Good Resort, amazing area in Cuba

The resort is exactly what I expected. Basic rooms and basic food. Beds were comfortable, but if you are expecting 2 people to sleep on one bed forget it. They are super small. Ask for an extra bed to be put in your room. If this is your first time here make sure you are aware that they are 2 hotels on the same resort. The nicer hotel is on the mountain. If you are traveling with people who have trouble walking I would not recommend this hotel. Ask for the hotel right on the beach, and one that  [... read more]is on the first level. Easy walk to beach and buffet. Food at the top resort is much better than the food at the beach hotel. There is a golf cart that drives you back and forth... although remember when they say he will be back in 5 minutes... these are cuban minutes.. could be 20 min. The hotel front desk staff are horrible, probably the worse service I have ever had in all my travels. But to counter that, the local Cuban people are amazing here. So friendly and welcoming. I would go back time and time again just to spend time with them. The other visitors to the hotel are amazing. Many of them are repeaters so it's almost like extended family. You will feel welcomed right away by everyone. Make sure you ask a repeater to help you book certain trips and to learn the ropes... front desk is a joke and won't help. Make sure you go on the horseback ride through the mountains with Chi Chi.. he is a blast. Also make sure you go out to Pilon for the Saturday night party.... but go with a group... some of the locals get a little pushy to give them money. Bring your own pool towels... especially if you have small kids that may misplace them. Everything is counted and if it is lost they will make you pay for the item. Overall it was a great experience. I would go back again. Especially now that I know the ins' and outs and to expect nothing from the front desk staff. The Locals and the other visitors at the resort made this a wonderful trip.

Cuba my destination of choice

This is our 6th trip to Cuba and the first time on the south side of the island. Loved the sea. Water is warm, the sandy bottom invited us in the stay and play in the surf. Food was the same every day. There was plenty and replenishment was taken care of as often as needed but it was the same every day. I have food issues and did not need to skip a meal. The toaster was broken so the grill was used to warm up bread, this made it impossible for me to eat off the grill. Our cabana was lovely. 2nd  [... read more]floor. Ocean view if the palm leaves blew the right way. The sound of the surf at night lulled you to sleep if you left the door open but no screen door so mosquitoes came in to feast. The ride to and from the airport was long. But it was informative to watch out the windows and see the REAL Cuba go by. Eye opening if you want it to be. Probably will go again despite the food. We've often toasted before a meal "You don't go to Cuba for the food" Started eight years ago for our first trip! The resort was perfect for walks, there were trails everywhere and we did not get the chance to explore them all. Many returnees who take care not to throw garbage all over the place. Most bring their own sippy cups. This was the first Cuban resort I've gone to that I didn't feel the need to pick up refuse. Even the beach was clear, well except for the debris that comes in with the waves. Mankind really needs to take care of Mother Earth. The trip was affordable, the resort was a great size for exploring, the people amazing and friendly, many tourists are cheap though as they do not tip the locals. It fell upon the few of us to make their day shine.

Amazing Resort... Will return

The resort is off the beatin path. Beautiful views, Great people. The animation team was fun. lots to do off the resort as well. Very safe. The horse races and baseball just outside resort are a must see. Leo is a great tour guide with his horse and buggy. Ferlins restaurant off the resort is a MUST DO ! Will be back !!

Very good resort

Hotel rooms are very clean and the grounds where kept clean as well. Good service friendly and helpful people. Always happy and smiling. Great entertainment and staff. Food was good. I had no problems. Highly recommend.

Fairly Good

Although the grounds etc. were well kept the dining and bar service leaves much to be desired.Food was very predictable and the two bars had very little choice.Even white wine was limited and ended up buying our own at the store[always had it at he store] .Reception staff would ignore you and were often rude.

Loved It

Everything was beyond our expectations. rated a 3 star but was a 5 star for us Walked out the back door of our room #112 and were on the beach. Food was excellent ( put on 5 lbs ) and rooms were above average. Staff great and no unwanted soliciting by locals.

Basic accommodation with terrible food

My ocean front cabana was nice while being sick in bed for 3 days with what I figure was food poisoning. Staff very nice and helpful. Would never go to a 3 star for 2 weeks again. Food was horrible and repetitive. A la carte restaurants just faked it up from buffet and just as bad! Ok place for a week

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

This hotel is a very friendly, family oriented hotel. The staff is amazingily friendly and very concentrated on making your stay as comfortable as possible. The food has many many various choices and there is always something to please all pallets. The rooms are immaculately clean and beds are very comfortable. The fact that this is a lower priced hotel is great as you receive a lot more than you are paying for.

Nice Cuban Experience

Went to Marea del Portillo via Manzanillo Cuba airport. The place is a hidden gem as Went to Marea del Portillo via Manzanillo Cuba airport. The place is a hidden gem as was told to me by someone who had been all over Cuba. We hesitated due to the fact it was only a 3 star. We booked with a couple of friends that blossomed to 18 people in total that went down together. Two hotels near each other. Club Amigo Farlon and Club Amigo Marea Del Portillo were we stayed at the Cabana's located at Marea  [... read more]Del Portillo. Elected to go with the VIP package which was peanuts as an added cost and well worth it, if you like to go the extra activities like neat excurtions. We all went down not for the price alone, but for the Cuban experience. We personally have been to throughout Cuba eleven times. Must say we really enjoyed this place. The food was just OK, but we are not fussy eaters, we are at the mindset that we are going to have a ball, and we always do, we always have a great vacation. It is what it is, and ATTITUDE, makes the difference. All 18 people said that they would definitely go back. The pool activities and the general consenses of the atmosphere everyone there made it one of the best vacations. As for the Farlon hotel near by, the beach at Marea resort was better, no rocks in the water, but pebbles and stones on the beach. The Farlon was nice as well if you prefer the Pool experience over the Beach. The Farlon view of the bay is spectacular. Very clean. You can eat off the floors. Will I go back. Yes, in a heartbeat. Talked to people who have going for 20 yrs. and twice a year, which equals 40 times. He was a Scuba Diver, and loved it there. The price is right for Scuba Diving. Attitude is what makes any vacation. If you are a complainer, don't leave home. If you go, take clothes for the locals when you ventue off the resort. Baby clothes are always in demand. They love our candies. Put them in zip lock bags that they love.

Love it, but...

I love this resort - this was my third visit. My first visit was in 2008. Unfortunately, not much has changed since then. The furnishings are the same, which is fine for the most part, but some of the beds are VERY uncomfortable, and long past their time. My biggest complaint, however, is the outlets in the rooms. We had Cabana 9, and the outlets were so "loose" that the lamps would only work if they were plugged in exactly right. They needed to be adjusted constantly, and then just stopped work [... read more]ing altogether. My husband had to hold the blowdryer plug in place, so I could use it. I couldn't read before bed because the lamp wouldn't work. The food was monotonous and very boring - virtually flavourless. In the past, I have found the food here to be quite good. All that being said, I would still go back, because I love the atmosphere, and the size of the resort. I'm not picky, though. I am there for the beach, the sun, and relaxation, which this resort delivers.

Good, but!

My wife and I joined 16 other friends for a week at Marea Del Portillo. Low cost and beautiful weather made our trip worth while. Don't depend on the entertainment staff to make the fun because they do very little. Henry was the only member to enter act with us. This is an older resort but they do make an effort to repair things as needed. Food was below average with limited selection. The cabanas are the place to stay. With the pool in this section being the most active. Cabanas are very close  [... read more]to the beach most with great views. If you stay up on the hill you will be doing a lot of walking and stairs to get anywhere. Our group had fun but most of us won't rush to go back. I would recommend this to those who like the ocean, beach, hiking and low cost.

OK resort

Reasonably well situated, large area, small one- and two-storey buildings. Very good people. Cleaning could be better. Food may not have a verity for some tastes, but all fresh. Seafood and meat for fresh cooking. Good dining at the beach. Most disappointing part - late checkout option was not available despite the resort vacancies. We had to leave all our luggage in the lobby until departure (from noon to 6pm). Room to shower and change was provided, but was not clean with dirty towels, no sham [... read more]poo, no toilet paper (I ran to the local shop and bought my own). I had impression that cleaning and maintenance worsening for rooms that are far from central area. Air condition was very laud, so we had to cool down the room as much as possible in the evening and then turn it off in order to sleep. Room itself was good - large and bright with single king size bed, balcony, TV what not working - broken antenna cable (but really who cares of that). Good swimming pool. Good selection of drinks. Excellent beach, but shallow sea. Good for wind-/kite-surfing, but not for snorkeling - you have to rent a catamaran to get to the reef if you care to snorkel. Windsurfing gear was at cost, despite that it was advertised as free. Bugs - yes, this is something .. Resort sprayed some chemicals, but that didn't help much, so make sure you bring repellent with you .. at least for this time of year. In summary - if you do kite surfing that's likely the place to go. For everything else - it's average and everything would depend on the deal. I may consider to stay there again, but would also look around for other places.

Good Resort

The staff were friendly and the grounds were kept very clean. Rooms are dated but again very clean. Always something to eat at the buffet. The views were amazing. The ocean was warm but the water wasn't clear.

Great Value

The biggest plus of this resort is the people - from the maids to the bartenders -- all excellent. There is a very long beach (blackish sand) with very good swimming. The food is good by Cuban standards and the resort is very quiet and out of the way. An excellent place to relax.

Nice small and friendly place.

the place was clean, the food was hot (which is not normal), the rooms and the resort area were very clean and well maintained ,t he beach was clean and the water nice and warm. Lots of thing todo at good prices.

Great Little Resort

I stayed here the end of September and had a lovely time before breaking my leg. The resort is easy to get around, everything is within walking distance, which I prefer to a great big resort. The staff were so friendly and you get to know everyone early on. The other guests were all lovely people, it is just a friendly place with a great beach. No the sand is not white but the water is lovely and warm with just enough wave action to make it fun. I was the only one on the beach my first morning t [... read more]here. Unbelievable. The hidden gem at this resort, is Melba, the hairdresser. Melba does massages and really nice massages at that. After I broke my leg, the staff from the Buffett were great at bringing my meals( I was traveling alone) and Melba came to visit and assist me . I would go back to this resort in a minute. Only downfall, it's so far from the airport, but maybe that's why it's staying small and personable.

Best Place to be in Cuba

This has to be the most wonderful resort in Cuba ! This was my 3rd time there and again...Had the best time of my life ! I brought my Daughter with me (Mother/Daughter Trip) and she absolutely loved it too. I have been to a lot of resorts in Cuba but will return here Always as You are treated like Family there. Might not be the most up to date resort but the people more than make up for it. Best food, Fun and always something to do, yet very relaxing place ( a true vacation ).

Club Amigo Resort

Clean resort with friendly staff and good services. The food is not amazing but if you bring your own condiments it helps. There were nightly entertainments and the atmosphere is very lively in the day time with people around the pool area, not so many people at the beach sometimes so you get that private island feel. Unlike other cuban resorts, this resort had many on site excursions like the horse carriage rides, catamaran, canoe, taxis, scooters, horse back riding, and more. Overall, this res [... read more]ort was amazing as it was in the heart of the rural area of Cuba where you get to see many mountains, farms, and nature.

Will not return

scenery is amazing, resort is clean, rooms are clean. The pictures on tripadvisor that advertise this resort are the not the resort you will stay at in low season (july). Marea del portillo pool is the size of a cruise ships pool and smelt of urine. we have travelled to cuba over 10 times now mostly to 3 stars and this is by far the worse. they ran out of food by the weekend, there was always something to eat but having ham and cheese sandwich everyday is very mundane. Saturday and Sunday Cuban [... read more]s come to the resort and you will see plates of food disappearing from the buffet, which the staff turn a blind eye to. Bar on beach does not serve beer or food. By the pool is ham and cheese and a separate bar, this is also the only place you can get a cappuccino. Excursions that were booked with the vip package were cancelled with no refund, surely they know how much gas it takes to get from A to B x #. We saw sketchy deals going on all over the place. One word to describe the attitude of some staff and management was "sneaky" The room was spotless as were the grounds first thing in the morning, although we did find a hypodermic needle on the beach our first day. Don't plan on taking drinks into the ocean and relaxing, the water is ALWAYS rough. Both myself and hubby came home sick. Stay away from this resort, its a beautiful location and a real shame that it doesn't even live up to a 3 star standard. I would 100% not recommend this hotel to any of my friends and actually warn them to stay away

Cheap vacation in Cuba

For the price we paid (800$ per person for 2 weeks), we had a great trip. To like this place, you need to be expecting a 3* hotel. You need to not mind having a lot of Cuban tourist around you. Everybody stayed at the pool area so we had the whole beach for us, that was amazing.