Grand Memories Cayo Largo: Restfull - peaceful time

In January I like a quiet place to rest and read. I got exactly what I wanted. You can participate or not it's up to you. Very clean resort with helpful and friendly staff. More TV stations for late night viewing would be helpful. Drinks were good - coffee was excellent. There is supposed to be a children's club but did not seem to be in operation when I was there. There are many upgrades being done at this time. No noise regarding this. Great Cuba day at the pool bar and restaurant. I like that [... read more] the main buffet is not open for lunch and you have to go to the Ranchon at the beach or the pool bar and restaurant which by the why had excellent lunches with lots of choices. Went to the international a la carte and was sufficiently pleased. We will return again next January.

Memories Cayo Largo: Relaxing atmosphere at hotel

Clean resort, both in grounds and rooms. The white sand beaches are beautiful. Lots of walking to be done if you want The grills to have your meal cooked fresh were the best. Nice pools but you need to bring your own air mattresses as there are not any there to use The disco could play more Canadian / American music instead of so much Cuban music Their was no Rye in the bar but lots of other liquors to choose from

Grand Memories Cayo Largo: Home Away from Home

Bungalow: Our room was clean and well maintained. The view from our balcony was spectacular (room 3722). The resort is small enough that the rooms are close to everything (except the beach). The only drawback this year was water (or lack of) on several occasions. It was never off for great periods of time but when it was it was very inconvenient. I would recommend taking hand sanitizer with you…. Sometimes the laundry service was down because of the water issue so you may not get fresh towels  [... read more]in your room every day. There have been many improvements and upgrades in the past year and they were still working hard when we left. It appears the new management takes pride in ownership. Food: As per usual comments, remember you are in Cuba. There is plenty of food, good variety and quality. We loved the al a carte at the Ranchon! The International was good too but a little boring. Flies on the food in the snack bar really can be a problem but we went at noon when they opened, before the flies had too much of a chance to “dive in”. Staff: We have always found the staff very friendly at this resort and willing to help out. Belvina (guest services) will go out of her way to ensure your stay is the best. The entertainment staff keep things fun and on Saturday the resort hosts a “Fiesta Party” complete with a spit-roasted pig, singing, dancing and games. Beaches: Please heed the warning of your travel rep. The ocean at the resort can be dangerous. The amount of actual beach varies day by day as do the waves. Take the short trip to Playa Paraiso, it is beautiful and the waters are calm and clear. You will be glad you did. All in all we had a very relaxing 2 weeks and will be returning again next year for year number 4. 

Memories Cayo Largo: Tired!

Seventh trip to Cuba, first time visitor to Cayo Largo area. The rooms are in bad need of upgrade or repair. Being so isolated an area the food listed on the menus are not always available and lobby bar area is very small and always overcrowded. The upside is the closeness to the airport, courteous staff, and amazing beach. Can't see us returning.

Starfish Cayo Largo: Fantastic Beach

I stayed at the Pelicano from Jan 11-18, 2015. The room was very simple but clean. The beaches are incredible and are really the only reason anyone comes to Cayo Largo, since there isn't really anything else to do. The staff is friendly and service is excellent, just don't expect 5-star amenities. Food was ok, but be prepared to eat pretty much the same thing every day, and very limited fresh fruit and vegetables. But if you're ok with simple grilled meat and fish and amazing fresh baked bread w [... read more]ith cabbage and maybe some canned peas or carrots then you'll do fine. I was too busy snoozing on the beach to make a la carte reservations so didn't try them. Sol Pelicano does have the widest beach of the resorts on the island, although the Sol Cayo Largo was pretty good the week I was there. I had read that there are often high waves but I lucked out and had great swimming at the resort all week. Yellow flags for the first few days but I enjoy playing in the waves so I thought it was great. If you like doing lots of excursions and want to go dancing in the evenings then this is not the resort for you - definitely not a party place. I also wouldn't recommend it for solo travelers unless you speak French since the vast majority of guests are from Quebec, and also quite a few Italians. However, if you want a low key vacation and just want to veg out on the beach for a week then this is the perfect spot. It is also a walkers paradise - you can walk for miles along picture-perfect beaches. I did do the catamaran snorkeling excursion which was pricey ($89 CUC) but was a nice way to break up the week. I also rented a scooter which was cool to explore the island, but don't drive too fast because the roads are quite bad and my scooter broke down when I pushed it too hard.

Memories Cayo Largo: Good for adult couple

Beautiful ground, decent food and incredible beaches (including clothing optional). Night entertainment is minimal. Gym is very well equipped. Hotel beach is mostly wavy, but there are other beaches, which are calm. It takes 20-30 minutes to get there by hotel "train" or less by taxi (2 CUC per person).

Memories Cayo Largo: Nice Vacation but some changes are needed

This was our 1st time at Sol Cayo Largo, overall it was nice a resort but does need some changes to be done. Airport-It was great as the airport is only 5 minutes away from the Sol. We took a taxi to the Sol as we wanted to bypass the bus crowd. CHECKIN-Front Desk. Was fast and good It always seems to be a surprise that a plane has landed and a bus full of guests will all arrive at once. Later we found out what the hold up was--THEY WERE OVERBOOKED and sent many people to the Pelicano. This wa [... read more]s disturbing as the Pelicano is NOT the same environment or hotel as the Sol. FOOD--the Pool bar was great and the Pizzas continue to be a highlight for us. The food at El Ranchon was disappointing. The Las Trinas restaurant had better food and the service was great there. We ordered the Carribbean lobster for $20 extra each and it was worth it. The Buffet restaurant food was certainly much hit or miss as there NO EGGS for 1 1/2 days--hard to make a lot of different foods without eggs. The food that was available was good as they had grilled lobsters one night. This opinion was also shared with us by many repeat visitors. The bread and pasta they make is fantastic. Since they cater to 90% Italians we found that the Italian food was very good! Also they ran out of Mint as it had to be shipped over by the main island and we went without Mojitos for 1 day. We are in Cuba but there was no Mojitos??? They also ran out of champagne for Mimosa's one morning. We had to remember that this island had to get everything shipped over by the main island so items were not readily available like at Varadero or Santa Maria. SERVICE--the service in the Buffet was much poorer. It appears that they closed several of the work stations and doubled the number of tables the staff had to clear. Many times we had to ask for water or more wine several times. TOWELS--when we checked in they told us the towels was not available due to waiting for towels. We brought our own towels from home and used them for the beach. When beach towels were finally available they were out again a few days later. I understand equipment fails but they need to communicate to the guests and let them know what is going on instead of continually saying come back later. There was a major equipment failure and the management was not able to communicate this well to the guests. SPA-Was very good and affordable, my other half and I got a couples massage at $25 each and it was very good. GROUNDS-They need to change the net at the tennis court as it currently a volleyball net as we played tennis each day and the ball kept going through the net. BEACH--still one of the best beaches around but not swimmable as the waves are too strong. You are better off going to Paraiso or Sirenas, which are world famous. We also rented a jeep and it was worth it as we toured the whole island and found many private beach coves along the Island. ROOMS--We were told that they are trying to change the hotel to a 5 Star--No signs of that in our room. Our fan was dirty, there was no coffee maker (supplied in Oceanview Premium rooms), The rooms are tired and the bathroom floor and wall tiles have cracks in them. Some days we only got two towels. We were also told that they would be changing this to the Adults Only Resort in Cayo Largo but were not sure if this true. OVERALL- We will return unless but they need to have certain items corrected. Generally the quality of the food, even for a poor country like Cuba, was not acceptable. The staff were great and we had no problems whatsoever as the aim to please. The beaches were great and that is where we spent most of our time. We are very sorry to see this resort in a decline and hope they are able to turn it around soon. Room Tip: Oceanview rooms at the west end have a great view and are all upgraded.

Starfish Cayo Largo: We will be back

Hubby and I stayed at Sol Pelicano resort for 5 days in December. Weather was beautiful, didn't rain at all while we were there. We absolutely enjoyed spending time at the beach, amazing crystal clear turquoise water and fine white sand. We have been to Varadero but the beach will make us want to come back here again, especially Playa Paraiso and Playa Sirena. Beautiful walk along the shore from Playa Sirens to Playa Paraiso, we did it twice. Take the first free train ride to these gorgeous beac [... read more]hes if you want to spent the day there, ask reception to pack you food a day in advance and take it with when you leave. Staff was amazing, always smiling and we greatly enjoyed the night shows. Animation team works very hard to entertain guests. Our maid Leticia did a great job of cleaning our room and left some pretty towel art every day. Pizza at the pizzeria was delicious and so was the cappuccino at the lobby bar. Buffet food was good too, you won't go hungry while you're there. We would definitely go back to Sol Pelicano.

Villa Marina: rustic peaceful

Pleasant quiet resort it needs some $ supports to repair air conditioners,pool liner. despite gaps comfortable for those who like quiet basic Sunshine, beautiful sail boats that take you to the beaches.

Starfish Cayo Largo: Good Resort

Had a great stay here this Christmas. This is a nice hotel with good value.The rooms are large and clean.his is a big property with several restaurants, bar, shops, massage, swimmingpool, late night shows and so on. Personally I loved the most to lay in the hammock by the pool, or take the train (free shuffle from the hotel three times a day) to Playa Paraiso.

Starfish Cayo Largo: It just gets better every time

We travelled to Sol Pelicano from November 24 to December 8, 2014. We have been many times, very many times, so we know what to expect. First the weather was perfect, warm and sunny for the two weeks, so that makes for a great beach holiday. Cayo Largo is a beach resort. The beach right now is very wide and there are a lot of palapas for shade. The pool is good. There are lots of new chairs at the pool and at the beach. Our room was very nice, and Ada and Osmi did a wonderful job. We found the b [... read more]uffet restaurant very good. For breakfast we could always get freshly cooked food, fresh breads that we love, and great service. Victor was amazing. At lunch there was fresh fish at the beach bar and Yany and Noel make sure you have everything you need. There is also a pizza bar, and the pool bar with a menu for light lunch as well as a buffet and a barbeque to chose from. All was good and many days we could not decide where to go because everything was good. The buffet for dinner always had a specialty and there were always 2 grills where you could choose to get meat and fish cooked. And the pasta bar is always popular. The entertainment group is very enthusiastic and positive with a good show every night. There are many activities run buy the hotel staff on the beach and at the pool. If you want lots of late night nightlife you will probable be disappointed. Any problems or concerns with your room can be solved very quickly by the front desk. And Yusmila at human resources is always visible and available to help. The manager, Alejandro, is everywhere. The improvements with the facility and the happy staff have to be attributed to Alejandro. We travel many other places but we will be returning to Pelicano soon.

Memories Cayo Largo: So nice went twice!

After visiting Cuba seven times, this is the first time we have gone to the same place twice. Many of the other places we've been were great but for us this is the perfect place, very much because of what they don't have. This is a very low-key, quiet and small resort. They do have activities but compared to other resorts not a lot. We go to this spot for quiet relaxation. Fewer activities mean less pounding music to put up with (they do have some of this annoying music but it is easy to escape) [... read more] We also don't mind that they have only two a la carte restaurants - we don't go to Cuba for the food and no one should really, it is a break from our usual over-indulgence at home! We love the beach that you can walk for ages in either direction, the water which is always gorgeous, although the water right at the resort it sometimes too rough for me but there are other beautiful calm beaches that are easy to get to by a long walk or a shuttle. Bring water shoes if you want to walk really far, there are some very brief rocky sections. We love that most of the music playing around the resort is Cuban and often in-house musicians and dancers who are very good. The shows we rarely go to but the two we saw were fun, they involve the guests very much which is quite entertaining. We love the staff who are so friendly, you can't walk by one without getting a smile and a hello often asking if everything is ok. Special recognition to Nathalie who does an outstanding job with a big smile all the time. We were made to feel very welcome on our second visit, with a special check in desk, and a special dinner by the pool. Again the food is typical Cuban resort: overcooked, mostly canned fruit & veg but more than enough to keep you full and happy. Prepare for a high protein /low fiber diet, fine for one week! We were pleased to see the resort is investing in improvements around the property with some new walkways being built etc - the property is very clean and tidy at all times. The rooms are clean and tidy I recommend you take an insulated to-go cup for your drink and coffee - they use very small plastic cups for drinks which are terrible for the environment - as you will see, sadly, on the farther afield beaches, there is so much plastic washed ashore, let's each try not to contribute to that. The resort is clearly trying to be environmentally responsible, including providing a turtle refuge to make sure their eggs are protected. We were so fortunate to happen to be nearby when some turtle eggs were hatching and helped them on their journey to the water. We also saw pelicans, storks, eagles. It is a great spot for nature photographers. They will also appreciate that the resort is situated so that you get both sunrise & sunset viewing I really don’t have anything negative to say about this resort but for others it may be too quiet!

Grand Memories Cayo Largo: seen better days

We have been to Playa Blanca 3 times, previously 10 times to Sol. We chose Playa Blanca because of price. We knew food would be at best just ok, but it was less tasteful this year. The rooms are fine, clean, staff is friendly, but overall property maintenance is declining. We experienced 1 day without any water for showers etc, needless to say it was unpleasant. We strolled back to view Sol, the property and food are much better, so is the price differential worth returning to Sol...we have a ye [... read more]ar to ponder

Memories Cayo Largo: The Good, The Bad, But Not Ugly

This was our third trip to Sol Cayo Largo with the most recent being in March of this year. We have been to various destinations in Cuba 11 times over the past 12 years and Sol Cayo Largo is definitely our most favorite resort for the beauty of the island and the friendly staff. From a perspective point of view we are both in our 50’s and do not consider ourselves fussy people with any dietary restrictions. In other words we are easy going and will go with the flow of things so the little thin [... read more]gs that may bother some people will not in any way lessen our vacation experience. Vacation Date: November 17th – 24th. Weather: Sunny with scattered clouds, 80F (26C) to 90F (32C), one cool day 70 F (21C). We believe it might have rained at night a couple of times because the walkways were wet in the morning. There were a few showers on the day we left. No one can control the weather in Cuba any more than you can at home so while we had great weather at that time of the year, it is unpredictable. Arrival: BAD – A large number of travelers on our flight that were headed to the Sol took taxi’s and it appeared that the bus driver had no plan to depart from the airport until the bus was full. A flight from Toronto landed right after we did, so we sat on the bus for 60 minutes waiting for the bus to fill up and it didn’t because many of the vacationers were impatient and ended up getting off the bus and grabbing cabs. Finally someone sitting beside us went out and paid the bus driver $10.00 to leave right away (which he did). It took about 5 minutes to get to the resort. Mental note to ourselves … next time grab a cab. Check In: GOOD – As repeaters and paying for a superior ocean view room, we had a separate check-in area. Room: BAD – We had hoped to be in building 36, 37 or 38 and ended up in 37. We understand that the resort are upgrading the rooms (they need it) and our room is obviously on the list to be upgraded. We booked through TMR via Tripcentral and paid for the Premier Oceanview Room which was to include a stocked minibar upon arrival, rum bottle, beach towels in the room, bathrobe, coffee maker and other items. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and had none of the items mentioned above. Within minutes of placing a call to guest services almost everything was resolved (we never did get the coffee maker). The building was without hot water for almost 24 hours (maintenance had to repair something on the roof of the building). The patio door did not lock on our balcony and if you have someone beside you who was ambitious enough to want to steal, I can see how easy it would be for someone to climb around the lattice fence between the two rooms and pilfer items from your room. I can’t see that happening, but I guess it could. We had great neighbors during our stay so we had no worries. Kudo’s to the staff for following up after any issue that was raised. The Resort and Workers: GOOD – actually this should be an EXCELLENT. The resort is in great shape and everyone always has a smile and will do anything in their power to make your stay a pleasant one. Food: GOOD – the food is outstanding at both the a la carte restaurants and buffet restaurants. In presentations and taste. Hint… do not miss an opportunity to go to the main buffet for lunch. We went to the beach side grill daily until the second last day of our stay and regretted not doing so earlier in our vacation. Greater variety of foods and they even had ice cream. There is no way someone can tell us that they couldn’t find something to eat that would satisfy their taste buds. No See Um’s: BAD – These little tiny mosquitoes are relentless starting about 30 minutes before sundown and well into the evening. They do fog the resort but these critters are hungry. I suspect like here in Canada, the mosquitoes are bad at the beginning of summer and as the land dries up, there are fewer breeding grounds and by the time late summer rolls around there will be fewer bugs. So it is with Cayo Largo. They are coming out of their wet season so the bugs are plentiful. By next March, I suspect that they will not be as bad. Bring bug spray and some after-bite especially if you are visiting during or just after the wet season. We heard through the grapevine that they are planning to close in the main buffet dining room and add air conditioning to help eliminate the bugs and keep the vacationers cool. If true, it’s a great plan but I hope that they make the walls somewhat portable so that they can go back to the open concept during the dryer portion of the season. Overall: GOOD – We love the resort and the people and especially the beaches. We will return but I’m not sure I would book the Premier Oceanview Room next time around.

Grand Memories Cayo Largo: best beaches

The hotel was in the midst of getting a facelift as it was recently taken over by Iberostar. The pool had brand new lining and was very clean. The grounds and vegetation were being all cleaned up and the building freshly painted. The friendliest staff you could have, always smiling and at your service with a good sense of humour. Our room was very clean with comfortable beds. I loved the easy going atmosphere everywhere on the grounds and on the beach. I liked the fact that there were lots of wa [... read more]ves in those turquoise waters. There are nude beach areas if you wish and everyone is very respectful.The food was ok. I had heard such bad reviews about the food in Cuba in general but it was fine after all. Of course don't expect to go to Cuba for a gastronomic experience you go there for the sun the beach and to relax. You can always eat when you get home. But you can always find something simple and good to eat. The fresh pizzas there were great and so was the pasta and the chicken! They just don't seem to have onions nor garlic so food can seem bland.

Grand Memories Cayo Largo: Can be better

First disappointment: I requested from the travel agent to have an ocean view room. Reservation was made for an ordinary dark room. There were many ocean view rooms available. It ended costing me an additional 120 Pesos Convertibles ( 160 Canadian $ ) to upgrade to one of them. This could have been obtained with no extra charge when the booking was done as occupancy at this hotel was merely 50%.. Despite precautions, room was harbouring many noseums and mosquitoes. They were everywhere, outdoors [... read more], indoors and the worst after sunset. Everybody was covered head to toe with very itchy uncomfortable insect bites. Which meant very uncomfortable sleeps. Very overpriced tiny Insect repellant spray bottles ( bought 4 of them ) sold at the Hotel gift shop were useless. It will be helpful to advise travellers to stock on insect repellents and after-bite. This is my 3rd time in Cayo Largo and I have never experienced such swarms of flesh biting insects. The grounds are poorly maintained and badly lit. One of us fell on his way to the gym, resulting in a severe lumbar strain due to poorly lit common areas around uneven ground levels.He had to spend 2 whole days immobilized in bed and afterwards had to use a cane for the rest of the trip. None of us drinks alcohol. Food is not the greatest but this is Cuba and we accept that. Staff in general are the best feature of this hotel. They are very helpful, cheerful and exceptionally pleasant. Gym facility is very primitive and poorly equipped. Frequency of transportation to the virgin beach is very limited. We ended up taking taxis all the time.

Starfish Cayo Largo: EXCELLENT BEACHES

Excellent beaches ( short transfer by tram), food OK , staff nice-over friendly, room OK, no bananas in restaurants whole week , no coffee available after lunch in Rancheon restaurant ! Good value for the money.

Grand Memories Cayo Largo: Great time in Cuba

Nice pool and amazing beach. Rooms were nice and the food was not to bad at all but all I at was fries pasta and eggs they were awesome. I would definately go back. I think it got renovated recently too. It's was nice that it was close to the airport and the excursions

Memories Cayo Largo: great resort!

very clean, good food, nice and wide beach, white sand, resort people very friendly and helpful. You can walk kilometers on the beach, the water is not deep right at the shore, free transfer to another very beautiful and isolated beach.

Memories Cayo Largo: SUPERB AND QUIET

WE LIKE THIS RESORT FOR ITS FRIENDLY STAFF, SUPERB BEACH, AND GOOD CUBAN FOOD, WITH ITALIAN CHEF IN CHARGE OF KITCHEN. ROOMS ARE CLEAN AND GOOD MAINTAINED. A/C IN OUR ROOM WAS FIXED PROMPTLY. WE HAD TOO MANY MOSQITOES IN THE EVENING AND HORSE FLIES ON THE BEACH, BUT THERE IS NOT TOO MUCH THAT STAFF CAN DO EXCEPT SPRAYING, WHICH THEY DO EACH EVENING. TURTLES AND THEIR NESTS ARE UNIQUE. WE WOULD RECCOMEND MORE FIXED UMBRELLAS - PALAPAS, AND EVEN BIG ONES LIKE IN FRONT OF HOTEL PELICANO, ON THE BEA [... read more]CH SO WE CAN HIDE FROM THE SUN BETTER. FREE BICYCLES AND PORTABLE UMBRELLAS ARE GOOD IDEA INDEED. WE LIKED LIVE MUSIC IN THE MORNING, LUNCH AND DINNER PERFORMED BY MIRIAM AND HER BAND, THEY ARE GOOD - CORAZON LATINO. ENTERTAIMENT GROUP I GOOD TOO. MY WIFE WOULD LIKE AFTERNOON TORTAS , SWEETS- BIG CAKES, LIKE WEDDING CAKES WE HAD IN MEXICO EVERY AFTERNOON AROUND FIVE, WITH TEA OR COFFEE. THAT WOULD ADD A NICE TOUCH TO WHOLE DAY. WE KEEP COMING TO THIS RESORT BECAUSE WE FEEL TO BE A PART OF THE FAMILY. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN.