Melia Jardines del Rey: Major Issues

I would like to pass on my experience of the Melia resort, located in Cayo Coco. I, and my girlfriend, arrived on January 31st and departed February 7th 2018. This was our fifth visit to Cuba, we love the country, it's culture and its people, and understand what to expect in terms of the differences from Canada. What I did not appreciate however, was the tripping hazards, garbage, broken drinking glasses outside the accomodation and lack of care for what is otherwise a lovely vacation spo [... read more]t. Surely, there can be no excuse for this.. Also, my room in building number 23 was full of bugs from the start. We had arrived late in the evening and were woken by ants biting us in bed!! Ants were in our bed and in the bathroom and appeared to be coming from the sink drain. I have never experienced this in Cuba before. My girlfriend was very sick with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea for two days. I watched as a chef worked the hot plate: He was cooking raw Chicken, Beef and Pork. Handling three types of raw meat with the same utensil and plate on to cook. This is "cross contamination", and a likely cause of the numerous cases of food poisoning we heard about from other guests. Please, simply re-train the cook staff on basic food handling, preparation and hygiene- then no-one else will get sick! The buffet food is terrible, cold and like eating rubber, easily the worst ever in Cuba. Remember; this is our fifth visit. The only decent meal we had came from the "Tex Mex" restaurant. I would like to mention two servers who worked breakfast and lunch at the buffet. "Yosmany" and "Roberto" were outstanding in terms of appearance, prompt and polite service, friendly, professional and did everything possible to make our stay enjoyable. They should be recognised for excellent service. If EVERYONE in Melia Cayo Coco had the attention to detail similar to these servers; we would have had a better experience. I take this time not to be unkind or ungrateful; but to inform and address how a wonderful resort could so easily be so much better.. Although the beach and pool areas were lovely, I cannot recommend Melia Cayo Coco to anyone in good conscience at this time..

Sol Cayo Coco: great resort

the hotel was very nice. food was good. ran out of toilet paper and soap in ladies washrooms a couple of time. staff was very friendly. will be sure to go back. great vacation all around. disco was quite loud. shows were pretty good. drinks were very good. rooms were very clean. looking forward to returning to this resort. this is one of the nicest resorts i have been to in cuba. viva la cuba

Melia Varadero: Ok Resort

The hotel and pool areas are nice and in good condition We stayed in a "Level" room on the fifth floor. The room was modern and nice. We found out that the wifi will not connect to some cell phones. The internet centre was also out of service for the entire week that we were there. Service was good, especially with the extra services included with the "Level" package. The food was overall poor. Much of the food at the buffet was only luke warm, perfect conditions for causing sickness. Meat  [... read more]portions were small and generally not good. The buffet did make made to order omelets that were good. We had reservations at the Japanese restaurant, only to find out that they had double booked. We had to sit at the counter at the back wall. It was embarrassing. The beach is overall poor. The pathways to get to the beach are dangerous. Lots of large rocks in the water until you get out to the sand bar.

Hotel Vigia: Fantastic resort!

This resort is by far one of the best resorts I've been to in Cuba. The beach is to die for! Food is mediocre but it's what I expect from Cuba. That being said, the positive thing about their food is it's consistent and by far better than other resorts I've been to. It's hot and fresh and lots of options! People here are nice and take a lot of pride in their job. Entertainment was good although wish they changed it up a little, a bit too much dancing but they are amazing dancers if that's what [... read more] you like.

Hotel Vigia: very exceptible!

Staff were very efficient. ..definitely a tone that they expect a tip every time..outside dining was not good. Staff wanted a tip for cleaning your plates away but did not appear to offer drinks at beginning of dining, but asked they were very abliging. A nice variety of specialty drinks without complaints by staff for making them. Place was nice not extravagent but not a dive either. Biggest complaint i have is the spraying of toxins to kill bugs.. Their timung was really bad. Near dinner an [... read more]d breakfast hour with howling winds. Food was hot and quite flavorful. I have travelled to Cuba at least 15 times and it is what I made it....fantastic! Expect nothing and you will be happy and content. Expect extravagant and you will be dissapointed

Tryp Cayo Coco: Amazing week!

We had a great time at Tryp Cayo Coco. We ran into minor hicups (water/power failures) but they fixed everything very quickly. This resort is amazing and the people working there are really special. There’s a family feel to this place. I guess this is why people keep coming back. For the right price, this place is just what you need. Decent food, beautiful pool and beach, clean (but dated) room, new renovated lobby and awesome service.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Very disappointing

This resort would have potential if under different management. - the staff were friendly but NOT helpful - the food was horrendous - tips were asked for and expected everywhere - the facility was rundown (for example the pool grout was dirty) - basic supplies were limited (no toothbrushes or lighters for purchase) On a positive, the beach was beautiful!

Melia Cayo Coco: He had a great time!

We upgraded to the lagoon room and we loved it. We have only positive things to say about this resort. Room was spacious and clean with a nice layout and a beautiful view of the lagoon. Food was good and although you can still see the effects of the hurricane on the grounds they are working really hard to improve. One of the three a la carte restaurants was still closed but the diners to the other 2 was very good. People are very nice and friendly and they really try to make us feel welcome. I  [... read more]would not say this is a five star hotel but we really enjoyed or stay and we would always go back.

Sol Palmeras: GREAT TIME AT SOL PALMERAS

We had a great time at the Sol Palmeras in Varadero Cuba. We've been to Cuba about 10 times and this was one of the best times. The beach is beautiful, clean and always had chairs and shaded areas. The staff were attentive, our room was always cleaned and the buffet and restaurants provide a lot of choice. One of us is vegan and we were happy that a lot of different tasty food was available. The lounge areas and daily shows were always entertaining. This hotel is good for couples and famil [... read more]ies with young children. There were many tourists from Europe and Canada staying.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Not what I expected

Not sure where to begin. I was hesitant with the good and bad reviews. To start off the beach and pool are great. The rooms are decent however having towels to shower after the day at the pool or beach were not easy to get. Many nights we would come back and there would be no towels at all. It took about 4 calls to customer service to even get a hold of someone and more than hours of waiting for towels. Water )(bottled) would never be left in the room if you didn't finish the bottle you had from [... read more] the previous day. One night after being at the beach all day there was not a drop of water to take a shower or wash hands. The service in the buffet was terrible and it was like a fight to get food and the longest lines I have ever seen. We Booked the Italian a la carts and my kids wanted more bread and they said they have no more but were walking around with a basket of bread. 3 choices of fruit all week and no juice at all for kids. It was horrific. I was s disapponted with almost everything. Would not go back or recommend... Just really bad service and washrooms in the lobby full of crap and no toilet paper. They need to do a lot of work to get this place to even a 2 star. What a waste of a beautiful beach.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Back from Melia Jardines del Rey two days ago

This is our second time to Melia Jardines del Rey. The hotel has recovered from Hurricane Irma very well. All the facilities, restaurants, bars and pools are open, except a few bungalows which are under renovation. The beach is bigger and nicer. The service are excellent. Everyone is trying to provide good service and with a smiling face. We enjoyed our vacation and will go back again.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great place, horrible food

The place itself is amazing! So beautiful! And so big! And the gym was pretty awesome too! I was shocked as to how much it had in it. And the entertainment was good too. Always had lots going on, but Sunday was low key and quiet. But the food? Omg, almost the same stuff breakfast lunch and dinner. And we were only there for four days, thank god not a week or more. Change it! Cool with some spices! We have been to four stars that have been better. Oh and the bugs! As soon as the sun goes down, pu [... read more]t long pants on! My husband is still dying from itch and we got home feb 5th. Mine aren’t as bad but he isn’t sleeping. That’s not the resorts fault, just a warning as the big repellent didn’t work for us. Other then the food, the place was great.

Melia Marina Varadero: Beautiful Clean Resort

Melia Marina is a beautiful resort for families who want to relax and older people like myself. No party issues or loudness like other resorts. Entertainment consisted of light music in the lobby (there is no disco). Outside they have a couple shows a week, salsa dancing, ballet and singers. The pools were large and clean, swim up bar was awesome, staff were attentive. Managers always around in the kitchen making sure staff were working as well as helping out with clearing tables (nice to see th [... read more]em chip in). Beach is across the road which was only a 5 minute walk or the golf cart always comes to pick you up. The walk was nice - good exercise. You have a choice to reserve a room facing the pool or marina, distant ocean views. Instead we choose a studio apartment (2 minute longer walk but well worth the extra space) we faced the Marina, and were upgraded to a 1 bedroom apartment which had 2 bathrooms, kitchen and living room with pull out sofa and a separate bedroom and balcony. This worked out great for 2 women as we had privacy. Grounds were well maintained. Good brand name drinks (coffee and baileys at the coffee bar was great). Plenty of fancy specialty drinks to try something different. The food was typical for cuba- a step up from other places I have been. Pizza in buffet was good but no so good at the pool snack bar. Restaurant on the beach as busy and understaffed- waited an hour for food, but no fault to the staff they work hard. Pool and Beach had dance lessons, water aerobics, volley ball. Beach bar had fast service a couple beach waiters. We traveled with AirTransat- plane was big, smooth and comfy but a bit chilly bring a warm sweater. Only recommendation for this resort is to put a activity board in the Lobby-we didn't know where the entertainment was half the time so we missed a lot of shows. Sometimes they are downstairs, upstairs or at the pool which is the opposite side of the building. When we finally figured out there was stuff going on there at night our trip was half over. The manager said they post the activities in the elevators? We didn't use the hotel elevator so didn't know. We thought everything shut down at 7pm, but the shows go from 9:30-10:30. Then other then the lobby and people playing cards it's very quiet-like I said more focused on older crowds and quiet families. Beach was beautiful, great for swimming. Marina has some shopping and a small market with gifts same prices as Varadero, great for last minute shopping. There is a quality liquor store on site, small grocery store and a cigar/coffee shop. I would go again for a quiet vacation. Felt very safe at this resort. You will need to take the hop on hop off bus for 5 pecos (use it all day) as Varadero is too far to walk, but only half hour bus drive as they have to stop at all the resorts on the way there.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Not a 4.5 Star.

Trip Central agent said the Paridisus del Mar was comparable to the Royalton Hicocos. This couldn’t be further from the truth. First the good.....the service and staff were good. No complaints. The entertainment at night was surprisingly good. Wifi signal was actually strong around the lobby and pool. The bad....The food at the buffet was bland and boring. No creativity. Same meals everyday.the lineups were also frustrating. Not enough experienced food servers were present. The restaurant [... read more]s were good. Not great. The after hours snack bar was freaking terrible. I know Cuban food on resorts is not the greatest but the snack bar was so amateur and offered little. The grounds were really nice to look at but upon further review it was in decay. The main fountain in the square was dry and falling apart. The basketball net was apparently broken. The disco was flooded almost a year ago which is a shame but no work was being done on it. So no disco. There is only one gift shop. If you run out of suntan lotion then the resort will charge you 20$ for a small bottle. The lineups for money exchange were also frustrating. And the resort ripped you off royally with the exchange. I could go on but the overlying theme here is the details that make a 4 or 5 Star we’re not cared about. If you can get this place for 1000$ Canadian for a week then you’ll be happy. Anything more and regret will fill your soul. Lol. Just a side note - if you see great reviews or even good reviews for this place then they surely were by paid review writers. Yes. That actually is a job.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Really Nice Resort

Room were large and clean, we had hot water and pressure all week Food was good, lot of choice, not always hot but warm, never waited too long even if it's a big resort. Nice beach but they should clean out the weeds....more often if they do. Pools are really nice and huge. Personal was helpful and friendly. We had a nice week at this resort.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Don’t stay here unless it’s Royal Service

We absolutely regret not staying in the Royal Service section. It was like two different worlds. The buffet, service, literally everything was far superior in the Royal Service section and the rest of the resort was severely lacking. Definitely NOT a five star and far inferior to other four stars in Varadero. Food was the worst I’ve ever had in Cuba, and having been to the island before we knew what the food was like. Very dissappointed with the resort and service, but enjoying time off the re [... read more]sort was our saving grace and made this trip memorable.

Melia Marina Varadero: Great value excellent management

This is the third time we go to this resort, It keeps getting better. cannot understand the negative reviews , this resort has all you need for a great vacation clean rooms nice buffet great service and lovely beach and pool . Will be back many more times

Paradisus Varadero: I won’t be back!

We have stayed at this hotel at least 4 times over the last 10 years and were always very satisfied. This year, we even brought friends. Well, the whole thing was an embarrassment! The worst part was the food: 5 of 7 nights the main dish was roast pork, which in itself is not so bad (2 years ago the pork tasted very good); but, the preparation and presentation was absolutely awful. The meat was totally overdone and not edible. The other two nights turkey was on offer; and that was even worse (th [... read more]e meat was like straw). Other foods were uninteresting—why would I want to eat pasta with tomato sauce in a “5-star” facility—and usually cold (the soup was room temperature because there were no heaters!). We tried the buffet in the “Family Concierge” area and the beef offered was again inedible! The restaurants were very difficult to reserve and then, to get a tasty meal, we were expected to pay at least $20 extra. Our room was nice because it had been recently refurbished. But, the hot water did not work (it took 2 hours to get it somewhat warm) and there were some bugs in the room. We left this place with the decision that we will not come back and certainly will not recommend to anyone else. Going through the Cuba ‘hassle’ (endless lineups at airport, outrageous exchange rate, limited WiFi, etc.) is bad enough; but, then to have to deal with a hotel that pretends to be 5-star but in reality operates as a 3-star (food at 2-star) is totally infuriating.

Melia Jardines del Rey: un autre séjour tres agreable au mélia jardins del rey

de retour le 30 janvier 2018 , un peu froid mais mieux qu a Montréal, un peu de pluie,3 belles journées a la plage chaude et ensoillées,.Les resto a la carte nous en avons vu 3 Mexicain bon service tres lent mais nous en avons beaucoup blager pendant le repas ( fou rire).Francais surprenant,Assiatique poche.Au 24 heures pour déjeuner( pas besoin de courrir pour le buffet )tres bien.Nous avons appréciés diner a l extérieur ou lorsqu il ouvrait la deuxieme section qui est beaucoup pl [... read more]us calme et moins achalandé.Nous avons eu la meme chambre, merci a Issa au service administratif de réservation .Merci a notre dame d entretient du bloc 9 dernier étage et a tout le personnel du résort.Le hic SUNWING il change les heures de départ et retour et ajoute un escale lorsque nous avons acheté sans escale le 20 décembre pour un départ le 23 janvier et le 2 janvier il change tout sans excuse sans raison puisqu il ny avait pas d urgence 21 jours d avance et cette journée etait la tempete du verglas qui a terminé a 2 heures et notre vol de départ était a 3h30 pm nous aurions évitée tout les retard le déglacage d avion pour leur faux départ a 10 heures am .

Melia Cayo Coco: Melia paradise

This was our second visit and definitely not our last to this wonderful resort. The staff here are so outgoing and friendly and make you feel at home. We had a lagoon room with a great view of sunrises and sunsets. We had a great time dancing to music played by the Band at the pool-snack bar, and the musicians entertaining at night. The entertaining dancers are so talented and always put on a great show. The service by the international restaurant morning staff was always a great start of our d [... read more]ay. The attention to detail of staff in the buffet was also a highlight. When you walked in they knew what you wanted to drink and went all out making your meal enjoyable. On our last day there were so many well wishes and hugs that were so genuine. We left sad to be going home, but left feeling totally relaxed and knew we would be back. Irma might have hurt the vegetation of this resort but not the heart of the wonderful people who work here.