Hotel Mojito: 1 Star - Never Again!

We visited Mojito a few years ago and sadly, this resort is a shell of its former self. This review is long, but please read through to understand the many downsides to spending your hard earned money on a vacation here.  Property  Gone are the beautiful, pristine grounds and gardens. The grounds are now unkept, tall weeds and grasses growing everywhere. The gardens are in a sad state, barely blooming, lacking their usual fullness.  There are many buildings on the resort that are falling  [... read more]apart, some closed and condemned. Some are used for storage. These are absolute eyesores, combined with piles of garbage and parts of old buildings lying around.  The once beautiful boardwalks are now unsafe. They are rickety and have large gaps, making it impossible to be wheelchair or stroller accessible. They have closed off some entries to the beach, which is good, but maintenance on the entire boardwalk is badly needed. Some areas of the grounds are very unsafe. We mistakenly took a walk in the “backyard” of our suite, which was overgrown with tall grasses and weeds. I was holding my toddler and tripped over a large hole that wasn’t visible to the naked eye. Although this fall knocked the wind out of me, we were fortunate to only walk away with some bruises and scrapes.  And the biggest nuisance of the property is the mosquitoes. They are EVERYWHERE. Expect to get many bites even while wearing bug spray religiously. The worst time is the morning and the mosquitoes will swarm you. My toddler looked like he had chicken pox by the end of the trip. These bites are unfortunate souvenirs that will make the return trip with you and for a couple weeks beyond.  Customer Service The stellar customer service that Mojito once had is nowhere to be found.  The waitstaff are not very attentive and we usually had to call them over to get drinks. They are usually stationed by the center of the dining room, busy chatting to one another. It seems like they have given up and can’t be bothered to do a good job. Can’t blame them in a way, it must be frustrating to see how far gone this resort is.  Food The food was always decent for Cuba standards, but now it lacks variety and quality. The same foods were served at meals, sometimes changing the meat options at dinner.  The meat options were limited, especially at breakfast. Bacon was served once, no sightings of sausage, just a sketchy looking ham.  You can tell they are understaffed at this resort, as it was at least a 20 minute wait time during busy times for the pasta, fried rice or meat stations.  The buffet never opened on time. It was supposed to be 7am for breakfast, 12:30pm for lunch and 6:30pm for dinner. The breakfast buffet was the worst culprit. It typically opened between 7:30 and 7:45, but sometimes closer to 8am. Lunch and dinner were a bit better, usually we waited 15 mins past the expected opening.  The pool and beach bars have sandwiches, fries and pizzas. They did run out of fries for a few days which was unfortunate but almost expected.  For those with young kids, there are no fries or hotdogs served at the buffet (no hotdogs at the bars either). Options are very limited for the youngins.  There are no places to buy snacks at this resort, but luckily we packed just enough for our week.  Room We stayed in a “Superior Suite” that had two queen beds and a large balcony. The rooms are quite dated, but we expected that going in. There was nothing really “superior” about this suite except for the balcony which we enjoyed, until the mosquitoes came out at dusk. The room was actually a bit small, but the balcony made up for it.  We didn’t have hot water for showers for a couple days which was a shame. There are no plugs for baths, so young children may experience their first showers.  We didn’t receive water or beer daily in our mini fridge. A couple times we needed to ask our maid. The last two days we only received 2 small water bottles and that is not enough for a family of 4. We bought large water bottles at the store for $2 each on a few occasions.  And if you’re lucky you may have some cockroach visitors like our relative in another building did.  Capacity The resort was not busy at all, maybe at half capacity. This turned out to be one of two bright spots of the trip. We typically had the pool to ourselves in the morning and the beach was not busy come 1:30-2pm.  People are not flocking to this resort and it’s obvious why.  Beach/Pools The stunning beach and beautiful pools were the  second bright spot of our time at Mojito. The beach is just as amazing as I remember, although definitely more shells and coral on the sand and in the water. We don’t mind at all since we enjoy collecting these.  The pools were always clean but do watch out for the kiddie pool. There’s lots of mosquitoes around there because of the proximity to sitting water.  VIP package  Don’t bother upgrading to this package. You do not receive much of the benefits at all. Case in point: • Welcome Cocktail - NO?• Refreshing, cold towel service upon arrival - NO?• Express check in - NO?• Upgraded room (Subject to availability) - YES?• Fully daily stocked mini bar with the best Cuban brands (will be replaced according consumption) including a bottle of rum - NO (we did receive our bottle mid way through the week)?• Full amenities kit and coffee maker - YES?• Beach towel in room upon arrival - YES?• 1 Gala dinner during the stay with lobster (minimum 7 days stay - Reservation required) - NO?• 2 reservations at the a la carte restaurants during the stay - YES?• Nightly turn-down service - NO?• Late check-out (subject to availability) - N/A Airport Flying out of the Cayo Coco airport (Jardines Del Rey) to return home was the absolute worst experience.  It seems like it’s the norm as we had a relative leave on a later (9:30pm) flight and they experienced the same as we did.  This airport must be very understaffed. There is no one directing traffic, lines are constantly being butted and there were only 2 lines to get your Visa checked and pass through security. As you can surmise, this contributed to EXTREMELY LONG and utterly ridiculous wait times through all the different checkpoints.  We arrived at the airport at 8:40am for our 11:05am flight. We got off the bus and ended up waiting 45 mins in line to enter the airport. For some reason Air Transat fliers were escorted directly into the airport as soon as they got off the bus. We were flying Sunwing and our reps didn’t seem to care that we were stuck outside. Once in the airport, we waited in line close to an hour check in. It was extremely hot in the airport and uncomfortable. Next up was security. After we passed the doors we could hear announcements but couldn’t understand what was being said. Two people I recognized from our incoming flight started talking to security staff and told them it was “last call” to board. Security immediately let them through. We approached the same staff and they were hesitant to let us through (possibly a language barrier). Even those waiting in line didn’t want to let us go ahead. Lots of eye rolling and refusal to let us pass.  Finally we got let through and ran to the gate, with two tired kids in tow. For whatever reason, the gate attendant wouldn’t let us through right away. She kept scanning our boarding passes, not explaining what the problem was. She called for assistance and at long last they allowed us to run to our plane.  At 11:01am, we finally boarded with a couple minutes to spare. We had no drinks or only a couple snacks packed away. The buffet at the resort hadn’t opened before we left and we intended on having breakfast at the airport.  Needless to say we were shocked by the events that transpired and equally as disappointed. It is absolute insanity to expect people (especially those who have young children like us) to endure an extremely long wait time and be treated the way we were. There is NO reason to almost miss your flight when you arrive almost 2 1/2 hours prior. We will NEVER fly to Cayo Coco again.  Please believe the bad reviews. They look mixed but I wish I took the bad reviews more seriously. I don’t know how anyone could give this resort a 4 or 5 star. There’s a reason why the resort is not at full capacity. Spend your money on Dominican or Mexico.  We will never return to Cuba and it’s very unlikely we will ever fly Sunwing again. 

Melia Costa Rey: Loved Gran Marena Cayo Coco

I visited this resort for 3 days joining my family that were there for 1 week. I will categorize so that everyone can get an idea on what to expect when visiting. LOCATION: 15 mins from the airport FOOD: As expected there are shortages of some items but you will not go hungry. The usual eggs, fruit, cold cuts, cheeses for breakfast. I saw no bacon. For lunch and dinner, pasta, pork, beef, chicken, fish, rices. The beach bbq would serve hamburgers, chicken and pork depending on day with salad  [... read more]and rice. The snack bar by the pool although I didn't visit it had pizzas, sometimes fries but no ketchup. Suggest you take some with you if you want it. There are 3 a la carte restaurants but the resort will make the reservations for you Im guessing so that everyone gets a chance to dine at them. ROOMS: My room had 2 double beds. My family had connecting rooms 1 with king bed and the other 2 double beds. They are big, very clean. No issues except after 4pm water is jot very hot but water pressure us amazing. SERVICE: Just amazing. They are friendly. Always smiling and willing to help. Please remember that their salary a month is equal to $18 Canadian dollars. Please tip when they serve you. They rely on those tips. Also if you have older clothes that you no longer need or wear, take them with you and give them out. They will appreciate you ten fold. GROUNDS: The resort is fairly big with various buildings of 3 floors. No elevators. The lobby is above the rest of resort and at this time the elevator is out of service for repair. So only stairs available to access it. Be mindful if you have any disabilities. The grounds are kept immaculate constantly. Staff is always cleaning. You will not see anything on the ground, not even cigarette butts. BEACH: Fantastic, amazing. White sand, clear blue water. They clean beach everyday of seaweed. There are always beach chairs available. GENERAL: The mosquitos were rampant at this time of year. Make sure you take bug spray in case. I loved my stay at this resort and so did my family. Will definitely be returning and would recommend it to any of my friends.

Gran Muthu Rainbow Cayo Guillermo: If you are looking for something really special...

I just returned from an incredible trip to Cayo Guillermo, specifically The Gran Muthu Rainbow. Now, if you're looking for perfection in terms of food, amenities and an easy care free resort, stop reading now. The Rainbow is one of three Gran Muthus in Cayo Coco/Cayo Guillermo and it has it's share of problems, that the other two resorts don't seem to have as much difficulty with, for some reason, that I still want to find out why, such as terrible food (not news), water & gas shortages, electri [... read more]cal issues, basically something is always not working properly, but I knew this before going. Literally everything has to be bought on the black market, which makes life for the people there extremely challenging. But I wasn't going there for the food and I knew about the water, etc. However, if you want to see some of the best beaches in Cuba and want to experience a small, intimate resort with gorgeous rooms (newly built), stunning views and absolutely fabulous entertainment, than this is the place for you. Whether you are part of the LGBTQA+ community or not, it is a very, very special place. Do your research, join their Facebook group, prepare as much as possible before leaving. Bring tons of cash! You cannot use credit anywhere! There are no ATM's, and the bank in Moron will only give you pesos. Bring gifts for the staff please, namely medication, they NEED it! Chocolate is also very much appreciated, as well as so many other necessities, things we completely take for granted. I learned a lot about Cuba while I was there, it is a country I have longed to visit and I plan to go back as soon as possible. Know your history! Ask questions, they love Canadians, sadly we cannot do more to help them economical because of the US embargo, damn American government, it is screwing Cuba again, it has never stopped! I don't about you, but when travelling, I want to meet the locals, I want to learn from them. Hemingway brought Cayo Guillermo to the attention of the world, he's a National hero. Then there's Castro & Che of course, incredible history! If you like this kinda of stuff, check it out!

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Friendly Clean Resort

Beach is amazing. Staff is friendly and attentive and if you had a problem it was addressed immediately to the best of what could be done given the shortages and limitations that are Cuba. There are no pushy people selling you anything on the beach so that was nice and particular to Cuba. The rooms are basic. Fresh towels and bottles of water everyday. The areas are sprayed for mosquitos daily so that was not a real issue other than for an hour or so at dusk. Food is plentyfull but basic.  [... read more] Always had fish, chicken, beef and pork dishes. Fruits are tropical only with the occasional imported apple. No almond or soy milk ...just milk. No cereal for breakfast although plain oats was an option. I will be back again....

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Amazing resort and staff!

My sister and I were there for new years and the staff did and amazing job. We had a delicious turkey dinner to start off the evening along with lobsters, crabs etc. There was an outside stage with music and large screen for videos and the count down. Resort grounds and room was clean and spacious. Very comforting. Ac in the rooms was easy to control and always cold. Mini fridge was stocked daily with water. Staff was friendly, always smiling and so polite. Very relaxing atmosphere if you are lo [... read more]oking for a R&R vacation. Food was good especially for Cuba. If something wasn’t available there was always something else in its place. Chirros on the beach were a nice treat. Beach was breath taking. The pools were clean and not crowded. There were lots of chairs at the beach and pool. Everything about this resort was perfect. Everyone knows you don’t go to Cuba for the food you go for the friendly Cubans and the beaches. The food at this resort was a pleasant surprise and a bonus. You won’t regret booking your vacation at this resort.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Good resort for 2 stars

So many problems with the rooms... First room had problem with a electricity, can kill you... Second room has waterfall, but not so big. And it's superior deluxe rooms! So many problems with the rooms... First room had problem with a electricity, can kill you... Second room has waterfall, but not so big. And it's superior deluxe rooms!

Melia Jardines del Rey: Awesome place.

The hotel keeps getting better each time I go. There are many places to find quiet or fun, as the property is huge. We danced every night, which is why I keep going back. The staff are kind, respectful and very helpful. There was always food to eat and enjoy, but I do not go to Cuba for food. The beach is long but has been impacted by hurricanes over the years. Walking on the beach in either direction results in nature only landscapes. I recommend and am already planning my return trip.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Amazing resort

Grand Muthu proved that it’s one of the best Cuban resorts. Rooms were clean and for the most part of our stay room service was good enough. The Buffet offered a great variety of food. We always found things we liked to eat. The service at buffet and restaurants was impeccable. Entertainment was superb. The Front desk and Customer service tackled all the issues promptly. Overall, we were very satisfied and enjoyed our stay at Muthu. We’ll return to Grand Muthu and will recommend it to others.

Starfish Cayo Guillermo: Had an Enjoyable Trip but Wouldn't Recommend it to just Anyone

The resort is located on a shallow, stunning white beach, which was perfect for my lake-swimming kids - we never worried about them by the water. The pools had garbage floating in them and we only saw staff service it one out of the 10 days we were there. We preferred sitting on the beach, so wasn't too much of a problem for us. We had two rooms and only one had hot water and a fully functional toilette. I wouldn't recommend this resort to just anyone, especially people used to a kore luxe reso [... read more]rt experience. We did really enjoy the food - yummy greens, fresh papaya, made-to-serve meat (we ate beef, chicken, turkey, etc.), different bean and rice concoctions, questions Blanco, etc. Our kids enjoyed daily servings of French toast, omelets, meat, rice, buns (and butter!), and numerous helpings of Frnch fries at the bar. We found staff pleasant but not always great on the service side. We concluded this was because they work 16 hour days and commute 1-2 hours to and from work.

Gran Muthu Imperial: Barf

I want to be positive as we travel to Cuba quite often. We tried a different area. I respect it’s a poor country but we are charged a lot. Putting that aside. I was so grossed out. Our bedding was stained. And towels. Apparently we were lucky to have hot water. We avoided the hotel next door because it was kid focused. But we found ourselves visiting quite often for the life of the resort. Also their menu was much better!!! Ours was like a seniors home. No activities. No entertainment aside f [... read more]rom New Year’s Eve. The food was classic bad. Which we knew going in. We try to support Cuba but this was the last resort. Dirty sheets and towels was our limit. I have to say tho, this is the first time I have booked with trip central and I am quite impressed with their service and quick response to emails.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: All I can say it’s Cuba

We did not get the room we paid for. Food is the same everyday, never had butter, not one soda on resort, no toilet paper in bathrooms on resort except in our room. You only go to this resort for the beach, not for the food or drinks.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Great resort

What a wonderful experience we had at Coral Esmeralda. We visited the resort late November 2023. Despite some shortages we had wonderful time. The young staff at the resort are great people and they will go out of the way to make your stay memorable. Thank you Jose Louis for the great entertainment, Darion and Ramses for the great service at the main buffet, Jessica at one of A La carts, all the staff at the lobby bar, Kayle at the spa, staff at the snack bar and the beach bar, very attentive s [... read more]taff at the beach. Also need to mention great customer service staff. Alway there to help and chat. Thank you Coral Esmeralda, till next time.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Beautiful beach!

The staff is absolutely amazing! Always so happy to serve you. Every morning, we enjoyed the delicious Spanish coffees at the piano bar, or the pizza / fries at the beach for lunch. The resort is ok. Needs abit of an update but very clean grounds. The staff work hard at keeping it nice and clean. The beach is beautiful! The food at the buffet was ok, we had something to eat everyday even though it was repetitive, it's Cuba so to be expected. We liked the pasta bar or rice or meat option cooke [... read more]d directly in front of you at the grill. We would definitely go back. The staff did an amazing job organizing our wedding on the beach. They went out of their way to ensure everything went smoothly. Thank you all so much!

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Could have been better

Our room was building 2300 and did not have cable, air conditioning or hot water. We were on the 1st floor and also had cockroaches. The pillows and top blanket smelled old and musky and the top blanket had holes in it. We complained at the lobby on arrival. They assured us that someone would be to our room to fix the issues. On day 3 after making daily complaints at the lobby we went to the customer complaint office and they had us moved to another building and that room was better, brighter an [... read more]d cleaner and had all the amenities. I also had a severe reaction to multiple bites from sand fleas after spending the day on the beach and had to access the medical services, onsite MD which was expensive. I recommend assessing the beach for pests and bring some cortisone cream and insect repellant. I needed to use the lobby phone to call my health insurance provider but the lobby told me a could not use their phone because it could not do outgoing calls even though I would be using a 1-800 number. There were no liquors so the drink selection was boring. They served the same food breakfast, lunch and supper the entire week. The staff did the best they could. I do wish the lobby had told us on day one to go to customer complaints and I wish I had been warned about the beach because it ended up ruining my vacation.

Melia Costa Rey: Needs maintenance and renovation

Hotel is good, but it needs renovation urgently. The rooms need maintenance, there are broken doors, mirrors, metal parts with rust, holes in the walls, etc. The cleaning of rooms is ok but in the buildings is not, you can find dust, paper, glasses on the stairs and hallways. The elevator situation is frustrating, more if you travel with small kids. The food is good, we didn't miss anything during our trip. The snack bar service is not good, prepare yourself to wait for more than 20 minutes to r [... read more]eceive a sandwich or pizza. The snacks are good but it takes so long. Drinks are ok, however if you don't request an specific brand of alcohol they will give you the lowest quality type they have. They also exhibit high quality bottles but you have to pay extra for them. I have been 3 times before in Cuba and I noticed the service here is not as good, waiters and bartenders do the bare minimum and if you ask for something they don't seem to like it. In general terms the hotel is good but it needs maintenance and renovations.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: good resort

very well upkept older resort Great beach Great staff ( 2 Franks and Adriana at front desk. Keven at the courtacy desk very friendly at the lobbybar) good food for Cuba) Nice room . our 2nd visit at xmas Great xmas eve meal!!! See you all next Xmas

Gran Muthu Imperial: Nice resort

Elegant and well maintained resort. Service is first class and food is in general good, especially if prepared on place. In contrast, food in specialized restaurant- Mediterranean was terrible. Room was clean with fantastic ocean view.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Returning guest

Returned because we enjoyed last years vacation. Beach is beautiful. Bar staff in the Diamond Club area are excellent. I found the food acceptable. There are shortages of some products but that is expected with the political situation in our world. We did have issues with the hot water in our room. Not pleasant when you are there for 2 weeks. Most times it was barely tepid. Also there were a lot of flies everywhere but after speaking with others, it seems it was much worse earlier in the year. W [... read more]ould still go again.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Very nice Resort

Second visit. Still a new resort. Very clean and modern rooms with great showers and good water pressure. Beach is excellent! Can walk out in the water 200 feet and still only waist high. Food is challenging. Don’t expect a great variety. Staff very accommodating and pleasant.

Gran Muthu Imperial: Property 8 - Service is a Zero

Property and food were OK. But the service was horrendous. Everyone always looked miserable and looked bothered when asked for anything. There are several other hotels in Cayo Coco to choose from. We will never stay at a this hotel again.