Overall a good resort

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares resort in Holguin Province is best summarized as an overall good resort. The prize of the resort is it's location on Playa Esmeralda - a wonderful beach for swimming and snorkelling. Five star beach for certain. However, take note that the easterly trade winds regularly blow waves into the cove by noon so wave action is the norm for the area. This can be a blessing or disappointment for some, depending on your taste. The wind does provide a nice breeze during the warm d [... read more]ay time, but can impact kayaking or snorkelling. The two pools are fine, but can be crowded. The hotel is a bit dated and upkeep is required on the grounds and in the rooms. While a clean room, great views from the balcony (we stayed in the quieter Luna section) we found missing hooks, leaking A/C, and not great mattresses. Not terrible, but not four star quality. The staff are very friendly and the food overall is quite good if you stick with the local fresh (fish etc.). The entertainment is good, but not great. Note that smoking bylaws are non-existent In Cuba, so the open air lobby area and pools have smokers ...something we've grow accustomed to not having to deal with in Canada. Overall, a good, fair-priced resort for a family or couple.

Good resort!

Beaitiful hotel and grounds. Food was good, better than in most hotels we've visited over the period of last 15 years. The only thing I did not like was long walk down to the beach under the hot Cuban sun.

Hidden Gem

If you're not too picky, you'll love this resort. Friendly staff, AMAZING beach, and beautiful grounds. Only complaint was that check-in took 30 minutes- for some it took over 3 hours!! Some people complained about the food, but I loved it- fresh seafood every day! The room was very outdated (Luna side), and we were missing a shower, but one call and five minutes later, there was a handy man there within 5 minutes. New 1L bottle of water every day (plus you can get water at the bar- don't drink  [... read more]the tap!). Tipping was appreciated but it never seemed forced. Overall, well worth the price.

Couldn't be better!

Excellent service!!! The staff is very friendly and prompt, the snack bar has a few good choices for food, and the restaurants were excellent and the food was delicious, the food at the buffet was also great and other than that the beach is beautiful and the rooms were nice and well kept.

Good resort.

We absolutely loved this resort. This was our first visit and we will definitely be back. The beach and grounds are amazing.The rooms are clean but needs renovations. Great week at this resort very quiet and relaxing. We stayed on the Luna side. Food was OK.

Amazing beach!!!!

There were a few bumps at this resort like really weak air-conditioning and repetitive food choices BUT the good far outweighed the bad. The staff were friendly and so hard working, the beach was outstanding and the hotel grounds and surroundings were lovely. I had a really enjoyable time.

Great R and R - just what the Dr. ordered

I had a wonderful time. The beach was just amazing. The water was perfect for swimming and lounging. The grounds were beautiful and the surrounding mountains were gorgeous. The staff were very helpful and pleasant. Of course, nothing is perfect but we really got more than our money's worth and are happy we decided to stay at Sol Rio De Luna y Mares.

Was better than we remember!

Hotel was great. Nice touches added. The beach was as beautiful as we remember. Food, great! Very relaxing. We enjoyed the excursions that are offered by the hotel. The hike up the mountain was superb. The only downside was the rebate card I received from my package. It was for $40 cash card, redeemable at certain service centers, like Valet parking. I never take that, but said why not? it was the same price as regular parking, if you included the cash card. Well, low and behold, when I went to [... read more] pay, they did not accept the card, so it cost $40 more. Not a great way to end the trip. Luna Y Mares, very nice, everything we wanted.

What a wonderful HOLIDAY!!!

Me and my husband stayed for 11 nights in Sol Rio de Luna y Mares (Play Esmiralda) and we had the best time of our life! The resort complex is sitting on top of a small hill and it gives a stunning view of the surrounding area – you can see the ocean while drinking coffee in the main restaurant. The beach is just fantastic, white, fine sand extending right into the water, the beach is wide and covered by many palm trees, offer nice shade. Lots of activities on the beach: volleyball, paddle bo [... read more]ats, single and double kayaks, sail boats, snorkeling. The hotel stuff is very friendly and helpful. Food is very good.  And don’t miss their night shows, they are sparkling and genuine, spiced with hot Cuban flavor. I also recommend  to have walk on their forest trail with a fantastic view point at the end (3 cuc per person). I am looking forward to spend my next vacation in this resort, given the opportunity!  Wish you all a fantastic vacation like we had!!!

Fantastic!

This resort is beautiful with a view of the pool and ocean from the lobby bar. The beach is amazing with great snorkeling 20 metres out. We were treated like family by the staff who go above and beyond to make you feel welcome. The food at the a la carte restaurants and the buffet was the best we've had in Cuba. Having travelled to Cuba seven previous times to 3 to 4 star resorts this one comes out on top. We've never been to the same resort twice but would definitely go back to this one!

Pleasantly Surprised

I've been wanting to go to this resort for about 8 years but was hesitant because it's rated 3.5 stars and it is Cuba. I regret not booking it sooner...I was very happy with most aspects of the resort...The only thing that makes this resorts rating low is the rooms as they are a little outdated...everything else was more than satisfactory from the beautiful beach, views and surprisingly good food...We have no complaints and would definitely return...Staff were very friendly and room was kept ver [... read more]y clean...no complaints.

Amazing resort and best beach I've been on.

This was my 4th time to this resort. The food was better than the last time there, the restaurants, French and Itilian were amazing. The buffet and beach restaurant were excellent. We were in building 6 on the Luna side. Best building to stay in, close to the beach, pool and bars plus it has an elevator. We prefer the Luna side as it is quieter. As I mentioned in my review title the beach is the nicest beach I've been on and I've travelled to Cuba and Punta Cana many times. There is a lot of spa [... read more]ce and chairs so you do not have to get up at 6 am to reserve a chair in the shade. I highly recommend the resort.

Love this place

I always really enjoy my time at the Sol Luna Y Mares and this was my seventh time, my 2 1/2 year old daughters third time and my 4 month old sons first time! The staff are always so nice and they go out of their way to make my time there as enjoyable as it can be with two children. One thing that was disappointing on our last trip was to see that all of the front desk staff had been removed and replaced with different people that were not well trained and couldn't even find our reservation. So  [... read more]after a very long trip down, (4 extra hours ON a plane with two young children because of weather and something about the plane...) for the guy to hold us and everyone else behind us up for 45 minutes because he didn't understand the paperwork that we had, it was quite embarrassing and very frustrating. Plus they already have room keys and little booklets prepared all he had to was look for our names and verify or information that way. Had the original front desk staff been there they would have known immediately who we were and where we were supposed to be. Other than that mishap the rest of our trip was lovely and as relaxing as it can be with the kiddos along.

Ok resort

The food was not good at all. The rooms are ok, bed was hard as a rock. The resort looks like it is falling apart. Beach was great. Bartender at swim up was great and remembered what we where drinking.

Back Once Again

Everything was great except the 4 hr. delay at Hfx Airport with Air Transat ! The hotel and grounds are great, we asked for a room on the Luna side and got it with ocean view, food seems better than last yr., only other complaint was that it was a windy wk. April15 - April 22nd 2016, would go back in a flash.

Loved the beach

I loved my stay here. The hotel is an older hotel so I don't expect perfection and our room was a little rough. However, the water pressure was great and the air conditioner worked with no issues. The beach was beautiful! Lots of natural shade and lots of huts. It was clean and loungers were readily available. Most of the staff were friendly and helpful. Service at the resort was good. Didn't always make it out for the entertainment, but what I did say was very well done.

Amazing Beach

The hotel itself need a good upgrade , however the beach and the staff are amazing. We did not like the location on our first room (which was just above the main lobby and bar) because of the noise level. The staff were friendly and had no problems finding us a quieter room away from the noise. The beach has lots of shade trees and is so large it never feels over crowded. My husband and I had a nice relaxing week.

Fabulous Resort and Beach!

The beach offers a variety of activities - swimming area, catamaran, pedal boats, kayaks, and a reef for snorkelling. The resort was great, two pools, 24 hour food and alcohol, clean rooms and great staff!

Good resort for fair price

Very nice beach there are. Send and water are amazing. Friendly, not annoy staff. Food is monotone, but good enough. Fish and seafood present on a menu what been surprise for Cuban resort. Rooms for 3 stars hotel.

Sol Rio de Luna y Mares Review

My family and I stayed at the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares for a week and we had an amazing time! The rooms were nice and clean with quick access to the pool and beach. The staff is welcoming and very friendly. They served us promptly and with care. The animation teams were very exciting to watch. Our favorite to watch was the aqua ballet. We have never experienced anything of the sort and it was an incredible event. The buffet food was wonderful as well as the restaurants. My family mostly enjoyed d [... read more]inning at the French Restaurant because the food and service was extraordinary. Last but not least, the beach had a very stunning view. The sand was very fine and the different colors of the water were beautiful! We enjoyed our stay and hope to return soon!!!