My Husband and I went to Camaguey Cuba, Be Live Brisas Santa Lucia May 11-18 2011. The trip was absolutely amazing and there is very little to complain about this trip at all except for our first room which was BROKEN. Anyways, so our week was filled with fun, excitement and relaxation. The Entertainment staff is amazing (Rawly,Froggy = amazing). We went horseback riding (far end of our beach for 50 pesos = 4 people for almost 2 hours)& it was the best ride I have ever been on during a vacation, the horses weren’t tried and famished, they were energetic and very healthy. We also went on the King Ranch Excursion which was so worth the 29 pesos as we saw a Rodeo, went horseback riding, pole fished for Tilapia, visited a village and school and ended our trip with a Pig Roast! Another trip was to Playa Bonita which was worth the $ even though it was more costly as it was almost a full day of Catamaran, snorkeling and beach relaxation with a fresh Cuban lunch and beverage. We had amazing lobster dinners, one was offered by a Local by the name of Santi who took us down the beach to a white Cuban style home where we paid 10 pesos for a wonderful meal. We also arranged a horse and carriage ride which cost us 15 pesos for the ride there and back, he brought us to see the Flamingo’s and then to Coco Beach where we had a wonderful Pina Colada and then we were taken to a beautiful local Cuban home that was very modern and had the BEST Lobster dinner I have ever had. The Lobster was bigger than my head and it was served with Plantain chips, rice, tomatoes and cucumber. No drinks were offered but the driver went to the local bar and got us all a coke and beer each for 1 pesos per drink so I couldn’t complain at all. Afterward we had a beautiful horse and carriage ride back will full bellies and enjoyed the sun setting over the ocean! By far this resort was better than the other three on the strip and the food was also much better! The entertainment was wonderful, the food was great and the atmosphere was just simply relaxing and filled with fun memories. I would go back to Be Live Brisas Santa Lucia in a heartbeat!!!
Arrival: We arrived at 9:15pm and the buffet closes usually at 9:00 but they stayed open for us. The food was not the best as it was closing time but it was nice to be able to grab something before it closed and we were welcomed with a cocktail. After our snack the check in took about 2 minutes and our luggage was brought to our room that was located on the far side of the resort which was also nice to be away from all the hustle and bustle. When we arrive the wrong key was given to us so the bell boy went back to the front desk to fix the issue, a cleaning lady was there and she let us in immediately so we could begin unpacking. The bell boy returned and fixed the door and told us that the lock would be changed the next day and we would be given 2 new keys.
Rooms: Now for the BROKEN ROOM ISSUE which realistically was not that bad but was our only complaint. Our Air conditioning was not working properly, our view was of a local house with cars in the driveway, the previous people who had our room forgot to reset the safe,the shower head would not stay up and my husband had to hold it while I showered, had no toilet paper holder but we unpacked and headed to the bar for a few drinks and hit the hay early and said we would deal with it the next day. So we went to the front desk the next morning and asked for a different room because of the issues (the broken shower, toilet, safe, A/C, and the horrible view). The front desk lady made a few jokes about us having no room and proceeded to get us a NOT BROKEN ROOM. We were given a key to the new room and she had asked us to go take a look and see if it was to our liking. The room room was absolutely wonderful, nothing was broken, it was cool and we had a beachfront room with an amazing view! Now that was the only issue we had with the hotel and it was rectified immediately and with pleasure, so to all you haters out there all you have to do is be kind and ask for a change and you will get it!!!
Restaurants and Bars:
Food was great, on the far hidden right of the buffet is the pasta bar!!! What great pasta so if you dont like the buffet food you can always opt for pasta or pizza!
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Pool was great, warm and clean. Beach was also VERY clean and always had lots of lounge chairs, there is a small coral reef to the left of the beech so if you dont want to pay for a snorkling trip bring some bread in the water. The grounds are very well planned out, the rooms on the far left are less noisy block 7-8-9-10.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The scooters look like they would break down but the bikes are awsome, there are so many activities to do at the resort or offered by locals just off the resort. The night club down the road was fun and the locals are very friendly!