Very good hotel

It is a lovely hotel ,the rooms were nice and comfortable, the facility was full at the time of our visit, ala carte was good, food was good and service was good as well. Beach is excellent, very friendly staff. Definitely would recommend this resort.

Close but no cigar!

It is a lovely facility but lacks in Cuban decor and ambience. I have travelled to many parts of Cuba over the past 28 years and have stayed in different hotels and even casa particulars. The rooms were nice and comfortable, had a safe, refrigerator, hair blower etc., but we never did get the room with the king bed that was requested. The facility was also very full at the time of our visit and the service was very slow especially at the lobby, beach, and snack bar bars. The a la carte staff wer [... read more]e all very good but the food was mediocre as best. It was actually disappointing that the seafood restaurant over cooked everything. The Japanese restaurant was entertaining but the food was below average. The Italian restaurant was good and the staff were also very pleasant and efficient. The International restaurant food was okay and the staff too. The buffet was okay but that's it. I do know that it has always been an economically depressed country and their are excellent resorts there with exceptional service and food at the same cost or even less. I'm hoping this is just growing pains and wish them all the very best in the future but for me it was overpriced without good service or food.

Buyer beware

My wife and I had not traveled in several years now, selecting Cuba and this resort as our first destination. Brand new hotel having been open for approximately one year. Traveled with Sunwing, from the start, the flight was over 3 hours late and we lost the first day at the hotel (each day is $500 to stay during the NYE time area). We are still waiting on our so called free gift, that was supposed to be have sent from Sunwing prior to departure. Arrival was pretty much as expected., we were [... read more] checked in and pushed to our room, we were not asked what type of room and were given a twin bed room. Not very happy having to sleep in a small bed or apart, we requested a room with a queen or king bed. We were told none are available, to come back. Day two, had us booked on a previously set up appointment, and no new room was forth coming, still sleeping apart from my wife. Set up appointments for the ala Cart dinners with our friends who also traveled with us. Service was very slow, with limited staff available to get drinks, no, they want you to stand in line at the lobby bar for 15 minutes to get your beverages. Seen two wait staff for over 100 people. Internet has upgraded, so that it is now available in the rooms, and is free, but you must renew it every 3 hours. No idea why they can not set it up as on while you are registered as a guest as you are given a unique password / login. So just another thing we had to manually do to stay connected in anyway (I run my own business and need to be connected in case of emergencies). Day three, pretty much more of the same thing, lines for food, lines for drinks, no idea why our payment can not afford more staff to service the people they have brought into their hotel. Still no room change available, we gave up on that idea and resigned to what we were given (this is not a cheap place to stay either). Food was mediocre at best in the buffet, watched the one cook coughing into his sleeve where he was cooking the non-editable "steak". No orange juice, just that "tang" like drink mix which is totally disgusting. Eventually they ran out of the tang as well. First ala carte, was pretty good, service was good and food was good as well. Day four, can feel I am coming down with something. Took the day off and stayed in doors in my room for the most part. There is no place to get medicine in Cuba, bring your own, or suffer. Day five, yes I definitely have some bug, glad I brought Tynenol, should have brought a decongestant as well. not coughing or hacking, so keep myself away from others and limited my exposure to people totally. Guess having separate beds might not be a bad thing, if you sick. Day six, still the same old horrible service to get beverages or anything else (like really they barely pay people here, hire more). NYE pig roast, ran out of pig (in a country that literally everyone grows them to supplement their groceries). Guess no roast pig for us this time. NYE diner over cooked lobster, and poor selection of holiday special foods. The nightly entertainment shows are so poor that we all were totally disappointed. Stopped going after the 4th left down. Watching one of the two "waiters" stop at a lobby table and talk with the people there for over 45 minutes, no wonder no one gets any drinks unless they get in the 15 minute line up. Now you may think well that is Cuba, but I have been coming to Cuba over 8 times, and thought (wrongly) that paying more would mean a huge step up in service and foods (we stayed at the Pullman in Cayo Coca and seen this first hand in Cuba), but no, the MGM is a horribly run place, with limited service that you would expect in a 3 star at best. Giving this place a 5 star is far from accurate, and if your expectations are to have a service based vacation, definitely stay away from here. The Pullman was leaps and bounds above this place, and I would never return to Cuba given the experience I have had here. In conclusion, wife and I got back to Canada, have tested positive now for covid, having got a parting gift of getting sick. Do not believe the ads where they show any type of preventative measures, there, they do not exist. Staff if limited in appearance, I put that down to management and the ones there for the most part were fair. As I look back, the price we paid and the service we got were far from being what I would expect from a five star hotel, and reality is, I wish now that I had gone literally anywhere else after having spent $5500 for two people.

Wonderful beach and peoples

The quality of the food is a bit low but satisfactory and the staff are very friendly. All facilities were clean and the feel of the sandy beach was very good. I want to go again next year with the clothes I used to wear, soap, and snacks for gift.

Pleasant stay at Gran Muthu in December

We stayed in Gran Muthu in mid December 2022. Overall it was a very pleasant vacation. Hotel is relatively new and well maintained. Modern design with lots of open spaces in lobby, nice ocean view from the bar balcony, comfortable rooms. Grounds are also well maintained, however feels a luck of greenery because the hotel is new and there is not so many mature trees. Check in at the hotel was quick, but before that we had to wait about an hour and a half in the airport until our tour rep acco [... read more]unts to all passengers they had on their list. Also, some passengers including us, had to go thru unpleasant procedure of taking random COVID test. Rooms are very comfortable with nice beds, amenities, furniture, flat screen TV, balconies and patios. A/C works well and there is also ceiling fan. Few minor issues here and there: one shower head was broken, bath robe hook felt down. One annoying issue: TV would loose a signal for 10-15 min, then would start working again. Complained to the guest service, but TV never been fixed, even though technician came once or twice. Wi-Fi is free but you need to book it by 2 HR slots in person at the front desk. Once your 2 HR is over, go back to front desk again. You may turn you Wi-Fi off to prevent its bleeding, and turn it on when you are using it, but it didn't work well for us. There are always few people in the lobby complaining about their Wi-Fi. Food is good by Cuban standards, but definitely not 5 star. Yes, you have lobster once a week in the buffet, tasty fresh ham, prosciutto once in a while, but some basic items are missing: no bacon, no potato of any kind, no butter, only plain yogurt, no seafood except tiny shrimps. Ala cart restaurants are good and seats are limited, so book them as soon as you can. Strange arrangement at 24 HR snack bar by the beach - you have to sit and wait until server comes and takes your order. Being in a snack bar I would prefer to see the food first, and then quickly pick what I like, rather than waiting and then be unpleasantly surprised. You can order a lobster dinner for $22 per person in buffet or Ala cart restaurant. It's worth a price, and it's so huge that you can feed a whole family with just one lobster. Barmen and servers work very well, very friendly and serve fast. Nobody ever ask for tips, but always appreciate when you give. There is plenty of good drinks in the bar, including some premium brands. However, to my surprise there was no tequila at all. So, had to survive on rum and scotch. Actually, there is good selection of premium rum, so recommend for rum lovers. There is also a bar and lounge at the roof for extra price, but we didn't come there. There are also few local restaurants farther at the beach where you can get seafood and lobster dinner for the same price as in the hotel, or maybe less. If you want to experience local food and Cuban ambience, try it. Beach is excellent, clean, with white sand and turquoise water. Chairs and palapas are taken early, so you may have to find a shade under the trees. There is no vendors at the beach, but instead barmen walk and offer drinks. There is night entertainment in the theater, piano players and solo singers in the lobby, lots of loud music beside the pool and sometimes at the beach, so you will not be bored by silence. There is a souvenir market near by at the neighboring hotel, 10 min walk. There is adult only section with their own pool, restaurant and beach section. Nobody at the front desk could give us a definite answer how to move there. Guess there is some price tag to it, but not sure how much and if it really worth. The hotel is worth visit, at least once, with decent food and service, friendly staff and excellent beach.

Great place!

Great place to stay with family or friends! Clean and spacious amenities, easy accessible beach, friendly service. Foods OK for non picky guests. Wish the owners will provide more bottled water at the territory.

Great hotel to rest

In general the hotel is well kept and clean. The team of pros that work there really make the difference. I would like thank the kitchen staff chef Mauricio, chef Ajo, chef Leo and the rest of them working behind the scene. Food was well prepared and cooked with the cuban flavors. Many thanks to Obdulio, Roberto, Janeysy, Marilexis and the service team who were very attentive to our requests. The gardens are very nice and well-kept. The beach are well organized and clean. We really enj [... read more]oyed our stay. I am thinking about my next trip to The Muthu Almirante in Guardalavaca. Thanks

Аmazing resort

Wonderful staff, the buffet and the restaurants very good.beach is amazing, rooms are clean We recommend this hotel to everyone I promise to come back with friends. A special thanks to servers, front staff.

Fantastic resort!

After many years of going to Holguin, we decided to change our hotel stay for Gran Muthu. Vacation was fantastic. Everything requested was as expected. The service we obtained from Nore and his staff was excellent. We only encountered one issue and it was the Manager of the front desk who needs to learn to speak English and learn to be customer oriented. (I think he feels he is in charge of the army :-) Would not hesitate to book again.

Will Definitely Consider Going Back Again!

- Excellent beach - Professionally-run hotel - Room convenient size, well-functioning bathroom, ceiling fan needed repair which was done - on Cuba time though:) - Excellent maid service - Very good a la carte restaurants - Standard buffet though missing white potatoes, french fries, and red wine at the beginning of out stay - Very professional and friendly staff

Best resort vacation ever!

The Gran Muthu Almirante resort exceeded our expectations! We decided to purchase the VIP experience and it was truly worth every penny. We left our 3 children at home and really wanted a special experience as a couple - and we got that! We were treated like VIPs from the moment we checked in. Manuel, our butler was a real gem! He got us everything we asked for! Our room was brand new in block 7 with ocean and pool view, top floor. Very comfy king size bed, separate bath and shower, flat sc [... read more]reen tv mounted on wall, bathrobe and slippers. Food was good as well (for cuba), and keep in mind we are not fussy eaters. We ate a lot of fish, which was a must for us! We had access to the VIP restaurant which serves lobster every night and located right next door to block 7! We also enjoyed 3 a la carte restaurants, the best being the Asian with grilled chicken, fish and beef. The beach was a short 2 minute walk. White sandy beach, lots of chairs to choose from. We discovered an incredible place to snorkel, towards the end of the beach, in front of (what looked like) a deserted resort (towards the right of the beach). We swam out with flippers, mask and snorkel about 300 meters and discovered the best coral reef in cuba with lots of fish. Clearest blue water! Take with you some bananas to feed the fish and they will follow you around. It was a highlight of our trip - we managed to do that twice. One of the lifeguards on the beach (cant remember his name) can take you out there and he'll take photos as well. Something we wish we had as a souvenir! The pools are beautiful and clean but we spent most of our time relaxing on the beach. We did notice a fun splash pad for the kids, and a separate pool with volleyball net. The grounds are immaculate! The games room for kids/adults is really great with loads of video game consoles/screens, VR games, pool table, ping pong table. We booked a massage which was really nice. With VIP we saved 15%. Cuba is definitely struggling since covid, but this resort doesn't seem to be impacted. The entertainment was ok with the aqua show being the best performance during the week. No complaints of mosquitoes for us. Definitely would recommend this resort, with VIP experience!

Wonderful stay!!

We really enjoyed our stay at Gran Muthu Almirante. The beach is beautiful. Staff were beyond friendly and helpful. Rooms and public areas were clean. The lobby is really welcoming and where many visitors hang out during downtime. I would come back again for sure.

Nice clean resort

The resort still looking brand new, but far from the airport, about 55minutes drive. the people at the hotel are very polite and helpful. they need you to comeback and they need your business.The area is still under developing, the downtown is little bit far from the resort if you wanna plan to dine outside the resort at night. The roads are not safe to drive at night, you feel like you're in a mountains area, not like Varadero or Cayo Coco! The beach is very nice for swimming, a lot of umbrella [... read more]s to lay down under, and the beach long enough if you like to walk on the beach. The food and drinks are fair not the greatest since you know you're in Cuba, you still can find something to fill your stomach. Recreations people are very nice. Rooms in general are still new, nice views, and functional .

Beautiful resort

Great resort. Very clean.Check in was quick and easy. Staff were friendly and attentive. Not a huge variety of food or alcohol due to the shortage in the whole Country but what they had was good. Very big resort so lots of walking. Pools and beach were awesome.

Beautiful resort. friendly staff.

beautiful resort, lovely staff, safe for kids, teenagers.relaxing there are some need to improve like gym, activity should extend a bit late spa open longer hour. they shut down early! wifi is bad electric down many times during day and night need more hotel information for guest like laundry, where to call when needed, house keeping time, mini bar…, i think the situation after covid i give them close to 5 stars p/s washroom and toilet are uncomfortable display missing door ….?

New resort

Beautiful grounds, well maintained , good service, however lack of food and drinks. No wine, no sparkling wine, only rum and vodka and beer. I know that a common problem in Cuba . There’s a karaoke in snack bar which is great if you like to sing.

Amazing Almirante Resort

What can I say about the Hotel that it is 5 star that says it all. Every thing is kept well, Room are automatic when the door opens: A/C, lights are on also you can control manually as well. Always: water, (hot and cold) A/C, power (they have generator in case of an outage) room supplies, Mobile TV control, One bottle of Cuban Rom complimentary (mini fridge with bottled water supply) and many other. There were disinfectant alcohol at the elevators, all washrooms, cafeteria and automatic water [... read more] valves in all w/c accept in the rooms. I can not list all the goodies there were. Ps. Cuban Banks takes Canadian Dollars and not US. When tipping if possible use a vary good condition paper money because metal money are not accepted in Cuban banks. All Hotel workers are very nice.

Amazing stay, great value resort

Great value for the price. Very friendly and professional staff. The entertainment team is phenomenal. Clean and well-maintained rooms. Food is just ok (needs more variety). Beautiful beach (not crowded). There's always lounge chairs available and there is a rule of not reserving them with towels which is great. Same with the pool area. There's an option for everyone: a shallow pool for little kiddos, pool with bar that adults will like, pool with inflatable obstacle course that bigger kids wil [... read more]l enjoy, and a quiet pool for those who just wants to relax. Overall, a great experience. Would recommend.

Beautiful new resort

We had a lovely stay at this resort. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. The rooms were lovely too. The food was great if you like Cuban food and we do. 😊 The only complaint we had was it could of used more cleaning . The pool was very dirty everyday . It needed a good cleaning! full of algae and dirt, lacking chemicals .The hallway to our room wasn’t cleaned from the time we arrived. 😞 We will try it again. 😊

Overall Good - But a Few Serious Management Fails

Everything was generally good with my trip last week, but here's a few management fails that need immediate attention: 1) Smashed out buttons: in the elevators is just a weak presentation of the hotel, and most elevators had broken buttons. Some of the smashed buttons didn't work at all, so good luck getting around. If your fingers were wet you'd likely get a shock attempting them. 2) Closed pools - not acceptable: The swim-up bar pool was closed for 2 days when I arrived due to grunge wat [... read more]er quality - at times they were scooping it out with buckets. One day every one was kicked out of all pools in the late afternoon, and it was sunny out - which leaves you wondering about water quality. In all pools you will see things floating around that a functioning filtration system should be handling. The pool management needs significant improvement. 3) The snack bar: During the day when they have the outdoor grill going, you can get food in reasonable time, and with all the condiments you'd want. At night it reverts to an indoor "restaurant style" scenario where you have to go inside and sit down in a large round rotunda, wait for a waitress, wait for a cook to come back up to the front and cook something, and just wait - and then no condiments. For some reason I can't fathom, all condiments are removed in the evening. I had dry burgers and hot dogs every time...it just makes no sense. The condiments exist, I saw them there during the day, but at night it's a strict no-condiment policy. You should not have to go in and sit and wait when there is a beautiful patio outside. Snack-bars should be quick and relatively fast - the nighttime setup is all wrong. Keep the outdoor grill going and manned at least until midnight, and keep a full supply of condiments at all times. 4) Loud and boisterous Cuban guests. The Russians were laying low, and not many around at the current time, but half the hotel is Cuban guests who need a bit of work on their manners. This one young muscle bound blinged-out guy almost took a swing at me because I was complaining about his large cocktail *glass* in the pool with him, on a concrete shelf beside him, while he was playing pool volleyball. It was seconds away from smashing into the water, requiring the pool to be drained and cleaned. I tried asking the lifeguard to step in but he laughed at me, and then shared a laugh with the Cuban guy. Management needs to better educate and monitor the "lifeguards" (who are often huddled together talking and laughing amongst themselves rather than having any interest in doing their jobs). They may as well not be there really...it'll be guests in the pool who will be saving kids from drowning. 5) On Sundays thousands of local Cubans head to the beach. They bring all their gear, food, booze, and noise. It's absolutely packed and they leave all their garbage behind. I've been to Cuba many times and I've never seen the same scenario elsewhere - but you will see it at this hotels beach location. There's a "locals patio bar" next door to the hotel too - you won't be welcome, and they make a lot of noise on Sundays with the thousands of them around. The end result is you can forget about the beach on that day. Air Canada also lost all my luggage, and wouldn't get it to me (they only fly there once a week). They offered to reimburse me but you can't even get a tube of toothpaste at the resort, so forget about it. I got it back a couple of days after my return. (My week was severely impacted by that, but it's no fault of the resort). All that said, the rest of the experience was good, the buffet was the best I've seen in Cuba, and I left with a smile. I feel though that management needs to step up around the above serious issues, and if the reviews steadily improve I would go back.