BeLive Los Cactus on Varadero exceeded our expectations. Lovely beach, pleasant room, lovely staff, Attractive grounds. Plenty to occupy us. All service from Sunwing check in in Toronto to flight home went smoothly.

We have been in this resort some years back. We were quite happy then.. this time we were very disappointed. For any request or just casual service they are slow or simply they don’t do it. Obviously they don’t do anything unless you tip them. That’s very disturbing. We were not happy with the room service, not enough towel and toilet paper! The food was the worse since we went to many resorts in Cuba for 20 years.

staff is friendly and almost every speaks english The grounds are well kept and the property is not big so it is easy to get around. My room was large with a large balcony and had been recently painted with a good air conditioner and tv. No complaints with the food or service The beach is perfect and always chairs available Pool is large ,clean and well maintained. Lots of activities and entertainment. Its a solid 3 star and i would return.

We stayed at Turquesa the be live resort that was 4 star, great value great trip! This resort had good buffet options! service was great and our teavel agent from trip central,Marcela was absolutely great and got us a great last minute deal! thank you!

our family of four enjoyed our stay at Be Live Turquesa over the 2019 - 2020 New Years ring in. The white beach and warm ocean water were great. The staff were friendly and attentive. The buffet had a good selection of food; pork dishes were very good, breads were always fresh. The rooms were functional, always enough hot water for a shower. No health / stomach issues from drinking water or ice in drinks.

If you are looking for a small to mid size resort with a beautiful beach and pool area this is for you. I would rate the resort as modest perfection. The beach is the best I have seen anywhere in the world, white powdery sand, beautiful aqua coloured water, spotlessly clean as far as the eye can see. The pool is large and clean, lots of chairs. You can walk the beach for miles. The food is basic but good. I am not a picky eater so there was always lots of choices and you should never go hungry. Bars are nice with all staff going above and beyond. We had a renovated room which was very nice, walk in shower was a nice bonus. All and all one of the best holidays I have ever had (30+ times to the Caribbean.). Please don’t go expecting a “ brass and marble” fancy resort, the excellent staff and beautiful surroundings make the resort special. You can’t walk to town but cabs are right outside the resort, super cheap. Worked with a Cuban connection to arrange a day trip to Havana. Hamlet Gonzalez Denis, he is on Facebook, set us up with a driver/tour guide who spoke English in a mint 57 Chevy, beyond fantastic. All and all a fantastic holiday! Thank you all, we will be back to Cuba as soon as we can save up some pesos!

The resort is a bit dated but the beach is beautiful! We stayed in room 577 and it was decent, definitely not luxury but it was clean and beds were comfy. The pool area was clean and beautiful also. Lots of options for shade at both the pool and beach. The staff were amazing. Rooms on upper levels seem to be better. We had to change rooms for our last night because our air conditioner broke, we were moved to a room on the lower level in the 400 block and it was disgusting! I felt like I was transported into a third world country, it was covered in bugs and stunk like mould.

This is a great resort! Excellent service, great food and very clean!! Have been going to this Resort for 6 years and would not want to go anywhere else! Thanks to Laura Mulvihill-Spry for her dedication and expertise in providing such impeccable service in making our arrangements!

While this may be an older outdated resort they do keep it very clean. The staff are fantastic at this resort, probably the best I have ever had. They are very hard working and dedicated. They made me feel so welcome, comfortable and at ease the entire week. The Italian restaurant is a must try - it was so delicious and service was impeccable. All good things to say about this place and I would definitely return!

Rooms were very old musty and dirty not maintained. Maid service was very poor, same soiled dirty towels were given back after putting them on the floor to be changed. Rude bartenders in the evening in main lobby bar.

The grounds are beautiful, well kept, and easy to get around. We have been to this small resort four times and love the people there. The rooms are a bit dated, but very clean. The beach is absolutely stunning!

This was our second time at this resort and It was as great the second time. The room was spacious, clean and secure. With a resort this small, it was a quick walk to the beach, pool or restaurants. The staff are all extremely friendly and willing to go the extra mile. If you are looking for a quiet place with a beautiful beach and nice pool to relax at, this is the place for you.

Large, clean, tiled rooms with two double beds. Air conditioning and fridge. The restaurant was very nice, good variety and food cooked at the moment as well as buffet style. Outdoor seating area overlooking the pool. Nightly musical entertainment indoors. Evening entertainment was fabulous! Top ratings! Five stars! Salsa, ballet and aquatic dance shows and music, rock and roll one night and dancing lessons for the guests. The staff were pleasant, smiling and friendly. Most speak several languages. The beach is one of the nicest, cleanest I have seen. Beautiful!

hotel as usual placed me in a very old, damaged room, the next day I moved to a renovated room, this has happened both times I stayed here. The room was not well cleaned. The stairway and halls were very dirty. The walkways are very uneven and the grounds are not very large. The pool is small. Beach is great, but life guards do not pay much attention to people swimming. Food was poor and repetitive. Waiters and waitresses were very good, frinedly I find that the exchange rate is high for quality of hotels, I tip less as Cuba has become quite expensive. All in all I will certainly never return to this hotel.

Hotel was amazing. Everyone was perfect . Rooms,pool, beach were amazing. They make our vacation very good also food was more than good . Service that provide during our trip was perfect as well the parties. People everything was good I suggest for everyone to go there and make their holidays more than awesome The only things that we need that WIFI service in the hotel

Best food we have ever had in Cuba! Best evening entertainment we have ever had in Cuba! Zero sarcasm. It was a great way to spend Christmas as a family. Rooms were functional but a bit tired. Pretty certain our comforter spent it’s previous life as a curtain.

I have been here and they have renovated. I stayed in one of the new rooms-so sparkling and clean. A/C worked great. Resort is clean and staff friendly. I travel alone and always am safe. Beach and pool are the best. Food is Cuba but Maria L makes great omelettes and Dorel and Jenny are great servers! Quick with coffee and refills. Not enough red wine at the bars is my only complaint and remember to bring bug spray for the 'no-see-ems'. I would recommend this resort

this was our 15th visit to this hotel. Staff are extremely friendly and go out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. Food was very good. Rooms are older but clean. Beach was great. Will go back again.

The overall experience was great. The flight was direct which is very convenient. The bus was awaiting for us. The guy on the bus was very pushy for the tips. Then on the way back same guy was offering to exchange local Cucs for Canadian bills back for the 1 to 1 rate which is very expressive. At the hotel you can exchange Canadian dollar to local money for 1 Can to their 68 cents. Sunwing representative was giving better rate 1 to 70 cents. The room was clean but smelled like mold a lot. Conditioner worked well. The TV remote control's batteries were dead so we had to change the volume or channels manually. We were given only shampoo and a shower gel no conditioner If it matters to you ladies bring your own hair conditioner to use here. The toilet was flushing only number ones:-)) Food was average. I am a gluten and dairy intolerant so I was harder for me. The cut veggies were not fresh unfortunately. So I avoided fresh veggies for the whole trip. Ate mostly meat and mango. Mango was the tastiest ever eaten. The beach was amazing. Staff was great as well, not pushy for tips. When received tips they were very grateful. We brought some clothing for the staff to give. They were very grateful. So if you have any clothing that you do not wear anymore or your kids grew out of then bring in to lovely staff. We bought a tour form the Sunwing representative. The tour was good. Dolphins were cute, the catamaran was a lot of fun but while snorkeling we barely saw any fish. The last day our towel was stolen from the pool area so keep an eye on your towels as then you have to pay 15 Cucs which is closer to 20 dollars Can. Oh and we did not see any nasty mosquito or any other bugs in the hotel or anywhere around. So no bites!! The entertainment was an average. I wish there was dancing for the guests. Overall I loved vacation. The price we paid and vacation we had was worth going just be prepared.

In the tradition and the love 💕 of Cuba the people there are always respectful helpful and courteous however the exterior facilities themselves were not cared for from the cobble stone like interlocking stone walkways making rolling a travel bag a wagon ride The food in the common area was average at best but redeemed itself with the Italian restaurant by appointment only served great dishes . The bars ran out of mojetos by 3pm and most vodkas and wines were out short time later WTF Cuba with no Mojitos man The rooms were good and kept clean But if the ocean and beach is your reason for the destination OH Man is it worth the sober ness and sh....y food the beach and clear water made it all worth it in the end just next time going to the hotel next door 🚪 sorry

We have been many times to Turquesa hotel, so much so that we are always treated like family. We had an issue with hit water this trip, took 4 days to get it finally fixed. Also had an issue with our a/c unit thought the course of one day. Completely shut down until the next night when they finally for that running. What can you say.... it's Cuba and all things considered we had another great holiday thanks to all the staff... Isabella, Ronaldo, Pablo, and all the staff... thanks again. Just a note... they are completely renovating numerous rooms on the resort. Have been working on them for several months now, and would expect by November 2018 they should be complete and the resort is to be starting the next section to be upgraded.

I was extremely pleased with the Be Live Turquesa and would not hesitate to return. Actually I have already decided I will be back next April without a doubt. Before booking at this resort, I did a bit of research about it. I fully understood that it was smaller, older resort so I knew what to expect. While it may be a bit outdated, they do seem to be taking steps to make improvements to the rooms. As well, I fully understood the devastation from the hurricane last year and how it affected the area. The Be Live resort was beautiful. Fabulous beach with new palapas, the pool was awesome & very relaxing and the entertainment was fantastic. Food in the buffet was excellent and I was always able to find something to eat. Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to try one of the a la carte restaurants but everyone was raving about how good the Italian restaurant was so I must try it next time. The resort was kept very clean by all the hard working staff and it was the staff that set this resort above and beyond the others I have stayed at in Cuba. They treated me like family! They were all so nice and made me feel so welcome. They made my vacation! I can't wait to see them all again!

This resort,is a no thrills,but clean and tidy place to rest your head for a week.The grounds are lovely, the beach is beautiful. The food is decent, food service is good. The service at hotel front desk is the worst,you can wait up to 15 minutes just to exchange money and that is with the front desk NOT being busy.The motto of the hotel staff is You are on Cuban time.....Don't worry....if you have NO expectations,this resort will be suitable for a week's holiday.

We were very pleasantly surprised by this resort, be it smaller than most that we have been to. The food was fine, the staff were amazing from our cleaning lady Cathy, our bartenders Pablo and Gregorio, and our wonderful servers especially Lisell who stole our hearts from day one. The resort was on the best part of the beach with plenty of room for everyone. It was clean and well maintained and we cannot wait to go back.

I stayed at this hotel 18 yrs ago when it was first built. Unfortunately the rooms and bathrooms have not been kept up to the same high standard that they had then. There are many bathroom repairs that needed doing, plus locks on the balcony door and the bathroom window were broken. The railing on the stair case was wobbly, and part of it missing at the bottom, a safety issue for some people. But on the opposite side, the buffet meals and the snack bar lunches were very good quality compared with some 5 star hotels we have stayed in in Varadero and the entertainment every night was very good and varied There was plenty of live music in the bars, dining rooms and theater. Would I recommend this hotel, yes if you don't pay top price and you know what to expect with the bathrooms (missing tiles, wonky tap, wobbly toilet seat).

Good ambiance, very friendly and so warm surrounding. People are very nice and they treat you with respect. I would definitely do it again. I will tell my friends to visit this resort. the beach and the food are great

great beach, food was good,room not too bad,had a blocked toilet they fixed it in about 45 minutes,,,impressed.. too bad the hurricane damaged the palm trees badly,, all in all great time. no problem getting a lounger on the beach there lots of them. sometimes they would run out of mint leaves, no mohitoes!!!

The staff have done an amazing job of cleaning up after the storm. Hotel being painted, new beach huts etc. Staff VERY friendly and helpful. Food was good....Red Snapper was amazing.....Have been to this hotel 10 times and intend to return.

We stayed in Be Live Experience Turquesa 14 days, from September 27 – October 11, 2017. That was second time in Turquesa. When we arrived we noticed damage in resort: palm trees did not have leaves, big trees in pool area (ficus and others) did not have leaves, buildings damage on the walls and roofs, big damage on the main restaurant (buffet). All three meals were served in restaurant on the beach. Cuban people were working day and night in the Main restaurant. Two days after we arrived, they finish inside work and start to serve all three meals in it. We were very happy with quality of the meal as well as whit variety. Lot of fruits: papayas, oranges, guava, pineapples. Service was excellent, everybody in restaurants, bars, maids and at receptions were very polite and tried to make us happy. When we arrived all umbrellas at the beach was gone. After few days, management put on the beach around 60 new folding plastic umbrellas. That was very good job. Big waves move sand from the ocean on the shore, so now is the longer way to walk to reach the water and longer shallow water to reach deeper water to swim. That is no big deal, I just notice changes. We share opinion other people in Turquesa than Management of the Hotel together with all employees did very good job and made successful recover Turquesa after hurricane Irma. We (three couples) look forward to come back and enjoy in the Be Live Turquesa again in the future. Hopefully next year.

Just returned from Be Live Turguesa and was really impressed with this resort, although smaller in size, has everything you need. The rooms are large, never ran out of hot water and the food was good. You may go for the amazing beach but don't overlook the pool. Large in size and 5' deep, a roped off section for smaller children. The down side,chair hogs, limited activities and money exchange. As a Canadian 100. got us 69. cuc. Don't be concerned with the recent hurricane, the resorts are fully functional and the properties free of any debris. The Cuban people have worked really hard to restore any damage they may have encountered in an effort to offer you the best possible vacation experience.

Rooms needs to be upgraded other vice a very nice and clean hotel, stuff is nice and helpful, beach is clean. Mexican and Italian restaurant enjoyable. Nightly entertainment always good. I would return to this hotel.

The grounds were easy to navigate and clean.The rooms were comfortable and clean.The bidet was a nice touch.There was a small unstocked mini fridge which was handy for storing water and drinks for the evening.

Nothing fancy but the staff are the best. Food is good and the resort is starting to be fixed up. Great place to relax for a week. A smaller resort has the family feel to it. Best beach in the Caribbean.

The rooms were outdated but clean. Large sized, intimate little town rooms. Restaurants were limited Buffet good quality and tasty Overall impressed with Buffet. Intimate community, ideal for a quiet getaway. Not the resort for you if you are seeking amenities. There are small token amenities available.

Our stay here was very pleasant. The staff were very friendly and made you feel like part of the Turquesa family! Daimel, Raymundo and Dan were so lovely and welcoming. They were always there to ensure your safety and to make sure you were having a good time. That being said, there is some favouritism that happens at this resort (and I am sure at many other resorts in a tip based economy). Servers at the buffet would claim the section was "full" and save it for the best tippers. In relation to tips, there is a very short supply of small curerncy in Cuba. It was explained that this is actually due to the banks not having enough of it in circulation, but it does make it very hard to tip when all you have is 5 and 10 CUC bills. The resort would run out of small change very early on or not have any at all. It is reccomended to exchange larger bills for small tips with the wait staff when possible. The house keeping service was really lovely. We always had clean linens and towels, as well as really cute towel and blanket art daily! Unfortunately, we came home with some bites and are unsure if it was bed bugs or sand fleas or mosquitos, so maybe something to look into more when you get there. Just double check your sheets. To be honest, it was probably nothing but what can you do. Upon your stay, they provide you with one large bottle of water in your room, but that is it for your stay. Luckily, you can ask any bar or buffet to fill it up with filtered water- we did not have any problem with this at all. The water they give you is safe. The food was actually really really tasty! I have stayed in Cuba twice before where the food was really bland but this food was soooo good and falvourful. The restaurants were pretty good too. In terms of the restaurants, I would reccomend the Italian and Cuban, the Mexican wasn't too bad but not my favourite. You need to book these the morning of the day you want to go. Get there right at 10 am! Books up fast. The outlets here are all 220v (aka European) so bring a converter, but don't bring your hair dryer or straightener because it will blow them out! (Frizzy hair will have to do). They do have a blow dryer in the bathroom though. The alcohol was pretty good and they are very generous will how much they pour. They do not have diet soda but sell it in cans at the store on site. The beach is beautiful, clean and really well maintained. The water was so clear! The chairs at the beach are pretty uncomfortable though, and some are broken. But the view, the sand and the water make up for it. The pool is quite nice, but I didn't spend any time there as the beach was gorgeous. Very well maintained pool. The entertainment was very impressive and interactive! You could also win bottles of rum at almost every show or activity. There is no club or discotheque at the resort, but there are some near by that you can taxi to. There is mostly an older crowd- families or older adults. This is definitely not a party resort. Most people are in bed by 11:30 or midnight. But there are always people willing to go out if you make the right friends. The resort is small and everything is really easy and close to get to which is a major plus. Its cozy and relaxing. The mens bathrooms in the common areas for the most part dont have toilet seats, so men, poop in your rooms before you leave! Womens bathrooms mostly do have seats. Never a shortage of toilet paper. Over all, really great experience!

The rooms were clean and the staff friendly although I had heard of some people having issues because perhaps not an acute understanding of the urgency of their situation. (A relative had passed and getting help, accessing outside phone lines etc., was not easy for them and they ended up being helped by other guests). The food was not amazing but it is what we expected. Good weather, great beach, friendly staff and entertainment. It met all of our expectations. Note: Your bathroom shower window has a frosted covering over it. It has been placed on the wrong side of the pane of glass on all rooms. From the grounds looking into a bathroom you can see very distinct silhouettes of whomever is in the shower. Put a towel up!!!

The Turquesa is an older resort however they are undertaking a major upgrade at the end of May to November 2017. The room was a little time worn but very clean. The grounds are very well kept. We didn't spend much time by the pool but it appeared to be well kept & clean. The beach was beautiful, clean and pretty much stone free. The food was adequate, plentiful with enough choice to suit every taste. The staff were fantastic. they tried to anticipate your needs and invariably met them. Will definitely return.

Be Live Turquesa was such a welcoming atmosphere even though some of the staff hardly understood us. The resort is very well maintained and the food was very good as well. My Mom and I had gone for the Beach...and it was amazing! White sand one the beach and in the turquoise water; on the windy days it was like swimming within a wave pool. We had a blast. The staff at all the restaurants were amazing and we were given some gifts...plus the maid was wonderful and creative with her decor. We would recommend this resort to anyone looking to go to Veradero.

Our short stay at Be Live Turquesa was a pleasant surprise. The beach was amazing and the beach staff very helpful. A number of different events such as volleyball, aquafit ran throughout the day at the beach. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We had a delicious dinner at the Italian restaurant. The room was clean and the staff kept it serviced daily. A great place to go

The grounds were nice, pool was a good size that would work for families or anyone else. The beach, as in all of Varadero, was excellent. Food in the buffet was better than anywhere else we have been in Cuba but that is just OK (except for the Italian A La Carte restaurant which was really good). The service was friendly throughout the resort The room itself was better than most: clean, spacious, fairly updated and comfortable beds. I am pretty happy we ended up here compared to other resorts I have seen. If you do not like it here you had better pony up for a clear 5 star or more.

This was a smaller resort than we've stayed at in the past which meant less selection in terms of food and less nightlife, both of which we were fine with. Rooms were basic but clean, and air conditioner worked fine. Safes cost extra - 2 CUC per day, which is the first time we've seen this. One thing we would have liked to have known in advance is that the only place to change money is at the front desk and it's cash only. We weren't prepared with enough Canadian cash, as all other Cuban resorts we've stayed at had a regular bank with the ability to use credit or debit cards to change money. We had to go to a mall 3km down the road to change money.

This was our second time to this resort, the first being 2 years ago so there were no surprises. The good; The beach is as good as it gets in Varadero, 5 stars here. The food is typical Cuban. Plenty of it and very short wait time for food cooked on the spot. Staff were friendly after you got to know them but they didn't go out of their way. The rooms were clean and once we talked to the maid things got even better. The resort is small( which is what we like) from the entrance at the lobby to the beach was under a 4 minute walk or less than 400 meters. I think there are about 240 rooms. The pool is ok about the size you would expect on a small resort. The bad; The resort is small and old. It's seen better days. They are doing up grades like new pavers around the pool and entertainment areas and while we were there they were replacing all the TV's The food is typical Cuban, bland and usually not very hot. The bars were constantly out of "stuff" I.e. The lobby bar, "Le Mojito" could not make Mojitos must evenings because the were out of mint. For some reason that I don't get. They don't pay attention to the little details. I could give numerous examples but one small one... They usually didn't but the lights on on the long halls on the back of our building (#4 near the lobby) so we were constantly walking to our room and entering in the dark. I could go on but this is a 3 star so you get what you pay for. I'd go back. The beach is fantastic, you can get anywhere in a few minutes, the food is ok. We didn't need 6 or 22 a la carte's. The beer was cold and free. And the rooms were clean but tired.

The most memorable part of this resort was the staff. They were very warm, sincere, hard working and anxious to make my vacation as good as it could be. The grounds were impeccably maintained. We experienced some strong winds and rain one day, but within 24 hours all the fallen leaves were raked up and the place was spotless again. Rooms were clean and the A/C and plumbing all worked as it should. The food was good but certainly not gourmet. There was enough variety that you could always find things that appealed to you. The beach and pool were both fabulous. Entertainment was very good as well, with several talented live bands performing genuine Cuban music. I'd recommend Terquesa to anyone.

The resort and their staff were amazing. Cleaning lady was very impressive and the food was delicious! Looking forward to going there again ! The $5 bus tour was worth the experience. Also Havana is a must is when visiting Cuba. Its such a beautiful place, however, avoid people selling cigars independently on the streets, they take you in an excluded location and to me that's very sketchy! Other then that it's a beautiful place to go on a vacation.

The staff at this resort is what makes it a great place to stay. It is a smaller resort, only room for 400 people. Great choices of food, main restaurant, or italian, cuban, or mexican. Get to make new friends all the time. They are building a gazebo for wedding at the pool. I have stayed here 3 times and would go back again.

Food and beach was absolutely amazing. Aesthetics and upkeep could use a little work. We had a leaking air conditioner in our room that finally was fixed on the last day we left. Pool did not look absolutely clean or maintained. A section of the pool did not have water in it and appeared abandoned. There were other areas that looked liked they had been working previously but were abandoned.Upkeep of property definately could use some TLC.

This resort has sooo much potential to be 5 star but they seem happy to stay 4 star. The front desk reps need to be retrained in customer service - a simple smile and pleasant demeanor goes a long way. My major disappontment is with the food - having a good meal was 'hit-and-miss' but mostly 'miss'. I did my research and knew that Cuban food was pretty bland but it was the food prep, handling & hygiene that was appalling: no fly traps to get rid of flies when there is open food for extended periods of time in buffet hall, soppy and soogy food items that are brought out at every meal just to get rid of it, scales left on fish fillets...

The resort was okay overall. clean rooms, hot water, working air-conditioning and the food was good however the selection was very limited. The resort lacked in the service area. Front desk process was extremely slow and staff not overly friendly with the exception of a very few. Beach was excellent, pool area was a little run down. I would recommend this resort for people travelling on a budget who are used to basic accommodations.

The beach and sea are perfect. You can eat good here (good for Cuba conditions), draft beer is perfect, local wine are poor, bars are OK. Hotel rooms are old but passable, the only important irritant was the low constant noise from air conditioning. Evening shows are very simple, not as seen in other Be Live hotels.

Excellent resort, food was great, service excellent, accommodation very comfortable. Would go back again and again. Loved it! Recommend travellers take small gifts to the staff, they are very grateful.

Very nice quiet resort. Not a party resort more older couples. Not many kids but weekends they rent rooms to the locals and cuban study week we were invaded by very many young cubans. I would recommend going but not on their study break!

4 days ago. Great resort old but clean. Friendly staff just like family. Will be returning. clean room but not fancy. love the staff there are always happy to help with no expectation. We were there for 10 days and will return. A nice place to relax. Good food and plenty. We never had to wait at the buffet. The À la carte restaurant (there is three) but our favorite was the Mexica (+++ for the waitress). Lesaro super for anythings at the reception. The beach is fabulous and always enough chairs and shade. No problem to reserve a spot for a few pesos. thanks again to the staff for a great vacation hola

We have travelled regularly to tropical destinations in the last years staying in 5 stars rated resorts to more modest ones. Where we were happily surprised with the Be live Turquesa was the amount of return clients we encountered during our stay, some of them for the 7th time... After a few days we understood why.... The resort itself is modest in size, the rooms dated but clean and freshly painted. You will not find smoke salmon and shrimp cocktails at the buffet restaurant but the difference is in the service and wonderful friendly attitude from the staff of all levels. We never had to wait in line at the restaurant where your meat or omelets will be cooked to your specifications, and the variety of food is surprisingly very impressive. The bartenders remember what you drink and the staff remember you after the first day. The beach is absolutely fantastic, and there is always plenty of clean chairs in a shady area if the sun is too much for you. The pool is refreshing and the entertainment is tasteful and professional. You are at a close distance of Varadero where you can do some shopping or easily take a day tour to Havana safely. We highly recommend this place and take this opportunity to thank the wonderful persons we met there Ola Lasaro, Maria Louisa and Yony(life guard).

My wife and I spent 1 week from March 5th to 12th. This was our 2nd visit as we were here the previous year 2014. The resort has been totally renovated since our last visit. We enjoyed the improved dining experience as there are many more a-la cart restaurants with great food! The sushi bar was another hi-lite as we often didn't feel like a big lunch and would have a fresh assorted sushi plate with a few tall cold beers while overlooking the sea. Service was amazing and the grounds well kept. All the rooms have been updated and had jacuzzis on the balconies. There are no beach towel restrictions so guests took as many as they wanted. This caused problems since some people would place towels in the beach palapas and on sun beds around the pool. This made it difficult to find a free palapa unless you were diligent and hit the beach before 7 AM most mornings.This towel game although is common in many resorts. We were very impressed with all the changes from last year. It appears a lot of thought was put into the design of everything from walkways,restaurants and rooms to the great service by the staff. My wife and I will definitely consider returning next year as long as the prices don't jump dramatically now that this resort has been upgraded to a 5 star.

We just returned from our 3rd visit to this fantastic adults only resort. We love the Melia Cayo Coco because of the staff. They welcome you as if you were family. From year to year, they recognize your face and are so happy to see you again. The food at the Melia Cayo Coco is outstanding. The chefs take pride in cooking the food to your liking and are always replenishing the trays with fresh food. The beach has beautiful white sand and you can walk for miles. The Animation staff offer activities throughout the day. You can do Patank (Bocci ball), dancing lessons, painting lessons, crafts, archery, rifle shooting, bingo, aqua aerobics, volley ball and various other games. You'll hear Pepe yelling out "cocoooooonuts" every day. The Animation staff put a lot of hard work in the run of a day. The lobby is a great place to hang out before and after your supper. There's nightly entertainment at 9:30 and there's a disco that opens at 11:30. We like to hang out at the Billiards bar. Silva is the best bartender ever! We're looking forward to our 4th trip next year. Go…you won't be disappointed.

I echo my companion's comments....m.cole. This was my first trip to Cuba and was looking forward to my trip. Unfortunately, this resort certainly was not a four-star, given the price we had paid. In addition to my friend's comments, I would like to add ..at new year's they ran out if champagne; ran out of real glasses to serve drinks, etc. I did enjoy my massage and some of staff. Many of the bar staff seemed overworked and unhappy. My highlight was my trip to Havana, old town of veradero and the lovely people we met at the resort.

I will be candid, as I have been in the past. It will be a reflection of my experience – good and not so good. I love Cuba and the Cuban people. We stayed at this property from Dec 27th to Jan 3rd. I have been to Cuba several times and do not expect a lot. In fact, I was in Varadero in April, 2014. There were more complaints at this property than you can ever imagine. I thought if I paid a bit more than the last time and went up a “star” it may be OK. We paid $1,700.00 each with Air Transat. It was a total waste of money and we were made to feel like they were doing us a favour. This vacation was more stress than I needed at the end of the year, when one is tired and simply wants pay and let someone else do everything for you. Not so at Turquesa. I spent over $100.00 on tips, so that was not the problem. We arrived at Be Live tired and hungry after a late afternoon flight out of Hamilton. By the time we showed passports, paid $14.00 for a safety deposit box, etc., and get shown to our room in the dark, it is now around 9:00 p.m. We asked for a second floor room and were told there were none left. We were shuffled off to a room in the 5th block, entrance under a stairwell. When they opened the door, we took one look at the place, which had cracked walls, was dark, dingy, a cot made up for God knows whom (obviously not for us), we simply walked out. I asked to be moved to another hotel, as this was certainly not worth $1,700.00. Of course you are told there is no space anywhere as all the hotels are booked solid (smile). We were then shown to a second floor room (one suddenly became available). This room was a lot better. We dropped our stuff off and just needed a drink or some form of nourishment by this time, and went to the front desk to find out where the restaurant was. We were told it was closed. We asked where we could grab a bite to eat and they said nowhere (we had been travelling for 9 hours by this point), and I said that was impossible. Apparently, we had to wait an hour for the snack bar to open. I said that was unacceptable and that, surely on a resort of this size, there has to be a kitchen somewhere to get a coffee and some bread for a toast or something… Because I was not going to move, they then arranged for someone to make us up a plate of food = some stale fruit and a sandwich (as a special favour). We then went back to our 2nd room (#126) to find that there was no soap to wash our hands and no hot water. I went to phone the front desk to ask for assistance and the phone did not work. So I walked down the stairs (now pitch black as there were no lights on the stairs) to the front desk again to ask them to do something about the water. At this point I thought there was no hot water in the hotel, but others told me they had hot water. There was no bottled water to drink. I was too tired to walk back to the reception again, so went to bed exhausted. In the morning we tried to put our money and passports away, but the safety deposit box did not work (I’m familiar with all types of locks). The toilet did not flush properly. The bathroom window latch was broken and could not close, resulting in mosquitoes coming in when you put the lights on. The bathroom door could not close at all. Mold on the curtains. Balcony door does not lock (which is why I wanted a top floor). We were in a rush as it was Sunday and we had planned on going into town for Sunday Church and, because the safe did not work, had to carry all our money, etc. into town with us. We came back around noon and I asked for another room where things worked and I also asked the front desk to give me my $14.00 back as the safe did not work and likely would never work. They were not equipped to do this, as I gathered, because they are not equipped to giving money back. I got my money back. They were then very hospitable and showed me two other rooms. One right behind the Italian restaurant toilets and near the nightclub - lower level, and the other one upstairs. The only thing I wanted at this point was a shower – I checked the hot water and there was none. Why bother moving all our stuff again so I went back to the front desk and asked if they could simply FIX some of the stuff in our room - at least the phone in case of an emergency. Day 3 still no hot water, phone, etc. I finally met with Michelle, our Air Transat representative, and shared some thoughts on the standard of care and how they misrepresent their properties to us in Canada. This was certainly not a 4 star or a 3 star when nothing worked and we had not had a shower yet. She was very apologetic. I have to say that they have a very good representative in her. She apologized on behalf of AT and asked what they could do for us. I said give us back 3 days of our time. She did stir up some waters and, amazingly, the water was fixed, we got a bottle of drinking water, soap, shampoo/conditioner. Yamile, from the front desk, came over personally and fixed the safe (with the proper lock) and brought another phone that worked. I asked for a bulb so that I could climb up and change the light outside before one of us fell down the stairs and broke a leg, and that too was fixed. Finally on day 3 we got to shower. Malika, the customer service manager(?) from the hotel asked to speak to us and took down notes of all the things that did not work and also apologized on behalf of the hotel and asked what they could do for us. I explained to her that we, in Canada, like her, also work full time and save to go away for one week of vacation. When 3 days go with fighting for basic necessities, how can you give us the time back. I told her how much we paid and she seemed shocked. We did not see the beach till the 3rd day because we had to be in the room getting it fixed. She was a very sweet girl, and, frankly, I felt sorry for her. I would not like that job. She said that the hotel would like to offer us a late check-out, seeing as we would be leaving around 4:00 p.m. and did not have to wait in the lobby. Michelle from Air Transat also let us know that a late check-out was arranged for us (at no extra cost) because of all the disruption. We had to simply activate our room key on the morning of departure. Michelle also offered me 25 pesos from Air Transat towards any AT stuff. I told her not to insult me and to give it back to her boss for a coffee. Dec 30th we were awoken in the middle of the night by loud voices and a man shouting in Spanish on a walkie talkie and someone responding right outside our door. A man and a woman shouting and a lot of confusion. Of course we did not dare open the door. I asked the front desk what the trouble was outside our unit the next day and she said nothing. I said I would like to know what was going on and she called the head of security and he said he was not aware of anything. To which I responded that I was letting them know there was trouble outside our unit that night. They were not in the least bit concerned. On the day of our departure (smile) I went to re-activate our room key and was told that there would be a charge. I said No, we had a free extension. Of course they did not believe me (I was apparently lying) and called the front desk manager (who comes around from the back with authority) she said: No, check out is 2:00 p.m. so it was a fight again… this constant begging was way beyond my ability. We got to the lobby around 3:00 p.m. (as we got a call from the front desk), why prolong it. Michelle from Air Transat advised that the bus was on its way from the hotel up the road and was running a bit late. No problem. We had asked for a bell boy to get our suitcases and he locked them in the luggage room. Well, the bus arrived and we could not find the bell boy (who is the only one who has a key to this room) - UNBELIEVABLE. The bus operator comes into the lobby and advises my “senior” travelling companion (who had never been to Cuba before and was sooooo longing to go there and see Havana) that the bus would not wait for us. This unnerved her and put her into a panic, as she thought we would miss our plane if we did not get on the bus. At this point I could not find our AT Rep. and went to the Can Jet Rep. and the other local Tour operator and told them our predicament. They said the bus will not leave without us and I asked them to go and deal with the diva on the bus, which they very kindly did on our behalf in Spanish. The entire front desk was in full view of this, but not one of them moved to go and find the bell boy. Fifteen minutes later he shows up and the bus driver was now hopping and the diva equally not happy. GOD HELP ME!!!! Get us out of this place. We tried to get some pesos for tipping and were told they did not have any. Not true - as we saw them put a stack of pesos away. I see from previous reviews that a manager, Filip Hofman, has come forward to respond. It is unfortunate that these people are nowhere to be found when they are needed. They simply send their staff to face the music and hide behind the curtain. This is not the way to run a business. Especially when you have such competition within walking distance. Where are the owners of this place. They need to greet their clients with open arms and ensure that rooms are fit to live in (I am sure theirs are) and should train their staff accordingly to manage a hotel. Guests should not have to fight for each and every little thing upon arrival and stay. Miraculously everything worked after we screamed, which leads me to believe that it is possible - so why make tourist go to those lengths when they should have everything working, ready and checked, prior to arrival, especially at their busiest time… Owners/Mangers please note that you are not doing us a favour – we pay to come there, which means we are entitled to food on our arrival and should not have to beg for it. Note: there is no regular tea in this hotel at all (I had taken my own – but not enough for a whole week). I t

grounds and rooms were decent and clean but the service was poor , both at the bars and at the front desk. the companion plus club was not acknowledged. Bars constantly ran out of wine or mixes. the food was fairly good.

I have never Been to Cuba before and I chose a 4 star because I didn't want a substandard place to stay. That idea went out the window when I got to the room. Shower hardly worked, room looked like it needed cosmetic work. I'm not going back to that hotel ever.