Trip Central should remove the airport "Santiago De Cuba" from they site because there is no flights to Santiago and the resorts you are going to is transported in by ether a taxi or mini van! Resorts that are open and running are struggling with lack of tourists and the tourist that are in are complaining of misled by falls advertisement!! Corales resort is open and fits the number of stars rated. Food adequate, drinks limited to beer and rum which is ok. for us. Local tourists at the resort were very polite. The grounds kept in shape also some repairs and new construction going on. Rooms are clean only 7 days out of fourteen issue with hot water only in our room. The beach is kept clean but main issue was: see weeds in the ocean that should be cleaned and only a little patch of sand for non swimmers! The ocean was very clear and very warm!! I would recommend this hotel if the Santiago airport was open or if you like 4 hr. of site seen and some bad roads, yes! The staff are friendly and appreciates our stay. The south part of Cuba is being neglected by the Cuban government with everything from food to medication etc., etc.

I was in that resort 2 times about 6 years ago, right now is so much worse in everything looks like they try to fix some parts of hotel with no luck of materials,it is dirty rooms with no working lights ,problem to close every door ,problem with towels .Room was clean partialy about 4 times during 2 weeks,little dirty refrigerator . No beach intertiment ,water in ocean was cover with algas so no body use beach including my self. Food was limited and horrible (first time I came from vacation with lost few pounds) Bars provides only few kind of alcohol ,always problem with soft drinks, no bottle water During my time they closed 24 hours bar . Intertment only weekend .over all ghost hotel . Few years before was 300% better

The room was very good. There was always hot water available for showers. But the buffet was small. There was a snack bar previously where I could get a pizza in the afternoon. This did not exist anymore. For lunch, spaghetti and pizza had always been available in a separate lunch area. This was no more. My security box took 5 days to fix. The internet was non-existent for the first 8 days. The pool was not cleaned every day. Some days the pool was very dirty. But the weather was excellent! And most of the hotel workers are really excellent. The taxi ride from the airport was long...3 hours and more, especially because of the terrible road conditions. There used to be bicycles available for visitors but no more. But with all the negative issues, I will still return to this hotel even though similar hotels in the Holguin area are better and more reasonable.

I am a frequent traveler to cuba, I have been all over The country, and I have been to corales about 10 times. Because of covid I haven't been in almost 3 years. When I booked it said it wasn't all inclusive and only 3 meals are included. This almost made us book another hotel, but because we were going to visit friends we decided to do it anyway. Your drinks are included and you have no limit. What is not available is the 24 hour snack bar..there are no snacks at all.(this is only during off season goes back to normal in Jan) The food is no longer buffet style. They serve you at your table, a four course meal. For money exchange , there is no longer CUC. You can change your money at bank for 18 pesos for one Canadian dollar. I do not recommend this. The man at snack bar outside holguin airport will give you up to 80 pesos per Canadian dollar. And the guys at the beach by corales will give you about 70 pesos per canadian dollar. It helps you and it helps them.You can no longer buy anything in the store without a card no cash is accepted. A visa debit card works great :) The whole world was affected by covid, but Cuba and this area were especially affected. If you have friends there you should check on them Everyone is asking for sandles or clothes. Which is normal for this area but the need is even more noticable now. Alot of people were walking around completely barefoot because they have no shoes. I brought seeds and nobody said anything at the airport, my friend says the laws have changed you are now allowed to bring food and medicine. They have no Tylenol or pain meds , antibiotics are impossible to find. The amazing service and people are the same , always willing to go above and beyond with a smile on their faces.

Very clean hotel. The grounds are beautiful. The food for cuba was great. Rooms were very clean but tired. For the most part the staff was great. I would recommend this hotel. Lost my bags first day. The hotel tracked them down. When I received my bags same night they were untouched. Nice to see that honestly

Firstly, when I arrived at the Hotel Costa Morena at 10:30 pm, I expected to meet my friend. She had come to the hotel at 4:00 pm at my request. Her name was NOT on the tourist list beside my name and she was sent home. She lives quite far away. I went looking for her at 11:00pm. This was totally wrong! Pedro, the HolaSun rep, had on file both our names together. WHY WAS SHE SENT AWAY??? WHO MADE THIS ERROR??? I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED!!! The workers at the hotel are excellent. However, we did not have beer for five days at the resort. Toilet paper was in short supply. No milk for my coffee for many days. No sugar for several days. No butter for several days. No cooking oil at breakfast on the grill for several days. Eggs had to be scraped off the grill due to lack of oil. We had only pork every day for two weeks for lunch and supper. I do not eat pork. Two days there was in addition chicken or beef. I obtained fish from an outside source and fish was cooked for myself and my sister on several occasions. The kitchen staff were very helpful. There were no eggs for breakfast on many days. HOW COULD ALL THIS SHORTAGE OCCUR AT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE HOTEL CHARGING A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY??? Considering the large amount that I spent for the two weeks, this was totally totally unfair, unacceptable and overpaid.

I like the hotel Los Corales , because I like to walk around outside the hotel grounds and visit some friends and other small farms. The beach area is very nice to lie around in shade or Sun, bat the water part of the beach is not great, most of the area is covered with weeds at the bodem. The hotel itself , the grounds and the rooms and the pool are very nice and of cause the staff is very nice and friendly. Now comes the part I don't like, its the food, it is OK for me but if somebody likes good food and likes to eat, it is below the average and good for somebody who likes to loose weight. Harry

It was our 15th trip to Cuba since 2009 and third to the Hotel Carisol los Corales, so we knew what to expect. We paid $1,295 CAN per person for 2 weeks (from Toronto) for a junior suite in the Carisol Section. We departed Toronto on January 8, 2020 from Toronto’s Pearson Airport (Sunwing Airlines). The take-off was late due to deicing. The flight lasted 3 hours and 41 minutes and we landed in Santiago de Cuba. Because of TripAdvisor’s Cuban forums, I knew that unexpectedly the US dollar had become a hot commodity in Cuba—and we happened to have plenty of US dollars anyway. Within minutes of getting on the bus we exchanged $200 US and got 200 CUC—more than enough for our whole stay. I also ran to the nearby kiosk and got 2 cans of Cuban beer (Cristal). It turned out that I bought the last 2 cans—and that was the only Cuban beer (in cans or bottles) I had during my whole trip. Some tourists also discovered that their luggage was not on the plane and it was supposed to be delivered the next day(s). It took us over 1 hour to get to the hotel. Our very nice and personable rep on the bus, Sahidy, told us a lot of interesting things on Cuba. HOTEL We got the Junior Suite C-3 (upper level). We were not very thrilled with the room (or rather the location of the building), but decided to stay—we liked better the Junior Suite H-4, where we had stayed previously. We had the same maid as 2 years ago, Martha. The staff were overall nice and helpful, although I saw a lot of new, young people working at the reception and most of them barely spoke English—and I had a feeling they were not too eager to practice their meager linguistic skills with tourists. The two-level room was nice, but there was cold & hot water, although the pressure was bad in peak hours. Otherwise everything else worked (A/C, TV, fridge, hairdryer). There was no phone in the room. We had to ask for the safe a few times—eventually it was brought (!) to our room and bolted to the wall (2 CUC per day). Both the safe and the room use traditional keys, so bring a lanyard. IMPORTANT!!! Some electrical outlets in the room were 110 V, others 220 V and they were NOT clearly marked, so ASK the maid before using them or you might damage your electronics! We brought a small coffee maker (and coffee) along with a surge protector bar—2 year ago, due to a spike after a power outage, we had lost our coffee maker. There was no Canadian channel on TV, only the CNN, which I never liked watching. We tried to watch the 6 pm news, but sometimes such ‘momentous’ news like the story about the royal couples announcing their intention to step back as senior members of the royal family took up the first 20 minutes, relegating other ‘inconsequential’ news items as the Ukrainian plane disaster, Iranian Crisis or the coronavirus outbreak in the background! That was why we spent just minutes watching TV. From our balcony we could see the ocean and, mostly covered by vegetation, the ruins of old hotel buildings (disco), destroyed years ago by a hurricane. There were always various animals grazing the grass around, mostly horses and donkeys (with cattle egrets hanging around them), which gave this place a very rustic look. Cats and dogs were not as numerous as in the past. The beach was nice and the beach guys quickly brought us loungers. The coco bar served cold beer and other drinks—Frank the bartender did a great job and I especially loved the piña colada. There was a massage place on the beach and Catherine had a massage every day. I hoped to do snorkeling, but every day was quite windy and there were relatively high waves near the reef, making snorkeling there too risky. But closer to the shore I did see a lot of colorful fish and even a moray eel, luring from an opening in a rock. We had the best January weather ever in Cuba: every day was sunny, about +30 C and it rained a few times, but by the time we reached our room, the sky was blue again. Because of the wind there were no mosquitos or other bugs. The Carisol section (where we stayed) was much quieter than the los Corales section, where all the entertainment took place—and it was one of the main reasons we decided to stay in the Carisol part of the resort. On the bus to the resort we ran into a couple from Streetsville that we had met at the hotel two years ago and during our stay we frequently enjoyed dinners together. We also (finally!) met in person two well-known TripAdvisor members, Cubacarol and CoralQueen, whose posts I had read for many years and often relied on their valuable advice. In fact, it was CoralQueen who had recommended our casa particular in Santiago de Cuba in 2010! We met Karen from Quebec, with whom we had gone biking two years ago to the Jardin de Cactus and whose excellent Spanish greatly enhanced our outing! Besides, we often intermingled with other tourist from Canada and exchanged a lot of interesting stories on travelling in Cuba and in other countries. FOOD/DINING The food was average, but tasty and I had no complains. For breakfast I always had fried eggs, coffee and yogurts. Most of the time we skipped lunch, but a few times we went to the Ranchon Restaurant for excellent ribs and fish. Dinners offered a lot of various dishes. I loved grilled pork at the cooking station, it was delicious—unfortunately, twice I tried beef and it was tough & stringy—well, at least the local dogs enjoyed it… We brought several salad dressings which greatly enhanced the taste of salads. Yet after a week I did experience some mild stomach problems—there was nothing wrong with the food, but I guess the greens did not agree with my gut flora. Although we never noticed any beer or wine shortages in the resort, the wine was ‘rationed’—the servers poured only half a glass of wine and never left a bottle of wine on the table. Every evening a Cuban band would provide musical entertainment while we were dining. I had really mixed feelings about them: on one hand it was nice to listen to one or two songs and admire their artistic talents, but after a while they kind of overstayed their welcome, making it literally impossible for us to conduct any meaningful conversation at the table. The performers were standing very close to our tables and were very deafening! Even if Frank Sinatra were singing like that, I’d say, “Get lost, Frankie, and pop up somewhere else!” We were often relieved when they finally went elsewhere in search of other victims... I mean, tourists! HOTEL STORES (TIENDAS) For the first time in 11 years it was impossible to buy any Cuban beer in the hotel stores! What’s more, on the second day after our arrival I purchased one bottle of mineral water and 2 bottles of Cuban liquors—it turned out that from then on there were no liquors and no mineral water available at the store! I brought tabasco sauce, hoping to make a Bloody Mary—but there was no vodka and no tomato juice in the store either. Well, I’m glad that there was draft beer at the bars. RENTAL BIKES, WALKS AROUND THE HOTEL AND BUS TRIP TO SANTIAGO We had been looking forward to renting bikes at the hotel and exploring nearby attractions. This year there were only 4 bikes available for rent. We rode to the blow holes (past the aquarium) and then Catherine’s bike got a flat tire—it was literally peeling off the wheel, so it was impossible to even walk the bike. She rode my bike to the hotel and sent a horse carriage to pick up me and the broken bike. We got another one and the next day in the morning rode to the village of Baconao—just in time to see the start of the elementary school at 8:00 in the morning, where students were reciting some revolutionary stanzas and singing. Later we toured the small school and spoke to the teachers, giving them several bilingual periodicals. Since we were supposed to return the bikes at 10 am, I was already at the rental place at 9:45 am, but it was still closed. I waited for over one hour (in the meantime, two people wanted to rent scooters and another tourist was impatiently waiting to return one), but the rental place remained closed, its sole employee nowhere to be seen. Just before 11 am I dragged the bikes to the reception and in spite of the protestations of the reception clerk, I placed them in the storage room. I suspect that the hotel is going to be very pleased when the remaining bikes finally break down—one less issue to deal with! In the morning we walked around the hotel and twice explored the nearby caves along the coastal cliffs with indigenous cave art from Central and South America (Exposición Mesoamericana). On a couple of occasions we spoke to the gardener working there—he showed us bats (“murciélagos”) attached to the caves’ walls. We also noticed that the restaurants that we had seen two years ago were gone. The hotel offered a free trip to Santiago de Cuba, which was leaving at 10 am on Saturday and we took advantage of it twice. The first time the bus was full, the second time there were two buses and there were still some empty seats on the second bus. Each time Julio, a very entertaining man, was our guide on the bus and kept regaling us with a lot of interesting stories. Overall, we experienced less problems than 2 years ago, the weather considerably better and we had a very good time. Of course, we always travel to Cuba with a very open mind and do our best to overlook as many flaws as possible—after all, we come to enjoy our vacation, NOT to complain! Yet it’s obvious that this resort needs a lot of renovations and enhancements—thus, I’m not surprised that some tourists are disappointed. Unfortunately, given the current economic problems in Cuba (furthermore exacerbated by the unexpected coronavirus situation), I’m not very optimistic that any significant improvements will take place any time soon. So if you go, just focus on the positive and have a great time!

Great little resorts. Very charming. Although the resort needs some work, it is a 3* In Cuba. You make due. There was plenty of food, although repeatitive. I've been many times and will continue to go! My mom's 1st trip and she loved it.if you want fancy accommodations and dinners, go elsewhere If you want great staff who care, beautiful weather and surroundings, then try this out!

My girlfriend and I just recently returned from a great week at this resort. For one of the less expensive options we found while looking for our trip, we were both completely satisfied with our experiences. Nearly an hour ride to get from the Santiago airport to the resort, but as you go through the Cuban countryside with mountains and landscape all around, the bus ride seems very quick. The staff at the resort were all excellent, without a single issue in that regard. We enjoy how the resort has plenty of shrubs and greenery all throughout, something neither of us had seen at a cuban resort before. The food was as good as you'd expect in Cuba, so we were content with that, and we found the Cuban a la carte to be exceptional. The rooms were not exactly beautiful, but they served their purpose with beds and a washroom, and a mini fridge. The beach had a good amount of seaweed in the water, but also clear patches of sand to wander into the water. Aside from the seaweed in the water, the beach itself is beautiful. Something else to make note of is the amount of dogs and cats on the resort. We are animal lovers so we enjoyed their company, but if you aren't, it is something to be mindful of with this resort. In conclusion, considering the price of this resort compared to others, we found the value to be incredible. While we might look to spend slightly more next year in hopes of a better room and beach, we certainly got more than what we paid for and expected with our visit here.

This is a great resort for 3stars for easy going and not-picky travellers. If you are travelling because you want sun and beach, but also a coral by shore full of fish and sea life, then great spot! The hotel is older, and not at it’s full peak in maintenance. You will come across broken path ways and some worn areas. Some public bathrooms don’t have toilet seats so I used my rooms bathroom primarily. The staff do a wonderful job at cleaning but I blame other guests for being messy and inconsiderate. Please understand that the staff are all lovely hard working Cubans that put up with lots of drunk people. I did my best to tip and show appreciation and it was always rewarded in turn. The room was basic but I liked the high ceilings and AC. We always had warm water and only experienced a water shortage after a night black out stopped the resorts pump. It returned to normal flow hours later with little inconvenience as the resort provided bottle water. Only got bit by mosquitoes from vent into bathroom. We enjoyed the Disco and Isreal the dj was a great entertainer. The food was a decent selection for a 3 star. We thought the staff did a great job of keeping it clean and tasty. We really were happy to have guava, plantains, bananas and beach coconut. We didn’t feel sick at all and it’s the first resort that the water was safe to drink. We did stick to bottled bar water for most the time. The pool was very clean all the time, on the beach water gear and boats were always available day hours. The beach is rougher white sand, coral and weedy. But cleared areas by the shore still should wear water shoes. Snorkeling was great and easy to swim to and saw lot’s of sea life! All in all, great experience but definitely for seasoned travellers who know that despite the embargo the Cubans offer great service as hosts. We plan on continuing our yearly vacation to Cuba, and would return to this hotel if returning to Santiago region. Im giving it a 5 star rating because we didn’t want to leave! It is a personal rating regardless of some of it’s faults.

I really like this resort. It’s small and intimate. The rooms are average as is the food, but it’s Cuba. The staff are some of the nicest people. I’ve been before and will go back again. If you want a relaxing vacation of sun, beach and pool this is a great place

We (as a couple) have been on this small resort 5 times and love it. Great people, great service, great beach and amazing snorkeling !!! Los Corales Hotel is great but Carisol area needs some renovation.

Had a great week. Have been to this resort a few times but noticed this time they have put a lot of work into addressing issues of concern. Definitely cant go wrong for the price. Great and friendly staff.

This resort is very plain with no bells and whistles but like many resorts the staff were fantastic. The rooms were clean and the bartenders particularly at the pool bar were so much fun. Francesco, Ivan, Dennis, Jorge and Santos were always smiling and joking making your stay more fun. My only issue was the food. not that it was bad but it was never hot. except for the soup of course, There was very little fruit, as well. I am pretty easy going but if you are a picky person then this is not the place for you.

This was my third stay at carousel Corrales resort I was there two years ago in a Junior suite and requested the same great room everything works although water pressure could be a bit low at times! Weather was wonderful very windy which I liked :) snorkeling was good beach clean! some food seem to be in short supply the first week such as cheese and fruitBut it improved !the tienda was out of beer Juice vodka liquers water which was something new I didn’t use the pool but it looked clean À la cart restaurant wonderful for fish as was the Palapas style lunch hut And both restaurants have great outdoor eating area’s with evening music groups coming into play during dinnerBike rental available but bikes in bad shape free Saturday bus to Santiago wonderful nearby villages to visit Plenty of dogs around plus mules and horses grazing on the lawn at carrisol Plenty of manure too :-)Lots of Canadians seniors Cubans on the weekend and some families With preschool or school-age kids

I wish I was able to give a good review! After doing my online check in the night before we arrived at Toronto Airport at 6:30 am with boarding passes in hand believing 90 minutes was plenty of time to check bags for 8 am take off . The park and fly bus never came to get us for 45 minutes and we were turned away from our flight ✈️ never again will I book with tripcentral or sunwing

This was my second visit to this property since 7 years ago. The buildings are old and in disrepair. The roofs are leaking in many places. I guess nobody repaired them since the hurricane Sandy a few years ago. If you'll need repairs, be persistent but polite. It will take some time, though. The lagune at the entrance of the hotel is very dirty with garbage floating on the top. Really an eye sore for the hotel. I noticed it first as arrived to te hotel. The food is quite good and tasty; good presentation, the buffet well stocked and replenished frequently with small portions. I would give the chef and the lady in charge for food service a credit. Really well organized. Good food control. The gym is dysfunctional. The machines are disconnected most of the time and to find the stuff to reconnect them is a hassle. Coffee at the 24.hour bar is excellent and the stuff supper. We had some problems with the water, mainly the pumps broke down and the spare part was hard to come by. There are no phones in the rooms. The bottle of water in the store cost 65c CUC. This is the chipest price I payed anywhere in Cuba. On the 24 of Dec., there was dinner fiest the grande. It was really fantastic. The stuff is pleasant and accommodating. I might return to this place sometime in the future.

Beautiful hotel grounds. Very clean with a pleasant atmosphere. This is my second time at this resort which I was looking forward to the same great experience I previously had with my partner. However, I was disappointed with the everyday same food for breakfast, lunch and dinner for seven days. The staff was great. We got a great room with a huge balcony overseeing the Caribbean Sea.

Great people, warm, attentive and responsive. Weather was perfect and snorkeling was fantastic! Someone wrote on a previous review that los corales was like a mini- Jibacoa and they were right! We went with our elderly parents and they enjoyed themselves as the beach is clean and the waves gentle enough to allow for them to get in the water and look at the fish right off the beach just a few feet into the water! 🧜🏻‍♀️🤙

Rooms are clean and showers worked great. Grounds are clean and well maintained. Food was good only complaint was no jam for toast in morning and no bacon all week. Dogs are loose on resort but so well behaved you really dont know they are there. They were a nice touch. Shows were ok only saw a couple as they start at 930 and usually going to bed as I'm an early riser. Drinks are basic at this time of year as they are shutting down for season but service was excellent and everyone so kind. This is our 2nd time at this resort and for quiet and relaxation one of the best places.

I’ve been to this resort before but it has been a while. The place is still very nice. The beach is gorgeous and the view of the mountains doesn’t get better. And getting a $10 CUC massage on the beach is so worth it. It’s a relatively small resort which I appreciate. The only downfall is the food. But it’s Cuba. I don’t go expecting to eat like a king.

My family has been many times to cuba and have never been dissapointed. This vacation was no exception. For an older resort (charming one), the grounds were always impeccable and clean. The staff is awesome....polite, helpfull, and just plain nice. As with all resorts in cuba, the food was fine. Although this buffet was smaller then most, it was surprisingly tasty. I actually enjoyed dishes that i don't normally eat, so the quality impressed me. The rooms are large and are very clean. Beds were surprisingly comfortable, and sleep was never an issue. Beaches....well, your in cuba...so enough said. Excursion are great...as this is a very mountainous area, some excursions allow you a private meal at the top of a mountain and sleep over in a hut....breathtaking Everything functioned...i.e. hot water, fridge, air con...ect.. I would return in a heartbeat, just like the rest of cuba If you have never been to cuba, keep your expectations in check, and you will never be disappointed.

We recently stayed at this resort and it was “ok”. While the rooms were clean and the staff was good. The resort overall was run down and the food selection was horrible. We all ended up on Imodium on day 3 for the remainder of our stay. The so called Al la carts restaurant was basically non existent. Holus Sun Tours flies into Holguín which means a 3.5 hour transfer to resort. On the way home the pick was way to early and we arrived at the airport 4 hours prior to departure which was too early to even check our bags

This was my 6th visit to Carisol Los Corales. It just keeps getting better! The staff are wonderful, and the grounds are always improving. I always have a wonderful room, with an amazing room attendant. It is always kept clean. Can't wait to go back!

This was my 4th visit and this resort did not disappoint. Always something good to eat. Lots of entertainment. Snorkelling off the beach was great. Rooms were in good condition. Staff always friendly and helpful

Staff was amazing from the front desk and serving staff right to the grounds and maintenance staff. My feet had swelled due to the flight and a staff member (Quality Assurrance Representatve, a very lovely and caring lady who happened to be having a coffee in the lobby) noticed and was very helpful with her personal remedy lotion, expecting and accepting nothing in return. Great improvements have happened around the grounds. We did miss having pig on the spit but were happy to see the Johnny walker and fire breather shows. Entertainer Julio was awesome and actually thanked us for returning during his nightly introduction of the show. We went on the Sunwing Santiago de Cuba complementary trip, Julio as the guide gave a very detailed history of Cuba, and we enjoyed the fort as well as the cemetery where mother and father of Cuba, Fidel Castro and the Bacardi family are laid to rest, along with the changing of the guard ceremony, which was fantastic. The balance of the trip was in the heart of the city where we mingled fairly comfortably and ended up at the Casa Grande rooftop patio for a cervesa and enjoyed the panoramic view of the bustling city. Our pool bartenders and lifeguard, Francisco and Ivan, were absolutely amazing and could not have made us feel more welcome. With only an hour or two of rain all week and a steady temp of around 30 all week, Sanitiago de Cuba never disappoints. We feel overall good value and lovely small resort.

great nature and great warm water perfect for snorkling fod is decent and rooms are good serviceos ok too. so many returner in this resort only thing i would like is more activity and more local music

This was my second stay at this resort. This stay we had a bungalow facing the ocean! It was beautiful. The pool bar bartenders are the most friendly, fun bartenders you could ask for. Food is decent for Cuba, eggs and buffet for breakfast , pizza and pasta available at lunchtime as well as buffet and grill. Buffet and grill at dinner time. Showers were hot, although not much pressure. Wifi is available in the lobby. Would definitely recommend this resort to others, really can’t be beat for the price of it.

Impossible to swim at beach. Only knee high water. Several swimmers had cuts on their feet due to stones and broken shells. Travellers should be advised beforehand that they MUST take water slippers with them. There was NO internet availability and this created a lot of frustration amongst the guests who wanted to keep in touch with their families at home and know what's going on in the world. The hotel staff and food were excellent and the grounds were very nice. Very difficult and expensive to arrange travel into Santiago de Cuba. The HOLA travel reps at the hotel seemed to be not interested in collaborating and talking with the guests.

We arrived at the hotel ready for a great week. Well it started off not so great. They did not have our reservation so we were moved to the adjoining resort. We were suppose to have adjoining rooms, we ended up being 5 bungalows apart. We were upset at first but We made the best of it with what was given to us. The pools were great the beach was nice. Some seaweed but there were areas we could swim. But what made our trip was the wonderful entertainment staff. These 6 men got us involved in everything. Made sure we were happy the whole entire time. They started at 10am and were right there at the disco till 2am. Those men would be the only reason we would return to this resort. The food was the usual for Cuba. I didnt starve. Fruit, eggs, and pizza and pasta.

We have been to Cuba 12 times and fully understand the economic profile of the country. We are usually very patient and have never made a complaint about any of the resorts........until now. The Carisol los Corales on the Club Amigo side needs to be investigated and shut down. So many lies on their webside it's hard to decide where to begin. First of all the resort is not a 3 star... It barely makes a 2. It is not 1/2 an hour from the airport... It's over an hour (depending how much livestock is on the road). The food at this resort is the same every day ! Some of the staff are nice...the rest act like they hate their jobs. No phones in the rooms. No smoke detector or wall lights in our room. My daughter was verbally assaulted on 2 accounts..My wife both verbally and physically assaulted. There is a prostitution ring run at the resort (not sure if the resort controls it but they stand by and watch it happen). My 14 year old daughter's verbal assault assault came in the form of a sexual proposition made by one of the resort staff. He tried to lure her back to his room/accommodation. We spoke to numerous other guests at this resort and had a variety of other complaints themselves. One couple had no water the entire week they were there. Nor would their room door stay shut even when they locked it. Most of the grounds and pathways are unlit and a number of people took falls on the uneven surfaces. In conclusion we cannot in good faith recommend this resort and are even considering contacting our lawyer to try and get a full refund at the very least.

Before visiting Carisol Los Corales, I had read probably over 200 reviews to prepare myself. A lot of the reviews had me extremely worried - from bad food, to tons of mosquitoes and even one guy complaining they didn't have pepper. I was honestly amazed by how wonderful everything was for the cheap price we paid. Myself and those I traveled with were honestly questioning how they even make money with how much we received for our money spent. The entertainment they had scheduled was absolutely fantastic. There's such a wide range of food available that it's impossible to not find a lot of things you'll like - but the part that I think most people have trouble with is trying new things. I had read reviews and heard verbal reviews from family and friends stating that you do not go to Cuba for the food or the desserts, but I was amazed to find that I thoroughly enjoyed almost everything. Their ice cream is in my opinion better than most in Canada, and their beef stew was DELICIOUS - and that's coming from a girl who grew up on a beef cattle farm. They had a wide range of excursions available for the visitors, so you don't just sit at the resort the whole time - although I kind of wish I spent more time sitting at the resort because it was absolutely beautiful. There are pools with pool bars that you can swim up to on both sides of the resort. The ocean in between is fantastic. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. It was rare to see any unhappy visitors (I only saw one lady who was grumpy, but I think she was just a naturally grumpy old lady). The only thing I honestly had a hard time with was all the animals - a lot of them are healthy and happy, but a lot of the dogs do have fleas and other clear issues. There was one dog who clearly had mange, and another extremely skinny cat who I believe had worms. I found out recently that there are a lot of people looking out for her though, and she received treatment, cleaning and healthy food etc. I would recommend bringing whatever you can to help the animals (healthy treats, medication of any sort) especially if you are an animal lover. I could go on and on but those are the basics. The resort is beautiful and I'd definitely visit again, I'd just be more prepared next time. :) P.S. There is pepper, it's just white pepper. I wasn't bit by bugs at all, even without wearing any sort of bug repellent at any point.

The hotel was immaculately clean and the staff were unbelievably respectful and kind. The rebuilding of this resort after all of the years of storms was impressive and said a great deal about the pride of the Cuban people. We were catered to with everything we could possibly ask for; good food, great cooks and waiters/waitresses. Great room, fantastic bar tenders and unbelievable entertainers and entertainment staff. I fell in love with Nora, Houlio, Jesus, George and so many others, too many to name them all. I do believe that I left part of my heart in Cuba.

The first room I got had bed bugs. It took 3 days before I figured out (I tough it was mosquito) and I was bite all over the place!. The 2nd room was perfect. I was disappointed by the beach, too short for the 2 hotels (los corales and Clarisol), and a lot of seaweed in the ocean, it was unpleasant to swim. The meals was not great but not terrible. Overall 2 out of 5.

We love Cuba and the Cuban people. They are the most friendly and hospitable people. We went to the Santiago area and the weather was the best ever especially for January 29/30 degrees and sunny every day. They say this is normal for this time of year! Lovely beach although not really great for swimming. Snorkeling was the thing to do. Great for kids. A very relaxing holiday.

Great staff. Very clean rooms. Nice beach area. Beautiful garden. Swimming pool nice and clean. Entertainment team works hard all day long. My favourite show... aqua show. Good food. I’ll be back soon.

This is 4 time that we visited this hotel. For 3 stars is the best that you can get. You can swim even when tides are high. Beach is combines sun and shade. Everything is close. Beach, eating area, very alive poll with music and activities. People are profesionall and nice. Only thing that is missing is one day tour by bus to Santiago de Cuba, and visti few landmarks for 6-8 hours.

This is my 4th time here. The entertainment was much better than when I went in March. No complaints for this hotel. Had a great time. As long as there’s sunshine, booze, and ice cubes how could you complain?????

Resort never fails to impress with its exceptional warm staff that go above and beyond to welcome you..Well maintained grounds with a huge fabulous pool.The prime location is perfect for mountain hikes.oceanside biking or just strolling on the large expanse of beach offering great snorkeling.

FLIGHT. I flew to Holguin by Transat. Huge relief when it was over. One has to be four feet tall or shorter to fly like a human, not like anchovy in a can. Many firms are shamelessly greedy packing people like animals, but this Transat is the champion among them. Be as short and tiny as possible, while dealing with them. TRANSFER. My transfer from Holguin to the hotel had left without me. I had to take a taxi from Holguin. It is 200km and $150 by horrible wreckage-car. I finally arrived to the hotel at 4 AM, and being not exactly happy. NOISE. They put me in a room with windows looking at the pool. It was OK until “entertainment” people start yelling through an amplifier on those in the pool at 10 AM. So, I could not hear nothing in the room, like TV. Almost all clients of this hotel are Cubans, they like it very loud, nonstop; better if it is from several different sources. I asked to put me some place as far from the pool as possible. They did it. SURVIVING. It is a long boring story to tell all. I changed rooms twice because of broken locks, air conditioners and TVs. We had many shutdowns. The last three days I had no running water. But there was nothing live threatening, thanks. FOOD. It is a typical Cuban low end, three stars. CORAL REEF. It is 600 meters long and located in 100-150 meters from the shore. Some rip currents are presented. Be careful while snorkeling. The reef itself is pretty interesting. You can look at my photos. But all edible wildlife is already eaten. HIKING. There is the Baconao lagoon nearby, a big saltwater lake. A pretty picturesque desert dirt road is circling this lagoon. North part of the road in usual agricultural one, but South brunch is made as tourists’ attraction. It has several organized entrances to the water and is mostly shadowed by trees. There are very few bugs here and no traffic. You can make a hike of 4-16 km, but look at Google map first. WEATHER in AUGUST. No rains, not much of winds, 33-35C at 3pm, 23-26C at sunrise.

This is a pleasant resort. The food is not bad but can become boring. There is usually chicken, beef and pork. And lots of vegetables. Other days you may find fish or liver at the grill. The beach is beautiful and quite large but there are limited areas where to enter into the ocean. The shows in the evenings are usually pretty good. Some of the shows are run by the local entertainment staff. Other shows are from dance groups from Santiago. I am pleased with this resort and return often. Its location is one hour away from Santiago. The location in the mountains is excellent. I am always happy to return to this resort.

This is our 3rd time to this resort and was just as good. Slow season so no waiting for drinks. Food ... it's Cuba but still edible. Missed seeing franseco at the pool bar shout out to Ivan the life guard/bar tender 😁

I wish I had better things to say about the 10 days I spent at this resort but unfortunately....I don't. I was ready to come home after just a few days there. I realize this was an inexpensive trip and not a five star....BUT....so many things were misleading. There really is no swim area at the ocean, because it is all weeds, most of the staff were miserable and unfriendly, it was full of aged male tourists with very young Cuban hookers, no juice at any of the bars to have any sort of tropical drink....they had orange pop and cola only, the buffet consisted of mostly cabbage and rice dishes and very poor qualities of meat. The first room smelled so bad of must and mildew, I had them move us and the second room was better. The pool area was nice, the young lady that cleaned our room was very good. I have been to other parts of Cuba and never experienced this.

Positives: Every staff member was very polite, and genuinely seemed to be happy to help. The resort is older but the staff worked hard to maintain the landscaping and keeping the beach clean. The beach was smaller and the water had a lot of rocks/broken coral/urchins but it made for interesting snorkelling, was clean and we had plenty of space on the beach since it wasn't crowded. Negatives: Crappy bed/pillows, bar times ended by 5pm at the pool and beach but the lobby was open until 10:40pm, blue paint came off from part of the pool onto our skin/bathing suits. They didn't have running water the first night in our room (second floor) but it was fixed by the next morning. Food was typical Cuban fare. Sometimes limited selection and they would run out of some items but there was always plenty of food in general.

This is not most spectacular hotel, in fact is was very typical for most of Club Amigo hotels in Cuba. The great grounds crew made the hotel feel lush and tropical. The beaches very fairly nice as well, sandy with few rocks and coral to watch out for. We were there at the end of April so the weather was absolutely perfect. Low 30's during the day, low 20's at night. Being low season, the hotel was fairly empty and as a result, some of the extra al la carte restaurants were closed but there was enough food to choose from at the main buffet. The best part for us was the snorkeling right of the beach. It was a very easy dive with waters being no more than 3 meters at its deepest. With a reef 50 meters, majority of the waves never make it in so you get crystal clear waters to see all the schools of fish. We identified over a dozen different types of fish and crustaceans. There is also lots of fishing just beyond the reef for the avid fisherman. The hotel is just under an hours drive from Santiago Airport so you don't waste a lot of hours in the bus.

Overall I had an ok time, but the hotel need serious improvements. The positive: The staff is very friendly, the food and drinks was ok, you can always find something to eat, the cappuccinos at the lobby bar were great. The entertainment team was very nice. The negative: The room was a total mess, from the door that was a challenge to open and every time I had to open it, I felt it would come apart; the room was full of mosquitoes, and I am not talking about a few, it was an invasion; there was no telephone or hair dryer, the safety box was missing the door, the mini fridge is for decoration purposes, the walls have not seen paint in a very long time, and on the very last day a piece of the ceiling came down, luckily I was not at that spot when it happened.

3rd time to this resort. As great as ever. Unfortunately there’s a lot of new Entertainment staff and I was not very impressed with the evening show, nor were a lot of the people I was with. Other than that, it is a fantastic place to be.

Some staff were okay others very rude,grounds were beautiful.Good location of our room.We were not told about our free trip.Coming into the airport and leaving were a disaster.Food could have been hotter.Italian elacart awesome.Pool staff great,our maid was awesome except our fridge did not work took three days to get a new one.Store hours were not exceptionable. The beach was not up to Cuba standards Asked about vip service told we did not need it,did not get the same seats coming home we asked at the airport leaving said no problem

I have been going to Los Corales for just over 3 years now... while it’s my go to destination, and will likely continue to be because of the staff and the atmosphere, I must say that this trip I was not impressed by the new entertainment staff, primarily ‘Leo’.... I felt that his direction of the entertainment left people confused, and at times disturbed.... some people collecting their children and leaving because some parts were quite inappropriate.... other than that, great week, continued improvements, and I will definitely be back!

Food did improve some over past years. Good supply of beach launches. Lots of shade available at the beach. In general a good kept resort. Some changes don't make much sense. Find this is a very safe area , which I like, since I like to go for walks outside the resort, visit some of the little farmers and talk to them as good as it will go. The weather is also very nice and warm every day 30 degrees. The staff is very friendly and accommondating. Was at this resort 14 times and am planning to go back.

The grounds and beach were nice. The rooms were suitable, some could use some updating but were comfortable. The staff were all very accommodating and nice. The wait staff, bartenders and maids were very attentive. The maids were always willing to help out if anything was needed and did a good job. Winmar is the best, and helps out wherever he can. I have seen him on my return visitsand he remembers us. The food was good, the only complaint would be to have a little more variety. You could always find something to suit you to eat, however, a little repetitive. The omelets in the morning are very good! This was my third visit to this resort and would return again. Over the years I have seen some positive changes regarding updating the rooms. The entertainment in the evening was awesome. It would have been nice to have a little more going on in the pool area in the afternoons though. The beach is very nice and I especially like that you can snorkel on the beach without having to leave the resort. There are some very pretty and interesting fish. Overall I would return and probably will. The price is reasonable.

Really enjoyed our stay at this resort. The staff was very pleasant and the bathrooms were very very nice in the rooms. Food is pretty much what you would expect from Cuba though the à la cart restaurants were not too bad. Beach was OK. The pool area was awesome the DJ play great music . Really enjoyed the nightly show us and there are always opportunities to take tours to see Santiago de Cuba as well as other places in the area.

Its our first time to visit Cuba. Hotel are clean some employees are friendly. Except for the bed that give us too much bites from ticks. Food are not bad, nice pool and beach. Bring Extra old clothes

We have just returned from our 2nd trip to this hotel. I can not begin to express how Great the staff at this hotel have made our vacation again. From celebrating my grandsons birthday to the wonderful Valentine's dinner. Meladie.. Francisco... Yolanis.. Just to name a few should all recieve awatds for how they treat people. Thsnks so much... Miss you all already. Our room was very well taken care of. Thanks to Dalia ... My grandson loved the towel art. Pool was fantastic and i can not wait to return. Thanks from from rm D1 feb. 8th to 15th 2018

Even though this a three star resort, the service you receive is 5 star. The staff at the resort will go out of their way to help you. The grounds are beautiful. Don't expect a lot of the food. It is Cuba and their selection is limited. We woke up every morning to an omelette freshly cooked. Try the Cuban a la carte. The beach is a natural beach so a lot of rocks, coral and sea grass. Bring watershoes. The snorkelling is great. Tins of shady spaces on the beach. The shows at night are worth going to. Dancers almost every night. Do not miss the Aqua show. It is a 5 star resort show. Overall one of the best vacations for the money.

This was our fourth vacation at los corales and we had a great time as always at the resort. Staff are always pleasant and willing to help in any way. We will be back again next year. We did find the mosquitos to be very bad this time so bring lots of insect repellent

This hotel is not too large to get around. The food has been improved. The beach is good. The pool is large and clean. I would go again! There are restaurants outside the hotel to try out real cuban cooking. Overall this is a 3* hotel providing a reasonably good service to all guests.

Our 13th trip to Cuba in 9 years and 2nd to the Carisol Los Corales since November, 2010 commenced in Toronto on January 4, 2018. The Air Cubana flight departed 1 hour late. We immediately recognized the 23 year old, all-black livery Airbus A320, as we had flown it to Cienfuegos in January, 2016. After a 3.5 hour flight we landed in Santiago de Cuba just before 6:00 pm (i.e., almost as scheduled). The bus ride to the hotel took over one hour and we still managed to have dinner. Two weeks before the departure, we had sent an email to the hotel, asking to either upgrade us to a bungalow at additional cost (bungalows were not offered by Hola Sun) or give us a quiet room, far from the pool and the entertainment area. Unfortunately, we got a room in Los Corales in the 500 section, which almost exactly met the conditions that we had NOT asked for. It was facing the swimming pool and the entertainment area, so the first night it was quite noisy because of the show and later people kept congregating in the bar area. The following day after 10:00 am the pool music began. We were determined the change the room. The next day we approached the front desk, only to be told by a stern & rude clerk that there was no availability of any bungalows or rooms. We insisted on speaking to the manager who was much more receptive and said that with a fee of 20 CUC per night per 2 persons we could move to a bungalow at Los Corales or a junior suite at Carisol [incidentally, the previous evening, upon our arrival at the hotel, we inquired about upgrading to a bungalow and the clerk at the reception desk told us it would cost extra 30 CUC for 2 persons per night; apparently the price had gone down overnight ;)]. We went to the Carisol, spoke to the person at the reception desk there, were given an upper level junior suite in the “H” section and soon we moved in—Angel, a very nice hotel employee, drove us & our 5 suitcases in a golf cart. The next day we paid almost CAD $400 for the upgrade and the safe (2 CUC per day). However, from the outset we experienced a plethora of problems (which I mention later in this review) and my friend demanded a refund of the extra money we paid for the upgrade. Fortunately, she did get it back, albeit in CUCs. During the first 7 days of our stay we had the worst weather ever in Cuba—it was cold, windy, cloudy, and it also rained (one evening we experienced such a heavy rainfall that we were unable to leave the room and go to the dinner), so we never spent any time on the beach. I was sorry for those who came for vacation for just one week! The weather improved significantly during the second week, it was sunny and hot (up to +30 C), although it rained at least once. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOTEL • The Carisol is much quieter than Los Corales, as the latter has nightly entertainment and other activities. It takes just over 5 minutes to walk between the hotels. • Hotel guests can freely use all facilities/restaurants at Carisol and Los Corales. • Both hotels have stores (“tiendas”), yet the one at Los Corales is bigger and better stocked. They carry rum, toiletries, detergents, clothing, beverages, liqueurs, cigars, batteries, etc. The tienda at Carisol once had no beverages at all and on another occasion it was unexpectedly closed before 5:00 pm. • There is also a small stand at Los Corales selling hats, clothing, souvenirs, postcards and stamps. Letters can be mailed at the reception desk. • At Los Corales, near the bar adjacent the entertainment area, a Cuban man has a small stand where he is rolling & selling cigars. • Bike rental (free) is available from Los Corales from 10:00 am to 11:00 am and bikes are rented for a 24 hours period, to be returned at 10:00 the next morning, but their quantity is very limited and are often unavailable. But at least they are maintained on a regular basis by the guy in charge of the rental. Scooters are also available for rent ($). • At 10:30 am a very entertaining & inspiring Cuban lady was conducting stretching exercises on the beach—15 minutes beforehand she religiously walked along the beach and spoke individually to all tourists, encouraging them to join. My friend heartily participated and she really enjoyed them. There was an aqua fit session in the pool afterwards. • Massage is offered at the beach for 25 CUC. • We often went to the ‘Coconut Bar’ on the beach, it had many drinks and cold beer. Other bars (in the lobby of both hotels and the swim-up bar at Carisol) also served various drinks (Pina Colada, Mojito) and cold beer. • There were several dogs and cats on the hotel’s property, usually hanging around the restaurants at meal time. A couple of times they followed us to our room; one pooch even curled up and slept on the balcony overnight. • The beach was quite nice, but there were not enough palapas or trees providing shade, so we had to ‘reserve’ them early in the morning by 8 am. • At Carisol, around the pool, there were many toads after the rainfall which several times gave a unique & noisy performance in the evening. • One evening on our way to dinner we spotted a big spider—we were told it was a tarantula. Just a few days later my friend spotted an identical spider in the resort’s washroom and she said it was a very unnerving encounter. • I think that there were bats flying in the evening, but I was unable to take a closer look. • There were plenty curly-tailed lizards all over the property, which often chased one another on the beach the way chipmunks do in Canada. • The resort offers many interesting excursions, the information is posted in the lobby of Los Corales. • There are a number of horse-drawn buggies in front of the hotel, which can take tourists on various excursions. • Our Hola Sun package included a free trip (by a horse-drawn buggy) to Laguna Baconao & the crocodile farm. We also had a 20 minute boat tour (3 CUC extra per person) on the lagoon—the scenery was beautiful, as it was surrounded by mountains. The crocodile farm basically consisted of 4 cages containing large dozing crocs, do not expect an eco-tour ;). By the way, “Baconao” means “son of the tree” in the language of the Taínos. • We took advantage of a free bus trip to Santiago de Cuba on Sunday—it was certainly a highlight of our stay at the resort. It departed from the hotel at 10:00 am, arrived in the city at 11:30 am and left back for the resort at 4:00 pm, giving us just over 4 hours to explore the city. We managed to walk from Plaza de Dolores along the main pedestrian street (Francisco Vicente Aquilera) to Parque Cespedes, then saw Tivoli and the waterfront, took a horse carriage to the Cementerio Santa Ifigenia where we saw Fidel Castro’s grave, watched the 2:00 pm change of the guard and were back at Plaza de Dolores at 3:30 pm. OUR ROOMS LOS CORALES—Block 500 (1 night) • The room was facing the entertainment area and the pool—it was quite noisy at night and after the entertainment ended as people congregated in front of the bar. • It also got noisy at around 10:00-11:00 am, when pool activities commenced. • The air conditioner in the room was very loud (not that we had to use it, as it was quite cool outside). • There was a small fridge, safe (2 CUC per day) and a TV set in the room, but no telephone. • The room had a stale, smoking smell. • There were 2 single beds. • The back of the hotel building faced two abandoned structures and a field where various farm animals grazed. CARISOL—Junior Suite, Building “H” (13 nights) • The junior suite was on the upper floor, facing the ocean, and had a balcony with two comfortable chairs. We also had a view of the mountains. There are 4 units in each building, 2 on the ground floor and 2 on the upper floor. • The room was spacious, had one very large king-size bed and one small single bed, ideal to place our suitcases. • The bathroom had a shower stall, not a bathtub. There was a hair dryer. • Except for the window in the bathroom, it was impossible to open other windows in the room. • There was NO hot water whatsoever for the first 7 (seven!) days. • Cold water was just trickling for the first 7 days, so even our cold showers were difficult to take. • We (as well as many other tourists) had NO water (cold or warm) at all on 3 separate occasions and such shortages lasted from about 3 to 20 hours at a time. Some newly arrived tourists were very upset as they desperately wanted to take a shower after their flights. • One evening the balcony, bedroom & bathroom lights suddenly went out. The technician was unable to fix them, but they were back on the next afternoon. • The air conditioner did not work for the first 2 days (the remote control was missing), but since it was cool outside, it was not a big issue then. Later it was functioning, but every while it stopped (probably the circuit breakers tripped and had to be reset). • During the second week we had no A/C for 2 nights, even though we notified the front desk numerous times. Eventually a maintenance guy came, reset the breakers and showed me how to do it. Yet the A/C stopped working just minutes after he left. Despite my resetting the circuit breakers many times, they kept tripping every few minutes and after 1 hour we gave up. It was quite hot, we left the door open, but mosquitoes got into our room and finally we had to close the door and ended up having a rather uncomfortable night. The air conditioner seemed OK after something was replaced, as it kept working without interruptions. We also got our lights back after a night of semi-darkness. • Power went down about 6 times, but it was restored immediately, within less than 20 seconds. Yet probably due to the power surge the coffee maker which we brought from Canada broke. • The TV set worked, but the audio sound was very distorted and the close captioning did not work, so we never turned it on again (in our case, it was not really a problem, as we do not have TV sets and do not watch TV back home anyway). • There was no telephone in the room—each time there was an issue with our room, we had to walk all the way to the reception to report it. • The maid (Martha) did a great job meticulously cleaning our room daily and also tried to assist us with our room glitches. • We never saw any bugs in our room, except for tiny ants which were usually on the balcony, attracted by drops of liqueur. On the balcony we spotted a large green leafcutter-type grasshopper and a small gecko. • We were given only one key to the room (just a traditional key, not a magnetic card) and it was impossible to get another one—we found it a little inconvenient. • The safe cost 2 CUC per day and it also used a traditional key (no numerical pad). • From our room’s balcony we often watched horses and donkeys grazing the grass just in front of our room (what a wonderful environmental way to mow the grass!). On two occasions we were quite surprised to witness a herd of about 10 big bulls and cows passing just meters from our room as well as a herd of goats. Some horses had bells, so at night we heard them long before we saw them. Actually, we enjoyed those animals very much, as they gave a genuine rustic touch to the resort. • Gardeners were noisy in the early morning, pulling the bins on the front sidewalk. • At our room we were never bothered by entertainment noise or any other disagreeable sounds. • No bottled water was delivered to our room, as in other hotels during our previous trips to Cuba, so we bought a few bottles of mineral water in the tienda and then asked servers or barmen to fill them with drinking water. FOOD • We had meals at both Carisol and Los Corales. Los Corales was more crowded. • There was plenty of food and it would be difficult to go hungry, but it was quite repetitive and relatively basic. Well, I never go to Cuba expecting gourmet cooking—yet I still managed to gain about 5 lbs. Needless to say, we never experienced any gastral issues. • All bags, backpacks and purses had to be left outside the restaurants, presumably because some guests were stuffing them with food… and other items ;). • Some Spanish-speaking tourists were trying to ignore the lineups and were impudently cutting in—unfortunately, the staff still served them. We had to firmly tell them to join the end of the line. • Raw vegetables were available at every meal, but they would taste much better with good salad dressings. • Outdoors dining at both hotels was awesome (one of the reasons we went to this resort), but not always available. • Breakfast egg stations served eggs & omelets, but most times they were slow and inefficient, some inexperienced cooks had problems even with cracking the eggs! • Lunch & dinner: cooks prepared pork, beef, hamburgers, hot-dogs, turkey—but I never saw shrimps & fish. • The buffet food was quite tasty & healthy, yet almost identical every day. • Fruit choice was poor at breakfasts. • Ice cream was, according to my friend, very tasty! But as she learned later, it was probably chemically made. • For dinners we ordered red wine, which was below average—well, nothing really unexpected. • Service was spotty—some servers were very good, others mediocre. • At Carisol a 7-person Cuban band played Cuban music, but a little too loud, it was often impossible to conduct a conversation. Besides, when the band was playing inside the restaurant, the acoustics was terrible, the cacophonous sounds were deafening! • At Los Corales there was probably a different musical band—one evening it played excellent Cuban jazz music which I loved. • At Los Corales there was a restaurant adjacent to the main one, which offered pizza and spaghetti. We went there once and had a pizza, which was OK. A’ LA CARTE RESTAURANT • We went only once to the outdoor a’ la carte restaurant at Carisol (La Piazza). • We waited for one hour for the food. • The order was not correct and could not be changed. • The beef was like shoe leather and the desert consisted of… melted ice cream. • The 7 or 8 piece musical band was standing very close to our table and was very loud; I considered tipping them NOT to play. • Overall, it was a disappointing experience and it was relief to leave—it is much better to go to the regular buffet. OTHER INFORMATION • Upon arrival, at the airport at Santiago I exchanged money, getting 153 CUC for CAD $200 (i.e., 76.50 CUC for CAD $100), the hotel offered 74 CUC for CAD $100. • At the hotel we rented bikes on 3 occasions and rode to the village of Baconao, Laguna Baconao, Jarden de Cactus, Hotel Costa Morena, the Blow Holes (!) and the Aquarium. Easy, yet awesome jaunts! • It was somehow difficult to get one peso bills or coins, even though we approached servers and hotel staff at the reception and asked for them at the exchange kiosk and in the hotel tiendas. Sometimes we tipped in US dollars. Some tourists tipped in Canadian coins (probably before they had a chance to exchange money) and a few resort employees asked us to change them into Canadian bills, which we did. • We asked the gardeners to bring us coconuts and thus we could often enjoy this tasty fruit. Surprisingly, the gardeners much preferred razors, hats and t-shirts in lieu of pecuniary tips (i.e., CUCs). The beach staff specifically asked us for t-shirts & hats which, I believe, cost much more in Cuba than in Canada. I was also asked if I had any pens. • I brought several bilingual magazines, containing the same articles in both Spanish & English. English-speaking hotel employees were very interested in reading them. • There are several Cuban farms on the other side of the road, just in front of the hotel property. One morning we took a sally, visited a few farmhouses, talked to the farmers and then took a different road back to the hotel. It would also be possible to bike there. • There are 3 or 4 private restaurants near the hotel, on both sides of the main road and while we were biking or walking near them, their Cuban employees/owners invited us to drop in (but we never did, truthfully telling them, “acabamos de comer en el hotel” (we’ve just eaten in the hotel). • We met a Canadian tourist who brought a fishing rod and often went fishing, catching plenty of fish. USEFUL TIPS • If you want to have a quiet room, get a junior suite in Carisol, but even if you have a room facing the pool in Carisol, it should be relatively quiet as there was no entertainment of any kind while we were there. Los Corales, ‘where the action is’, is much noisier (and livelier), yet the bungalows and rooms facing the ocean (vs. those facing the pool & and the entertainment area) are certainly quieter. • Bring your own favorite salad dressing and spices, especially if you like salads and greens. • Carry with you toilet paper or a roll of paper towel, especially outside the resort—but even the resort’s public washrooms were out of toilet paper. • Flashlights/headlights are very useful while walking at night on the hotel property or between hotels—some walkways/sidewalks are in poor shape, full of holes and cracks. My 1,000 lumen flashlight came very handy as we could see the horses & donkeys that at night knocked over the gate just in front of our room and entered the hotel property. Besides, due to the bad weather I spent a lot of time inside the room or on the balcony, reading books—and the headlight turned out to be perfect for this activity. • Consider bringing an umbrella—we did not and one evening we were unable to walk from our room to the restaurant because of heavy rain. • Big & insulated bubba mugs are a must—the bar cups are small and flimsy. • Whereas we were rarely bitten by any bugs on the beach, the mosquitoes were bothersome especially between 6:00 and 7:00 pm, while we were sitting on the balcony. You might consider bringing some bug cream or spray and a cortisone cream, as there were some tiny black flies biting too. • If you want a tasty, aromatic coffee in the morning… bring your own favorite coffee, mugs and a small coffee maker or at least an immersion heater. Consider using a multi-outlet power bar with surge protection—as I mentioned before, our coffee maker suddenly & unexpectedly died, most likely from voltage spikes occurring after the power was restored. • If you want a coconut in the morning, ask the gardeners. Also bring a sturdy spoon and a good knife in order to get the very tasty & soft meat. • Bring two lanyards for the keys to the door & safe. • Bikes are rented for a 24 hour period, so must be kept by guests overnight. If you do not want to carry them to the room, bring a bike lock/chain. Bringing a bike helmet (and bike lights if you are planning to ride after sunset) could be a good idea, too. • Sign up for the free trip to Santiago de Cuba as soon as possible (at the same place where you reserve a’ la carte dinners) since the number of seats on the bus is limited. • Take a bike ride (or hire a horse-drawn buggy) on the road towards the Hotel Costa Morena. On your left, past the aquarium, you will see blow holes. It is possible to go down to take a closer look at them. Later, before reaching the hotel, you will see Jardin de Cactus on your right. There is a pleasant guy in charge of the garden (who unfortunately does not speak English) who can give you a tour. It is also possible to walk up the hill (there are stairs), the view is quite nice. • There is a bar outside at the Santiago Airport, for 1 CUC beer (Cristal) and other beverages can be bought for the bus ride to the hotel. • The exchange kiosk at the Santiago Airport is located outside, close to the arrival area. There was only one other tourist at the wicket and the exchange rate was better than that in the hotel. The only problem was a small musical band that suddenly materialized next to me, playing loud music while I was busy counting & checking the money—they could not have chosen a worse time & place for their performance! Furthermore, they expected a tip—in your dreams! IN CONCLUSION Perhaps 20% of hotel guests were Cubans, who frankly could get noisy, but most were Canadians. We met several very nice, interesting and charming people from Ontario and Quebec and enjoyed dining, talking and even bike riding with them. It was a pity that we stumbled upon so many problems—especially that some of them were eventually rectified AFTER our (often repeated) interventions—meaning that they could have been fixed BEFORE! Besides, many other hotel guests we met had had similar (and even worse) problems, some had to change rooms several times, especially after the heavy rains, which caused inside flooding and leaking. I guess a proactive approach is not the hotel’s forte. Overall, I would give the resort 2.5 out of 5 stars. In spite of all the predicaments we encountered, we had gone to Cuba with a (very) open mind and we made our vacation enjoyable, taking whatever occurred in strides. Besides, we enjoyed the surrounding mountainous scenery, bike riding, visiting nearby villages as well as watching the ocean, mountains and the horses, donkeys, cows & goats from our balcony. Would we return to this resort? Incredibly, the answer is ‘yes’, provided that we could ensure getting a problem-free, ocean-view junior suite in Carisol.

2nd time here and had a good time.There have been some renovations done on the rooms and grounds.However more are still needed since in a very heavy rain we had some of the rooms flooded and numerous roof leaks in the buffet and elsewhere. As usual staff overall is very friendly and helpful with Francesco at the pool bar being particularly awesome! Also had a great time diving with my newly certified 12yr old daughter.Everyone at the dive shop was great with some really nice dive sites.Food is average 3 star Cuban and none of our party got sick or any stomach upset.Will be back and recommend this hotel for the budget minded easy going traveler.

We stayed at Carisol los Corales from December 25 to January 1. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised how clean and tidy the resort looked and felt. Staff was very friendly, the beach amazing, food was quite good as well! I loved the views- you are surrounded by mountains!!! I loved the fact that kids were able to roam free (as the resort is small) and we were not worrying about their safety at all! no matter where you stayed (cafeteria or your room) everything was literally few minutes walking distance! A la carte were great as well (my favorite dish- fish in a curry sauce!) delicious! I thought the resort was greatly situated and I would definitely recommend to those that want to get a feel of "real" Cuba! I actually loved the fact that you have dogs and cats, sheep and horses roaming the property! Our boys were so occupied with the animals (both 6 years old and one 9 year old) The only negative aspect were the rooms. Don't get me wrong-they were VERY clean and spacious and no smell of moisture or mold whatsoever!! BUT they are so outdated to the point that some fixtures and renovations would be recommended! the grouting job in the bathroom was very bad..LOL... Generally I would recommend this resort greatly! For a 3 star resort I must say that you get everything-the views, the beach, the food....

The resort is outdated and needs TLC big time! My room was decent, but more like a two star room. Definitely bring your own pillows as the ones provided are tiny:( also I would recommend to bring your own hand soap and kleenexes. The food was ok, plenty of meat and starchy foods but no much of veggies except for cucumbers, white and red cabbage and carrots and peas...so don't expect variety, same for fruits...grapefruits, pineapples very little of papaya. The staff were friendly and helpful. The beach is beautiful with mountain view, great for relaxing, snorkelling and kayaking (no extra fee) I would suggest to bring water shoes as the shore and water is rocky and full of urchins.

The hotel grounds were well maintained (keeping in mind that there was a hurricane there recently) and the bungalow we stayed in was clean and we always had hot showers. Instead of Oceanview, we had parking lot view with idling buses. Since it was during Christmas holidays they were fully booked and could not offer us another room. The food was very basic. We had either a custom omelette or hard boiled eggs, toast and coffee. If any fruit was put out it was quickly absconded by whoever was there first. For lunch we often had a mini pizza in the Italian restaurant next to the main food hall. Dinner was pretty much always the same. Cucumbers, cabbage, lots of white rice or curried rice with a variety of stewed meats to put over the rice. There was often pork and fish being grilled if you were willing to wait in line. We had a la carte twice ( both times there was no seafood available.). They tried hard to give a good service but they just don't understand efficiency. Ie. Bring bottle to the table to refill wine glasses!! No, the waitress has to carry them to behind the counter, refill them and then try to remember whose glass it was! Desserts looked okay and the ice cream was very popular. We were disappointed with the lack of fresh fruit, and were told that the fruit trees were damaged and that they could only serve up what was delivered to them. 3* Cuba..understandable. We had to go reserve our chaises at 7:00 am orelse there would not be enough. Luckily people respected our towels to reserve. Our neighbours had a blue towel stolen and were charged $35 to replace it, even though they had been tipping excessively throughout the week. The resort was full of Cubans, and we felt that they got preferential treatment. (We were told that there was no shrimp at the Cubana a la carte). The Cubans at the next table not only had shrimp, but they had a lot of it. That's blatant discrimination...if you say there's no shrimp, there should be none on other tables!

Nice hotel with a nice beach. Many small things that need improving but overall pleasant place to stay. Activities are scheduled every day however only few are played. Stray dogs and cats in the restaurants I don't think are appropriate. No Wi-Fi on premises a big minus. Staff is friendly.

Have stayed here before; it seems spruced up. Clean and comfortable. Activities good. Mario, my Cuban guide/friend, joined us. Rental car was available to go over the mountains to Baracoa and Alejandro de Humboldt National Park. My 86- and 75-year-old lady friends also loved it.

No soap in the bathrooms or toilet paper. Dishes in the dining room were dirty. The food was greasy and the poorest cuts of meat. The dive boat was not there as the papers had not been signed, no catamaran. The room was clean. The staff is helpful and friendly.

stayed several times at this hotel, and find it the same every time, very enjoyable and the staff is so friendly, they do everything they can to accommodate you for whatever reason..the food could be better, cold most of the time, so eat from the grill.... ..the recreation staff is great, they try to get you involved in games and pool activities. will go back again

A great value for a three star hotel. My husband and I go twice a year, in November and March, mainly for the location. Majority of the people there, at the times we go, are retirees. The weather is always good, and It hardly ever rains. The beach is great, the water is warm and there are no waves. The clean room for us is imperative so we tip domestic 3 CUC every morning. The food is okay; nothing special. Bring your own spices if you like spicy food. We don’t go for the food, and we don’t drink. We drink wine or beer at lunch and diner time. If you like to drink be prepared to tip if you want a speedy service at the bars. There is a great program every night. Basically, you get what you pay for. Don’t expect five star treatment in a three star hotel. We are planing to go again.

The resort was nice , the room was clean and the shower had lots of hot water . the food was OK at the buffet most of the time ( do not show up late , slim pickings ) . day time activity fun and nightly shows are great .

The whole experience was exactly what I was looking for. The staff was amazing and the resort itself was beautiful clean and relaxing. I would definitely go back. the pool and the entertainment was great. Everything was what I wanted and surpassed my expectations

Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Los Corales. The location is great as it is an hour to the city centre and close to the aquarium where we swam with dolphins. As we both speak Spanish, we were able to immerse ourselves with the locals and enjoy some evenings in the barrio dancing with them. We also visited the lagoon by foot. As for the hotel, the room we were given was in need of updating. There were no other rooms available to move to so we had to settle. The service was below average in the buffet restaurant with the exception of 3 servers. Most likely because we are both Latin and they thought we would not tip. The Management was overseeing the restaurant one day and that was when we actually received service promptly. The Entertainment staff, especially my girl Yilen whom offered dance and exercise classes, were on point. The only problem were the guests as most times they were not interested to participate. I would give this resort a 3 star review based on overall experience.

Still needs a bit of TLC, after hurricane Sandy... But they are well on the way. I found this gem through friend 3 years ago, and I've been back year after year. Staff are amazing! It's clean and has all the basics.. Don't go in with high standards, because u will only let urself down. Cuba isn't Canada, and u will only get out what u invest into ur experience.

We had checked before going about having diet pop and they have it but not the same as ours-but no they didn't have it at all-Pedro at the hotel tried for 2 days to get us some from in Santiagio and on the second day did find some limited amounts for us-we were so grateful to him and his hard work .. The room was good-the food was Cuban,with some liking it others not-but a good variety-the soups were really good too (just take your own soda biscuits/crackers)-bread is deicious-lots of pork and chicken at meals-pizza very good.They do not have pepper there at all ..just salt The pools were really nice and a swim up bar..entertainment was great-lots of bars-the beach not great for swimming-but the water is so warm there and there were plenty of chairs.. I cooked with one of the chefs and we made some pickles which I took the spices for-it was just wonderful and new for them.. We took the horse and buggy ride to Bacanao (for 5 pesos) to a school and took them some supplies of paper,markers,pencils,Canadian flags and more-they were so happy and welcomed us-it was good for them and good for us.. We went out of the resort to a restaurant now far-but the food was not good at all there..met some local people and gave them some baby clothes that were so happy to have.. Now there are tile floors for the sidewalks and we had a heavy rain which made the tiles slippery..there were 3 of us that I know of that had fallen ..so be careful of this..the nurses in the infirmery were totally awesome when I had my fall. All of the staff are so pleasant,friendly and helpful in every way..our stay there and adventures were so good and enjoyable..

I got what was expected for a 3 star hotel. A mistake in the room we were given was corrected the next day and our room was adequate. AC was cold, water hot, bathroom spacious. Pool was nice and never too crowded. You were assured a lounge chair either at the beach or pool. Beach is on the small side and sand is mostly gravelly. Not a whole lot of room to swim as the water is very shallow with seaweed except for a 30 ft wide area that is deeper and sand covered that leads out to the coral. Experienced snorkels will be disappointed here with the lack of variety of sea life and limited coral. Still, I had a great time on the beach. Lots of chairs , shade, and even some hammocks. The entertainment was good and popular with most of the guests. All the employees we encountered were respectful and seemed genually happy The food at the buffet was good there was always something for everybody. Bread was baked fresh everyday. My expectations for food in Cuba are on the lower side so I was satisfied . Surroundings are very nice with mountains to look at. Considering what I payed for this vacation , I was happy with this hotel.

The hotel wasnt great, bugs, smelly bathroom nowhere to swim shallow beach, food was very poor. I would not recommend to go there for anyone. It was a bad experience never had this bad experience ever.

Room was well kept and clean but was missing phone and fridge and was noisy being beside pool and entertainment area. The grounds were nothing to write home about neither was the beach no fish to see when snorkeling nor could one swim as it was mostly covered by sea weeds. Good shaded and sunny areas to sit around and look out with a good enough beach bar. Food was very basic and boring, no taste, no variety basically the same thing over and over. Entertainment was okay and staff were mostly friendly. The bar seemed to only have beer and cheap rum, no vodka , or whisky. I had trouble getting a bottle of water running around to different bars to a point that it seemed there was a water shortage. Two days there was no red wine with meals. Hamburgers were under cooked so was concerned about food poisoning. Often, there were no bowls for soup or ice cream and the soup was the same every day. I will not return to this resort as I found it one of the worst in the context of Cuban resorts.

We had a wonderful time at Los Corales! The staff were friendly and helpful, the resort itself is beautiful even with some signs of aging. The food was more than adequate.We took two excursions which I will comment on. The dolphin show at the aquarium was fabulous and if you want a really memorable experience add the "swim with the dolphins" too. If you want to save money, just rent a horse and buggy and only do the aquarium instead of taking the package. We also did the Catamaran tour to Santiago. The ride is a long one but very beautiful; but bring lots of sun screen and be prepared to just relax in the sun. You only have an hour in the city which was just enough time to take out more cash and walk down to the cathedral. If you like to shop, Cuba is not the place. There's not much in the stores except basics for Cubans. The best souvenirs you will find on the beach! So, you will save money there. The free excursion in the horse and buggy was fun and we even saw the wild dolphins in the lagoon, but you can't be guaranteed of that. The beach is a mixture of sand and broken coral so bring water shoes especially if you'd like to play volleyball! Even though there is a lot of sea grass in the water if you venture out a little beyond it there are lots of tropical fish. The coral is not live as it was killed by hurricanes. Also, bring your own snorkel set because most of the ones they have there leak. My daughter went scuba diving and you got to train in the pool until you're ready. Even though they are not certified by North American standards, they did a good job and were very safety conscious. There are paddle boats and you can go out on a small catamaran with a skipper for a tip. There are two masseurs on the beach so for $10 you can have a great 1/2 hour massage with the sound of ocean waves, birds and goats in your ears! Just a word about beach etiquette: the more seasoned guests go out and claim their lawn chairs first thing in the morning, leaving a shirt or something to let you know that it's taken. I don't think it is kind but don't try changing it. If you can't get out early enough to stake your claim just wait until one's available or pick a place on the sand or a hammock or go later in the day when the others have gone in. Bikes are free so you can ride down to where the road ends and see beautiful wild beaches. But they aren't speed bikes so you will have to work on your way back! I got a good one but I was told that some aren't so good and you may get a flat tire. Check it over carefully before taking it out. Also, if you have any dietary concerns, talk to the chef and they will be more than willing to accommodate you. If you're gluten free just bring along some of your own pasta and bread. I am vegetarian and had I known how accommodating they would be, I would have spoken up sooner. There is lots of meat and vegetables, only pineapple, papaya and one other tropical fruit which I am not familiar with for fruit, and only white bread.There is no WiFi but internet is available for a small fee. I liked that because my daughter was not on her phone all the time and it was nice to just visit with other people and enjoy all the activities. If you have a heart for the poor, bring a check in with give away stuff; you'll find ample opportunity to do so and you will be rewarded with seeing happy, appreciative recipients who will try the best to give you something in return. You will be entertained with lovely Cuban music at every meal with live entertainers. There are always dogs standing around the outdoor tables but they are all very mannerly and you will probably have your favourites. To me it was homey. Bring an umbrella for occasional rain. Would I go back? Most definitely!

Just got back from a 4 week stay at my favourite resort near Santiago de Cuba This was my 9th time there; my reason for being a repeater is .It's the devil I know, not the devil I don't. This resort is a 3 star Cuban rating a lot of people pay for a 3 star and want a 5 star. The weather is always 27 to 32 this time of the year; the food is good and you will not starve and the staff are friendly and always willing to help without having their hand out as on the north of the island.

The room was ok. I was not happy with the fact that when you went to the beach there was never enough sun beds; also at night when they offered the entertainment there was never enough chairs for the guest. At the pool there also was not enough sun beds. The food was not bad. The beach is not as good as other places in Cuba.

Grounds - good for our taste. We were four of us: our son with his wife, my wife and myself. The rooms were not bad. Once because of some strong wind the resort left without water but they managed to fix the problem pretty soon. Except that day the water supply ran O'K. Caution! The hot water is really HOT. The beach isn't bad though not excellent. The view from the beach to the East is amazing. The water is limprid (clear). Our children used to snorkel a lot and with a great pleasure telling us that there were many beautiful fish out (down) there. The water was pretty warm all our two weeks the passed January. Apparently nothing unusual as it is the South Coast of the Island. Two trips. To the city. We liked it. The guide was VERY good and interesting fellow. The price fare. Another trip to dolphinarium - nothing but amazing especially for us as we had never seen anything like that before. The daughter in law swam with them - UNBELIEVABLE! We didn't regret the additional price for that pleasure. Then they (not dolphins but the guide and the bus driver) brought us to the Lagoon, then to a private restaurant - the LOBSTERS were cooked perfectly!!! Though the food in the resort was just adequate. We tried two a la carte. "Italian"... As usual pasta - nothing else. But "Creole" was nice. Meat and sea food kebabs. And yet there was another good thing - we could eat after midnight and we liked eat - good hamburgers and hot dogs in the grill bar at the discotheque. ALCOHOL and BEVERAGES were very POOR. I like GIN but even a domestic one was not every day to say nothing about "Beefeater". No TONIC WATER ever, no SUGAR FREE Coke. At least there was sugar substitute for coffee and tea. Adequate... The staff was good. Typical for the kind Cubans. The price for two weeks is fair.

It was definitely our worst ever vacation. The resort is still repairing the damage from hurricane Sandy so we knew the rooms would not be great and paid the additional price to upgrade to a bungalow. BIG MISTAKE. There are feral dogs running loose on the grounds and we had a bitch with four pups living under our bungalow. They barked and howled constantly through the night resulting in very little sleep for us. The dogs roam around the resort even into the open air dining areas. They all suffer from mange, are flea infested and wormy. I complained to the manager about the dogs every day and was assured things would be corrected. STILL WAITING. The food in the buffet was the worst we've seen, even for Cuba. Food normally served hot was cold and the cold cuts , cheese, fruit etc was not chilled. Food hygene was non existent. The food handlers did not wear gloves and the food was not covered so the numerous flies were free to crawl on it. The beach was stony as there is a coral reef just offshore and had only a small area suitable for swimming. On the upside the staff were great, doing their best with the little they had available to meet your needs. All told we would not recommend the Carisol to any one

We just come back from our vacation in Carisol Los Corales. It was 6 times in this hotel. We love all the great people who work in the hotel. Rooms are clean, food is cuban(simple, but good), beach is nice, I really like beautiful view on the mountain and Caribbean See. Bartenders are very nice and will make great drinks, including cappuccino. Weather in this area is always beautiful. We enjoyed are walk to the village, and talking to locals. We are definitely coming back next Christmas. Thank you Carisol Los Corales for having us!!!

Where do I start? First night we got there, it was a long line to sign in. Only 2 guys at the reception, but only one was working. His name was Felipe, and he was very nice to us, I can't complain. But man, we waited more than 1 hour to be signed in. In this time, our child's stroller was stolen from right there, in the lobby. Of course, by the time we realized, it was too late. They said maybe it was left in the bus, but we knew we had it when in the lobby, and it was confirmed the next day by the bus driver and the tour guide, that nothing was left in the bus. I followed up at reception (even with the manager Alejandro) on a daily basis, but they didn't seem impressed, or offered us anything as reimbursement...a better room or a voucher for next trip...not that they would ever see me there again. Now I feel like I should have asked to open a police investigation, perhaps then they would have cared a bit...fe days after my son's lifesaver was stolen right by the pool. Again, nobody gives a damn. They raise their shoulders and carry on. Anyways, the rooms. That night, we were assigned two rooms in Carisol, but guess what? Carisol side was closed. No service. So how, I ask, did they assign us the rooms, and didn't tell the Trip Central agent that they were in the side of the hotel which is closed? We walked with two kids so far away, from Los Corales to Carisol, until we got to a part which didn't even have lights, we were like in one of those horror movies, where you can expect anything. And then, when we opened the rooms, aside from the fact they looked awful and worn down, they were occupied! I mean, men's booths and tshirts on the chair, beds unmade...of course, we walked all the way back, and then spent close to 2 hours in the lobby, while the guy at the reception made calls after calls to see in which rooms we could be placed, because they had no available rooms, were booked to full capacity at Los Corales. Unbelievable. But after a long trip with 2 small kids, we were finally in our rooms at 11PM. We were placed in one of the junior suites, which was the only thing they had, and in their opinion was the best. While it certainly looked better then the first set of rooms, it was still bad. Broken windows, toilet worked, showed didn't. It did next morning, with cold water. And it was still far away from Los Corales. Far away from everything. We asked to be moved as soon as the next available rooms in Los Corales were vacated. And so we moved the next day. The room was also bad, but something we would live with. Fridge not working, A/C working on and off, big cockroach coming out of a hole in the bathroom night #1 and night #2 (we solved this problem by placing a heavy towel on top of it after first few nights)...but what can I say? At least we were back in civilization...next to the pool, close to the restaurant. So we tried to make the best of it. The people are nice, but they don't go crazy to serve you. They are overworked, because of the Carisol side being closed, the Corales side is booked to full capacity, and they don't have enough staff. I can tell you that I've been to Cuba many times before, and I know not to expect luxury, but this was the worst Cuba experience I had. And the prostitution that goes on, right there in plain view, it's absolutely disgusting. What explanations you think I could find for my kids who were wondering what 20-year olds were doing with 70-80-year olds? Never again will I go to this resort, and I would not recommend. I am not sure they should even be allowed to be open, because it is full of hazards. Open cable laying around, holes in the ground, they would never pass an inspection back here. The people are nice, what can I say? The lady who cleaned my room, Milo, was lovely. Same with the staff in the kitchen, at the bars, the night entertainment, I'll give them that, they are all beautiful truly nice cuban people. But it doesn't make up for the terrible experience we've had. We couldn't wait to get out of there and go home. And for me, a Cuba lover, to say that, believe me, it must have been bad!

No rain only sunshine for two weeks. If you like it hot this is the warmest area in Cuba. Room and food adequate. Staff wonderful!!!. Relaxing place to stay. Free bus to city for the day a great bonus. Great bartenders. Lots of activities around the pool every day.

Good price, very nice beach , warm clear water and always beautiful weather. The food was OK - there is always something to eat. We were very disappointed by the beach restaurant - many people got sick after having a 'pig' lunch there. The resort is definitely for older people.

The bungalow was good, very clean, new AC units, upgraded bathroom. The entertainment was good for 6 of 7 nights, The grounds were very clean and bright. The public bathrooms had toilet paper. The snorkeling right off the beach at the reef if great! As always the egg grill was great. Now the bad points. The shower handle would turn on the water and regulate warm/cold but fell off when you try to turn the water off. It took 2 days to get hot water. You could not pay for excursions with any credit or debit cards. There was no bank to withdraw any money from, only in Santiago an hour away. The office would only exchange money. They often did not have any. The small gift shop would take MasterCard when it worked. The beach was quite rocky/sandy outside of the small cleared area. The food selection was very limited. I suspect it is because of the time where little is available locally. Much cabbage and carrots, no potatoes or tomatoes but you will not go hungry. If you are coming here make sure the price is right. There was no wifi, OK. They had 2 computers you could rent time on for 1Peso/30 min. You need a card like a pay as you go phone. They were out of them for 2 days. The keyboards look the same but to get the @ symbol you had to hold both the control and shift keys. That does not work for the brackets though (9 and 0).

This is our third trip to Cuba and must confess that we are in Love with Santiago. The hotel in in a very lovely location away from all the hustle and bustle. There is not a lot of traffic . The hotel is surrounded by beautiful mountains. The area is great for walk and driving. Getting to the Town of Santigo is accessible by Taxi. The layout of the hotel is Fantastic, staff very friendly and helpful. The entertainment was always interesting. The food was good and fresh . We watched the Hotel staff roast a whole pig which took about 4 hours. It is a very interesting process. We were able to visit the locals who live in the same area of the hotel . We had the opportunity to ride horses which was a first for us. The entire area is Clean, safe and quiet. There is a Lagoon about 3 km from the hotels for those who like to walk. At the Lagoon you can go fishing or just go around the Lagoon by boat. Highlight of the trip was our visit to Grand Piedra which is the 2nd highest Peak in Cuba. The ride and walk up the peak was scary but when we got to the top it took our breath away. The view is breathtaking . The beach is not white Sands but it was still very enjoyable. Overall this was good value for the money and -one of most enjoyable trip

not to much place to swim.most off the sea around beautiful beach was covered with sea grass.Food was OK,but lot of flays around the food area,sometimes even on the food.Evening program was very good,resort has very nice style with nice pool.Personal at the resort are really friendly.Rom where for 3 star resort OK. because for me is important the sea and who like to swim at the sea i do not recommend that resort,who like to swim at the pool I recommend that resort.

the whole transaction with sell rep was smooth and great- love it. as of resort itself, it was my 3d time going there. this time we had bungalow with great terrace on 2 floor. the terrace was about 300 sq feet large and we pool out the beds to sleep outside. beach was great, although inside of water you have to watch out for not to step on sea animal spikes. service great but the choice of cocktails could be better, food ok. but if you want you can go to the village next to resort to eat langostas, if the group over 10 people you can negotiate about 15-12$ per person. it a shame its a bit far from santiago, i would go party there every day (as i did at bucanero, before it got destroyed). but the entertainment was still nice inside of resort. overall- i enjoyed it very much.

I love this resort. I have stayed @ Los Corales several times. The staff are very friendly, the food is good. I always have a great vacation when I go to Santiago. The snorkeling is amazing. There is always something to do like aqua fit, bingo, dance lessons etc.

We had visited Corales in 2008 and we pleased with its condition and service when we returned in March 2016. Corales is in a remote location and our main interest, snorkelling, is mediocre. We managed to make it work, however. We rented a scooter and rode in and out of Santiago. We hiked the roads inland from the resort. We scuba dived. All excellent experiences. The staff at this hotel are great. The food is plentiful and nutritious. We found the entertainment enjoyable. We regretted having to leave after two weeks. We will try to return.

We spent 2 weeks in the end of March in Club Amigo Carisol Los Corales. The Carisol part was closed due to the end of the season and we stayed in the Los Corales part. The good: - the weather was great; - the hotel is located in the Bucanao natural park and there are lots of places around to walk and visit; The bad: - when we arrived there was luck of dishes in the buffet, but later on they brought some; - people were complaining of missing towels and personal belongings left on the beach or in a room balcony. The beach was ok, not great. The food was so-so, but we always were able to find something for us, I would say it's acceptable except for a long lineups for the grill during the lunch and the dinner, omelets in the morning, fruits, etc, that are not supplied freely. The tap water is from the mountains and is drinkable and very tasty, we never had any stomach issues. The quality of the entertainment was not consistent. There were really great performers, like water ballet team, Angel the magician, but some other performances looked like an elementary school party.

We have just returned from a resort where every day is just another day in paradise. Now don't be fooled, this resort is not our idea of a three star. As everyone knows, no one goes to Cuba for the food. However, the pizza and spaghetti at lunch was amazing. The lady who creates this delicious food works tirelessly never lossing her humour. Many of the staff there are warm and friendly even as they are constantly understaffed in the dining area. I would advise exchanging your money at the airport, as often they did not have enough at front desk . We love to go snorkeling in search of different fish. This beach fit the bill perfectly. If you enjoy going into the water with a sandy bottom, this is not the beach for you. You will find a very small area with sand, while the rest is filled with grasses and rocks. One aspect of this resort we particularly enjoyed was all the animals sharing the space with us. You will find horses donkeys and cows chewing the grasses outside your room at times. And dogs that have the sweetest disposition joining you for a drink. Lol Please do not forget the local people in the area. This is one of the poorest regions in Cuba. Bring toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and shoes if possible. These are some the the basics they do not have, and we certainly take for granted. This resort offers it all. A peaceful vacation, if desired. Or a bike ride in the country side, excursions , and a disco at night. It's your choice. Our choice would be to definitely return!

We have been to Corales/Carousel four times now, usually for a three week stay. An endless sandy beach or 'American' style food is of little interest to us. But the location is good for us with nearby fishing and farming villages, providing a real slice of real Cuba, away from the Varadero type complexes. The weather is always reliably hot. No, not everything is 'perfect', but it's a great, relaxing and economical resort!

The beach and pools were great, staff awesome and the weather was perfect. I found that room 114 at Carousel was quiet and the amenities satisfactory. On the downside the food was reportedly down in quality and selection from years previous. Liver was cooked up at the grill station twice along with chicken or pork, not my thing. Ice cream was available on two days. I suggest a quicker way of getting toast or through the grill area as there were certain groups that were quite rude tourists. I felt sorry for the staff having to deal with them, but the staff were professional. All in all, it is what it is, an inexpensive holiday in a beautiful country.

Weather was beautiful pool area nice as far as the rest i would not recommend it. Food was horrible met people who have travelled to this location before and they brought there own can food. They returned to this resort only because of the weather.

poor beach, food below standard. Rooms good ,staff good, grounds good, service good, alcoholic drinks good. The temperature is generally around 30 degrees. Free trip to Santiago is very nice. The erea is safe to explore.

Smallish resort, somewhat rundown. Friendly staff. Oceanview upper level bungalow had it's own sundeck! Food terrible. Small beach, need water shoes for the stones. No tequila or brandy. Still, a quaint comfortable feel. Many dogs.

If you want to live a real "Cuban" experience that's the place to go. Staff are always pleasant and try to help you. Be ready to see different little problems every day... Electricity stops sometime, the toaster might be defective for few days, the resort might experience a shortage of fruit juice or the front destroy are running out of CUC money... But all these are part of your "real" experience. If you want a perfect sandy beach, go to Varadéro but if you like to to skin diving in a nice coral reaf with a variety of marine life, comes to the Corales!!!

A lovely resort, small but quaint with staff that go above and beyond to meet your needs. The snorkeling available at your fingertips made this one of our best vacations we've taken in Cuba. When not in the water, the view alone made it worth it. Our room, and the resort itself were spotless and very functional.