Melia Las Americas: Great value

Hi, We went to the Sol Melia for the golfing! There was a huge group of us and we all stayed at the resort, in the hotel and in the cottages. The staff were super friendly and accommodating. There is only one elevator per wing, so get used to taking the stairs, and the first flight is a big one! I'll try to break this down into sections to see if it works: Facilities / Grounds: Much bigger than I expected, fantastic beach, pool area and the lobby is perfect size. The pool was not heated and w [... read more]as always abandoned - it looked perfect but was chilly. The beach was nicely set up with palm shades and easy access to the bar. Entertainment by the beach was good - i was told. We were always golfing! We were able to walk around, it was very nice and clean and well maintained. Cleaners were good (one day our maid forgot towels, but she apologized as she realized she forgot them when she saw us the next day). Overall a great visual, clean and pleasant facility with lots of room. Food: Always a hit and miss in Cuba - the buffet was pretty good. We found stuff we liked - panini press :-) - and stuck with it. The burritos and fresh cooked grill menu were great. The sandwiches at the club bar were great as well with passable french fries. Bring your own salt if you want some - the humidity just clogs the shakers... or you are forced to open the bottom! The a la carte was hit and miss. We had a large group so it was probably locked down - surf/turf - stay away. The japanese - is nice rice and not bad. The italian place was the best with nice thin crust pizza and good pasta. You won't starve at this place, they could have had a bit better fresh fruit, but then again, it was early January. Golf: Great little course - we played 7 days. Bring your own beer if you can, it's actually a bit pricey on the course. They charge a lot for carts but you have to use a cart as there is a lot of distance from Green to Tee. You will have fun on this course, you can score well and if you are a casual golfer it will keep you engaged. Varadero: only a 10 CUC drive away in a fun Cuban taxi - we got lucky in that we got some nice rides. The Beatles bar is fantastic, great bands and reasonable beer prices. We also went to the CAVE - but not worth the drive, and cover. Stay at Beatles. I would definitely go back to this resort if I was golfing. Otherwise I'd probably go to Melia Cayo Coco adult only - food was better and a bit smaller, more private.

Melia Las Antillas: Okay Resort if you get a good price

Food at the Buffet was very good for Cuba. Fresh, good selection. The staff at the buffet were the very best: Carlos, Thomas and Man'lin in particular. Bar service was a bit inconsistent. The Lobby bar was always very busy, bartenders were overworked and a bit cranky at times. Orlando was an exception. What a great guy! The pool bar never opened on time and had a couple good bartenders but also a couple who never cracked a smile all week . There were no washrooms near the beach, the nearest bein [... read more]g at the pool bar. The Men's room was closed and has been for quite some time so the ladies 3 stall washroom turned into a very busy washroom for both male and female at the same time. This pretty weird and put a lot of people off especially as it was the only washroom for pool, beach and Conoco restaurant. The beach itself was beautiful, plenty of chairs and had lifeguards, security and a fellow helping with chairs. The beach grill was under construction but should be operational shortly and great for beach goers (if there were a washroom) There were 3 ala carte restaurants. We found the food and service to vary widely. The Cocono was questionable food quality, cleanliness and inconsistent service. I recommend skipping that one. The Italian restaurant food had mixed reviews between excellent and awful and had poor service and the romantico restaurant had excellent food and very good service by all accounts. All 3 restaurants had excellent musicians playing live dinner music. There was a very smelly and foul looking water feature in the middle of the resort that needs to be dealt with in my opinion. Overall the property had very friendly staff (aside from a few surly bartenders) but showed signs of aging. A lot of work was being done while we were there to make improvements. Overall I would say it was on okay place with no MAJOR issues but I would return, or recommend to a friend only if it was on a bargain price.

Melia Las Dunas: Not a 4.5 star

First impression is huge to me, so when we arrived to our room to see a room that is very run down and not really clean looking that starts my vacation off with a bad taste in my mouth. The mattress was very worn and painful to sleep on. Our bedding was never changed our towels were never changed and that is disgusting to me. We didn't even get a face cloth. We had to ask for toilet paper whenever we needed it. The lounge really needs a lift. The cushions we well worn and you spend a lot of tim [... read more]e in the lounge area especially when the weather is not so nice. The beach and pool areas were amazing and that is where we chose to spend our time even though we were wrapped in our towels. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained. That's why I don't understand why they don't take such pride in the rooms and other areas of the resort. Just giving my true opinion!

Melia Las Dunas: Great room, good food, lousy samitation

I was there for 7 Jan/16 thru 21 Jan/16. I was in the Adult section in an upgraded room and I pay the single supplement as well. I room was good room-great king sized bed, nice couch, walking in closet Great maid- but I also tip 3 Cuban dollars per night The Adult pool was lovely and the snack bar off it is very good The extra restrauants are good-The Romatico is excellent. Wine lists are good Nice lobby and good banking facilities The buffet restraunts are good and yes you can get bacon with br [... read more]eakfasts in at least 1 of the 2 bkfst restaurants every day The beach is kind of tricky - it has a sandbar- and you walk in about 1 to 2 feet and then drop. It is hand getting in without falling and even rougher getting out. People -all ages- were getting tripped They need to enforce the no saving seats rule I would go for a swim about 7.15 to 7.30 and about 80% of the lounges had blankets, books etc on them There would be me and about 5 or 6 other people on the beach and maybe a couple of joggers There should be an adults only section of the beach Now the sanitation issue It took about 24 hours to get a screen installed on the window of my patio I didn't get towels till late the next day- mine are to be bright purple and in the room, when I get there People all over were complaining about towlels-you couldn't get them Then there are the toliets You can't put toliet paper in them or they plug So you have to put solied toliet paper in a plastic waste basket with a lid Every one has to do this Add in a full hotel, 2000+ guests including kids so what happens For the first time in my life i got sick- TWICE -in 2 weeks I have never seen anything like this in my life and never in a 4+ star hotel Please note I have been to Cuba twice before Please note I have been in every Central American country except for Belise. I have done the Trans Siberia Train Trip with G adventures I have spent 4 weeks each in Tunsia, Hawaii and Mexico I have been in Spain Will I go back to Cuba Yes Will I go to a Melia No But now I will have to remember to ask Shelia Denika-my travel agent for at least 15 to 20 year-and excellent at it- beside is the hotel under construction, I'm going to have to ask her if I can flush the toliet Also Sunwing is great I try to book an ELITE seat back and this time they gave me a whole row, because there was space on the flight- I had a laydown nap And Yes I always book the VIP lounge on the way out )

Melia Jardines del Rey: Resort

The resort was beautiful, it is huge and spacious, clean and very friendly staff. Rooms was comfortable and i really enjoyed the food. However there was a smell of sewer back-up so we could not walk around the grounds. The smell was really bad, even at the restuarant near the beach. There was also mosquitoes and in the bathroom when you take a shower the water was running into the toilet. When these things are fixed the resort will be amazing. I would recomend if these fixes are worked out.

Melia Marina Varadero: Awesome vacation in an awesome resort

Nice and friendly staff! Great rooms! Decent food, good supply of drinks, amazing beach and pool.. Overall a wonderful experience! Downside- internet is available only in lobby.. But upside- you are there on vacation, so it's good to leave your devices and have more fun time for each other!

Hotel Vigia: Meh.

The resort is ok. Just ok. There are some great points, such as the demeanour of some staff, but mostly, it's subpar. The rooms were old, musty, and the air conditioner was loud and leaked, even though we put in service calls. The room doors (at least ours) didn't seem secure, and the safe in the room costs extra, so it almost felt like a money grab. The showers were hit and miss. Ours was fantastic... Lots of hot water and great pressure, but some rooms had almost no pressure whatsoever). The  [... read more]grounds leading to the rooms were often littered with garbage. Some of this garbage (plastic bags, cups from the bar, cigarette butts, empty bottles) were in the same spots for the entire week of our stay, and when it was time to cut the grass, the garbage was just cut up rather than removed (yuck). The food was as to be expected in Cuba. We always chose fresh, made to order options when possible (omelettes, pasta, stir fry). Fresh fruit was good. The "24 hour" snack bar was anything but 24 hours! It was opened sporadically through the day, and often was very under stocked, and so very limited. Drinks were ok. The beach is fine. Compared to the resorts neighbouring the Sol, it really was nicer an most in the area. In the winter, the tides bring a lot of sea grasses, etc., but not too much can be said about that. It is close to Pillar Beach, and we took advantage of a cheap ride from the resort. Excursions are the same for most Cayo Guillermo/Cayo Coco resorts. All in all the experience was "meh". Not enough to make me want to return,but not so bad that I wished I hadn't gone.

Melia Las Americas: Great place for a golf trip

Even though the weather wasn't great, we still had a great trip, mostly due to how well we were treated at this resort. Very convenient to the golf course as well. The total cost for the trip was really good. The staff at the resort were really friendly and helpful, the food was good (particularly the Japanese and Italian restaurants), and it was a really comfortable place to stay at. We even quite enjoyed the shows.

Melia Cayo Coco: Fantastic service - beautiful stay!

Buffet dining room had huge variety. Always fresh, always delicious. Wait staff never missed a beat. Your glass or coffee cup was never left empty and dishes were cleared promptly. Several restaurants needing reservations slipped our mind so we never got to book early enough but heard rave reviews for the "International Restaurant". Next time! Friendly staff, great excursions, beautiful lagoon room privacy and happy people. We heard many negative comments from other resort guests on our excursio [... read more]ns, but we had no issues all week, even with a few days of not so great weather. Overall, a great experience!

Sol Varadero Beach: Very nice holiday resort

This was my 2nd time staying at this resort. The grounds and beach are wonderful. The people are very friendly and accommodating. The building itself is dated but the rooms are clean and since we only slept in the room it was not an issue. The food is good for Cuba but do not eat the beef as they do not know how to cut it therefore it is super tough even the hotel cats didn't want to eat it

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful Beach

Was a great place to take our 7 month old son. Service was good, food was ok. Book alacarte early, they fill up fast and choice is limited. Skip the fireside grill, buffet is better. Sand flies are pretty bad, make sure to rinse all sand off yourself to avoid being bitten, take anti-itch cream. Also prepare for a long day of travel there and back. Resort is a nearly 2 hour bus ride from airport, but you get a good and realistic glimpse of Cuban life from the bus ride.

Melia Marina Varadero: Amazing resort

Great food, great staff, superb resort with 4 international restaurants. The beach area is located outside the resort, 3min walk, but great! Couldn't find a single thing disappointing! Highly recommended, hope to go there again! Only buy all inclusive as it is an expensive hotel!

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Beautiful Resort!

Love the entetainment at the resort. The dancers and musicians are awesome. They are true artists. We had a good time dancing, kayaking, going out with catamaran. The resort has a beautiful gym. The best food that you can have, the chefs at this resort are the best! Fish and lobsters are on the menus and they are cooked to perfection. We love the ground surrounding our room. Overall it was a very good vacation except for some minor defects, we love this resort.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Principessa Del Mar is not 5 star!!!

Do not be lured by the promise of Butler and elevated level of service. Does not happen and NOT worth the extra $$$. A few small, simple requests took so long to get and only after many phone calls and visits to reception. Also note, a pillow menu is promoted but it doesn't seem to exist. The only good thing was private transport to/from airport which I could have planned myself anyway. Beach is nice. So many pool tiles unglued ( on the bottom and side of pool). No towels for beach or pool in Ro [... read more]yal Service one day. This hotel pool will definitely need large scale maintenance in the next year or two. Food selection was limited. Portions in a la carte were tiny. Some caring staff that focus on service, but their best efforts are undermined by the majority who don't care. Letter to manager of Royal Service remains unanswered.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Ole Cuba

Hotel food, service, grounds good! Accommodations dated.Entertainment excellent.Weather poor.Havana before American invasion.Automotive museum for American cars.Would return again but different trip..

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Great resort

Beautiful beach,grounds and views of the ocean throughout the resort.Mainly saw young families or over 40 year old couples,which suited us fine.The staff were always attentive and helpful.The room was dated,but large and clean...so no complaints

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Nice Resort

Beautiful Beach. (no towels to exchange for 3 days) Great Rooms. Small Buffet is unsatisfactory. Needs more choices and fresh fruit/veggies. (Italian Restaurant was good. 24 Hour restaurant was a blessing.) Although this is a nice resort with lovely grounds, I would not recommend based on the food. Have been to Cuba x9.....Worst food yet.

Memories Cayo Largo: UNPOLISHED GEM

WELL KEPT GROUNDS +BEACH. THE PLANTINGS ARE VARIED AND TENDED BEAUTIFULLY.THE STAFF ARE THE BEST, THEY ALWAYS TRIED TO MAKE US HAPPY. THE FRIDGE IN OUR ROOM (3112) DIDN'T WORK, BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY PROBLEM. WE LOOK FORWARD TO GOING BACK!

Melia Marina Varadero: Great Resort

The hotel was very nice and the people pleasant and extremely helpful in all ares .The weather was not so nice , it rained for three out to seven days and was overcast on the sixth day. This is expected. In the month of Jan ,We made the best of the vacation . Future don't think I would go this close to Flordia too unpredictable , I would defintely recommend the hotel . We had a awesome view of the marina . Food was ok but not the selection like other. 5 stat hotels Well try another part do Cuba  [... read more]Enjoyed the people !

Hotel Vigia: Ok vacation

We advised the hotel I had a hip issue and we were given a room at the extreme end of the resort. The door was so difficult to open to our room my daughter had to throw her weight into the door to get it open. They didn't have a new room for us closer until two days later. The food was so so and the staff didn't give you good service unless you tipped well. Didn't feel we got good value for the money.