Iberostar Selection Esmeralda: Wouldn’t Stay Again

My friends and I stayed here for a girls trip. We enjoyed the beach and pools, and the resort itself was beautiful. However, the food was atrocious. We were not expecting anything great as we knew going into it that the food in Cuba is subpar. The issue was that the buffet actually didn’t have a lot to offer, forget about taste. Some days there wasn’t even bread, or rice. They often ran out of fish too, so a member of our group who was vegetarian had a really hard time. We had two rooms betw [... read more]een us, one room on the first floor and one on the third floor. The room on the first floor didn’t lock properly and the room on the third floor was a mess. The AC didn’t work properly, the balcony door didn’t close and there was an infestation of ants. By the last nights there were ants in the beds. The staff were lovely and tried their best, but the service was lacking. Ultimately, we had a great time but we wouldn’t come back to this resort again.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Great resort .

Beautiful beach , crystal clear ocean water to swim in , very nice pool area , although we never spent any time there , always at the beach . Food was so so , but we didn't go there for the food . Service was a bit slow , long line ups at the bars , but workers worked very hard to please the guests .

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Great time

Awesome time at the resort. Beautiful beach and water. You can go for long walk. Amazing food. Very close drive from the airport. Pretty decent pool. Great bars and people. Always super friendly. Fantastic Spanish coffee.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Great resort

Overall, we had a great stay at this resort. The beach is absolutely amazing. The water is so blue. You can walk for miles in either direction. The beach section of the resort is also very large so its not difficult to find a chair. We also loved how there was lots of cabanas for shade. We did not spend any time at the pool as we are beach people, but the pool always did look busy with activities. The food was good, there was always lots of options and we never went hungry. That being said,  [... read more]we are not picky. There was always ample bread and cold cuts, lots of fish and veggies. Coffee was obviously amazing. The a la carte options were good as well but the line up to book them was crazy busy and by the time we got there there weren't many options left which was unfortunate. We opted for the diamond club which gave us access to the diamond club restaurant which was great for breakfast and lunch. Sadly we were only able to book their once for dinner as it required a reservation and it was full for the week when we tried to book. The resort itself is huge, we were in building number 6 which wasn't too far from the lobby but if you were in building number 10 you would have to walk a bit further. The rooms were pretty dated and the bathroom was a bit run down. But the beds were very comfortable and the AC was working great. Staff was always very friendly and kind. One criticism we did have was the lobby bar was always super busy during the evening and for such a big resort it was quite small. Sometimes you would have to wait over 20 minutes for a drink, and the bar tenders would often serve people in a random order. Overall, I would recommend this resort and would likely rebook again.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Great resort!

Loved this resort. Brand new, clean, modern. It was not fully opened yet so no gift shop. There was a wine and tapas bar that looked interesting but also not opened yet. There are 4 restaurants you can eat at. We tried 2, Asian and Italian, both good. Beach was beautiful, rooms exceptionally clean and nice. Food was ok for Cuba. Pools and grounds were spotless. Would go back in a heartbeat. One thing to note is that there is nothing close by. Bring everything you.

Gran Muthu Rainbow Cayo Guillermo: Different experience in Cuba

Firt the resort was very nice ,spacious room very beautiful,and very clean,the resort itself very clean. The staff not everyone was smilling and the service very slow. The intertainment well it,s a gay friendly resort so we expected the show to be colorful. The pool a little cold,but very clean an nice. As for the food ,never seen that before i had trouble founding something good to eat,i eat the same thing quite every day,but its Cuba. We probably would never go back but there but our vac [... read more]ation was very enjoyable anyway. thank you.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Amazing time

Me and my father went to the Melia Jardines Del Rey Jr resort. Our trip was great. The staff were awesome and very out going. Yonatan faure Fonseca is the guy to see for beach fun and for engagement in the evening activities. As well as Manuel Zamora (beach guys) and Thalia in the lobby buffet at supper, can't miss her. Also keep an eye open for Yudermis in the lobby, she is amazing. 😆 I would recommend building 15 as it is centrally located in the large resort. We went on the on the 50 f [... read more]oot catamar and took three stops including snorkeling, lunch on a small island and Pillar beach. Ernest Hemingway's old beach that he would go to to rejuvenate his mind and help with writing. I did not know that Pillar was the name of his boat. The sand at every beach was almost as white as snow but not. The resort was of a good size but most of the restaurants and pools were off the main drag so that made it easier as I have a physical disability. The ice cream shop is a very good stop, multiple times a day. Lol The resort grounds were being worked on daily to improve it's appearance as I did look older than 8 years. Did I say how lovely the beach was. The not so good My bedroom had a tub that you needed a stepping stool to get into. I noticed the sand fleas more then my father did. They were especially bad when the wind wasn't blowing. The food at the La Carte restaurants were ok but very skimpy on the veggies and potatoes. The deserts brought back our child hood days eating baby food. Rice pudding or some sort of starchy pudding with a baby spoon. It all tastes very good though, so I don't know if I would consider this a negative thing. About 3/4 the way through our trip the resort was running low or out of rice and Coke, but the water and toilet paper were plentiful. What was also plentiful was the groundskeepers, a special thanks should go out to them. For keeping the grounds looking so pristine and improving it's overall appearance everyday. Yes, I would recommend this resort to my readers. Note- I wouldn't recommend coming to Cuba just for the food. I would suggest bringing spices, clothes or daily supplies to pass out as tokens of appreciation. They work extremely hard and deserve to be recognized for it.

Starfish Cayo Guillermo: Amazing beach and resort

I had a great vacation, the resort is amazing, beautiful bungalows most with spectacular ocean views, great food, hard working friendly stuff, and most of all the spectacular beach, shallow warm water and miles of walking and picking seashells!

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: "A bit disappointed"

I had very high hopes when I booked this vacation with another couple "friends of ours". This review is detailed and very accurate. Its not a bitch session. The cost of our trip was great, very reasonable. Rooms: We upgraded to the Junior Suite which was very nice, can't complain.. But our friends booked a regular room. They had to change rooms 2 times due to moldy rooms black on ceilings, an air conditioning not working. Half way through the week they upgraded to Junior Suite and go a go [... read more]od room. I spoke with one other guest, they said part of their ceiling was black and coming down on them.... yuck. They also had no hot water for 3 days until they got over to the junior suite. Diamond Club (option): This is a bad segregation of class of vacationers concept. Because you didn't pay for better food, better drinks, certain beach access and other services your treated as a 2nd class visitor. THEY RAN OUT OF RUM our 3rd day in... and it lasted for 3 days... how is that possible. France doesn't run out of wine... OMG. But the Diamond Club vacationers still had RUM in their preferred bars. We asked for certain drinks that should be part of our regular "All Inclusive" packages, but the staff says they don't have any, their out of stock, and then a Diamond Club person requests the same thing and they get served..... I feel like there's a "Back of the Bus" scenario here if you know what I mean. In order to get RUM or a drink my wife likes, I had to buy a couple bottles from the bar "slide them money" (that should be giving them to me for free)... I complained to the management and he gave me an extra bottle, I believe it was for me to shut up or keep quite. Very sad.. Food: Its Cuba,,, we expect average at best.... I found a few things to eat, never went hungry.. . But the Diamond Club got separate breakfasts, Lobster, Shrimps no limits.. the rest of us have to quickly go to buffet before they run out of food. Beach: The beach water was beautiful, clear blue water, white sands,, a bit of sea weed 1 or 2 days (high winds) understandable... They cleaned it up... No complaints there. The pool area didn'thave a lot of shade or umbrella areas, full sun . People had their towels out the night before to reserve them. There certainly were a lot of sand flees on the beach.. The other couple and my wife had a lot of bits.. I escaped it some how... Wifi: The wifi is only available in the lobby and its very limited, I believe it has a limit on how many people can connect at a time... Other than the great water we had some challenges..

Melia Cayo Coco: Melia Cayo Coco was a Paradise for us.

The entire resort was absolutely amazingly wonderful in all areas. The staff, from the gardeners to the managers were all so helpful and full of empathy for everyone, especially their older guests. The food, buffets and a la carte were out of this world. The service we received from all the waiters and waitresses was surely something to behold. The cleanliness of the entire resort was truly something to behold. Our room was especially comfortable, close to the beach, pool and the lobby. We we [... read more]re very pleased.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: 3 star at best

The good: spacious rooms, nice swim up, pool, beautiful beach, bottled water daily, mostly wonderful staff. The bad: buffet too small, not enough food for everyone, dinner starts too late, some days no bread, milk, eggs. Mostly pork, rarely beef, too many hot dog dishes, no pasta ever, ran out of wines, sodas, beer, rums, much too often. There were dirty utensils, no stocking of room fridges, no coffee makers in rooms, minimal entertainment on select dates in lobby, but it was always during  [... read more]dinner hour which made no sense, not allowed to use the resorts kayaks or other water sports, staff indicate it’s due to resort not paying them.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Great Resort friendly staff

Resort was clean well maintained be nice to see some potatoes kicking around the buffet possibly some bacon entertainment not too bad little repetitive but rock band was great little loud could be turned down a bit

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Amazing Staff at Coral in Buffet, Snack Bar and generally

We found the staff very cordial and friendly. On arrival in the afternoon, Yinli greeted at the buffet and explained the times for meals and the grill meals in addition to the buffet. Juan and Danny, the butlers, were generous with their times in explaining the resort and its amenities. The massage was out of this world.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Very bad Hotel

This hotel has gotten very bad. It was our third trip and last trip to this resort.Definitely not a 4 star 2 at best. Needs upgrading do not consider it all inclusive when the are always running out of food drinks mix no white wine.Table were left dirty so hard to find a clean place to sit. Dishes and cutlery were not clean looked like sheets of toilet paper we’re our napkins. Rooms need to be fixed no hot water for 2 weeks had to shower by the pool as we had no water bedspread is dirty and ve [... read more]ry worn patio doors don’t work if you have a phone most don’t work they charge you for a safe but most don’t work missing a lot of light bulbs.Management is good at listening but do absolutely nothing to fix any problem. Staff is mostly very friendly. Worst thing was the second week we were over run by locals. Arrogant rude not waiting in food lines taking whole plates off the buffet for themselves sitting and used other guest towel stating I am Cuban and can do what I want when confronted. Staff at hotel were afraid not to serve them first because of repercussions later. We spoke with lots of guest who also said they would not be returning for a lot of the same reason. We did not want to be treated better but equally. Our bus to the airport for our return trip was 1 1/2 hour or more late picking us but and we could get no answers from anyone as what was going on. It is in our purchase price to have a return bus but once we checked out there was no help. The hotel should have been notified what was going on and passed on the information to the passengers waiting. Also rats and cockroaches in the restaurant which is not the most appetizing. Would definitely NOT recommend this place any more. Our first 2 visit we loved this place but will never go back.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Beautiful Resort

The place is amazingly beautiful, very open with good landscaping. The beach is amazing and the water is clear. Good friendly staff with good services at most of the time. We love the coffee bars with good choices of cappuccino, espresso,... The show at night kept us well entertained . Our hotel room was quite comfortable and the maid service was good. The major problem was the shortage of room towels. We didn’t have bath towels supplied for a few days, but the maid did make the e [... read more]fforts to get it and bring to us in the evening after our complaints to the customer services. The food was adequate. I survived well with the salad bar, fruits, rice and fish. The internet at the resort was, in my opinion, too slow. You have to log on and wait and wait...sometimes up to 15-20 minutes.

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Excellent resort

The resort is new, it has been opened since Nov 2022. Very very clean. Very friendly and professional staff. Food is fair but plenty of choices. Beautiful beach, although a bit windy. Plenty of staff to meet all your needs. The rooms are very spacious.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Fantastic time

I read many of the reviews prior to going last week, and think it’s important to share my experience. From our arrival on Sunday morning close to 01:00 until we departed the following Saturday at 21:00 all the staff was attentive and helpful throughout the week. The staff from the front desk, the gardeners, the cooks, the room staff, the cleaners, the bartenders etc, all the Cuban people try to make your visit enjoyable. Our hotel room was clean, comfortable, had fantastic air conditioning [... read more], and the maid service was outstanding. Our shower had great water pressure in the morning with lots of hot water, but in the evening the water pressure did drop while everyone in the building was trying to get ready for dinner. Our TV did not work, but I did not travel to watch tv, so it was never reported to the resort. The pools are fantastic. I will admit, that we spent most of our time at the same pool, but I can say as we walked around the comments apply throughout the resort. The staff were polite, courteous, and helpful. The pool was clean and there was activity for anyone who wanted to join. There wasn’t added pressure to join for those that didn’t want to. The pool bar was over the top friendly and helpful. The kids pool looked amazing for all ages. The beach is absolutely beautiful with many options for swimmers and snorkelling. The challenge is you have to move around to find the right area as some areas have a coral bottom within 5 feet of entering the water which is hard on the feet. However, you can find areas that are great for kids. A great beach bar. The food was adequate. Out of the seven days, the buffet had a couple of days that I had to survive with chicken and rice, but 2 other days with pork ribs, steak, chicken that was very good. We tried two of the restaurants, the Italian, and the Mediterranean which both were good. We did find a restaurant called Lenny’s that is a small cab ride away that is 100% worth the $25 USD for lobster, chicken and rice on a beautiful coastal point. Unfortunately the only negative for me was how some people treated some of the workers when they didn’t get their own way. Example 1 was when someone asked to go into the breakfast buffet at 07:55. When the staff said we don’t open till 8am, the traveller lost their marbles. Example 2 was at one of the restaurants where a group of 9 arrived, but their reservation was for 6 and the restaurant couldn’t accommodate the additional people. The person was aggressive and totally disrespectful to the staff member. The last example is to those that feel the need to take 20 + pieces of bacon to clean out the dish, or stand in line and order 6 omelettes at a time. The coffee shops are amazing, and a great option for an espresso or cappuccino. If never sat in the auditorium for the shows in the evening, however I could see and here them from my vantage point and they looked and sounded fantastic. The lobby bar was great as well with many staff that were accommodating to all. The internet at the resort was in my opinion horrible. You have to log onto a provider with a long username and password which kicks you out frequently. A reminder that tipping in loonies or toonies are difficult for the staff to redeem. But there is an opportunity to buy them off the staff for bills.

Melia Costa Rey: Great resort

Loved this resort. Beach is magnificent; lots of lounge chairs no matter what time you get there. Good is plentiful and never went hungry even if a few things were in short supply. Great entertainment st night. Good service. Rooms are large and comfortable. The resort as a whole may need a facelift soon but overall I’d definitely recommend it.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Beach is great, rest not so much

They say you don’t go to Cuba for the food, and boy was that true. Yes the beach and water are beautiful, but there are other countries you can go to for great beaches. If you hunted you could find some half decent food, but between the line ups and the buffet literally running out of food at 7:30 at night when people haven’t come to eat yet. People coming out with rice and carrots cause that’s all that was left. Breakfast only had eggs on the grill - again huge line ups to get eggs. No ot [... read more]her options. The a la carte not much better. Anyone who says the Italian is good never ate real Italian food. Every restaurant has rice pudding for dessert. The whole resort needs work. We were on the second floor and our building had no lights in the hall the whole week we were there. Toilet paper is another issue. As the day goes on all the resort bathrooms start to run out of toilet paper. Lobby bar area is the worse, so make sure to carry Kleenex or TP. Also, most of the buildings facing the ocean smell swampy or of bad septic. Don’t bother paying for ocean view rooms - they smell the worse. On another note, we went to Lenny’s for lobster dinner definitely worth the car ride and $25 us meal. Also did the boat adventure where you get to drive your own speed boat with a 40 hp motor. Lots of fun. Yes this resort is not that expensive, but if you are set on Cuba I’d pay a bit more and get something better….or make sure you bring some toilet paper.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Oh boy, this one is tough

Playa Paraíso Beach: •AMAZING beach and water Serving Staff: •most servers fun, friendly, attentive, wanting to please. A small few not so much. Rooms: •run down, needing upgrade •bed comfy, but the odd spring beginning to make itself known •A/C and fridge work fine, plenty of hot water •Cleaned daily, (some maids do a better job than others) towels replaced when left on the floor •facecloths not provided, bring your own •toilet paper restocked no issue •r [... read more]oof over balcony leaked badly during rain Common areas: •cleaning staff works hard to keep clean, but the state of disrepair shows •guests generally seem happy and entertained Grounds: •gardens kept decently •concrete walking paths are deteriorated and collapsing in many places, trip hazards •garbage in the bushes. A garbage bag at our bungalow entrance was left there for 3 days •overall in half decent shape, but issues need to be addressed Food….oh boy: •very limited selection •repetitive •shortages of all kinds of food •omelet and grilled meat stations are very good, but always long waits •no pasta, ever in buffet •lettuces of any sort are scarce •virtually no vegetable choices •the only beans are a white bean in some sort of sauce, and lentils •breads were often only baked 1/2” from the outside, doughy inside •no salt or pepper •a la Carte restaurants were very good •the cold cuts are all processed (similar to bologna) •the ham is canned ham (like Swift or Maple Leaf Cooked Ham). It is not cured, smoked pork shoulder or loin •fruit selection: mango or pineapple. That’s it. There was some unripe watermelon the last day •NO orange juice Foods they ran out of and duration: •cheese (5 days) •pizza (never saw pizza at all) •coffee (one morning) •hot dogs (Sunday-Saturday, 6 days) •hard boiled eggs every day •chicken, very often •spaghetti at the Italiano Restaurant Beverages: •plenty of Havana Club Rum (dark, amber and white) •plenty of beer on tap (decent easy drinking beer) •wines were quite good, both red and white •Jaimeson and ClanCampbell whiskies •Beefeater Gin •vodka *they ran out of ALL of the above at one time or another, except for the rums…kinda like rolling blackouts. You never knew what to expect. In summary, was the trip horrible? No, but yes. The a la cartes we’re all good, but by day 4 it was hard to find something appealing to eat. And when my wife got violently ill from food poisoning, out both ends and in bed for 2 days (the beach buffet is suspected) we only ate fresh grilled food (ie: eggs, meats and rice). Our maid was so sweet while she was sick, going the extra mile in cleaning and “towel art”, picking flowers for her, etc…. But all of that considered, the beaches, the people and the general atmosphere there was good. Would I go back? Absolutely not, and likely never again to Cuba. But there was good about the trip, so I won’t take that away. I would have given this a 3* rating if not for the food poisoning incident. There was really no concern evident at all about COVID