Iberostar Ensenachos Reviews

We were at Iberostar Enchenachos from March 1st to March 8th. This is my 5th visit to Cuba and found the resort to be one of the best I have visited in Cuba. We arrived at 11:00 a.m. so had an enjoyable bus ride with an excellent guide on the bus giving a commentary of the local towns. We were checked in immediately and were given a glass of champagne upon arrival. I was pleasantly surprised that our room was ready when we arrived. We were able to convert our money at the reception desk as soon as we arrived with no lineup. We stayed in the Park Suites. The room was very nice with a king size bed, a lovely separate shower and soaker bath tub. The maid service was excellent. Our fridge was stocked with bottled water and beer every day, and the beach towels were replaced daily. The beaches were the nicest I have ever seen. We preferred the Enchenachos Beach as it was much quieter. We spent the mornings at the pool near the Park Suites where there was a lovely breeze each day. There is a restaurant by the pool where we had a very good lunch a couple of times. Enjoyed the floaters at the pool and the swim up bar. I can’t understand why some people complained about the food. There was an excellent selection in the buffet with lobster on Saturday night. I had an omelette each morning and lots of fresh fruit. The waiters were very attentive refilling your coffee. We went to the Asian, the Italian and the Seafood restaurants. They were all very good. My favourite was the Seafood restaurant. At the Seafood restaurant we had an excellent lobster and crab bisque and surf and turf. The steak was excellent and very tender. We also had lunch at the Seafood restaurant where you can sit outside with a lovely ocean view. The Cuban people are the nicest friendly people. We had a very pleasant waitress Sonya who remembered us and what we were drinking on the second day and brought our beer and wine without even having to order it. The gardens were lovely with so many beautiful flowers. The resort is very well run. The gardeners do an excellent job. We had a really enjoyable vacation, had a great time and are looking forward to going back next year.

Room Number:
3708

Room Block:
Park Suite

We were at Iberostar Ensenachos for 2 weeks from January 22nd, 2012. I will give you the good points, and then the bad.

GOOD: The people are amazing, the facilities, rooms, pool areas, lounges are all beautiful and immaculate. If you like the beach, though, it was too far away so you had to take a golf cart ride to it. They did have a bathroom and bar at one end of the beach but if you wanted food, back to the resort with a golf cart. We also found the water too calm and way too shallow. Great for kids and non-swimmers so we stayed at the pool and were more than satisfied with that.

BAD: The food was TERRIBLE. At the buffet, they served the same food every day both for lunch and dinner. The food was usually overcooked, and everything was cold. Breakfasts too were not very appetizing. The bacon was usually almost raw and no variety whatsoever. We were not impressed with the A la carte restaurants either. We also did not appreciate all the smoking (both cigarettes and cigars) in the lounge area where people sit after dinner.

We will not be returning and suggest you give it a pass too.

My wife and myself stayed at the Iberostar Ensenachos resort from the week before Christmas until the week after New Year. We had a wonderful time. We hit it lucky with dry weather throughout our stay, the only slight drawback being a "cold" front for a couple of days. By Canadian standards 18C by day and down to 12-14C by night is not cold, but we did feel it to be nippy after regular temperatures in the high 20s. We recommend that you bring a sweater if you are visiting in the winter months.

Various construction projects were underway (see below), which seem to be the result of the resort becoming an Iberostar, a company that we like from our experience elsewhere. All staff – including managers, animators, waiters and bartenders, bell boys, beach and pool attendants, maids, and gardeners – were extremely helpful and friendly. We had a problem with the fan in our room and the lady at human resources (who also books the specialty restaurants) had a new one installed in one day.

As for New Year itself, a stage was set up outside at the main door of the hotel, where we were entertained with dancing and music right up to and past midnight. Everyone received party hats and other coloured streamers and noisemakers. A special dias was also set up with a beautiful brightly-lit backdrop that allowed some very interesting photography. At 6 p.m., when it was New Year in Spain, there was a live television feed to a Spanish network, allowing Europeans to enjoy a special celebration. Everyone agreed that we brought in the New Year in Grand Style.

We also had the opportunity to travel to Sancti Spiritus and Trinidad, two colonial towns, and to Havana. This historical dimension to our trip complemented our stay in the resort and gave us some appreciation of the "real" Cuba.

Arrival:
Fast check in, with a friendly welcome at the main desk - and a nice drink to set up our vacation!

Rooms:
Our room was spacious and comfortable, with a luxurious king-sized bed.

Restaurants and Bars:
People say that the food and some of the wine at resorts in Cuba is not as good as in other countries. Our experience was that there may have been less choice than what we have seen elsewhere. However, we could always find something that we liked. And there was particularly friendly service at the egg station in the mornings.

Special mention must be given to the meals and festivities around Christmas and New Year. On December 24 and 31, a veritable banquet was laid on. The chefs outdid themselves. Prior to each meal, there was also champagne, and entertainment in the large open hotel lobby area.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The setting is marvelous – it is the only resort on the island (Cayo Ensenachos) and has two beautiful beaches (Megano and Ensenachos) of soft white sand. In combination with the blue sky and turquoise ocean, you have a picture postcard. The water was shallow and calm – ideal for gentle swimming and snorkelling, especially around the rocks at the Ensenachos Beach. There is an eating area at the Ensenachos Beach and a new one under construction at Megano.

The resort is set in a mangrove, and you can enjoy interesting walks on the hedged pathways with the ocean on one side and the mangrove on the other. The vegetation is rich and the gardens are well-tended. We enjoyed walking and jogging around the resort and also found the gym to be well-equipped, with machines always available. The two main pools are nicely-designed, allowing you to choose shade or sun. We particularly liked the dining area at the (adult) Spa pool, where you could enjoy a nice lunch with friendly service. A similar dining area is under construction at the Park Suites pool, where children are welcome. Also under construction is a children’s water park. There are also various exercise activities at the Park pool, whereas the Spa section is quieter. The third (Villa) section of the resort is a little more removed, but ideal if you wish total peace and quiet.

Other Comments:
Vacations are what you make of them, but Iberostar Ensenchaos made is easy for us to have a wonderful trip.

It was our fourth trip to this great resort, with our friends, Best Staff and we fully appreciate the troubles the Cuban Government is experiencing, however, Iberostar was just beginning to manage this resort with some new changes: Children any age, and CHEAP Spanish red wine!No problem with the Children! Love Them! But the horrible Spanish wine - forget it! We later took a trip on ALLURE OF THE SEAS, the largest cruise ship in the world, and at least one could buy a "wine package". Why not at this Iberostar? We would pay to buy Chilean wine, red and white!Would like to be contacted on this issue, otherwise we will unforunately travel somewhere else.fwmosher@yahoo.com

My partner and I spent a wonderful, relaxing week at the Royal Hideaway. I have been to Cuba 4 times before at different locations and at different star ratings. This was my first '5' star resort. The grounds were magnificent. The groundskeepers work tirelessly to keep the bushes, trees and shrubs trimmed and looking at their best. I have never scene such tall trees before in Cuba. The fact that the grounds are mature is one of the reasons I chose this resort. You won't be disappointed in this feature. The food was the best I've ever had in Cuba. The only thing I found difficult to enjoy was breakfast. They had the lots of everything but I'm not a breakfast person so I really can't comment on how good it was. Lunch on the beach, or by the pool was great. The hamburgers are fantastic, so are the chicken burgers and the chicken fingers.. Nothing processed here all made fresh. The supper buffet was good, variety and you won't go hungry. The BEST was dining at the Asian, fish and Italian restaurants.... Best waitress award goes to... Damary! Oder the spring rolls at the Asian restaurant. Desserts usually are too sweet in Cuba but not at this resort. They were just right.. not overly sweet and just delicious. Oh and don't forget to drink as many Pina Colottas as you can... they are best I've ever had.
Rooms are spacious and beautiful. Staff friendly and helpful. We tipped..ALOT... only because we wanted to, not because we had to. These staff work very hard for very little money. The beaches are amazing,the best I've ever seen in Cuba. Clean, soft white sand, and a nice distance to walk. They offer beverage and food service at the main beach. I was in awe of the beauty of the beach and you will be too! I had a pedicure.. 35.00 and I was worried that it wouldn't stay on but it did for 6 days so far! I have only two negative comments to make 1: The trip for us was a long one, 4 hours on plane and then almost 2 hours by bus to the resort. But once there, it was well worth the trip. 2: They sprayed for bugs in the evening time when you walked thru the main building it was thick in the air. And they sprayed one morning in our courtyard and i could smell it in our rooms. They said they had to because it was humid and the mosquitoes were bad. The mosquitoes where biting me in the evening but I would have preferred they sprayed after midnight when we were all asleep. I have always said that I wouldn't go back to the same resort twice.. Until now... I would go back to the Royal Hideaway again in a heartbeat. It was well worth the money and the day it took me to get there. Go there and enjoy the sun, surroundings, food and people. :)

Room Number:
2208

Room Number:
2707

Room Block:
Building 27

Arrival:
Flew Cubana out of Halifax. Left on schedule and arrived in Santa Clara a little early. Immigration was quick and organized. HolaSun rep met us outside the airport and told us the bus number we were to take. Trip to RHE took 90 minutes, and most was in the dark so we didn't "visually experience" the causeway. Upon arrival at the resort, we were directed to the reception area where the clerk asked for our vouchers, and presented us with an envelope containing keys, resort map and some documents to be filled in and returned the next day. We were then directed to the buffet (was closing in ~ 1 hour) and asked to return to get our luggage and be transported to our rooms with luggage by bell boys in golf carts. All in all, very professional.

Rooms:
Rooms were amazing; extremely clean and roomy, 2 beds (didn't get the king size) that were very reasonably comfortable with large thick pillows, and a spare pillow and 2 duvets on the shelf in the walk-in closet. Bathroom was large as well with a big walk-in shower and a separate tub. We were on the ground floor and the patio had a view of a wall of trees / bushes that blocked view of the walkway. Some may find this a nuisance, but we enjoyed the privacy and the natural habitat for numerous birds.

Our Concierge was Miriella (SIC??) who was wonderful and took care of any of her duties or requests we passed on promptly, and met us each day with a smile and kind words.

Restaurants and Bars:
We ate at the Italian and Seafood A La Cartes, and one evening at the "grill" at the Hideaway pool. Food at all 3 was better than anything we've ever experienced in Cuba for any of our 6 previous trips. Service at the 2 A la Cartes was near perfect and comparable to any high end north American restaurant I've ever visited. Service at the grill wasn't quite as good, but still more than acceptable.

The buffet food was of relatively high quality (very subjective I know), but unfortunately, quantity of prepared hot food was somewhat lacking, and layout was a little unorganized. To get to the trays of hot food, one has to reach in through the lines of people lined up (normally 3 lines) for fresh grilled food. Cold foods were plentiful, well organized and of high quality.

Mornings I was always at the lobby bar (24 hours) for coffee, which was reasonable.

Most of our days was spent at the Spa section pool so we frequented that bar the majority of the time; with nothing less than extraordinary service from Dayker (pronounced Die-kr) and Sonja. Margaritas, Pina Coladas and Mojitos were among the best I've ever tasted.

Night time bars were somewhat of a disappointment. We didn't go to the jazz bar at all, and only saw it open once, but weren't needing loud music. Lobby bar was crowded every night, maybe 3 deep at the bar waiting for service and all tables taken, with waiter service somewhat slow. Cigar lounge was always packed after dinner, with unfortunately, most of them non-smokers or at least not smoking cigars.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Grounds in general (including beaches and pools) are in a word - remarkable. Both beaches are wonderful and very clean (to start the day, unfortunately, guests make sure they don't look that way at the end of the day). The flowers, trees and shrubs are meticulously maintained daily.

Layout is beautiful, and cut into natural vegetation, which makes it look bigger than it actually is.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We didn't take part in any activities on the resort, nor did we look for any.

Only time we left the resort was to visit the Pueblo. I would only recommend this if you want a better selection of cigars than at the RHE shop or if you're looking for some crafts at the booths there. Otherwise, it's a "tourist trap" in my opinion.

Other Comments:
Make no mistake about it, this is one ginormous resort. We didn't see half of it and while everything is well marked, anyone "directionally challenged" should familiarize themselves with the map.

The age limits at this resort is refreshing, but rumours at the resort are this restriction may soon be lifted.

The Cadeca at this resort should be approached with patience. Service is extremely slow, but very honest. No issues with exchange rates and all money was counted several times, and a receipt promptly supplied without being requested.

I've read several reviews where writers have pointed out "attitudes" of various staff, including and predominately reception staff. We saw none of this, but did see a few occasions where the way they were treated by guests could cause such "attitude". I'm not saying it would be justified, I'm just pointing out my experience proves "you shall reap what you sow".

The people could not do enought for you...the piano bar was our favorite spot. Yillian broche....the pianist...played wonderfully. We would try and catch her every night. A great singer would accompany her and just double our pleasure. The beach....white sand and waiters...what more could you ask for. The food was great,lots to choose from. We will be back

Room Number:
3908

Arrival:
IT WAS LATE....VERY QUITE. WE DID GO TO THE PIANO BAR FIRST THING

Rooms:
NEAT, CLEAN GREAT MAID SERVICE TWICE DAILY

Restaurants and Bars:
LOTS TO CHOOSE FROM......

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
WHITE SAND, HOBBIE CATS TO TAKE YOU FOR A RIDE..FOR JUST A TIP

POOL WAS COLD, BUT LOTS OF SUN AND WAITERS FOR FOOD OR DRINK.

Other Comments:
WE WILL BE BACK

Had a wonderful week beautiful weather, beautiful resort if you are looking for peace and quiet and seclusion...nothing nearby so you are sort of trapped to do anything other than the excursions which are nice and you get to see some of what Cuba is really about...not a very nice life for the people that wait on you all week..The resort really needs to work on the entertainment portion of their resort..such as maybe comedians variety of different shows and perhaps movies in their auditorium to switch it up a bit ....overall definately a 5 star resort...dont know that I would go back again though too secluded...

Room Number:
3501

Room Block:
35

Arrival:
Arrival was organized no troubles at all upon arrival to the room sandwiches and drinks in the room.....good whe you arrive late

Rooms:
Very nice cleaned several times a day....

Restaurants and Bars:
All restaurants and bars were very nice staff sometimes over loaded with visitors too bad some werent so rude and would check to see who was waiting prior to them going ahead and ordering their own drinks before you who became invisible upon ordering at the bar, all food was excellent buffet had a very good variety and was always good.

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach was beautiful and the beach barbecue was excellent the guys did a very good job....Beach bar was really nice as well...it was really nice when you arrived to the beach and a beach attendent greeted you picked the lounge chairs up and took them to the spot on the beach in which you chose to sit in., really nice service....

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Activities were limited as for night entertainment ...could use a few more beach and pool activities to make it a bit more fun.

Other Comments:
5 star resort but very secluded and quite...overall nice choice if you are looking for peace and quiet...

We just experienced our first ever July/August Caribbean vacation with our third visit to the Royal Hideaway. Since our Canadian summer was basically a washout this year, we counted ourselves very fortunate to have decided to travel at this time this year. We found there to be a number of variances between a winter getaway and being in the tropics in the middle of summer.
Booking last minute, the price at the end of July was quite reasonable, perhaps even better than what it would cost to travel to a northern Ontario resort for a week with meals included. The only concern in booking last minute was the timing in booking while there would still be availability of spaces in the airplane. What happened for us, was that AirTransat ended up combining two separate flights to fill one plane (using CanJet) for economical reasons. Instead of the anticipated early Sunday morning flight, we were bumped to a later afternoon flight, arriving at the resort some time between 11pm-12am. This worked out fine for us (no worries)... especially in light of the fact that with this schedule we had a very restful last full day in Cuba and our arrival time back in TO was 2am on the Civic Holiday Monday, so we could sleep in that day and not have to worry about getting back to work until the Tuesday.
What we noticed immediately, upon arrival, was the very welcome, yet extreme "heat & humidity"! It is so much more intense than we ever expected but was so wonderful, we loved it, even though my hair ended up looking like Monica's from the Friend's episode in Barbados!

Arrival:
Check In
We arrived with a whole bus of RHE guests and the lineup was long, right out the Reception Area door, into the Lobby. It went quite quickly, and was nice not having to be "rounded up" into a conference room this time to endure a welcome speech, dresscode explanations & staff introductions. Fortunately, being one of the last ones off the bus and in line worked out quite nicely, as the bartenders from the Lobby Bar came around a number of times with cool towels & chilled champagne, serving us first with each round. Very refreshingly welcome in the tropical evening heat. Another fortunate event was, when we were finished checking in, we were given a ride along with our luggage to our room... this is the first time (in three) that this has occurred. Management must be reading (and heeding) reviews and guest comment cards! Five star service -> Terrific! Once in our room, there was a welcome platter of fruit, sandwiches, the minibar well stocked, plus there was a bottle of rum on the table with some ice & glasses! Ahhh, it was heaven to pour a drink and sit out on our balcony, soaking up the balmy heat and listening for the sounds of the surf over the mangrove.

Rooms:
Room
As Royal Hideaway alumni, we contacted the resort prior to leaving and the room we were given was exactly what we requested. We had an upper corner suite in building 42 , I think! When you're on the boardwalk to go to Playa Megano it's on your left. We apparently had oceanview, but the foliage of the huge Oleanders were blocking the view...lol... c'est la vie! I believe there were only two bungalows open in the Hideaway section, 41 & 42 on the boardwalk and nearest to the Hideaway pool, due to the 30% occupancy.

Restaurants and Bars:
Due to the extreme low occupancy the Hideaway pool lunch restaurant and the a la carte Grill restaurant (Spa pool) weren't open. As well, the Royal suites were closed, therefore the Royal Suites restaurant wasn't available for repeat guests. The Seafood restaurant (by Playa Ensenachos) was also closed, but was temporarily installed & available in the "overflow" area of the Buffet using the outdoor "grand staircase" (above the Asian restaurant) entrance. No real ambiance here and the service was languorous, as the AC had a hard time keeping up with the heat of the setting sun beating down on the huge windows facing west, even with the draperies drawn. The Italian remains our absolute favourite in regards to ambiance, service and food. We learned our lesson in regards to the Asian and asked for an individual table this time. They have two teppanyaki tables operating but only one teppanyaki chef on duty (during low season)... one table of eight enjoyed cocktails and appetizers while waiting for some time before their dinnershow could begin. The chef had real personality and was quite entertaining, as we were seated nearby enough to appreciate his excellent performance skills. This created a nice atmosphere for us, and the service was impeccable! As a side note: it was here that we used the $50 each bonus coupons to buy a bottle of Spanish wine for $75 from the wine list... an $18 value here in Canada... which we did enjoy, but the Chilean housewines are quite decent as well!
Honourable mention goes to the Beach snackbar trainee attendant who was left all alone at times, serving and preparing various items for any number of guests at the same time, with amazing grace under pressure. Kudos to the rookie. Talk about baptism by fire!
In summary, for breakfast we had the Buffet & Room Service available (24hrs), for lunch we had the Spa pool restaurant, the Buffet and the Beach snackbar and for dinners we either had just the Buffet available (two nights) and the other nights a choice of two a la cartes (Asian, Italian or Seafood). Plenty of choices, actually considering the resort was so empty. The only problem we had through the week, was one time (out of 4), our Room Service lunch order never made it to our room. Even after a few phone calls, including Reception, it was a no-show. That night, a returning staff member (who'd been off for a month) informed us that the afternoon had been, shall we say, "not a good day in the kitchen". Apparently there had been a "changing of the guards" (new chef?), some personnel switches and new positions created, including one for himself. He cheerily mentioned that it was to the benefit of RHE to encourage the staff to be more competent & for the resort to run more efficiently. Other than that one "blip", our dining experiences were quite satisfactory. No problems... Es Cuba!

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Pools & Ocean
The ocean felt like it was 90°-95° F as well as the pools. Most mornings we spent on Playa Ensenachos for an hour or two enjoying absolute & complete solitude. Although we weren't always alone ->We had a special welcome a few mornings, by the resident barracudas who would float a few metres from us in the shallow warm water, and then swim off. They were at least a metre in length, and really were a shock to see the first time they greeted us (who needs jolt of coffee to wake up?) The other creatures that were noticed included the resident Iguana at the Hideaway Pool, a Cuban Black-hawk, flamingos, red land crabs, sand crabs, hermit crabs & lizards, hummingbirds, a couple of jellyfish, sea urchins, a number of starfish, needle fish and so many schools of colourful fish that swam around us we didn't even end up using our snorkle gear. Although some new friends we met on the trip said there was an octopus and other more interesting sea-life near the coral between the two beaches of RHE. The Villa section was closed, so there were no facilities open nor were there any loungers at either end of Ensenachos at this time of year. We were glad we brought our own beach towels (we always do) which we kept clean by using them on top of the resort towels. We just made sure to keep the dirty towels away from our bed & clothing in case of sand fleas or noseums. When we had enough of the beach, we would head back to the resort for a great walk along Playa Ensenachos and then enjoyed the Hideaway Pool and the Pool Bar attendants for an hour or so to ourselves, too! It was heaven on earth for us! We felt as though we were on our own private island retreat.

Other Comments:
Check Out
Due to only a few buildings in the each of the Hideaway & Spa sections being open, our concierge at first, told us he couldn't get us our room for late checkout. Apparently there were quite a number of new arrivals for the first week of August. But he did do his magic, and we ended up being able to keep our room for $40 until 6pm. Not sure how he did this, as we had talked to the front Reception Desk right after breakfast and had been told it wasn' possible. Not a problem, just thought we'd try. Then, by the time we walked back to our bungalow, our concierge met us in the atrium, and told us that if went back to the Reception Desk, we could pay the $40 and book the late checkout! Which we happily did!

Low Season Summary

Thank Goodness for Air Conditioning! We have always enjoyed and looked forward to dining al fresco with all of our trips to the tropics, however, it was with welcome gratitude that everything (except the Spa Pool restaurant) was indoors with AC here during a Cuban summer! Upon our first winter trip to RHE we had been disappointed regarding this feature, but now we know why it is such a necessity! No real complaints about the food here, it was mainly good,and knowing that it is sometimes a "hit or miss" (only one or two misses) made our expectations more realistic.

In summary, we had the most amazing time. Third times a charm, as they say, isn't it? The service was better, the food was good, the drinks were delicious, and the weather was fabulous... considering the forecast for our week! Accuweather had called for rain everyday, and we ended up with an hour of rain one morning (7:30-8:30am) That day, we were just ready to leave for breakfast, so instead, ordered coffee con leche (for 4->to get a carafe) and continental breakfast for two. It was delivered within 25 minutes (the poor delivery guys were soaked!) and we were ready to head to the beach by the time the sun was out again! One other day there was a "sun shower" that felt like the mist of the Niagara. All in all, we would definitely consider returning in summer, just to experience the laidback, lowkey & luxurious solitude of the Royal Hideaway Ensenachos once again!

We stayed at this resort on our fourth trip to Cuba and were very disappointed with a lot of aspects. (We travel every March to somewhere in the Caribbean and always pick 5*.) The beach was wonderful and clean, service excellent, but there were problems with the food. While one never goes to Cuba for the cuisine, there is usually something decent for someone who is allergic to seafood and fish. This wasn't the case here. I ate something "disagreeable" that has lasted a few weeks, which usually isn't the case in Cuba.

Your Arrival:
We arrived on-time via Air Canada (excellent flights) on March 28th and were whisked through so quickly it was unbelievable. Our luggage was waiting for us on the other side of immigration. The airport was super-efficient and clean when we left Cuba also. It's a long (90 minutes) but pleasant drive from the airport and our guide was extremely chatty and informative. Check-in at the resort was very quick as they merely handed out envelopes and directed people to their buildings. At our building, our concierge, Osmami, greeted us and gave us all the information for dining, the beaches, entertainment, and everything. He was wonderful! Such a gentleman and so very very helpful. I cannot say enough about him.

Rooms:
Our room was a disappointment after reading all the previous reviews. Our easy chairs and chaise-lounge were stained and dirty and the floor wasn't very clean. We were also missing the luggage rack.It was the smallest room in the resort which was frustrating since we booked in September and people who had booked two weeks prior to the trip got suites. I guess they start from the bottom up.
The bathroom was very nice marble and there was always tons of hot water. There were lots of white fluffy towels too - something that's always appreciated and not often, even in Canada, provided.

Restaurants and Bars:
The main buffet was the biggest disappointment. As I've said before, you don't go for haute cuisine but you do expect the chicken or pork to be okay but they weren't. Instead - tough and leathery. While they had a salad bar, there weren't any salad dressings - something that could be easily made with oil, vinegar, garlic and a few other spices. The breakfast buffet was good -anything you wanted - but dinners were disappointing. The pasta bar had a line-up that was 30 minutes long one night. Also, some of the table linens could have been refreshed more often. The specialty restaurants were, thankfully, better. We ate at the Cuban, the Italian and the Steak and they were all pretty good. The service everywhere was usually excellent. The guys at the beach grill worked hard but the burgers were horrid - not their fault - just awful gristly beef. The pizzas featured pickles. Enough said?

But the service was extremely good everywhere and, while they appreciated tips and items unavailable in Cuba, they didn't begrudge serving you even if you were empty-handed. (We like to show our appreciation at the end of the week.)

Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach was beautiful, like so many Cuban beaches. We never made it to the second one but that's because we were too busy on the main one. It's a nice walk to the end, you can walk out to the sandbar when the water is low, snorkel around the sunken boat and snorkelling from the beach was a lot of fun. (Bring your own mask and snorkel but don't bother with the fins as they will only be a nuisance.) I saw starfish, crabs, shrimp and tons of fish - from 1" to 2'. Great, free entertainment.

BUT PEOPLE DRIVE ME CRAZY - I saw at least two people carrying starfish out of the water and that means they killed them. They suffocate out of the ocean so PLEASE LEAVE THE STARFISH IN THE WATER!!!!! It's also illegal to bring them back to Canada.

The other neat thing at the beach was that you could feed the fish some bread or banana while standing waist-deep. Hundreds of hungry fish come up to you and you can spend a lot of time just watching them.

There were lots of palapas and beds on the beach but people still claimed them early in the morning. I found this area of the beach to be quite congested.

The guys sailing the catamarans were terrific and they had a great time trying to scare me by tacking hard and getting us wet. Great for a laugh and nice to go out on a short trip to the island.

The pools were lovely with lots of wonderful palm trees providing shade and great service. The grounds are well kept and the bougainvillia are lovely.

Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We didn't take any of the day trips as we were just there to relax. While you can find a lot to do, there isn't a program director coming around to get you "up and at 'em". I think many people appreciate the quietness of this resort and that's why they return so often.

This is not a great place for teens as they were few and far between. However, they can make their own fun if they talk to the guys at the sports desk.

The spa was lovely and I had a great massage. The guys at the tennis courts were fun and love to talk sports, especially baseball.

Other Comments:
Our concierge, Osmani, was wonderful. He booked our dinner reservations, took very good care of us and ensured that when our toilet broke, someone was there in 5 minutes to fix it. Reception had ignored my 2 previous requests for help and it was frustrating because, let's face it, we all need a functioning loo! He also looked after a few other little problems for us and we appreciated it.

Because of the room we had and some of the disappointing food, we won't return to this area of Cuba. This was rated a 5* for Cuba and taking into account everything, we think the 5* in Varadero were better. I'll miss the beach, the palm trees and Osmani however.