Absolute Paradise!

This was our 4th trip to Cuba and while we normally stay in 4 - 4.5 star resorts, I have to say the Paradisus was by far the nicest resort we have stayed. The accommodations were large and comfortable, the grounds were impeccably kept and the food was very good. This was by far one of the easiest and most relaxing vacations we have taken. The main beach along with the little private beaches are very nice, the spa and it's setting is truly magnificient and a must do while staying at the Paradi [... read more]sus. While we didn't do the Royal Service we heard from other guests that it is truly fantastic. Our next trip to Cuba will be back to the Paradisus and hopefully the Royal Service.

Very relazing full service resort

The renovated bathrooms were nice, overall cleanliness was great. Spa was amazing, great area to hang out for the day. the entertainment was good, always something different, The beach was nice, not quite enough shade for the number of people who wanted to be at the beach, but it always worked out somehow. The A-la carte restaurants were all very good, feel free to order double portions of Lobster! they don't blink an eye. the over all food was very good compared to other hotels in Cuba and the  [... read more]over all feel of the resort was quite relaxed. had a great time.

Incredible Resort!

We had an amazing time at Paradisus Rio De Oro. If I could, I would give it 6 stars. The service was friendly, fast and genuine. The food was delicious; the buffet had a lot of variety, we could have eaten there all week, though the a la cartes were also exquisite. The beach was perfect. We didn't spend a lot of time at the pool, but it was clean and looked very relaxing. Our room was in great shape and very comfortable. The cleaning service is very efficient. In general the resort was very quie [... read more]t, being an adult only resort, which was very nice. What I liked most about the experience was the freedom to make our day as full or as lazy as we desired. We would definitely go back and plan on it in a couple of years! Thanks very much!!

True Paradise

We loved this resort, everything was perfect, except our check out which is why I gave 4/5 stars. The food was great and the views and ocean were amazing! We spent one day at the spa, which is a splurge but also a must do! It was so beautiful and relaxing. At the spa you have a personal attendant which gets you anything you need! The next day we went horseback riding with the resort (10cuc per person) its a great excursion and really beautiful. As the ranch is very close to the resort we arrange [... read more]d a private ride the next day, which took us up into the town where the locals live and to caves and a beautiful look out. Including tip we were able to haggle it down to 50cuc (for two people). We did some other activities with the resort, like archery. But the most amazing one was the free catamaran tour. Its about 30 minutes, they take you all the way out to the shelf wall, where all the reefs drop off and its just black below. We were able to organize with our sailor to take us back out the next day for snorkeling. It was about an hour and it was spectacular, we were quoted 10cuc for the hour but we tipped him an extra 10cuc. So for two people we paid 20cuc for amazing catamaran snorkeling. This was quite the deal as while we were out there a large paid catamaran tour (about 90cuc each) came out to snorkel at the same reef! We spent a lot of time in the ocean and on horses on our trip and it was all worth it! Food: For coffee in the morning Yudith was AMAZING she always had a smile on and put down what she was doing just to make us our morning coffees, which were just incredible. Lunches we spent at the two al la cartes, the snack bar by the pool, and el patio by the ocean. El patio was beautiful and the food delcious, the snack bar was also very very yummy. For evening although we didnt love the al la cartes the Japanese was really fun and delcious as we were at a tepenyaki table! We loved the dinner buffets and we had a waiter who loved us too! The best food we had while there was room service though! Its 24hours and delicious! Entertainment was mixed some what great and wonderful where other nights were less captivating, but its what you like! Adults only= amazing, private, quiet, and you get to meet other adults and joke around with them! Most people were from Toronto too so it was like being at home but away from home! Never once do you have to not do something because there are kids doing it, its all accessible, a large adult playground! LGBT Friendly. All in all the trip was amazing the resort is beautiful and so relaxed, truly paradise. However our check out was quite confusing, after being locked out of the room an hour earlier than our late check out was scheduled we were notified we would be charged to cover the extra hour. We did not pay for this as we were promised an extra hour for our late check out. However after this happened and everything was sorted we were called to the front desk again. The house keeper reported two missing glasses ( yes the cheap ones they have all over the resort). We were shocked because those glasses had been taken out by house keeping days prior and never were replaced. The desk tried to make us pay to replace these, I went to customer service and one call to the manager of house keeping and the customer service representative told me they apologized for the hassle and that they would take care of it. The manager even said that they would tell the desk to leave us alone. The people involved at the desk and our housekeeper made it feel like they were trying to scam us, especially because the customer service really didint have to do anything to resolve the issue (as there wasnt really an issue at all). All in all an amazing vacation, a shame they left a bitter taste after what was perfection. TIPS: Make your reservations ahead of time for al la cartes by emailing the hotel. Request a second floor corner suite, less bugs, spacious and an extra window. Order room service! they bring you full bottles of wine amazing! Do the included excursions with the resort (and pay extra to do private ones with the same people you meet! Much less than through anyone else!)

Pardisus = Paradise

Everything was beautiful! Great food, great entertainment, friendly staff, beautiful beach, very relaxing! I would definitely go back again. We met many people who had stayed here multiple times. Hola!

Great resort!

Very pleased with this resort. Great service. Friendly staff. Grounds well maintained. Rooms clean and spacious. Enjoyed the food. Always lots of seating and delicious choices. Beautiful pool and great beach for walking and snorkelling. Definitely will return !

Fantastic Place

What a wonderful place to get away from it all. Staff were fantastic, the food was good and you can find your own spot at the resort to get away from others. The entertainment was live and well presented with great variety.Great place for snorkeling. I look forward to our return.

Wonderful resort

My husband booked our trip last minute for March 25-April 1. I was well ok going to Cuba food is usually an issue, but reviews were good. Upon arrival we were greeted with a cool face cloth and a cold glass of wine, very nice. Check in went smooth and we were escorted to our room, very spacious and clean. It was a short walk to the pool, the beach and the buffet areas all were clean and well maintained. The staff was amazingly friendly. On our second day because we had forgotten watches we call  [... read more]the front desk to see if they would have a clock for the room, we were told they had none, no big deal. About an hour later a knock on the door, we receive a clock radio, bingo for us. I took lots of kids clothing to give away and sneakers all were received with great appreciation, we certainly enjoyed all the staff and the lady doing Flambie was the tiniest and sweetest person ever. We met some wonderful people from Nova Scotia and Ontario who we will keep in contact with. Played pool volley ball and had water ballet and a wonderful beach party I would return to this restore in a heart beat and highly recommend it to anyone with second thought about going. The beach is perfect for snorkeling but not a great walking beach.

Relaxing Holiday

This resort was perfect for us. The rooms were clean, food was best we have ever had in Cuba. Lots of shade to enjoy the beautiful weather and the pool was beautiful. Highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a quiet getaway!

Amazing Resort

The resort was absolutely amazing. Food was fantastic, service incredible, resort was stunning - very well laid out and spacious. They even have a small reef to snorkel at (we saw many different fish including barracuda, stingrays, lionfish etc). We did not do Royal Service but heard it was amazing as well. The adults only resort is excellent and very relaxing. We couldn't have asked for a better vacation, everything was spectacular.

Perfect Spot to Chill

The beauty of this spot is that everything comes together to form a perfect vacation spot. Huge percentage of guests are repeaters - that should tell you something - some folks were there for the 15-20th time. Guest population is a little older - people under 40 seem to stand out. Lots of opportunity to party if so inclined, but lots of opportunity to chill, relax and recharge. All elements of the offering, from food, to rooms to facilities and services are excellent.

Amazing Resort

What did you think about this resort? Amazing...in everything...people are very warm and friendly, the beach and ocean view are wonderful, food exquisite, entertainment and trips so well planned, staff very professional and nice.Thank you so much, already miss the place..

Awesome Resort!

Lovely resort with beautiful beach. Very friendly, attentive staff. The food was great! The snorkeling was amazing right from the beach at the resort. The rooms were large and clean. NIce big balcony. Lots of good entertainment.

Great resort

Just visited the beautiful Paradisus in Holguin. Loved the design/layout of this resort. Very classy. Lobby bar staff in the daytime especially excellent. Warning though, this is a smoking resort!!!!!!!

Amazing

We have been to Cuba 7 times but this was by far the nicest place! The basic room was spacious and well appointed. We loved the pool- it felt like it was actually several pools. The swim up bar was a fun meeting place before dinner. The good was fabulous! It really was gourmet. We did not have one meal that wasn't thoroughly enjoyed. There were several entertainers every night. We really liked that they played American music as well as Cuban. Service was top notch. We had a coffee delivered to o [... read more]ur room at 6:00 with our wake up call and a picnic lunch to take with us since we would miss breakfast. (Ask for this if you have an early flight) We can't wait to return!!!

G

Great resort with a wonderful staff but unfortunately needs some updating! All Cuban resorts should try harder to make their electrical ie. plugs & lighting more to North American standards we should not have to bring Adapters and strain our eyes with poor lighting.Also on two separate mornings we had to clear our table to have breakfast we don't blame the staff they work with what they are supplied , it seemed they were understaffed for breakfast and under supplied for utensils and such.

Beautiful Resort.

Very clean, well kept grounds, friendly and helpful staff at all levels of the resort, restaurants & bars offer great service. Wonderful entertainment every afternoon and night. Overall a very nice experience.

Lovely Resort

As far as the food goes, the restaurants for dinner were all excellent! The buffet was fine. There was a large selection, but we pretty much stuck to eggs and toast for breakfast. I would say 60% of the people were well over 60 years old, so may not suit younger couples. Enjoyed the evenings with entertainment. Service was ok but I would not say exceptional

Amazing resort.

We visited the resort for a 2nd time Feb 2016. Our room was was very clean with an updated bathroom. The food was good however very disappointed at the lack of available reservations at the restaurants. We attempted to reserve restaurant the day we arrived and was only able to reserve at 2 restaurants at a reasonable hour. However guests arrived later in the week who had upgraded to Royal Service were offered reservations that were not available to us. The food and the staff at the buffet was go [... read more]od. I visited the Spa and had an excellent treatment.

I Love Rio de Oro

Rio de Oro has been a regular part of our vacations now for 15 years, and we spend at least a week there each year. The facility is small, and by many world standards, is not a 5 star resort. However, because of the people who works there, this resort more than compensates for any deficiencies. Since our visit last year, they have upgraded the pool and surrounding decking, as well as the pool restaurant. The rooms are now a little dated, but work is underway to renovate them. Food-wise, the buf [... read more]fet and the 4 à la carte restaurants, along with the pool and beach restaurants offer a good variety, and the pool and beach bars are very popular during the daytime. When you have lunch at the pool restaurant, Neysie and her crew will brighten your day, no matter what your mood may be. At the Beach Restaurant, Roberto, Misleydis, Yemi, and the rest of the staff are outstanding, and six days a week, the trio of Alex, Vladimir, and Manual will get your toes tapping with their repertoire of Cuban standards. Whether you are waiting to go to dinner, or after you return from your evening meal, the Lobby Bar (Palma Real) is a hive of activity. During the late afternoon and early evening, a vast assortment of talented musicians will entertain you while you sip your favourite drink. Later, around 10PM, the stage lights up with a variety of musicians, magicians, dancers, and acrobats. After the show ends, all the die-hards hang out at the bar and get involved in many deep discussions. We have formed many friendships at the Palma Real, many of whom have remained close friends for years. Most of the staff at the lobby bar have been regulars there since Rio de Oro opened in 1999, and all are true professionals. You can rely on great service wether you tip or not. If you want to sample some premium rum and cigars, flag down Alien and his cart as he passes by. If rum is your drink, a reasonable fee can get you a sip of 18 year old Vigia, 20 year old Santiago de Cuba, or 20 year Havana Club. You can light up (in an approved section of the lobby), anything from a Winston Churchill, to a Cohiba Maduro. If the main hotel is not to your liking, the Royal Service section lives up to it's name. The facilities are second to none, and the food and service is a class above. We felt more than pampered with our beautiful room equipped with a large balcony, a vast outside shower, and our very own butler to pour us a large mineral bath. If you need to spend time on the beach, the Royal Service offers its own private strip of sand, serviced with the special attention of Arnaldo and Julio at the Caleticus Bar. Overall, I would highly recommend the Rio de Oro. Many of the people we have met there are returning guests. As a matter of fact, each week, the Rio de Oro holds a special dinner for returning guests, at the beach restaurant. I have attended many of those events and, judging by the many guests in attendance, many other tourists have made this hotel their favourite destination as well.