Was not happy when one of your workers stole my phone .A lady told me she seen him pick up my phone and I went to him and he said no way and the service dest did not help either.The bugs were awlful..no hot water.No internet the second week..I Was not happy to walk the to the top floor every day when I have bad hips . That all I have to say about my 2 weeks stay

This was our second (and long overdue!) visit to the Colonial after several years. We love this place! Our room was lovely, spacious and clean with plenty of room for 3 beds. The air conditioning worked well, and there was plenty of warm water available in the large 4 piece bathroom. The food was adequate, with a few shortages (as we had expected). What was available was tasty and well prepared, and the a la Cartes were excellent!The staff were very pleasant, friendly, courteous and hard working.The entertainment was excellent, with some very talented young performers.There were some renovations in progress, and the salt water pool was closed, but the beach was absolutely gorgeous, and the fresh water pool was clean and well maintained. The gardens were well maintained and very pretty. We had a wonderful week!

The staff is very nice. We took vip ocean front. The view is amazing. Food was good but repetitive and from one day to the next not sure what you are getting. The vip is not like other places, you need to ask for stuff and reserve your restaurant every day. We had a special supper for vip and returning guests, very good and nice. The à la carte supper are limited and twice it was the same restaurant. Only 1 à la carte per night and only 50 people. We got a lobster supper the last night, good. My room was nice and clean for a older resort. You need the adapter for the plug in. We had hot water except for a few hours the first day, Good resort, but wine is there when they have it and same thing with different food. You won’t go hungry, it tasted good but not a big variety in Cuba right now

Best Resort in Cayo Coco and is also its best-kept secret. Built in the exquisite Colonial style, it was the first Resort on the Jardins Del Rey Islands to open this beautiful natural preserve as the tourist destination in 1993 by Fidel Castro himself. Much love and attention given to every detail, every wrought iron bench and lantern is a hand-made piece of art that you would not find in modern hotels. With its terracotta roofs, cobble stone streets, piazzas, canal-resembling pools and bridges, Colonial has a feel of a quaint Spanish town from back in time and we hope one day it will be fully restored to its former glory. Colonial spreads over the nicest and longest stretch of the powder-like white sand and shallow beach in Cayo Coco. This beach is shared with only one other resort. Colonial has many beautiful pools, including a salt water pool and a rather large shallow pool for the little kids. Colonial has a leisurely feel, spacious and abundant, and you never have to reserve a lounge chair on the beach or by the pool, or wait in line at the buffet. Cuban People are very beautiful, warm and welcoming! World class shows every night with the house band and dancers, professional lighting and sounds. If you have a chance, see the Michael Jackson Show! Mini disco for kids at 8:30 pm. Great Entertainment Team is always coming up with interesting games and the best Salsa lessons I’ve ever had. Beach Party with bonfire. There is beach volleyball as well as volleyball net in the pool, tennis, ping pong, soccer, basketball. In my ninth time in Cuba, this Resort had the best food: fresh tropical fruits, vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, salads, selection of meats grilled in front of you – chicken, beef, pork, also teriyaki style and, of course, plenty of fish! Our compliments to the Pastry Chef for the fine selection of desserts and ice cream. Try the best fries in the world at the 24-hours snack bar and right next to it, made to order hot churros! à la carte Restaurants and many bars open: Lobby Bar, Beach Bar, 2 Pool Bars, Snack Bar and even Piano Bar. As a bonus, Colonial is the nearest Resort to the Airport – only 15 min away, so you don’t have to spend over an hour on the bus going to and from the airport, and also when picked up and dropped off from the excursions. We really recommend the catamaran Sun Cruise for the coral reef snorkeling, then a shallow sand bar in the ocean and the delphinarium. There is a shopping mall 15 min walk or $5 taxi ride. Playa Pillar is 1.5 hrs. away by Tour bus (departs from Playa Pilar at 1:45, 2:45 and 5 pm). Nice lobster shack there. Come to the Colonial for the authenticity and beautiful colonial architecture, wonderful Cuban People, who take so much pride in their country and want to share it with the World, long walks on the beach, birdwatching - pelicans, seagulls, flamingoes, storks, among many other species, peace and quiet, and safety, as Cuba is the safest country by far compared to its neighbours. It’s not surprise that there are many repeat customers, with some people we’ve met coming back to Colonial for their 7th year. We too would love to come back! Please note, all the People working at the Resorts live in the nearest towns 120 Km away. Every day they take a rough 2-hour bus ride each way to come to the Resort (people serving you dinner would be home at 2 am). They all work 6 days a week. That’s why I try to tip them every chance I get. You can tip in Canadian Dollars (loonies and twonies too) as well as USD and EURO. Most of the People working at the Resort we talked to have small children and would appreciates gifts for kids – colour pencils, clothes, toys, etc. PS I would disregard older low rated reviews since Colonial had recently changed owners and undergone renovations. That's why if you are also reading the reviews on the Trip Advisor, look for MGM Muthu Colonial Cayo Coco.

We had amazing time, food excellent, staff amazing there to help. No water issues, its, beautiful Historical looking building not like others on Cayo coco , beaches are beautiful! I have been there a few times and the improvements are showing! Super place !

Love the atmosphere of this resort. Will return in the future for sure!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤is it 200 yet? Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

hotel should be refurbished .Stairs in main lobby filthy with dust. No hot or cold water in main complex for 4 days out of 7.No coffee in cafe(no water) 2 days no black tea. Toilets in rooms and public places would not flush(no water). air in room not working 3 days out of 7. Buffet-no butter at all no jam no peanut butter for toast. No bacon or sausages no milk, just powdered sometimes. Been hear 3 times, never again. Also came home jan24/2023 tested positive for covid

What is written in the annotation of the hotel does not correspond to reality. More than three-quarters of the hotel is closed. Strange as it may seem, the best part doesn't work. The administration explains this as the consequences of the 2019 hurricane, but I would say this is a consequence of the work of the hotel staff. We met at night, and settled in a room where everything connected with electricity did not work, air conditioning, TV, safe, etc. The water was a thin stream and only cold. After a long fight with the staff, they settled in a more or less normal room, but with constantly leaking taps that created puddles in the room, but it was already tolerable. Food - as usual in Cuba. The beach is good, but dirty, for some reason the garbage is not cleaned very well.

We spend 2 weeks beginning January this year and we were very pleased with our choice. Good services at all levels : reception, housekeeping, restaurants, bars, beach. Staff is attentive excellent client service and client oriented. We loved the Cuban party on Friday. Many thanks to Public relations staff how make sure every day that all is working well. We were impressed with the high manager how is very present every were Will definitely be back Danielle

THE GOOD: The beach is beautiful. There are little wood huts for a bit of shade. The resort is only about 10 min drive from the airport. They make delicious bread for breakfast and dinner. As always, the staff were generally friendly and seemed to be trying their best. THE BAD: 1. The food. This was my 5th trip to Cuba, my husband's 10th and our 3rd visit to Cayo Coco. My husband stayed in the Colonial about 20 years ago and he enjoyed his stay. We know what to expect from Cuba with regard to food, so our expectations were moderate. The Colonial has sunk to a new low. The cooks do not have an understanding of food safety. We were served chicken that was dangerously under-cooked on more than one occasion. Even rice and pasta were under-cooked and much of the fruit they served was under-ripe. Everything else was over-cooked and too dry to swallow, or not heated thoroughly. The only thing we could stomach was salad (made with cabbage because there was no lettuce until our last day), bread and cheese. That gets REALLY old after 7 days. 2. Coffee. I don't drink alcohol, and I like to drink coffee throughout the day and evening. You can only get coffee at breakfast time, from 7:30 to 10 a.m. After 10 there is espresso in the bar but it is so strong, dusty and bitter it hurt my mouth after the second day. 3. Shortages The bars run out of everything but rum early in the day. You can occasionally get juice but unless you like rum and coke or orange Fanta, you're out of luck. 4. LOUD music in the dining room at dinner time. They bring an amplifier and microphone into the dining hall at dinner time, and a singer screams off-key songs at high volume while walking from table table while people are trying to eat. 5. Sanitation. Most days there was no hand soap in the public bathrooms, there was never anything to use for drying your hands, and no toilet seats in the men's facilities. THE UGLY: 1. Bugs. Our first room was infested with mosquitoes that got in through massive gaps in the window and door frames. We were badly bitten throughout the evening and night. There were also red ants that crawled all over our beds and bit us while we slept. We complained and were moved to a room that was a little farther away from the river that runs around the resort (and is the likely source of the mosquitoes) where there were fewer mosquitoes but many more ants. My husband has more than100 bites and is now on high dose steroids and antihistamines for the next 20 days. 2. The beds: like sleeping on concrete. 3. This is the most disturbing part. The resort management knows that there is a mosquito infestation in the perimeter rooms, but still puts people in those rooms. The manager went so far as to explain to us that the perimeter rooms have mosquito problems while he was moving us to a building farther away from the "moat". Many other guests had welts from bites all over their bodies and one woman told us she needed to see a doctor for antibiotics. At the end of our stay, we were first on the bus that picked up people from 3 other resorts nearby. None of those guests had apparent bites, and most of them said they enjoyed their vacations. We suspect that their resorts sprayed for bugs and the Colonial did not.

Hotel colonial was a great stay in my opinion. Very relaxing and serene in atmosphere. Building and rooms are quite old and need some updates and improvement. The staff were great. They all worked really hard to make our stay more comforting fun. Especially their entertainment crew. Thank you Elvis, Dayanny, Balma Jr. and the rest of team Colonial cayo coco for the great vacation.

The resort is quite nice, although very rundown, they try their best to maintain it but simply do not have enough man power to do so. The food is not good at all. The bartenders and servers are very nice, the event staff are amazing super friendly and are the main reason why we had fun on our trip. The room itself was very bad as we got bedbug bites and the sheets were always dirty even when getting “clean ones” with constant brown stains. With more help and materials this could be a 5 star resort. And there needs to be a grocery store or something where we can choose our food we want and get snacks. Burger and fries is simply not a “snack”.

For the money that we spent, we were not happy. If it was under $800, I would say it was acceptable. We checked in two days late because of the flight delayed. By this time the room was not quite ready. The fridge was empty. The main door and window was hard to lock. I felt unsafe to leave our belonging unattended. Checked in was horrible. The hotel receptionist was struggling. He seemed confused. It was almost like our reservations were cancelled because of our late arrival. We had to leave our passports with him for 2 hours for him to check us in. He said the system was down, but I believed something else went wrong…

ADMINISTRATION REACTED VERY QUICLY FOR ANY PROBLEM WERE FOUND STUFF VERY FRIENDLY ESPETIALY CHIF COOK, NIDIA ,LIA ,BAR IN FRONT OFFICE WORKING EXELENT .WE SAW THEY LIKE CANADIANS VERY MUCH MORE THEN RUSSIANS Canadians understand that it is poor people and always gave tips .What need to be changed i believe to return how it was some years ago to make lunch inside the restoran not on barbecue because in 2 weeks we were tired to eat the same food on lunch and as I was a medical doctor when food outside flies around meet and many peoples waiting sometimes could be not ready and result intestinas infections!

Pleasant staff. Beautiful stay. It's a bit older and ot as modern as some. But it was clean and lots to do. The staff were nice and easy to deal with. Front desk was great and always able to help us with anything we needed. We are a family of 5. Our kids had a great time.

Good Afternoon Karol: Let me first start off by saying that my wife and I enjoyed our vacation ( a vacation is what one makes the best of it , regardless ) inlight of the many issues / concerns listed here, and thus it is obvious that Canadian Travel Companies including tripcentral are out of touch with what is really happening We booked at the Colonial Resort in Cayo Coco; however the travel company changed it to the El Mojito Resort ( apparently at 3.5 to 4 star Rating. During our walkon the beach, we found out that the Colonial has been closed for a couple of months, yet it is still offered. El Mojito did not provide the type of room per our reservation ( balcony ) . This did get sorted out at extant cost to us. The El Mojito clientele is made up of about 85% local Cubas and 15% International, with only about 30 percent of the facility open. The El Mojito has serious food shortages of all types, including bread, butter, (attached photos show typical available foods throughout our stay. We have been all over Cuba about 30 times over a 25 years period and can say without exaggeration the food issue here was the second worst. The rating for the Mojito should be closer to 2.5 Star. Sometimes there was no wheat flour for bread or pizzas. Breakfasts typically included beans, mashed potatoes, watery scrambled eggs, hardboiled eggs, cabbage. Usually there were two omelette stations with excessively long lines. Bread and butter were virtually always unavailable as many Cubanans " Hoarded the Bread & Butter '' ( many individuals piled stacks of bread & butter ( each person would have about 6-8 slabs of butter and 6-8 bread buns) to the point there would not be any left....in the staff would only replenish about every 20-30 minutes. Desserts / Sweets ( same reason as the Bread & Butter) Fresh fruit was available, but lacking. Not a 4 star place. Lunch and Dinner offerings were not much different from the breakfasts. The Bread & Butter issue the same. The Offering for vegetables was minimal, but we did have rice. With respect to meat, there was usually some type of chicken or pork stew. The meat Grill Stations were difficult due to the Hoarding by Locals. Typically individuals would pile 10-15 pieces of grilled meat onto one plate and then leave nothing for others. Evening entertainment was almost non existent except for" Kids" night. The Representative from Sunwing / Air Transit only showed up about 2 times over the 14 day period. Following our group meeting ( indepth) with Management the "A La Carte" dining was made available for Breakfast for Canadians . We did make the best of it, as the staff were wonderful. However we would NOT recommend this place to anyone unless there were changes In closing Trip- Central and others are Misrepresenting the Public in their Offerings of what is truly available and they are " Out of Touch" of what is likely happening everywhere in Cuba. Yours Pierre & Alice Duclos 905-936-3861 adpduclos@gmail.com

This is our paradise, and we were very happy there... the accommodations were good, clean and a view of the ocean. Meals were Cuban... we never went hungry... do not expect elaborate meals because that is not how the Cubans eat...we had good buffets and a la carte meals. it was a windy week so the beach was not good to be on, waves were too strong and red flags were up. The people at this hotel are amazing, so friendly and courteous.... they are always wanting to make you happy. If you are looking for luxury then do not go... This is Cayo Coco’s oldest resort and it has a few issues but nothing that we couldn’t handle. Go and enjoy the weather and the ambiance of this amazing old Colonial Hotel...

Staff always friendly and excellent , food best ever my 5th time at resort hot water, ac, all week! Beautiful Resort! Oldest on cayo coco ! Huge Spanish influence not your typical resort, this one has Character! Pools great , 1 hr from Moron, 20 min walk to market , short taxi drive to Lennys a Lobster shack! Excellent food!

The spanish colonial design of this resort is very reminiscent of the architecture of Old Havana, and the resort is set up like a little town.The grounds are very well kept, and the rooms are spacious and clean. I spent every morning in the lobby terrace sipping cappuccinos and taking in the salty breeze from the beach, which was just steps away. The food was great, and the chefs preparing it were always happy to serve. Every morning, I enjoyed pancakes, bacon, fried bananas and a breakfast drink made of yogurt and fruit, a little like a smoothie. The patio bar served cocktails and a few menu items, hamburgers, fries and the classic ham and cheese Cuban sandwich. During the hottest hours of the day, I spent my time at the spacious and picturesque beach bar, where the staff were very friendly, and the hotel guests seemed to congregate. There are two pools to choose from, and one is a salt water pool. The pools both have a little restaurant right off the side and makes a good place to sip a beverage or grab a quick lunch. The salt water pool has a swim up bar as well. A little down the beach towards the west end of the resort, you will find the beach shack where you can take out a paddle boat, or a kayak or even take out a small sailboat. If you are a sun seeker, the beach is immaculate. The sun shades are spacious, the water is crystal clear, and the shoreline is dotted with coconut palms as far as the eye can see. I highly recommend this resort.

Hotel had old world charm!! Loved the main lobby where you could sit in the shade and either read a book or watch the world go by. Rooms were clean....as were the grounds. Staff was amazing!! Wait staff was very friendly and chatted easily with guests. Grounds were very clean....gardeners worked hard everyday making sure grass was cut, plants pruned back and pathways swept. Beach was clean and seaweed was removed from it. Yes we had a couple of hiccups with water in our room but hotel staff responded immediately and got things fixed right away. Food was good....plentiful and well prepared. Lots of varieties. Will be returning again next year....cant wait!!

An older resort but lots of charm, great ambiance, super friendly staff. Felt like a small village where everybody new everybody, staff remembered names, what drinks you liked, what you took in your coffee, where you preferred to sit, etc.

Very poor service They served the same food every day for the whole week(reheated every time), food was never fresh, plenty of flies in the kitchen and always on the food Very very limited options, literally served eggplants for breakfast , lunch and dinner No ATM anywhere around the hotel and they also do not accept small currency for exchange Between lunch and dinner no snack options other than some dry sandwiches (flat white bread and a small piece of ham), there’s absolutely nothing else Had to carry a plastic water bottle to refill with water as they always forgot to bring us water to the room in the morning They did not clean the room unless we asked for it Tried going to the gym three days in a row and there was no electricity, asked staff for help multiple times but nobody cared Overall , worst all inclusive resort we’ve been to

The resort is still in bad shape we thought we would try it again after Irma. The salt water pool & pool bar where closed, only one a la carte instead of 3. There was only 3 buildings open all had water problems. Not hot water when we got it was luke warm. Staff was amazing after made sure we had the best room possible took 3 times to fix toilet still did not flush properly had to use a bucket no water pressure in the resort. This is are 7th time to cayo cocco different resorts and never had any problem with food John got food poison. we were there for 2 weeks the beach is till beautiful the papalas had no cover on top for shade. there was broken stairs & broken walkways . will not go back. the food selection was poor same thing 3 times a day for 2 weeks. So buildings had no water at all

We loved this resort as the staff was wonderful and very accommodating. We are vegan and the chef named Junior made us special potatoes that weren’t cooked in chicken broth. We liked how the resort is not overly busy. If you want to get away for a holiday or rest and relaxation, this is your place. We will be back.

When I arrived at the hotel I was told I had booked super saver double occupancy. I went through the options carefully as I needed two rooms. There is a drop down menu to select 1 or 2 rooms I specifically chose 2. I never was advised that the selection was not valid. The room was nothing like the photos. Really the hotel is quite run down. No hot water and the salt water pool was closed that was a main feature in booking this hotel. People were very nice. My main upset was the one room and no salt water pool.

Like many of the hotels in Cayo Coco, the Hotel Colonial suffered from the hurricanes in the recent past. Their recovery has been slow and hampered by the missed promises of IBEROSTAR. Since CUBACAN has taken over the resort there have be significant improvement to the place. The age of the Colonial does present problems. The grounds and condition of the the buildings has significantly improved since we were there in March 2019. They are still battling with 1963 technology as far as hot water, although we had hot water for 6 of our 7 day stay. The staff were phenomenal as always.

So much potential if the time and money were spent. The staff is fantastic, the beach and ocean is one of the best in the world, but years of neglect has finally caught up. Only go if you get a reduced price, the resort isn't worth full price anymore.

We had an amazing week at the Colonial. Our room was very clean and had a perfect ocean view. The staff at this place are the best. The beach is long and beautiful. This isn’t a new fancy resort but they are busy painting and upgrading all the time . We loved that it felt like a little Spanish town! Our only complaint is we had an issue with hot water in our room but we didn’t ask to change rooms due to our beautiful view.

Another great holiday at The Colonial! Whether you enjoy the music and main "hub" area or a quiet place to read a book you can find it here! There's a great fresh water pool with a great shallow pool for the kids and an amazing salt water pool that runs throughout one end of the resort; it has a great swim-up bar area + some quieter areas to lay back and relax. The beach is amazing and you can stroll forever enjoying the soft sand and the beauty. The main lobby area and courtyard is a great place to enjoy a drink in the afternoon or nightly entertainment after dinner. The layout of this resort is amazing and the staff are incredible!

We stayed at Hotel Colonial so we could have a suite for four adults travelling together on a family holiday. We paid extra for the diamond club to get a good suite with ocean view. We were prepared for Luke warm water and slow service. We weren’t prepared for no service or no water. On almost each day, we were without water for a large portion of time. It rained. Our rooms flooded. The water taps exploded and flooded the bathroom and nobody came to clean it after several calls to the front desk. The activités that we were promised were not available over the week between Christmas and New Years even though the price was significantly higher. Only the buffet was open except on two occasions and the a la carte food was terrible. The day trips were good except on one occasion when we requested a well known bird watcher. We got a taxi driver who spoke no English and didn’t know what he was doing. I ended up with red ant bites as he led us through a swamp. The service was not good (except at the buffet dining during morning and lunch) many day trips started before breakfast so we had to go without food until we returned (Exocet on two excursions when lunch was provided) New Years was terrible. No evening events. The meal was awful. In the end, we made the best of what could have been a huge waste of money. Pilar beach was awesome. Air Canada was unhelpful except the rep at the hotel. He was great. Be aware that the currency is changing and they will confiscate any Cuban money they find at the airport (entering and leaving Cuba )

This was our third thrip to Cuba and we were quite excited to spend New Years 2020 in what was purported to be a 4 star resort. We arrived at the resort at 11 and waited in line to check in. The process was slow and confusing. We were asked several times about our room selection. « Why are you staying in this building » we had booked an ocean view suite for 4 adults and a second suite for one adult. We soon discovered the source of their questions; we had no water on at least 5 occasions (each lasting many hours) the rooms flooded twice - once when the taps exploded and once when it rained (we were on the third floor and the rain came though the closed windows) we called the desk several times so the water could be cleaned up but nobody came - we ended up using our beach towels to mop up the water. The suite we booked for 4 adults had one bed. We ended up changing people in our group around so only one adult had to sleep on a fold out cot. For $2000 for a room, I’d expect everyone to have a bed given that it says the suites are suitable for four adults. The services that drew us to this resort were cancelled during the holiday season and the staff had been reduced significantly. Restaurants were closed. Service was poor. There were no evening shows. We would wait in line and be totally ignored by the staff whilst people behind us would be served.( we tipped well so that was the problem ) We asked for a specific tour and were lied to and given a taxi driver instead of a tour guide (who had no knowledge of the requested tour and spoke no English) there were many things about the resort that we liked but the negative outweighed the positive. I had a better experience on my first trip to Cuba when I stayed in a hostel for 11$/night. Our trip ended with an air Canada representative yelling at us because we almost missed our connecting flight. The gate had been changed but no announcement made. In fact, we received a text message notifying us of the change 24 hours after we were home.We will go back to Cuba but not the Colonial.

Hotel Colonial is very good. Food,beach,rooms,are gòod.workers are polite.kind.helpfulSwimming pool is very beautiful.I am pleased to.Service is very helpful.people are kind,HAPPY,working hard and kind.

Just got back from our 3rd stay at the Colonial Hotel Cayo Coco. The charm of the hotel is still there but many things need improvement. The food selection was not as plentiful and the wait times at the grill stations were long. They need to have things ready when they open the doors. That's not the time to heat up the grills. What they did have was tasty. Many times there were no ingredients for mixed drinks and and nobody knew when they would have them. The staff is friendly and trying hard to make you happy. The grounds are nice but be careful as some of the walkways need repairs. They have a long way to go in bringing the hotel back to the way it was a few years ago. Would I go back? Not sure. If I did it would be for the charm and the wonderful staff.

We were both looking forward to our time at this resort, but shortly after our arrival we received our first clue this was not going to be the vacation we anticipated when we found out they would not be able to serve us Mojitos all week because they didn’t have any mint! What?!? Doesn’t mint grow like a weed and aren’t we in Cuba? We quickly learned many things would not be available or would run out. The hotel turned off all the water several times for hours. Our room was hotter than it was outside, many things are no longer working, and the worst memory we have is seeing a dog eating a feral cat for dinner right outside the lobby where most “guests” of the hotel congregate to meet friends and sit and drink. The sighting of the dog and his prey was reported to the staff by many guests immediately as this was extremely disturbing to see, but alas it took three days, yes THREE DAYS for the cat’s remains to be cleared away.

The hotel has very unique architecture and beautiful landscaping, not overcrowded, plenty of space, just enough activities, beach is like on those post cards: pristine water and white sand. Food is good, there were enough choices of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. There was nothing that we didn’t like. We enjoyed every moment of our stay! Will definitely recommend Colonial, and we will go there again!

We've been to this resort many times since 2005 and even got married here. The staff we have grown to know are always first class and make us feel right at home. We were a bit concerned about recent reviews but our stay was great and the food was plentiful and very good. The resort is still struggling to repair the damage of the 2017 hurricane but certainly is getting there with an amazing beach and the palm trees and landscaping taking hold. In summary was it perfect no there were some hiccoughs but overall it was a great holiday and we'll be back.

We have been here a few times now and we love it. The food is fantastic the people are kind and always willing to help if something is wrong. The beach is amazing and the pools are great too. No place is perfect and things can go wrong we had an issue with our washroom and we were immediatley moved to another room. Very accommodating we will be back!!

Everything is wonderful. Beautiful gardens wonderful beach, people are the best, always treat us like family. What more is there to say, we love everything g about Colonial Hotel and would never consider going anywhere else.

Hotel surrounding pools and beach was fantastic. Food however was not the greatest. Beverages were kept to a minimum. Always ran out of ingredients for drinks. Room fridge was not stocked as stated in booking. Overall a nice place to vacation if you are looking for relaxation .

We stayed at Iberostar Colonial for the first 2 weeks of March, 2019. The Colonial delivered exactly what we look for, cleanliness, beautiful beach great staff, and good food. There is still a bit of storm damage evident from the hurricane that nearly wiped Cayo Coco off the map, and some of the buildings havent been reopened yet, but the grounds were tidy, always someone working in the gardens or mowing the lawns. The cleaning ladies were always bustling about, keeping the main areas spotless, as was our room. Their new buffet set up was great, they have several cook stations where you can get just about anything you want, pasta, fried rice, fresh fish, fried bananas.....I can't say enough good things about the staff, the bartenders, front desk guys, wait staff, cleaners.....all went out of their way for us, and went a long way to making this the best vacation we have had in the Carribean, and we’ve been going to various islands for about 15 years.

We were hoping that things had changed from our last visit. My husband and myself don't ask for a lot. We would like a toilet that flushes, a shower that works and air conditioning that works also. Not much else. Very simple....the things that we thought we had paid for. The plumber fixed our toilet twice, yet the only way to flush it was to take water from the bidet to fill the tank in order to flush it. This went on the whole week...we were told it was being taken care of. For half the week, our shower was scolding hot, no cold water. The second half of the week it was freezing cold, no hot water. The final night we actually had warm water. Our air conditioning made noise, blew air and that was about it. We will not be going back . Beyond disappointed with the treatment of some of the staff there.

This hotel has been our favourite “go to” place in Cuba... It may not be as up to date as the new modern “state of the art’ Hotels but it is all about the character and welcomingness of this place... It is a hotel where the staff never forget your Name!!! And bend over backwards to do the best they can for you. I have been going there for over 15 years now, and my husband and I agree that we wouldn’ t ever go to a different hotel, as we are treated like family there.. The grounds are beautiful. Wonderfully kept gardens... two pools that meanderthrough the resort...a Salt Water pool and a Fresh Water pool... perestine!! There are two A la Carte Restaurants, and a large Buffet area which was added onto this past year... VERY nice... The food is Cuban, don’t expect North American food when visiting Cuba... there is enough to eat and you can find something to eat... their BREADS are to die for!! The Beach at Colonial is one of the nicest I am told... but be careful of the sea shells and coral that are found there... Beach boys come on the run when they see you to find you a good spot and get your chairs ready for you. If you are looking for high class accommodations, this is not the place for you... this is CUBAN all the way... and very beautiful... Go with an open mind, it is CUBA and things don’t go as quickly there as in North America. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT

I just returned from my yearly vacation at this resort. It was my 6th time there. It was great especially the staff. I have got to know the staff over the years and they are always excited to see us. Its like going home. We will be going back in june.

the People/Service: really quite good the price: of course that was the reason we chose this particular excursion, price was good for budget the hotel: nope. Not going to go there again.....mostly due to the food, there is little to no 'rotation' on the buffet, same food pretty much 3 times per day and not a lot of it.....we never had this problem in Cuba before but now I guess I 'get' why people complain about the food in Cuba. The cooks, though, were great and tried to accommodate our requests for more spice or garlic or WHATEVER, just to make it betrer. the grounds: so so.... I understand that this hotel suffered in hurricane a few years back and it's fairly obvious they are still struggling to put everything back....it needs work the beach: Sand- incredible. But if you like to snorkel, there is NONE HERE... oh, and NO COFFEE MAKERS in the rooms? wow....never have seen that.....anywhere! people will say (as I usually do to any whiners) HEY- you get what you pay for....we needed sunshine and we got that. When I fell (on a floor that was slippery and not cleaned up) and cracked my head open, they didn't know what to do with me and seemed very much more concerned with CYA than with whether I might have a concussion.....

We found the Iberostar Colonial resort to be of a very distinct Spanish design and ambiance , quite different from the glass and metal buildings that you see in a lot of resort areas . The buildings are of old , classic , Spanish styles with stucco and woods and red tile ceramic roofs . This quality is maintained throughout the whole complex both inside and out . The interiors are of dark wood with cream coloured walls and black framed windows . The furniture is of dark stuffed leather variety both in the common areas and the rooms and are very comfortable . The rooms are a good size with comfortable beds and good storage areas . The buffet restaurant is more modern with white walls and a glass wall facing the lovely beach area . The first half is laid out for displaying the prepared foods which the back is setup for the cooking area . There is a good assortment of foods but very similar from day to day . Cuban cuisine is not noted for being anything special . The service was very good by the waiters and most of the cooks behind the various grills were friendly and tried to serve what you liked . The property is large with lots of old Spanish style Villas as mentioned earlier . The grounds are very well laid out with various trees and flower beds . The paths are cobbled with different stones instead of cement slabs and are nicely maintained . The beach area is close and very well laid out . There area couple of areas dedicated to children . We liked the resort and the staff but thought the food at the Buffet needs upgrading .

We are repeaters to The Colonial but had missed going last year. We were pleasantly surprised given the reviews. We arrived in the evening and the check in was very friendly, quick and efficient with bell boys waiting to take us to our rooms. We stayed in Bldg 33 - 2nd floor. We had a great view of the ocean. We were a short walk to everything - salt-water pool, buffet, entertainment and most importantly - the gorgeous ocean. The beach is absolutely the best beach we've been to. The beach staff are very friendly and eager to please. Periodically there was some seaweed - but not a lot. They were cleaning up the beach early each morning. This Resort is the oldest Resort in Cayo Cocoa but has great charm. The rooms are very clean - but like others have written - a little dated, but that did not bother us. We found the new buffet very good and very efficient - remember you are holidays and in Cuba. The staff are very friendly and happy to help you. There are 4 grill areas and 1 pasta area to personalize your pasta dish. A variety of fresh meat and fresh fish were available every day. Good selections of hot dishes, salads, desserts and of course the ice cream station. We did the Italian a la carte one night but found the menu very limited - but it was nice to be served. The Yarey Grill by the fresh water pool was a nice change for lunch offering pizza and french fries - however the new washrooms located here need to be looked at as there is something very wrong when you have 1/2 inch of water on the floor. Nasty! We used the main lobby washrooms instead. There is also the 24 Hour Grill/Bar for late arrivals. There are activities through the day and also nightly entertainment. These are run by enthusiastic staff and the entertainment is very good. Our only recommendation would be to have nightly entertainment in the Piano Bar. We miss this. This Resort was hit very hard with the hurricane in 2017. They have a done a phenomenal job to get to where they are. The Resort is not complete but very nice with what has been completed. Vacationers at this Resort comprised of approx. 50/50 Russian and Canadian (50/50 French/English). We had no issue with the Russians - most were Families. We need to remind ourselves that they come from a different culture. Showing them a smile and greeting - brought out the same. I think adding a LOT of alcohol to any culture does not bring out the best - not only the Russians. I would like them to be friendlier to the staff. This Resort has great staff working here. It is the reason we return. Remember when you come - if you can - please bring the staff presents of personal hygiene items, shoes, clothing - whatever you can spare. We actually use our large luggage size to pack presents - and use our carry-on for our clothing - then give the large luggage to a staff (Thrift Stores are a good source of used luggage). We found the exchange of 1 CC Peso = $1.50 Cdn high - and presents are better appreciated. We recommend that you pack bug spray - as mosquitoes can be an issue if you react to them. In closing, there is an excellent Dentist working from this Resort. My husband goes to her annually. In Summary - we had a great week and will return again. Kudos to Michael and ALL the staff at The Colonial. We know you are working hard to bring back this Resort following your devastating hurricane.

Great resort to relax and enjoy being away at. Not the fanciest resort. But It had charm. It's 25 years old and it shows. They were hit hard by the hurricane and cubans work very slow fixing things. Rooms are dated. Don't expect hot showers, they are warm water. this is Cuba and not like our 🏠 But the workers are all 5 stars, mostly all speak English. They want to say Ola to you. All very friendly. They love the Canadian's. Alot of Russians do go to this resort. It's 50/50. Only a few kids there. Literally everything is very close. And if you don't like your room or anything wrong with it they will do their best to accommodate you to a different room or have it fixed. Beach was right there. So close. Beautiful powder soft sand, there is alot of broken shells here. Understandably with the hurricane has affected it somewhat. Nothing that would ruin a beach for me. A couple stores on resort. This resort is small (300 ppl) and cozy. All the staff made the visit excellent!!! They go above and beyond for few peso. Cubans appreciate/need our tips. The entertainment crew do a fantastic job! Daniella is amazing! Nightly shows and a disco after. Piano bar/patio entertainment. Beach attendants are amazing! Felix will go get you a chair and a place on the beach and then you get your drinks. Lots of seafood, meat and fried rice that they cook for you. Lunch and dinner are about the same everyday. Nice and clean buffet and you get 2 alacart restaurant dinners. Italian and Carribean. The many negative reviews are hurting an already struggling resort, so please keep an open mind and heart when visiting and you will enjoy your stay. This is a resort for people looking to relax, by the pool or Beach and soak up the sun.

The people working at the resort tried their best to accommodate all of us. We went as a group of 22 and arrived with no water nor toilet seats in our rooms. Some did not have ac as well. We requested to have 10 of the rooms changed because of and all were happy with the move except one but simply due to not having a working toilet, until the last day. We cannot get over how nice the workers are and how hard they try to make us feel at home. The new buffet was amazing and we all would go back to that resort in a heart beat. I would give it a 4.5 star

Entertainment was fantastic. Hot water wasn’t working in hotel room. Food and service was great. Beach was beautiful. Everything was very clean and neat. Drinks were very good and service was great as well

This hotel was great, the people very nice, the food at the buffet was great , à la carte super. The rooms were clean, maids very polite the only thing for me was that we were in two blocks (22) no air conditioning and no hot water the 2 nights and changed for block (33) and had no Air conditioning at all😖 the rest of the week but had hot water so all and all great trip

The hotel is way outdated with doors and windows that don’t close well, no hot water for two days, no light bulbs on stairs, no Mojito at the bars, poor food selection and full of Russian tourists. It says 4 stars, but in reality it is close to 3 stars.

We feel we did not receive what we had paid for. Air Transat sold us an all-inclusive package to the Hotel Colonial by Iberostar. With this package, we were supposed to receive an air-conditioned room, a room with a working television, and hot and cold water. We had a two week vacation booked. During those two weeks, we had no air-conditioning, we had no T.V. and only 4 days in which we were able to take a warm shower. We normally do not complain but this was not acceptable. My husband went to the Air Transat rep, who then took him to the General Director. Both seemed "surprised" that this was the case. Only problem was, there had been many complaints brought forward by many clients......NOTHING was done. The only suggestion was to move rooms.......we chose not to because many rooms had the same problem and there was very few rooms left available!. So needless to say, we did not completely enjoy the vacation we had thought we had been sold to us. As far as we were and are concerned, it was false advertising by Air Transat and Iberostar. VERY DISAPPOINTING! The staff there are amazing and just as frustrated as much as the clients!

The resort was clean, the grounds were clean, the staff were the friendliness people I’ve ever met. The beach and pools were warm, drinks were cold very generous. We plan on returning again, for the price I don’t think it can be matched.

The hotel and the rooms are lean and spacious, food is typical cuban but the high light of the hotel besides of the regular pool, is the fresh water pool which can be substituted with stormy beach. In general suits to every Kind of tastes.

This was our 8th trip to the Colonial but we've been away for 6 years. The damage from Hurricane Irma was very sad to see as many of the stately palms were destroyed but the repairs are moving quickly to the resort. The beach has been transformed to an amazing place probably a 100 feet wide if not more. As always we were greeted by very friendly and helpful staff and many old faces which made us feel at home right away. Can't wait to see what more will happen once Iberostar takes over fully next fall.

We've been to this resort 3 times now and can't wait to go back again. Food was good and staff amazing as usual. They are still recovering from the hurricane but that didn't impact our stay. We don't want to stay anywhere else.

There isnt anything bad to say the buildings are so cute the rooms are very clean and large, beds were even comfortable and most in cuba are not. The air worked so well i was freezing at night but i like it that way. The resort is kept clean and ALL the staff are so nice. The buffet was very good, same things but i didnt mind it was very fresh and good. I met a couple who have been there 52 times and will continue to go i will certainty go again maybe in july

The hotel was good and certainly had a colonial appeal and look and feel. The staff were what made a difference very courteous and thankful The hotel organized various events which made our stay enjoyable

Food great , people so friendly amazing place ! Easy walk to beach everything handy , love the old Spanish look.Beer cold . Great local fish to eat close to my Ron and to airport . Gift shoppes cute lots of souvenirs

THIS IS A WONDERFUL HOTEL, SO HOMEY AND COMFORTABLE.. THE STAFF IS AMAZING AND OUR REASON FOR RETURNING SO MANY TIMES.. THEY HAD A LOT OF DAMAGE, AS DID THE OTHER HOTELS ON CAYO COCO FROM THE HURRICANE IRMA, BUT THEY HAVE ALL WORKED VERY HARD,( all staff) TO BRING THE HOTEL UP SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE CLIENTS... I GIVE TEM SO MUCH CREDIT, AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL HOTEL, SPANISH STYLE AND SO MUCH CHARACTER, NOT LIKE THE MODERN HOTELS THAT WE SEE IN NORTH AMERICA.

worst resort in all my life ok lets start day 1 got too my ocean view room very out dated tried to grab a quick shower only to find out very little water pressure so I said this is cuba maybe be better in morning .nope same day 2 very windy and raining that was ok but the 3 inches of water that leaked through bottom of floor ok forgot to mention I was on 2nd level yup tried to cal front desk phone did not work my room s at least a10 min. walk in the rain.got to front desk and they told me we have no empty rooms for ocean view he then said we have one that is not ad told me to go and look at it was smaller show it was ok till it rained in middle of night got up too pee and slipped on water and fell on my butt next day they dried it up for rest of the week my room smelled like mold did not surprise me ok the pool was dirty only seen at the most 3 people in at one time foodwas the worst pretty well same menu daily tasted like all the food got mixed with a little fresh stuff added and reheated over and over being in a tropical place they only had oranges grapefruit and banans sometimes a tasteless watermelon the bar drinks were ok if you like white 2dollar a gallon rum if you did find a bar with maybe kalula it tasted like it was more white rum than anything this is a place that needed lots omore time fixing it up after the fall storms well I could write a book on this place Im very surprised there was not more people with food posining they used same tongs to pick up raw and cooked food and a dirty rag was used to wipe counter and that same tongs a complete disaster of a vacation. oh and when I sent a email to trp central they did not even respond to me thank you not using you no more oh one more thing they said they offer tennis archery not there also deep sea fishing they use paddle boats to get to a 30min fishing spot an the kikker was 25$ an hour with a two hr min

We were very disappointed in this resort. A couple of the pools were so green with algae they were black. The others were not in good repair or clean. We had a four year old and were afraid of all the germs. We only stayed here around four hours and had the Sunwing rep move us, which cost us quite a bit and put a damper on our vacation. We were moved to a lovely hotel called the Pestana and had a lovely vacation.

Stayed here only four hours. The pools were black with green algae. Worst resort I have ever stayed at. Moved to the Pestana and had a wonderful vacation. Nice clean rooms, food and lovely staff. Really nice beach and very close to all amenities.

Old hotel in need of renovations. Entertainment was excellent. Good variety every night of our stay. Food was ok. We enjoyed the snacks at beach and 24 hour bar. Awesome beach. We enjoyed our stay.

This hotel has character and charm. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Buffet was adequate and had good variety. Only concern was pool maintenance as evidence was seen of algae but spent most of time at beach with the warmest water ever! Swinging elevated covered lounges on beach were great.

Older resort definitely showing its age but the staff are amazing and try very hard, grounds are very good and rooms are comfortable just wish for once I could get a room with a nicer view😥,was only disappointed​ with the cook for the 24 hour snack bar he seemed put out when you asked him for anything and spent most his time on the phone,he said he only had ham sandwiches one night and kept putting up a sign saying he was closed,I complained to the front desk and they said a manager was on it,sure enough there was someone there trying to fill orders,but I must say he was the only staff member I could complain about the rest were wonderful!

This resort was a blast !! to start off the food was amazing, and service at the buffet was exceptionally great. The staff especially Yanietsy made great effort to keep the customers happy. The rooms where large in size and the atmosphere was great. A couple of days we didn't have hot running water but seeing as we where sun burnt we didn't have any need for hot water :) the beach was very big and wide and had an abundance of beach chairs.

We had been to this resort a couple of times previously. The facility has deteriorated badly. Our room was not too bad, but we had problems with no water for showers and when there was water, the pressure was very low, which made taking a shower a chore. The grounds were not in great shape. Much of the walkaways were very uneven. When coming back from the beach, we could not find any water taps to rinse the sand off our feet. The food was very monotonous. Sometime if there was something different that was a bit more interesting, it hardly ever reappeared again. The 24 hour café was definitely not open 24 hours and we were told that the coffee machine was broken, so if we wanted coffee in the early morning, we were out of luck. The card to enter our room did not function a couple of times and we had to walk back to the main building to have it reset, with no apology for the inconvenience. We were at the far end of the resort, so it was quite a walk, especially coming back from spending a whole day in the sun and heat. The only saving grace was the beautiful weather, ocean and lovely beach. We certainly would never return unless improvements have been made.

Absolutely amazing quiet resort. Loved the Spanish architecture. It was my second time to Cuba and this time was 100% better than the first. It was my wife's first time in Cuba and she loved it. The buffet breakfast and lunch and dinner are fantastic. We preferred to eat at the buffets or the El Yarey grill for lunch drinks and pizza and fries and chicken. The a la cartes need to be updated along with the menu's as we didn't enjoy the food at all. The staff at the resort are so friendly and it comes effortlessly along with the entertainment team who puts on amazing shows nightly. Yes, tips are nice but my wife and I brought baggies filled with feminine products and play dough and bottles of body washes which we handed out to our chamber maid. We also brought a big bag of milk chocolates and handed them out along with tips and they were so happy it was like we handed them gold. We cannot wait to go back to Hotel Colonial Cayo Coco Cuba ❤🏝🐚⛱❤🐚🏝⛱

The beach was beautiful well maintained half of the time other times quite a bit of sea weed on the sand. The room was big but dated beds were uncomfortably hard and the shower curtain let all the water through it and we had to be careful not to slip through out the washroom as it was soaked . The bathtub also had no plug and upon arrival to the room the toilet said it was hygentically cleand but when lifted the lid it had pee on the seat from previous people. Food was awful and repetative an usually cold at night in the buffet and staff wasn't very helpful. The lady who cleaned our room woke us up everyday at 9:30am to clean our room which she didn't do a very good job as our 2 drinks we had on the balcony were there from the night we got there to the day we left 7 days later and did not give us toilet paper ever day so we ran out an front desk said to get it from the public washrooms which also didn't have any. The pools were nice an deep BUT only half were open the entire time due to safety issues an allgy on the sides which were never attempted to be cleaned. Pretty quiet not much going on. We had staff throughout the resort as well as the beach bugging us to get them beer everyday. The 24 hour snack bar wasnt always open especially during band's playing in the evening still served drinks but no food fries weren't served after 12am until 11am which was the only thing I was able to eat other than the pasta only served at dinner. Would never go back to this resort.

The Hotel Colonial Cayo Coco is definitely showing her age but she has character. If you look for the positive, then it is it's people and the beach. From Rui, our beach bar enthusiast who played beach volleyball with the kids; to Yoel, our bartender in the Piano Lounge inside the Italian eatery who loved to talk and share his passions about Cuba; our gardener friends, Janier and Vincente, who desperately tried to communicate and show their hospitality with token gifts and coconuts; to our room keeper, Anad, who always asked how your were with interest; and finally but not least, our Bell Boy Dannys who was always willing to help and assist wherever he could. The beach is incredibly long and sandy and permits one to walk out at a distance into the depths of the clear and incredibly colourful water. We enjoyed taking out the paddle boat for a whirl. In the end, we would surely go back for the friendships we developed and be happy doing so.

Second time there love it! Food great ! Beautiful grounds! The people are so kind! They take very good care of you! Some water issues but no probs! They are in a drought!super great great great! This is to many letters you should shorten

Where to begin.... the resort is quaint and beautiful. When we look around its like you are in a little village in Italy. The resort is older and a bit worn but it is very clean and stunning. The beach...amazing touquois water and lots of chairs. The food...meh ...very repeatative but the pizza was awesome. The staff were unbelievable. So caring, so amazing and we loved our stay because of them. It's too bad Canadians aren't booking there anymore because the Russians have picked this as their resort. All the workers seem very unhappy with this. We heard alot from them. They don't tip ever and get very rude. It's sad because that is important. Sooooo if you book make sure you tip good and love the workers...they deserve it❤

We returned again to Hotel Colonial! Not disappointed! Salt water pool was beautiful! You could see the improvements with the renovations that were done to the resort from last year. The rooms always super clean and cleaning staff always polite and all staff welcoming you, every where you went. You could always find something to eat, great pizza and hamburgers with fries. Don't forget in the buffet if you look around, you will always find something to eat, great chicken and pasta! People visiting from other resorts where blown away at the beautiful design of the buildings and number of pools.Once again, "Great Bang for The Buck "

This is my second stay at this hotel and I am looking forward to a return visit.The hotel is a short drive from the airport and is designed like a Spanish village.Despite being built several decades ago there have been renovations and a serpentine salt water pool added. Serivce in all areas is excellent.Food is good and there is outdoor buffet dining at all meals..a plus for someone from the northern climes.The beach is long with soft tan sand ,plenty of loungers and boats.Windy at times, keeps bugs at bay. The occasional cold front will pass thru in winter due to northern location.(windy and cooler)Friendly staff and nice gardens .directly adjacent to other 4 other resorts which can be accessed by road or beach..plus a market which can be accessed by 1 k road walk,miniture train or double decker bus.Plenty of Canadians(French and English) plus Russians frequent this hotel.

The beach is great. The grounds are good, and the pools are very good. There are lots of loungers available at both beach and pool. The food is typical Cuban. The grills are small and wait time can be long, specially if people order for more than one (like getting servings for 10 other). The ice cream counter is very popular. There can be three flights to your room so use a porter to carry your heavy bags! The internet is poor, and usually not working! The entertainment is typically Cuban, but can be enjoyable with a few drinks. Go for the sun, beach, pools, free drinks, and a bit of exercise. Don't expect great food and you can have a good time.

The Hotel was beautiful as Alway's however I was ignored , mistreated, abandoned, left out, offered no help, and due to me being legally blind severely disabled ALONE and being a WOMAN. I felt discrimination towards me daily, nightly and the " ONLY HELP EVER OFFERED " or would " HELP MYSELF " would be fellow Tourists such as British Decent, Russian and majorities of CANADIAN HELPERS. I went 4 day's with NO FOOD. The Front desk ALWAY'S would say " Okay my friend. Someone come see you now " Well " SOMEONE " NEVER CAME " EVER!!! The Manager " TITO " seen me eventually after I split my head open on the bathroom cement floor and blood witnessed by Staff, Tourists and another Employee " Breanna " as I stitched my head up MYSELF with a sewing kit. I would NEVER RECOMMEND a WOMAN travelling ALONE especially if SEVERELY DISABLED AND BLIND or even if someone ALONE is hoping for RESPECT, GUIDANCE and CURTICY. DO NOT " GO ANYWHERE IN CUBA " I NEVER FELT so " HUMILIATED, EMBARRASSED, HATE, HUNGER AND COMPLETELY ABANDONED in my WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE ". SUNWAY'S AIRFLIGHT SERVICES were also a NIGHTMARE as documentations of both of my flights I MISSED and I had to take LATER FLIGHTS, due to " THEIR ERROR'S " as once AGAIN there was ABSOLUTELY " NO HELP WHATSOEVER " in order for me, Ann Frances MacDonald to get my baggage checked in, obtain my plane ticket, as I sat in my wheelchair in line and listened to EVERY SINGLE PERSON pass me by and board the Airplane as I, Ann Frances MacDonald kept asking " EXCUSE ME, IS THERE ANYWAY SOMEONE COULD HELP ME WHEN YOU ARE ABLE? I AM ALONE AND WOULD GRATEFULLY ACCEPT ANY AND ALL HELP POSSIBLE ". The result of my many countless cry's for HELP were " ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ". The questions that I ask my family and friends now that I am back in Canada and I feel like I never got away in the 1st place is...." WHY "? Why was I treated so poorly? " WHY "?????????? Quite frankly I NEVER would have believed all of this myself. Especially after this being my 11th time travelling to what I use to think of as my 2nd HOME " CUBA ". Sincerely yours, Ann Frances MacDonald. Best Wishes Always. XOXOXXO

The hotel is one of the oldest on Cayo Coco and therefore has a few items that need repair. There was a group of carpenters constantly fixing and upgrading the buildings. The rooms are clean and roomy. As always in Cuba, the water supply wasn't consistent but we were able to shower every day. The staff were wonderful and accommodating and we did some of the best excursions in our many travels.

The Hotel Colonial never disappoints, the grounds are beautiful the staff are friendly and the hotel itself is like a little Spanish village! We love it there! They have two pools one of them is salt water.

The resort was dirty, the food was not good, service to the bars: zero, no internet connection, zero entertainment, the beach was very dirty, areas also dirty, very poor drink choices. I will never travel there again. I don't recommend this resort.

ExaWe stayed at the Colonial from May 5th to the 12th. We enjoyed everything about the place! It was low season and a lot of things were shut down, but that suited us just fine as we are not fans of big crowds and line ups. The staff at this resort were the best we have ever come across. Everyone was kind, helpful, funny and friendly! (Not just a few but everyone). The Front desk staff were very kind and accommodating even when we asked to change one of our rooms just so we would be closer together. The piano bar was a great place to relax with a great bartender. We spent most of our time at the beach and ate lunch at the beach bar every day. Great fish and chips! The Beach Bar staff were great especially the always smiling, ever patient Laudia! The Gentleman who looked after the beach was very friendly and helpful. The saltwater pool (and bar ) were clean and relaxing. We defiantly would return to this resort! Two thumbs up!

Gorgeous beach and water made me want to cry on first look it's so beautiful. Resort is quite nice in general, but certain staff members can be a bit off-putting, others are very nice. Food was really dull, for example, the meats always had tendons and chewy fatty bits, and the chicken sometimes was sketchy tasting. Bar tending staff at the pool was fair, serving people in order. Pool was nice, though at some areas needed cleaning. The coffee was excellent. Went on a jeep excursion, was very expensive considering what we got out of it, I wouldn't recommend it. Also took a bus ride to another beach, also wouldn't recommend as it ate 4 hours just being on a bus ride in the heat, not worth it. I probably wouldn't go here again because of the food, I'll look for something in Jamaica as people tell me the food there is excellent, although the cost is higher, i think it would be worth it. Also, my room was ok, but the toilet seat was broken, and the toilet roll was so close to the seat that it made it hard to sit down.

The hotel is getting old...needs some repairs but they are constantly working to repair around the resort....it is so charming...like a little Cuban/Spanish village with cobblestone walkways, arched doors and windows, amazing vegetation, nice beach with sandy bottom beach, rooms were kept clean, service was very speedy...loved it all except the food ...there wasn't much to choose from..very limited but half the resort was closed due to low season.

We have been to this resort 5 times and love it! The best beach, awesome pools, the resort workers are bar none. Small resort but you can walk the beach for hours. If your going for the food....stay home. What they do have is great! The grounds are suburb,resort is 15 minutes from the airport.

Stayed in building 14 and the location was perfect. Close walk to everything. Room was spacious and comfortable. Had an issue with a flashing light in the bathroom. Was fixed the day after I mentioned it, but started flashing again. Pools and beach were amazing. Always lots of chairs. Friendly staff. Food was fine. Loved that at breakfast the carafe of coffee was left at the table. Never had to wait for a refill. I would recommend the resort but NOT Cubana air. Our flight was cancelled last minute without much explanation and the whole ordeal was handled terribly by the airport staff. Lost a whole day of relaxing in the sun. If Hola Sun and Cubana air don't have representatives working on Sundays, then they shouldn't fly on that day. I left my house at 1am Sunday morning and didn't get checked in to my room at the resort until 5am Monday morning. Not a good start to my hard earned vacation!. Not Hotel Colonials fault though and I enjoyed my stay once we got back on track. Andrea Brymer

Ole,The Hotel is being updated, lush grounds, beautiful pools , gorgeous beach. The staff amazing. Travelled from March 25 to April 1 2016, Will be going back to this resort only from now on. This is a quiet hotel for people wanting to relax and bring their families. Musicians play at your table during dinner and then there is live music and entertainment until 11pm. We really enjoyed our time. I went with my mother and upon arrival met more mother and daughters traveling together. We all had a great time and met new friends. I recommend when it comes to food, do what I did, breakfast; there's a pancake/ frenchtoast grill, they will also make grilled cheese. You have to gather the ingredients and tell them how to cook it. Or don't be creative. :-) Lunch time, there's a big BBQ outside the buffet . Dinner time; I was obsessed with the pasta/pizza station. Again I would gather the ingredients on my plate from whatever I find in the buffet, pick my pasta, ask for tabasco or wine or balsamic vinegar and get them to cook it. They would all laugh at me think i'm crazy but all the people at our table kept saying omg soooo delicious. So I enjoyed my food. There are no chefs at resorts even the five stars! The ketchup, pepper, jams, does not taste like ours because ours is filled with a lot of sugar, the pepper is white so be careful pouring it lol. They also make delicious donuts in front of the café every evening.....who wouldn't gain five pounds! I have been to many resorts in Cuba, this one is my favorite, oceanview room #3335. Building #33 oceanview all are great. So is building #16 oceanview. We also loved all the rooms around the salt water pool, really beautiful. This was the first resort built in Cayo Coco in 1993. It's Spanish Colonial style and everyday they were working on the walk-ways. ( the entire area around the salt-water pools is finished and beautiful). It's grand and affordable. Ask front desk for a renovated room, and tell them it's your first time there. :-) I miss it! I want to go back already!

Had a wonderful stay at the Hotel Colonial Cayo Coco, The resort is 10 minutes from the airport and looks like a small Spanish village, amazing looking architecture through out. The pools where clean, the drinks were cold and the beach was stunning. The food was meh, expected for Cuba so no disappointment here and the staff were very pleasant and helpful. I'd recommend a stay for anyone looking for a cheap place to relax.

Hotel very nice with good outlook over the ocean. good food and the staff extremely friendly and efficient.only drawback..the mosquitos,but sadly that goes with the area ! Facilities are good and family friendly.Also,nicely quiet

This was our 7th trip to the Hotel Colonial - the best yet....lots new renovations, clean, wonderful. Hope to be back next year. Can't beat the beaches in Cuba, the water crystal clear and the sunshine amazing.

I'll start with the bad first: The food wasn't great. Apparently that's just Cuba though. I was always able to find something worth eating, but it was hit and miss. The a la carte restaurants were good though as well as the live stations at the buffets. Somethings were better than others, and the bread bar was actually pretty good. Half their stuff wasn't open. This is likely because I went during a slower time of year and just before March break. This wasn't all bad though because a lot of it was redundant, like half the beach bars not being open isn't a big deal, those are just there to deal with higher occupancy. Some of the activities like the boats and archery at 11:00 weren't open though, which was disappointing. If those things are important to you it might be better to go a little later in the year than I did as it looked like they were in the process of setting that stuff up. Now the good: The style: I loved the old colonial style. Everything had a very open air feel to it, all the buildings were little 2-3 storey affairs. Very interesting feel to the place. The rooms themselves were spacious and well maintained for the most part. There were some imperfections here and there, but were well cleaned and looked after. There were plenty of great pools. The spread out nature of the hotel lends well to this as well as making it seem less busy than it was. I could walk out my door and go to that pool, or go to the salt water one near the center, or all the way to the other side of the resort and see that pool. All with their own nearby bars and snack huts. The beach was awesome. Big beautiful stretch of beach along the whole north side of the hotel. I was always able to find a chair and a spot, even with half the beach bars not open it was always easy to get a drink. Weather was great while I was there too so that helped a lot. This hotel seems to be actively improving itself. The whole time I was there workers were building, or repairing, or refurbishing things. I saw them building stage platforms for pool side performances, there was a closed boat dock beside my building they were working on, painting and repairing buildings, grounds keepers everywhere, even saw them bringing new mattresses into buildings. The work was never disruptive or in the way of my resort experience either. All in all a good resort. It calls itself a 4 star and I would agree.

Amazing place! Loved the week we spent there with friends. We all love to laugh and have fun and the staff made sure that it was possible. Cant wait to go back. Great service, and amazing beach. The staff went above and beyond to serve us.

Nice resort for a 3*, beautiful old architecture. Great staff, front desk, wait staff, cleaning staff. Meals - typically Cuban, nothing fantastic but sufficient. Room was nice, lots of space, clean. Sunwing counter staff at the airport put us in separate rows on the plane and the plane wasnt full. They let us move once the plane was all loaded.

beach was well maintained (raked) and pool clean rooms clean but walks and buildings getting need of repair food was OK and but you always got something good to eat and drink. bartenders, waitress, & cleaners ALL great!

Hotel Colonial, Cayo Coco is a WOnDERFUL resort. Great rooms, good entertainment, great food choices, fabulous customer relations, wonderful staff. Will go back again and again and again. You get hooked!. 15 minutes from the airport!! Very safe, even for women travelling alone.

They are working every day at keeping this beautiful Hotel to its original quality. All in all everything about this Hotel is wonderful. The beach is kept very clean. The Gardens are beautiful. All areas are looked after always. Friendly people make the resort and great food......

Overall, this resort was great. The staff was awesome. Rooms were clean, food was good and entertainment was a bonus. The only down fall, was the hot water situation, but this can happen at any resort..

Hotel is in excellent condition after having been neglected at the end of its Blau days. Magnificent beach, great pools. Best part is the location, just 15 minutes from the airport. Overall good trip, I would go back

Maintenance of grounds is above other resorts in area. Beach area was cleaned, raked daily, lots of new shade palapas were being built. Excellent beach area, lots of nice sand. Older resort just needs a little extra maintenance for small details, eg. fixing of some sidewalks, paths. A la carte restaurants were exceptional.

This is our second stay at the Hotel Colonial and we have had great experoences both time. The Hotel is clean the food is good and the grounds are kept immaculate. The employees are the best at this resort.

It was our tenth trip to Cuba and first to Cayo Coco. After posting several questions on TA’s forums and doing further research, we selected the Hotel Colonial, as it appeared to be quite charming, was close to the beach and offered a variety of upper floor rooms. ARRIVAL Our carrier was Sunwing. When we arrived at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, it turned out the baggage allowance had just been increased from 20 to 23 kg, yet the personnel was quite strict with the carry-on’s 5 kg limit and I had to transfer some of my belongings to the check-in luggage. For the first time my backpack was also weighed and I also had to remove some stuff from it and put it into the suitcase. The plane took off at on November 09, 2015 at 07:40 pm and after 3 hours and 19 minutes we landed at Cayo Coco. During the flight we had complimentary food/beverage choice including pizza, wine and coke. Cuban customs officers questioned Catherine’s supplements which were in hand, but eventually let her keep them. We got on the bus, which dropped off tourists at two other hotels before coming to the Colonial. It was a short, 20 minute ride. We were given room number 1609, on the lower level, despite having emailed the Hotel beforehand requesting a quiet upper level room. Unfortunately, we were told that there were no upper rooms available, but advised to check back in the morning. That very night we had dinner (served until 10:00 pm) and after wandering on the hotel property for a while, we went back to the room. It was a nice room, across from the pool, yet for us it was very important be on an upper floor, so the next day we went to the reception and managed to get another room (number 1836) on the second floor. HOTEL The Colonial was the first hotel built on Cayo Coco and was opened by Fidel Castro on November 12, 1993—during our stay it was celebrating its 22nd anniversary. It used to be called Guitart Cayo Coco, Blau and at one point was part of the adjoining Tryp Hotel. In 1994 and 1995 a Cuban exile group attacked the resort with machine guns, without causing any injuries. As it had been built by the Spanish, the architecture was very pretty, it was very cozy, had a character, atmosphere and style, resembling a small, colonial town. • The reception area was lovely, there was a fountain in the middle—and the reception staff was always friendly and helpful. I got two English issues of “The Granma”, one had an interesting article on the friendly and playful dogs used by Cuban customs officers at airports. • There were a number of swimming pools, including a large salt water pool, yet half of them were under construction/being renovated. • There were plenty of coconut trees on the property and it was possible with private arrangements to have fresh coconuts upon request. • The beach was narrow, but nice and sandy, with plenty of lounge chairs available. The width of the beach kept fluctuating (quite significantly, I must add) due to tides and it almost disappeared during high tides. For about 50 meters the water was very shallow. Much of the main beach was somewhat hand-raked daily for seaweed, yet manmade ocean debris and garbage was ignored which was a head-shaker. • There were several stores (‘tiendas’) across from the lobby building, selling cigars, beverages, beer, rum, souvenirs, clothes, etc. There was also a hairdresser as well as a dental clinic, offering various dental services at competitive prices. • There were plenty of big blue and Halloween crabs everywhere, especially in the morning and late afternoon. It was fun watching them emerge from the holes or even eating something. They were very shy though and scurried into their holes at the slightest sound. • Behind the Plaza buffet restaurant and the El Caribeno Restaurant (which was closed) there was a pond with a live flamingo. It had apparently arrived at the hotel several years ago with an injured wing and had been there since then, regularly fed by hotel employees with raw veggies/bread. The pond also had turtles and fish. • Beach towels were available from the Club House, after obtaining a voucher from the reception; there was a fee of 15 CUC for a lost towel. Supposedly tourists who lose them, steal from other tourists, so it is best to bring cheap towels from home and put them on the beach loungers to reserve them. • We spotted 4 black cats, usually hanging around the back of the main building. I think they were well fed by tourist as they were quite picky! We also some a couple of dogs sniffing around. The hotel’s staff was very friendly. We had several long conversations with Daniel, a travel rep (trained as a lawyer), who told us about many interesting places in Cuba (some of them we had already visited). Señor Prado (first name Andreas, I think), an engineer responsible for the hotel’s telecommunication (phones, television) is certainly the person to talk to if you encounter any problems with your phone or TV! Last, but not least, I would like to thank Viviana from Public Relations, a very charming lady, who was very helpful and always ready to resolve our problems. OUR ROOM # 1836 It was on the second floor, had a balcony with a view of the ocean (we had paid for an ocean view room) and plenty of coconut trees. It was the furthest building from the buffet and a bit of walk on cobblestone surface for those with mobility issues; the Tryp’s property was just several meters from it. The room had nice furnishing, safe (free!), bathtub, bidet, hair dryer, closet, one big, king size bed, small fridge and perfectly working air-conditioning. The HD TV was nice, but there was no English-language channel from Canada. We mainly watched CNN (the other main news channel, CCTV, was Chinese and as I had been able to determine in the past, quite biased and boring). I wish it had had a CBC and/or CTV channel. Although we do not have and do not watch TV back in Canada, we ended up watching the news a lot: it was during our stay, on Friday, November 13th, 2015, when the Paris attack took place. We did not notice any bugs in the room, just an occasional mosquito—quite often we turned off air-conditioning and kept the windows open and just drew the curtains. RESTAURANTS AND FOOD The main restaurant (Plaza) served buffet-style breakfast (from 7:00 to 10:00 am), Lunch (from 1:00 to 2:45 pm) and Dinner (from 6:00 to 10:00 pm). The servers were very polite, fast and efficient. Tables were indoors but supposedly in high season there was patio dining. Breakfast Two egg stations were preparing excellent omelets and fried eggs as well as there was a pancake station. Plenty of yogurt and juice was always available. Really good selection of fruits, vegetables, cooked sausages, meat, eggs, tomatoes, cheese, bread, buns, etc. Coffee was so-so, but at least servers brought the whole pot to the table so we did not have to get up to get a refill. Lunch I only had one lunch, otherwise we skipped it. I had a tasty hamburger with fries, tomatoes and beer. There was also beef and pork made to order. I think that the food was more-less similar to that served for dinner. Dinner We never had any problems with the variety of food. There were various kinds of meat (beef, pork, chicken) and fish, grilled by cooks, as well as shrimps (excellent!), rabbits, several salads, vegetables, desserts, ice cream and many others. One station was preparing ‘made-to-order’ pasta. Passable red wine (and good beer) was also served. Oftentimes bands were playing during dinner, some of them quite nicely, and they were never pushy. The La Placita snack bar, located in front of the La Fontanella, served drinks as well as very good sandwiches (we had tuna and ham sandwiches just before departure) as well as French fries. Several times we had very good Spanish coffee at the Lobby bar. Except for an occasional beer, we did not have any alcoholic drinks at the bars, so I cannot comment on them. We much preferred to purchase juice, coke, rum and liqueurs at the store and later enjoyed them while sitting at our room’s balcony. A’ LA CARTE RESTAURANT We had 5 a ’la carte dinners at the Fontanella Restaurant—which also had the live piano/flute/singing bar—every evening different performers were there. We went to the Italian, Cuban and Caribbean-style dinners, they were excellent! We had a choice of any starters and any main courses, plus a dessert. The presentation was outstanding and so was the service. They were served with Spanish red wine. After dinners we usually spent some time at the piano bar (located in the other part of the Fontanella restaurant). Several times Augusto was our waiter; he was very fast and worked like a ‘workhorse’! Incidentally, we met him during our visit to Morón. In fact, all the servers at that restaurant worked very hard and professionally, we did not have to wait long for the dishes to be served. And of course, kudos to the ‘invisible’ chef and the kitchen staff who did a wonderful job-THANK YOU! How to book the a ‘la carte restaurant: go to the Fontanella a ‘la carte restaurant, between 4:00 and 5:30 pm and make arrangements for which sitting and which menu—3 dinners per week are allowed. ENTERTAINMENT Each evening featured a different show. We only went to the Michael Jackson Tribute which was quite good, yet we found it too loud. Another night a band was playing in the lobby, but again, it was so loud that I just left. That was why I really enjoyed the Piano bar—that was my kind of music! CONCLUSION It was an excellent trip! The hotel was very good, the staff very friendly, pleasant and helpful, the food tasty and abundant. There were several rainy, cloudy and even cool days, but they did not spoil our vacation. We wish we could visit the hotel again in the future!