Melia Cayo Coco: The best of cayo coco

Melia cayo coco is always the best the most fun and have the best staff I have ever met. Because of this I will always return many times through the year. The afternoons with the band and dancing are so much fun I literally stay for hours to enjoy with all of them. Can’t wait to go back in June to see everyone again. Much love to the melia staff. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🤗🤗🤗

Melia Buenavista: Relaxing Vacation - Amazing Staff

This was our second visit to the MBV. We were here last year and are so glad we chose to return to this beautiful resort. It is small, intimate and we felt as if we were coming 'home'. We arrived quite late but were checked in quickly and delivered to our room in no time. The grill by the pool is open at all hours so we were able to enjoy a snack after our long day of travel .. they offer pizzas burgers hot dogs and other items depending on the day (chicken wings paella etc). Food overall was be [... read more]tter than last year, did not notice any shortages except no beef (not an issue for me).. breakfasts were to made to order and always hot and delicious. Sit down lunch included fish chicken pork and pasta options .. complemented by some standard offerings at the buffet, salad fruit cold cuts cheese etc service was always prompt and we really enjoyed the variety. Dinner at the 2 a la cartes was good although a bit repetitive. Hubby enjoyed the lobster and pasta was always delicious. Soups always delicious. Noticed this year quality and variety of desserts was better as well as breads/buns. No mangos yet as too early but we did find the usual selection of pineapple guava papaya etc along with resh juices, bananas a few mornings. Coffees and drinks were amazing enjoyed the red wine at Navigantes and the rose from Spain was nice. Ask Lestor at the pool bar for one if his world famous mojitos! Butlers were quick to take care of any requests and can book dinner at restaurants at the sister properties. Shuttles run regularly between the other Melia resorts see schedule at front desk. We enjoyed having access to the 3 beaches, each with it's own unique character. Enjoyed yoga each morning with Navi by the sunset beach as well as Tai Chi. Our last day on the main beach was heavenly no wind calm only a handful of people, felt like our own private paradise. Overall a very relaxing vacation. Not a party resort, very relaxing, enjoyed the sunsets with glass of wine and music. Evenings pretty low key, ask staff if there is a show as not highly publicized. Note do bring insect repellant, we did get bites. We met some lovely people during our stay and were treated very well by staff. Would highly recommend and hope to return!

Grand Memories Varadero: The scoop on the Grand memories

Well the trip overall would be a 3 star group we’re good minus the sewage issue and backpacking ng up around the main pool bar not into the the pool. The better pool for us was the one by the disco or bungalow 10. The food shortage was so so buffet was weak but there were 2 days was ok. Pro tip breakfast skip the buffet goto snack bar for omelets or bacon and egg had all days except 1. Last day the water was shut off for repairs but was back up that night. Room were hot and miss we lucked out [... read more] with pretty good room needed some tlc which most do but some were awful. Seemed like a lot on bottom floor were musty and more isssues Lobby bar only had 2 staff so took awhile for drinks. I wouldn’t upgrade to support room again or do the diamond club no difference and the same service and they gave you top shelf alcohol suvh as absolute vodka and Jamisons. Again ground were great no bugs at all. Service was so so but to be expected with a bigger resort. Shows sound was too loud and tried hard but I seen much better.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Family Friendly

Beautiful beach, friendly staff and family friendly layout. A good fit for travelling with young children. The nightlife can be loud so may not be ideal for light sleepers. The food was ok overall but the buffet was small and the lines for fresh grilled meat and eggs was long at times. The variety of food was limited but we always found something to eat (even for our three year old). Would return with our children again.

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Good resort

Amazing beach Staff very welcoming and helpful . Hard to have rooms close to the people you book with. Restaurants accommodating for celiac people . Air conditioning not working in our room. Buffet not a lot of seafood ( mussels only one day +fish one day ).

Melia Las Americas: Nice resort

Great time overall. Service was exceptional and staff always helpful. Food was very decent for a Cuba resort, couple of times they ran out of condiments but had them back the following day. Drinks were good, but some of the bars didn't have juices for slushie drinks. No tomato juice was available when we were there

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Disappointed

The main hotel lobby, dining areas, bar and entertainment area were esthetically superb. The pools, lounges, pool beds and pool bar were wonderful. The pier at the beach was well done. The tiny sand entrance to the ocean water was not sufficient. To have to go so far to get to the main beach was ridiculous. The snack shack had extremely poor service. Accommodations were poor. At first we were in building 01 which was too far for me, my daughter and granddaughters to go back and forth to the  [... read more]the main buildings and pools. There was no running water in my room. The toilet was disgusting- plugged with you know what. I asked to be moved to a room closer to the main area and with running water. This happened the next day at 6 pm. Very bad to lose a whole day. Compensation required. The new rooms were very nice- spacious and clean. They didn't have amenities such as shampoo and soap. Tripcentral would have known this beforehand and could have let me know so that I could have brought a bar of soap. Poor. An all inclusive 5 star hotel should have had a minibar stocked with water, pop and beer. This one had nothing. There was one bottle of water in the room and when that was gone I had to go all the way to the lobby bar to get a glass of water. They didn't give out bottles of water. Poor. The food was terrible and I'm not a fussy eater. Example- the bacon was basically raw and if you wanted it cooked you had to get in line at the omelet station. The main buffet area was nice but it was filled with flies. You had to constantly swat them off your food and that was a losing battle. I've never had to deal with this before anywhere else. The long lineups at the lobby bar were too much. One bartender most of the time and people ordering specialized coffees and specialized cocktails which take prep time. Sad and frustrating. The hotel staff were very nice. The desk people worked very hard trying to deal with everything and I give them a lot of credit. Generally speaking the resort wasn't ready to be open and this should have been communicated. There is no way I received value for the amount paid. This was my first time in Cuba so my expectation level was based on Cancun and the DR. I won't be going back. Note: I am not a fussy or difficult person whose expectations are high. I am no perfectionist in any way and I have never had to write such a poor review. The airline was terrific. Very pleasant flight attendants, nice clean aircraft and flights departed and arrived right on time. Full marks to Sunwing. Eliana at TripCentral was a delight to work with. She got back very quickly several times with answers to my questions.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Definitely Going Back

First time here and definitely coming back. Hotel and facilities are in great condition. Food was plentiful and lots of choice. Beach super. Followed our favorite friend and bartender from the Colonial here. His name is Liber and works in the Lobby bar. Met some other great staff Lilli, Jordani, Eileen, Jaime at Crillo Restaurant and George & Alexandro at Italian Restaurant. Reception desk staff were super helpful as well.

Sirenis Tropical Varadero: Better than expected

Beautiful resort, unfortunately some parts are starting to be neglected/abandoned and becoming a sore to an eye. Everything else was good as long as you are not too fussy about your meals and drinks. Amazing americanos, better yet with sambucca. Oh … only the room 3222 smelled, mostly at night and they would not change it for us because they were fully booked. But if you turn the air off as we did and open the door , it is quit nice.

Sol Cayo Coco: Great vacation

The resort is still recovering from a hurricane 3 years ago and from Covid. Our room was dated but clean and although we hadn’t requested it we had a lovely ocean view and even were able to get wifi. The Buffett was fairly good though repetitive after 2 weeks! The staff in it were great and we certainly didn’t starve. There are obviously some shortages but that would be the same for any hotel. Only one a la carte which wasn’t worth the trouble! The beach is amazing and you can walk for [... read more] miles. There were always lots of sun beds available . The front desk staff were pleasant and helpful and the bar staff were also great. Whether or not I would recommend it would depend on who was asking. Some of my friends would love it and others might not!

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Wonderful new resort - Coral Level Iberostar

We stayed here for one week at beginning of April 2023. We flew out of Hamilton which was a real charm as this small airport is great and easy to get to from our home in Hamilton. Flights were good. We had a delay coming home but everything worked out fine. It's a long bus ride out to Cayo Cruz but it was at night, so we didn't mind. The airport at Cayo Coco, although a small airport, was a bit chaotic when we got through the gates at customs and 'lined up' at security to check our personal ba [... read more]gs. There didn't seem to be any way to figure out where to wait as we were all bunched up! Some people got upset that we weren't in the lineup! What lineup? The staff at the airport (at both customs and security) were more friendly and pleasant than in the past. It was a lovely new resort. The staff are all very attentive and friendly. Our room was huge! Our chambermaids (as they call them) were excellent. Betzy was the best maid! Every day we had fresh water, a fun decoration on our bed (butterflies, bows, hearts) and they were always there to help with anything we needed. We loved sitting in the Cigar Bar at night with the best bartender - Bryan! He was so friendly and great to chat with. Even though we don't smoke, we stayed there, because Bryan made us many different drinks to try! His 'Beautiful Girl' cocktails were delicious! The food was good in the buffet and in the A La Carte restaurants. Breakfast omelets and grilled cheese sandwiches on the grill were great breakfast treats! Our favourite was the banana appetizer in the Cuban Restaurant - delicious! The staff in the Lobby Bar were excellent as well, especially Diana and Michael. We loved having our cappucinos every morning there, relaxing and reading. We swapped out books in the small bookshelf in the lobby behind the Sunwing reps desk, so we didn't have to bring too many books with us. We had good pizzas one day at the Snack Bar and it was full for lunch! The staff at Customer Service were very helpful anytime we had a question or issue. Alex, our Sunwing rep was fantastic. He was always there to answer our questions and help us. We only went to the beach one day as it was pretty windy most of the time, but we saw the sun rise and it was lovely. The beach is narrow at high tide. The pools were nice. It was very hot when we were there and sunny every day! We visited the sister resort next door which is larger but we were glad to stay at the Coral Level where it was smaller and quieter. We brought many gifts for the Cuban staff and they were appreciative of everything. I brought nail polishes, lipsticks, macaroni, sandals, hair ties and ribbons, hats, candies, clothing, Tylenol and vitamins (which we gave to the doctor at the medical clinic), etc. We tipped with loonies, toonies and $1 American bills. Everything was accepted and we changed bills for change at the bar (for more tips) with them as they asked us. We met many other Canadians from across the country and that was fun! Overall we enjoyed our vacation and want to thank Kevin Dupuis at Sunwing/Trip Central for helping us plan our excellent trip!

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Great Resort

As a seasoned traveller to Cuba we knew what to expect when it came to the food and drinks. Small selection at the buffet with many ways of cooking the same foods every day but we always found something to eat and were pleasantly surprised with shrimp and lobster one day and bacon on some days. They also had all the condiments, ketchup, hot sauce and a few other options. Most drinks are Rum based and very little other options but always available along with beer and wine. Staff were always  [... read more]obliging when asked about drinks and may produce a bottle from under the bar if not on the shelf. The rooms were well maintained with comfortable beds and we had a beautiful ocean view from Building 9 .. also close to the walkway leading to the beach. The beach is excellent as is any beach in Cayo Santa Maria. However this bay which has 6 Resorts, I believe because it is calm and shallow allows for sea grass growth and lots of rocks, coral, stones in areas.. had to find the sandy areas in front of other resorts to enjoy swimming. However, snorkelling was a blast with all the fish life below and was lucky to actually encounter a stingray not far from the shore. Entertainment was fairly good considering it was non existent during the pandemic years. The Lobby was always busy with people and a good vibe, including a (fake) tattoo artist, guitarist / singer / saxophonist to sit back and enjoy the cool breezes and of a course a drink in hand ( they had a cocktail special each evening). Great pool which we stayed away from as it did get loud and noisy in the afternoons when the beaches were quite empty. ( The routine seems that people frequent the beach in the mornings and go to the pools in the afternoon). And of course, the Cuban staff.. always a joy to speak and interact with them as they try their very best to accommodate us as we try our best to give in kind what we can of our material world. As always, when asked about vacationing in Cuba, enjoy the moment of sun and brightness in this world unless you are happy with the cold overcast winter days in Canada!!

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Many returning guest hotel

My husband and I recently stayed at the Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa for 10 days and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We were given a newly renovated suite style room in block 200 which was quite nice and a short walk to the Diamond Club private beach. We did spend a little more money for the Diamond Club treatment and it was worth it. We always got loungers at the private beach, had our own butler, received a free catamaran excursion, all our à la carte reservations were given to us on our fi [... read more]rst day. Many perks!!! We always had an abundance of food and a good variety at the main buffet. The staff was always very friendly and helpful. The beach was amazing, blue, turquoise water and many miles could be walked on that beach. We enjoyed the ice cream bar and the 24hrs snack bar. There was always live music at the bars and buffet. The nightly entertainment was good. The dancers were very talented but would have been nice if there had been more variety; not only dancing every night.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: You get what you pay for...

Beach is amazing. Pools are good. Grounds are beautiful but starved for water which prevents them from being lush. Food is repetitive - you had better like pork, ham and fish as there are few if any alternatives for each meal. Eat the food that is fresh prepared for you, not the food sitting in the steam trays. The Sanctuary buffet is located outdoors and pest control is an issue on food sitting out in steam trays. Be prepared for things to be delayed and unavailable. Coffee/Cappuccino' [... read more]s are great from the lobby bar. The check in/check out desk people are hit and miss on whether they will be helpful. The expect you to deal with the butlers. The butlers .... everything is supposed to go through the butler. Ours greeted us with call me if you need anything (no phone number or how too contact), I"m not working tomorrow. No introduction to whom the Butler would be the next day, hours of operation/availability and how to contact or what their job entails. Seems like a make work job at this resort. Rooms - our first room was tired (I can accept that) with a comfortable bed. It smelled of mould. We were eventually moved when we complained of the cigarette smoke from the adjoining rooms being sucked into the air-conditioning and circulated in our room. They are non-smoking rooms. Bugs are to be expected in the tropics, very disappointed with the roach crawling up the shower wall. Our second room was clean, neat, in good repair but had the worst mattress (springs poking through when you lay on it) ever... that was not something to battle over. It's Cuba... you can't expect much is frequently heard among guests. Based on the ratings for this resort and their associated Friends of the Sanctuary group on FB, I had misaligned my expectations for how this would be in reality as it sounds really good, but comes off barely adequate.

Roc Arenas Doradas: Great location, mediocre service,

We loved the beach, pool, room stewards, and the dining room wait staff. We also like that it was a family friendly place, as we had an infant with us. The grounds were pleasant and well kept. The first room we were assigned had the electrical wires exposed, ceiling tiles hanging down, and wallpaper hanging off the walls. It was very discouraging. After bringing this to the attention of the client services manager (who was very friendly) we were granted a much nicer room with no issues. Most [... read more] of the staff were great, but a number of the bar tenders, coffee bar staff, and pool snack hut were rude and not very pleasant. The food was ok, nothing special, but a decent variety. The hours and food quality and variety of the pool snack hut was not ideal. They served unappetizing sandwiches, and even though they could serve French fries they told us on a number of days that we were too late in the day for fries, even though they would not tell us the hours when we could get fries the next day and it was still in the posted meal times. It would be easy to serve a better variety of food at the pool snack bar, such as burgers, fries, sandwiches for the posted hours. Very disappointing. Overall we had a nice experience at the resort.

Melia Internacional: Hotel Post-Covid

The resort and hotel are huge. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Due to current world affairs, Cuba is lacking in supplies. The Melia International Varadero was short on wine, both red and white, mint for mojitos and daiquiri/Pina colada juice. We were luckier than some resorts further down the beach who were lacking wine, butter, toilet paper and kleenex. The beach at the Melia is absolutely stunning, the best beach I have ever seen/been to. The pool area is lacking proper swim-up bar se [... read more]rvice and shade. But honestly, those are the only "cons" (if you can call them that) that I could find about the place.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Great Holiday!!

Nicest beach ever!!!!! Staff was very friendly, food was as expected. Highly recommend hotel and Monique at TripCentral for organizing the trip. Will recommend it to friends. If only the food was a little better it would be a 10/10

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Some Problems

The staff at the resort were fantastic. However, there were some drawbacks. The room smelled very musty, the sink and bathtub barely drained and the 110 volt outlet in the bathroom didn’t work. We asked them to fix it but they did not. Also there were cockroaches in the buffet restaurant. The food was highly repetitive. The beach was strewn with seaweed. So all in all the resort was very disappointing and we will not go back. Also the internet didn’t work well and we had to re-sign in each  [... read more]time we wanted to use it

Playa Vista Azul: Very nice

Knowing that Covid has been a problem for the past 2 1/2 years in the travel and tourism industry along with all other sectors of our economy and still not over, I prepared myself to not expect too much. So when I arrived I must say it was a very nice hotel. The service was excellent, the food was okay but not a whole lot compared to pre-pandemic times. I wasn’t starving and I can’t complain cause it’s no one’s fault. The bedroom was cleaned on time. The only issue was the toiletries wer [... read more]e minimized, but again, I understand. The beaches were beautiful. They had entertainment every night and the two shows that stood out was the Michael Jackson and Grease shows, loved it. I would have no hesitation to go again. Overall very nice

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Cuba 2023

The beach, pools were amazing! The entertainment staff was absolutely incredible. The food terrible… ran out of the basics, bread, eggs. Food not cooked. The service staff were ok but ignored people. Drinks were ok but not consistent at all. At all bars except the swim up. Bar tenders at pool swim up bar were excellent. Overall rating is a 3 but only because of the food