Melia Cayo Coco: good resort

great staff especially customer service. good food great grounds 5 star beach will only return if they guarantee an upgaded room. with a shower not a 25 yearold rusty bath with a shower that works when it feels like it.

Melia Internacional: Fantastic Vacation

Hotel is very impressive and grand. Food was very good, alot of the same stuff but it was tasty. We went to 4 of the 5 restos and they were excellent. Small portions but still good.Carlos and his staff at the Rumba buffet really took care of us. Entertainment was A1 and the beach is beautiful. we went with 2 small children and they had a blast. Alot of activities and options for kids that make their stay just as enjoyable as the adults. The building and the rooms probably need some rennovation i [... read more]n the next year or two. Would certainly go back.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: A nice resort

Grounds were very well maintained…..and very clean. The staff work hard to keep rooms clean. We were very happy with the accommodations. They seem to have a shortage of fresh water and our room was not replenished daily with the promised two bottles. Washrooms were shy on toilet tissue and paper towels but we brought our own along just in case. No bread or rolls at lunch or dinner and two days without it for breakfast. Shortage of fresh eggs and had none for four of our seven days. There w [... read more]as a lack of choice or variety in the main dinning area but what was available was tasty and plentiful. The specialty restaurants were very nice and food was quite good. No soft drinks for mix at all. We opted for yummy pina calotas. Beach was fabulous and lots of chairs available at both the beach and pool. The pool was beautiful and very well maintained. Entertainment was good…our main complaint would be how loud the music was all the time and especially during the entertainment. We left a couple of shows because it was too loud. This was our third visit to this resort.

Melia Internacional: Very nice stay

Good resort with Very nice beach! We were surprised by the food choices availability(scallops, salmon, beef etc.) as we expected for less. Poor wifi and limited night shows. One thing to mention that Air transit told us the return bus to air port pick up time was 5pm, it came at 6:15pm., wasting time at the hotel lobby

Melia Jardines del Rey: Resort was dated

The grounds were beautiful the beach was amazing! Never had soda the whole week , food was hit and miss , spent everyday at the front desk trying to get my key card fixed! I mean everyday and mostly every night , either the door didn’t lock or the keycard didn’t work! Moved two times before our last room and then the locks didn’t work , even when we left the door still didn’t lock!!

Melia Cayo Coco: We'll be back!

We were at the Melia Cayo Coco for our 4th stay from March 12 to March 19, 2024. We stayed in building 83 as it was close to the beach, the pool and the buffet. Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived but that was ok. We came prepared and had packed our beach clothing and sandals in our carry-on bags. When we went back to the lobby counter around 3:00, our room was ready. The lobby staff will provide you with the Wi-Fi info. Each guest has access to 10 hours of FREE internet and if you use it all, [... read more] you can go back to the lobby desk to have it reset. There was an employee readily available to grab our luggage and to drive us to our building via a golf cart. We had two heavy suitcases which he easily carried up to the top floor. Don’t forget to have some bills in your pocket to tip the transfer bus driver and the bellboy. FOOD: Everything was absolutely fantastic! We didn’t book any à la carte meals as we were very pleased with the selections in the buffet and we wanted to control what was being added to our food such as sugary sauces, seed oils and spices that we don’t eat. We typically sat in the first section at the entrance of the buffet as we felt it was cooler than sitting in the other areas. Yoandra, Hector, Lea and Miladis took great care of us for breakfast/lunch and Eddy, Joel and Omar spoiled us at dinnertime. We ordered Mimosas at breakfast along with plenty of coffee for my husband and hot water for my tea. Our wine glasses were continually filled up at lunch and dinner. We were never informed of any shortage of water, wine, beer or champagne. If you’re going to say yes to water or any other beverage, please be sure to drink it all. The same goes for whatever food you’re putting on your plate. Please don’t be wasteful. We went to the chef to the far right (meat station) to have our eggs cooked as Charles typically had a long line. Don’t forget to tip the chefs as they work hard and endure hot temperatures during their shifts. I missed having fresh shrimp but I can understand how expensive it can be for the fishermen to take their shrimp boats out. Lobster tail pieces were served on Thursday at the beach restaurant for their Cuban Day celebration. Be sure to check it out. There’s typically a long line up for the outdoor grill station on Thursday. EMPLOYEES: We were happy to see a lot of employees that we had recognized and interacted with from our previous stays. Some employees actually remembered us even though our last time there was 9 years ago. The gardeners were very pleasant to talk with especially Felipe. He hasn’t changed a bit. We often gave them treats from home on our way to the buffet for breakfast. There was always a fist bump or a hug in appreciation. Next time we’ll be bringing them some gardening gloves. BEACH: We missed this beach so much. There’s definitely not a shortage of soft white sand. The ocean was absolutely gorgeous. We had a few somewhat windy days (gusting around 25 to 30 kms) but we were still able to swim and float in the ocean. There’s a fresh water shower along the wooden walkway near the beach restaurant. Please be sure to rinse quickly and to shut the tap off when you’re done. We saw a man walk away with the water still running, uggh. Water is a precious resource in Cuba. Please respect this when you’re washing your hands and having your shower. There’s nothing wrong with temporarily shutting off the water when you’re washing your hair, washing your body and rinsing out your hair conditioner. Save the long hanky panky shower sessions for when you’re home. The water sports club is on the beach to the left between the MCC and The Sol. You can take out a kayak or a peddle boat for free and you’re entitled to a free 30-minute sail on a Hobie cat (skipper provided). Although this is free, please tip your Hobie cat skipper. You can book snorkeling at a cost of $25 Cdn per person which is a 2-hour excursion I believe. The towel exchange hut was open from 8am to 4pm and is located between the pool and the evening show area. We only exchanged our towels once as there’s really no need to exchange them every day which is such a waste of their resources (water, soap, transporting). We always travel with a set of our own colourful towels which we use to reserve our loungers in the morning. If someone steals our personal towels, so be it however if your hotel towel is stolen, you’re on the hook $$ for it. Don’t leave your towel or anything else on the lounger overnight as it’ll be taken. Bring some rope and clothespins to hang up your towels to dry. The classic rooms have open metal gates between each room so you can easily hang up a clothesline. There’s plenty of palapas for shade. There’s a long row of palapas for non-smoking (to the right of the beach bar walkway) and another long row for smoking (to the left of the beach bar walkway). The palapas are marked with non-smoking and smoking signs. If someone is smoking in the non-smoking section, mention it to the beach bartender. Dariel and Jesus took great care of us at the beach bar. We tipped them with kids clothing, shavers, deodorant and money. MONEY: It’s not necessary to convert your Cdn or US money to the Cuban peso (CUP) as they gladly accept Cdn and US bills at the resort, the markets and the airport. The bills must be in pristine condition, no tears or marks. We brought a lot of products with us to give as tips along with US cash. You can give them cash all you want however products are hard for the locals to purchase. Bring shavers, clothing, footwear, medical supplies, children’s and adults toothbrushes/paste, pantyhose, women’s sanitary products, sunblock, bug repellent and bite treatment, laundry pods, clothespins, laundry rope, work gloves, milk powder, AAA batteries, candles, lighters, etc. EXCURSIONS: We didn’t do any excursions however if we would have been there for 2 weeks, we would have ventured out to Pilar Beach via the local bus. It’s beautiful there! There was a guy walking the beach looking for people to book parachuting. We saw the parachuters once a day, pretty cool to see. MUSIC/ENTERTAINMENT: there’s plenty of very talented musicians in the lobby and at the beach restaurant. It’s quite obvious that they love their musical culture. We purchased a CD (55 songs) from the ‘Son del Rio’ band. They often play at the beach restaurant and we heard that they were also playing in the lobby at times. There’s another great band that play at the beach restaurant. We don’t know the name of this band but the female (lead singer) has an amazing voice. ROOMS: the classic rooms that haven’t been refurbed are slightly showing their age but shouldn’t hold you back as you’re barely in your room. The sliding mirror doors are a bit of a pain as they’re so heavy and sometimes don’t slide easily. In our opinion, remove the sliding doors as they’re not needed. Our room was very quiet. We had to cover the LED display on the mini split with black electrical tape as it was extremely bright which interrupted our sleep for the first few nights. COULD IMPROVE ON: Water pressure – if we showered between 5pm and 6pm, the pressure seemed ok. If we showered after 6pm, the pressure was sketchy. There were times that my husband had to hold the converter button in in order for the water to flow out of the showerhead so I could rinse off shampoo, conditioner and body soap. Toilet paper – there were a few times after 5pm at the beach restaurant that there was no toilet paper in the ladies’ bathroom. After the 1st time this happened to me, I saved our barely used napkins and put them in my beach bag to be prepared. The ladies’ bathroom off the lobby often ran out of toilet paper once the staff had left for the night. AIRPORT ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE: OMG the arrival was extremely hot and painful as there were hundreds of people lined up to go through customs in an unconditioned section on the lower level of the airport with no clear layout of where the lines are to line up. Once we made it through customs and security, we waited a very long time for our luggage. There was only one washroom that was shared between men and women. From the time we got off the plane to getting on the bus, it took approx. 2 ½ hours. The departure wasn’t as long but we still had to stand in a long line up when the bus dropped us off. It took an hour to drop off our luggage at check in, go through customs and security. Side note: I recently found a great site for more info on Cuba and its culture: https://havana-guide.com/

Melia Jardines del Rey: 8/10

The grounds were neat and tidy. The staff were for the most part were absolutely great. They were short towels and toilet paper so suggest taking your own to be safe. The food was good for the most part. Always had chicken, pasta and pork. There is a lot of walking involved to get from point a to b. There were 24/7 places to eat. The pizza place made the best chicken wings. There were very few shortages of food during our 14 day stay. The entertainment was great. If going there they really need [... read more] medicine, first aid supplies, soap, toothpaste, band aids. The pools and ocean were fabulous. The ocean in some areas had a lot of rocks so water shoes would be a great idea. If you walk down the beach a bit it is fine. We found star fish, needle point fish, little white fish etc all near the shore.

Melia Las Dunas: This resort needs a lot of love

It was my third time at the Melia las Dunas. The weather was wonderful and the staff amazing! Viktor, at the animation team is a nice guy and he always remember our name. The staff at the pool bar and the restaurant on the adult side are wonderful. The hotel itself is not like it was before. No chair anymore at the adult side beach no bar and not too much chairs on the other side. The chairs are old and uncomfortable. On a positive point our room was cleaned every day. As you know, Cuba is  [... read more]short of almost everything so if you are going in Cuba in general, don’t think that you will have the best food. They are doing what they can with the less they have. You will always find something to eat. But if you want to meet amazing people and lay down on the most beautiful beaches, that’s the place to go.

Sol Palmeras: Nice Resort and wonderful staff

I just came back form a 2 week stay at Sol Palmeras, Varadero, Cuba. The beach is beautiful, the weather was sunny and hot everyday. Plenty of chairs, no need to get up early and reserve. The pool area was well kept, and lots of entertainment. I stayed in a superior room with balcony, a nice view of Cardenas bay. It was comfortable, hot water, toilet function and AC all good. Marta, the camarera, did a good job. The food at the buffet was adequate and varied, fish, chicken, pork and beef. Pizza [... read more] (not so good), pasta, different kinds of vegetables and sometimes fresh green lettuce. The breakfast Omelette were vey good, Xavier, at the grill does an excellent job. Supper efficient and keeps the line up moving with such skill and always in good spirits while manning a hot grill. I cannot say the same for the drinks at the Cubbita bar - cannot make a decent pina collada, or a proper daiquiri cocktail. The coffee was also mediocre. The staff in buffett restaurant were wonderful and very accommodating. Layada was exceptional in her customer service. The other 4 restaurants by reservation were also good, my favorite was the Latin food where I enjoyed a nice fish and a delicious flan desert as well as the impeccable service. The not so good... the noise of hammers to concrete at 08:00 am due to the hotel,s current renovations. Staff worthy of mention: Maria at the customer service office, Heydi Lopez - Animacion Mini Club, Alexis - beach towel station, Jose Carlos - beach and pool animation. The WIFI was available most of the time. All in all I had a good experience and I would recommend this resort.

Melia Las Americas: Golf Vacation!

We upgraded this time to the Level. Nice room which was significantly larger than the classic room. It also gave us access to one more dinner and breakfasts and lunches at one of the restaurants. Food was good at all the restaurants, but not quite as good at the buffet, particularly breakfast as it was in the past. Eggs were limited, but still plenty of good food to eat. We love the golf course, especially in March when snowy at home! Greens were very slow, but held well. Fairways were hard and  [... read more]dry. Lots of roll! They were stricter with tee times this year, so book your times online before you go. Definitely hope to go back next year!

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Just O.K

> The staff was very friendly, the room was clean and shower amazing with lots of hot water. The beds , 2 stuck together not the best. The beds were hard with flat pillows. The wifi not the best. The beach was perfect. The food, a good variety , very disappointingly cold. Same menu lunch and supper. My husband and I got sick with diarrhea the last 2 days and last 4 days in total. Sorry to say but we would not go back to this resort.

Melia Jardines del Rey: 3 Stars

The main lobby is beautiful, but it’s just an illusion. Having been to Cayo Coco 3 times, we knew what to expect. The positives: amazing beach with sandbars and shells, you can walk along all the resort shores. We met many fun guests from Canada. The cappuccino’s were fabulous…when they had coffee and milk. The sad parts: line ups for food, food quality was hit or miss, we had to buy water for our rooms each day, towels were not exchanged for the week and they start to smell because of the humid [... read more]ity. Staff are constantly asking you to exchange Canadian money for US at par, as well as exchanging any Canadian coins. Staff were not as friendly as previous visits. Many nights showed alcohol shortages. So, if you are going for the beach only, this is your resort. I’d recommend packing some protein bars and extras to keep you going for the week. We will not return.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Great resort, wonderful people.

The resort was great. It could use some maintenance and upkeep in several places, but the beach, the people and the food made for that. The nightly entertainment was also great, and it had a little bit of everything for everyone. We dined at the Oriental and Italian restaurants and found the food and service there both very good. There's a 24 hour snack bar where you can get sandwiches, and a pizza restaurant where they are made to order. Proximity to the airport was also great...a quick 15 to 2 [... read more]0 minute drive.

Paradisus Varadero: Cuba 2024 Trip

We had issues with our rooms the first night we arrived. There was confusion as to where we were supposed to be , which area, (even the driver did not know). Our first room(s) was not cleaned, with beds not made, no towels, broken safes etc. After several attempts with hotel staff to get our rooms changed,the following day we finally were able to settle in a different room(s). These were more up to standard. The staff were excellent, doing the best they could . Our maid service in the s [... read more]econd rooms was tops (#10 of 10) . Drinking water was left every day and fresh towels, clean beds, etc. There are no complaints - we even had a concierge in the second area. The beach was excellent. I would recommend this area.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Honest review

I have been to Cuba many time pre covid as well as twice post covid. Cuba is really struggling right now and if your going to go to this resort please go with an open mind. The beach is beautiful, the people are amazing, the weather is fantastic and it’s a cheap tropical all inclusive vacation. Everyone knows you don’t go to Cuba for the food. There was always food to eat and things to drink but the selection was limited to rice, beans, chicken, eggs, bread and some veggies. Knowing this we brou [... read more]ght our own snacks and comfort foods from home and ever went hungry. The rooms are dated and smell a little musty but that’s typical for a tropical vacation. The water pressure in our room was very low and we didn’t have hot water but it’s hot outside and nice to cool off with a cold shower. We knew what to expect going to Cuba and weren’t expecting the ritz. We had an amazing vacation our plan was to go on vacation to enjoy the beach and warm weather and that’s exactly what we did.

Sol Caribe Beach: Perfect Resort

the rooms were clean ,the food was excellent, the grounds well groomed. The beach was clean ,lots of huts, the activities were abundant and fun the staff extra friendly. My family had a great experience and would return to this resort.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Very relaxing resort

The resort was great. Had a great layout close to everything. It is on the smaller side but great spot to recharge. The beach and the water was beautiful we spent everyday on the beach. The staff were all nice and work very hard to keep people comfortable with all the shortages that they face everyday. A little disappointed in the food with the shortages of things but the staff would help anyway they could. The area of Santa Maria is beautiful and may return again in the future.

Paradisus Varadero: Paradise Vacation at Paradisus Varadero

This was our very first vacation in Varadero, Cuba- and it was splendid. We have been to other resorts in different parts of Cuba and Varadero has been a memorable one. From the very clean hotel rooms with hot water to the hotel well kept lush grounds to the beautiful beach and unbelievable hot and cold fresh food variety!!!!!! Yes you are reading this correctly. The food was awesome!!!! we did NOT get sick. We were able to brush our teeth with tap water too. Staff was friendly entertainment wa [... read more]s sufficient, but would’ve like to see a bit more interaction. They work hard and they deserve every tip you can offer. The locals would really appreciate medication, clothing, and toiletries over money so I left behind what I could. Souvenirs, rum, coffee and cigars are best bought in the town- better value. This trip has not only provided history knowledge, but also has enlightened our perspective-and mind set. “Be happy with what you have - stop complaining and appreciate the beauty that surrounds this island”!!

Melia Internacional: Great resort

Our experience at this hotel was fantastic. This resort is well-maintained and clean. The food was good throughout our visit. The highlight was the beach and the friendly staff. The entertainment was also excellent every night.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Wonderful Resort, beautiful beaches!

This trip to Cuba was my 9th, Cuba is having a very difficult time for their people and somehow managed to still give tourists so much! The rooms are lovely, it’s a great size resort, not too big, lots of coffee, drinks and while there are some food shortages everywhere there was lots to eat and enjoy. The grounds / gardens and beaches are spectacular! The staff are so kind, there’s no where I feel safer as a single parent then Cuba, (I feel safer there then at home in North America).  [... read more] Loved our Melia Cayo Santa Maria stay