We are couple in our 60’s who travelled with a 82 year old parent and a six year old child….we needed accommodation on the ground floor which we got.
Room Number:
1015 & 1015
Room Block:
10
Arrival: Check your reservations to see what leg of the flight you are on;
Even though we arrived in Cuba at about 4:30 p.m., we never arrived at our hotel in Cayo Coco until after 9:00 p.m. in the evening….we had a stop over in Holguin first…we didn’t realize at the time of booking that this city would be the first stop on their ‘return trip’… as a result everyone had to disembark (even the people for Cayo Coco)so that the plane could be cleaned for the ‘return trip’…. added to that … Canjet in Toronto tagged the Holguin luggage incorrectly… as a result… all of the luggage had to be off loaded at that airport… then reloaded once those passengers got their stuff…. it made for a long wait both in the Holguin airport…then on the plane when they realized the baggage problem….
Rooms:
As returning guest (we have been to the Tryp multiple times) we requested and were pre-registered…. we were pre-assigned rooms 1015 and 1016…these rooms were right across from the eco pool which is a very quiet part of the hotel… the rooms were freshly painted, were nice and clean (except for the one ‘pet’ who dropped out of the air conditioner onto the floor when we turned it on (I subsequently stepped on him..and never saw any more of his friends for the entire visit we were there)…the water pressure was a bit low, and not warm enough for us… both were reported and adjusted very early the next morning.
Restaurants and Bars: All of the ah la carte restaurants with the exception of the ‘Cuban’ restaurant were superb….they have improved over the last two years…the Cuban restaurant however only serves ‘ambiance’… the food is terrible, we have been going to Cuba for the past 15 years, and after eating at that restaurant…. this time was the only time we ever got a sick stomach in Cuba (all of us had the ‘runs’ after eating there).
The Buffet is a case of ‘hit or miss’ and not much variety, at least not in the ‘off season’ ….we have had better food in the buffet at other times of the year… I am a fish lover, to my dismay the fish in the buffet (unlike the ah la cartes) was positively disgusting….. if you like ‘omlets’ then eat all you can before you go to the Tryp as the chefs do not know how to make one… I simply stuck to an egg ‘once over easy’…they couldn’t ruin that…. Oh I might add the bread there is still wonderful… the six year old made a meal of bread most days… but yes, there is cereal for the little ones as well as some sort of crepe…no, it is not a pan cake.
Beach/Pools/Grounds: The beach and grounds were as usual impeccable. .The garden crew take pride in their work and are only too happy to make you a shady coconut palm hat, or some little origami type palm animals for the little kiddies….please be genreous and tip these people…. it is not part of their jobs…they just do it to earn a little extra and to make your stay more memorable…they are particularly drawn to families as they all have children or grandchildren of their own. The beach crew is very efficient at keeping the area nice and tidy…they will assist you in securing a palapa and helping you to set up your lounges…they will even wipe them off for you once they set them up….again please be generous and tip these people…. like I said, this is not part of their jobs…they just do it to earn a little extra…these people are very conscientious and would rather ‘earn’ what is given to them.
While we were there, the pools were all in good repair and are cleaned every morning…there is a large pool expance in the middle of the hotel which is divided into seperate areas consisting of everything from a toddler wading pool, to a shallow kiddies area, deeper swimmer area, hot tub, swim up bar, games area et al. All areas were in service the week we were there however I understand the area nearest the swim up bar and games area is now closed for renovation.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel: There is never a lack of activities at this hotel, either on or off the resort… your tour rep can direct you to off resort escursions … for in resort activities… there is a schedule of all hotel events posted outside of the main buffet restaurant… every hour of the day has some ‘activity’ planned…. both on the beach, and in the main concourse… We did not take advantage of the kids club babysitting, but on occasion when we ‘dropped by’ the kids club there were two people in attendance (and lots of supplies) on hand just waiting for the little ones….as long as the child has an adult in with them…they are welcome to use the facilities.
There is nightly entertainment both for the kiddies, then later on for the adults…the quality of the shows are excellent… in addition there is always some type of dinner entertainment at most of the al la cartes…the nightly disco is a popular hang out for the ‘later crowd’.
Other Comments: As a repeat guest of the Tryp I highly recommend this hotel, I have tried other hotels in both Varadero and Cayo Coco but always keep coming back to Tryp…I like it becasue of the ‘community’ atmosphere there..their staff are all very warm and friendly and go out of their way to ensure your stay is enjoyable…if you have any complaints….the customer service people are on it …immediately….they run a tight ship to ensure that you do want to come back….
Oh, and as to the quality of the food in the buffet and the Cuban restaurant…. I know it will be better the next time I go down…why? Because I brought it to the attention of the ‘Quality Control Director’ who says….he will be looking into it…and when he says he will….he generally does.