Quiet out of the way resort

,if you like hiking, swimming and great hot weather then you would like Marea. Food only so so They have a grill going for most meals and that's with fresh fish and hamburgers Place very clean. Staff helpful and speak English fairly well. Sunwing organizes many outings and the hotel organizes activities around the pool and in the evenings.

VERY COZY FRIENDLY RESORT. FELT LIKE A FAMILY REUNION

I stayed at the Faralon section of the hotel. Food was incredibly fresh, good variety and meat was very flavourful. Fresh fish every day. The view from anywhere on this resort is just breathtaking. I loved the way the local farm animals wandered on to the resort in the evening, hers of goats, a few cows, sheep the local iguanas. The staff were always smiling, relaxed and ready and willing to help. Entertainment was varied and good local Cuban music. I loved this resort and would highly re [... read more]commend it. Everything was also spotlessly clean.

GREAT RESORT !

We were in Cuba for one week at the Marea Del Portillo. The staff was very friendly have to say thanks to ( Milady at al carte ,her husband Frank, then bar personals , Ramo, Sudama Tequila, the breakfast , lunch and dinner staff the pool guy (Eddy) they were very tentative to our needs and made us feel like part of them which was great! Must say the resort is very clean, the grounds were well kept the beach is very close we could hear the waves from our cabanas , the pool was inviting ! which [... read more] I enjoyed to the fullest We were able to get coconut every day (great) Our cabanas was very clean and our maid made sure we were very comfortable thanks (Yorinder & Maria). This resort is for more retirees or for people looking to have a relaxing quite time. Overall it's a beautiful resort and you could enjoy both resort the (Farlaon)! Thanks to the staff at the resort we had a great vacation My only concern is the resort is to far drive from the airport and there's not much to see outside the resort........... Regards Jenn

SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTING THIS TIME

WHILE THE RESORT AND STAFF WERE AS WE HAVE FOUND THEM ON PREVIOUS TRIPS...WONDERFUL. WE WERE DISAPPOINTED NOT TO BE ABLE TO BOOK THE ALACART. IT HAS BEEN CHANGED FROM BOOKING RIGHT AT THE RESTAURANT TO HAVING TO BOOK THROUGH THE PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSONNEL. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO E-MAIL A WEEK BEFORE OUR NEXT VISIT IN APRIL TO RESERVE. FOUND THE FOOD SOMEWHAT LACKING THIS VISIT. EVERY TIME CHICKEN WAS ON THE BUFFET, IT WAS ALWAYS LEGS ONLY, DID FIND OUT HOWEVER, IF [... read more] YOU WAITED UNTIL ABOUT 1/2 HOUR BEFORE CLOSING, WHEN THE TRAYS WOULD BE EMPTY, THEY WOULD BE REFILLED WITH CHICKEN BREASTS, IN ORDER FOR THE STAFF TO HAVE CHICKEN BREASTS AVAILABLE FOR THEIR MEALS. VERY DISAPPOINTING. MYSELF AND MY HUSBAND WERE BOTH SICK FOR A DAY, AND HEARD THAT QUITE A FEW OF THE GUEST HAD THE SAME COMPLAINT.

Always hot!!!

I have been to the Maria 5 times,and my son 3. Now that they have WIFI they need to twek it a little to work better, they need updated pictures for your site ,. The service is good and the food was better than in the past,clean rooms and a good hotel, even though it,s 62 years old. I enjoy my stay each time I go,just wish it was a little cheaper . And no single supplement if I go by myself. 10 day packages would be awesome,but all in it was a good trip,and service.look forward to my next stay,a [... read more]nd see my Cuban friends again..

The fourth great time here

Just amazing atmosphere. mostly repeat visitors which come every year and a very quiet place, exept the loud music after midnight from the beach party. With ear plugs or moving to the lagoon side ok.

Marea del Portillo

Travel to, long day, 9am flight, stop over in Santiago de Cuba, on to Manzanillo, then 2 hour bus [w/ a/c and w/c], arrived after 6 to staff greeting with drinks and fast check in, dinner in only dining room off lobby, buffet style, and has adjoining outdoor seating. [ bkfst 7 to 10, lunch 12 to 2, dinner 6 to 930] Food somewhat repetitive, but always plenty of choices. Grill in outdoor dining, great omelettes, bacon, fish. Snack bar by pool for hamburgers, hot dogs, good French fries.[bring ke [... read more]tchup [theirs is watery[ and relish [none], mustard is ok]. Bar at pool 6am to 11pm, best coffee on resort [but wont make after 10pm]. Pool cleaned every day, lifeguard, 9 to 6. Rooms, clean, lots of towels, ask your maid for beach towel [mine was replaced 3 x in my 2 weeks] All rooms face the beach, don't miss the sunrises over the ocean.Beach long, dark fine sand, some smooth pebbles but ok to walk on most of them, water, great surf, very warm, can walk out a long way, on beach some palapas, lots of loungers, beach bar 10 to 5. would go again

Great holiday

This is the first resort that I have been to that there was someone that passed away. The room location that I stayed at was great - you open the back door and you can walk right to the beach and ocean. There were showers right at our back door to wash the beach off of your feet and suit. The staff was most friendly and helpful. You cannot complain about the food, spaghetti, meat, fish and chicken - lunch and dinner. I enjoyed the soup. Fish on the grill - eggs to your liking each am. The only d [... read more]rawback is the cubans were allowed and they piled food in plastic containers and I mean piled it on. At the snack bar they would order 12 hamburgers and all of us had to wait (the grill is small for a dozen) and this was for them to take away from the snack bar. But the staff were wonderful. There are enough lounges on the beach and at the pool area for all. The view from the hotel on the mountain is wonderful a must go and see. I have been to Cuba 37 times and I think there are enough hotels there - I like to change areas and hotels, but I do recommend this one (mostly for seniors) The 2 hour bus ride to the hotel from the airport is expected. I had a wonderful time - weather and ocean were great. I will only fly Sunwing - the staff are great.

Worst diving experience ever

The resort itself was fine. The food was a bit repetitive but other than that it was good. The diving however was a different story. Everyday we went to the dive shop to see if they were diving. They wouldn't take us out diving all week and a couple of days the dive master never even showed up. Finally we were told that there was no gas. We complained to guest relations and they arranged for us to do a one tank dive, catching a ride with an excursion to cayo blanco. They told us it was on the ho [... read more]tel but the dive guy said we had to pay. We talked to our sunwing rep helena and she straightened it out. She was awesome. The dive was very poor visibility and the dive master got too far ahaead of us and lost us. We looked around but couldnt find him. We were going to go up but noticed the boat overhead so we decided to use up our air..when we got to the boat the dive master was already onboard and had all of his equipment off. He said he got cold and went up. Wow! We picked this resort specifically for diving and never got to dive. Unacceptable. Won't be going back to this resort. If you dont dive it might be an okay resort for you.

Quiet

Very clean room resort beach, staff is friendly always there to help you, I will not go back at the time of the carnival the reason for it lots of Spanish speaking guest and I felt we were left out , language barriere

Quiet place

The trip: This time the check in by Sunwing was excellent. Very quick, helpful, and efficient. The cabin crew was OK. This was 2 stops flight. In Manzanillo now the 1st people to leave the plane were people going to Varadero. They had to go briefly via customs and next to the waiting room. Their carry on was checked there as well. Manzanillo airport does not have good setup for this. Going through customs in Manzanillo was a bit longer too, hence there is more Cubans travelling now and it takes  [... read more]longer for them. The check in bags were ready when all the checks were done. Getting into the bus was quick and efficient. The bus trip took 1.5 hrs. The check in into hotel was quick as well. Accommodation: I stayed in the room 222. Good A/C, good bathroom, the rest was quite all right. The maid service was excellent. Good TV reception. Basic room. 221 was so, so. 223 and 224 were good. Food: The food was good. Again, I will suggest going early to get good selection; 7:00 am breakfast, 12:00 pm for lunch, 6:00 pm for dinner. A la carte restaurant is very nice. There is a grill by the pool side with hamburgers, sandwiches, and fries. They had great beef patties. Good wine, beer at restaurants and more choices at the bars. The beach bar has limited selection of drinks now; rum, pop, wine, and no beer. At 11 pm they are getting beer at the beach bar and they move music over there too. Entertainment: The entertainment was good. The bigger catamaran was broken, the small one was taking 2 people. Misc.: It was very hot week. The beach bar has a nice breeze. It was much busier hotel then it used to be at that time. The water in the bay was very warm. The next sign of changing times in Cuba was a lots of Cuban tourists during that time. I think that out of my 7 days there, during 4 days the hotel was sold out. So if you are planning to invite Cuban friends make sure and do reservation for them ASAP after you arrive. The good sigh was the fact that the hotel adjusted with staff and services. The food was resupplied constantly during meals. They are also not refilling big bubbas at the bar, what makes me happy and limiting the quantity to 2 burgers or sandwiches per person at the grill. No problem to get it again if you are still hungry. Also, this time there were more kids and they had fun. Those passing through Marea, the alternative to staying at the hotel is very nice Casa Particular in Marea. I can provide details and pictures. The store is still there. Still check if you are not overcharged. Also, if you buy for Cubans a gift from the store, give them receipt too with the gift. It will save them a trouble. The road is not fixed yet. It was good trip and I again had good time. This time I stayed mostly at the resort. The staff is really great. Suggestions: read reviews before going there and do not be surprised that this is not a party place. It could be though, all depends if you can make it. Cheers, Chris

Too many Cubans at Marea Del Portillo

Hotel, food, staffs was average. We notice that their were too many Cubans at the resort - more so than Canadian/ European guests. Cubans stashed food in large bags, large coolers to take home with them.

Quiet place

Accommodation: I stayed in the room 222. Good A/C, good bathroom, the rest was quite all right. The maid service was excellent. Good TV reception. Basic room. 221 was so, so. 223 and 224 were good. There was no hot water, just a bit warm. For some it was refreshing, for some quite bad. Also, it looks like the reinvestment money does not really go to this place. The place is clean but starts to fall behind. Food: The food was good. Again, I will suggest going early to get good selection; 7: [... read more]00 am breakfast, 12:00 pm for lunch, 6:00 pm for dinner. A la carte restaurant is very nice. There is a grill by the pool side with hamburgers, sandwiches, and fries. They had great beef patties. Good wine, beer at restaurants and more choices at the bars. The beach bar has limited selection of drinks now; rum, pop, wine, and no beer. At 11 pm they are getting beer at the beach bar and they move music over there too. Seeing some reviews there a list of food served; breakfast: eggs, omelets, hard boiled eggs, cereal, milk, pancakes, French toast, some sausages, fruits, desserts, bread, juices, butter, plum jelly, …; lunch; bbq bar; burgers, winners, ham and cheese sandwiches, fries, restaurant; potatoes, pasta, sweet potatoes, pork, beef, lamb, rabbit, veggies, fruits, desserts, … supper; potatoes, pasta, sweet potatoes, pork, beef, lamb, rabbit, veggies, fruits, desserts, icecream … Entertainment: The entertainment was good. The bigger catamaran was broken, the small one was taking 2 people. Misc.: It was very hot week. The beach bar has a nice breeze. It was much busier hotel then it used to be at that time. The water in the bay was very warm. The next sign of changing times in Cuba was a lots of Cuban tourists during that time. I think that out of my 7 days there, during 4 days the hotel was sold out. So if you are planning to invite Cuban friends make sure and do reservation for them ASAP after you arrive. The good sigh was the fact that the hotel adjusted with staff and services. The food was resupplied constantly during meals. They are also not refilling big bubbas at the bar, what makes me happy and limiting the quantity to 2 burgers or sandwiches per person at the grill. No problem to get it again if you are still hungry. Also, this time there were more kids and they had fun. Those passing through Marea, the alternative to staying at the hotel is very nice Casa Particular in Marea. I can provide details and pictures. The store is there. Check if you are not overcharged. Also, if you buy for Cubans a gift from the store, give them receipt too with the gift. It will save them a trouble. The road is not fixed yet. The staff is really great. Suggestions: read reviews before going there and do not be surprised that this is not a party place. It could be though, all depends if you can make it. And read as many reviews as you can. Too many people expect 5* for a 3* price, wake up it is not going to happen.

Quiet place

Accommodation: I stayed in the room 222. Good A/C, good bathroom, the rest was quite all right. The maid service was excellent. Good TV reception. Basic room. 221 was so, so. 223 and 224 were good. There was no hot water, just a bit warm. For some it was refreshing, for some quite bad. Also, it looks like the reinvestment money does not really go to this place. The place is clean but starts to fall behind. Food: The food was good. Again, I will suggest going early to get good selection; 7: [... read more]00 am breakfast, 12:00 pm for lunch, 6:00 pm for dinner. A la carte restaurant is very nice. There is a grill by the pool side with hamburgers, sandwiches, and fries. They had great beef patties. Good wine, beer at restaurants and more choices at the bars. The beach bar has limited selection of drinks now; rum, pop, wine, and no beer. At 11 pm they are getting beer at the beach bar and they move music over there too. Entertainment: The entertainment was good. The bigger catamaran was broken, the small one was taking 2 people. Misc.: It was very hot week. The beach bar has a nice breeze. It was much busier hotel then it used to be at that time. The water in the bay was very warm. The next sign of changing times in Cuba was a lots of Cuban tourists during that time. I think that out of my 7 days there, during 4 days the hotel was sold out. So if you are planning to invite Cuban friends make sure and do reservation for them ASAP after you arrive. The good sigh was the fact that the hotel adjusted with staff and services. The food was resupplied constantly during meals. They are also not refilling big bubbas at the bar, what makes me happy and limiting the quantity to 2 burgers or sandwiches per person at the grill. No problem to get it again if you are still hungry. Also, this time there were more kids and they had fun. Those passing through Marea, the alternative to staying at the hotel is very nice Casa Particular in Marea. I can provide details and pictures. The store is there. Check if you are not overcharged. Also, if you buy for Cubans a gift from the store, give them receipt too with the gift. It will save them a trouble. The road is not fixed yet. The staff is really great. Suggestions: read reviews before going there and do not be surprised that this is not a party place. It could be though, all depends if you can make it. And read as many reviews as you can. Too many people expect 5* for a 3* price, wake up it is not going to happen.

Can afford something better, do it

Maria Portillo I was there 2016, July 13-20. Weather: Despite a very rainy forecast, the weather was sunny, warm to hot with very few rains. Flight: Sunwing was good and brought us everywhere on time. Cuban bus brought us to the hotel in three hours including sitting and waiting in the bus for somebody important, like driver’s brother-in-law or whoever. The way back was very smooth. Room was OK… but TV was horrible. AC was very cheap and noisy. Food was nothing fancy, but real, fre [... read more]sh tasty and in variety. Usual Cuban tricks are mixes of yesterday’s food, pretending they are salads. Yes, those were there too. They have only one bar, which works non-stop. It is way better than several bars are open in shifts. Entertainment was there, but just barely. The shop was working 8 to 8. No problems with money exchange. There was a very few to non sandflies and mosquitos. The only pool is surprisingly small. There were some people from Canada and abroad. The rest were Cubans. On weekend the hotel was packed with them. They are big families of all generations with crying babies. They eat and drink and yelling nonstop. A dense crowd fills the small pool for hours drinking and ….not going out. Week days were a way calmer. The beach has thin grey sand and the water is murky. Waves are very mild. You do not need a water shoes. You can see very few people on the beach. Most are busy in the bar. _____________________________________________________ Resume: If you can afford something better, do it. _____________________________________________________ There is a good coral reef in 30 minutes of walk and 5 minutes of swimming. You have to be certain swimmer to reach it because of surf. I was attacked twice by wild bees while going there through the bush.

If you can afford something better, do it.

Maria Portillo I was there 2016, July 13-20. Weather: Despite a very rainy forecast, the weather was sunny, warm to hot with very few rains. Flight: Sunwing was good and brought us everywhere on time. Cuban bus brought us to the hotel in three hours including sitting and waiting in the bus for somebody important, like driver’s brother-in-law or whoever. The way back was very smooth. Room was OK… but TV was horrible. AC was very cheap and noisy. Food was nothing fancy, but real, fre [... read more]sh tasty and in variety. Usual Cuban tricks are mixes of yesterday’s food, pretending they are salads. Yes, those were there too. They have only one bar, which works non-stop. It is way better than several bars are open in shifts. Entertainment was there, but just barely. The shop was working 8 to 8. No problems with money exchange. There was a very few to non sandflies and mosquitos. The only pool is surprisingly small. There were some people from Canada and abroad. The rest were Cubans. On weekend the hotel was packed with them. They are big families of all generations with crying babies. They eat and drink and yelling nonstop. A dense crowd fills the small pool for hours drinking and ….not going out. Week days were a way calmer. The beach has thin grey sand and the water is murky. Waves are very mild. You do not need a water shoes. You can see very few people on the beach. Most are busy in the bar. Resume: If you can afford something better, do it. There is a good coral reef in 30 minutes of walk and 5 minutes of swimming. You have to be certain swimmer to reach it because of surf. I was attacked twice by wild bees while going there through the bush.

GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY

HOTEL ROOMS AND BEACHES ARE CLEAN, FOOD IS CUBAN, ROASTED PIG ONCE A WEEK. NO MOSQIUTOS AND BEACH BUGS, AND NO SEE WEED. VIP PACKAGE IS WORTH MONEY, WITH THREE EXCURSIONS AND OTHER GOODIES. MOUNTAINS ARE MAGNIFICENT ALL AROUND AND LOCAL PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY, BRING SOME PRESENTS FOR THEM PLEASE.

Good value, fun times

Can certainly understand why there are so many repeat visitors. This resort is quaint and located in a very scenic region. Housekeeping does an awesome job, staff are friendly and helpful. Beach lovely and perfect for gentle body surfing.

GREAT RESORT

GREAT STUFF, VERY FRIENDLY, GREAT FOOD, BEACH ITS GREAT, WE DID NOT HAVE TO LOOK FOR BEACH CHAIRS, THEY WERE ALWAYS THERE EVERY MORNING WE TOOK THE SAME PLACE AND THAT WAS A PLUS, IT IS CLEAN AND ROOMS ARE SPACIOUS.

Good resort

Older resort, very clean, staff was very friendly except the one older lady at reception, she was not very accommodating when changing money. The beach is brown but great and lots of chairs. We only use the pool twice. Lots of returning guests. Foods got a little repetitive after 2 weeks.