Life After COVID

After finally securing Out of Country Medical coverage……which by the way….is difficult when you are old and have health issues…..we had a very lovely relaxing week in Cuba. Playa Costa Verde is a special place because of the staff, the natural protected mangrove, the birds, and spacious rooms. Considering the severe shortages of food etc in Cuba, it was a miracle that our buffet was as good as it was. We always had great choices, helpful staff, and the staff continue to do the service [... read more]. I hope this continues even after the COVID rules relax, it works well, is safer, controls the portions better, and less waste. We would recommend this location for a relaxing couple weeks. However, because of the dreadful lines in all airports, it is better to go for more than just one week. LJJ

Nice place

Clean, nicely decorated room. Very friendly staff. Island shortages may have made some basic menu items like teabags unavailable. Food overall so so. Great masseur Tony! 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

Great place

solid 4 star hotel, staff is fantastic, location a bit remote.no broken floor tiles and everything as clean as it could be, food is like everywhere in Cuba but no complaints, large pool and ocean is a 5 minute walk but is part of the resort, i will certainly return

Amazing Resort

Playa Costa Verde has been absolutely the best hotel in holguin I have visited there more than 36 times an it continues to be my favourite the staff an service is amazing an all amenities are clean and well kept .

Good amenities, but apparently COVID is causing problems

The room is good, the maid service is excellent. The beach is a dream for small children, since it is on the lee side and the sea is very calm. The pools are nice, almost all the amenities one would need are there. The entertainment is also good, corresponding to a 4-star resort. There is not always hot water. The bad news - apparently the resort was suffering severe supply problems, since the food was pretty poor. Until the 5th day (the 1st of January) meat, fish and seafood were nowhere to be [... read more] seen, except chicken wings and once canned seafood. And everything was tasteless. Due to COVID the guests have to wait for teh personnel to put the food in their plates and this is a huge inconvenience. Hopefully this will be gone soon. The Italian restaurant was excellent, the others were pretty good too. On the 1st of January the things changed radically and everything went back to normal with the food, as I knew it. Meat, fish and seafood, reappeared in the buffet restaurant, the taste in the food too. Must say that the personnel is trying their best in the difficult situation. Example - there is "only one computer" at the reception and when a big group arrives, one should forget about getting help there. What were we missing and what could be better: - no tea - a big minus for me personally - no kettle available to have in the room - for a family with a toddler this is a must - no flexibility for a late check-out - we had to wait until 10 a.m on the day of our departure to find out whether we can keep the room for a few more hours - not enough street lighting around the resort

Second time at this hotel

All workers wore masks at all times. Everything keep clean and workers went out of there way to make the trip a happy vacation. There was plenty of food so there was no way you would go hungry. Music a bit louder than I would like around the pool, but again I am an older person and the younger generation enjoy it. Was nice hearing Spanish music most of the time instead of English after all we were in Cuba. Beach was clean, water clear just be careful the rocks. This is a natural beach. I would  [... read more]not think twice about going back again. Had a great time and looking forward to someday returning Was there Dec.07-21, 2021

Mixed feelings

Return Visit  Dec5 8 to Dec 29 - 3 weeks    Unfortunately this visit was very disappointing unlike our previous one. Our first week was good but as we got closer to Christmas there was a notable change in food quantity, quality and an increase of people with bad manners.  We were the minority these three weeks with Locals representing over 95% of the guests.  Sorry but using the excuse that Canadians don't understand the cultural differences does not justify the bad manners we encoun [... read more]tered. We tipped in CUP and Canadian, they can use CUP to purchase many items and tipping in Pesos will spread your tips amoung many.  We were able to pay in Canadian for drinks at the Airport.  You need a credit card to pay for your Covid return test and purchases in the stores,  so we used Canadian, CUP, Visa and U.S. funds. The maid was tipped in Canadian at the end of each week, she was great and we only had two problems with the room, the safe and a light which were fixed promptly. Tourists and locals need to respect staff by wearing your mask when approaching staff along with approaching fellow tourists and when walking in common areas.  We saw families of up to 14 come in for day passes and overnight stays not wearing masks so not surprisingly now seeing their Covid numbers increasing dramatically.  The staff were great, no complaints there, however we probably won't be returning as we didnt  enjoy the nightly crap show at the buffet with rude people constantly butting in, hoarding plates of food and touching the food with their hands.  We had people yelling in the corridor and drunks banging on our door every night at 2 am along with locals peeing in front of the table we were eating at while at the snack bar.  There were a few food and beverage shortages that occurred usually after the weekend visits by the locals. No condiments or salt and pepper to be found. We are not new to Cuba having been there over 70 times over the past 15 years.  I have to say this was the most disappointing trip so far.  The hotel was equivalent to a 2 star for food during our visit, the excellent service just couldn't make up for everything else.

Fabulous trip!

Excellent vacation! We stayed at Playa Costa Verde from Tuesday December 7 - Tuesday December 14, 2021. Checkin was fast and reception staff were very professional and helpful during checkin and throughout our stay. Rooms (although a little dated) were clean, air conditioning worked great, lots and a variety of TV channels, great water pressure (hot and cold) and wonderful housekeeping staff. Food at buffet was hot, tasty and plentiful. The pasta and pizza station at the buffet was amazing! Lo [... read more]ts of fresh fruit, omlettes and smoothies at breakfast and amazing breads, soups and salads at lunch. If you can't find something to eat at the buffet I would say it is a YOU problem. Desserts and ice cream to die for. Amazing cappuccinos and service at lobby bar. Snack bar food was good; service a little slower. All waiters, waitresses, bartenders, gardeners, security, etc. were friendly, attentive and professional. The beach is gorgeous and great for snorkeling. We did not take nor needed watershoes and just walked around coral on sandy bottom. COVID-19 test was non evasive and doctors, etc. very compassionate and professional. No shortages at resorts (food, water, staff, food, etc). No coffee makers or kettles in rooms so pack your own if that is important to you. Beach towels in room when we arrived (standard room) with mini bar filled daily with water and soda (no beer). Free wifi and could get it everywhere on resort. Excellent nightly entertainment. Japanese (entertaining and great dinner) and Cuban (beef was tender and tasty) a la cartes were very good with attentative staff. Resort was about half capacity during week a bit busier on weekends with locals and all had a great time. Pool was clean and entertainment engaging but not in your face. A family oriented resort but young couples around having fun and all visitors respectful of each other. Our Sunwing representatives were helpful with any of our questions. We tipped with small Canadian bills. Excursions and lobby store all using VISA card. Market took Canadian money as did off site restaurants and taxis. We did not change any Canadian money into national pesos as not needed. Covid protocols followed by guests and staff and we felt safe all week. Handsoap and sanitizer readily available throughout resort. We had a fabulous time at Playa Costa Verde and would go back in a heartbeat. We have been to Cuba over fifteen times (seven times to Holguin) and this resort is among the best of our favorites (Brisas Guardalavaca, Iberostar Holguin and Sol Luna y Mares) in Holguin. Get off the resort, see the real Cuba, meet the locals, go to one of the local fabulous restaurants, stay healthy, happy and safe!!!

Senior Center, Dirt Water & Excessive Forse by Covid Nurse...

First about the covid test: The young curly long haired male nurse / doctor in Playa Costa Verde, should be fired. I watched in horror lined up to get my 72 hour pcr test, as many Canadians walked out with major tears in their eyes, covering their noses with hands, some not being able to walk straight. As I sat down for mine he yelled twice "RELAX! RELAX!" then shoved my head back and stuck the swab so far up, the immense pain caused me to scream! And he then the other nostril even harder! An [... read more]d I'm not a wuss by any means. I could barely walk out of there as I was so disturbed by what just happened and in pain. The swab was about 6 inches long, and went WAYYY too far. I tried to "shake it off", and went to the beach, tried to calm down but ended up walking to my room and spending 2 hours crying because I was in shock over the ordeal. I was literally shaking! I kept tasting blood going down the back of my throat. I couldn't breathe through my nose. The next day there was dried blood in my nose! I spoke with many people after that, and ALL said it was beyond excessive! Even the staff knew the next day that something was wrong! Attitudes went somber. If this happened to you, speak up and fill out a complaint form, google your airline and complaint form. If someone was on blood thinners, this could have ended up very bad! Another thing, many people weren't wearing masks in the buffet, and the soap in the washrooms was out lots, the hand sanitizer was either cholorine or bleach. The random PCR test upon arrival back in Toronto, was a breeze, just barely up your nostril (fiance got selected). As for a review of the resort, let me start of by saying I am a seasoned Cuba traveller. Never going to the same resort twice, so I have a lot to compare to...over 15 3 and 4 star hotels within the last few years. I can give a real review, vs those that go there over and over and see nothing wrong since they are "friends" with resort workers. No rose colored glasses here. The food was 1/10, let me tell you why: Everything was bland. The chicken, pork, beef all tasted the same. No seasonings anywhere other than salt. No garlic, nothing. No pepper even on the tables and when you asked, they handed you an empty one. No butter! Never seen that! No salad dressings, not even the old school home made ones, where you have no clue what it is. No mustard! Not even mustard in a bowl with a spoon like some resorts had. No vodka, no tomatoe juice (unless you went to the store and purchased it...why can't they do that and provide to the guests??). I've had maybe over 30 a la carte meals in Cuba and the italian wins for the worst. Pasta with "alfredo" sauce, no chicken, no veg...just hard dried out pasta with sauce that tasted like milk. The water in the buffet was beyond gross, you could smell dirt and taste it. No wonder so many people were sick! IF you had great food in the past here, it's no longer. 70% of guests were over 50 years old. They played celeine dions candle in the wind, in the lobby at night. No night shows. Day entertainment was Boci Ball. Why did I give 2 stars instead of 1? The room, although 1980's style, had good AC and hot water. And the staff here were amazing. The reason I picked this resort is because I've been to Playa Cayo Santa Maria before, and it was amazing. Had high hopes for this one. If you're reading this and haven't booked yet, let me recommend my top three: Playa Cayo Santa Maria, Melia Jardines Del Ray, and for lots of fun, Tryp Cayo Coco. They are the faves amongst the other 15 I've been to. Cliffs notes: If you are over 50 and want to relax, don't care about food, then this is the resort for you.

Amazing Resort!

The hotel staff did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable. The only down side is the Cuban's that were guests at the resort were extremely rude and wasteful,leaving mounds of food uneaten on their plates and stealing essentials like butter. This was out of the staff's control, not sure what can be done about that. Overall, we had a great time and will definitely be returning to Playa Costa Verde!

Still Exceptional!

I had the pleasure of being the 1st guest at the grand re-openning since their shutdown and as the many times was treated to a warm welcome and a great time. Service as always was impeccable. The food good. Yes selections were down a bit,since Cuba has had shortages, but what they had exceeded the usual standards. The ala cartes took a few days to begin openning but once they did the menus were good as ever. Cuba is hurting in many ways but hospitality is not one of the hurting areas.

Comfortable resort

Small resort with bungalows. Clean rooms with comfortable beds. Well manicured grounds. Lots of food to choose from buffet. Friendly staff. Nice beach.Would recommend this resort for families or couples. To get to beach have to cross over bridge which is loaded with all kinds of water birds.

Great resort with amazing beach

Staff were great. Food was allright. Beach was amazing nice clear blue water with a reef making it great for snorkeling I was busy for hours. The rooms are very outdated and shower/tub is hard to get in and out of.

Lovely resort and staff!

From the time we arrived to the time we left our experience at this resort was great. Rooms were very clean, lots of variety at the buffet, beach was fantastic (bring water shoes....a little rocky in some places) and the staff were awesome. Wifi was a little hit and miss but I didn't travel there to stay "connected" for long periods. Reception seating could use some updating but for the amount of time it was needed, it was fine. Many guests I met were repeat guests so that says something positiv [... read more]e about this resort.

Fantastic resort

We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation. The staff are friendly, the food was enjoyable, and the main thing I noticed was the resort was very clean. I would recommend this resort to other people, and will most likely return there the next time I travel to Cuba

Cuba's cozy corner

We keep going back to PCV because of the fact that the staff at PCV really works as a team. Everyone, from lobby staff to gardeners, is doing their very best to make us feel right at home. They work hard at keeping all their guests happy. The buildings are dated, but kept very clean and quite comfortable. The pool area and resort grounds are very well kept. The buffet offers a wonderful variety of food and how the food is prepared; its so important to remember that they can only work with what  [... read more]is available to them; they give us the best that they have and we have never gone hungry during any of our stays at PCV. Bread was amazing during our stay Feb 2020. PCV is located in such a way that there are many opportunities to explore the surrounding area/places. We rented scooters, rented a car, and really explored cuban countryside. It is so safe; we go anywhere without any worries and we just love the cuban hospitality which we meet every time both on as well as off the resort. PCV is an amazing place to be; it draws us back time and time again.

Cuba is not my thing !

Beautiful Resort and Beach but the people and food are not comparable to the DR ..Glad I experienced it but I wont be back ! ...........................................................................

Amazing Resort indeed

For this was the first time ever for me to venture off on my own to anywhere. The Playa Costa Verde Resort was an amazing place on so many levels. The grounds were well maintained very easy to remember how to get around, the beach was gorgeous. The food was awesome, I even tried squid for the first time lol... To top it all off the staff was top notch they truly are amazing people there and I will definitely be back there. Thank you Yours truly Mark Zavitz

Another amazing vacation at Playa Costa Verde

Hotel is very clean & well maintained. Some upgrades are required but they seem to be trying. Food is good, a la carte restaurants are amazing. Have been there 14 times & still love it. Staff is amazing. Looking forward to returning next year 😊.

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!