. The food at the beach restaurant was de [... read more]licious. The beach is spectacular and spent most of our time there. I highly recommend this resort.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Beautiful resort!

This resort is one of the most naturally beautiful places I've ever seen. Everything about it is breathtaking. The beach is lovely and sea so clear, excellent for snorkeling. We loved it and hope to return next year!

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Excellent time

The hotel had everything we wanted for our vacation: great service, good food, excellent amenities ... I can't say enough about the Cuban people that worked there; they were amazing. I would go back there again, and would recommend it to families and adults-only guests. .

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Good time had by all in our group!

Enjoyed this Cuba resort. It was smaller than the ones we've been to, but big enough not to feel cramped. We were able to find chairs for 6 at the beach and somewhere around the pool ever day. Beach was beautiful, pool was beautiful, rooms were good just a bit outdated but clean and comfortable and beds were comfy. Staff was friendly and fun to joke around with. Can walk just down the road from the resort to a marina that had shops to look through which was nice and no high pressure sales tac [... read more]tics. Just really nice people. Other than the resort being out of french fries the week we were there and getting a some bug bites on my lower legs (I believe at night while sitting at our table at the snack bar) all was as expected and good! Lots of things going on around the resort for entertainment which was also nice. Music at the beach & pool which we liked too. Hard to get small change at the currency exchange though all week so it was hard to give tips of less than 3 pesos, but could get 50 cent pieces.

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: Wonderful Family Vacation

First, I have to admit I read the reviews before I travel so to me it is worth it. This hotel was fantastic, we had a great time and I just had to write a review, also sorry if I spelled any name incorrectly. I have been to Cuba several times and even to Cayo Santa Maria but I have to admit the Sol was by far my best time. The staff were amazing. Yes, the drive is about an hour and a half from the airport but the cold beer 2 for $5 Cdn and tour guide made it enjoyable. I cannot really complain [... read more] too much. Rooms: Had lots of windows and a balcony overlooking the jungle I would say. There was a king bed and a twin. Room was always cleaned. The room had working AC and fridge, a safe but it was not bolted down and came with plenty of towels and body wash and shampoo. No hair dryer if that is a big deal. We always had hot water. The resort did lose water twice during the week, longest period was several hours but it was manageable. There was two very solid rocking chairs and a desk with a chair. TV worked and had a variety of stations in various languages, nothing amazing but enough for entertainment for sure. The room had enough plugs to charge all of our devices. Overall no complaints. Beach: Its a long beach with some areas better than others. Plenty of chairs and cover for us to lounge around. They maintain it well and there was very little garbage left around. There is a nude section but its marked so there will not be any confusion and it is located on the far end so no issue there. Beach was lovely overall. Food: Its Cuba so let’s not be overly picky. Buffet had enough variety for every diet and food was very edible. I loved the grilled chicken, breakfast smoothies were great but not available every morning, the pizza/pasta bar was very good. I can honestly say the buffet was good. You can get grilled sandwiches/burgers/hotdogs at the pool bar, sandwiches from the lobby bar at night, beach par had a fantastic BBQ lunch with fries. The pizza restaurant was amazing plain and simple, best pizza and pasta I have ever had in Cuba. They had two a la carte’s and both of them had great food. You will not go hungry at this resort and I enjoyed the food very much. Bars: No shortage here, lobby bar was 24/7, pool bar, beach bar and even the piano bar. The bar staff that was great. Plenty of cold drinks and superb coffee all with great service. No complaints Entertainment: Mini disco every night even if there were no kids, plenty of shows, they even brought in two singers and a variety of musicians. Music was constantly playing in the background and they even had a DJ. The animation team entertained us all but did not bug you so a big shout out to them. Service: I am going to say the best thing about the Sol was the people. The staff were so friendly and helpful. They made our stay that much more pleasant. It is a holiday so enjoy it and enjoy their hospitality. Overall: I know this is the oldest resort in Cayo Santa Maria, they have done many upgrades since Hurricane Irma I was told. It is not too big and in fact the numbers were low so we never had any long lineups ever. They have stray cats that are so sweet and friendly. I cannot recommend this resort enough and can understand why so many people keep going back. It was a great week and we will be back for sure.

Sol Palmeras: Wonderful Surprise!

The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Very friendly and helpful staff in all areas of the hotel (restaurants, bars, reception, etc.) We stayed in a bungalow which was clean and comfortable with fresh sheets and towels daily. The restaurants and buffet were all good and the nightly entertainment in the lobby area was excellent.

Paradisus Varadero: Very nice resort

Our whole March Break holiday at this resort was a very, very good experience. The beach was superb. There was always a warm and polite greeting from all the staff. One exceptional person who deserves the highest praise was our housekeeper "Claudia", she went out of her way to make sure we had everything we needed. Overall the food was good in the buffet and the a la carte's with only the Cuban a la carte restaurant being a dismal failure, we did not finish our meal opting to go to the buffet i [... read more]nstead. I was served very undercooked Cod and my partner was served hard as a rock pork chop. I would go back to this resort again.

Sol Cayo Coco: Great resort!

Great place! Very nice weather. Clean environnement. Friendly staff. Excellent service. Great food. Nice clean beach. They are working to improve the place. We recommend this place to our friends. We would go back anytime.

Hotel Vigia: Repairs Needed after Irma

We spent March break here and it was the roughest hotel we have been too. First room barely had any water function for flushing the toilet or washing your hands. The shower sprayer was broken, tv was not hooked up and the phone didn’t work. We changed rooms which was better but the patio doors on most rooms had huge cracks in the glass which made you nervous to open them. Beds did not have mattress liners, just the sheet on the mattress and sheets weren’t changed throughout our 7 day stay. T [... read more]he beach was gorgeous and staff did the best they could with what they had to work with. We didn’t go in the pool once because loungers were all sitting empty but “reserved”....very annoying. Beach loungers were available so we stayed there. Lots of sea shells on the beach if that is your thing. We will be back to Cuba but not likely this resort unless it is completely fixed up. The one next door looked much better Iberostar Daiquiri.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Great Resort

I must say I loved this resort as it was more up to date then any I have visited so far. Our Room attendant was amazing and friendly. The room was very clean and we had tons of water compared to other locations we have stayed. I do recommend they offer more of a variety of drinks at the bar. The Beach was amazing and I didn't visit the pool once as I loved the beach and the swimming.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Beautiful resort

I think this is one if the best resorts I have stayed at in cayo coco. The rooms were spacious and clean the beaches were amazing however there could be more beach chairs available as well as at the pool. We had to buy beach chsirs one dsy on the beach.l the food in the buffets we're good but the same Foods each night . however the 24-hour snack bar could use some improvements a lot of the time we went there the service was extremely slow and there was no food available. All in all the resor [... read more]t was great and I would definitely go back again and the workers were all so friendly!

Melia Jardines del Rey: March Break 2018

The grounds are well maintained- gardners are very friendly! Bar tenders always willing to make you something delicious to drink! Waiters/waitresses at buffet- very welcoming! toilet pressure, shower pressure.... not so great- but hey- its Cuba ala carte restaurants- not so great Japanese restaurant- is so worth the extra cost!!!! beach is great- can walk for miles - need to get out early to get loungers at pool and beach- but this could be just because it was Break time- but unfortu [... read more]nately people seem to think they need to grab chairs at both the beach and at the pool and they sit empty for half a day My only request for the resort is to have an adult pool- especially for March Break!!!

Paradisus Varadero: Very nice resort with exceptional views

We really enjoyed our stay in a junior suite in the regular part of the resort. The grounds were well kept and maintained, the pool was gigantic with a view of the ocean just like on their website. The food and service was exceptional in all the a la carte restaurants we tried (Venta- Greek food, International, Bohio-Cuban food and Japanese) but different to what we are used to, but you are visiting another country therefore need to be open to that. From reading reviews before we left, i wa [... read more]s a bit afraid, i don't understand all the complaints. If you prefer eating like at home, stay home. There was lots of choice at the buffet which was open to the outside with a view of the beach. The menu was repetitive (one station of pasta, one station of different meats, a station of fish and seafood) but this was great as you could always find something you like. Same for breakfast lots of options (crepe station, omelette station, egg station) plus all the other food available in the buffet including frits, beans, salamis, etc... We went with our 2 daughters (10 and 12) and they really enjoyed the pool. It was a beautiful main pool with again views of the ocean, just like on the resort site pictures. The pool water is cold bit when it's warm out, it's refreshing. The service at the pool bar from Anel and the 2 other girls was great! We enjoyed spending time at the Kristal bar meeting new people and trying new drinks, lots of non-alcoholic beverages too. The paradisus lemonade was great! All staff there were great but special mention for Yudith, Yenny, Antonio and Ana. Irelis at the restaurant counter was of great help and provided great information and suggestions. We participated to many activities with the animation staff. We had lots of fun with Nelly at the aqua fitness in the ocean and the spanish lessons, the dance at the beach and pool with Eddy and the aqua fit in the pool with Jose Angel. The animation staff was great and attentive making you feel special. The beach was beautiful. For a few days there was lots of weeds due to high winds but it provided us the opportunity to find beautiful shells. You could walk quite far when the water was quiet the other days. The water was all the different tint of turquoise, Varadero beach is one of the best. There is an area of the beach which is more rocky therefore you may want to bring water shoes. It is very nice to go walk on all the rocky part which is in front of the royal area. We haven't went to the kids club as my daughters were not interested and prefered spending time at the beach and pool with us but we saw the kids club coming on the beach and they seemed to be very well organized, we saw a Pirate day, an olympic day and a foam day which was open to all. The shows at the hotel in Cuba were great with nice costumes and with real professionals. We saw an aqua show, cuban show, magic show, acrobatic show, etc. They were all very good and we enjoyed all of them. The only downfall is that the shows are all late and started around 9:30-10:00 pm. Our favorite activity has been the Cuban lunch at the beach. There were dancers, music, great food (including the banana chips), cotton candy and sugar cane juice. Recommendation is to bring your mug for drinks has there is lots of pollution with all the plastic glass. Our room was 2128. It was facing the family concierge reception but from each side of the balcony you had an ocean view. Room was nice, air conditionner and hot water in the shower worked well. Only downside was there were bugs (kinda larva) in the last drawer in the washroom. We did report it to reception, the cleaner came but it kept on coming back, we simply did not used these drawers. We spent a beautiful vacation at this resort and will consider going back.

Melia Cayo Coco: Great Adults only resort

I spent a week at this resort over March Break. It is lovely and clean. I really enjoyed the quietness of no spring breakers. No loud music around the pool or blasting tunes from a disco til all hours of the morning. Nice selection of restaurants and food choices. Beautiful top notch beach. Lots of chairs and palapas. But most of all I LOVE THE CUBAN PEOPLE! Beautiful, friendly, helpful. Such a treat. I would return tomorrow if I could. Xo

Melia Cayo Coco: A nice week at the Melia

We spent a week at the Melia Cayo Coco from Mar 10-16. Arrival and check-in went very smoothly. We exchanged our Canadian $ to CUCs at the reception desk. We had emailed a few weeks prior to request a second floor room close to the beach. To our delight, our room request was granted. We had a lovely view of the beach from our front door. ROOM: The ‘classic’ room was very large and spacious. We enjoyed the amenities in the room. A bit disappointed with the shower and tub as it was not ren [... read more]ovated. The water temperature and pressure is great. The tile and tub were clean, but it was dated and in need of repair/renovation. STAFF: As stated by so many previous reviewers, the staff is fantastic. They truly go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable. As an example, we mistakenly forgot our snorkeling gear on the beach. It took only a short time for the staff to locate it with the assistance of beach security. We were very grateful for their help. BEACH: We are beach people, we do not go to the pool. The beach is beautiful. It is quiet and relaxing. Staff will help you locate lounge chairs. We did not have any issues finding a spot. The beach is not full of people and loud music like other resorts we have been to in the past. We appreciated that change. We are younger than the crowd at this resort, but we wanted a peaceful experience. The turquoise water and white sand made for one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve been to. It was windy on 5 of our 7 days, but that did not stop us from enjoying the water. The beach is long and wide and great for long walks. We took advantage of the included Hobbie Cat ride. Loved it. We also paid $15 cuc for the hobbie cat ride to the reef for snorkeling. FOOD: My husband enjoyed the food a bit more than me. We preferred the buffet over the a la carte restaurants. The a la carte restaurants have a lovely atmosphere and the staff ensure a positive experience. The food was just not to our taste. The beach bar has a great atmosphere and we really enjoyed the Cuban band during lunch. As the week progressed we could see the reason people return to the Melia. It has a quaint and comfortable feeling. Staff is very attentive and want you to enjoy your time. Our priority is to spend time on the beach and we definitely were able to do that at this resort. Other than the shower (and some of the food), we had a very positive week at the Melia Cayo Coco.