Great vacation spot!!!

I will start with room. We upgrade to the plus side and was extremely happy with room. I was very happy to see a full size walk in shower that was spotless!! Beds were comfortable, fridge stocked daily, room extremely clean and nice size balcony. We had plenty of choices for eating, swimming and activities. Upgrading allowed us the private pool which had plenty of space. Lots of chairs, never had to worry about getting a pool side lounge chair. We had two large buffet restaurants or you could ma [... read more]ke reservations for one of many al carts. We never experienced long line ups either at the buffets or bars. I was worried about this because our vacation was over the march break. No need to worry. To sum it up, great vacation! Food was good, always a choice, no long line ups, friendly staff, pool areas great, room fantastic and I will go back. Sorry no comment on the beach I prefer pools.. Did enjoy walking shore nightly but swimming not so much, very rocky.

Love the area

We were there March 19-26 2015, this was our third trip to Cuba and this is the first time I've felt like I'd go back - not only to the area but to the resort itself. Previously we were at the Husa Cayo Santa Maria in April of 2013 and Paradisus Princessa Del Mar in Varadero in April of 2014. Now we just love the Holguin area. It has both a beautiful countryside and a relaxing city life. We didn't feel pressured for anything the way we did in Varadero and it was a shorter trip to the excursions  [... read more]than in Santa Maria. The beach at our resort was rocky but we knew that going in and as a result had something interesting to look at while snorkeling. Our only disappointment was the a la cartes. We were on a 'plus package' which included access to another pool and VIP bar and more a la cartes including a 'lobster dinner'. This turned out to be a fish stew served at the second buffet. Not at all a typical a la carte experience. If we had known, we would have opted to have one of the other a la cartes that were supposedly booked up. Maybe these could be booked ahead of time in order to avoid this problem. As I said though, this was the only disappointment, overall a good bang for the buck.

Great Vacation

Central area of hotel was good, added blocks of rooms seemed a bit far, we were in the main part of the hotel. Room was dated but clean. We were a couple, so we didn't have a problem finding chairs at the beach. The staff in the hotel, everywhere, was exceptional, very personable and accommodating. Food was good, I could always find something that appealed to me. I am not a foodie so this was not important for me. Clean room, great staff, wonderful beach, lost of snorkelling and I felt secure. G [... read more]reat vacation all around for us.

A great resort for the price

Just got back from this resort it was great for the price paid although for the first two days we did not have a toilet seat, and no, I'm not joking. The beaches were great sand was really soft and lots of swimming and snorkeling to do

It was ok for the money

The grounds were good - it was a decent resort. The rooms were clean, the public bathrooms were pretty clean compared to some I've been to, but missing toilet seats and door locks. The resort itself was nice. The food was pretty good for Cuba, however, the one complaint I have is with respect to customer service. I don't think this resort is very well managed and they appear to be understaffed. Two bus loads arrived when we arrived, and there was one person at the front desk. It took a very long [... read more] time to get checked in; eventually another person came to assist. Dining and restaurant staff, the majority of them, looked miserable and were not overly friendly. There were the odd few who were, but generally, not many appeared too eager or willing to serve or help. We often had to get up and get our own drinks in the dining hall. It looked as though there was not enough wait staff, the majority of the time. For the money we paid, we still had a great week, but the customer service experience, should still be part of the experience.

Beautiful but crowded resort

Beautiful resort. But new section needs to have their own buffet n lobby. Not enough seating to relax in the lobby with over 700 rooms. And the wait time for buffet is alittle long. Beach is perfect for snorkling. Staff is very friendly n curtious. Not enough seating for shows but shows were awesome. More lounges needed for pool area aswell. All in all had a great relaxing much needed vacation.

It was Okay

The resort was Okay. I wouldn't go back or recommend it to friends or family. The food was okay we could usually find something to eat. The rooms were very dated and air conditioner emitted a foul moldy smell the whole time. I believe this is why we ended up being sick. The amenities in the room were awful. Bring your own blow dryer and hydro converter. (Don't expect a coffee maker in your room) The staff overall where very good and made the stay a little more bearable. The pool was okay tiles m [... read more]issing and I got a cut on my foot from them. Nothing that a band-aid couldn't fix. Beach was nice but the sand fleas were unbelievable as where the mosquitoes at times. One of our travel mates had to have a shot of Benedryl and Cortisone because of the mosquito bites.

Wouldn't return!

I can't really think of anything good to say, the beach was beautiful but small and the pool was very nice, was hot and sunny the whole 7 days so I'm not complaining, coming from temperatures in Ontario. The was was less than desirable, the Italian restaurant was the only good food I ate in 7 days and I giant rat ran across the top of the roof beams while we were having dinner! The beach bbq was vomitile, nothing on the plate was bbq'd! It was the same meat we had for dinner the night before in  [... read more]the same restaurant we had our Cuban dinner in! Some of the public washrooms around the resort had no toilet seats??? Often no toilet paper and u could wash ur hands but there were no hand dryers or paper towels to dry them! They were often out of stuff such as diet cola, stuff to make piña coladas, Cuban cash at the front desk! C'mon the bank runs out of cash to exchange ur money?? Seriously? The service in resort was slow and they were not friendly, working in the service industry in r&b service specifically, I understand the importants of tips and am a very generous tipper but it quickly became apparent the service was no better even if u tipped, in particular the lobby and out door bartenders were particularly unfriendly! We were a group of 9 so we made the best of the trip, and did have lot of fun, but I would never return to this resort!

Resort was ok but not amazing

The resort itself was good and the entertainment as well, but the rooms were just "rooms"'nothing special but it's to your discression on what you like in a room! I'm not a picky eater but I have to say the food was terrible at this resort, not much selection , lots of line ups and just not good! I have been to Cuba twice before and been to varedero which I would go back there but I wouid say I wouodnr go back to this resort in holguin!

NICE AND COMFORTABLE

very nice and good food the best I have had in Cuba the new area is very modern and well maintained they should have the transport carts going constantly it is very difficult to get a ride back to your area at times I cant believe how good the food was for Cuban standards. over all good hotel.

Great resort!

We stayed in the plus section. Very nice rooms always hot water. The room was spotless! The cleaning maid was very friendly. The pools were always clean. The plus section pool could use a few more sun shades as it very sunny with no trees. The beach was very rocky, but we read about it and brought our water shoes. Snorkeling was amazing!! The food was good. Lobster dinner was wonderful!! The plus section bar served amazing drinks. Good wine and great Spanish coffee's. The only thing was that the [... read more] resort was very busy. Long line ups for the buffet and always had to get up early to get a lawn chair at the beach. Certainly not the resorts fault as it was February high season. I would definitely go back!!

Beautiful resort

This was my first time all-inclusive, and I was quite impressed. It would definitely recommend the Plus option, as the pool was quieter and there were more a la Carte dinners. The grounds were well maintained, and our room was clean with a nice balcony to enjoy the view. The beach was a little rocky, but beautiful sand. The grounds were well maintained and lush, and the food was pretty good. They seemed to be a little under staffed at times. Check-in was a little slow, and the a la Carte dinners [... read more] seemed to drag on with minimal wait staff. They were very friendly though, and always happy to serve.

Fun in the sun

Snorkeling right off the beach what more could you ask for..staff works very hard at service and entertaining you! I would recommend to others. I went for sun and relaxing and got my moneys worth. Thanks to all the hard working staff

Incredible Beach

We had a good time with friends and family here. First off, the staff that greeted and took us to our room were excellent. They went out of their way to make sure we had what we wanted. This was one of the nicest beaches we've seen, the layout, the access to the water and the ability to stand up while looking at the fish swim through the coral sections. Food was good, especially the roasted pig. No trouble getting a drink and it is worth the upgrade to get access to the VIP bar (the best selecti [... read more]on and taste of any bar we've been to so far).

Great Time !

We went with a large group of people (mostly couples) this is just my opinion of the different aspects of the resort. ROOMS: we did not pay extra for the plus section, there really is no need to. The older blocks are close to everything, i would recommend block 1 - it was close enough but far enough to not hear the disco and other people partying til early am. I feel like the other older blocks 2-6 you'd be able to hear everything. I thought the beds were great! I've never had a better sleep at [... read more] a resort. The water pressure was great in the shower and sink and the rooms had 220V so it worked for all of our Canadian electronics FOOD: buffet was good, as a vegetarian i ate mostly pasta, eggs, chick peas, lentils, vegies, and beans. Did not get sick of it. People say there is a line, yes, but your on vacation go sit and have a drink first or something until it gets less busy, the lines go very quickly. Book your al le carte dinners early! we tried to book the third day we were there and they did not have an available spot until we were gone. This was disappointing we heard they were good. The italian restaurant is delicious for lunch! You have to wait to be seated and order from a menu but we ate there every lunch - sooo good. The snack bar was good, sandwiches and fries, some nights they had a buffet style for snacks BEACH/POOL: beach was beautiful, always could find a spot! There are rocks, you just have to swim over them til you get to the sandy part (really not a big deal) or bring water shoes. Can snorkel right on the resort beach - pretty cool but bring your own, the snorkel gear is almost always rented out. As we did not upgrade to plus we had only access to 1 pool. It was a good pool with a swim up bar. Not very busy (i think most people were at the beach). - this pool was also close to the main bar area, lobby, and buffet ENTERTAINMENT: personally i did not find the night time shows that entertaining. We only watched the syncro one (which was very good). The night shows were mostly dancing and singing. Day time entertainment was scarce. We went with a big group so we weren't bored but there wasn't a ton of games and competitions by the pool/beach like i've seen at other resorts. STAFF: the staff was very friendly! 2 couples in our group got placed in a different block and they were able to switch rooms the first day to be with the rest of the group. No problems

GREAT VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY

AWESOME BEACH AREAS, GREAT SERVERS IN BUFFET AREA, SUPER FRIENDLY PEOPLE ALL ROUND!! ROOMS ALWAYS KEPT CLEAN AND STOCKED. DON'T BE AFFRAID TO VENTURE OFF THE HOTEL GROUNDS WHETHER IT'S BY TAXI OR HORSE AND CARRIAGE; YOU'LL BE AMAZED!!

Blau Costa Verde Spring Break Trip

I stayed at Blau Costa Verde for Spring Break, February 13th to February 20th, 2015 with a group of 14 people. We did not sign up for the Blau plus option. Overall, I had a wonderful time at Blau and would recommend the resort. CHECK IN Check in was a little rough to start. After the rest of our group had gotten the keys to their rooms, my boyfriend and I were left behind without a room. We kept asking the front desk when and if our room was ready, and the man behind the desk just kept saying " [... read more]5 minutes" over and over again while calling somebody on the phone. We sat down thinking he would address us when he figured out why our room was not ready, but never did. After 20 minutes we went back up to the desk and he ignored us. We ended up going to another lady at the front desk to try and figure out what was going on, and she ended up just giving us another room (not the one we were originally booked in) right away. ROOMS We stayed in Block 2, which was perfect - not in the main lobby but close enough to the pool, beach and restaurants. The view of the ocean from our room was really nice! The room we were given was very basic. It was just a standard resort room (as in, not beautiful) but it was nice and very clean. We had a king size bed in the room, but other couples in our group were unfortunately only given two twin sized beds. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to ask for a king sized bed at checkin, otherwise you may get stuck with two twins or doubles. Housekeeping was wonderful and the fridge was restocked once a day. Note: you only get one bottle of water per day, so save the bottle and fill it up at the bar or buffet. POOL/BEACH No complaints about either of these areas! They were both gorgeous and well-kept. You could always find chairs, and at the beach they had a piles of them you could grab (or tip the guy to bring you) to set up. Yes, the beach has a lot of coral but you get past it pretty quickly. If you're worried, just bring water shoes. The snorkelling was amazing! You were able to snorkel right off the beach because of the coral areas. I suggest bringing your own gear though - the desk by the beach was always rented out of snorkel equipment. You can also rent sailboats and paddleboats, but make sure to book a time early. FOOD AND BARS Food was decent, tipping on the edge of pretty good. You will always find edible options at each meal. I particularly enjoyed the omelette bar in the morning and the meat bar in the afternoon/evening, where they cook your food to order. The staff was always so friendly and accommodating at the buffet. The Italian a-la-carte opens for lunch so we went there almost every day. Try their thin crust pizza, it was delicious. There are tons of bars around Blau, so you are never far away from a drink. They had a variety of options and the bartenders were great. Bring a big mug to put drinks in to avoid multiple trips up to the bar... I brought my Bubba mug and it served me well the entire week. We spent a lot of time at the bar by the pool, which gets pretty lively at night. ENTERTAINMENT/ACTIVITIES In my opinion, the entertainment was a let-down. I have been to other resorts in Cuba with fantastic entertainment, and Blau did not compare. The nightly entertainment was just dancing, which gets really boring. I wish they had done silly shows to get the audience involved or put on some musical acts people recognized. The entertainment during the day was minimal as well. I expected more activities to be happening by the pool. If you were looking for some activities to do, I suggest walking or taking a horse drawn carriage to the little market down the road. They had some decent souvenir type things and an ice cream shop. We also did a really cool horseback riding trip to a cave, which was set up by one of the resort's staff members named Leo. Shoutout to Leo, he remembered all our names and was always great fun! Overall, Blau Costa Verde was a great resort. It is definitely deserving of its four star rating. I would definitely go back to this resort during my next visit to Cuba.

Enjoyed It

Friendly staff and good service including the front desk. Pools are good, beach a bit too busy and rocky in the water. Food was not bad. Always something good to choose. A la carts restaurants also quite good. Entertainment not great. Room was very good.

OK for Cuba

This is our second time to Cuba. First time in Holguin. The last time we were in Cuba was in Cayo Coco. We liked Cayo Coco better. The Blau was OK. We wouldn't return again. We went with the Plus package. The food was great and our rooms were good. The Plus pool area was great too. Cuba has been known for their staff to bend over backwards for tourists. We didn't find this at the Blau. We were lucky to get a smile from them. We brought a suitcase full of gifts for the staff and ended up giving 8 [... read more]0% to some locals on the beach who were begging. It was our pleasure to help them. Ari the server at the Plus Buffet was very pleasant and so was the older woman every morning making omlettes with a smile.

Disappointed

The grounds were clean The workers definitely are over worked. Not enough staff. Not very friendly. Except maybe four workers. Nightly entertainment from what I saw was pretty cool and enjoyable. No toilet paper in common areas. some toilet seats missing. When we checked in about three bus loads. One person to check us in. Over an hour to get into our rooms.The beach was great. Towels were easy to change. Chair man was very helpful, he would drag your chair where u wanted it. Catamaran guys were [... read more] amazing. Especially when I lost my hat in the water. and he found it.!!!