Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Big Warning!!!!!!

Having been to Cuba and especially to this resort numerous times since 2008 I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong! We are not just talking about some shortages but major shortage and big change in other areas too. From atmosphere to safety. While I was there, 2 couples left early due to safety issues. As always, the beach was beautiful and the pool is too. Rooms clean but no art, no love just a bare cell with 20 year old beds. I do not need bacon and eggs for breakfast, I am to [... read more]tally OK with toast, jam and coffee and fruit. But if there is no decent bread (flour shortage, no yeast) no butter, no jam, no yoghurt only fruit is watermelon and papaya, then it becomes an issue. Of course no eggs and bacon. No juice. Orange juice is Tang, the lemon juice and strawberry juice that is offered is not juice but the syrup mixture used for magaritas and strawberry magaritas. Lunch and Dinners: Next to the buffet there is only one restaurant at beach and the snackbar that doubles as Cuban restaurant sometimes and sometimes its the International restaurant. I was there for 7 day. Chicken and chicken. Fish is only Tilapi, why - there is an ocean out there. Same with the fruit, there are fruit vendors along road, but hotel only has water melon. Hamburge or hotdogs are served without condiments and bread or bun. Basically just a slice of burger with cheese and a slice of tomato. Hotdog had a big cracker that came with it. No potatoes, but mashed egg plant, mashed plantain, mashed banana, mashed pumpkin. A lot of mashed Salad bar: its defrosted vegtables and fresh cabbage but no dressing - no vinegar, no mayo etc. Hence its just dry piles of canned or previously frozen vegs. The brusselspouts were sitting there lonely the whole week. Cold brusselsprouts. Dessert station: Orange jello and mush again. Meaning there was rice pudding and choclate pudding. No pastries or lil cakes. They had something called donuts - however it was the same dense white flour dough, hard and dense, glazed with choclate or sugar. of course watermelon Atmosphere: Changed a lot too. Staff is tired and worn looking and acting. Front desk ignores customers and generally has no clue when asked a question - this is the young male staff. The older ladies were good. There were lots of American-Cubans this resulted in loud boombox music from different areas of pool. Rude and ill mannered. Lots of prostitution - young girls and old men. There were security incidences that were just scarry and people left. No police was called nor properly addressed. Water and electrical outages. Here and there for a couple of hours But also longer. Water was out one day for 12 hours during the day. Imagine the smell of the public restrooms. You werre unable to clean yourself, brush teeth or anything. I ended up getting myself a gallon of water and used it to clean myself. All in all. It was not worth the money at all. I am shocked at how much it has changed.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Cheap & great for families!

For a family of 4, we saved thousands by choosing this resort over resorts in other countries. We went into this vacation with realistic expectations. We could easily afford this vacation. We weren't sure what to expect, but our club room was flawless, the staff was lovely, the beach was on-par with Bahamas (maybe nicer) We didn't even exhaust the drink choices-- the bartender at the beach had a large, constantly changing variety of concoctions. We loved the hundreds of Canadian flags, the sn [... read more]eaky crabs, the gardeners, and the gardens. We didn't use the kids club because our kids were happy tagging along with us, and it didn't seem active. Mini disco was fun, but was repetetive, except for the foam party night, which was an epic blast! We ate pork belly and eggs every morning (it helps to tip, we may have received some special treatment) naked coleslaw, grilled fish, tough chicken, grilled cheese, hot dogs, lovely soup and plenty of fruit and fresh veg. They had lovely smoothies and excellent coffee. It was enough! You can purchase pizza off resort, but nothing is like Canada. Nothing...and that's the best part. Bottom line. Bring a bag of snacks to eat, and if you don't need them, share them! M9st packaged foods can easily be brought in your checked bag.vBring useful items, we all have things laying around that would be SO APPRECIATED by a Cuban. Happy Vacay!

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Beautiful resort

The room was perfect with little touches like an umbrella in case of rain. The beach is amazing and the staff is wonderful. The workers have smiles for everyone. The snorkeling is interesting. The pools are big enough to swim in. We will return next year.

Playa Pesquero: Amazing hotel!

Nadejda and Valeri We stayed for 2 weeks in April. This is our third trip to this hotel. I would like to thank everyone who works at this hotel, it feels like coming home. Our special thanks to housekeeper Pula: she decorated the bed for my birthday in such a way that I shed tears/building 58/ We spent all 2 weeks perfectly: wonderful service, beautiful weather, amazing ocean. In October 2023 there was not enough food, now we were never hungry, we could always choose something. There was a [... read more] lot of fruit. There were not always eggs, but without them we could choose pancakes, pasta... Thanks to the people working at the hotel, we know how difficult it is for food in Cuba now, it’s difficult to feed families, but we believe that everything will be fine after some time. After all, difficult times always pass. April 3-17.

Playa Pesquero: Impressive and welcoming

I found the resort to exceed my expectations! The cleanliness and character was impressive. The staff was beyond helpful and friendly! The pool and beach were perfection! I have only one criticism. The children’s program in the evenings was extremely loud and should begin and end earlier. Many times my group were having conversation and the volume made it difficult.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Selection Iberostar Holguin

This hotel is well maintained, clean, and modern. The staff was polite and helpful. Shoutout to the trolly drivers and the kids club workers, they were amazing. The pools and kids area were great, always lots of chairs and places to sit. The ocean was nice and clean no seaweed. Unfortunately due to shortages in Cuba the food was a major issue. There was plenty of food but not many options. Pasta, for supper and lunch everyday, rice and fish also. Not much meat, no eggs. Only watermelon for fruit [... read more] and cucumbers and tomato for veggies. By day 7 eating was a chore and not very pleasant. The snack bar ran out of everything and were serving weiners on pineapple. This wasn't the fault of the hotel of course, it really showcased the state Cuba is in with shortages. Bring salt, ketchup, and any condiments you may enjoy. The only suggestion I have for the hotel would be the entertainment. It is a very quiet hotel, the pool entertainment was water Zumba, night entertainment was the same every night, no beach party or anything like that. Overall I would say 6/10 due to food shortages and lack of entertainment.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Great staff

Really impressed with resort. Very clean and well maintained Staff constantly cleaning. Friendly service and helpful staff. Interesting games and shows. Wifi could be improved. Given the fact that this amazing country has very little food etc. The menu is always plentiful and fresh.

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Beautiful Resort

This was our eighth time visiting this resort, we were there from April 3 - 17th. Our room was nice and remodelled with a beautiful shower and the air conditioning worked very well. Food was good with only a few days without bread and eggs, we had fresh fruit every day. Every Friday is Cuban day, they roasted a pig and served it later in the afternoon. The beach is long and beautiful. There are lots of activities throughout the day and entertainment in the evenings, you will not get bored. As [... read more] always, the resort staff are amazing and the cleaning staff and gardeners keep the resort clean and beautiful, they all made our stay wonderful. We have no regrets and look forward to our next vacation to this resort.

Playa Pesquero: Great beach for sunning & walking

Cuba's greatest asset is its people, always smiling & friendly even with language limitations. Lots of places to eat but similar food choices at all locations. Even with some food shortages, impossible to go hungry... I gained 7lbs in 1 week. Room was large but no water view.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Peaceful & Good Value for the Money

Just returned from two weeks at the Aston Costa Verde as a solo traveller. The Aston is good value for the money and I would return. However, it is not for everyone. The resort is very spread out but I enjoyed the walking necessary to get around the resort. The grounds are well kept and the walkways are in good shape but you might want to have a small flashlight for safety at night as they are not well lit. I was there for two weeks and thought the food was very good. I ate terrific ome [... read more]lettes every morning and lots of fish, pasta, fresh fruit & vegetables at other meals. Yes, it was somewhat repetitious but plentiful until the last two days when supplies seemed to get short. The shortages are unpredictable and may account for the wide variety of opinions expressed about the food in other reviews. I recommend the Club option. I enjoyed the newer building away from the noise of the activities and also the quiet, air conditioned Cigar Bar most evenings before dinner. I ate at the Club restaurant a few time. It has a nice relaxing atmosphere and great service. However, the menu doesn’t change and I found more selection and variety at the buffet.  The only disappointed people I met seemed to have very unreal expectations. They had purchased a Chevy and seemed to expect a Cadillac.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: A great vacation

Had a great stay. Staff were always greeting us and helpful. Very clean and well kept. Pools were always clean and maintained. Kids area was top notch. The ladies in the kids area had a great focus on the children. As did the lifeguards. Cleaning staff kept our room clean and we always had water every day. Top stars to all the staff and managers that work hard to keep the guests happy. As has been said about all of Cuba about the food. Yes the choices are limited. This isn't the staffs fault. I [... read more] ask everyone to remember this when you visit. It was good and well prepared.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: Amazing Resort !

Kim and I arrive at the Sanctuary at Grand Memories on April 8th . We spent a week at this resort also last year in May for a week ! My husband and I love this resort . We love the staff they are so accommodating ! Our butler Was very sweet and kind ! All the staff go out of their way to help you ! I would definitely recommend this hotel ! Rooms are beautiful we had the ocean view and it was lovely ! Rooms are very clean and comfortable ! We plan on returning to the Sancaturay a [... read more]gain next year ! We did not go hungry at this resort !

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: Amazing Resort !

Kim and I arrive at the Sanctuary at Grand Memories on April 8th . We spent a week at this resort also last year in May for a week ! For my husband and I we love this resort . We love the staff they are so accommodating ! Our butler Was very sweet and kind ! All the staff go out of their way to help you ! Rooms are beautiful we had the ocean view and it was lovely ! Rooms are very clean and comfortable ! We plan on returning to the Sancaturay again next year ! We did not go hun [... read more]gry at this resort !

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Great experience!

I went in November of 2023, so things may have changed since. The beach was generally quite crowded and small, but if you're okay with walking a bit further along the beach away from the resort, it becomes significantly less crowded and is really beautiful. The sunsets from the resort are amazing too. Staff was very attentive and friendly. I actually really enjoyed the food. It's generally quite simple, but that suits my preference. Chicken and mint for mojitos(came back) were the only s [... read more]hortages I experienced but that doesn't bother me. The espressos you can get at the bars are phenomenal. Probably some of the best coffee I've ever had. Their ice cream is good quality too and if you like papaya, they had lots! The basic room is dated but spacious and clean. Cleaning staff comes in everyday. Toilet paper wasn't an issue. Water was sometimes only warm max, but really in that kind of weather I'm probably going to be fine with a cold shower anyways. The only thing that was in bad shape was the safe punch code mechanism. It did still work, which is the most important part. The grounds were well maintained. It's a fairly small but nice resort, with mostly outdoor eating and entertain(with overhead coverage). I was very happy with the value of the resort and enjoyed the trips through the surrounding countryside too. I would recommend the catamaran excursion.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: amazing resort

the service was excellent was a wonderful resort and would go back treated very good price was great could not ask for anything more overall great people were wonderful rooms very nice and big and clean

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Returning guests

4th time back, can’t wait till the Reno is done, but it did not effect the amazing atmosphere of Sol Rio, the beautiful surroundings, beach and the staff are what makes this place special and keeps us coming back.. now, to be brutally honest as I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews.. IF YOU ARE a picky eater, perhaps Cuba is not for you, but if not there’s tons of amazing food to choose from every day! Rice, pasta, chicken, pork, fish, salads and fresh fruits!! Alcohol- lots of rum, wine, mimosas, be [... read more]er, however - we did not have vodka or tequila for most of our stay. It did pop up a couple nights though. Overall if you want to have a nice relaxing vacation, this is the spot, amazing service, never crowded and a beach that is an absolute gem.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Absolutely Amazing!

This hotel was very modern and clean. Staff were friendly and helpful. The beach was great. My only issue is you have to get there by 7:30am or all of the palapas are taken. You can always get a lounger though. I also found the beach loud at times with party music and one day there was drilling as there was some construction. Food was delicious, nightly karaoke was fun. Wifi was choppy and kicked me off a lot and we couldn’t have access to it until the next morning when we arrived late at night. [... read more] The size of the resort and the lay out was good. Things were easy to find and access. Overall, it was one of the nicest resorts I’ve been to and I would definitely Go back.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Great resort

Great for families, modern rooms, beautiful beach, amazing staff , over all a great week, food was to be expected for Cuba, wish there was more fruits and vegetables, alcohol was a hit or miss, would definitely return for the value

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Great place

Awesome staff great food overall a memorable expedience Only thing I could recommend them on trying to approve on was the snack bar service was less then efficient at times However I’d definitely consider returning

Playa Costa Verde: Beautiful beach!

We really enjoyed our first trip to this resort and plan to return. The staff in buffet were friendly and provided great service. The food at the buffet was very good. We enjoyed the Italian restaurant. Lots of activities were provided by the entertainment team. The fact that so many guests return here many times tells you how good this resort is! Remember US$1 bills for tipping, don’t tip with coins. Thanks PCV for a great trip!