Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: an interesting resort

I booked this resort last minute. check in was very efficient. my room was a little bit far away but it was a big resort and a quiet building. that I requested. the beach is awesome. the first couple of days food was sparse no eggs no cheese, this is more reflection of the times in Cuba rather than the resort itself so I don't blame the resort for that. they run out of beer one day not a big deal. the main thing that bothered me was I saw many instances of the wait staff ignoring Cubans. the onl [... read more]y place that this did not happen was a snack bar. I found the snack part to be very efficient and a friend of place to be. there was also one dinner server Luis who was also excellent. during check out there was a little bit of a confusion on whether I owed money for the rapid test. I didn't they said I did. I took about 30 minutes to clear up. overall I think it is a reasonable resort if you have children. if you don't have children it would not be the place to go

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: The good, The bad.

I’d like to start off by saying this is my 9th trip to Cuba. I do not consider myself fussy, at all, I know what to expect when in Cuba. This is our experience from March 3-10/2022. The good, the bad, the ugly. I have read many post on the hotel Facebook page and was extremely excited to arrive, my first trip in 2 years it was time. I’ll start with the good: The staff at this resort is among some of the best I have ever encountered. Extremely friendly, always willing to help, alway [... read more]s positive and upbeat. Our room was always cleaned, the building was always clean, the grounds was clean- over all a very clean resort. Sometimes the washrooms would be messy ( public area) but majority of the time always clean. The pools was clean, the beach clean, and always tons of room. We never had an issue getting a seat at either place. The power was out a few times but restored rather quickly. Wifi is free and works great! The drinks was always spot on! They had many options and the bar staff was amazing! Our fav guy was located in the pool bar, he made some of the best margaritas, Pina Colada’s and strawberry daiquiris. The lobby bar has a drink called street lights, that’s really good as well, they have an ice coffee that daughter loved ( strong coffee flavour) the Miami vice & blue lagoon where a few of the other favourites. All these drinks are made virgin too for all the littles who like yummy drinks as well. The a-la cartes are a must! The best food we had all week, we did Cuban and Italian and both was absolutely amazing! We did the jeep tour, it was a full day but so fun, not a lot of kids around to give treats to and that was disappointing to us, but it is a fun day and well worth the money and memories. The private island they take you to for lunch has puppy’s and they are so precious- the chicken meal they serve is amazing!!! Now the ugly. Let’s start with the food, now I know you don’t come to Cuba with high expectations of the food, but at every resort I was at you could count in eggs, bacon, bread, pizza and pasta. There was always eggs every morning, and rolls…. But never no bread, butter , ketchup …one day there was bacon no other time on the trip was there any, no pizza at all, not even at the Italian place, one night we had a pasta station after that we had none. There was always fresh beef and chicken, that could be friend- always fresh veggies, but there was not a large selection at all, and out of all my trips to Cuba this was the worst selection to date. None of the stores on or off resort had any snacks at all, so my suggestion is to bring lots! The snack bar almost always had fries and a chicken sandwich ( on a bun) that was yummy! I by no means am picky but honestly there was very little selection, and disappointing on the pizza and pasta! I ate veggies, chicken & rice all week so didn’t starve but if you do have fussy people- it may be hard! The a la cartes had more selection and the best food! There is a restaurant with a red roof down on the beach & they In saying that Wednesday was inspection day and things came to life at the resort - we had a pork roast dinner& it was amazing. Entertainment- there was no shows all week, even though they was scheduled! They had a few outside in the court yard area, kids music than some competitions between adults but nothing like normal, tell Wednesday night when they had their Cuban dancers and that was truly amazing! This was a huge disappointment for me , entertainment is a must! And I was very saddened there was only 1 show. For being a 5 star resort that should be big. Also every day at the pool they’d have the entertainment doing a few games for kids and dancing but that was it. No bubbles like I seen on the Facebook page, no volleyball, no nothing, it was very quiet! We was in block 7 & it was beautiful even on the first floor we had An amazing view! However the septic or sewer was outside our deck and If the wind was blowing the smell was awful. That lasted about 2 days, and then the wind blowing in a direction that we could enjoy the deck :) Overall, I have stayed at 3.5 stars that have offered more than this star. I truly and honestly see the potential for this being a 5 star. If they upped their food game just a bit & entertainment I could see this being a 5 star, but deff not as is. I know covid has taking a lot from us and in no time they may be running at 5 stars. I loved this hotel, very much, just fix those few things and I’d return.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Fair

Grounds-Easy to get around. Poorly light at night. Gardens poor. Public areas - good and well kept. Rooms - first room did not have working air conditioning and they moved me. - second room safe did not working and they fixed it the next day. Also the frige did not work and was never fixed. Dining - it was spring break in NB and the buffet was busy and line up very long. Poorly staffed. when everyone left on the Sunday it was better - food okay Bea [... read more]ch - was okay but it is a 5 min. walk Pool - good Shade - little shade and everyone was looking for a space with shade around the pool.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Beautiful Resort

We loved this resort and all the staff. Rooms were clean and the view we had was fabulous. Beach was amazing! Our only complaint would be the store was small and didn’t have to much variety. But overall a fantastic resort!

Gran Muthu Imperial: Amazing staff

The resort was clean and absolutely beautiful. Food was tolerable, the staff was outstanding but there was a toilet paper shortage, safe was broken in our room, shower leaked everywhere leaving our bathroom always flooded, and they never brought us new towels

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: It was a well overdue vacation

We enjoyed our well overdue vacation. Certainly the resort had its challenges ie: ran out of eggs, bread, cheese, water for coffee one evening and water pressure was very poor, but the staff were great, sun was shining and the beach was amazing. We benefitted from the Diamond Club upgrade as most things listed above were missing at the buffet the majority of the week. Highly recommend the “Cuban restaurant “ as the a la carte option. If you need an antigen test to come home, get in line  [... read more]early, like 6:30-7:00am. You will still have to wait 2 hours, but at least you don’t loose half your day in line on the last you have at the beach. Do not recommend the “Market” not much happening! And finally but most of all…. If you buy something at Duty Free at the Cayo Coco Airport, ensure they use the proper bag (it has a green circle with a green check mark inside the circle) AND that they put the receipt in the bag before sealing it! We got caught not knowing this and security in Toronto took it away, even though we had never left a secured area and had cleared customs with no issues! (I will also mention we had a connecting flight, no idea if it would have been ok if Toronto was our final destination) Unless you know what to look for, you are simply buying it to hand it over 3.5 hours later! Lousy way to end the week! Overall, we needed to rest, relax and enjoy the sun and that we did do!

Melia Costa Rey: Best around !!

I have been to Cuba 7 times and this was by far my favourite resort ! Yes covid has hurt Cuba but it did not stop them from trying and making sure it was an amazing experience . Specially entertainment team Julia and keyner were amazing , the shows at night were breathtaking. Cuba needs tourists to survive. The food was number one AMAZING. Lobster at A lacarte restaurants and steak were amazing. Beach was amazing No complaints we had an amazing trip no complaints .. yes they need to fix [... read more] some paint and exterior things but that doesn’t bother me. That’s not why we go , also rooms were always perfect .

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Great vacation spot, lovely, warm people

We had a great stay here! it’s a small resort but very new and kept super clean - the beds and pillows are very comfy, and the rooms are giant compared to other resorts, which is actually a nice luxury should you want some time away from the sun. Wifi was available across the entire resort, and we even got a bar of signal on the beach - great if you’d like to stream some beach music Entertainment staff was nice and tried to get the party started, but given the size of the resort and  [... read more]the general demographic, the shows would start at 9:30pm and end by 10:30, so there’s no disco after. Lobby bar open 24/7. Food was really good considering it’s Cuba, and the buffet > a la carte restaurants, but it was nice to get a change of scenery. Beach has the softest white sand and the water is great, and they rake the seaweed on the beach. Honestly, The sea weed is not a big deal IMHO. Service was lovely and the staff was attentive - bring a couple of books and some games and you have a proper vacation ahead of you!

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: Relaxing vacation!

Had a great trip. The room and ocean view were amazing. Food was good with very attentive staff at the buffet. Food was served by the staff which was nice and your hands were sprayed with sanitizer before entering any dining areas. All staff were masked. The grounds were well maintained and well laid out. There were plenty of chairs and palapas on the beach. We didn't use the pools but they were nice. Yenia in customer service was amazing and helped us with all our requests. Every staff mem [... read more]ber was friendly with a ready smile. The animation team always had something on the go. The drinks were great and red or white wine were always available. The only thing missing was tea but the coffee was great of course! The covid antigen test was easy to have done at the hotel.

Iberostar Origin Daiquiri: Daiquiri is like coming home!

Just got back from 10 glorious days of sun, sand, & total relaxation….Although i have been to the Daiquiri many times, this was my first solo trip there, & it was amazing! People are the best here, & treat you like family…. Beach is just as stunning as ever, not at all crowded due to the closed resorts… it was fantastic! Food, as always, was terrific, service impeccable. I had to change my reservation 4 times due to Covid, but it was well worth the wait! Seriously needed to recharge my bat [... read more]teries after 2 years of no travel, & it was highly effective! One thing that repeat travellers should know is that the CUC currency has been made obsolete! Most resorts will take Canadian money, but it’s treated as American! The stores are urging people to use credit cards…. If you have American dollars for tipping, the Cubans appreciate it! Enjoy 😎

Tryp Cayo Coco: Amazing staff

The hotel grounds were beautiful with the gardens, palm and coconut trees. The pathways require some work although walkable they are a safety concern. The food at the Italian, bbq grill and restaurant by ocean and Mediterranean were excellent. The staff go above and beyond to serve you. The ocean is the best beach and sand is amazing. The pools are beautiful and spacious. Plenty of lounge chairs. The rooms have been repainted but be prepared that they are not 5 star motel standards. Free int [... read more]ernet in lobby, buffet, bar, etc. They do not take Cuban pesos. The economy is bad. They want Canadian money or American money. You can tip in coins but they can’t use them so be prepared to exchange coins for bills during your trip. 5 loonies for $5. Covid protocol states that you must wear your mask when within 2.5 meters of others not in your group. In areas serving food as long as you are sitting at your table you don’t have to wear your mask. They serve all your food even at the buffet. When the housekeeping staff clean your room they wear they mask but you are not permitted to be in the room without wearing your mask. This is done for both your and their protection. We did a rapid Covid test the day before leaving. Cost is $25 US. The exchange rate is very high.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Iberostar needs to address supply issues

This hotel is brand new and very nice to look at. Rooms are lovely and the beach is great if you want to walk a long way. However, we encountered significant supply issues while we were there at the end of February. We were told on arrival we couldn't drink the water and yet there was not drinking water provided in the room and this problem persisted throughout our stay. Our room also had a half roll of bathroom tissue and this again was very difficult to get stocked, There were nice dispe [... read more]nsers for soap shampoo etc, but these were empty. Our room was finally stocked properly five days after we arrived (presumably when a shipment came in). I'm all for Iberostar trying to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles and this is a great initiative on their part, however the fact remains that guests do need access to the basics, including clean drinking water and they need to sort out how this will be achieved.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Wonderful all around!

Simply delightful all around. No complaints. Magnificent beach, resort, food and service. Strongly recommend. It’s a resort to relax. The staff were wonderful at all times. It’s all new and in good condition.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Wonderful Getaway!

This brand new, small, adults only hotel (opened Dec. 2021) is beautiful. The whole resort is made up of only 7 buildings containing 18 rooms each. The rooms are modern and spacious, beds are very comfortable and bathrooms are huge with a separate tub and large glass shower. Daily housekeeping was great and our room was always clean. For the difference in price, we recommend booking the ground floor swim up units as you get your own pool chairs and umbrellas while the other l seating and umbrell [... read more]as around the pools can be limited and the sun is very hot in the afternoons. However, the second floor ocean view rooms are also lovely and quieter as they face the back and ocean. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and will only get better as the plants grow and mature. The main buffet has a good variety of food at every meal and the service is always wonderful. There was only one of the three a la carte restaurant operating during our stay, alternating between the a la carte restaurant menus on different nights. This meant that we could only get 1 a la carte reservation during our week stay. Hopefully this will change as things continue to open up. While the food was good, with many options available, and you will never go hungry, do not expect the 5 star food creations you might be used to at resorts in other destinations. The snack bar is open 24/7 and you can get room service from their menu, comprised mostly of Americanized options such as burgers, pizzas and fried chicken. The cigar bar, although nice and staffed with the most wonderful people, did not yet have cigars (due to Covid and licensing delays). We wished this had been clear as we would have brought cigars with us. There is no where to buy cigars close to this resort. The daily/nightly entertainment team is wonderful and will motivate you to participate in dance lessons, bingo and trivia. The massages are well priced and very good, and the benefit with booking a massage is the ability to also stay at the spa for the day and use the jetted tub, sauna and steam room. The spa area can also be booked (free) for a private 2 hour period. The beaches in Cuba are stunning and this one is no exception. Different shades of blue in every direction. There are a good number of beach chairs and palapas available but if the resort is full, you may be stuck without a palapa. There is a beach bar and you can have drinks brought right to your chair. On calm days, they also offer free catamaran rides. The best kept secret of this beach is a small secret beach and lagoon! If you walk to the right, all the way to the end, you will reach the point where the ocean meets a lagoon with sandbars (when low tide). Depending on the tide, you may have to walk and climb on rock and it is imperative to bring foot wear and be solid on your feet in order to get there. The lagoon offers a shallow area where you can see, feed, swim and snorkel with various fish and crabs. We did not attempt to swim to the sandbar as the currents appeared strong and we did not have any life vests and are not the strongest swimmers. Must also keep in mind that this is far from the resort and no ability to get help/warn anyone if anything happens. It is however worth the trek there, even just to view it! We really enjoyed our week at this resort and feel it will only improve the longer they are open. If you are looking for a calm and relaxing vacation, this is a great option. It is a very secluded area and currently the only resort open in that area for the time being (others being built).

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: very nice resort

The hotel is well kept. As people always indicate, its the Cuban people that keep you going back. However, there are little excuses for running out of stuff and hearing, No Vodka for 2 weeks we were there, no gin, no champagne, Everyone I know drinks vodka, everyone at some point. No scotch unless your diamond, really? Our friends stayed at a resort not too far so we met for lunch. There hotel had everything and everything was available to all. Our room was well kept, our cleaning person was [... read more] excellent. Our room worked well, great location and everything worked. The washrooms have an attendant pretty much all day long. They need one as something always goes wrong. My wife had to stand guard at the snack bar woman's washroom as I needed to utilize the restroom. The food is food, the ala carts are good, italian was very good. The buffet food is bland, the meat like leather, but there is some good stuff. Breakfast is breakfast, omelets, toast, fruit and juice. Our servers were fantastic young ladies, 2 weeks builds relationship. Service is good, if your a good tipper you get much better service. Period No getting around that. The front desk is helpful. BE NICE. it goes a long way. The management needs to take better control of organizing this hotel. Our room was ready at noon but we had to fight to get in at 4 o'clock as our luggage was all by itself for 4 hours in the lobby. The greeter told us it will be watched until you check in. Not true, I've travelled enough to know, take your own responsibility. We complained to the Sunwing rep, she listened, wrote everything down but I'm sure it went nowhere. Overall you need to be nice to people they will do whatever you need in response. We filled a carry on with much appreciated medicine, coloring books, crayons, books, stuff for little girls bathroom vanity requirements etc.

Gran Muthu Rainbow Cayo Guillermo: Fabulous second trip to Rainbow

This was our second trip to the Rainbow, and it did not disappoint. The resort was running at about 20-25% capacity which has pros and cons. Lots of elbow room at the pool bar and loungers, but not enough people for the entertainment staff to put on fun activities. As with most Cuban resorts, the friendliness and commitment to service makes the week enjoyable. Drinks were typical, better of course at the lobby bar. We found the way to go was to ask the bartenders to make their favorites and  [... read more]experiment. Lots of fun. The loss of millions in foreign currency due to the pandemic has severely impacted the ability of the resorts to source imported ingredients. This meant the chefs were challenged to be creative with the ingredients available to them. They deserve kudos for turning rice, beans and pork into great dishes. The buffet had less choice than in 2020 , but truly it didn't matter. Always enough to eat and plenty of alternatives. The Covid protocols were obeyed and sensible. I didn't see a single "issue" all week. Covid test for return trip was easy and well managed. The hotel honoured a large group of returning guests (24 of us) one night with champagne and special menu items. This is of course a "gay" resort. Our group was hetero, but we had a blast with our new friends (both staff and guests). I could call out specific staff for excellent service, but really they are all excellent. I am told the general manager treats the staff very well and as a result, the staff have fun serving the guests and it shows. Rooms are great, we went sailing one day, and scuba dived at CocoDiving (a $10 cab ride away). Highly recommended. 4 of the people in our party signed up for massages and swore they were the best they had ever had. We are planning to go back in a month as a couple.

Melia Costa Rey: Amazing

Fifth time to Pullman and loved it as much as the first time. Great staff, great food, wonderful accommodations. Beach is amazing. We were on adult side but if you have children lots for them to do. Games, foam machine and lots of activities. Night club disco . You name it they have it Total R and R.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Family Friendly Resort

Pool area and beach were lovely. Some of the signage around the resort was very tired and dirty, overall public spaces like snack shop and stairs and stairwells could have been cleaner. Buffet was quite disappointing and I was surprised that most people served up their own food where at other resorts staff served the buffet food to guests. Also several guests going to the buffet without masks and only once did I see a staff member ask them to put a mask on.

Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo: Nice Resort

The resort was nice. Rooms were clean and we had a great view of the ocean. For the most part the staff was friendly. We had to constantly ask for water, beer and coffee for our room. Very poor service for something we paid for. Unfortunately our vacation was ruined by having so many locals staying at the resort with their children. The kids took over the pools and the adults took over the restaurants and bars. I will never go again.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Amazing Beach

I was honestly disappointed. I was really excited to go back to Cuba for my 4th time but it wasn’t how I remembered Cuba. I found at the resort you had to literally flag waiters down to order food or to get water at the buffet. The pool guys would take the empty pool chairs and stack them so that you had to ask them for a chair and tip them. I just found the staff completely ignored you. I waited and waited for the internet staff and I ended up giving up because no one even acknowledged us. On [... read more] top of this we had barely any hot water and then only scorching hot water the next day. I normally am not one to complain especially because I knew what to expect but this just felt like we were a bother to the staff. Lastly we purchased a beach excursion that was supposed to be the nicest beach in Cuba and they served you lunch. I had asked before purchasing if chicken was an option (as I do not eat Lobster) the sunwing rep told me that I could for sure swap it for chicken which made me decide to purchase. When we got to the beach it didn’t look any nicer than our beach at the resort and you had to pay $5 per beach chair. When we had to pick what we wanted for lunch chicken was not an option it was either lobster or pork. (Which again I don’t eat) so overall was disappointing. The beach at the resort 100% made up for everything. But next time I will be looking for a resort with more than 1 pool as this one blasted music so loud and talked the entire day. It’s not relaxing at all. We ended up at the beach after lunch everyday.