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Hotel Don Lino ~ Holguin
~ Reader's Vacation Photos ~ 1
Hotel Pernik ~ Holguin
Villa Cayo Saetia ~ Holguin
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Save on All-Inclusive Caribbean Resorts| Hotel Don Lino | Marlene ~ Kingston, ON |
I booked the Don Lino Resort, 7 km from Santa Lucia and flew from Toronto on April 6 for a week of sun for $455 taxes in. I was a bit nervous traveling solo for the first time but my fears quickly subsided the minute I boarded the Sunwing flight and sat beside another lady traveling solo but staying at a different resort (Blau Costa Verde). The Sunwing flight was above and beyond my expectations for a charter flight.....hot towels, champagne, choice of wine with dinner.....WOW.
Our flight ended so quickly. We arrived in Holguin an hour later than anticipated because we had to wait for a storm to pass over Florida before leaving Toronto. It was bumpy going over Florida but not too bad.
We landed in Holguin at 10 pm and quickly got through Cuban customs.
There were 12 guests from the flight going to the Don Lino. Upon arrival at the resort, close to midnight, they had a tray of sandwiches prepared for us and opened the lobby bar (which normally closes at 10 pm daily).
I was originally assigned Room 16, which has no view except the back of the restaurant. I awoke to a beautiful day, went to breakfast and immediately sensed the friendliness of the other Canadian guests. It wasn't long before I met several people who were near the end of their stay. As luck would have it, one couple was vacating Room #2 which had a gorgeous ocean view and the front desk was happy to allow me to switch rooms. My room had a safe (free), two somewhat firm but comfortable double beds, plenty of closet and dresser space, a full length mirror and huge bathroom with sink, toilet and shower. The tiles were worn, but the room was kept very clean. Each room has a verandah with chairs and a little flower garden in front. If I was sitting on the patio and a gardener passed by, he always picked a flower and presented to me. By the end of the week, I had a boquet which I lovingly displayed on my windowsill. All the staff are exceptional and go above and beyond to make your stay a pleasant one.
As was anticipated for a 2 star resort, the food selection was very limited but adequate for me for a week. Each morning there were made to order omlettes, hard boiled eggs, puffed rice cereal, fresh pineapple slices, honeydoo melon and guava along with (bottled) juice and delicious coffee. One morning there was a tray of bananas. They also always had regular tea and camomile herbal tea available. There was no toaster but the cook would grill slices of french bread, if desired but it was usually hard and cold by the time you got to your table. There was never bacon but thin slices of ham cold cuts, fried salami (greasy) and cheddar cheese slices. It was sufficient for me. I found lunch to be the worst and most difficult for me as every day it was the same, always everything was deep-fried options: deep fried hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, deep-fried pork chops and deep-fried fish complimented only with raw cabbage, tomato and cucumber slices. There were no hamburger or hot dog buns, so lunch was deep fried meat on a plate with cabbage, tomatos and cucumbers with oil and vinegar and salt. After three days, my stomach rebelled at the fried food served at lunch and I requested a plain tomato and cucumber sandwhich. They would prepare it in the back kitchen and put it on a hamburger bun and I would supplement my lunch with a granola bar (brought from home). I am a Type II diabetic so have to be watchful of what and when I eat. There is no sugar-free (diet) pop at the resort but I brought my own Crystal Light to add to water. There are no blenders for frozen drinks and they used pina colada pre-mix, which was terribly sweet and thick. They only had red wine the week I was a guest and it was a nice red wine to compliment dinner. The cerveza was always cold and on tap (but I'm not a beer drinker). The dinner buffet had quite an assortment: deep fried turkey on my first night.
Every night there was always a pot of soup (chicken noodle), a pan of mashed potatos, squash, yucca (like potatos), beef or lamb stew, rice and beans with garlic, grilled fish, fish stew with garlic, pork chops (deep fried), chicken (deep fried), spaghetti and meat sauce. Salad never changed from raw cabbage, sliced tomatos and cucumbers with only oil and vinegar dressing. No pepper shakers anywhere in the dining room or beach bar/grill, only salt shakers. When I asked, I was told that Cubans don't eat pepper like we do but this is the first resort I've ever stayed at (anywhere in the world) that didn't include pepper at meals. Other guests brought their own condiments and freely shared their spices with whomever wanted them. The servers were very attentive, always smiling and many spoke quite good English.
The grounds and beach are beautiful, peaceful and never crowded. The resort was full all week with a mixture of Canadians from Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Fredericton and Halifax. There was an "audio room" and from there, they played an assortment of Latin/North American music...anything you wanted. Three times at dinner, they brought in singers/musical groups to entertain the diners. I met so many wonderful people during my week. I went snorkeling when the tide was in. The reef comes right up to the shore and impossible to navigate when the tide is out in the afternoon. It is a coral garden...beautiful with many varieties of fish and coral species to keep you in the water longer than you should be with the sun beating down on your back and legs. By day 2, you need to wear a T-shirt to protect yourself from the sun.
Rodolfo, one of the gardener's, would bring fresh coconuts with straws if you were sitting around the pool, then cut it open to eat the coconut inside. The horses are kept behind the Don Lino and the trail ride is picturesque and interesting.
Omar is the "animation" guy and willing to go bike riding, snorkeling or horseback riding with anyone showing an interest.
The Sunwing rep was seen only two days of the week at the resort but Yurel, the Don Lino Manager mingled with the guests all the time. He goes above and beyond to ensure everyone is enjoying their stay. He was a wonderful host. The Don Lino is also used as a training resort for new graduates of the 2-year Tourism course.
We did have two days with extremely low to no water pressure. We were told that the main water line burst. They pump their water supply in from Santa Lucia, 7 km away. During that time, another guest suggested that I fill my plastic waste bucket and used a drinking glass to dip and rinse myself off in the shower. I made do with what we had....no different than roughing it at camp. Some of the young single guys just rinced off in the pool to freshen up, lol! Only one young (20ish) couple demanded to be moved to another resort because of the lack of good water pressure. They left the resort the next day.
The people I met were unforgetable (Carolina and Anna from Montreal; Dominique and Linda from Fredericton; Jackie and Jim from Edmonton; Mike and his brother Will from Toronto; Hing from Quebec City; Diana and her husband, daughter and neice from Hamilton, and many others.....you all made my week memorable. I came home totally relaxed and I would return to the Don Lino in a heartbeat full well knowing the little shortfalls it experiences as a 2 star. All those can be overcome with a little forethought and planning. It wouldn't be everybody's cup of tea for a vacation but it was just fine for me and my simple tastes. Next time, I would bring food for healthier lunches and snacks(canned tuna, salmon, etc). There are no fridges in the rooms and you get a 2 litre bottle of water per day from the bar but you can only keep it at room temperature.
This resort would not be acceptable to everyone, especially with the excessive fried food and periodic no water in the bathroom issues but it for fine for me, a solo traveler with few expectations except for a relaxing week on the beach, for the low-key, quiet, very cheap week away that I was seeking. The friendliness of the people and natural beauty of the area made the week worth it for me.
| Hotel Don Lino | eeeefarm ~ Ontario |
Don Lino is a very small two star resort with only 36 rooms. It is quirky and definitely not for everyone. If you think of it as visiting someone's cottage or camp, where not all amenities may be available, you will likely have a good time. It is the only resort I have visited where the appearance of lettuce at the buffet elicited a round of applause! Adequate water pressure was also cause for celebration. On the other hand, it had some features that are frequently missing in the five star hotels.....e.g. screens on the windows.
Flight: Sunwing. On time, uneventful, edible food, wine with the meal, decent legroom. Very good!
N.B. I changed money at Holguin airport, since I wasn't sure if this service was available at the hotel (it is). The teller tried to short change me, but I was expecting the possibility and challenged her. She had conveniently torn the bottom of the receipt off (the part where the CUC total owed me was printed.) I finally received the correct amount. I had no such difficulties at the resort Cadeca where the exchange rate was the same as at the airport and the teller was honest.
Transfer to Hotel: There were seven of us heading for Don Lino. We were transported in a small, air conditioned bus that had a cooler behind the front passenger seat. A few folks took advantage of this to keep their beer cold. Since our arrival was late, we made the trip in the dark. The roads are quite bad and therefore the trip took over an hour. We were entertained en route by a couple of passengers who had gotten a head start on their vacation imbibing.
Check in: With so few guests arriving this was quick and painless. I was escorted to my room by the hotel public relations rep.
Room: An ocean front villa with a small sitting area with a couple of chairs and a coffee table, and a separate bedroom area with a king sized bed. The air conditioner beside the bed was a bit noisy, but there are screens on the windows....unusual for Cuba....and I mostly left the windows open and listened to the surf at night. There was an in room safe (with a physical key), lots of space to hang up clothes, plenty of drawers for storage, but no fridge. The television only received a couple of English channels. There was a washbasin next to the closet, and a separate bathroom with toilet and walk in shower, no tub. In the morning it was delightful to walk out my door and be practically right on the beach! (most of the rooms at Don Lino are "ocean view" with the exception of rooms 13 - 18, where the view is obstructed by the restaurant).
Beach: This is a short beach.....I am told sand was brought in sometime in the past, as once in the water there is mostly rock and coral. Not a swimmer's beach, although there is a sandy area at the east end that could be used without water shoes. Snorkelling here is quite good, especially near the point at the east end, and I am told there are also good areas at the west end but I didn't get to explore them due to wave action making this hazardous. I saw a lot of varietals of fish, and also an octopus. Palapas were more than adequate for the number of guests....no problem getting either chairs or shade on the beach....and the loungers for the most part were the more comfortable blue fabric rather than white hard plastic. There are a couple of cove beaches at the east end. One guest decided to swim there and inadvertently offered entertainment by skinny dipping in full view of the main beach.
Pool: Quite nice, fairly small, but deep enough at one end to dive in. Kept very clean. Not much shade around it, however.
Restaurants: There is one buffet restaurant and a snack bar. Both afford wonderful views of the beach. Lunch is outside unless the weather is inclement. Food lacked variety but was certainly sufficient. I am vegetarian, so can't comment on the meat dishes. I did try the fish and found it quite tasty. They did a pig roast one day....the old fashioned way. A piglet on a spit that was turned by hand. There were wonderful tomatoes available every day, also very fresh and delicious bread and butter. At least a couple of hot vegetable dishes on the buffet at night. Most nights there was ice cream. Other than that the only desert items I saw were short bread cookies and on one occasion rice pudding. Breakfast had cooked to order omelets, French toast was usually available, hard boiled eggs, several meats and cheeses, and fresh fruit. Most days there were oranges and pineapple, and towards the end of the week Guava made an appearance. No orange juice most days, but pineapple juice was served.
Bars: The lobby bar and the snack bar both close by 10 p.m. No coffee available at either in the mornings.....you must wait for the buffet to open at 7:30. I didn't bother with mixed drinks, but those who did said they were quite strong. The red wine was quite drinkable, as was the cerveza. Again, not as much variety as you might find at a larger resort.
Entertainment: Most evenings there was entertainment with dinner.....a musical group or a singer.....but nothing afterward. A couple of evenings the musicians from dinner continued at the snack bar, and sometimes people danced. There was a band coming in the night I left but I didn't get to see them. With such a small hotel, guests tended to get together and have discussions which were often quite lively and interesting. I didn't stick around for as much of this as I would like because unfortunately there were quite a few smokers and as usual the smoke always seems to drift towards the non smoker in the crowd.
Activities: There is free horseback riding every day, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. You could reserve ahead or just show up. The guide will take you to the farm or to Playa Blanca. There are bicycles that are pretty decent and available all day long.....no need to sign them out or be back by a certain time. It is possible to ride a bike (or walk) to the public beach, Playa Blanca. You go through a small village which has a school. You will likely meet locals who will invite you into their houses. An alternative route to Playa Blanca is over the rocks at the west end of Don Lino's beach. You can go all the way via the rocks or take paths that lead through the woods. It is likely you will encounter livestock on these trails. (sheep, cattle, goats) There are also tennis courts, although I never saw anyone use them.
Excursions: The Sunwing rep comes to the resort infrequently, but you can book the usual excursions through him. I chose instead to team up with three others to hire a cab (arranged by the hotel PR rep) and tour Holguin and Gibara, later eating at a Paladar. An interesting day trip that cost just 25 CUCs each plus the meal.....15 CUCs for a seafood lunch, only 5 CUC for me, with basically a salad.
Weather: We did get a couple of windy, cool days and some rain. There isn't much to do when the weather is bad, but there is a pool table in the lobby that some people made use of.
Staff: All the staff were friendly and attentive. I'm told this hotel is used for training new staff, so you do see different faces on a regular basis, as well as the permanent ones.
Communications: No internet available for guests, although the PR rep did send one email for me. Phone cards are available at the front desk.
Money: As mentioned, Don Lino now has a Cadeca so it is possible to exchange your money at the resort. After my experience at Holguin airport, I would recommend using the hotel facility.
Dislikes: Too many smokers, and staff did allow smoking in the buffet restaurant, which wasn't pleasant. Fortunately most smokers were considerate enough not to do this. Water pressure was an issue for the early part of my week. It was possible to get washed, but you really couldn't call it a "shower"! Inexplicably the pressure improved immensely three days before I left, and stayed good. No idea if this is a permanent change or an anomaly.
Overall: As I said at the start, this hotel is definitely not for everyone. If you are fussy and amenities are important to you, don't go. If you can't handle "livestock" in your room (frogs and lizards), don't go. But if you have a sense of adventure and are willing to take your chances, you can get a fabulous deal to stay here. I paid $515, taxes included, and I feel I more than got my money's worth. Would I go back? Yes, definitely. I had a good time at Don Lino.
Photos: http://www.mylifeinpics.com/coppermine/thumbnails/album=109.html
 Hotel Pernik - Holguin  Location: Located in the downtown section of Holguin All-inclusive - 202 rooms Description from resort website: 202 air-conditioned room with telephone, satellite tv, video, and private baths. Restaurant (Cuban and international cuisine), cafeteria, grill, sanack bar, disco, pool, tenis courts, games room, money exchange, medical services, post office, conference rooms, car rental, taxis, safe-deposit box and parking. Credit cards are accepted.  ~ Reviews posted on this page — 1  Don't forget to send Debbie your review ~ Reader's Vacation Photos 1 ~ Cuba Resorts Review Index
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| Hotel Pernik | Ian |
Overview
The vast majority of tourists see the city of Holguin from a bus window as they are being whisked back & forth to their resort on the beaches of Holguin province. But yes, there is a city too. We stayed in the city on our first night after arriving at Holguin airport from Toronto. It is a 10
CUC cab ride from the airport. Technically a 3 Star hotel, the Hotel
Pernik is a multi-storied hotel on a hill on the western edge of the city.
Accommodations
Pretty basic smallish hotel rooms. Typical European style twin beds. Noisy AC & small color TV with satellite. All Spanish channels. Spanish CNN etc.
Bathroom tub & shower worked & were fine. Our room was 43 CUC per night which included meal plan for breakfast.
Restaurants
A buffet restaurant. About 10 CUC per person. Just OK.
A poolside diner with cheap drinks, pizza & sandwiches – Cuban style of course.
Activities
A large swimming pool. Local Cubans can pay for day use of the pool area.
The Negatives
Soviet-era style. Rather dark & dismal.
The Positives
Cheap & pretty clean. Good access to Holguin & surroundings & easy to find.
Pictures of Holguin & the Hotel Pernik
Villa Cayo Saetia - Holguin Location: 6 km drive to beach 2 – 3 hr drive from Holguin or Guadalavaca All-inclusive - 12 rooms rooms Description from resort website: Villa Cayo Saetía offers several services and facilities such as a restaurant with local cuisine, bars, shopping facilities, laundry, entertainment programme, water sports, horseback riding and safaris. ~ Reviews posted on this page — 1 Don't forget to send Debbie your review ~ Reader's Vacation Photos 1 ~ Cuba Resorts Review Index
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| Villa Cayo Saetia | Ian |
Overview
A 42 sq km nature reserve/resort located 120 kms southeast of Holguin between the Bahia de Nipe & the Atlantic Ocean. Expect a 2 – 3 hr drive from Holguin or Guadalavaca. The closet town is Mayari. The resort consists of 12 cabins in 4 levels – small rooms 35 CUC , standard 45 CUC, superior cabins 60 CUC & 1 suite cabin 80 CUC.
The peninsula is very dry with mixed open plains & forest. We only had 5 minutes of rain one evening during our 4 night stay.
The cabins & main building are all found in an enclosure an 8 kms drive from the main drawbridge that is the only access to the peninsula. The fenced enclosure keeps the wildlife away from the cabins, although the ostriches wander in on occasion & curly-tailed lizards abound & a family of 3 igaunas reside near the main building. Two large parrots + a baby fly in & out at will.
The beach is a 6 km drive from the main resort.
They have a small gift shop in the main building.
Accommodations
We stayed in Cabin # 12 – a superior – that stood alone near the fence. It is a cedar & pine 3 room cabin with a double bedded room, a bathroom with tub & shower, & a main room with a dining table, kitchen area with sink & hotplate & small fridge. A pullout couch & smaller couch for sitting. are also in the main room. A porch with 2 rocking chairs faces the Bahia Cristo in the distance. Satellite TV & phones in every room & laundry service is available.
The are a couple of other cabins & then some rooms that are in a couple of rows. These are the cheapest. The single suite is raised on posts & offers the best view.
This is classed as a 4 star resort & deserves it.
Restaurants
The main restaurant serves breakfast & dinner. The beach restaurant serves lunch. A meal plan is available & necessary since the closest town is 20 – 30 kms away. Breakfast is served ala carte with egg dishes, toast, juices, coffee etc. Dinner is a nightly choice of meat dishes – beef, pork, chicken, fish & antelope stew. All somewhat plain but good with very large portions. French fries, rice, bread & a fruit & vegetable plate accompany dinner. Wine is available for 10.50 CUC.
The beach restaurant serves a buffet with a good selection – breads, rice, various meats & meat stews.
Liquor is extra & inexpensive.
Beach
The beach is stunning white fine sand & well kept. It is 6 kms from the main camp. Various pocket beaches allow for privacy. Tour groups arrive by boat & helicopter & often share lunch with guests. They tend to take over the beach area when they arrive & it is a relief with they disappear around
3 PM. Bar service is available from around 9 AM until around 3 PM.
Activities
Jeep safaris area available at 9 CUC per person. The day tours go midday, but the guide gave us a private tour at 5 PM when more animals are active as the heat of the day subsides. Various species of deer, antelope, water buffalo, zebras, ostriches, parrots & a resident camel can be seen. The crocodiles are gone but they warn you that 2 escaped & might live somewhere.
Guest are forbidden to drive or walk unguided in the reserve except on the road to the beach. We inadvertently drifted off this route on our first drive to the beach & got our jeep temporary stuck when I looked back at a monster iguana & ran off the road. 4WD saved us. Other wildlife which we saw near the enclosure include the jutia (hutia) – a large Cuban rodent & horses & cattle are always wandering around.
Boat & horseback tours are also available & scuba excursions to the Atlantic reef on the north shore can be arranged from what we saw.
The Negatives
You must have a car. You have to helicopter, drive or boat to get here & the beach is a 6 km drive from the cabins. The roads are very rough gravel, so a Jeep would be a wise rental. There is no pool. There is no entertainment & many of the usual resort activities are absent. The nearest town is a 45 minute drive over poor roads & gasoline can be an adventure to buy. The station in Mayari was out of gas & we had to drive to Levisa to get some with the aid of a hitchhiker for location.
The Positives
With only 12 cabins, you leave the crowds behind except for the tours that arrive at the beach from Guadalavaca on some days & the people that arrive have a somewhat ignorant we-own-it attitude. Not pretty but they do go away.
If you want isolation & a quiet holiday, Cayo Saetia might be a good choice.
The staff was excellent. They live onsite on a 3 day rotating schedule.
Other tourists seemed to be exclusively from Europe – Germany, France & Spain were represented during our stay. Highly recommended.
Last updated: April 21, 2006
