Amazing

Brisas Covarrubias is one of the best dollar valued resorts in the Caribbean. The staff is amazing and very helpful. The beach is one of the best I’ve ever seen. I’ve been 12 times and will return again soon.

It is difficult to review for me...

This is the first time I visit this place,it seem it is good when I read the review online before I visit. after a week stay,I could not say I will come again if it is the same type staff. I think: the location is very special,if you like wild natural(including the Sand/fish/bird/plant/earth..),it is real amazing. the hotel building is amazing,special. but the staff' attitude is very complicated,some is very welcome the guest,some is very keep distance the guest,maybe they are tired. the S [... read more]unwing staff(Cuba) is good. There is still many Cuba people stay in hotel in this time,you can watch the real Cuba people life style and listen there music all the week. The driver who send us to Airport is very good,it is more than 2 hours mountain road,I am very motion sickness,his drive was perfect,the view outside is amazing.

So so

It was good but in returns i lost my staff from baggage some one stolen but i don't know who is reponsable for that is tow time i went to cuba some things happen only for me and the hotel is was far from city

Little-known gem

Hotel and grounds - lovely areas and gardens Spacious and beautiful buffet restaurant - best food variety I have seen on my 10 years of going to Cuba Rooms - spacious, and any issues were resolved. Day activities by animation staff were minimal, despite a full listing on display at the hotel (which is often the case, you must ask the person on duty if something will take place that day, and then they will do it). Nightly entertainment was mostly music, no variety and minimal effort m [... read more]ade. The disco on the beach (beautiful building) was only open once during the week. Watersports - the catamaran did not go out all days, only 1 pedal boat and I did not see any kayaks. Beach bar and building very nice, you could have lunch there, but it closed at 4 pm. The biggest inconvenience were the mosquitoes (though this improved on fumigation) and the invisible biting flies. Repellent needed anytime you leave the room, especially on the lower legs. Overall a very nice stay and I would return.

Wouldn’t go back.

The beach was amazing and the Cuban workers were the redeeming factor in this resort. This was my 5 Th time in Cuba and I never had to pay to have my room water or pop replaced. This resort offered it as a VIP room service. To be billed to your room. The weather was as expected for May. Our other reason for not going back is because they crank the music up so loud we had to leave the bar 3 nights. On the weekend they stopped translating the shows, so we had a hard time keeping up and enjoyin [... read more]g the shows. There were no international drinks offered. Not even the expensive few bottles they had were worth it. We both got sick and lost a few days. The resort kindly comped us the 25CUC late fee to keep our room. Other guest said they got the same offer because there wouldn't be any guest coming in for a few days. This is a stay on the beach kind of resort. It's a 3 star at best. For a Brisas I was expecting better. For another $150 we could have gone to Oceans de la Mar which is a 4.5 star, in Cayo Santa Marie.

Horrible start...thank God it got better!

Be warned... This was my 6th trip to Cuba, visiting Varadero, Cayo Coco and Holguin. I have always loved Cuba and found the Cuban people to be so friendly and welcoming, on and off the resort. This trip was like nothing I have ever experienced. We had the misfortune of arriving on Friday afternoon (after the Cuban School Break) and what followed was 2 days of the worst customer service I have ever seen. After checking in around 2:30 and being told to come back at 3pm (usual time) to get our roo [... read more]m key we still waited 'in line' for 2 hrs, while local families butted in line, over and over, and hotel staff refused to make eye contact with us while giving out room after room to everyone else. If you couldn't speak Spanish or had money in your hand you were ignored. It was unbelievable treatment, both from other guests and staff and even witnessed a full blown argument (in Spanish) between a staff member and guest....awkward to say the least. Now, don't get me wrong, I have no problem waiting my turn, but I do have a problem with staff allowing this treatment from other guests to happen. How hard is it to form a line? Finally after all the local guests had been waited on we were finally given our room key, given no directions, no information on the resort...nothing. The next 2 days (weekend) was like living in a twilight zone. We continued to be ignored in every line up for food or drinks. We gave up even thinking about going near the pool as it was filled with fully clothed people and garbage...yes, in the pool! Garbage was all over the grounds as people just left all the plastic cups, plates and leftover food to blow in the wind. It felt like the staff just throw their hands in the air and gave up....can't blame them I guess, it was a losing battle. And then Monday came...all of a sudden it felt like a completely different resort. The staff were professional and kind. The mood had completely shifted. Honestly it was the weirdest experience...all I can say is, thank God it got better. On a positive note, the beach and ocean were the best I have ever seen...absolutely beautiful! The food was good, not a lot of variety but it is a small resort, and once the craziness of the weekend was over you didn't have to fight for it. Our start was very disappointing but once Monday came we made the most of the rest of our vacation. Thank you to the friends we met and bonded with...you made our week! Next vacation I will pick somewhere else.

Should be rated 2 stars

The beach and weather was wonderful... the rooms and food terrible Only 1 restaurants A la Carte always book when it was open... pool never cleaned... gym equipment all rusted out Was very disappointed with this resort

Hidden Gem

It was our fourth time in Covarrubias. Stunning beach, warm turquoise water and lovely people; our Cuban family. Hoping to go back again in few months. Spacious rooms. Great specialty drinks bar. Love this hidden gem Haste pronto Cova❤

Secluded Destination

Just had a week stay at Las Brisas Covarrubias. Beautiful resort with a beautiful beach. Although the customer service at times was quite poor. We booked 2 ocean view rooms - first was put into a room facing opposite of the ocean, with a horrible drooping ceiling that was leaking leaving our whole bathroom soaked. Went to the front desk to request a room that at least wasn't wet.. and also explained that we paid for ocean view.. was met with rudeness and told to go back to our room. I refused an [... read more]d they gave us a much nicer room on the above level. I wouldn't call it ocean view but it was better. Our friends whom we booked with were put into a room across the resort.. was not allowed to switch rooms. Buffet food was not good. Bar food was a lot better. Would not recommend if you want to see Cuban life or anything outside the resort since it was very far from everything. Also you cannot book excursions with the other close resorts, because of the far distance. Other than that it was a great time. Very hard to book a massage, or any excursion on the boats. Make sure you are firm with them if they refuse your wishes. Although most stores or the currency exchange said they were open at noon, many of them would take their lunch breaks and would be quite rude if you asked for their time for a moment. Ups and downs.

March Break Retreat

Brisas Covarrubias is a small resort located in the country side about a 2 1/2 hour bus ride from Holguin Airport. The bus ride was very interesting as the road winds through many small communities and beautiful countryside. This enabled our 12 year old granddaughter to see the real Cuba with its bicycles, horse& cart transportation , school children in uniform walking to schools that on the outside do not look anything like our modern school buildings and stalls along the road side selling fru [... read more]its, vegetables, fresh meat hanging from hooks , no supermarkets in these communities. Brisas Covarrubias has a beautiful beach with shallow water and always seems to have a breeze to keep you from baking in the sun. There were always 3 lifeguards on the beach when we were there. I must say they were the most attentive lifeguards that I have seen in all of our vacations in Cuba.The pool is also nice with a shallow end and a deep end. We thought the food was good for a small resort. Ice cream was always available. Not a lot of variety for vegetables but they always had potatoes and pasta. The fresh bread was delicious and always available. The International a la carte was very good. Activites for our grandaughter was bingo each day at 4 pm. This was well attended and enjoyed by all. Entertainment each night was Cuban music and singing beginning at 9:30 pm which most nights was too late for us. We enjoyed our week here. This is a quiet relaxing resort away from all the stresses of life. We came here to enjoy quality time with our grandaughter and to be away from all the distractions of life and this was achieved.

Consistent, Clean, Comfortable!

Good amenities, great staff! Although our room was a little dated, it was clean, a good choice of food (buffet, grill, a la carte), nice beach and pool....nightly entertainment if you want to take part! Note: 2 hour drive from airport and over an hour from closest city

Relaxing

2hr drive from airport so don't be surprised. Food was sufficient, all of my favorites fish and fruit. Staff are like one big family, very nice. Beach wow. Shallow for a bit but crystal clear. You can find imperfections if you look. But I got just what the doctor ordered.

Think again before going here

The good points. The staff are very pleasant and friendly, the beach is very nice white sand, the ocean a wonderful turquoise blue, drinks are not watered down, the resort is well laid out and the gardens are groomed daily. The a la carte restaurant food was quite good considering. The bad points. Too many mosquitoes and sand flies especially at night time, hard to watch the nightly entertainment due to this problem. The resort is 2 ½ hours from the airport. Resort trips are very limited due [... read more] to the distances involved. Las Tunas the closest town is very polluted and many of the people were very drunk. Food is basic and usually cold. The rooms are OK but the mattresses are old and very uncomfortable. Only 1 a la carte. The so called tour guide from the airport was interested in talking to his girlfriend than telling us anything about the history of the area, and still expected a tip. Most of the washrooms were not clean and toilets often full of non-flushed feces. Cubans were coming in for the day, they were loud and very obnoxious, crowding the long-time vacations so they had no other recourse than to move. We were delayed at the airport in Holguin for approximately 6 hours, we got no explanation, there was no rep to be found, all we got was a 10CUC voucher for a stale ham and cheese and soggy fries and a soft drink. I will think twice before booking with Sunwing again, they are batting 0% for 3 trips so far with me.

So relaxing with amazing ocean views from the room!

The resort is a smaller, less busy, very relaxing resort. Being older adults we appreciated the quiet, less crowded and noisy resort. The beach and ocean views from the oceanview rooms are the best we've ever experienced. The buffet offers freshly grilled meats every night as well as an omelet bar (breakfast) and spaghetti bar (lunch/supper) which were nice options. The racheron day grill had great fries, as well as hamburgers/hotdogs, and pizzas. We found if we arrived before 12 noon that we co [... read more]uld avoid the overcrowding, especially with the locals. At times the locals seemed to be a bit overbearing with bringing their own music to the pool or not waiting their turn in a food line.The 5 bar options were very enjoyable. The wine at the Rancheron-beach bar/restaurant had the best, whereas I'd recommend only ordering the white at the buffet, if wine is your beverage of choice. Take time to book your a la carte restaurant dinner. The public relations staff is only there until 11:30 am and she is in and out during that time, so take time to wait. The dinner and entertainment is fabulous. We had a seafood meal, which they rotate with two other types of dinners: American & Cuban, throughout the week. The mosquitoes weren't bad but they were there a couple days. Just bring your bug spray and bite ointment, just in case. Although the drive was 1.75 hrs, you certainly gained an in-site to the communities and life of the cuban people. Having an English speaking driver/guide would have made the drive a very educational excursion. The staff was very friendly. I found there were quite a few return couples and young families due to their relaxing, less stressful atmosphere. The resort really took time to show appreciation to their guests, especially their return guests with a special a la carte dinner and other perks, which we hope to enjoy with our next visit.

Amazing beach

The staff is the best that there is anywhere. They just couldnt do enough for you. Very courteous and friendly. The hotel is in a quiet location and it is small enough that you will meet almost everyone. I've been 8 times and planning another visit soon

Great family time

Relanxing family vacation. Staff at the resort are happy and very friendly and helpful. Beach is beautiful. It is a small resort and not in the city which make it perfect to rest and relax. My kids loved the shows and games. Food and drinks are good as well.

Good food, great beach, friendly staff, Cuban rum & salsa beats!

OK, just got back from a week (March Break Week so one of their busiest weeks) at this resort; flying from Montreal with Cubana on a Hola Sun package: Cubana Air – fast check-in at Doravl airport, as opposed to the huge lineup at the Air Transat counter; the 737 was pretty new and had more leg room than other economy charters. The return fligt was an A320, and again spaciously configured. Small sandwiches were served on both flights and they were fairly good by airline standards. Arrival  [... read more]at Holguin and processing through passport control was quick, less than 30 minutes; unlike busier airports such as Veradero. Bus ride to the resort was 2 hrs 10 minutes in a modern, air conditioned coach. Along the way, you get interesting views of different towns with small concrete houses to small wooden houses and the concrete apartment blocks from the Soviet era. There were glimpses of many farms from home gardens to large sugar cane plantations, beef feed lots to banana plantaions. On the roads, modern buses, trucks, motorcycles, American cars from the 50s with adapted engines and chasis were mixed-in with tractors, ox carts, horse-drawn carriages, horses, bicycles, peddle carts; all helping people and farm produce to get around. There were also roadside stalls selling farm produce, pizzas, juices, and snack bars where people socialized on their way home. Overall, the countryside from Holguin to the resort is quite flat, although you can see the mountains in the distance part of the way. After passing thru Puerto Padre, a city of 35K population, you pass a police checkpoint controlling access on the road to the resort, then it is just 25 minutes and the resort emerges out of the mangrove lowlands. The resort – just some highlights: the food was good, not merely OK but truly good for both quality and variety on par with any good family restaurant in Canada or the USA, with some dishes bordering on very good. The menu during the week included fresh shrimps, roast lamb, roast turkey, beef pot roast, roast pork with amazing crackling, and fried, fresh red snapper. They even had conch in their seafood stew! I am sad that we missed the spit roasted pig which smelled heavenly as we boarded the bus home. That said, it's a buffet so you have to choose wisely, not everything is cooked to ones taste 100% of the time ! Now the house wine, it is horrid (like most all inclusives), so either bring your own or buy the bottles on offer; or drink the beer which is very good. The capaccinos – what a great way to start the morning, and top off a dinner. The Ranchon bar/restaurant, the 2nd and 3rd floors are very pleasant when it is really windy and it was windy during our week. The staff were accommodating and helpful as noted in many other reviews. William, the porter, looked sporty in the pair of New Balance runners he received from a guest. Without exception, all the other staff were appreciative of tips and gifts received from guests. It is amazing to think that what we spend for coffee and a muffin at Starbucks or Tim Hortons everyday is a substantial amount which can make a meaningful difference to their everyday living. Evening entertainment – local bands played every night showcasing contempary as well as traditional Cuban music; some good talent on show. Excursion - Puerto Padre, interesting to see how the locals live, and the mix of housing for the people. Our tour guide was very informative and openly discussed the way people lived and the changes happening in Cuba as it transitions to allow more private enterprise, home ownership, and lessen state control. Also, visited an organic farm which showcased research to develop higher yield coffee & other plants and organic farming methods. The small, family farm grew fruits, vegetables, sugar cane, bananas as well as having chickens and pigs. The peppers, papayas, pinos, and other fruits which we tasted were very flavorful, unlike the staff we get in Canada which are picked green so that they transport better. It was a very interesting 1/2 day; too bad we didn't have more time to see more of the town, talk to the guide about life in Cuba, and have lunch/dinner at the farm. The guests – many are return visitors which speaks well for the resort. Watersports – very good snorkelling especially on the outer reef where you can see lobsters and a wide variety of fish (groupers, snappers, moray eel, colorful reef fishes, etc.) but it was a 3-4 our swim so you should be a very strong swimmer, or you can take a dive trip from the watersport center - one of the lifeguards is a very good diver & spearfisherman. Both hobie cats and paddle boats are in good shape; they also have 2 tempermental motor boats and a sit-on-top paddleboard but no kayaks. In good weather, you can go fishing in the paddleboats or take a fishing trip with the watersports folks; and if you catch some fish the chefs will gladly cook it for you for a small tip. As well, there are at least 4 bicycles available for use. Overall, an excellent, economical vacation at a resort with friendly staff, good food, Cuban rum & beer accompanied with a salsa beat. Yes, the weather could have been better, and if the plane for our return flight could have staying broken down for a few more days leaving us at the resort, it would have been perfect !

Wonderful Hidden Gem

February 24 – March 3, 2017 This was our 3rd time at Brisas Covarrubias and as usual our vacations starts as soon as we are out of the Airport doors. We know that the ride will take a while so we always pick up a few bubbly pops before loading onto the bus. I prefer a Small Resort so we can walk up to our room in privacy, as opposed to a Large Resort with Elevators and crowds, etc. It is a very private area being the only Resort on the lovely long beach. This Resort/Staff shows their appre [... read more]ciation by hosting a Special Dinner for returning guests. Elizabeth is Wonderful. If you have any questions, requests or problems, She will certainly do whatever she can to help you! Our room has always been large, clean, well maintained and conveniently located to everything. This year we had an Ocean view Room #3225. With the upstairs corner balcony we enjoyed the view of the Ocean and most of the resort. Very large clean rooms, grounds are well kept. Pool is sparkling. The Ground Keepers and Cleaning Staff are always greeting us with a friendly Hola! Each time we visit, they have taken care of us very well. The Bartenders are exceptionally friendly. It amazes me how they remember our names. The service is wonderful in the Buffet Restaurant. It seems that everyone’s favorite is the Breakfast Station where you can order eggs any style and they are cooked in front of you, personally I love the omelets. There is always a line at Lunch and Dinner at the Pasta Station. This year we also enjoyed 2 al carte. One of the great things about a small resort is you never have to wait for a table in the restaurant or a lounger on the Beach or at the Pool. After Breakfast and a Few spiked coffees you can enjoy a Fun game of Darts with many other Sun Lovers. There are bicycles available to take a ride if that interests you, or there is always the gym. Peddle boats (take a fishing rod with you) or a Hobi Cat ride will get you out onto the aqua blue water! I am sure there are many other activities that we have missed out on. The Beach Bar has a small menu and also a grill for burgers, hot dogs and fries. If you hit the right time you could have a pizza. We always enjoy joining the large fun loving group playing Bingo by the pool. Who knows who will have to do a dance or a plunge into the pool before getting ready for Dinner. If you are an early riser you can obtain a Wi-Fi card to use on your cell phone/tablet or laptop good for ½ hr. or 1 hr. Very reasonable but hard to come by! There is a Disco that opens at 11 pm. Sorry I cannot review since I have never made it past 10!!! New this year is the Beauty Salon. Braids, wash, style, haircut. Facial, Manicure, pedicure and Acrylic nails too! What a Lovely Lady! Highly Recommended!!!

Nice resort

This place is low-key, not very commercial, isolated, very very nice staff, gorgeous beach, ok food - not great for vegetarians, but workable. Lucky for me it was papaya season! The buffet is indoors which was disappointing to me, especially since you can't see through the tinted windows at night as they turn into mirrors! But you can always carry your food to an outside table in the hall or by the bar. The beach is beautiful, snorkelling was fun. The water is lovely. One day we were lightly stu [... read more]ng by jellyfish, but only when we were far out. There are not enough palapas so it's not always easy to find shade. No sandfleas, few mosquitos, but plenty of no-seeums in the mornings. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. The house band and other musicians were really wonderful, beautiful voices. The apartments furtherest from the pool and bar are quiet. Cycling was fun and I really enjoyed the drive to and from the airport even though it's a bit far. Lots to look at. I loved that often there were Cuban guests at the resort.

Very inviting resort.

We found everything about this resort to be very enjoyable, food,beach rooms, grounds, shows and the people who work there all very nice. We were 3 couples of different ages, and from different locations in Canada who travel together quite a bit, and all of us agreed. We were very pleasantly surprised,and will return.