Sol Turquesa Beach: Beautiful but aged

We just arrived home from a 10 day trip to Memories Holguin. For the first time in 13 years of travelling 6 out of 10 days were bad weather. We had to find a spot to relax and the unfortunate part is there is no comfortable place to sit and relax. All the furniture is old and the cushions are flat and the tables are too low to play cards. The grounds are beautiful and lush and the food was OK we discovered the beach buffet and received great service with no line ups with limited food selection.  [... read more]The beds are terrible there is nothing left of them and my sister in laws mattress had the springs sticking out the side. Overall this hotel needs ALL NEW FURNITURE!

Sol Turquesa Beach: Can't walk up stairs! This resort is not for you.

Now to be perfectly clear, yes there are some 68 stairs from the bottom of the magnificent pool tiers (beach to foyer) but depending on where you are located you could avoid them. Knowing what I do now I would request a room in the 1, 2, 3 or 4 hundred series bungalows. All rooms appear to be the same but these ones were constructed earlier I was told and do not have stairs although there are slightly inclined cobblestone walkways. The 5, 6, 7 or 8 hundred series bungalows are only available via [... read more] stairs or by having a shuttle drive you to and fro around the entire resort. There is no access around the west side of the resort other than stairs. This is our second visit to this particular resort. We went before when it was the Serinus Terquesa. In my opinion it was a 4+ rating then but I would say maybe a 3+ now. As the resort ages many maintenance issues are arising. We spent the first 4 days without hot water. Others in our party had room door issues, safe doors missing, patio doors not securing, drainage issues etc. If you caught the issue soon enough and reported it directly you had a good chance of getting it repaired quickly. The front desk people seemed to try their best but language and number of staff members appeared to be a great hampering. It would seem to me that knowing there were plane loads of people coming at predetermined times the resort would supply the necessary staff to handle the confusion but alas it is not so. We had one person checking us in between a constant barrage of telephone call interruptions. The buffet was as expected from when we last visited Cuba. What food was supplied was well prepared to my way of thinking although at times you couldn't tell the difference between lunch and dinner. Fried pork chops, fried beef slices, fried fish, and paste. Breakfast was queue after queue for omelet or pancakes and toast. I never saw cereal or danishes at the buffet restaurant. I guess my biggest peeve of the holiday is when the buffet restaurant stopped the coffee and hot milk service in favor of a dispensing machine. Not only did this create an addition queue but it only served coffee as it was programmed. Black, black with half cream or all hot milk. There were no variations. As a result people were getting wise and trying all sorts of combinations like filling their cups with black coffee and then filling another with hot milk and pouring a bit of one into the other and so on. This created a mess and by the time you finally got up to the machine it could be empty or there would be no cups. It was a disaster as far as I was concerned. The beach was exquisite and always kept tidy. The bar service was very well organized. The rooms were kept very clean and tidy by the very friendly staff and the nightly entertainment was sufficient as were the excursions. "Memories"; maybe not what the resort had hopes for but would I go again? Knowing what I do know now.....yes.

Grand Memories Varadero: not 4.5 star...AT BEST a 3 star

This was a retirement gift to my self and unfortunately, it was not a great experience. We upgraded to the "Diamond Club" and we did not receive ANY of the "special" items. We did not get greeted with a cocktail or by anyone, we did not have a robe and slippers in our room, we did not have any special meal, or afternoon tea. Our room was NOT superior. We did not have priority check in or check out. When we asked to change rooms, the manager said to come down the next day and we could change room [... read more]s. We went the next day to the Diamond Club rep, her name was Yaidelys Puigpalat. She did not listen to our concerns. She said they did not have any rooms available. They had a bus load of people coming shortly and they would have to send them to another resort. Why would they book people, if there were no rooms?? This resort was understaffed in every area. Our room had may issues...toilet was broken. NO hot water, NO towels, hair dryer broke, NO mini bar what so ever, you had to hold the glass coffee up so the water would drip out. Ants. Very dirty, NO slip mat in the bath tub and for a short person, it was very difficult to get in and out of the tub and that was to take a COLD shower. Bed was hard. We reported our concerns to Jessica Alvarez and Anadna Torres at customer service and the front desk both hung up on us when we called. Very rude......There were broken handles on the dresser which made it difficult to open. The food was always cold unless you stood in line for over a half hour to an hour to have something hot cooked. We had a reservation at a restaurant for 7:30 and did not get in until 8:30. I had to stress the importance of us eating immediately as my husband is diabetic. So the waitress went and got a plate of food for us, which was COLD. The only restaurant was the GOURMET, we had fabulous service and food. The manager or a rep did not follow up with us to see if the issues were fixed. The pools looked ok, but were very cold. No one was in the pools, not even kids. They should have them heated to some degree. The beach were not clean or welcoming. The "Diamond Club" area of the beach was not monitored, lots of other guests were using that area that were not diamond club. As you can see, we had many issues and we spoke to a number of other guests to ensure that we were not the only ones. There were many other people who were not pleased with this resort. Only when I went to our Sunwing rep, did "some" of the issues get resolved. This was on our fourth day. My husband and I have been to many resorts for vacations and this is our worst experience for customer service, hospitality, friendliness, value for our money, food. I was in the customer service industry for over 30 years. We get complaints, we fall short sometimes on our service. BUT what makes the difference is the willingness to follow up and follow through on a resolution to the customers satisfaction.

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Beach area not good.

The buffet hardly has any seafood to offer, lots of fish however. A vacation resort should always have a coffee machine for cappuccino and espresso, a vending machine is no good. No snacks to be found on resort after 10.00 P,M. Steak house is an illusion, for impossible to book a seat without shelling out some big American dollars to the staff. A bag of Lays chips cost $6.00 U.S., about $10.00 Canadian WOW........ Thinking of starting my own chip selling business there. The Casino has no air con [... read more]ditioning, and toilets that look like the ones in N.Y. city subways. I almost got stuck in the bathroom. Too much H2O in the alcoholic drinks. The ice is made from tap water, therefore causing many people to be sick.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: Amazing!

The food, drinks, pool, beach (even though the water was too rough to go into), but especially the people were 5-Star! The hotel does need a little TLC, though, as water was consistently dripping from various spots in the ceiling of the lobby, and the phone in our room didn't work.

Riu Merengue: It was a nice trip!!

The hotel was kept very clean. I had been there 3 years before so I knew it was going to be a good choice. My only disappointment was not knowing that I was booking a room on the village side. I would have preferred the garden side. The maid kept out room clean and tidy, and always brought fresh towels. Only complaint would be that the pillows could be a little thicker. The entertainment got pretty repetitive on the village side, same dances and what not, but we didn't watch much as we had to p [... read more]ut our baby to bed at a decent time. The staff was incredibly friendly!!!! I can't stress enough about how amazing they all were. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to go back to this resort. The food was good for a buffet. Lunch had the most limited selection, but let me tell you, those pancakes at breakfast were always a huge hit!! Not going to lie Sunwing was a little disorganized when it came to figuring out what shuttle we were on to get to the resort, and the staff with Sunwing at POP airport weren't the greatest either. All in all, I would go back for a third time! :)

Riu Palace Punta Cana: Wonderful experience!

Riu Palace Punta Cana is a very beautiful resort. Its grounds and main lobby are fantastic. Rooms are a bit dated, but clean and nicely decorated. I would say that moldy smell can be sensed at first when one goes into the room, but it is not strong and quickly disappears once the air conditioner turned on. There is very good Internet connection in the lobby, and even at times in rooms! Mainly late at night. Staff, in general, is accommodating and polite. Food is very good. Also, this resort offe [... read more]rs very nice entertaining at night.

Riu Emerald Bay: Amazing Resort

the food was amazing service was excellent rooms were very comfy and clean a coffee machine in the rooms instead of a bar dispenser would of been better highly recommend to everyone Mazatlan is a beautiful city

Sol Turquesa Beach: Exactly as Expected

We spent some time reviewing this resort so our expectations were set. There are many stairs and the resort is large, we expected that. Not a big deal, but mind your we are people that go to the gym on a regular basis. The food was typical Cuban food. I have been to Cuba 4 times and the food here was of the best, but again it is not cruise ship dinning so don't expect that. The entertainment did exceed my expectations, there is so much talent to see but I like that sort of thing. We never had to [... read more] fight for a place around the pool. I would go back and I would recommend to my friends. We had a great time.

Riu Palace Macao: Great Resort

I have been to many resort in my travels. My thoughts are a resort is a resort there all pretty much the same, rooms,food,pool so on. But when you go back to a resort because of the SERVICE that's the different's. I have never been taken care like this EVER at any other resorts. It starts from the front desk, David Guillermo Rodriguez, Restaurant Buffet, Manuel Polanco, Noel Diaz, Luilli Argenis , Wilson Adames Suero, Vigilio Suarez Almanzar, Juan Rodriguez, Maria Santana ( Entertainment ). Thes [... read more]es are the people that made our decision to coma back this year. Will be going back next year and so looking forward to it.

Riu Santa Fe: very good last minute deal

rooms are very nice, resort is very clean, food is fantastic, drinks are quite good. entertainment is pathetic and not worth your time. walmart and costco are close but there are not any small shops close by. wouldn't recommend walking to marina as beach is steep amd sand is very soft. water taxi is a cheap alternative

Senator Puerto Plata Hotel: Fantastic Stay at Resort!

The Riu was very clean and well maintained. The staff made our stay so much more enjoyable. Whether you tip them or not, they are all doing their best to make you feel welcome. The resort connected to the beach boardwalk, and had many nice shops to stop at which was nice. Food was very decent and enjoyable for all inclusive. Would definitely book here again!

Riu Guanacaste: Love It!!

The layout of this resort is well laid out. Restaurants and Al Cartes are easy to find and are close to one another. No problem with booking a reservation. The pool has lots of space with lots of seating in the water and around the pool area. Rooms are large and clean but the beds were on the very firm side and pillows are small. The staff around the whole resort are extremely pleasant and willing to please and speak really good English. They are very helpful as well. The nightly entertainment i [... read more]s very good and the daytime pool entertainers are also. Will definitely be returning to this resort.

Riu Palace Paradise Island: nice resort

the hotel was OK not great and customer service was below average. However the food was great. the entertainment was fun the team did an amazing job. overall it was good. checking in and checking out went smoothly.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Average very old resort

Very old & tired resort. Very slow bad management, poor service from check in onwards. Sunwing should pull away from this resort chain. I would not recommend this chain or go there again. I love Cuba but would stay in Cayo Coco in the Melia chain.

Riu Guanacaste: Very nice

Grounds very well kept. Beach good use some tlc. Rooms nice. Pools lovely. Food very good with a nice selection of fruits and vegetables every day. Drinks plentiful and well made. Resort is a distance away from nearby towns. Shade plentiful, weather hot!

Riu Guanacaste: Rough Edges but Great Vacation Spot

Beautiful hotel and grounds, top notch buffet, great bars, great excursion options. Terrible a la cart restaurants, air conditioning didn't make the room dry, just cool and damp, they water the grounds with grey water which smells like feces, after hours food is awful and when it runs out you're out of luck.

Riu Palace Antillas: Beautiful People

The resort,grounds, beach area were extremely clean. The Food was Fabulous and the Staff so friendly, respectful and helpful. Long beach to walk on, lots of activities, good entertainment at night and during the day.

Riu Santa Fe: Amazing resort and experience

First off, there have been some bad reviews recently. After being here I have no idea why. So happy we went and ignored the recent bad reviews. Everything was so amazing! We're a younger couple and went for a week. This place has something for everyone. Great food at all times of the day. The buffet has a lot of options. For breakfast, lunch, and supper! Even if we couldn't book at any a la cartes, we would be happy with the buffet all week. Overall the food was delicious almost every time we a [... read more]te. The Asian a la carte was our favorite. Plenty of pools and hang out areas. We hung out at every pool different days and the beach as well. The upper area has lots of room and is a little quieter. Good for relaxing days for when you're taking it easy. The lower pools, closer to the beach, are definitely a younger crowd and more of a party atmosphere. This place has 3 swim up bars. So there's really no lack of areas to grab a drink. This is high season for them and there was a lot of people. Much more of a social environment than other resorts we've been to. Which was cool with us. There was still chairs on the beach or by the pools when we needed them. No long line ups for drinks or food. Which is impressive for such a large resort at maximum capacity. All of our service was very good. They were happy to serve us and look after us. Sometimes they were so busy there was no one to seat us at a table at the breakfast buffets. That didn't bother us. We're not so picky that we need someone to pull out our chairs and pour our coffee if they are that busy. We are capable adults. If you are that kind of person, or need them to bring your favorite drinks out to the beach for you, you should be booking at a more expensive resort or the palace next door. The whole place was kept very clean and maintained well. I noticed them painting things that I would have left longer, personally. Cleaning stuff that looked clean anyways. Well done gardening. Just an overall clean, fresh, experience. Keeping things in tip top shape all the time. Not 100%, but more than enough for us, that's for sure. There was sports and activities at different times of the day. Two places to play water volleyball and beach volley ball as well. Saw several nice weddings. Room was great! Very clean. Nice bathroom. Awesome balcony. Large bed. By chance, I think we had one of the best room views in our resort. They did a very thorough cleaning when ever we left the 'clean room please' hanger on the door. Entertainment was good. Not the best I've seen at a resort. But good enough to wander down to see the show for the night. Mostly dancing shows. Extremely talented dancing. Overall the place was amazing and we will never forget it. Most people we had talked to with a lot more resorts under their belts said this was their top choice. And we can totally see why. We will be returning later in life. With a large group of friends if we can. This ended up way more thorough than I expected. But if anyone has questions, I'd be happy to answer what I can. Thanks for the wonderful memories, Riu Santa Fe!

Riu Flamingos: Not what it should have been

Sewer back up smell In rooms (6th floor). Mattress cover in pieces (very inconfortable) Very noisy adjacent property mainly at night (south side) Few times we had to ask to have the room done before 4:00pm. (Too busy hotel or not enough employees) Same with restaurant : service very slow even when you see the employees rushing around. Dry and wet food left on supposedly clean dishes. Red flag on the beach for the 14 days stay.