This was my second time in Santiago de Cuba and my fourth in Cuba. We know what to expect but were really blown away by this resort! Coral Queen had told me that I would love the spectacular view and she was so right! she knows Santiago like the back of her hand. Due to the fact that this was low season and we were flying in from Montreal – we were landing in Holguin so the drive was long and bumpy! I was warned about the drive but I never thought it would be that bad! haha… but really it was so worth it. The biggest surprise to us was the delicious food! there was nothing that was a mystery dish lol it looked like what it was supposed to and was all incredibly tasty! I just wished they had a grill like Los Corales…that would of been awesome. I did miss not having langosta. The grounds are just gorgeous….it’s a postcard scenery where ever you look. The majestic mountains reflected on the ocean, the palm trees and the flora is breathtaking. The staff were top notch! I find the people of Santiago de Cuba and Chivirico to be so warm and inviting. Anthony and Ernesto, the two heads of Animacion were just amazing! perfect English and French and Anthony had a repertoire of 5 other languages. Very professional and they really knew how to engage the crowd. Our tour rep was non existent….but wait we did see him at the airport in Holguin, he gave us a paper that had his phone number, he pointed to the bus we were suppose to get on and when i glanced back he was gone…i don’t even remember what he looked like! Thank Goodness for Pedro, the Hola Sun rep. He went above and beyond the call of duty. Kudos to him.! He should get a commission for helping all of us Tour Mont Royal people. We knew going in that the weather would be iffy and it was. We had rain on and off Sunday, Monday and Tuesday but the sun still peaked through and we got some nice sun time in. Wednesday I witnessed my first Tropical Storm. WOW! trees were bending over, the pool was over flowing and turning the stair case into a mini waterfall. one guest did fall and ended up with a huge bruise but no broken bones thankfully. The staff was very cool headed and tried the best they could to calm down some extremely anxious and over reacting tourists.
Over all, this was a fabulous vacation, I have no qualms in recommending this resort as I am so returning to it in February! One week there and one week at Carisol/Los Corales…the best of both worlds!
Room Number:
324
Room Block:
300
Arrival:
Arrival at the hotel was non eventful – we checked in quickly, paid for our safe and was escorted to our room where they showed us how to work the aircon and how to open the patio door…it was tricky so pay attention lol. We never saw hide or hair of our tour guide. We had a phone number listed if we needed him. Luckily Pedro the holasun rep was there and extremely helpful. TMR pay attention.
Rooms: There’s a lot of stairs….be prepared to walk and climb all the time. that was perfectly fine with me as I love to walk 3-5km a day but for someone with arthritis issues it would get long on the tooth and of course the elevators didn’t work but i did find a path which brings you up to the lobby so it’s an extra 5 minutes to the trek but no stairs and it’s scenic. If you want to have a less stairs to climb and descend as possible, ask for a room in the 400 block.
The rooms are very nice and comfortable with an updated bathroom with great water pressure and we always had hot water. The Air con worked perfectly and was needed every night. Too bad there wasn’t a fridge in the room but Coral Queen said that there are rooms that have them I would just have to ask for one. Next time I will.
Restaurants and Bars: The buffet , pool and lobby bar staff were just beautiful. Gladys, Wilcer, Jose and Ana need special mention in this review. They made our stay fabulous. Gracias mi amigas y amigos!
There is one buffet and two a la cartes, the Mariposa and the Bogagetia (spelling is totally off) only the Mariposa was open. The Beffet was fabulous! They were telling us that during high season the selection is quadruple the amount they offered now during low season…I can’t wait to see that! Apparently there is a restaurant less than 5 minutes from the hotel which offers langostas at super prices…unfortunately the owner was absent due to a death in his family.
Beach/Pools/Grounds: The pool is cleaned every morning…thankfully, some of those people just never seen to leave the pool bar! There are a lot of loungers, too bad the pool is not as big as one of pools at Carisol/Los Corales…as I love to swim lengths. The beach was a bit of a disappointment but you can’t fight Mother Nature. Apparently it was crab mating season and if i wanted to go in I had to fling myself over 1-2 feet deep of crabs….. no thank you…I’ll pass that! haha. The beach needs cleaning but it was murky due to the storms so again nothing they can do for that. I will be returning in February during high season and there should be no storms or rain…hopefully so I will see if the beach is nicer than it was last week.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
due to the fact that we were only 48 guests – as one client said newlywed or nearly dead they were limited so a couple of us had private aqua fitness and private Spanish lessons and semi private Bingo! Due to the raining and subsequent tropical storm the electricity and speaker wiring in the disco were soaked and not working…and only one or two nightly shows that week again due to weather.
Other Comments:
I loved it. It was a fabulous stay. Very very nice and friendly and professional staff that made my cousin and me feel right at home. we really didn’t want to leave.