Address - Avenida de los Hoteles, Cayo Coco, Ciego de Avila, Jardines del Rey
Location - Beach, Key
Distance to airport - 12 km
Reviews posted on this page - 9 review(s)
Description: The NH Krystal Lagoon Villas and Resorts, located in Cayo Coco, is a true ecological paradise with a variety of plants and animals, in front of the spectacular Coral Reef.
My sister and I have just gotten back from a week at the N.H. Krystal Lagoon, this is our second time here at this resort and can't wait to go back. From the Bartenders to the Gardeners to the entertaiment staff and the maids it was a wonderful stay, the only complaint that I would have is the bathrooms on the pool side had very limited of toilet paper and wern't very clean, but over the week it had gotten better, we had just gotten back so it is very slow this time of year so there was not much to choose from at the buffet, but always somthing to eat. Alexander the bartender at the main pool we meet our last stay there two years ago and soon as he saw us remenbered us right away he is a amazing guy, very friendly and prompt at trying to help with anything you need, there was always a drink in our hands. The garderners also great and friendly people, would do anything to assist you, weather it was to give you a coconut or make you something handmade they would do it tip or not they were just happy to give you something.the weather was amazing, very warm this time of year, alittle to warm, but the pool was there to cool of anytime you got hot, which was often. you had no problems to find a lawn bed due to low season, out of 690 room there might have been 200 guests, which was great for service if you wanted a drink or anything for that matter. Check in when we arrived was very slow due to low staff this time of year, it was a hour wait to check in, they served coctails while waiting in line which was very nice. The room were very clean and spacious, the maids kept it very clean and if you run out of something she will always go out of her way to try to assist you. There was 3 out of the 7 la carts open for service, the Steakhouse, seafood and Italian, you book them the next day apon arrival, from 9am to 5pm, they take ahour for luch.there is a bank on site and you can also get cash at the front desk but better to change at the bank, there is also a gift shop and hair salon open daily. During the day for luch you can visit the buffet resturant or snack bar which is located by the main pool, which serves from 10am in the morning sanwiches and fries and 12 noon pizza, chicken, pork, salads this is open until 5pm. the buffet resurant opens for supper at 630 and is open until 10. So if you are looking for a great place to visit for the price I would recommed this to you. If you are looking for a 5star resort this is not the place to go, but like I said this is cuba and for the price I would stay a month or longer if I had to, I hope my review was a help to you, CHEERS and have a great stay if you deside to make this your destination,I would call the people here my family and my home.
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I was pleased with the resort and I would gladly go there again. The resort is only 15 minutes away from the airport - which I found convenient.
The food was plentyful and varied.
Most of the staff were very friendly and helpful.
The pool and the beach were exactly what I was hoping they would be.
Your Arrival
Arrival and Check-in – the bus (greyhound type) was ready and waiting for us at the airport. It took about 15 minutes to get to the resort. There were no problems checking in. Our room was ready.
Rooms
Room – 1206 (if you can’t handle stairs make sure that you get a ground floor room) We stayed on the Laguna side of the resort. The room had sliding doors and a small patio outside. The room was clean. The sheets were not always clean. The maid left a large bottle of water in the fridge every day. We left gifts on the beds for the maid every day and she seemed pleased to look after us. The air conditioning worked fine.
We never had a problem with hot water in the shower, although the toilets didn’t always flush so we poured water from the garbage can and it helped the toilet to flush. We always had 2 rolls of toilet paper. The bathroom was clean and if you wanted new towels (because they didn’t dry from day to day) toss them on the floor or they won’t get changed.
Restaurants and Bars
Restaurants – the buffet had an assortment of foods available. My daughter has celiac and lactose intolerance and she even found food she could eat. Omelets, eggs, and French toast were made to order plus chicken, pork, and seafood grilled right in front of you. Good salad bar and fresh fruit. They also had hamburgers, hotdogs, and pizza. The staff was pleasant. We loved their cheese. Regardless of rumours, they do have ketchup and mustard.
If you eat at the restaurants on the water make sure you use bug spray – my daughter got bitten alive. The a la carte restaurants were okay, but nothing special, there were only three entrée choices at the Cuban El Gallo, VIP, and Seafood El Malecon restaurants. Our reservation at the VIP restaurant was at 8:30 at night and it was pouring rain and there were no lights – we could hardly see where we were going.
Bars – the bar in the Laguna lobby had a better assortment of drinks available, the poolside bar on the Laguna side was okay. One of the poolside bar bartenders made rounds at the pool and brought us drinks. We took refillable water containers and the bar staff had no problem putting our drinks in them (much easier than carrying around plastic cups). Plus the bartender put lots of ice in them to keep the drink cold.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach and Pools – We were able to get a hut every time we went to the beach. There was a man who brought us beach chairs and cleaned them off for us. The sand was white and the water was very clear. There are huge rocks in the water in some places – they can be seen from the beach if the water is still. If there are waves it is harder to see the rocks and they are very rough if you catch your feet on them. We didn’t find a washroom near the beach so you had to go back to the resort which was a good walk.
The pool was clean and refreshing. Plenty of chairs for guests.
The towel hut was nearby.
Grounds – The resort is quite large so there is a lot of walking involved. The grounds were clean and well kept. There were usually grounds keeping staff hiding in the hedges to give you items made from the palm fronds. There was security on the grounds. The Emperador side seemed to be closed which was where the VIP restaurant was and there were no lights on at night.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Activities and Entertainment – The entertainment was very good. There was a fashion show by a local designer with great musical accompaniment. Two nights the entertainment was guest involved. The other nights were mostly Cuban music with entertainment and dancers with a ton of costume changes. If it was raining the show was held in the Disco. Every night they had a special show earlier for the kids called mini disco.
Other Comments
Bank – there was a small bank in the court of the lobby and if it was closed you could change your money at the front desk.
I was disappointed by the lack of information. We were given a map and told to attend the orientation the next morning (but we missed it as our clock was wrong). No clock in the room. We had a hard time trying to get information from the hotel staff. Our WestJet rep wasn’t around all week. The hospitality staff rushed us out. You had to make reservations for the a la carte through hospitality which was located in the court of the hotel (no one told us this).
Note: If you think you can wash some clothes by hand while you’re there – don’t even think about it – it takes at least 3 days for a bathing suit to dry. We took 2 clotheslines – hung one in the bathroom and the other we attached to the sliding doors so the clothes would dry in the morning sun.
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NH Krystal Laguna recommended - a good beach!
NH Krystal Laguna Villas & Resort
User Rating:
bill >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
4 people found this review helpful
Vacation week Jan 28th to Feb 4, 2010. Excellent Cuban hotel overall, excellent beach. You can join in, or you can lay back - a 'go at your own pace' choice of activities throughout the week. You can lay back in a comfortable cigar lounge where you can enjoy a Cohiba for $10, you can join in a game of ball hockey, a day at the beach where the tide rolls out to reveal a huge white sand beach, or your choice of pools - from quiet or music filled - whatever suits your style.
There are basically 2 sides to this hotel, the Laguna side and the Emperador side, but you have access to both sides.
Your Arrival
Arrival, Air Transat on Airbus 330 - and transferred effortlessly from the airport to the hotel on new buses. The bus ride is a short 15 minutes to the resort. Check in at the hotel on the Emperador side suites was painless, and we were in our room in 30-45 minutes. It has been 12 years since I was last in Cayo Coco, and the new airport on the island is a real time saver. Our Cuban hosts have realized the importance of the tourist industry, and they have taken steps to improve in the area of airports, transferring to ground transportation, and our creature comforts in general.
Rooms
We chose a suite on the Emperador side, building 38, room 15 (3815) closer to the east end of this huge resort. We were as close to the lobby, pool, beach and the buffet restaurant as is possible. It is a large resort and requires a fair amount of walking to experience it all. The updated room had two double beds mashed together, which, lets face it, is good when it comes to actually sleeping. The airconditioning was perfect in the room, but we chose to open the windows. No balconies. We overlooked the lagoon suites, which are built on stilts over the lagoon that seperates the resort from the beaches. Rooms were serviced daily and we chose to leave a peso or two and gifts of tee shirts, toothbrushes, deodorants, gum, candies, lotions, and other simple toiletries which are so readily available to us, and so difficult for the residents to obtain, to the chambermaids, and we where well looked after. There were no signs of any bugs of any kind. We saw the odd gekko on the outside walls, but no creepy crawlers. (I always stay off the ground floor of any Carribbean country hotel for that reason).
In the suite rooms, there is a sitting room with a couch, and bathroom facilities include a bidet, toilet, and tub with shower. No problems with hot water running out any time I wanted a shower. Water pressure seemed to be at the lowest point of the day just before the dinner hour, but no problems were mentioned by anyone we spoke with. The buildings were in good repair, with a recent coat of paint to spruce the place up and yes you get a fresh roll of toilet paper in your room and a large bottle of water daily. If you go VIP at this resort, you will get a bottle of rum in your room, and a couple of nice terrycloth bathrobes too.
Restaurants and Bars
As there is a choice of pools, ther is a even better choice of restaurants. They call them a la carte restaurants, but they are available to anyone who books them. We chose the VIP package when booking, so reservations were waiting for us every evening at the restaurant. The restaurants included seafood, Italian, Cuban fare, a 'steakhouse', and a VIP restaurant. Once you remember you are in Cuba, (and lets be clear about this - they do not know how to cut, or cook a steak) you can get a decent meal. The a la carte menu items are portion controlled, so if you prefer to load up you plate at a buffet table, then eat at the buffet restaurants. I noticed that those sometimes had lineups, especially around 7:00.
There are 2 buffet style restaurants to choose from, one on each side. They offered anyting from carved off the roast pork, to Cuban chicken. For some reason its hard to find a chicken breast, they perfer to serve you a thigh and leg. I did find white meat in some of their buffet table creations.
Breakfast was the favorite meal of the day, with bacon, eggs any style, omlettes and the chefs who happily and tirelessly served us overfed Canadians with a smile or a everyday. There was a wide array of food to choose from. They do not seem to cook with any spices, so most people complain the food is bland. But hey, I didn't come for the food, but on the some hand, I was not disappointed. I ate well.
I recommend bringing your own travel mug, that way, when you head up to the bar, you can get a decent sized drink, or you can take a coffee back to your room in the morning when the buffet opens at 7:30. The restaurants close at 10:00, but there is one 24 hour restaurant in the middle of the resort where you can always get a cheeseburger and a Cuban version of poutine, and a few other items off the 24hr menu.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is as good as I remembered it to be from 12 years ago. It is a long walk to the deeper water through crystal clear water. It reminds me a bit of Wasaga Beach because of how far out you can walk. You have about a 3 km white sand beach to share with 2 other resorts, the Tryp Hotel to the west and the Sol Cayo Coco Hotel to the east. You can walk the entire length of this beach in about an hour if you want to experience it from end to end. This resort has about 50 wooden (constructed from trees)covered beach 'cabanas', and so if you go down to the beach before breakfast and reserve you spot by setting your towels on the beach chairs, you will be set for the day. If you tip the beach staff with shirts, shoes, sandals, hats or plain cash, they will remember you, and they will come over to assist you everyday.
It was wonderful to watch the tide roll out, and it made the beach about twice the size it was just a few hours earlier.
There were a number of pools to choose from, they were all well looked after by the staff. There is a pride amongst these people in whatever they do, you just need to slow down from the hectic pace of your big city life, and not demand things - you are a guest in their country and you will be treated well if you treat them fairly.
There were flowering hybiscus plants all over the place, nicely landscaped "lawns", and a variety of palm trees all over the expansive resort. There are no locals on the beach trying to sell you something, except for the guy who sells rum drinks in freshly cracked coconuts, and the travel/tourism rep who announces the days that the catamaran and the glass bottom boat tours, or the banana boat rides take place.
There is internet (dial up) available, the world best cigars,
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
There are no residents on Cayo Coco, it is a tourist destination only. Most of the staff of the hotels live off the island in the town of Moron, so the Jeep trip into that town will bring you into their environment and allow you to experience the true Cuba, if only for a few hours. There is a great disparity between their lives and ours, and I feel almost guilty for having so much while they have so little. We took along bags of bubble gums from the dollar stores here, and gave them to the kids we ran into, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc. Bring along a second suitcase on your flight with your unwanted clothes in it, and go into a town like Moron and offer what you no longer want to these people, they will appreciate it.
Things are much better for us as tourists in the past few years, we can access most any of the regular activities from any other Carribbean resort. There are snorkeling activities, and even scuba diving for us already licenced divers, and the coral reefs off this island are the largest in the world - next to Australia and the Mayan coast of Mexico. There are deep sea fishing tours, tours of rum factories and tours that will take you to a crocodile farm. Bring a roll of toilet paper with you if you leave the resort.
Other Comments
I have seen the beaches of Punta Cana in the Dominican, Negril in Jamaica, Bahamas, Tortolla, St Lucia, Martinique, St Marteen and most of other Carribbean islands, and Cayo Coco beaches are just as lovely.
If you can remember you are in a 3rd world country, you can have a lovely vacation - it is a safe destination, as mentioned, no Cuban people live on the island, it is a tourist destination only.
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Overall very good. You have to try the Bahama Mama at the cigar lounge. Best drink I've ever had in my life.
Your Arrival
Check-in took 5 minutes. They were ready and waiting for us. Someone had complained about not getting a welcome drink on here? The bar is right beside the front desk. So you can walk over after you check-in and get your own welcome drink of your choice.
Rooms
Our room was VERY clean and they all have safes. Our maid was ery appreciative. e had no water pressure a few times but we called the front desk and a repair man was there within 5 mins to fix the problem.
Restaurants and Bars
I don't know what some people have had to complain about on their reviews. Yes, you have to pay for some drinks. But these are drinks that are very expensive to import to Cuba and are not even avaiable in most places there. Red Bull, Heineken beer, etc..
There was such a variety of drinks, that I had never heard of half of the drinks on the drink menu. The only lousy part was that every bar had a certain amount of booze per day. They sometimes ran out of a certain drink, like the ingredients for a mojito.
Having said that though, the lobby bar is open 24/7, and they have every drink there for you.
2 buffets that have essentially the same food. A very good variety - pasta, pork, fajitas, omelettes, salads, breads, soup, etc...
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Too many polls to keep track of! I think there were 4 - 2 of which have swim-up bars.
Nice grounds. They have bellboys to drive youby golf cart from one part of the resort to the other if you wish.
The beach. Very clean, warm shallow clear water. Was heaven.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
A wide list of activities are available. Mopeds, bikes, dance lessons, spanish lessons...
We booked a jeep excursion and we went to a dance club in a cave. Both were well worth the extra expense.
Other Comments
I don't see what some people on here had to complain about. Cuba is a third world nation with very few resources. Of course it will not be like being in Canada. I never got sick or had diarrhea while I was there.
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O.K., but better elsewhere!
NH Krystal Laguna Villas & Resort
User Rating:
Robert >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Feb, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
3 people found this review helpful
PROS: Stayed at the former El Senador site. Nice atmosphere. Clean. Well kept. Food is good (see Cons!). Lobby bar and seating are pleasant. Stayed in a Villa on the lagoon. Comfortable and large. Bathroom newly renovated. Quiet at night. VIP restaurant is good. Service everywhere is attentive and smiling.
CONS: No beach at high tide,...literally! (we arrived two days after full moon!) Beach disappears. Only the section at Emporador site is visible, and even that is small. Blau Colonial section was a bit better. But that's all! High Tide lasts for three to four hours. The Buffet is good, but the management closed the Buffet at the Emporador site on at least three occasions (Dinner time!). As a result, counter cooks could not keep up at the El Senador Buffet. Line ups to get in. Staff were great at keeping the diners moving. But one waited 20 minutes to get any cooked meat! Bread was occasionally not available after 30 minutes into Breakfast or Lunch.
This is our third visit to Cuba and we love it. Stayed at Turquesa and Paradisius Rio de Oro in Holguin on earlier visits. Had good experiences. Beaches there are smaller and not as pretty. But they did not disappear!
Too much choice in Cuba. Will not return to NH Krystal, and probably not to Cayo Coca.
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NH Krystal Laugna NOT EVEN 2 star as advertized 4 star
DONT waste tour time and Money on NH Krstal Laguna Creep, Rotten and Fithy Food with untidy rooms and rude staff. I stayed there with my family
Your Arrival
No welcome drink! Disgusting and smelly rotten food.only when you tip the waiter they listen otherwise no service?
Rooms
untidy rooms; Mosquitos; Bugs and above all no water in morning???
Restaurants and Bars
charges extra for International Beer and Whiskey
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
always need to book( God knows when your turn comes ) in advance for GYM, Cycling, Boating and even
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Awesome place to stay! We loved it!
NH Krystal Laguna Villas & Resort
User Rating:
laura >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Jan, 2010 | Leisure | With Group
4 people found this review helpful
Hotel was very clean. Grounds are kept very clean too. Check in was quick. Our room wasen't ready until 4pm so we put our luggage in a friends room and went for a drink and checked out the place. This hotel is huge. Takes about 10 minutes to get anywheres. Wasen't a problem for us as we drank and ate lots and took advantage of walking it all off! Beach was amazing with white sand a crystal blue water like none ofther. Pools were kept very clean. There was lots of pools including an adult pool. There was plenty of bars and always had lots on hand to make you whatever you wanted. The entertainment staff was awesome! They put a lot of hard work into their shows and made ppl feel welcome. We did the Jeep on/boat ride/visti to moron/scuba diving/spa day. All of them were a totaly blast. We plan to come back to this resort soon. I would for sure tell others to go to this spot. 5 stars for sure!
Other Comments
I'm wondering if anyone has Adrian's e-mail address? I have some pictures of him as well as some of the entertainment team on a few days and nights we went out, I would like to send to them. I should have asked for it before leaving. Please let me know if you do. thanks
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Awesome!
NH Krystal Laguna Villas & Resort
User Rating:
L & M >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Dec, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
We stayed for 1 week. Travelled from Montreal with Transat Holidays. Airplane ride was great, large seats with lots of leg room. They even served a hot meal.
Your Arrival
Good, met upon arrival and welcomed. Line up for room key was minimal. We were a little early, so we were asked to sit and enjoy a cold drink until the room was ready.
Rooms
We were pleasantly suprised to be placed in a laguna room which was very large and extremely clean. Our maid was extremely good, always replensihed the fridge. She even left bouquets of flowers on our bathroom counter.
Restaurants and Bars
We thought the restaurants were fine. Generally, the food in Cuba is very basic, but we found more than enough variety here and truly enjoyed what they offered. We enjoyed the main lobby bar where we felt the drinks were better than other resorts that we have been to in Cuba. We were not crazy about the pool bar. The beer was warm and the drinks tasted very watered down. We fixed that by just walking up to the main bar - 10 seconds away. We would just ask that the drinks be placed in plastic cups as we were returning to the pool. We really enjoyed the food at the beach bar, the chicken was very good and the waiters payed very close attention to all your needs.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool was kept very clean as were the grounds. We were a little disappointed with the beach. It is beautiful but extremely narrow. When you arrive in the early morning the tide actually hits the steps. When it does go back, there is still very little room.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Cannot comment, we were there for a week and to veg, which is exactly what we did.
Other Comments
We have now been to Cuba approximately 7 times and we truly enjoyed this resort. We would return in a heartbeat!
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Awesome !!!
NH Krystal Laguna Villas & Resort
User Rating:
Gordon >
1 contribution(s) United Kingdom
Sep, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
2 people found this review helpful
For a third world country we were very impressed , Hotel was clean , the food was good ( not as much choice as some other all inclusive hotels , but very good )the staff were friendly and polite .
Other Comments
people need to give this place a break , it is good value for money
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