Beautiful resort

Resort was one of the nicest resorts I have stayed at. No problems at all very well run. staff very friendly, food whatever you wanted anytime beach pool all great. Room beautiful. Would love to go again and would definitely recommend resort.

Quiet Small 5 * Cuban resort

I was overall very pleased with this resort. It was good value for a 5 star Cuban resort. This is my 6th trip to the Caribbean (Negril Jamacia, Maya Riviera Mexico, Cayo Coco Cuba, Varadero Cuba) and have enjoyed all the trips and been pleased with every experience. We normally travel with a large group but on this trip we went as just a couple. Cuba is still the best value in the Caribbean for a sunny vacation. The Paradisus Rio De Oro is the best Cuban resort that I have visited. It cer [... read more]tainly does not compare to a 5 star resort outside Cuba but then again it is approx $1000 cheaper per couple than other countries in the region so offers great value. It was a mature well run resort that was not too large. The Cuban people are always so hospitable and pleasant and make the trip. The staff at this resort were better than most trying to make the week as pleasant as possible. The resort is older and made to Cuban construction standards so it is tired but this adds to the charm of the trip. It uses a lot of wood and marble and has a majestic ambiance. The grounds were well manicured and beautiful. The room and washroom were nice. The tub was small and the shower and the tub are combined. If you leave a few $ every day, the room is always cleaned and fridge always stocked. We were able to check in at 10:30 am on arrival so we were very happy after such and early start. The bus ride is about an hour but it is a pleasant ride that seems to go by fast as you experience the Cuban country side and culture in its raw form which is always interesting. The early morning flight at 6:00 am with the 2:00 am start time is difficult but you get to enjoy the entire 1st day at the resort. The a la carte's are great; we were able to experience all 4 in a week and pre booked from Canada which is a nice option. The food was very tasty and the best Cuban a la cartes we have experienced. This resort had the best food of the Cuban resorts we have visited, but in general Cuban resort food is average, however we always find something to eat. The entertainment was great. Every night was something different and the music is fantastic. It is part of the cultural enrichment experience. The resort always seems quiet and not crowded with no lines. We were able to get chairs at both the beach and pool in the shade at any time of the day. No one has to get up at 5:00 am to save a chair at the beach. The beach was 1 km long so a beautiful walk up and down the beach every day. The sand is white and the water is turquoise. The surf was rough the week we visited but this seems typical. The sand part of the beach was awesome but the water side had some drawbacks. There was coral 1 to 2 meters off the water line so you could not easily walk directly into the water. You had to walk up the beach 400 m from the chairs to find a spot that you could walk into the water and enjoy the surf. The coral along the beach line was in the surf zone so it did not have any snorkeling opportunities or fish. At the end of the beach was a coral cliff and reef that you could see colored fish but you had to be a confident swimmer to venture out the 400m in rough surf to that area. Unfortunately we are beach people, so we likely would not go back to the resort because of the surf characteristics. Restaurants at the pool and beach were both very nice and we ate there every day. The clientele of the resort appears to be an older crowd so it is a quiet vacation. Cuba always feels safe so people are always coming and going by cab or bus into the town to get a taste of the culture. I ran to the town 1 day and saw how the local folks lived. The resort offers a Royal section that we did not get a chance to experience but we met a British couple who were staying there for 2 weeks and they loved it. Overall a great trip and very nice resort. We met many who return multiple times for the serenity, staff, entertainment, and value but the beach surf is a small draw back.

Week of Relaxation..

We have been to Cuba several times. This Hotel was the best of all aspects. The room was spacious. It was attractive and linens were nice. The bed was the most comfortable of all the beds in Cuba to date. No issues at all. The rooms in the main section are all "garden view". However, this was not an issue and the serenity offered by the gardens was actually a welcome change. Lots of song birds to wake up to and there was a great little garden area that was actually their own tree nursery [... read more]. They set it up like a garden area with paths and benches. Nice touch. The resort had a small boutique hotel feel, but with all the amenities. We were easily able to make 4 reservations for A la cartes. Our least favourite was Cuban. We loved the effort made by Manny our "Japanese" chef. What a lovely young man. The food was very good in the Japanese. The meal in the Mediterranean was very good, and we thought that would be the best but the we went to El Patio and it was even better. The difference here than other Cuban resorts is the specialty restaraunts actually serve a completely different meal selection, very high end. Nice effort was made in serving. Wine and drink was always offered and staff were attentive. No request was too much. Lately at other Cuban resorts the servers and staff always seemed to be avoiding eye contact. Not here. They all went out of their way to greet you and offer you services. From the front desk staff who had exceptional English and took a few minutes with every guest to explain all, to the bar tenders who were very professional and always made the extra effort to add in a straw or a slice of lime. The bank was open when we arrived, quick service. We were hours early, but had a room available. We were only a bldg from main lobby, which meant it was a bit of a walk to beach, but great pathways to walk on. We even had some staff tell us that we did not need to tip them! Never had that happen before. The staff are genuinely happy. They enjoy being together and laughing. They greet each other each am with kisses on the cheek and a hug. They quickly greet returning guests they recognize in the same warm fashion. This genuinely pleasant staff spills over onto the guests. This comes directly from management creating a relaxed atmosphere. The buffet was very good. Lots of selection. I do wish they allowed self service for coffee/tea. The beach was the biggest drawback for me. Directly in front of the hotel the beach has large areas of a shale kind of rock/coral. It is impossible to enter there really. You do need to walk about 200-300 feet up the beach to get into the water safely. For this reason only I would not return. My husband didn't mind it as he snorkels. He saw a lot of great fish. However, I will say that there are people that go there 3 times a year. I asked one elderly lady why she goes every year. She said she has a business. Only has one week off and she knows that her vacation will always be A1. No surprises. No disappointments. I think many liked that aspect of it. Plus it has a feeling of being cared for and people are very welcoming. The beach itself was beautiful to sit and we never had a problem getting seating under shade, no matter if it was 08:00 or 11:00. Oh I must mention the music. Phenomenal. I love that the resort stayed Cuban. Lovely guitar music, violin, traditional singing, dance music at times in evening for guests. Not over whelming. Just perfect. I can see why so many do return.

Not a true 5 star

While it wasn't a true 5 star, the locale was great, the staff were great. The food was not great so I recommend you bring your favourite spice for steak, fish and chicken. The airline was a nightmare. Air Transat has lost my business for sure. Terrible seating arrangement "high density" seating configuration best suited for premordial dwarfs. Air Transat call centre left you feeling that there was a bit of anti anglophone happening. Trip central could have been abut more helpful when it [... read more] comes to the airline and their weird seat selection policy.

An amazing resort

This was the best all inclusive that we have ever been at in 10 years. The food was great, including the desserts. We had an ocean view room, which was wonderful. The staff at the resort were very friendly and always smiling.

Great Resort

The hotel experience was good. We had a lovely cabin style room with an incredible ocean view. However, we had to upgrade to this option for an additional $700 dollars. The original room with a garden view was dark and not very nice. The best part about the hotel was the spa. The staff was kind, helpful, and went completely out of their way to make you feel pampered and taken care off. The buffett and all the restaurants had decent enough food except the Japanese restaurant. If you di [... read more]d not get seated in front of the cooking station (which we did not) the service was incredibly slow, and the food was really quite awful. All in all, the hotel is very laid back, the atmosphere is mostly quiet and we had a very relaxing time.

Absolutely Amazing time

All the rooms are now refurbished and it shows. Pool area is large and clean with plentiful chairs, cabanas and a few big umbrellas. The beach is deep enough for lots of thatched beach umbrellas (palapas?) and breezy enough for sun bathing. Chairs at the beach and pool were still available after 10:00 a.m. every morning since it's an older, more mature crowd that isn't into rushing everything. The food is the best we've had at a Cuban resort. Remember, this is Holguin, it's in the heart  [... read more]of Cuban agricultural country not the touristy Varadero so the few resorts here can get a fresher and larger variety of food and Paradisus Rio De Oro gets first pick since it's rated the best resort in Holguin. Also, GREAT music throughout the week in the lobby although the shows at night were typically cuba-tacky. And the animation staff were a lot more active and fun to be with than in the Varadero resorts we've been to. This is the first resort out of all of those we have stayed at in Cuba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic that we have agreed to go back to.

Excellent time

The room was very clean and nicely decorated. Our room was cleaned each day and the maid always left us with a small towel decoration which was very thoughtful. The property is beautiful and is well maintained. The food was good and especially the A La Carte restaurants. Unfortunately for the regular "everyday" buffet men had to wear long pants at supper time which did not make a whole lot of sense and was a huge inconvenience. I mentioned this to the Air Transat Representative and she said she  [... read more]would pass along my concern. Beach was very nice...a little rocky to my taste but still a beautiful area to walk along and to see the sights! We unfortunately had a very LARGE cockroach in our bathroom one evening. We got rid of it but I have to admit I have never seen one this large. We advised and we were told that they would spray the building

We had a wonderful trip!

The beach was a little rocky which made it difficult to enter the ocean. There were only a couple of narrow areas that allowed easy access to enter. The pool was large and clean. Never had an issue finding a lounger on the beach nor at the pool. Staff at the front desk, the wait and cleaning staff were all friendly. Please note than this location has its own cashier to exchange money and gave you a better exchange rate than at the front desk. We had no issue getting small bills/coins. The only  [... read more]issue to really note is that unlike all other resorts that I have stayed at, men needed to where long pants in order to eat at the buffet restaurant. I am used to having to do this for the a la cartes, however most people expect a less formal dress code for the buffets. I had brought shorts and could not wear them. Thankfully I wore jeans down to Holguin and I could wear those, however my travel companion did not and was left scrambling for what to wear. Then at the a la cartes, men were allowed to enter in culottes, sandals and t-shirts. The spa was a great place to spend the last day there. The spa has a private beach and pool, separate massage huts as well as a steam and sauna room. The only issue there was that the locker room was co-ed. Great for couples but not great for strangers. You had to go into the bathroom to change in private. It was just very awkward. They should have separate locker rooms for each sex and then have common areas for people to mingle in. Otherwise, the place in beautiful. It was easy to navigate and nothing was more than a 5 minute walk. I'd return to this resort.

Exactly as advertised!!

The property was beautiful, the service and staff were impeccable, Royal Service is definitely the way to go !! Hats off to a well managed resort. We were impressed at every turn. They would stop at nothing to meet your every request. The only word we never heard was "no"

Did not disappoint...hasn't yet.

Rio de Oro continues it's status as the number one resort in Holguin and perhaps in all of Cuba. You do not have to buy Royal Service to experience the great service from friendly, professional staff at every level as well as the good food and impeccable surroundings. This was our third trip to Rio de Oro and we met some people who were 10-20 time repeaters including one couple who were there for the second time this season. The pool has been recently completely refurbished and while the boardwa [... read more]lk into the ocean has been blown away there is still excellent swimming and snorkeling. The optional restaurants we reserved were top notch as to service and food quality. I recommend the deluxe junior suite; for a few extra dollars you get your own patio and back yard with a hammock.

Beautiful Resort

Grounds are well kept and rooms are in bungalows and very spacious. Pool was large and clean. Never had to wait for a drink at any of the bars. It was difficult to get coffee however in the morning in the restaurant - I think I would have preferred to just pour my own coffee. 2 tennis courts - one of which was very nice. Some interesting activities: Snorkeling tours, horseback riding (for a small charge) and we went on hike up a hill which was very worthwhile. We didn't enjoy the food at al [... read more]l however - very bland and overcooked. Also there wasn't a lot of options when the restaurants were not open and a very limited room service menu.

Week at Paradisus

This hotel is kept up beautifully and has nice walking paths with places to stop and sit. We were given 2 bottles of water every day & the fridge was stocked as well. The room was cleaned daily and we always had fresh towels. I would have loved the resort except for room ventilation, the air conditioner blew out musty smelling air all the time & the sheets always felt damp. We probably should have asked for a different room. The hotel is older and altho it is rated as a 5 star , it seemed the  [... read more]same to us as the other 3 star resorts we have visited. The only difference was water was plentiful and so were the towels. Even the food seemed exactly the same as the other resorts we have been to in Cuba. My husband is not a fan of Cuban food but loves all the fresh ice cream. He also enjoyed the Hawaiian pizza. We mostly chose this hotel for the access to snorkelling and we were not disappointed. The service is excellent and the people warm & friendly.

A Perfectly Lovely Get Away

My husband and I just returned from a week at Paradisus Rio De Oro in Holguin, Cuba and were very pleased with all aspects of our stay. The hotel buildings were lovely, with a beautiful lobby, lounge and restaurants. We had a lovely room with a king size bed in a Junior Suite. There was a good sized separate sleeping area which connected to a spacious living room area. The unit had a great balcony overlooking beautifully groomed gardens. The bathroom was spacious with a separate "powder room" [... read more], and the shower was great. The hotel grounds had immaculately groomed gardens everywhere, and the pool area was gorgeous. There's a lovely beach for swimming and walking, and the "nautical centre" provides free kayaks, peddle-boats, and windsurfers. We also went on a couple of Hobie Cat sailboat rides. Lots of fun! The quality of musical entertainment was exceptional. There were wonderful singers, musicians and dancers at various locations throughout the day and a great nightly show in the central performance area. The food was delicious and there was a wide menu selection. Service staff were friendly and courteous. We found the Cuban beer delicious, but the wine left much to be desired...try to figure out a way to bring down some of your own!

Our favourite Place

We love Paradisus Rio de Oro! This was our 7th. visit and we were treated so well as always. Sadly my husband could not sail on the hobicats with his Cuban friends at the beach...he has prostate cancer and is weak. We were given rides when we needed them and a wheelchair was provided as he went through a bad patch. We were taken to the clinic for medical help in Guadevalaca and there we received excellent care at a very reasonable cost. In spite of health issues , all went well and we are home s [... read more]afe.The food was , as always very good, and tempted my husband to eat ,even though his appetite is low.We did find the resort very crowded and once there was nowhere to sit at the pool area.However, the staff coped very well with a full resort as always.Our weather was lovely.

Return to PRDO

My wife and I stayed at PRDO during the last week of March 2017. This was our fourth visit to the resort and our eleventh visit to Cuba. We stayed at the Royal Service section for the second time. PRDO is still one of the best resorts in Cuba ; no doubts about that. The grounds are beautiful ; the guys-in-green are doing a great job. Security is good, understanding and helpful. Public areas are clean. Can change money all days of the week ( don't forget your passport ! ). A nice smoke sh [... read more]op is hidden behind the bank, close to the lobby bar. Surprising selection of cigars. Good service, no matter if you want to buy one cigar or a full box. Fairly priced too.No need to go to Guardalavaca to find good smokes. About Food / Restaurants ; PRDO has a good selection of restaurants and even picky eaters will find something they like. Yes, there are a few birds zooming around in the buffet restaurant ; but so-what. They won't attack you... A few changes we've noticed ; Only one " Japanese " chef at the Japanese restaurant ; he moves from one table to the next, so the GOOD SHOW from previous years is no longer there ; he has no time for that. In the Mediterranean restaurant we felt part of a manufacturing system, aimed at getting people fed-and-gone in 45 minutes. No manager or waiter ever checked / asked if we liked the food...no smiles on the faces there. Maybe they had a bad night....? The food in the Royal Service restaurant has a higher standard, but that's what you should get when you pay the big bugs. The Paradisus Burgers at the Royal Service bar, are really....really good ! Try the one with the fried egg. Services ; Our Royal Service butler...we have seen him one time in the lobby. Never saw him again ; he must have been busy....somewhere. I'm sure we could have found him if needed. Internet is a bit iffy in Cuba, but you know that before you go. Good internet service in the Royal Service ; no complaints. Internet Cards are free / included there. Also two computers available for guests. Spa service is good, though quite highly priced. All scuba diving is included at PRDO ! Register the day before. Deep dives early morning. 20-25 meter dives mid-morning. Shallow dives ( beginners ) early afternoon. Divers are picked up at PRDO lobby by dive center and brought back after the dive. Dive center is at the Blau resort. Good outfit...well equipped. Recommended tour ; organized by PRDO on Wednesdays....bus tour to two small village schools...a village medical center....a fishing village and a homestead farm. CUC 8 per person..approx. 5 hours. To be booked at the Club House. Really worth it !

Loved it.

Loved this resort. Smaller and relaxing. Perfect beach area and the staff were friendly and the rooms were well looked after. I would go back in a heart beat!! I only did a 5 night. Longer needed next time. ..............

Beautiful resort

This is a lovely resort. It was my fourth visit, the past two stays being in the Royal section. The grounds are lush gardens which are a delight to walk around. The staff are amazing, always smiling and eager to assist. This is an adult only resort that is ( especially in the Royal Section) very peaceful. The main pool is much busier and has more activities but if you are looking for a night life, dancing etc. this is probably not the place for you. The food is good and has improved over t [... read more]he past four visits. I dined on lobster several evenings which was delightful and the icecream is always special. We will certainly be returning to this piece of paradise

Great vacation

First time to Holguin area of Cuba, not disappointed. Well, maybe by the weather unfortunately. Still, I was able to find a nice place to relax even with the rain. Food was easily the best of all the resorts I've been to, but I'm not overly picky on that. Always a nice selection of fish and meats to be grilled. Service for drinks at the buffet was varied, sometimes they were spot on, others not at all. The Japanese a la carte was great! Room was very spacious and well kept. Though the door loc [... read more]k had problems. I had to go to the lobby 4 times in my stay to get my key checked/changed. 3 times back to back within an hour. The beach was perfect as are most cuban beaches, decent stretch of sand. . Plenty of coral life close to shore for snorkling. Last day was a bit of a let down, lots of rain, no late check out, no room for changing. But I managed to find a nice spot near the beach to relax in, even during the rain, turned out to be the most relaxing part of the trip.

Amazing

The resort was beautiful clean and friendly staff !! Not one bad thing to say and would love to go again!! Food was also very very delicious!! Excursion were timely and fun aswell !! Just a great place and warm feeling all around !!