Maravillosas vacaciones en Cuba en Sol Río de Luna y Mares No Spanish required.

We loved it. And it really is all inclusive-nothing except whole lobster and specialty whisky has an extra cost . The beach is the most beautiful I have seen, with turquoise water (really), powder white sand, lots of shade areas and lots of sun to choose from. The beach is a long strip closed at each end with a rocky hilly spur going into the ocean, and shared by one other resort about a kilometer down. It is never crowded. Staff take you out on little sail boats, paddle boats are availabl [... read more]e, and more. The two bars on the beach are friendly, attendants are spaced every 150 meters to bring out beach loungers for guests, a towel exchange is handy, the water is soft and friendly. There are very friendly feral cats and kittens about in all hotel's extensive grounds, beautiful gardens, pitch and putt, pools, bars galore and lots of space. It is never crowded anywhere. The hotel itself has two centres, in Luna (our side) and Mares( our daughter's and her husbands). We both had stunning ocean views. Our room was on the top floor, airy, large, and comfortable. Only the extra pillows on the bed that weren't covered with a case were a bit strange-they seemed a bit too exposed for a bed. There are a few weird placements of plugs, some temperature changes in the shower water.... The food was really good. I was warned it was monotonous, and it wasn't at all. The buffet stations are plentiful, with freshly cooked chicken, beef, pork, seafood of all sorts to your taste. Pasta stations are delicious, and morning eggs-omelettes, poached, over easy are quick and yummy. There seemed a special changing station every evening, with Japanese Onigiri and tempura one night (yum), a roast pig another, a turkey another and so on. The fresh salads weren't as varied, but the fruit and juices were scrumptious. We loved the fried bananas flamed with rum. More yum. Small restaurants with servers are about-one close to the buffet area in Luna with a romantic sea view for breakfast, specialty ones to be booked (do it in the first few days ). We loved the Italian, and found the French mediocre. Perhaps the most outstanding features for me were the complete safety I felt in Cuba (this is in contrast to the unease I have sometimes felt in other countries) and the friendliness of the staff at the hotel and the people we encountered on our little outings . Staff remember your preferences for food and drink, clean the areas constantly (the hotel is spotless), and seem to like people. No tips are required or expected, though we left pesos for the room cleaner and our servers at meals and the odd bar drink, and many specialty coffees at the coffee bar. The coffee is, by the way, the best I have ever tasted. There are lots of outings you can sign up for at the hotel, scooters you can rent, horse and buggy (or just horse rides) you can arrange. Money can be changed easily at the government bank station in the Luna side, the gift shops don't charge more than any other area we saw, and there is no persistent pressure to buy trinkets or wandering vendors. I like that a lot. I will go again.

A great resort with amazing staff

Our 10 day stay at Luna Mares was amazing. Our room was adequate, nothing fancy but had all we needed. Even though we paid for a standard room we had a breathtaking view of the ocean. We tried all the a la carte dinners and they were fantastic. The buffet restaurant was poorly organized which lead to long line ups but they had lots to offer. We enjoyed an a la carte breakfast with a view of the ocean every morning. The beach is not very long but great clear water with no rocks. The staff  [... read more]of this hotel is what makes it so special. They genuinely care about their guests and although it is not a 5 star resort, you certainly get 5 star service.

Amazing postcard view from our balcony

We have just returned from a week at the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares. This was my ninth vacation in Cuba and the people are just as welcoming as ever. Having spent vacations in other countries, it is the friendliness of the people that keeps drawing me back. We were located in building four on the fourth floor and had the convenience of the elevators to get to our room. The view from our balcony was spectacular. We enjoyed the nightly entertainment in the theatre, the lobby and the pool area. Our [... read more] room was cleaned daily and it was always spotless. The main lobby areas and washrooms were also kept tidy and clean. The buffet provided breakfast, lunch and dinner. You shouldn't go hungry with a good selection of food to choose from including pasta and fresh fish and meat grilled to your request. We enjoyed the four course dinners at the Italian, French, Mediterranean and Cuban restaurants where you had a variety of options to choose from. We were also treated to an evening for returning Melia guests where we enjoyed a Cuban band, champagne and a lovely lobster dinner served to us outside near the Lunes lobby. The beach is beautiful and you will find lots of beach chairs to lounge on. You can enjoy the shade of the trees or sit under the thatched umbrellas along the beach.

Awesome Stay

MY boyfriend and I loved it here. Food was pretty reasonable, atmosphere was super friendly, lots to do, excursions were fun! I highly recommend the Jeep Safari ride! Lots of stuff in the evening to do as well! Highly recommend this place. The beach was beautiful and it turned out to be a peaceful getaway!

Best beach ever

Second stay at this Cuban resort. Best beach ever. Food has improved and is now acceptable. After changing rooms we were happy with accommodation. The only negative is that the resort is needing maintenance.

Cuban Charm

First time in Cuba so cannot compare to other Cuban resorts. Service was friendly and hotel was very clean. Beach was beautiful. The food was well presented but very bland and overcooked. The grounds such as steps and walkways could use some repair, and the rooms need updating.

Not a 4 star hotel

Stayed Mar 3 - 10, 2017, 2 couples. Check in: Slow and painful; we had paid extra for ocean view but this was ignored by the front desk until we pointed out the extra charges on the hard copy right in front of them. Room: Old and run down, bathrooms are shabby, curtains falling off the rods, light fixtures barely hanging on the wall, peeling paint. Our friends had to change rooms because the tub would not drain and the A/C was dripping water. Pool area: trip hazards on concrete, overflowing [... read more] garbage cans if you can find one Lobby; clean and modern but no bathroom on the Mares side, you had to go to the small bathroom way over on the other side of the pool by one of the restaurants Buffet: Typical Cuban, boring but you could find something to eat. A La Cartes: Italian and Cuban were good, French just OK Snack bars: very limited menus and not very good. Beach: beautiful with lots of chairs and shade Overall: With some major maintenance this could be a nice resort but we will not return anytime soon.

Great resort

Good hotel.Clean and well maintained grounds. Room was clean, but the bathroom needs a new bathtub(in a very bad shape - stained and chipped) Housekeeper did a great job. More hangers in the closet would be helpful

Had a Blast

The hotel was very nice and clean. Food was great. Always had something special going on in the buffet. I loved the salad maker in the evenings at the buffet. She mixed all the ingredients together that you selected. The property was well maintained. We had an excellent maid named Ruby. She always had special animals made up on our bed everyday with the towels. If you gave a bit of a tip for various services you were treated like a queen. Found a grasshopper in my underwear drawer. Mad [... read more]e me jump. It was my first time there but my partner was there before so him being a repeat customer was invited to a special by invitation only dinner. It was a wonderful evening and really impressive. The beach was one of the most beautiful beaches that I have ever been on. The water was so crystal clear. There was awesome snorkeling by the coral reef to the right of the resort. Amazing fish to see. Took a horse in buggy to the Bat Cave. That was awesome. Look for Mr "A" in the yellow buggy. Big "A" on the back of his buggy. Went deep sea diving and rode scooters all over the place. Went to Banes one day which was 3 hours round trip on the scooter. I would go back again

Great holiday

I recommend the hotel I have been there three times. It is nice to see that they are fixing up some of the areas that need to be spruced up . The hotel is a little out-of-the-way you can only get to other areas by cab pretty well but that's one of the reasons I like about it. The beach is one of the nicest beaches you'll ever go on and it has plenty of shade to get out of the hot sun . The food at the resort is really good I never had no complaints. And one night they had for repeat customers s [... read more]pecial private dinner for them which consist of Champagne steak and lobster by the pool underneath the stars with a live band it was awesome night. the entertainment was good at night also. The staff was very good and also very helpful I will be back again one day I enjoyed my stay there .and Teelah Brown at the travel agent was very helpful also

Average Resort

This was my first time in Cuba but I had been told what to expect. Having been to the Dominican and Jamaica, I knew to expect slightly lower standards here and i'm glad I did. The resort is undergoing some renovations which are definitely necessary. The hotel is dated in most areas. I'd give it a 3/5. We had no hot water and had to switch rooms and once we did it was a little better... but still not what you would expect from a supposed 4 star resort. The food was lacking also. T [... read more]here were some ok things about the food... pasta and omelette stations, but overall I'd only give food a 3/5. Not a lot of variety from day to day at the buffet, and the two a la cartes we tried were average. The pool was well maintained so no complaints there. And the beach was beautiful. Probably the best part of the resort in my opinion. Overall we MAY try Cuba again but definitely pay for a 5 star as I think that would be more comparable to what we are used to in other countries.

Sol Rio de Luna Y Mares

beautiful grounds, renovated entrance to hotel is very attractive. I know that you need cats to keep the mice at bay BUT we were awakened on night by fighting cats and I thought that I was back at our farm when I was growing up. Also, at our special lobster dinner we had 5 cats around our table for the whole meal. They could at least be caged while were eating. I know that some people feed the cats while we are eating and even with signs they won't stop doing that. The mattress in Rm [... read more] 1026 definitely needs to be replaced. Having said all that my friend & I still love coming to Sol Rio and find the staff especially at the breakfast restaurant very attentive and welcoming. Also, love the beach with lots of chairs for relaxing. This is our 6th visit.

Great Resort...

Just spent a week at this resort (Jan 24th thru Jan 31st, 2017). Had a wonderful week, rooms were clean and beach was fantastic!!! People working at the resort were really wonderful to deal with. If your looking for a nice relaxing & worry free vacation, would absolutely recommend this resort!

My favourite resort

I have been here several times and I'm going back in May. This resort is a bit dated but the food is good and the staff are amazing. This resort is on the best beach in Cuba. If you like the beach and your own space this is the resort for you.

Resort is “ok”

My family and I had an opportunity to stay in this resort from January 6 to January 12, 2017. Positive side: great service and friendly and helpful staff, food wasn’t bad, but poor variety, repetitive every day. We enjoyed the night shows and entertainment. Negative side: tired looking rooms, needs a lots of upgrades, smell from washrooms was disgusting! Water never was warm enough, so we were having a quick shower especially on cool days (unfortunately we weren’t lucky with weather).

Beyond my expectations!!

The staff were all very friendly and provided good service. The food was good!! Plenty of choices at the buffet. The grounds were well kept, clean and very nice. The lobby entertainment was enjoyable before the 9pm show and the service was very good. I would recommend this resort to anyone and l am looking forward to going back soon. Oh and of course the beach was awesome!

Good times and great weather

This was my first time at the resort but we were with a group that has been coming here for years which had some advantages. Meals were great. I found buffet better than the a la Carte restaurants. There was construction throughout the hotel that we were not told about prior to so would have been nice to have a little discount because of that since there were saws going off all day and early evening while trying to relax in the lobby. Some of our lights such as balcony didn't work and you could  [... read more]hear everything from a mile away in your rooms which sucks if you like sleeping in or wake up easily at 2 am as people leave the disco. Service was phenomenal, greeted all the time and very friendly. We went deep sea fishing and caught a few, i would recommend going unless you get seasick. We had perfect weather although everyone was saying it was a bit cooler than past years. Worst part of the trip was not being seated with my girlfriend on the plane ride back but we managed!

The resort was ok

The resort is really starting to show its age. The grounds and beach are beautiful but the building, rooms and the plumbing are really showing their age. It really should not be classified as a 4 star any longer. The staff was very friendly as always, thats why we keep coming back to Cuba because of the people. We have stayed at this resort a couple of years ago and this time we found the food was just not good at all this time. The ala carte's were a major disappointment except for the [... read more] Italian restaurant.

Great place for vacation in Cuba

Good hotel, excellent beach, great stuff. There is some renovation in progress in Mares main lobby as well as in some areas of Luna. Hope it'll make it even more pleasant to stay at. The room we stayed in had a bit of a leak from the sealing in bathroom after small rain or use of AC, but as we didn't spend much time in there it didn't bother us much. Sound of nightly disco party on the beach was a bit too noticeable in our room - it certainly tolerable especially after day of all the activities [... read more] you expect to fall asleep quickly. All other aspects were beyond the expectations. Stuff is very friendly, resort overall is very clean and very well maintained, beach is superior, selection and quality of food is very well (I was wondering about reviewers who complained about food - what they eat while at home? - hamburgers, hotdogs and coke is also available - specifically for them :)). Besides that there is reasonable selection of meat, fish, pasta that is cooked to your taste as well as salads and buffet. Beach and other activities are at great selection. Everything is available for a great vacation. Wait time at the Holguin airport on the way back is a bit unpleasant. It would definitely help if 3h at the empty airport (it was our only flight at this time) can be reduced to something more reasonably justifiable.

Overall, good resort for the price

The Sol Rio de Luna y Mares in Holguin province Cuba is best described as a good resort. We travelled in July 2016. The highlight of the resort is the location on the Playa Esmerelda. A wonderful beach with warm water, coral reefs close by, and waves. The easterly trade winds blow regularly so this can be challenging for some non-motorized activities, especially in the afternoon. The wind does cool off the warm days. The two pools are modest in size, and can get crowded if the resort is full. We [... read more] went in July and it was surprisingly full so very busy lobby and breakfeast and dinner buffet. The food is good, especially if you stick with the local vegetables, fruit, and freshly prepared items (fish, seafood, chicken, breads). The rooms are in need of upgrading. Even though we stayed in the quieter Luna section, and with a balcony facing the ocean, the A/C was not easily controlled and condensation leaks were regularly found on the floor in the room. The bed mattress was not great and things were missing (hooks etc.). The rooms are a good size, and the cleaning service do a great jobl to keep it clean. The service was very good and helpful. I found plenty of support and the front desk etc. The bartenders are generally good, especially the beach restaurants. The lobby bars (two of them) are good, but the Mares one has a lot of smokers (open air). There are no fans in the lobby so get used to the heat if travelling during warm times of the year. There are no smoking by laws in these areas as well. Something you may not be used to being from Canada. Not a lot to do for teens during the day, especially in the warm heat. The entertainment activities in the evening were good but nothing extraordinary. Overall, a good value resort.