Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Going downhiill

This was my 7th time of Club Amigo and I would not go back. Waiters and waitresses very nice and very hospitable but the front desk people leave a lot to be desired. I mainly went to this hotel because the price was right but it is not worth it any more. I am 73 years old and asked for Villa close to main amenities, they had me in a villa #9 which is like a 15 minute walk to front desk and at my age it is too far to go back and forth. I had to spend the first night in this Villa and they chan [... read more]ged me to room in Villa building number 3 the next day after much arguing. They know me at front desk and how often I have stayed there but it made no difference. The Sun Wing rep was hard to find, never around. Security was bad, had my expensive bath towel stolen from lounge while I was in ocean. Safe didn't work, battery problem and it took a few days to get this ironed out so had to use friends safe to keep money etc. Hotel looked seedy and in repair. I brought along a friend who had never been to Cuba before and he was very disappointed with hotel and services. He stayed in main building and they charged him $1.00 a day for fridge, $1.00 a day for safe..he might as well have stayed in Villa. He had problems getting repairs done too. Food was not up to par as previous and the hotel was quite empty but the worst was the attitude of the front desk staff. Also very dark to walk around at night...they need more lighting, had to buy flashlight to see to go to disco and other places at night. We have friends booked to stay at Club Amigo in December(they were with me previously) and I am advising them to change hotels. Hope this helps you out, price is right and know it is only 3 star but not worth the hassle. And always you are given a awful room the first night and after much arguing they move you the next morning. They definitely do not read or adhere to comments you make when you make booking. I know my wife requested a villa in Villa 6 and for it to be close to amenities and you assured me that you put this in instructions to hotel but it didn''t mean anything. It is a shame they are letting things go,previously it was okay for the costs but like I say will not be back there and I go to Cuba, Holguin , quite often on business but I wont be staying at Club Amigo.By the way your service was great and I would definitely call you for my next travel arrangements.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Returning Guest

Let me preface this by saying we are amongst the many returning guest population for this resort. Is it perfect? No. It is a 3* resort in a more remote area of Cuba (no hustle and bustle like Veradero). This time we travelled in ultra low season (approx 200 guests in a resort where the capacity is well over 1000). Not all sections were open. There were non-invasive repairs and maintenance happening. Our room was clean and everything worked. Food was good albeit somewhat repetitive. If y [... read more]ou stick to one main item instead of sampling several items at once then the repetition isnt as noticeable. Dont go there expecting 5* north american standards as you are not going to be pleased. Go with realistic expectations and dont sweat the small stuff and you will soon be a repeater like the rest of us...lol.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Our home away from home!!!

We love Club Amigo!!! Have been there 7 times. The staff are amazing and remember us each time. The improvements they are making are great and the food was delicious. Can't wait to go back. We are always welcomed back with a lobster dinner.

Hotel Caracol: Bella,bella

The newly renovated rooms are beautiful.Very stylish and the bathroom is tres chic ! I appreciated the walk-in shower as I have mobility issues. .Our units in the 500 block were central to everything with easy access to the beach The beach .was clean,plenty of umbrellas & loungers .The water was clear & warm. The entertainment was very good and all the staff were friendly. The food was fresh & plentiful but a bit repetitive,but since we have been to Cuba many times we know it depends on th [... read more]e hotel chain as what to expect. We had a great time

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Great Time

all around very cleanly. the grounds looked well taken care of and it was very central to the market and horseback riding and so on. plenty of activities for the everyday adventurer and fairly quiet and quaint for the more relaxed. really enjoyed my stay here!

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Not what I expected this trip

I have been to this hotel a few times in the past & was happy with the place until this trip.I spent a fair amount of money on this trip & the first night was to be a special night when I arrived. The first day they destroyed for me. My girlfriend met me at the airport & came to the resort from there with me. I had special plans for that night but the resort destroyed them for me by treating my girl friend like she was garbage & not allowing me to pay for her to stay with me. She is a good woman [... read more] & they treated her like she was something else. Because of the way they treated her & I , I ended up renting a room off the resort for her and I the first night. The next day I raised hell through our travel agent there & was able to go over some peoples heads & get my girlfriend on the resort with me. At a good cost of course. The swim up bar was not operating at times nor the snack bar beside it leaving one to have to go back to the lobby for drinks. After some trouble with the weather, the 24 hour bar was shut down. This left only the El benny bar beside it open only for some drinks and no where to go for snacks or food in between. They did not bother to set up anything else for the people. El Benny would serve beer only, then go all the way to the far side beside the swim up bar only to find out all you could get was a small sandwich, ham and cheese, & not good. There was to many things that we were supposed to get for the money we spent that was not there for us. As for the workers there & the rooms, they were pleasant as always. for the most part. I liked this hotel because of where it is located close to the beach & the area around it, but this time I was not happy with not only the way they treated me and my girl, but also the lack of serves that we as paying customers were supposed to receive to make our trip enjoyable. I was very disappointed with this trip. I did and will recommend this resort in the future if they change some of the ways they do things. If they ever treat me this way again, I will never recommend this resort again to any of my friends & I will do follow up reviews on line in the future. Ps: I am to be married to this girl in the near future & would have liked it to be special in this area I call home in Cuba.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: beautiful large resort

The grounds of the resort were nice, well maintained. The resort was huge. Many activities all over the resort. Staff were friendly and helpful. Buffet food was limited, not a lot of choices. A la carte restaurants were very good. Pools were clean. Rooms were a good size. Air conditioner had a difficult time keeping the room cool. Had bugs on the beds in the room. Animation team did a good job getting tourists involved in activities.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Gorgeous beach, nice resort! Will return!

This was my 6th trip to Cuba however first to Holguin, with that being said I travel without high expectations and was presently surprised by the resort. We traveled from August 5-12 and were a group of 4 women, ranging from 17-63. Only one person out of the group speaks Spanish but we all mingle with the locals. Hotel: The hotel itself is quite large and is divided into 4 sections, bungalows, villa, tropical and rooms. We stayed in building 3 which is in the villa section. Nightly shows are [... read more] held in the bungalow section and the second bank is also located there. The exchange is better there but only by 3 CUC. The main buildings of the hotel were very clean, and also held the store, buffet, and 1 of the a la carte restaurants. There is also a spa, beauty salon, internet access and massage rooms available. This is something that isn't that important but the resort has many hand made swing chairs from trees which I've never seen anywhere else on a Cuban resort but it was so enjoyable to just relax and they are very comfy, also available for sale in the market! Tip: shuttles are available around the resort and are nice for a little ride. Beach: This was probably the most beautiful beach I've ever been to. Sometimes it's a trade off between the white sand, garbage and clear waters however this beach was clean and had the most gorgeous white sand and clear waters! Behind the hotel there are a few beaches, some can get quite crowded and noisy but there are other smaller little hidden gems that are the best! However they close at 4 but you can still go if you wish to however beach chairs are locked up. Some gentlemen will offer you a chair for a few CUCs so if you really really want to be at the beach after 4, there's that option. Food: There is no AC in the buffet dining room which has to be our biggest complaint as it gets very hot from outside and the body heat from everyone else. It wasn't something I saw in any other reviews and I'm surprised because of how prominent it is. In addition there was also wait lines for dinner some nights closer to closing and people were very upset at that so if you can and wish to, attend dinner a little before 8 just encase. The food itself was okay, as you'd except from Cuba as everyone says however we aren't picky eaters and there was something for everyone's taste. Desserts were great and the fresh fruit in the morning and at lunch were incredible. There was never a shortage of anything and accommodations were present for those who are vegetarian, halal ect... The two a la carte dinners were okay, the choices were obviously more limited however the service was incredible. I would recommend Espalda over Benny's simply because of the food. Something we didn't do was buy a specialty lobster dinner, half for 10 CUC and a full for 20 CUC which I wish we would've because it really is an incredible deal for lobster. Friends we made definitely recommended it! There are more than enough bars and a drink I would recommend is the Cuban version of Baileys, add some ice and it tastes great however they sometimes run out of it as it's mostly there as a coffee additive. Service: I've always been a person who believes that the service makes a place and this was no different, like everywhere else there are people that are incredible, Denis, Juan Carlos in the market, ect.. ect.. however there are those that leave a bit of a sour taste in your mouth, one woman in the shop that by accident added 2 CUC onto our bill for something we didn't buy, and a few gentlemen at the lobby bar, one night my daughter was going to get black tea for us (lobby bar is the only bar that has black tea, the snack bar in the villas section has pepermint and tila which is basically chamomile) at 10:30, lobby bar closes at 11 and when she went, the men refused to serve her the hot water and said they were closed. She didn't have her phone with her and didn't know what time it was but when she returned to the room and realized it was 10:35 or so she wasn't happy. Obviously that's not a big deal but it wasn't all that nice, this also wasn't the only incident with staff. Tip: always ask for a bill to keep track of spending and just to be sure. Another special person we thought was Felix, he was our guide on the Taino village tour but also our representative with us on the way back to the airport after the hotel. He spoke the entire time about the island, little anecdotes and some very funny jokes. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining and everyone learned a lot and saw special sites because of him. Shopping: Beside the main building is a large market where local Cubans come and sell things ranging from jewelry to clothing, artwork, hammocks and chair swings and little things like key chains. They rotate every day meaning there is always a new vendor with different things to sell and are all very friendly, open and willing to bargain. Room: As a group of 4 we had an adjoining room which I thought was incredible an personally have never seen that before, it was very convenient and our maid whose name I don't know unfortunately, was incredible! She kept everything very tidy, was funny and helped us with whatever we needed. One day my daughter was reading a book and left it open without marking her page and in order to make the bed, the maid moved the book but left it open on the page my daughter had last read which she thought was absolutely wonderful! Tip: villa section is the way to go Entertainment/Nightlife: Although I did not check out the local disco, friends we made on the trip said it was nice, good music, drinks needed to be bought however under crowded therefore a little boring when they went however they went on a weeknight which probably explains that. The nightly shows were absolutely incredible, as someone who has traveled much and seen many shows I was blown away at the local talent, there was everything you'd expect and more, including a man twirling around fire. Excursion: We booked with Hola Sun and were given a free excursion to the Taino village of aboriginal Cubans. I highly recommend booking the tour or simply attending if it comes in your package as it's an incredible experience, it's also just nice to be able to venture off the resort. The bus ride was half an hour and we were greeted with a traditional cocktail before being guided through huts and spoken to about the lives of the aboriginal Cubans, their traditions and culture. It was funny, entertaining and the dinner and free drink was very delicious as well. Something else to note was that our Hola Sun representative said there was not going to be anything available for sale on the excursion however there was very beautiful jewelry so bring money encase and also to tip! Airlines: Because we booked with Hola Sun, we flew from Toronto with Cubana airlines, at first we were a bit skeptical to be honest but the flight going was smooth, about 5 minutes of turbulence, the food was very good, coffee was nice to have and all the flight attendants were very nice. However the flight home was less enjoyable, we arrived early and the captain did a few acrobatic laps in the air which was both fun and at times, gave you that rollercoaster feeling in your stomach. One flight attendant made us wait over an hour for a declaration card and was very rude about it, food wasn't all that great either but again, coffee was nice! We would fly again with them. I'm open to any questions and if you're thinking of traveling here or with the airlines, just do it because I personally have never regretted going on a vacation and although there are some very very small things about the experience, and resort that aren't that great, there is so much that is incredible. Therefore you shouldn't write off this, or any other place because of a small bad thing. Enjoy your trip!

Hotel Caracol: Disappointment

Rooms were the best part of the resort. The food was the same the Italian animation along with Italian Chef and customer relations were rude didn't even bother with you unless you were an Italian from the mother land Italian Canadian didn't cut it. The beach bar was slow half the time no food there always said"he's gone to get more good" returned an hour later. The beach was nice but I will not return I gave it a chance and I will never spend money for this resort again nor will I fly Cubana air [... read more]line ....no soda, just a warm drinking box seats small terrible experience...I'll stick with what I know and out of the 4 hotels in this area the Italians can keep it because it will never work for them oh last thing the Italian chef should be careful to speak Italian and trash Canadians you never know who's listening and what they understand. Disgraceful and bad representation of Italians because I know that's not what they are like just these people

Club Amigo Mayanabo: Quiet hotel

Clean hotel in all grounds, great coffee, good bar service in all bars. Food like everywere in Cuba. Free use of bikes, boats. Little boring at night. Need to have some live music in the lobby. Three stars hotel that you will not be disappointed.

Hotel Caracol: What happened!

I've been to this resort a few years ago, from what I remember , my group went back for seconds at dinner! This time, as a vegetation, EVERYTHING HAD PORK IN IT. I went for he seafood sauce, and asked if it contained meat in SPANISH, chef said no. Giant chunk of pork the first forkful I took out. I left pissed off and hungry. My nephew also got a plate with some mystery white sauce that tasted RANCID. Renovated rooms were gorgeous and had a nice big bathroom. The service was great, the same bart [... read more]enders as before were always the sweetest, and this one lady would not serve my boyfriend at the bar! He said he stood at the barfor 10 minutes as she ignored him! My sister went to the shop, and the women were all sitting around talking smack about my sister in Spanish!!!! Little did they know, she understood every word they said and was very hurt. They were lucky it was not me in that shop.... we tried to book a fishing trip, and they fishermen said they couldn't take us out until the day we were leaving, even though their itinerary said their schedule was from Monday to Sunday. The hola sun rep sat there and screamed at them on the phone and got all shaky and frustrated. again, I'm on vacation and this left a bad stressy feel to the trip. aboard the catamaran (I went fishing on this same boat with the same crew) they lied to my face when I confronted them about not taking 7 of us out(my entire family was let down) out fishing ..he lied and said they used a different boat that was destroyed in a storm. They were also gossiping and talking vouy me in Spanish on the boat. Staff needs to be retrained it fired because that is absolutely unacceptable, and I feel very insulted. At some points I felt like the cubans were racist and resentful towards us, and I've been coming there since I was 2. I am now almost 30. I'll never go to this resort again.

Hotel Caracol: What happened!

I've been to this resort a few years ago, from what I remember , my group went back for seconds at dinner! This time, as a vegetation, EVERYTHING HAD PORK IN IT. I went for he seafood sauce, and asked if it contained meat in SPANISH, chef said no. Giant chunk of pork the first forkful I took out. I left pissed off and hungry. My nephew also got a plate with some mystery white sauce that tasted RANCID. Renovated rooms were gorgeous and had a nice big bathroom. The service was great, the same bart [... read more]enders as before were always the sweetest, and this one lady would not serve my boyfriend at the bar! He said he stood at the barfor 10 minutes as she ignored him! My sister went to the shop, and the women were all sitting around talking smack about my sister in Spanish!!!! Little did they know, she understood every word they said and was very hurt. They were lucky it was not me in that shop.... we tried to book a fishing trip, and they fishermen said they couldn't take us out until the day we were leaving, even though their itinerary said their schedule was from Monday to Sunday. The hola sun rep sat there and screamed at them on the phone and got all shaky and frustrated. again, I'm on vacation and this left a bad stressy feel to the trip. aboard the catamaran (I went fishing on this same boat with the same crew) they lied to my face when I confronted them about not taking 7 of us out(my entire family was let down) out fishing ..he lied and said they used a different boat that was destroyed in a storm. They were also gossiping and talking vouy me in Spanish on the boat. Staff needs to be retrained it fired because that is absolutely unacceptable, and I feel very insulted. At some points I felt like the cubans were racist and resentful towards us, and I've been coming there since I was 2. I am now almost 30. I'll never go to this resort again.

Hotel Caracol: sucsessful familly vatation at BRAVO CARACOL SANTA LUCIA CUBA

we were privileged to visit Bravo at the opening A lot of changes , in the last 6 years since we go to this resort ,we like BRAVO , CARACOL for a lot of reason it is small, family oriented , friendly ppl , this year we took our family of 7 ppl , for this reason and we had a vacation they will not forghet soon , The ages from 13 to 66 years old were happy , IT need improving in the area of food , , ex,, more greans more fruits and vegetables , it is the seasons of, [... read more] avocado and NO avocado in site also local fruits that we Canadian travel there for , also ,, for the temp , at this time of the year to much mixed cold salads , also NO variety of breads , , deserts , limited to Cuban cakes , NO Italian deserts at all being a mixed Cuban Italian we expect to have a coffe with biscotti hope it will be available at our return to the hotel in the winter ,

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Horribly disappointed and unaware

We did not have high expectations for this trip, travelling on a budget, just wanted to have fun, but weren't we surprised when basically starved for 7 days because the food was not edible, I have been to other places in Cuba with no complaints, but this was horrible. The food, all people were local and belligerent and rude, dirty pools, beautiful beach but public for this time of year and full of drunk local people leaving chicken bones, beer cans, plastic bags and diapers all over the beach.  [... read more]3/4 of the resort was closed so one buffet and 2 a la carte restaurants, one restaurant was no air conditioning, we sweated like in a sauna... We did not get any warning from the agent about the low quality of this place, even after asking many questions, paying for a sea view but there was no balcony!!! Thanks for that!! Never again with this company, hard earned money gone to waste, thx Kevin the rep!

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Stay somewhere else in Holguin or Guard

pool and disco and show were great. food was awful. no AC in kitchen. kitchen nowhere near large enough to accommodate the number of people. Had to wait along the stairs a bunch. Room outlets didnt work (whatever), construction and lots of noise by lobby (but handy). Booked the al a carte and ate what the snack bar had (fries and ham the usual) to avoid the kitchen as much as we could. Beach is public (fine by me), but really dirty with garbage and chicken bones. Plus side a few restau [... read more]rants so we could eat off resort (which you'll want to do) for $4CUC or so. Rational: frequent cuba traveler. Have stayed at many 2 stars just fine, but dont want to pay 3.5 star prices to do so. Wish I had paid the extra to stay at Brisas (close by, quiet beach) or somewhere else (we toured around a bit on a bike, everywhere else was less scary looking). Still can't complain about a Cuba vacation, but wouldn't recommend if more than about $650.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Club Amigo Guard - Stay elsewhere if you can

The pool was close to the beach (plus) but the beach was gross, very busy, but not in a cool 'happening' way. Just a lot of garbage and chicken bones. Convenient for ther market shopping and being able to eat off the resort though (which we needed). The disco and show we're great. The pool bar and pool was a nice refuge from the August heat and bonus you could see the ocean still. The kitchen was too small for the number of people they had, and we had to wait a lot on some stairs. There  [... read more]was also no AC in the kitchen at all, and the windows didn't open for the first few days (ugh). Add to this the food quality, and well, book the al a carte. The food was okay a few days, but generally poorer than I'm used to in Cuba (not looking for a lot here). The snack bar only has the typical ham burger and fries, which we lived off a lot. They were doing construction by our room (can't fault them at all), plus add the lobby noise and pool noise and it was a loud albeit convenient spot. You win some you lose some. None of the power outlets save for one European style hole in one outlet worked at all. I guess we had some kind of upgraded room to boot! Rational: frequent Cuba traveler. Have stayed in many a 2 star hotel just fine. This is a 2 star at 3.5 star prices. Wish I had paid the extra $$ and stayed at Brisas down the way or somewhere else. We did a tour of the other hotels nearby and they were in much better shape.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: "You Get What You Pay For"

Our first impression upon arrival at Club Amigo was that the staff at front desk were not at all friendly, know very little about customer service, highly unorganized and very SLOW! The resort is not fancy but very large, rooms are very basic but clean, food was ok, a la carte restaurants were fine but don't expect gourmet meals. The grounds were kept clean, the beach is absolutely beautiful but its a public beach and this resort is open to the locals. We enjoyed our afternoon cappuc [... read more]cino's at Ashley's Café...amazing! This was a family vacation and we had a great time and great weather. Unfortunately we will not be going back to this resort any time soon.

Starfish Varadero: Not that great

This resort was horrible. I will never go back. Service was very poor. Pool was very dirty. I will not be going back to this resort again and would not recommend it to anyone. The shows were well done each night though so that was fun.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: excellent resort

The hotel was excellent, the staff were very helpful and friendly. The food was good there was always fresh fruits available with every meal. It cathers to everyone needs both young and old. The added bonus was having the beach by the hotel. Lots of nightly entertainment.I would stay there again.

Starfish Varadero: Need Some Relaxation - Go to Aguas Azules!!

I like the resort, the people, the food and not having to fight for a beach chair...there were times I was the only one in the water...had a bungalow again with a balcony over looking the pool...what could be more perfect than that!! And how could I not mention my housekeeper...Louda!! Always smiling and made sure my room was clean!! Thanks Aguas Azules for another amazing vacation!!