Hotel Camino del Mar: Great resort!

great resort with fantastic staff. The resort is a bit older but who cares, you're on vacation. Stayed in the Elegence club room which gave us a few extra perks. There is no free wifi. Will def go back!

Melia Marina Varadero: Wonderful Vacation

This hotel had all the amenities to make our stay comfortable and relaxing. The hotel and the room were clean and there was a fantastic selection of food. We upgraded to the level which gave us access to a private restaurant where we had made to order breakfast each morning (eggs, bacon, hash browns as well as a buffet with fruit, yogurt and an assortment of breads and pastries). We visited the 5 alacarte restaurants and were pleased with the quality of food. Our favourite was the Italian. We ar [... read more]e beach people and enjoyed our time on the beach. There are plenty of chairs and shaded areas and we never had any problems getting one, however we are early risers. Overall we had a fantastic vacation and would definitely go back to the Melia Marina.

Melia Marina Varadero: very nice resort

THE FOOD AT A LA CARTE RESTAURENT, WAS VERY GOOD AND VERY WLL PRESENTED. AT THE BUFFET SOME NIGHT YOU HAVE TO BE SELECTIF WHAT YOU WANTED TO EAT ( SOME DISH DID NOT HAVE TAG ) THE BEACH WAS DISAPPONTING BECAUSE WE ARE BEACH PEOPLE. THE POOL COULD USE A SCRUBBING IN THE JOINT MOTAR ,YOU SEE GREEN MOLD . THE APPLIANCE ( COFFE MACHINE DID NOT WORK GOOD , TOOK A LONG TIME TO BREW THE COFFEE ). THE INTERNET DID NOT WORK MOST OF THE TIME . BUT THE STAFF VERY NICE AND FRENDLY.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Good resort

This resort is clean, lots of room for sitting and socializing. The rooms are spacious and clean. The only thing is make sure you pack your off spray as we were eaten alive by mosquitoes inside the rooms and outside. The alla carte restaurants are real treats ( we tried the French, Cuban, and the seafood and they were all great). The beach was outstanding with white sand and clean azure water. We always had our breakfast in the main buffet area (beside the lobby). We were told that there's also  [... read more]an another buffet by the beach for breakfast. The last day we went there for a change, but we were disappointed as it was closed without any sign or notification. Overall, it was a nice stay, except, we tried to contact Sunwing to locate our chargers ( for iPad, camera, tablet, and cellphone) we left in our room, but we couldn't get hold of anyone. We were given an email address of the rep in the resort but no answer!

Melia Buenavista: Amazing beach !

This was our first and probably last trip to Cuba. We knew going in not to expect too much from the food but it was not good at all. The best food at the resort is the pizza and hot dogs at the pool snack bar. The variety of food at the two onsite restaurants was very poor. We even went to the other two Melia resorts for dinner hoping they would be better unfortunately they were no better. On a positive the staff are amazing and go above and beyond to make sure you have a wonderful stay. The poo [... read more]ls are immaculate and the grounds are lovely and we kept. The room was very nice and clean and well maintained. The outdoor shower was great and always had lots of hot water. My only complaint about the room was the bed it was like a concrete block and by day 3 my back was seized up and quite painful. My husband had discomfort as well and neither of us have back problems. The highlight for us were the beaches. The water was incredible and the best part of the vacation. Sadly I would say we won't be returning to Cuba as we felt this was a lot of money for what we got. We went to St Lucia same time last year for the same amount and it was a far superior resort. In closing it's not the resorts fault it's what they have to work with but there's so much room for potential it's a shame.

Melia Las Dunas: Good resort

The beach was narrower than expected and it was difficult to find chairs, but chairs at the pool were always available. Rooms were large and the hot water plentiful. Line ups were long at the buffet. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Nice Resort

The Resort was a Nice Resort in comparison to other resorts I have stayed at as far as star ratings. The A La Cartes that we went to were as follows: Cuban - would not recommend Seafood - would not recommend Italian - would recommend The beach was nice but the sand is a little course. Lots of sharp shells. The pool area was nice, no problems finding chairs. Rooms were clean and the fridge was always stocked daily. Grounds were well maintained and kept clean. Pu [... read more]blic washroom - some didn't have toilet tissue especially in the evenings. Variety of drinks and Mamossa's in the lobby every morning. Food - Food was good and has improved in Cuba over the years. Always found something, never a problem.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: outstanding resort

As usual everything was extremely in wonderful experience. It always a pleasure going to Princess Paradis Del Mar. We both consider it a home away from home. Everybody who works there treat us like there own and go out of there way to please us and make sure that everything is up to par. From the time we grt off the bus to the minute we leave. The one thing that we notice is how they remember us right down to what we drink. We don't even have to ask they know exactly what we want. This is j [... read more]ust wonderful . Can't wait for the year to go by so we can all meet our new found friends who we ourselves consider to be our family.

Hotel Vigia: THIS PLACE IS THE BEST!!!

We were looking for the ideal resort at the best possible price for a March Break escape for a weather-weary Maritime Canadian family group of eight with a 'kids are free' room price deal at a decent place. We found the perfect place at Sol Cayo Guillermo. Having been to Cuba (Cayo Coco) close to 10 times, I made the decision to return yet again to this beautiful country. Why? It is CHEAP and SAFE, period. We had small kids with us. The rooms were clean with never an issue with the t [... read more]hree common issues in Cuba: availability of toilet paper, clean towels and water bottles. This is somewhat of a rarity in Cuba; even in supposed "5 star" Cuban resorts (whatever that means because I've found it means very little), water, tp and/or fresh towels seems to always be an issue. These are all first world problems in any event but I never cease to be amazed at how upset people get....reallllly? Sure some of the mechanicals were a bit "broken" like our leaky sink and it was a bit sewage stinky in some spots, but that's common in Cuba. The shower (solar power units on the roofs), AC (brand new Westinghouse units that worked perfectly) and toilet worked well and that's really all that matters. How much time do you spend in your room in paradise anyway?? The resort was a tad run down and tired-looking around the edges but supposedly they are completely re-doing it in the near future. Long and short, whoever runs the Sol Cayo Guillermo does a really good job, better than most resorts in Cayo Coco and surrounding area. The food was fine, bland but fine. Hey it's not the chemical-laced stuff you get elsewhere but it's Cuban and healthy. This is likely why they're not obese. I am fine with wonderful stir-fried chicken, pork and Cuban rice with black beans. The pasta bar was excellent, custom-making your sauce while you wait. The omelets were fabulous and if you get there early enough to beat the line-ups, you get fast, hot yummy food. We all enjoyed it and the ice cream was fab for the little ones. The coffee is wonderful and they had fresh fruit and bananaramas made with real bananas! Crystal and Buccanaro beer is really good too! The staff were excellent, helpful and polite. Because it's an older resort, a lot of the staff were older too, not just a bunch of kids, making such a difference. The coffee ladies Anita and the other lady were fabulous as was the guy at the snack bar; the guy with the beautiful eyes making really good ham and cheese sandwiches and custom-made pizzas all day. Carlos and Jose at the Cubanita bar where the Brits hang out were just the best!!!! Your drink never sits empty with those guys. What a great place to sit, drink and laugh and compare cultures right beside the beach. The entertainment, including kids' show, were wonderful. The kiddie club lady, Vary I think her name was, was just the BEST. My granddaughters loved her and couldn't wait to hang out with her. They had the time of their lives playing with other kids running free and safe all day. They did mini cooking and serving water to people and a fashion show and all sorts of fun activities giving their parents a complete break by the pool. This is a great place for young kids. The beaches down at the Cayo Guillermo end are amazing, simply amazing, pretty much perfect. In fact all of the beaches on this north coast of Cuba are pretty perfect! Plenty of free snorkeling off the pier right near our resort with no shortage of awesome fish to see and pelicans to eat them or wait until you catch one whereupon they run up to you like dogs with their beaks open. Hilarious. Watch the fire coral, I got a dose of it being stupid on the reef. I'm still in bumps on my legs. Even the barracudas are cute and friendly! :) We saw dolphins on the catamaran trip and expensive as it was, it was so worth it. Tarzan and Didi, the two crewmen were very professional! Long and short this is the best stay I have had in my many years visiting Cuba. The entire family, all my children and grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed themselves. You are only a half hour or so from the airport and there is a 5 c.u.c. good for the whole day bus that takes you up and down the strip every hour. If you like partying and people and lots of shopping and markets and city life, this area may not be for you but if you like gorgeous clean beaches, diving, peace and quiet in the sun, and great resorts only a few hours from home, this is the place. Well done again, Cayo Coco/Guillermo! I will be back.

Melia Las Dunas: Good resort

The grounds were clean, the dining was good there was something for everyone. The rooms were dated, the beds lumpy. The staff were friendly, the beach was perfect, beautiful, clear water, very enjoyable. Could of used more information from the tour group.

Sol Palmeras: Perfect Family Resort

We had 15 family members (4 children 11 adults) for 1 week. We rented 3 bungalows for ourselves and 2 families with kids, and the rest stayed in the main hotel. I would highly recommend the bungalows in the 516 series. We had our own bar & grill, 5 or 6 cabanas, 2 hot tubs and a message table to schedule a masseuse. It was quiet and relaxing. We enjoyed the food at both the buffet and the a-la-carte restaurants. The Pool attendants were great with the kids activities (our granddaughters [... read more] were 9, 6, 6 & 5). Even our adult children had fun in the pool. The Beach was great with lots of beach chairs and shaded areas.

Melia Las Dunas: Fabulous Beach

The beach was awesome; the grounds very nice with nightly entertainment. Well lite at night. Rooms and the cleanliness not so great. If you are looking for beach and the room is less important - then this is the place for you.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Good value-Good times

Really enjoyed this resort. Rooms were modern and clean Beach was amazing Pools very nice Service was good Nice extras-Churros, Frites, Chicken Wings, Specialty drink stations Buffet was average, Grill stations worth the wait

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: A great resort with amazing staff

Our 10 day stay at Luna Mares was amazing. Our room was adequate, nothing fancy but had all we needed. Even though we paid for a standard room we had a breathtaking view of the ocean. We tried all the a la carte dinners and they were fantastic. The buffet restaurant was poorly organized which lead to long line ups but they had lots to offer. We enjoyed an a la carte breakfast with a view of the ocean every morning. The beach is not very long but great clear water with no rocks. The staff  [... read more]of this hotel is what makes it so special. They genuinely care about their guests and although it is not a 5 star resort, you certainly get 5 star service.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: 3 out of 5

Not terrible. Food was good. Service was so so. Have to tip to receive adequate service. Beach was gorgeous. Weather was perfect. Resort was dated but mostly clean. Big problems with water pressure. Excursion in the mountains was the highlight.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Happy and Disappointed - S Trip Ruined the End

Just came back from Melia Cayo Santa Maria! Flew with Sunwing Airlines. Stayed 03/06/17 to 03/13/17. To sum it up the resort was OK - not the best but not the worst I have been to. But honestly, to be able to enjoy a week's worth of sunshine and drinks at the beach in the middle of a Canadian Winter, this place was great. With that said, here is my 2 cents about my stay and impression of this resort. The Good: 1. Staff: The staff (including servers, bartenders, front desk, ground keepers, [... read more] entertainment staff, and chambermaids) were all very friendly for the most part. All the staff said hola or hello when they walked by. 2. Cleanliness: The grounds were well maintained and were clean. Lots of lush vegetation and the beach was beautiful. The rooms were cleaned every day and I never came back from a day at the beach/pool to a dirty room. Yes, the room did appear dated but it had its Cuban charm. 3. Food: Let's be honest...nobody goes to Cuba for the food. But that being said, the food was very good at this resort. The lunch beach side grill restaurant was 10/10 (You HAVE to try the grilled chicken and sausages).The buffet offered a very good selection and variety of food items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The a la carte restaurants for the most part were great. We were lucky enough to try 3 out of 4 restaurants (Japanese, Italian and French). We had a very fun teppanyaki chef at the Japanese restaurant. The food at the Japanese and Italian restaurants were great. Definitely try the deep fried cheese at the Italian restaurant. As for the French restaurant, stay away from the lobster bisque and lobster entree. No amount of salt/pepper could have saved those lobster dishes (this was seen with many of the people who ordered the bisque and lobster). But I was impressed that a lobster entree was offered for no additional cost. 4. Transfer from airport to resort/Sunwing Nexus rep: The bus transfers were well organized. I never felt confused as to what was happening or how I was going to get to and from the airport. The Nexus rep (ODaisy) was very knowledgeable and kind. She is at the front lobby everyday from 14:30 to 16:30. So definitely go find her for all your questions. Also based on the geography of this resort, I wanted to point out that the bus ride from the airport to the resort is about 90 mins each way. If you have motion sickness...you have been warned! 5. Entertainment: Definitely a quieter resort (which I wanted). There was aqua fitness at the pool in the afternoons, daily evening live bands at the lobby bar, and a dance or show every night at 21:30 (usually for about 45 mins). Overall well organized activities. The Bad: 1. Tipping/Gifts: For the most part, staff were very grateful for tips. However I did notice on a few occasions that if my tip was less than $5 CDN, staff wouldn't even bat an eye. What did upset me though was one occasion where I saw a resort guest bring presents/gifts to the staff at the snack bar, and it appeared once the guest left the area, the staff were making fun of the quality of the presents (in front of all the snack bar patrons)...found that to be quite disrespectful. The gifts were by no means cheap either (sunglasses, baseball jerseys etc). 2. Maintenance/Water Pressure: The buildings at the resort are starting to show its age. Exterior walls are peeling off, room curtains were dangling by a thread etc. But we went to Cuba to enjoy the sunshine and good weather...you could have put me in a mud hut and it would still beat the brutal Canadian cold/snow. We also noticed some issues with water pressure. The water essentially trickled out of the faucets. Hot water is hit and miss. But apparently this is an ongoing issue among all the resorts in Cayo Santa Maria. We met a family staying at a neighbouring resort and they did not have water in the showers for 2 days. 3. As another reviewer mentioned, S Trippers and March break party groups began to arrive the Friday. The groups were loud (but what did you expect with unsupervised high school students with access to alcohol). Loud parties in the rooms were heard. Drinks were spilled on walk ways etc. 6. The biggest disappointment was that this trip was supposed to be our honeymoon. We are a low key couple but did appreciate the fact that there would be additional incentives as a newlywed couple visiting the resort. Well...not the case when we arrived at the resort. The reception staff claimed they did not receive a copy of our marriage certificate and/or indication that this trip was our honeymoon. In fact staff was rather rude when we inquired further about the mix up. Our travel agent in Canada had photocopied and faxed our marriage certificate to the Melia, and indicated on the booking confirmation form about the request. We decided to just let it go and enjoyed the resort as regular patrons - fine by me and to be honest, we kind of expected a slip up with this. Overall my resort stay was a 3 out of 5. I was pleased with the stay, and would recommend this resort to those seeking a quiet retreat (outside of the March Break time frame).

Melia Las Dunas: Amazing Resort

The grounds, the landscape, the architecture exceeded my expectations, it is a very beautiful resort. Well, this is my second time to the Caribbean, so I do not have much to compara against; however, I don't see why this place would not meet anybody's standards. The food was good, if one know what to choose. I chose to stick with fresh fruits and vegetables, some of the vegetables are unbelievably fresh and wholly organic. That was a treat for me, to eat some truly organic squash, asparagus,  [... read more]hearts of palm, oranges, papayas, bananas etc. The drinks are a little washed down, the ice creams are ok, but the local salad dressings are amazing (all home made with fresh herbs). The only concern I have is the public washrooms. The resort has to up its maintenance of the washrooms since in many occasions they lacked soap, soap dispensers and toilet paper. They also didn't keep up with the cleanliness of the washrooms. In the evenings some of the public washrooms' baskets were overflowing with used toilet paper. They definitely could and should do a better job there. It is a public safety issue!! The other issue I found, is that one day they did not have running water and I was afraid that could have caused widespread infectious diseases. I understood that that was not the first time that the resort was out of water, it had happened once before during the previous week. On the service side, people are warm, friendly and genuine. They made an impression in my 12 year old. Atmosphere and entertainment are great too. I wish the resort would have an ocean view, that was a big miss. At night, I felt I walking around a country club, not a beach resort because the resort is surrounded by foliage, it is a provincial park after all. Other than that, great experience and I recommend the resort to anyone.

Hotel Camino del Mar: Not bad, not amazing at

My boyfriend and I went for a 7 day trip to this hotel. We upgraded to the elegance club which I think the only differences is the towels for poolside. Our room was good, although we over heard many other people being very disappointed. Our maid Lilly was amazing! Lots of clean towels everyday and drinks in fridge. Air conditioning in room was working well! The service was very disappointing and we aren't unreasonable people. Near the end of our stay the service got much better after several com [... read more]ments by guest. Food was the best part! I was set up for bad food, but it wasn't! It was great! There we other disappointments but I'm not one to complain. If you are there for swimming, beach and relaxation then this hotel will be great!

Melia Marina Varadero: Wonderful Resort

Friendly staff, clean, well kept grounds. The A la carte meals were well done. The buffet was not horrible (but as usual it's cafeteria style so don't be a picky/entitled tool expecting Gordon Ramsay made meals every night). Easy to get around and great beach with a few small reefs and areas to see tropical fish while snorkeling if it's calm enough winds. Nice gyms and a cool spa (Added cost for the spa even with all inclusive). Overall, I'm not a picky person, so it takes a lot for me to ha [... read more]te any experience like this. I would visit this resort again.

Melia Las Americas: OUR SECOND STAY AT MELIA LAS AMERICAS IN VARADERO

We stayed at Melia las Americas last December and we were so impressed that we decided go back on Feb 26 for 2 weeks. It was nice to meet again our favorite: the professional pianist Lilia, in the lobby most of the evenings. We bough her CD last time that we played at home, and it was a real pleasure to share her wonderful artistry. The operatic singers “ A Tempo Classico “, singing in the lobby were again outstanding. We had a Non smoking bungalow close to the pool and beach. and  [... read more] were surprised to find a big ashtray in the living room. We believe that all the rooms should be Non smoking. We found the beds to be very hard, even with additional toppers that the hotel provided. The lower of the 2 Bungalows swimming pools is very slippery and does not have a hand rail. During the 4 days of high waves, the tombonas /beach beds were removed from the lower beach area and never put back when the weather got nicer. We had to carry one down to the beach ourselves as we could never see any staff looking after them. Next beach at Melia Varadero, many tombonas were available on both levels of the beach.. Our favorite singers at the bar La Cascada were Bianka and Giancarlo . We were dancing 4 times a week while they were singing a great variety of songs. The other nights 2 different groups were singing at La Cascada, both with extremely, extremely loud music that made us leave the room immediately. We even asked Las Esmeraldas group to lower the sound on 2 different evenings but they ignored us and we left. We had dinner at the International restaurant Arcada. The quartet played remarkably well. The person who seated us was arrogant, which diminished our enjoyment. We had wonderful waiters at the Buffet restaurant, in order of excellence : Katy, Emilito, Valdin, Mercy, Marlon, Betty (Beatriz), Dany, Sussi, Maybeline L, Aurorita. The food was good to very good in the evenings. Our friendly chambermaid, Yalamara, kept our bungalow spotless. Just outside the lobby, there is a smoking seating area with tables and chairs with the most magnificent view of the beach, garden, etc. Being allergic to second hand smoke, we did not have the pleasure to enjoy it. The general manager, Bernard is very friendly and was greeting and talking to most of the guests. Melia las Americas is a beautiful resort. It has a breathtaking golf course. We do not golf, but enjoyed walking around it. We enjoyed the nice weather, swimming in the ocean and in the pool. Most of the staff are friendly. The gym is well equipped. By the way, we did not encounter any mosquitoes. Yes, we will return.