Melia Las Dunas: Magnifique âï¸âï¸âï¸âï¸
I just came back from this heavenly place, and I would be ready to go back there next week 🥰 everything went very well, but you have to prepare a little more than usual. Follow the instructions of the travel agent carefully. Cubans are so friendly and helpful, have always been very well received at this Hotel. It is very well maintained with beautiful rooms. I had dinner twice at the à la carte restaurant, and both were good, the buffet too. If you tip, you will be served like kings ðŸ‘[... read more]The section of the beach in front of Las Dunas was the widest and most beautiful. There were shows and entertainment even though the hotel was not full. Take at least one day out of your week to take an excursion or go to Caïbarien, the nearest village, and your trip will be unforgettable. we had good weather all week, temperature between 25/28 degrees Celsius. Thank you to Las Dunas and my Cuban friends for this wonderful week and see you soon 😎🤗ðŸðŸ–ðŸâ¤ï¸
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Eggshell -
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Iberostar Coral Holguin: Peaceful Paradise
Very quiet due to COVID
2 a La crates open - both very good
Struggles with supplies due to COVID so no butter minimal bread but loads of fish, seafood and lobster tail in Coral
New resort so all clean and fresh with staff constantly cleaning and polishing
4 girlfriends had a wonderful week
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Kimmie -
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Paradisus Rio De Oro: We found our paradise!
Excellent resort, super clean and grounds well maintained. Love that there are no tall buildings and find it very quaint. The staff were extremely kind, friendly and helpful. Best resort staff we have ever encountered.
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Private -
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Carisol los Corales: Quite Disappointing Resort
Firstly, when I arrived at the Hotel Costa Morena at 10:30 pm, I expected to meet my friend. She had come to the hotel at 4:00 pm at my request. Her name was NOT on the tourist list beside my name and she was sent home. She lives quite far away. I went looking for her at 11:00pm. This was totally wrong! Pedro, the HolaSun rep, had on file both our names together. WHY WAS SHE SENT AWAY??? WHO MADE THIS ERROR??? I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!
The workers at the hotel are excellent. However, [... read more]we did not have beer for five days at the resort. Toilet paper was in short supply. No milk for my coffee for many days. No sugar for several days. No butter for several days. No cooking oil at breakfast on the grill for several days. Eggs had to be scraped off the grill due to lack of oil. We had only pork every day for two weeks for lunch and supper. I do not eat pork. Two days there was in addition chicken or beef. I obtained fish from an outside source and fish was cooked for myself and my sister on several occasions. The kitchen staff were very helpful. There were no eggs for breakfast on many days. HOW COULD ALL THIS SHORTAGE OCCUR AT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE HOTEL CHARGING A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY???
Considering the large amount that I spent for the two weeks, this was totally totally unfair, unacceptable and overpaid.
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Private -
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Sol Varadero Beach: Good hotel
Comfortable hotel, everything is clean and tidy. The reception helped whis all questions I had. The ocean is beyond praise, clean and warm water of 25 degrees. The food in the restaurant is delicious, but every day is the same. In general, satisfied.
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Private -
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Club Kawama: No complaints, but I will never go back
I had a tight budget, so I got what I paid for. The room was not hotel standard - the mold was visible and the drainage smell never went away. Very noisy at night. Wifi was $5CAD for two hours and can only be accessed in the lobby, where everyone smoked and very busy. It was very difficult to get drinking water. The food is cooked either too dry or too raw. There is no snack bar, as half of the hotel is closed.
Some people are nicer than the others, though. The location is good, as it is clo[... read more]sed to the commercial area. It is very important to leave the resort/my room whenever I could.
I am not complaining because I spent the lowest amount of money and didn't expect anything better. Club Kawama should never raise its price no matter how expensive other resorts are, since its infrastructure, food, and resources are not worth anything remotely close to four figures.
I will never go back there. It should not be counted as a resort, not even a hotel. If I can't afford anything better, I'd rather stay home in the winter. It is way better to see the snow than smelling the drainage in the room and throwing up because of that.
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Daniel -
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Playa Costa Verde: great place
solid 4 star hotel, staff is fantastic, location a bit remote.no broken floor tiles and everything as clean as it could be, food is like everywhere in Cuba but no complaints, large pool and ocean is a 5 minute walk but is part of the resort, i will certainly return
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Tammy -
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Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Absolutely perfect
The General Manager Alexandro.is there and interacting with guests and there to help when you need it. They also have a 'butler" for each set of rooms..Mine were Liam and Alexis and they were amazing. Their English is great so they can help with anything you need.
The rooms are excellent. They're huge, clean, with comfy beds. The bathrooms have a walk in shower with a separate soaker tub and I was staying in the lowest.price room - the garden view room.
The food was incredible. I was pleas[... read more]antly surprised given the pandemic and all. They didn't have massive buffets but they did have a la carte with some buffet options. Some highlights was the tuna steak, potatoe soup, tortillas by the beach, caramel icecream, and all the chicken dishes. A girl I met there had severe food allergies and they catered to her every need.
The beach is second to none. I've traveled all over the world (Thailand, Greece, throughout the Caribbean, etc) and there is nothing like the beaches in Cuba in my opinion.
Finally the atmosphere was just soooo chill. It was like everyone there was on the same wave length. There were party areas and quiet areas so it there was a place for whatever your mood. It's a smaller more intimate resort but not too small by any means
There were a lot of solo travelers but it didn't matter if you were solo or not everyone socialized and mixed a mingled and got a long It was all Canadians so it was just a great vibe.
As far as covid. There are no entry requirements except to fill out an online form..So super easy to get in. All staff where masks everywhere whether inside or.outside. No one had tested positive on the resort since Dec. They check your to.when you get off the plane and they do.the PCR test.at.the resort for $30 USD.
All.and all just what the Dr ordered. Absolutely perfect vacation.
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Private -
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Paradisus Rio De Oro: Service+++ (even with COVID)!
The staff are exceptional! Whether you booked Royal Service like we did or you used 'general' services... like we did... the staff and service are exceptional!
COVID best practices are observed and you will feel safe!
Currently having a few supply chain issues... but overall easy to adapt to!!!
The grounds are immaculately! (The groundskeepers do their very best to mitigate guests...).
If you wish to tip...and if you choose to use Loonies or Toonies... please take 'pristine Canadia[... read more]n bills' and offer to trade them for bills. Coins (such as our Loons & Toons) can't be exchanged in Cuba. AND Bills must be nearly new for locals to exchange.
BTW: The staff will never let you know this. I got my info from an Ex-Pat and then confirmed it locally by a trusted person.
I will book this location again!!
I had booked a lakeview room because I'd heard poolside was loud. I was given poolside. Nice room however, but loud. I had arrived after a long day of traveling, so was hungry. The food was cold. Ok, maybe better tomorrow. Went to grab a drink. Only beer, wine, rum
I don't drink any of them. Checked online and seems to be an ongoing issue. Switched resorts the next day.
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Private -
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Grand Memories Santa Maria: Worth returning to Cuba
I stayed in building 60 at the grand memories sanctuary area. Well worth going back to Cuba. It’s been a long two years of going nowhere. I was very hesitant to go to Cuba quite frankly because of the COVID situation, but I couldn’t pass up the deal. The Wi-Fi was a bit spotty better in the room and by the pool but quite frankly I loved the break. Also something that’s very new most things were paid by credit card. They excepted Canadian American or Cuban money. The resort could probably b[... read more]e updated but everything was kept clean by the staff who was very friendly. It should be noted that this resort offers a three-story walk up buildings for the rooms. They also offer trollies or golf carts around the resort. The food is Cuban. You were offered pork chicken beef or fish, soup, salad and dessert for supper. The food was delicious regardless. My philosophy when eating in Cuba has always been eat what they make in front of you. There was a hut on the beach that severed alcohol hot dogs or hamburgers. For breakfast and lunch there is a buffets. As well as a chef, late at night that would make something. They also made cappuccinos. I did tip throughout the vacation. The staff was very appreciate of of the tips. But if you didn’t tip they still treated you the same there was no difference that I noticed. I stayed at the beach in the morning until two. The loungers in the palapas were well taken care of. There was always somebody to set it up for you clean it and place your towel. I felt very safe leaving my stuff on my seat. If you walk down to the end of where the hotels were there was a place where you could snorkel. Also, the hotel offered a complementary catamaran ride into the ocean and back. There is a place on entering the beach where you can tell what the water was like because there was always a flag red or yellow. In the pool area there was a swim up bar there was a lot of music and entertainment at the pool. Shade or sun areas on the pool deck. The rooms were kept immaculately clean, staff is always around to help you. The entertainment staff with exceedingly busy it made everybody felt welcomed. Thank you very much Mercedes, Joel, George, Rafeal, Eduardo, Elena, Dayanes and anyone I forgot. I did get a really nice massage. There was a safe in the room I did have a converter but I don’t think I really needed it for the electricity. There was a mini fridge that was always stocked with water. There was always fresh towels and you had 2 beach towels. There was entertainment there with dance troupe. After the show at night time the staff was always around to have fun with. There is a doctor on this resort who was very professional and understanding. Also, I would like to mention the Sunwing representative was very clear very precise and friendly and helpful. Which I can’t always say about other the travel reps I’ve dealt with. As well as the bus drivers and tour guide from and to the resort. This resort was very safe for ladies travelling on there own
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Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Solid 3.5 star
I have previously travelled within the Royalton chain, staying on their properties 4 times in the past. This resort, while completely suitable for a family vacay is not up to typical Royalton standards. If luxury amenities and first class service is important to you I would recommend the Royalton Punta Cana, as you would still have access to the amenities at royalton splash (ie: the water park).
Pros : MYKAL the waiter at the buffet was amazing - he really made a difference in our stay and [... read more]in fact almost all of the buffet staff was fabulous! Including the hostesses!
The rooms were well appointed. We had a family suite and there was lots of room. A/C worked well and our housekeeper was great. Room service took a long time but that’s to be expected - you’re on island time!
The food at the buffet was repetitive but good. Although 2/5 of us did get food poisoning one night - we narrowed it down to a chicken skewer from the buffet - no big deal could easily happen here in Canada as well!
Grounds were well kept and the kids loved the tennis court, teens club and water park.
We hung out at the main activity pool and the servers from the swim up bar were great! Super friendly!
The entertainment “vibe†team was..meh. They lacked any real vibe and we’re hot and cold as far as friendliness and engagement are concerned.
The beach was AMAZING! So pretty, white sand and turquoise water, no seaweed at all. Walk over to the beach was easy (about 7-10 mins but we walk fast) there is a shuttle but we didn’t use it.
Cons: getting into a restaurant was such a chore, in fact we only got in on our last night. We went to the Mexican and the service was absolutely atrocious! Probably the worst service I’ve ever had. We ate quickly and left immediately. I was really disappointed.
Could use more entertainment and engagement from the vibe team.
Service at the front desk was ok. Definitely not 5 star.
Lack of access to the buffet at royalton PC was a disappointment. We were literally told to use it we had to pay $15 pp per meal. I knew that we couldn’t access their restaurants but the buffet?! Seemed bizarre.
Covid protocols: testing was on site at royalton PC and was really seamless. We had the results in less that 24 hours which allowed us not to stress too much.
All employees wore masks even outside. We felt super safe. That said many (the vast majority) of the Europeans that visit do not wear masks, not even inside at the buffet and it was not enforced by staff despite signage that said it was mandatory to wear them. We are not all that worried about Covid so it didn’t bother us but I think it’s worth noting for those who are concerned.
Overall would we return? Yes, if we got a great deal but we certainly wouldn’t rush back.
I would recommend it to anyone looking for a family vacation in a safe and fun location. Just manage your expectations and don’t over pay just to get away - that way you won’t be dissappointed!
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Cariboocowgirl -
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Starfish Varadero: Really enjoyed this resort
Not brand new by no means but they work hard at cleaning and sanitizing and running a nice resort. Bungalows are great, older, but clean and spacious. We had a quiet location within a short walking distance of beach, pool, etc. The beach is AMAZING, AND SO IS THE STAFF!
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Private -
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Los Delfines: Amazing resort
Hotel grounds were very nice, and older hotel but very clean, food good for Cuba, hotel staff amazing. This hotel is right in downtown Varadero so close to shopping and restaurants. The hotel is in three parts: Beach bar and special coffee bar, and older hotel with the buffet and a la carte, and the hotel on the main street with the lobby, pool ,and bar and snack bar. The snack bar had good pizza, and sandwiches (ham). The beach and other two building were across the street from the main bu[... read more]ilding, but very close so no problem.
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BARKER04 -
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Club Kawama: I really loved staying here!
Firstly, would I stay here again? The answer is, "Hell yes!!"
The check-in was efficient. The food was moderate. And the beer kept flowing!
The beach was superb and all of the bar services on the resort (notwithstanding them not having Scotch) were really great!
Cuba and it’s people are not only dealing with Covid-19 but also years of The Embargo. Yes there are shortages and there are cosmetic issues but nothing will slow or stop the smiles and endless kindness of the staff on all levels at this resort. I truly hope the best is yet to come for this beautiful property. The lack of tourism is having its affect across the entire Country. If your willing to travel to a Country with beautiful safe beaches and clear blue water Cuba is calling. Make su[... read more]re to take a few extra bottles of Advil, children Advil, extra toothpaste reading glasses, anything medical, there in total shortages.
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Private -
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Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Great Beach. Resort is aging.
4th time at this resort and it's been getting worse with every visit. On a good note a new director general was appointed 3 months ago and I'd promising to make great improvements. I don't recommend the resort at this time. Maybe after the improvements have been implemented. The rooms needs lots if improvements.
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Private -
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Playa Costa Verde: Amazing Resort
Playa Costa Verde has been absolutely the best hotel in holguin I have visited there more than 36 times an it continues to be my favourite the staff an service is amazing an all amenities are clean and well kept .
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Guss -
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Paradisus Rio De Oro: Amazing resort!
This hotel is beautiful with his mature foliage, the service is excellent, friendly, courteous and the food is of high quality. Due to covid the resort was about 25% full. We are considering returning for a third time.
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Sandy1963 -
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Hotel Bella Costa: Amazing Holiday
We have been at this resort numerous times. There have been a lot of upgrades done to the rooms, grounds, etc.
This is an older resort, but the resort is kept immaculate by staff.
All staff are very friendly and accommodating. From the front desk to the entertainment staff and wait staff, there were no complaints. They went over and above their duties.
The pool was cool this past week, but it was sparkling clean and refreshing.
It was a very windy week, so the beach was red flag for[... read more] a few days. We were able to get in the ocean the last few days of our holiday.
The beach was very clean and groomed. The water fantastic.
It was nice to have wait staff at the beach and around the pool - quite a treat!
Food was fantastic - no complaints - lots of variety. There was no way you were going hungry.
Covid protocols were in place. Masks were worn by ALL staff at ALL times. Hand sanitizer readily available throughout the resort. Cleaning of all surfaces done on a regular basis. We were not worried at all.
All and all it was a fantastic holiday and we will return to Bella Costa many more times.