Just like home!

Sol Cayo Guillermo is an older resort, tired in some areas, but clean and comfortable. The people make this resort,,warm, friendly and helpful. The food is standard Cuban fare, lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and desserts. It is a smaller , quieter resort...not party central. The beach has been widened and there is plenty of room for all. They need some more lounge chairs, you have to claim one early in the day. Marieta , the Air Transat rep was helpful and reliable. We have been to this resor [... read more]t 6 times and after renovations to the resort next year, we would go back again.

Lovely Experience!

This resort has a lovely otherworld feeling ... the atmosphere was gracious and staff are kind & pleasant. The night time entertainment was 5 star for sure (except the disco ... terrible music & considering the age of the crowd rock 'n roll might b more suitable.) The two restaurants offer fine meals and a terrific atmosphere .... and the buffet was fine. The beach is spectacular & the beach staff work hard to clean it ... they start at 6am but I don't think guests tip them and treat them with  [... read more]gifts as other staff ... if u r a tipper don't forget the beach guys! Rooms are fine and perhaps can use a facelift but I understand that is coming. Bring u r own beach towels & facecloths and ... hang loose! Perfect temperature for this northern couple in March!

Great getaway!

A great getaway for us! Food got better every day! The Cuba day food was amazing! Shows were very good, could use more clothing on a few of the dancers but it's the culture 😁 room could be in better shape but who spends their vacation in the room anyways? Service was very good! Very friendly staff :) we will be back for sure!

NOT so great. Very disappointed. Don't spend your money here, especially if you have a limited budget to begin with. You will regret it.

It had actually been several years since we had gone on an all inclusive vacation. Let me just say that our family NEEDED this vacation badly! We've had a terrible year for numerous reasons. Money has been extremely tight in addition, so the decision to go away during March break was not made lightly. That said, we were on a budget and wished to spend between $3500 and $4000 on our trip. Not sure if this is the reason our experience was so bad or not but, I regret not spending more and defini [... read more]tely wish we could have a do over and/or get our money back! Due to the fact that we had so little to spend, I enlisted the help of and trip central agent. Anyway, all this said... Understand before I go into all the issues, that we are the most low maintenance, down to earth, NOT picky people you could ever meet. My husband and I have been to Cuba 5 times, the Dominican 2 times and Jamaica 1 time. We actually got married in Punta Cana. This recent trip was the second time to Cuba with our two children and this was the worst place we have ever stayed. Actually, we have loved every single other vacation we have ever taken to the Caribbean, until now. The Sol Cayo Guillermo hotel is in desperate need of repair and in fact, we heard during our stay that it will be closed at the end of this year for renovations. It would have been nice to know that before going there. Here is a list of things we experienced: - Our first night was spent in a room with no air conditioning. As a result, we didn't sleep well. - Our send night was spent in a room that had a broken door frame so the from door to the room would not lock properly. - That same room also had a sliding glass door that would not open and a safe that didn't work. - On the third day we were put in a new room that finally seemed to have everything in order but it did not. - This room had a sewer smell coming from the bathroom drains. Customer service and housekeeping gave us incense to burn! - They said they could not do anything else about this during our stay because it was possibly caused by the shower drain being blocked with bugs! To deal with this requires the use of Acid in the drain? - We kept the bathroom door closed for the rest of the week and left the window to the bathroom open at all times. - The refrigerator in this room did not work either but the safe did, so bonus! - The beds in all the room did not have any mattress covers and the mattresses were very soiled and in some cases moldy at the corners. - They were also ripped in some places which makes for great hiding places for little critters. Luckily, only saw one bug inside. Another bonus. Trying to be positive here. - The sheets were NEVER changed all week. - We NEVER once received new towels in our room all week. - We were only able to change our beach towels one time ALL week.(Apparently the onsite laundry services are out of order so all laundry needs to be sent an hour away to be done). - The pool was closed one day and we were not given a reason. - The food here was really not great. VERY repetitive. Understand that one should not go to Cuba for the food, it's really for the beach but the food here was not so great. - The selection of drinks was just ok and this is the first time that we've felt in Cuba like we were bothering the staff at the buffet or the bar areas. - Also, we have never been harassed more anywhere to bring staff food and drink etc., and we always felt like we needed to leave more than the usual tip we would leave at the buffet, bars, restaurants etc. These are things we would do naturally but it felt forced and uncomfortable here. One cannot predict the weather and this is not TripCentral's fault but to add to all of the above and which added to our disappointment, we had 4 days of cold, cloudy and at times very rainy weather. Our first three days were sunny and beautiful(but those were the days we had to waste time changing rooms) and for the balance of our trip, the weather was crappy. Very unfortunate but had everything else been okay, this would not have mattered as much. Anyway, the one upside was that the entertainment staff really tried and kept the kids occupied. They still had fun but in the end, we REALLY wish we had not spent our money to go here. NOT a good feeling when we hesitated to spend in the first place. Really wish we could get our money back! The trip Central staff should not be advising people to go here. VERY VERY disappointed. Can't say we will use trip central again and I do wonder what responsibility Sun Wing should share in transporting people here. :-(

Horrible cockroach infested room

Just returned from sol Cayo guillermo two days ago. I've been to Cuba several times before, and this is the worst hotel by far. It's such a shame because it has the potential to be wonderful. Cute bungalow rooms. The beach and grounds are reasonably maintained with Some wear and tear, but our room was terrible. We first discovered our deadbolt on the room door did not lock. Then realized the other keycard lock also didn't work. We could open the door just by pushing it so we had to carry our val [... read more]uables with us everywhere we went. The patio doors didn't close all the way allowing lizards and bugs free reign of our room. The safe also wasn't working. Our toilet ran and did not flush for 3 days until it was 'fixed.' There were no beach towels available for 3 days. We only got one bath towel in our room for my husband, daughter, and I to share for the entire week. In 7 days our room was cleaned twice. Cleaned meant the floor was swept and bed made. Sinks etc. were not cleaned. Sheets or towels were not changed. Shortage of bottled water and toilet paper. The light outside our room was not working which is a safety issue after dark. The bed matresses were ripped and stained. The fridge cabinet door was off the hinges. The worst problem was the giant cockroaches in our room that came out at night, forcing us to sleep with the lights on so we couldn't hear them scurrying around. Disgusting! Problem after problem. Every day we complained at the front desk and with 'customer service.' They did send someone to try to repair the toilet and locks but it took 3 days of complaining. They refused to allow us to change rooms because they were 'overbooked'. Staff were nice as long as you kept tipping them. I believe this is a Melia hotel. They should be ashamed to take people's money. On the plus side, the pool was good for kids. They had a large inflatable climbing castle by the beach which was good entertainment for kids. The buffet food was ok if you are not picky. Long lineups to get a table if you didn't arrive right when it opened at 6:30. We avoided the a la carte after talking to other guests who had a bad experience with it. I think the people who have good reviews of this hotel must have had rooms in much better condition. If our room locked, was cockroach free, and not dirty I could have overlooked some of the other problems. Our room was in the 1300 block

Classic Cuban Resort

Pool was amazing, but difficult to get a chair. The beach was breathtaking and the sand was so soft! Amazing beach. Hotel is rustic Cuban. What you expect for Cuba to get the Cuban experience. Staff very friendly and helpful. Food selection was large but line ups for some food took some time. Booking for the additional restaurants on site was not exactly clear, ensure you ask questions. Catamaran was amazing experience! Booking was simple and easy and the agent was helpful in answering  [... read more]questions.

THIS PLACE IS THE BEST!!!

We were looking for the ideal resort at the best possible price for a March Break escape for a weather-weary Maritime Canadian family group of eight with a 'kids are free' room price deal at a decent place. We found the perfect place at Sol Cayo Guillermo. Having been to Cuba (Cayo Coco) close to 10 times, I made the decision to return yet again to this beautiful country. Why? It is CHEAP and SAFE, period. We had small kids with us. The rooms were clean with never an issue with the t [... read more]hree common issues in Cuba: availability of toilet paper, clean towels and water bottles. This is somewhat of a rarity in Cuba; even in supposed "5 star" Cuban resorts (whatever that means because I've found it means very little), water, tp and/or fresh towels seems to always be an issue. These are all first world problems in any event but I never cease to be amazed at how upset people get....reallllly? Sure some of the mechanicals were a bit "broken" like our leaky sink and it was a bit sewage stinky in some spots, but that's common in Cuba. The shower (solar power units on the roofs), AC (brand new Westinghouse units that worked perfectly) and toilet worked well and that's really all that matters. How much time do you spend in your room in paradise anyway?? The resort was a tad run down and tired-looking around the edges but supposedly they are completely re-doing it in the near future. Long and short, whoever runs the Sol Cayo Guillermo does a really good job, better than most resorts in Cayo Coco and surrounding area. The food was fine, bland but fine. Hey it's not the chemical-laced stuff you get elsewhere but it's Cuban and healthy. This is likely why they're not obese. I am fine with wonderful stir-fried chicken, pork and Cuban rice with black beans. The pasta bar was excellent, custom-making your sauce while you wait. The omelets were fabulous and if you get there early enough to beat the line-ups, you get fast, hot yummy food. We all enjoyed it and the ice cream was fab for the little ones. The coffee is wonderful and they had fresh fruit and bananaramas made with real bananas! Crystal and Buccanaro beer is really good too! The staff were excellent, helpful and polite. Because it's an older resort, a lot of the staff were older too, not just a bunch of kids, making such a difference. The coffee ladies Anita and the other lady were fabulous as was the guy at the snack bar; the guy with the beautiful eyes making really good ham and cheese sandwiches and custom-made pizzas all day. Carlos and Jose at the Cubanita bar where the Brits hang out were just the best!!!! Your drink never sits empty with those guys. What a great place to sit, drink and laugh and compare cultures right beside the beach. The entertainment, including kids' show, were wonderful. The kiddie club lady, Vary I think her name was, was just the BEST. My granddaughters loved her and couldn't wait to hang out with her. They had the time of their lives playing with other kids running free and safe all day. They did mini cooking and serving water to people and a fashion show and all sorts of fun activities giving their parents a complete break by the pool. This is a great place for young kids. The beaches down at the Cayo Guillermo end are amazing, simply amazing, pretty much perfect. In fact all of the beaches on this north coast of Cuba are pretty perfect! Plenty of free snorkeling off the pier right near our resort with no shortage of awesome fish to see and pelicans to eat them or wait until you catch one whereupon they run up to you like dogs with their beaks open. Hilarious. Watch the fire coral, I got a dose of it being stupid on the reef. I'm still in bumps on my legs. Even the barracudas are cute and friendly! :) We saw dolphins on the catamaran trip and expensive as it was, it was so worth it. Tarzan and Didi, the two crewmen were very professional! Long and short this is the best stay I have had in my many years visiting Cuba. The entire family, all my children and grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed themselves. You are only a half hour or so from the airport and there is a 5 c.u.c. good for the whole day bus that takes you up and down the strip every hour. If you like partying and people and lots of shopping and markets and city life, this area may not be for you but if you like gorgeous clean beaches, diving, peace and quiet in the sun, and great resorts only a few hours from home, this is the place. Well done again, Cayo Coco/Guillermo! I will be back.

Nice Beach

It was pretty windy the week we were there so didn't spend much time on the beach but it is long with white sand and blue water (water was a bit cool in March) We could visit two other resorts that are associated with this one during the day also included in the all inclusive. The other two resorts had much better stocked bars (this resort didn't have much in variety of drinks and didn't even have mojitos the first time I asked) the variety of the buffets helped not to get bored of the buffet  [... read more]at this resort which would have happened as even the two restaurants on site had the same food as the buffet. While our room was in a quiet area (no disco music) the walls are pretty thin and you can hear your neighbours if they're noisy. we spoke with another guest that had neighbours who played music in their room until 2 am and then had big noisy fights..they complained to mgmt but i'm not sure what happened as we didn't see the guest again.

Just ok

Grounds are nice beach is clean hotel staff very rude Gardners very nice food is ok wait staff ok I would not go back it was very windy rain and wind hardly no smiles from hotel staff don't know what else I can say long bus ride from airport

Loved It !!

Myself and my boyfriend visited this resort February 2017 and had a great time. If you are ok with older rooms (not as modern looking) then you will be very pleased with the rest. The food was good, plenty of options and made to order options so you do not feel like you are only having buffet for a week. This resort recently opened a new restaurant that has a sit down menu and does not require a reservation which was another great option. The pool was big and always clean. The beach was ama [... read more]zing and we spent a lot of time there. Overall the resort felt clean and well maintained. The staff working here were always very friendly and helpful, it was unexpected to walk through the resort and be remember by certain staff. One of the gardeners had a beautiful flower for me every morning when I walked by him. In general I would recommend this resort, it is by no means overly fancy but it is at a beautiful location and was a comfortable stay.

Going back

I've been to the resort a few times. It is smaller and quite nice. The staff are lovely and the entertainment staff are fantastic! The pool is beautiful. It is a great place to chill and restore energy!

Very nice. Family. Vacation.

Nice little resort. Small size and layout makes it easy to meet and make new friends and get to know almost everyone working at the hotel. Very close to the beach (less than 50 meters from the cottages). Employees were always really friendly and tried to help and tried to ensure customer satisfaction. Service standards improved since our last visit in 2015. Food was good. Not a wide selection of available options, but what was presented was done well. How can you complain about wild caught f [... read more]resh shrimps, calamari, local white fish and red fish, locally farmed eggs, (presumably) organic pineapple, oranges, papaya and bananas? Great lobby bar, with Yoselin making fantastic cocktails. On the downside - perhaps we visited during the dry season when the sea levels were low, but we felt that the beach lost its allure because it didn't have shallow areas where you could walk for miles and be on your knee deep in the water. We were told that the beach was "widened" as rising sea levels over flooded palapas. Still, the sea got deeper and we couldn't find shallow areas for little kids to play. A short bus trip to Playa Pilar solves these issues, but it costs 5 peso per person + 2 peso per beach lounge chair. Overall we had a great time, enjoyed the food, coffee, cocktails, good night shows. The weather was nice. Would love to come back, but because of the new beach, would probably take a look at the other comparable alternatives.

Nice place

The hotel is a dated and the rooms need work. Staff very friendly and helpful, always trying their best. Very wide beach. Good for kiting. Nice beach side restaurant for lunch and some evening dinning.

A little gem!

Our week at Cayo Guillermo very enjoyable. The friendly staff in all areas of the resort were always willing to help. We always had a good selection of food. The beach restaurant was especially good! I loved setting at the pool and was able to enjoy a view of the ocean from poolside as well. The beach is awesome! This small friendly resort is calling me back again.

Downgrade

Used to be my favorite hotel for a couple years but now they change the beach is no good anymore, gravell on the Beach, food OK entertainment ok not going there anymore Room Service 👎bad...............

A great beach, but resort is falling apart

We went just before Christmas, so I guess we should have expected the wind. After all, the wind is what makes this a kiteboarders' paradise. The water is shallow going out pretty far. The resort is not that good. Half of it is deserted and falling to bits. Our room was good though. The food was bad, even by Cuban standards. One had to rummage through the grey and brown bits to find something worth eating. Mostly survived on omelette. We had one day when there was no beer anywhere in the resort. [... read more] Now that is pretty scary. Just treat it as a camping/survival holiday and you will enjoy it.

Friendly resort

The resort as a whole is very nice. The staff are amazing, they are both friendly and helpful. This includes front desk, bars, housekeeping, gardeners, buffet staff and entertainment. The rooms were a really good size with lots of drawer space. You also had self controlled air condioning with controls that work. The visual effect of the resort is very relaxing and beautifully kept. The night time entertainment is really good. Lovely long clean beach with lots of chairs. The only thing mi [... read more]ssing from the beach area is a washroom. The other negative is the the beach barbecue does not serve fish, one of the things imcome down for. Also the buffet does not have enough variety. It's like you end up with the same meal every night (I was disappointed).

Mixed review

The Beach, Staff, Food AMAZING! Unfortunately the rooms need a lot of work. There were 8 of us that went on this vacation and we all requested to change our rooms due to mold, toilets and air-conditioning not working. The staff was so accommodating and the new rooms they gave us were acceptable. We are also a group that like to experience tours and unfortunately (poss due to the size of the resort) none of the representatives ever showed up to assist us. This is my 3rd time visiting Cuba  [... read more]so I am well aware of what to expect.

Nice

Beach is beautiful. Staff are friendly. Room was clean and bright. Food is typical to Cuba. 3 bars to choose from and entertainment day and night. Drive to and from airport is not too long. Beach is recently widened and littered with sea shells.

Horrible experience. Not worth the price!

First of all, there is no beach seating. They are currently renovating the beach and there was no where to sit. The resort claims they advised all travel agents of this and that we should have been made aware. Very poor communication on behalf of TripCentral. Secondly, there was no hot water in our room . Our room was extremely old and run down. Thirdly, the resort was full of locals who were extremely loud and obnoxious. The food was horrible! We were forced to change hotels after 2 da [... read more]ys and we had to pay our taxi to transfer. We have been to Cuba over 15 times.. this was by far the worst hotel and experience we have ever had.