Awesome place.

The hotel keeps getting better each time I go. There are many places to find quiet or fun, as the property is huge. We danced every night, which is why I keep going back. The staff are kind, respectful and very helpful. There was always food to eat and enjoy, but I do not go to Cuba for food. The beach is long but has been impacted by hurricanes over the years. Walking on the beach in either direction results in nature only landscapes. I recommend and am already planning my return trip.

Melia Jardines, Cayo Coco.

The beach, the beach bar staff , the pool and pool bar staff were great as usual. No hot water for the entire trip. No white wine, no cola short some other things. Its been a year now like this. Especially frustrating when a utuber aquaintance at a neighboring resort says they had everything. I'm going to start looking for other options. as well, they assured me the pool wi fi was fixed and running whereas actually it had been removed.

Return guests

After 4 long yrs ,i finally got back to Cayo Coco. beautiful island ,The quick vacation to unwind and enjoy sea & sand. Jardine Del Rey is one of my favorite places.I have stayed at several hotels on the island. The thing that keeps me returning is the customer service.The staff is attentive,kind and welcoming. The resort is large and beach is long and plenty of room ,to roam ,and walk for a mile,in each direction. plenty of sun huts. Bar on beach ,beach restaurant at beach for light  [... read more]lunchs,and 3 pools,snack bar at each pool, and an ice cream parlor on the path to the beach. Lobby is large and plenty of area to sit.. A bar as well as a coffee specialites. The food is a hit & miss....i had fresh eggs and bacon each morning,fresh bread there as well was ,fruits, cheese & 3 sliced kind of meats ...pancakes,and omelets to be ordered. as well as smoothies of many chose of fruits and dry cereals and patries ..... there was as well alot of other items that i was not familiar with in the buffet? Lunch and supper pretty much the same,vegtables were not a great variety. but there was lettuce,cucumbers and pasta salad and grill station you could order chicken ,pork or fish fillets ,or pasta dishes .and again great assortment of cheeses and 3 kinds of sliced meats. I was satisfied but as well disappointed as there was so shrimp, lobster served in any of the a la carte, ( my son was at this hotel in October and the food selection was excellent ,shrimp, lobster,and even sushi..... seems to be a storage and demand issues with the food.. but again I do not travel to Cuba to expect Cruise ship menu...I ate well and ate more than I do at home..Never been ill from any of my trips to this resorts. Prenty of red wine,beer on tap,and rum drinks..I did notice that they were serving a sparking white wine ,champagne,,and not a dry white wine. there was no variety of soda ,just cola ,not the fanta or ginger ale or sprite .and the juices were all a powder mix, the mini bar was refilled each day with only 1 beer,,,and odd because there is always at least 2 guests to a room ,left a note for 2 but again only 1 was left .,if you needed more water bottles left in your room you had to ask for it .again no problem . our room was kept very clean each day,plenty of towels and hot water .. 24 hrs snack bar seem to run out of food ..and no great variety..the kids just wanted french fries and no luck .. The after hours 11-2 am)party life was a hit with out young group of 20 yr olds .they enjoyed themselves as well missed breakfast every morning,! to each its own! i would recommend this resort but if food is your top priority..you might be disappointmented, but the beach ,the staff is worth it ..in my opinion ..Cuba is not an expensive vacation ,you want top notch ,you choose Turks & Ciro ,or Aruba or other high price vacation . Life is full of choices .

7th trip there.

Ok, so the beach was fabulous as always, and the pool is sparkling clean again, pool bar staff as always fantastic as was beach bar. Some hiccups with the food but manageable. Groundskeepers continue to do a great job and the room was fine. Most of the staff were great but there are a couple of attitude issues that management should address. Lobby bar and 24/7. Just saying. Will I go back? Maybe, might try the neighbor.

Good hotel

We  enjoyed our stay and will definitely come back. We also ensured to manage our expectations: it's Cuba, it might be some shortage, some hiccups, but it's wonderful best in the world beaches, great nice people and lower cost. Food was ok, at the beginning of our stay, but after a couple of days it was really good. We even got good sushi on one night:-) Desserts are good, their flour seems to be a different type, so it impacts taste, but other then that very good variety. Same with drinks, som [... read more]e shortages, but we got tequila and gin when we asked for it:-)Also, in buffet I found that if you raise your hand, someone will come immediately and you will get what you need. We went to restaurants, very nice, good food and it wasn't same as in buffet. We got to deal with customer service because our washroom door locked itself. I spoke to a rep in the lobby and by the time we came to our room, everything was fixed (took about 5 minutes).Beach is great! They have a lagoon type of thing just a bit on a side,  it's very nice to walk there. There are lot of fish in the water everywhere, you just need to put goggles on and put yr face into water. Only one pool was working when we were there (Cuba, we expected something might not be available:-) ). It was personally a bit too loudly there for us, so we came there just couple times. Nice clean pool, it has few sections with different depth from 40 cm to 155 cm..They were doing a lot of renovation, and that was a reason why the second pool was not open. For a week we stayed they painted umbrellas near the pool, renovated little bridges to the beach. They were making a barbecue area, pretty excited to come again and see the results.:-)Entertainment was good: dance show, songs, dancing fun with guests, they also played volleyball on the beach. It's not far from the airport, just about 20 minutes ride, tourist area, so even going thru customs is not a bad experience. Everybody is nice and smiling Few thing which bittered our stay: mosquitoes and some rocky spots on the beach.  Both things are seasonal, they did a great job though of spraying something to kill mosquitoes, we even enjoyed watching a small plane doing it from  air (quite entertaining )We had plenty of repellent (strong recommendation bring few with you!) , we also had water shoes, definitely helped too.

Very Disappointed !!!

Had many trips to Cuba over the years. This has been by far the worst. 1. Paid for selected seats to and from Cuba. Seatbelt on plane not working. 2. Hotel was far from being at full capacity although they stuck us in a dirty room way in the back of resort facing a dirty field. 3. We upgraded to another room. Entrance to room was filthy, would not touch the hand rail on stairs. 4. No hot water for showering 3 days out of 7 5. Same towels 3 days in a row 5. Buffet was  [... read more]disgusting!!! Nothing but hundreds of black house flies all over the food, tables and floors. 6. Staff would not make eye contact with you unless you flashed money in front of them. We travelled South close to 40 times. We are not hard people to please. We will definitely never go back to Cuba !!!

Best Time Ever! Awesome Place to Visit

Very friendly and accommodating staff. Rooms were clean, We were scheduled to be in one building, however, I asked to move due to health reasons, and they accommodated and moved me to a ground floor room close to the main lobby. Beach had a bit of erosion due to weather, but overall it was amazing and clean. There were plenty of options for food. However, due to COVID and the economy some of the items were hit and miss on days. For example, one day would be no bread, but the next would have it, [... read more] they would run out of milk, cola, wine, etc. However replaced the next day. We never had an issue with the shortages personally. They have downsized considerably on entertainment, it is not the same as it was pre COVID. It still is an amazing place to relax, by the pool, beach, shopping etc. We have stayed at this resort 6 times and continue to love the atmosphere, friendly staff. It was perfect for us! We can't wait to go back next year, or maybe the fall. Just remember to bring lots of sunscreen, and bug spray as the mosquitos are bad in April :)

Just OK

Just returned. Some staff were exceptional, some not so good. Front Desk and Swim Up Bar and Bell Boys were excellent. Other staff were lazy. Even if you tipped service was not great. Gounds are a mess. It's not the workers fault. There are not enough staff. After my 3 dozen trips to Cuba I will not return to this resort. Lots of food shortages. The vegetables that were not covered in sauce were cold. No butter all week. Food was not labelled. Many rocks on the beach for the first 6 fe [... read more]et when you get in the water. After that, lots of seaweed. Sometimes no beer, or no sprite or no coke or no wine. No pasta all week. Weather was great.

Amazing beach...BUT

We were told food/condiments/ toilet papers supplies are very limited at Cuba. But, my friends staying at Melia CAYO COCO the same week has no such issues at all. Our hotel (Melia Jardines Del Rey) supposed to provide one single-roll toilet paper and one 2-litre bottle drinking water daily per room (no matter how many people stays in one room). But they are not replenished on a timely/regular basis. Our room has been skipped daily supplies for at least 3 days. The worst day we had cal [... read more]led 4 times to their #700 Room service centre for help, but no action was taken by the hotel. We finally complained to their manager at Customer Service Centre to resolve one of the room service problems. Based on our experience of missing toilet paper and bottle water problem, we didn't even bother to raise the concern again for the other 2 days of missing supplies. Hygiene problem: The main buffet tables has a lot of flies hanging around. I noticed that the table mats are not cleaned properly before serving the next customers. Toilet paper supply is replenished daily regularly. Service : poor. Coffee corner service at the main lobby is horrible. One coffee server had sneezed at my coffee cup while he was preparing the coffee for me, He didn't even bother to make another cup and just handed over that coffee with his "big sneezing", to me. Limited food varieties at main buffet: Almost same kind of food and cookings are served on our 7 days of stay. No pure juice and only orange/pine-apple drinks are served. Limited supply of milk at breakfast. Exceptions of the week: There were only 2 meals of hot dish of pasta and 2 meals of fried rice. 2 meals with a small roast pig. One roasted ham served only for less than 20 minutes and the rest was returned to the kitchen. Our previous 3 times in other Cuba locations had been a wonderful time for our vacations. Melia Jardines Del Rey setting and environment is good, but the room service/supplies and food quality are not up to my expectation.

4th time there, will be back.

People fabulous as always, and one of the best beaches anywhere. Upkeep and maintenance ok. Still dealing with shortages which affects the food supply, so selection limited, and I guess access to pool chemicals. Normally the pool is crystal clear but they were struggling with the water quality this time. Bar selection and supply ok. Reduced show availability but they made up for it with group sing and dance. It is going to take awhile to get fully back on their feet but its still a good vacatio [... read more]n. Met quite a few regulars to this resort.

Worst resort we have ever visited and unsafe

Wifi only in lobby area and that was scarse. No wifi in rooms or anywhere else on resort. Awful food, dirty buffet restaurant with cockroaches near food. We have been back home 3 days and still have travellers diarrhea We witnessed staff fighting, punching each other, kicking chairs. Felt very unsafe for rest of vacation. Asked to speak to manager twice with no response. Zero night entertainment. Mosquito haven. We are all covered in bites. Dirty hotel, rooms smell like mold  [... read more] We feel ripped off and waste of our hard earned money for a disaster experience Avoid this hotel!

Surprised

I did a lot of research on this resort prior to going. The reviews were scary and terrible. I even tried to find another resort but too much money. Upon our arrival around 10 pm on Sunday night, there was really no food to find and they were out of wine. The reviews were becoming true. The following day, things changed and everything fell into place as far as al a cartes, lunches, beaches, drinks etc. I was pleasantly surprised. That was until Saturday night. We had no server in the buffet for  [... read more]dinner, had to wait for plates, no cutlery and the food was not great. That night at the lobby bar, they ran out of wine, beer and other alcohol. I am just glad we were leaving the following day. This resort is hit and miss. While one day they are out of certain things, they will appear the next. And vice versa. I was pleasantly surprised Monday-Saturday and then the expectations began to show. Many of the staff are wonderful! The beaches are unreal! Go with an open mind!

Beautiful Resort

We stayed here for a week the beginning of March with a group of 10 people and we all had a Fabulous time. The entire staff are really amazing from the awesome entertainment staff to the awesome pool bar staff and restaurant staff. The resort is very clean and the rooms are nice some rooms/buildings along with other areas of the resort are being upgraded but this all takes time. For only being open for a short time since Covid I was very impressed how well this resort is being ran and looked.  [... read more]The Beach is just gorgeous. The nightlife is fun but repetitive. The food is food and that’s what it is in Cuba, nobody starved on our vacation, breakfast was always delish, yes sometimes no bacon or bread for toast but when people throw mounds on their plates it will not last. The Pizza bar was exceptionally delish, we had that everyday for lunch, suppers were pretty much the same every night at the buffet, we didn’t try any of the specialty restaurants. Vacation is what you make of it period, if you want or need something that you think may not be there just take it with you (bagels, snacks, certain booze etc). The bugs or mosquitoes really attacked some people in our group but I personally didn’t get any bites so bring bug spray if your concerned with that. All in all it was a fabulous vacation where we made friends with staff and other vacationers. I really don’t have complaints on this resort and we are looking forward to going back ❤️

Affordable, friendly, and fun

Had a great time here, the staff was amazing, the resort was clean beaches were amazing. The entertainment was great and fun to participate in. We took our two children, and there was always P plenty for them to do. Excellent snorkelling. Recommend taking your own gear. The food was ok. Typical for Cuba. Always lots of options.

Making a comeback

This resort was closed during covid and is in need of some Tlc. We could see maintenance staff and gardeners working diligently to spruce up the hotel by painting and repairing and trimming the gardens. It was looking better every day. The food was good, beach was beautiful with great waiter service on the beach. The pizza snack bar was good. The coffee shop wonderful in the morning for a cappuccino. My only two concerns were the broken coral at the beach ( definitely bring water shoes) du [... read more]e to hurricane damage and service with some lobby bar staff was poor. Other then that it is a beautiful resort with great al la cartes and staff

Good resort

The beach and the pool were beautiful and well maintained at this resort! Most staff were friendly however some were not attentive at all and would forget to brung your drink order unfortunately. Food was not great but this is expected in Cuba. Alcohol was mostly stocked, would run out of specific at some bars. Lobby bar was often overcrowded in the evenings and would take 30+ minutes to get served. The entertainment and night life was good for the first couple of days however we found it got ve [... read more]ry repetitive with the same playlists and dancing from the staff. Rooms were clean and no issues with anything, jist had to ask for extra towels and water bottles. We enjoyed our stay and would recommend!

Amazing time

Me and my father went to the Melia Jardines Del Rey Jr resort. Our trip was great. The staff were awesome and very out going. Yonatan faure Fonseca is the guy to see for beach fun and for engagement in the evening activities. As well as Manuel Zamora (beach guys) and Thalia in the lobby buffet at supper, can't miss her. Also keep an eye open for Yudermis in the lobby, she is amazing. 😆 I would recommend building 15 as it is centrally located in the large resort. We went on the on the 50 f [... read more]oot catamar and took three stops including snorkeling, lunch on a small island and Pillar beach. Ernest Hemingway's old beach that he would go to to rejuvenate his mind and help with writing. I did not know that Pillar was the name of his boat. The sand at every beach was almost as white as snow but not. The resort was of a good size but most of the restaurants and pools were off the main drag so that made it easier as I have a physical disability. The ice cream shop is a very good stop, multiple times a day. Lol The resort grounds were being worked on daily to improve it's appearance as I did look older than 8 years. Did I say how lovely the beach was. The not so good My bedroom had a tub that you needed a stepping stool to get into. I noticed the sand fleas more then my father did. They were especially bad when the wind wasn't blowing. The food at the La Carte restaurants were ok but very skimpy on the veggies and potatoes. The deserts brought back our child hood days eating baby food. Rice pudding or some sort of starchy pudding with a baby spoon. It all tastes very good though, so I don't know if I would consider this a negative thing. About 3/4 the way through our trip the resort was running low or out of rice and Coke, but the water and toilet paper were plentiful. What was also plentiful was the groundskeepers, a special thanks should go out to them. For keeping the grounds looking so pristine and improving it's overall appearance everyday. Yes, I would recommend this resort to my readers. Note- I wouldn't recommend coming to Cuba just for the food. I would suggest bringing spices, clothes or daily supplies to pass out as tokens of appreciation. They work extremely hard and deserve to be recognized for it.

Beautiful Resort

The place is amazingly beautiful, very open with good landscaping. The beach is amazing and the water is clear. Good friendly staff with good services at most of the time. We love the coffee bars with good choices of cappuccino, espresso,... The show at night kept us well entertained . Our hotel room was quite comfortable and the maid service was good. The major problem was the shortage of room towels. We didn’t have bath towels supplied for a few days, but the maid did make the e [... read more]fforts to get it and bring to us in the evening after our complaints to the customer services. The food was adequate. I survived well with the salad bar, fruits, rice and fish. The internet at the resort was, in my opinion, too slow. You have to log on and wait and wait...sometimes up to 15-20 minutes.

Fantastic time

I read many of the reviews prior to going last week, and think it’s important to share my experience. From our arrival on Sunday morning close to 01:00 until we departed the following Saturday at 21:00 all the staff was attentive and helpful throughout the week. The staff from the front desk, the gardeners, the cooks, the room staff, the cleaners, the bartenders etc, all the Cuban people try to make your visit enjoyable. Our hotel room was clean, comfortable, had fantastic air conditioning [... read more], and the maid service was outstanding. Our shower had great water pressure in the morning with lots of hot water, but in the evening the water pressure did drop while everyone in the building was trying to get ready for dinner. Our TV did not work, but I did not travel to watch tv, so it was never reported to the resort. The pools are fantastic. I will admit, that we spent most of our time at the same pool, but I can say as we walked around the comments apply throughout the resort. The staff were polite, courteous, and helpful. The pool was clean and there was activity for anyone who wanted to join. There wasn’t added pressure to join for those that didn’t want to. The pool bar was over the top friendly and helpful. The kids pool looked amazing for all ages. The beach is absolutely beautiful with many options for swimmers and snorkelling. The challenge is you have to move around to find the right area as some areas have a coral bottom within 5 feet of entering the water which is hard on the feet. However, you can find areas that are great for kids. A great beach bar. The food was adequate. Out of the seven days, the buffet had a couple of days that I had to survive with chicken and rice, but 2 other days with pork ribs, steak, chicken that was very good. We tried two of the restaurants, the Italian, and the Mediterranean which both were good. We did find a restaurant called Lenny’s that is a small cab ride away that is 100% worth the $25 USD for lobster, chicken and rice on a beautiful coastal point. Unfortunately the only negative for me was how some people treated some of the workers when they didn’t get their own way. Example 1 was when someone asked to go into the breakfast buffet at 07:55. When the staff said we don’t open till 8am, the traveller lost their marbles. Example 2 was at one of the restaurants where a group of 9 arrived, but their reservation was for 6 and the restaurant couldn’t accommodate the additional people. The person was aggressive and totally disrespectful to the staff member. The last example is to those that feel the need to take 20 + pieces of bacon to clean out the dish, or stand in line and order 6 omelettes at a time. The coffee shops are amazing, and a great option for an espresso or cappuccino. If never sat in the auditorium for the shows in the evening, however I could see and here them from my vantage point and they looked and sounded fantastic. The lobby bar was great as well with many staff that were accommodating to all. The internet at the resort was in my opinion horrible. You have to log onto a provider with a long username and password which kicks you out frequently. A reminder that tipping in loonies or toonies are difficult for the staff to redeem. But there is an opportunity to buy them off the staff for bills.

Beach is great, rest not so much

They say you don’t go to Cuba for the food, and boy was that true. Yes the beach and water are beautiful, but there are other countries you can go to for great beaches. If you hunted you could find some half decent food, but between the line ups and the buffet literally running out of food at 7:30 at night when people haven’t come to eat yet. People coming out with rice and carrots cause that’s all that was left. Breakfast only had eggs on the grill - again huge line ups to get eggs. No ot [... read more]her options. The a la carte not much better. Anyone who says the Italian is good never ate real Italian food. Every restaurant has rice pudding for dessert. The whole resort needs work. We were on the second floor and our building had no lights in the hall the whole week we were there. Toilet paper is another issue. As the day goes on all the resort bathrooms start to run out of toilet paper. Lobby bar area is the worse, so make sure to carry Kleenex or TP. Also, most of the buildings facing the ocean smell swampy or of bad septic. Don’t bother paying for ocean view rooms - they smell the worse. On another note, we went to Lenny’s for lobster dinner definitely worth the car ride and $25 us meal. Also did the boat adventure where you get to drive your own speed boat with a 40 hp motor. Lots of fun. Yes this resort is not that expensive, but if you are set on Cuba I’d pay a bit more and get something better….or make sure you bring some toilet paper.