Beautiful beach

This resort is quite big but beca use it is divided into two sections it doesnt feel huge at all. The rooms are spacious and the open air lobby is very attractive and comfortable. A great meeting place! The resort is well laid out and has a friendly , relaxed feel. It was active without the constant loud thumping music of some other resorts. The down sides were not enough lounge chairs on beach and never a place to sit at the pool due to guests who claimed their spot for the week and were only o [... read more]ccassionally there.

Better than expected resort

Nicely laid out resort, Nice beach, but always the same problem getting a beach chair. The food was tasty but same choices every night. Need theme nights like other countries resorts. The people are pleasant when they find the time to talk to you. Staff seem to go out of their way to ignore you. Hard to get a drink in evenings at main bar, waited 25 minutes to get served. Needless to say place is understaffed. Entertainment was above average to places we have stayed.

Average Resort

The resort was certainly worth what we paid for it. Which was not a lot. Nothing outstanding. Food was okay, service was okay, and room was just okay. The grounds were well kept and the restaurants and common areas such as the lobby were nice. The pools were good and the beach was nice. I would not go back to this resort.

Great Family Holiday

We had a really lovely stay at Melia Las Dunas at the end of January 2016! The resort was beautiful, clean and well laid-out. The staff were professional and friendly. We were open-minded about the food and were pleasantly surprised by the quality and selection at the buffets and snack bars. The a la carte restaurants we tried were all very good (Asian, Italian and Seafood). The beach was amazing, and there were always sufficient beds by the pool and beach. Resort towels could be exchanged daily [... read more], but FYI, do so early as they would run out before lunch. Our room was clean, however we had to request that our sheets be changed upon arrival, as they were not clean. As disappointing as it was to encounter this problem upon arrival, the issue was dealt with quickly by the hotel staff. We found the double beds too small, and would have much rathered queens. The resort is big, so be prepared to do a lot of walking. We enjoyed a hobie cat ride from the resort beach, and had a great experience with the staff member who took us out (Bucil, i think). The entertainment was excellent, especially the evening shows. Our favourite was the in-house Cuban band! We did an all-day Catamaran tour that included snorkelling, a visit to an island for beach exploration, lunch and a dolphin encounter and show ($99/adult). I would highly recommend this tour as it was one of the highlights of our week! We took a cab to Pueblo La Estrella to do some shopping (5 pesos for the cab ride, each way), and we had a delicious lunch at La Casona, a creole restaurant. We brought many over the counter meds with us, as we were nervous about travelling with our two children, but we didn't need any of it. None of us got sick. There was lots of bottled water available, and they only serve bottled water in the restaurants. Bug spray is a good idea for the evenings. If you go to the beach at sundown, expect to get bitten by the little black flies in the sand. Other than that, the bug situation wasn't too bad (I get concerned at resorts that have no bugs and wildlife at all - we saw many geckos and one garden snake!). We would definitely go back to Melia Las Dunas (we would request bigger beds, though)!!!

Excellent

Very good grounds in excellent condition very friendly just too far away from any major cities. Everything very clean. Only disappointment was suppose to have daily bed make up and towels changed only had this done 2 times in the 7 day stay

Melia Las Dunas

I selected this hotel on the recommendation of the travel agency as I had stayed at the Melia Santa Maria last year. This one was quite a bit larger too large in fact. There are shuttles but don't seem to be around when one is needed. The first room was too far from amenities but when this was mentioned to front desk we were promptly moved. The room was plain and clean but getting clean towels was a challenge. When thrown in the tub they were hung up again not replaced. No face cloths or bath ma [... read more]ts. Although beach towels were plentiful, which I used to shower with as were cleaner. Next time will bring my own towels. Early in the morning the resort was shrouded in a dark cloud of what seemed to be burning oil or diesel. In this day and age when there is so much hype about nature preservation this was something that needs to be addressed. There is plenty to each in the buffet and enough items to choose from but you have to watch for food undercooked . I never went to the al acarte but heard the Japanese was good. One guest was complaining as never had hot water all week but not sure they never asked to be moved. I preferred Melia Santa Maria as easier to get around. The rooms were quaint and the beach nicer as was wider and I think staff friendlier. The drive from airport was long which was ok the first time having never been to Cuba. They can eliminate the tour guide going home as was repeat of what was said when we arrived. Bus toilets are questionable. Also on resort they need to post visible signs DO NOT FLUSH anything in toilets. Many were out of service for this reason.

Great for weddings

The resort did a fabulous wedding for my daughter, well organized, lovely setting , great supper after the beach service. Photographer was excellent too. They did all we asked for. The grounds and beach were lovely. I felt they need more staff especially at the lobby bar. We had to wait for coffee and drinks. The staff were very busy. This was the only Cuban resort we have been to where you couldn't get a cocktail such as a Martini or Manhattan. Our room really needed spruced up. The drapes were [... read more] hanging down, the bathtub drained very slowly and we had a note saying no toilet paper in toilet. It was showing its age. Guest services was poor. we asked for a bottle of water as none had been delivered. Asked for and umbrella twice but none came. We love Cuba and have been to much better resorts.

Hotel getting run down and in need of repairs!

Rooms are tired and dated. Some public washrooms had no seats and most needed repairs. Seemed to be understaffed and service at restaurant and bars very slow. Quality of drinks were not good. Buffet was poor! al-a-carte was ok not great! No quiet area! Resort was very busy! We were not impressed for a 5 star resort!

Would not return to Melia Las Dunas

Critisms: Too many rude guests, cups and straws everywhere on the beach, overworked staff, poor selection of alcohols, bad wine, occasionally food smelled off, bedding never changed, no quiet zones near water, maintenance issues. Suggestions: Increase price, hire more staff, quiet beach without music. This resort has the potential to be one of the best in Cuba with an infusion of a lot of money. The beach is wonderful, staff tries their best but with limited resources. For example, railings woul [... read more]d be freshly painted but unstable, towels changed but were sour due to incomplete drying, no consistency between services. 80% of our party had G.I. issues. Travelled with 30 others. We upgraded to Premium, and didn't have room issues like many others in our party.Suggestion: Increase price, hire more staff, make the beach a quiet zone without music, don't allow guests to play their own music without headphones This resort has the potential to be one of the best in Cuba with an infusion of a lot of money.

Great Resort for a Wedding

Overall most of the facilities were excellent with the exception of the rooms. The rooms were dated and in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Our air conditioner ran from the time we arrived until when we left and despite 3 calls to the front desk nothing was done. Also the rooms were not very clean and the curtains came off the track every time we tried to open or close them. These by far were the worst rooms of any of our 8 trips to Cuba. The resort overall seemed to be short staffed. It i [... read more]s a very large complex and was very busy. There were times when we had to wait a long time for service. The grounds were beautiful. Most likely the nicest we have been to.The swimming pools and beach were also great. There were plenty of small dining areas and the food overall would be 4 to 4.5 stars. We went to this resort for a destination wedding. The resort did a great job on the wedding and reception. We had our own private dining room and a special meal for the wedding. The meal was excellent. I would not recommend this resort to my friends because of the poor state of the rooms. If you remove the rooms from the equation I would rate it as a 4.5 star resort.

Great resort

Had a wonderful time. Huge resort. Love to walk everywhere everyday! Food was good. Great activities ! Catamaran trip was amazing. We were there for a wedding. Beautiful experience. Weather was perfect.

Lovely setting but----

grounds lovely, beach hardly there, one more big storm and it's gone,food poor, was much better the last time we were there, rooms fine, towel service very spotty, towels [pool] not available the first day and we heard later arrivals complain during the week.

Beautiful resort with a gorgeous beach

Loved this resort. I was nervous about the food but it ended up being pretty good. Our room was right in between the beach, pool and buffet. Beautiful beach and grant staff. Loved how the pool was surrounded by palm trees.

Good resort

Cons-dated rooms, food was OK at a la cartes and buffet, slow service by some of the hotel staff in the buffet (some were excellent though), bathrooms were FAR from the beach, and not many throughout this big resort, drinks weren't great....check in and checkout (especially checkout) was a terrible process, FAR drive from airport Pros-CLEAN! Good selection of foods, barbeque was great! Super friendly people working at the resort, grounds were lush and well manicured with plants/trees, pool area  [... read more]was clean, beach was amazing

Absoultely stunning!!

My entire family went down together ( 23 of us) and every single person had an amazing time. The staff were all extremely accomodating and the food was delicious with so much variety. Theres also a huge advantage of having a family side and adult side completely mirrored image. Tons of activities for everyone (since our group ramged from 6 - 50 years of ags i know this for a fact) definitely reccomend it !

Excellent resort!

Hotel was great, rooms are clean and well kept, grounds are beautiful, pool area is very clean, lobby bar is super fun (Romero is the best barman!). Great walking path criss-crosses over the entire resort area. The resort has both an adult side and a separate family side. The beach is long and immaculate, no water shoes required! I enjoyed reservations at three "à la carte" restaurants: Cuban, Oriental and Italian, my favorite was the Oriental, it was excellent, however the other 2 were also qu [... read more]ite good. I must also note the Buffet was excellent, great variety of everything including meat and vegetables (the pumpkin purée is amazing). The lunch restaurant at the family side pool was also excellent. I have to mention the quality of the food has greatly improved since my last trip to Cuba (Varadero 2010). The staff is friendly and courteous. I was part of a group of twenty three people (family and friends covering a mix of age groups) and everyone agrees they would not hesitate to return. I pesonally have not one complaint, and a good time was definitely had by all of us. Bonne vacances!

Would definitely go back!!

Grounds was always clean. Meals were excellent for Cuban resorts. Entertainment was off the chains and inclusive. We got a beach front suite. Great way to wake up everyday. Would be nice to get fresh towels every 2 days. While we were there, laundry facility broke down that some guests resorted to stealing beach towels off chairs. Overall, it was really relaxing and service was always on point. Keep up the good work.

2 Thumbs up !

The a la carte restuarants were very good... especially our last night at the Italian and my exceptional birthday treatment at the Romantique. Looked forward to our specially prepared omelettes and fresh fruit every morning. I thought the Cuban staff was fabulous..... especially the water sports staff and JR and Henry that cleaned the beach early each morning. Jose on the Hobie Cat was AWESOME !.....and a pretty good singer too!...hahahaa

Beautiful resort

Beautiful beach grounds well kept room clean bar service in lobby not really good not enough bartenders. Not many premium drinks seafood a la Cate ran out of lobster breakfast was always the same not really hot Lots of walking

Good Vacation

This was a wonderful resort. The staff was always friendly and they had nightly entertainment and always tried to get people involved with poolside/ ocean side activities. The food is good my only complaint would be that it is fairly repetitive at the buffet. The service staff are friendly and helpful although not always fast, this wasn't an issue to me as i'm on vacation. The beach was AMAZING, honestly if everything else would have been bad it wouldn't have matter because the beach makes up fo [... read more]r it.