Brisas Guardalavaca: A great resort for a comfortable get away

We really liked our vacation at La Brisas Guardalavaca. The rooms were exceptionally clean. We stayed in a villa which was away from the main hub of the hotel. It was very quiet compared to the main traffic areas closer to the pools. Absolutely no complaints about the food. There are shortages all over Cuba. Most of the bars didn’t have vodka or tequila, but the brisas punch and the Mojitos at the Havana Club on the rooftop bar went down fairly easily while watching the sunset.

Playa Pesquero: Ok resort

The first two a la carte’s food choices were pretty much the same. Our third a la carte was the Romantico, I had asked when we booked it to have a cake. Before we went to dinner I double checked about the cake and was told everything was set up. The waitress came over and asked about our choice for dessert. I was sitting there looking at her like really. Then she went over to the hostess they were looking at each other like they had no clue. The hostess came over and told us that we were  [... read more]at the wrong table. Eventually a cake came out. But my husband was not surprised. I did let the know consiaire witch was a waste of time. I had also asked to have the maid do something special in our room, however our friends told her not to clean our room. So I asked her if she was asked to do something special for my husbands birthday and she said no. I also found it hard when speaking with the staff. The language bearer was difficult. As for the buffet there could be more choices. I found every time it was the same food. There need to be more choices especially for kids.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Love this resort

The grounds were amazing, staff were very friendly, rooms clean, a la carte restaurants open, clean beach with an employee always setting up beach chairs, lots of activities to do, for example, snorkelling, kayaking, paddle boats and catamaran

Grand Memories Holguin: Bad food resort

Many times we have found not fresh food. No fish. No shrimps. Billiards are not working as sticks broken. No tenis master. Internet is bad. Location is bad as everytime windy. But hotel is new. Clean. Service people is very good.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Amazing resort and staff

This hotel is definitely a beautiful place to stay especially the vip section the staff there are absolutely wonderful and make your stay feel like your royalty the elite restaurant staff are unbelievably the best your every wish is there command outstanding the butlers in the vip section and I mean all of them are incredible the way they take care of you the vip bar is the nice little hideaway from the day very relaxing beautiful greetings when you enter and leave they make you feel like your h [... read more]ome away from home all in all this whole hotel and the staff are phenomenal.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: A wonderful time!

This is a super clean, meticulously maintained resort with everything you need for a wonderful vacation! There are a few pools, a few restaurants, a beautiful beach, live-music going on all the time in various places. There’s a kareoke bar, a disco, a market with vendors available some days, a gift shop, games room, etc. Truly everything you need. The staff are warm and welcoming and everyone works so hard to make this a top-notch place. We had so much fun here every day and we didn’t even [... read more] go off -resort or participate in any excursions. The beach is incredibly beautiful. I was hoping to pick shells and I didn’t see any except some really tiny ones, but that’s ok. The water is a bit chilly at the time of year we were there (end of February), but it’s worthwhile to hop in. The beach closer to the VIP section is the nicest in my opinion. So super clean. We spent some time on the other side of the beach one day near the end of the day and there were a lot of cigarette butts in the sand which is not the staffs fault, there are ash trays literally everywhere but people weren’t using them and just throwing the butts in the sand, which I found very sad and disrespectful to both the environment and the staff. The staff and the hotel tries its best, and there are always workers about cleaning things non-stop. I would recommend coming to the beach earlier in the day and going to the far end near the VIP section/ snack bar if you’re worried about stepping on cigarette butts. It’s gorgeous through everywhere. The pools are beautiful, we mainly spent time at the main pool. There seems to be Zumba everyday in the morning there and sometimes live music. They had a foam party one day that was lots of fun! The pools are super clean and wonderful. If you can score a sun bed it is the ultimate in relaxation! We were able to hang out in a cabana a couple of times during our stay and we got one of the sun beds one day as well. These are both such nice places to relax. The swim up bar is fun, there’s a little jacuzzi type pool too with jets that’s nice to relax in. The pools are great! My birthday was on the Saturday we were on vacation and the staff went above and beyond. They baked me a cake, sang me happy birthday and gave me a bottle of sparkling wine. So sweet. I felt very spoiled! A lot of people complain about the food in Cuba but I always found something to eat at this resort. I ate a lot of rice, beans, salad and fruit. I really enjoyed the omelettes every morning, pancakes, scrambled eggs. The shish kabobs were really good too. The chicken dishes at the a la cartes were really good, and the spaghetti was really good as well. I liked the food and I loved the service by all staff who were excellent. The only issue I have is that we were really hoping to get to the Japanese a la carte but we were told when we came that it was booked solid but that we could come on Sunday morning to see if we could get a reservation for it for the following week. The lady at the desk mixed up the days though, she told us Sunday and it was actually Sunday so by the time we came back early Sunday morning to book, the Japanese restaurant had been fully booked again. So, for anyone reading, please remember it’s Saturday and not Sunday when the following weeks reservations start to book. I really wish I had known. It was a very unfortunate mix up. We had friends who went to the Japanese restaurant and they said it was amazing! I was really hoping to get there for my birthday. We went to the roof top bar a couple of times and it is lovely! If you’re going, make sure to go when the sun is setting to see the spectacular sun set! Also, try the daiquiri! It tastes like slushy lemonade and the price is very reasonable at $2.75 US. The marguerita was only very good, very authentic. My partner had the mojitos there and they were delicious too! It’s a beautiful spot. Both times we went it wasn’t crowded either, so it’s a nice place to relax. Also, it’s important to note that there are no bugs anywhere!! Seriously! This was a big concern of mine! I read a lot of resort reviews before choosing this place and I saw all kinds of reviews about bugs from other hotels. I saw horror stories about cockroaches in food, bed bugs, sand lice causing rashes all over people’s bodies, mosquitos, noseums. THERE ARE NO BUGS HERE! I saw one large cricket at the top of a stair well one day, and also a couple of flying things in the middle of the day at the pool that looked like honey bees. But that’s really nothing! This hotel is truly spotless. Some nights I was out at the kareoke bar until 3am and I didn’t see any mosquitos even. So, if you don’t like creepy crawlies, this place is for you! With all the outdoor space and gardens I thought I would see more bugs but no. This is a wonderful, big free zone and I think most of Holguin may be like this. But it could just be that this hotel is super great at cleaning, which I do definitely think is part of it. Also, the rooms are beautiful, comfortable and very clean. The AC is very cold unless you adjust the temp, but you can do that yourself as there is a thermostat in the room. The room has central air too which is nice. Oh, also. Your bed will come with just a sheet. There is a cover in the closet! We didn’t realize this and were very chilly the first night. The closet also has comfy bath robes. Make sure to find that blanket before you go to bed! Lol. Overall, this was our first time being to Cuba and we absolutely loved both Cuba and this resort. We met some new friends while there and had a great time! Just as a small heads up, just because I didn’t read this in any review prior to coming, I thought I’d mention that we experienced a few black outs during the week we were there. It isn’t a big deal, it did affect the lights and the wifi. It is not an issue with the hotel, it is an issue with the region in general. One of the black outs happened about 15 minutes after we had arrived at the hotel around 7:30pm when it was already fully dark outside, we had just got into our room and I was just opening my suitcase as everything went pitch black. Because I wasn’t aware of the black outs I didn’t know what was going on. The black out didn’t last long, we just went into the lobby where it was a little brighter for a bit. I was just really taken by surprise. Then there was another black out for a few hours during the day one day, and another one that happened just as we were getting to the breakfast buffet. The generator went on at the buffet but then as I was waiting for an omelette the generator went off. The staff are really awesome though. The man at the omelette station still made my omelette with the power off, which is definitely above and beyond service! Anyhow, it’s not a big deal at all, I just wish I had known about the possibility that black ours could happen so I wasn’t so surprised the first time. It’s definitely manageable and it wouldn’t have stopped me from coming to the hotel. Here are some suggestions for food and drink that I have based on our stay: Drinks: - pina coladas are delicious - rum punch - mojito - there was a blue drink I received one day when I ordered a rum punch and it was amazing, I’m sure someone knows how to identify it, lol - daiquiri (roof bar) - margherita (roof bar) Food: - tuna sandwich at the snack bar - omelette - the fried eggs are cooked perfectly - pizza (if you can get it) - shish kabobs - mushroom soup (a la carte) - minestrone soup ( a la carte - curry chicken (international restaurant) - spaghetti bolognese (at Italian a La carte) - minestrone soup - all the rice - chicken Gordon blue (inside snack bar during the day- it’s the international restaurant at night) Anyhow, I always found food I liked. There’s lots to choose from! The only thing I would bring with me is butter packets as I do like to butter my bread, rolls and mayonnaise is not something I’m interested in doing this with. Overall, if you’re on the fence, just book this place, it’s beautiful, clean, amazing with everything you need to have fun and relax! You will fall in love with the beach, and Cuba!

Brisas Guardalavaca: Fabulous resort

This resort was truly amazing. The staff, restaurants, villas, bars , entertainment ,pools and beach were all top notch! This was our first time but we were already planning to return before we left. Thank you for an amazing holiday at Brisas!

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Beautiful Resort

The hotel was very good. Staff were very helpful. Our room was quite large. There was a small patio with a couple of chairs and a table. We sat outside and either read or watched the beautiful ocean view. It was very quiet . The grounds and beaches were immaculate. There were 2 large swimming pools, 2 children's pools and a swim up bar. There were 3 a la Carte restaurants, a 24 hour snack bar, as well as a buffet restaurant. There was a mini golf course, pool table and a ping pong tabl [... read more]e. There was a well equipped gym. They had kayaks and small sailboats which were included in the cost of our all inclusive stay. There were tours to take, some cheaper than others. We went to Holquin City, an hour bus ride for $15 Canadian. There was entertainment every night. They had precision aquatics, black light, bands and karaoke. We enjoyed it all. The market was a 10 minute walk away. The locals were very friendly. Most spoke some English, many spoke excellent English. At the market they accepted Canadian and American dollars, or you could pay in Cuban pesos. Club Amigo resort caters to families. We met a lot of people who have been going there for 15+ years. There was a children's play area. At no time did we feel threatened on or off of the resort. There was plenty of food at the resort. Sometimes they ran out of butter or some other minor things. Overall the food was not bad. There was lots of variety, pork, beef, lamb, fish, and lots of vegetables. The service was very good. If you like ketchup I would suggest bring it with you from Canada. Mustard was hit and miss. We were there for 2 weeks and plan to go again. Next time we will be going for at least a month, possibly 2. You must remember Cuba is a very poor third world country. Poverty abounds. We took a lot of items, bought at Dollar stores to give to people (finger nail polish, pencils, toys, feminine products, small tools, and other useful things such as tooth brushes and toothpaste), All of these things were gratefully accepted. Gum was a hot commodity as well. All in all we were very pleased and as stated above we will be going there again for a much longer time.

Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca: Club Amigo - Home Away from Home

Our last visit to Club Amigo was in March 2020 as we found ourselves in the middle of chaos when the worldwide response to the pandemic included restricting travel. We watched the resort close down around us and we were on the last planes out of Cuba. Club Amigo is working hard to reopen. There are noticeable improvements - such as brand new lounge chairs Currently the renovated hotel rooms are partially open and the Villas are all open. The Barracks and Bungalows are still under renovation. Lo [... read more]ts of cleaning staff and bathrooms are cleaned often. Two of the 4 pools are open. The Coffee Bar, Benny's, the 24 hour Bar, the Snack Bar, and the main Buffet are all open. Staff were happy to welcome us back and many remembered us from previous visits. The Pirate Bar is open and there was fun to be had there. There is a small private beach between the Pirate Bar and the Brisas. There is now a grill (great lunch) and a rum bar there which is open from 1100-1600. Food and imported alcohol (such as VODKA) shortages are evident. However, there was lots of beer and wine and rum - but gin was hit and miss! As always in Cuba shortages show the resourcefulness of the Cuban people. We did not starve and we had amazing service. Staff were very grateful for any gifts and especially for hygiene products (soap. toilet paper, toothpaste, and small hand sanitizers).

Grand Memories Holguin: Beautiful, new, clean resort!

This resort was beautiful! It was very well maintained in all areas from the pools, gardens, restaurants, bars, lobby, bathrooms and the beach areas. I've never stayed somewhere so clean. The workers were so friendly and respectful. They always said hello in greeting and passing. I highly recommend this resort. Only complaint was the language barrier. Not many workers could speak any language other than Spanish.

Brisas Guardalavaca: Amazing as always

Returning to Brisas after a 3 year break. Amazing as always. Staff are nice and the beach is clean. Plenty of shade on the beach area. There's always food in the restaurants with some shortages here and there. Hotel personal will make sure that visitors are happy and content. Will return soon.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Beautiful resort and beach but that's where it stops

There are many issues with the resort. For starters they reuse plastic cups and don't properly wash them. They just rinse them under cold water and reuse them. Same with glassware at the terrace bar on the beach. After coming home I'm sick and can't help but wonder if that had something to do with it The food is lacking majorly. Only on our last day did we see a pasta station. And everybody got excited so the line was 40 people long. No meat grilling station. Only pork strips for a stir fry t [... read more]he entire week we were there. In many aspects I've had better food in three star resorts in Cuba. The service was lacking. They didn't care to make a decent coffee, and would constantly lie about mojito being "finish". The hotel itself, the grounds, and the beach are beautiful so it's a real shame that the management or rather the mismanagement of the hotel ruined our vacation. P.S. i had requested rooms close to each other for my 84 year old dad. They claim they didn't get a note about it so that one is on you trip central.

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares: Been here several times. Love it.

We went for 2 weeks for the first time, and had a wonderful time. We heard there were several food shortages due to covid, but didn't find this to be the case. The food was the same as usual, just not much fish this time. Feb.14th was a fantastic lobster dinner. The Luna side is still closed for renovations, but the Mares side has been all updated and is beautiful. All new bathrooms, huge shower stall instead of tub, sinks with plugs, etc. Really impressive! The staff was wonderful as usual, and [... read more] we renewed several acquaintances. Internet was free. Just go to reception and get a login password. I didn't know this, and didn't bring a phone or tablet as their internet was not very reliable or free in the past. Hydro went out more than usual, but we were told it was country wide. Not very many people on the beach, as Luna is still closed, so no problem getting lounge chairs. Beach restaurant has been re-furbished/renovated and there are now flush toilets at the beach. Covid has brought a lot of changes, with so many resorts closed for 3 years. Their store is about 1/4 of the size, mostly liquor, very few souvenirs, and the vendors don't come to the resort anymore. We didn't know this had changed. My husband went to Guardalavaca Market and it was much smaller than usual.Possibly the vendors have had to find other employment with resorts being closed so long. There are no cigars due to an extended drought. I understand the rice rations have been severely cut for the Cubans. I have no patience with people who complain about the food when the locals are going hungry. The resort employees are better off, but even they haven't worked in 2 1/2 years. We were unable to bring a second suitcase even if we paid extra. We usually bring one bag of clothes and toiletries to give away. I took fewer clothes than usual so I could bring some to give away. It's fine to tip with cash, but if the shelves are bare, it doesn't matter how much money you have. Russia's war with Ukraine has impacted Cuba adversely, and covid and the dry weather have not helped. This is the first time there haven't been tons of cigars available. No one at Trip Central seemed to know what currency to bring. They take Canadian dollars for everything, but it is based on US dollars.Things in the store are priced in USD, then converted to Canadian money and that's what you pay. (I suggest bringing more small bills like $5s and $10s rather than $50s) You generally pay for excursions with credit cards, and they won't take any which are affiliated with American banks. You don't have to bring USD or convert to pesos. You can exchange Canadian bills for loonies and toonies for tips, but the staff have to change it back to bills before they can use it. Their banks will not take American bills, so don't waste time buying American money or tipping with it. The entertainment was good, but not spectacular, and the activities staff tried really hard to engage the guests. Everyone loves Jose the waiter at the Lobby Bar. He's worth his weight in gold for this resort. There's a 24 hour snack bar with a limited menu, and maybe not as many "a la cartes", but that was often the same food as the buffet, just served by waiters, with smaller portions. Other years we used to go to the buffet for a top up. Lots of pork, spaghetti, great omelettes, bread, great soup, rice pudding, etc. We expected food shortages, but it was about the same as usual. Buffet has been renovated also, very clean, didn't see any bugs. Every year I take yarn with me and make scrunchies for the female staff. These go over very well. This year I also made earrings for gifts. They really appreciate anything you give them. Can't wait to go back next year.

Gran Muthu Almirante Beach Resort: Good resort but noisy at midnight

Room and cleaning:5 star Landscape: 5 star Meat :4 star Restaurant:3 star Snack bar and cleaning:1 star Swimming pool:5 star Elevator:5 star Day intertainment:2 star Night show:3 star Staff behavior:4 star Intertainment staff need training to have more communication with guests and much more competition and fun with adult guests. snack bar need more meal and washing glasses not only with water by hand.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Cuba Resort

The resort is definitely not a 4.5 star more like 3. The rooms were not that great they need upgrading. We had no water for one day, the WIFI was so bad it kept going down. The food was the same every day. No fruit or not may drinks that were on their list. The worse of it all was the escorts (whatever you want to call them) with old men and there were many and many children around. It was actually disgusting Would i go back to that resort? No i am afraid not.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Enjoyed our stay

We enjoyed our stay, it was our first time in Cuba and didn't know what to expect, the food was average as they do have issues with supplies and it's their winter so the fruit selection wasn't the best. But there was always something to have, really enjoyed the buffet in the morning with freshly made omelets a wonderful array of breads, they even had fresh donuts being prepared. The staff at the buffet were the most attentive, one person stood out and made our stay that much more enjoyable h [... read more]er name was Katrina ( I believe her last name was Jenkins), her customer service was over and beyond. Highly recommend taking a horse and buggy ride, going to the market in an old 1950's car and taking gifts as the people highly appreciated this. Especially the children in the areas outside of the resort. If we returned to this resort, we would upgrade to the coral ( the upgrade was recommended from other guests) as we tried to during our stay but unfortunately were not able to.

Playa Costa Verde: Home Away from Home

i always enjoy my stays at PCV. I have been going for 18 years excluding covid years. the rooms are always excellent. the staff is awesome. they are courteous and hard working. always return here. this year food was not as usual but still could find enough to eat.

Brisas Guardalavaca: The resort was OK

we liked the Hotel, the only thing we didn’t like was the noice at night on the stage, our Balcony was was Facing the pool and Stage, the first two night it was so noisy at the stage the young people were dancing and the music was so loud all we could was Boom boom boom until 1 A M in the morning, so the next morning my Husband went in the office and complained, and told them about it, and told them it is Ok till 11pm they have to remember there are older people there too The food wa [... read more]s OK but every lunch and supper was the same food no complaints about Sandra the lady who looked after our room she was great and very friendly, and the people in the Dinning room they were also great no complaints about the Service and they all were very friendly The only thing what we didn’t like was the bad wind we had almost every day we would never go to Cuba in January and February again people told us it is your Winter time, we would recommend the Hotel to friends but never when it is your Wintertime But then again a lot of people go at that time and don’t mind the strong wind Sincerely Anni & Dick Wynen

Playa Pesquero: An amazing 14 days of Rest and Relaxation

Playa Pesquero is a warm welcoming resort with something for everyone. The beach is beautiful, the water clear and shallow and staff are friendly and helpful. The resort is situated on the beach, you can literally walk from the lobby down the boulevard over the bridge that is over the pool down to the beach. The Al a Cart restaurants offer well presented dishes, the daily buffet does not have a lot of variety, but you won't starve. If you are looking for a great beach, hot weather, friendl [... read more]y staff, clean comfortable spacious rooms, with a laid back vibe this is the place for you. Now that l have experienced the 14 day stay l wouldn't go for any less time.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Awful

The first 3 days there wasn't hot water to shower until we complained many many times. We were 3 adults in a room but there were 2 pillows. Again we complained many many times and they added a pillow. Many times electricity shut down and because of that no toilet flush, no coffee, no show, no hot food, ....and surprisingly they didn't have a power generator!!! Just don't go there. Positive side is very nice beach which is everywhere in Cuba.