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| Last Updated:
30 Augustus, 2009 |
| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Hyacinth ~ Toronto, Canada |
August 2009
Arrival August 21 - 28, 2009:
Flew with Air Transat at 9am, on time, with hot meals and drinks. Surprised with service as we have branded them, "Air Transcrap" before. Upon arrival at Cuban airport, there was a line up to go through customs and they take a photo of you before you could exit and claim your baggage. There were representatives at the exit doors that asked who your travel company was and which resort you were going to. They then give you a brochure which tells you when to meet your hotel rep and tell you which bus number to go to. The bus ride was enjoyable, had AC and the host gives you an overall info about Cuban weather, tours, etc. Tip your host and driver in "bills" not coins as much as possible. TIP: It might be better for you to have $1 US bills on hand rather than give $5 CAD bills. I would suggest to ask at the airport cadeca (bank) what the exchange rate is as the hotel gave us only $0.78 to $0.79 CUC per $1 CAD. However, we found out later that the exchange rate at the flea marke!
t in Varadero was $0.85 so before you exchange a lot of your CAD bills, just ask around.
Background: We are Filipinos and my husband and I have traveled to many places in the Caribbean before. This is our 1st time staying in Cuba but we've been to Santiago de Cuba as part of our cruise destinations. This time we traveled with our 3 year old daughter, 21 yr old brother and my 50 year old mom. My husband and I are in our early 30s.
Rooms:
The rooms were clean even though they are dated. We did not have any problems with shower pressure, hot water or anything. The maids kept them clean everyday. However, we did not find out that the bed sheets have mold on them until our 4th day so please ensure that you check your bed sheets inside and out. They were very quick to change them as soon as we asked for new sheets. The TV was small and did not have many channels to choose from. As well, they were mostly in spanish so don't expect to stay in your room much at night except for sleeping. (Why go there to watch tv anyway?) The safe was okay, the closet small and the drawers limited. We kept most of our clothes in our luggage and did not hang anything in the closets as there was that inescapable musty smell that came with humid climate. The balcony was alright and we mostly used it to hang our wet towels and clothes.
Restaurants and Bars:
I don't know if it was just slow season but the North side of the resort was closed. Therefore, we only had 1 a la carte restaurant that served on alternate days Caribbean and Italian menu. The other so-called a la carte restaurant really was a snack bar during the day transformed into a Seafood a la carte restaurant at night that was infested with mosquitoes and did not have much good food anyway so it wasn't worth the bites and humidity. There was AC at the Brisas restaurant. Again, this Brisas restaurant also magically transforms into their Entertainment Ampitheatre at night. I don't know if they were trying to save money?!? It wasn't such a huge deal though, but still, it spells out CHEAP to me. The Cafe Bar that was open 24 hours had REAL ground beef burger. The snack bar near the beach served "spam" burger. The fries were dripping with oil and the hotdogs lacked taste or once again, tasted like spam. The drinks by the piano bar tasted the best. Didn't try the pool bar!
at all as we did not hang out there. The Caleta bar/restaurant did serve good pizzas for lunch as well as grilled fish and chicken and some pasta/rice combos. The buffet was what you would expect from a Cuban resort. Some items were okay and others were just plain bad. There are edible items for sure if you're not picky, you won't go hungry. TIP: If you're Asian and you're used to good well-cooked rice, don't expect them here. They need a good rice cooker. LOL
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Unfortunately, we didn't go to Varadero Cuba to soak up in chlorine water so we didn't really use the pool (probably just once to try it out and to dip in the jacuzzi that was not hot but lukewarm temp for some reason). My daughter really loved the kids pool and they occasionally turn on the mushroom thing that makes it rain. The water temp in the pool is nice. The grounds lacked maintenance and the fountains/falls were not running. The outside of the hotel smelled of the stagnant water. They kept up the maintenance of the South side of the resort but that was pretty much it. The North side looked deserted and creepy. You can still find picturesque-worthy shots of the grounds though as we did. The resort is VERY dark at night. There are not lights by the pool other than the pool lights in the water and some pathway lights to and from the Brisas and Caleta restaurants. There are also lights in one area of the beach at night but if you go walking on the beach on a moonless ni!
ght, it's almost pitch black. Surprisingly, we did not get bitten when we walked there one evening. The best part of this hotel? THE BEACH! The beach made all the experience despite the many misses and a few hits of this hotel. We walked along the other side the beach for other hotels and find that ours was the best as far as the sand, water, depth quality. We also did not have any problems finding chairs/palapas for 5 of us. Bearing in mind the month we arrived here, it was never too hot or humid for us. Temp was in the low 30s and the breeze was nice and it only rained for like 3-5 mins in the late afternoon one day and the rest of the time was perfect weather!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The nightly entertainment was okay. Sometimes it was lame when they asked for audience participation although we did try to make the most of it and participated and actually won a bottle of rum. LOL When they do invite dancers it was good. Just before the show starts, they have dancers in the outdoor lounge area and musicians playing salsa and it was fun to hang out there. The musicians also play in the buffet restaurant for dinner for about an hour or so before they head upstairs. The only time we went outside the resort was to go to the flea market. It's worth taking the double-decker bus for $5 that gives you unlimited ride however, it was a long walk to that bus stop as you have to go the main road and that alone was about a 10 min. walk which is no fun in the heat. We made good use of the free water sports activities and borrowed a hobie cat, kayak, etc. We also went on a banana boat ride for $5CUC for 15 mins. TIP: Ride on the top deck as it gives you a good breeze, j!
ust wear a hat and watch out for hanging branches that can hit you in the face and hold on to that hat! Apparently, some friends that we've made on the resort went to Havana and said they would go again in a heartbeat. They paid around $68/pp for that trip. Others went on the catamaran tour but were bitten by mosquitoes although they did love the tour overall and had a great time watching the dolphins.
Other Comments:
Overall, we would give this resort (in Cuban standards) a 3 star. Perhaps in their busy season, they would offer better service and therefore would earn their 4 star claim. We absolutely loved their beach just as well as we loved St. Maarten and the Dominican's. We had a great time and sometimes laughed at some of the negative stuff but we made many friends there as there were fewer guests to bond with. My brother also went to "The Cave" nightclub which was a lot of fun despite the long line up, $10CUC entry at the door and no dancing space (same as what you'd expect in a busy Toronto nightclub). Besides, we only paid $631CAD/pp for this trip including taxes and was definitely worth all that money. Had we paid more, we would have expected more so there you go. If you don't want to waste your money on tipping, just bring old clothes, shoes, toys etc. They will appreciate them more than your $1CUC/$1US. Clothes cost them between $10 - $25CUC and they only get paid $10-12CUC p!
er MONTH! TIP: Bring beach towels as they do not offer them and you will get better selection and deals at the flea market than buying them with the beach cart guys and at the souvenir shop. I will not go back to this resort but will try others if I go back to Cuba again. :)
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Gord ~ Halifax |
June 2009
Arrival: May 20th - 27th
Our third time to Varadero,at the airport get $100 CUC no questions. The bus trip was efficient. Tip, tip the porter a CUC before you do anything. One person of the couple get in line and the other get luggage from bus. The porter will take your things first.
Rooms:
Rooms are fine, plane jane like most Cuban 3-4 star hotels. Buy an electrical converter,50 watt 220 volt to 120 volt to power your electronics. The hotels have a hair dryers if you want a flat iron to work, buy one that is 120 - 220 volt with a switch. Then buy an adapter to accept the double pin (220) to 120 standard north amaricain plug adapter.
Restaurants and Bars:
They have awesome staff! Food is typical Cuban, hit or miss and general taste.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Best in the world, enjoy.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Lots to enjoy, just look over the binders available and pick from them.
The jeep safari is best and lots of fun. The catamaran is hot and long.
I also hired a driver to take us to Havana, amazing experience. Or just enjoy the beach.
Other Comments:
Just think, enjoying a vacation without the complaining "neighbours from the south"!
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Bill & Elaine ~ Lindsay Ontario |
March 2009
Arrival: March 5 to 12
We were welcomed by Mable our Tour representative from Sunwing, at Juan Gomez airport. Three planes arriving within a half hour of each other made for a busy airport, glad to have a representative present to quide us through to chaos. The resort staff seemed to be prepared to handle the onslaught of people. We arrived before noon although the room was not ready they switched us to a room that was ready, nice to see they are helpful. The lobby into the resort is nicely decorated and wonderful flower display.
Rooms
The orginal room we where assigned was switched to allow us to have a day without running back and fore to see when a room would be available.
Our room was spacious and clean. Like many resorts in Cuba there is always a need to repair this or that but we had no major complaints. We asked for a few things such as being near the pool, king size bed, ground floor with patio and the resort fullfilled our request.
Restaurants and Bars
The resort is large and spread out, but access to bars and restaurants was easy. Lots of places to stroll and enjoy quaint little spots to sit and have quiet beverage.
We ate at the Buffet two of the three nights and found the food fine, one evening we had a great roast pig BBQ with entertainment in the restaurant which we enjoyed. The resort has three main A la carte restaurants- Cuban which we all(three couples) enjoyed!great food and excellent service.
Italian(we visited this one twice and both times the food and service was excellent. Had a six course meal, from the soup to the dessert was very good.
The seafood restaurant was a major disappointment to all of us, the shrimp tasted like dryed up wood, the main course of shrimp stack and the dessert finished our opinion on a negative note, did not return.
The resort has six or seven bars and each had its pluses and minuses. The positive thing about the bars is they all tried to serve you what you wanted as conveniently as possible, we had to remember that a lot of thirsty Canadians are looking for serve immediately and that just isn't possible during happy hour and early in the evening, be patient! The beach bar was very good at serving drinks and the bartenders did a good job.
The beach grill and the 24 hour grill (which is at the south side pool)was our favourite lunch time place. Great hamburgers at one and pizzas at the other. Try the jumbo burger at the south side grill, there are great and ask to be well cooked.
Breakfast at the 24 hour bar was good, sometime the service was slow or seemed to be inconsistent, but be patient afterall you are on holidays.
Do drop into the paino bar which is on the second floor of the main lobby area, the atmosphere is quiet and the young lady playing the piano was awesome.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach is really nice, lots of chairs and palapas with an eager and friendly guy to get lounge chairs for you.
The miles and miles of beach make for some nice walks. Watch out for Portugese Man of War -or Jelly fish as this week we did have a few days of wind that washed them up onto the beach. The life guards are on the watch for these creatures but are very difficult to see in the water.
We enjoyed many hours of relaxing on the beach, we did not get out on the water craft , but lots seemed to be available.
We spent some time at the big pool but found it either too busy or too much noise due to entertainment, music etc.
The pool at the south end was nice and quiet, Carlos the pool guy and Micheal looked after all our needs from food to drinks, they work long hours and always had pleasant greeting and smile.
The grounds needs work, they where replacing tile on the walkways and around the south pool while we where there. A little disconcerning that they decided to dig up around the pool while people were relaxing, but at least they are trying to keep it looking nice. We spent three afternoons sitting at the pool and enjoyed it very much.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We visited some of the other resorts to see how each compared, we got what we paid for and do not have any regrets.
Some of our group did the Double Decker Bus along the strip and found it to be a good way to see the sights and get into Varadaro. For five pesos for the day it was a good deal.
We also did a one day Jeep Safari trip with Gavioti group. The excursion cost $71 pesos per person and was worth every bite we paid. The tour guide Michael spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of Cuba, he was always feeding us pieces of triva and made the day an outstanding trip. We spent time at - Typical Cuban Farm- Snorkling at a reef with lots of tropical fish - Experienced a swim in a Cave - drove into the valley where we had a fantastic lunch of Cuban soup, rice and black beans and roast pork (this was a great meal)- then we drove through Mantanzas (founded 1690)which is an older style Cuban city with lots of older buildings and great views. Ask Micheal to take you to the top of the city where the park overlooks the valley- great views of the city and the valley- next we went to Canimar River Boat cruise, very relaxing and great way to wrap up the excursion. For 10 pesos you can get a lobster lunch which I loved.
There are many things to do and see, take a trip to Varadaro and explore the park which has a nice sitting area near a pond with great Pina Colotas.
Other Comments
a tip for those exchanging Cdn dollars to Convertible pesos - every day the rate changed and sometime from morning to afternoon. Do your exchange at the money exchange in the lobby of the hotel NOT at the reception desk. Sometimes the rate was four or five point difference. WE found it best to exchange in the morning before the day got busy.
This is our 11th trip to Cuba and second to Varadaro. We are looking forward to our next visit in December. Remember in Cuba you go with the flow and if you expect to get Canadian gourmet food this just isn't the place BUT if you like to explore and are open minded Cuba is the best value. The people are willing and eager to assist if you take the time to get to know them.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Gail ~ Canada |
March 2009
Arrival: Feb 19 - Feb 26
Room unfortunately not ready until 7pm. We arrived at the resort at 11.30 am
Rooms
Bright and spacious,however mouldy and musty..terrible for people with allergies
Restaurants and Bars
Food at the buffet was lousy, everything tasted the same and was usually cold.
A La Cartes were okay.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beautiful beach and the pools were very clean and cold
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Entertainment was pretty good every night. Took a catamarin tour and a jeep safari . These were as expected.
Other Comments
This resort was probably fantastic 50 years ago..it is very tired and needs a lot of work. This is only a 2 star not as advertised as a 4 star . Would not recommend to any friends.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Catherine ~ St. John's, NL |
February 2009
Arrival
Last year we arrived very late (0230 or so) because of fog delays in NL but when we arrived it was like the middle of the day and not night. People were very welcoming and pleasant. We were able to check into our room quickly and were not waiting in the lobby for very long at all.
Rooms
We had a huge king size bed and the room was obviously clean. Our patio door wouldn't lock nor would out toilet flush. We called for someone to fix this and they were there within a few minutes. No fooling around. the light over our patio howver flickered and that was never corrected despite numerous calls to fix this. If you use a `facecloth` bring your own, they don`t have them.
Restaurants and Bars
The two restaurants we visited were absolutely wonderful. The service was prompt and the food was delicious. We had steak at one and chicken at the other, FANTASTIC!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was as anyone would expect it to be! Pristine! I spent much of my day collecting shells! The pool on the resort was very clean but oh so COLD! I guess that should be expected in a tropical country. Once you were in it it wasn't too bad! If you can, go on the catamaran on the beach, it is FREE but tip the guy who takes you out! It is fantastic. They only go out when the water is calm, wear a bathing suit though you will get wet.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Our last trip we didn't do any of the "off resort trips: but the time before that we did go on the "Havana"tour which was wonderful! I recommend that to anyone who has never been to CUBA. It is like "another world". You will stop for lunch at the "lighthouse". Don't order anything else than what they offer you (sea bass). I had the chicken and it was terrible but apparently the fish was great! I was afraid to order it as I had never had it before that time. Our last trip we did go to Varadero to visit the flea markets and that was great too. It is a very safe place to visit and I never did feel nervous! Don't buy in the little shops in Varadero though. Prices are expensive. Stick to the flea market or on the resort. If you plan on buying cigaretts for anyone, buy them INSIDE the airport, after you have gone through your check-in, they are much cheaper. Also, if you do go on a tour off of the resort, bring your own toilet paper. They do `charge`for it in these places. Stick some in your pocket or where ever, just give the ladies a little tip. The bus did have a bathroom on it so if you have to `go`do so before you get off the bus on your tour.
Other Comments
We are on out third trip to this resort so obviously we loved it. Change your money at the `bank`, by the souvenier shop. Not at the desk, it is more expensive. Also, if you want to make a ophone call to home, you will have to pay for it AFTER you have made it in CUC (Cuban convertable pesos). They will tell you what to pay at the main desk. They do have internet but they don`t recommend using it because it is very slow. The workers on this resort are kind and treat you well!!!
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Janice ~ Calgary |
February 2009
Our trip was booked through tripcentral.ca with Conquest on CanJet. We had absolutely no problem with the flight (left at 9 am). In fact, we were thrilled with the little snack box of food that they provided…way more than you would get on WestJet or Air Canada. We arrived in Cuba on time and easily got our luggage. The Conquest rep was there and directed us to the bus…everything went very smoothly. When we arrived at the resort, my husband waited by the bus for our luggage while I went in and got in line for reception…which turned out to be a great idea because it seemed to take forever to check people in. We got checked in with no problem and the bell boy with the golf cart was right there to take us to our room in the south section.
Rooms
I was very nervous about the room, given the reviews I’d read but it was spotless. Our room was on the first floor. The main door opened onto a courtyard, and the patio was on the other side. It faced a path between other buildings…very quiet and pleasant with trees, etc. Our room had lots of towels, pillows and extra blankets. There was a toilet seat and toilet paper, and we never had a problem with hot water. This was called a family room…we had a huge king size bed and a twin bed for our son. There was a TV that worked sometimes but not others, but I did even turn it on til we had been there for about 4 days. We also had a fridge, which was great for keeping water cold. The air conditioning was too cold, which was better than being too hot, but we never figured out how to adjust it and it would have been nice to be able to do that.
There were no bugs in our room…although we did have two little frogs on two different days, but they probably came in the bathroom window, which I opened without realizing there was no screen. In fact, I never saw any mosquitoes or sand fleas either. I brought two bottles of bug spray and never took them out of the suitcase.
Our room was half a kilometre from the beach, which was the furthest you could be. This was no problem, as the walk through the grounds was lovely, and at night it was very quiet for sleeping. I think the main building would have been extremely noisy all night.
Restaurants and Bars
As we expected, the food was nothing to get excited about. However, we both gained some weight in the week we were there, so obviously we didn’t go hungry! We ate breakfast and supper at the main buffet and were always able to find something that we wanted to eat. The bread is amazing, and for breakfast the eggs cooked to your own choice or the omelette is great. There were shortbread cookies that were delicious as well. If you are a coffee drinker I would advise not having coffee with breakfast, as it comes from a machine. The bar in the lobby has great coffee, and they sometimes have some croissants and cookies in the mornings.
After the first night, we always sat outside to eat, and that was much nicer. The service was very friendly 90% of the time. We really enjoyed that the Cuban band played every evening during dinner.
On the first morning my husband got in the (long) line for a la carte reservations. We couldn’t get a reservation for the Italian restaurant which, given the reviews, I was ok with. We had the Cuban restaurant the 2nd last night and the seafood the last night. The Cuban one was terrible…dark…no choice of food (and no clue what you were eating) and the service was not friendly. The food was fine, but the atmosphere ruined it.
The seafood restaurant was GREAT! It was outside in the building that is the beach bar/snack bar during the day. At night it was transformed into a lovely outdoor restaurant. Great service, plus you got to choose from a limited menu (like a real a la carte – wow!). The food was lovely. Best meal we’d had all week.
Being in the south section, we had our own pool and snack bar. We would have some downtime in our room in the late afternoon and then get showered and changed, and hang out at a table outside this snack bar for an hour or so. Our son lived on snack bar food (burger for lunch, hot dog and fries here for supper) so he would have his meal and we would have a drink or two and play cards or just people watch and chat to other guests.
We avoided inside because of the cigarette smoke, and because – we’re in Cuba, why spend time inside?
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The grounds were lovely. The pools were very clean, with lots of deck chairs and a good mix of shade and sun. The pools were too cold for comfort, but with the ocean there, we didn’t really care to swim in a pool anyway.
The beach is amazing. Very clean, gorgeous water, and lots of space. Other resorts on this strip had very little room on their beaches, but Brisas has room for three rows of shade huts plus tons of space in front of those before the water. There were catamarans that the staff took people out in for 20 minute rides, plus paddle boats and kayaks to take out. If you have very small children, you might want to bring your own life jacket as they had no tiny ones.
Activities on and off the resort
Our biggest disappointment was the lack of kids activities, but we knew before we got there (but after we booked) that this was the case. There is a building for the kids club, but never anyone there, and no sign of life. Our son was fine, but it would have been great to have something different for him to do every day, and for us to have some “off” time.
There were lots of activities every day. We didn’t participate but it looked like those who did were having fun. The animators seemed to be very good at their jobs. We went to one show at night (again, too late to stay up every night with a 7 year old) and it was absolutely hilarious.
We did one tour – the day trip to Havana with Conquest. It was called Colonial Havana. We left the resort in an air-conditioned bus at 8 am and got back at about 7 pm. We had an excellent guide. We drove through Matanzas City, made one stop, and then arrived in old Havana at about 11 am. Our guide took us on a walking tour through old Havana, including a quick tour through one of Hemingway’s many bars (with time for a mojito) and a short guided tour through Catedral de San Cristobel. Then we had lunch (cost included in the tour) at a restaurant in the Plaza de la Catedral. This was one of the highlights…we were on the third floor of a very old building, windows open on all sides with a view of the square below. Food was great, although the service was sporadic. After lunch we were taken to a museum called the Museo de la Cuidad. People could also go to two other museums nearby, but the one we went to was included in the cost of the tour.
After this the bus took us to Revolution Square for a quick stop, then to a cigar factory and a quick stop at the Capital building.
We felt very well-taken care of by the tour guide…no fear of getting lost or being left behind. The cost was 67 CUC per adult, 51 CUC per child. For those with kids, I would recommend that you have a hand-held game or some other entertainment for the kids, because they will not be interested in everything and the bus trip is long.
Other comments
The resort is not as well kept as it would be in Canada, but the fun of travelling is experiencing new things. We felt very safe at all times. Our Conquest rep was in the lobby almost every day, and we felt like they took good care of us. The bank at the resort was convenient. I would recommend changing small amounts of money ($100 at a time). We brought $500 Cdn cash with us and came home with about $120 (we were there for one week). We tipped everyone and often, usually a peso at a time. We used our credit card to pay for the tour, despite that there is a 10% charge for all credit card transactions.
We paid for the VIP club for the return trip to the airport (20 CUC each). This is so worth it. You will skip a long line (about 150 people) to check in, and will be taken to the front of the security line as well. The VIP lounge is a quiet, clean, non-smoking, air-conditioned room with clean bathrooms, free drinks, and some snacks.
Tips
Buy a big bottle of water in the resort gift shop (2 CUC). They will refill it at any bar. We did drink tap water and it didn’t hurt us.
Bring travel mugs for drinks…the alternative is small plastic cups…a lot of waste.
Bring your own beach towels. Towels are 15 CUC each to rent.
If you have kids, bring small packaged snacks (raisins, fruit leather, etc). Keep them in the fridge so they don’t attract bugs.
Bring a small first aid kit for beach cuts, etc.
Bring beach toys for kids
Bring lots of t-shirts for kids…the humid air means that nothing that is washed will ever really dry.
Check out the electric set-up for your resort. Bring an adaptor, but don’t count on every outlet in the room actually working. We ended up asking the reception de
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Tammy ~ Ontario |
February 2009
Arrival: Feb 7th to 14th
Our arrival was great, people meeting us at the airport, bus driver and our guide were friendly. Once we arrived at the hotel, ck in was fast but people at the front desk were not very friendly.
Rooms
Our room was big, clean(even had a toilet seat) and didn't smell moldy, but my parents room did, really badly. We had plenty of hot water and pressure, but other people in our party did complain about that. Our maid Rude was very friendly and even left us little gifts her husband made (as we would leave her little gifts on the bed everyday). We would return to our room everyday and our towels would be molded into different shapes.
Restaurants and Bars
The food was a scary thing for me as I'm a picky eater, but with the pasta bar which was amazing. The omeletts were also great and the bread, I had it for breakfast lunch and supper. The food at the A la Carte restaurants wasn't all that good ~ but that's the only place the staff was friendly.
As for the Bars, well the staff wasn't friendly, especially the female ones, even to the men. We all hated going to the bar and the drinks were so strong I had beer all week. Even if you would ask for less rum they wouldn't put less in it!
The 24 hrs snack bar was a joke ~ after 11pm all they had were sandwiches and day or night it took for ever to get someone to take your order.
It seamed that in the bars, snack bar and buffet, the staff would make you feel as thow you were disrupting them ~ not a good feeling when you're on holidays ~
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was amazing ~ the pools were beautiful and the grounds were breathtaking ~ bring your own towel from home, they have a service there but you need to give them a deposit and they will reimburse you once you return the towel. Bring your own is all I can tell you!! I though I would buy one there at the gift shop but they were very expensive.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We took a day trip to La Havana city but didn't take the tour bus, we hired a private driver and tour guide, they took us to this amazing restaurant and took us where we wanted when we wanted ~ was a great day~ The jeep safari is also a must! you will see Cuba in a different way and drive your own jeep ~ my husband did the driving and he loved it ~ we swam in a cave, the most amazing thing ever. It was a great day
as for activities at the resort, there wasn't much!
Other Comments
If your a coffee drinker bring coffeemate as the coffee is strong and the milk is not very good. we had ziplocks full of jam, PB, salad dressings, ketchup. We even had a sm jar of Cheez whiz ~ all in all it was a good trip, but I wouldn't go back to this resort, the staff was too unfriendly for me and they always wanted tips ~ we spent more money on tips then we did on souvenirs ~ so much for all inclusive ~ keep in mind ~YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR ~ but I wouldn't consider this resort a 4* a 3* at the most. Enjoy!
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Tina ~ Ontario, Canada |
February 2009
Arrival: Feb 5th - 12th
we arrived at the resort at 1130 and check in is not till 3 however one of the gentlemen workers went checked if the room was ready and it was so he then drove us to our room on the golf cart....was great start
Rooms
our room was very big, very clean no complaints
Restaurants and Bars
restaurants and bars were great, staff at these locations were great as well... Louis and Elby made us feel right at home in the buffet area
Beach/Pools/Grounds
grounds were kept very nice amazing the hard work they do to keep it that way, beach was spectacular
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
went on the jeep safari which was the best of our vacation Miguel and Roberto were great leaders and we had an excellent time would recommend it to everyone!! there was always something to do at the resort they always had activites going on
Other Comments
we read alot of reviews before we left and were skeptical but oh my this resort was fantastic and we will definetly be returning again to the same resort
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Bev ~ Ontario |
February 2009
Arrival: Jan 27 - Feb 3
Arrival went smooth, no problems. We stayed at this resort Jan 27 - Feb 3, 2009. This was our 3rd time in Cuba, 1st in Varadero and 1st at this resort. First off we have never had any complaints vacationing in Cuba. I read all the reviews before we left, and I was surprised at the negative ones. In the last seven years I've stayed at a lot of different resort anywhere's from a 3 to 5 star.
Well my thoughts
Rooms
We got 1st floor, we had a few baby ants on the bathroom counter but no other bugs. There was no mildew smell. Beds were just ok. There were 4 of us so we didn't have very much room for cloths but other than that the room was ok, clean. I've seen worst.
Restaurants and Bars
Bars: We had no problems with these. Drinks were very strong, slushy drink were not slushy. Lime slush and pina colada's were ok until I saw them dumping the drip trays back in the slushy machine. This turned me off these drinks.
Restaurants: clean, food was ok but just. Hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, fries, grilled meats at the buffet were the best. Pasta bar was not, most of the pasta was only have cooked.
From what we heard while there this was the case in all the
restaurants. Only spaghetti noodle were ever cooked. The rest of the
pasta was gross. But I've always said and heard “you don't go to
Cuba for the food
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Pools: This were great, we only used the one (activity pool) they were not crowded and they were always clean. Always had chairs.
Beach: Well what can I say, the beach was great. Clean, water was great.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There were not alot of activities at the resort that we saw, maybe 1 or 2 a day.
Jeep Safari Tour is well worth the money. My 8 and 10 year old loved it. Catamaran trip is also a must, swimming with the dolphins was great
Other Comments:
People: All the people were very friendly, they would do anything for you.
Overall I'd go back to Cuba in a minute, we love Cuba, but as for this resort I don't thinks so.
Room: 3 ***
Bars: 2**
Pools: 5*****
Restaurant: 3***
Beach: 5*****
We didn't use the gym or the beauty salon, or the kids club (it was always empty)
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Lauren ~ Ontario |
February 2009
Arrival: Jan 26 2009 - Feb 2
Flight down was great, we arrived before schedule. We flew Sunwing leaving Toronto at 7:15AM, and arrived at the resort before 12. Check in was a breeze. But things quickly went down hill.
Rooms:
I don't know what room we were originaled assigned, friends had arrived the day prior and asked reception to put us all in a block together. We were given room 676 in the south section, my mother was next door in room 677. There were a total of 7 of us staying, arriving on different days. I travelled with my husband, 7 year old son, my mother and a friend This was our 6th trip to Cuba, but our first in Varadero. All our previous trips have been to Holguin.
Upon first glance room appeared fine, 2 double beds and a single. Upon further inspection, no fridge, no TV remote, no toilet seat, no closet doors. I called the front desk to report these things, I really didn't care about anything other than the toilet seat. Well after 2 phone calls and 2 personal visits to the front desk, we got a fridge. I checked there was no toilet seat inside. We went the week with no seat. The maid service was great, room was always cleaned, fresh sheets and towels.
Restaurants and Bars:
When we arrived, we were informed that all the ala cartes were booked through until Feb 1st. Since we were leaving on the 2nd we didn't even attempt to book one. We over heard other guests calling the buffet the "barfet", but thought nothing of at the time, everyone has there own opinion of the food in Cuba. But after having "dined" at the buffet, I can honestley call it the "barfet". Firstly it is in the basement and as you walk down the stairs to enter all you can smell is fish. I hate fish, so that was the first turn off. But getting past that, the items offered, were unappetizing in appearance, and all seemed to be swimming in liquid. The so called grill stations offered nothing but fish, chicken or pork. Maybe I was just unlucky, but they never had anything cooked when I happened to be there. I tried the pasta with what I thought was alfredo sauce one night, but it had a really bad burnt taste. On another night the buffet had mashed potaotes, my 7 year old loves potatoes of any kind, they were so bad he refused to eat them. As I mentioned there were 7 of us, one evening we went to the buffet, found a table that had been recently vacated, stood and waited, and waited, finally we cleared the table ourselves, scarpping dirty plates, and resetting the table ourselves, apprently this soooo upset the wait staff they refused to attend our table and offer beverages, we had to get these ourselves as well. Breakfast was a little better, with eggs, bacon (on a few occasions)omelet station etc. But if you went after 9AM you had to set the table yourself. I found the staff at the buffet to be very uncaring and rude.
On the south side (where we stayed) was where the 24 hour snack bar was located. They staff there were wonderful, and the food was pretty good. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwichs, pasta,and fish. Thank goodness for the snack bar or my son would have starved. I would take him there before the buffet opened and get him something to eat, then go to the buffet and let him have ice cream and pasteries.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
We basiclly hung out at the pool in the south section. It was always very quiet with plenty of charis available. The bar and the bathroom were close by and every half hour or so a waiter would come by offering to fetch drinks. The grounds were very nice and well kept, the gardeners did an excellent job.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
I persoanlly did not do any tours. My mother did the 1 day Havana tour and had a great time and loved every minute of it. Three of our party are divers, but only got one dive in due to red flag dayss, but they did seem to enjoy the one dive they got in, they went to The Bay of Pigs. Five of our group (my son included) booked the catamaran tour, which included a 3 hour sunset cruise the day before. Unfortunatley, a storm came along and cut the sunset cruise in half and the catamaran had to exclude snorkeling due to high winds. They had a great trip though, went to Cayo Blanco, had a lobster lunch, and after the winds died down really enjoyed it.
Other Comments:
I enjoyed my week in spite of the obvious lackings of this resort, mainly because of the people I was with and the fact I was away from Ontario for a week in January.
I will not return to this resort and I will not recommend it to anyone.
This resort is advertised as a 4*, but it is not by any stretch of the imagination a 4*.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Laura ~ Hornepayne, Ontario |
January 2009
Arrival: Jan 16- Jan 23 2009
This is my fifth trip to Cuba, tenth to the sunny destinations - this place was missing more than the sun and heat -January was COLD Nights 8-15c with no heaters - Days 14-20. We booked with Tripcentral.ca and booked and flew from Sault Ste Marie with Sunwing vacations. My husband and I were traveling with our two year old boy. When we were checking into the flight, we were not on the list. We knew something happened with our booking. After showing papers and a long wait, they got it sorted. The flight was good. We arrived at 19:30. Between the airport and the bus ride - 2.5 hours later we went to check in and we were not on the list here either. We were told to go get drinks and food and to return to the desk. We waited for managers and finally at 12:30 AM, 2.5 hours after our arrival at the resort, with one really tired boy, we finally got our room for the night. We were told to sort it out with the Sunwing rep. in the morning to see if we could stay at this resort for the week as it was overbooked. In the morning, Mabel our rep, took our visa to confirm payment, and admitted there was computer problems with the resort bookings. After another three hours waiting to see if we were staying, we were asked if we could go to Havana for our vacation,(with no beach and with a two year old in the city?) and I refused. It was agreed that we would stay here.
Rooms:
We stayed in the main hotel on the infamous first floor in room 105. It was awful. The room was cleaned on the surface, with fresh sheets, towels and floors done, but the mold was permeated throughout the room. The curtains and the lamp shades were covered in a visible black mold. The smell was strongest in the closets and when the air conditioner was running, respirators anybody? This is the first time in Cuba that there was not a converter to 110v anywhere in the room. Bring your converter. The room was in awful disrepair. The bed broke in two when I sat on it (not even having fun on it!), the chair's leg was broken, the table rocked dangerously, the drawers were broken, the toilet was tippy with a broken toilet seat (better than some who had no toilet seats) the mirror was hanging by a thread as we found out when our boy was sitting brushing his teeth, he touched the mirror and it started bouncing from the wall. We were thankful he did not hurt himself while in the room. It was dangerous and harmful to have him at this resort. There was no hot water. We heard it on other reviews and thought - we will find a time and shower at that time. We had two showers that were warm, once at 3 AM and once at 7 AM and it was not consistent at those times. We were covered in sand and salt, and no showers. It was not lukewarm, it was cold. Romance was extinguished by this room. My kid is two. We shook him off and he slept sandy, dirty and his hair smelled of mold. We had ocean side (read - shady and noisy from the pool activities). We heard the roar of the ocean but could not see the ocean. Even the fourth floor can't see the ocean for the foilage. Don't pay more for this view!
Restaurants and Bars:
I am not a picky eater and I have never thrown out so much food in my life. It was inedible. The buffet was awful. The same eight dishes on both sides of the "hot" side. It was cold. I ate cucumber salads, breads, and ice cream. The fresh fish was tuna steaks. Friday to Friday tuna steak, and they had so much oil on the grill you could not taste the fish (or the omelet in the morning). The pasta bar was a joke. The guy gave you spaghetti or bow ties - his choice, then gave you red sauce or white sauce - also his choice, then he had other things to put in, but did not ever put anything into it. I really tried to eat the food, but bite after bite of cold tasteless (fill in the blank as it was all tasteless and cold) I spit it out and passed the plate. It also served tuna steaks or tuna fillets. The restaurant bar and the seaside grill served frozen burgers and frozen fries. Think seven days of fries and burgers with a side of cucumbers. The worst food I have ever had in any resort. YUCKY. We did not try the a la carte. The bartenders were quick and there was never a wait.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The grounds were beautiful and colourful, flowers everywhere. For those traveling with small children, watch for uncovered wells on the lawns, the broken handrails on the stairs outside to get down to the buffet and the fourth story railings that are broken overlooking the lobby courtyard. The pools were clean and unused as it was freezing cold. There were three hot tubs. One was empty on the south side, one was unheated and the third was about 34 degrees and packed as everyone tried to stay warm.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
I visited the registered massage therapist - Alina. She has very bony, cold hands. Like getting a massage from a machine.
Other Comments:
There were workers everywhere and if you gave them a tip or a gift they would smile and say thank you, some will treat you better for it. Too bad that is what it took to get the smile, or the intimate contact that is the Cuban experience. If you are booking for January, I would suggest a warmer climate country - Jamaica or Costa Rica perhaps. If you were my friend, I would recommend avoiding the Veradaro beach. This resort was definately a miss.
lrose2@tbaytel.net
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Tammy ~ Ontario |
January 2009
Arrival: January 7th-14th
First visit to Cuba and was surprised at how easy it was to get cleared and get our baggage. The bus ride to the resort was fine. Early evening arrival to the resort. Very tasty welcome cocktail as soon as we got inside to get checked in. Rooms were ready immediately. Stayed on the 4th floor of the North building. The lobby was rather nice and quite abuzz with people and staff.
Rooms:
Room location was okay. Rooms a little "worn" but fine otherwise. Fridge in the room came in handy. Blow dryer was broken but didn't really matter as we didn't need it. Had a slight view of the one pool with a view of the ocean. Clean enough with maid service everyday. The maids did a wonderful job providing clean, sculpted towels everyday. Did have some issue with not enough to no hot water for showers on occassion. Seem to have a problem with the in-room phone ringing randomly. It would ring just once at various times throughout the day/evening when we were in the room. Found that a little odd, if not annoying sometimes. Power would be disrupted on occassion as well but really wasn't a huge deal for us.
Restaurants and Bars:
Had reservations 2 nights for the al-a-carte dinners. If you want specific nights for these, book them as soon as possible after your arrival. We booked them 3 days in and ended up getting a 9 p.m. reservation for our 1st dinner. The first al-a-carte meal was Italian. We did not care for it. The lasagne was definately not to our liking. Chatted with some folks who we met earlier who ordered the steak and said it was not good either. The 2nd al-a-carte was Cuban and was terrific!
The buffet was okay considering we are picky eaters. There was always something different to try and enjoy. The fresh fruit and the breads were awesome! Ate at the beachside grill a few times and was okay. Did have the experience of a uncooked hamburgers/hotdogs but learned to ask the grill chefs to keep them grilling longer. The chicken from the outside grill was tasty. The bars all seemed well stocked with the male bartenders seeming more attentive than the female?
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is amazing! Clean, lots of loungers. The water is beautiful. Had a staff available everyday to retrieve us loungers. We didn't use the towel service as we brought our own beach towels. The pools seemed clean and the grounds were pretty with colourful plants and flowers.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Lots of on-going activities and shows on the resort. Took in 3 evening shows and had fun. Lots of things going on throughout the day as well. Dancing, bingo, spanish lessons to name a few. Didn't do any day activities on the resort but it appeared that those partaking were having fun. Took a bus costing 2 pesos into town. Went to the flea market and found trinkets and such for cheap. Much cheaper than the resort or the beach vendors. Did the catamaran cruise and had lots of fun snorkeling and swimming with dolphins. The cruise went to Cayo Blanco for a lobster lunch which was delicious. Spent an extra 10 pesos for 3 extra lobster tails and was nicely surprised when it was served with extra butter and garlic. Yummy! The staff on the cruise were amazing. Friendly, outgoing and lots of fun.
A safari jeep excursion was done as well. Thoroughly enjoyed by all! The excursion guide was very friendly and knowledgeable.
Other Comments:
Overall, this was a terrific vacation. 7 days doesn't seem long enough so maybe next year we will stay longer.
The weather was warm and sunny our entire trip with the exception of our departure day home. The beach was red flagged that day.
I will definately return! We did research our Cuba trip before going and can say we knew what and what not to expect. My advice is to research, talk to folks who have been before before deciding to venture to this part. All in all,it was a great trip!
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Luba ~ Canada |
January 2009
Arrival: January 1 - 8
Arrival was late as the flight was delayed. By the time we checked in all we could do is go to sleep. There was a heavy rotten smell in the lobby, which I think was the smell of garbage kept on the back side close to the main entrance.
Rooms:
Rooms were alongside of a long corridor which was attached to the main foyer where the lobby and the bar was located. Smoking is allowed in the rooms therefore a mixture of mold and cigars smells hits you as you open the door. A fridge was in the room but it was always empty. We had to go to the bar to fill our water jar for the room. Some people with young children asked for the water jar but could not get it.
Restaurants and Bars:
Food selection is limited but there is plenty to eat and if you also watch your calorie intake, you welcome cabbage which is plentiful. Chicken was greasy and beef was dry. Tablecloth was not fresh and there was a problem with not having enough cups. Water as well as alcohol is served in a small plastic glasses and the water drinkers could not get enough of it.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach is excellent. Water is clean and nicely refreshing. The resort is not very large and could possibly qualify for 4 star if all the required repairs were done. The hotel appears to be old and requires a lot of work. This hotel is about 3 star. Water in the pools was colder then in the ocean. Grounds were clean but floors could be mopped more often.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There were water sports available, which we enjoyed. We did not do any tours as the exchange rate was: $13cub for $20 CAD. It made things quite expensive for us.
Other Comments:
I have checked out the cost for one week vacation package for this resort at the end of January and it was $920 plus $200 tax. Do not waste your money. This is not a four star resort. Try Doradas instead (I am not sure of spelling). It is located next to Brisas and I have heard was very nice for the same price. Good luck to the reader and enjoy you vacation. P.S. I have read the review for Brisas on this website after I have booked my vacation and it was late for me to change anything.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Connie ~ Alberta, Canada |
December 2008
Arrival: December 2008
Arrived at app 4:30 pm and got through the airport quickly and onto our bus. Drinks on the bus are not part of your all inclusive.
Rooms:
Our room was ready for us on our arrival, nothing fancy but it was clean and comfortable. We had a wonderful maid, Lily. Our towels were wonderfully sculpted into various things every morning on our return and the room cleaned.
Restaurants and Bars:
We heard some others complain about the food(this compelled me to leave a comment). We found the food to be great. With all the variety at the buffet there was always something you could find to eat. We had an omelette every morning done to our liking right in front of us. Make sure to have their breads and ice cream(far better than ours). We sat at the same table most every meal and developed a wonderful reporte with our server. Fresh squeezed juice at breakfast. With the 3 recent hurricanes fresh produce was hard to come by but our last two days it was starting to come in. The fruit is delicious. There were 3 al-a-cartes(book them as soon as you get there)they were good and service excellant. Sometimes though we wished we had been at the buffet, we found we missed out on rabbit and duck. If you are into drinks there are no shortage of bars and variety served, we liked the spanish coffee. The piano bar upstairs was a nice get away.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is beautiful, plenty of lounge chairs and shade. The pools were cleaned every morning and again plenty of chairs. The grounds are kept up nicely and are quite extensive.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We planned quite a few tours but did go to three evening shows. The magic show was really good, the ballet/dance was ok and the "pull people from the audience" turned out to be filthy and disgusting. There were dance lessons by the pool and music after supper in the lobby.
Other Comments:
This is a four star resort but the staff and management go above and beyond to make your stay enjoyable. We enjoyed talking with the staff, we found if you opened yourself to them they were great to talk to and tell you about their lives and their country. We met so many great people from Canada and other countries. We would like to go to Cuba again and would again stay at the Brisas del Caribe. I think though we would stay longer(2 weeks). There was so much we didn't get to see(ran out of time) and would also like to relax more and enjoy the resort and people. Four star but they get a five for effort from us.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Don |
November 2008
My wife and I just returned from Oasis Brisas del Caribe in Varadero.We found the old section of the resort to be a little worn but they appear to be working on it . They do have a new section that is very nice with its own pool and lounge area.The food at this resort would rate as a 3 star because of the lack of variety but we have never gone to Cuba for the food so it didn't spoil our vacation. The beach , lush gardens and the exceptional staff throughout the resort more than make up for any shortfall at this resort.One very nice thing about the pool and beach areas is you never have a problem finding shade or a lounge, you never have to worry about getting out early for a spot This resort has live music every evening at dinner and after dinner on the terrace as well as a piano bar and very entertaining nightly shows.Allthough we did not go to any of the al la cartes they do have three and talking to some of the guests some found them good and some didn't.They do have 8 bars and a 24 hour restaurant and we found the service at the bars to be very good.For us we went to Cuba for the sunshine the beach and some sailing and we had a very good holiday and would not hesitate returning to this resort
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Salimah |
August 2008
I went to Varadero, Cuba in June 2006 and stayed at Brises El Carib
resort. We paid each Canadian $800 something plus tax.
Service - the female staff had a lot of attitude and did not like us at
all. The male staff were just ok. Our rooms were cleaned very basic and
smelled of vinegar. I don't think they provided fresh sheets every day.
Wash room was clean enough.
Resort - was basic. It appeared they did not spray and there were a lot
of mosquitos.
Weather - it was very humid and uncomfortable in June.
Food - the buffet was ok. There was a lot of rice, chicken and tropical
fruits. Drinks were good. However, there were a lot of flies sitting on
the food and some birds flying in and out of the cafe.
Activities - tennis court was ok, pool table was in bad shape. Water
aerobics was fun. Beach was gorgeous. Trip to Havana was ok, there's
not much to see there. Nightly entertainment was childish.
The day we arrived we wanted to go back home. We tried to but there is
only a once a week flight back to Toronto.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Ian and Pearl |
July 2008
My husband and I visited the Oasis Brisas del Caribe for the 4th time the week of March 25th 2008. We arrived at the resort around 11 a.m. We were allocated a room and informed that is would be two hours before we could get into it. In fact it was closer to four. In the meantime we checked our luggage into the safe room that they have behind the desk and headed out to visit with our friends at the resort. Angelo was busy cleaning the pools as always and both Elan and Jane were happy to see us in the buffet dinning room. We visited the beach, had lunch and headed back to the desk to get our luggage. We were escorted to our room around 2.45. We would have liked this time to have been shorter; as we were getting pretty hot and sticky by this time as we were still in our traveling clothes. Our room was on the 3rd floor of the main building and had a recently renovated bathroom. The shower worked well and the water was always hot. We were very happy with it.
We had a problem with not enough towels in our bathroom and no pool towels at the towel shack on the way to the beach. Both these issues were reported and within twenty four hours were resolved and did not reoccur during the rest of our stay.
We found the resort to be in better condition since our last visit in November 2006. Lots of painting has been done around the resort and the grounds, although always in good shape, appeared more lush this time. The pools were immaculate and kept that way during our week by the staff continually picking up stray plastic cups that get blown around when breezy.
We visited all three al carte restaurants during the week and found the food to be very good with plenty to choose from on the menus. The wine and Spanish coffees were particularly good.
The main buffet dinning room has good quality food with plenty of variety. The breakfast omelets, breads, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as the desserts were our favorites. Mind you, the toaster has not improved since our last visit; you still have to put the bread through twice to get decent toast. We encountered a few lineups but only ate dinner there twice actually.
The many bars located around the resort were generally well stocked and we seldom encountered line ups at them, and although we did not request delivery of drinks we did see bartenders delivering drinks and food to tables and loungers at the South pool.
We managed to attend four of the evening shows and they were entertaining, funny and crowd pleasers and were generally well attended.
We did not participate in any of the poolside activities but they seemed to be quite popular, the animation team worked very hard to get everyone involved.
The beach at Brisas is wonderful, but it was a little windy our first two days with the red flag flying. We took advantage of the included catamaran rides offered on the beach on the calmer days, they hold 5 or 6 people plus an operator, and are a must if you visit Brisas.
There were always lounge chairs available around the pools and also on the beach even although the hotel was at full capacity, with 930 guests. Pool staff could be seen often hosing them down before returning them there assigned places every evening.
We were invited, as return guests, to a champagne reception in the lobby on Thursday night and then to a special dinner at the beach restaurant on the Friday night. The meal and service at this event was truly first class.
We took advantage of a special offer to take an overnight trip to Havana at no charge. This was a very worth while adventure with two bus loads of people going; we stayed at the Panorama Hotel in Havana and had a guided tour of old Havana with lunch on the second day. Upon returning to Brisas we were allocated a different room. This one was also on the third floor but did not have a renovated bathroom. The showerhead was pretty bad but at least the water was still hot.
We made use of the double decker tour bus to go to Varadero. We find taking the bus as it heads out the peninsula works best as you can be surer of getting a seat, mind you it was pretty loaded down and they did not turn anyone away the day we used it. It costs five convertible pesos each and you can get on and off all day as often as you like. We visited a park in Varadero this time; it is located around 54th street and has some animals and a good quality restaurant in it. They have a small road train that you can get a ride around the park in for one peso, the driver of the train rings the bell and throws food for the parks resident birds to come and eat, it was pretty impressive, especially for young children.
You can get internet access in the lobby. You buy a card at the desk for five peso’s and this gives you thirty minutes access. This can be a little difficult as it is well used and only one computer is currently working.
Finally I would like to mention the public relations team. Estela and Romilio, they have a desk in the lobby and Romilio did an excellent job of taking care of any questions or concerns we had.
If you do decide to visit Brisas, please say hi to Alex and Yaiset in the Las Brisas restaurant from us. They are special people.
Over all we had a very good experience and will continue to recommend Oasis Brisas del Caribe and look forward to visiting our friends on staff once again.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Donna |
June 2008
We just returned from Cuba and I thought I would write a review in the hopes that it will help someone else when they make their travel plans.
First off, we arrived in Cuba and made it through customs in no time at all. Once we arrived at the hotel we checked in and were brought to our room right away. Our room was in Block "D" The room was nice. It was clean, fairly spacious and most importantly cool. We had a mini fridge in the room. (not all the rooms have this)
The beach is beautiful. The white sand and the turquoise water is fabulous. The pools are not too deep so they are fairly warm, still refreshing nonetheless.
The buffet has a nice choice of food as well as some Cuban dishes. You must have a freshly made omelet at breakfast...so good. There is always fresh bread for toast and other items on the buffet. (you have to put it through the toaster a couple of times)
One night they served turkey another night roast beef then pork and there is always fish to eat as well. If you are a picky eater there is always chicken, potatoes, rice and veggies on the buffet too. We happen to like our food a little spicier so after a couple of days we asked on of the wait staff if they had some hot sauce so we enjoyed the rest of our dinners with a bit of Tabasco added to them.The salad bar has many nice items to compliment your meal. The desserts are nice also. Nice fresh pastries and the ice cream is delicious.
The "Taino" snack bar is a good spot to grab a quick bite. The pizza there is quite good too.
We ate at 2 of the 3 a la carte restaurants. One night Italian and the other night Mexican. DELICIOUS!!!
Renting a moped for 24 pesos for a day (you can rent them for a couple of hours at a time too) is great because we toured all around the town of Varadero. There are little shops and markets if you wish to buy anything.
As well, we rented a car and drove to Havana one day. That was great. We walked around for a bit and then decided to take a horse and buggy ride for 20 pesos for an hour. That was awesome. Our driver spoke English so well that there was no communication barrier at all. (he learned English by watching Sean Connery movies) We had so many questions and he was kind enough to answer all of them for us. We learned quite a lot on that ride.
All in all it was great trip. After all, the trip is what you make of it. The way I see it is that even if everything is not up to what you would expect a 4star hotel to be.....who cares. You are on a holiday where there is someone making your breakfast, lunch and dinner for you. They make you bed and clean your room when you are not there. When you want something to drink there is someone to serve it to you. And....they are really great people doing all of this for you.
After talking to some of the employees there and getting to know about their families (we had brought a bunch of kids toys and school supplies as well as some stuff for adults too) Throughout the week we ended up giving it all away to them. They appreciate this gesture so much and it feels good to do something nice for someone who is working so hard to make your holiday a good one.
All is all.....great vacation. The one thing I did not like was the mosquitoes at sundown....crazy!!! Bring bug spray for sure. The sunsets are magnificent.
To sum it all up.....your vacation will be what you make of it. If you are looking for 5 star top of the line everything then maybe Cuba is not the place for you since they do not have fancy stores and riches that other resort spots are able to have. But.....if you want to relax....sit on a beautiful beach...hang by the pool.....enjoy the sunset...then this is the place for you.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Robert |
June 2008
Hola. We just returned from the Oasis Brisas del Caribe, Varadero. We went from Jan 26 – Feb 2, 2008. This was our 5th time going to this resort. But this time we went with family, for our daughters wedding. There were 9 of us in our group. This week was special and overwhelming so I will try to be unbiased.
The airport was smooth as always. We were bussed from the plane to the terminal. The only problem I had was with a DVD player that I had in my carry-on. I had to show them the DVD. They noted it on a piece on paper and wrote down my passport number. I could see about 20 DVD’s listed. That was it. Nothing was mentioned about the DVD player on my departure. The money exchange has changed since last year. You need to go to the departures side now to change your money. Things are changing all the time. It may change back again while I’m writing this.
Check in was fast. But, because we arrived so early we had to wait 3 to 4 hours for our room. We never got into our room until after 4:00 pm because the previous people paid extra to stay till 4:00 pm. We kept our luggage in our daughter’s room till then. We received the rooms we wanted in the south section. We were all right above the pool on the second floor. The rooms were 618, 620 & 628. Our daughter getting married had an upgrade to a suite, room 416. It had to be the nicest room on the whole resort. You could see pretty well everything from this room, even a partial view of the ocean. If you want to upgrade ask for this room. They also told us that because they had overbooked they were offering free overnights stays in Havana with tour guides. We couldn’t go because of the wedding. I wonder if other resorts are overbooked also.
The south section was relaxing as always. We always spend a lot of time here. It has pretty well everything you would need. The pools were clean and refreshing. There’s one deep one and one shallow one. The hot tub has not worked on the south side in 2 years. Hopefully this will change with the new Oasis management. The 24 hour restaurant always has people in it so it seems that the food is good there. Even so it is usually quieter then the north side. No loud music blaring. The pool guys, Miguel or Juan Carlos, in this area also serve you. They will bring you food and drinks so you do not have to get up.
Our rooms in the south section were spacious. They have mini fridges. The air conditioning worked great and we had no hot water for the first day. Twice during the week we had to go get our cards redone to get into our room. I wonder if this happened after minor power outages. None of which I noticed.
The north section seems to always have something happening. A little more excitement and a lot more people here. There always seem to be enough lounges to go around. It has a bar but you have to get out of the water for a drink. The hot tubs work in this area. They are always full. It is also close to everything.
The beach is great. There was always a lounge chair. They have built more cabanas also. We were red flagged the first day. The next day was yellow flagged and there were huge waves. What a fun time. The beach goes on forever and is the reason a lot of people go to Varadero.
The food at the buffet has not changed much since I started going here. Again, I hope that the Oasis management makes some changes. I’m not a fussy eater so I had no problem. From reading other reviews of other resorts I have found that the food is the biggest complaint among travelers to Cuba. There was enough selection that you could always find something to eat. The ala carte restaurants were a nice change to eat in. They always made for a relaxing dinner atmosphere. Several in our group ordered 2 dinners and received them. I don’t know if they do this regularly or not but all you can do is ask.
The wedding was really nice. Our daughter and son-in-law had the perfect day for a wedding. It was held in the gazebo in the gardens. Estela the wedding coordinator is a really nice lady to work with. All the paperwork was done thru e-mail. It was real easy. The biggest surprise came when I went to pay the notary the $100.00 pesos. The rules had changed since we had made our plans and the fee is now waived. So basically to get married at the Brisas cost nothing extra. The room upgrade, the flowers for the groom & bride, the champagne, the cake, 12 free photos, the marriage license, breakfast in bed the next day. These were some of the extras just for getting married there.
The staff I found was courteous as usual. From the gardeners to the bartenders to the pool guys to the front desk. They all know their jobs and I find that they work hard at them. We know most of them and they remember us. I even made a couple more amigos in Pelly & William. That is what I enjoy. And besides if I’m going to retire here I might as well know some people.
The Brisas is an older place that could use some new furnishings and some updating. But it is kept clean. They have everything you need there. If you want a newer resort do not go here. There are plenty of newer & nicer resorts farther down the road. If you are looking for a resort that has a lot to offer for the money try the Oasis Brisas del Caribe.
We have met many people that we met last year. The difference is they are staying for 3 weeks. The Brisas has many repeaters, including us, so can it really be that bad. I hope I have been unbiased and this helps.
Final thoughts. They do have 8 bars. 1 at the 24 hour restaurant, 2 in the lobby plus the piano bar upstairs (no children), the pool bar and the beach bar, 1 only for nightly shows and 1 in the disco. The weather was perfect. It rained for 15 minutes one morning and that was it for bad weather. If any young people (or older people) want to get married, do it in Cuba. You will always remember it. Rent a car. I took my rental car into Matanzas, and Cardenas a few times and also down to Santa Clara to see the Che memorial. They were all adventures.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Bev |
June 2008
The people....amazing.
The ocean....magnificent.
Care of the environment....disgraceful.
My accomodations....o.k.
The food....unexciting.
The people....amazing.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Lois ~ Ontario, Canada |
May 2008
Rooms
The rooms were just okay. We had two double beds and they were as hard as rock and you could feel the springs. One small pillow on each bed. About 3 days into our stay, our key wouldn't work for our room, so we had to walk back to the lobby to get them to redo our key. The next day the key wouldn't work.....again, so we walked back, again to get it redone.
Restaurants
We didn't try any of the a la carte restaurants, but we had gone down with a group for a wedding and we had heard complaints as far as the food was concerned.
The main buffet restaurant was NOT a four star restaurant. We have gone to other place in Cuba that were rated as 3 and a half that were better than this one. I am not a picky eater and I know what to expect, but this was even lower than my standard.
Bars
We are not for drinking, but when I ordered a Bahama Mama, all I got was a slushy type drink with alcohol in it.
Beach and Pools
You can't go wrong with the beach. The sand was gorgeous and the water was nice. Pools were clean.
Grounds
Grounds were well kept. The thing about this resort is that it has two main grounds, north and south. If you don't stay in the hotel itself, you do a lot of walking to and from the hotel and through the hotel to the beach and downstairs to the buffet.
Departure and Check Out
We had no problem with check in or check out.
Conclusion
I would not deem this place as a four star.
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Shauna |
April 2008
Before you visit Cuba, decide what it is you want from your vacation. Is it luxury? Is it great food? Is it fantastic scenery? Is it modern creature comforts? If you answer a resounding YES to each of these, then sadly Cuba is not for you.
Myself, my husband and our 9 year old daughter just came back from Cuba and will most definitely be going back next year. We are seasoned travelers and even though we expected conditions that would not be up to Canadian standards, we were still surprised by the poverty. The Island is not beautiful but the people and the beaches are. We made amazing friends with the locals and have been invited back to their homes when we go back next April. This is what we wanted from our vacation, to be absorbed into the culture and be a part of the people, not be tourists and just view them from afar.
What you should know……
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Kids are absolutely adored and loved there. My daughter was treated like a princess and she received so many hugs and kisses and free gifts that she never wanted to leave. We would not have been able to see the Cuban people and how truly special they are without our daughter. She opened doors that adults cannot do.
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Bring lots of gifts for the people. They work hard and only make 50.00 Canadian a month and must rely on rations from the government. Suggestions would be hair elastics, pantyhose, nailpolish, pencil crayons, crayons, comic books, lighters, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, tooth paste, music discs, colouring books, children’s stickers, anything baseball. Go to the dollar store and go crazy. They truly appreciate it. In the end we left money for the people that we had direct contact with and they were brought to tears by our generosity. We are by no means rich, but compared to them we are!
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Treat the people with respect and they in turn will respect you. Yes there are always crabby people, but you will find them in any country. The front desk staff are miserable, but my philosophy was I was not going to be like them so I always was pleasant to them.
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Expect lots of nudity on the beach and in the local artwork.
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Habana was interesting but Varadero was better.
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Cuba is NOT cheap. Expect to dole out a lot of tips and money for trips from the hotel.
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The hotel is somewhat dirty and needs renovation badly. The rooms are in really rough shape. If you are over 35 stay on the south side of the resort. The bathrooms are brutal and out of 7 days we got hot water once.
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The food is different, so be cautious when eating and drinking. Use common sense and eat only things that are familiar. There was a huge variety but mostly seafood. And when eating at the buffet remember that the staff do not get to purchase the foods available to the tourists or cannot afford it. So when you stack up your plate with a tonne of food make sure you eat it! If there was one think that irked us the most it was the tourists who took for granted the amount of food there was and would leave mounds of it on their plates for the garbage.
Well there you have it. We loved our trip and will go back. We are middle class folk that travel a lot mostly camping and back packing but I do love my creature comforts and so when I go to countries that are poor I leave my Canadian comforts behind and accept what is. If you can do that you will have a great time. Also remember this is a Communist country, so don’t brag or impart your doctrines or philosophies on the Cuban people. They accept because they have to. Look at the big picture. Communism to you and I may seem foreign and cruel but in many ways it has it’s good points. Everyone, has a job and everyone gets fed, education is highly prized and is free as well as all medical care and elderly people are cared for by families. So have fun if you go!
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| Oasis Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Pearl and Ian
|
April 2008
My husband and I visited the Oasis Brisas del Caribe for the 4th time the week of March 25th 2008. We arrived at the resort around 11 a.m. We were allocated a room and informed that is would be two hours before we could get into it. In fact it was closer to four. In the meantime we checked our luggage into the safe room that they have behind the desk and headed out to visit with our friends at the resort. Angelo was busy cleaning the pools as always and both Elan and Jane were happy to see us in the buffet dinning room. We visited the beach, had lunch and headed back to the desk to get our luggage. We were escorted to our room around 2.45. We would have liked this time to have been shorter; as we were getting pretty hot and sticky by this time as we were still in our traveling clothes. Our room was on the 3rd floor of the main building and had a recently renovated bathroom. The shower worked well and the water was always hot. We were very happy with it.
We had a problem with not enough towels in our bathroom and no pool towels at the towel shack on the way to the beach. Both these issues were reported and within twenty four hours were resolved and did not reoccur during the rest of our stay.
We found the resort to be in better condition since our last visit in November 2006. Lots of painting has been done around the resort and the grounds, although always in good shape, appeared more lush this time. The pools were immaculate and kept that way during our week by the staff continually picking up stray plastic cups that get blown around when breezy.
We visited all three al carte restaurants during the week and found the food to be very good with plenty to choose from on the menus. The wine and Spanish coffees were particularly good.
The main buffet dinning room has good quality food with plenty of variety. The breakfast omelets, breads, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as the desserts were our favorites. Mind you, the toaster has not improved since our last visit; you still have to put the bread through twice to get decent toast. We encountered a few lineups but only ate dinner there twice actually.
The many bars located around the resort were generally well stocked and we seldom encountered line ups at them, and although we did not request delivery of drinks we did see bartenders delivering drinks and food to tables and loungers at the South pool.
We managed to attend four of the evening shows and they were entertaining, funny and crowd pleasers and were generally well attended.
We did not participate in any of the poolside activities but they seemed to be quite popular, the animation team worked very hard to get everyone involved.
The beach at Brisas is wonderful, but it was a little windy our first two days with the red flag flying. We took advantage of the included catamaran rides offered on the beach on the calmer days, they hold 5 or 6 people plus an operator, and are a must if you visit Brisas.
There were always lounge chairs available around the pools and also on the beach even although the hotel was at full capacity, with 930 guests. Pool staff could be seen often hosing them down before returning them there assigned places every evening.
We were invited, as return guests, to a champagne reception in the lobby on Thursday night and then to a special dinner at the beach restaurant on the Friday night. The meal and service at this event was truly first class.
We took advantage of a special offer to take an overnight trip to Havana at no charge. This was a very worth while adventure with two bus loads of people going; we stayed at the Panorama Hotel in Havana and had a guided tour of old Havana with lunch on the second day. Upon returning to Brisas we were allocated a different room. This one was also on the third floor but did not have a renovated bathroom. The showerhead was pretty bad but at least the water was still hot.
We made use of the double decker tour bus to go to Varadero. We find taking the bus as it heads out the peninsula works best as you can be surer of getting a seat, mind you it was pretty loaded down and they did not turn anyone away the day we used it. It costs five convertible pesos each and you can get on and off all day as often as you like. We visited a park in Varadero this time; it is located around 54th street and has some animals and a good quality restaurant in it. They have a small road train that you can get a ride around the park in for one peso, the driver of the train rings the bell and throws food for the parks resident birds to come and eat, it was pretty impressive, especially for young children.
You can get internet access in the lobby. You buy a card at the desk for five peso’s and this gives you thirty minutes access. This can be a little difficult as it is well used and only one computer is currently working.
Finally I would like to mention the public relations team. Estela and Romilio, they have a desk in the lobby and Romilio did an excellent job of taking care of any questions or concerns we had.
If you do decide to visit Brisas, please say hi to Alex and Yaiset in the Las Brisas restaurant from us. They are special people.
Over all we had a very good experience and will continue to recommend Oasis Brisas del Caribe and look forward to visiting our friends on staff once again.
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Bob ~ Winnipeg, Manitoba |
April 2008
My wife and I visited this resort February 8, 2008. This was our first trip to an all inclusive. Our flight arrived at 01:30 am which we were a little skeptical about but everything worked out well. No problems at customs and the bus was waiting outside the airport to take us to the hotel. After dropping several people off at different hotels we arrived at the Brisas del Caribe at 02:30 and were checked in promptly.
The room was clean but the bed left a lot to be desired. This proved out to be a minor problem as we were so tired every evening we got to sleep with no problems. The location was ideal as we were on the third floor at the back of the hotel and woke up to the resident rooster every morning and we had the sun on our balcony most of the day.
After getting our luggage unpacked we went to the Tainos bar, which is a 24hr bar, and enjoyed a pizza and beer. We frequented this place often as it was a good place for a snack and had a good atmosphere. The following morning we met with our Sun Wing tour rep Mabel who was very informative.
We were told the food was bland in Cuba but we found the buffet excellent. The beef dishes were not that great but seafood and pork dishes were great. We never went hungry. The service was very good in the buffet once you find a good waiter or waitress and tip the service gets even better. Be sure to get in the omelette line in the morning it is well worth it, be sure to tip the chef and he will remember the next day and supply you with a bigger omelette. The only negative in the buffet was the coffee was not very good. Found the best coffee in the Tainos snack bar.
Be sure to book your a la carte restaurant times as soon as possible as they fill up quickly. We never made it to the Caleta grill but the Fantasia was excellent and the Brisas was okay. Servings were a little small if you are a big eater.
The bars were good with the best service on the beach, once you tip they keep coming back. One negative was we were unable to get a mojito the whole week as they had no mint. The beach was excellent, white sand and very well kept. It was a little windy at times so we spent a lot of time at the pool area.The pool area was very good also with excellent entertainment and activities. The entertainment team does a great job. The pool bar service was a little poor as they seemed to serve out of turn and I ended up waiting for service. To save on trips to the bar bring a large travel mug and get them to fill it up. The lounge in the lobby seemed to have the poorest service and the unhappiest servers.
The evening entertainment was fairly good but I found it a little repetative. I suggest going every second night.
We took three trips away from the resort. The first was a bus tour to Havana which was very good with a great tour guide. If you enjoy architecture and history you will enjoy. It was strange to see the different styles of transportation. We felt a little rushed on the tour and would have liked to see more of Havana. The market was very crowded and we felt pressured to buy. The second was the catamaran trip. This was excellent. Although the weather was a little iffy as it was overcast it turned out to be the highlight of the trip. We started out at 9 am and went to a dolphin compound and got to swim with one and if you wished you could get a picture with one for 10 pesos. Then we headed out to a reef to do some snorkeling. This as la little dissapointing as we did not see many fish. Then to an island with beautiful white sand for lobster dinner which was excellent. The staff on the boat were great and we really enjoyed it. Our third venture was a little shorter. We took the double decker bus into Varadero to see the market. The cost for the bus was 10 pesos and you could get on it all day. the market was a lot roomier and we found there was less pressure to buy. A great selection of restaurants to choose from if you get tired of the buffet.
The rooms were cleaned promptly every morning and we always left something for the maids. We mostly left soaps, panty hose, small toys and various dollar store items. And we were rewarded when we returned to the room with the towels formed into different shapes each time.
Although I have nothing to compare it to I would recommend this resort as it was affordable, good food and service. We would definitely come back.
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Bill & Jo ~ Vancouver, B.C. Canada |
March 2008
Arrival -
as usual we picked the slow line to go through customs.some old geezer was arguing with the agent. thats the only problem, the ride to the hotel and getting our room went smooth. nice average place. i didn't like the open smoking , but what the hell it's cuba, nice old 50s cars everywhere
Rooms -
nice clean room, bathroom adequate--toilet bidet tubshower shower fixture little wonky, no big deal lots tissue, after giving gifts the towels were abundant---no face cloths anywhere. hair dryer wonky but repaired right away. 220 volts--we brought adapter, fridge worked well but was not stocked
Restaurants -
3 alacarts-la caleta--didn't like. las brisas- good food friendly nice piano dinner music. fantasia better food friendly very nice. buffet was good, lots of food servers helped all the time, friendly ICE CREAM IS TO DIE FOR good bread also decent dinners and cold cuts a good variety. the ways of cooking and cheeses are a little different. Damary our server treated us like royalty. I'd walk in she'd come up----how are you Beely,Jo, you want coffee, juice what ever we needed. it was always nice. she makes $11 a month!
Bars -
the Tiano snack bar was our usual hangout. the burgers are small but good with fries. the beer is very good, my wife liked the rum. our waiters were good, especially after i tipped them and gave them a canadian hat. Jose Alberto and Miquel were very nice, we wanted for nothing and the other Damary the waitress( a real work horse, never stopping always working)kept us happy.
Beach and Pools -
the beach was beautiful, lots of room, plenty of loungers lots of cover (yallapas i think there called). we don't do pools! but lots of room loungers lots of bathers everywhere
Grounds -
beautiful plants ,flowers cacti palms etc.nice pond full of koi, good walkways, some could use a bit more light at night but you might have a pleasant stroll. in the sun the small skinks and lizards would scurry as you walk by. the back areas were not maintained or cleaned up, some debris left around the whole time we were there, mostly off the beaten path.
Activities -
we don't do activities---we eat ,go to the beach, drink some beer, walk and do some more.
Tours -
day bus tour to havana.------fabulous architecture, literally everywhere. the graveyard was spectacular. havana must have been great in it's day but is slowly deteriorating.the costumed women trying to kiss me and have me take thier picture pissed me off, a cab driver ripped me off for my ride saying for $4PESOS he would drive me to the Partagas cigar factory and bring me back. well he dropped me off and left. live and learn! the people at the market wanting everything they could see and continual bugging and reaching at you. i did not feel safe for my possessions. another family with a handicapped daughter was surrounded by young people and were almost accosted before getting on the bus. the came right after the handicapped girl and yelled and screamed at her. havana is safe-MY ASSE. I doubt i would ever go back to havana!
Conclusion -
I DON'T THINK HAVANA IS SAFE FOR THE WEAK OR HANDICAPPED. I WOULD GOT BACK TO VARADERO IN A MINUTE lots of old cars, nice to see. we had a ride in a cab one day a 56 ford hardtop, nice. those coco cabs go like hell. we took it from varadero to get back to our hotel after being caught in a deluge. that rain came down in buckets. vancouver can't hold a candle to there rain. just one day of rain
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Angela ~ Kingston, Ontario |
March 2008
My husband, our 6-year-old daughter and I arrived at Varadero just before 7:00 p.m. on February 14, 2008. This was our first visit to Cuba, but doubt it will be our last! With little wait or worry, we were through customs, and able to retrieve our luggage without problem. Outside the airport doors, our Sunwing rep was easily visible and led us to the bus we would be taking to the resort. After several minutes, after searching as one person's luggage didn’t arrive, we set off. The buses were surprising comfortable and well air-conditioned. Our “guide” described some of the sights on the way, though hard to see, as night had fallen. The drive was close to 30 minutes long.
Check in
Upon arriving, we were one of the last to get in line for check-in. While hubby waited in line, I changed some money at the cadeca. ($100 CDN= $85 CUC). We were taken care of in a reasonable amount of time and told that they had given us a family room. It sounded good to me, as I had requested a king size bed and a cot for our daughter. I had been worried; since our choices were either a king size bed or 2 twin beds, neither of which would have been suitable. I also asked about the possibility of a 2nd key, and they asked that I return in the morning and they would help us out. Once finished at the front desk, a porter was immediately available to take us to our room, far on the south side, in the golf cart. Thank goodness! He ended up being quite informative, pointing out the 24 hour snack bar near our room (that several others knew nothing about even after a couple of days) and telling us that the buffet was open later than usual that evening for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. Hot and in need of some stretching, I inquired about the pool hours. He told us that if we were not noisy, no one would bother us if we wanted to swim after hours, especially a small family like us. He was very helpful when we arrived to our room, as it appeared that the breaker had been switched off. He made sure we were comfortable, and we tipped him generously (especially since I had forgotten to get ANY small bills from the cadeca!!!)
Our room
The family room (#548) consisted of three double beds, which was a nice surprise. We pushed two together, for a huge king-size, and our daughter got a roomy double all to herself. When housekeeping saw we had pushed the beds together on the first night, they made it up that way for the rest of the week. We had towel arrangements everyday, much to our daughter’s delight. The room was kept very clean, and except to move a couple of items on the floor to clean even more thoroughly, nothing was out of place, ever. The room had a fridge, and TV, a small table and two comfy chairs in the room, and 2 chairs and another small table out on our ground floor deck. There were lots of surfaces on which to place our luggage and a good size vanity for all our toiletries, etc. We did see some tiny ants in the bathroom on the first morning, but I brought ant traps and we spread them throughout immediately. Plenty of hot water all week. One night the air conditioner stopped being cold. It ran, but wasn’t cooling. Mentioned it to front desk the next morning, and it was repaired within 3 hours (that was how long we were out of the room, may have been repaired immediately.) No problems for the rest of the week.
Amenities close to our room
After checking out the room quickly, we switched into our suits and went for quick dip in the nearby pools. One pool was 1.05 metres deep and the other was 1.2 m, if memory serves me correctly. This suited us perfectly. If our daughter was in the pool without us, she went in the shallower of the two, and it was to her shoulders, otherwise she would swim with us in the deeper pool.
We decided to forgo the buffet for that night, and check out the 24-hour Taino snack bar. Great pizzas! Decent burgers, and hot dogs, sandwiches and fries are available. My hubby asked for the pork chops, but they said it would be a 45 min. wait at that hour. Nice of them to tell us, so we ordered burgers and pizza instead. The bar staff were friendly.
Not ready to turn in for the evening, we heard music as the entertainment had begun. We followed the sounds, disoriented in the unfamiliar resort without a map and in the dark, and wound up at the nearby Arenas Doradas! I approached their security, and he just laughed at the mistake, and invited us to go in and look around! Turns out that they were showing the same show as our resort on that night anyway, we later found out. It was decent, and we stayed until the end, left and went back to unpack and settle in for the night. We would have to save our own resort’s entertainment for another night!
The air conditioner (and lights, I think) works only when the key card is in place, (great for energy conservation) so we made sure it was placed in the wall unit, next to the door, for the night. The key card also works the safe, and is available at no extra charge. The second key we were able to obtain the next morning does not allow access to the safe. The air conditioner worked very well, and the beds were comfortable. Extra pillows and blankets were in the closet with the safe.
The buffet
I had heard a lot about the food in Cuba, and had very low expectations. We thought that was the best way to go into this! At breakfast, we usually got omelet’s (very nice), bread (delicious!) and fresh fruit (not as plentiful or varied as I had expected, but nice). The bacon was never crispy, the pancakes were a bit rubbery (but my daughter loved them), the French toast was dry and hard. There was always enough and no danger of going hungry. Nice croissants, and chocolate filled pastries, good cheese, and while cold, the OJ was generally a bit watered down, as the ice in it melted. Milk was rarely cold, according to our daughter. Coffee was very enjoyable according to hubby, and a tall travel mug of ice water, never an aftertaste of any kind, for me, usually hit the spot.
We went there once for lunch, but preferred to hit the snack bars usually. We had supper there maybe twice, once was fair, at best. The other time I found some really good chicken and rice and filled up, since most of the foods were usually mediocre at best. My daughter loved the pasta, but they tucked the cheese away, and you had to ask for it. The roasted meats were fair. Not as many fresh veggies available as I had expected, either.
The Caleta (?) Beach grill
This is the outdoor grill located within close proximity of the beach. Some days they have fish on the grill, some days its chicken, both were served with a good rice when we ate there. Chicken was good, never managed to try the fish. Also burgers, hot dogs and fries available until 6p.m. In the evenings, it serves as the Cuban-themed a la carte. We ate here or at the Taino (24 hour) usually for lunch.
The beach
What can I say, it is gorgeous! Turquoise water, pale sandy beaches, tons of loungers, and ample shady areas. The first day there we were quickly supplied with a 3rd lounger, without even asking. We paid a $45 CUC deposit at the front desk for our three towels ($15CUC each). That made me nervous, will probably bring my own next time. I was fine if they were fine by the pool, where I could keep a close eye. For that matter, they were fine on the beach, but like I said, I was nervous about someone snagging them, either on purpose or in error, while we were in the water. Of the few times I went back to exchange for clean towels, there were rarely any actually available!! On the last day I was finally able to get some fresh ones. We tried to change them again, before heading to the pool, and they had put up a sign saying that they were closing 2 hour earlier than usual. Good thing we stopped by, as we were planning on hanging onto them until just before we left the resort, and it would have been too late to get our deposit slip back! So I wouldn’t advise leaving it to the last minute, not sure what kind of hassle we would have had otherwise!
The water is magnificent, the beach sandy and clean. Ample loungers for all and the resort was filled to capacity that week. We also managed to find shade with little trouble. Most of the times you will see beach vendors that will park on the beach, but they are not at all pushy, simply waiting for people to come to them on their own. Prices were decent, but not as good as in the markets in Varadero. Not the same carts stayed for the whole time, and each cart had different stock.
The A la Carte restaurants
We tried all three, and really loved the Brisas. The cream of asparagus was lovely; the chicken cordon bleu was the best meal all week. They have different fruit available in the a la cartes, too.
The Caleta was okay, much like the chicken they served at the grill during the day, accompanied with traditional Cuban fare, beans with rice, and boiled roots. They had live music.
The Fantasia was fair, and the flambé fruit desert was awful. It consisted of a banana, a scoop of ice cream, and they lit some liquor on fire and poured it on top. Not at all, what I was expecting and the liquor was awful, (think diesel!). Looked pretty and that was it. That was the only desert I tried all week, other than some ice cream at the buffet one night.
The bars
The bars were unable to fix me a mohito all week. No mint, perhaps? Most bartenders were friendly and quick to serve us. I don’t drink much, but they were happy to get me water with lots of ice at anytime, even filling up my water bottles at the Taino was no problem. There was a great waiter around the pool at the south side, who would take your order as you lounged. I really like sour drinks, and they were impossible to find. One lady at the bar in the main building was really accommodating. I would ask her to make me something “pretty” every other evening, and she would whip up a drink I hadn’t tried yet, every time! She didn’t have a name tag, and I didn’t ask her name, as she was usually so busy! Lovely girl, always with a kind smile.
The nightly entertainment
After our confusion on the first night, we did manage to seek out our own entertainment on a couple of night. One evening in particular was amazing! The others we saw were good. The ones we didn’t see were enjoyed by people we spoke to later.
The kids club
Ha! What a joke. Never saw any sign of anyone there the first few times we checked it out. Finally, we hunted down someone, as our daughter was really interested. About 45 minutes late, a woman showed up, and seemed put out of place that we were there. We left her there, didn’t wander far away at all, came back within 30 minutes to see what was up, and she had sat her in front of some Spanish cartoons with some little nubs of crayons to color, while she chatted up some local guy. We got her out and never went back. She did enjoy the playground area a couple of times, and there is a little splash pool that she was too old for, but tried nonetheless.
Activities
There was bingo by the pool near the buffet, as well as limbo and dancing lessons. I did not partake, but people looked like they were enjoying themselves. I did not notice Spanish lessons, but I did not stay around that pool much.
Excursions off resort
This has little to do with the resort itself, but may be useful to know if you are going there.
We did 2 organized excursions through our Sunwing rep, the catamaran to Cayo Blanco(what a spot!!) for lunch, with some snorkeling and a swim with the dolphins. This was a great time, and our daughter’s ticket was free. Some spring breakers from another resort were on our boat, drinking the trip free. They were annoying, but relatively harmless, until we got to the dolphins. Once there, they refused to listen to the trainer, and annoyed the dolphin by tapping it in the face with a camera. The dolphin rapped the guy on the head 3 times with his snout, and was promptly brought under control by the trainer. I was worried that the drunken idiot might do something stupid, to put us all at risk, but he settled down after that. Aside from that, it was an unforgettable experience, and about $87 CUC per adult.
We also went to Havana for a day trip through our Sunwing rep, and we chose a Wednesday, so the big market would be open. It was closed when we got there, some big event going on in the church square. I would be surprised if our rep did not know this, and feel she booked us anyway. We enjoyed the comfortable, air-conditioned bus trip very much, thanks to our guide Lionel. Intelligent, funny and frank, he gave us so much info and so much to think about. The timings were rushed at the different sites. The cigar factory was a madhouse, jammed full of people in a hurry. Lunch included was great and fast. We scrambled to get some shopping done in a ½ hour near where the market was supposed to have been, and left. A long day, 8am-7:30pm and cost about $67CUC each, I think.
We made two trips to Varadero on our own. We were told there was a double decker bus to Varadero that could be caught at the highway in front of the resort. The first time we waited for 1.5 hours and just grabbed a regular bus to and from. The second time, we waited over an hour and an antique convertible cab offered us a ride into town for $4CUC, so we took it instead. Apparently, there is only one for the whole route, and the route can take hours. We did manage to catch one, by chance, on our way back to the resort the second time in. We dropped everything and ran! It was a lot of fun, but what was previously only a 10-15 minute ride took at least 1.5 hours, as everyone else is eager to catch the double decker, too, so it stops at absolutely every bus stop on its route. Cost for the bus was $5CUC pp (return) and the Varadero Beach Tour Company allows you to hop on and off as many times as you like for that price, just keep your ticket! Shopping at the markets in Varadero was great. When I discussed prices paid with other travelers, it sounded like they were better there than in Havana, at least for the items we purchased. Some examples are: 9 pieces of handmade jewelry for $5CUC, a straw hat for $3, personalized baseball bats for $7, leather baseballs for $2, dolls for $5, other handmade toys for less than $5, leather sandals for $10-15, paintings $30 or less (for large ones, and they take them off of the frame for you to roll up in you luggage. Some craftspeople will include the frame, and with a couple of nails at home, voila!)
On the Friday afternoon, only after booking our 2 excursions, for the following Monday and Wednesday, did we realize that the “daily” scuba lessons in the pool weren’t actually daily, but rather on every other weekday…you guessed it, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So we were a bit disappointed about that. We could have tried to change the dates, but they worked best for us other than that.
The grounds were well kept and lovely.
Our daughter met a few other children when there, most of whom were well behaved and polite. Staff loved her, too! Gardeners presented her with flowers, and she received many pats on the head and big smiles from others.
When packing up to go, I left behind some Ziploc bags full of different toiletries and feminine hygiene products, some spare pens, unused glow bracelets, some sneakers, etc. for our chambermaid. We left our unused bug spray with a gardener, our mugs with various bartenders, and some books I never got around to reading with a fellow traveler. I took a small hand size scale for weighing fish ($10 at Cdn Tire) and used it to distribute everything and weigh it all according to airline regulations. I mentioned it to some friends we had made, and they were happy to borrow it before the bus came to get us. I kept it in my daughter’s carry-on (it was the lightest) and was asked to open it after the x-rays. No problem when they saw it, realized it was a scale and sent us on our way.
The morning of our flight, we booked the VIP lounge at the airport with our Sunwing rep. At $20CUC per adult, it was well worth it. Our flight was delayed by 3 hours, and set to leave at 1:30 a.m. We certainly appreciated to comforts it offered. Very roomy, with lots of leather sofas to stretch out on, a cold plate upon entry, all drinks and snacks included. We were bumped to a VIP line for baggage check in, to pay our departure tax and to go through customs and x-rays. Very nice at the late hour, and well worth the money!
Overall, we had a great trip and would recommend this resort to friends and family. We would also consider returning ourselves, especially if we could find the same great deal! Go with the flow, relax and take it easy and you will be sure to enjoy it too!
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Donna ~ Vancouver, Canada |
December 2007
Arrival -
We were assigned the wrong room but that was not the fault of the hotel but the company with which we bought the package from. The mistake was quickly handled with no problems.
Rooms -
We stayed in the Gardenview room in the south part of the resort. No problems with AC or anything in the room. One king size and one single bed (there were three of us)
Restaurants -
Due to time of year (I'm assuming) two of the a la carte restaurants were closed for renovations. Fantasia restaurant was really good. I highly recommend the grilled shrimp in menier butter.
The buffet was not very good due to lack of spices etc. However, they have a pasta station and you can pick out what you want in your pasta dish. I highly recommend getting wine and garlic added to this meal and it turns out wonderfully. Even adding grilled chicken to this makes it even better.
Bars -
The Lobby Bar was good and so was the 24 hour snack bar. Once you buy your first bottle of water, you can have it refilled at any of the bars located on the resort grounds for free. The water is clean and filtered, however, I would not recommend getting your bottle filled at the grill restaurant.
Beach and Pools -
The beach was beautiful with the exception of guests being inconsiderate and throwing their garbage on the ground and not in a trash can.
The pool is not heated but after sitting on the beach or poolside on a lounger, it is very refreshing!
Grounds -
There are employees almost constantly improving the grounds. The grounds staff are very nice and always have a greeting for guests passing through the gardens. At different times throughout my vacation I was given flowers by different grounds staff.
Activities -
Every day there is spanish lessons, dancing lessons and poolside games. There is a separate area for children as well. Nightly shows include Latin (would not recommend this for children), Cuban, Magic, and synchronized swimming show. There is also a disco but very few people go to it. The disco area music is way too loud and not enough AC. Snorkeling gear, kayaks, wind surfing, katamaran and banana boat rides are available for free (30 minute time frame).
Tours -
There was an abundance of tours available from the resort but I found that the price for the same tours, to be offered for cheaper in the city of Varadero than at the resort
Conclusion -
Bring Imodium because a number of factors come into play including the heat, change of weather, food, water etc. Do not exchange your money at the resort, exchange it at the airport. Most websites are incorrect about the currency exchange rate. I found that the internet stated that it was .92 cents on the Cuban Convertible Peso and in actuality it was about .87 cents on the Cuban Convertible Peso (Canadian Dollar comparison).
Long Distance is at a minimum of $1.90 Cuban Convertible Pesos per minute. International calling cards are not valid. Internet is very limited and slow but only costs $5.00 Cuban Convertible Pesos for 30 minutes. Worth it if you really need to do internet banking or other things.
I highly recommend Brisas Del Caribe because the staff were wonderful and we had diffent designs of swans and bows (towels) on our bed every day. We had a wonderful time there and would go again!
Remember that Debit/ATM cards do not work in Cuba. Either cash, travellers checks or credit cards (Visa or Mastercard) are valid. Also, loonies and toonies are not accepted anywhere in Cuba either. Bring enough money for your entire trip in any of the above-mentioned forms that are accepted.
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Mary |
September 2007
I heard that a 4 star hotel is not very good one and since I could not afford a 5 star I took my chance and booked a 4 star. Brisas del Caribe is a beautiful resort. We took our 2 children and met some wonderful people from England. The only disappointment was that we tried to get room service 3 times and it just didn't happen. The maid was tipped and she still forgot to give us foot towels. I also hated people that went on vacation and felt that they can smoke anytime they want, one cigar after another and blow smoke into peoples faces, during the entertainment hour. They were very inconsiderate and rude. They know who they are and I hope they read this.
We had a great time. Our children had a blast. The gardens are breathtaking. It was very safe to go for walks at night time. No one bothers you. The Cuban people we met were the most wonderful people. We went to 3 restaurants a la carte: one Italian which was the worst. The food we were served was not Italian, it had no flavour. The pasta was over cooked and the white sauce smelled awful. The International was better and the Cuban was actually the best, except for the dessert. The beaches are beautiful. Evening entertainment was inappropriate for young children. I also found that the hotel was low on staff and that they should hire some people to try and keep the place clean. Nevertheless. We had lots of fun. I would definitely return to Cuba, but next time it has to be a 5 star hotel.
Love the people.
Tip the gardeners.........they work very hard in the hot sun and keep the grounds well manicured. They deserve to be tipped.
The maids should not be tipped very much. They make quite a bit of money. They always walk away with clothes that people leave behind and also are tipped daily from everyone. Tip the cook.........He slaves over a hot stove to keep you well fed.
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Ad |
June 2007
After reading several reviews on several sites I was leery about going to Brisas . Well I am now convinced that some people are just naturally miserable- I had no complaints and wonder where these people were staying?! Myself and my companions enjoyed ourselves immensely. We stayed in the newer buildings as advised by others and had a beautiful view every morning from our private balcony of the pool and palms. The grounds were gorgeous and the gardeners very friendly. In fact all of the staff was very friendly and went out of their way to help us. I was worried about the food and packed a bag full of food- unnecessary unless you have special dietary concerns. The only thing I would suggest of course is that you bring you own water.
Overall the food in the dining room was fine- I mean it wasn't gourmet but it was fine. Had no problem booking the ala carte because we did it right away as other posters advised. We booked into all three but only went to two (Fantasia and Brisas). Fantasia was excellent and they had a lovely three string group of musicians playing that took requests- the food and service was also good. Brisas was not so great however, I did not enjoy my meal although my companions did. Only warning is that in June the mosquitos were out of control! We bought OFF! with us but it did not stop those little monsters from biting the heck out of us. Apparently the rainy season is when the mosquitos start to come out in force. Bring DEEP WOODS OFF! if you are going during the rainy season.
The beach was beautiful and there were plenty of clean towels and beach chairs available. The evening entertainment was good however one night it was too risque for the kids in attendance. The entertainment staff mingled with the guests and kept us busy with fun activities throughout.
Try to take a trip to Havana- it was worthwhile to get out of the resort and see some more of the country. The only downside was that it was our guide's first tour so he could have done a better job of telling us more about the sights.
Overall, I recommend if you are going to Brisas you go with an open mind and a good attitude. Stay in the newer buildings although they are further from the beach, it is a 5 minute walk through some lovely gardens. Bring a mug because you can fill up with juice, drinks, etc. to take around with you and it comes in handy on the beach. Have a mojito from the hotel bar they are delivered with a smile by an Amy Winehouse look-a-like. It was a great vacation and Cuba is a beautiful country with beautiful people.
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Canuu |
June 2007
Well after much thought about our
VACATION Feb. 16 TO23 2007
I decided to write and try to tell you what can happen.
I have read a few of the other reviews,and I find that we all
Have very different ideas on good and bad.
The resort was nice to look at, we were booked more like in prison than a resort.Here is you key NEXT no direction nothing we asked 5 People for directions. And finally got the bellman that we tipped nicely for carring bags in. He informed us that we should get the golf cart to get us to our room. He went and got a driver and off we went,about a half mile later he pulls up to our room, oh no wrong building. Finally we get to the right room nice king size bed but as musty as you can imagine, oh well we are in Cuba open the curtains to the wonderful sight of a swamp and highway just out of reach how nice. I could go on and on about the service ,the staff, etc. But my main bone of contention is with Conquest. The only thing about Conquest I can say good is the poor rep he was a nice as could be,most things were adequate. But after finding out we had paid as much as $1000.00 per more than some people there and we got nothing NOTHING more that them same musty rooms same ignorance when being served. I would not go back there if they paid me to and after arriving home I sent a letter to conquest advising them of my dissatisfaction. I waited 2 weeks for a reply which when it came was dated one day after I e mailed them and was the trusty form letter not addressing anything I mentioned just that PRICING is up to the Resorts and the companies booking them it was a set rate and there was nothing they could do . Obviously my mention of the difference did not get to her eyes. Any way Conquest tours has one interest only CASH your needs and wants that you think you are paying for do not MATTER
I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT THE MORE I FEEL WE GOT RIPPED BY conquest and THE Brisas for $3500.00.
Enjoy CUBA BUT stay away from Conquest and Brisas Del Carib
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
The Bailiey's ~ Canada |
May 2007
My wife, 2 sons and I went to Cuba for March break, 2007. It was our 4th visit to Varadaro and our first time to Brisas del Caribe. It will definitely not be our last time. In fact, we all remarked that we will never stay anywhere else. The grounds were spectacular and huge and were maintained by friendly gardeners. They are split into two sets of buildings.
The older original complex is closest to the beach. It houses the main dining room which has both indoor & outdoor seating. The larger of the swimming pools is here, along w/ the kid's pool and hot tub. There is a bar by the pool, two right inside the building up the stairs in the main lobby and the beach bar is within 100'. It's a short stroll through a grove of palm trees to the beach. The beach itself is typical Varadaro - warm, fine sand, lots of shaded huts and nothing but beauitiful aqua colored water.
There are pedal boats and a free catamaran ride. Further from the beach is the north complex. This is a newer set of 2 storey buildings where most families stay. The 24 hour snackbar is here, along with it's own pool, one of the a la carte restaurants, and a nice big sitting area where a cigar can be enjoyed, out of the wind. We reserved for all 3 a la carte restaurants upon arrival w/ no problem and the food was great. If you are looking for North American cooking, which seems to be the case w/ a lot of the whiners who submit reviews, then go on a North American vacation. We have never had a problem w/ any of the food in Cuba. There is a great variety and you can always find something good. The staff at this resort were absolutely the best we have come across. Like all resorts, the secret is to get to know them right away and treat them as friends - not servants. It was funny to have them bring me a cold beer in a glass w/o me asking and then watch them deliver one in a small plastic cup to someone who "told" them to bring beer.
Do unto others... This resort is a bit far to walk into town, but it's only a 5 peso cab ride, or you can take the bus. We always like to go there to visit the open-air markets, buy my year's supply of cigars (got a box that I've been looking four years for this time!) and talk with the locals. For a nationality that has so much less than we do, there is a joy of life that make us look pretty pathetic. In short, this was a great place to stay for a family vacation. See you there!
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
John |
April 2007
My husband and I travelled to Cuba with our son and daughter in law and two grandchildren, aged 8 and 6. We all had a wonderful time. We had read the reviews about Brisas Del Caribe before we left so we were prepared for some inconveniences. We experienced very few. Our rooms were large and clean, the beds were comfortable, there was lots of hot water ( we showered twice a day) and the cleaning staff were very friendly. We were given clean towels every day. We did have tiny tiny little ants in our room but they never bit us or bothered us in any way. The gardens were spectacular and the gardeners very friendly. The beach was beautiful and well stocked with lounge chairs. The swimming pools were clean and appeared to be well maintained. The serving staff at our buffet dinners were exceptionally attentive and we never wanted for beer or wine or juice for the kids. We left our favorite ones a gift on our last day. The food was plentiful and well presented.. I got the impression that they were trying to present what they thought was American food but just kind of guessed at what it was like. You could tell an effort was being made and most of the food was ok. My family had no trouble finding a variety of food to eat although by the end of the week we were struggling with the menu. I lived on bread, fruit, cucumbers, hardboiled eggs and some potatoes and rice. The others said the meat was fine and the fish was good. The dining area was clean. Our Signature rep( Tania) was wonderful and we really appreciated her advice. We felt we really got good value for our money.
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Kim |
March 2007
BRISAS DEL CARIBE in Varadero Cuba & Catamaran tour “Cruisers del Sol”
Trip taken February 17 – 24, 2007
Travelers: 3 sisters go on a nightmare
Between my sister’s and I, we have vacationed at different resorts in Varadero Cuba intermittently over the last decade thus have a realistic idea what to expect regarding the service and food. Conquest Vacations Inc. has BRISAS DEL CARIBE in Varadero Cuba is listed as a 4 star. This classification should be changed to a zero star. The actual facilities were average, the rooms were musty, swollen, & water damaged although everything functioned properly in the hotel room. As well, anyone with a walking handicap would not find this resort appropriate. The major complaint of this letter is to inform you the service and food was absolutely disgusting. There is the bonus complaint about the excursion tour that had us snorkel in human feces.
NOT AVAILABLE - The a la carte restaurant – completely booked upon our arrival. I do not think the a la carte restaurants were even open the first part of the week. We were told right off – the a la carte was completely booked. Although Thursday before we left we noticed empty tables at the a la carte and when I inquired again on Friday morning, I was firmly told they were booked solid. You should not offer a la carte restaurants if they are NOT available.
NOT AVAILABLE – Imaging being told at a beach resort you are not able to get beach towel until Wednesday. We were told their washer was broken. We knew there was a $15.00 convertible peso fee per towel; however, this beach resort did not have any towels until the 5th day after we arrived.
ROOM CLEANING SERVICE – UNSATISFACTORY.
Our room was fine and we did have three single beds as per our request. Our Bed linens were changed only once the whole vacation– the Friday before we left. My sister had a dirt spot on her pillowcase she kept complaining about, so it was easy to evaluate when the linens were changed. As well, everyday, I had to find cleaning staff to obtain replacement bathroom towels for our room. No bathroom towels of any size were left in our room after they came in to clean the room. The three of us managed to create a ring of sand, sunblock, and soap scum in the bathtub by the end of our vacation because the bathtub was not cleaned once while on our vacation. There was no bottled water supplied in the rooms. The guests were expected to take a water pitcher from their room to the bar and have the pitcher filled with water for their rooms. Just so you know, we left a tip everyday for the maid, it did not matter, our room was barely tidied let alone cleaned.
NO SEATS - BUFFET DINING ROOM
Due to chilly weather Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the hotel guests [ourselves included] did not want to eat outdoors at the buffet. During the posted buffet mealtimes, there were not enough tables/seats in dining room so tourists had to wait in a line up outside the restaurant. Just so you know, there was space in the dining room with tables and chairs stacked on top of each other pushed against a wall that could have been set for meals. Guests had to be in the dining upon opening to ensure they were able to eat, as the dining room did not put out additional food after 9:00pm and they frequently closed early.
NO SUITABLE FOOD - INEDIBLE
The food at this resort was terrible for all the travelers staying at this resort.
The beach café – offered dry pre cooked hamburger patties or they deep-fried the wieners for your hotdog. There was a grill right there but it was never used.
The buffet dining room, once you got a seat – it was extremely difficult to find something not sitting in a vat of grease. The food was 85% absolutely inedible. Breakfast - Bacon was sitting in 3 inches of grease; scrambled eggs quarter cooked, even the omelet bar, the omelets were still runny inside. The other things around the buffet were unidentifiable. The only edible thing we could eat was hard boiled eggs and bread. The fruit juice was great. There was also no regular tea – they only provided green tea, chamomile, and mint tea. Absolutely no earl grey or orange pekoe – nothing for the real tea drinker. The lunch buffet was worse, over cooked pasta all dried out, dry fish or greasy hamburger with peppers mash, mashed potatoes, white yams, rice. Dinner was dreadful, the gourmet section, often I would wait in line for 30 minutes to receive a pork fat with a little wedge of pork. That was the alternative to over done pasta, and the vat of lard with browned hamburger meat or the chicken legs submerged in fat. I cannot count the amount of tourist that left the buffet table [myself included] with a plate of mash potatoes or rice with black beans. The bread bar was always very busy as that was fresh and one of the few things that could be eaten. The food was very poor. Not even close to a 2 star, let alone a 4 star – it was ridiculous!!! I have been to 3’s star in Cuba with better food and variety.
NO CUC’s - The CUC is a controlled currency which means travelers can’t exchange their money in Canada. Now this controllable Cuban peso is stronger than the US dollar.???!!! Give me a break! Just so you know, the CUC exchange is only available at the airport. Just to give you an idea of the real exchange - $520.00 Cdn dollars = $397.20 CUC. Please don’t get me started about how the ‘banko’ at the resort never had money to exchange for the tourists. The resort should not advertise a bank onsite when it never has money.
Conquest rep – he was good although because you cannot exchange your CDN dollars at the resort bank – your excursions get an extra service charge on your credit card statement plus the exchange rate CDN to CUC because they prefer cash! So the price is never what you expect to pay. All excursions are priced in CUC’s.
We booked an excursion through our Conquest Representative. – A Catamaran tour “Cruisers del Sol” on Friday February 23, 2007. We were elated to get away from the hideous food at the resort. The Catamaran tour we chose included snorkeling, stop at an island with lunch, and a swim with the dolphins.
We were issued flippers, PFD’s, masks and snorkels – which were washed in a soapy solution. Our tour group was instructed to exit the catamaran from the back and stay within two floating life preservers. It felt tight considering the amount of people in the stipulated area. My sisters and I were taking in the fantastic coral & tropical fish when a group of people in front of us started thrashing around and screamed there was “s**t” and “toilet paper” in the water. Then another group of snokelers stopped snorkeling, feet straight down, and ran in the water toward the catamaran with shouts of “stool floating in the water”. I swallowed a huge gulp of water from the snorkel’s top end when something floated by my face and I turned enough to be looking at a huge nugget of excrement! I was in a very large toilet – with toilet paper unraveling and breaking apart all around me. It was the opinion of some of the other snorkelers’ that someone from the catamaran flushed the toilets into the ocean as we were snorkeling on purpose. I am not sure if catamarans have a grey water/ black water tank system and if they do, this was done intentionally. It is common knowledge; you can get Hepatitis {A & B’s} from oral consumption of human feces, as it is full of bacteria. That does not come close to the ‘yuck’ factor and how incensed I am that such a thing could happen. This whole feces incident happened within one minute and will haunt me for the rest of my life
The mood back on the catamaran was chaos then everyone went silent. WE all felt violated by the excrement. We did the island thing, it was nice, the food was crap, but much better than anything we had all week at the resort. Just so you know, this tour cost about $100.00 per person Canadian. Plus the additional $10.00 per person to go into another tank and hold the dolphins fins to be pulled in a circle.
Horrendous food, bad cleaning service, and the floating feces ruined our whole trip. I plan to tell my experience to everyone I can think of so Conquest Vacations Inc., BRISAS DEL CARIBE, and the tour company are accountable for their lack of health and welfare of their travelers. It was suppose to be a vacation not a nightmare!
I think it is time to update your star listing and worry about the damage that has been done by this hotel and tour group.
Cuba used to be a fun inexpensive place for Canadians to vacation. In the last decade, Cuba resort’s food was fine, not gourmet, but satisfactory with enough variety to always be able to fine something suitable to eat. The rooms were clean, the ocean very beautiful and the excursions were interesting. That is not the case with this last vacation.
Cuba vacation’s dollar value is now comparable to other Islands factoring in the CUC but they cannot compare to the food or service that other island’s offer to travelers. If Conquest plans to sell Cuba vacation packages - considering the CUC is higher than the US dollar - Conquest needs to re-evaluate their star system. Absolutely nothing about this vacation was even close to four stars.
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| Brisas del Caribe - Varadero |
Denise ~ Canada |
March 2007
Can we ever trust Nolitours again! According to them this resort has a four star rating! It was an extremely poor excuse for a three - I would be inclined to give it a 2 1/2. Don't get me wrong, I fully realize that Cuban star ratings tend to be generous. However, this was ridiculous. No one could have a hot or even warm shower. Our patio door lock had broken off - it took over 36 hours to have it repaired. Despite repeated requests for a wooden stick or bar to secure, the room we had to put up with an unsecured room until it was finally fixed. The place was badly short staffed. Shortages of everything abounded - not enough tables in cafeteria, not enough servers, not enough patio chairs. And saving the best (actually the worst for last) the food was extremely poor. I know, we all say don't go to Cuba for the food. However, let me just describe it via my father-in-law who was in our group. He is the only person that I have ever known who compliments hospital meals. He'll talk in glowing terms about this hospital or that and the wonderful food that he had.
His opinion of the food at this resort - by and large it wasn't edible. He frequently had trouble finding acceptable food to eat!
My advice don't go to this resort unless you would be happy in a poorly kept two-star. It needs major renovation, more amenities, more staff, better quality of food and major re-landscaping oceanside. Only positive the grounds behind the main building are lovely and beautifully tended.
This is a Cubacan resort - which to me means it is Cuban owned and operated. We love the Cuban people, go there frequently and do a lot of humanitarian work for their benefit. We paid top dollar for this resort. Unfortunately, unless the powers that be pick up their socks dramatically they are hurting themselves because they will not get repeat guests. In the opinion of most of the people we spoke to while their, no one will go back there again.
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Last updated: June 02, 2009
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