Melia Las Dunas: Wonderful Resort

I definitely would visit this resort again. Our room was clean and the fridge stocked daily. I was satisfied with the food and drink options as well as having a small market on the resort. We did have a day without hot water which was fixed by the evening. I must say the Sunwing reps on the resort were very friendly and helpful. Loved our stay!

Melia Marina Varadero: A Very Amazing Resort

Everything was clean and done with great precision. The staff was very friendly and knowledgable. The food was terrific and always a lot available. the drinks were not watered down and were professionally made. No line ups to anything. The only other thing to say was the resort charged too much for cigars. The rooms were clean and great.

Memories Cayo Largo: Nightmare resort

Hi Nicolle, Sorry to complain about but several disappointments. Sunday night on arrival one hour late was no food available for us. None. Yesterday we have to ask for help to open the balcony door because was stacked. Also we had no water at all in the afternoon until 6 PM. Same water problem today. After 2 days of complaining about the TV functionally (remote) only today was fixed. No towels in the room today until we called for it. I will contact the Hola Sun and the management tomorrow. [... read more] Any suggestion? Regards, Peter. Hi Nicolle, Just had a meeting with Hola Sun rep and explained all what was described in the e-mail to you. She contacted the hotel management and she came back at the desk with her. The hotel want to 'compensate' me by letting us stay in the room in the departure day until 5 PM instead 12:00. The Hola Sun rep she suggested to complain to you for compensation. By the way it is the third day without water. Is 6:08 PM and is no water available. Please consider actions to satisfy your unhappy customers like us. Hope in a favorable solution. Best Regards, Peter. Hi Nicolle, Sorry to complain about but several disappointments. Sunday night on arrival one hour late was no food available for us. None. Yesterday we have to ask for help to open the balcony door because was stacked. Also we had no water at all in the afternoon until 6 PM. Same water problem today. After 2 days of complaining about the TV functionally (remote) only today was fixed. No towels in the room today until we called for it. I will contact the Hola Sun and the management tomorrow. Any suggestion? Regards, Peter. Hi Nicole, Sorry, nothing changed. Just 'promises' This is the fourth day that is no water available PM. Is 5:40 and is no water. Hola Sun girl is trying again to talk with the hotel, Said that is a general problem and can't be solved. Hope after 6PM. Also no coffee available ath the lunch restaurant. Hope you have a solution for this problem. Wish I knew about that and I will travel somwhere else. Tripcentral said nothing about. Regards, Peter. To customerservice@tripcentral.ca Today at 3:53 PM Dear Sir, Madam, Please find here a chain of e-mails between I and Nicolle about the problems encountered at the Sol Cayo Largo this month , March12-19,2017. In the last 2 days we avoided to go in the room before 6PM because lack of water.The Hola Sun girl told me that they deliberately switch the water supply between hotels. ‎For instance this week Sol Pelicano has permanent water. I had wish to know that then I would book to the Pelicano. I Feel like somebody taken advantage of me. Should I write about in Trip Advisor or CBC. I booked vacation with Tripcentral in tha past and the last one in January,2017 we had to cancel it because my wife father died. I hope in a favorable solution for us. Sincerely. Peter Simedrea

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Nice resort.

Firstly, to all those who are looking, this is more of an elderly resort. If you are looking at parties and clubbing, memories maybe a better idea. The staff are really nice and helpful. And there are lots going on within the resort itself, shows, performances, diving courses, and etc. The distance to beach is literally 5 mins walk from the lobby. Food maybe a bit disappointing, but the mirana at the royal service is superb. In all, it's really amazing.

Melia Las Antillas: Amazing Family Vacation.

Exceptional location, meals, and atmosphere. The grounds were well maintained and cared for daily. The food was plentiful and extremely appetizing. Incredible selection during each meal and the a la carte meals were appealing visually and gastronomically. Rooms were spotless, mini fridge was stocked daily and no issues with any parts of the accommodations. The adults only was truely a plus and not just a section of a larger resort but was actually a true adults only resort. Check in was quick an [... read more]d efficient and room location was as requested upon booking. We would definitely consider this resort for any repeat visit to Cuba.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Many great things...

The pool and beach were absolutely amazing. The pool area was rather small but stunning and fun-filled with music and entertainment. Not a lot of space to swim though. On a windy day the pool capacity was full. The beach was one of the best in Cuba! Wow!! The staff went out of their way and were not pushy to make a buck but sincere in their approach. Please bring toiletry items and anything else you can fit in your suitcase as they make very poor wages yet are happy to please. The room wasn' [... read more]t favorable - old and didn't appear pristine - (bungalow 4) but we didn't spend much time there so wasn't a huge issue. Food was fine once you found a few items to rely on each day - grilled chicken, pasta bar, bacon and eggs, mimosas and wine! Ice cream everyday too. Japonese restaurant was great! Evening entertainment was terrific. So enjoyable meeting many other Canadians in Cuba. Thanks tripcentral.ca

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful Resort!

Loved this resort. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The resort was beautifully laid out with palm trees and lights lighting them up at night. At first it seems huge but it is quite easy to find your way around with all of the maps to help you. The beach is beautiful and not crowded with turquoise water and white sand. You can walk forever on it. One day I walked 21000 steps around the resort and on the beach. There is a cute little market on the resort so you don't even hav [... read more]e to leave the resort. The buffet was good as well. You can get fresh cooked fish/seafood and beef/pork and chicken every lunch and dinner. We were there March break and I did not find the line ups bad at all they went quick. The pool area is large but you have to get up by 8 am to get a chair under an umbrella. There were plenty of beach towels and no line ups at the bar. Our maids were very friendly and did a great job with our room. My only complaint was the lack of water in the rooms. Two teenagers and an adult need more than one bottle of water as all three of us drink a lot of water. Yes, you could get it at the bar if you had a water bottle but you had to time it right to get there and save your bottle of water for the next morning as they did not deliver water until the next evening and they skipped us two days. If you are not there to answer the door you don't get water. This stressed me out a bit as you cannot drink the water or brush your teeth without water. When I went to guest services they took down my room number but nothing happened. The only other thing was the lack of toilet paper in the bathrooms. They give you two small rolls in the room and my son had a bad cold so we went through it and that is a bit stressful not having toilet paper. The lobby bathrooms were always out by evening. Just two complaints. Otherwise it is a beautiful resort and the Pizzeria with fresh made pizza and the ice cream parlour almost made up for lack of water. :)

Melia Marina Varadero: Great Resort

This is a great resort, the location is perfect, the beach is a bit of a walk but worth it. The staff are lovely and the food was great! The room was spacious, shower was great, the beds aren't so comfortable but the rest of the resort makes up for it.

Melia Jardines del Rey: LOVED THIS RESORT - We will be back for sure!!

We were there for 12 days and honestly it was amazing!! First of all I would like to thank the amazing staff at this resort.....in particular BOMBINO & LIVI ( entertainment team) who made our stay so much fun. I have been fortunate enough to travel to many countries and I can honestly say this was the best beach I have ever been to!! There are enough beach cabanas for a fully booked hotel during March break!! Never a hassle to find a good spot at the pools either. I loved that there ar [... read more]e two sets of pools - if you want to chill there is a quiet set of pools and if you feel like dancing and having fun there is a whole other set of pools. Rooms are clean and comfortable and great water pressure in the showers even though we were in building 25 on the third floor!! My family and I were going there thinking food would be tasteless BUT we were pleasantly surprised it was great just like any 5 star resort in Dominican Republic. The A La Carte restaurants were amazing so book them when you arrive as it is well worth it. Evening entertainment is 5 star - the show, singers, kids entertainment.....everything really. We had the chance to visit the Melia Cayo Guillermo and Memories BUT even though those are both 5 star resorts the Melia Jardines Del Rey is much better. We cannot wait to go back to Melia Jardines Del Rey and will not even look at another resort. Thank you to all the staff there and to Wendy from Trip Central for recommending this resort. Tanya

Hotel Camino del Mar: Beautiful Resort!

People were very friendly at this resort, especially the staff. People seemed to go out of their way to accommodate us. The resort was the perfect size for us. There were three couples and we were always able to easily locate each other. An amazingly beautiful beach and pool. There was always something to do and simply relaxing by the pool was satisfying as well. We read reviews about the great quality of the food and were pleasantly surprised at how accurate these reviews were. There was [... read more] always something "yummy" to eat. I also noticed how clean the resort and grounds were. Our beds always felt fresh and there was never a shortage of anything. I heard rumor about a bug being seen in the resort lobby and it was like they sent the swat team in, there were loads of workers and people around. So reassuring that the resort wants the best quality for their customers. I would love to go back and take my family.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Amazing resort!

This resort is very well planned out, from multiple restaurants, variety of foods, impecable grounds, double swimming pools, amazing staff and very clean rooms and the amazing beachfront. All perfect for a complete and relaxing stay.

Melia Jardines del Rey: This was an awesome resort. My family and I will return here

My family and I stayed at the Melia Jardines Del Ray in Caya Coco, Cuba from the 8th to the 19th of March 2017. It was our first time vacationing in Cuba and from some of the reviews we read online I must admit we were at first, apprehensive. I was wrong. There have been about 50 years of economic sanctions on this tiny island which have burden the ordinary people tremendously but at the same time, have made Cubans very resilient, resourceful and proud in every aspect of their lives. This ove [... read more]rall positive, happy attitude is woven into the very fabric of their culture. It is something I admire and respect greatly. There are 2 Cuban currencies. The Convertible Cuban Peso (CUC, which tourists use) and the Cuban Peso (which only Cubans can use). When a waiter/waitress earns say for example 1 CUC the government will receive a percentage on this CUC when it’s exchanged into Cuban Peso’s. I’ve broken down my comments, thoughts and observations into 7 main categories:- 1) Staff 2) Food 3) Lobby/Checking in and out 4) Entertainment 5) Rooms 6) Grounds/facilities 7) Suggestions for improvement and things to bring 1) Staff I can’t give enough praise to the staff members at this resort. If you take the time to speak to them and get to know them, even on a superficial level, you will find out that they work for approximately12 hours daily at a stretch. They deal with a variety of different and sometimes difficult people with different expectations, languages and cultures. For all intent and purposes the staff work for nothing and rely solely on tips. I suggest asking anyone of these fine people how much they get paid. You will be shocked at just how meagre their salaries are. To top it all they do not insist on tips and will serve you exactly the same way whether you tip them or not. The standard of service of all the staff was very good in my opinion however there were staff members who definitely stood out from the rest for their work ethic, approachability, friendliness, people skills and always being there when things got busy. The staff are mentioned in no particular order and these people made our stay very memorable. THEY are the reason we will be returning to this resort. They are:- - Bombino (from entertainment) - Livi (from entertainment) - Chino (beach entertainment) - Yeni (main buffet) - Pollo (main buffet) - Nisbel (main buffet) - Yendry (from entertainment) - Oreni (Aqua Restaurant head waiter. This was my favourite restaurant) - Lisandra (Aqua Restaurant) - Ernesto (resort shuttle driver, ride that nice bicycle hard mi amigo) - Dagne (Lobby waitress) - Ersy (Lobby waitress) - Claudio (gardener at the beach area) - Reisei (gardener at the beach area) - Humberto (buffet manager) - Yadira (lobby waitress) - Raul (Spanish coffee maker. Man those coffees were good in the evening) - Geidy (lobby waitress) - Brandy (main lobby barman) If you go to this resort I urge you to take the extra time to speak to the staff, find out where they come from and show some interest in their lives. They are really wanting to serve you well if given the chance to do so. The above mentioned people made our stay in this resort so, so, so much better and more fulfilling. Thank you. 2) Food Before we attended this resort I read some bad stories about the food. We attended during the Canadian March break and there were approximately 1600 – 1800 (possibly more) on the resort at the time. We found the food was well prepared and varied enough to suit most fussy palates. Yes there was ketch up and mustard. We chose the Aqua, French, Italian and Japanese restaurants. The Aqua was my favourite because I like seafood. The French restaurant was also very good. Book your restaurants when you get there! I found the burgers that were BBQ’ed on the beach were delicious as well. If you are wanting to eat off the resort make enquiries about a 5 star restaurant on the beach approximately 2 kms from the resort. It’s call Lenny’s Bar and Grill. I never went there myself but I heard good reviews from people who did go there. 3) Lobby / Check in and out This resort has probably got the nicest lobby in Cayo Coco. It’s spacious and clean with plenty sitting areas. In the evenings there are at least 4 bars within the lobby area and about 10 to 15 waitresses taking drink orders. The lobby is very festive especially in the evenings. The cappuccino’s and Spanish coffee’s (in the evening) are really good. 4) Entertainment I’ve been to a few all-inclusive resorts and by far, the entertainment I saw here has been the best and most organised. There are various shows that are performed in the lobby and on the entertainment stage. Earlier in the evening the kids get a show as well which they seem to enjoy. All the dance routines and performers have worked really hard to put on some amazing shows. The acrobatic dance routine really stands out. All loud music and entertainment ends at 11:00PM and only the disco will continue after 11PM until about 2AM. There is a solo artist/singer, his name was JAIME He has an amazing voice. WOW is all I can say! We would wait every night just to hear him sing. It was nice to listen to old classic “Western style songs” which I grew up with and also a nice change from the constant drum of Latin inspired music which we heard all day. Please don’t get me wrong, I love Latin/Cuban music it was just nice to have a little bit of a change in the evenings. Jaime if you ever consider going on tour in Canada, please let me know! We went to Pilar Beach which is a 5 CUC round trip. This beach was absolutely amazing and well worth the trip. On our way back we stopped at the 5 Star Melia Caya Coco Guillermo Resort for lunch. The food was very, very good. Make these arrangements with the reception at Melia Jardines Del Rey prior to going there. 5) Rooms Please bear in mind that I don’t attach much importance to a room at an all-inclusive resort. As long as it’s quiet, clean, with a functioning toilet and shower I’m happy. I don’t spend much time in the bedroom while on vacation and so added decorations does not add value to my stay. The rooms were clean and comfortable. If you consider that there is an embargo on Cuba then these rooms are great! The beds were firm/hard and the pillows where kind of flat. Luckily I had bought 2 of my own pillows from home so I was set. The air conditioner, shower and toilet all worked fine. When we arrived toilet needed fixing. We called and within the hour the problem was rectified. The safe is free and easy to use. If you can, prior to arriving, ask for the 2nd or 3rd floor rooms. There are fewer mosquitos or black flies at that level. The fridge was always stocked with beer, soft drinks and water. There is a TV with Spanish, French and American channels. On a side note, I don’t know why anybody would want to stay inside to watch TV though. That is just my personal opinion. 6) Beach, Grounds and Facilities This is a big resort. There are 2 main pool areas. If you are looking/facing the beach the large pool area on your right is the “busy/party” pool. There is a swim up bar and these awesome cabana’s. The cabana’s can be used on a first come first get basis. The large pool on your left is the quieter pool area with cabanas as well. Unless you want the cabanas there are more than enough pool deck chairs and shady areas for everybody. When you arrive you will get tokens for your towels. We never had a problem getting towels and actually bought our own towels based on other reports we had read. We hardly used them. The pool was a clean as it could be considering the amount of people at the resort. There was small amounts of algae in some spots but it never bothered me. In fact the pool water was not heavily chlorinated which I preferred more. The ocean and beach are beautiful. There is a beach bar which gets really busy. There are lots of beach cabanas for shade and chairs for everybody! If you are facing the ocean, a short 20 minute walk to your right brings you to a nice rock out crop. This is a nice snorkeling spot on calm days. The hotel provides fins and masks on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturdays. They will take you out to this snorkeling spot for free. Whole families would go and it’s not far to walk to (bring your water shoes for the rocks!) I’ve been told there are catamaran excursions which take you out to even better reefs. The ice cream place is an awesome idea and the ice cream was good. 7) Suggestions for improvement and things to bring. To management:- - Fix the public toilets that are clogged! Especially in the lobby and at the pools. - I like privacy when I’m going #2. Why are your toilet stall doors so low? - Spray for mosquitoes and black flies more regularly when most of your clients are asleep. The entertainment stage in the evening was bad for mosquitoes/black flies. Having said that completely I understand that we are in a tropical climate and mosquitos are going to be hard to control. - Please provide your hard working staff with a microphone and loud speakers for announcing activities where ever they may be. I found the check in idea was a very clever and efficient however the poor staff could not call out names loud enough for us all to hear. Microphones and loud speakers are must for these activities. - Why are the main buffet doors from the main lobby closed? - I’m not sure why there is a cover charge for the afterhours disco. - Is it not possible to have complimentary internet service based on the length of stay? - It is possible to have a method of exchanging larger denominations of CUC for tipping? - Name your food dishes accurately in the buffet please. I found this frustrating. - To Hola Sun. I found Eddy, your representative at this resort, to be extremely unhelpful, lazy and rude. If you would like to know more, please contact me (this was my only bad service experience at this resort) Things to consider and things you may want to bring:- - Water shoes - Rope to hang wet bathing suits. - Mask and fins. There is scuba diving at this resort - Hammock. There are trees at the beach ideal for hammocks. I will be bringing one next time. - Large beach chair clips. - Lots of sun screen - Bubba mugs (fewer trips to the bar which can get very busy) - Your own bed pillows. - Ear plugs if you have a room near the lobby and want to go to sleep early. We were in building 25 which is located between the disco and the lobby and I had no issues with the noise levels. Management is very strict with entertainment shut down times. - If you are going to tip staff consider tipping the less obvious staff members, like the gardeners (this is entirely a personal preference and only my personal thoughts) In conclusion, my family and I will be going back to this resort next year. The beach, pools and service were awesome. There are some aspects of this resort (like the staff, food and location) which make this resort a 5 star in my opinion and other aspects which make it a 4 star. The pros of this resort far outweigh the cons.

Hotel Camino del Mar: Great Resort.

clean well kept grounds but the resort could use a view updates to its exterior. Food was amazing (much better then expected) No long waits for for food or drink, however the resort seems to cater to a much older crowd. More lively activities and night life could make the resort more attractive to a crowd under 50. Close to the nicest beach I've ever seen though! Also needed to change rooms the first night due to a musty smell but was taken care of by three the next afternoon.

Melia Cayo Coco: Relaxing vacation at Melia Cayo Coco

At Melia Cayo coco the grounds are beautiful and very well kept. The room was comfortable and clean. I highly recommend the lagoon room. All the staff are very welcoming and attentive to your needs. The food is fantastic and there are always a lot of activities and entertainment going on.

Hotel Camino del Mar: Great beach, tired resort

The rooms are in need of renovation, more than just a coat of paint. We were able to change rooms as our first room smelled of mould, and had a broken TV, headboard, coffee pot, and a dirty, smelly toilet. The second room was a bungalow and was quite pleasant and clean. The pool area was very crowded and we never got a lounge chair around it. People would get up very early and save their chairs. The la carte restaurants had the same food as the buffet, but prepared differently. The buffet had [... read more] lots of overall variety. The meat was of poor quality. The drinks and wine were watered down. The people who worked there were happy and attentive. The evening shows were well done. The beach was one of the most beautiful we had ever seen.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Fantastic Resort!

We just spent our March Break at this resort with a group of 19 people! WE LOVED IT! The grounds were clean and beautiful...give it a few more years and it will be very lush. The entertainment was spectacular. Different theme nights...White Party was our FAV! Livi was awesome and taught us all some moves! The service was great...Waldo & Branley took good care of us! Food was excellent, something for absolutely everyone! Rooms were very spacious, modern, and clean!

Melia Marina Varadero: Practical & safe

I stayed in the apartments, a few minutes walk away from the main hotel. I would recommend this hotel if you don't mind walking around a bit to get to the beach, shops, & restaurants. It'a a great way to save money as you can buy an all inclusive day pass here and there, but not necessarily the whole trip!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Great Resort - Some Issues

The resort was beautiful and clean; however, some issues were noticible. The resort itself was clean and cleaning staff very friendly. The beach had quite a bit of seaweed and was not cleaned up all week. Sometimes there was quite a wait for service at the lobby bar and the entertainment area. Food in the a la carte restaurants was good, but the buffet was adequate (we had been informed of thie and so not surprised about this). Had some issues with excursions. For example, we were told [... read more] there were two shopping malls within close distance, one of which was within walking distance at a sister resort of Papadisus (Melia resort). We walked to the mall and made one purchases and was about to make another purchase when we were informed by security guards that only people staying at this resort could shop there and asked everyone who were not staying at the resort to leave. We returned to our resort informed our Sunwing representative and were told a story that we simply were in the wrong area of the resort. However, there were other people who were browsing at other stores and we were all told to leave. Sunwing reps should be aware of this. Another issue involved an excursion to Havana. We were told to take our own toilet paper because the washrooms didn't have toilet paper. This is not unusual at many places however, it didn't help to bring toilet paper because at each place there were people guarding the washrooms and we had to pay in order to use. Although we are familiar with this practice, we were not informed of this and to tell us to bring our own toilet paper was not helpful at all because once we paid, the attendant gave us toilet paper as we entered the washrooms. The tipping on the excursion was very aggressive and although we expected this when we were on our own, the Sunwing representative should have advised us how aggressive this practice was going to be. For example at our lunch, which was part of the excursion, after the musicians finished their set, they came to each table to either sell their CD or give a tip - the basket was passed to each person directly and after this, the wait staff came with a notice for each patron asking for a tip (not complaining about the tip, just how aggressive it was and the dual tip expectation). At the museum, which was another part of the tour, the museum attendants were extremely agressive. We had been warned in advance by our bus driver that if they took our picture or anything, they would expect a tip, however, the attendants immediately approached us and kept insisting they take our picture. I said no problem and then gave the attendant a tip - amazingly she then wanted more - said it wasn't enough. There was also another young couple with us and the attendant actually chased them around asking them for more money. It appears that Cuba is changing significantly. Overall, other than the fact that beach was not cleaned up all week, the resort was very good. The room attendants are amazing and are very friendly, as were the severs at the restaurants. I believe the issues we experienced could have been minimized if our Sunwing representatives had been up front about what to expect. Also, the matter of being asked to leave the sister resort by security guards was very upsetting.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Not at 5 star!!!

First of all, this hotel is rated as a 5 star and sunwing markets it as a 5 star but it is at most a 4 star. If you want a 5 star resort then do not expect it from this resort. I'll comment in order of star ratings below: Beach/Pools - the beach is nice and there is a long stretch that you can walk but it is not as nice as Punta Cana in Dominican. Lots of shells that hurt the feet when walking and rough water often.There more than enough chairs and huts on the beach at the resort thou [... read more]gh, never an issue getting one. The one pool was nice and kept clean however not always easy to find shade especially at the bar there was no shade at all. Service - This was hit or miss. There were terrible servers and then there were great servers. If you have prepared to give big tips then you will likely get average or slightly above service, if not then don't expect much. Food - below average. The buffet was ok but the same almost everyday, food prep and meat handling very poor. Usually flies in the main buffet room that drove you crazy while eating. I could usually find something to eat all meals but my spouse could not always and would end up eating bread and/or pizza. The a la cartes were a huge disappointment. One of the benefits we thought of the resort was unlimited a la cartes. When we went to book there were few opening because you could book the entire week at a time so all good times were taken, in addition, we were only given 4 options of a la cartes when there was at least 5 restaurants. We went to the Japanese restaurant first, the food was ok but the show was the worst I've been to in the Caribbean (been to numerous previous - Punta Cana 4 times, Jamaica - 1, Varadro - 1). Next night was the Italian and it was terrible. The service wasn't good and the food awful. The reusable place mats were stained and filthy and the restaurant was dirty. After this we decided to not go to the remaining a la cartes and instead suffered at the buffet. Room - the room was ok but dated (as the rest of the resort). There bugs in the bathroom which is not uncommon. The room needed some cosmetic repairs (tile grout missing and Paint). We did get used towels a couple days and one day the mini bar was not restocked and had to call front desk, after which It was promptly restocked. Value - this is poor value for the money. We paid for and expected a 5 star resort but received at best a 4 star, my spouse says a 3.5 star. Location - It is a touristy area like all resorts in Caribbean however I felt a little more comfortable off the resort as compared to Dominican and Jamaica. About 30 min drive to the airport. Overall rating is between 3.5 and 4 star.

Melia Jardines del Rey: I give this resort 2 thumbs up

We enjoyed everything about this resort from the staff, to the food, to the rooms, the entertainment, the grounds etc . The pools were kept nice and the beach was beautiful. I highly recommend this resort . It's only 20 minutes from the airport. Thank you to our rep Cassandra who recommend we go there .