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| Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort: Hotel Reviews |
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By Trip Type... |
By Traveller Type... |
| Based on 49 reviews |
| Excellent |
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23 |
| Average |
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5 |
| Poor |
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| Terrible |
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| Family |
2 |
| With Spouse/Partner |
4 |
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| Sol Río De Luna y Mares FEB 4-19 |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
User Rating:
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Mike >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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We stayed at the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares Resort from Feb 4th-19th. Overall we enjoyed our stay.
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| Rooms |
| We were on the Luna side in 8013 and the room were very spacious and clean with a King bed. There is a fridge, hair dryer and large full size bath |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
The buffet had a large choice and the food was good. We enjoyed all of the ala carte restaurants, with the exception of the Santa Maria which served rather dry sheesh kabobs. The French ala carte was excellent.
The staff were friendly and accommodating throughout the resort.
Lisney is a young lady who works at the reception desk on the Luna side. She is a walking history of Cuba and very proud of her country. She is a delight to chat with.
There is a picture #50 in the attached URL.
The piano bar also had an interesting young man playing who was very good. I have a couple of (poor quality) video clips taken with my camera attached as well. |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
The beach is beautiful and extremely wide. Once you get to the water however, you must beware of the coral rocks, which are only a short way out. If the waves are large, you could have a hard time getting back in without skinning something. The grounds are well kept and other than sawed-off trees (which are re-growing), there is not much sign of the hurricane. Outside of the 8000 block of rooms (and just above the French restaurant), there are gardens where they grow their own flowers, herbs and yes,
the mint for the mojitos.
The bad:
I have never been a victim of mosquitoes or other insects previously but they found me there-big time. I don’t know what they were
-(sandflys?) but I had bites all over my feet and lower legs. I never once felt being bitten but they sure irritated later. I had 95% DEET with me, which prevented subsequent bites. They never bothered my wife at all. I did see several folks walk by that were also bitten. I would advise anyone to carry some kind of DEET bug repellent with them. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
We hired a cab to take us into Guardalavaca to look around. He waited for us while we meandered around the marketplace. We also took a horse/buggy ride to the country. We visited a small farming area which there are also pictures of.
On the resort itself, there is an eco-tour which I would recommend. You should request the services of the guide who is very knowledgeable and makes it much more worth while.
There is also a small zoo about 2 Km from the resort. We took bicycles and had a very enjoyable time. The zoo keeper (a veterinarian) was very helpful and informative.
While walking about, I almost stepped on an Iguana (picture 44, 45) He had escaped last fall and the keeper said he was better off free and that he wasn’t going to go anywhere anyway, since he fed them. (good attitude)
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| Other Comments |
The Ugly:
We did have an unpleasant experience during our stay.
One day, we were reading in loungers at the small pool on the Luna side. Workers began hauling tables out around the pool at about 10:30 AM, until we were finally enclosed. A staff person came to us and asked if we had ala carte reservations for that night (we did not) and would we like to come to a lobster dinner that evening. We accepted the offer with the understanding it was made to compensate for the inconvenience at that pool.
We arrived at 8:30 PM and were seated. My wife left at 9:45 PM after no service. At 10, I became agitated and demanded to see the manager... After that it became ugly.
The next morning after breakfast we found a bottle of rum and a letter in our room, apologizing for any inconvenience and offering us a special lobster dinner that evening. We accepted their apology and went and had a lovely experience (except that we were centred out by ourselves like royalty) with a very good meal. The head waiter went out of his way to make sure everything was perfect. He confided that the wait-staff was hung out to dry for the fiasco the previous evening.
The letter I received also asked if I could meet with the General Manager on the following morning-and boy, could I ever.
We met and I immediately detected his inference to the wait-staff as the problem. I wasted no time informing him that it was not them who were the problem but the management, who organized this affair, with too many people, with too few staff and not enough food. I also illustrated a few other *management* problems such as the chronic absence of glasses at the fresh orange juice counter
at breakfast. I pointed out that it was not the fault of the man crushing the oranges in the machine nor that of the dishwasher. It was obviously a management problem for not having enough glasses. Lo and behold -and to their credit, the next morning (and the rest of our stay), there were no more line ups waiting for glasses.
As a final gesture and an attempt to attract us back, he made an offer to give us an upgrade on a future visit, to an oceanfront suite, with mini-bar service, ala carte every night, all inclusive massage etc. We accepted his offer and he said that he would have the necessary paperwork prepared. The day before we were leaving, we met him as we were leaving the buffet and he mentioned that everything would be ready by our departure the next day...We haven’t heard from him since.
For this deception alone, we will never return to this resort and I cannot recommend it. It is probably an isolated incident but it shows me the sincerity of the management and how much they really care. They could do well, to take an example from their staff.
I will be copying this to Sol Melia as well as the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares. |
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| Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/mribotto/LunaYMares?feat=directlinkp:// |
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| Videos: http://picasaweb.google.com/mribotto/PianoBar?feat=directlink |
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| Too windy and cool |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
| User Rating:
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Keith >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Mar, 2010 | Leisure | Family
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| Too windy and cool...you can't control the weather but we were not expecting how cool and windy our week turned out to, certainly not a canadian winter, but not warm.You definetly needed pants and a sweater in the evening and we covered up a lot on the beach too! |
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| Your Arrival |
| We left Halifax at 7:30pm on CanJet and arrived three and a half hours later in Holguin. The hotel is about an hour from the airport. It was after midnight when we arrived at the hotel and our checkin was handled quickly.Our request for a king bed was denied, which we expected anyway. |
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| Rooms |
| Our room, 2026, had just been painted. It was clean and everything worked. The AC was working and everything in the bathroom worked.That was a relief.The room was clean.We could see the ocean from our balcony. The balcony was private, enclosed. We liked that. The door did not lock, but we didn't complain about this since it hardly seemed important.Staff are very honest.Some things in our daughters rooms were not replenished quickly enough, toilet paper and hand soap, but not a major issue. |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| We ate at three a-la-cartes:International,Italian,and we are not sure what the third was.The Italian was our favorite.There was also a special Transat dinner on the beach, which was a letdown...another buffet.We were getting tired of the food after a week, however the flambayed bananas were a delight...excellent! The buffet staff were awesome, friendly and good service. |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| Very nice beach, clean and no problem with getting a chaise any time of the day.The hotel staff will deliver one to any part of the beach you request...a great service some other resorts should emulate.I forgot and left my hat under the chaise the first day of our vacation when we left the beach.The next day when we returned to the beach I inquired if there was a Lost and Found,but my Spanish and his English lost something.A few minutes later he came over with my "sombrero".Where could you go in the Carribean and find such honest, kind and caring people, genuinely interested in making your vacation enjoyable.I would take some water shoes as there were some rocks exposed at the waters edge by the stong winds we experienced all week.We enjoyed snorkeling from the beach, lots of sand dollars to dive for, and some coral reefs a bit futhur out with some fish too.The other hotel on the beach is the Paridissus.The grounds of the hotel have an ecletic mixture of feral cats, horses, chickens and goats.The meowling cats and urine smell became a bit annoying near our rooms one night.We were all delighted with the animals. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| There is not much in Quardalavacca, open air market, nice beach. Four of us took a taxi in for $5CUC and a horse and buggy back for $10CUC.Nice experience. The next day we took bikes in for some exercise, about a fifteen minute ride.We went on the catamarran/snorkelling excursion but nearly froze as the weather was cloudy and cool all day.We left from the port of Antilla, about an hour bus ride from the resort.The cat is fairly cramped with about 60 people on board, but it has good washrooms, and the staff serve drinks during the entire cruise.The snorkeling was not that great, but the meal on the island(Cayo Sartia) we landed on was excellent. While on the Island we took the wild Safari ride on the back of a huge truck, $9 CUC each, which our daughters enjoyed immensely. There are several species of African animals, including zebras and ostriches scattered about. Our driver, Cesar, stopped to feed the ostrich bananas. |
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| Other Comments |
| All the staff we met at the hotel were great and will do anything they can to ensure you have a nice vacation. The service was friendly.We tipped at all our meals and brought things for the maids we left in the room, and tipped whenever we had good service, which was everywhere. |
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| The buffet was amazing. |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
| User Rating:
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Shan >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Jan, 2010 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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The hotel is actually two that have been combined into 1 - the older and the newer. We stayed in the older area of the hotel and it was faboulous. We had a small leak in our room - it was fixed immediately - hotel and plumber could not have been more accomodating. The rooms were large and a great view of the ocean. Bed was comfortable. Room was kept immaculate. Staff were friendly. I lost my camera and the whole resort was looking for it even though I only mentioned it to the desk clerk. We met staff outside of the hotel - on a side trip and they were welcoming and friendly. We woudl highly recommend this hotel - not only for the comfort and cleanliness but for the staff. The food was very good. The buffet was amazing.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
beautiful white sand , small coral reef just off the main beach were you could just swim out to if you chose.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
horseback riding - short but interesting, horses were in excellant condition and treated well. Side day trip to Santiago de Cuba. We hired a taxi and the driver. Couldn't have found a better tour guide and friend.
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| Clean but boring..... |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
| User Rating:
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Disappointed >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Jan, 2010 | Leisure | Family
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| Departed Toronto on Sunwing Airlines after leaving one and a half hours late..due to the removal of nine passengers....which we never found out why only from heresay...The service on this charter is fabulous...it is like years ago when we were treated well....champagne breakfast which was hot and very tasty...hot towels is always a nice gesture...free pillows etc etc...the flight attendants are so nice and continually came round to see if we needed anything unlike other airlines where they disappear after an hour only to see them again shortly before landing.we paid more to have the extra leg room which was so well worth it....I will be flying Sunwing whenever I can..... |
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| Your Arrival |
| Arrival went very well..through customs also what was when I got my suitcase a customs came up to me and said he needed to go through my suitcase...he pulled out my travelling kettle and asked me what it was...he didn't understand me so had to ask another agent close by she asked me what it was also I told her it was a kettle to boil water to make tea or coffee....this cleared up the situation quickly...got on the bus and everything was very quick and efficient...
At the resort our check-in was quite fast... |
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| Rooms |
| We had the perfect room, view, size, cleanliness.... room 2061 on the Mares side....beds were comfy. the only gripe we had were the bedspreads there were rough and scratchy...looked like they had been made out of curtain material..put the blanket on instead and we were comfortable...Our housekeeper Minerva was so nice and our room was spotless our whole week...we brought a couple of jackets, Tylenol, aspirin and candies for her kids....she was sp appreciative..also I brought a new pair of men's sandals which we gave to the gardener...people seem to forget them sometimes..we also tipped Minerva quite well the day before we left because apparently others go in the rooms before the maids get to them and take what people have left...so if you are pleased with your housekeeper give it to her personally before you leave...this way you know she gets it... |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| Food at the Colon was very repeticious...same old every meal...poor quality of food...roast pork was very tough looked good but couldn't chew it..bread totally tasteless except the odd time we found good buns...bring coffemate because they don't have that anywhere...their milk is quite different...the pasta bar was a lifesaver....very good as long as you tell them to cook it a bit longer so it will be hot....porridge would have been nice but there wasn't any...ate at the Italian, the appetizer was to die for...parmesan cheese with balsamic vinegar with crispy bread to dip in...the Lasagna had big chunks of hamburger in with little sauce...not very good !!
The french one we had heard people raving about disappointed us...the Lobster bisque had a very strong fishy taste..ans salty....the grilled shrimps and rice were very tasty...also the roast pork...We as well as others were asking for different wine..they serve the same wine everywhere...both the red and white tasted awful...people were leaving their glasses full..it is the quality of everything and not the quantity that leaves a lot to be desired |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| Beach access not easy for people with handicaps....beach was gorgeous excpet for the very thick sand which made it hard for walking unless you were were right near the water...the ocean water was very warm unlike the pools that are not heated and are freezing cold...they were pretty empty...the grounds are immaculate..place needs more flowers--color missing... |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel |
| This section is why us and a lot of people we spoke to will never go back to this resort...boring, boring , boring.....every resort I have been to has daily actvities and entertainment...water volleyball, 2 drinking games and what they call crazy games which we saw twice in one week....was the extent of "daily activities" the weather wasn't the best so people sitting around the Mares pool were very bored....let's just say they didn't do anything except play music and stand around the lobby doing nothing...shame on the animation team...
we took the horse and buggy into Guardalavaca one day. we enjoyed the ride and the few vendors that were there..they don't harass you like thay do in Jamaica....
The computer room need some new keyboards. they are in bad shape with their letters missing...
Locks on the lobby washroom doors should be put on...this is neglect.... |
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| Other Comments |
| If this resort would up their food quality and change their animation team..get some employees with a little bit of up and go in them..it would be an awesome place.... |
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| If you want fresh towels daily good luck! |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
| User Rating:
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Mary Ann from Nova Scotia >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Nov, 2009
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| Arrival: |
6/11/2009 to 13/11/2009
Our overall experience at this resort was very good. The management seemed genuinely interested in our well-being and comfort. Any issues we had were dealt with promptly and courteously. There are only 3 computers in the internet cafe area and one had no mouse. It costs $4 CUC for 1/2 hour of usage and $6 for 1 hour. It's dial-up service so it's rather slow. I was unable to log in to my Facebook account from their computers. I got an error message saying it was an unsecure website. I was able to read and send emails through MSN Hotmail. There are no printers and I did not notice anyone trying to download pictures. The resort is an older property. It's a quiet, laid-back atmosphere. It's not a place to party hard and drink until there's no tomorrow. The guests are mostly in the 30 plus age group. It's in need of some upgrades regarding the bedding and perhaps a new coat of paint but the amenities are functional and seemed to be in working order. Cuba is on the!
brink of an energy crisis so we did have some power outages during our stay. Because of this energy shortage, the staff are probably instructed to turn off air-conditioners and refrigeration units alot. We found our A/C unit turned off every time we returned to our room after is was cleaned. There is not alot of shopping opportunities in this part of Cuba. Most of the tourist areas sell handicrafts and souvenirs and that's about it. The beach and the warm weather are about all this area has going for it. It was nice to see how the Cuban people live and the country itself, but we both suffered so badly with tummy issues related to the food we ate that we'll probably never travel to this country again. It's hard to enjoy your vacation when you are not feeling well. |
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| Rooms: |
| Standard rooms have 2 double beds pushed together to make a king bed. Hard, lumpy mattresses. Ground floor room had a terrible musty smell and there were large red ants crawling on the bathroom floor. Fourth floor room (#4004) had a fantastic view of ocean and pool area, no large ants but noticed several very tiny ants. Hot water was available on 6 of the 7 days we stayed. I'm told the hot water is heated by solar power so it's not as hot after dark. During our entire stay we noticed a fairly strong sewer smell in our room. We thought it was coming from the floor drain so kept it covered with a towel but still smelled sewer. Husband tried keeping drains closed in bidet, sink, and bathtub but could still smell a strong odor. Mini fridge is only stocked with one large bottle of natural spring water. If you want other beverages you have to ask at front desk and pay extra for them. If you want fresh towels daily good luck! I think we had the same towels all week. The maid was an absolute doll and hugged me twice and thanked me for the little treats I left for her. She kept the room very clean (except for changing used towels). |
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| Restaurants and Bars: |
| Reservations for ala carte dining are taken in the Luna lobby after 8 a.m. We booked the Romantic (La Pinta on the beach,serving Mediterranean cuisine) which I enjoyed but my husband did not; and the French (on the Luna side of resort). My husband was not feeling well so did not dine with me. I started feeling unwell after I was seated, so I too did not enjoy my dinner there. The lobster bisque was so salty and the only item I could stomach in my main course was the rice. The chocolate mousse was horrible compared to others I've tasted in fine restaurants elsewhere. The Colon buffet was open on the Mares side (this resort was only at about 60% capacity during our stay in November) and the Luna buffet was closed. The Colon buffet was OK. There is lots to choose from but we both suffered terribly from cramps, bloating, and gas during our entire stay so the food was not enjoyable for us no matter where we ate. I ate at the beach bar (La Nina) one day for lunch and I h!
ated my choice. I had a shrimp sandwich with fries and water. The shrimp was again too salty for my liking. The fries were fine. |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds: |
| The beach directly in front of SRLM is fine. When you walk east toward the 5-star Paradisus the beach becomes very rocky and much of it has been eroded from a previous hurricane. Be careful wear you step as I saw 2 hypodermic needles on the beach my first day there. They probably washed ashore from elsewhere. This resort is not very handicap-friendly as far as beach access is concerned. There are ramps to the beach but no boardwalks to be able to enjoy it. The Mares pool was busier than the Luna pool. Due to it being the low season all of the daytime activities happened on the Mares side of the resort. There is a swim-up bar in the Mares pool and lots of lounge chairs. There are no pool-side waiters so if you want refreshments you have to leave your lounge chair and walk to the 1492 Lobby bar for a beer or drink. The grounds seemed to be well-groomed during our stay. The many flowering shrubs were blooming and looked nice. November in Cuba is at the end of the r!
ainy season and we had on and off rain the first 2 days of our stay. Hurricane Ida, which passed west of Cuba, gave inclement weather and rough seas for a few days. There are over 50 steps leading down to the beach from the Mares pool. If you don't want to walk back up you can walk further up the beach to the Luna side and there are only 10 or 12 steps to climb but then you'll have a longer walk back through the resort to your room. Upon check-in you are given a paper for your beach towel usage. DO NOT lose this or forget to return your towels to the beach club house, otherwise you will have a charge added to your room upon check-out! You can get a fresh towel between 9am and 5pm daily if you like or keep the same towel all week and return it at the end of your stay. You must present this towel paper to the front desk upon check-out. |
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| Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel: |
| We didn't participate in any hotel activities due to our on and off tummy troubles. We did book 2 excursions during our stay. We took the Cuba Life tour and we both enjoyed it. We also booked the Ocean Paradise catamaran cruise and I enjoyed the 2 snorkelling stops. My husband stayed onboard the boat as he was not feeling well. Both tours lasted 6 or more hours. Take Gravol with you on any sea-faring excursions if you're prone to seasickness because the tour company probably will not have any to give you once you board the vessel. There is one hour of free horseback riding for guests of both the SRLM and the Paradisus. The stables are not marked with any signs. They are located directly across the street from the Luna lobby and are hidden by shrubs. You book your riding time at the stable with one of the men who looks after the horses. Take a few bananas with you to give your horse a treat after you return from your ride. They eat them just like apples, skin and!
all. Don't forget to tip the stable hand who takes you out on the trail. There is a billiards table and a pingpong table in the Mares lobby bar area. The pool table cloth is in desperate need of changing and the cue sticks have no chalk. We never took part in the mini golf, darts, or other free activities offered. There are horse & buggy rides that park just outside the entrance of the resort. Depending on who the driver is you'll be charged $15 or $20 CUC for a ride into Guardalavaca. They drop you off at the local flea market where you can buy souvenirs. |
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| Other Comments: |
| You can hear the loudspeakers from the pool activities and nightly entertainment in the 1492 Lobby bar from your room. Most outside noise is over by 10:30 p.m. or so. From our room (#4004) we could not hear any music/noise from the nightly beach disco at the La Pinta. The washrooms in the lobby of SRLM (Mares side) have no working latches to keep the door closed and the stalls are very tiny. If you're a larger person you may find them claustrophobic. The money exchange is located in the Mares lobby just beyond all the tour guide desks. There are convenience stores in both Mares and Luna lobbies which sell essentials and souvenirs. The prices are good. One night during our stay we were pleasantly surprised to find that the manager was holding a special guest-appreciation dinner in the buffet. Others had a notice slipped under their door but somehow ours was missed. The food was served ala carte and the menu was wonderful. There was also a string quartet for our dining entertainment. The are only 2 elevators to get to the upper floors on the Mares side and one was not working. The elevator is tiny and runs very slowly. The numbers don't count the floors properly so when it stops you have to peak outside to see what floor you're on. There were only 2 bellhops on duty the night we arrived so we ended up taking our luggage to our room. I suppose we could have asked the desk to call one for use but one would think they would all be nearby knowing that a group of new arrivals were soon due in. |
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| My favorite other hangout was the Azucar |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
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Richard from London, Ontario >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Nov, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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| Without any doubt this is very definitely a what's not to like resort? It is just about perfect, constantly improving and visited year after year my many regulars. This was my sixth stay at Luna y Mares but I met many others there who were on their eighth or tenth and one man Wili from Holland who was on his seventeenth. My stay from November 28 to December 12th was in the Luna section my 4th time in 5303 the room I had requested in advance, very clean, thanks to Arles a great housekeeper. Every morning a new bottle of water, lots of towels and bathroom tissue. That section is my choice it's only a few steps to the Luna lobby bar and the Luna pool. A new bar Jazz bar La Notta has opened upstairs over the Luna buffet it offers a nice air conditioned atmosphere a first at Luna y Mares, a pool table, music videos and a large terrace overlooking the Luna pool. It became my habit to stop by after dinner most evenings for a cappuccino and a Baileys (the real thing), over ice. Pablo and Clarabelle were the regular hosts and some evenings there was a sax player. If I didn't stop at the La Notta after dinner my alternate stop was the Luna piano bar The Luna buffet was only open for special dinners so breakfast and dinner were always at the Mares buffet. The quality of the meals was not only excellent but the choice overwhelming, there had to be something to please everyone. My favorite other hangout was the Azucar, a little bar at one end of the Luna pool. This bar, open from 9 to 5 was looked after by Nicolas, he's pretty much a fixture at Luna y Mares he is the last of the original employees having started work there in about 1991. In another life Nicholas was a fighter jet pilot and at one time even lived in Halifax Nova Scotia. He's an incredible man to chat with so be sure to stop by and stop by and stop by again. On that wonderful beach with fine white sand maybe 2 kilometres long by 500 metres wide. Juan and RobertCarlos who will do their best to plant you in the spot you like every day to turn yourself brown. In my estimation, French Canadians without any doubt are miles ahead of everyone else in the turning brown department. They just love the beach and it shows. As far as the la cartes go, I tried three, the Romantico, the new French, the International and found all excellent. I only took in one of the evening shows at the theatre, the Circus show, magician, dancers acrobats etc. It was great for the whole family. Mohamad Gonzales the General Manager keeps a high profile, he staff spoke highly of him and it shows, it seemed as if he was everywhere. This resort offers pretty much something for everyone if you have not tried it you would have a treat ahead of you.
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| We had the very nicest time at this hotel |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
| User Rating:
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Joe and Karen (Canuck130) >
5 contribution(s) Canada |
| Oct, 2009
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| October 20, 2009 to October 27, 2009. |
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| Our Flight and check in: |
| Our flight this year to Holguin was with Sunwing Airlines. It was an early-morning flight which we really like. It was our first vacation to Cuba with Sunwing so we were very curious to see what their service was like. We were more than happy with the service. The aircraft seating was quite adequate for us. Sunwing served us a complimentary glass of champagne (nice touch) followed by a nice breakfast. Before you knew it we were landing in Holguin at 10 a.m.. A quick run through the customs and immigration and a somewhat slower run through the security scanners and we were on the bus to our destination. As it was daylight on our way to the hotel we noticed that almost all of the damage to roofs and buildings that had been caused by hurricane Ike that we had witnessed last September 2008 were now fixed and that most of the fallen trees had been cut down and removed. The countryside looked wonderful and green. We were about to find out why LOL. We were to have more than our usual share of precipitation in the coming week. Check-In was quite quick and easy. Our rooms were ready and we even got one of the rooms that we had requested through our online travel agent. This check-in was our quickest ever in Cuba. We were in our room in short order and on unloading our luggage we were headed for the lobby bar or beach bar for a well deserved Mojito. |
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| Our Room |
| Our room #3007 which we had requested was more than adequate in size for us. It was on the third floor facing west overlookingBahia De Naranjo and the Dolphinareum. It was bright and airy with quite a high ceiling. Although the gardens at the present moment on this side of the hotel are quite bare the view of the bay was beautiful. This is the quiet side of the Mares section of the hotel complex. It is why we chose a room on this side. We liked watching the sunset from the good sized balcony that we had. The balcony was furnished with two white plastic chairs and a table. It was a very nice quiet place to sit in the afternoon sun and read a little bit. The room itself was furnished with two three-quarter beds, two bedside tables, a writing table, two small cushioned armchairs, a television (with about 15 viewable stations), lots of drawer space, a small bar fridge, a working coffee maker as well. The closet was quite a good size with one chest of drawers and lots of clothes hanger space, a safety deposit box into which you keyed in your own pin number, a working iron and ironing board. The bathroom had a good sized tub with shower and a nice vanity top with sink. A toilet and a bidet. We had no problems with hot water at any time during the week. Maybe in the very early morning you have to let the water run for a while to get it hot. Our housekeeping for the room was top notch the whole week. There was no shortage of towel art swans and even a towel elephant. Drinking water (1.5 L bottle) every day placed in our fridge. As a perk for returning guests we received a bottle of rum and a fruit plate from the hotel. A very nice gesture on their part. As it rained on several occasions during the week, having a good room with a nice view with a shaded balcony seemed more important to us this week. |
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| Our Dining experience: |
| Dining this week was good. Although we did not do à la carte for the simple reason that everything was booked up by the time we got around to standing in line for a reservation (the morning after we got there). However we feel we didn't suffer as we certainly enjoyed the food at the Colón Buffet. There was a great variety of food all week. |
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| Buffet Breakfast: |
| As always was wonderful. Your choice of eggs or omelettes done to your personal taste. Lots of fruit and yogurt and smoothies. Bacon, home fried potatoes and a good choice of cold meats and cheeses. A good variety of bread and rolls. You looked after your own toast (if you put your toast through twice believe me you will have to call the fire department LOL). They had a good variety of pastries. As well they had pancakes or (crepes?) being freshly made right there. |
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| Buffet Lunch: |
| Buffet Lunch was in our opinion exceptionally good with a major amount of choices. The grilling station had fish, chicken, beef, pork, shish kebab and various other combinations of meat that were cooked to your specifications. There was always somewhat of a line up for this but the lineup went pretty fast. There was a pasta station where you had some great choices with everything perfectly done to your specs There was lots of pastries for dessert and of course that wonderful Cuban ice cream. Also station where they flambéd bananas and fruit with cognac or liqueur. The flambé station was fun to watch but a good rule of thumb was to step well back and watch LOL. They served a fairly good quality wine (white or red) with both lunch and dinner. They also served beer. |
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| Buffet Dinner |
| This was a mirror image of lunch but with some added choices of meat dishes. They served turkey on some occasions and a roast of beef on other occasions. Leg of pork etc.. I would have to say really that they had an amazing choice of food and desserts. If you ate at the buffet and said "there was nothing there for me" then I would have to say that "you are the pickiest eater ever!" Without question there was something good to eat there for everyone both at lunch and at dinner. |
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| Galileo snack bar: |
| We had three meals here. Two lunches and one breakfast. Excellent service and good food. We had hamburgers and french fries for lunch on one occasion and they were very good. On the other lunch occasion we had fresh breaded fish sautéed to our liking. This fish was served with a side order of fries and a small salad. Excellent. And of course you had a choice of wine or beer or a cocktail for that matter to accompany your lunch. After all the Galileo bar was right there. At 5 a.m. on our day of departure which was the 27th of October at 5 a.m., we had our final breakfast of the week at 5 a.m. . We shared a reasonably good omelette with two side orders of toast and of course their wonderful Cuban coffee. A good way to start the journey home to Canada. |
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| À La Carte: |
| There were four à la carte restaurants open during the week. The Carabela which is the "International Restaurant", 7:30 p.m. until 11 p.m., the Italian Restaurant "Galileo", 7:30 p.m. until 11 p.m., the "Romantic Restaurant", 6:30 p.m. until 11 p.m.. The new French restaurant "La Bristot" which is on the Luna side east of the Galileo restaurant. From what news and reviews we gleaned from our fellow travelers, the French restaurant looks like an excellent choice for an elegant evening meal. |
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| Food and drink overall: |
| We certainly have no problem getting food or drink at any time of the day. Actually on our last morning we were supposed to check out at 5 a.m.. We were told breakfast would be available at the Galileo Italian restaurant (snack bar) on the Luna side. Indeed it was open and operating and we were given at choice of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches, omelette, or just plain toast.T his hotel has covered all the bases foodwise. |
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| Bars: |
| During our week there were two beach bars open ("La Niña" and "La Pinta") from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. We enjoyed having a cold pre-lunch Cervesa at La Niña almost every day. We didn't frequent "La Pinta". Then there was the aquabar ("La Nao") at the Mares pool. This pool bar had wonderful friendly service all week and was open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. except for two days. The Luna Pool had of course the "Galileo" bar close by and the Luna lobby bar "El Dorado" was also adjacent to the pool. The "El Dorado" was a nice place to relax and have a leisurely Mojito in a friendly quiet atmosphere anytime after 10 a.m. . The busiest bar was the 1492 Mares lobby bar. It was where almost everyone hung out all week. A 24-hour bar with good service and on the overall mostly friendly staff. Although we did have a drink at almost all of the bars we really liked the "Azucar" bar adjacent to the Luna pool. Here we relaxed most evenings with an after dinner Brandy and some great coffee before retiring to our room. The service at Azucar was impeccable. |
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| Pools: |
| There are two pools in this hotel complex. The Mares side has the busiest pool with most of the entertainment activities. Mares side has a swim up pool bar called "La Nao" which is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.. The Luna side which is the quieter of the two pools is a great place to just relax and read without too much distraction. The Luna Pool has a bar (Galileo) a few steps away. So you are not too far from a cold beer on a hot day. Both pools are very well-kept. |
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| The Beach: |
| Although the beach area received a pummeling from hurricane Ike last September it is back in great shape. There seems to be enough shade for people who want shade. There are still a few palapas that still have to be re-thatched. There are lots of lounges on the beach. There is an activity center on the beach where you can join up for catamaran rides or for beach volleyball, archery, chess etc.. There is a kids club on the beach also. There are two restaurants on the beach that served lunch (La niña on the Western end (Mares side) of the beach and La pinta on the eastern end(Luna side). These restaurants were used as à la carte restaurants in the evening. One called the Cuban (La niña) and one called the Romantic Restaurant (La pinta ). Both of these restaurants had beach bars attached that were open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.. Because of the weather (we were told by the hotel) the Cuban restaurant did not open the week we were there. They did use the Cuban (La Niña) as a disco from 11 p.m. until 2 a.m.. All of the facilities on the beach were open most of the time. The beach bars and snack bars where however closed two days due to inclement showery weather. |
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| The grounds: |
| The grounds are certainly as beautiful and well kept as ever. Lush would be the word I would use for to describe the grounds. In actuality the thinning out by Ike of some of the trees on the drop off to the beach enhances the whole view of beach and sea. All of these smaller plants that were put in last year while we were there (hibiscus, Oleander, bougainvillea) were flourishing. They had done a marvelous job of cleaning out all of the dead debris and thicket throughout the property. The Luna side looked pretty good and there is still a lot of trees left there. We would not have known that there had been a hurricane through here if last year we hadn't seen it with our own eyes. |
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| Cadeca or currency exchange: |
| There is one on the Mares side by the shopping area this money changing facility. We didn't find any difference between the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar at the airport and the exchange rate at this Cadeca. |
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| Our overall impression: |
| Absolutely great value for money spent. We had the very nicest time at this hotel and as usual the hotel staff treated us so well. It was great meeting and chatting with staff that we recognized from our two previous vacations at this hotel. We felt so welcomed on being recognized by gardeners, security personnel, dining room and front desk personnel, with to our surprise and amazement a lot of them remembering our names. We certainly have the greatest respect for these wonderful people who work extremely hard to make your stay comfortable and memorable despite all of their own hardships. It was nice to see everything getting back to normal after witnessing on our last visit the devastation hurricane Ike brought to their homes and workplace. Well I guess, I should say getting back to as normal as you can get considering the devastation that was wrought by that particular storm. Luna Mares is a hotel that I would recommend to anyone. It is in a very beautiful place with 360° views of a combination of low mountains and azure seas. |
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| Our flight back to Toronto |
Our flight back to Toronto was at 10:15 a.m.. Our checkout time from the hotel was at 5 a.m. and the bus came to take us to the airport at 6:10 a.m.. There wasn't a lot of passengers so the bus filled up quickly and we were on our way to Holguin Airport. The traffic was quite light until we got to the outskirts of Holguin. Still the trip only took just over one hour. Luckily we were the first bus to arrive and we had our luggage checked-in and our seat assignments within 20 minutes. We enjoyed Holguin Airport upstairs lounge. Not a lot of people took advantage of the upstairs lounge so we weren't crowded in any way. Our plane was ready to take off at 9:40 a.m. but we had to wait on the tarmac for a couple of stragglers that were late. Late probably due to the time change in Cuba. Actually I fault Sunwing in a way for those passengers tardiness as everyone's ticket said 11:15 a.m. takeoff and the actual time for takeoff was 10:15 a.m. Cuban standard Time. There was quite a bit of confusion among the passengers about the time change in Cuba. Nevertheless we all made it back to Toronto on the time. Actually ahead of time. Got to Canadian customs quick but alas our luggage didn't show up for 45 minutes. I have to say though we had just a wonderful time on our vacation so all of these small delays, rainy weather and niggly problems can be taken in stride. We would certainly travel Sunwing again. Actually we have booked to go with Sunwing to Villa Cojimar on next vacation. So we will see.
There is some photos of Sol Luna Mares hotel at the link below
http://joeandkarentravelphotos.ca/ |
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| Photos: http://joeandkarentravelphotos.ca/ |
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| LOVED IT!! |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
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Joan from London >
1 contribution(s) |
| Oct, 2009
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Arrival: Oct 25-Nov 1, 2009
My sister and I just returned from an excellent stay at the Sol Rio Luna Mares. We cannot say enough good things about this hotel and would definitely return. The hotel is very well kept, the food was excellent and the staff were genuinely kind. They went above and beyond to make sure our stay was enjoyable. Omar(manager) was always around, he always wanted to be sure everything was ok. Carlos, the money exchange guy, was always laughing and smiling, all around the staff were top notch. The food was excellent, best we've had. We've travelled to a few places in Cuba and have always found the food to be average or bland, but not here, it had full flavor and always lots to choose from. The beach and pool were beautiful, always clean. Would not hesitate to return to this hotel. LOVED IT!!, so go and have a great time. |
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| We also went ‘snorkeling! That was great fun! |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
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Lorie >
1 contribution(s) |
| Apr, 2009
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You had me at ‘Hola’…
Arrived back to a really damp and rainy Nova Scotia after a week at Sol Rio de Luna y Mares at noon today, so before I completely slide into a two day crash, I’ll relay my experience and hopefully it will be useful.
We were trying to decide where to spend a week. That was all we had. I’ve only been to Cuba once, spending much more time in Mexico and South America. I knew Guadalavaca was a beautiful area and not quite as ‘slick’ as Veradero and after some resort research, I decided on Luna y Mares. For one thing, it seemed like the resort had huge personality and I really liked what travellers from my area were saying about the staff and management. As an aside, somebody in another review mentioned a ‘cookie cutter’ vacation, and in my opinion that’s a good representation of the experience you’ll have in Orlando or Las Vegas, or even Cancun, which is sort of like Miami. You’ll rarely see a bug, and essentially enjoy completely sterile and pristine accommodations. Staff will be efficient and professional and friendly, and you’ll be blown away by Hollywood and Broadway style stage shows… and what’s not to like about that? If that’s what you want.
For us, it’s about the experience.
Because, on a ‘cookie cutter holiday’ you’ll rarely find a housekeeping staffer who throws her arms around you after the second day of cleaning your room, telling you tales about life in her country and displaying genuine interest in life in yours, nor will you often find a bartender making impassioned salient points about why Che Guevera is a hero and ‘descamisado’ and will never die in the eyes of many Cuban people.
So, ahem… after that fairly lengthy prelude, I’ll give you the goods, as I saw them!
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We flew Transat Holidays and arrived at the ungodly hour of 4 am last Sunday, April 5. I was far too excited to sleep and after getting our room ( more later) prowled around the resort for an hour to check out the lay of the land. My excuse for this pre dawn explorative quest, was that I was hungry and wanted a burger- a blatant lie—I was waaay to excited to eat it, but we did get one on the Luna all night snack bar. We were served by an amiable if somewhat sleepy bartender. I didn’t have any tip money so I gave him some sun glasses, which I felt was good and proper. Anyone I ask to cook for me at 5 am deserves something, don’t you think? The hamburger was good. It tasted a lot like my mother’s to tell the truth, and the fries were delicious! After the burger, I had no more excuse not to retire for the remainder of the night, so off we went to room 4009 on the Mares side, overlooking the pool and the ocean. It was big and it was spotless, and it was COLOURFUL! To me, it embodied the Caribbean in a blend of turquoise, pale orange, burgundy and white—a combination that I wouldn’t have thought stunning, but was. The beds were two singles pushed together. Very comfortable. There were extra blankets in the closet, and water in the small fridge. The bathroom was large with a tub and shower, toilet and bidet; sort of a cool European touch, I thought. Everything worked perfectly. The room fixtures were not brand new. It was not the Hilton or the Hampton Inn. I thought it was better.
Sunday am, we staggered off to the Transat Orientation before 10. The Transat Rep was informative knowledgeable, and remained extremely accessible all week. During orientation, the hotel’s food and beverage manager introduced himself, welcomed us, but we didn’t catch his name; only that he was from Spain, so we nicknamed him Mr. Barcelona!
Tromping back to our room on the way to the beach, we met our housekeeper. Her name was Rosa Carmina- and we completely fell in love. She told me with complete sincerity, that the most important thing for her was that my holiday be happy and stress free. I gaped. I couldn’t help it, but she meant it, and though I’m not sure I deserve it, such was the level of her professionalism. She was incredibly funny and, intelligent- and a way of connecting with people instantly. I don’t mean that housekeeping staff shouldn’t be / aren’t intelligent, but it occurred to me after several conversations with her that the country would be better served with Rosa in a diplomatic capacity. She hopes to finish up her degree in the fall, and I can’t help but think her talents are a bit wasted making ducks out of towels, sporting sunglasses and scarves (although the one she did for me looked uncannily like a great aunt I had that died last year!) |
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We were extremely fortunate to receive an invitation to the new French Restaurant (Bistrau ) on it’s opening night, and it was one of the most delicious meals we’ve ever had anywhere in the world. No joke. There were a group of Health Care Workers from NS at the next table, and we overheard them trying to estimate how much the meal would have cost in Halifax. Possibly $300 a couple with wine; at least that was our guess. I was able to snag a copy of the menu, so here it is, although it will no doubt vary.
Appetizers
Nicoise Salad with Tuna Duet of Asparagus with Citrus Cream
Smoked Salmon Plate
Champagne Pate with Cognac
Soups
French Onion Soup
Lobster Bisque with Armagnac
Entrees
Salmon Steak, with Creamed Dill and Fried Vegetables
Sauteed Caribbean Prawns with Garlic and Butter Rice Crown
Pork Medalions with Matignon Sauce and Potatoes
Beef Entrecote with Pepper Sauce and Stuffed Potatoes
Chateau Brilliant and their Classic Garnish
Deserts
Lemon Pie
Pears Cooked with Red Wine and Vanilla Ice Cream
Carmelized Banana Pie
Chocolate Mousse
There you have it! We had Smoked Salmon Plate and the Lobster Bisque to start. The smoked salmon tasted exactly like home to us (NS) but it was from Chile. Good on the Chileans, I say! The bisque was also delicious!
We then had the pork medallions and the beef- both of which were fork tender. For dessert, we had the banana pie and the pears. It was a toss up- but I think I’d choose the pears next time—amazing.
The restaurant is very small, and there were a group of very celebratory French Canadians there as well. They were having a lot of fun, and slightly boisterous, and on the way out, a gentleman with their party congratulated the Maitre’De on the opening and whispered humbly that he hoped he “wasn’t too loud.” I snickered to myself, wondering if he’d ever seen a bunch of Nova Scotians on a rant- Here on the South Shore, we drink Cuba Libras; just without the lime—we call them ‘Dark and Dirtys’! Between the two provinces, no doubt we’d be a force to be reckoned with! |
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We had opportunity to speak with Carlos Freeman, the Maitre’De, and he told us, he had spent the last several months preparing for the opening of the restaurant, ensuring that the ambiance be perfect, his staff highly trained in both food and wine pairings as well. While the other a la cartes were excellent within the resort, Carlos and his staff’s culinary efforts, I believe will make his restaurant many guests first choice. Plus, Carlos is a great conversationalist and host. We felt really privileged to attend the opening.
The Colon Buffet is large and varied. The name still cracks me up, even if it is Columbus in Spanish—no doubt that show’s my level of maturity. Seriously, if you can’t find something to eat there, you’re not hungry. It has a huge selection and the food is very good. It’s been covered in many reviews. My biggest regret is that I saw a pig roasted on a spit and it looked delicious! We went to the French Restaurant that night, so I missed Porky Pig- much to my dismay!
This is getting lengthy, so I’ll try and summarize a bit. We took a horse and buggy to the mini zoo. Our driver’s name began with a G, I believe, but his horse was named Hurricane. He was a lot of fun! He talked in broken English; I in broken Spanish and once in a while we understood each other. Once we got to the Mini Zoo- Rob, the handler took us around to all of the animals, and ‘G’ was so interested, he decided to come with us. We got up close and personal with an African Turtle named Paca, and went in an iguana’s cage named Marisa and scratched her under the chin. ‘I mention G and Hurricane in particular, because we took a horse and buggy into Guadalavaca the day before and our driver was dour and incommunicative and wouldn’t even try to converse with me in my horrible Spanish. I know it must be frustrating but it’s a bit deflating. I’d much rather take another trip with G and Hurricane. The mini zoo doesn’t seem to publicized well, and it’s really worth the trip. You could walk it or take a bike. It’s not far at all.
We also went ‘snorkeling! That was great fun! Close to the Rio D’Oro, we even saw what we think was a tuna. If you have your own gear, that might be good as it’s very popular and might not be available when you want it.
The hotel entertainment was also great fun! Very talented entertainment staff were able to engage a large range of ages and cultural tastes effectively. I also loved the music. I’m really glad not to hear hip hop blaring through the speakers by the pool. It’s not that I mind hip hop (although I’d prefer Nickelback- I’d just really rather hear local music) and that was phenomenal.
The bar staff at 1492 was excellent! Dania (daytime) is very charismatic, and is able to make each patron feel like they were the most important in the world. That’s a gift when you’re not always respected by vacationers.
It’s likely evident, that we, like many people grew very attached to people in a very short time. My partner gave away his ipod. No coercion, or manipulation by anyone. I was proud that he did it.
I had read that Mohamed Fawzi, the General Manager of the hotel was extremely competent, as well as customer oriented, and that was evident quickly. I had the pleasure of speaking to him briefly. I’ve never seen management as visible or conscientious about performance and quality control in a resort. It appeared that at least several managers put in at least a 16 hour day in the trenches interacting with their guests, and there seemed little Mohamed wasn’t on top of. |
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Mr. Barcelona (we learned his name was Ferran, an hour before we left!) cropped up everywhere too. I’d see him conferring in the early morning hours with his manager, while walking the property, and later clearing glasses from a table if the wait staff were swamped and once high fiving a bartender on the way through the bar. It really made me happy to see “Mr. B” high fiving his staff, because after a day or two in dealing with the front line staff, it’s evident that life for them in Cuba is not the same as life for us. For example, we have no problem buying aspirin, buying a pound of hamburger, and many things we take for granted are just beyond their reach, economically. That’s one reason, I think it assuaged my conscience to see that their managers treated them with respect. I went so far as to ask Rosa, the ‘housecleaning diplomat’ if the General Manager was a good boss. If she had been disparaging, I naturally wouldn’t have given her up- but she wasn’t. She said he had very high standards and wanted the hotel to be excellent. A worthy answer I thought.
Last evening, we had grilled lobster at a table by ourselves outside the international restaurant. It overlooked Playa Esmerelda; there was no wind, and the moon was almost full. The lobster was grilled, and served with a pepper mayonnaise, ceasar salad and a French onion soup that was as delicious as any I’ve had anywhere. For dessert, I had flan with coconut ice cream, and then we watched the water ballet show. I can’t see how our last evening could have been better. I am grateful I don’t have ready access to that coconut ice cream here in NS. I don’t want to be mistaken for the rare Albino Northern Porpoise on my next trip!!
Three last things
1. Second morning out, I got sunstroke. We were on the beach for two hours and I had a hat on. No booze. Really, violently ill and dizzy.l Had to go back to our room, and lay down for almost 24 hours. Be really careful of the sun.
2. We bought some beautiful end tables from a vendor at the hotel. Very nice man. They had fish swimming through sea grass and customs confiscated them because he used seeds for the fish eyes that are poisonous. Apparently it permeates the wood. There’s no way he would know we’d have an issue, but make sure you check because we could easily have taken them out and replaced them with something here.
3. If anyone wants more details or has questions, we’d be delighted to try and answer them.
princessfubar@hotmail.com
As for a return visit, bring it!
Hasta luego… |
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| Believe everything good you read about Luna Y Mares |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
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David & Catalina fromBracebridge, Ontario >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Apr, 2009
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When did you stay at this resort: April 18 to 25
Other Comments:
This was our fourth trip here in three years. Believe everything good you read about Luna Y Mares, and ignore everything negative. This is a six star resort hidden beneath a four star rating. Just remember, this is Cuba; not all is perfect all the time! If you treat the Cubans with the respect and courtesy they very much deserve, and roll a bit with the way things are, you will want to return again and again, as do we.
trlake@yahoo.ca |
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| You won't find more friendlier staff |
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Graham >
2 contribution(s) Canada |
| Apr, 2009
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Arrival: April
We flew Sunwing and our arrival went very well. Staff were very efficient and friendly.
Rooms:
We had requested 3 rooms together via email and via Sunwing and this was done. We stayed at the Mares side first floor. Rooms were spacious and clean and a very friendly room maid.
Restaurants and Bars:
There is a new french restaurant which enforces a dress code of long pants for men. I had to sit out this one as I didn't take any long pants (my own fault), but the other 4 said it was an excellent experience and their best meal during the stay. The dress code is NOT enforced at the other restaurants. We also ate at the Italian which was good. The Colon buffet on the Mares side was very good and a very good selection of food. The selection is even better than 2007. The staff were excellent.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
This is a 5 star beach and won't disappoint. The water lacks seaweed and just the nice aqua blue water with a very sandy bottom. The sandy beach area is very long and wide and lots of Cabanas and chairs plus many trees for shade if you prefer.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
One person took in the tour of Holguin(day trip) and was enjoyable. Be aware the costs of tours are in American dollars so be cautious of how you pay, ie conversion to Canadian dollars or pesos and exactly what is will cost in the end.
Other Comments:
This was our 3rd trip to Holguin and 2nd to Luna Mares. The devastation to trees and plants the from Hurricane last year was VERY evident comnpared to 2007, however, the hotel is doing their best to do what they can to bring it back and it is still a lovely resort. The Luna side was quite dead due to the end of the season. The Canadian dollar was only worth 70 cents while we were there. The horse&buggy ride to the market is now 15 pesos for a half hour (1 hour last time) and the bird sanctuary next door is 5 pesos not 2. We were told the rate increase is to help with the hurricane costs. There is constant management visible and interested in you and they are constantly maintaining quality control. This resort is by far a 4 star and great value for the cost. You won't find more friendlier staff. |
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| A Refreshing and Relaxing Resort |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
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Sean >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Apr, 2009 | Leisure | With Spouse/Partner
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I haven't traveled in Cuba before as I had heard medioker reviews in the past. My wife has been several times and stayed almost everywhere, she booked us in at the Sol RÃo de Luna y Mares Resort as she said it was one of the best she has stayed at in Cuba. I have traveled quite extencively in Mexico, DR and over seas, so to say I have high expectations is an understatement. The resort lived up to those expectations.
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| Rooms |
| The rooms were as expected, smaller but with good beds, nice bathrooms and a great view. The bedding was clean, the room itself was spotless and the decore was ver cuban! |
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| Restaurants and Bars |
| I had heard that the food in Cuba was usualy pretty bad. I found the food at Luna y Mares to be great for an all inclucive. You are limited, like elsewhere in Cuba to more localy grown fair, and you won't see a lot of imported food or drink. I found that there was a great selection of Pork, beef, Chicken and amazing seafood, the lunch and dinner buffets have a fresh fish grill going with a huge variety of fresh fish. I was told that because it is a spanish owner resort, they have access to more imports from Spain then non spanish owned resorts, I don't know if that is true or not, but the selection was great. Breakfast was good to. They have great coffee, fresh squeezed OJ and a varity of cold ceareals to compliment the hot food offered. All and all, I'd have to say that the food was better then any resort I've been in in Mexico or DR. I recomend the Burger at the 24 hour snack bar...it was amazing. If you are looking for good service for your drinks, see Jenny at the pool bar....she is a breath of fresh air! |
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| Beach/Pools/Grounds |
| The 2 pools were kept very clean and the main pool was a great size. The pool on the Luna size is smaller, but a great place to hang out without all the poolside games. The beach is wonderful, what flour like sand, and becausse it is a pricate cove for the 3 local resorts, it was not very busy. You could always find a chair. There is great snorkeling at the end of the beach and in 8 feet of water you could spend all day looking at the great fish! It was like swimming in a huge aquariaum |
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| Resort was better than what I expected it to be |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
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Dave from Ontario >
3 contribution(s) Canada |
| Feb, 2009
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Other Comments:
There was a maid whom I did not like, so this resort is not even one star. Oh, yes, and my wife lost something when she left it somewhere unattended for a long time, so maybe this resort is not even a one star!! The beach is too far, so I had to walk a lot, and the staff refused to carry me on their back to the beach after my frequent requests! After all I have paid "A GRAND" so everyone had to bow to me which they did not! After all that I paid, The weather was not good I emailed all my friends and family members to ban this resort and will never go back there again till my last breath, unless Raoul Castro himself send me a written apology to my door
I AM KIDDING!! This is a NON-BIASED and WHINING-FREE review and YOU WILL NOT SEE SENTENCES AND REMARKS LIKE THE ABOVE ONES IN MY REVIEW.
The resort is very nice. The beach is great and ideal for resting, tanning, snorkelling, reading books etc.. The food is good and the restaurants are just OK, some better than the others. The main buffet in Mares (Colon) is offering a good variety of fish, meat, chicken and pork to roast on site which is nice. Don't worry, you will not be disappointed in my opinion, as far as you are there to have a nice relaxed time and you are easy-going.
The rooms on the Luna side are fine and clean apart from the bathroom and the tub, which are OK but can use a facelift. The Mares rooms are better since the bldg is 10 yrs younger. The highlights of the resort are the ELITE BEACH and the wonderful entertainment group.(see my video posts to see the samples). The entertainment was better at the start of the week however the Tues and Wednesday shows were not that great. The other nights were just wonderful (including the weekend and beach party) as I compare them to two 5 star resorts we have been to in the last 10 months. Highly recommended. They start at 9:15 0r 9:30 as posted daily in the main lobby at the entrance of the buffet. The service is good and the staff try to do their best to help you. There is a small disco at the beach which starts at 23:00 everyday. The pools are nice and kept pretty clean. The bars and snack bars are all fine with descent service. Overall resort was better than what I expected it to be. |
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| Things to know: |
1-The horseback riding is free for one hour. You should book it a day ahead if you are planning to do it.
2-The snorkelling is great under the chapel of the next door resort (see my posted clips)
3-The mini-zoo is well worth it(2 CUC entrance). Take you camera and pay a visit to the lagoon right next to the zoo.(A CUC is 1.41 CAD - Feb 2009)
4- I highly recommend scooter ride. 10-14-18-21 for 1 to 4 hrs rental respectively. The daily rental is 27$(return till 5 pm). You can go to Guardalavaca mini-market (10-15 min drive). I suggest driving further to the next village which is almost 10 km further down the road. It is nicer and the drive is fun.
5- The excursions are nice but expensive. (With 1.41 exchange rate). I recommend jeep safari (71 CUC)v
6-Catamaran ride is also nice if you are into it. It is free and joyful.
7- Pedalos are also free and fun.
8- We did not see even one sand fly or mosquito (however take your repellents with you)
9- Cuban restaurant is not that good. Others are nice. You get 2 reservations per week of stay.
10-On the last days of your stay, check the boards for any possible flight delays so you can enjoy more hours if such a thing happens.
11-The recreational center is also free to use (Sauna, Jacuzzi).
12- The Holguin airport is small and crowded once you pass into the waiting saloon. Remember to keep 25 CUC per passenger for airport taxes on the return flight.
13- Internet is 6 CUC for 60 min. You can use the voucher several times as far as there is still minutes left on it. The speed is pretty slow (like a dial up in Canada)
14- Enjoy the resort. You will find it lovely.
Conclusion
Luna y Mares is nice for a3.5 STAR� resort with nice staff, very nice beach, wonderful entertainment group, good food and ideal for a week of stay. I recommend it as a very nice 3.5 star resort.
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| Arriving up to the hotel was fabulous |
| Hotel Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
| User Rating:
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Julie from Ottawa, ON >
1 contribution(s) Canada |
| Jan, 2009
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In April of 2006, my roommate and I (from Ottawa) visited Cuba for the first time. Yep, just us girls looking to relax and also have some fun. We were definitely not disappointed! We flew out of Toronto Airport and within 3 ½ hours or so we landed in Holguin Cuba.
We booked online with “redtag.ca”. The package ended up being supplied to us through “Hola Sun Vacations”. There was a giant mix-up at the Toronto Airport (where we were to pick up our tickets) and they actually let us go through to get on the plane, without even giving us the tickets back at check-in! It wasn’t the travel wholesaler’s fault, but that’s what we get for being newbies with the online booking thing. Long story long…we delayed the plane a little, but got our tickets and headed off. Mind you…we had a few stares on the plane for holding it up. Oh well, something frustrating always has to happen when you travel…so we were happy to get it out of the way before we were actually on vacation!
The flight into Frank Pais International airport (Holguin Cuba) was spectacular. We could feel the temperature hit us as soon as we landed before we were even off the plane. We were presented with an amazing lush climate, even though there were a heck of a lot of farmer’s fields and skinny livestock too.
The airport is small, yet well laid out. It was quite easy to get through check-in. The buses and tour guides were waiting for us with signs stating what travel company they were with. We were approached by gentlemen selling cold beer as the buses were waiting to be filled. I nice treat for someone like me who is still wearing a sweater from the cold Canadian climate.
The bus took about an hour, but the hour flew by as we had so much beauty to look and the sight of a different culture shock to take in. It felt like the old saying “Is this what Heaven is like? If I’m dreaming, don’t pinch me just yet!”
Arriving up to the hotel was fabulous. We went from a drive through poverty (but beauty), to a paradise in the middle of nowhere! This resort is “Stay at One, Play at Two”. Hence the hotel name, “Sol Rio Luna y Mares”. Luna is one complex, Mares is the other. We checked into the Mares side upon arriving. The bus will let you off at one or the other, depending on your tour package. If you find out later that you got off at the wrong side…no worries…just walk through the one complex to the other. They are attached.
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Check-in was fast and efficient and it was nice to have a refreshment bar only steps away from the check-in (for those waiting longer) on the Mares side. The check-in lobby area is fantastically set up with water pools containing tropical fish, lush greenery, available seating, a few shops, and also the restaurant “Colon” is there if you are hungry and waiting for a room that may not be ready yet. Yes, funny name for an eatery, but it is apparently pronounced “Coal-on”. Depending on what time you arrive, the restaurant may be closed in order to set up for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Our room was a standard room with the same bathroom as mostly all the rooms we checked out (from hanging out with so many people that we met that week). Most standard rooms have 2 double beds (which was nice for us but not as nice for Honeymooners…but they have suites anyhow…which has a king bed in them). From what we saw, most or all rooms had their own balconies, whether ground floor or not. What a way to relax away from everyone and everything, but by sitting on your own balcony…especially at sunrise and sunset even if you are not overlooking the ocean. The TV worked with numerous channels. Fridge was handy for keeping water cold and there was plenty of room for all of our outfits and swimwear in the provided dressers and closet. The bottoms of the dresser drawers are not sanded, so putting a hand towel down first before the clothes are put in works very well so you don’t get any shredded clothes. There was a key-pad safe in the room, along with the air conditioning thermostat we could adjust ourselves if necessary. The bathroom was quite large with a shower/tub, sink and large mirror, a toilet and a beday (which is good as they don’t like to supply much toilet paper).
We met 16 people from Canada, Ireland, Great Britain, USA & Russia during our stay. It was nice to be able to relax when we wanted, but go find our “friends” when we wanted to party! The bars were always open (even during the wee hours of the morning when normal people are sleeping!) There were many bars in the hotel. On the Mares side, there was a large one in the main open lobby, a swim-up one in the main pool (don’t worry…I think the water turns colour if someone pees in it), all the restaurants had bars in them and last but not least...the beach had a small, yet beautiful bar. Oh yeah, and the Theater bar is open at night during showings.
There were activities by the pool and just outside the open lobby bar throughout the day. There were special entertainers that would assist in traditional dance lessons (even when people were drunk they had a lot of patience) and pool activities like water polo, volleyball, swimming race challenges (I never knew how many ping-pong balls could fit inside a bikini – you’ll have to go to figure out that game), yet part of the large pool was kept for those who wanted to relax and enjoy the bar area also. There was a smaller pool for the kiddies too. There were other activities in the main lobby area as well, like pool tables, ping-pong, and most of the time there was live entertainment on the stage area. On the Luna side, there was a mini-putt area, a lookout nature reserve area and trails, tennis court, pool table, souvenir shop, and another decent-size pool with hot tub. Nightly, the piano was brought out into their main lobby area by the bar with an amazing piano player. We would request songs and she knew them all funny enough! She made it a very romantic yet fun atmosphere. Most people felt they could dress up and drink wine during her show.
There was a spa on site as well with steam rooms separate for men and women, saunas, lockers, gym facilities, an open air hot tub, a small pool, yoga classes every morning, and even a doctor’s office in the spa area. |
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The beach…oh my God… the beach. Just read other reviews or check out pics others have taken and posted online. There were plenty of palapas, plenty of chairs (that paid gentlemen always wiped off and delivered to where we wanted to. The sand was absolutely spectacular and the water was even better. There were activities offered down at the beach also. There was a main central hut that we could go to in order to sign up for activities ranging from water sports to beach volleyball. There was a giant chess board set up also (makes for funny pics). We could get extra towels and snorkeling gear at the hut too. The beach is not too long of a stretch, but all very private. There was another resort down the beach, but the shore was not as maintained as Luna/Mares. No shells to hurt your feet on, no big enough waves to sink the skinniest of people. Air Transat even threw a party one night of the seven for it’s guests (we snuck in with people we meet – oops) that was absolutely magical and spectacular. There were tables and chairs all set up and decorated with white sheer linens. There was a line buffet set up along the beach with a pig that had been roasted all day on the skewer and many more delectables. There was table service for drinks and to pick up the plates etc after the meal. Tipping the staff was appreciated. There was live entertainment when it became dark, with fire shows, exotic dancing, drinking games and lots of extra fun. We had a blast! After that beach party ended, the nightly disco beach bar opened up (like it does late every night) and we danced, drank and enjoyed the different Latin and American music ranging from Sean Paul to Nelly to Ne-Yo to Madonna etc. Fantastic.
At night, the theatre was entertaining as well. The theatre was your typical theatre set up with the rows of seats rising the further back they went. The stage was enormous, and the shows were spectacular. Some nights they were themed (like cabaret and impersonations) and some nights people from the audience were allowed up to make fools of themselves. All in good fun mind you! Drink service was also provided if needed. Every night in the main lobby area of the Mares side, you could enjoy live local singers romancing the atmosphere. Breathtaking. They sold CDs for quite cheap as well. What a better way than to bring the memories home via music.
There were bikes and cars for rent outside the complex. The tour reps were available during certain posted days and times for questions or to book off-site activities (like the swim-with-the-dolphins package that was located very close to the hotel also!) There was a telephone station where you could pay-as-you-go for calls back home, and small booths set up at various times to buy souvenirs, cameras, post-cards, etc. One internet station was set-up, but someone was always on it so I could never use it. There was a money exchange booth on the Mares side and one on the Luna side as well. It was nice to only have to bring Canadian money! The rate was better to exchange Canadian dollars to pesos instead of US funds to pesos. I believe it still is these days. As it is next to impossible to change pesos back to Canadian dollars upon return to Canada, we could spend each day exchanging only what we needed to at the time we needed it! |
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I guess the last thing I have to mention was the restaurants and the themed dinners. You will read other reviews stating that the restaurant on one side was also closed when they were staying there…but if they had have toured the whole complex, they should have found something else open. Even still, they could have asked any of the bartenders if they could find them something to eat. They would have gone into the kitchen and fetched something to tie them over until main meal times. The only reason they would have been closed was due to construction, setting up before main meals, getting ready for theme-only dinners that night, etc. Speaking of the themed dinners, if you book through a tour wholesaler (package deal), you will get vouchers for a number of themed dinners to choose from. You must have them booked in advance as they get full occupancy quite quickly. They rotate nights for the theme dinners, so if it is full one night, you should be able to go another night. The Mares side closes down the open restaurant/bar by the pool area for the Mexican theme dinner. The Mexican dinner is the only one we didn’t find tasted like actual Mexican dishes (different but good…just not what you expect). The Luna sides hosts an Italian dinner with many courses and very good choices, in the open restaurant/bar by their pool. The music was extremely Italian, ranging from Andrea Bocchelli to Josh Groban etc. Absolutely fantastic, romantic and suitable for the amazingly delicious Italian food they serve. Wow is all I could say! For couples looking for the ultimate romantic dinner that even tops the Italian dinner…there is a chance to get a voucher for the dinner down the beach in a very private setting. It is set up on the sand with white sheets as the outer walls blowing in the ocean breeze, and served is steak, lobster, wine, etc. They go all out with the professional service.
I have read many articles and felt that I should do the all-in-one description of one of the best values for your money. I have now been back twice and planning to go again to see the friends I have made there, Dario, Ray, Junior, Wilson, and the rest of the gang! |
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| Old Reviews - Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort |
| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Leah
Toronto, Canada
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| December 2008 |
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Arrival: Dec 23 - Dec 30, 2008
We travelled with Sunwing and both flights were on time and uneventful. A bus picked us up at the airport and brought us to the hotel where check in was fast. Unfortunately, since we arrived at 11:00am, our rooms were not ready so we busied ourselves with lunch until the rooms were ready.
Rooms:
We were located on the Luna side (units 5218 and 5219)and although these units are a bit run down, we had a wonderful view of the beach. Our kids' room didn't have any hot water but a technician worked on the plumbing for a couple of hours and got it working. The patio doors took two people to open and close.
Restaurants and Bars:
Only one buffet is open and that is the Colon, in the Mares complex. The food was so/so. We had stayed at the Tryp in Cayo Coco 6 years ago and remembered the baskets of different breads and fruits so we were a bit disappointed at the limited selection of bread, mostly burger-like buns. I was looking foward to watermelon but it was mostly white and unripened. My husband and I enjoyed capucinos both at the beach and at the Mares bar, 1492. The only restaurant bookings we made were to the Italian restaurant which was beside the Luna pool. The pizza here was much better than the buffet whose pizza is made with cheeses other than mozzarella.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is truly the best feature of the hotel. It has white sand, the consistency of icing sugar and we enjoyed walking on it every day. There are always chairs avaialable no matter what time you get there. My husband even found some fun snorkelling right offshore. There's a national park next door to the resort and for a small charge (5 CUC)you can go on a self-guided 1 hour nature hike with a great view of the beach.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We took the Catamaran/Swim with the Dolphins tour and had a wonderful afternoon. We were picked up at 8:30am and didn't get back until 5:30pm. That's because there were 76 people on our boat and the dolphin part of the trip only allowed groups of 15 at a time. There was a lot of waiting involved here. We thought we would actually swim with the dolphins and see a sea lion show but that didn't happen. We were in the pen with the dolphins and the trainer and got to touch the dolphins and get kissed by them which was fun. However, there was no swimming included except for the last child in the last group.
Other Comments:
The hotel has a nightly disco on the beach from midnight to 2:00am. This was not listed in the brochure and kept me up each night. I would not have chosen this resort had I known about this disco. The base was so loud that I could feel the bed vibrate. I complained to the manager and it got better for a couple of nights but then I had to call every night when I was awoken at 12:00am to ask them to turn down the music. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Joe and Karen
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| October 2008 |
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OUR FLIGHT: We took off on our Skyservice flight from Toronto on time. The flight was quite comfortable and we had lots of leg room. It was an uneventful pretty smooth flight and we arrived at Holguin airport on time and before long we were happily ensconced on the bus to the resort. No problems with customs or immigration. The fastest we've ever gone through a Cuban airport we would say. The bus ride to the resort was smooth but at the same time you could see by the bus headlights the many missing roofs, downed power lines, tree trunks twisted off and mangled. It looked kind of ghostly. A portent of things to come? We hoped not! As it was late in the evening we were checked in while travelling on the bus by Luna Mares reception staff and received our hotel brochure, room keys and room numbers. This is a wonderful idea and it allowed us to deposit our luggage in our room right away and head for a well deserved nightcap at 1492 as it had been a long day of travel.
ON WAKING: In the morning after a good night sleep we had our first look at the devastation that this hurricane Ike had wrought. Many many beautiful trees downed. We were overwhelmed with sadness at that moment. We were now thinking whether it had been a good idea for us to come here at this time. We felt joy to be back in Cuba but sadness to see the devastation of such a beautiful countryside. But by 8 a.m. after a wonderful breakfast in the dining room we were beginning to feel somewhat better about the vacation. Seeing familiar staff faces and being recognized right away as a return guest is just an amazing feeling. It never ceases to amaze me with the thousands of guests going through that they do recognize you and sometimes remember your name. Throughout the morning and afternoon and the rest of the week there was was an army of workers in the gardens cleaning up brush and downed trees and generally putting in new bougainvillea and hibiscus and other tropical plants. The garden renewal had really begun in earnest. Our spirits were being lifted higher minute by minute by the enthusiasm of those workers who had suffered great damage in their own personal lives from hurricane Ike and still soldiered on bravely.
ROOMS: We had asked as returning guests for a certain room location but on arriving it was in a totally different area. The room was comfortable but with a scaffolding blocking the view we decided to change . This was done without any fuss and we got the location we wanted facing west over the Bahia de Naranjo. The room (2007) was very comfortable and airy and provided a nice view of the bay. This room is both close to the lobby area and also there is a nice short pathway down to the pool from to the first floor stairwell as well. It is also close to the Carabela restaurant. I have to say though that the gardens on the west side are now nonexistent but if there is a silver lining to this it is that they can start from scratch and have less high foliage and more flowers with a wonderful view of the bay. Nevertheless the view of the bay and mountains was magnificent, especially at sunset. We really liked having a lovely cool drink sitting there on our balcony in the hot afternoon sun. Our room housekeeping for the week was immaculate and we had lots of towels, hot water, bottled drinking water every day and the always appreciated towel art and flowers by the housekeepers. The room is equipped with a television with about six stations. CNN being one of the stations. We would have liked a CBC or CTV canuck station. I guess you can't have everything. There was a working iron and ironing board in the closet. There was a safety deposit box in the closet. The safety deposit box was a type that we really liked. You could put in your own personal pin number and you didn't have too rely on the room key. You could change your pin number at any point after opening and on locking the safe. There was a nice bar fridge in a cabinet under the television and we were able to keep our drinking water cold there. There was a working coffeemaker in the room as well. The bathroom had a bathtub and shower and a vanity with sink. We had hot water all week both morning and evening. We had no problems with mosquitoes or no see-ums in our room.
THE BEACH: The beach received quite a hit with the hurricane and a lot of the smaller buildings (massage hut, La Pinta "romantic restaurant", kids club, archery) were badly damaged or destroyed. They were working on rebuilding those toward the end of our week. These should be up and running within three weeks of this date. The animation Center where the beach towels are distributed and the dive club also were intact and working. The catamarans and paddleboats were all working during the week. To our surprise and considering the force of the wind the La Niña restaurant was intact and working as a beach bar and restaurant for lunch every day. The shade trees on the beach suffered major damage. There is still quite a few Palapas left on the beach for shade. The beach itself is in wonderful shape and has been cleaned up very well indeed. There is quite a lot of sand on the beach and there was no rocks on the beach as far as we could see. We did walk the beach from one end to the other. The furthest stairs at the Luna and has been washed away. They were starting work on that stairs as we were leaving. All in all I would say the beach was in great condition and just needs some more Palapas for shade. There was lots of lounges available at any time. This Esmeralda Beach is so lovely.
DINING: The Luna side of the hotel complex was closed so the only buffet open was the "Colón" restaurant at Mares.
Colón Buffet: This was open for breakfast and lunch every day and dinner for six days as there was one evening when the buffet was closed for dinner and there was a manager's gala dinner outside by the pool for all of the hotel guests. We found breakfast to be very enjoyable every day at the buffet. There was something for everyone. Lunch and dinner were OK. The dinner and lunch menu were pretty much the same. We had enough to eat of what we liked on any day or evening.
À la carte: We tried one à la carte during our week's stay. It was a Cuban night and they had set up the dining area by the pool. We enjoyed our meal that night and the service was first class. We were well attended to by the waitstaff. La Niña restaurant on the beach was also set up as an à la carte restaurant on at least two nights. At night it was called the "Romantic Restaurant". By day this restaurant was a snack bar and Beach bar and served burgers, fries, fish and chips etc. from about 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. .
There was another snack bar for burgers and fries and sandwiches set up by the 1492 lobby bar. It was open from noon until 5 p.m.. This snack bar served coffee and pastries on a 24-hour basis. All in all the snacks were very good and we were well looked after.
On Wednesday night the management set up a gala dinner around the pool for everyone. It was well done. The managers came around to every table asking how our stay was and apologizing for any inconvenience that we had encountered at any time during the week. That night they served fresh lobster for whomever wanted lobster.There was a table set up with roast leg of pork carved to your liking also. There was a wonderful fish fry station and seperate tables with lots to choose from in salads and soups and vegetables and then a really lovely dessert table. All these foods were elegantly laid out in front of the 1492 lobby bar towards the pool area. Unfortunately for the first time in the week it did sprinkle rain. Both Karen and I were fortunate that we were seated at the beginning of the evening and had nicely finished our dinner when the rain started. We felt really bad for the staff as they had gone to a major amount of work setting up the gala dinner. For us that dinner was a major success despite the rain.
BARS: The 1492 Lobby Bar: was open 24 hours and served mostly any type of cocktail that you wanted and with style and flare I might add. At this bar there was great service on almost every occasion when we were there. There were some specialty whiskey and bourbon and Scotch drinks that you had to pay for. I believe they were priced around 4 CUC per drink. We didn't partake so I couldn't say how those drinks were.
La Nao pool bar was open most of the day at least from 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. (I'm not certain about the times, they are approximate). Here on most occasions there was great great service. One particular lady serving at the bar was very notable for her amazing ability to remember everyone and greet every one as they swam up to the bar and then get their drinks in short order. She was tops.
Beach bar: This was set up at La Niña restaurant on the beach. This bar had such a wonderful view of that white sand beach and beautifully colored ocean. It was lovely sitting there at about 11:30 a.m. having our french fries and two nice very cold cervezas. That was our pre-lunch snack to tide us over until we did the buffet lunch at 1 p.m.. We enjoyed sitting there looking at the beach crowd as they went by.
ONGOING CONSTRUCTION AND IKE DAMAGE: They were replacing all of the roofing material on the Sol Luna Mares all through our week at the hotel and were still working hard at it as we left. They have a major amount of work still to do even at the Mares side. They hadn't opened the top floor on the Mares side because of leaking roofs as of when we left late Friday night. Some facilities on the beach were mostly blown away. There was one restaurant and bar on the beach called "La Niña" that survived intact . We were so surprised to see it intact as as it has a thatched roof. The other restaurant "La Pinta" was totally wrecked along with quite a few other small buildings on the beach. The animation Center where the beach towels are distributed and the dive club were intact and working. The Carabela restaurant, bar and snack bar by the pool was closed most all of the week. The East part of the roof was being replaced. It wasn't finished (the roof) when we left but they had used part of the restaurant for an à la carte of some kind the night before we left. A lot of trees on the beach were also down. These trees were in the process of being removed during the week. The beach itself is now more beautiful than before as the hurricane brought in a lot more sand. They still have a major amount of work to do on the Luna side of the property though. This property (the Luna) has sustained heavy roof damage and all of the community areas of that side are heavily damaged as well. We will be surprised if it opens before the beginning of or up to mid-December.
SOME THOUGHTS ON OUR STAY: It was a brutally hot and humid week as we swam around the pool quaffing down our cervezas or frolicking in the surf at the beach pampering ourselves. From both those comfortable vantage points at the pool and on the beach as we were looking up at those poor individuals covered in sweat and dust replacing the roof or pulling out all of the downed trees on the beach and without doubt we felt privileged but very very guilty at the same time. Our holiday was indeed made special this week by these individuals on the roofs keeping our rooms dry and comfortable and those in the gardens toiling to grace our view again with beautiful gardens. And certainly privilidged by the kindness and attention payed to all of us guests by the wonderful staff throughout the whole hotel. These staff who have in their own personal lives so much consternation and worry because of hurricane damage to their homes came up champions and performed (without complaint) above and beyond the call of duty. I hope when things are better that hotel management doesn't forget the sacrifice and hard work of all of those individuals. I can tell you for sure we will not. We very much felt that all of those people toiling on the roofs and in the gardens and on the beach and the service staff at the hotel had indeed underwritten with their sweat a fair portion of our budget priced holiday. We wish to thank all of the staff for our vacation. Do we deserve it ? I dont know.
WOULD WE GO BACK TO THIS HOTEL AGAIN: Certainly but with the proviso that both sides of the hotel be open. We have gone there when some of the Mares side was closed and some of the Luna side open and vice a versa. We will save our next vacation at this hotel for when both properties are up and running fully. This is not not to be critical of either one of our stays here. I guess we are just two spoiled old codgers. Is our glass half full or half empty? We don't know. Spoiled or what!!
OUR FLIGHT BACK: On our way back to the airport at Holguin it was fairly light out. We had a chance to view the countryside and see the damage. There was a lot of damage. The damage was less severe the closer we got to Holguin city. Hopefully next year we will go back to this area and some of the landscape scars will be healed because it is really a beautiful drive from Holguin city to Guardalavaca. Our flight took off pretty well on time and we had two really nice seats toward the front of the plane with lots of legroom and we comfortably napped all the way back to Toronto arriving at 1:15 a.m. and getting home by 3 a.m. or so. A very nice holiday which we are still recuperating from LOL.
We have decided to wait a while before adding new photos to our website. But if you would like to see perfectly valid photos and videos that gives you a realistic view of this property please click on this web location below.
http://canuck.webcentre.ca/ |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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Fifth time in eight years and it's better than ever!
Returned to SRLM for the fifth time in eight years and what a treat it was. The property, service, food and people just get better and better.
The beach is a long sweeping expanse of white sand with acres of shade and sun. Gentle surf, very few rocks and gorgeous views in all directions. Hungry? Go have a burger and a beer at the beach shack. Dining in your swim trunks is always a treat.
The restaurants and buffet are better than ever. Very professional staff who get worked to the bone and keep smiling throughout. And the food...oh the food. There's a pumpkin soup there that I had twice. Once as an appetizer, then again for dessert. Yes, it was that good. The meals are exceptionally well prepared. I suspect all of the food is sourced locally or produced onsite and it shows. There is a very decent variety in the buffet and at the restaurants, and should you not find something to your liking, all you need to do is ask - you'll be accommodated.
The bars and nightlife? Damn fine. It might get a touch crowded but who cares? You're on holiday right? Tasty beer and rum, gin and tonics and other more exotic (I almost say girly) drinks are available. You'll see some very hardworking bartenders bash out drink after drink after drink after drink, usually all at once. It's like watching the ballet. Speaking of which, the nightly shows are a bit of a treat. The ladies on stage are breathtakingly beautiful and are extremely talented performer/dancers. The guys on the other hand look like they happened to wander onstage by accident and were looking for an exit. The disco on the other hand is where you can see the latest in dance, mating ritual and dexterity. Watching someone prance around a young tourist lady while holding four beers and a rum cocktail is a once in a lifetime experience. The music is good though, ask for some original Cuban-style music, it'll get your groove on.
Check out the grounds, take a buggy into Guardalavaca, hop on a Hobie cat, say hola to all and sundry and above all, enjoy yourself. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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My 8th choice in Cuba.. 2nd time to Lunas and so happy I returned to the first hotel that made me fall in love with this country. My last trip to Cuba really turned me off. Sol Pelicano Cayo Largo with the horrible hotel staff.
Let's start with the negative.... blue bracelet. Same as that horrible Sol Pelicano. Solution... I refused to be reminded of the degradation and did not put it on. No more negatives.
Staff - amazing ! Freindly ... smiles... holas everywhere. "How was your sleep? " This is the Cuba I fell in love with.
Beach - Playa Esmeralda. Great.
Excursions.. Did the dolphins again. Now combined with catamaran snorkelling. Great trip. Better was the helicopter to Santiage de Cuba. I was in Holguin in May of 2007 & the helicopter was not working. I am so glad I waited and returned. The greatest excursion I have ever done. I love scenery - mountains etc... this was well worth the money.
Oh yeah - the cats at the buffet are gone. I missed the gatos! I use to love feeding them. Now there are birds. Just not the same. Oh well.... you can't have it all. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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| at this hotel feb 22 -mar6 great beach- clean rooms- bathrooms need some work but work ok. staff for most part very friendly,see nikolas and jenny at mares pool bar for the best service and treatment,see orzo ast mngr if you have a problem other asst mngr is a man called yunior yea;;with a y. dont waste time with him ,remember to tip these guys they dont get paid much |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Monique
Nova Scotia
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| March 2008 |
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Arrival -
No problems. Customs went fast and no long wait for the baggage. Changed money at the airport, was second in line while my husband waited for the bags.
For about 30 people it was a bad start of their vacation: their luggage didn't arrive......one lady with 3 kids said she didn't see one of her bags all week.
Rooms -
We got rooms 0001 and 0002 for the first night......very noisy since they are on the ground floor in a busy corridor. Changed the next day without problems to buiding 5 on the third floor: great ocean view! The resort is a bit older which shows in the bathrooms but everything is very clean. The maids are friendly, do a great job and are appreciative of little presents on the pillow. They'll leave extra water and make nice creations out of the blankets.
Restaurants -
The buffets are fine, there is enough variety. We liked the buffet at the Lunes side better, it wasn't as busy as the one on the Mares side. The Lunes buffet is not open for lunch but has the snackbar close by. Personally I wasn't a big fan of the snackbar menu although I had the grilled fish one day and that was delicious.
We ate Italian (not great, the kids found the pasta at the buffet better, deserts were great) Cuban (restaurant on the beach, nice atmosphere pretty good food) and our favourite, Mexican.We would have liked to eat at the 'romantic' restaurant on the beach, la Pinta (mediterranean) but it was booked for the week. If you show up before 9 O'clock at the reservations desk you wont have to spend a long time in line.
Bars -
Lots of sugary cocktails to be had if you like those......We found the drinks at the lobby bars better, real glasses and real juice.They also make pretty good cappucino. Most evenings there was live music in the bars, a travelling 5 piece band at Mares and a piano player at Lunes. There are 2 pool tables in each lobby bar as well, the cues aren't great but will do for a fun game.
Beach and Pools -
The beach was the best. We've been to Turquesa before and this beach was better. The locals think so too. Great snorkeling to the right, you will have to cross to the next resort which is no problem. Their guests would come to our side too as it was less crowded (you could tell by the purple towels...)Lots of chairs available, the guys are always willing to drag some over to your choice spot. Lots of shade too as there are enough trees. You can reserve a trip on the hobiecat, sailboats, kayaks, windsurfing and pedal boats.
The pools were clean, the Lunes pool is quieter.
Grounds -
Lots of vegetation, very well kept.
Activities -
There are lots of activities offered, just check the boards in both lobbies. Waterpolo every afternoon. It looked like younger children were kept busy as well (we have teens)
My husband and I went on the bicycle trip one morning which turned out to be a hike up the mountain as well.(beautiful view) It was fun although I got eaten alive by mosquitos during the hike mainly because we stopped a lot. So bring bug spray if you decide to go on this one. There are no mosquitos at the resort to speak of.
We also rented scooters one morning (not recommended by the tour company but fine if you take it easy as the roads are quite bad) If you brought dollar store items this would be a good time to bring them along to give to the locals who do not have the advantage of working at the resorts.
Conclusion -
We would recommend this resort. We have stayed at a 4 1/2 star and a 4 star before and this one is a 3 1/2 I believe (depends where you look) so we knew to expect somewhat less. The rooms are a bit older, the bathrooms less luxurious and the equipment a of lesser quality (2 tennis raquets in total for 2 courts so bring your own) But overall we were not disappointed. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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Trip – Booked through Sell off Vacations, Air Transat, Westjet flight
Flight – One hour delay leaving Halifax due to snow storm which was fine…it is winter in Nova Scotia…..Westjet crew are the BEST!!!!!
Passengers – 3 females ranging in ages from 35 to 42
This was our first trip to Cuba. I read all the reviews for every resort in Cuba and this one had the best and that’s why we booked it. Let me tell you something….I have a huge fear of bugs especially cockroaches so I am always worried about going on these trips but the reviews didn’t say anything about bugs so away we went. Sol Rio has 2 hotels that you can go back and forth to….Mares and Luna…..Mares is where we stayed. Landed in Cuba…..got off the plane and it’s 31 degrees at 11:30am…….paradise after leaving Halifax in a snow storm. Customs was a little wait but no problems. Got our bags and one the bus we went. The bus was air conditioned which was awesome. The guide on the bus spoke English very well and described some things we were seeing on the way. Ride to resort was one hour. Arrived at the resort….check in no problem…our room was ready right away. Hotel lobby was beautiful. When the man at the front desk told us our room number I looked at my friends…..it was a room on the main floor…..we went to our room….opened the door and it smelled very musty. We then went back down to the front desk and asked for another room on an upper floor; he kindly told us there was nothing available until the next day which was fine with us. The next morning we went back to the front desk and he said our new room would be ready and 2:00pm and it was. This room was amazing with a beautiful view, we were very happy. My birthday was February 28th so we planned an excursion for the
catamaran/snorkeling/lobster lunch/swimming with the dolphins for that day. The weather was beautiful until Wednesday. We got up Wednesday morning and it was raining (first time in 2 months) so we just puttered around the resort that day. We got up Thursday morning (the day of our excursion) and it was still raining with very high seas…..our excursion was cancelled and rescheduled for the next day. Friday morning still raining……cancelled again…..went to our Transat reps (Raoul & Ivette) and we were refunded our money. The sun came back that afternoon but it was too late and we were leaving the next morning. Having rain the last 3 days there was really crappy but nobody can control the weather when you travel. Check out the next morning was a breeze. Bus was on time for the ride back to the airport to go home. Flight left Holguin about an hour late because it was late coming from Halifax. Landed in Halifax…yup in another snow storm…….oh well……..
Here are some things you might want to know:
Resort rooms – NO BUGS AT ALL!!!!! Very clean…our maid was awesome…..we left her all kinds of gifts every day…..Cubans are very grateful for everything you give them.
Bars – Beach bar makes the best slushier Pina Colada’s, lobby bar is open 24 hours.
Mares Pool – Very clean and has a swim up bar but if you want a chair at the pool you better get down there very early in the morning and put your towel on your chair….NOBODY will touch it.
Luna Pool – Very clean, no swim up bar.
Mares Buffet – lots of selection but I found the food to be very bland and I’m a very picky eater but I did not starve…….they only use Gouda cheese which is very strong……along the buffet you will find some raw beef, chicken, prawns and fish……the chef will grill it right in front of you so take advantage of it…we didn’t until the night before we left…delicious!!! Oh and they serve French fries with EVERY meal, even breakfast!
Luna Buffet – we found the buffet at Luna better than Mares so we ate there a lot. All the bread is delicious! Fruit is not in season right now so there is not a big selection of that at all.
There is a 24 hour snack bar at Mares and Luna but you can only get fries, hot dogs and burgers…..if you ask they will make you a sandwich…I found the burgers a little tough but it was real beef so no worried there.
The Beach – BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Papalas everywhere but just like the pool you have to go down to the beach early and put your towel where you want it…..NOBODY will touch it there either. If you walk down towards Luna’s portion of the beach it a little rocky when you walk in the water but Mares beach is awesome. Snorkeling is good but I just wish I would have gone to a reef to see more. My opinion of the beach….beautiful but Desoto Beach in St. Pete’s, FL is like you died and went to heaven.
Snorkeling Gear – if you have it bring your own. It’s very hard to get the gear at the beach hut unless you are there early and you can only have it for 2 hours.
Entertainment – every night….good but bad lip syncing…..the BEACH PARTY WAS THE BEST OF THE ENTIRE TRIP!!!!!!
A la Carte – we only tried the Mexican……I don’t like Mexican food but my other friends loved it.
A couple of other short notes:
There are a lot of stairs at this resort so if you have leg problems this is not the place for you. There are not many things for little kids to do at this resort (which was fine by us) although there were a few children there. Cuban people are AMAZING!!!! Bring some toys for kids, old clothes that you don’t want anymore (especially if they have Canada written on them) and toiletries from the dollar store for the maids…….also…please tip the bartenders….it takes 24 CUC’s to get 1 dollar of the money they use living there…..they are not allowed to use the CUC as it is tourist money only…….change your money at the bank at the resort and get your cigars on your way home at the Holguin airport as they are cheaper than the resort.
THE SUN……the sun in Cuba is very strong…I tan all year long so I was pretty tanned going down there…….I went snorkeling and had 2 braids in my hair….the back of my neck burnt really bad and so did my scalp as well as my ears….I had sunstroke for 3 days which consisted of bad headaches but there was no way I was letting that stop me from having fun in Cuba!
I would recommend this resort to everyone and we are planning to go back in February 2010 (Mexico next year) |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Doug
Ontario
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| February 2008 |
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Arrival -
Arrival in Cuba no sweat(3rd time into Holguin. 1st time with Sky NO SERVICE. With my job I fly at least 200 hrs a yr. Never ever fly with sky service. Resort (3rd time to same place) is no longer a 4 *. At best a 3*. Staff are great cleaning ladies are 100% Would not go back again!!
Rooms -
Good if you have a can of Raid for the bugs!
Restaurants -
OK if you like fried food
Bars -
Great
Beach and Pools -
Don't know about pools. Beaches are great!!
Grounds -
Great!
Activities -
Evening entertainment great!!
Tours -
didn't try this year.
Conclusion -
Don't expect 4* food. McDonalds is far better. The last two years was much better. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Faro & Shana
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| January 2008 |
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*** First time travelers to Cuba read ! ---> You will need 25 CUC (Cuban convertible Pesos) per person upon exiting Cuba, no money, no exit !
***
Vacation period: Sunday, Jan.13th to Jan.20th
* The quickest and shortest review: Try it - Won't disappoint at all !
*** Long review: My wife and I (Shana-Faro) went to Cuba for the first time and I must say that we enjoyed our trip tremendously in this resort. From the scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best obviously), I rate this trip as 8.5 at least. I recommend this place to everyone who is looking for a 4 star hotel and resort.
Flight: Sky services booked via Transat vacations. 1.5 hour delay until we flew. Not too much of a big deal, we were not too fussy. The plane had tight seats and an ok service. It was probably the least pleasant part of our trip altogether. Almost no delay when returning. Plan for your last day, if your return is late in the evening as the checkout time for the hotel is 12pm and if you want to stay 4 hrs extra, you have to pay 25 Pesos.
Hotel and check-in: Very quick check-in for us and the lobby was very impressive.
Room: I would rate it as 3 star not 4 but the maintenance and cleaning was always on time and the room was very clean overall. If you want some view to the Swimming pool and beach, reserve the Northern rooms. The downside could be that the music sound from the beach area after 11 (until 2) maybe bothering those who want a 100% soundproof sleep. We did not care and enjoyed our view.
Grounds/facilities: Beautiful, clean and always maintained. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed every step around.
Bars: Very good overall, except we ran into a couple of very uptight bartenders (one of them was Vladimir) who had no idea of what customer service is all about. Dry, constipated, slow and when serving alcohol, looked like he is giving away some of his parents wealth. The rest were, for the most part, friendly and once tipped, even friendlier, however, we tipped the other staff like gardeners, cooks, entertainment staff (Fidel, Norhe, etc) as these folks almost NEVER get any tip from anyone. We strongly encourage all you great folks who are reading this review to tip these fellows as they really deserve it and they don't make any money compared to waiters and bartenders.
Restaurants: I am a VERY good cook and considering that, from the scale of 1 to 10, I'd give a score of 4 to 7 (depending on where you eat) for food. 2 buffet and 4 a la carte restaurants.
Beach: One word to describe it: Awesome. No issues at all there. Try catamaran ride (small ones) and you will love it !
Swimming pool: Awesome. Swim-up bar and the only small problem is that if you are late in the morning, the seats are taken.
Entertainment: Starts from 9:30 or so and we were there for the most part to see dancers. Not quite synchronized for sure but we did not expect Las Vegas. remember, this is Cuba and these people do not have that luxury of giving you a world-class entertainment, just go with the flow. We met all the dancers and all of them were great people and very kind.
Miscellaneous: We tried Jacuzzi, steam bath, table tennis, pool-side activities such as games, etc and we enjoyed them all.
Other tourists: For the most part, LOTS of amazing people in the hotel. TONS from Ontario and Quebec ! (Hello everyone, Salut tout le monde !) We met quite a few people there and the mood was fantastic. My only beef with a few others (minority and we ignored them at the end) was that they were so uptight and soulless. Blank stares and boring, etc but hey, they missed the fun part not us !
*** Overall, we will go back to this place. It was one week of fun and we will never forget all the great time we had. Cheers. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Joe and Karen (Canuck130)
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| November 2007 |
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The flight out of Toronto at 6:25 a.m. was on time and we were on the ground at Holguin Cuba at 10:15 a.m..The flight was uneventful and the cabin service was very good and we were served a sandwich ( EggMcMuffin from Wendy's I think) for breakfast. We enjoyed the flight.
Cuban customs. Took a while to get through customs and immigration and pick up our baggage. Cuban customs pulled us aside and searched our bags. I had to smile a bit as the first question the young customs agent asked me was "where's the cooker". I didn't know really what he was talking about. After searching all my luggage they came up with our 3 c.tea kettle. By now there was four or five customs agents milling around looking in to the kettle through the spout trying to figure out where "the cooker" was. They summoned their head agent and he just put his hands to his head and then up in the air and turned around and left. The embarrased young customs agents quickly closed my suitcase and told me "sorry sir for the delay, take your kettle with you LOL.".
Bus ride to hotel. My fellow passengers were waiting for me on the bus. I felt sheepish for the delay but there was still a few stragglers left to get on the bus so thankfully I wasn't the last. There was a lot of confusion about the seating but that was sorted out fairly quickly and we were on our way. Now I was feeling much better. The coach ride to the hotel was just marvelous with all that Cuban scenery laid out in front of me as I ended up with a marvelous front-row seat. This is the nicest part of getting in to Cuba during daylight hours when you can enjoy a one hour and 15 minute free coach ride through the most beautiful country you have ever seen.
Hotel check-in and reception. Ahh, here alas, a tiny fly in the ointment. Seemingly our room won't be ready for an hour. Not to worry as we stash our luggage and head for a looksee of the beach as this is our first time at this hotel. Beautiful beach and beach restaurant. We return to reception two hours later and no room yet. Another hour they say. OK now I am just getting a little aggravated about this hotel as I have been up since 2 a.m. and I'm a bit out of sorts. We head of again and come back two hours later. No hotel room! I told them that I thought this was unacceptable as the previous guests that we were replacing had left that morning at 7 a.m.. Then they changed tack and started looking for another room for us in a different section which they found. We got into our room an hour later (five hours after arriving). The room overlooked the renovations and the doors would not lock properly so we went to reception and the young man told us that they were just sorting out all of the paperwork about the rooms and that if I would come back by 9 p.m. he would try to help me. By 9 p.m. we were settled in a most beautiful room looking west over the Bahia De Naranjo and Cristobal Colon Park. We were very happy to have a room facing west overlooking such beautiful forest and countryside. It's so nice to sit on your balcony in the mid afternoon and bask in the sun overlooking such a beautiful place and with a cool Mojito in one hand and a good book in your other hand. Heaven!! In addition to getting the room we wanted, the next day hotel public relations sent us a very nice bottle of Cuban rum for any inconvenience that we had been through. A nice touch. We appreciated the gesture and basked in the sun on our balcony and drank to their good health. Air Transat also sent us a very nice bottle of rum and a package of Cuban coffee (the coffee we are trying out this morning for breakfast ).
The room. A nice spacious room with a king-size bed and spartan furnishings. There was a television set and CD player. There were quite a few television stations and the CD player worked quite well. The CD player also had a tape deck. The room had quite a nice size closet with lots of hangers. In the closet there were a set of drawers, an ironing board, an iron,an electronic safe that was easy to use. The bathroom had a full bathtub and shower and quite a nice vanity and sink. The bathroom also had a bidet and toilet side by side. The bathroom was nicely tiled and very clean. There were lots of space for your luggage and there was lots of drawer space. The room had a beautiful balcony facing west where the afternoon sun streamed through large sliding glass doors. We were very happy with the room.
The grounds and facilities. Absolutely stunning especially the grounds on the Luna side. We spent our first day walking all through the hotel complex. Such marvelous landscaping and tropical flowers everywhere. We thought for the kind of money that we had paid to come to this property that we had lucked out in a big way. We made our way through the fitness center which is shared by both hotels (Luna and Mares). Just beautiful with lots of exercising equipment and hot tub and sauna and massage and hairdresser. Here at the fitness center there is also medical service at certain times during the day. There is an activity Center on the beach where you can make reservations for water sports etc.. Also on the beach is a Mini club, a massage table and a dive center. In front of the Luna reception and lobby there are scooters and bicycles for rent and also four-wheel-drive vehicles. At the Mares lobby area there is a car-rental agency. There are shops at both the Mares and Luna lobby areas. There is also a money exchange next to the buffet at the Luna lobby area. There are lots of other facilities too numerous to mention at this hotel complex.
Restaurants. We found lots to choose from here. Unfortunately there was only one of the two buffet restaurants open during the week we were there and the buffet was quite crowded on most occasions. But I would say with the other buffet restaurant "Colon" at the Mares coming back online soon there will be no lineups like there were when we were there. We found the food at the buffet to be quite good and it was our restaurant of choice on most occasions. However we did eat at two of the a la carte restaurants during our stay. We certainly liked the Cuban restaurant. It was on the beach and we really enjoyed the atmosphere there. You have to wear DEET in the evening hours because of mosquitoes . The other a la carte that we went to was the "romantic" restaurant on the beach. There we had a very nice filet mignon and some good wine and enjoyed good service and a great atmosphere right on the beach. It was indeed romantic and we enjoyed it. During our week the Mexican restaurant was open for breakfast and we liked that location very much. We usually had a before lunch snack at that same restaurant as well. The staff there are excellent. On another occasion we had pizza at the Italian restaurant on the Luna side and it was pretty good pizza also. Really during the week we had no problem with choice of food and drink. On a couple of occasions at the buffet we had some really excellent chicken Cordon Bleu and another hit with us both was the turkey breast stuffed with spinach and cheese. Excellent. Air Transat puts on a great beach party for its clients on one evening during the week. It happened to be Tuesday evening on the week we were there and the party was a wonderful success. Lots of food, drink, great service and a fashion show and some entertainment right on a beautiful beach. We never wanted for any type of food during the week we were at this hotel.
The beach. Playa Esmeralda. The beach was quite beautiful. Approximately 1.3 to 1.5 km long. Nice powdery white sand. Lots of shade and lounges were to be had all week. Good washroom facilities on the beach. I would say there would never be any problem getting sun lounges and a shady spot. Two lunch snack restaurants and bars (one at the Luna end and one at the Mares end). All your needs will be well looked after during lunch at the beach. Also there is a great activity at the end of the day when Cuban professional skydivers take tourists up in the helicopter and a tourist and a Cuban professional jump in tandem from a height of 10,000 ft? .. It is quite thrilling to watch and just looking at the faces of the tourist participants as they float down to earth safely in the hands of professional skydivers, is an experience in itself. Very exciting for us to watch.
Bars and entertainment. The nightly entertainment I cannot comment on as we didn't attend, but I know they did have entertainment every night at the theater starting at around 9:30 p.m.. I'm sure the entertainment staff do their best as always. The bars we did frequent on occasion. Actually probably many occasions. We enjoyed the lobby bar 1492 in the Mares section on quite a few occasions. The service there was excellent and the bar was open 24 hours. We mostly had a routine all week. We had a drink at most bars. We certainly enjoyed the bar at the Luna lobby. Here after our buffet dinner we would have a brandy Alexander and listen to some great piano music before heading back to our room. The pool bar was a nice place during the day. We had several drinks during our week stay at the bar attached to the Mexican restaurant. A great place to have a drink at noon and people watch. We also had some drinks at the bar attached to the Italian restaurant by the Luna pool. All in all the bars were a very good experience with good quick friendly service and nobody really put their hand out for a tip. They appreciated a tip when they got one but were never demanding or slow if you didn't. Good staff all the way around.
General Area. This hotel is situated in a most beautiful area. We did quite a lot of walking through the park next door and we did some hiking for quite a few kilometers around the hotel's general area. Walking the area is something I would recommend to anyone. The flora and fauna are just beautiful. We may spend two weeks here on our next visit so that we can explore the whole area on foot.
Our Alarm Clock. One morning we awoke to the sound of a crowing rooster. We thought maybe we had slept in! I got out of bed and went out on the balcony but it was only 4:50 a.m. and pitch black. I thought this rooster's body clock is out of sync. I also thought it was a bit too early in the morning for him to be looking for some action. I guess Cuban roosters are 24-hour action junkies LOL. As I looked out from the balcony I seen the bright trails of two falling stars.I made a a wish. I then called Karen and as we both stood there on the balcony in pitch black you could see a billion stars twinkling up there and the Milky Way was unbelievably bright. I hadn't seen this kind of clarity in the sky since Cayo Largo in 1992. It was like we were looking at the bright lights of a huge celestial city in the sky. It took our breath away and we just thought that we were both the luckiest people in the world to be there at that moment. We will take this image and hold it in our hearts and minds forever.
Hotel check out. I was very surprised that with approximately 90 people checking out that the hotel management had not arranged for an early breakfast for its clients. Actually they had some coffee and some rolls laid out at the Carabella snack bar (Mexican restaurant). There was no cutlery or plates etc. etc.. Bad planning. A very poor effort by the hotel. If you are expected when you check-in to wait four hours for your room then I think when you check out early they should have some perks in place for an early breakfast on your departure. Opening the buffet or Carabella snack bar 15 minutes early would have made a good impression on the hotel clientele and given them more reasons to come back. Small things like this count a lot. To be called a four-star hotel the management will have to follow through on all of these small extras that make a holiday a great holiday instead of a good holiday. It wouldn't be a lot of effort for management to have done this but would have had huge good faith and loyalty from their clients if they had.
Would we go back to this hotel?. Absolutely. This was wonderful value for money. Actually Karen and I have already talked about plans to go back to this hotel for Christmas 2008. That is a long ways in the future but we haven't been away for Christmas ever and this seems like a really nice laid-back hotel with good service where we would be comfortable spending Christmas Holidays. There is very little pretense at this hotel, just good solid quality service from almost everyone involved. The area is also very beautiful.
The bus to the airport. The bus was on time and eventually after a lot of head counting we made our way to Holguin Airport. The ride to the airport was again through the same beautiful landscape. Traffic was a little heavier on our way in. We were the first bus to the airport so check-in was kind of a breeze as we were first in line. No problems with our luggage being checked in (I was able to get the "cooker" back on board without incident) and also we got window seats which was a great plus. I actually liked Holguin Airport. The upstairs lounge is quite comfortable and there is lots of window so that the whole atmosphere is bright and airy. We had a sandwich and a couple of drinks and before you knew it we were boarding on time for our flight back to Toronto. It was quite clear on takeoff and we had a great view of the countryside around Holguin as we flew north and gained altitude. I think I did see Villa Covarrubias ( I would love to go there soon) as we flew over Cuba's northern coast heading out into the Atlantic and then over the Carolinas and over the Alleghenies into Toronto. It was a great trip. If anyone is interested here is a link to some photos of the trip. http://canuck.webcentre.ca/ . As I'm writing this I'm thinking about my next trip to Cuba, hopefully sooner than later LOL. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Graham
Nova Scotia
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| May 2007 |
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Travel from Halifax via Westjet/Transat Holidays. Westjet left and arrived early both ways. Transat rep was a Canadian from Quebec who has been working in Cuba for several years and provides a great briefing and is readily available at hotel.
Holguin Airport
Airport is small but easy arrival, congested departure due to late arrival via bus to airport which put us there with another departure but still not too bad. We have tried the VIP departures at other locations. No need to do this here. Also great place to buy liquor on departure(cheaper). Nice louge to have a beer and sandwich while waiting.
Rooms
We stayed at 2 other Cuba sites(Cayo Coco and Varadero) both 4 & 41/2 stars. I note this is rated 3/12 on this site but 4 with our brochure info. In my opinion it is 4 stars in comparison. Drive to hotel was 1 hour but enjoyable as you get to see the rural living and beauty of countryside. We stayed at the Mares side 3rd and 4th floor oceanview rooms. Upon check-in during the line-up they hand out check-in cards to fill out and an employee puts on your all-inclusive bracelets. When you get to the counter (approx 10-15 mins) you hand them your hotel voucher and you are assigned your room. The couple we were with were not assigned their paid oceanview room but this was quickly rectified. The rooms are exactly as depicted in our brochure. (Both of the other two resorts we stayed at had slight bug issues in rooms and or bathrooms. Not all rooms but just enough to be annoying.) This place was spotless and no insects at all in the rooms. Part of the reason could be the overall cleanliness of the hotel but also could be because the other two resorts we had a villa and room apart from the main hotels. We had read another review about having to use your room magnetic cards to work the air and or electricity in your room. As suggested we left one of our cards in the slot all the time we were there. Ours was located just inside the right of the door entry. This is needed to work the air and some electricity. Bathrooms were large and modern with hairdryer etc. Lots of amenities and towels. Room has the best safe so far. You make up your own 4 digit code which was great. (No keys and very easy to use). Coffee machine. Rooms advertise mini-fridge. Not to be confused with mini-bar. Ours just had 2 litre bottle of water each day. Transat provided free bottle of rum(26oz) and small package of coffee. Balconies in room were nice and large with adequate chairs. Great to have coffee in the morning. We didn't turn the TV on this trip so I can't tell you about the programming but the other couple said it was OK. Maids were very friendly and efficient and although they don't get into as fancy stuff with towels(swans etc) they do appreciate any gifts etc.
Luna Side
The Luna is a separate hotel with separate check-in etc. If you like flowers, plants and nature walks the grounds have been developed with you in mind. Absolutely gorgeous. There are several walkways with lookouts over local rivers and places to sit and watch the pelicans and egrets. This is on the Luna side of the property so we didn't find it right away.
Food:
They advertised 2 buffet restaurants. Although both were open when we were there the Luna side was just open for breakfast but is slightly different from the Mares buffet and nice for a change. Our first night there they had a Beach Party Buffet for guests. (They set up tables on the beach and roast pig, beef and chicken.). They had entertainment and a great night out. Transat also sponsored a separate similar party while we were there and as well Transat books you 2 a la carte dinners to save you having to get in line to do so. For us we had Mexican and Italian. If you come with other couples as we did you just have to go back to the regular line and advise them and they put you together. No problems. There are snack bars at both beach ends(Luna and Mares). These serve as beach bars and snacks. At night they convert them to the a la carte themed restaurants. There is also snack food and bars around the pool which also is changed at night to a la carte. Both our restaurant experiences were good. The buffet restaurant is much the same as others. Good choice and personally I like to watch my food cooked in front on me which is a choice you have.
Beach:
Overall this was the best yet. Esmeralda Beach is very much like Varadero. You walk from sandy beach into sandy water. Long enough for nice walk and borders on Rio D'Oro Resort. We used the Luna side of beach not for any special reason but we found two palm trees right on the beach but there are more than enough cabanas here. No worry anytime of the day. Just a gorgeous beach. You can use catamarans free and also paddle boats canoes etc when the wind is down. Transat also leaves you two beach towels in your room. You can exchange them for fresh ones whenever you want on the beach(hut) and all you have to do is make sure there are two in your room when you leave.
Day Trips
We took the horse and buggy ride to Guardalavaca (1/2 hour each way). The driver drops you off at the flea market for 1 hour then picks you back up. This is where I would recommend you buy souvenirs. The market is set up for tourists and you will see people from other resorts there. The buggy drive is very enjoyable as well. They do have people set up in the hotel lobby to sell similar souvenirs but you will pay slightly more for them and not the choice. This trip cost $15 pesos total for both couples as the buggys hold 4 people.
Resort In General
Esmeralda Beach is where Chris Columbus landed and all the restaurants are named after Columbus associated vessels etc. Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria. As I mentioned previously this is a 4 star resort without question. Staff speak English better than the other two resorts but are just as polite and nice as other places. This seems to be a common thread with travel to Cuba. The great people. Communication was no problem at all with front desk and staff in general and I am still amazed at the cleanliness of this resort. We will go back again. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Betty and Larry
Ontario, Canada
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| May 2007 |
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We were at the Luna for two week in Oct. 2006 and again for two week April 2007 on the Luna side. It is smaller than the Mares and quieter. We enjoy the smaller, quieter side. If you want more action go to the Mares side with the swim-up bar.
Both sides have a nice pool and short walk to the beautiful beach.
For Cuba the food is good and there is always something for everyone to eat.
Drinks are as strong as you want.
People are very helpful and friendly.
If you are beach people you will love it. If you want more you need to drive into Holguin or take one of the tours. Roads are not that good in Cuba, so we always take a taxi if we want to go else where.
We been to Cuba 6 times and this is the only place we have repeat visits to. It is the people and beach who keep bringing us back.
Entertainment is usually dance and singing. They try very hard and do a good job at it.
We plan on going back again this year. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Ron and Sylvie
Shediac Bridge N.B.
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| April 2007 |
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Just returned from 1 week at the SRLM---March 22-29. Travelled with Transat Vacations once again as we find them to be very good.
We arrived in Holguin at aprox. 10:30 in the evening. Clearing Customs was fast and easy as there were no mistakes on our Tourist card. Make sure that you fill it out properly. After clearing Customs, we went to the Bank located on the left side of the Arrivals area to exchange our Cdn dollars for Cuc (convertible pesos). The rate of exchange was 75cuc for $100.00 and only slightly different at the hotel later on in the week. Having tasken care of this formality we gathered our luggage and exited the hall. Our travel Rep. was very easy to locate and he directed us to our bus. Vendors had beer for sale---1 beer/1.5 pesos. Needless to say pretty well everybody stocked up for the ride to the hotel--aprox 1 hour. We made detours to drop off people at the Grand Playa Turquesa and Blau Costa Verde before arriving at the SRLM.
Check-in was quick enough, although the last person in line might of found it a bit long. The bar was open nevertheless. Our room was located directly over the Lobby, dead centre of the building--room #2051. All the usual amenities were present and the room was very clean. Nice view of the pool area and the ocean in the basckground.
The SRLM is in effect 2 resorts combined into 1 complex now. Two buffets for breakfast, 1 buffet and 4 snack restaurants for lunch and 1 buffet and 4 A La Cartes for dinner(supper). Food was pretty good at the buffets and very good at the A La Cartes. We didn't loose any weight and brought some extra pounds home, duty free.
Lots of bars---- 2 lobby bars, 1 pool bar and 4 bars located in the snack/A la Cartes restaurants. Something is open 24 hrs a day.
Lots of activities to participate in if you are so inclined. We found that the Mares side of the resort (where we stayed) was much more active than the Luna side. This was great because when we had had enough of the noise ,we would just go to the Luna side. The animation team offers little excursions and no charge or very minimal, daily. These are well worth the effort and time to do.
The beach, Playa Esmeralda is absolutely stunning. Lots of palapas, palms and other trees. Tons of chairs so no need to be a dork and reserve a chair at 6 in the morning. Incidentally, we never had a problem at the pool either. Great for swimming and snorkling. Walk to the right towards the cliffs and you can snorkel and feed tons of fish.
The staff are all very nice and work very hard to make sure that your stay is pleasant. One can always find fault, no matter wherever on goes. The best advice I could give would be to forget it and concentrate on what is good. We've been to this resort two times now and are already talking about returning once again. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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Just returned from Sol Luna y Mares and a great week at this resort. Travel was with Transat Vacations. Before going we had read some of the negative reviews and since being there wouldn't agree with any of them. This hotel is Value for the money. If you want gourmet dining and total pampering......bottom line spend more money. Check out how much you have to spend to have even four star dining and accomodation here in Ontario for more than a long weekend let alone plane fare.
Some tips and observations that we discovered a long the way. At this time a $50.Canadian dollar equals 45 CUC. Your best bet is to take enough Canadian dollars to convert to CUC's at the hotel or airport. The outlets at the hotel seemed to be open from about 9.30 in the morning until 10.30 at night and at the airport I changed some at 10.30 p.m. I used a Royal Bank Visa card at the hotel bank to see if it would work since they don't accept any that appear to be american (Citi, AmEx,) it took time for their phone line computer but it did work. I don't think you get as good a rate as for cash because there is a service charge and believe it or not they convert the Cdn. dollar to a U.S. dollar in the process for whatever reason. This method gave 50CUC for almost 65 Cdn.
The airports, more organized in Holguin than Toronto. Of course this can be blamed on the amount of or lack of numbers of planes landing and taking off at these airports. At Holguin there were only two departures the night we were going out. When you get to the airport the bus from the hotel lets you off very near the lineup to get your boarding pass so you don't need a porter or luggage carrier. After you get the boarding pass from your airline you go to counter to the left of this to pay your 25 CUC and they put a sticker on your boarding pass that you have to go through the booths marked immigration etc. Once through there you go through security which is similar to Toronto except you can have your rum etc., in your carry-on since there is no restriction there on keeping liquids less than 100ml. Inside the waiting lounge there are snack bars & duty free. In spite of what our tour rep. Lorraine told us the liquor is cheaper here than at the hotel and there is more variety. When back to Toronto what is there left to stay expect about one and half hours to get through if you're lucky.
Hotel Rooms - Very clean and well maintained. Not new but fine because you don't spend much time in your room. Your room card must be placed in holder on the wall because this controls the air conditioner (similar to other hotels in Carribean). Leave one of them in there all the time or you could bring an old card from home if it has a magnetic strip. Make sure you bring some small items from home (Dollar store lipstick, nail polish, hair clips, etc.) and tip the maid daily with 1 or 2 CUC's and you will have towel art and all the towels and bottles of water that you could ever use. These kind of items are not readily available in Cuba and she can have money but can't buy them. No kleenex in the room so bring your own in you want them. Do not take any glasses, towels or cups out of your room, get coffee in the morning in the lobby otherwise you may have to pay for anything missing even if you leave it somewhere in the hotel. The maids are responsible for everything in its place in the room.
Beach- One of the best in Cuba. Protected by a reef it never gets too rough for swimming. Not a long beach and you walk the length in about 20 minutes. There are no rocks or seaweed etc. along the shore in front of this resort, it becomes more rocky closer to the 5 star resort to the east and so their guests tend to visit on this resorts area. Two beach bars that have a small menu at lunch time. The bathrooms at the beach are not well maintained although the one on the Lunes side is usually cleaner. I would suggest you bring a small roll of t.p. in your beach bag when you are at the beach. When arriving at the beach go see the guys at the pile of loungers (on both Mares & Luna sides) if there are no loungers where you want in sun or shade they will drag them over where you want them. They do not have there hand out for a tip, but we tipped them about every second day. The blue loungers are the most comfortable but they run out by about 10 o'clock or so. There was never a shortage of the white ones. They do not work for the hotel, this it there business.
Water Sports - We really enjoyed the Hobie Cat rides. You sign up for them at the Activities shack which is were you change your beach towels etc.Go there between 9 and 9.30 and you can usually sign up for anything you want that day, we always could get what we wanted from snorkeling gear to pedal boat. If you want to sail and there are no openings talk to the guys down at the boats they will usually try to fit you in. A sailing session lasts about 35 minutes and this provides a chance to talk to the guys who work there and hear the real stories about life in Cuba. You can tip them after the ride but a no time did we feel any pressure to do this. Most of the time you have to call them back to give them a tip after they have pulled the boat up on the beach. We tended to go out with the same guy as most people did since you get to know him better and his style of sailing. It is usually windier in the afternoons. Great snorkeling off the other hotel at the east end lots of fish and coral. Take banana or bread to feed them, but be prepared to be surrounded.
Food- There are two buffets and four restaurants. The al la carte restarants are very small and reservations are very limited. With Air Transat vacations you get a beach barbeque on night and two guaranteed reservations. We were at the Romantic and Mexican and both were very good. You have your choice at the Mexican so I guess most people could find something to eat. The Romantic has a set five course meal so I could see were some people would prefer more choice. The meal included proscuitto ham, a skewer of shrimp and fish with rice and beef with vegetables etc., there was champagne and ice cream and cake etc. for desert. It is Cuba so you can expect to have different foods and methods of preparation than we have in Canada. But, you can do the following: both of the buffets have grills and pasta bars so in the morning go to grill and have them cook your eggs, bacon etc. the way you want it cooked if they offer you an egg and you want it cooked more tell them the cooks all understand english, don't take the half raw ones off the steam table. at lunch or dinner they have plenty of raw meat next to the grill beef, pork, chicken, turkey, pick out a piece that looks like good not too much fat etc. and have the cook do it the way you want it, if it's not cooked enough to suit your taste make sure it stays on the grill. For desert they have a flambe area no one should complain about. Again have the chef do the fruit the way you want it with or without booze and add some very good Cuban ice cream.
Bars - What is there to say. Some people over do it and pay for it the next day. You can basically have whatever you want. For those people who have said the drinks are watered down ask bartender for mucho and you may not have room for mix. Mojitos are available usually at the Mares pool bar but not at all bars mostly because they don't have a dependable source of mint leaves, make friends with a bartender if you really need them. Bring an insulated mug from home, you save all the plastic glasses in the garbage and the washing of other glasses. Besides you can rinse it out in your room, if you are concerned about cleanlienes etc. We brought older ones that we could leave there at the end of trip, which I'm sure are now in a Cuban household somewhere.
Excursions - Didn't go on any. We were told that the swim with the dolphins was worth the money, I expect the show was similar to what you see at Marineland. The large catamaran trip for snorkelling ends up at the reef in front of the Luna & Mares beach in the morning and then in the afternoon takes you to another reef some where else so half of snorkelling you can do every day without paying anything. We did take the horse cart into Guardavaca village, worth doing again to talk to a local and see the countryside. It's only about 5 kilometers in but you see a few things along the way. If you want to do this, go out in front of the Lunes lobby late afternoon where the motorbikes are and talk to one of the men there with his horse and cart. He will pick you up in front of your hotel in the morning whatever time you say, drive you in to the village, with a short tour and pointing out things around the village, leave you time to check out the flea market and beach (we told him to be back in an hour) drive you back to the hotel. The cart holds up to 4 people and the charge is 15 CUC total, I think it was only 12 CUC if he just took you in and back.
Overall Tipping - As I said earlier the staff are very friendly and attentive but do not press for a tip, since it is much more important for them to keep their job. Remember though that 10 CUC is almost a week's wages for most Cubans in Holguin province. I did see some people give 2 or 3 CUC at the bar regularly and this would be equilivalent of $20 dollars at home for a couple of drinks. I find that excessive. I would think that if each guest gave a tip to bartenders once a day would be plenty. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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Just got back from sol rio Luna/mares and had an absolutly excellent time.
We stayed on the Luna side which we loved it is nice and quiet where as the Mares side is a lot louder and seams better for families and younger crouwd.
You do have full use of everything on both sides so it doesn't really matter.
FOOD- the food was really good for cuba.The buffet was good with plenty of selection I loved the pasta bar. We liked the luna side for breakfast as the have a nice area outside to eat. For supper we usually ate at the mares side as they had a bit more selection and bigger so easier to get a spot. We always ate our lunch at the beach bar on the luna side as it is really nice with chairs and tables right on the sand. The a la cartes were all good. We never ate at the mexican but heard from a couple people that it was not that good. We ate at the cuban which was not our favorite but that could be because we don't like fish so our selection is limited. The romantic was very good the atmosphere is very nice and the food was very good. We also ate at the italian this was very good but you get a lot of good.
BEACH- the beach was the best part very nice.We spent all our time here.We liked the luna side which is guieter.
STAFF-all very friendly and helpful and we got to know a lot of them.
ROOMS-were nice they were a nice and clean but we spent very little time in them as who wants to be inside when you can enjoy the beach.
All in all a great resort with nothing to complain about. I would go back. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
eeeefarm
Goodwood Ontario
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| January 2007 |
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My first visit to the Holguin area, and my 12th trip to Cuba. I travelled with Transat Vacations. After a flight delay on my return date, I was happy to be able to upgrade to Club Class and enjoy my flight home!
Weather: I had a good week, but we did get rain from time to time. The last day was a complete washout! Heavy downpours interspersed with tempting moments of sunshine to lure you out before the next torrent of rain. It was also a windy week....great for sailing!
Room: I had a perfect location in building 8000 on the Luna side. Second floor, no view due to the dense foliage, but quiet and private. The maid kept the room perfectly clean. She wasn't into "towel art" but did some interesting things with the sheers and the bedspread. I had no problems with insects of any kind. I did notice a problem with low water pressure and less than hot water if I showered at "prime time" when everyone returns from the beach and gets ready for dinner. A slight change in my schedule fixed the problem. The bathroom contained a four piece bath, and there was also a bidet. A slight water leak left a tiny puddle near the floor drain. The air conditioning worked fine but wasn't needed most of the time. My patio door was slightly stiff to open. All in all, a comfortable room.....I had no complaints.
Beach: A beautiful beach, powdery white sand, but short! Not a beach walker's beach, as you can easily cover the distance end to end in ten minutes....even a slow saunter could be done in twenty. That said, there were many advantages here. The barrier reef keeps the surf on the beach reasonable, even on very windy days. This enabled me to go sailing on the Hobie Cat almost every day....and some great sails they were. Fast, sometimes scary fast, and wet. Flying the hull almost every trip. Great fun! This beach is also very good for snorkelling. Don't waste your time on the Mares side. The "good stuff" is in front of PRDO, the hotel next door. You can access the water in a sandy area just east of the PRDO nautical area, and snorkel along the rocks parallel to shore. You'll see lots of fish here, and when you get to the end of the beach, head out parallel to the rocky cliff, and you will find the reef. I didn't venture too far, as I was on my own, but with a group or perhaps preferably with a pedal boat, you could easily access the same reef area the snorkel catamaran tours use. I was able to snorkel almost every day....including yellow flag days. For swimming, the Mares side is best. Sandy entrance to the water, which does get deep fairly quickly.
Food: The usual Cuban fare. There were good pasta bars at both buffet restaurants, (except for a lack of Parmesan cheese) and excellent omelets to be had in the morning. I felt the service at the Mares buffet was somewhat better than the Luna side. I tried two a la carte restaurants. The Mexican was fine....spicy food in Cuba! I enjoyed the Italian meal very much.(funny enough, they had Parmesan cheese!) Both these restaurants are open air, which can get a little interesting when it is raining. The roof protects well enough, but if it's windy the side tables can get a bit wet. The Italian restaurant becomes the snack bar at lunchtime, and offers good Pizza. Both beach restaurants are open as snack bars at noon.
Activities: I didn't go on any of the tours, but did use the excellent free activities offered by the animation staff. The walk up the "hill" behind the resort is worth it for the view, and the "Mini Zoo" was interesting. I skipped the bike tour to Guardalavaca and went myself on a cloudy morning. It's not far, but would be tiring on a hot, sunny day. I went to the market and had a look around. A Cuban man offered to watch my bicycle, which I appreciated. He didn't ask me for money, but I tipped him 1 CUC when I was leaving. (he seemed to have made quite a business for himself watching bicycles for tourists....and it's great not to have to trundle the bike through the market). I was hoping to have a tour of the resort next door (Paradisus Rio de Oro), but it got washed out. Likewise, the snorkelling was cancelled due to too much surf. Other activities included archery (at the beach), dance lessons, Spanish lessons. I didn't bother with any of these, but observed them taking place.
Entertainment: I didn't bother with the nightly shows, but enjoyed the Pianist in the Luna lobby every night. The only difficulty was finding a place to sit, as she is popular! Second hand smoke is also an issue here.
Banks: There are Cadecas at both Luna and Mares, so it's pretty convenient to exchange money. They are open fairly long hours (including into the evening).
Internet: There is currently only one computer available for Internet access. It is located in the Mares lobby, and is quite popular. The upside is it seems to be "high speed", at least in comparison to others I have used in Cuba. Also, the cost is an affordable 3 CUC for 30 minutes, which is all I needed to send an email a day.
Staff: Most of the staff I encountered were friendly and helpful. I thought the buffet staff were a bit distant (with a few notable exceptions), just doing their jobs and that's all. Activities staff were helpful and fun, and my maid was very nice and friendly when I encountered her. The staff at the beach who place your lounger where you request it seem cheerful and eager to help (I tried getting my own chair the first day, and didn't get very far before someone was at my elbow taking it from me and asking me where I wanted to sit). On the other hand, the guy who hands out the bicycles seemed only interested in getting my room number, not in helping me choose an appropriate bike.
Notable: There are roof patios at the ends of buildings 8000 and 7000 which have loungers on them, and a very nice view. There are also wonderful views to be had upstairs on the Mares side. There are couches to sit on by the fourth floor elevators Look around. These places are apparently not well known and therefore are perfect spots to relax if you seek peace and quiet.
Conclusion: I had a good vacation at this resort. It's large enough to be interesting, but not too big to conveniently walk around. There are many choices for eating and drinking, including two restaurants right on the beach. There is excellent sailing and snorkelling available. You can hike in the hills if you crave walking. It's easy to bicycle to the nearest town. This resort is a good choice for people who like to relax but have the option to keep busy. It's starting to show its age, and I did hear a few complaints from people who were less happy with their rooms than I. It might not please those who crave luxury and great food above all else, but is a very good choice for the budget traveller. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Shine
Barrie Ontario
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| January 2007 |
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My husband and I decided upon this resort at the last minute (we booked Thursday, left Sunday), because I am a travel agent, we got an amazing deal, under $550+taxes and the luxury of upgrading to Club Class for a pittance of the price. All in all, for the price we paid, it was a great opportunity to visit this resort (an area we’d never been to previously) but most importantly to do a site inspection on the sister resort, Paradisus Rio de Oro, which we LOVED. As it is my job to sell Destination Weddings, I viewed both hotels through my “work eyes” and in my honest opinion, I would not recommend this resort for a wedding but would definitely recommend it for a cheap last minute getaway.
With that being said, both my husband and I are seasoned travelers, specifically to resorts throughout Cuba, from 2.5* up to 5* so hopefully you will view this as a previous poster mentioned, an honest and neutral review. It is a 3 star hotel, not a 4 as advertised. It is dated and needs a good scrub down, the outside of the buildings showed its age with mold and rust spots streaming down the sides and the floor tiles reminded us of a school hallway. The washrooms in the public areas (lobby/ beach bar etc.) were not very clean either.
There was a delay at Pearson due to the conveyor for luggage being broken and so our flight didn’t leave on time and we were delayed for an extra 2 hours which got us to the resort at 2am. There was only one individual on reception so it was a slow process, luckily the 24 hour lobby bar was open and we could have a few beverages to wait … but it was my first disappointment as they had no mint for mojitos (during the week I had about 4 in total due to lack of mint). Also, due to the delay, many on our flight did not receive their luggage for 2 days!
Room: 3.5*
I had written the resort prior to our arrival with a room request and we were very surprised when we walked into our room, it was a SUITE but with a single bed? We then realized that it was only the one room, connecting was another room with a king bed and a separate balcony. Beautiful. And the view? It had to be the best view in the whole resort, it was magnificent as we had two balconies, this in itself was the HIGHLIGHT of our week and this resort.
Because of the location, it was very noisy until after 2am because of the beach disco below. The air conditioning worked fine although we didn’t use it much, we just opened our two balcony doors and let the breeze try to kill the consistent smell of mildew/mold. The throw pillows were the worse, they smelled very bad so I always put them in the closet because I think the whole room was smelling because of them and there were always teeny ants everywhere, in the bathroom (sink, tub, floor), dressers (on top and in the drawers).
There was a Jacuzzi in one of the bathrooms which didn’t work, we called maintenance up the next day and in broken English he told us that it hadn’t worked in a long time J, the sink in the bar area as well wasn’t working, but the lovely maintenance man said the same thing.
The maid service was the least effective that I’ve seen in all our stays in Cuban resorts. They made the bed and swept the floor but not very efficiently. We noticed a dead cockroach in the main room on our first day and it was still there 6 days later. The towels were not changed everyday, the sinks were not cleaned everyday, in fact one day, we left the wrapper from the little soap on the counter and it didn’t get thrown out (not that we couldn’t have done it, we just wanted to “test” to see).
Food: 2.5*
The buffet food was standard, if not repetitive. There was an omelet station in the morning and the server was very happy, always longs lineups though and we couldn’t figure out why he didn’t use TWO pans as he had the capability of doing so? Typically the one toaster that takes forever, but they had a “griller” and we would toast our bread that way, it was great ! The only had freshly squeezed orange juice on the last 3 days of our stay and we always had to look around and ask for juice glasses. The fruit selection was minimal and when they ran out, it wasn’t replaced. The evening fare was simple, the pasta station was wonderful and this is what we had most nights, although the beef stew was very tasty, nothing else appealed to our taste. We usually sat outside on the terrace, but more often than not, we had to find our own utensils/water glasses (as tables did not get re-set), and then find a server so that we could get our coffee and wine at dinner, I found this kind of strange as well.
We went to the Italian alacarte one evening, and this was the BEST Italian we’ve ever had, it was AMAZING food, we couldn’t talk about it enough (just don’t have the egg drop soup, trust me). We also went to the Mexican alacarte but weren’t impressed, the chairs were VERY hard, wobbly and uncomfortable and the meal was cold. On Tuesday nights, Transat is supposed to have a beach party/dinner but they had switched to the theatre due to unstable weather. All I can say is, don’t bother, it is a standard buffet with a poor selection and when they ran out (rice, beans and butter in our case), it wasn’t replaced and I saw many leaving and then going to the buffet.
Beach: 5 *
The beach is very nice and the sand was beautiful, soft like flour but not white, more a soft light beige. It was only a green flag our first day and still the water was wavy. The following day was yellow and watersports were minimal, the rest of the week was red flag and we were disappointed in ourselves for not going on the catamaran on one of the first days and not having the opportunity to go snorkeling. There were a lot of people there, but you could always find a chair anytime, although the nice blue mesh ones were usually taken first. Beautiful wide stretch of beach with lots of palapas and trees for natural shade.. We had rain for half of our stay, so we didn’t get much sunbathing in anyways but had a blast jumping the waves when we could get in the water.
Staff: 2.5*
This is another area where I had issues with this resort. They never seemed happy? There were a few that stood out to us though, the omelet man, the bartenders at the Luna pool and lobby bar, and one lady from the lobby bar on the Mares side, but that’s it? The lobby bar at the Mares was consistently busy and most times only one server, I saw so many people waiting long periods of time just to be acknowledged, then someone filled me in, GO to the pool bar (Mares) it was NEVER busy !!
Entertainments: 2.5*
The animation staff were fairly non-existent during the day. We never noticed any special activities happening, no archery/shooting/dance lessons etc. The evening shows were disappointments, very colourful but not in sync. And when we walked by the Kids Club a few times and there were none in attendance.
I realize in hindsight I know many may view this review as negative, but I was just trying to be as honest as possible and state some of the issues that we had, and that I would want to know when deciding upon a resort for my long awaited vacation. If you have any further questions or would like to see some of our many pictures, please email me at: paulineblacoe@hotmail.com
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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We stayed at this resort from Dec. 22- 29, 2006 and were on the Mares side. I understand that all Air Transat customers stay on the Mares side.
There were 3 of us in one room....husband, wife and teenage son. I read the reviews before we booked and was not disappointed with the resort.
I'll try to give you some tips that are not covered in some of the previous reviews.
1. There are alot of stairs to the beach on the Mares side...the resort is on the top of a hill so you walk down to the beach. There are at least 15 steps, a landing, 15 more then another landing, and then 15 more steps...then the beach. It is a bit of a climb.
2. Hair dryers are not in the Mares rooms. You can sign one out at the front desk.
3. Furniture, specifically dressers, in the room are rough wood. And there are not many drawers. Putting away clothes is not possible. Come prepared to live out of your suitcase except for the 8 or so hangers in the closet.
4. There are horse-drawn carriages that you can hire. They go to the mini-zoo, to the local town etc. They have fares posted. I took one to the mini-zoo and expected a hot ride...but there was a nice breeze when the horse trots along. Recommended for some fun.
5. Air Transat books your party into 2 of the restaurants. You will receive a paper under your door to tell you where and when.
6. The restaurants are booked at the customer relations desk in the lobby from 9am-12 noon daily. Get there early. After the 1st day there is always a line.
7. They offer a VIP dinner. Mostly for newly-weds on their honeymoon. We were celebrating an anniversary (30 yrs) and I had asked my travel agent to advise the resort so we could attend this VIP dinner. I also emailed the resort. The resort had not acted on either email. When I requested the VIP dinner, I was told that it was only for those on honeymoons. When I explained our situation and specifically asked to attend, the girl at this desk made a note and we received an invite, again under our door. It was a fabulous dinner, so if you are celebrating a special occasion you should enquire about this dinner.
8. If you want to go on a paddleboat or be taken on a catamaran ride by the resort staff, book these at the beach hut where you get new towels. The hut opens at 9:00 am every day. Be there by 8:30 am or earlier if you want a catamaran booked. They are very popular. Sometimes the staff is late and you wait a long time...they have trouble getting transportation to the resort, I'm told.
9.The Guanas Nature Reserve is right beside the resort. Worth going ...6 pesos for adults...you can walk up to the lookout that gives you a great view..and picture...of the entire beach.
10. 9:00 am is a busy time. The breakfast buffet closes at 10:00 am. At 9:00 am you need to book the restaurants, book the water sports as noted above, go on any trips that you have booked with the Transat rep. and met in the lobby to go on the trips run by the animation staff. I had every intent to go on the mini tours offered by the animation staff but the timing just didn't work. But be aware that you can go to the mini-zoo and the Guanas Reserve by yourself.
11. Swim with the dolphins!!! Take extra money if you go on this adventure and for 10 pesos each they offer a special trick......do it if you are a swimmer. You will not regret it. Dolphins are in large enclosures right in the ocean....not tanks. Loved it.
12. Beach loungers are always available. No fighting. Shade is always available. If you don't get a palapa, there are trees on the beach which offer shade. If you want one of the blue, more comfortable loungers rather than the harder white ones, then this is another thing that you have to do before 9:00 am.
ie. go to the beach and reserve them. There are a limited number of blue ones.
13. We went to the Air Transat beach BBQ but just ate and left. I wouldn't go again for the food. It was the same as in the buffet and there were huge lines and they ran out of things. I did read later that they offered entertainment later in the evening. I did not realize this and would have stayed had I known. Next time I would ask the Air Transat rep for the schedule and only go for the show, if one.
14. The special Christmas dinner was on Dec. 24th...not on Dec. 25th. Some people who arrived on the 25th were disappointed that they missed it.
15. If you do plan to go to this resort at Christmas, you will not be disappointed. The Dec. 24th Christmas dinner was 5 course and delicious. Santa Claus was on the beach on the 25th, along with a parade of staff in costumes with music. Each child got a gift. The Holguin Opera Company entertained in the evening on Dec. 25th...with Christmas carols in both English and Spanish. The Holguin Children's Choir entertained on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Night. Christmas light were wrapped around palm trees. Considering the fact that Christmas is not a holiday in Cuba, the resort went all out in recognizing the holiday.
16. There are shortages. No mint to make mojitos. No tomatoes for hamburgers some days. Etc. This is Cuba.
17. The resort is not in A-one shape. Walking tiles need paint. Grass needs to be cut in places. Rooms had little problems..ie our sink drain did not work so we just took it out...another person's patio door did not lock. There were not people out every morning and every hour of the day sweeping and cleaning like I have seen in other resorts for the same money. If you want a resort in tip top shape, then this is not the one. Nothing major to spoil the trip...just little things that really do not affect the holiday. There are renovations taking place at present...they did not affect our stay at all. These little things would not keep me away from the resort.
18. The reef is a long distance from shore...if you are planning to go here to snorkel. I am a decent swimmer and would not have gone out to it. There were no little fish in the water closer to shore, like there was in Veradero. The reef down the beach closer to the Paradisio is near bluffs so if it is roufh at all you need to stay away as the waves crash against the rocks and it is dangerous. The animation staff cancelled the snorkelling excursions for this reason. If you do want to try this, the morning is generally calmer.
19. Beware of fatty ham in sandwiches, fatty bacon in the morning. This is considered good meat in Cuba but take a peak in your sub before you take a bite.
20. Milk is very rich and warm. Diabetics beware. It is difficult to get your milk products although they did have yogurt in big bowls.
21. Any questions, feel free to email me....gailatmfp@aol.com. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Dave and Catalina
Toronto, Ontario Canada
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| January 2007 |
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I relied on Debbie's Carribean reviews and other sites to choose my first ever trip to the caribbean, and chose Sol Rio Luna Y Mares, Holguin, Cuba for
Travel November 26 to December 3 2006
Best decision of my life!. This was our honeymoon trip; My bride wanted wanted warm sun and a beautiful beach, and I wanted
to snorkel / dive on a coral reef. We both got our wish.
This resort is beautiful! Warm pastel colors, rooms are spotlessly clean. We both had innoculations and took Dukoral (TM) against
TD (la tourista) since we had never been south before and were somewhat apprehensive about "tropical" diseases. We had no problems
whatsoever, and at this resort I doubt they were necessary.
I had read some complaints about "bland Cuban food" but every meal we had tasted like we had cooked it ourselves, and we are both good cooks.
Simple, tasty home cooking; beef, pork, turkey, roast lamb, Pasta. Fried banannas with rum flambe for desert. Plenty of pastries and cakes as well.
We discovered the Mares pool bar/restarant which had a delicious perca (fresh red snapper) or calamari plate-we couldn't get enough of that wonderful food!
As we flew Air Transat we were special guests at an evening beach party: buffet dinner on the sand--steps from the rolling ocean surf,
with a strolling Cuban band and an Afro-Cuban show featuring fire-eaters and a'cappella singers. This is the type of vacation dreams are made of!
The beach is an advertisement for the Caribbean; off-white sand the texture of icing sugar, incredible turquoise/ blue water, bottom gently sloping with
ocean waves tempered by the reef about 3Km's offshore. Plenty of lounge chairs and large enough to have a whole section to yourselves.
The most accessible reef area is to the east, next to Paradisus resort; coral heads appear about 100 feet from the beach and you can follow the
reef all the way around to the Paradisus beach, if you want to swim that far. Lots of colorful fish and a school of blue tangs that followed me about
a thousand feet; I figured out later that other divers feed them bananas or bread and they were just waiting for dinner.
As I had read in other reviews the staff were wonderful! Fine, educated, friendly people; we feel we made many friends in only a week; Nicholas and
Arlie at the Mares pool bar, Amelia our room attendant, and others, all with their beautiful Cuban smiles. We noticed many guests who had just arrived
greeting some of the staff with apparently genuine affection; they had been before and were delighted to meet each other again. We now know how they feel!
Our Transat / Nolitours representative, Lorena was omnipresent, from the first day orientation (Don't miss it, there is important info to be learned)
and available all week to answer questions and offer interesting tips and just be a connection to "Home"
Please visit the Mini-Zoo and say hello to Carlos for us! It is a small (mini) zoo, a ten minute walk out the main road from the resort, featuring a fascinating
assortment of native Cuban Birds, animals and reptiles. It is only 2 CUC's entrance and worth much more. Carlos is genuinely dedicated to "his" menagerie
and took us on a guided tour of most of the exhibits. This was the natural Cuba we came to see.
We decided mid-week that we could not possibly return home to Toronto if we did not promise one another we would return soon. We will be back
in May 2007! |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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Travel Date: November 2006
Wholesaler: Transat Vacations.
I'm a travel agent, so I've been around to many resorts on many islands and various resort areas through out Cuba and this was the BEST Cuban resort vacation by far.
Stayed on the Luna Side and sooooooooooooo glad i did. Had a top floor room, with vaulted ceilings, king bed, full bath with bidet (ahhhhh, gotta love a bidet come your 5th or 6th day of Cuban Food, lol).
Arrival with Transat Holidays was great. Check in was somewhat prompt for a Sunday and only one person working the front desk. Front desk staff had good understanding of the English Language and did all they could to accomodate various guests of different nationalities. Great news all rooms at the resort have now been installed with an electronic keypad safe, hence no more deposit for a safe key.
There are some rooms in each block with a fab ocean view, but it varies due to overgrowth of palms and such, but truly for the amount of time one spends in their room, you need the room for the AC (bring an old rewards-points card or something with a magnetic strip to place in the AC slot upon opening the door, keeps it on 24hrs per day that way), shower and a bed only. In regards to the Luna side, if an ocean view is something you have paid for and you want to get specific please pre-email them or notify your travel agent / wholesaler that you are looking for 3rd floor (don’t matter which block) a room in the teens', they are all closest to the beach and would have an ocean view beyond the tall palms and trees and such. So to wrap it up, room was spacious, clean every day, one bottle only of water in fridge per day. The AC worked awesome and plenty of fresh towels and such. Thanks to Transat for having the Beach towels already in room, nice touch.
The food was great. I get "LaTourista" rather easy, so I must say I did really well this time in Cuba. There were no theme nights in the buffets (love that), there was always salad bar, hor's derves bar, entree bar and pasta bar every night. The grill lady was there to fry up Fish, Pork, Squid or Turkey every singe lunch and dinner. Pasta station is always there for lunch and dinner. And every day and night there is a carving station set up with either Roast Beef, Roast Pork or Turkey and let me tell ya, they taste just like Canadian Cooking, real good. Potatoes and veggies tasted like Canadian Cooking as well. I stuck to what i knew in regards to culinary matters. "La Tourista" didn’t kick in till day 5 or 6, so that was good......some blame it on the booze, some blame it on the sun, some blame it on the change in diet or a combo of it all, but I say whatever, its all part of the trip to Cuba really.
Beach was spectacular. Luna is the quiet side with some rocky areas close to shoreline but again is lovely and super quiet but you could swim no problem with a nice sandy ocean bottom. There is a bit of stench that blows off the nearby green water lagoon and smells like rotten eggs, but it depends on the wind direction. On the Luna side, guests from the Paradissus use this beach as well and are accommodated with loungers on the Luna section of beach (remember Paradissus and Sol are all owned by Melia) In regards to the Mares side of the beach, it has pure sand and is great for swimming and then there is that breathtaking rocky point for great photos. Both ends of beach have beach grills, which convert into specialty restaurants at night for dinner. Food at both locals was great and day or night you ordered off an ala-carte menu. Every restaurant has table-service ordered from menu (ala carte), which is nice for 4 star property. In regards to Palapas and beach lounge chairs, there are 5 stations set up along the entire stretch of beach covering both sides and each station is attended by a worker who watches you select a Palapa (there are about 95 plus of these on the beach) and then brings you the appropriate number of loungers and cleans them off for you. Again. very nice touch for a 4 star property. On the far Luna side there are brand new Blue vinyl loungers, but this is because they cater also to the Paradissus guests, but they will deliver one to your palapa as well. All other 4 lounger stations are equipped with those decrepit while hard resin lounges, OUCH!, but whatever its all good.
Nightly entertainment, i didn't attend, was awake by 6am and asleep by 8pm, ahhhhh, vacation, gotta love it. Very few English speaking guests this week at the resort. Mostly populated by Quebec, Brits and Italiano's. My favorite bar was the Azucar bar maned by Orlando and Franco. Here they serve the best beer on earth (Bucanero) and are served by the can or bottle (no draft here at this particular bar), loved that. As well there is table service for drinks here, so no waiting at the bar. Nice touch.
Note…. in slow season buffet for lunch and dinner is open only on the Mares side. For breakfast, the buffet opens on the Luna side. The 24hr snack bar/Italian restaurant on the Luna side was great, again it’s an ala carte menu and they come to your table and serve you 24rs a day. Plenty of bars throughout the resort, so no worry of going thirsty here.
Service I thought was excellent and this place for all intents and purposes is a true 4 star with five start amenities (table service, lounger delivery). Go there and enjoy it, all rooms on the Luna side have been renovated and they are doing the last half of rooms on the Mares side. If you can get this place cheap now, do so, because after reno's I’d bet good money that the star rating is going to go up another half star and so too will the prices.
Return to the airport (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, copious amounts of rain fell the last 24hrs while I was there, it flowed down from the mountains and washed out the bridge close to the city of Holguin, hence we had to take 3hour detour to get to the airport, through the mountains and poor outback regions Cuba in the dark. It was a trip to say the least, but Air Transat was great to fly home with and the plane was half full, so tons of room on the plane, ahhhhhhhhh, gotta love that.
Anyway, go and have fun at this place, its worth the money and as an agent, I will sell this place with confidence as a four star resort and myslelf will return there again soon in the off season for another week of rest, relaxation and no stress. If you got any questions hit me back via email anytime:
breton@nb.sympatico.ca
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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| i have been in sol rio de luna, actually it is only half of a double structured hotel, it is nice, i still remember the funny jokes that dignora and jose, the
2 bartender of the swimming pool were used to do to each other, the hotel is good, well done, maybe too big but i noticed it only when i had to reach the internet desk, in my 4 trips to cuba it was the fastest internet connection i have ever encountered, the beach is nice as well, the first day there was a strong wing and some small rocks reach the playa but the staff removed them over night, the 2 buffet offer every day different dishes, i also tried the italian restaurant, not bad but... i am italian, i know how a bruschetta should be made... lol, the cleaning ladies were very nice and did everything i needed, they also gave me a bottle of rum to keep it in my room, i had some arguments with the taxi drivers who were serving the hotel area, be sure when you call a taxi that you are the only customer, or you might find the car full of cuban workers trying to go home, nothing with them but i would have liked to be asked if i agree or not..., all the hotel staff is very kind and respectful with the tourists, i would say "classy", and the hotel is close to a nice town (5 km) were in the weekend you can have live cuban music on the beach and melt a little bit with the local people, sweet people. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Lynne and Stuart +2 kids
London England
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| September 2006 |
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Flight 9 hours. Get the upgrade to premier travel on the flight. Its well worth it.
On arrival at Holguin airport you might have thought you have arrived in Spain 20 years ago. In this respect the place is very unspoilt.
The transfer to the hotel is quick and in nice new air conditioned coaches.
We stayed at the Mares side of the hotel. We thought this side was nicer and had certain advantages over the sol side.
The pool has a swim up to bar and the booking facilities are done on this side.
The hotel rooms are clean and pleasant. The staff who work at the hotel and all over Cuba for that fact are grateful just to be working in the tourist industry and will do anything (within reason) for you.
You will not get any "Attitude" because of this.
The average Cuban does not earn much money at all and so before you go there make sure you go through all your old clothes that you do not want with the view of giving them away as gifts or tips.
The most expensive things they can buy are shoes and clothes (of any size) and if you give them a pair of old trainers or sandals i can promise you the smile you receive will be both large warm and very grateful.
We did the Champion tour which includes a horse back ride, jet ski , and cigar factory visit. Also included lunch and a long trip through some impoverished areas. This is the time to give your clothes away. After this trip you will realise how much you take things for granted.
We also did the Havana trip. Even though it cost £275 each it does include quite a lot and I think overall it was worth it. Flights, hotel accommodation, meals, trip to the Tropicana show and all coach journeys you get to see "Old Havana" which is very atmospheric and you yearn to stop at a bar and have a cold drink whilst watching some salsa dancing!
The beaches to this hotel have the whitest cleanest sand i have ever seen and snorkelling is fab. (take your own if you can)
I did scuba diving and is the cheapest i have ever done it. There is actually quite a fair bit of coral and a lot of fish. In you have been to Sharm you will be pleasantly surprised!
The sea water is very warm and all the facilities there are free.You can take out a windsurfer or a small boat and hire snorkel gear and there is no charge which is nice.
There are quite a lot of English people there and also a lot of Canadians. There is a single computer with internet access (really slow modem connection so don't get excited) and costs £4 and hour. Because the connection is so slow you get through the hour without having done much!
The food can get a bit samey but there is sufficient choice to appeal to most palates. The kids will come home asking you to make Bahama Mamas and Mickey mouse cocktails! (lemonade and a dash of grenadine!)
If you intend to be by the pool for 14 days you might consider Spain. Its a long way to go, but if the money is the same and you want to go further afield then give it a go.
The selection of cigars is large enough and also the same price at the airport. By them on the way back. You will need to get rid of your Convertible pesos anyway.
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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Just returned from the Sol Rio De Luna y Mares a couple of weeks ago and here is a review:
Trip down and check-in: Flew on Skyservice (why are all charters the same cramped, terrible food, etc.). We did however, arrive and leave on time so no complaints there. Arrival at Holgiun airport was on time and we moved through customs at a good pace, got our luggage and boarded the bus for a very scenic ride to the hotel
Hotel property: Amazing! Check-in was fast and friendly. Rooms were exactly as requested in the Mares side of the hotel. We actually had the best room in the hotel. Air conditioning was quiet, the bathrooms were large, cuban marble and very clean. The ceilings were cathedral, the balcony overlooked the pool AND ocean. Lots of room to store your clothes and stuff. Restaurants were Mexican, Cuban, Italian, and a special VIP dinner on the beach was a 5 course lobster and steak dinner. All of the restaurants were excellent and the VIP dinner (by invitation only) was the highlight of the trip. There were about 7 bars with the swim up on the Mares side being very popular as well as the lobby bar. The drinks were great and ALL of the staff were amazing. We took in a couple of shows which were good, however our favorite was anytime they had a cuban band. There are massages available as well as a full service salon. The massages are 50 pesos (convertible) for one hour and are very good. You can also have a massage on the beach. The concierge (Zulema) was amazing as was all of the staff. It was my husband's 50th birthday and the staff went out of their way to make it memorable.
Excursions: First of all the most amazing thing to see is the zoo which is a 10 minute walk on the property. The zoo is actually an endagered species zoo which is in danger of closing down due to lack of funding (they will move it to another sanctuary) so please visit (costs about 2 pesos). You will see the most amazing animals and birds there. It was the highlight of the visit for my 2 kids (age 20 and 14). Also available are trips to Holgiun City, a plane trip to Havana (very long day) and a helicopter ride (40 minutes and you leave right from the property) to Santiago. Everyone who took the helicopter ride loved it.
This was out 15th trip to Cuba and second to Holgiun. If we are returning to the Holgiun area next year our first choice will be the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Nancy (aka Seachick)
Canada
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| June 2006 |
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Photos
We're a couple in our mid-fifties who were looking for some relaxation and we certainly got it at Sol Luna y Mares. We had read reviews before booking and knew what to expect - a small resort with a great beach and when we heard about a last minute deal we jumped on it and didn't regret anything.
The ride to the hotel from the airport is one hour. Don't close your eyes in the bus - there's such beautiful scenery along the way especially the Kristal Sierra (mountain range) which can be seen in the distance. Check-in was a bit long but the staff were courteous and helpful. The resort is divided into two parts - the Luna side being a bit older. The resort is 12 years old and the rooms, especially the bathrooms, could do with some updating - but they were fairly large and very clean. Lots of closet space, a private balcony, TV with many satellite channels, mini-fridge stocked with bottled water only, an iron /iron board, and a great little coffeemaker supplied daily with great Cuban coffee. The in-room safe was key operated and only required a $25 CUC deposit which was returned to us on check-out. We also had beach towels in our room. We had 2 double beds pushed together. The mattresses are on a cement base which made for a difficult first night but we had no problems after - very comfortable. I think they changed the bed linen every day and the maid left us lovely towel art and fresh flowers daily. We were in building 5 and booked an ocean view room so we were on the 3rd floor and we had a great view of the ocean and a great breeze in the evening. Our building also had a small elevator so we kept our energy for walking the beach and the grounds!
The grounds are beautifully landscaped due to the age of the resort and the talent of the gardeners. I've never seen so many flowers at one resort - there was always something to stop and admire - including the little lizards, crabs and tree frogs we saw from time to time. No bugs in the room or on the balcony. The walk to the beach from the Mares side involves going down quite a flight of stairs - it's easier from the Luna side.
Food was normal for Cuba - a bit bland and predictable but there were some nice surprises during the week, including a barbecue on the beach with the Trans At beach party. There are 2 air conditioned buffets, one on each side, the Mares one being bigger and a more decorated but we preferred the Luna side. Each buffet has outdoor seating but be forewarned, there are a lot of cats at the outdoor Mares buffet. They trot out from everywhere around 6 PM and wait for unsuspecting customers to sit down. They sit and stare at you and if you feed them fights break out over who gets the loot. We counted 9 cats around one table. The parents didn't want to feed them but the kids were pleading with them. We ate indoors to avoid them and also to be in the a/c. Coffee in the buffets is mediocre but they make great espresso/cappuccinos all the bars. Bottles of wine are laid out in the evening in the lobbies for serve-yourself cocktails. The wines in the restaurants are better than average - at least 1000% better than DR! :) Two bottles of water are supplied in the room and you can refill at any bar during the day. There are 4 a la cartes, 2 on the beach which also serve as snack bars during the day and one on each side of the resort - the Mares one (Mexican) by the Mares pool facing towards the ocean and the Italian one on the Luna side next to the pool. The Italian also serves as a 24 hour snack bar. We never ate lunch at the buffets because we just loved the snack bar on the beach on the Luna side. I still daydream about this place! All the snack bars have a menu - no buffet - which was a nice change for us. No food hanging out all day and everything done fresh for you. Menu included Cuban club sandwiches, veggie and regular burgers, hot dogs,fish & chips, fried chicken (but hardly any breast - haha) tuna salad and GREAT Calamari. I had it every day - so fresh and tender - another thing I daydream about since our return. :) It was a great joy to sit in this snackbar with the wonderful beach before us and a great sea breeze and wonderful staff. We were booked here for an evening supper and when I told the desk it was our wedding anniversary they went out of their way to change our reservations for Thursday - a special night for honeymooners. We were served great lobster and filet mignon, plus flower arrangements on the table and a rose for the ladies. Before the meal we were treated to a cocktail to watch the glorious sunset. A memorable evening and much appreciated. The staff here will really go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. Also, communication is no problem as most of the staff speak many languages fluently. There are 2 pools - the bigger one with swim-up bar on the Mares side.The pools were clean and each had a snack bar right next to them.
The beach! Oh, that beautiful beach! Playa Esmeralda - turquoise, beautiful white sand, warm and gentle waves. We never wanted to get out of the water. It does slope down quickly though so watch your children. We snorkelled straight from the beach to see some fish but if you walk about 8 minutes to your right you'll see many more kinds around the coral reef. The catamaran/snorkel tours stop close by. To the left you can explore the coral cliffs and there's a secluded beach just around the cliff. I don't know if it was because we were there late in the season, but we never had to reserve a palapa on the beach. You could go down at 11 and have front row shade. There are also lots of trees on the beach for shade. A chair person is there all day to bring you a lounger and wipe it off. Tips are not necessary but greatly appreciated. We brought both money and gifts for tips. Please don't leave home without them!
If you feel like it, the resort's animation team take you out on a little excursion every day - by bike, by foot or by bus. All free except the bus tour ($6CUC per person!) to the nearby Sama de Boca fishing village. I highly recommend this tour. It only lasts from 9 till noon and is a real eye-opener. There is a lot of history to this village and you can read about it in the mini-museum. A visit to a school, a fisherman's house and a doctors office is a wonderful opportunity to bring much needed supplies which are greatly appreciated. The tour finishes with a 30 minute stop at Guardalavaca's mercado - great place to buy inexpensive souvenirs. We bought rum at a cheaper price than the resort but more expensive than at the Holguin airport. There are many other tours you can get from your rep or from the resort. The beach is quiet - only one boat that goes out twice a day for diving tours. They also have new 16' Hobies, kayaks and pedalos. You are escorted on the Hobies so hubby was disappointed about that. Evening entertainment was mostly made up of audience participation except for 3 quality shows put on by very talented theater/dance schools in Holguin. Kids seemed happy with their animation staff and put on a show every night. Each lobby bar had nightly entertainment up to 9 PM - a classical pianist on the Luna side and a great Salsa trio on the Mares side
A bit long, but lots to say! We've been to more luxurious resorts but fully enjoyed ourselves at Luna. The beach, "our" snack bar and the wonderful staff really made our stay memorable and it was great value for the money we paid. I wouldn't hesitate going back. As I mentioned, the rooms are clean but need updating, the food could have more variety (but nobody was sick) the nightly shows could be better but the glorious beach and the wonderful staff made for a very enjoyable, most relaxing vacation.
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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This was our fourth time to Cuba, each time we stay at a different area of Cuba. Sadly our time at this resort was disappointing. Firstly we had booked the Honeymoon package, this consisted of a private check-in, welcome drink, flowers, king size bed, fruit plate in room and a bottle of wine and late check-out on the day you leave. I even made the effort of calling Public Relations at the resort two days before arriving. They assured me all would be ready and look forward to our arrival.
When we did arrive they said they knew nothing about our Honeymoon package. We sat and waited for everyone else to be checked in so we could talk to them about the package. Finally after about an hour of standing around we were able to talk to the desk and they asked us for our marriage docs, which we had and they photocopied them. There was no welcome drink, no private check-in, no flowers, nothing. She gave us a room and told us to come back in the morning and all would be arranged the next day.
The next day we go down to the desk and ask about our room and the package we booked and the desk clerk said she knows nothing about it. We show her our booking papers and once again she photocopies our marriage docs and then proceeds to do nothing. We ask her if we can get the room we booked and the package we booked for our Honeymoon and she shrugs her shoulders and says she knows nothing about it and just stares at us with this blank look???
I decide to go to Public Relations and ask why they seem to have no clue about our package and have no interest in helping us, even though I have the papers and even called ahead. She says "we will take care of it later tonight". So finally later that night they switch rooms for us and a bottle of wine arrives. We also get a letter telling us that if we need any drinks for our room they will bring them up. Well we called and asked for water and colas for our room and the desk said "of course, they are on their way". They never came, ever. We finally gave up asking three days later.
I also confirmed with Public Relations and the front desk that on or last day we have a late check-out. So our last day comes and we come back in from the beach, go up to our room and find our key no longer works. So I go back down to the front desk and ask why my key doesn't work and they say "check out is at 12:00 noon". I explain we have late check out for the third time and again we get this blank look from the desk clerk. They finally decide to re-open our room for us.
It just seemed that either they had no clue as to what was going on or just didn't care. They had photo copied my marriage docs three times over two days and still had no clue. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Andre and Wendy
NB Canada
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| April 2006 |
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We were 2 couples that stayed at the Sol Luna Y Mares on the Luna side from April 9-16, 2006.
Airport:
The airport went very smoothly for us both ways. On arrival we were on our way within 45 minutes of landing with beer in hand on the bus. On the way home we were the first bus to arrive at the airport in the morning so again no line ups. Hopefully we’ll be able to keep these direct flights from Moncton that get in at such great times.
The drive to the hotel from the airport is really great, lots of interesting things to look at. You’ll drive by quite a few villages, and some wonderful sugar cane fields and wild areas. The 1 hour to the hotel passes very quickly with lots to see.
Rooms:
I had emailed the resort in advance requesting 3rd floor rooms in the 5000 or 6000 block with king size beds with rooms close to each other on the 3rd floor.
On arrival we were told they hadn’t received our email. I had brought a print out of the email and they put us in the 2nd floor of the 8000 block, 5 rooms apart both with king beds. It was absolutely perfect for us. The 8000’s block is the furthest block of rooms on the Luna side towards the Paradisus hotel and closest to the snorkeling, worked out great for us. 3rd floor would have some nice views of the water, we could see the water but there were many trees in the way, we spent so little time in the room that it didn’t matter. This is not a very spread out hotel unless you’re going between the Luna and the Mares, so no matter where your room is you won’t be to
far from anything. Only 220v electricity in the
room, so you’ll need adapters/converters if you’re coming from Canada.
Rooms were well equipped, coffee makers, hair dryer, kit with shampoo soap etc, iron, CD Player. Our TV didn’t work, but we didn’t bother calling for repairs because we hardly watch TV at home, rarely on vacation. We also discovered that our phone wasn’t working on our last morning there when we didn’t get our wake up call, but the bellman arrived at our door to check that we were up.
Rooms safes are available, you need to leave a $25 CUC deposit which is returned when you check out.
Food:
We were all very happy with the food. We were with Air Transat so we were guaranteed 2 a-la-carte restaurants. This was kind of strange because they slip a piece of paper under your door telling you which a-la-carte you’ve been booked in, and the times you’ve been booked. We weren’t booked with our friends and we were able to change the reservations, the a-la-carte reservation desk is on the Mares side, and only open from 9-12. Our a-la-carte restaurants were the Italian and Cuban restaurants. We had excellent food at both, but spoke to some people who didn’t have good experiences. The Cuban restaurant was a little different than we’re used to, there is no menu provided, they just serve you food. Not sure if it is the same food every night, but we had a great meal.
The buffet food was typical AI, you should be able to find something to eat unless you’re quite picky. A nice touch was the liquor cart that came around with flaming coffees etc, we didn’t see this every night though. There is also a wine menu which we ordered from one night, various prices available. We had a good Merlot for $10 CUC. We couldn’t order from a wine list at the a-la-carte, but a nice change when you get tired of their house wines that were a little rough. There is a wine bar set up every night on the Luna side by the piano, and a wonderful piano player entertained during the early evenings before the theatre. Don’t be afraid to make requests, she is fantastic.
We were supposed to have a beach BBQ for our tour operator guests, but it was cancelled due to rain. We had a lot of rain in the evenings, but kind of added to some of the fun. I felt sorry for the poor workers that had to do all the moping up though.
Another different thing about this hotel is at all the lunch restaurants you are served, not buffet. We never did find a lunch buffet, but there may have been one on the Mares side. We had excellent lunches at the pool restaurant on the Luna side, as well as both beach restaurants. If you’re not a cat lover I’d avoid the Mares restaurants, many more cats on this side at both the beach and buffet restaurants. The squid and fish were both excellent at the Luna beach restaurant, so much so that it was hard to go anywhere else.
Cappuccinos are made every morning at the pool bar on the Luna side.
Bars:
We had a hard time finding Mojitos consistently. Most days they were available at the Lobby bar in the morning, so it became a routine to stop there on the way back from our little morning excursions. The fist morning they finally had them we all let out a cheer, I think we scared the poor bartender, but she knew us from then on and made the best mojitos for us for the rest of the week.
The slushy drinks were never too icy, so make sure you bring your insulated mugs, the ice disappears fast.
I was told the beer was great, I’m not a beer drinker so I can’t comment further on that.
We never had long line ups at the bars. A heads up that the beach bars close at 5PM, we were caught running more than once at 4:55 to get there before closing since we rarely left the beach before 6PM.
Theatre;
We all enjoyed the live band before the theatre main acts. We stayed for a couple of the theatre shows, but were just too tired and not really interested to stay for the whole night. It looks like this is a new theatre as there are 2 small stages set up by each of the pools.
SPA;
Looks like this is also a new SPA. It looks very nice. Our friends both had massages and were very happy with them. The cost for messages was very reasonable. I think it was $25 CUC for an hour message.
Beach:
We chose this hotel specifically because of what we’d read about the beach and snorkeling, we were not disappointed. The snorkeling is very good on the Luna side by the Paradisus hotel. The Luna side has more coral to enter the water, but the Mares side looked very clear. Very little to no seaweed, and we were there for a very windy week. If you are a beach lover this is a great spot, it is not a long beach, but absolutely beautiful surrounded by the hills. One of the main reasons I would go back here is for the beach and snorkeling.
If you have small children with you the beach might not work out simply because the water gets deep very quickly. It was great for the adults, you didn’t have to walk out very far to swim, but would have been tough on kids.
There were really no towels games played here, a little more at the pool. If you want a more comfortable blue chair, rather than the hard plastic white ones, there are some available on the Luna side near the end of the beach, not sure if they were “borrowed” from the Paradisus hotel, but they are there. The chairs at the pool were all the blue ones, so maybe they came from there. There are men on the beach that bring a chair over for you when you choose where you want to sit. There were plenty of palapas available, some days we didn’t get to the beach until after lunch and we were still always able to find shade. There are also many palm trees at the back of the beach, so if you prefer the natural shade to the palapas there is lots of room.
We also took the a catamaran out one day. At this resort when you sign out the catamaran a guide comes with you, you don’t get to sail the boat by yourself.
You are also only allowed 2 people per catamaran, but there are lots of catamarans on site so if you go in the morning you should be able to sign up for one.
Two of the days we were there all water activities were cancelled due to the wind. If you want to try some water activities I suggest you do them early in the week so you won’t be disappointed if the weather changes on you.
There were vendors set up on the Mares side of the beach every day. There were different vendors every day so if you see something you like you better buy it because you may not see it again. Prices were very reasonable we thought.
Pools:
There is a pool on the Luna side and one on the Mares side. If you are a pool person I would definitely recommend the Mares side. The Mares has a much bigger pool with a swim up pool bar. We were only in the pool once, on the Mares side to get a drink at the swim up pool bar just to say we were in. The pool water was very warm, definitely not hard to get in.
Money Exchange:
We waited in line at the airport to exchange some money, but the rate at the hotel was the same as at the airport. There is a little bank on the Mares side as well as the Luna side.
Excursions:
One of the best parts of this hotel is the free or very inexpensive excursions that are offered every morning by the animators at 9AM.
We started off with the bike tour to El Cerro mountain on Monday. This set up lots of laughs for the entire week as we had a “special” tour from Yusdanis. This tour involves quite a bit of climbing up a steep mountain, as well as biking a few kilometers, so be warned. You also get a tour of a farmers home, and some nice views of the area. If George is your tour guide tell him you’d like the Yusdanis special tour that you heard about, you never know where you’ll end up. This tour was no charge.
Tuesday we went to Boca de Sama by bus, toured the village, saw a DR’s office, visited a school and were entertained by the children, visited a fishermans house, and stopped for a photo opp. You are given a chance to leave some gifts for the children at the school if you want. On the way back to the resort you also stop at the Guardalavaca market for a quick shopping spree. The bus ride to Boca de Sama was about 20 minutes, and the charge for the tour was $6 CUC.
Thursday we did the tour of Paradisus Rio de Oro. You are not allowed to enter their grounds if you’re staying at the Sol Luna Y Mares. We were fortunate to get in to see the Garden Villas since they were vacant, beautiful. We also had a tour of their new spa, right now the only part open is the new fitness center, the SPA is going to be amazing when complete.
We were told a couple more months before completion.
No charge for this tour.
Saturday we went to Las Guanas which is right beside the Mares side of the hotel. We waited for a tour guide to take us there, but you definitely could do this on your own because the tour guide doesn’t go with you onto the grounds, it is a self guided tour.
We walked to the end of the point and had beautiful views over the water. When you exit the part there is a road just to the right of the entrance that takes you down to the local beach. There were quite a few fishermen there while we were there. Our friends shared some of the clothes and hats etc that they had brought along to give away and the locals were very appreciative. We went back to the end of the beach where they were BBQ’ing their fish on an open fire and they wanted to share with us, absolutely delicious.
It cost $6 CUC entrance fee to get into the park.
We couldn’t do the Sunday tour with the entertainment staff as we were leaving early on Sunday. The tour was to El Tanque and we asked for directions so we could go on our own. It is probably about 1.5 km walk from the hotel, with one short steep climb to get to the top. Take the road just past the mini zoo as you’re heading out to the main road from the hotel.
Continue along this road for a short distance and on one left you’ll see a steep dirt road, climb up and on the top to the right you’ll see the tank. There was a man working up there and he told us to climb on top.
A beautiful view from here of the dolphin aquarium and over the resort. Definitely worth doing, the tour was no charge.
We also took the bikes out one day to the main road where the driving range is. We never did find out if there is supposed to be a charge for this, or if it is just for the Paridisus guests, we just left a tip.
There are clubs there, and it was fun to hit golf balls in April. You’ll see horses tethered out there some days, not sure what they do if someone comes by to golf.
Summary:
I would definitely recommend this hotel if you are looking for a great beach and some wonderful snorkeling right from the beach. If you have walking difficulties it may not be for you, quite a bit of walking to get to the beach, a lot of stairs from the Mares side. I would definitely go back to this hotel, especially for the right price, and direct flights out of Moncton. If you have any questions I am registered on Debbies Forum for Cuba as wleblanc.
Photos can be found here.
http://community.webshots.com/user/andreandwendy |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Ron
Moncton, N.B.
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| March 2006 |
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We began our trip to Sol Rio Luna y Mares on Sun. March 19, returning on Sun. March 26.
We left Moncton on a West Jet 737-700 with Air Transat as our tour operator. We can say without a doubt that it was the correct decision as everything ran very smoothly.
ARRIVAL
We arrived at Frank Pais International airport at approximately 10:15 in the morning. Customs, as ia the case in Cuba, was very swift but also very efficient. Don't be fooled; they know what they are doing. Having exited the final baggage screening, we went to the Bank (located off to the left) to exchange our Cdn. dollars for Convertible Pesos. The cost was $1.30 Cdn per peso. (I would like to find out why the cost is so high as the Convertible peso is supposed to be pegged to the US dollar, 1 for 1. I think we may be getting tagged with the surcharge that is now imposed on US dollars, no thanks to the litle cowboy from Texas.) Anyway, having exchanged our money then gathered our luggage, a Tour Rep. showed us to our bus for our ride to the resort. Waiting for others to exit the airport afforded us the time for a couple of "Crystals" (beer) at a price of 1.50 pesos.
TRANSPORTATION
The ride to the resort took anywhere from, I'd say, 45 min. to an hour. Having put our one and only watch away, time in minutes and hours was no longer relative. It was a very pleasant- modern, air conditioned coach- and the scenery was marvelous, although very dry as they are experiencing somewhat of a drought.
CHECK-IN
Upon our arrival at the resort, check in was fast and efficient. Some rooms were available but unfortunately ours was not. We received our bracelets however, left our bags with the Concierge, and proceeded to get a bite to eat and explore the resort. Our room, # 6210, became available shortly afterwards and we were installed and ready for the beach, I'd say, before 2:30.
ROOM & BATHROOM
The Luna section of the resort is the oldest, being aprox. 11 yrs old. (The Mares section is 9 yrs old.) The furnishings come from Spain and Latin American countries The style is not the sleek designs that we are accoustomed to and one can be mistaken for thinking they are very old. There were no major differences between our room and the room we happened to see of the Mares side. Our room was equepped with two large beds (placed together), coffee maker, small fridge, TV with remote, small cassette/CD player, two tables , chair, bench, valise table, large closet and enclosed safe. Pay the 25 Pesos (refundable when the key is returned), put all your valuables in it and RELAX. The bathroom had two vanity sinks, tub, shower, toilette and biddet. Everything worked real fine. Our balcony was on the beach side but palms obscured the view somewhat.
FOOD & RESTAURANTS
Plenty of both. Ther are two Buffet (one large, one small) and four A La Carte ( Cuban, Mex., Italian and Mediterranean) Two A La Carte serve as beach restaurants and the two others as pool restaurants. As for the quality of the food, I've had better but I've also had worse, much worse. There is a wide variety to suit everyone.We met people from England, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Findland, Columbia and Canada. We all don't have the same tastes but nobody could go to bed hungry. The menu was basically the same at all of the restaurants.
POOLS
Two of them of fair size. The Mares pool had a bar in the pool. The pools were very clean and well maintained.
BARS
Plenty of these with a good variety of drinks. We don't believe the quality of service was affected wether you tipped or not, however they are deeply appreciated. We tipped regularly enough and with some bartenders (Pablo and Juan) my next drink was ready virtually as I reached the bar for a refill. Every evening in the Luna Lobby bar, we were entertained by a piano player or singer. Very enjoyable especially with the "serve yourself" wine table of very good Spanish wine.
EXCURSIONS
We are not very big on the 100+ peso excursions. We did however take several of the excursions put on by the Animation team. These were short, 1 hour to a half day. Prices range from free (tip) to 6 pesos. The groups were always small and therefore fun. George "Tequila" is a gas. Ther is a little handout at the front desk which lists them all. Horseback riding, buggy rides, bikes, scooters and cars are all available so that you can explore the surrounding area.
THE BEACH
We lived here during the day. Very wide, long, more than enough chairs, palapas and palms for everyone, Not the best for small children as the water gets deep rather quickly even at low tide. Parent of small children be vigilant.
SUMMARY
We had a very, very enjoyable trip. We found the staff competent and accomodating, the food more than adequate and the resort area very well kept. The Air Transat Rep. knew her stuff and was always available when she was supposed to be. We would difinitely recommend this resort.
Previous Resorts Visited
Veradero-Arenas Doradas
Cayo Guillermo-Sol Club
Cayo Coco- Tryp
Punta Cana- Barcelo Bavaro Golf, Sunscape Grand
Puerto Plata-Azzuro club,Allegro Playa Dorada |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Greg
Ottawa, Ontario
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| February 2006 |
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I just returned from Rio de Mares resort in Holguin Cuba with my girlfriend and another couple. We were there for a week leaving from Ottawa having booked through Sun Quest and flying on Sky Service airlines. Out of the four of us, it was my and another's first trip down south so the excitement was quite high!
Flight
Well, after a 7 hour delay at Ottawa airport due to deep freeze conditions we were finally off to Holguin at 12 midnight. The flight crew was very sorry for the delay but we all understood it was not their fault. We were allowed free alcoholic drinks on the plane due to the delays, but unfortunately the in-flight movie was only accessable on one half of the plane.
Arrival
Landing in Cuba was pleasant however, quite early in the morning (5:30 Cuban time). We exchanged most of our alloted money at the airport until a Sunquest rep came over and ushered us onto the bus so we could get going. It was just over an hour by bus to our resort with 2 stops before us. It was fun to watch the bus driving down the road dodging cars, trucks, people both walking and on bikes all at 6 in the morning. We arrived at the Mares side with smiles on our faces as we have all read that it is a little nicer than the Luna side. My room was a garden view and the other couple got an ocean view so it was nice to see the difference. We were in rooms 1055 and 1050 - we were grateful for the close proximity of the two.
Rooms
The rooms were quite humid/moist upon entering but it wasn't a huge deal. They were both very nice and the A/C worked effeciently. They were very clean with the only complaints being that the beds were two double beds pushed together - but nothing too major. We were literally steps away from our pool area and a max of 1 minute from the beach. Not forgetting just up the stairs from the 24 hour bar - which was used frequently. The maid service was very friendly, always with a kind Hola. We left little tastes of Canada and toiletries for them everyday. In the ocean view room - my friends were greeted with towels in shapes of hearts and swans almost daily and nice hibiscus flowers hanging from their curtains.
Excursions
We made up our first excursion up as we went along. The four of us rented scooters from the reosrt and took off along the country side. At only 7 pesos each for 2 hours we figured why not give it a try! We drove along the main roads in the area being sure to watch for random animals crossing the road in front of us as there are no fences containing them - we did almost have an incident with a herd of goats but we survived. We were also warned about holes in the road and other drivers. The hole issue did come into play a couple of times and the drivers coming up right behind you is a little nerve racking. We took a turn off into a tiny community and were greeted with plenty of waves from the locals - we were more than happy to return the gesture. We came to the end of the road and a little boy no more than 12 came and invited us to his house for pictures. We met his entire family and the boy, John, was a riot. Unfortunately we could not stay long as our time was quickly running out. We would all recommend this little trip. Our first true excursion was Swimming with Dolphins. This was 99 pesos and we all had a fun time. You take a boat to this site with 3 pools for the interaction and 1 for a dolphin show. The area is in the middle of a bay not attached to any land so it is all pretty natural. You are in a pool with 2 dolphins for your group (7 - 12 people) for roughly 20 minutes. Everybody gets kissed by one then both dolphins and you get to pet them and open their mouths up as well. It was quite an experience. We were all then treated to a sea lion show and then it finished off with a dolphin show - all very entertaining. Our last excurion we went on was pretty much brand new. It was called Island Paradise (79 pesos). You are picked up at 7:50am and bused and hour to a port and hop on a house boat (for lack of a better description). Our tour guide was named Roy, and he had quite the sence of humor. You go by boat to an island and snorkle off the coast for a little while. Then we continued to the dock for a buffet lunch. We were allowed to explore a little before lunch so we jetted to the beach for a quick dip in the crystal waters. Lunch was interesting - antilope being the main meat. It was a very nice atmosphere, especially the huge iguanas and the little geckos in the area while we were eating. After lunch we opted to take a jeep tour of the island with the hopes of seeing Anitoples, Zebras, Water Buffalo, and other exotic animals. My friend and I were allowed to ride standing up in the back of the jeep holding onto the roll bar and it is an experience I will never forget. We saw everything except Zebras and we were able to get out for a bit and visit with colourful Parrots and a lone Camel. We would recommend this trip as there is lots to do and see - and make sure to bring a camera.
Food/Restaurants
Most of us enjoyed the buffet. We had a couple of meals there and we actually found it to get better throughout the week. We booked reservations for the Cuban and Italian restaruants but only at 8:30. Somehow the 6:30 seating get booked so fast and it's still a mystery how. ADVICE - get 6:30 booking the best you can. We found that the later it got, the worse the service got. Which we didn't find fair as we were supposed to eat then, it wasn't asthough we just popped in. Lunch was always tasty - limited selection but it was always good. We mostly had lunch by the pool on the Mares side - friendly service and hot food. Overall, the food was good at best. Some of the time, they didn't even had what was on the menu. It helps if you enjoy seafood here, but the pork, beef, and chicken are also tasty. The desserts have a different taste to them but the ice cream is always cold! In terms of bars, there are definately alot of drinks to choose from and you can always make stuff up as you go along. ALOT of rum in drinks so be prepared with a camera after your first sip for some great faces if you're not a big rum drinker. The biggest downfall of the trip for myself was the amount of cats in the eating areas. I brought allergy medicine as we had read the warning but I think they have different dander or something as for a couple of days I was miserable due to allergies - but the vacation was not ruined.
Beach
Spectacular!! Long and private. No worries walking up and down the beach about being harrassed by merchants. There is a small vendor area by the club house everyday but they don't wander. Note about vendors - if you see something you like - buy it - they don't come back. My friend and I brought our snorkling gear and it was great. Many fish to see, along with coral and shells. Bring some bread from the buffet and get a free fish show right in front of you. Our last day we rented a Paddle boat for the four of us and we had a blast.
Overal
We all had a great time. I have nothing to compare it against but I would recommend this resort. Lots to do and see. I would like to go else where for my next trip but that's not to say I wouldn't return in the future. Everybody is friendly and lots of smiles to go around. If you are looking for adventure there are alot to choose from here (12). I hope this helps you choose a place to stay in Holguin. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
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We are 48 and 47 years old and we went to Cuba to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary. This was our first time in the Caribbean and we read lots of postings about it before we went.
Getting there
We flew to Holguin from Manchester, England and had an uneventful flight. It took us about an hour to clear the airport in Cuba and another hour to get to the complex.
The hotel
The two hotels blend into one, with the Luna site being quieter than the Mares. Most meals were taken in the buffet bar with the only problem being that you could sit any where and it was sometimes difficult to tell if the table had already been taken by someone already. Although there was plenty of food and of a high quality, it was repetitive. You could have as much as you liked - and many people did! We did find ourselves in the habit of tipping the waitress at dinner and lunch (1 peso) and I think the tips were usually pooled and shared out. As 1 convertible peso is worth 25 times the Cuban peso, it is easy to see how valuable tips are to the staff. I also took some trinkets ( ear rings, soaps etc) and left a present on my pillow for the maid every day, rather than tipping her. We enjoyed lunch mostly at the beach bars and recommend the sandwiches. The a la carte restaurants were disappointing but did provide a slight variety to the diet. The best one was on the beach at Luna (Pinta) - excellent.
There was plenty to do at the hotels is you wished with an entertainment team organising things every hour during the day. The Mares pool was excellent - I swam the equivalent of 50 lengths every day without interruption or company as most people just sun bathed. We borrowed bikes but had to handle them with care as they only had brakes by cycling backwards, and the Cubans seemed happy to not fix the punctures. The gymn was small but good with a few exercise bikes and weight machines - again very quiet and under used. Bets to take designated clothes for the gymn and rinse out daily - you really sweat in the Cuban atmosphere. The club house on the beach has lots of novels so you can just help yourself - we used a lot of our baggage allowance on books when we didn't need to.
The beach was beautiful - icing sugar sand and turquoise sea. Chris snorkelled from the beach - we took our own gear but there is some available to borrow. The pedallos were really easy to manoeuvre as were the kayaks. Beware sun burn on cloudy days. We did tip the man who got our chairs out for us. There were also buskers who would play the guitar and sing - one even entertained by playing well known hymns!
The entertainment in the evening was similar most nights and so we didn't bother going after the first few nights - being happy to chat with the many guests from mostly Canada, Scandinavia, Holland and Germany. We did discover the disco on the beach which mostly catered for those under 30
Weather
The temperature was mostly in the 80s but we did have three very cloudy days and one when it rained all day. Joan was bitten twice and Chris not at all. Not sure if it was the effect of taking garlic tablets before and during the stay.
Trips
We did the overnight trip to Havana. This was very expensive (about £250 each) but worth it. We flew from Holguin in a small French plane. Had a Russian plane turned up for us the trip would have been cancelled as apparently our travel insurance does not cover us in these. We were about 15 in our party with an English speaking Cuban guide from Cubatur. We were able to learn a lot about the economics, culture and history over the two days. We went to the Club Tropicana which was a superb experience - not to be missed. We stayed in the old Havana Hilton (now called Libra) but missed going to the 25th floor to see the view. We developed a taste for rum - particularly Mojitas which never caused a hang over no matter how many were drunk!
Overall opinion
This was an excellent holiday, lovely hotel, friendly staff, plenty to do or not do. We met lots of people who have been back several times - that is recommendation in itself. |
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We travelled on 21-January-2006
We went to Cuba Holguin For a Week, we stayed at the Mares Hotel (there is 2 Hotels) the other is Luna .... This was my first Vacation away with my Boyfreind. I'm 25 . We are not the party animals , So this review will be based on how my experience was .
We had our room on the third floor , The room # 306? ... It was cleaned everyday , We werent missing on anything , The staff was super sweet and pleasent . The restaurants that's "a la carte " Make sure you book them the second you arrive there, because its always full. But we got to enjoy the Mexican restaurant and the romance. Between you and me The mexican atmosphere was way more romantic then the other. But still no complaints . The Beach there is only one thing to say . OMG !!!! Let me say something I hate Ocean's ... I never swim in them Beacause im terrified of the tiny fishes ..... I can actualy say My bf had to drag me out of it ..... It was gorgeous the water was clear , warm and just great. The pool was croweded most of the time on both hotels. Mares had the pool Bar so most people were there . But the water was cold. Luna had more of the calm and mature Crowed . So if you really want your peace and quiet thats the hotel for you.
On our 3rd Day we decided to do the tour's aroung holguin. It was somewhat expensive, But there were not bad , We went to the Ciggar Factory , wich was cool it was the biggest one in Cuba. We went to see where Colombus first Landed . We went to the Market had lunch on top of the hill . The other tour was originaly Snorkeling , But there was Jelly fish warning So we did Water Jets for 45 min.... It Was great ..... Then Horse Back ridding then The lunch on a hill .... Make sure you bring Money for Tips.... They ask you for tips or they guilt you in it . Oh by the way Before i Forget , They do not except Credit Cards or American $$$ ... You have to change your money there, and make sure you have 25$ (peso) for when you come back . (taxes). Oh and there very Stricked on the weight lougages. You pass the kilo's and you'll have to pay.
For conclusion Of this wonderfull trip. It was awsome. I would definitly go back and recommand this place to people i know.
P.S : They put a whole Lot of Rhum in drinks ..... I mean Alot. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Daniela and Tim
Toronto, Canada
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| January 2006 |
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RESORT
The resort is spectacular because of its proximity to the beach and the fact that it’s so green and lush. Although all the rooms were booked solid, there was always room at the restaurants and because of the resort’s layout, it always felt very private and quiet.
Our room was very spacious and it had a very nice balcony. The bathroom was a little dark, but who am I to complain? Most Cubans have their electricity turned off at sundown!
BEACH
This is nicest beach I have ever seen in the Caribbean – it is only beaten by the beaches in Thailand. The sand is white and cool, the water is warm, blue and clear, and this is all surrounded by lush vegetation and beautiful hills and cliffs. This was probably the busiest time of the year and there were always enough palapas for everyone, even those who got up late. Plenty of things to do on the beach (other than drinking and eating): windsurfing, kayaking, pedal boating, snorkeling, volleyball, etc.
There are two bars and two restaurants on the beach, one on the Luna’s side and one on the Mares’ side.
We spent most of our time on the beach and have absolutely no complaints. The majority of the clientele was either Canadian or European (mostly British, German, Austrian, no obnoxious Italians – before you edit this, consider the fact that I am Italian…). Mostly families and reserved types, great for those who want a quiet relaxing holiday.
FOOD
The food was fine. We had omelet, breads and fruit for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch at the beach restaurant and grilled meats/fish and veggies for dinner at the buffet and then at the à la carte restaurants. We are not picky eaters and we don’t go on vacation to eat, and we understand why some people might get annoyed by the recycling of foods at the buffet and the fact that you might order something one day, order it again the next day and get something completely different!
Again, just consider that most Cubans only eat rice and beans. That is why resort jobs are highly sough after because of the good pay, the comfy and clean work environment, and the good food.
EXCURSIONS ETC.
We did not go on any of the tours, although there were things to do every day, some free, some at extra cost. We saw some people that were constantly on the go. We are lazy and we like to travel on our own, so we rented a jeep and toured the surrounding area and Holguin.
What’s great about Cuba is the unbelievable friendliness and hospitality of its people. Although we didn’t have a map of Holguin, we got on the highway and once we entered the downtown core, we were able to get locals to tell us where to go, what to see, etc. What is also nice about Cuba is that tourists do not get harassed for money and it is so incredibly safe.
Just one thing – if you have never driven in Montreal or in Europe, you need nerves of steel once you enter the city limits. Driving is absolutely nuts!
We also visited Guardalavaca, which is the closest town to the resort. There is a beach and there are more resorts there, with many touristy shops and nightclubs where one can go partying at night.
CONCLUSION
Given the beauty of the resort’s grounds and the beach, the good service and the good weather, it’s no wonder that many people keep returning to the Sol Club. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Steve and Shawn
Canada
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| November 2005 |
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We have just arrived back home from Holguin. The weather was beautiful. It rained a bit but mostly at night. The last day the ocean was a little rough and it looked like rain was coming but we didn't see it before we left the resort. I'd like to add a few comments about our trip but I generally agree with most of the reviews so far. Here goes:
The Resort
It was beautiful. Well kept and the gardens are wonderful. The beach has white sand and from what I saw was one of the best in the area. Pools are well maintained and equipped with a pool side shower, lounge chairs and nice little bars and a snack bar. We swam at night although it is posted not to, no one stopped us.
The Rooms
I was a little surprised at the rooms when we checked in. I guess because we have always stayed at 5 star higher end resorts. I thought the rooms were a little run down especially the bathrooms. Some of the people that checked in at the same time complained and changed room the next day but then seemed to be happier. Two sections were being renovated while we were there so maybe they are doing the whole Luna side of the resort. That would be a nice improvement for next time.
The Food
If I had to complain about anything this would be it. My daughter had the hardest time adjusting because she is fussy about what she likes but they did have the strangest things on their buffet at times. Scrambled eggs with mixed frozen veggies, peas with onions and bacon, hotdogs done to order, french fries and onion rings for breakfast. The funny thing is that the first couple days we laughed about french fries and onion rings but as the week progressed we were looking for them because the variety was a little sparse towards the end.
The toaster really, really sucked so we started doing our toast on the griddle provided for making grilled cheese and ham sandwiches so the toast was better after that. The buffet on the Mares side was definitely better.
The Service
Resort staff were great for the most part except for a few cranky women in the pool side snack bar. That you can expect anywhere you go. We had taken down some cooler cups from Canadian Tire called Bubba Kegs that were great for keeping drinks cold and we gave them to the bar staff and a few waitresses when we left. They were thrilled. The only other concern I had was about the towels. They give you 2 blue towels for the week, 1 per person. The maid took our towels out of the room one day and I had a hard time getting them replaced.
She kept forgetting to replace our regular white towels that she was taking out daily so I had to keep asking her for more. She was good at first then seemed a little annoyed that I was still having a problem after a few days.
Then on the 3rd and 4th day she asked me about towels I borrowed from the Clubhouse (which I did not), I explained this to her as well as the front desk clerk and they just shrugged and didn't say anything else but then during check out they tried to charge me $15 Pesos for each towel. I insisted that I did not borrow them and they got the Clubhouse guy to bring up his book. He started to say that I had borrowed the towels because he remembered me but when we looked in the book someone had written down our room number when they took out 3 beach towels. I guess they tracked him down because they never came back to me but quite a few people were charged for towels they sauid they never had.
The morale of this story is to be careful with the blue towels, they tell you that you are responsible for them when you check in and they mean it.
That it folks. I hope the information here is helpful. Have a nice time! Say Hi to Ruben at the front door from Steve and Shawn from Canada, for us. He was a great guy and very helpful! If you are taking things down to give away we found that they appreciated things like band aids, disposable razors, shampoo, soap bars, clothing for kids, hair ties and barretts, school supplies. Some of our group took down a lot of candy and they didn't really seem interested in it. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Mike & Joanne
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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| September 2005 |
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Pre-travel
We have gone down to this resort with both Sunquest, and Air Transat. In our opinion, Air Transat provides a bigger bang for your buck. Air Transat use their own aircraft, they pre-book 2 al a carte dinners per week, and they provide 1 liter of Cuban rum and a small package of Cuban coffee per room. Little things such as this provide us, the consumer with litter extras that can ensure repeat business for them (at least for us it does). Air Transat vacations books all their customers on the Luna side of this resort.
Getting there
Travel down to Holguin takes about 3.5 hours from Toronto. Entry into the country is generally swift, and well organized. The resort is approximately a 1 hour bus ride from the Frank Pais International Airport in Holguin. Once at the resort, check in is painless, and swift. It is way easier finding your room, if you use one of the bellboys to take you and your luggage to your room. On this trip, we noticed people who checked in at the same time as us carrying their luggage through the Mares side of the resort (after checking in on the Luna side) while we were already enjoying our first beverage at the bar 40 minutes after arriving.
Money Exchange
There is no longer any requirement for Canadians or Europeans for that matter to take US dollars with you, as you can exchange Canadian (or other) currency into Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUP). The exchange rate is the same at the airport and the resort. There is a money exchange “bank” on both sides of this resort. Also, there is a money exchange bank on the duty free side of the airport once you have cleared Cuban Immigration when leaving. We found that it was easier at the resort to change your money as required instead of exchanging everything at the start of the vacation. However, each to their own, concerning this.
The resort
General
At one time this resort was actually two different resorts, the Sol Rio de Mares, and the Sol Rio de Luna. Both resorts are now combined into one. While researching vacation spots we have noticed this resort advertised as a 3 star, and as a 4 star resort. In fact, most travel companies advertise this resort as a 4 star including Air Transat. This was our third trip to this resort. Based on that, we like this place, and consider it a 4 star resort with 10 star staff. It is up to you whether or not you agree or disagree with the star rating. Each time we have been there we have noticed improvements, from the menu to the new spa, and entertainment facility.
Rooms
The rooms on the Luna side all come with a mini-fridge, CD player, and more importantly a coffee maker in the room (they also have AC and a TV that has American, European, Cuban and Chinese channels). The washroom is pretty much a standard washroom, with the standard requirements of that room. The number of beds in each room depends on each traveler’s requirements. Each room has either a balcony or a small patio, a great place to dry your beach towels and swimwear. Not to mention to have an early morning coffee and admire the luscious vegetation and listen to the ocean. The rooms themselves are starting to show their age. That being said, the room will meet your requirements and if your going to Cuba on vacation and complain about the room like some people, perhaps you shouldn’t go! We always get a laugh reading reviews about people whining about rooms, and wonder if all they do there is sit in their rooms. However, if you do have a problem with your room the front desk staff will change your room for you. Nothing will be corrected or changed if you don’t inform the staff. Also, we have noticed that the hotel staff continually carries out re-painting of the rooms and upgrading various aspects of the rooms, such as the washrooms or spraying for insects. One thing you should be aware of, and I always get a laugh when reading these reviews is the subject of insects, and cockroaches. Guess what people Cuba has a tropical climate. You’re going to see such things more often in this type of climate. During this two-week holiday, we found two cockroaches in our room (unknown if they were related or not). I personally killed them both with extreme prejudice and kicked them out of our room! We go expecting to see a couple of these bad boys, and when we do see them, we do a Terminator thing to them. However, we have stayed in three different rooms in three totally different areas of this resort, and have not seen a real serious insect or cockroach problem. If it is really bad inform the front desk. Nothing can be corrected if you don’t tell the staff. They try extremely hard to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
Restaurants
There are 2 buffet restaurants at this resort, and you can eat at either one. Both the Mares and Luna side have one. The largest one is on the Mares side. This restaurant has a large outdoor section, and a similar sized air conditioned inside section. The Luna side is smaller in both the outdoor and inside sections.
Breakfast
The breakfast buffet is similar to what you would expect. A wide variety of fresh bread, and buns, fresh seasonal fruits, cereals, croissants, muffins, and sticky buns are available. They also have a steam table with different types of hard boiled and scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, and veggies. If you want toast be prepared to wait a while. For whatever reason these industrial type toasters don’t work all that good. The bread either comes out warm or burnt to a crisp. No in between. When we go to this resort we just grin and bear it. Honestly, we don’t waste our time trying to make the perfect slice of toast.
Lunch
While we were there this time only the Mares side buffet restaurant was open for lunch. However, during their peek season both the Mares and Luna side buffet restaurants are open. Although we have had lunch at the buffet restaurants before generally we don’t. There are two restaurants on the beach (one directly below the Mares side, and the other directly behind the Luna side) and one beside both the Mares and Luna side pools. If you have lunch at any of these four restaurants it is all off of a menu. The menu isn’t all that large but there is a fairly decent selection of sandwiches, burgers, or salads, chicken, fish The only restaurant that offers pizza on their lunch menu is the Luna pool restaurant. We normally decide to eat lunch from one of these four restaurants.
Dinner
The buffet has a wide selection to choose from both hot and cold meats and veggies. The menu is the same no matter which buffet restaurant you decide to eat at. Both also have pasta and grill stations set up. Normally, the pasta station will have three different sauces (Alfredo, tomato, and meat sauce) and a variety of types of pasta to select from. All you have to do is select your sauce and pasta, and they cook it while you wait. At the grilling station, there is a selection of meats (pork, beef, and chicken), and fresh fish (fillet, sole, shrimp, and sometimes lobster). Like the pasta station, all you have to do is select what you wish and they grill it there while you wait. There is also a meat craving station that normally has either roast pork or during this trip roast turkey. There is also a large and varied selection of deserts, from cake, pastries, pies and ice cream. Some of the best ice cream we have ever had has been on our trips to Cuba, and I am not a big ice cream eater but I always have some when I am there.
Comment
The biggest complaint that we notice that people write in these reviews is about the buffet always being the same. That is very true, it is the same normally. However, that doesn’t stop a person from changing what they eat OFF of the buffet. Anyone can go to this or any other resort and eat the same thing day in and day out, and then complain about it afterward. But why would you? Don’t put a lot of thought into complaints about the buffet. After all, if you went to the same restaurant day in and day out at home I think sooner rather then later you would start complaining about that place also, and for the same reason!
Al a carte dining
This resort has four al a carte restaurants. We have eaten at all four, and enjoyed them all. Some more then others but nonetheless they were all good. Our favorite was the Mediterranean restaurant (beach restaurant directly behind the Luna section). They also have an Italian, Mexican and Cuban al a carte restaurants.
Bars/Entertainment
There are bars all over the place at this resort, with two on the beach. A person will never go thirsty at this place. They all have a wide selection of liquors and beer, as well as soft drinks, and outstanding coffee. In the evening they had a lady playing a piano in the lobby of the Luna section, and another lady at the Mares main bar who was a very good singer who played the guitar. Nightly entertainment (a bar is also directly beside this facility) is located in the new entertainment complex. This place has an outstanding sound and light system. In addition, there is a disco on the beach beside the restaurant/bar directly below the Mares complex.
Beach snorkeling
The beach is probably the best thing about this resort, long, and wide with white powdery sand. While here this time, the resort was full (800 people) and there was never a problem in getting a lounge chair or beach “hut” on the beach. This resort has staff on the beach who when they see you will bring you a lounge chair to your location. There is fantastic snorkeling located on the far right hand side of this beach. Approximately ten to twenty feet off the shoreline in no more then chest deep water is a coral reef which is home to a wide variety of tropical fish. We would take a banana or two down to the beach with us in the morning, and go snorkeling, and feed the fish. It was amazing to see how many different types of fish that would show up for the free meal.
Staff/tipping
The staff at this resort are truly second to none. Most of them speak very good English. They are friendly, helpful and they certainly try to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. One of the things that really amazed us are some of the staff actually recognizes you from previous stays. When you think about how many people vacation here in the course of a year it is surprising that they would remember you.
Although we all go down to these resorts knowing it is an all inclusive resort that does not stop us from tipping various staff members for there efforts. These people don’t get paid all that much, and anything extra they receive is greatly appreciated by them. Also, I don’t think some of what the staff does for us is included in the all-inclusive. We don’t tip everyone every time but we do tip weather it is the maid, bar tender, waitress/waiter or the guy on the beach who brings you your lounge chair.
Excursions
There are a wide variety of different excursions off the resort that are offered. On this trip we only took the catamaran which included a lobster lunch. It cost 69 pesos per person, and it was money well spent. A bus will pick you up in the morning around 0800, and take you to the catamaran. On the day we went there were two catamarans that went out. On ours, we had 31 people aboard, and the guys on the boat were great fun. There was all types of refreshments on board, and it flowed from the moment we arrived until we left. After the two snorkeling stops (the supposed reason for the trip) the fun accelerated. Everyone was partaking of the refreshments, the music was playing and it ended up that people were dancing all over the boat, having a great time. The dancing and partying continued even after we had tied back up at the dock. As we were coming in to tie up the second catamaran was also coming in. It was amazing to look over at their boat and watch them as they watched us dancing and partying about the boat. Good fun. After we got back to the dock, we went to a restaurant and enjoyed a terrific lobster lunch. We eventually ended up getting back to the resort around 1600. Thanks to Ernest for showing us a good time that day.
Departure
Normally, heading home is as painless as arriving. However, on this trip there was a real good thunder storm started up as we were on our way back to Holguin to catch our return flight. Upon arrival at the airport, check in was painless. However, the thunderstorm literally turned this into a pain. The storm knocked out the computers used by the Cuban Immigration officials. Our flight was supposed to have departed at 1820. It didn’t, we were kept in line at Immigration for a long time with nobody knowing the reason. Finally, at approximately 1740 we were informed there would be a delay in departure until the Cubans could get their computer system back on line. Frustrating? Yes, but it was really nobodies fault. We eventually left two hours late, making our arrival in Toronto two hours later then expected. In the greater scheme of things no big deal. As I said, it is normally a painless procedure. Murphy’s law happened, and he sucks!
General comments
I realize that this is a pretty lengthy review. I hope you find it useful. We have read many reviews in researching where and when we will go. What is good for one person is not necessarily good for another. We would recommend that you only believe half of what you read on any review and make your own decisions. One of the things that I keep in mind about Cuba is that it is a third world country, and at best a Socialist one at that, governed by what most of us would call a Dictator. Whatever the Cuban people provide to you during your stay is the best they have to offer, and it is certainly more then the average Cuban ever gets! If you wish to complain, we can all do that at home. Enjoy the positive aspects of your vacation in Cuba and try not to dwell on the negative aspects.
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Wendy & Steve
Mississauga
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| September 2005 |
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My husband and I are in our mid forties, travel a few times a year throughout the Caribbean and Mexico. This was our 4th trip to Cuba, (previously at Cayo Coco, Varedaro and Holguin) this was our second trip to Holguin. To see pictures of this resort and the beach go to http://community.webshots.com/user/holakitty this resort is the last one on the list of pictures. We would definitely return to this resort. It is billed as a 3.5 star resort and it was a 3.5 star resort with a 5 star beach.
If you depart from Toronto or Montreal and are going on Air Transat, book as a Transat Holiday - it is the same price, but you get a bottle of rum, a small packet of coffee, 2 al a carte dinners instead of one and an exclusive beach party dinner on the Wednesday night of your stay.
Money Exchange & Credit Card Charges
The exchange rate is the same at the airport as it is at the hotels. Please make note - that if you are using your credit card you will now be charged an extra 11% on top of cost of any excursion or any cash transaction. So take your card for emergency, but bring cash with you. Also remember - you can only use VISA or MasterCard - no American Express cards and the VISA or MasterCards have to be drawn from a bank other than a US bank - so leave your Citi bank or Capital One cards at home.
Hotel Facilities
Check in was fast and painless. Don't forget to ask for your safe key - requires a $25 CCP (Convertible Cuban Peso) refundable deposit. All the facilities were clean, well maintained, gardens were lovely, pools clean, lots of chairs and umbrellas, good gym/workout room, hot tub and whirlpool area.
Staff
All the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Most spoke excellent English and were thrilled when you tried to speak a bit of Spanish and were always pleased to teach you a new word.
Rooms
We were in Luna section - room 5217 on the second floor. We had an ocean view, the room was large, clean, lots of closet and cupboard space, air conditioning worked, small fridge worked and TV had a remote. The bathroom was clean, the water was hot and the water pressure was very good. As long as you are not expecting the Taj Mahal you won't be disappointed. Maid service was very good. From this section of the hotel you could hear the entertainment at night 9:30pm - 11:00pm, not too loud, but noticeable.
Beach
This is by far the best beach that we have been on in Cuba or Dominican. It is very clean, great soft sand, no seaweed, crystal clear water, large and there are upwards of 200 palapas on the beach with lots of seagrape trees and palms for added shade. You don't have to run down to the beach at 6am to get a bit of shade, if fact, we were on the beach all day and even if you came down in the early afternoon you could still get a palapa with no problem. Also this beach is really great because you don't have music blaring all hours of the day and it is nice and quiet. The main water sports are kayaks, peddle boats and catamarans, we only saw one motorized vehicle - so you don't have to worry about seado's or motor boats while you are enjoying the water. There is snorkeling off of the beach and you can bring your own equipment or get some from the dive center located behind the catamarans. There are two beach restaurants where you can get your drinks and lunch.
Snorkeling Excursion
We enjoyed a day of snorkeling/sailing and lunch. This trip has changed from last year, as lunch is now served at a restaurant instead of on board the catamaran. The bus picks you up at 8:15 and takes you to a small marina about 20 minutes away. You are taken to 2 snorkel areas and then sail back to the marina and then you are taken to lunch at a restaurant over looking the ocean. A word of caution...you don't get lunch until about 2 o'clock! After snorkeling for a couple of hours this is a really long time to wait for something to eat. We took some zip lock bags with us, made a couple of sandwiches at the morning buffet and then were able to have a snack after snorkeling. The cost of the trip is $69 CCP.
Buffet Restaurants
Found the buffets to be typical Cuba buffets, with the exception that the house wine is very good. They have two wines, a Spanish wine and a Cuban wine. The Cuban wine is excellent for a table wine and in fact we enjoyed it over the Spanish wine. Food is good, there is plenty of it, but can get a bit repetitious. The orange juice is fresh squeezed and the coffee is great. I tend to take travel packages of vinegar, ketchup, jams, syrup, cream cheese, and salad dressings as I find hotel selection is usually limited, although they did have A1 steak sauce and soya sauce available.
Mexican Restaurant
This restaurant has quite and extensive ala carte menu, with 5 entrees to choose from. I had the beef fajitas and my husband had the fish in tomato and olive sauce. Both were excellent and very large portions. Nice atmosphere and good service.
Romantic Restaurant
Very nice setting on the beach with linen and candles. This is a set menu and is a 5 course meal. You start with a carrot salad wrapped in prosciutto ham, followed by a fish/shrimp skewers, sorbet, beef tenderloin and dessert and coffee. I am allergic to seafood and they were very accommodating and made a dish with chicken in it instead of the fish/shrimp skewers.
Italian Restaurant
We ate at the Italian restaurant for lunch. They do a great thin crust pizza and a very nice fish coated in corn flakes.
Two Pet Peeves
I am trying to figure out how people can be so lazy as to get up and get drinks, but then leave their plastic glasses in the sand! Can you not take the used glasses with you with you go to get another drink? There are plenty of garbage containers on the beach....clean up after yourselves. I saw so many people leave there stuff for someone else to clean up after them. Better yet - take an insulated mug with you, you won't have to make as many trips, and you can save having so many used plastic cups.
Also, if you were served in a timely manner with good food you would tip if you were at home. Why can't you do the same when you are away? We saw many, many people get service and leave nothing. We went on the Snorkeling Excursion twice in one week, both time we noticed that there were only a limited few people who tipped the staff on the boat or the staff at the restaurants. People are working hard to make sure that you have a good time, they deserve to be tipped for the service they are providing.
Final Thoughts
Also as I mentioned earlier with taking a sandwich with you on the snorkel excursion, this really holds true for any excursion that you take. We have been on some excursions where there have been delays and it can make for a very long day on a bus if you are hungry. Also we were stuck on the runway for 2 hours due to a thunder/lighting storm, we didn't take off until 8pm. We luckily had two sandwiches with us, because the airline was not going to feed anyone until we were up in the air, as they are not allowed to open containers while in Cuba without a large fine. We also take new toothpastes, deodorants, shampoos etc with us, then we leave what ever is left for the maids. |
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| Sol Club Rio de Luna/Mares |
Martina and Larry
Peterborough
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| August 2005 |
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My husband and I just returned from a week at the Sol Rio Luna Resort where we were from July 29th, 2005 to August 5, 2005.
We have been to numerous resorts all over Cuba in the past years, mostly 3 star resorts. This resort was rated a 4 star and we booked a last minute deal through Bel Air Travel in Toronto.
I read a lot of reviews posted on the web and must say that the resort met our expectations. The resort is very lush and has beautiful gardens. Check in was a little slow and we did not get the room we requested the first night, however staff was very accommodating and by the next morning we were able to change rooms and received an ocean view room on the top floor in building 8. The top floor rooms seem more spacious as they have cathedral ceilings. The room had a king size bed and was very clean, equipped with a mini fridge, coffee maker, cd player and a safe (must pay a $25 deposit, which is refunded upon check-out). We had bottled water in our fridge that was restocked every day. One day we did not receive coffee and the following day someone from the resort came to our room, left a big pack of coffee and a bottle of rum as an apology.
The beach was truly amazing. White sand, tons and tons of beach huts and the water was amazing. Very warm and shallow when you first get in. Having been to other resorts, we have always been annoyed that people showed up at the beach and reserved chairs and huts early in the morning. The resort was full when we were there and there was never a shortage of huts or chairs at the beach. In fact we were ususally one of the first people to arrive at the beach by 9 am and noone was there yet. There were also many shady areas under palm trees.
The resort has two buffet restaurants and four a la carte restaurants. From previous travels we were aware that the food in Cuba definately is not fine cuisine. However we are not picky eaters and we found that the food was very acceptable and probably better than the food we have had at some of the 3 star resorts. The service at the hotel was exceptional. Everyone spoke very good english and was very friendly.
Lots of tours are available, however having been to Holguin in the past we chose not to repeat any of those tours. All day catamaran, snorkelling, city tours, jeep safari etc. were available. The resort has lots of pedal boats, cayaks and little katamarans, that are included in the stay. We hired one of the guides to take just us two out on the katamaran to go snorkelling to a nearby reef. That was amazing and to us more enjoyable than spending a whole day on a catamaran with 50 others (...which also costs $69 per person).
The one disappointment was the diving. The resort has a dive centre on site, however they don't have boats leaving right from the resort. They have a bus that takes you (1/2 hour ride) to another nearby beach, Playa Pesquero. This dive centre serves all the nearby resorts and my husband was only able to go one day diving with them, as they were booked solid for the next three weeks. Having been to the area previously, we were aware that there was also a dive centre in nearby Guardalavaca. My husband made arrangements through this centre, they picked you up at Rio Luna by taxi and returned you by taxi as well, and the diving there was also cheaper.
We never attended any of the evening entertainment. Our building was very quiet and away from any the evening action.
Overall we enjoyed our stay at Rio Luna and would recommend going there, however when we look at the regular book price for this resort, it seems overpriced, compared to other resorts. For what we paid, it was certainly worth it. |
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