Return Guests

We have been coming to this resort for several years. It was like a home away from home, staff friendly and always ready to please. Yes the rooms are in need of renovations not just painting the pools need some serious maintenance the buffet tables and chairs need a good scrubbing but that does not keep me away. On the weekends starting on Friday there is an influx of Cuban Locals and this is what has made me decide not to return. They take over the resort in hundreds, the pools the beach [... read more] the bar and the buffet. Food is hoarded at the buffet leaving very little if you arrive 30 minutes after opening, they are rude and push ahead in line or speak over you when ordering at the bar. They litter and pool required shock treatment after 8 hours of their arrival. Tourists from Canada and the Uk etc. Have been the bread and butter of Cuba but if this is allowed to continue our tourism dollars will be spent elsewhere and the Cubans will suffer because of a few who have not learned how to act responsibly and respectfully. Yaisel in Customer Service, I would like to commend she made our stay bearable she is an excellent addition to the staff and should be cherished as a fine jewel.

Sol rio de luna y mares

Hotels needs renovation. Food was good. Rooms are clean. Location is excellent. Services are good. Bars need some music. Did not like locals during weekend's in a dining room they made mess and don't care about other guest.

Great staff

tripcentral doing a great job nice to have coupons for hotel and parking we have been to this hotel five times it has really deteriorated since our first time it seems like the management doesn't care about the people working there there is less of everything for them to work with there is not even enough silverware to go around. at one point of our stay after a big influence of guest we had to wait in line for the buffet(not enough servers and dishes) people and us were being told Cubans are  [... read more]allowed to stay at the hotel since last year and we should take a back seat since it is there country, this was said from a assistant manager. for us we love Cuba we love the people but going back to this hotel probably NOT. it is really too bad we have a lot of special friends there cooks servers just people in the resort.going back to cuba for sure juergen

Big resort

I like the hot sun and the wind at this resort I need to exercise a lot because of my heart condition and wish this resort is equipped with bicycle so I can move around or explore the surroundings of this resort.

Home away from home

An amazing vacation! This was our 10 time in this resort and it was great. Rooms are spacious and very clean (we prefer Luna side), and even though they are a bit outdated, they are very comfortable. Food was as always very tasty - from buffet to beach restaurant to a la carte restaurants - lots of choices. My fave is a Beach restaurant (Mediterranean) with their yummy lunch shrimp. Spa was fantastic, massage really relaxing and whirlpool nice and warm. Beach is out of this world - aside fro [... read more]m Paradisus Rio d’Oro, this is the only resort on the Esmeralda beach - best beach in Holguin, and possibly in all Cuba. From swimming, snorkelling, katarmaran rides to fishing and early morning walks - this is remarkable beach. So now - why did I name this review: Home away from home? Because every time I see the roof of Mares side on our way to resort I feel like I’m coming home. Staff at this resort cares about their guests and goes over and beyond their jobs to make your stay one to remember. Thanks to Irina, Yanet, Ronald, Lilly, Giaccomo, and many more, you will always want to come back.

Great hotel

We have been to Cuba 18 times and this was our 10th trip to Luna mares because we were most satisfied with it. The grounds are well kept and scenic. Entertainment is excellent. It has one of the best beaches with lots of shade trees and umbrellas. The rooms are dated but clean. The maids, waiters and all employees are very friendly and helpful when needed.

The beach is the best!

Good resort in need of some renovations. The food is always the same everyday, but they have a lot of choices on the buffet. The beach is the best. Spectacular! The last days of our stay there was a lot of algae on the beach.

Another Great Trip !!

Had a great 2 wks at Sol Rio de Luna Y mares, beach is awesome, staff were great, food was good, tried all the a la cartes and not disappointed , stayed in Section 6000 of the Luna side where we were close to everything. This being our 5th trip we will definitely be back again !!

Great resort for the price

I’ve been to this resort 3 times now and would definitely recommend it. I love how there is two pools because one is more party ish and the other is more chill so it is nice to have the choice. The beach is very close and there are plenty of chairs to go around. The food is decent, I’ve never gotten sick or heard of anyone getting sick from the food there. All of the staff are very friendly and accommodating. One down side is that check in was extremely slow this last time I went. We were  [... read more]in line for an hour and a half and then our room wasn’t even ready until about 4:30.

Love this resort!

The grounds are beautiful and very well groomed. Mature palm trees and flowering shrubs everywhere. The beach has gorgeous white sand. If you enjoy snorkeling there is a coral reef a short swim away.The food was great, especially at the A la Carte restaurants. We had breakfast every morning overlooking the beach in a quiet outdoor eating area. The rooms are nice and clean. The only complaint we had is the air conditioning wasn't working the best. Still a great experience.

Wonderful vacation spot!

Just returned on April 27th, 2018 from a week's stay at the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares Resort, and we loved every minute of it! As most reviews mentioned, the resort is an older one and they have just begun the renovation process, which, we were told would take apx. 3 years to complete. The rooms were dated, had some wear and tear, but always kept clean. The staff was always friendly, courteous and smiling, ready to help. The beach is gorgeous, clear turquoise blue waters, lots of shade with mature [... read more] trees right on the beach, and always plenty of chairs for everyone. You can even snorkel right off the beach on the right hand side, next to the Paradisus Rio de Oro Resort. The food at the buffet was plentiful and tasty, with enough choices to satisfy any hungry guest. The grounds are also worth mentioning, as they have mature trees and various plants, which add to the beauty of the place. Would not hesitate to return to this resort!

Will return!

We loved this resort. We traveled as a couple and were impressed by the beach, activities and people. The beach is the most beautiful one I have been on. If you prefer the pool they offer 2, one quiet and one with music and activities. The grounds were spectacular, I loved how they had little signs for the plants letting you know what they are. The resort was very clean. The rooms are dated but clean, always had hot water and good water pressure. Once they have renovated the rooms this place wil [... read more]l be amazing. We plan on returning!

Magnificent Resort

We had an amazing time. The staff was friendly and always willing to help. The hotel was clean and the food was good with plenty of choices. A couple of minor things with our room were fixed immediatly. The entertainment was wonderful something for everyone. I would recommend Sol Rio de Luna Y Mars as a place to go.

Great resort.

While the rooms are a little dated, they were clean and everything (AC, fridge, shower) all worked. The staff at this resort are amazing and extremely friendly. Can not say enough about the beautiful beach. The scenery around the hotel, and during the bus trip from the airport is spectacular.

Good bang for the buck

This was a nice place to visit and stay , the service was great , great staff, great grounds, fantastic beach. The rooms are outdated,needs some TLC, however the rooms were clean.Great place for the $

Fabulous Resort to Get Away from it All

Stayed in the Mares section, overlooking the pool. Booked last-minute for part of March Break with teenage sons. Rooms were comfortable, clean and cheerful. Overall, staff were friendly and warm with some notable super nice and extra helpful standouts. Food was best food we’ve had in Cuba (hamburgers and beef were delicious!). Beach was perfect with lots of activities and you can snorkel right offshore and see many types of fish). The pools were perfect as well, with refreshments available nea [... read more]rby. The transfer to/from the resort was seamless and did not take long to get through Cuban customs/immigration in both directions.

Good value resort

We enjoyed our stay here. It was a bit dated but so clean with 2 great pools(one lively, one very quiet) and lovely beach. Staff friendly and accommodating. One of best selections of food on buffet, especially varieties of fish! Two very good beach restaurants for lunch and best 24 hour snack bar ever. Animating team lively and encouraging. Entertaining musical groups, singers, in patio area, Various vendors every day selling crafts etc. Hotel itself offered short daily excursions, something ne [... read more]w for us, reasonably priced. Fun guests, too!

Beautiful beach

First time in Cuba. The resort was compact, easy and quick to move from one venue to another, such as the foyer, bank, pool, restaurants, bars and beach. Lots of things to do. Yoga on the beach, ecological tour just off the resort, windsurfing, paddle boats, kayaks , entertainment every evening, off resort tours available and local crafts available for purchase on the resort.

Bad resort

My husband and I went with 5 others on our honeymoon. We have been to Cuba many times but this was our first time to Holguin and 1st time at Sol Rio de Luna y Mares and it will definitely be our last. I usually try and book our vacations with a large travel company like Sandals, Breezes, Riu etc. so I thought Melia would be safe WRONG!!! The hotel lobby , bars and landscape are nice and the beach is beautiful but was to windy so it was hard for swimming since there was a strong undertow. The roo [... read more]ms are extremely old and outdated. Large cracks in the ceiling, rusted tub/shower, the bedspread and curtains looked like they hadn't been washed in a year or 2 not as clean as other places we've stayed at. We had to change our room when we arrived as we got a room with 2 small beds and requested a room with a kingsize bed , after all we were on our honeymoon. (Also they didn't even care that we were on our honeymoon no upgrades at all no complimentary anything not even a congratulations) Three of our family members who were sharing a room had to wait 3 1/2 hours to get a room when they arrived and once they did get a room they had to change it the next day as on the first night the toilet flooded, the fridge didn't work and they also had paid the extra for a superior oceanview room which it was not at all. The next day when they changed rooms they got a suite that was oceanview however they had to pay another $46.00 US a night. and by day 4 they had a leak in the ceiling in that room. What a joke this place was. We had to constantly get our swipe cards for the room redone at the front desk, sometimes it was 5-6 times a day that we had to do this as you would go back to your room and couldn't get in then would have to walk all the way back to the front lobby which was not close at all. The buffet was very small for the size of this resort and was the exact same every single night (we stayed 2 weeks and it never changed!!!) All 7 of us got sick at some point from the food for a couple days throughout our stay. As for the al a carte restaurants (we tried them all and even went to the steak & lobster one which you pay extra for) they all were bad except for the Italian one. People were very nice as they always are except the front desk staff and customer service office. They are very disorganized and every time you went to the front desk 4 or 5 people would be standing there and only 1 would be working and they made you feel like you were a nuisance to them and they never smiled either , very uninviting. The resort is large and lots of walking and also many small 2-3inch steps that many people fell and broke ankles, legs, arms etc. I have never seen so many injured people at a resort , it is a friggin death trap especially at night when walking throughout the resort. The entertainment is limited. Every night they had something going on but it only lasted for 30 mins to 1 hour max. Most people were in bed at 11pm and it is very quiet no music nothing at all going on. When we went into Guardalavaca we found a gas station, a factory and an outdoor market with about 20 tables of locals selling souvineers that's it, no bars, no stores, no restaurants NOTHING!!! I felt like I was in a retirement home in Florida. If you want a place where you never leave the resort , want to go to bed early, don't care how bad the food is and how old your room is then this is the place for you. As for the 7 of us we will never be back or ever recommend this SH_T!!! HOLE.

Good 3 star hotel

So, did not likes: Late arrival, late departure-no dinner, room with ants,spiders, did not like guy name Roberto,desserts-they could make cakes, Liked: amazing view from the balcony,ice cream, salad bar