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| Last Updated:
15 November, 2009 |
| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
TK & WH ~ Hamilton, ON |
November 2009
Arrival: Oct 15-22/09
This was our 2'nd visit to the Krystal as we enjoyed it so much last Oct, we got a great price and came again. We didnt' arrive to hotel until 7pm or so and check in was a breeze. We were checked in, taken to our room, quickly unpacked and still had time for dinner.
I just can't say enough about the staff, they are just so friendly and eager to ensure that you are having a good time and everything is OK. It really amazes me that a year later and thousands of guests, that they remember you from your previous visit. I kept getting "it's so nice to see you again" "glad you came back"; it really makes your vacation.
Rooms:
Although we were repeat guests and had requested specific buildings with an upper floor, we got Building #36 and ground floor. We were not too impressed at first but all worked out fine. It was actually nicely located as it was easier to return to the room to use the facilities than trudging up to the lobby. The room was huge, plenty of room, especially with the suite having the sitting room when you first come in, it was a great place to leave beach bags, rings, towels so they don't clutter the bedroom. We had no problem with water pressure and had plenty of hot water. Our room was kept very clean with lovely towel arrangements on the bed each day. We always had adequate towels and fridge was always stocked with water, beer & soda.
Restaurants and Bars:
We ate at the VIP one night and it was quite nice. They were very accommodating, as they didn't have just a plain greens salad on the menu, so we asked if we could get one and "it was no problem". The wine was Spanish and actually quite decent. They were very attentive and always with a smile.
We actually found the food this year a bit better than last. There still wasn't quite enough fresh fruit for my liking but all in all, the buffet was good. I especially enjoyed the salmon fillets they had for dinner, which were grilled up fresh for you. Omara was great at dinner as she'd see us come in and where we sat and by the time we got back with our soup, there was always water and wine waiting for us.
The beach restaurant was great for lunch, with a small a-la-carte menu. Either Eloy or Juan looked after us and they were awesome. They would see us come in and just show up at our table with our drinks without asking and take our order straight away.
The bars, well, what can I say, the staff is awesome and I love the bendy straws. Within a day they knew our drinks. Axel at the swim up bar always service with a smile and a "mi amor" and Alex bringing you a drink around the pool before you even knew you needed another, you couldn't ask for better service. Same with the lobby bar, the staff was just awesome, Rafael, Abel, Alain, Jose.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
I was saddened with how much beach was lost since last year. It's been hit really badly by erosion. But it is still a beautiful beach.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
It was nice this year, the evening entertainment was held just below the lobby bar instead of the big amphitheatre, which made sense when the resort is half closed, why set up another bar when you can just utilize the lobby bar. The night entertainment was pretty good some nights, especially the Cuban night, folk night.
Other Comments:
Our weather wasn't the best, probably the worst we've had in 15 yrs of fall vacation, but it was still warmer than home, and we still got sun. The staff did the best to keep us amused the day we got a fair bit of rain. They brought the music up to the lobby, we played bingo etc. Everyone was "oh well" and brought out cards, tile games etc and we drank. We made the best of it!!!
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Donald & Sheila ~ Montreal |
September 30 2009
Arrival: sept.12 to sept.19 2009
Hola , just returned from Cayo coco with friends . Flew with Air Canada and had a great flight both ways . Was even 45 minutes early on the return flight .Booking in at the hotel was fast and a bellboy took our luggage to our room . We always get second floor , block 37 ( on Emperador side )Been there 8 or 9 times so we saw many of our Cuban friends . Only half of the complex was open due to low season . We stayed on the Emperador side which has 2 big rooms . Rooms were very clean and bottled water was in our fridge .Water pressure was good except for a short while the first day . Currency was Cuban convertable pesos which gives you 80 pesos for $100.00 Cdn. money .Be sure to keep 25 pesos each for departure tax when you return to the airport .There is a bank at the airport and at the hotel .You have a free safety deposit box in every room .Beach Towels are available for free but don't loose it , it's 25 pesos .The beach is the best anywhere and you can walk for long time e! ather side of the complex . They had a pool bar where you could also get a sandwish .There is a kids area and someone will take care of your child if you wish . They have a game room , a gym , hot tub , pool games , beach volleyball , para gliding , banana boat , paddle boat , snorkeling , arobic classes , salsa and spanish lessons .Nightly shows are pretty good and the dancers are really good . Food was good and a pretty good choice considering it was low season . Was there in March when both sides were open and it seams the food was better . However , not complaning . Restaurants were , seafood , Cuban , Italian and v.i.p. For v i p men have to wear long pants . Main lobby bar is open 24 hours . The buffet is open for breafast,lunch and dinner with a good assortment of food .There is a grill at the beach where you can have lunch and drinks . Beach chairs can be reserved if you tell the beach boy in advance . Good shade at the beach but not much around the pools . No rain! all week . Bring repellent in case it rains and insects come ! out . They spray every day tho . Trips can be arranged with your tour guide . Town of Moron is good to see and you get to see how the locals live .No locals live on the island , they travel by bus .Tips is not a problem and according to your discretion . They make about 20 to 28 pesos a month, Sooooo . Get to meet the staff , waiters , bar waiters , ground crew etc... Most talk English and they enjoy our company . Get to know their personal lives . Great people . Cuba is a safe place . Need more info ? Sheila & Don at = sheilaboucher@sympatico.ca
Rooms:
very clean
Restaurants and Bars:
good staff
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
the best
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
not this time but went before
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Renee ~ Toronto |
August 2009
Arrival: July 23 to July 30
Our family (myself, my husband and our 4 year old daughter) together with my sister's family (my sister, her husband and their 5 year old son) went to NH Krystal for a 7 day stay. We booked our trip through Flight Center, and the tour operator was Transat. The flight was great, we got the bigger Airbus, and the seating was more spacious than what we used to before. They served us Quizno hot sandwiches for breakfast, and it's very tasty. The custom at the Jardine del Rey airport was smooth. My husband and I have been to Cuba twice before, and this time we found the custom was much more friendlier than before. The bus trip to the resort was a short one, only took us 10 minutes. We were at the resort at around 2:00 pm, and the room wasn't ready. We went straight to the buffet for a late lunch. The staff there was extremely nice, and I was most surprised by their level of English! Much better than my last 2 trips to Cuba (2003 and 2004). Our room was ready by 3, and we decided to take our lauguages ourselves and walked to block 35.
Rooms:
We were being assigned rooms on Block 35 2nd floor. We have room 3516, and our sister's family has room 3517.
The room was spacious and clean, with a smaill sitting area sepearated from the sleeping area. There was a ceiling fan in the sitting area, which was very helpful when we put our wet swim suits and towels to dry during the night. The sleeping area has two Queen beds pushed together to form a huge King ++ size bed. A small TV on a stand, with 2 night stands. Before the bathroom, there was a small area where the closet, safe, and a sink. The bathroom has a tub, bidet and a toilet. The resort does need a little face lift though, most of the doors, and the bathrooms look tired. There was no balcony in all the Emperador's suites. Initially I wasn't accustom to not having a balcony. But after the first day, I know the reason. It's becasue of the mosquitos. For the first day, we almost got eaten alive. But we came prepared the next day. We sprayed ourselves from top to bottom with OFF, and we also wore the citeron (spelling??) bands we brought from Dollarama on our wrists and ankles when we have to venture out.
Restaurants and Bars:
Buffet: I came prepared that the selection won't be as much as those offer in DR's resorts. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety this resort offered. They have a good selection of roast meats, fishes, mussels, calamari. According to my husband the seafood was wonderfully fresh and tasty, a bit salty though. And they have a good selection of vegetables such as yuca, plantains, pumkins, beans, beets, tomatos etc. For breakfast, they always have pancakes, waffles, eggs (boiled, scrambled, pouched, fried), and they served amazing hashbrown too. The milk has a funny taste to it, but their yougurt was amazingly delicious.
I found their lunch was actually better than the dinner! It's a long walk back to the buffet for lunch from the beach, but it's worth it. The selection was better than the seaside grill. You can not miss their breads. They have the most fresh and tasty breads in all the Carribean islands. I wanted to smuggled a few loafs back to Toronto, but they ran out of them the morning we headed home... but I did bring back 3 little yellow buns (with granulated sugar on top) Sweet~~
A La Carte - Transat Holiday prebooked our dinners at the a la carte restaurants. Not too impressed... you can get the foods served at the a la carte restaurants from the buffet anyway. We skiped the Cuban, and the Italian, but went to the seafood, steaks and VIP. VIP has the most comfortable environment, and for guys, remember to wear long pants! My brother-in-law has to be sent back to change. For the rest of the trip, we stayed with the Buffet restaurant.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
We usually spent the morning by the pool and the afternoon at the beach. The Emperador's pool has two levels - the lower level was for very young children, and the upper level was for adults or children accompanied by adults. They were of decent size. The water got dirty and mucky by late morning. I didn't think they clean it that often. It's a bit disgusting to see people spilled drinks, and food crumps into the pool (as they got their drinks and sandwiches from the poolside bar). The water got very warm by mid morning too. That's why we decided to go to the beach. Getting to the beach, you will need to walk through the laguna via a wooden bridge. While walking along the wooden bridge, you can see there were schools of little fishes, sometimes jellyfishes too. The water in the mangrove was dark, if the wind was still, it emitted a faint smell. The beach was beautiful, clean, it has white powdery sands. A bit wavy for some days, not as calm as the beach on Cayo Guillermo, but still you can walk out into the sea for miles and the water level was still waist high. My daughter loved the waves, and wouldn't like to come back to shore. She could stay out there for hours.
For getting the hut on time, you can either go to get it really early in the morning, like 7:00 am, or later in the afternoon i.e. 2:30 pm or 3:00 pm. And if you go early in the morning, there was a pod of dolphins swiming out in the ocean. I saw them once, far out, but you can see their fins. The life guard told me the pod visits the area every morning!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We went to the kid's show once, but the mosquitos drove us back to our rooms.
Other Comments:
All of us suffered from diahrea, and my little nephew got stomach flu for a couple of days. Pepto didn't help much for him. Luckily the maid was so kind to lend us some local medicine. It helped! She was such a nice lady, by the end of our trip, we left her with everything that we could think of - clothes, facial creams, toys, candies etc. My sister has a chat with her, and she was so proud of being Cuban, and was very thankful to the government! Of course, a little gift won't hurt! :)
Would I go back? Yes, but not next year.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Lili ~ Toronto |
July 2009
Arrival: July 17, 2009 - July 24, 2009
I was quite concerned how this trip will turn out since many wrote about horrible food, poor service, hotel not being up to the standard and so on...
I was there from July 17 - 24 and here are my impressions:
Beach (most important for me - otherwise I would not be going south):
It was great. Resort is quite big so the beach was quite long. Water is nice blue and clear (aside from few mornings when it was very wavy so sand was not settled (but that cleared up in couple of hours). There is a restaurant right on the beach where you can have drinks / food. You can also borrow a canoe or pedal boat for one hour every day. Beach towels are free and can be changed every day (if you do loose one you will be asked to pay makes sense). The only down side (at least for me) was the fact that you have to go to the beach fairly early to get a "hut" otherwise you will end up all day in blistering sun. I would typically go to the beach in the morning around 8-8:30 and leave my towel there, then go to have breakfast...
Suites:
I stayed in "El Emperador" section 38 suite consists of:
1. Relatively small room with love seat (that extends into a pull-out bed), 2. Bedroom with two queen size beds (put next to each other to form a giant bed... lol), two nightstands and a TV
3 Small room with closet space, safe, large mirrors as well as a sink with large counter 4. Washroom - bath tab (with showerhead), bidet and toilet bowl Suite was air-conditioned (but don't expect fridge like temperature that we cultivate in malls/stores/offices/houses in Canada!). I found it to be comfortable as it was cool enough to be pleasant to stay in and yet not too cold to cause shock to your body every time you go in and out (since out is VERY WARM).
Food:
As most of you know it is a buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner. IS it a best food I ever ate?? No. BUT I would rate it as quite good. There is always something to eat if you just bother to look at what they have to offer. Many people take one glance and are whining how there is not that many choices.. O_o.. There is always at least 20 different things to eat. I also noticed that even though it may appear that they present same food few times, that "same food" is actually quite different. For example, I took green beans three times and every time they looked the same yet were prepared to taste totally different. So, my advice is tale a little bit of whatever you think you may like and if you like it go back for more instead of loading your plate with food you may not enjoy. And off course there is always grilled food which for most people I know is a fail safe type of deal so if you are not up to trying different things stick to that.
Food 2 A La Carte Restaurants:
There are 5 of these in NH Krystal resort and all of them have to be booked in advance (before noon) and you can book maximum of 3 at the time. Something to note is that in reality there are only 3 unique spaces for these restaurants. This means that Cuban and Steakhouse share same space and Italian and Seafood restaurant share the second space (alternating days) while VIP has its own dining room.
Cuban Restaurant: This place was disappointing. I expected to find best food here because after all we are in Cuba. However, this restaurant was poorly organized and food was really not great.
Italian: Food was so-so (perhaps it depends on what you order) I would not recommend Veal Parmagiana (meat was very chewy).
Seafood: Great if you like fish/sea food. If you don't no point in going to this one if you do you will enjoy it. I had salmon and my bf had mahi-mahi. Both were good.
Steakhouse: Did not go to this one (it was all booked up in advance)
VIP: This place was the nicest. Nice looking place, with quite a good food. I would recommend this one to anyone. (book early)
NOTE: if you are looking for lobster dinner it is not offered on all-inclusive menu's but you have to pay 12CUC per person to have it. I personally hate how lobsters are cooked, so I never have them.
Swimming pool:
Pool is great. Quite large and offers various depths for kids and adults. It also features a swim-up bar (closes at 5). Water in the pool is fresh water (not salted ocean water).
Entertainment:
Music is played around the pool area all day (until 5). There is live music in the lobby area every night. Animation (entertainment) team has live performances every night at 9:45 in the theatre arena (unless raining in which case show moves to disco). From 11PM-2AM there is a disco. They also indicated that you can go to local cave for "cave party" but that is extra as it is not offered by a hotel (I believe you can be picked up every night at 11PM. I never went so cant speak about it). Across from disco there is a cigar lounge. Aside from night entertainment there are number of activities for kids (I don't really know which as I don't have kids but I know they had competitions and also a mini disco every night).
Grounds:
Resort is kept in top shape. There are people cleaning the resort all the time as well as gardening and keeping everything nice. Hotel has beach chairs for the beach (cool plastics does not get hot in sun) as well as chairs around the pool. There is a number of hammocks as well in the pool area. There is a gym (haven't been) games room (small for the size of the resort), kids playground snack bar (24hrs) and 24 hr lobby bar.
Please do look at the plan of the resort before you go. It is quite large and for those that are lazy to walk around it will be a chore. Everything is 5-10min away (at the most) but you should be aware of that before you get there. I saw people demanding "ocean view" room when in fact there is no way to have one as there is Laguna that separates the resort from the beach. Even if you get one of the Villa's you will wont see the beach due to large threes growing in the Laguna. This Laguna thing will either really annoy you or you will really like it. You have to cross it using little bridges and water looks like a swamp. Not too appealing in most situations but at the same time you will be able to see tons of crabs, sword fish, jelly fish, as well as various types of large and small fish in this water.
Service/Staff:
99% of people working there are great, though some are really terrible and provide poor service unless you tip them in advance. Example: one person in 24hr bar refused to make me a smoothie stating his blender is not working and 5 min later I saw him use it to make a drink for someone else this prompted me not to tip (as his service sucked). On the other hand, I came to the same bad a day later and asked if they had ice cappuccino, person working there was not sure what that was and said they only make normal ones so I said no worries make me a normal cappuccino. He returned 3 minutes later with ice cappuccino and said he made it since I wanted one. It did touch me that he did that (even though I never was served by him before and he does not know if I was going to tip him or not). Everyone I met there was nice. Take the time to ask them how they are, they do appreciate it.
Tipping:
This is a touchy subject for some. Most people are not use to tipping in all-inclusive places (unless they've been to Cuba before). This is my take on the subject and I will explain why. I think people should tip for good service. Typically, tip is 1CUC. For someone in Canada that translates to $1.25. For us that really is not that much money but for those working there those tips mean a lot. You will also notice incredible improvement in service at the buffet if you always sit in same area and tip your waiter. They will really go above and beyond for that 1.25 (1CUC). In some cases service is poor (they are not as attentive) and you may be inclined not to tip but this will translate in same type of service for the next mean. So my advice do spend a bit and you will enjoy your stay way better and will also make them happy. Now a reason why I say do tip is because people in Cuba live in incredible poverty. If you stick to the resort you will never realize this but if you can
do go to an excursion to Moron town and you will see what I am talking about. The place is in shambles and ruins. People look tired and desperate. I went to a store just to get an idea of what the prices are like and discovered that an old style cassette player (like the ones popular back in 70s-80s) costs 198CUC.. WOW was I in shock. That type of thing in Canada would be less then 20$. I saw a dog whose image will haunt me for the rest of my life. He was pure skin and bones. I felt so guilty that I had nothing to give him and there was nothing to buy in that area. If you do go to excursion and you love animals make sure to have some food on you that you can give it to them. So all in all these little tips are not much for us (and no I am not rich by any means) but they mean a lot to them. Me and my BF always tipped at every meal and left 1CUC for the maid. As for the bar we tipped but not for every drink we had (as that would add up quickly, plus those people get the most
tips anyways). If you can tip do it...
Overall, I would go back in a heartbeat!!
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Niki ~ Burlington, Ontario |
July 2009
Arrival: June 23rd - June 30th
We arrived in the late evening of June 23rd, and were attacked by thousands of mosquitos immediately upon leaving the plane. The insect problem at the airport is terrible, however it is under control at the hotel. We were checked in without issues, and Jesus at the desk was incredibly friendly and courteous.
Rooms:
The room was great! It was in a perfect location on the Emperador side (the Azul side is closed during the off-season) in block 36. A very short walk to the pool, main lobby, and the ampitheater, yet far enough away that it was mostly peaceful. The room was clean, well stocked with toilet paper and bottled water, and the air-conditioning, toilet, and hot water worked fine. It was cleaned every day by our wonderful maid, and she left beautiful towel art for us daily.
Restaurants and Bars:
I'm just going to be blunt here . . .the food was terrible. I kind of knew it would be, and we all know that you don't go to Cuba to get fine cuisine. I am not a really picky eater, and my husband will eat absolutely ANYTHING, but we both ended up living on chips and cookies from the gift shop by the end of our trip. The buffet has a smell eminating from it that I can not even describe. Breakfast was the high-point of the day, with omlets made to order, and yummy french toast and pancakes. We ate lunch at the Beach Bar, where you can find hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, etc. Dinner in the buffet was beyond gross, and the a la cart restaurants were even worse. However, in no way did this spoil our trip. You can always find something, even if it is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich from the 24 hour bar. You eat to live, you don't live to eat. The Main Lobby bar (24 hours) had a more classy feel to it, with more exotic drinks. It was a relatively quiet atmosphere, and there was usually a small band in the evenings. Acxel at the pool bar was awesome, and he makes the best drinks. Just tell him you want something good. The beach bar was fun too, but bring your travel mug as the cups are tiny. By the time you get back to your chair, you've finished your drink! The cigar lounge had a really laid back atmosphere with comfy couches and chairs, and the Disco was a lot of fun, with a good sized raised dance floor. The music ranged from Spanish music, to 80's and 90's hits, to the music you hear on the radio today. The flair bar is a great little spot where you can watch the bartenders flip the bottles around and do tricks with the ice cubes.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach was AMAZING. I have never seen anything so beautiful. Gorgeous white sand, crystal clear water . . .it almost didn't look real. We never had any problems getting a spot in the shade. The pool was fun too. Very clean, and even though there is only one pool open this time of year, it was not quiet, and easy to get a spot. Not in the shade, however, as shady spots at the pool are very limited. The grounds were beautiful, with an abundance of plants and wild life. Watch out for crabs, frogs, and bats. They are everywhere, including in the pool. If you plan to do any walking around at night, bring a small flashlight, as it is poorly lit away from the bulidings. Especially if you plan to take a nightime walk to the beach, as some of the entrances are in disrepair.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
This resort had no shortage of activities. Kayaks, pedaloes, snorkling gear, and a 1/2 hour trip on a catamaran are included daily in most packages. There are tennis courts, a hockey rink, and a games room with pool, table tennis, etc. There are activities at the pool daily including water polo, trivia, games, bingo, dance lessons, and aqua arobics. Adrian and Luis on the Animation team are brilliant!! The nightly entertainment was good, but grew tiring, even though they had a different theme every night. The dancers are highly skilled, however, and always put on a good show. We were booked to go to the cave party, but it was cancelled because of lighting, and we were refunded. However, we heard from others who have been that it is an absolutely fabulous time. We went horseback riding, which gives you a nice little tour of the island for 10 CUC, and Scuba Diving. I highly, HIGHLY recommend the scuba diving. I was terrified at first, but it was the absolute best thing I have ever done. Roy and Livan show up to the pool every day between 10am and 12pm with their scuba gear, and you can try it out and have a lesson in the pool. If you like it, you go with them that very day if you want. We saw a beautiful coral reef with hundreds of fish, and a little further down, there was a shipwreck which was astonishing. We even saw baracudas, and a Lion Fish. At 70 CUC per person it seems expensive, but worth every single penny!
Other Comments:
This was a beautiful hotel, and the service is top notch. I have never recieved service here at home like I did at NH Krystal. The staff go so far out of their way to make sure you are having a great time. We tipped, but not a huge amount, and not every single time we got a drink, or what have you. It didn't matter whether we tipped or not, we got the same service. We got to know many of the staff, and they remembered us and called us by name the whole trip. The sun and heat are brutal. I love hot weather, but this is extreme. Whatever sunsceen you think you need, bring more, and with a higher SPF than you would normally use. Bring a cover up, and try to stay out of the sun between 12 and 2. Bring tylenol, advil, a first aid kit (including a tensor bandage) gravol, and pepto. And please feed the cats. The hotel has a large population of feral cats, and I am assuming they keep the pest population under control. Take the time to bring them a bit of food from the buffet. The grill guy will cook you up some fish and bag it for you if you tell him you want some for the cats. I usually found them between 36 and 37, and it got to the point that I would call out to them and they would all come running. All in all, a great trip, and I would go back again in a flash!
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Sara ~ Montreal |
July 2009
Arrival: June 20th 2009
Upon my arrival the rooms were not really ready, which i was a little bit disappointed. But the staff made sure that we could go and start our day early to not lose the day. Anna the reception manager was great. We stayed at the emperador side because the Azul was closed due to renovations. And we did not hear one noise.
Rooms:
The room were actually very good. The only thing is that the air conditioning was not working properly.
Restaurants and Bars:
The lobby bar was excellent. The best capuccino you could get would be at the lobby bar. I found the buffet food better the restaurent a la carte. The steak house was really not good. The cuban was the best. The italian one was so so.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach..cant complain. The only thing is that in the morning ( before 11 am ) the beach was a bit dirty due to the weed...but it got cleaned up in the afternoon.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
The disco was amazing.
Other Comments:
The staff was super friendly especially Adrian ( the animator ) at the hotel. Roberto ( not sure if thats his name ) he was awsome. Every employee looks like they liked there job alsways with a smile on there face.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Doreen & Jim ~ Nova Scotia |
June 2009
Arrival: April 16 - April 23
We arrived on April 16th...the late night flight.
Rooms:
We stayed on the Emperador side..which is the same side we stayed in on our first visit 3 years ago.
Restaurants and Bars:
The restaurants and bars are all located conveniently as I noted others have said in their reveiws and are well supplied for the thirsty public...though at times they did run out of the * flavour* of the day...but you could always find something else just as good at one of the other bars.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is one of the most gorgeous beaches I've seen..and after walking it, I think that the nicest spot is in front of the NH Krystal.....it has the white sand that feels like flour underneath your feet.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There were activities around the pool, and a special section for children...I noted that the animation staff...did spend quality time with the kids as did the rest of the staff....showing a lot of kindness and patience with the small kids that were there with their families.....
We didn't go on any tours, but the two other couples...and the three
women..*who shall remain nameless....but you KNOW who you are** did..and
thoroughly enjoyed the Jeep Safari. It wasn't my intention to run
around...I was there strictly for R&R.
Other Comments:
I too was asked by Adrian to let anyone who reads these reviews that he doesn't not want anyone bringing him sneakers......emphatically as Brian and Phyllis from NS also stated......and I promised him I would do that for him....
He has been asked several times about that post...and he was....*in my
opinion* embarassed about it.
We had the pleasure to spent a lot of time with Adrian while we were there.....resuming the friendship with him we developed on our first visit....and will hopefully be able to resume on our third visit...
We met a great many friendly people,. but developed relationships with two special couples, Rafael and Shirley from NS...as well as Adam and Elaine from England...
It was sad for us to wave goodbye to them from the bus..but hopefully we will all have the chance to get together again down there.
And Noooooo...I didn't forget Holly, Brenda and Denise...they're in a category all their own..*S Can't wait to see you guys again...
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Jenn ~ Nova Scotia, Canada |
May 2009
Arrival: March 7-14 2009
Arrival by bus good, bought cold beer at the airport, bus tour guide was friendly. Check in was easy and friendly.
Rooms:
Rooms were clean and nice. No special things done with towel etc. But who spends alot of time in the room anyway
Restaurants and Bars:
Food was good, good variety and always had the snack bar with poutine at all hours if you were hungry
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach.....well its Cayo Coco....so the beach was amazing. The pools were nice and clean and big. We like the quiet pool most of the time, adult only. Ground were okay, not many flowers and not alot of grass, but it was early in the blooming season too.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Daily activities were good, and we went to the Bat Cave as an evening excursion, it was a blast, great club, great music a good mix of local and Canadian music, and only 20 pesos to get there right from your resort and back, all drinks are included at the Bat Cave Bar for that price also.
Other Comments:
This resort was very nice, well kept and I could easily go there again. There is a bit of walking as it is so big, and the Lagune separates the resort from the beach. I didn't mind it as it help work off the extra eating and drinking, but something to keep in mind if thats not your thing.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Allan ~ Canada |
May 2009
Arrival April 16-23
A friend and I vacationed at the NH Krystal Emperador Suite section for 1 week in April 2009. This was our 2nd trip to Cayo Coco and our 5th to Cuba. The week at the NH just flew by and it was time to pack and come home before we knew it! The weather for the week was hot and sunny- there was a little rain but mainly overnight. The resort certainly met all our needs for the week and in some ways surpassed our expectations especially after some of the reviews we had read. Overall we enjoyed our week at the Krystal and could have easily stayed for another week. The main drawback for us was the lack of shade at the Emperador pool area. Overall rating 8/10
Check-in for us was ok but that was because we ended up 3rd or 4th in a long line with only 1 desk clerk on duty that time of night. There were 2 bus loads arriving from our flight and we arrived late – just after midnight. Not sure how long those on the second bus had to wait to get checked in! We got checked in and headed to our room on our own.
Room We were given room 4710, on the second floor in building 47. This building is close to everything on the Emperador side. Our room was very nice – a good size sitting room with folding doors into a good size bedroom. The bathroom area was divided into two areas- one with the sink counter and closet (with an included programable safe) and a separate room with the toilet, bidet, and tub/shower. There was a bottle of rum and a bag of coffee in our room when we arrived and the lights had been turned on for us. Room 4710 overlooked the pool area but was not right on the pool so it was not noisy. Our minifridge was always refilled and our maid did a great job keeping the room cleaned. Water pressure was great and the water very hot all week! The only down side to our room was there was no balcony but it really was not a big deal. Room – 8.5/10
Layout Although the resort is quite large it was not too hard to find your way around. We mainly stayed at the Emperador section where everything was centrally located for us. The lobby overlooked the pool and our room was just behind. The lobby area housed the lobby bar, buffet, shops, bank, and the 5 a la cartes. So nothing was far away. The beach was only a 3-5 min walk from the lobby across a bridge through the lagoon. The pool area was a good size and was just steps away from the lobby bar and buffet. The lobby/bar area was a nice central spot. This is where I would go for morning coffee to take back to the room. It also was a nice spot to sit and have an after lunch coffee or drink since it was just outside the buffet and it overlooked the pool with wide open windows. In the evenings the lobby and bar were the place to hang out and it was quite busy and sometimes hard to find a table. There were some drinks at the lobby bar that were on display but were not included. They certainly could use more seating in these areas.
Staff For the most part we found the staff very friendly and accommodating. At the buffet the server we had from one day would take time to stop and greet us whenever they saw us at the buffet. At the a la cartes we had outstanding servers except at the VIP which were ok but not as good as some of the others. The server we had at the Cuban restaurant remembered us when we went to the Steakhouse where she was also serving and greeted us with a hugs and kisses and took over as our server. Servers were constantly checking to see if you needed refills or wanted anything else and asking how our meal was. Staff 9.5/10
Buffet We only ate breakfast and lunch at the enclosed Emperador buffet which we found very good. Service here for us was top notch and the food selection was very good for both meals. The buffet is smaller and therefore we did notice line ups for the dinner buffet on several nights. For breakfast they had two egg stations as well as another station where a cook was making pancakes and French toast as ordered. There also was good well cooked bacon every morning and fresh squeezed orange juice. For lunch there was a station with made to grill fish and squid and another for burgers, hotdogs, chicken, pork and beef. All cooked right as you wanted. There also was a made to order pasta and pizza station. There was always a good selection of veggies which changed from day to day. Within the one week we were there they had pumpkin, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, beans, peppers to name the ones I remember. There also was a great bread station. Everything was always being checked and replenished as needed. Our glasses were never empty and dirty dishes were cleared right away. The layout was very nice with 2 inside table areas with the serving buffet in between as well as an outside patio. Buffets – 8.5/10
Las Dumas Snack/Lunch restaurant with it’s own bar right off the beach. Very nice spot to sit and have lunch overlooking the ocean. You order off a menu here which is nice but there just was not a lot on the menu we wanted to try so we only ate here once, which was good, but we preferred the selection at the buffet. 8/10
A La Cartes There are 5 a la cartes for Emperador quests and we did them all. We had the 5 bookings done for us when we arrived. The next day I had to go switch a couple of the times (they were a little late for us) and I also asked about another booking which I received. I also went back later in the week to see about a 7th booking for our last night and had no problems doing so and there was never a line. Not sure if it is permanent or not but as of April 13th the restaurant setup was changed. The Cuban and the Steakhouse use the same restaurant on alternate nights as do the Italian and Seafood. This means all 5 a la cartes are in the same area – just off the side of the Emperador lobby. There also is a little bar set up in this area that is open just in the evenings and that only serves Cuban drinks. Although the menus at each restaurant is limited we found that overall the quality of food was as good as at a 4 star in the DR. Had we been staying for 2 weeks we would have had no problem revisiting any of the a la cartes. In fact there were a couple we wished we would have had time to revisit. Dress code for the a la cartes here is very relaxed. The only one that requires men to not wear shorts and beach sandals in the VIP.
VIP A La Carte This was posted as only for Adult Emperador quests but we did see other color wristbands there as well as several children when we were there. We ate here twice and both times were just OK. The best thing here was the Shrimp VIP main course. The other courses we had were just OK and the service, although not bad at all, was not as good as the other a la Cartes. 8/10
Cuban A La Carte We ate here our first night and were somewhat surprised after some of the reviews. The service was very good and the food was good! The meal is a little quick but not rushed. My friend had the Crab Salad and I had the Seafood Medley Salad to start and both were good. We both had the shrimp main course which was very good. I had cake and coffee to top off the meal. 8.5/10
Seafood A La Carte We ate here once but would have gone back if we had a chance. The service we received from our server Enrique was outstanding! He was always checking on us and filling glasses and bread as needed. I had the Smoked Salmon Crepes, Fish Soup and Fish & Seafood Skewer. All were very good. Friend had the Crab apps, Lobster Bisque, and the Mahi Mahi which were good. 9/10
Italian A La Carte We ate here twice and both times we had great service. The antipasto apps buffet was very good with a good selection which had different stuff the 2 times we were there. I could have made a meal just out of this buffet. The first time I had the Minestrone soup which was good and hot. For main courses we had the Chicken and Canelones the first time which were just ok. The second time my friend had the veal which was not good and I had pasta with Bolognese sauce which was very good. 8.5/10
Steakhouse A La Carte We ended up with Daylin as our server cause she remembered us from the Cuban a la carte and took over as our server and once again we had great service. My friend was not feeling well that night so he only had soup and bread and Daylin checked to see if he wanted some Chamomile Tea afterwards. I had the veggie salad which was very nice, the soup which was Ok and the chicken/shrimp brochette which was very good. The baked potato was as good or even better than you would get at a restaurant at home. 8.5/10
Although some of the dishes were just OK I rated the a la cartes so high because of the great outstanding service we received in general. And each was a nice dining evening out.
Things of Note about the Krystal
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We had read about there being a shortage of TP in the public washrooms and we only ran into this mainly on the Laguna side.
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There is a small quiet Adult Only pool but it was on the Laguna side and removed from most things, so we never used it.
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The pool area was not busy until later in the afternoon so there was not a lot of saving of loungers. The pool did seem to be used later in the day – quite often there were still people in the pool when we were heading to dinner.
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Even though at times there was a line at the money exchange I never had to wait that long.
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Evenings were filled with music in the lobby, bars, and a la cartes!
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The pool bartender would go around the pool area taking drink orders.
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The beach was better then we remember it being when we were at the Blau. It was nice white sand and easier to walk in than at the Blau.
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The beach huts are taken very early.
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The resort overall was well maintained and very clean. There were a lot of garbage cans through out the resort.
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Checkout was no problem. Since we had a late flight we checked out at noon and used the courtesy room to shower and change. This room was a lot cleaner than other courtesy rooms we have used. We did have to wait a bit for the room since there were only 2 rooms and 3 bus loads heading to the airport at the same time.
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There were tables with board games set up around the lobby or pool area most days
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The best spot for shade at the pool is also where they sit up their music system.
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One day they had an ice-cream cart going around the lobby area late afternoon. (May have been more often but we were only in the lobby this time of day the once.)
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Wednesday there was a late afternoon Cuban Party in the lobby area.
Some of the best assets of the Krystal were the friendly smiling staff, nice central lobby- pool area, 5 a la carte choices and it is only 10 mins from the Airport! Overall we had a great week at the Krystal and would return to it no problem.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Brian & Phyllis ~ Nova Scotia |
April 2009
Arrival: March 21 - April 4
We arrived at the hotel approximately midnight for our sixth time at this resort and tenth time in Cayo Coco. We were greeted warmly, and within two minutes were on the way in a club car to our room. Once there, the bellboy happily carried our luggage up to the third floor and deposited it in our room. Before leaving, he confirmed that the lights and air conditioning were working properly.
Checkout was also quick, friendly, and efficient.
Rooms
Our room was on Laguna side, third-floor, with a spectacular view of the lagoon, the ocean, and Club Tryp. It was cleaned meticulously each day, and we had no difficulties with insects, towels, bedding, or toilet tissue. (We do always take a roll of tissue with us to avoid stress, but had no need for it this trip). Each day, a different scene greeted us when we returned, swans, flowers, etc., made from the blankets or towels. The highlight was an elephant on the bathroom vanity. We had no water issues worth talking about.
Restaurants and Bars
We ate in both buffets, all of the a la cartes including the VIP, and at both grills, and we did not have a meal that was anything less than excellent. In fact, we found this to be the biggest change in the resort over the past year. We ate shellfish, fish, beef, pork, chicken, omelets, salads, pasta, and bread and found all of them tasty, appropriately hot or cold, and attractive to look at. (Special mention goes to the great hamburgers at Las Dunas!)
We also drank at most of the bars, and while not all drinks are available at all bars, we had no trouble getting what we wanted at any given time.
Service at the bars and restaurants was uniformly outstanding, and we never felt that a tip was expected.
We also greatly enjoyed the live music in the lobbies and restaurants and especially on La Sirena stage.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is so beautiful that it is almost beyond belief. It is kept extremely clean, including free of seaweed. The ability to drag the seaweed does depend on the tide time, though, so you can sometimes find seaweed here. It was sometimes difficult to get a chair, and many of the chairs were broken. This was much different from our previous visits, and was a legacy of the unsupervised school trips, whose students basically destroyed everything they found. (Exact quote from the S-trip staff: "It's your last night of vacation, do whatever you want.")
We spent almost no time at the pools, but did note that they were clean.
The grounds are lovely, featuring many colourful trees and shrubs as well as the usual palm trees. Although well-cut and cared for, some of the grass badly needs water.
Public washrooms are, well, public washrooms. Sometimes there is no toilet tissue; sometimes they don't smell the best. They are comparable to the washrooms in any of Canada's international airports. Realistically, you can't clean and restock them after every user. Cleaning activity here is non-stop, at any hour of the day or night you will see cleaners with mops cleaning floors.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
These are many and varied. For free, you can go on a catamaran, you can get a windsurfer, kayak, or paddleboat. Motorized items cost money.
We'd highly recommend the glass-bottomed boat, which takes you snorkeling at the coral reef; paragliding; and the flying boat.
Many day trips and excursions are also available at assorted prices.
Other Comments
First of all, Adrian asked me to tell you that he emphatically does not need shoes.
As you can no doubt tell, we had a superb time here again, and plan to return each year until we have a good reason not to return. This is not to say that the resort is perfect. As a lady said to us one evening,If I put my Montreal glasses on, I can find lots of things wrong, Anyone can do this, if that's what they choose to focus on. Ultimately, how much you enjoy (or fail to enjoy) your vacation here or anywhere else depends on you. If you expect and demand absolute perfection (for less that $1000 per week, all-inclusive), you will probably be disappointed. There is not a resort in Cayo Coco whose quality of goods and services is as good as, say, the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. Unfortunately, $1000 won't allow you to stay very long in Montreal, especially if you eat and drink in the manner that you will here. If your expectations are realistic, and you don't require absolute perfection, then this resort is an excellent value for your money.
Cubans are known as "the gentle people with the beautiful brown skin", and as a group we have come to love them. They are a large part of the charm on the resort. To maximize your experience with them, we suggest a few simple ideas.
- Whey you order a drink, take off your sunglasses and smile
- Say please and thank you (or even better, por favor and gracias)
- Try to remember their names
- If you want to chat, ask about their families and lives
- In general, just treat them respectfully, they are your servers, not your servants.
Finally, here are a few survival tips. If you need facecloths, take them with you. We'd also suggest pepper and a roll of toilet paper. If you must have Tetley tea, bring it too. If you are staying for two weeks, you'll need to reactivate your room keys at the end of the first week, just go to Reception and they'll be happy to do it for you.
In summary, the only negative aspect to our vacation was the behaviour of the (sad to say) Canadian students with S-trip on their graduation trip. The lack of respect, destruction, noise, and general behaviour were absolutely deplorable. Broken lights, chairs and club cars put in the lagoon, food fights, and other unimaginable acts were performed by some,“ not all, of these students.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Denise ~ Cape Breton |
April 2009
Arrival: March 26 - April 2
We traveled with Air transat. The bus dropped us off at the wrong lobby so they kindly shuttled us over to the laguna side as quick as possible. The man was very nice in explaining the different things along the way. Once at our side, they gave us a package with all our information and then they shuttled us to our room. Very efficient.
Rooms
The rooms were clean and we didnt have any problem with the maid. Everyday they had our bed made, new water in the fridge, new towels and toilet paper. The toilets did take a long time to flush but they seemed to be like that even outside of the resort.
Restaurants and Bars
The bars were ok, but machine for frozen drinks was broken often... The flair bar was great but got crowded quick. The a la carte restaurants had great food and it was really quick service and the food was hot. The only complaint about the buffet is that it is a bit understaffed so it was sometimes hard to find a set table or get drinks. The staff at the buffet were extremely friendly and they made it a great experience. I do have to mention that I am trained in advanced food safety at a management level and although I heard lots of bad things about food poisoning here, it is not true. Everything that I seen is up to par, the hot food was hot, cold food cold, and the food was never out long enough for any danger of food poisoning. However, being that it is a different country, your digestive system may need time to reajust so immodium is a good idea.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
the beach was groomed everyday and although it was hard to find a seat, it was still enjoyable. The pools were very nice and in abundance, and we usually were able to find a chair everyday. The grounds were also raked everyday and watered.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The activites were great at the hotel, everything from pool sports, to the nh games, a show everynight from dancers to comedians, beach volleyball and all the beach equipement you could want like kayakes, pedal boats, banana boats, all very easy to get too. We went horseback riding and it was very fun, and not very expensive. We also went on a tour called colourful cuba, this brought us out to the mainland starting with a speedboat ride through a red lagoon, and into the trees where we were lucky to see cubas national bird which is facing extinction, we seen different kinds of vegetation and other things, the boat driver didnt speak much english however was very intertaining and still kept us informed. from there, we went out to the crocodile farm, where you could how a 2 year old croc or feed one of the full growns, we went to an old sugar mill where decendants of slaves demonstrated how their ancestors lived, then took a train ride to a farm where we ate dinner. From there we went to Moron where we toured the city in horse and buggy, then had a private party in a little bar. We then had 45 minutes free time to go around the city on our own. very nice trip and price was reasonable.
Other Comments
This resort is very safe, so was the town. Flair bar is a must see, and try the churros by there too... They also have a market every evening where you can purchase all kinds of souvenirs at the cheapest prices I seen during the whole voyage. Also, in the laguna lobby, you can see a man making cigars. This is a great resort and since I have fine dining and wine service training, I can tell you that all the restaurants are 5 star. I would recommend anyone to visit but remember to bring canadian cash as there is no where on the resort to get money from a bank account, there is a bank close, but it costs $10 pesos to get there. Hope you find my review helpful!
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
David ~ Toronto |
April 2009
Arrival
We flew with Sunwing, flight was 90 minutes late but the flight is only 3 hrs and 10 minutes long.
Sunwing flight was very comfortable and they game you a choice of two hot meals which was quite good by airplane standards.
Customs and security were relatively quick at the airport as we were the only flight there.
Resort is about 15 minutes from the airport.
Check in wasn't very organized or prepared for our arrival.
We couldn't access the safe for two days which meant we had to carry our passports and money around for those two days which was a pain and not very helpful at both the hospitality services and also the Sunwing rep.
Rooms
Rooms are ok but could do with a cosmetic facelift.
Beds are comfortable and we had hot water all week.
A/C worked well.
Restaurants and Bars
The buffet on the Laguna side is ok but the food becomes boring as the same food is there on a regular basis. Line ups can be long for eggs at breakfast and various dishes from the hotplates at diner.
Italian was pretty bad, Seafood was good and steakhouse was ok.
Had lunch once beside the pool and that was ok.
Service at the A la carte was good but at the buffet is was tough to get water or coffee and little or no chance of getting a refill, the staff there seemed to be overworked as they were trying to bus the tables while trying to provide drinks.
Not the friendliest employees we have encountered, friendliest staff were the gardeners, we were surprised as we have been to Holguin several times and the staff there could not be more helpful.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach is nice when the tide is out but is quite small at high tide.
Staff clear the seaweed off the beach every day.
You may need to get to the beach early if you wanted one of the covered areas.
We walked the beach in both directions which was nice but not much to see.
We took snorkelling equipment but the sea was a little rough and cold to do any snorkelliing. Most of the week was very windy so sitting on the beach was not very pleasant as the sand was blowing.
We spent most of the time at the adult pool which was nice but unfortunately one of our towels were stolen and it was 20 CUC to replace it but this seems to be a common occurrence at the resort as we spoke to several other people who had the same thing happen to them, not sure if this is some sort of scam by the resort as this has never happened to us anywhere else we have traveled.
Grounds on the Laguna side were as dry as an arabs sandal so they were very very brown and not very appealing to the eye, grounds on the other side were much more lush and presentable. Grounds could do with some work to bring them up to snuff.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We took one day trip which was called "splendour".
This trip took you for a ride on a speedboat through a mangrove forest then a drive through Moron and then on to Ciego De Avila where you visited a cigar factory, took a drive on a bike taxi, went to a bar to listen to a local bar where you we entertained by a local band and were given some free time to do some shopping on the main street.
Next was some lunch and a ride on a steam train where you were entertained by some Cuban dancers at the end of the ride.
Lastly was a trip to a crocodile farm which has a variety of different sizes of crocodile there This trip is good if you like to see how the Cuban's live and get some history of the country, you spend quite a bit of time on the bus but it was very informative.
Take plenty of change as you need a bit of cash to tip the various people through the day.
Other Comments
This resort is ok but certainly no more than a 3 star resort at best.
Not sure if we would go back to Cayo Coco as we have had much better experiences at Holguin, Dominican and Mexico.
Try and spend your money at a different resort if you have the option.
Leaving Cayo Coco took quite a while as there were two other flights leaving at the same time so make sure you take your water as the line up was outside the terminal.
david.broadfoot@rogers.com
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Viola ~ Toronto |
March 2009
Arrival
Upon arrival it was beautiful. We were greated with smiles and then the nightmare started after that!
Rooms
The room we had smelt like urine. It took at least 3 to 4 flushes to get any kind of waste down. To have the bed changed I had to pull the sheets off myself and throw it on the floor to get them to change it. Even giving them tips I found our room not very tidy after it was cleaned. The air conditioner didn't work and even after asking them to repair it we were told they were on the way. They never came. We were showering in cold showers daily until the 6th day.
Restaurants and Bars
We were so sick all week with bowel and stumach cramps. It took me the first three days to figure out not to eat the meat. I found their standards not of what would ever be allowed here. ie. I walked by one buffet grill and saw a gray container on the upper display shelf filled with what I first thought was just a veggie rice mixture seeing that it wasn't being chilled at all and then thrown on the grill to fry. As I took a closer look I saw it also had raw shrimp and calamary in it. That is a sure recipe for food poison! But once I stopped eating any of the meat my stumach cramps went away but still continued with bowel problems the rest of the week and we were'nt alone. All the people I spoke to on the trip had bowel problems as well. By the last two days I was living on soup and bread cause I was so scared to eat anything at all. As for the bars another sure recipe for disaster!!! I was at one of the bars on sight and was watching the bartender closly cause he was doing tricks and everything. Well as I was watching him I got an eye full when I say them just taking the dirty glasses from one customer giving it a fast rinse under cold water and serving the next person with it. I was mortified with the scare of hep! WOW I told everybody I met to make sure you drank from a straw and not touch the glasses with your mouth.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The grounds were pretty clean as well as the pool though it was colder than the ocean. Now with the pool towels. Upon arrival everybody receives a tower each and you are told that if you loose it you owe them 20 pacos. Well the towels first of all my towel had a big hole in it! By the third day my towel was stolen and I had heard from several people that it happened to them as well. There is no reason for anyones towel to be stolen when we all started with one. I believe that it was something with the staff. On the last day of our trip we boarded the bus at seven pm. Cause I didn't hand in my towel they literally asked me to get off the bus and pay for the towel when I already said that it was stolen as was many other peoples that week. I was mortified and embarressed. On day my I was at the pool and my husband was coming back to the pool to meet me and he was approached by one of the employees of the resort saying mister emergency and my husband thought whats wrong and asked him that and the employee stated he needed 20 pacos and when my husband told him that he had no money on him the employee walked back to meet his two buddies and they laughed
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We didn't go on any tours cause we were too sick to even consider it.
Other Comments
I have to say if I could have left by the fourth day I would have. You couldn't pay me to go back there again. I have put a huge complaint in with Sunwing to replace this trip and to boot, this was our 25th anniversary trip!!! Do yourself a favour and pay a little extra and go somewhere else. You'll thank me for this review.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Ed ~ Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada |
March 2009
Arrival: March 14 - March 21
Learned from reading reviews at this site - get in line ASAP when u get off the bus - we did, and it was a fast checkin. Flight down was good - on time. Skyservice. Took apples in my luggage as treats for the hotel staff. Got busted at the airport for having them. The inspector too 8 - had 4 left. I think the maid appreciated them!
Rooms
Room was on the 2nd floor. Was decent, clean. Water pressure was good except one day - always hot water! Toilets worked surprisingly well. Always TP. We left goodies for the maid each day. No bugs. Working AC all the time. One thing that bugged me - the sheets remain the same all week! Could they not change them once in awhile? Also - the floor is not swept daily, so you will get sand on your feet - which could end up in your bed! When they don't change the sheets - it accumulates!
Restaurants and Bars
The buffet was great. This is a large hotel (almost 700 rooms), and they do have multiple buffets. There was always variety - Get them to cook some chicken on the grill, and take that over to the pizza station! Yum! You cannot complain about the food. It was abundant and unless you are the worlds pickiest eater - u will not go hungry. We did go to the Pizza restaurant, the Steakhouse and the VIP. They were ok - but we didn't like the fact that we had preset times. Not a huge deal though. Again - there was enough at the buffet that you could always change your meal up.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Gorgeous beach. Nice white sand, although a bit dirty from tourists leaving their crap (cigarette butts (disgusting), cups etc etc etc....). Have to get up early to get a shaded spot! Lots of saving going on. Pools were great too, but again - to get shade, get their real early. Very clean pools - nice swim up bar.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Went on the catamaran trip - nice. Great meal on board. Stopped at 2 reefs - not a good as I would have expected. Are the reefs in Cuba dying? Also went on the Jeep Safari - not a great start (boring), but the afternoon was good. You get to drive your own jeep (suzuki) which was alot of fun. The crocodiles are wild! GF went for a Spa and enjoyed it.
Other Comments
We had a great vacation. It was March break - the place was full. The wild partyers were on the Laguna side of the resort. Our side was quiet. The food was great, better than I expected. The only complaint I have - the stink of the Lagoon area. I would not want have wanted to be in those cabins! I would return :-)
gonzozen55@gmail.com
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Brittany ~ Canada |
March 2009
Arrival: Mar 3 - 10
quick check in. had bus boys drive us to our room instead of walking. thank goodness!
Rooms
nice size rooms. had living room, bedroom, bathroom with tub toilet and buday( have no idea how to spell that)and oter bathroom with sink and closet as well as a decent sized space for changing ect.
Restaurants and Bars
ordered same drink at diffent bars and tasted different each time (assuming this is because they dont use shot glasses?)
Beach/Pools/Grounds
needed more chairs around the pool. had to get up at 6:30 am and put a towel on one if you wanted one throughout the day.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
did day trip to moron, was very informational. tour guide spoke very good english. activities around the pool daily were fun as well. hotel staff tried o get everyone involved but were not pushy about it.
Other Comments
overall this resort was awesome. would recommend to people traveling with children as we talked to a few children and they loved the kids club. couples, mother daughter getaway. something for everyone to enjoy.
brittanymarie_89@hotmail.com
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Marion ~ Nova Scotia |
March 2009
Arrival: March 12 - 19
Check in to the hotel was long but there were about 300 people on ourflight so this was to be expected. Reception staff (Dory) was excellent.
Rooms
We stayed on the bottom floor of the emperador side. It smelled a tiny bit musty but you only have to open your window to cure it!
Restaurants and Bars
All of the Restaraunts are exceptional. Especially the Cuban one! There you will meet the most wonderful staff- Yamila, Yamilka, Derik, Marco and Milagro.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach is absolutely wonderful. Water is prestine and the beach bar is excellent. Stop and have a drink with Jose the bar tender.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We have been to this resort almost a dozen times. We rented a car and drove into Moron and Pina for the entire day. It was the best day of our vacation. If you want to experience the real Cuba and their people, do a tour into town. You will not regret it.
Other Comments
I have alot to say about the week of our march break and it is not as positive as I would like it to be.I have no complaints at all about this hotel. The room maid could have cleaned our room more thoroughly but no biggy there. There are two gift shops on the emperador side that tried on a number of occasions to give people improper change with the peso. This was a big problem as my teenagers experienced being "ripped off" 4 times that week. We talked with others who had the same thing happen. These shops are independant of the hotel but management will address this issue if need be. The rest of the entire staff were, as always, the best people anyone would want to meet. The service is exceptional here and the staff cannot do enough to please you if you ask nicely. This is our 5th March break here and it wll be out last. 100% has to do with the 700 odd teenagers who were allowed to vacation here with little to no supervision. For example, breakaway tours offers grade 12 students a trip here for march break for 300 students and there is one adult. Breakaway has been around for a while but this is the first March break we have ever seen them at this hotel. Another group is called s-trip. Again hundreds of teenagers together with little supervision. I cannot tell you how loud these kids were. Not one nights sleep at the hotel, dirty glasses everywhere, boys in girls washrooms, boys falling out of two storey windows, cigarette burns on kids arms, black eyes from fighting, sex on the beach, drinking from huge funnels, puking from drinking, spewing th f word constantly, etc. There are a lot of bars availale on this resort but quite a few found themselves running out of drinks due to the teenagers ordering 10 to 20 drinks at a time. We found very little time to be able t o get away from these irresponsible drunks. This is supposed to be a family resort and on March break it was a time from hell!! Both my husband and I spoke with the tour guide of Breakaway tours, his name is ****, and we expessed our disgust with the teenagers and what was happening. He told us that he has good insurance on these kids and that "no one has died yet:. We had quite a discussion with him and told him how disgusting he was to be able to bring these kids to Cuba unsupervised. I spoke with the new management as well to tell them our concerns and we also filled out customer survey cards while we were there. I would reccomend that if you are thinking about spending March break at this hotel, that you call beforehand to make sure it will be a pleasant one without out of control teenagers as we did hear a rumour that some were taken to jail for 3 nights.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Gord ~ Vegreville |
March 2009
Arrival
We were made to feel very welcome, although we were not able to check into our room at 10am; we waiting until 2pm.
Rooms
Rooms were very clean, bed and pillows comfortable and drapes made room very dark for sleeping.
Restaurants and Bars
The people serving at all venues were very friendly and willing to provide lots of alcohol in each drink; had to get extra mix sometimes. Food is unique; we found that we ate when we were hungry, not just because it was so good.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was kept clean except for 2 days when the pre 1960 tractor broke down. The sand is absolutely amazing and the water warm and very clear. Many people were working daily to keep the grounds clean, but not much green grass.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Very nice, but VERY expensive.
Other Comments
Although exchange rate is listed at $1.23 Cdn for CUC in Canada, plan to pay $1.41 or so everywhere. Also plan to pay an additional $0.11 for using a credit card. The cigar selection at the Emperador is better than the airport and prices are the same, but the people at the Casa Del Habano were friendlier.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Shawn and Jenn ~ Nova Scotia |
March 2009
Arrival: March 7 to 14
We arrived late in the evening with all the bus for our resort so Jenn went in line as I waited for luggage to come off bus we was second in line so check in was quick
Rooms
Room was basic room , except no balcony but had hair dryer , free safe , mini fridge stocked with water and some days beer but we could get beer at any bar so who needs it in the room at night after drinking all day .we had clean towels each day and we stayed in building 20 so very close to the adult pool .
Restaurants and Bars
we found the food great , we tried the steakhouse the italian and the cuba ,and both buffets, never had any problem we always found something good to eat ,always had fries that u could add cheese and gravy to at the buffet , and at the 24 hour snack bar aswell which also made minin pizzas, we also tried the deep fried dounuts outside WILBURs bar which was a very fun spot to hang out in the night time wilbur puts on a awsome show I have some vides on webshots which u can acess from debbies from shawn and jenn . We did find the drinks ok but have had better at other resorts , more of a slushy drink is what we perfer but if u like just mixed with ice then the were good .and the beer well they had crystal and bucanero .
Beach/Pools/Grounds
we had no trouble getting chairs by the pool one day we went down at 930 and was still lots around but by 10 they were all filled up but most people did move around so was always a chair opening up u just had to look around and u could find some .we did hear of a few towels going missing which is a bummer for those people who had to pay for a towel thats why we take our 9 dollar walmart towel because its not the towel the people want its the 20 or 25 dollars they dont want to pay for losing a towel.The beach was great and yes it did have that stuff from the ocen the seaweed everyone seems to complain about but thats what happens when the tide comes in and goes out, it leaves stuff behind but the resort did its best to clean it up each day but with all the people laying on the beach its hard for a tractor to get it all clean up unless they close the beach down to do it so I guess we have to just enjoy the miles of white sand and beautiful warm blue water that is around and walk around it or lay in a spot that has no seaweed. sometimes the tide goes out early so they can get on the beach befor people start to get to the beach thats why some resorts look like they have a cleaner beach its just timing when u are there.The pool water was cool because of the cooler weatehr that cuba had late feb early march but we did get in as they had no ice on them so better then home.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We went to the bat cave /disco one night and had a blast the picked us up at the resort and droped us off back at the resort. we had no problem at the bat cave bathrooms we well the same as any bar at home after u get hundreds of half drunk to fully drunk people using them.
Other Comments
We would go back to this resort as we had no problems at this resort just remember u are in cuba and on vacation with no snow so relax and enjoy it , if u see something u dont like then dont eat it if u get a room with a bit of dirt on the floor wipe it up its not like none of us have ever clean anything at home , and yes if u get a room with a musty smell open a widow or wait and turn on the ac it will be gone . or take a bouce sheet and put it in a vent .ONE more thing if u buy anything with a red and black bean on it to bring home like the eyes of a wooden animal like we had they will take it from u the beans are very bad they can kill a small chlid or pet so maybe just pick them off befor u bring it back and then glue someting on when u get home just so they dont take the whole thing but other then that had no problem with bringing back wood carvings.
dayteksk@hotmail.com
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Sheila & Don ~ Montreal |
March 2009
Arrival: March 8 to the 15
Arrival and reception was quick and efficient .Staff members brought our luggage to our rooms . Our rooms were ready and clean even if it was only 12.00 noon .
Rooms
Have been there 9 times and have stayed in the villas,junior suites and regular rooms on Laguna side . This time was Laguna side where rooms are big with 2 queen/king size beds . In room safe for free . Plenty of hot water , towels and bottled water in fridge . Bring faceclots as most Cuban hotel don't supply them .
Restaurants and Bars
there are 5 restaurants , Italian,steak,Cuban,seafood and v.i.p. In vip , gents have to wear long pants . Food was very good in all places . There are 2 buffets , one on either side which have a good choice for breakfast,lunch and dinner .Waiters/waitresses are very friendly .
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach is the best , clean and great for kids . Lots of places to walk to . There are 4 pools , one is a adults only pool . Pool bars on either side . Grounds were well kept and new flowers and decorations were all over .
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Many day trips is available from your tour rep. Many activities around the pools , arobics,pool gym,water polo,baseball,soccer,salsa lessons and Spanish lessons etc...... there is a kid's area also , UNCLE CLAUDIO .
Other Comments
Cubans still love and appreciate anything you bring them .Clothes,books,pens,school supplies,band aids,tylanol,etc....Mix with them , they love to talk and have fun . Get involved .
sheilaboucher@sympatico.ca
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Paul ~ Guelph |
March 2009
Arrival
We flew Sky Service and was uneventful. Arrival was fast and efficient at the airport and we were greated very nicely when we arrived at the resort. This is our second time there. Last time it was still called El Senador. Check in went smooth and we were transported to our room in one of the golf carts.
Rooms: Feb 15 - 22
We stayed in the Laguna suites....the ones on the water. Very large rooms with a separate sitting room, bedroom with King sized bed, powder room with sink and bathroom with jacuzzi, shower and even a biddé(which my wife liked), and a covered deck overlooking the lagoon. Room was very spacious and clean. We asked for extra some extra pillows and they were delivered before we got back from breakfast. There was a slight odour when you went out onto the lagoon, but once you transitioned from land to water the smell dissapeared. Our maid was great. Every morning we were greated with something new...even flowers one day. She didn't ask for a thing.
Restaurants and Bars
Bars at the resort were fine....they always are. Service was OK as we were there on reading week, so there were alot of students. I always tip well so for me getting service was not difficult. The only thing that always bothers me is the people who bring these great big "Big Gulp" mugs and have them filled up. Come on people...get up and go for a walk. Gees if you tip the bar staff they will even keep bringing you drinks. The staff were always polite to my wife and myself. But then again I have always been treated well by the friendly people of Cuba. We ate breakfast every day at the buffet....food was very good and they had everything I would ever need. Our waitress always brought our morning tea and coffe to our table. We ate at all the A la Carte restaurants except the seafood and were never dissapointed. VIP was probably the best, although the Steak house came a close second. At the VIP I had Red Snapper and it was amazing. My wife had medallions of tenderloine, which she enjoyed. At the Steakhouse I had the Steak which you cannot compare to a good steakhouse here, but it was tender and very flavourful. Since we are both not big wine drinkers, I cannot comment on a good or bad wine, but what we had was nice. We ate dinner a couple of nights at the buffet and alway had a good meal...my wife loves the bread there....it is always fresh with no additives or preservatives, and the desserts are always good. In the afternoons we would frequent the cafeteria by the pool and have a hamburger and fries or a ham and cheese, or even a salad. always lots of choice. I think you really must miss the boat if you can't find something good to eat there
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Beach in Cayo Coco is amazing beautiful white sand, and you can walk out a long way into the ocean. There was only one day that was windy and the staff recommended not going into the ocean although lots of people did anyway. Beach is always kept clean. Pools are always well maintained. My only complaint is the people who place their towels on the lounges and then think they OWN them for the day. I don't think the resort should allow that...it was rediculous. One morning i was out walking at approx 7:00 am....a woman came down to the beach....placed 3 towels on 3 lounges...then left. I went back to ther room...had breakfast...walked...my wife and I then went to the beach at approx 9:45 am....the woman and her friends finally showed up to "Claim" there lounges at 11:30 am....left for some lunch (I assume) around 12:30 and then didn't return again until well after 2:00 pm. I was amazed that they were insulted when some one said something to them....I only wish it had been me!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Since this was our second time there we didn't really do any scheduled tours. We did rent a car and drive to a small beach at Playa Pilar....it was absolutely Georgous. The car was great....fairly new and in good condition....gas was approx 1 Convertible Pes per litre. On the way back to the resort we stopped by at another small beach and restaurant we had been to before had a few beers and something to eat. Service was good and the food was even better.
Other Comments
This was our 15th trip to Cuba....we have been to this resort twice and although it has degraded a little since our last trip, I still would not hesitate recommending it to my friends. Honestly we have not had a bad trip to Cuba...or anywhere else for that matter. My wife and I did see a couple of people complaining about different things, but from what I saw of them, I think they would have found something to complain about if they were staying at Bucckingham Palace. My wife and I are pretty easy going, but I honestly believe YOUR vacation is as good as YOU make it
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Toronto, Ontario |
March 2009
Arrival: March 1 - March 8
The arrival was organized and efficient.
Rooms
Clean, no bugs- hotel maid was good
Restaurants and Bars
Food at the Buffet Restaurant was disgusting. Many items seemed to be at the point of spoiling- vegetables, beans, butter, milk were off. Other food like carrots, rice was often in a pool of melted oil or butter. By the end of the week I felt nauseated. I mostly ate fruit, pasta and rice all week. The food in the a la carte restaurants was better- nothing had gone bad.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Okay
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The activities were okay - nothing special
Other Comments
I was very disappointed in this resort. I have been to Cuba before-to Arenas Dorades in Varadero and the food there was good. I would not go back to this resort.It seemed like a lot of hype with little substance.I am very surprised to see that it has 4+ stars- I would rate it much lower.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Debbie ~ Waterloo, Ont. |
March 2009
Arrival
we were to fly out of toronto at 4 pm. the plane left the ground at 11pm. apparently there was a problem the day before with a plane...that put things back...we booked with air transat (canjet)...arrived at the resort at 3 am....it's a very short ride to the resort from airport...only 1 person on at check-in..it was 3 am...they had everything ready so check-in was quick...it helped i was at front of the line...was given map and sent on our way...it had rained so some staff were out wiping up any standing water around pool...i gather to avoid anyone from slipping...u are carrying luggage
Rooms
we stayed on the emperador side..
the room was spacious and clean....did not see any bugs...we were on the second floor..the fridge had pop, water (big bottle), and beer...the shower worked...always had hot water, but then i'm a early riser...now the toilet needs something to be desired...the plumbing isn't the best...could stand there flushing all day just to get rid of toilet paper...maybe just throw in the garbage
Restaurants and Bars
we had 5 ala-cartes with our package...the steakhouse (very good) vip (very good) cuban (good) italian (didn't care for) i got a pizza...didn't like the cheese..we cancelled the seafood one so i can't comment..the bars were good...enjoyed the buffet...(emperador side) loved the coffee...i drink mine black..no sugar...if it is srong will add some...didn't have to...they have these buns with sugar on top....to die for
Beach/Pools/Grounds
the pools and grounds kept clean..u have to get up early if u want to get a chair by the pool...no problem for me, but i didn't lay by the pool...the beach is very nice..even though it can get very windy, the sand does not blow around...to me it seems to feel like flour...there is some seaweed on the beach from the tide...a tractor cleans it up...the water is fantastic...very salty...u can walk out quite far before it gets any depth
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
didn't bother with activities...it was too windy most of the time for water sports...the day we were to leave would have been the perfect day..we did go horse back riding...i thought it might be included but it cost 10 pesos per person for 1 hr. ride...didn't leave the resort...no desire to go into the town of moron
Other Comments
can't figure out why they would not have screens on the windows..they allow such a beautiful breeze to come in...
this was my 1st time to any resort...i was not disappointed...would not pick anything less than 4 stars...next time would try 5 star..if the price was right i would come back here again
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Lynda ~ Kitchener, Ont, Canada |
March 2009
Arrival: Feb. 22 - March 1st
we where to arrive at 7:20pm, & didn't arrive until 3:00am. we where checked in quickly & sent on our way , to find our rooms in the dark.we did not get the welcoming drinks etc that you would get if you arrived on time & payed for.don't believe it was the resorts fault, but that of the agent
Rooms
we found our rooms clean & very roomy. very nice experience
Restaurants and Bars
the restaurants & bars where very good, staff extremely friendly...I found the food to be good...we did bring our own pepper & ketchup...
Beach/Pools/Grounds
the beach was breathtaking even tho we could do no water sports because of wind.spent quite a bit of time there none the less...the pool was clean & well kept, but lounge chairs where hard to get. the grounds are clean & well kept.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
the only activities we did was the horse back riding...felt sorry for the horse as most of the 1 hr ride was on pavement therefore hard on the hooves...when we arrived back I asked if they got water now & the reply was yes, however no water was given.we didn't go on any other tours because we felt we payed enough & what was advertised included some of these things example; snorkeling - you had to buy a package to go to the area, believe it was something like 49 pesos per.a trip into moron cost approx $100.00 can.return.
Other Comments
we went for sun & relaxation which is what we got. the best alacart for me was the steakhouse. the steak was tender & tasty.the worst was the italian.the food overall was good.the staff is very friendly & language was not a problem..
transat holiday on the other hand not so good...upon arrival at toronto we where advised that the plane was delayed, no reson why & where given $15.00 per person.we where to leave at 3:45pm & didn't actually leave until 10:10pm.on arrival in cuba ( 3:00am) we missed our welcoming, but where told to be at a briefing at 9:45 the next morning & sent on our way.at the briefing by airtran rep no apology was given.airtran needs to learn customer service, we are not impressed with their service.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Bev ~ Halifax, NS |
February 2009
Arrival: March 2008
We arrived on March 24, 2008 and were very excited as we had heard many, many good things about Cuba. We were about to find out how bad it was.
Rooms
Our room was on the Emperador side of things and it was POSITIVELY TERRIBLE. It smelled disgustingly musty and didn't go away, even after leaving windows open, it had small bugs crawling everywhere and didn't even appear that clean. One night when we were walking back to our room, we saw a mouse walking along the inside window ledge of the room in the building next to ours. It was not a good start to things at all.
Restaurants and Bars
The bars were okay, average service. Once again, if you tip, you get service. If not, you wait. Watered down drinks, etc. We only tried one of the a la carte restaurants and it was the seafood one. We had the lobster and it was not bad at all. The rest of the food, excluding the one day we were able to find tomatoe soup in the Laguna buffet, was absolutely and without a doubt terrible. No one should have to survive on what they feed you there. My husband lost AT LEAST 10-15 pounds there (his short were falling off after a few days) and I (I was 98 pounds when I left) lost about 5-8 pounds there. It doesn't take a lot of food to please me but it does take edible food. Good luck with that at this place.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beaches were absolutely gorgeous. I guess that is because the resort staff didn't have to create them. There was some spots with heavy seaweed but otherwise the beaches were great. Crystal clear and warm water. The grounds were not overly clean but overall not too bad. The bank ran out of money when we needed some too and "lady" (and I use that term loosely) at the bank was the rudest person we ran into. I don't know what crawled up her but and died, but I can only imagine.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We didn't even have the strength to go on a tour. We booked one but, since we had both been sick a couple of days before, we cancelled it feeling like we would just be wasting more money than we already had on the trip in the first place.
Other Comments
STOP USING VALUABLE SUITCASE SPACE TO BRING TIPS, GIFTS FOR THE STAFF. It doesn't matter what you give them, the service still sucks. The gardeners were the kindest and nicest ones of all. They all bug you constantly to buy things they have made but at least they tried to do something to earn a couple of bucks. I realize they don't make much money there, however, we pay a good price to go to a resort and it turns out more like a trip to a backyard shed. The maids are rude and, after about two days of leaving tips and gifts, we said 'screw it" and they got nothing else. We gave our remaining items to the gardeners. We ran out of toilet paper several times. We took a few of our own rolls which saved us one night when we were both very ill from the sickening food. We also survived on pretty much bread (which is as hard as the hinges of hell by the way). The small bugs all over the place made us keep all of our possessions zipped away in our suitcase all of the time in the hopes that it would keep them off of our clothing, etc. We brought some bug spray but it didn't seem to make any difference. This place needs to be fumigated all over, from top to bottom as it was disgusting. I felt dirty from the time I arrived until the time we got home. The water worked sometimes and not others. The maids came into our room one morning while we were out and, instead of taking our used, wet towels which we left out, they decided to fold them and place them over the towel rack which made them appear to be clean ones (until we went to have a shower that night and realized they were the wet ones from earlier that morning). They were absolutely disgusting. There basically was no entertainment. There was a guy at one of the bars who was great at juggling bottles and he was slightly entertaining. Other than that, forget it. One day we were walking the resort. It was extremely hot out and, low and behold, a golf cart drives by us with two workers transporting meat from one side of the resort (the Laguna side) to the other side (the Emperador side). The meat was being transported in an open golf cart, uncovered and out in the heat. We couldn't believe our eyes. Once again, disgusting. You can't even make a phone call to the outside world without their permission and it costs a FORTUNE. It is $2.50 per minute. Between that and the exchange rate, it is absolute robbery at its best. The staff tend to spend lots of time trying to make you feel sorry for them by telling you how little they make and how little they have. My husband actually gave away one of his good hats and several pair of shorts and t-shirts to staff members but, if I had it to do again, I would have stopped him from doing so. These people are so used to being handed things from people who pay lots of money to go there that they don't even want to work to earn it. I will tell you this, if I could go back and re-pack for that trip, I would leave out the "tip" items and fill the extra suitcase space with things like oatmeal, Mr. Noodles, cup a soup, etc. Those things would have made a huge difference for us when we there there and only would have required hot water from the resort. I think they can handle that. P.S. No one use Maritime Travel. They suck beyond belief and have no idea about the resort packages they claim to have knowledge of. If you are paying Maritime Travel a commission for a trip, you are getting ripped off from before you even leave. The best thing about this trip was getting on the plane home. We flew with West Jet and they were great. The lunch meal they served on the way home a sub sandwick, piece of cheese and snack) tasted like a million dollars and I think I ate it in seconds. DON'T WASTE A SINGLE CENT ON THIS RESORT!
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Carol ~ Cambridge, Ontario |
February 2009
Arrival: January 31 to February 07
The people working the front desk, just did their job. We didnt not feel welcomed. We arrived at approx. ten pm on a saturday night and got no map of the hotel and not instruction for anything ie. where to find food or drink. Not what I expected or have been treated at any other resort I have been at.
Rooms:
Rooms were large and basically clean. We were the lucky ones who got hot water and a shower that had water pressure. We ran out of toilet paper twice. Considering we were two females traveling that was a big deal..lol
Restaurants and Bars:
We heard nothing good about the a la cart restaurants, so we didnt even bother to go. The food wasnt good or hot at all..although the bread and cheeses and ice cream were very good.
We only found a very few staff members who were outgoing and friendly. They were mostly found in the front lobby bar. One thing we should have brought is a large insulated cup. The drinks at the pool are served in small plastic cups and they get warm very fast.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach would have been nice if the wind wasnt so bad the week we were there.
We did enjoy the pool. The grounds were very boring and lacked color and vibrancy.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did not take any tours. The so called activities on the resort were very few and very boring. Aerobics were everyday and a silly dart game, with two darts. We also felt that if the weather was bad (which was alot) Nothing was done to help entertain us.
Other Comments:
We never talked to anyone who had very much good to say about this resort. It could be a wonderful place to go to, if the staff maid it that way. We were speaking with people that had water issues, a wait staff that told her to shut up to plans being delayed to three am and asked for a blanket only to be refused.
We flew with Conquest and Ivan I now refer to Ivan the terrible. He was rude, unfriendly and was only there an hour a day. I will never use Conquest again.
Overall..I would not recommend this resort or Conquest.
ohunee@gmail.com
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
JS ~ Gatineau |
February 2009
Arrival: Jan 30 - Feb 6
Flight was on Skyservice. They too follow the new trend of not providing a complete meal like we were used to 3-4 years. We got some kind of egg mcmuffin sandwich....it was really bad. The drive from the airport to resort is really short, so that's good.
Rooms:
Our room was on the Emperador side. It was like a junior suite. It was ok.
Restaurants and Bars:
Bar: The drinks were really subpar compared to Jamaica or DR. I ordered a few rum "fruit" drinks and they weren't like banana's and starwberry in a blender kind of drink...it was all syrup and powder base.....not great.
Beer was just fine as usual in any resort.
Restaurants: We had heard plenty about the quality of the food, and that too was below DR which is already not famous. wheter it is the buffets or a la carte, there was always something "funky" about the food. It either tasted weird, looked weird, meat too cooked, choice was limited, dinner time food served at breakfast. I'm no fussy eater...I'll eat practically anything compared to my girlfriend, but I often found myself trying a whole bucnh of stuff that I would discard after the 1st bite.
The highlight of the trip food wise was the seafood casserole on the catamaran trip.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The resort was kept pretty clean. There were 3 pools in total...but that did not garantee a chair if you didn't go put a towel on it before ...8:30am.
It was our 1st time in Cuba and we were told over and over at the great beaches
.
I was not impressed....it wasn't always clean. There were a whole buch of jelly fish on the beach and in the water.
The water was cold, but If we went at the end of March there probably would not be any jelly fish and the water temp would be fine....and not as windy (the wind was crazy 5 of the 7 days).
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did the catamaran, the Moron half day trip, the litle train, scooters.
Catamaran:Takes the whole day. It's about 2.5 hrs of cat. to get to the farthest point. you stop a 2 reefs, 1st one is about 6-7 feet deep, the 2nd is about 10-15 feet deep. I snorkled a lot my previous trips, the snorkeling on this excursion is not out of this world...it's ok. 1st reef you could see maybe 5-7 species and the 2nd maybe 12-14 kinds....but don't expect huge school of fish circuling around you...it won't happen, even if you dive down to the bottom and release your food deeper, like I do. you also stopped at a beach...nothing to wild about that either. The best part of the excursion was really the people on the boat and the party we made of it.
Visting Moron:
It was overall fun visiting the city, we did a short horse-varriage ride...with people running along begging for stuff(but not too long).
did a little shopping on a main street. We also went to a bar where a band palyed music....and then wanted to sell you their CD...like everywhere else in the Carib. on all excursions.
Other Comments:
Weather was not great, we really had 2 good sunny days with low winds, the rest of the trip was a mix of sun/cloudy and the temp was often below 22-23c...so compound the wind into it and it was kinda of cold ...even enough for us to wear wind breakers on 2 days. Weather aside, our overall rating of the resort is not bad... the staff was usually very pleasent, the bars and restaurants looked nice. 4 stars might be a bit hight...maybe 3.5.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Brian ~ Oakville, Ontario |
February 2009
Arrival: January 18 to January 25
Arrival was pretty straightforward. Got through customs without any delays. It took about a half hour or so before we got on the bus at the airport. I had no idea what to expect, but the reality is that it's not a busy place and it's pretty much impossible to miss the bus (or not know where to go) to your resort.
Rooms:
Room was large and clean. Beds and pillows were just fine. Water pressure was always very good and the room was always cleaned day-to-day. I heard somebody bitching that their room wasn't dusted, but honestly, who really cares?? You're on vacation to sit on a beach, not in your room.
The room did have a bit of a musty smell. I noticed it in about 3 different rooms I was in. Once again, something that shouldn't negatively affect your decision to go to this resort.
Restaurants and Bars:
I've never been to anywhere in the Caribbean before, so I had very low expectations of the food (from stories of others experiences). He's the facts, the meat was VERY fresh. They cooked it right in front of you, so there was never a risk of it being raw, etc. The reality is that the food is very bland because they don't use seasoning or sauce or anykind. In fact, they love salt on everything, that's about the only seasoning you get. The truth is that there was a lot of selection, but the food was good. Not great. Not uneatable. It was perfectly fine for this vacation. If you want great food, don't expect to get great food if you're only spending $1,500 total for 2 people.
My suggestions:
(1) If you like flavour, bring your own ketchup (theirs is gross) and peanut butter.
(2) They have sandwich meats and buns to make sandwiches. This is a great alternative to the limited selection (after the full week).
(3) Tip the cooks with toiletries and clothes. Honestly, I gave my shorts and other stuff to cooks and they we're happier than pigs in sh*t! They really appreciate the gestures and will take care of you very well. Women, go to Clairs and buy a tonne of earings and other cheap stuff and give them to the servers and maids. They loved them.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The grounds are huge and the pools are great. They only complaints I had were:
(1) Pools were friggin cold!! I only went in twice. They could have used a heater
(2) The hottub didn't work. This would have been great with the cooler weather we had for a couple of days/nights.
The grounds were always clean. The beach was wonderful and very long. You can walk to Tryp Cayo Coco (15 minutes) or to The Malia Resort (15 minutes the other way). It was definatley worth the walk.
Try to purchase gifts at the market with clothes and other belongings. There was a wood carving that was priced at $40 converible pasos. I offered $25CDN (About $18 convertible pasos). He declined, but said he liked my shorts. I offered the shorts off my ass and my flip flops (total cost of $30 at Bluenotes) and got myself a handcrafted souvenier....nice!
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
I heard the snorkling was terrific ($55 pasos). I also heard that the jeep tour is good ($40 pasos). We went to The Cave, which is a club 15 minutes away. It's literally a club inside of a Cave. Cost $20 pasos each for entry and unlimited drinks (travel included). It was awesome!
They also rent scooters for $10 per hour if you want to drive to other resorts.
Other Comments:
Overall, great trip. Make sure you bring lots of extra money for tipping. I think we spent more on tips than other things. In fact, bring old clothes or go to the Dollar Store and bring tonnes of other things. In the end, you'll save a lot of money on tips if you give stuff away. I also suggest you don't start tipping until you know where you're going to hang out. The same people work at the same spots everyday, so I only tipped those who provided me service and made my trip better.
Go to sellofvacations.com and book. We were able to go with 3 days advance notice for $1,550 CDN total (2 adults inclusive, flights, etc.). I'm going back with a bunch of friends next January (first week). I may look at Tryp instead, just for a change of scenery.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Mandy ~ London, Ontario, Canada |
February 2009
Arrival: January 24th to 31st
Travelled with Sunwing, no issues. Arrival went smoothly but of course we arrived at noon and rooms aren't ready for check in until 4:00pm. The lobby furniture was a little run down but bright and airy. There is no courtesy room to lock your luggage in. We had to leave it in the lobby. They assured us there are video cameras but we saw none and I still don't see how that stops anyone from rooting through someone else's luggage.
Rooms:
The rooms were fine. No complaints about the rooms except our building, 18, had very poor water pressure most days. It wasn't enough pressure to keep the shower head on. We were told they were fixing a water pipe. Water pressure was on and off the whole week. There are no balconies in most of the buildings so no place to dry your clothes. Beds were comfortable and the maid service was good. There seemed to be a toilet paper shortage though.
Restaurants and Bars:
There are two buffets, both serve basically the same thing. Neither will ever win an award for their culinary skills but hey, it's Cuba and we always found something to eat. The breads, ice creams and wines were very good. Service wasn't the greatest, most trips to the buffet we never were served any kind of beverage. I think they may have been understaffed. We also tried three a la cartes, the Cuban, Steakhouse and Seafood. We weren't thrilled with any of them, it was so-so. The bars were okay, nothing spectacular. They couldn't even make us a mojito in the lobby bar because they said they didn't have any of the ingredients except the rum. Loved the swim up bar and the bartender Excel would make us bahama mama's with bananas we scooped from the buffet daily.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The grounds are nice and the gardeners do a nice job. Most of the buildings around the main pool are okay looking. We did tour the rooms on stilts on the lagoon. It didn't look like anyone was staying in any of those rooms. The whole area around the lagoon looked deserted and kind of creepy. Instead of those rooms looking tropical, they look like creepy cabins from Friday the 13th movies. The lagoon would sometimes emit a foul aroma sometimes and the walk ways over the water were sometimes not in the best repair and if you weren't really careful you could trip over very uneven docking. The beach was beautiful. We never swam there as it was very windy the week we were there and there was an over abundance of jelly fish on the shore and in the water. Even walking on the beach was hazardous if you aren't watching because if you step on a jelly fish, they are slippery. We basically kept to the pool. I'd also like to comment that there didn't seem to be any washroom anywhere near the beach. There are ample chairs both on the beach and around the pool. The beach towels you are issued are in a sorry state, ripped or horribly discoloured.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There are excursions offered but as I've been to Cuba four times I've pretty much seen it and done it all. Cayo Coco is an island connected to the mainland of Cuba by a 17km causeway. There are no local Cubans living on Cayo Coco. They are all bussed in and out each day. So there really isn't much to see or do in Cayo Coco. We took a half day tour to the nearest city of Moron and had a horse drawn carriage ride. We were then taken to a freshwater lake and taken for a boat ride through rivers with mangrove trees canopying the river. It was nice. We also went to a bar that is in an old bat cave. That was a nice change from the resort disco. They played Cuban music and salsa dancing seemed to be the norm. There are excursions to swim with the dolphins or fly in to Havana for a day or overnight but these are very expensive and a long distance as everything is on the main land. If you want prices that we were given through Sunwing just email me and I'll let you know. We also rented mopeds out front of the resort. Kind of a make shift thing, there are about 7 mopeds and if you catch the guy out front, you just pay him. I believe it cost $15 the first hour and $5 every hour after that and you have to pay for gas as well. It's fun. When I say $ I mean Cuban Convertable Pesos of course.
Other Comments:
It's Cuba. They don't have the best food as things just aren't always available. I've been to better resorts and I've been to a worse resort. If you just want to relax or if it's your first vacation, feel free. You'll probably love it. If you are a seasoned traveller with fine tastes then this resort probably isn't for you. We still had a great time but that has a lot to do with the people you are travelling with. In our group we had one married couple in their early thirties, my sister and our cousin who are in their late twenties and early thirties, and myself, 35 year old female and two single males who are in their early to mid thirties. We had a great time but would have still had fun if we were staying in a shack. Vacations are what you make of them, don't waste yours being miserable. Also, currency exchange...there isn't a place to buy CUC at the airport when you arrive. You can buy currency at the resort but that doesn't help you if you want to help the driver that took you from the airport to your resort. I believe you can tip in Canadian bills though. I don't think their banks take Canadian coin though. So if you have a few pesos from a previous trip, don't forget it.
giddddyup@yahoo.com
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Gertrud ~ Ottawa, Ont. |
January 2009
Arrival: 16th Jan 2009
our flight with skyservice was great and the busdrive to the resort very short ride.
Rooms:
spacy but not kept very clean. the sheeds and towels were changed only once a week
Restaurants and Bars:
service was friendly and accommodating, food was mediocre but well presented
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
beach and pool was great.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
activities at the hotel was not for every ones taste.I have seen much better.
Other Comments:
over all this resort needs a majar renovation..womans toiletts were broken at most of the sites and restaurands..no toilette paper not even in the mans WC. outside buildings had runs of mildew between the balkonies..I strongly do not recommend this resort as a 4* more than a 2*.. one more thing.. if you are a non smoker I advice you to look elsewhere.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Greg ~ Bracebridge, Ontario |
January 2009
Arrival: January 1-8 2009
Arrival was good, the Sunwing flight was good, on-time, good food (well for an airline). Everything was smooth at the airport, short ride to the hotel. There was a lot of people to check-in but they were relatively prompt in doing so. We were upgraded in our room selection on check-in, a pleasant surprise.
Rooms:
We had the Laguna Villas situated on the lagoon. The rooms had a huge high ceiling bedroom, a living area and a two part bathroom. There were two airconditioners one in the bedroom, one in the living area (with the pullout bed). The rooms were clean, they also had a great balcony overlooking the lagoon and the resort. The maid was excellent. There was one day without hot water but aside from that everything was good.
Restaurants and Bars:
The restaurants are not what they were when it was the El Senador but were good. The Cuban supply issue was prominent here as it is in many parts of Cuba with certain things not available in certain restaurants on certain days.
Having said that we found the beach grill pretty good, fresh fish, fresh pasta, veggies, rice, fruit and desserts as well as your typical hamburgers, hotdogs, calamari, etc.
The laguna buffet was better than the Emperador this year which was a change. The breakfast was good if you liked any of the following: yoghurt, shakes, fresh fruit, donuts, cereal, cooked to order eggs, pancakes, french toast, various other dishes. Dinner had a wide assortment also, salad bar, bread, cooked to order shrimp, calamri, fish and either pork, chicken or beef. It also had a number of other dishes and on a couple of occasions a full turkey. Ice cream is great and the pastries were so-so.
The 24hour snack bar was pretty good (especially the poutine) but suffered supply issues regularily.
We tried the Seafood, Italian and Steak restaurants. The seafood was pretty good, the clams, lobster (extra $), lobster bisque, were good and the salmon not as much. The italian restaurant we found excellent but I will caution some things were poor. We asked the waiter what he suggested and he suggested a chicken dish with a spaghetti and bolognase sauce and it was fabulous. He warned us about the seafood casserole and veal and according to others these were bad.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is one of the best I have seen, I would say better than Hawaii, Varadero and Holguin.
There are three pools, the Emperador which we don't really enjoy and skipped. The adult pool is quiet and has it's own bar. The laguna pool is our favourite, multi-level with a swim up bar and right around the 24 hour snack bar.
Grounds were good except for the occasional rare smell at the end of the one walkway.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We did the speedboat/snorkelling tour. My wife had done this before in a small group and loved it. This time it was a big group and not nearly as enjoyable.
Other Comments:
This is not the 5* hotel it use to be but we still enjoy it immensely and have made friends with many of the staff. We did find some staff 'looking for tips' but in general we found that if you were friendly with them it went further than tips...
gregraz@sympatico.ca
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Leesa and Marc ~ Ottawa |
December 2008
Transat Holidays
This was my second visit to the NH Krystal Laguna, and it will not be my last. I first visited this resort in 2006, and many improvements have taken place since then - cleaner public bathrooms, improved beach bar service to name a few.
Leesa, my life-partner, and I stayed here recently for xmas week, and enjoyed every minute. I should add that we like a relaxing, spacious, well-landscaped resort setting, and the Krystal offers some of the best in Cayo Coco, at a reasonable price. Compared to the other hotels on the strip, which we visited - Blau, Tryp, Sol and the Melia - I would pick the Krystal hands down. If you are looking for non-stop activities, Cayo Coco might not be a good choice. If you are looking for a world class beach, emerald green ocean, good drinks, sunshine, swaying palm trees in a natural environment, the Krystal Laguna would be a good choice. You might want to try the Hotel Tryp, if you want a bit more action. If you want an even quieter resort, the Melia would be a good choice. The Krystal Laguna is a huge resort - it is two resorts actually - with two lobbies. As a result, there are more amenities - pools, restaurants, bars - and a network of walkways, many over water. Speaking of water, the lagoon section is huge - we stayed in a villa over the lagoon and loved it. Despite this glowing review, it still is Cuba, where the inconsistencies are part of the Cuban experience. You may want to keep this in mind when the toilet doesn't flush properly, or the tap water/ television/ lights/ door lock/ safe suddenly stops working, and so on. You may also want to keep in mind what you paid for the trip - Cuba is a bargain! And the Cubans do try hard to make our vacations a success. It should also be noted that Cuba is reasonably safe for travelers, compared to many other destinations. We feel very safe when we travel there, and have not had reason to feel otherwise. And after five trips to Cuba, Havana to Holguin, we plan on many more to come.
As for the current situation on the island regarding the three hurricanes, we did not see any evidence of hurricane damage in Cayo Coco - it was business as usual. As for the food - it's Cuba, what can you expect. There was evidence that the country was going through some food shortages - at the buffet, chicken was not available, and the seafood was being imported. Otherwise, there was more than enough to satisfy - we ate enjoyable meals at every seating, and still managed to put on a couple of pounds.
No review would be complete without mention of the Cuban Bebidas - the cappuccinos / spanish coffees / pina colladas, and so on, were terrific at the Emparador Lobby bar. The Mojitos were equally good at the adult pool bar. There is a lot of variety at the NH Krystal, and something for every taste. If long walks on the beach or relaxing by a quiet pool (adult pool) are your cup of tea, the NH Krystal will not disappoint. On the matter of tipping - I'm still on the learning curve myself - I have found that a pesos (Canadian coins are useless to them) for every second or third drink results in much improved service, most of the time. A pesos for every drink will result in even better service, most of the time. Including a smile and treating the Cuban staff with respect will increase it even further...
If you are a scuba diver or a snorkeler, Cayo Coco is a good destination, as the reef is the second largest in the world. We did the catamaran excursion in order to snorkel, but because of strong winds, did not see much of the reef. What we did see was enough to make us want to go back and try again. As for the catamaran excursion, this is a one-size fits-all open-bar kind of a deal - some people were just interested in getting loaded, which I found a bit annoying. We may try and book a dive boat / snorkeling excursion next time, at the dive center, with people that are more interested in seeing the beautiful reef and less interested in throwing up over the side of a catamaran after too many free cervazas...
There are dive centers at the melia and the tryp, walking distance from the krystal.
On our limited snorkeling outing, we managed to see many different colored fish - snappers, angels, sergeant majors, trumpets, four starfish, and one Lionfish - Lionfish are native to the Pacific Ocean, it could only have landed in Cayo Coco through a ride in a ship's ballast tanks...we did see many ships on the horizon...
Hola from Leesa and Marc
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Len ~ Toronto |
December 2008
Arrival: March 2008
Flight and arrival was on time and uneventful. The Jardines Del Rey airport is very clean and modern. Be sure to exchange your currency there, and get enough to last because the resort is notorious for running out of money. I always recommend taking a taxi to the resort because you beat the buses and get checked in without waiting in a long line. It's worth the $30.00. We've stayed there twice, and both times check in was easy mainly because of being ahead of the crowd. We've never had the experience of our room not being ready upon our arrival. This could be because both times we arrived at night.
Rooms:
Both times we stayed there we had the exact same room on the Emperador side. They are spacious and clean with ample furniture. One thing I'll never understand is why they don't provide an iron and ironing board. The second stay I brought a travel iron that converts to 220 volt. There is no balcony in these rooms, but the windows open wide giving the illusion of patio doors.
Restaurants and Bars:
Okay, this is where the hammer comes down. The buffet on the Emperador side was horribly inadequate in almost every way. This is definitely an area where things have gone dramatically downhill since the change of ownership. Long lineups for breakfast discouraged us from even bothering. We would go the lunch cafe when it opened at 11:00am and order extra food to have in our room in case we got hungry before dinner. I actually lost 10 lbs over the course of the week. We had a trick for getting into the Italian a la carte for the last 4 nights without reservations by tipping a waiter $10.00 the first time we went. The food there was pretty good, and because we knew what the other a la cartes were like from our last stay, we only bothered with the steakhouse in addition to the Italian. We've been to Cuba five times and are aware of the food situation there, however this time the buffet was particularly bad. I just don't beleive there should ever be a situation where vacationers are subjected to line up like cattle to feed themselves. I've never experienced this before, and don't want to again. Other than this, the bars were good although some of the staff really need to pay better attention to which guest's turn it was to be served. I tip generously, so this wasn't the problem. Too many times to count, I was waiting at the bar and someone would stroll up and order Spanish coffee, which is labour intensive, and get service right away (which is rude on their part by the way...you know who you are). I grew to really resent Spanish coffee drinkers by the end of the week. That aside, bar service was good everywhere and staffers are not shy to pour generously if you say "FUERTE".
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Cayo Coco's beach is outstanding. Very beautiful, with interesting topography and powdery white sand. The colour of the water is breathtaking, and is almost surreal to look at. We've been there three times in total. The pools are nice and we particularly frequented the adults only one for its tranquility. The grounds are very nice, and generally well kept. There is noticeable deterioration since the change of ownership however, and the new owners need to be very careful not to let this get out of control.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There are excellent snorkling tours to the coral reef not too far out. There's a glass bottom boat, or speedboat tours dragging an inflatable banana both of which are 20 pesos and well worth it. I recommend you go when it's very sunny because this shows off the most colour.
Other Comments:
Overall our latest trip to NH Krystal was a great experience most noteably because we met a couple from Ottawa who we've been in touch with ever since, and are amazing new friends of ours now. Had it not been for that, I might have had more criticisms. I found it astonishing that the ownership changed because back in 2005 when Serge Savard was one of the investors, we coincidentally spent an evening there with one of the other owners, his lawyer and their wives. During the many conversations we had, none of them leaned towards a proposed sale in the least. Quite the opposite. They were very proud of their creation and were looking forward to years of prosperity. Perhaps attempting to do a joint business venture in a Communist country proved to be too difficult.
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TK & WH |
November 2008
This was our first visit to Cayo Coco and we were rather pleased with what we got for the price we paid. We booked the “Emperador Suites” through Air Transat tours and although we were 1 hour late leaving Toronto, it wasn’t too bad as we still got to the resort in time to get dinner that evening. Don’t let the “separate check in” think you’re getting anything special, as every one on our bus had the same package, so it was one big crowd to check in but all went fairly quickly.
Our room was nicely located, (Bldg #36) only a minute walk over the boardwalk to the beach, and a minute of so to the pool. The room was a good size with extra living area with love seat, chair, coffee table, not that it got used much, but made the room seem larger. The room was typical with 2 double beds, dresser with TV, fridge etc….. The fridge was restocked with juice, beer, pops and we always had plenty of bottled water left. The sink area had large closet area with shelves, safe etc, then a separate room for tub/shower, toilet, bidet. We always had hot water and good pressure. The towels were always laundered but some had seen better days (stains) and on occasion an extra roll of toilet paper was not left and had to stop by customer service and ask. The room could have used a more “thorough” cleaning before our arrival, cobwebs/dust in lamps, sometime the floors weren’t swept too well, but at least we had little mats beside the beds to keep sand in the bed to a minimum. Otherwise the rooms were fine.
The staff, the were AWESOME, best part of the resort!!! I had the “A” Team for bar tenders. The lobby bar had Abel, Alain and pool bar had Axel & Alexander. Abel & Alain were amazing, I taught them to make my “mud slide” (vodka, coffee liquor & irish crème, lots of ice in the blender) or “mi bibidos especial” and that was all I had to ask for after the first time. They were incredibly apologetic if they were out of one of the ingredients, but we always made do. Also at the lobby bar were Derik, Rueben, Jose and then there was Adolfo who manned the snack station for grilled sandwiches or pastries which came in handy after one too many “mi bebidos especials”. Axel at the pool bar was also great, practically had a drink ready by the time you swam up to the bar, and then Alexander who started pool side service, you only had to “think” you wanted a drink and he would show up with one (could get a little scary some days). Salvatore at the beach grill always had a great smile for you. The wait staff in the buffett were also great, wine would just show up at our table without us ordering once we’d been there a couple of times, they really looked after you.
The food was ok, but I knew what to expect as having been in Cuba before. There just wasn’t quite the variety you get elsewhere like the DR, but we sure didn’t starve. Breakfasts were fine, plently of eggs, bacon, sausage, breads, crepes, waffles etc, and they had wonderful breads (bagels, english muffins) and the best patries. They had these little apple strudel type pastries and they were AWESOME. The things I found lacking and missed were a variety of fresh fruits like pinapple, mango etc, they had the occassionl pineapple but were not ripe enough and quite often had canned fruit cocktail. Also, salads never contained lettuce, mostly cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes etc. At the buffet for dinner there was a grill for seafood (prawns, squid, fish), and grill for meats (hamburgs, chicken, beef strips etc) but they were all fried. There was also a station that always had a roasted something (beef, fish, turkey) and a wok of paella. I don’t eat much meat when I travel so I found the hot buffett a little lacking in variety, however there was always a rice, potatoe, veggie, pasta. Then there was also the pasta station made to order, or I did see a number of people getting fried rice made (just bring your own veggies etc) and they would make it up for you. The beach grill was very nice, had a great view of each, lovely breeze and you could order “a-la-carte” they had burgers, hot dogs, chicken, fries and a few other items to order from, but also could help yourself to fruits, desserts, and they ususally had chaffing dishes of rice, pasta etc. We only ate at the Italian a-la-carte and it was OK, not great. The restuarnt itself was lovely, the décor was very rustic, vineyard looking, and our waiter was a cutie so that helped. The little garlic buns were awesome as they were still warm, the soup was really good, but my veal parmigna wasn’t the best, it wasn’t breaded (not a big deal) but was tough and only luke warm, as was the pasta. So we left there and hit the buffet for a little extra and dessert.
The one complaint I seem to have anywhere I go, is why do the entertainment staff feel the need to play the music etc so loud at night, do they think we all have hearing problems? I hate having to hear the BOOM BOOM of the disco throughout the resort (no room seems to be able to escape it) until the wee hours of the morning.
The beach was BEAUTIFUL, I was really impressed with it. The sand was soft and white and the water was warm, shallow and the colours were amazing. The weather was great, only had a few minor showers (~15 min) one day and always had a lovely breeze at the pool, so it never felt humid.
We had a great time here meeting the staff and fellow travellers, the few minor deficiencies in no way affected our vacation, they were simply observations to pass along. The staff certainly made the resort, as many of the return guests had metioned .
Would I go back, sure would!!!!
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Patricia ~ Lindsay Ontario |
November 2008
FLIGHT
we flew with Air Transat - Nolitours after booking with Tripcentral.ca Flight there and back was uneventful and they are experimenting with new foods which was a nice change indeed.
ARRIVAL
We took a taxi from the airport to the resort at the cost of $30 Canadian and arrived at the resort was checked in had our luggage in our rooms and was back in the lobby to watch the long line up checking in.Taxi is defiantly worth it.We received a free bottle of rum and a bag of coffee from Air transat ROOMS We stayed in the Emperador Suites which consist of a sitting room with a table couch and chair, a bedroom with two queen size beds ,a changing room with closets and free safe , and a large bathroom with tub and shower did notice a musty smell ( like all Caribbean Countries)when we first got there , we lit a candle which we brought with us and the smell went away.(or we got used to it ).We were traveling with another couple and our requests were met with ground floor room and rooms beside each other.Nice clean rooms it takes awhile for the air conditioner to cool down your room but they do work.these rooms do not have a balcony and that would have been nice to sit outside on and to dry your towels.there is shampoo and soap supplied in your room but you will need conditioner.there is also hair dryers in your rooms.and you can rent a hydro converter or bring your own they are the two post kind. there is not any washcloths in your room so bring your own.
RESTAURANTS
there is the main buffet and 5 ala carte restaurants , the steakhouse,the cuban,the Italian,the seafood and the VIP.All were inclusive for us as we booked with Nolitours and had blue arm bands.Our neighbour booked with sunwing and the ala cartes were not included along with the mini bar in there room , they even had to pay for water in their room at $4 a bottle.The food was good not bland like I have read in other reviews.The resort was half closed while we were there but is scheduled to open on Nov.6 comepletly.There was some damage still visible from Hurricane IKE i.e.: roof and structural damage and they are working very hard to get things ready for the reopening.Our favorite buffet was the beach restaurant for lunch.
we had no problem with getting sick or dare here and we ate everything and drank more than everything!
BARS
Each bar has a special drink they do The Cuban bar was the mojitoes.The beach bar was lemonade and Malibu rum , the lobby bar was the Spanish coffee,and the pool bar was the Havana special.salvatorie at the beach bar is the one to go to if you are having a hard time adjusting to the heat change he makes a drink with lemonade that will stop you from dehydrating .this would work well for vomiting and diarea as well......there was ice in abundance when we were there but if you want a Caesar I would recommend taking your own clamato juice as they charge 2.50 CUC pesos for each of these.
BEACH AND POOLS
we are beach lovers so we spent most of our time at the beach but did enjoy the pool which is cleaned daily and has a swim up bar.
The beach is the best I have seen yet and we have traveled quite a lot thru Cuba and the Dominican republic.beautiful powdery white sand in the ocean and on shore. we did not have to use our water shoes at all and the water is crystal clear and shallow.The tide does come in the morning but there is still beach left and it is going out by 10 am.
GROUNDS
The grounds are kept clean with the flowers just starting to bloom again after the storms they have had this summer.It will be beautiful again soon.This is a very large resort with around 700 rooms and the workers are working very hard to keep it clean.The walk way to the beach does smell at times but this walkway is built over a lagoon and the smell was not that bad while we were there.there is a lack of toilet paper in the public washrooms so we always kept an extra roll in our beach bags for such emergencies.
TOURS
we won a tour to a 3 hour spa treatment thru air transat which consisted of a massage a salt water heated pool ,a mud bath,a shower and then a hot pool again with a cup of mint tea.very nice and relaxing.We also did the snorkeling tour on the glass bottom boat.Amazing to see the fish great photo opportunities.These were the only tours we did.But heard great reviews of lots of other tours.
CHECK OUT
Yes it is inevitable your vacation is going to end we had a check out for 12 noon but didn't leave the resort till 3 PM and our neighbors let us use there room to put our bags in and to change in till we left.
EMERGENCY PHONE CALLS
While we were there we received an emergency phone call from home with news of a death in the family.The resort did everything possible for us and we received the news promptly.But it would be very expensive to leave the island to come home early.The front desk fixed us up with a direct call home thru there line.you still have to pay for it but much faster and good reception.THANKS AGAIN YOU GUYS WERE WONDERFUL.you can buy Internet for $5CUC for an hour but the comp. are very slow. and you can buy calling cards for $10 for 10 min.
MONEY EXCHANGE
our Canadian dollar took a dive while we were there so for every Canadian dollar we received .699 CUC pesos .but it should be better now.and the duty free shops do take Canadian dollars.if you but your rum at duty free it is cheaper and does not count toward your weight.
GIFTS TO BRING
please don't tip with Canadian coin as they cant change this at the bank it is useless for them.
darts,shoes Adrian in the animation team is in dire need of a pair of running shoes size 9 as he organizes and plays hockey with the tourists. YES HOCKEY you thought you sweating before LOL.
old clothes baseball mitts are a big hit.pool cue chalk ,rubber gloves for maids.ankle socks, razors ,sunglasses and pens.
CONCLUSION
I would go back to this resort tomorrow if I could.The biggest downfall of this holiday was the money exchange it cuts down on your spending.and the fact that we had to come home.ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY DON"T FRET THE SMALL STUFF!!!!
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Bobby ~ Montreal |
October 2008
This was the trip from hell.
Arrived Monday July 7th 2008 and back Monday 14th 2008.
After 2 days everyone in my group was sick, could not get out of the rooms.
Everyone got the runs. This was unbelievable; there was only 1 toilet paper roll per room.
This was not acceptable, complained and finally they started putting 2 rolls.
We tried on the third day to leave the resort by catching the next flight back, but were told by our transat rep and I quote “it will cost each person about I think $250 to $400 but I think $400.” Trapped.
Met a lot of people that complained about getting stuck in their rooms on the toilet seat, with cramps.
The place is filthy, from the bugs in the room crawling all over the bathroom counter and floors, they are very small little - ant like bugs that move very fast, to big bugs that look like roaches or giant spiders that move fast. Saw 1 running across the floor straight to the bathroom but could not find it.
Whoever has small children, or a pregnant wife, if you love them, DO NOT STAY AT THIS RESORT, this is not a 4 star, more like a 2.
I will be posting a link back here in a few days so that you can see for your self’s pictures and a video of what I am talking about on YOUTUBE.
This is the list that was done by my group:
- Cows outside the entrance of resort – not a good sign.
The room:
- Smelled mouldy
- Bugs – small tiny little ones, like ants all over.
Spoke with my rep from transat about the bugs, and her response was is it really bad—I will see to get your rooms fumigated.
- Beds hard as rock, not comfortable at all.
- Bed sheets were never changed.
- Stinky pillows (sponge).
- Dirty, smelly, some times color stained dry towels.
- Toilet paper only 1 small roll per room, not enough if you get diarrhea.
- Ugly showers (degrading).
- No clocks anywhere in rooms or resort.
- Noisy air-condition unit in one room, not working in another room,
had to call Guest Services every 15 minutes for about 2 hours until someone showed up to verify that it was not working. Was repaired 5 hours later.
The food:
- No snack bars.
- NO UNLIMITED a la carte dining as it was part of our package. Their response at the resort was, sorry sir that promotion was good a long time ago, now you have to pay.
- No ice in soft drinks please, drinks all hot, they had coolers with ice to keep the beers cold at the beach but refused to put the soft drinks in the coolers, makes sense right.
- Everything cooked on the same flat metal plate grill from fish to chicken, hotdogs to some kind of meat. At the Grill Lasdunas.
- All food all out in the open with birds nibbling on the ham and cheese sandwiches, and bird droppings all over the food counter. Don’t even get me started there, the french fries were good up until you saw the birds helping them selves to servings. At the Grill Lasdunas.
- At the buffet, morning, lunch, and supper, raw meat, bacon, chicken, beef, fish left on counter plate at room temperature, waiting for the tourists to make their choice of what food they wanted…HEELLLLLLOOOOOOOOO there is no such thing as covering any of the food to avoid having flies on them. Bacteria just waiting to happen.
Pool:
- There is no such thing as having some shade at the pool, if you want some shade you need to go to the beach. Pool was only good in the morning.
- The pool was also good to all the tourist that had gotten sick and could not risk going all the way to the beach with the fear of getting an attack to go the bathroom and not making it on time, rooms were a lot closer to the pool.
Beach:
- The bridge over the laguna heading to the beach was over sticky water, smelled like sewage waste, did not want to know where that came from.
Entertainment:
- None, the so called shows are locals dancing
There is also a big barbeque meal that they do once a week outside around the pool which looks nice, but again not health with food left out in the open with bugs around.
There is a term that they do not seem to understand no matter how many times you say it. The term is well done-charcoal-burnt, we must have said it about 10 times on each order –well done, cook it a lot..,but that did not happen all our orders came back raw.
We did get a bonus on 1 of the plates, it was not beacon bits on the white rice but 2 dead flies.
So we all survive the remaining 5 days on toast (sometimes stale) or bread depending on the time of day with butter that was imported from Germany and bottled water.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Salim |
July 2008
I know this review is a bit late, but this site has helped me soo much in determining my recent vacation that I couldn't leave without contributing.
Some of you may or may not know, Cayo Coco is an island off of Cuba. This island is uninhabited, there are about less than 10 resorts on this island and thats it. Everything else on the island is untouched.
In short, it's beautiful!
I stayed at the NH Krystal Laguna. My wife and I went on the 2nd week of June. There were very little people there (which was perfect!), so people staying there all got to know each other. The majority of people at the resort were from Ontario, Quebec, or England. The resort has about 900 rooms (laguna and Emperador section) and I would be suprised if there was more than 100 at the resort during our stay. Please note, the staff did say that they get busy in July - August.
Before I begin my review, there's a couple of things one should know before going to cuba or the carribbean.
1. Cuba is heavily sanctioned, so don't expect the same amenities as you would find in Canada, Europe, or the US.
2. These are poor countries, so put that in perspective. A 4 star there is not a 4 star here. But, you will not be displeased (for the most part) with a 4star or higher rating.
3. Cuban food is not the greatest - so if you are going to Cuba for culinary delicacies... Well, you might be dissapointed.
Resort
As for my time there, well... It was great! The resort is huge and is clean and well maintained. The Laguna side of the resort is closed for repairs (they're adding new hot water lines, etc..) and won't be opend until September/October. Don't worry, the Laguna section is on the other side of the property so you won't be bothered by construction noises or anything like that. There is a big pool that is clean and lots of chairs for you to choose from. However, there isn't alot of shade (no palapas or umbrellas) around the pool. The grounds are in very good condition with lots of manicured bushes, trees, flowers and gardens.
There are two types of rooms you can get; the Emperador section which are traditional hotel units, or the Villa section which are 4 unit villas that are on the natural lagoon situated on the property. The rooms are the same size and have the same layout. The only difference is that if you have a villa - you will be close to the beach but a 2 minute walk from the resort buildings and vice versa for the hotel units.
Beach
Beautiful but not wide. Which in hindsight is good because the beach doesn't get that crowded going towards the beach. In fact, we find people from the neighbouring Resort crossing over to our side. The water is great! If you snorkel and swim to the right of the beach near the large rocks formation - you'll find plenty of fish to watch.
There was some nudity, surprisingly, on this beach. I thought it was strange because this was a family resort. However, this was mainly due to Europeans visiting (where toplessness is more common).
Food
What can I say, they tried! There was always something different to eat at the buffets but the a la cartes are definately the better choice. The VIP is worth it! There was some reusing of food (it looks like they get replenished once or twice a week - probably due to the islands remoteness from the main land). The drinks are fine and so was the water - surprisingly - but don't take any chances. The cappuccinos are off the heezy (which is good)! Get them at the main bar..
Service
FANTASTICALLY OUTSTANDING!!! The friendliness, customer focuses, happy go lucky staff covers any short comings of the resort. They were so friendly and ready to serve. From the front desk, to the waiters, to the staff fixing your rooms, to the gardeners wishing you a good morning as you pass buy - Cuban hospitality is second to none! I challenge to find any western equivalent.
Leave gifts to the staff, they really appreciate it! Stuff like toothpaste, deodorant, makeup, etc.. are really well received. Make sure you remember the gardeners as well - they are usually left out. Our maid left us a written note on our last day in her broken english thanking us for our gifts - it was very touching.
All in all. Great resort! Food is okay. Digs are a 3.5star - by western standards. Beach is beautiful. Service is 5-diamond!
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Kayla ~ Barrie, Ontario, Canada |
May 2008
Arrival and Flight
We flew with Sunwing on May 13, the 6:20am flight. It was on-time and we arrived in Cayo Coco an hour early. There was champagne on the plane, free headphones, a movie, hot towels, a meal and snacks. It was fantastic. The flight attendants were courteous and very helpful.
Rooms
Since the Laguna side of the resort was closed (which was no problem AT ALL), we were upgraded to the Emperador side. The room was very very spacious. There was a sitting room with a chair and pull out couch. A bedroom with 2 twin beds. A separate room with sink, counter, mirror, closet with large mirrored doors and a safe. Then a bathroom on top of that. We were in room 3520, which was in a great location (though I think any room would have been). We were near the outdoor amphitheatre, which was a little loud when we tried to sleep early, but really handy when we made it to the shows. Our room was always clean and there weren't any problems at all.
Restaurants
The buffet was fabulous. There was a lot of food. It wasn't always perfect, but there was so much selection that I always found something to eat. I never ever went hungry. The bread is especially delicious.
We visited all of the a la carte restaurants, except the VIP. We made reservations the first day and there wasn't a line-up at all. In fact, I never once saw more than 1 person there. The Italian is probably the worst. I had lasagna and it was more like shepherd's pie between pasta. The Cuban was wonderful. Steak at the Steakhouse was a little overcooked, but that was my own fault considering I prefer it less done. Seafood was great (although I don't like seafood, I got the chicken). The food isn't very flavourful with spices and such, but it definitely did the job. The grill by the beach was by far the best.
Bars
I had read reviews of people complaining about the lack of bars during the off-season, but trust me, no one I was with ever felt there was a lack of drinking done. The lobby bar was fabulous. Most people spent the nighttime there and I never felt like I wasn't served if I didn't tip. The bartenders were very friendly and provided quick service. The pool bar was nice too, except we spent most of our time at the beach.
There was also a bar at the beach. I found the drinks to be very strong, but the Bahama Mama is *delicious* and those kept me pretty happy the whole week.
Beach and Pools
The beach is absolutely gorgeous. I don't know if I've ever seen anything more beautiful. Pools were very well-maintained and never too crowded. There was only 1 deep pool open, but again, I prefer the beach so the pool was more than enough.
Grounds
The grounds were gorgeous. There were always gardeners working, who always always said hello and gave a smile. There are a few cats who live on the resort. I wouldn't recommend petting them, but as a huge cat lover, I found it to be nice and reminded me of home. They sometimes wandered around looking for scraps, but never seemed to bother anyone too much.
Activities and Entertainment
There weren't many activities during the day, but I think that's b/c there were so few people to participate in them. The nighttime entertainment was really great. The dancers are so talented. There was a different theme each night so it didn't get to be too much. For those who wanted to just relax, the lobby bar was perfect. The lobby itself is gorgeous. It's really big with lots of seating and created a really nice atmosphere.
Tours
I didn't go on many tours. We did do the horseback riding along the beach, which I loved. We also drove mopeds around the island and I haven't had that much fun in a long time. My boyfriend and I didn't have much money to spend on excursions, but still had a wonderful time.
Departure and Check Out
Our check-out time was quite early, but we were still able to check out and have time for breakfast before the bus came. It took the lady behind the counter about 1 minute to check us out so it was great. Our departure was great. The plane arriving was early so we left an hour early and arrived in Toronto much sooner than expected.
Conclusion
I booked this resort because friends our ours raved about it last year. After we booked I read many negative reviews of this resort and I don't know how anyone could complain. It was everything we wanted and much more. It wasn't perfect, but it still provided an incredible vacation that has left us with tons of new memories. Come with an open mind and you will not be at all disappointed.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Patricia ~ Alberta |
May 2008
Room - 2220
Restaurants - la carte, buffet was great
Bars - was great
Beach and Pools - was great
Grounds - beautiful
Activities and Entertainment - not so great
Tours - sugar cane, jeep saffari
Departure and Check - Out April 26 2008 at 8:30 am
Conclusion - All in all the first week was great, the second week everything was closing down on the Krystal side and we where not informed of this. The la carte where booked for the second week and some where cancelled without us knowing. The Emperador side was so full of people at night we never had a place to sit. They had no bank to take Credit Cards and where told to go to the next resort to get money. When we talked to our Air Canada rep was told he was not interested. Beautiful resort and Beautiful beach, but will Never go this resort again.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Brenda ~ Halifax |
May 2008
Four of us were at the El Senador side of the resort from March 27 to April 10/08. Reading some of these reviews. These negative people need to get a life. They must be hell to live with.
Our stay was great at this resort, and would recommend it to anyone. The rooms were great, and we had some complaints
On the washrooms not being stocked with toilet paper. But we were told this, and brought our own. We travelled with WestJet, which was a pleasure through Transit Vacations, and their staff was very helpful. Most of the staff on the resort were very helpful and all enjoyed the treats we brought for them
Recommend to anyone.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Paul |
April 2008
Emperador
Arrived at night - a little difficult to find room in dark when tired (wandered 15 minutes to find room was very close to front area)
Very nice resort. Very friendly staff (mostly). Plenty to do (skipped night "life" so I cannot comment on it). My wife, who studied horticulture, enjoyed walking around looking at the plants. I enjoyed the birds...saw an American Kestrel that lived by the tennis courts catch and eat a lizard...cool.
Room 4404 - was not that clean on first night (sandy floor), no drinks in fridge as we were tired it was not appreciated but after turning on the air conditioner, having a nice shower and walk around the resort it turned out to be a very nice room...excellent location
The lagoon does have a sulphur smell in places but we chalked that up to a normal swamp smell...it was not overwhelming nor ubiquitous. We spent a lot of time on the boardwalk looking at all the fish, birds, etc. It was enjoyable. Some people thought the lagoon was meant to be their ashtray and garbage pail but the staff were quite good at keeping it relatively clean
Food - We were not expecting great things but actually found it to be quite good (though not consistent). Our favourite was the Gallo and the very nice waitress (Omera) there made it a very enjoyable place. Excellent service and very kind people was our general impression. Try to stay out of the lunch line between 11:30 and 1:30 unless you like standing in line. I loved a fruit they called Wawa...I'm addicted now so I need to find what it is called here and see if I can find it
Beach - very nice for first 4 days but got windy so we could not do water sports after that...disappointing but nobody's fault
- I very much enjoyed snorkeling off the Point that is to the right of the beach (Emperador section) - I saw many different kinds of fish. At one point I was in a cove and I was surrounded by at least 100 colourful fish of every variety...like swimming in an aquarium
Excursions
- trip to Moron - okay but tiring trying to communicate and difficult to "relax" with every one approaching you being "friendly"
- deep sea fishing - caught a dolphin fish and a barracuda - fun
- catamaran trip - should have been canceled because of rough water but we went on it and I would say we didn't see much...I saw much more at the beach (see above)
We brought down gifts (soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, pencils, etc.) instead of monetary tips and it seems that some really appreciate that and other not so much. We felt a little awkward at first handing them out but we got used to it after a while.
Negatives
- we left a gift on our pillow every day for our cleaning lady...on the final day she almost kicked us out 2 hours early and asked if we were not happy with her cleaning as we did not leave anything for her - either someone was taking the gifts before she came to clean or she was trying to "shake us down for more" it left us with a very negative impression on our last day
- some public washrooms were rough at best (not clean often missing seats) - we were warned and we brought small packages of tissue paper as toilet paper was scarce in them too
I really think the comment that "if you go to enjoy yourself you will, if you go not to enjoy yourself you won't" is a very appropriate comment. Remember a 4.5 star rating there means nothing...go, be sure to want to have fun and you will.
We enjoyed our time together.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Joan |
April 2008
We have just returned from a week vacation at NH Krystal Emperador site.It was a fantastic experience and we have no qualms about going there again.
The reception desk is friendly and fast.
The bank was always open and never closed because of funds being depleted.
The rooms were clean and tidy although I did take a can of spray lysol and did the beds, pillow cases, and couch and chair.There was never a problem with the shower or the water..ours was always hot no matter when we used it.The toilet was working well too.
The bars were great and if sometimes we didn't tip we were never slow on the next drink.If you notice, the money is all put in a cup and divided at the end of the shift.
I didn't swim in the pool but did notice there were always lounges available.My husband said it was actually warm.
The beach was beautiful and we spent out mornings there.No problem getting a beach hut and the men were helpful in carrying the lounges for us.
Our a la carte reservations were made for us on out arrival and we had 4 given to us.The steak house was very good but found the Pizzeria to be low on our list.The lasagna sauce was dry hamburg and the pasta was very doughy, and my husband found there was not enough sauce on the pizza, but if you read about Cuba, they eat their food very bland.The buffet was good and where else can you watch them cook your eggs and bacon right in front of you.Lunches and dinners were also good with a very good variety..the chicken and fish grilled in front of you.Coffee is really good in the morning.
Our Nolitour guide was at the station all but for his day off on Wednesday and he was very helpful.
Remember for the price we pay the trip is worth it and I feel we should not be complaining, we are there for a good time not a long time.
We will most deffinately return to the Emperador Suites next year.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Kelly & David ~ Oshawa, Ontario |
April 2008
Rooms Villa
Restaurants 5 a la carta restaurants: El CruceroVIP, El Pincho,Moonlite,El Malecon and El Gallo The food was great. There were a few people complaining of the food. To us, the food was great. If you are going to complain, then stay at home. There is always someone complaining about something.
Bars All of them were great especially the bartender, Ernesto. He was a great guy. We became good friends while we were there. We will be keeping in touch with our new friend from Cayo Coco,Cuba.
Beach and Pools Beach was awesome and the pools were amazing. Very clean.
Grounds They were kept clean. The groundkeepers were very helpful and friendly.
Activities and Entertainment Live performance every night was great. We enjoyed this tremendously.
Tours We went horseback riding on the beach. this was great. We did the 3 1/2 hr boat tour which was awesome. We recommend this for sure.
Departure and Check Out We had no problems with departure or check out.
Conclusion Overall, both myself and my husband were very impress with the staff and resort. We will be returning to this resort soon. This was our first time to Cuba. We were upgraded to the Villas. Never expected this to happen. We were very impress with the Villa and location.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Dave ~ Atlantic Canada |
April 2008
This was my 10 th trip south and if it had been my 1 st , it would have been my last. Several friends recommended this resort but the resort has changed hands and has changed for the worst. The resort is very beautiful, rooms were very nice and the staff (except aircanada vacations staff) were great. The problem is there are not enough staff . At arrival, our rooms were not ready for 5 hrs and then did not have towels ( for 2 days). We got our beach towels right away but were only able to exchange them once all week, as the towel hut was either closed or out of towels every day we tried. We did have hot water, but it only dripped as pressure was lost when you went from cold to hot. Food was good in the reservation resturants however it took two hours to make the reservations and then you stood in line at the door each night. One night it took 1 hr to get in and when we did the place was only being half used. The food at the buffet was not as good, with many people having frenchfries and bread as their staples ontil day 3 when they ran out of frenchfries. The bank at the resort was closed ( said they ran out of money) from Monday at lunch time ontil Friday morning. The excursion we booked through the aircanada rep was cancelled . The problem was no one informed us or the large group waiting for the bus for almost an hour and a half. We did not get our money back for two days as it was hard to track down the rep (due to his day off). When we complained about our treatment and how we were not satisfied with air canada vacations he said "that’s to bad, and that they really do not care". This was the first time we travelled with aircanada vacations and I had expected it to be our best trip (as it was the most expensive).. We did get much better treatment with the charter companies and plan on giong back to them for future trips. I would recommend Air Canada start treating their owners (us tax payers) better and they should not stay tied in with resorts that do not keep up their end of the deal.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Amy |
April 2008
Arrival – We flew with Sun Wing out of Toronto. The flight was quick and really great – good breakfast and champagne, which was a nice way to start off the vacation.
We had no problems with the immigrations but were the last ones to get our luggage. We were put on a second bus to NH Krystal as the first bus was full. When we finally got to NH Krystal, we were close to the
end of the line up to the reception. Everyone ahead of us got nice
cold drinks and the line was extremely slow. Note: There is a bar right next to the reception desk – we ended up going to that bar before check in and got some drinks (it makes your wait time much better). Our rooms were not ready yet but they gave us our All-Inclusive bracelets and told us that we can leave our luggage in
the reception area. Everyone left their luggage there.
Resort
This resort is made up of two different resorts – Laguna side and
Emperador side and is HUGH. Make sure to take the map that they give
you when you check in as you will get lost in the beginning without it.
Rooms:
Our room was on the Laguna side (1403) was not ready until 4pm (check
in time) but it was not cleaned up by the maid yet. We went back to
reception and they changed our rooms to 1515 which was much better.
The room was really spacious but had a musty smell in the room – on advice from another reviewer we brought with us a scented candle and didn't have a problem. One of the lampshades were broken but was replaced during the course of our stay.
Bathrooms - Toilets – the toilets are different from the ones that we have in Canada – they do not flush toilet paper properly. There is a bin next to the toilets in your room and public washrooms – we are supposed to put the toilet paper in there after use. Soap was not always available in the public bathrooms on the Laguna side. Either take your own or bring Purell just in case. (The bathrooms on the Emperador side were way better and always stocked properly).
The maid was good and gave us water almost every day of the week – missing only one day. She also brought us two rugs for the side of our beds but we did tip her $2 each day plus little gifts that I brought with us. Note: You are suppose to get a "sign off" on your room from your maid but our check out time was 7am and didn't require this "sign off" paper from the maid.
Entertainment
There is entertainment at the resort but because it's quite spread out you will need to look around for it. Check out the daily activities board for more details – located outside the buffet restaurants.
Restaurants
Buffet – There are two buffets – one on the Laguna side and one on the
Emperador side. The Emperador was stated by most guests and
ourselves to be better but we stayed mainly on the Laguna side. The
stir fry was excellent at both lunch and dinner time. The food was
definitely tasty but some foods were bland. Not much of a variety if
we had to eat there every day. They did have theme nights for dinner
but we didn't eat there much as we had a la carte restaurants for 4 nights.
Side notes: Ketchup tastes different – so if you love normal Ketchup
bring your own. The pepper they have is white pepper which was fine for us as we cook some times with white pepper.
Cuban – the resort was renovating the Cuban restaurant and turned the La Sierna (24 hour snack bar) into the Cuban restaurant but nobody
told us. We actually went to the Cuban restaurant and found others
that were just as surprised as us that there were no waiters there – not even a sign telling us where the restaurant was moved. We finally found it after asking a maid and rushing back but were 10 minutes
late. We found out later that at least 2 or 3 others didn't make it
to the restaurant. The food was very tasty and highly recommended to
give it a try.
Italian – La Pizzia – My husband like the food here but I didn't like
it that much. The food was a bit tasteless to me.
VIP – It cost an extra $29.99 and was worth the money as the food was the best that we tasted all week.
Internet service
- You an buy 1 hour of usage for $5 cuban at the receptionist desk –
it's super slow.
Pool/Beach
- There are plenty of lounge chairs and the beach is absolutely
beautiful. You can use kayaks and peddle boats. We were only able
to get the kayaks out twice – try to go to the right and past the cliff – there are a bunch of other resorts and some islands.
Bars
- There are at least 5 bars at this resort and they are all really
great. If you want to bring a thermo to keep your drinks cold that
would be great as the cups they give are very tiny.
Overall: The resort grounds are really big and beautiful. We had a
great time despite a few negatives – having our towels stolen our last day, not having our room right away, etc. It's all about the attitude – if you are there to relax and enjoy yourself – you will have fun.
Tipping is never expected but if you do, you honestly get better service. Hubby and I would recommend this resort but would probably not go back as we like to try new places.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Bryan ~ Caledonia |
April 2008
We just returned on the 30th from our fourth visit to NH Krystal. The first two visits were outstanding but the third wasn't to good and this last one was terrible. The food was lousy and so was the service. The lagoon smelled of raw sewage, there was never any toilet paper in the washrooms and at least half of the seats were missing. Our travelling companions took almost four days to get hot water. The beach is still beautiful and some of the staff were great but others were totally indifferent to our concerns. The hotel was almost full and the staff was unable to cope with the number of people. The bank was closed most of our visit so we were only able to exchange our dollars for pesos twice. It's obvious that the new owners are cutting back on staff, food and supplies. We will never return to this resort.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Gerald |
March 2008
cannot believe what people complain about. this resort is very well maintained and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Sure there are lineups for food but where in the world don't you lineup? checked with the staff working at the resort about the changeover from the previous owners, they gave me the impression that the new owners are trying to introduce cutbacks in staff, food, and beverages. this seems to be obvious from the reviews of the resort when it was owned by the canadians. there are nicer places to stay in the caribbean, but you will pay a lot more, go give it a try and relax you are suppose to be on vacation. we will return to this lovely resort.
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| NH Krystal Laguna Villa's & Resorts |
Alex S. (22 years old) |
March 2008
We, a family of 5, stayed at the Laguna side of Krystal. But everybody can use all the facilities/restaurants of the entire resort.
The only reason we booked this resort was because we got a last minute deal and were looking to get away somewhere 3 hours away by air. We booked this trip because we got an amazing deal for 5 people.
We are experienced travellers from all over the Caribbean so I can tell you an honest opinion.
Basically the entire time I was in this resort, I kept on saying “I cant wait to write a review”. Because I kept on laughing at the poor service. This resort is a 3 start. With a 5 star beach. THAT’s it in a nutshell. We read many reviews prior to booking this resort…the reviews seemed mixed, and I found that people are quite strange in their outlooks.
I will tell you CONCRETE, SOLID information about this resort. Firstly, unless you are getting a really good deal, do NOT go to this resort, you will be very disappointed. We heard some people paid 1500 CND per person, and were SHOCKED. If you are paying about 700 CND taxes included I could consider this resort.
THE BEACH on this resort, despite what everybody has said, is GORGEOUS. Perfect for swimming, for adults, children, everybody! There is NOTHING anybody can say about the beach. Its perfect. Yes, to get some shade, you will NEED to wake up early. OR, bring an UMBRELLA. It is very hot, and if you have no shade, you will burn.
THE FOOD, in every single restaurant, buffet and a la cartes is NOT GOOD. The buffet food is HARDLY edible. COLD, STALE, LEFT-OVERS. We are not picky people..the entire time we kept saying “They should just make a couple of good dishes instead of dozens of HORRIBLY, LAZILY prepared dishes!..that nobody eats.” So much food was thrown out. Here is a fact: The entire week, they NEVER bothered to properly cook potatoes or rice to soft consumable texture. Simple staple foods were made improperly!! They continuously wasted product. I won’t convince you, its your choice, but your entire week, or (hopefully not two weeks), will be spent PICKING AND CHOOSING what to eat 3x/day. NOT FUN.
Our family survived on, FRESH BREAD (baked every day) with butter and cheese. Good tasting burgers at lunchtime. Fresh omelets (with huge lineups to one) at breakfast, and fresh fruit at most meals. We usually tried many dishes, and ended up eating a lot of bread to fulfil the hunger…EVERY SINGLE MEAL!
The hotel is understaffed as others have mentioned.
The front desk/reception was the most useless I have ever encountered in my travels. We are positive, outgoing people, and couldn’t believe the workers we met. We arrived in the morning and were told we would have to LEAVE OUR LUGGAGE and belongings in the lobby until 4pm to CHECK into our room. (it is their RULE). They didn’t care one bit, so I asked what room numbers we would be given, and I found my rooms that were assigned. TO my SURPRISE, the rooms were CLEAN and ready to check in. I spoke to the maids, and they said SURE you can check in. So instead of waiting a good 6 hours to check in..I told the reception that our room was READY. I guess when you come to vacation, you have to go on a hunt to figure out what is really going on.
THEY NEVER KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON the entire week we were at this resort. We really don’t know how anything got done. The front desk does not even have a CLOCK, neither do any of the rooms.
Also, very important for families of 3 and up…the resort does not contain ANY rooms with more than 2 beds. It took them 2 days to bring up a portable tiny bed for our younger family member. For this, we had to go back and forth to the lobby 4 times..to explain that “No, we have NOT received a third bed yet.”
The rooms have no balconies and nowhere to hang your wet towels. Between 5-7, there is barely any hot water in the showers because everybody is showering at the same time getting ready for dinner.
The toilets constantly got plugged, and you had to add water inside to help flush. This was a daily ritual.
The bars are great, with fast workers, but they will not serve you if you do not tip them. They know who tips them, and if you don’t tip, you will have to wait.
I will not talk about entertainment and other things, because when the service is so terrible, and the food is a huge disappointment…..it won’t matter how good the entertainment is.
Again, just for the beach, I would come to this resort. I would not return because I know the management doesn’t care to change their attitudes about buffets, etc. There are many other beautiful resorts and beaches in the Caribbean, and I would not return to this resort, nor would I recommend it to anybody, because they would come back home and 100% tell me, the beach was BEAUTIFUL, the grounds were nice, but the service and food was so bad…that I wanted to come home!!
Cayo Coco itself is so gorgeous, it’s a shame that the resort doesn’t care to improve itself. Frankly, I don’t think it ever will.
Oh yes, the washrooms around the resort NEVER have any toilet paper, were dirty and the villas on the LAGOONs are smelly, and dirty, and serve no purpose to the resort. Im not sure what the point of them building villas on a really disgusting lagoon was. It was quite funny.
Important: If you end up going anywhere in Cuba, be sure to bring essentials to your maids/waiters/gardeners etc. They really appreciate clothing you don’t wear, children/adult, Tylenol, toothbrushes, choclate, hats, anything we in America take for granted they will really appreciate because they make very little money, and it’s very expensive for them to buy those kinds of things.
Resort is 3 star.
Beach is 5.
Please find somewhere else to go. It’s not worth it. You will be disappointed. And when you do have a complaint there is just nobody to speak to. They DON’T CARE. Not only that, but you are on vacation! You won't want to complain even once..you're there to relax...not to demand proper care. If they can't provide the proper services..it's their problem. Don't go there. If you don’t care what you eat..and you’re a beach/pool person…go ahead and take the plunge, but don’t say I didn’t tell warn you!
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Last updated: August 13, 2009
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