Melia Jardines del Rey: Run away...as fast as you can!!!!!

The only positive thing about this resort is the beach; however, good luck even getting a chair (unless you want to get up at 6:00 am every morning you are on your vacation and play the towel reservation game) as there are not enough for the number of guests and even if you are lucky to get one it will be the hard plastic white ones and so far away from any of the bars, lunch restaurants, washrooms, etc. that you won't even enjoy the beach. The buffet restaurant was a joke .... food recycled day [... read more] after day, so understaffed, not enough plates, so overcrowded with guests, dirty silverware, etc. and if you went to the 24 hour snack bar to avoid the feeding frenzy at the buffet good luck with that as would take over an hour to get a hot dog, hamburger or a ham and cheese sandwich with no fries, no condiments, no tomatoe, no onion, sometimes no bun, etc.showers were a nightmare went from scalding hot to freezing cold and from a blast of pressure to a trickle, toilet in room did not flush properly and had to use the hand shower from the bathroom to try and get toilet to flush ..... have been to Cuba over 15 times (Cayo Coco three times) and Melia resort five times ..... was soooooo disappointed in this resort...we arrived at night around 9:30 pm and check in was in another room separate from the reception lobby it was crowded, hot and took forever did not like that they took our passports from us for over a half an hour before we got them back ... walking around the resort at night can be difficult as barely any lighting that worked....not enough bartenders for the amount of guests and constantly running out of glasses so serving drinks in those tiny plastic cups ... really disappointing holiday

Gran Muthu Imperial: Beautiful and Calm

This was our first time to Cuba, so other than other reviews or personal accounts from friends we did not know what to expect. This resort is about an hour from the Cayo Coco airport and it's a nature area so there is no urban life to speak of. You can see flamingos surrounding the roads in the low marshes that are everywhere. The resort itself is new, clean and small enough that you don't need to worry about the walks - although there are hills so some folks with mobility issues looked most c [... read more]omfortable getting a lift. We didn't specify any room requirements and we received a room with two double beds, so we just pushed them together! The mini fridge wasn't stocked consistently, and towel changes were hit and miss, but again this didn't bother us. The staff were lovely! The front desk was professional and polite, but any issues like pillows or electric problems should be taken to the customer service representative instead of the front desk. The garden staff did a good job of cleaning up every morning and offering guests coconuts to drink from. The food exceeded our expectations at the buffet, but we learned quickly that the snack bar isn't well staffed at night and you run the risk of getting stale fries. We did find that certain staff offered better service and opted to sit in their sections! The bar tenders were wonderful to us, regardless of how we tipped. They did run out of some things randomly like tonic water and the power would go out some days but everyone handled it so well. The beach at the resort is great! It's wavy so you can't see the coral, but on the calm days we didn't need water shoes. Playa Pilar is spectacular and world class! I loved our adventure into Moran and we made some new friends (Randy and Thalía) and we will surely be back again! To all the complaining Canadians at this resort - you were the worst part of my vacation and your entitled behaviour needs to be checked!

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Incredible experience!

My family and I recently returned from a one week stay at Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas, and I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience. The grounds, rooms, and facilities were immaculate and stunning. Shout out to Tatyiana and Humberto for keeping our room so nice for us, and to all the gardeners who gave us fresh coconuts to drink from and who made beautiful toy grasshoppers for my son (talent!). The food was great - we especially enjoyed the French a la carte restaurant and the l [... read more]unchtime poolside BBQ that took place each day. The beach was beautiful, and we had a great time taking a sailboat out one day with Pedro, and learning tennis with a professional tennis player! But our favourite thing to do was hang by the pool - the bartenders/servers were friendly and made delicious drinks. And, the entertainment team (Animacion) brought our experience to the next level - whether water aerobics or dance lessons, etc., we were always having fun! I must give an extra special shout out to David from Animacion who became like family to us while we were there. It was clear David works very hard to keep the guests happy, and he always took time out to come over and chat with us for a few minutes when he saw us. David even took the time to teach my four year old son, Isaiah, soccer and salsa. We've been home for over a week and Isaiah is still talking about David - the first thing he says when anyone asks about our trip to Cuba is "I made a friend named David". David, you are so special and we miss you! Thank you Grand Aston - we will be back!

Gran Muthu Imperial: Incredible!

I read a lot of reviews complaining about the food here.... but honestly it was some of the best food, it’s almost all freshly made in front of you! Our room was nice, nothing special. Beach was incredible.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Never stayed anywhere worse in my life

4 days no hot water which was the last 4 days we were there, 2 days absolutely no cold water, 4 days toilets broken. The resort after day 2 had a shortage of drinkable water so it was like gold, they ran out of pop, juice, drinks etc daily till all that was left was beer and coke, they ran out of ice and the list goes on. We complained daily, the no hot water never got fixed even before we left. Hotel management had asked how are stay was, we explained and he couldn't quite understand why we wer [... read more]e so upset. Asked if we complained we said yes, toilets he said was a given, but we told him the shower situation was unforgivable always being told yes we will fix and nothing ever done. The management offered us a bottle of rum for each room. It was like being bought of in his eyes and there are two people in our room one bottle given last night there at 10 pm we left at 7 am, even he wouldn't give two so we fight over the rum? He wouldn't budge. and always running out of everything right from day one feel sorry for the people just getting there. I will never recommend this resort to anyone ever!!!!!!!!!!!!

Playa Vista Azul: Not a 5 star!

The resort was clean, but not as new as our agent told us. At times service was quite slow. Food was subpar, but I hear that is just Cuba. But overall we had a good week in the sun!! Staff was very friendly along with all the people we met on our adventures.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Very nice resort

Resort was fairly new and the rooms are very nice. Beach was amazing, I’m not a pool person but they seemed nice. Buffet was a little disappointing, long lines for fresh cooked items like pasta, omelets etc. Food was a fine better then the last time in Cuba.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Relaxing ambiance!

Hotel had some construction going on (replacing roof near the pool and resurfacing the man-made moat system). This however, we understand, does need to be done some time! Buildings are old and in need of a facelift for the most part. Our Room (1402 and 1403) was comfortable and kept clean. It does require a Dehumidifier however, in order to keep the room dry (sheets would even feel damp otherwise) and to hold the mosquitoes at bay. (We emptied this tank 2 or 3 times a day, otherwise it was in t [... read more]he 'off' mode and not doing what it is intended to do). The 'Diamond Club Office' is small and very old. It just doesn't support the 'upscale experience' that the Royalton sells this option on. The staff at this resort are amazing though, as are the Butlers (at the Diamond Club). The Resort ran out of Orange Juice in the Buffet on Day 2 of our 10-day stay and it never did appear again. (Other food and drink items were 'out of stock' too however, replenished within a day or 2). The 'premium liqueur' the Diamond Club offers is also limited to their stock. (No Crown Royal, No Cointreau, No Gran Marnier, etc. The "Baileys" is their own brand, as is much of the other liqueurs). The food was acceptable although, the meat at the buffet was always overcooked and dry. I visited the Grill for fish often where the fillets were fried on site, and I could ask them to 'flip it over' when I felt it was ready. The Italian restaurant was a major disappointment. We also didn't particularly enjoy the entertainment. The day time staff tries but it's the same, day after day. This was our 2nd visit here (last was 12 years ago, prior to Royalton)... however, based on some of these comments, I'm not sure we would recommend this resort. Having said that, most of the Resorts in Cuba are affected by challenges and embargoes out of their control and not faced by other Caribbean Islands... and as the saying goes, "it's Cuba".

Iberostar Origin Laguna Azul: Unbiased and Honest Review

I just wanted to share our honest review of this property, so that future guests can make an informed decision about staying here. This was our 9th total all-inclusive, first in Cuba. My wife and I, along with another couple stayed at this resort from February 5-12th. Check-in was smooth and efficient. No welcome drink as promised with our package, but we're easy going, no big deal. Rooms: We stayed in Building 20, which is the Relax Upgrade block. Our room was clean and sufficient, but ce [... read more]rtainly needed some repairs. Shower curtain was disgusting, towels were dirty, an overall paint job is required. I don't spend a lot of time in the room, so all of this wasn't a huge deal to me. Our travel companions had a completely different experience. Their room was filthy, with hand prints on the walls and mold everywhere. To the resorts credit, after complaint they were moved to a better room the next day. Food: I'm not picky, but the food here isn't very good. One of the biggest issues is that nothing is labelled. This honestly doesn't make any sense. How are you supposed to know what you're eating? I understand Cuba has it's limitations, but they constantly ran out of supplies and the coffee at the buffet looked grey. We survived on pizza for the most part. Fries would have been nice but they were in short supply. Drinks: Depends where you got them. The lobby drinks were marginally better than the rest of the resort. Where this resort shines is with there lobby staff. The girls that came around to take drink orders were FANTASTIC. Super attentive and very friendly. The gentleman who serves unique drinks in the middle of the lobby is another gem. Always smiling and happy. The guys in the lobby bar were hit and miss. The thing I couldn't understand was why some drinks were available at the beach, or pool but not at the lobby. Typically you find the best drinks at the lobby, but they didn't have the supplies to make a Mojito. Aren't these a traditional Cuban drink? We also went to the Japanese and Gourmet ala cartes. Japanese was decent, but no chicken. Probably a supply issue. The Gourmet also had a bunch of stuff taken off the menu due to supply issues. We actually really enjoyed the flavour of our meals here, although the meat was rather tough to chew. Other Notable Things: - You keep the same beach towel all week. This is ridiculous and disgusting - Felix at the pool bar is an awesome guy. Ask him for a coochie-coochie - Orlando the gardener is one of the nicest people I've ever met - The beach is great - You get one 1.5L of bottled water per day. If you only drink half and leave it in the fridge, you won't get another, so bring it with you. Summary: Unfortunately, I won't be back to this resort. It's average at best and requires a complete shut-down to take care of the miscellaneous maintenance issues. I might recommend this resort to those who have never gone to an all-inclusive before as a first one.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Our second time

Last year was or first time here and we met many couples who had visited six or more times. One of the things they did say was that over the years things change and things go up and down. So this is our first time back and yes I now have a better appreciation of what they were trying to explain. So once again the staff are excellent and some of them actually remember you from the previous year. Our room was actually better than last year as we were in a corner unit and there was more na [... read more]tural light. The beach had more sand covering a rock area. Overall the food was still very good. A big step up from any other Cuban resort. A la carte restaurants are better then what we've experienced in other place like the Dominican Republic. So for the negatives there were a few. Last year they served Cava. My wife loved have a glass of cava with calamari at the beach restaurant last year. This year it was $27.50 if you wanted to purchase a bottle. Some said this wasn't the hotel but Cuba not receiving supplies from Spain. There were no bananas. They ran out of tonic on the 4th day. Another guest mention that last week they didn't have any gin, they received gin but after 3 days ran out of tonic. No lobster this year either. So you have to make some adjustments. Would we return. Yes. Still the best in Cuba and good value for your money compared to the cost of other destinations. That being said I have a better appreciation of Cuba's ongoing economic struggles.

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: First visit to Cuba

Very nice resort when new , much repair needed, only 2 jacuzzi’s in the entire resort working, shower broke on day 3 never repaired. Lacking some food items like butter, orange juice, limes at times but likely the same everywhere. Staff very nice and friendly, rooms are clean, limited supplies like towels, frig supplies in room never refilled. Would not come back to this resort without trying others first.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Needed TLC resort

We were not happy with our room as it didn't have a king bed as requested and a few amenities in the room were missing. We asked for a new room which we got the next day. It was a much better room! The front staff were very accommodating. We loved the lounges. Loved the beach! Beautiful and clean. Bar service right to our chair on the beach, this was a first for us to experience! One day we even had a fresh coconut carved in front of us with Cuban rum added...awesome. Pool was lovely [... read more]. We didn't like the pool entertainment as it was very loud. Not crazy about the show in the Theatre. (We have attended many theatre shows over the years so we are quite picky!) But we loved the strolling Cuban musical bands in the lounge and the other live theatre installations!!! WOW!! The food was good but not great. Loved the Mexican Restaurant! Experienced some real Cuban culture on the Bus Tour to Moron city, which we loved and thought the price we paid was very, very fair. We had the best tour guide Elisabeth. The resort needs some TCL and some renovations. It probably was a 4 star hotel at one time but we feel it is only a 3 star now. We loved the staff at the Iberostar Dacquiri! the nicest, most gracious people. They made us feel special.

Starfish Jibacoa: The best

This resort is one of my favorite it only rates as a 3 star but the fact that most of the resort is made up of separate small bungalows it gives you the feeling you have the place to yourself the staff are excellent rooms are cleaned daily and are spotless and everything works as it should this is a smaller resort and fairly quiet but the entertainment every night is top Notch food is average good selection for every meal

Paradisus Los Cayos: Great Time in Cuba

The Rooms were nice with comfy beds, nice shower (hot water), clean and bright! The Food was good with made to order omelettes, eggs for breakfast. Lunch at the pool or beach was good with burgers, pizza etc. "Chicken Toast" was the best. Beach was beautiful and staff would go out of there way to set up your chairs with an umbrella so you were in the shade or sun. Tons of drink variety. And the bar tenders would make whatever you wanted. There is a little shopping mall within walking di [... read more]stance that was nice to visit for some unique gifts and treasures. This was a very good vacation and would recommend this hotel.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Resort new but lacking alot of food. Complaining to Chef and Manager didn't help.

I complained while at the resort to one of Managers - Elenanis about the horrible food about was told to speak to the Chef - Domingo about the food to see if he could cook something I would like.. I requested a la carte instead and was told that was not possible. The following day I spoke to the Chef and was told he cooked with whatever that was provided. I complained that there was no pizza, fries, cereals, bananas, potatoes and vogurt ? I was told there was a shortage due the embargo. I don't  [... read more]buy that answer, what a waste of money. Luckily for the guests I had asked for French toast and from then on they provided it daily. I do not recommend this resort unless you are on a diet and wish to lose weight. . Both of us were bitten by No see ums bugs and sand fleas. Please avoid this resort.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Pretty Good Overall

Nice resort, rooms were comfy except for the shower that leaked onto the bathroom floor had to use the tub instead. TV was adequate and clear pictures Lots of areas to walk around and well taken care of gardens. Food was much better than expected for cuba and they did a fantastic job on the valentines day spread. The beach was a bit dissapointing not a lot of sand area to spread out, everyone cramed in side by side on a hot day. Dissapointed there was no beach side buffet just a sitdown wait [... read more] to be served restaurant by the beach, not a beach friendly resort. Pool area was fairly big and they bring sunshades if you need one, 24hr snack bar which really isnt 24hrs more like 12 hour so if your a late arriver no place to catch a meal. We didnt see much music or activity around the pool untill late afternoon each day so bring your own entertainment. 30 minute bus ride into downtown varadero very safe and fun double decker bus only 5 cuc for the whole day, hop on hop off. Best prices at the market for souvenirs and liquor at the americas mall.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Excellent

Excellent , staff wonderful, bartenders at pool bar fantastic. Food great. Room nice. but too many sand flies ,we had a great time but too many bites to deal with. Covered from head to toe with flies bites.

Hotel Mojito: It's kind of like Cheers.

I may be dating myself with this reference, but this resort is a special place for those that find it special - like the bar, Cheers, in the TV Show, where everyone knows your name. To see so many people return again for another stay at their "Cuban Home" is to appreciate the feel of the resort. This was the second time that we stayed at the Mojito, the first time was six years ago .. and you can see the changes that time and a destructive wind event had upon the grounds and structures. But tha [... read more]t didn't change the essential feel of the place - the food was good, by Cuban standards, the beach is still amazing - and this smaller resort is easily navigated and visually interesting. A couple that we met on the beach summed it up nicely when they said that this is the hidden gem of Cayo Coco ... they're probably right.

Sol Palmeras: Never Disappointed

Had an amazing time once again. This was my eighth time at Sol Palmeras. The grounds are immaculate, the staff always friendly, the beaches are one of the best in the world. We didn’t do any excursions but enjoyed the warmth of the sun and relaxed. The food never disappoints us, we did mostly ala Carts. Would definitely be going back next year. Y

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Just ok

Staff very friendly tried their best. Not that clean we asked for water never got it. Man in our hotel waited 3 days for them to fix his shower.Linen and towels not clean. Long line ups for food. We understand CubaHas difficulty getting things that is not a problem for us.