Horrible!

I travelled to Las Brujas from Montreal with Sunwing, on May 27th, 2022 for one (1) week with an 11 year old and two (2) other adults. We purchased the Elite Plus option (extra $200) and in-flight meals. Unfortunately, there was no “Fresh and flaky croissant”, it was a cold, hard and squished sandwich, I did not eat it and on the return flight exchanged it for another option. The 737 is advertised as having an in-flight entertainment, but it was not the case. In the email communications [... read more] I received prior to my departure, I was informed that Pesos is the official currency in Cuba, however, no one wants Pesos and are requiring payment in US or CAD dollars. We are then stuck with the Pesos. Another email informed me to meet with the Sunwing rep the day after the arrival at 10 am – that was incorrect as well. Upon our arrival at the hotel, we received the room keys and towel vouchers. I asked for a map, but did not receive one. There were maps on the way to the beach but did not indicate our current location, so it was difficult to orient ourselves. The room key did not work the first three (3) times so I had to go back to the lobby to get this fixed. To get the towels, we needed to look for the person in charge to get them. To return the towels, it was the same situation and the person in the booth didn’t even have any vouchers to give us. It was just time wasteful and we had to go to the lobby to get this resolved to avoid the $25 US penalty per towel. Very few people spoke any English – ordering drinks or food was a hit & miss – we would sometimes get what we wanted and sometimes they would not bring what we ordered as they didn’t understand us. The resort was very, very dirty. The bathrooms were disgusting with dirty floors and toilets, some not flushing, some doors not closing, no light, smell of urine, etc. The lobby, the hallways, the pool area and the beach were also very disappointing. Plastic cups, cigarette butts, broken dishes, paper, spills, roaches/bugs etc. There was no AC in the lobby nor a closed off lounge to cool off although a Jazz Bar was advertised. There was an oversized chess game but with missing pieces to my son’s disappointment. The hotel advertises 24/7 WiFi but it’s not the case. It was available with a password, from 4 pm and only in the lobby if we were able to stay connected. With an 11 year old, on rainy days, and nothing else to do, internet was all we had – so that was falsely advertised as well. Even to do our check-in and check flight status, it was a challenge without the WiFi. Some staff drank on the job. One was flat out drunk and we could not finalise our A la carte restaurant reservations. When ordering two (2) beers, one mentioned something to the effect of “let me get you 3” and drank one himself. Some were trying to sell us Pesos for a rate 4-5 times more advantageous than at the airport, as they just want dollars. We took a taxi with to the neighbouring Ensenachos resort to compare (as we thought that this was representative of the situation in Cuba in general) - that resort was spotless, you could eat off the floor in the bathroom! The rooms were clean but we had no coffee machine as advertised. The bed sheets were smelly, as if they were left wet in the laundry for a while. The shower had no doors so all the water would flood the bathroom. The mini-bar was half empty. Although I knew the food reputation in Cuba, this was beyond belief! No peanut butter, no Nutella, no ketchup, no mayo, no salt, etc. The food was cold, tasteless and soggy (ex: eggs or vegetables). A la carte restaurants were good though so this saved us. Some drinks were not available: no orange or apple juice, no milk, no beer on the beach on some days, no tequila. The buffet was full of flies! They were on food, on the tables, everywhere! There was a snack bar with no menu so it was hard to know what was available. We went once: ordered some burgers that came after 20 minutes of waiting and one reminder. Unsure if it was meat or not but besides that on a bun, there was nothing else and the 5-6 fries on the plate. It was uneatable and we left it on the table. On the last day, I found pieces of stainless steel scrubber in my pasta. I showed it to the manager at the buffet. My mother had a piece of glass in her ice cream from possibly a chipped glass cup. The beach was dirty with cigarette butts, broken shells (I’ve cut my feet twice), plastic cups in the sand and water. I was picking them up constantly. Since there is no bathroom at the beach bar, people go in the water or the near by bushes (including the staff). You can smell urine when walking by the bushes. Music was very loud at both the beach and the pool area. I tested the decibels with my watch (it was around 90 which is way too high). Hard to have a conversation with that much noise or to even relax. Beach showers to rinse off were not working either. I initially wanted to leave early but since I did not want to pay extra, decided to wait it out. I spoke to the Sunwing rep, Delvis, about the situation and he was very helpful. He got the Manager involved, who was also very, very helpful. We did get extra à la carte reservations (except for Thursday) and we got the coffee machines. We declined the special dinner offered on Wednesday as the situation with the mosquitos was unbearable. However, these changes did not help the fact that we were stressed and frustrated with the situation and not enjoying the vacation. If this trip were $600, I would not say anything. But it was $1200 per person. The information on Sunwing website is incorrect and offers false advertising. “Pristine shore”, “white-sand shores”, “bowling”, “charming accommodations”, “stocked mini-bar”, “all drinks”, “10 restaurants”, “7 bars”, “24/7 free WiFi throughout resort”, “electric coffee maker”, “Jazz Bar/Coffee Shop”, As a traveller/tourist, I am unable to visit the resort before booking. I am counting on the website description to make my decision. Sunwing has the responsibility to provide accurate information to the clientele and not advertise/promise a pristine resort when they cannot deliver the goods. The whole week was a waste of money and time. We came back more tired than when we left.

Beautiful Resort!

Very relaxing resort. Beautiful beach, pools and weather. Escorted to room within about 5 minutes of arriving. Food very good. Entertainment team excellent....Yosvani, Jason and the rest of the guys. "Michael Jackson" rocked his show. Only downfall was the Snack Bar by the pool...usually out of what you ordered and very disorganized. Otherwise, would visit again anytime.

Looks Nice but ...

No toilet paper in the public restrooms, luckily our room was right by the pool so we could run up there to use the facilities. Sometimes had to steal toilet paper off the cart and put in our room as well they did not always replace even when we were down to the last part of the roll. No vodka on the resort, food was not great, main pool was green most of the week, we stayed in the adult section so we were ok, our pool was clear but did need to be cleaned. Resort was too far away from ai [... read more]rport, 1.5 hours

Pool at family section green and cloudy!

Just returned from our holiday. Upgraded from garden view to club garden view, we were told we could have access to adults only and the snack bar. Asked for French fries but told not for a white wristband. Went to snack bar in family section and asked for French fries. Told none available but the Cuban visitors were served some. Pool in family section green and murky. Beach is far from family section. Limited drinks available. No vodka or tequila. Many many Cubans who stuffed their bags wit [... read more]h food from buffet. Rooms were clean and bed was very comfy.

Beautiful hotel

The hotel was beautifully maintained. Food options were some of the best I’ve had in Cuba. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Bar on the beach made the best drinks especially gin and tonic. I have one suggestion, reception staff should remind some guests about rules and regulations at the hotel. Sadly people who arrived to stay only for a weekend were loud even at late night and didn’t respect others Some tourists from outside Cuba said if it stays like this they will not return!

A beautiful, spotlessly clean, modern resort !

We (a group of six) just returned from a week at the Grand Aston. We thoroughly enjoyed it, and were made to feel SO welcome. It is a beautiful, modern resort with exceptionally pleasant, helpful staff, and some of the best food we have ever had in Cuba. We were very impressed with how careful the staff observed the necessary protocols. They were masked at all times, and did not hesitate to gently remind guests to put their masks on in indoor spaces. There were a number of hand sanitizing [... read more] stations throughout the resort. The public washrooms were very clean, well supplied with toilet paper, and the liquid soap containers were always full. Our room was very nice.....I was sharing with a friend, and the room, initially, only had a double bed. I requested a second bed, and one was immediately moved in, and made up..... within minutes, and with no fuss at all. The bathrooms were clean, with great showers.....excellent water pressure, and lots of hot water. For the first couple of days, the resort was very quiet.....only about 150 guests. On the third day, a large number of Cuban families arrived, and the place really came to life !! It was lovely to see everyone enjoying themselves, especially the kids, but the music was just a little too loud, and the number of people at the buffet a little daunting, so for a very nominal amount we transferred to the much quieter adult only section (with adjacent ocean view rooms, which was lovely) for the last few days. This gave us much easier access to the beach, a large quiet pool, a great snack bar (which also served breakfast, lunch and dinner.) And a well stocked bar right beside the pool. This is a really nice resort......the beach is lovely, the ocean calm and clean (and quite shallow for quite a distance, which is great for small children), and we had a lovely holiday !

Nice resort!

Well-maintained resort- nice beach, bars, great cappuccinos, lively and varied entertainment in lobby area as well as events in theatre. Good room services-- stocked fridges etc. Great Asian and Italian restaurants-- very good food/ white wine. Good wifi (1hr/adult/week free). Great customer service dept. Amazing staff/ great service in general. The week we went they were out of some items- like no shrimp/ ketchup was hard to find-- due to embargo. Best to bring hot sauce, ketchup, Nutella, pea [... read more]nut butter If you love that stuff. We always found stuff to eat- some days more variety than others. The buffet had enough stuff to eat but was repetitive at times during lunch and dinner. I would have liked more veggie options-- but again - embargo-related. The pasta station /stir fry station on few days didn't have too many ingredients but had them on other days. Had good desserts, breads, break fast items/drinks/ red wine/beer etc. Great fish on the grill. Again- this is Cuba and is all related to the embargo and expected when going to Cuba. The snack bar did run out of things on some days.. no pizza for most of the time. But food was good here liked the items on offer at the beach snack bar/pool snack bar. The beach had paddle boats/ catamarans/ kayaks etc.. easy to walk all the way past other resorts, great for snorkelling, abundance of sea shells for those beach combers, saw many starfish, fish, cormorants - had a blast on the beach. Can easily visit nearby markets. Good place for people with families/ as well as no kids. Had a great trip- great resort. There is a lot to do in nearby towns-- the restaurants in caibarian had great seafood- lobster/shrimp/ fish. Just keep in mind it is Cuba and go with an open mind.

First Cuban Vacation

This was a very clean,fairly new hotel.The staff was very friendly and were always there to help or assist customers, there are only two issues that I had ..1)the food was repetitive and the hotel was located at least one hour minimum from a village or town..however where the food is concerned I believe Cuba can only make do with what they have...so I give them a B+ For trying...location is location...nothing u can do about that..my vacation was great..relaxing..both guests and staff were frien [... read more]dly..I'll definitely go back🙂🙂

Wonderful vacation

All around beautiful resort, the grounds are well taken care of, and the beach was fantastic. You always hear bad things about Cuban resort food but we had zero issues here, good quality and different dishes. Staff were pleasant and accommodating. Would highly recommend.

Great Resort

This was a last minute booking and we couldn't be happier. The resort was great. staff were very helpful. Amenities were great. Food was good. Beach is very nice. Rooms were very clean and quite large. Had an ocean view which was beautiful to wake up to. Would go again for sure.

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!

Big disappointment

Far from a good experience.Our room was good and the maid was very attentive.The food was the worse we have had at any hotel.Have been to Cuba many times .The staff were very polite but not properly trained.However front desk staff were very rude unlike the bar staff and food servers who were very good under difficult conditions.The pools and beach were very nice but we still will not return. victor and marguerite

Beautiful Resort

Everything was great. Rooms were clean. Food was great never starved. Beach was amazing. Lots of places to go snorkelling. Staff very helpful. 24 hour snack bar was great. Will be going back to this resort again.

Great resort!!

Had an amazing time at the Grand Aston hotel. Food was really good, especially at the a la cartes. Definitely the best I have ever eaten anywhere in Cuba. The pizza at the snack bar was great. The pool area was nice although I only went once. Beach was really nice and big with lots of activites, non motorized water sports, entertainment and great bartenders. The water is absolutely beautiful. Cant get enough of that gorgeous Ocean. I wish there was more than just one entrance to the beach but if [... read more] you are staying close to the adults only side it is perfect. Hotel grounds were really nice for the most part. My only complaint would be that as you are walking to the beach there are a couple of areas with stagnant disgusting water. Im assuming that's why I got so many no see um bug bites. Make sure you bring bug spray. All in all had a great trip and would recommend to anyone who loves Cuba and loves swimming in the crystal clear Ocean. Thanks again Linda Lavoie making our booking such a quick and easy process.

Best bang for your buck!

Stayed at Grand Aston. Resort is new and very clean. The food was the best food I have ever eaten in Cuba (3rd time to Cuba). The beach was amazing with beautiful blue waters. If you enjoy snorkeling, this was a great resort for that. Snack bar pizzas are delicious, as well as the ice cream. Lots to do - paddleboarding, sailing and kayaking included. Booked deep sea fishing and caught two barracuda! Buffets were also very tasty. Ocean view room is a definite must here. Lobby was beautiful, servi [... read more]ng the best cappuccino on the whole resort. Would stay here again for sure. Stayed in building 10- close to the beach, a little bit of a walk to restaurants and pool. There are golf carts to pick you up if you dont want to walk to the main attractions. The only thing bad I have to say is that at the front desk they need a few more people to speak better english. Staff was amazing and very accommodating, even having someone pull out your chez lounge for you daily and sweeping it off! Beach bar is very close to the beach and drinks were very good. Would rate this hotel 4.5/5. A big thankyou to Linda at Trip Central for booking us such a beautiful vacation! A great week away!!

Absolutely Loved this resort-

Our first time away, just us two, since our honeymoon 25 years ago, and it was spectacular! Clean comfortable Air conditioned rooms. We had nothing but friendly resort staff - always smiling and helpful -from the Chamber maids, shuttle drivers, front desk staff , waiters, bartenders, and grounds keepers ! These hard working folks made a point of getting to know you during the short 7 days and always made you feel as if they had known you forever! My one piece of constructive criticism wa [... read more]s that our Sunwing representative was not as informative , nor friendly- he usually was scowling and didn't not communicate well - our questions when we tried to approach him 1:1 were met with silence, and then a few words, but certainly not friendly. As our orientation meeting was not until the next day, a hand out on arrival ( which was after 5 pm for us) with basic map, and info on where to find food, and from what time to what time, bank hours , and where, and even as simple as how to reach front lobby by phone ( which would have been helpful when we were at the farthest bungalow from the Lobby) . We managed tho and mainly it was due to very Friendly , helpful staff.

Beautiful vacation!

My family and I went to the Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas on January 11-January 21 and we did do VIP. I highly suggest it. In word word I would describe the vacation as fantastic. The resort staff have gone above and beyond our expectations, to accomadate all our needs and wishes. Some highlights of our trip include: The room: very beautiful, nicely cleaned and always well maintained. The beds were very comfortable and the shower was fantastic!! The grounds: very well maintained, there we [... read more]re beautiful gardens. The lobby was gorgeous, very spacious and beautifully decorated. VIP pool: fantastic pool, well maintained, staff working at the bar/snack bar were very friendly and accommodating. Food: food was quite tasteful, you’re always able to find something you like. Very good for people who enjoy fish. The snack bar had really good pizzas. Entertainment: staff did a great job with always providing good music and getting people dancing. There was also amazing shows and live bands/singers. Beach: the beach was beautiful, however my only issues were that there was not a separate section for VIP CLUB. There was a sign with “adults only” however there was no staff to control the amount of kids that did go in the section. Also advertised online it states there is a separate bar for the VIP Club, however. It was empty with no staff. Overall it was a fantastic vacation and I wouldn’t change it for the world. There are certain staff that made the experience worth wild. This included our lovely house keeper Hislajdi Grivas. Our waiter Rosmay Aranzola (he looks exactly like drake). The bartenders at the VIP pool Reidel, Rodriguez and Martinez. Lastly the lobby bar staff Miskely, Magdiel and Dianelys. They always had a smile on their faces and treated us like family. It was extremely special experience. I would definitely come back to this resort I have already recommended to all my friends. Thank you staff at Grand Aston hope to see you again in near future!!

Lovely resort

The resort was lovely and mostly the staff are friendly. The guys at the pool bar are fun and entertaining with their bottle and glass tricks. The food was up and down. As most people know when visiting Cuba the food might be iffy. I can usual find something I like. Our biggest complaint is with the advertising of the resort. It tells you there are this many pools and bars for your use. When we arrived we were told that the Jazz Bar was permanently closed. In the advertising it states t [... read more]here is a whirlpool. The whirlpool is in the adult section where you are not permitted to be unless you paid to be there. We are down one pool and two bars. We had enough bars and pools without using the ones that weren't available to us but we object to the hotel advertising them as being available when they are not. Other then that we had a lovely time and would recommend the resort.

Good resort

Wouldn’t recommend. Food options weren’t good, service was slow. Nice clean resort, grounds beautiful beach way too far. The locals were very friendly. Lots of dogs at the resort.. ants were terrible in the hotel room. 3/5 star

Great Holiday

Very clean and well kept. Excellent entertainment every nite Lovely beach and pools .although it is a long ride from the airport about one and half hours, the buses are very nice. We will be back. We have already sent a couple there.