Room Number:
17
Arrival:
We arrived late in the evening and the front desk staff were very efficient and friendly. Within 1/2 hour of arriving at the resort we were in our room. Thankfully there was bottled water, a bottle of rum, and sandwiches in the fridge (which we did not eat). A note on the sandwiches – during our stay we saw numerous cleaning staff with stacks of these sandwiches on their carts. Considering they would be cleaning rooms from about 10 a.m. until around 3 p.m., I would not recommend anyone eat them.
Rooms:
Rooms very basic but the cleaning staff do an amazing job of cleaning. Floors are dampmopped every day, clean towels, toilet paper stocked up, and entertaining towel art. Air conditioning works excellent, we were actually cold the first night we were there. No bugs in the room, lots of VERY hot water but the walls are paper thin and you can easily hear noise from connecting rooms. A tip: when booking your room ask for one away from the pool area. A couple we met had a room close to the pool and they were kept awake numerous times by the people partying there very late at night. Although "quiet hour" is supposed to start at 11, the resort does not enforce this.
Restaurants and Bars:
Buffet is repetitive but….you learn how to mix it up. The breads and pastries are absolutely amazing as well as their unique pasta salads. Bars – well the bartenders are just fantastic! I have never experienced barstaff who were so friendly and entertaining. The drinks come in small cups so bring bubba mugs and be sure to try a Spanish coffee.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
We loved the beach, excellent for snorkeling. We didn’t stay in the pool area long due to a boisterous family who insisted on screaming constantly every day, all day but that isn’t the resort’s fault. We always found empty chairs on the beach and the bonus was that there are a lot of shade trees you can pull your chair under when the sun gets too hot. The grounds are immaculate – the gardeners start bright and early every day trimming trees and bushes. Emilio brought me flowers every day to keep in our room.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Not a lot of activities compared to other resorts but that is not why we go on vacation. Basically there is peddle boats, hobie cats, beach volleyball, and numerous games at the pool. Off the resort – climb the large hill next to the resort – a guide from the hotel can take you just ask at the front desk. The view from the top of the hill is amazing and the walk down provides you with a taste of true Cuban culture as you literally visit a small Cuban farm. Also, if you are wanting to do any excursions/bus trips, first check with the bartender(s) as they will give you good advice on where to go. I also recommend hiring a cab to take you into Old Havana (don’t take the bus trip). Our cab driver took us and another couple, we left at 9 a.m. and didn’t get back to the resort until 6:30 p.m. for just 70 CUCS (less than 20 per person). He took us to all of the sights we wanted to see and never made us feel rushed at all. He also spoke really good English which was a plus.
Other Comments: Tips: Bring kleenex, bugspray (mosquitoes at night),water shoes. Don’t be scared to leave the resort to go to restaurants in neighbouring towns (by cab). The food is amazing and extremely cheap. My lobster dinner (3 lobster tails on one plate!) was 15 CUCs. I felt guilty because I couldn’t eat it all. The resort gets money on Mondays so if you are getting low be sure to get more on the Friday or Saturday as they tend to run out on Sundays. The neighbouring resort will not sell you any CUCs.
This resort is the perfect place to go and relax. You will be treated like royalty by all of the staff. We had an amazing experience and will return again. You can’t get better value for the money you pay for this trip.