Good value for price paid amazing beach!!!

This resort could be a jewel but Sol Melia needs to spend some money to bring it back to its glory. They are out on the beach daily raking the sea debris. The hotel was not at capacity and lots of available loungers at beach and pool On the calm days, you can walk forever it seems because of the sand bars. The food in general is fine. As I've always said, you don't go to Cuba if you are a foodie. You don't go hungry but you don't rave about it either. I ate buffet every day. Breakfast starts at [... read more] 7:30, lunch at 1 and dinner at 7:30. A few people I met thought the buffet should open earlier. Besides the buffet there are 3 stations, in the morning there is the omelette/egg station, and a pancake/french toast station. Lunch and dinner they are grilled meat, pasta and grilled fish. I did the pasta station daily, the sauces don't have much taste but sometimes they had garlic, tomato, peppers and ham to add to your sauce mixture and most days padano was available to sprinkle on top. I also did the grilled fish daily for calamari. They also had 2-3 types of fish and shrimp. Again, they had salt, spices and oil did add on top. If you were later for meals, the paella was gone. There was the usual fare of food on the buffet, a few things for salads, cheese, cold cuts and breads. Typically there was: corn, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, fries, rice, chicken pieces in sauce, beef in sauce, lamb in sauce and some type of fish. They also carved beef most days. Breakfast had great fresh fruit but sadly that was not available for lunch or dinner. There was an assortment of sweet rolls at breakfast and yogurt. Lunch/dinner had an assortment of desserts and ice cream. If you wanted, you could grab a snack at the snack bar, close to the stage. They are open when the buffet is close, prior to lunch and between lunch and dinner. They have mini pizza, burgers, hot dogs and ham/cheese sandwiches. The new Ranchon looks like it is several months away from opening. It is on the west side of the resort and beach front. The old beach bar is still on the west side next to the beach, and the lunch time grill was open most days, offering burgers, fish, chicken and pork if you were early enough. The lobby bar is open in the evenings and the regular bar by the stage is 24 hours. If you are on the beach on the west side of the resort you have to walk to a bar, there is nothing close. We got to the resort at noon but our rooms weren't available until 3. Front desk staff are very good to work with for check in/out, currency exchange and other questions. Beach towels are at the hut by the pool/stage. My room was fine ocean view. We had an incident next door a tourist got very violent at 2.00 in the morning was screaming in Russian and pounding on other guests room windows and doors. He ended up kicking down his own down and destroying the room including the patio door glass. This glass was still all over the grass and patio 2 days later which was a great concern as we travelled with a 4 year old child. The room was cleaned daily Towels were folded if not placed on the floor in the shower stall. You pay for your safety deposit box. I had an issue with a fridge which was fixed in a few hours. The chamber maid was a very kind soul named Juani she did her best to welcome us back to the room with towel art and flowers ect. There were roach type bug I saw in my room in the evening so I placed by bath mat at the gap in the hotel door at night. We had a few things stolen from our balcony a t-shirt, bathing suit and socks. This was most likely tourists. I did not stay around the pool day time so I can't comment on the animation team, although they did nothing on the beach. I stayed for the show a few nights. I was disappointed, the evening shows were not up to the same level they were 3 years ago. One night the show was a quiz type night and another had the house band play at the disco with the dancers getting guests to dance with them. The disco was not always open. I met some great people from Argentina, Edmonton, Hamilton, Italy, Montreal, Saskatoon, Toronto and the UK. I'm not complaining, for the price I paid it was an OK vacation. The hotel can't control the weather nor the infestation of mosquitoes in all of Cayo Coco. This was my 11th time in Cuba. I would rate this resort a 3 by Cuba standards.

Good late season trip

Had a really nice stay at Solar Cayo Guillermo from June 18 - 25. We did a lot of research before we left and knew exactly what to expect so we ended up going with an open mind and real expectations. The people at this resort are wonderful. They are the bonus of this resort and why so many people keep going back. The beach and ocean here are the best. With the temp at this time of year the temp of the ocean is perfect. The pool at this resort are great. The only issue I had, and by no means did  [... read more]this dampen our trip, but the buffet was very lacking. Small things like no bacon at breakfast, sometimes no ketchup, the buffet was the same every day. This resort is advertised by Sunwing as having 2 a LA cart restaurants, in fact 1 has been torn down and is in the process of bring rebuilt. The other one that is open is excellent. The choices are varied and any one would be a good choice. Overall, we had a great time and got the holiday we were looking for. I would recommend this resort to my friend's but would tell them you get 5 star people but 3.5 star resort.

If you want beach and a chilled out vibe

The resort needs some TLC BUT the staff are kind and wonderful, the layout is small and easy to navigate, the room was always clean, the bed decently comfy, the food tasty and the beach SPECTACULAR!!!

Lovely stay at the Sol

Great beach, particularly if you are a kite boarder. Grounds a little tired and work going on to upgrade the hotel. Rooms were adequate, comfortable, clean with lovely views. Hotel had a sense of being past its best days (but in process of upgrading). If a few items broke down (eg safe, door lock) the service was immediate and professional, very impressive. Food was superb, great quality and choice. Food in a la carte was ok, not worth lining up for 30 minutes to book though! Trips to Catamaran  [... read more]were great (snorkeling was average) and the swimming with the Dolphins a real highlight.

Very good

The resort is compact and everything is within walking distance. The beach is beautiful, very shallow and great for kids. There is almost constant wind, but barely any waves. Excellent food, no lines.

Perfection

Love this resort. Was our 4th time, and have no complaints. It's a 3.5 star so go with expectations of a 3.5 star and you will love it. Beach is beautiful, but the biggest asset is the staff. They will do anything for you, and if you have any problems they will be quickly rectified. The resort is not perfect, as it is 17 years old, but it is in such a beautiful setting, it really depends on what you're going away for. If you need marble sinks this is not the place for you. If you need a place to [... read more] relax, unwind, meet wonderful people from across the globe, and meet the most wonderful beautiful staff then this is your place. Food is great, been to 5 stars in Cuba and the food was not as good as here. Highly recommend if you're not fussy and cracks and chipped paint don't ruin your holiday.

Beautiful water

A fair amount of variety when it came to food and the ladies in the dining room were always pleasant. Washrooms were kept fairly clean but hit and miss when it came to toilet paper availability. No service for drinks when sitting pool side and not super friendly when going to the main bar. Bar in the lobby that opened later in the day was superb, fantastic and great service. Kid's program was to be desired, really not a lot happening there. Our room needed much tlc, renovations required. The vie [... read more]w was out of this world, we were close to the water and loved looking outside. The gardeners were amazingly friendly and great to the kids. My son and husband both took very ill to the food and we required housekeeping to clean up vomit, this took hours for the maid to came and it was after hours and dealing with a number of food poisoning clean ups.

Restful vacation...wonderful staff!

We have visited this resort 4 times. The food is good and the service is great. The rooms are a bit run down , but very clean The grounds are well kept.The beach is fantastic! I would suggest you bring a beach towel, as towels may sometimes not be available. Pool lounges go quickly but you can find one on the beach easily. We will be returning!

Great hotel, fantastic beach!

Older hotel that is clean & well kept. Good drinks and good food. Snack bar at beach serves bbq, main snack bar serves sandwiches, pizza and burgers/hotdogs. Buffet has large selection of foods. Drinks were the best at the lobby bar. Awesome beach...clear waters and white sand. No complaints about my trip!

Spectacular beach

Although the resort is a bit tired and in need of some freshening up, the setting; pool and beach are outstanding. The staff were exceptional, very friendly and many went out of their way to make my stay a positive one. The food and room were just OK, I was really there for the beach and sun.

Great value

Rooms and grounds were very well groomed however the facilityis in need of some updates. Waitstaff, bartenders, groundskeepers, cleaning staff, hospitality and fitness staff all very dedicated to top service. There are some obvious signs of organizational issues at management level, I.e. Running out of food , dishes, chairs etc. Food was okay, don't go to Cuba for gourmet dining. Beach was phenomenal! Resort layout is designed for maximum #of ocean view rooms, very nice feature. Best location in [... read more] Guillermo, as it has the largest, prettiest beach area. Overall ambience very laid back. I definitely will consider this resort again for a budget, laid back vacation on the beach.

Great Resort!

The resort was wonderful. The staff were very nice and accommodating. The beach and ocean were beautiful. The pool was nice and the food was good. I would definitely recommend this resort to everyone.

Great Resort, Excellent Beach!

Just returned from Sol Cayo Mar 22/15. Food was great, the beach was excellent and the staff were amazing. We had an oceanview room view away from the main areas so was very quiet. Would definitely return.

Very friendly resort

every one from the bar tenders to the custumer service was very friendly and helpfull.they all speak very good english or they try,what more could you ask for.the grounds are clean and well maintained, when we got there ,they only had one set of public bathrooms open ,but they were always clean,and well maintained. the food was very good ,lots to choose from ,but only one ala cart resturant was available ,but we had a birthday while we were there and they did a great job ,sparkling wine ,happy b [... read more]irthday banner and his age in flower peddels on the table ,and a birthday cake with a candle ,and sang happy birthday. the beach is ammazzing. the sun was warm and the pool was great. there is always something to do there from achary to shooting ,pool or darts and more . the rooms could have a little more up dates but was cumfotable and clean we did have a little sewer smell,but we just covered the drains and we were good.

Good Resort

This quaint resort was much better than I expected. We usually book 4 stars and up when traveling to Cuba and I was a bit worried but I was pleasantly surprised. The resort and beach are beautiful. The rooms are simple but comfortable and clean. The staff at this resort is what makes it a great place. The food was the best I've had in Cuba. We ate at the buffet most of the week. Tried the a la carte and we did not like it. The only complaint I have is that we paid extra to get a second floor roo [... read more]m with king bed and the first night we where in a ground floor room with 2 double beds. They told us we could change next morning but after 3 trips to front desk they informed us that the guest that are in the room we where supposed to have, requested a late check out and would only be leaving at 10:30pm so we could only change rooms the next day. I think management could have handled the situation better... We paid extra for that room and they allowed other guests to stay way past checkout time I imagine for an extra charge... So the hotel wins getting paid extra, the other guest wins only checking out at 10:30pm and we lose... Not impressed!!! Frustrating not being able to unpack until 3 days into your vacation... But aside from that, the rest of our vacation was great!

Relaxing beach vacation

This resort had everything I was looking for in a beach vacation, the beach was one of the best I've been to in Cuba and much better than Punta Cana, Mexico and Jamaica. The rooms were large and kept very clean, they are bright but simple they remind me of cottages. The buffet was very good we always found something we liked and the service at the bar and restaurant were very good no complaints. My only issues was the air condioner was a little noisy and there were water issues in our end of the [... read more] resort sometimes not much hot water but we managed to take a shower every night but sometimes we had to rush. The pool was clean and well maintained but there wasn't enough chairs you would have to reserve them by 6am if you wanted shade. I would definitely recommend this resort for the price we paid and I would go again.

Good value resort!

This resort is located on the best section of beach in Cayo Guillermo. Rooms were spacious, clean, and any issues were quickly addressed by staff. Food was quite decent for Cuba. Pool area was nice but difficult to get a lounge chair unless there early in the morning. We visited some other resorts in the area, some were a bit nicer but were also more expensive. Sol Cayo Guillermo is a good resort overall for the price you pay.

Best beach ever

The beach is terrific especially for small children. Fresh fish dinners at hotel were delicious. Hotel itself could use some updating but spent so much time walking on never-ending beach that this was a small issue.

Needs new management

We had paid for VIP. Coffee and drinks in the room. Had to beg for them every day. Coffee took 3 days to come. Then they did not leave water to make coffee. Ashtray never emptied. I guess that tells us they never set foot on the balcony to clean. Customer service was exceptional. They really tried. Beach is gorgeous.

Great value good vacation

This was a safe, relaxed place to stay. No, there is nothing flashy but it's clean, in fairly good condition and great staff. Would go back. They are doing construction (was not a huge inconvenience)and nothing is mentioned in the carriers accommodation descriptions. Customers should be informed of this prior to booking.