Memories Cayo Largo: Nice Vacation but some changes are needed

This was our 1st time at Sol Cayo Largo, overall it was nice a resort but does need some changes to be done. Airport-It was great as the airport is only 5 minutes away from the Sol. We took a taxi to the Sol as we wanted to bypass the bus crowd. CHECKIN-Front Desk. Was fast and good It always seems to be a surprise that a plane has landed and a bus full of guests will all arrive at once. Later we found out what the hold up was--THEY WERE OVERBOOKED and sent many people to the Pelicano. This wa [... read more]s disturbing as the Pelicano is NOT the same environment or hotel as the Sol. FOOD--the Pool bar was great and the Pizzas continue to be a highlight for us. The food at El Ranchon was disappointing. The Las Trinas restaurant had better food and the service was great there. We ordered the Carribbean lobster for $20 extra each and it was worth it. The Buffet restaurant food was certainly much hit or miss as there NO EGGS for 1 1/2 days--hard to make a lot of different foods without eggs. The food that was available was good as they had grilled lobsters one night. This opinion was also shared with us by many repeat visitors. The bread and pasta they make is fantastic. Since they cater to 90% Italians we found that the Italian food was very good! Also they ran out of Mint as it had to be shipped over by the main island and we went without Mojitos for 1 day. We are in Cuba but there was no Mojitos??? They also ran out of champagne for Mimosa's one morning. We had to remember that this island had to get everything shipped over by the main island so items were not readily available like at Varadero or Santa Maria. SERVICE--the service in the Buffet was much poorer. It appears that they closed several of the work stations and doubled the number of tables the staff had to clear. Many times we had to ask for water or more wine several times. TOWELS--when we checked in they told us the towels was not available due to waiting for towels. We brought our own towels from home and used them for the beach. When beach towels were finally available they were out again a few days later. I understand equipment fails but they need to communicate to the guests and let them know what is going on instead of continually saying come back later. There was a major equipment failure and the management was not able to communicate this well to the guests. SPA-Was very good and affordable, my other half and I got a couples massage at $25 each and it was very good. GROUNDS-They need to change the net at the tennis court as it currently a volleyball net as we played tennis each day and the ball kept going through the net. BEACH--still one of the best beaches around but not swimmable as the waves are too strong. You are better off going to Paraiso or Sirenas, which are world famous. We also rented a jeep and it was worth it as we toured the whole island and found many private beach coves along the Island. ROOMS--We were told that they are trying to change the hotel to a 5 Star--No signs of that in our room. Our fan was dirty, there was no coffee maker (supplied in Oceanview Premium rooms), The rooms are tired and the bathroom floor and wall tiles have cracks in them. Some days we only got two towels. We were also told that they would be changing this to the Adults Only Resort in Cayo Largo but were not sure if this true. OVERALL- We will return unless but they need to have certain items corrected. Generally the quality of the food, even for a poor country like Cuba, was not acceptable. The staff were great and we had no problems whatsoever as the aim to please. The beaches were great and that is where we spent most of our time. We are very sorry to see this resort in a decline and hope they are able to turn it around soon. Room Tip: Oceanview rooms at the west end have a great view and are all upgraded.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: My experience at Melia Penninsula Vweradero

although the buildings are dated, the grounds are spacious and well kept The staff are friendly, well mannered and polite. The food is not upto Canadian standards,but I am told that is better than average in Cuba. some of the services that you take for granted in other resorts in other countries do not exist, like ice machines around the resort. This resort had a terrific children,s program and the adult entertainment was excellent.

Melia Las Dunas: Perfect!

the people were so friendly from the food service to the grounds keepers, everyone was amazing! the resort property was clean and the whole resort exceeding my expectations. Our buffet service was awesome with our breakfast guy looking for us every morning and having a table ready. The beach service and bar service was just as good!

Dreams Sapphire Resort and Spa: Great hotel

Example: What did you think about  this hotel? (grounds, public areas, rooms, dining, features, etc.) Great hotel, staff very kind and helpful. Lacks more live music at night. People danced when there was a live band playing, but this was only twice. We missed more latin music to dance every night. There was not much to do after a few shows other than a club with very loud music and for much younger crowd even though most of the guests were older. This hotel needs to have live latin music ever [... read more]y night like most resorts in the Caribbean where we are also taught how to dance at the beginning. I was also hoping to have some snacks, fruits, tea, coffee, juices, etc some where in the lobby when restaurants were closed. If we were hungry after restaurants closed, we had to get room service and they were usually very busy and it took long time to get the food. When it is late most people want just a snack, and the worse, we couldn't have any hot beverage after athe cafeteria closed (tea, coffee, herbal tea) for the ones that don't want to drink alcohol or had enough alcohol beverages. I really miss this and it is quite simple to make it available. Also, the beach must be cleaned in a more efficient way to offer a nicer beach. But overall, it is a great place to spent a week and I recommend it regardless. I suggest to be very careful with the people offering tours because somehow they will also offer time share and take your time.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: A wondeful place to have vacation.

The grounds were well kept. Service was amazing. Loved the 7/24 Bar/food area. Pools were very clean. Loved the fact the resort is small.It felt like we had our very own special resourt. Enterainment during the day/evening was well thought out by the managemnt staff. Loved the fact the entertainment staff got us all involved, from dancing to playing water polo. We were impressed with the Pig Roast around the pool. One negative: The restrooms by the beach need the washroom doors updated. As well  [... read more]the washroom by the pool requires new locks on the doors and update he lower steel plates below. They are a little rusty. All in all, it was wonderful experience. My first time in Cuba!

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Melia Cayo Santa Maria

I loved this place. It was very clean which impressed me the most The grounds keeper were busy everyday trimming pruning and cutting away dead brush. Sandy was kind enough to get us a fresh coconut to enjoy which was a treat. The beach was lovely although waters usually too rough to swim in and pool cold but when in the hot sun that is overlooked. Most people say the Cuban food is bland but I enjoyed what was there. Anything that didn't look appetizing you just stay away from. Only down side the [... read more]re were ants in the room which was annoying and we only got one beach towel so you had to keep the one you have clean. On the up side the bar fridge was ALWAYS stocked with water and cervasa/pop water is rare commodity but no problem here. Staff mostly were friendly and the tour guide Danielle was hilarious enjoyed the welcome meeting.....This was my first trip to Cuba and definitely will go back. One fellow I spoke to has gone back 30+ times sometimes twice a year so he has earned VIP status no doubt. rooms are quaint and bright Luv this place

Melia Las Americas: Most enjoyable

We have been going to Melia Las Americas for the past six years and we have never been disappointed in the service provided, albeit, a bit slower than the previous times. The food was better than average. The A la Carte restaurants were great, especially the "International Restaurant".

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Beautiful Resort, Good Food, Nice Rooms

Overall our stay here was very good. We were in the Royal Service section, and it is definitely worth the $$. The restaurants and pool were great. The resort is beautiful, our room was amazing (giant jacuzzi tub) and it was always clean. You often hear about the food not being great in Cuba - we really enjoyed the food here - lots of fresh fish and meat on the grill and breakfast made-to-order. The only complaint I had was about the service. Despite tons of staff, the service at the Lobby Bar  [... read more]in the Royal Service and all of the restaurants was lacking. We usually had to wait forever to get drink orders and unless we flagged them down we were rarely offered refills. At the Lobby bar we'd end up waiting 5 minutes when we were the only people at the bar. We tipped regularly, but that seemed to make no difference in the service. We also tried to order room service - the first time it just never showed up (we waited 2 hours then went out to eat). The second time it came promptly.

Melia Marina Varadero: It didn't 'wow' us!

We traveled to this hotel during the Christmas holiday in 2014. The hotel was very clean, the staff was friendly and hospitable. Our housekeeper 'Elaine' was great and ensured we were comfortable at all time. The hotel itself is beautiful and the surroundings lovely. However; we felt the hotel overall was lacking. You were only allowed to attend to two a la carte restaurants during your stay, the main buffet offered the same selection almost everyday. Our Christmas eve dinner was exquisite - the [... read more] presentation was remarkable, there was an array of options and the food tasted great so we knew the hotel was aware of what great food, service and presentation should look like but they choose not to show it on the other 6 days. The entertainment was pitiful - there wasn't a designated area for the night entertainment show so when it rained, you were left with nothing and the actual performers were terrible. The daytime activities were also disengaging and poorly executed. We've been to other all inclusive resorts in Cuba - all 5 Stars and we feel this resort was the most disappointing. We had great expectations about this hotel and were sadly disappointed.

Melia Las Antillas: Not a luxury resort, but nice!

The beach was fantastic, we walked for about an hour along the coast (passing by a few other hotels) and noted that our stretch of sand was the best. Fresh fish in the restaurants - try it! Bring $ to tip for extras (fresh coconuts). Go to this resort if you plan on spending most days at the beach - we didn't even try the pools. Lobby bar is 24/7. Bring bugspray for the evenings (early January). Make reservations for a la carte restaurants as soon as you arrive - inconsistency between what the b [... read more]rochure says / the information that is posted / what the staff say. Then again, it's Cuba. Don't stress about the little things and you'll be fine. Quite a "couple-y" resort, but we made friends with the other travelers that were there in small groups as friends.

Tryp Cayo Coco: Clean and adequate

My first time to Cuba and was satisfied with the trip as far as pricing went. The hotel was not over the top for me, the bathrooms in the rooms need updating but otherwise clean. The staff were absolutely fantastic, friendly and accommodating!

Melia Marina Varadero: Awesome Place to Stay

My wife, two young children (3 and 5 years old), and I stayed at Melia Marina Varadero for 1 week around Christmas and it was just what the doctor ordered. We got a room facing the pool and it was clean, quite, and well kept. The beds were comfortable (we had 1 king and a sofa bed) and the four of us did just fine. We were surprised by the TV! We got Disney Junior, a couple Chinese channels, as well as CTV (a Canadian channel). Even though the TV was pretty good, we were too busy outside of the  [... read more]room to watch a lot. I will note: it would have been nice to have more in the mini fridge. We only had 2 pop and 2 beer, but it is understandable as the bar in the lobby was always available and we could get anything we wanted there. The cleaning staff was very attentive and even made some "figures" out of our towels. The room was great for what we needed. The beach was beautiful! Not too deep, the kids went in and had a great time. The beach was clean and well kept. The bar next to the beach kept us cool. Our son spend about 4 hours digging a hole! My wife did some beach side exercises and yoga. It was a great idea! She liked it and took part when we were there. We even had coconuts opened for us near the beach. We really had a relaxing time at the beach. Just FYI the trip to the beach, either cart or by foot, is not too long and is not taxing. Although our kids didn't stay alone in the kids area, we did visit it at different times, and were welcome. The kids enjoyed the sand, playground, and the people there for the kids were kind and pleasant. They cared for the children in their care and always had activities lined up. Our son and daughter were happy and played with others when they were there. For food, we tried the pool side snack bar, buffet, the oriental and latino restaurants. The snack bar was the only one that wasn't very good. The food was bland and so-so. The staff was nice, but the food could be better. The buffet was great. There was variety everyday. The fruit was always fresh, by the end my family was eating guava everyday! With 2 kids, the buffet was a staple and we were happy with it. The oriental restaurant was pretty good. The food tasted good and the servers were pleasant, but the food was a bit slow for a family with small kids. The latino restaurant was really good. They kept up with the kids better and my wife and I enjoyed a good meal (even though the server mixed up my order) the food was really good !! Oh yeah, since we were there for Christmas, the resort did a great dinner in the buffet room on Christmas Eve. The resort and staff went all out. It was really good and there was a lot of fresh seafood, meats, pasta, and even chocolate figures. We were told to bring ketchup, mustard, and relish since these aren't always easy to get in Cuba, but we did fine with these. There was only a couple times I couldn't get ketchup, but that didn't affect our meals. Having said that there were a couple downers. Our bathtub was broken, and although the staff said they would fix it; it was still broken when we left. The shower worked well, but it is hard to shower two little ones. Also, one time when we requested toilet paper it took 3 hours to get it. We had to call to the front desk twice, but we eventually got it. Just something to keep in mind. Regarding our tour company, Canjet, their representative was hard to get in touch with during our stay. We set up a trip to Havana with the tour agent in the lobby, because our Canjet tour agent was only around for 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon. I mention this because our Canjet agent told us to work through her to set these things up. In addition, it would have been nice to have a better book store as well: I wanted a copy of a local English paper (really just for something to read), but all I could find were papers that were 2 or 3 months old. I know there were books available, but when you have 2 young kids a newspaper is better. Overall, we had a great time at Melia Marina Varadero. We needed a family vacation to relax and unwind, and yes even with kids we were able to do it. Even with a week there were a couple activities we didn't get around to, so yes we are already planning and looking forward to another trip to Cuba at the end of 2015. And yes we are going to go back to Melia Marina Varadero. It is a great place for families with young children. The staff was pleasant. The food was good as well. Thanks Melia Marina, you did a great job.

Sol Cayo Coco: Paradise!

Stayed at the Sol Cayo Coco from Dec 30-Jan 6 2015 and it was lovely. Smaller resort with a whole lot of love. The staff go out of their way to ensure you have a wonderful vacation and made our visit much more pleasant. The resort and rooms are alittle dated but they are kept clean and the grounds are impecable. We enjoyed the beach that was on the opposite side of the resort accessed by a bridge near the lower pool we spent many days there lounging in the sun and when the tide is out this turns [... read more] into shallow pools you can pull your sunloungers in. A tip for visitors walk down this beach pass the Iberostar resort to find a lobster/shrimp shack its 12cuc for lunch and 1cuc for a Cristol beer make sure to go to the bathroom as their facilities are not modern but worth the walk and the view is stunning. Would go back in a heart beat!

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Five Asterisk Resort

The resort is gorgeous, and the beach is the best. The staff are friendly, and we enjoyed our time there. However, I really don't like flies on my food, and they were ALL OVER THE FOOD all the time, and the sand fleas ate me alive. So, overall, it was good, but not great.

Melia Buenavista: Another Great Relaxing Stay

Our second Christmas vacation here and it did not disappoint. We had such a great time the first time and were looking forward to another great stay. We started off on a negative thanks to our service provider CanJet Vacations (not the resorts fault) as they changed our flight times from an afternoon departure from Toronto to a 6am departure with a stop in Jamaica first. Once we arrived we were warmly greeted by the resort staff who switched our room to accommodate our request. The resort was ab [... read more]out half full with guest, like the last time. We go here for the quiet and intimate atmosphere and were very happy again. It is great going here as you can snorkel at the beach and you are away from the other resorts on the island. Our favourite activity was our nightly champagne on the beach watching the sunset. The food is some of the best on the Island, and does not disappoint. The nightly entertainment is great, we especially enjoy the Spanish dancing. We will definitely return again!

Melia Nassau Beach Resort: Amazing food

So I was there for 3 days and 4 nights during Christmas was not told that there was renovations going on at the resort. The pool bar was closed, the hot tub did not work, the rooms look like a regular hotel room which needs up grading, many dislikes but the food was amazing can not complain about that will not stay there again.

Melia Las Dunas: Excellent Last Minute Trip

We booked on Saturday morning leaving on Wednesday. Price was incredible and Trip Central was fantastic in coordinating the arrangement. The facilities were excellent. The beach was superb, the service was excellent. Kids enjoyed every minute of the stay. My wife and I had a relaxing 7 days in the sun. We would certainly go back to this resort in the future. Very clean and well maintained resort with friendly staff. The food is what you can expect in Cuba however the Cuban fairs are great. The d [... read more]rive from the airport to the resort is approx. 1.5 hrs but worth every minute as you get to see the beautiful country side. Great resort for families and adults as they have 2 pools to cater to both segments.

Melia Buenavista: Our 7th stay and possibly the best yet!

Why you should be booking a trip to the Melia Buenavista: Amazing Scenery. Excellent Service. Conscientious and Caring Staff. Clean and modern rooms. Quiet and laid back atmosphere with sophisticated service. Greatly improved food quality and service. (Not "for a Cuban resort", the food stood up against any other country we've traveled to) Amazing snorkeling (and fishing if that's your thing) right from shore. Sergio, the food and beverage manager is welcoming and genuine and wants your feedback [... read more]. A really great guy and a bit of a character as well! Simply said, you should try it out. A very solid value. We're planning to be back in June.

Hotel Vigia: Excellent resort

Very comfortable resort. Great access to beach. The animators were excellent, with great performances. Great service. The resort is building new restaurants and renovating sections of rooms. The renovations look great.

Starfish Cayo Largo: We will be back

Hubby and I stayed at Sol Pelicano resort for 5 days in December. Weather was beautiful, didn't rain at all while we were there. We absolutely enjoyed spending time at the beach, amazing crystal clear turquoise water and fine white sand. We have been to Varadero but the beach will make us want to come back here again, especially Playa Paraiso and Playa Sirena. Beautiful walk along the shore from Playa Sirens to Playa Paraiso, we did it twice. Take the first free train ride to these gorgeous beac [... read more]hes if you want to spent the day there, ask reception to pack you food a day in advance and take it with when you leave. Staff was amazing, always smiling and we greatly enjoyed the night shows. Animation team works very hard to entertain guests. Our maid Leticia did a great job of cleaning our room and left some pretty towel art every day. Pizza at the pizzeria was delicious and so was the cappuccino at the lobby bar. Buffet food was good too, you won't go hungry while you're there. We would definitely go back to Sol Pelicano.