Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Best resort in Cayo Coco!

Absolutely beautiful resort, with lovely pools and main areas. The food was good, and the mangoes on the beach were incredibly delicious! Staff were so kind and friendly, and always had a smile on their faces. Water was warm, and the sand was perfect. Not too hot, so fine it was almost soft, and we enjoyed taking strolls down the lovely beach during the day and night. We went during seaweed season, so there was a bit of seaweed on the beach, but there was always someone picking it up trying to  [... read more]keep it at bay. We went on a few excursions to go snorkeling and on the catamarans, and when we were on the bus going past the other resorts, we were so glad to have chosen the one we did, because it definitely looked and felt the most beautiful and premium of all the ones we saw.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Relaxing resort

No complaints Had a lovely time and enjoyed the beautiful beach everyday. People are friendly and helpful. Food was as good as can be and l always enjoyed the ala carts. My personal favorite was the Cuban restaurant.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Never again

This is my review of this hotel. It was out 3rd visit and unfortunately for them it was the last. The hotel has gone downhill in the past years. Caters more to Cubans than to tourists. Most of them are disrespectful, cut in line , play loud music in the halls at all hours, drink all day and really don't think about anyone but themselves. Before people start telling me their opinion about this or that, I was married to a Cuban, have lived in Cuba for months so I know how life is outside of reso [... read more]rts...but this hotel does nothing for us Canadians compared to their own people. Positive points: The beach Rooms are comfortable Air conditioning works great and some staff members are real gems 1 bottle of water everyday No shortage of toilet paper Negative points: Buffet closed for 10 days out of the 14 we were there and when open little to no options. A la carte was offering the same food day after day Snack bar wait time was an hour + and they would serve Cubans before us even though we were there before. Younger girl at the snack bar needs to be fired for her lack of service and bad attitude Bar at the beach rarely had anything to drink..no beer, no rum, not even ice But on weekend when Cubans would arrive there was lots of options available and buffet would open. Towel hut to change your beach towels is closed for good so you have to find the maid and get fresh towels (when you could find her as they finish early) No white towels for 2 days Had to ask for sheets to be changed on the second week or else they wouldn't have done it. We understand it's low season but people like us paid alot of money to be forced to eat chicken and rice or spaghetti and sandwiches for lunch and supper. They should really close this hotel to tourists and cater only to Cubans as they seem to be kings even though they pay only 40 usd a night compared to us. people need to know the truth before they waste their money on this place.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Great family getaway

We just returned from a week away to Iberostar Ensenachos where we had a great stay. The beach and water are amazing. The grounds are well maintained, the entertainment and animation team, the people we met at the reception, bar/buffet are all trying to please and engage with the clients. Yes, there are renovations and some time it seems there is a long walk to get to the lobby/buffet place, but we did not let this disturb our trip. This is a great place for people that fishing, swimming and sno [... read more]rkeling. Thanks Ensenachos Team

Playa Luxury Cayo Guillermo: Best Resort in Cuba

I booked a week long stay at this resort with my mother on very short notice in May and we have absolutely no regrets! We have each been to Cuba at least 20 times each and from day 2 we were sure that this is the best. To start, the food is VERY good here, throughout the week we had menu selections of lobster, steak, lamb chops, shrimp, soups, salads, all very good and fresh. Breakfast was a good selection of cured meats and cheeses, yogurts, fresh juice, fruits, coffee, pastries and made to ord [... read more]er eggs. This is the best food we’ve had at any resort in Cuba hands down. Next, the beaches were absolutely pristine. White sand and clear water with no rocks anywhere in sight, once you start walking on the sand a staff member will come set up your seat for you in a spot with good shade and the bartenders come by to bring drinks. There were activities every day such as aqua aerobics and non-motorized equipment you could use but no blaring music all day (which we very much appreciated). We had lunch every day at the beach bar where the food and service is amazing, wines, cava and beer were always available as well. Special shout out to the staff at the beach bar who are always absolutely 10/10. As well, an extra shout out to the entertainment team including Breno, Jessica, Yaritza and Gustavo. They ensured that we were always having a good time at aqua aerobics, nightly discos at the jazz club and one-on-one dance lessons, they truly were a highlight of our stay. There were also multiple live musicians throughout the week in the lobby and beach bar including a violist, a guitarist and a pianist. We were very appreciative of the quieter style of entertainment throughout this resort and did not miss seeing the same theatre shows again. And to end off, the rooms are wonderful, double sinks, double closets, our room looked brand new and we didn’t have any sort of maintenance issues. Overall, if you are looking for a relaxing, quiet, luxury vacation then this is our recommendation and we look forward to coming back again with friends!

Starfish Guardalavaca: Amazing experience

Room service is very excellent , every thing very clean and the food was the same every day, piscine was closed and the snak bar was not very clean, they served me after moping the floor without consider the hygiene, so did not eat the snake,there no show no activities like the other hotels, the security guards were all nice to the customers

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Good resort but poor food

Every think was good just food is very very poor . No red meat at all no shrimp . Too much pasta in the buffet 3 -4 pasta meal with just different dressing( red sauce or white sauce )Lac of condiments . One time no more coffee to serve . Rarely fresh fruits. When served and finished no more to add. Beach was good need to be cleaned more often from algues. Service was good

Paradisus Los Cayos: Amazing people and resort.

We had a wonderfull experience at Paradisus Los Cayos in Santa Maria Cuba. My kids loves the kids centre and specially Norma. She was so helpful in making our stay to Cuba memorable. Also I loved the service at the main Bar at the lobby from Yainel. He was so great. Another great bartender was the one at Sky Bar, he was very entertaining and helpful in finding our tastes with some amazing cocktails. Our batler Yasser was great too. He tried his best to make our stay pleasant and memorable. Tha [... read more]nk you to all of them that made our vacation to Cuba a great experience ?

Melia Costa Rey: Melia Costa Ray is very nice resort in Cayo Coco Cuba

We just came back after spending one week at Melia Costa Ray Cuba. From the first minute when we got there and the last day we had an amazing time. The rooms are very nice and clean,buffet and restaurants are very clean,lots of food ,staff is very friendly and helpful . Beach is very nice and has lots of palapas . We definitely recommend to visit this hotel and we will be back there soon. Wanted to mention about wonderful waitress,who was serving us at the lobby bar Yamilet she is a very ni [... read more]ce person,also at the reception - Yanela. The chef at the beach made delicious shrimp and paella every day,his name is I believe his name is Raule Very nice place to visit.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa: Nice resort

Overall, I enjoyed my stay at the Royal Hikakus Hotel. Of course, it’s a bit different from Blau Varadero. Blau Varadero has more activities and a tall central building where you can see everyone, which gives it a more social and lively atmosphere. At Royal Hikakus, the layout is different—the cottages are spread out across the property, so there’s a bit more walking involved. The food was excellent, and I really appreciated the 24/7 coffee service—that was a great touch. At first, we were [... read more] given a room that we didn’t like. It was quite dirty, with stains all over the walls, and the TV wasn’t working, so they had to replace it. Eventually, they moved us to a better room with a nice view of the pool, which we liked much more. The shows at the hotel were okay, but they were mostly the same each night and focused mainly on singing. It would have been nice to see more variety in the entertainment. As for the services, compared to Blau Varadero, Royal Hikakus doesn’t have a sauna, and the massage services are paid, which was a bit disappointing. But overall, it was a good stay, and we appreciated the improvements after the room change.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: Great Stay!

We came with low expectations, in June. We have never travelled to Cuba in June before, mostly October to April. We were concerned about bugs (none) food shortages for low season (definitely none, we ate so well!!). The staff was top notch, so friendly and willing to help. The pool was clean, there was sargassum, but we only walk the beach, don’t swim and it was fine! We did have Premium and the staff at the premium restaurant were so amazing! We would definitely revisit this resort!! Our  [... read more]only negative was our first room smelled so bad…..it woke us both up at night, but as soon as we asked to switch rooms there was no issue ?

Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: 30+ trips to Cuba, do not recommend this resort, 3 star resorts are better than this 5!

30+ trips to Cuba within the last 10ish years. Lots of various resorts ranging from old 3 star, to new 5 star. I’m comparing Cuba to Cuba resorts. Check in: Arrived at 11am, did not get our room until about 6pm! Even though check in should be 4:00. If they were honest, I would have just stayed at the pool, instead of waiting 2 hours in a wet bathing suit in the lobby, hearing them tell me “any minute”. Rooms: What a disaster. Our room did not have a bathroom fan. Every shower would steam [... read more] up the whole room, including the floors, which became very unsafe. So we had to blast the AC to get rid of the condensation, and were frozen, otherwise we’d have wet damp bedding. Since everything was damp, the smell was extremely musty/moldy, with lots of mold one the walls (see attached pics), how is this a new 5 star??! The toilet make major noise at 5am every day since they shut the water off around 1am, and turned back at 5am, waking you up every day. Pro was the bed was comfortable and AC worked. Service: Lobby bar service, I don’t think I’ve seen worse. 10 people lined up to get coffee with 1 server in the morning. The staff played the “If you tip more, you get to cut in line” game. Which is unethical. My fiancé had been waiting a while, one lady came in waiving a $20 and bartender went to her! My fiancé said something clearly upset and the bartender pretended that he didn’t see him standing RIGHT infront of him for the last 10 minutes, very disappointing. No table service like they do at Grand Sirenis in CSM. A huge difference like I’ve never seen before. Buffet staff were better, but a bit slow refilling drinks. Pool bar should have someone willing to interact with guests for the experience, not someone who looks miserable to be there. Snack bar staff was good. Food: 9/10 for Cuba. They had a nice grill by the pool, although the wait times were long. Buffet was typical Cuban food, but seasoned well. AC worked very good, even too cold. Con would be the area is designed way too small, the place was packed when even 60% full. Hard to get around. Be aware: When looking at social media images, some are from the CORAL section which is a different resort. Entertainment: Sat under the shade spots at the beach all day, other than 30 minutes at the pool, oh and before that under the stadium seating eating food that guests would bring from the snack bar, when they asked people who were walking by. The guy with the colored hair is sketchy, I’ll leave it at that. Was the worst entertainment team I’ve seen. A guy won a barrel pool riding competition, and they then said to win the bottle you had to do an embarrassing “sexy” dance, which he did, and then they said it was a joke, NO BOTTLE of rum at all! Yet the 3 star hotels give them out with every game! Pools: Lounge chairs from hell. You go to sit in one, and the back smacks you hard in the back of the head. They are all broken! You need ties to hold them in place. (Hard to see in the pic, but when sitting you can see the back doesn’t stay attached to the base, it goes up with you) Along with that, all spots were taking at 6am., and this was end of high season, end of April. So if you didn’t get up you didn’t get any shade. The actual shade was broken umbrellas, which you had to ask a lifeguard for the stick to be able to prop up. Half of them had fabric missing (see pics) People had to sit in the snack bar, with towels to be able to swim. The resort was built in the windiest place in Cuba, how could you not plan that there would be days where 90% of the guests would be at the pool?! The only good thing about the pool were the nice lifeguards, pretty much the only people that interacted with you. All other staff were cold, non talkative, I wonder if the managers told them they aren’t allowed interacting unless providing a service? I’ve never seen anything like this at any other resort, again, 30+ trips all over Cuba. Beach: Couldn’t really go due to wind. You can’t sit down, because you get pelted in the face/eyes with sand. And the one day that was calmer, no shade spots to be found, all taken. Management needs 50% more shade! It’s not a vacation having to fight for chairs at 5am. Overall: Would not recommend. I am actually writing this review after staying at an old 3 star hotel (review coming soon), and because the 3 star was SO much better, I decided to write the one about Esmeralda, to save people their hard earned money. There might be people that liked it, but have they seen 30+ resorts in Cuba? Or did they go to 2, and Esmeralda was their “favorite” that they now call “the best”? Food for thought. NOTICE: When trying to upload a review to SELECTION side, it’s defaulting to CORAL. So that might be an issue.

Resonance Musique Varadero: horrible

If you enjoy needing a tip for any service, slipping in vomit and urine, while being served food that is not edible, go there. Take a taxi, 20 US dollars, all the smiles are fake, they just want their "tips". So it isn't all inclusive; you sure do need to pay the staff for basically nothing. While avoiding other Canadians who constantly harass you for cigarettes or cash, as they did not come prepared. Horrible experience,

Sol Caribe Beach: Disappointed

My safe in the room had low battery. I had to call 6 times to get it open. The first time, the technician said that the batteries were low. He just reversed them. The next day again and it was like that for 6 days in a row. They finally put new batteries on the day before leaving. On some of the occasion I had to wait in my room 3-4 hours to get it open. The receptionist was at time rude….. This resulted in ruining my plans for the days. As an exemple, We planned to go swim at the dolphin [... read more]s park, we missed it. My money was locked in the safe. I even missed breakfast twice. The food was not at par for an hotel that qualified themself has luxury. The restaurant a la carte food was horrible and very little choice at the snack bar, like overcooked pasta with plain tomato sauce. I thought Mélia hotel was luxury. I don’t think so. Never again. Book Iberostar, it’s much better. They ruined my holiday. I was very mad and they didn’t even apologize.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Resonance Blu Varadero

Relaxing and Enjoyable Stay – Will Return! I recently stayed at this resort and had a wonderful experience from start to finish. The overall setup of the property is excellent — well-organized, clean, and easy to get around. The beach was beautiful, clean, and perfect for relaxing or taking long walks. One of the highlights was the newly renovated rooms and bathrooms. Everything felt fresh, modern, and very comfortable. The attention to detail really made a difference and added a nice touc [... read more]h of luxury to the stay. The staff were truly fantastic. Friendly, helpful, and always smiling — they really added to the positive atmosphere. It’s clear that the people working here care about guest satisfaction, and it shows in every interaction. There was a relaxed, welcoming vibe throughout the resort, making it easy to unwind and enjoy every day. Whether lounging by the beach, enjoying meals, or simply resting in the room, everything felt just right. Even though not fully renovated yet the renovated part show's quality of the accommodations and the warmth of the people. I would absolutely recommend it to others and look forward to visiting again.

Hotel Playa Coco: Home away from home

This hotel is my get away place hands down. The hotel is small and easy to navigate. Beautiful beach, some rocks upon entering but but no need for water shoes. The staff is amazing. Maids, bartenders, reception, gardeners,cleaning staff, entertaining team. Just everyone. Super friendly.Smiles all around, all greet you with smile. More of a quiet resort, not so much for the young partiers.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Great time at Memories Flamenco

Just came back June 28 from our one week vacation. Location from airport was great! Hotel grounds were clean and well maintained. Hotel staff were helpful and courteous. Pools were always clean, drinks were great and food..well, they did manage to do their best! A bit repetitive in buffet, but Italian a la carte was very tasty. Overall, great time at Flamenco!

Hotel Deauville: Good value nice pool and great location

After everything is included with the package (flight, hotel, breakfasts) the value is exceptional. Room was clean, lobby bar and pool/rooftop bar and menu was great. The Havana location is second to none. This package is well worth the money

Paradisus Los Cayos: Very good resort

Very good resort, friendly staff, rooms clean and pretty new,beach is stunning, beach umbrellas half broken, when i was there june 18-25 the resort wasn't busy so we had plenty of umbrellas to choose from,I don't know how is it when the resort is full, food what can I say,not the best but you won't die hungry ? anyway you don't go Cubs for the food,long bus ride from the airport 1h40 min,after all I will go back definitely to this resort.

Iberostar Selection Varadero: June 2025 girls trip

Loved this place. Went close to 20 Years ago and loved it and it is just as nice today. The only thing that would make it so much better is if they could figure out how to make cocktails. That was the only disappointment. The place is spotless and has great service from all the staff.