We were greeted at 20h30 with a cold towel and a drink they simply call the "Welcome Drink". My wife got hooked on these and didn't drink much else during out 7 days stay!
Rooms
Rooms are grouped in individual blocks of rooms making it harder to have connecting rooms. We were 3 groups of 2 people and our daughters had to stay in a separate block (at least close) which didn't make us a bit worried. We had room 504 which was better than the other 2 rooms (506 and 512) because it had an additional sofa, table, bar stand and 3 stools. The rooms wasn't physically bigger, but more places to sit which was useful for the 6 of us when we wanted to relax in an air conditioned room. The resort is huge, but it doesn't take long to learn its layout.
Beds are a bit too hard for me but still acceptable. The pillow is thin but wide (like 1'x3'), so you can easily fold it to make it the thickness you want. The fridge is filled daily with at least two 1500ml water bottles and 2 pops (flavor randomly vary). It seems we had a small problem with our shower as the water was only warm, but my brother-in-law said he had plenty. We didn't complain because it was enough to make it refreshing anyway.
I had to kill only 2 bugs in my room during my stay. You might want to bring tape to block the gap under the room door because it's quite big allowing most bugs to easily get it. My daughter (who's terrified of bugs) used a little flashlight we initially bought as a gift for room service. She couldn't leave without it in the evening because this is when crabs come out.
The curtains are not thick enough and light brightens the room at 7am.
Restaurants and Bars
Buffet is the same everyday although slightly different between lunch and supper. It's not fine cuisine, but hey, you're in Cuba; you have to expect the food to be different.
Restaurants à-la-carte are not on the map provided by the reception and it wasn't obvious to find them on our own, so we had to call reception who did their best to explain it in this huge resort. By the way, the stuffed chicken at the Italian restaurant is just awesome!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The pool with bar is the most popular but also has the most kids who play more with the plastic glasses than anything else (like others have said, where are the parents?!). The barman at pool is called Ivan and he's impossible to hate. Like I told him the last day I saw him, he's part of our best memories.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We went to swim with the dolphins; well, actually, our 2 daughters went. My wife and I didn't have any interest in doing the swimming part so our daughters took our "20 minutes swim" coupons and went again for a total of 40 minutes. They had a blast. One of our daughter was selected to be thrown out of the water by 2 dolphins which made unbelievable memories. Glossy picture from the so-called "expert photograph" (a regular guy with a above average camera) is 10 pesos but not really worth it. We were right next to him while he was taking pictures and we barely see any difference when we compare our pictures with his. But even if we didn't swim with the dolphins, my wife and I were still allowed to go on the platform to have our picture taken with a dolphin between us.
There is a different show every evening at the theater. On our second evening, we sat behind two guys who had too much to drink and they really ruined it for everyone around them. Remember that seeing a live show is no different than seeing a movie: Shut up! It's even worse as the performers are there to see the lack of respect compared to a movie. One guy stood up and asked them to shut up to which the other reply "We have the right to speak". When the pissed spectator loudly yelled "You're a f-----g idiot", we thought "Ding! Round one", but no, he just left now that his show was completely ruined. The two drunk idiots kept taking. Please, people, if you're not there to see the show, just leave.
They cancel katamaran and pedalos reservations as soon as it's too windy, so better go make your reservations very early in the morning. Katamaran was quite boring anyway as they just go straight toward the ocean for 10 minutes then just come straight back. Pedalos were most pleasant for that.
Other Comments
General rules: You can tip everything, you can bargain any homemade stuff (my 16 years old single-handedly bargained a 30 pesos item for 22 pesos!) and there's rum in everything. Everybody expects a tip although they will not frown if you don't give any. The only "I really don't wanna work" face I've seen was from the cook on the beach.
Some people told us it was the raining period, some others said it wasn't so. Verdict: We had rain for a total of about 3 hours during our 7 days stay.
When it came time to leave, I found out the cashier had no canadian coins meaning no less that $5 bills. When I went to exchange my pesos for canadian money, I was offered $35 for my 37 pesos, which didn't make any sense. The cashier told me that if I could manage to find 1 more peso, he could give me $40 instead. This means the initial amount was somewhere in $39 but he had to round it down to $35. That's so bad!
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holiday
Sirenis Playa Turquesa (formerly Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa)
User Rating:
diego >
1 contribution(s) ITALY
Jul, 2010 | Wedding | With Group
3 people found this review helpful
I spent a few days of vacation (ten days ago) at your resort, along with friends and family.
Have to write because the beauty of your property is met with rudeness and inability of some staff, I am referring especially to your manager cheff Mr. A. Frizza, which the complaints of our group on eating, he replied in the wrong way repeatedly demonstrating through and through his incompetence and rudeness (as an Italian I am ashamed).
Then I felt this situation should make you, the beauty of the place is thwarted by ignorance of these people are sure of who directs.
Will inform in more detail (as review) that our experience so that everyone can be aware of this.
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A vacation to remember.
Sirenis Playa Turquesa (formerly Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa)
User Rating:
Janice >
1 contribution(s) Canada
Apr, 2010 | Leisure | Family
2 people found this review helpful
This resort is built on a hill with a spectacular view and beautiful grounds.The gardeners work hard to keep the grounds looking so beautiful and are always friendly with a smile.Depending on where your bungalow was situated, you may have to climb some stairs, however the resort had many golf carts running and readily available that would pick you up and drive you to your destination,simply by calling the front desk requesting a drive.
Your Arrival
WE arrived at 11am., and upon checking in were told our room would not be available for a few hours. Knowing this from a previous trip, we came prepared with our bathing suit/sunscreen/hat etc. in our carrying on luggage, making it easy to access. So once luggage was stored, off we went to explore. We had lunch, checked out the beach and resort, then went swimming in pool.
Rooms
We were pleased with our room. Our bungalow was in the 500 section on second floor.Enjoyed sitting out on our balcony relaxing,the scenery was very nice. The beds are rather firm...but usually we were so tired by nighttime, we had no problem sleeping. Our a/c went on the blink one day,however we got prompt service after notifying front desk. Otherwise, the a/c worked wonderfully. There was no tub in our bathroom, only a shower, but we prefer showers. The shower stall had lots of room to place your essentials. The safe was user friendly..you could change your password # as often as you wanted.Lots of storage for clothes in the 2 closets. And there was an iron/ ironing board in our room.
Restaurants and Bars
I was traveling with two 16 year old's and had some concerns whether they would like the food.We came prepared with our own ketchup which they enjoyed on their favorite food item... fries.The bars all had good food. I really liked the tuna sandwich at the sports bar and the fries were great.The kids enjoyed the ice-cream for dessert. The buffet in dining room always had a large variety of foods. Any meat you wished(burger/hot dog/beef/pork) and they would grill it for you. We ate a lot of chicken, even turkey which was very moist and tasty. The kids really enjoyed pasta, especially the friendly welcome from the cook.There was always fresh veg/fruit, the banana's, pineapple and pears are so tasty, not like we get at home. The waitress were friendly.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
It was too windy to enjoy the beach during the first few days, plus my daughter disliked the sea grass.We really liked the pools. We enjoyed the second pool, it was large and deep and you could swim up to the edge of the pool and observe the scenery below.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We enjoyed the nightly entertainment. The aqua entertainment was fabulous! A must to see. And get your seat early, it was packed. The entertainment staff were always present in the dining room every evening, dressed in their costume(depending on the theme that night), they too are very friendly.
We took an excursion called Inside Tour. The price was 49 pesos and what a great deal! We thoroughly enjoyed this tour, can't say enough about it.First we took a ride on a relic of a train for approx. 25 min along the farm land, then from there our bus took us to a cigar factory, which was very interesting. Then off again to a restaurant that was snuggled on a hill overlooking a valley..what a view. The meal was delicious (the kids say, their best meal) and we were entertained by a talented band and dancers, what more could you ask for. After our meal off we go to Holguin visiting the cross on the hill overlooking the city.The locals come here to pray.Then into the city the bus dropped us off at a square, where we explored for 50 minutes enjoying speaking with some locals, some shopping, the relaxing with an ice cream at the square. A trip to remember!
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Certainly an experence
Sirenis Playa Turquesa (formerly Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa)
We arrived at night to the Holguin air port. The airport process was pretty hastle free. We then boarded an air conditioned bus and had an hours drive to the hotel. Check in was very easy and we caught a cart to our room since it is a very long walk from the lobby to most rooms.
Rooms
We did not have a very good first impression of our room. The very first thing was the smell. It smelt like mold. The phone, tv, fridge, and safe did not work in our room upon arrival. It was all fixed within a day tho. Our air conditioning didn't work the whole time. The room was always to hot or to cold. The beds were certainly not comfortable nor was the pillows. There was a stain on our floor from day one until we left the maids never cleaned it. The water hardly got hot in the shower and on day 4 the maid broke it and it never got fixed.
Restaurants and Bars
The food there was nothing only horrible. On more than one night we only had bread for supper. We found that the omelettes and spaghetti were good that was made in front of you but the food that was pre-prepared was never good and was always cold. By day 5 we couldn't eat it anymore. We just ate the snack food we packed for the last to days, we couldn't stomach it any longer. The snack bar food was also not very good. Bring your own ketchup and mayo, the suff down there was not fit and the fruit selection was also not good. The bananas were cold and rotten and the pineapple was not ripe. Not impressed at all with the food. Smoking is also allowed in the restaurants and buffett which I found very offensive while I was eating.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was very nice. The sand was very nice. There were very few garbage cans so most times everyones garbage was left on the beach. The water was very nice. The pools were also very nice although it was a bit chilly.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The excursions were very good. We did the Holguin City tour and went swimming with dolphins. Both were very good experiences. Some of the tour guides were a bit to naggy for tips as were the bus drivers. If you end up getting sick you can not get your full amount back the most they will give you back is 50%
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A Blooming Paradise
Sirenis Playa Turquesa (formerly Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa)
We returned from our 10th trip to Cuba on March 10, this time staying at the Sirenis Playa Turquesa. This was our 8th resort. It is a very visually appealing resort.
Your Arrival
We flew with Air Transat out of Halifax. Arrived at 10:00 and breezed through the airport, to the bus, to the resort. We were almost the first off the bus, (without any pushing or shoving, I hasten to add!) I got the luggage while my wife went to the check-in. It was so fast and orderly that the only slow down was them waiting for me to get there and be banded (1st note: only Air Transat guests get banded, like true snowbirds!), I had to stop for my welcome cocktail! A bellhop took us to our room on a golf cart and we were in our room by 11:30, THE FASTEST check-in we have ever experienced!!
Rooms
Perhaps because we were first to check-in or maybe it was advance email (?), we got a room directly by the pool, which was a perfect location. I had emailed and asked for an upper floor room, however, our first floor room turned out to be good. The room was very typical to most of the Cuban resorts we have stayed in. An entry hallway with large closet (containing safe and iron & board), large bedroom with patio doors onto good sized balcony. Although almost of the buildings are only 2 stories, the ground floor is off the ground so the balcony does not step out onto the ground, thus avoiding low level insects or other creatures. The bed was typical, hard with thin long pillows. We had a daybed/cot in our room (useful for piling junk on) and an armchair, with another desk chair at the dressing table, TV and bar fridge, which was stocked each day. The only 110/120 volt outlet is in the hair dryer in the bathroom (usually meant for razors). The bathroom we had was in 3 sections, the main room had the sink and vanity, a separate toilet and a separate shower (no bath). It was adequate as bathrooms go. Overall the room was quite functional.
Restaurants and Bars
A very nice lobby bar with early evening entertainment. The buffet was good with a good choice of fruits, salads, carver items, casserole dishes, cooking stations, and above Cuban average desserts. The 4 ala cartes (Cuban, Mediterranean, Grill, and Italian) we ate at were good; in fact, I think the food at the resort was some of the best we have had in Cuba. My main observation with the ala cartes was that although the service was okay, they did not seem as "special" as in other resorts; or that is to say that in many Cuban resorts the staff seem to attempt to make the dining experience more special than the buffet, even if they often fall short. The Italian was the best, although they have not completed the decorating. With Air Transat we were allowed 5 ala cartes, but we did not go to the Oriental ala carte due to the poor reviews and we are not that into Chinese food, if it had been Japanese we would have tried to go twice! However, we heard several favourable comments about the Oriental.
We had several lunches at the Beach snack bar, where the table service pizzas were the best we have had in Cuba. Through Air Transat we were offered the Beach snack bar for a continental breakfast, we only went twice as the selection was limited, however, there was no waiting for my omelette. We did not try the 24 hour snack bar for food.
The 3 bars we frequented most were quite good: Lobby, 24 hour, and Beach snack bar. They have 2 of the best bartenders I have encountered, 1 at the lobby bar and the other at the beach snack bar, they make the best Pina Coladas, my new favourite the Mulata and the guy at the Beach snack bar makes the best Mojitos going. The bar on the beach was limited and made the Pina Coladas with slush. I only used the swim-up bar a couple of times as the water was quite cool, but it had one of the most entertaining bartenders I have ever seen, and was featured on stage one night, think Tom Cruise in "Cocktail", only for real!!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach had lots of shade, which is important to us; however, we did not stay there very long most afternoons as the wind was quite chilly. It is a relatively short beach with exposed, dead coral at each end. You can explore beyond the ends of the sand but you need something on your feet.
The pools are one of the more aesthetic features of the resort. They cascade down the slope, going from the shadeless adult pool, down to a family pool, down to another pool with access to the swim-up bar, and ending at the shallow family pool were all the pool activities take place. Except for the adult pool, all the pools have shade cover on both sides of the pools; however, it was quickly snapped up by the unattended towels!! The one slightly annoying feature of the upper pools was that the music from the activity pool was piped up to them making for a distraction for those trying to read or sun-snooze. In addition, each pool is linked by blossom covered arches which disguise the number of stairs on both sides of the pools.
The Turquesa grounds are very lush and to my wife’s great pleasure the bougainvillea and other plants were in full bloom and cover a good portion of the resort. We found the layout good and logical. The roads/paths within and around the resort are wide and make for a good evening walk. Fortunately our room was very central, so I may have had a different opinion if we had been on one of the ends. However, I don’t feel that there was more than a 10 minute walk to most areas of the grounds.
There are also the usual facilities: a store which I thought had a limited variety, until I got to the airport; a Cadeca (money exchange), the exchange was 85.6 CUC = $100 Cdn (in early March, 2010) and has good hours so no great line-ups; and an internet area.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
I cannot comment on daytime activities as we seldom take advantage, however, as our room was by the pool, I can report that the late afternoon activities seemed well attended, loud, and of an adult nature. The nightly entertainment was as good as or better than many Cuban resorts with only one audience participation night, and one night was the water ballet.
As we have been to Cuba and the Holguin area several times we only took one tour, Inside Cuba. It was well worth the 49 CUC (?) each and included a train ride, a tour of a cigar factory, lunch, tour of Holguin and free time in the city centre. We had taken a similar tour before but it was made more interesting as there was a Book Festival in the main square.
Other Comments
We enjoyed the resort but I have to admit it wasn't my favourite, although I cannot be specific as to why, it is just a personal think. My wife liked it more than I did. As I said it is very visually pleasing with a large plaza off the lobby.
This was the first resort that we had been to that actually catered to larger groups. All of the eating areas, i.e. buffet, ala cartes, snack bars, and bars, had large tables capable of seating 8 or 9 people with out having to pull tables together. I did not see any, but I got the impression that the suites were good for families and larger groups. In addition, there were 2 weddings in the week we were there. As well, the Turquesa had one of the largest Kid’s Club area I have seem at any resort, complete with shallow pool and cute kid sized sun loungers.
The resort staff were very friendly, helpful, and quite efficient by Cuban standards. I had read several reviews that talked about being ignored by wait staff or not being served at bars without tipping but I never found this on any occasion.
My biggest complaint (and this has happened at other resorts) was the lack of live musicians (as opposed to dead musicians!). There was a trio each night for a short time in the buffet, but not at the ala cartes, and there was either a pianist, singer, or saxophonist at the lobby bar for a short time early evenings. However, to be fair at least the canned music they played at other times was Cuban (one resort we stayed at a few years ago played "Hotel California" 24/7).
Overall, you will enjoy the Playa Turquesa.
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All 18 in our group unanimously agree this is an excellent overal resort!
Sirenis Playa Turquesa (formerly Occidental Grand Playa Turquesa)
We arrived at midnight. Reception was friendly and efficient. There is a 24 hour snack bar and some of our group went for a snack before or after check-in. The hamburgers, pizza etc are quite good.
Rooms
Rooms are clean, spacious and attractive.
Restaurants and Bars
We were all very impressed by the quality and variety of the food. I have been here a number of times and the food has significanty improved. The a la carte restaurants are very good and so is the buffet. The staff are very friendly and proficient. The bartenders are efficient and excellent; the juggling bartenter is amazing!
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The 7 cascading pools makes for a very attractive setting. The layout is excellent with the very good shallow pool mainly for children at the bottom and the adult only pool at the top. The swim-up bar is very popular of course.
The beach and pools have lots of chairs and space. The beach itself is good and since there is no adjacent resort(s), there is plenty of space.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Nightly entertainment is very good. I am always amazed at the widespread talent in Cuba,
Other Comments
I highly recommend this resort for excellent overall enjoyment and value. Many of us repeatedly return her for good reason and I believe it is better than ever.
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