Description: A friendly resort positioned just a few steps from the beautiful Guardalavaca beach, this hotel offers very good value with a wide range of different room types and recreational activities for the whole family.
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The "bumps and bruises" of the hotel are overlooked by those not expecting fancy amenities
Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca
User Rating:
Lee >
4 contribution(s) Canada
Jun, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
3 people found this review helpful
This is our 15th visit to Cuba, but our first to Holguin. We are low-maintenance travellers who have very reasonable expectations, especially of a 3 star hotel.
We got a very good last minute price of $208 for the week and we felt that we got good value for what we paid. However, this is an older hotel in need of alot of updating and repairs.
Your Arrival
We arrived late at night and the room we were given was mouldy. We were very tired, so didn't bother to unpack and just pulled the covers over our heads so we wouldn't have to breathe the mould. When we reported this to our Hola Sun representative, Susanna, at 8 a.m, she immediately went to the front desk to request another room for us "for health reasons". She kept on the staff all day. Finally, at 5 p.m. we were moved and were able to unpack and settle in. Be prepared to be persistent with frequent returns to the front desk if you need to change rooms.
Other Comments
We found some very wonderful staff here which is why Canadians return again and again to Cuba. Any problems we had were handled professionally by Liuba or Barbara at the guest relations desk inside the front door by the gift shop. The front desk have less decision making power, so we learned to ask elsewhere. There is a new manager here, Carlos, who is very friendly and very visible at the hotel. He is receptive to constructive criticism and is slowly trying to make improvements.
Food
The food in the main buffet was mediocre but we tried to remind ourseves that some Cubans don't have food on a regular basis, so we were grateful we could have what we wanted when we wanted it. We ate at 2 of the a la cartes - Benny More (Villa section) and La Vega (Bungalows section) which were a nice change from the buffet.
Voucher
We were also able to get a voucher to eat at Brisas Guardalavaca (about a 10 minute walk) in their buffet dining room. It was a nicer atmosphere and there was a greater variety of food with better quality than Club Amigo.
Bars
Cappucino and espresso are available at all of the bars and snack bars, but we found other non-alcoholic drinks to be very limited in variety (cola, orange and sprite and some overly sweet fruit drinks). We drank the regular water and had no problems.
Gym
The gym is not air-conditioned as advertised in some of the travel brochures. We tried to use it very early one morning, but it was stifling hot in there. There are no stair-steppers as advertised, but free weights and a stationary bike are available.
Crystal clear water
There is a nice section of reef out front of the hotel that is marked by orange buoys. The coral is beautiful, but there were very few fish and nothing large at all. Perhaps this is because the locals fish here on a daily basis. The water was crystal clear.
Pools
There are 4 pools onsite, all of which are good size. Usually you can find a quiet spot if you want to get away from the music and people.
Returning guests
The majority of the guests here were Canadians (alot of French Canadians and some English speaking), a fair number of Brits and a few Europeans. On the weekends, there are alot of Cuban guests who stay here as a "reward" by the government, so it can get very busy and noisy.
There are alot of repeat guests here (one man we met has made over 80 visits), so obviously the "bumps and bruises" of the hotel are overlooked by those not expecting fancy amenities.
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Perfect vacation
Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca
User Rating:
Tammy >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Mar, 2010 | Leisure | Family
3 people found this review helpful
Your Arrival
Arrival was on time , flew with CanJet & it was OK . Usual cramped quarters but a means to an end . Check in was fine , room was fine , no problems , everything worked , dropped our bags , changed & headed right off to the beach :)
Rooms
We stayed in the Bungalows , spotless clean , A/C worked ,TV worked & the bathroom was spotless & funtioning , even had a very deep bathtub as well as shower, also a hair dryer in the bathroom .
Restaurants and Bars
All the Restaurants & Bars were great not very long lines , & Buffets always had a variety to choose from , never went hungry , although the fruit was limited & beef was almost non existent . That said they roasted pigs & chickens almost everyday on outdoor spits .Pasta bar was Good & the ice cream was deilicious , loved the Vanilla nutmeg Mmmmmmmmmm . The drinks were fine , plentiful & the cappucinos, coffee & expresso was Yummy !
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The most Beautiful Beach ! Soft white sand plenty of shells to pick . The color of the water was gorgeous turquoise blues . Nice for a walk or spread your towel right on the sand . Plenty of loungers never had to play the chair game . Pools were Lovely , some almost deserted , so you had peace & quiet if you chose . The grounds are very clean , plenty of gardens, flowers, shrubs , even a few rose gardens
Other Comments
The Staff @ this hotel are wonderful , always helpful & attentive , with or with out a tip .Security are always around unobtrusive but available .
We really had no complaints about anything , room, food , people . The 1 lil thing I'd like to mention is the *smell* that wafted thru the Hotel main lobby , broken septic line maybe? I dont know, but it was not pleasant to lounge in the lobby bar or walk thru the sewage smell to go eat @ the upstairs buffet. Hopefully this will be remedied .
We will more than likely repeat @ this hotel next year
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Hola como estas todo.
Irequested block 1100 or 2100 and we arrive and they give us a key in the furthest block on the resort- i dropped the bags went back to reception found a different girl- and surprise there was a room avail- where i wanted- i gave here a battery charger with the batteries. Great weather all week- we ran into 3 ladies who were there last winter- we danced at the disco and had a blast. I swam in the largest pool near the back- the food was not as good as last winter- soap no flavor- and found the other buffet near the large pool which was much less busy-
This was cool!! the brisas next door where i have stayed 18 times which is owned by cubacan the same as amigo- they both had the same coloured wrist bands so we could make use of both resorts- for we have many friends at amigo like kathy who is incharge now of entertainment at brisas.
I go off the resort more than on it- i bicycled over the mnt to cannadon to boca de sema- awesome sites- but coming back up the steep mnt there was a cuban with two cubans in the wagon- and two oxes pulling the cart with gravel up the mnt- it was horrible- seeing the oxes slip on the pavement and the cuban whipping the oxes and the lazy cubans in the cart not getting off the help the oxes- in hummain!!- but its not my country- i only visit.
cuba is good value for your money and very very safe for canadians
there is 700,000 canadians who visit there per year and we bring in over 2 billion dollors to the cuban government- never worry- as long as your do nothing eligle like bring drugs nothing will happen to you- the last thing the cuban gov. wants is bad publicity
hope this help
gord from wasaga beach
Rooms
good
Restaurants and Bars
okay
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
good
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Love it everytime
Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca
User Rating:
T. >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Dec, 2009 | Leisure | Family
4 people found this review helpful
We have stayed at Amigo 8 times in the last 3 yrs. Its like going home each time.
Your Arrival
Arrival was good as always Thanks to Anna who seems to be at the desk each time we get there. If your going she has 2 boys and they wear large mens clothes.
Rooms
Love staying in the blue barracks, very queit at anytime of the year. Rooms are run down but it is the oldest part of the resort..the villas were we tend to stay now are definetly 4 star.
Restaurants and Bars
Cuban food...yuk! We always take small cans of tuna and rice crackers, soya sauce, peanut butter and ms. dash so we can flavour our food and never really go hungry love the veggies that are served there somehow our plates always end up being full but the food is mediocre at best.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is fantastic everyday but Sunday when the locals seem to spend a lot of time down in our area. The guys that work the beach shack, Carlos, Johnny and Jesus are fantastic and will go out of their way for you. Carlos and Jesus (heyzuez)are both fishing nuts so some extra line and a few lures in you bag for them.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The best thing about this area is it is not tourist. Rent a scooter and take off the views are some of the best I have ever seen and take my breath away everytime. The people are beautiful and will give you the shirt off their backs without asking for anything back Boca de Semo is amazing and the aqerium is pretty good to. Look for Thomas the buggy driver to take you there.
Other Comments
We have stayed at other 5 star resorts in the Carribean but Guadalavacia has become a second home to us. There are several resorts in the area. Pick one and make friends that become family to you. Cuba and its residents are truly beautiful people. You will love your time there as long as you remember that you are in a 3rd world country and are on the receiving end of the best they have to offer.
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I had a blast with our friends and their children
Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca
User Rating:
Nat Brampton >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Sep, 2009 | Leisure | With Group
3 people found this review helpful
When my husband and I got married, we never went on an official honeymoon. We had planned on going on a 10 year anniversary without children, but ended up taking them both (6&11). We also went with our friends and their 3 children (2,7&10). I couldn't wait to be on vacation all inclusive. Well let me tell you that you MUST really look into the Hotel you will be staying in. It was a horrible first experience but thank goodness for the company you keep I had a blast with our friends and their children. So much to laugh about and I look forward to going away with them again.... Thank you............
Rooms
Our first room (in the barracks)had 3 twin beds for 4 people. Could you get any more cramped. No hot water the night we arrived or the next morning. T.V. hung off the wall so that every time I walked by it I would have to duck. Mold was growing on the curtains and sheets, oh boy what an experience.
Restaurants and Bars
Food was tolerable, drinks were cold, at the 24 hr. bar food service was terrible. How can you ignore someone if you are sitting at the wrong tables to get served. (Speak up and let your tourist know, how do you expect to get a good tip.)
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Pool bars - well the swim up bar was great, but if you have a connection with the bar tenders maybe they will fill your beach bags too with goodies (booze). Was that lady with the big bag lucky!!!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
What, there were activities. I did not see any. If only someone directed me to them, maybe I could of had more fun. (Maybe not)
Other Comments
When picking a hotel to stay at ask around if anyone has stayed there. Pay the long distance charges and find out what will be going on the week you will be traveling. Do your homework to find out the most you can find out about it. But most of all travel with friends you know you will have fun with no matter what. Can not wait until February 2010
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Great vacation at a great value.
Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca
User Rating:
Alison >
4 contribution(s) Canada
Aug, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
Great Vacation. Great amenities, weather, resort. Very friendly staff. The rooms were clean but only so so. The food was pretty plain...but I enjoy fish and veggies so was happy. Cappaccinos, Wine and Cuba libres....we had a great time.
Rooms
The rooms were clean but very plain - some slight damage...but we were so happy with everything else we did not really care.
Restaurants and Bars
Restaurants and bars had great service...staff were amazing and accomodating.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Great pool, great beaches, great overall resort
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Catamaran, kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, windsurfing, swimming, arobics and shows and music every night...Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca his was all included.
Other Comment
Great vacation at a great value.
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This hotel was the bottom of the barrel
Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca
User Rating:
nelly >
1 contribution(s) SEYCHELLES
Mar, 2009 | Leisure | Family
3 people found this review helpful
The flight was great as I expected.
Rooms
When we got there they placed our family of five in a room small enough to house only one person comfortably. When the door opened for the first time all you smell is mold. My daghter slept with tree mold spots on her blanket we dicovered in the morning. There was no fridge no hot water and no clean air to breathe, we had to place our socks in the air conditioning unit in order for it to work, what a joke, things had to change fast. We then transfered to a small suite which was like the Hilton hotel compared to where we came from.
Restaurants and Bars
Food was all crap. Drinks were the routine tropical drinks. They have no concept how to cook food at all. Burgers and everyhing else was deep fryed. No fruit or vegetables that week we were there, perhaps the delivery truck got hijacked by some desperate locals, who knows.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was nice when the locals werent stealling the tourists cameras. The pools all catered to old people and they have no music at all, I suggest that you bring along a radio of some sort.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
What activities? You had to creae your own.
Other Comments
Save your money. This hotel was the bottom of the barrel. I wouldn't go back even if it was FREE.
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An addictive resort
Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca
User Rating:
Kristi >
1 contribution(s) YUGOSLAVIA
Feb, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
Stayed at Club Amigo from Jan 25-Feb 1. It was my third time there, first being Feb 08, and the second - after IKE - in Dec 08. They have made great progress since the hurricane. Working all the time to get things back to normal.
We were booked into the pink barracks, and after having a small problem the first morning, we were moved to the Hotel Atlantico - second floor. - we approached the situation calmly and had the help of our Sunwing rep to help get us moved -- I strongly suggest using your rep if you have issues - we were no more than 1.5 hours until we had the new room.
The new room was spotless, and fairly big. We had water and hot water at that all week and no other problems except for a short black out one day, but it was during the day so it didn't affect us in the slightlest.
I have stayed in the blue barracks, the bungalows and now the hotel and agree that the barracks are my last choice of rooms, but they are doable if you go in with an open mind - you're on vacation - relax a bit and take the good with the bad.
The food
I have a mental block on it (been to Cuba 6 times and always have an issue eating, so it's not Amigo's fault I couldn't eat) - but I did manage to find tuna sandwiches at the 24 hour snack bar that were delicious and sustained me all week. We had breakfast there also, which is pretty good - toast and fried eggs for me... Dinner was a right off after the first night, but my travel companion always found something that she could eat. It's Cuba, I don't go for the food - I go for the pools, beaches, and the Cuban people.
The beach and the pools are fabulous. My favorite is the rectangular pool with that snack bar right beside it. Quiet pool - if you want to hide away it's the place to be.
The staff. I have been to Varadero 3 times, and now Club Amigo 3 times. I can honestly say that we were treated like gold at Amigo, with little or no tipping some times. We treated the bartenders and waiters like real people and not servants (which we saw a lot of last week) and it really paid off. We brought little presents (manly things) for the bartenders, gardeners and waiters. Also a bag of baby items for a waitress with a pregnant daughter. We also tipped in pesos. (shoelaces, shoeshine, fishing gear, carpenter items - all went over really well)
Planning to get back there in April - it's an addictive resort I find.
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tours are pricing since the exchang is 100.00 canadian for 76 convert. pesos ride a bike walk the beach play vollyball
Other Comments
21 times to that area
19 to the brisas next door
2nd time to amigo - witht the recession in ontario- amigo has better prices and just as good food anyone else took the time to write a reveiw on tripadvisory- and twice they did not post it- dont have time for those actions.
great area to explore- which i spend more time off the resort than on eg. large caves full of muercielogos(bats) boca de sema- where americanos tryied to invade and lost as usual
canadon- nice village over the mountain- see all the roofs which IKE had for lunch.
bring clothe, flashlights, shoes, sunglasses and give to cubans away from the resort- learn some spanish - you will get e for effort.
hope this helps
i fly back to amigo this sat
any other single or cyclists going feb 7 to 14 let me know gord Luv you amigo!!!!!!!!!!
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They don't have the 4 and 5 star snobs
Club Amigo Atlantico Guardalavaca
User Rating:
Dave >
3 contribution(s) United Kingdom
Jan, 2009 | Leisure | Solo
3 people found this review helpful
Arrival: Jan 1 - Jan 22/09
Well organized but they wanted to extort 10CUC's for each bike box on the bus transfer
Rooms:
clean, well attended and best of all, there was nothing that bit me.
Restaurants and Bars:
overwhelmingly good. there are 8 or 9 eating places, and at breakfast there is the orange squeezing machine.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
way better than they should have been so recently after hurricane Ike
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
If you go on a tour, book them through either Noli or sunquest, stay clear of sunwing
Other Comments:
I can't recommend club amigo guaralavaca highly enough. As an added bonus, they don't have the 4 and 5 star snobs.
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