Address - Cayo Coco, Jardines del Rey, Ciego de Avila, Cuba
Location - Beach, Key
Distance to airport - 50
Reviews posted on this page - 12 review(s)
Description: NEW OPENING!! BlueBay Cayo Coco, situated in superb Cayo Coco, Cuba, is an exclusive 4-star resort with 328 bedrooms, surrounded by one of the area's most beautiful beaches.
Crystal waters, spectacular sea beds and fine white sands, combined with the region’s rich and diverse flora and fauna, make this a true paradise on earth.
Are you the owner of this property? The link to your website could stand here. Please, contact Debbie.
We have been to Cuba in the past so my expectations were where they should be. I know the food is not great and the mixed drinks are not what I am use to. Having said that I was pleasantly surprised by our stay in Blue Bay Hotel.
When we arrived all was good, Baggage handling is no different then any other air port a pain but everyone gets through it. The bus ride was nice and quick.
When we arrived they had our rooms ready and served everyone drinks (nice touch). We did arrive at night so we were tired and just wanted to get to it. They delivered our luggage quickly. We had our two kids with us in a separate room. I was worried they would not be joined and they were.
The rooms were clean and well stocked. I brought some dollar store things for our maid and felt weird leaving them. She in turned wrote us Thank you notes. She was excellent the whole week.
The food was what Cuba has... I don't care for it at all but it was ok and no one got sick. Same with the mixed drinks they just are not good but everyone that reads up on Cuba knows this so no one should be complaining.
The beach was WONDERFUL they cleaned it with a tractor which was also nice. You did have to get out early for covered areas but again that is normal. My husband took the kids on a catamaran fishing for about 3 hours cost was about $75.00 CDN and they loved it. They caught three huge fish which we gave to the guys that took them out.
We also rented a jeep which is really a tracker. This is the only BAD thing that happened on the trip. Beside Blue Bay is another hotel DO NOT GO THERE TO STAY OR RENT A CAR. The beach is awful all rocks and when we took the so called jeep we new it looked a bit beat up but that is normal. After we paid them $75.00 CDN we had to put another $30.00 CDN gas in. this is when we realized the gas gauge did not work, turn signal was broken, windows would not work, and the worst there was a rag where you fill up the car. They were basically to bad for you I already have your money.
Other then that Our family enjoyed our trip and the weather was hot and sunny everyday. Though I won't go back to Cuba because I have been there a couple of times I would suggest people go to Blue Bay for a clean cheap trip. The people are friendly and know what to expect and you won't be let down.
Rooms
Were clean and large. Bathroom was well stocked. I asked the maid twice to change the sheets in both my room and my kids. She happily did so. Reminder... TAKE SOMETHING TO KILL THE MOSQUITO'S IN YOUR ROOM AND SOMETHING TO PUT ON YOU. They do spray but that is not enough.
Restaurants and Bars
Bars and food were ok typical Cuba.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool was great and warm.. They cleaned it everyday actually scrubbed it down by hand. It was warm and they had a net etc. for the kids to play with.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
They tried to do activities some days were better then others. People would take part and that is when it was fun and funny. Other days no one would get up so they would give up. They tried so I will give them a thumbs up.
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great bargain at the price we payed
BlueBay Cayo Coco
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maude >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
Although the hotel was celebrating its first anniversary, evidence of poor quality work was everywhere. Quite a contrast to the older hotels, which even when rundown, display beautiful workmanship. We wondered if the half-century of socialist government means the skills have been lost. Service was generally good and security presence low key. This resort is like a small village. Prepare for a lot of walking and no ocean view except on the beach. For the $450 Cdn we paid Westjet, it was quite a bargain. Flying Westjet is also better than most Cuba bound airlines.Downside was a theft from our room when our usual maid had two days off.
Your Arrival
Bellman took our luggage and then disappeared, so long delay in blistering heat to get to our room. Otherwise check in was fine. Just don't change your money at the desk and if you do, watch the calculations carefully.
Rooms
Musty smell; smokey smell. Substitute room offered but no improvement so refused. Found if we kept air conditioner on all the time, the odour was not noticeable. Bathroom shower head sprayed water everywhere so floor was constantly wet. Leak from ceiling on day 2; several requests before someone came. Fix not permanent. By day 5, leak started again. The occasional, huge roaches were offputting, to say the least.
Nice view of lagoon. Room cheerful and well maintained and king size bed much appreciated.
Restaurants and Bars
Food very good compared with other Cuban resorts we've stayed at, except impossible to get hot coffee in the dining rooms. Service so so. The lobby and pool bar offered generously-sized free drinks of all kinds, including a decent brandy and scotch, in proper glassware. Nightly entertainment in the lobby bar was a welcome respite from the usual. There was a black out for about an hour one night. The piano-saxaphone duo stayed on to keep us entertained - much appreciated by their audience. Very nice beach restaurant for lunch - a hidden gem with table service if you preferred. Excellent service there.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Long walk to beach. Beautiful, clean sand. Very crowded. Shaded areas claimed early in the morning.
Pool area looked very well maintained.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Water craft of all sorts available on booking.Spanish lessons every afternoon. We did not do any of the tours, but heard raves about the spa day at another resort for under $50 including transportation.
Other Comments
Thankfully, the hotel sprayed for mosquitoes most evenings. I wondered about the health effects of the spray on the man who was walking around with the sprayer in a cloud of insecticide without any visible protection.This was my 5th trip to Cuba and the first time without some allergic reaction to the mosquitoes. Our room had a screened patio door - first time I've seen one in Cuba.
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Not a 4 star
BlueBay Cayo Coco
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Glenn >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jan, 2010 | Leisure | With Group
2 people found this review helpful
We had bad weather that week. The blue bay was mostly empty and they closed the 24 pool bar (9:00- 11:00 only) and the beach restaurant was closed. Some days the beach bar could have been open but for the lack of guests it was not. We went to the international night and had some rawhide they called beef. I could go on but with the time of year and the lack of guests combined with the cold temps the 6 of us made the best of it.Alcohol was involved. All agreed not to return.
Your Arrival
Easy no problems.
Rooms
Good. Sometimes no hot water.
Restaurants and Bars
Not so good for the restaurants.As far as the bars I could go on but can't rememberrrrrrrr.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The white sand beach just goes on forever. We went for a walk past the tree in the water to another bay and then on to another bay it was great.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Went to Moron . All Canadians should go there to to be able to say, I'm glade I don't live here. Its an eye opener to what we have.
Other Comments
back to cruising next year.
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I give this resort a strong turn down
BlueBay Cayo Coco
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Robert from Burlington On. >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Dec, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
arrived at the resort approx. 9:30PM, air conditioned bus was waiting at airport, baggage and passengers loaded efficiently, then briefed by a knowledgeable gentleman, luggage was transported to room quickly.
Rooms:
We had an upgrade mini suite, located near the pool and lobby,king size bed, small wicker sofa, and chair ,writing desk, mini fridge stocked with 1 large bottle of water and 2 cans of pop, these items were not replenished.Bathroom,had 1 small round bar of soap 1 small packet of Kleenex, 1/2 roll toilet paper, 2 white towels, small bath mat, which was taken away the second day, the bar of soap lasted us, but we had to borrow a couple of rolls of toilet paper off the cleaning ladies trolley.
The room was smelling very strong of cigar smoke, my wife who immediately began to cough and choke, so I opened an unscreened bathroom window and the screened patio door which helped.We called the lobby staff and they sent an employee with spray, who sprayed all curtains, bed spread walls etc, with a perfumed substance which was not much better than the cigar smoke. The 2nd day the air conditioner failed, a worker arrived quickly, made a few adjustments, and advised us we would have cold air in 20 minutes, well this went on for 4 more days,and we gave up calling. on the 3rd and 4th day a workman came in and lifted the ceiling panels at the front door and in the bathroom and about a gallon of water cascaded down onto the floor and walls, this was cleaned immediately by a lady who said sorry sorry for problem.
toilet seat had a broken hinge so one settled cautiously, while dodging the drip of water from the ceiling.There was very little warm water, as was there very little water in the bath tub/shower , one morning there was a little frog in the bath tub, but since it had come up through the drain, I was fearful that a small snake could also appear, thankfully this did not happen .
In a conversation with some folk at the resort on the 4th day of our stay, they informed us that they had been booked at the Oasis resort next door, but because of horrible conditions they were re booked to Blue bay, so the front desk staff were not honest with us about availability of a replacement room
the lady looking after our suite did a terrific job, and we rewarded her well with children' s items and clothing
Restaurants and Bars:
restaurants and lobby bar allowed smoking in all areas, so it was get your drink and find a place in the main lobby to sit and chat with friends, bar staff friendly and efficient.
We found the buffet very good, a little short staffed, but all the hotel staff we had contact with were very helpful, we used the same table for all meals and the serving girl we had came to us a quickly as possible
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
beach was the best I have seen of the 4 resorts in Cuba we have been to, pool for adults and children was fine, exception was the 2 chaps that only put out little tables when some one sat in a lounge chair and for their service expected to get a tip. These 2 fellows also tried hawking some junk merchandise.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
we went to Moron on our own and did not feel comfortable walking among the hordes of people aimlessly milling about on a weekday
Other Comments:
other than the fine staff and the great beach I give this resort a strong turn down , we will not return, and also will not recommend it to our friends.
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Everyone got a great tan
BlueBay Cayo Coco
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Samantha from Toronto >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Dec, 2009 | Leisure | With Group
1 people found this review helpful
A few friends and I arrived to Cuba excited for the week ahead. We got off the plane and found ourselves staring at the Cuban airport staff wearing doctor's masks. I guess they were worried about the H1N1 virus - who wouldn't be! At first we were nervous because we have never been to Cuba before and did not know what to expect. We found our representative, David, and hopped onto a bus for a 15 minute ride to the hotel. We arrived to the resort with the animation staff dancing in the lobby entrance. They greeted us and told us to check in where a staff handed us a yummy blue drink. We had no issues checking in but I thought it was a bit strange for them to not show us our rooms. We had to figure it out ourselves.
Rooms:
The rooms were clean and spacious. The maid did a great job keeping our rooms neat and tidy. I shared a room with 2 other girls and we got 2 queen sized beds. We pushed the beds together and I guess the maid thought we were lovers so she made a heart with the towels and a swan in the middle. Every day she created cute characters with the towels - it was fun to come home after a long day in the sun to see the shapes.
Restaurants and Bars:
If you compare the Cuban restaurants to other Caribbean islands', then you will not enjoy the food. The food is not horrible but not amazing. There are 3 a la carte restaurants to choose from: Italian, Seafood, and International. Unfortunately, my friends and I were only allowed to choose one a la carte. We weren't too happy about that. We chose the Italian restaurant. It was okay - did not taste like real italian food. The buffet has a lot of options to choose from: salad bar, pasta bar, seafood bar, meat (chicken, pork) bar, and pizza, a long with today's specials and desserts. They also have a 24-hour snack bar that served hot-dogs, hamburgers and fries. I found myself going there for late night snacks after a night out at the disco! At the snack bar, there's also a bar for beverages. Michael and John are two bartenders that were very entertaining and made great drinks. Right before the show, that would be a popular area to lounge in. The lobby bar is nice too. There's a piano for music as well. During my stay it was a bit windy so we would come to this bar for drinks because it is inside - they have a patio too. Another popular bar was the disco! A trip isn't complete without dancing.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
There are two pools at this resort - one main one for the adults and a kiddy pool in the kids section. The pool was simple and medium sized. By the pool was a mini stage for entertainment - they had dance lessons in the afternoon here. My friends and I are not "pool people" so we stayed at the beach most of the time. The beach is amazing - soooo beautiful! My friends and I liked to listen to our own music (mini speakers), so we relaxed further down in the beach so it was more private. The ocean is refreshing and calm. It is also shallow so you can have a nice walk or lie down in the water. There were only 2 days where we weren't able to go into the water due to jellyfish. They come and go. They also have a big pond in the middle of the resort where there were flamingos roaming around.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
On the resort, we were entertained by amazing staff, Danny-Boy & Dennis Love (animation). They were always happy and spoke very good english, french and of course spanish. During the day they have activities planned for the guests, such as beach volleyball, bingo and dance lessons. Every night there was a show that had different themes each night (through the decades, magic show, beach party, etc.). After the show - they would go to the disco to end the night well. The disco is a club where they played a variety of dance music. Off the resort, my friends and I went to the cave (20 pesos if you go with the staff - 25 if you planned it with sunwing, air canada, etc.). It was a 20 minute drive. The cave is really a cave. You go down a spiral stairway and find yourself in a cave with people dancing and listening to a live band. It got really hot in there - definitely wear light clothing! Above the dance floor, there is a big opening of the cave where you can see the sk!
y and stars. I got there at 11ish and left around 2. They have shuttles that leave at different times as well. My friends and I also did a catamaran day trip (75 pesos). We took a bus to the marina where the catamaran was waiting. There were only 22 people on the catamaran which wasn't a lot, i thought. Including in this day trip was buffet lunch (rice, chicken, steamed vegetables, lobster and shrimp), open bar, 3 snorkeling sites (including a shipwreck site), and a visit to a beautiful beach area. This was definitely a highlight of my trip. Everyone got a great tan out of this day!
Other Comments:
When going to any resorts in Cuba, definitely take clothing or items that you don't care about anymore. Their lifestyle is very different from ours and basic necessities are expensive for them. My friends and I left a few clothing, hair products and flip flops for them. They greatly appreciate the help!
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We asked to be moved to a different hotel
BlueBay Cayo Coco
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JeffLondonON >
1 contribution(s)
Sep, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
17 people found this review helpful
We flew Sunwing. Flight was great. No issues. We got to the resort and Cuba always amazes us when they don't seem to have any idea that customers are coming. Totally bewildered that there's a lineup in front of them. Not just this hotel but most hotels in Cuba. For some reason they couldn't find our reservation. We had printed off our reservation, had a ticket stub from the plane, there was someone at the airport that checked our name on a list and put us on a shuttle bus but the front desk at the resort had no idea who we were. We requested a king bed on the second floor close to the beach. She decided to let us have two single beds on the first floor close to the pool. Not until we asked to see the manager would she say they would look into it the next morning. We wanted the manager's name and what time he/she would be there in the morning and suddenly she found a room on the second floor close to the beach. No king bed but we gave up. Did they escort us to our room or give us a ride to our room? No! Pitch black at night at a strange resort and they pointed in the general direction and said it was over there. Four star? Not even close. We brought our room number to the bellboys and they said they would meet us there. So we couldn't ride with them? We had to stumble through the dimly lit resort with a very poor map to find our own way around a strange resort to find our room by ourselves. Not four star service at all.
Rooms
The room was OK. Nothing special. As said above we had to argue to get what we had asked for. We asked for a king bed and got two single beds but we got sick of trying to argue with them. The room we ended up with had a really nice view of the lagoon and the ocean in the distance. You could hear the waves on the beach. To see the lagoon and the ocean, we had to look past the unfinished landscaping in front of it. Just bare mud, no grass and a few dead trees. If you could block that out, the view was really nice. Pretty hard to block that out though. Not much water pressure because the shower head was mostly plugged up. Don't know why they decided to put the toilet paper holder behind the toilet next to the floor. You can't use it. You have to remember to take the toilet paper out of the holder and put it somewhere that you can reach it before you do your business.
You get one bottle of water, one drinking box of fruit juice and one box of Kleenex *per week per room*!! Unheard of. Not four star. No ironing board or iron as advertised either.
Restaurants and Bars
This is off-season so all a-la-cartes were in the same building. Nothing fancy. Just a square room with tables in it beside the buffet. Not romantic or special. We were allowed only 2 a-la-cartes. First 4 star resort I've ever seen that only allowed 2. The meals at the a-la-cartes was so rushed we had to laugh. We thought we were in some sort of race to get done the quickest or something. Inside of 40 minutes we were done our "meal" and on our way to the buffet to get some more food. The food tasted OK but we both could have eaten two or three of the servings they gave us. (no, we're not obese people!). We dressed up to go to the a-la-carte as you should (have a little class, huh?) but anyone could get in there no matter what you wore. Shorts, tank tops and flip flops? Come on in. Not four star and disappointing.
The buffet was also very disappointing. Pretty much exactly the same food every day with very little change. Lunch and dinner was exactly the same food on the same day. Then next day they would make a minor alteration like a different sauce on the skinny chicken, or rice instead of cold potatoes but overall, the same thing day after day after day. Yes, it's Cuba and yes, you expect to have lower quality than at home and maybe less variety, but this is the worst I've seen. The station where a guy would cook food in front of you had *exactly* the same thing every day, day after day. The pasta cooking station had *exactly* the same thing every day, day after day. Totally disappointing and not 4 star by any stretch of the imagination. Most of the waiters/waitresses were very attentive and nice. Any of the men who were standing around watching things (managers, cooks, "chefs", etc) never smiled. Not even once. The guy cooking the fish at the only station where food was cooked in !
front of you never ever smiled.....unless you gave him a tip, then all of a sudden he was smiling and happy and glad to see you every day.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool looked nice. Hardly any shade at all. You would roast if you sat at the pool for any length of time.
The beach was absolutely beautiful. Warm, clear water that went on for miles. If you're going to Cuba to relax, this is exactly what you want to see. Just to sit and listen to the wave lapping up on the shore on a beautiful beach that goes on for miles. Brings a smile to my face just thinking of it. But....then some idiot shows up every day at 10:30am, sets up a speaker and blasts the entire beach with night club music. We went as far down the beach as we could and we still couldn't get away from it. Other people were complaining about it too and moving farther down the beach to try to get away from it but you couldn't. It was much too loud and the "DJ" was yelling into his mic all the time too. We finally went and asked him to turn it down and he gave us a hard time but he finally turned it down. But the next day it would start all over again. We went to the front desk and asked them to do something about it and they called the beach bar and told them to turn it down. From then on, it was quieter and it was off by 1pm (as it was supposed to be in the first place). But who wants to listen to that crap like it's a night club at 10:30am?? Nobody I know. This blasting music/dj completely ruined an absolutely beautiful beach.
When we were there the beach was infested with jelly fish but that is obviously not the fault of the resort. But you couldn't relax in the water because there were jelly fish everywhere.
We had no problems with mosquitoes/fleas/ticks that other have mentioned. If you wear perfume or hairspray or any other scented stuff, expect to be bothered by mosquitoes.
The grounds? The landscaping isn't even done. I understand that this is a newer resort but come on. I've been at resorts in Cuba that just opened the week before I arrived and the grounds were complete and beautiful. This place has been open for almost a year and it looks like they haven't even started planning it yet. You say it will grow in? If it hasn't grown-in in a year, why would I think it will grow in at all? It should be completely green and lush long before now.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We didn't go on any tours. They charge way too much and because Cayo Coco is so far away from everything, it takes too long to get there and back.
Other Comments
This is NOT a four star resort. I've been at 3 star resorts that blow this place away. Anyone who has been to this resort and says they like it and/or would return have not been to a good resort yet or they work for someone promoting this place. You can go to a much, much, much better resort for the same money. There is loud, loud music everywhere you go here. Some people like that and if you do, you'll get lots of it here. If you want a quiet, romantic get-away, you're looking in the wrong place. The grounds don't even have any grass growing in most places, the buildings etc are nothing special to look at and the service is way below average (unless you tip them then suddenly they're you're best friends). This resort was a huge disappointment and I would not recommend this to anyone at any price. I don't care if it's off season. I paid my money to visit your resort. Please treat me like I'm a paying customer that you would like to see returning to your resort. This is the first resort I've ever been to in any country where I actually wanted to leave early. We asked to be moved to a different hotel but they wanted full price to move. Yes, it's that bad.
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We flew with Sunwing, first time with this airline, we highly recommend it. The service was wonderful, lots of leg room, champagne, hot towels, a nice meal, free wine with the meal, free headsets. Also, your beach towels are included,in your room, so you do not have to pay a deposit.. We were greeted at the resort with smiles and the feeling of family.. Within minutes we found our room, our bags followed shortly after, by two nice bell boys, who did not ask for tips, by the way. Very refreshing, as it was getting late, and also very hot and humid! We just wanted to unpack and get ourselves situated, and grab a bite to eat. We quickly found the 24 hour snack bar, and had a cool drink and some tasty home cut french fries...
Rooms
Very clean, fresh, we had a king-size bed, a coffee maker, fridge, nice clean bathroom, with nice white towels. The room smelled fresh, no musty smell, the air conditioner worked well, as did the water pressure, and nice modern toilet! We had a nice little balcony, with a table and two chairs, and I was happy to find that we were very close to the beach, as I had requested, via previous e-mail.. We never had any problem with bugs, or heard any noise from other guests. We were in building# 17, which worked out well, as there are virtually no bathrooms near the beach, so it was nice to just walk back to the room, whenever needed. Our maid kept our room clean, always leaving nice towel art, I believe the sheets are changed twice a week. We had a small bottle of Coke, a small bottle of Sprite, and one large bottle of water in the small fridge.. We also got a large bottle of rum, from Sunwing.. If you needed more water, you just had to get the bottle re-filled at the buffet or any of the bars. The water they use is purified, and comes out of a machine, so us perfectly fine.We also had kept the two small bottles from the water we had purchased at the airport in Toronto, and got them re-filled to take to the beach, rather than lugging the large one!
Restaurants and Bars
We mostly ate at the Buffet, breakfast was Ok, some days, you could find fresh fruit, somedays, not, One day out of 7 my husband was able to get yogurt, but he always was able to get an omelette from the egg man. A couple of days, they had scrammbled eggs made up, one day they had boiled eggs, the service at breakfast was definately the worst! This did not sway us, as we are not very picky, and you could always find lovely fresh bread to make toast and homemade jams! I found myself sometimes having to track down a server just to get coffee, and water, but other than that, we just moved on to the rest of our day. We quickly discovered lunch in the buffet to be the best meal, for some reason they had more fresh fruit, veggies, soup, pasta, a variety of cold meats and cheeses, as well as the pasta station. Also the fresh made pizzas were excellent! I enjoyed the Rose` wine at lunch, the red wine at dinner, the white was not so great, but whatever. The coffee in the morning and at dinner was not great, but you could always get nice coffees at the piano bar at any time of the day.. They make excellent cappachino, as well as Spanish coffees, I even had Iced coffees several timnes during the week, before heading back to the room to get ready for dinner. Very good!! The service at all the bars was awesome, of course, as every one has written, Mario at the beach bar was super!! We brought our own thermal mugs for use at the beach, as they do use those little plastic cups, that everyone seems to think it is quite alright to just leave thrown everyhere! We left the mugs in the room for the maid, when we left....The snack bar was good, although we did not really go to the pool area much, it was just too hot! We did go there after a day at the beach for french fries and had hamburgers the day we were leaving, very good, but we just preferred the nice air-conditioned buffet at other times. The Alacartes, in our opinion were not that great. The International was nice, but, unfortunately we had requested a late sitting, and ended up regretting it! We felt that we were rushed, were not treated to nice service, as others have had, just "hurry up and eat" or so we felt. We were not even offered coffee with dessert, so we made a hasty retreat back to the lovely air-conditioned buffet for coffee and dessert. We had a chuckle to look up and observe the few people who had been to the resto with us filing in after us! The Italian again, in our opinion was over-rated. The food may have been amazing, but to tell the truth, we only stayed for one course. It was just to hot and very buggy! Also, everything I ordered was not available, they have this lovely, high ceiling , lovely art, nice big windows, but no air-conditioning, and because it is right next to the beach and mangroves was tooo buggy! We stuck it out for the one course and ended up leaving, beating a hasty retreat again to the nice air-conditioned Buffet! The Seafood Alacarte is in the same building, so we did not even bother going back for that one. A shame, really , they have so much potential, hopefully, the resort will work out these things before they get into high season. This did not sway us, however, as we do not go away just to eat, and because we have been to Cuba many times, were not too up set. You will not starve, there is always something good to eat... A side note, my husband has a sweet tooth and loved all the awesome desserts and wonderful ice creams at the buffet!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool area looked nice and clean, very large, two areas, one for family, one side next to the swim-up bar for adults with no children, I presume... Lots of chairs, but unfortunately no shade to speak of. It was just too hot, otherwise we may have stayed at the pool some time, The resort should really invest in umbrellas for shade... but we do go away for the beach.... Now the BEACH! Just let me say WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Lovely, clean, white sand, blue, blue water, you can walk out forever and still see your toes! It is crystal clear and one of the best beaches we have ever experienced! Just walking down there every morning truly makes your soul sing!! I am still suffering withdrawal as I write this! Two weeks later! We never had a problem finding a palapa, there are many, and we basically spent everyday there, from around 10am to around 5-6 pm, only going back to the buffet for lunch around 1 pm, then back to our haven under the palapa at the beach. The late afternoon was the best, the water turns wonderful shades of blue, glistening like diamonds... the sky is an amazing shade of Azure and you can look out at the lovely water and see forever!!! I had to keep telling myself to just breath this all in, and keep snapshots in my head, as I knew it would be all gone in 1 week, like the blink of an eye! Back to the "real world" as we unfortunately have come to know it...
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We did the Pillar Plus excursion, as my husband had done the speed boat tour on our last trip to Cayo Coco, and loved it. The speed boat thing was awesome,they let you drive your own speedboat, not at all for the timid! It brings out the James Bond, or Andretti in everyone, but the rest of it was a waste of money, in our opinion. They let you snorkel in very murky water, for half an hour, then you are bussed to Pillar Beach. Nice beach,but a public one at that... in our opinion,it was no nicer than our own beach at Blue Bay.. Also, you had to wait to go to lunch (which was nice, though)we had the lobster and shrimp,with tons of rice and a canned veggie, and two drinks, included, in the price but you had to wait to be driven back to the hotel.. We wished that we had not spent the extra cash, and just done the speed boat thing alone, which was half the price.. But again, this is just our own observation, some people from other resorts loved it, as they told us their beach was not so nice...All in all, a good day...but we could not wait to go "home" to Blue Bay! They did have some activities at the pool, or so we heard, but we never saw any , since we chose to stay at the beach.. The nightly entertainment was lack-luster, some nights good, others a little slow... But again no different then other resorts we have visited. The promised Disco, never did open the whole week we were there, despite the MC at the show saying it would be open after the show! Again, keep in mind, we were there during low season, so I am sure it does open at other times during the year.
Other Comments
We loved this place, mainly due to the lovely,lovely, wonderful beach, but also because of the nice, clean room,clean bathroom, new facilities, ect. and the relaxing time we had there. In another year, or even less, this Hotel will be awesome, once the staff are all trained, and more vegetation grows in. They were planting lovely trees and flowers while we were there, as well as getting new rooms close to the beach ready.I would go back in a heartbeat if the price was right, and we usually never go back to the same place twice! Just go with an open mind, and if you are not too fussy, you will have an amazing vacation at Blue Bay, Cayo Coco!
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We were scared that we would be disappointed
BlueBay Cayo Coco
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KimOttawaCanada >
1 contribution(s) Canada
May, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
16 people found this review helpful
My boyfriend and I (21 and 22 yrs old) were skeptical after booking at Blue Bay. The reviews were really negative and we were scared that we would be disappointed. We booked through Red Tag - paid 975$ for our vacation from May 1 to May 8. Sunwing's personnel are wonderful and our flight was very pleasant! Although, the plane is quite small (3 seats on each sides) and we weren't sitting together, we were still satisfied. On the plane, we started off with champagne, then breakfast - we left Montreal @ 9 am (very very good!), drinks, chocolates, movie (they give you the headphones) etc. I would recommend this airline, even for its small size! We arrived at Cayo Coco at 2:50 (we had to stop @ Varadero). From there, a bus took us to Blue Bay (10 min from the airport and score!) and we were greeted with good music and a good tropical drink. Someone took our luggage to our room within 2 minutes of our arrival and everything went smoothly.
Rooms
The room was really a big highlight of our day! It is HUGE. We had requested a queen bed and got a king bed. Our room was very big, the bathroom very clean and big as well. We had a king bed, one pull out couch, two chairs and a small table. Very impressive for the price we paid! In the room, you have a big water bottle, 1 beer, 1 cola and 1 rhum bottle. They do not restock the fridge (who cares), so if you want more water, just go to any bar and they will fill it for you! We encountered no bugs AT ALL during our stay.. I'm starting to think that some people are a little too high maintenance. We had some trouble with our air conditioner the first day or two, but I think we just didn't turn it on right (make sure you see the snowflake on the screen!). If you want hot water in the shower, let it run for 2-3 minutes before hopping in and you'll be fine! We did not run out of toilet paper, shampoo etc. We had clean towels every day but they only change the sheets once every 2 days (but really, do you change your sheets once every day at home?) The TV was also working properly.
Restaurants and Bars
We practically went to the buffet every day/night. Sure, some complained that it was always the 'same food' (although they have theme nights, they don't have a lot of different foods from every other nights), but remember: you are in Cuba! It was pretty varied (fruits, veggies, fish, pork, chicken, a lot of pasta, bread, shrimps, sausages, eggs, etc) so people who complain have nothing to do on their spare time.
We went to all 3 Ã la carte dinners:
Seafood - was good. I ate the chicken and my boyfriend ate the chief's suggestions. Nothing to complain. Italian - also very good. Take the fired mozzarella for appetizers. MIAM! A delight. International - exquisite. The food was wonderful! At the buffet and à la carte restaurants, you always have a band or two playing at your table. Please, don't be cheap and tip them. The music is wonderful. No complaints on the food - everything was well served, well cooked and nobody got sick.
The bars were awesome as well. The service was excellent (although, some bartenders looked bored sometimes.. but I don't blame them!) and you had some variety of drinks. They are very generous with the liquor, a good thing for people who like to drink! Try the Blue Banana if you can its gooooood. Pop and juices were also available at the bars. The pool bar looks closed but its not. If you go sit at the stools, they will serve you.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was the highlight of our trip. WOW!!!!! Crystal blue water, white sand, starfishes everywhere It was great. We have no complaints! We didn't encounter any bugs at the beach either. There is also shade (little huts) if you don't want to be in the sun too much. Also, the island itself is deserted so you can walk a loooong time. You can also play volleyball with the animation stuff. The pool is very big and tidy. There is not a lot of shade at the pool, but there is always dancing lessons if you want to do something. There is also a volleyball net in the pool. Clean, but deserted. The resort is new so there is no grass yet. When we were there, they were planting palm trees. There are some flowers, but not a lot. Since there is no grass, there is dirt if it rains but it's not a big deal, as you will be at the beach most of the time. A few times in the day, you would see the workers doing something (cleaning, fixing something on the roof, planting trees, etc). This resort is very well maintained and will be even more gorgeous in a year!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Some activities are offered (salsa lessons, volleyball, etc). You can participate if you wish; they do not annoy you in any way. There is also a tennis course, ping-pong table, pool table and a gym. At night, there is a mini show for the kids at around 8 - 8h30, and the main show is at 9h30. I was very impressed with the shows the dancers are really good. Danny Boy (the animation guy) is AWESOME. He will make you laugh and is an excellent host! The disco is also open a few nights and there is a beach party at the other hotel (Oasis) on the Thursday. Very fun!
While on our trip, we did 2 tours: the catamaran and the cave party. The catamaran was nice. It was 115$ Canadian each (the exchange rate sucks for 300$ Canadian we only got 200 pesos!). It was about a 10min drive from the hotel. We were gone all day, went snorkeling twice, ate a seafood buffet and went on a deserted beach. It was a great day and you come out of it with a great tan! The cave party was also good! It is 20 pesos (about 30-33$ Canadian) and is all you can drink! We left at 10:30 and came back around 2:30. It is very hot in there, but it's nice you can see bats, the music is good and it's a big party! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to dance and meet people.
Other Comments
I would recommend this resort to anybody who wants to relax and have fun at the same time! We are a young couple and were scared of being bored. Sure, we did relax more than usual but there were young people there and we had a blast! Don't mind the negative reviews - you will not be disappointed! Some people like to babble too much!
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Arrival
BlueBay Cayo Coco
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CindyOttawaCanada >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
19 people found this review helpful
We had late night arrival, flew Sunwing, we got the xtra leg room seats & had great service, we had a stop over at Santiago du Cuba, it went pretty smooth. Check in was no problem, took a bit of time for the Bell Boy to show us to our rooms.
Rooms
We had a suite, it was great. King Bed, Large bathroom, sink in separate area outside bathroom & an outside shower, pretty cool. You get your beach towels in your room on arrival & 1 large bottle of water, you must remember to fill your own water daily at any of the bars & you can return your towels for clean ones beside the pool, but only certain hours.
Restaurants and Bars
The buffet restaurant was great lots of variety & the staff were always great. We went to the Sea Food Restaurant food was OK, the chairs were awful, cast iron, very hard & not great if you have back problems. The italian restaurant was in the same building, did not try as the same chairs. The international Restaurant looked great, but did not have enough time to book with them.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach was the best I have seen, you could walk out for quite a long distance& it was very clear water, we did some snorkeling, not alot to see but very clear. Lots of beach chairs there is a beach bar, but no restaurant, bathroom is in the building on the pathway to the beach(sea food & Italian restaurant), not on the beach. Pool was nice, adequate size for this resort. Lots of vegetation, will look pretty nice once it grows some.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Lots of activities happening each afternoon at the pool & the beach. We did not partake but kinda fun to watch. We did not take any tours, as we had been to Cuba in the past. They had shows each night on the stage, some were good & some had audiance support, pretty funny some times. They had some great entertainment in the lobby bar a couple of nights, one guy playing the piano he was very good young & just starting out & then they had a small band join in a bit later, very enjoyable.
Other Comments
A very nice resort, All the staff were friendly & helpful. Maybe they could get some local vendors to come in once a week to sell local crafts etc. As there is 1 shop on the resort it is OK, but a little variety will not hurt.
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This might be the one I return to with my grandchildren!!!
BlueBay Cayo Coco
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TonyDebi >
1 contribution(s)
Jan, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
14 people found this review helpful
Canjet had no plane so our delay was 2 hrs and they got an airtransat plane so there were plenty of free seats so sit where you want, clubseats were all open but no open bar...hahah! return was Can Jet #939 and yes they service a cold lunch pak and movie on flight.but no club seats in front!!
Review
arrival was quick, hotel was ready and service was top notch..only open for 2 weeks ..they had every wrinkle ironed out, we were lucky we had a wonderful small duplex on the small lagoon inlet (flowing waterway running though the resort) facing the beach restaurent and bushes in front of the ocean ,quiet and at the edge of the resort.where the 12-20 room units were behind us, our room had a king size bed, step down living room area pull out sofa and chair ,otterman(foot cushion) t.v.and a 10 foot patio doors with screen.frig & stove(got ha!!!) just a frig and full length mirror,vanity & sink outside the toilet & tub & shower unit, but now for the final drumroll, patio door in the bathroom with outdoor shower area 5X8 under the stars and moon.
bar sevice was good,several drinks and plenty of glasses & plastic cups for the asking
the dinning was excellent, always 3 meats for your grilling, as well as 3 kinds of fish to be grilled, shrimp,tuna and white fish, (lunch & dinner) several evening smoked salmon and shrimp cocktail, cold vegtables and lettuce ,pickles, cold cuts and many cheeses.pasta station,pizza station,french fries for the picky eaters and always chicken ,rice,hot vegtables,beer,2 choices of white and red wines at all meals, yes we saw a man drinking every morning with breakfast! a la carte with good, service was excellent, most employees had the experience of working else where so this was a bonus for bluebay!
the hotel was not full and there are units still under constuction..but not noisy, painting,pastering,finishing inside. grounds are in early stages and there are no rooms with ocean views because there is a barrier of trees between the beach and resort...
the beach is sandy and wide without any coral or seedweed beds..you walk out long to reach you deep level for swimming,all water sports were up and running and the oasis playa hotel is next door, short walk to go and compare and be thankful for choosing the right hotel,met serveral others and heard their complaints and comments, as this was a second trip to cayo coco,,we were able to do other things we didn't do in june. so i went to the clinic day spa down the road and my husband went on the jeep tour, hahahaha, we had done the boat tour and hand-gliding in june, but this hotel had horseback riding 10 peso for l hr, horse carriage rides 10 pesos as well great family hotel and they had bar hopping tour 10pm-2 am for they wild party animals. it was hard to find something wrong with this resort, little things like the water wasn't hot enough,,,,but if you let it run for 15 mins it would be hotter, tiny ants in the bathroom on one day and maid spayed something o.k. next day the weather not hot enough for out taste but it is January!!!!! yes it was cloudy most afternoons and it rain,and rain the last day
but all in all it was better than -20 to -30 tempertures and cooking and cleaning at home!!
any other questions !!!!! i am not overly trilled with TMR..tour mont Royal as they perfer french clients or french language,,,,,but i am use to that living in Quebec.. Ivan finally broke down and spoke to me in english..........all sunwing clients were happy with the airline service as well as there rep! Guest service at the hotel as well as all managers were available and ready to assit and help you....great P.R
Yes this hotel passed my approval, there are thing they still need, vendors selling their crafts, no cotton candy machine and pop corn for the kids and little goat and wagon rides like the tryp hotel but this might be the one i return to with my grandchildren!!!
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