Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: beautiful resort but watch out for the food!

Well ill start with the good stuff, the resort was beautiful! The staff was friendly and helpful, the room was clean and tidy. The beach was amazing! it had lots of chairs so you never had to wait for them they also had lots of kayaks and other water activities and you rarely had to wait for them! However, on the third day I got such bad food poisoning that after 14 hours I had to be taken to the doc on site to have IV fluids and a shot of gravol so that I could get some water in. I was then [... read more] stuck in my room for another day just trying to feel better and after that I still couldn't eat much or drink and had to stay in the shade. Now food poisoning happens and I was understanding but then the morning we were set to leave my mom because sick as well. We were supposed to get on the bus to go to the hotel at 6 but at 3 it was clear she wasn't able, we had the doc in and he gave the IV fluids and gravol as well but it didn't stop her sickness. the doc then tried to tell us she was fit to fly ( even though she as hardly able to walk and couldn't talk) so sunwing wasn't going to help us at all. In the end they had another doc come in, he said she was not fit to fly so we booked the hotel for another night, at our own expense of $320 pasos so roughly $500 Canadian. Even thought the hotel made us sick they would not help. They did make changes to reservations in order to give us our room so she didn't have to move while so sick. Sunwing on the other hand was not helpful at all, it took everything for them to cover my moms flight home, they would not cover mine saying that I didn't need to stay. My mom couldn't get out of bed to even get a glass of water so I could no leave! in the end due to the food poisioning we both had we left with an extra $2000 can in expenses. the hotel did nothing to help us and even getting extra water was a challenge! they wouldn't let us take plates of food back to the room when either of us was sick even thought we explained the other person was so sick. So in the end we had lots of expenses even thought the hotel made us sick and the airline was extremely unhelpful. Also after we finally were able to book a flight home the sunwing rep didn't tell anyone and they almost did not let us on the flight! over all it was a horrible experience, we came home more exhausted than we left and we spent 4 of the 7 day trip in the doc office and stuck in our rooms. Very happy to have made it home at last and I will not be returning. The Sunwing Rep will also be receiving a scathing review.

Starfish Cayo Largo: Great all inclusive resort - Cayo Largo is a special place

The Hotel Pelicano seems to have recently been taken over by the Melia chain which may be a good thing as it is next door to one of their other hotels (Sol) which is also more expensive. Anyway the staff are wonderful, friendly and helpful to assist with everything. Unfortunately Cuba seems to be suffering from the US embargoes and tourism is down. This means that there aren't as many guests in the Cayo Largo hotels and sometimes there were food deficiencies but the beaches are still won [... read more]derful and with fewer guests lots of space on the sand. We will definitely be back. This was my third time to Cayo Largo and would definitely love to come back. I should also mention that unlike most places in Cuba there are clothing optional beaches here but they are inoffensive and mostly away from the main public areas.

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Beautiful resort

The suites were clean & fresh. The housekeeper created cute towel animals daily for our bed. Fresh towels daily, which is nice. Staff couldn't do more for you. I broke my wrist while I was there, the Resort Doctor & Nurse were so helpful getting me to the hospital and the follow-up care. The food was top notch and the selection was wonderful. I definitely would go back. The grounds were well maintained and clean. The pool & the beach was well cared for. there wasn't a lack of pool chairs or s [... read more]un beds.

Valentin El Patriarca Varadero: Ocean veradero El Patriarca

The resort itself is very nice with nice rooms and excellent grounds. They still have a problem with insufficient towels, which has been a problem with them for years. They are a little lax with the stocking of fridges and the room cleaning is hit and miss. The food is satisfactory.

Playa Costa Verde: Good resort for the price they offer

We won this trip but had some friends pay to come with us and we were more than pleased. The food on the resort was some of the best resort food we've eaten despite some reviews ( we've travelled to Punta Cana, Riviera Maya, Puerto Plata and Costa Rica prior to this trip ). For a change in flavours I would highly recommend the japanese a la carte. We were served teriyaki stir fry with whichever meat you'd like in it. I would visit this restaurant in Canada if it was available. The rooms we staye [... read more]d in were older but clean with working AC and hot water which we've had problems with on some other resorts. The pool entertainment was constant and fun. The ocean was nice, but there were large chunks of coral. To go swimming we had to have footwear. Some workers were an absolute pleasure, and some were very poor quality but I'd give the service a 4/5. The weather was beautiful the entire week. We'lll definitely be going back to Cuba after this stay!

Playa Caleta: Good Resort

The staff were great. The rooms, showed their age but were clean and comfortable. The grounds were ok but there were a lot of cigaret buts. The food was ok considering what we paid. Mike was very helpful in giving us information. Thanks Mike. My only complaint is, on the bus ride to the airport the student who was telling everyone what was happening said because Cuba was getting a new currency next year we had to spend all our Cuban money. We could not spend it in the Duty Free. We could excha [... read more]nge at par at the bank, which meant we would loose 32%. Rather than stand in a long line at the bank we exchanged our money with guys who were waiting as soon as we got off the bus. We lost $64 and could not purchase everything we had planned on buying. Of course it was a shame. We also heard that passengers on other buses heard the same thing and like us were upset.

Memories Cayo Largo: Excellent resort, but waiter service needs improvement.

Hotel still excellent despite age. Grounds, rooms, common areas well kept. Don't like new grey colour and white outdoor lamps. Prefer coloured cabins, terracotta lamps. Food servers don't spend enough time continuing to fill water and wine glasses, or getting tables ready, or seating guests in buffet. Often when replenishing soup or juice didn't notice there were no spoons, bowls or glasses. So food but no utensils. No eggs, cheese for several days. Service at special dinners excellent [... read more]. Beach non existent because of high surf and wind. Palapas overturned.

Hotel Los Cactus: My recent stay

Positive: beautiful beach , lots of long term friendly staff , junior suites building smells moldy , but garden suites nice and spacious, we were in I block loved the location , golf course close by, coupon for golf offered by resort..Great coffee bar outside Cuban restaurant minor updates visible Negative: public bathrooms frequently ran out of toilet paper and cleaning limited especially in junior suite building outside Martino’s restaurant it was gross . Lighting in walkways at night ve [... read more]ry poor, many lights fused. Ran out of wine daily before even lunch or none at all even in al la carte restaurant, no tonic water for drinks, we had to purchase bottles of wine in the gift shop , as we only really drink wine or maybe a gin and tonic, shortage blamed on embargo, ran out plates for days then butter for 5 days days , never refilled fridge even staying for 2 weeks Many repeaters and long term stay people, so very popular resort, and quite the repeaters group here Will I return most likely as despite it all I love this resort..

Sol Turquesa Beach: You won't be disappointed staying here !

Just got home from a wonderful week away at Memories Holguin. I can now understand why there are so many repeat clients year after year. The staff was beyond amazing, helpful, always smiling or asking if your enjoying yourself. It was 100% genuine. The food was good, a couple of dinners were even amazing. It was my 5th time to Cuba and I've never used amazing, when it comes to describing food in Cuba before. The resort was very clean, house keeping was incredible and helpful. Yes, there a [... read more]re a lot of stairs from pool to pool, but there are also golf charts that will take you around the resort 24 hrs a day, always with a smile and a wee joke or two. We had a wee issue and the the front desk was very co-opertive to sort it out without a hassle. Overall, I would return as they staff does treat you as part of the Memories family.

Melia Cayo Coco: Best beaches

Better than expected. Would have liked better hours at the fitness centre by the beach. Yoga classes should have a proper instructor and were only 20 to 30 mins long. Food was varied but preparation needs some tweaking. Overall the staff aimed to please.

Melia Las Americas: Wonderful resort, people & beach!

We just returned from a wonderful week at Melia Las Americas Varadero. The people, location, beach, pools, entertainment & food were all full of awesomeness! To be able to walk to the golf course and the DuPont Mansion were an added bonus. We were impressed to meet so many vacationers who return year after year & I think we will be back as well. We didn’t upgrade to The Level and were pleased with our room...the cleaning staff did a great job & our fridge was restocked daily. This resort is  [... read more]small and everything was so easy...from booking the ala cartes, the tee times, beach towel exchange and each & every meal at the buffet or visit to the bar. A real pleasure 😎

Playa Pesquero: Perfect vacation

We have visited Playa Pesquero many times over the past 13 years. The pools and ocean are spectacular. The restaurants and food selections are plentiful. The staff are truly the best. Be sure to take a tour to see how the locals live.

Grand Memories Varadero: Amazing resort

My hotel room was good, always cleaned , the bartenders were very busy but tried to get drinks out as quick as the could. Food was okay, I ate something that made me sick for two days . I would return. Flight delay and sunwing not updating pickup from hotel was by far the worst thing happened

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Won’t go back

Lots of standing water. Lots of mosquitos and bites. Food was plain and often cold. The warming trays were lit but no heat came from the bulbs. 2 out of 6 of our group became violently ill with vomiting and diarrhea. At first we thought it was a virus but after discussing symptoms with doctor after getting home, it looks like ecoli. Kitchen staff were observed shaking hands, accepting money and handling food with hands, all without hand washing. Most staff were pleasant. Difficult to get [... read more] seats at beach unless you get there by 9 am or pay for diamond club. Special Kudos to David the pool bartender who was kind and very efficient.

Grand Memories Varadero: Great experience

I was very leary of going to cuba in the first place because im a picky eater but all in all it was an amazing trip great food the people working at this resort were fantastic always happy and helpful they had alot to offer with activities so at the end of the day no complaints and would definately go back to cuba as well as the grand memories resort.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria

The room was very clean. The food at the buffet was cold. The service was good, but sometimes slow. The hotel ran out of plastic cups at the pool bar. I'm sure they were just reusing the dirty plastic cups. We were told to wait two minutes until they could get more cups. We saw a staff member picking plastic cups out of the garbage bins and putting them in a black plastic bag just after we were told they had no more plastic cups.

Melia Las Americas: Amazing resort

My husband and I have been to Varadero many times and have stayed at about four other resorts. We really enjoyed the size of this resort and my husband enjoyed the golf package that is offered. We never had to fight for lounge chairs or elbow our way at the buffet. The al la carts were excellent, especially the Japanese. We found the food to be the best that we have had in Cuba. We would recommend this resort for the golfing, food and the nice touches like violin acts etc. Some one in a previous [... read more] review mentioned the noisy disco which we didn’t see or hear. This is an adult only resort more geared to the middle aged and golf lovers. The beach was beautiful as always. We shall return.

Club Kawama: horrible stay

food was disgusting ,inedible,no hot water,paper thin hard mattress ,rude unfriendly staff,no butter ,long queus for buffet,no vodka ,just terrible dont stay here and its not the embargo stayed at muthu playa in december food was delicious and had no issues at all how i regret booking this hotel

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Paradisus princesa del mar

This hotel was advertised to us as a 5 star which was far from the truth...by the end of our week stay new guests said it was now advertised as a 4 star and I’m sure the decline will continue. No fun, freezing pool - only one accessible to regular guests, another one just for ‘royal guests’. Food was terrible, no fun, lacked entertainment - changed our sheets and TOWELS only the day before we left! ALL WEEK THEY FOLDED UP OUR DIRTY TOWELS AND REPLACED THEM! All guests said the same, place  [... read more]was crap...would’ve been okay if we got the week for like $600. Literally no entertainment, bartenders were no fun, nothing to do. Would never recommend this place don’t even want to think about it. The food you know is bad, we don’t go to Cuba for the food though so that’s whatever. Don’t book excursions through air transat either - especially not day trips to Havana. Save yourselves.

Valentin Cayo Cruz: usual Cuba resort - except for the pasta!

All in all an OK resort. 90% of the guests are from Quebec and 90% of them smoke. Demographics are skewed toward the older crowd. But there were some people in their 30's and they didn't seem out of place. Got on a few extra pounds? Come here and you will think you are skinny. This was out third trip to Cuba and this resort paled in comparison to the previous one. I would have returned there but some reviewers had said the previous resort had gone downhill and this resort was pretty new s [... read more]o I figured they would be trying their best to impress us. Our previous trip to Cuba was 5 or 6 years ago and we went to Brisas Guardalavaca. Next time, I think I will return there. Advice: don't tip with money. It doesn't matter if they have lots of money if they can't buy anything. Instead give toothbrushes and Tylenol and shaving cream and make-up. Lots of everyday things that we take for granted that they find hard to come by. People like Pros and Cons reports top here goes: Cons This place is remote. A one hour drive takes you from the airport past absolutely nothing else! Now I wonder where the water out of the tap comes from. There is nothing posted to tell you want is going on. It was the fifth day before I found out there was a gym! The dancers and band put on a nice nightly show but it is poorly attended (I don't know what the other guests are doing). I would not be surprised if many of the guests simply did not know what was going on. And there is not that much going on. At other resorts the front line staff were fluent in English. (always nice to ask how their day is going). But here, the wait staff could understand what wanted when you asked for coffee but not much else. There were some bartenders who were not too bad, and, of course, the front desk staff. Tipping. They just don't seem to care. I know the tipping is pooled, but jeez, be a little grateful! The amount I tipped dropped as the week progressed. Flies everywhere! Common toilets lacking seats or have broken seats. Really! on a resort open for a few months. No sunscreen! No where can you find sunscreen. This seems to be a problem with Cuba, not the resort. The excursions are expensive! All about 80 pesos (about Cdn$120). For what? A trip to see the local city. I don't care it it is quaint. I ain't paying $240 to take a bus to see it. The buffet is monotonous - the only variety is in what is missing from day to day. The steak at the grill looks great when it is sitting uncooked. Cooked, it is inedible. Tough as shoe leather. Pros The place is new and the rooms are large and comfortable. The bed is great. The beach is long and wonderfully sandy. On the first day we arrived, the water was like glass. It was beautiful, but boring to swim in. By the end of the week the waves made for a fun swim. Deserts! OMG the cakes are delicious and the ice cream is luscious. While the buffet was repetitive, the chicken, pork and lamb was pretty good. One morning we had croissants straight out of the oven. I know croissants take a lot of work, so hats off them. The beach restaurant served the same food as the main buffet but it seemed more tasty. One lunch was a pig roast with paella and it was delicious. The fashion show was good and the models attractive. I stand 5'10" and these girls could rest their jaws on my head! Despite what other reviewers have said I found the grounds and common areas very clean. (But those flies!) I had the farfalle pasta at the Italian restaurant. I've eaten lots of pasta in my day, but this was the best I have ever had. Of course it is all in the flavor of the sauce.