Club Amigo Costa Sur

This was our 5th time back to our favorite Cuba destination. We love the Trinidad area for the friendliness of the people, the history of the town, and the beautiful weather this side of the island always has. Costasur is a small resort that offers the family treatment. On our first stay we became friends with several of the staff and now each time we return we have been able to add more friendships.
Yes you may not get the bells and whistles found at a five star resort but if you want to experience a more authentic carribean vacation with more of a personal touch stay here [Details]

We stayed at club amigo for a week. Found the place to be very clean staff extremely friendly and helpful with our Spanish. Food was good. Pool was clean. Highly recommend this place. Going back next year [Details]

Are first trip as a family and we absolutely loved it, staff are amazing and friendly, cozy hotel, nice beaches, great entertainment. We will be going back for the the prices we cannot complain at all. [Details]

Accommodations were comfortable and the food and drinks were very fine
Location also good
Nice swimming and $10 taxi fare to Tri cnidadg [Details]

The resort was almost as expected from the reviews I read prior to booking. Typical three star food, older hotel, dated rooms but quite clean and excellent staff overall! Resort has a lot of potential.
The two major issues are:
1) The beach is small and the ocean is really a large pool. Rocks come out on either side of the beach and meet encasing the beach. It is ugly and the water does not change over much until tide time. It is great for kids as its maximum depth is 4 foot and it is calm flat water with sand bottom. The area of this ocean pool is about the size of 1.5 NHL size ice rinks. The view of these rocks are ugly!

2) Cuba now allows Cubans to use any beach they want and because of the rocks and depth making it great for children, tons of Cubans come out and use this beach at the resort. There were a few Cuban families using it each day but Saturday was bad and Sunday was terrible. There was about 325 Cubans on the Sunday and at least 100 were screaming kids. They brought tons of alcohol. One group of 10, adults & children had a full size beer keg, placed it inside a 45 gallon drum filled with ice, had CO2 and bar dispensing unit. That keg holds 7 cases of beer and they killed it. Others had garbage cans full of beer, numerous bottles of rum, vodka ect.. One group had an entire roasted pig as well. I am not against having a good time but when they come for the full day, 8 hours, take over the entire area, screaming kids and we can not enjoy peace and quite was not acceptable! The Cubans are not allowed washroom use at the resort and with the vast amounts of alcohol they consumed, they just urinate in this small pool like body of water, both kids and adults. They chased off almost every resort paying customer off the beach that day. My wife and I left and explored the beach and other two resorts 2 miles down the road. Needless to say, my wife and I did not go back into this body of water and used the beaches outside this resort. At days end, the beach was disgusting with beer cans, liquor bottles and general garbage all over. The beach offered no peace and relaxation. The security staff did try to control it but Cubans had the rights and exercised it to the fullest.
This was our 21 st time to Cuba and we love Cuba and had never experienced anything like this circus show and as such will not be returning to this particular resort. If it were not for this resort being close to Trinidad, our vacation would have been a disaster.
The Town of Trinidad nearby was great and went in and explored it, dined at nice restaurants in which the food for the most part was excellent and enjoyed the great entertainment at night. We spent 4 of our 7 day vacation in Trinidad. We will go back to the area in the future, but stay at one of the other two resorts down the road as we checked it out and the issues were not there like at the Costasur. In general, if you want a nice beach view, relaxation and do not like to swim in peoples body fluids, this is not the resort for you. Other than that, the resort was good. [Details]

There are too many negative reviews out there by people who try to prove their superiority by belittling others. The bungalow was well air-conditioned, spacious, clean and inviting. The shower was warm enough, if not hot.The food was not haute cuisine but edible and tasty. We did not have to bring a gamut of spices like suggested in negative reviews (and we did to no avail),we did not see young starving Cubans on the beach begging or hawking trinkets.You can literally throw out more than half the negative reviews of this hotel.I liked the beer, particularly the Bucanero and my wife liked the vino tinto (red wine). There are more than cheap rum drinks. She liked the Mojitos too with fresh mint. There are virtually no Americans here yet so Canadians or Germans make up a majority of the clientele with a strong showing of French. It is a good hotel in Cuba well worth the money and well worth the three-star rating it deserves. Anyone who complains about paying $1336 CAD during March Break with air travel and transfers at this hotel needs to get over themselves, or just stay home.Everyone else...enjoy, carpe diem. [Details]

This is a small decently run hotel. The building is older and some of the things don't work so well, but it is kept clean and the staff work at their jobs. The standing buffet left a lot to be desired, but there was always something to be cooked or carved as you waited so no one should be starving. No wait for anything and no mad dash for beach chairs or drinks at the bars which is pretty nice for an all-inclusive. Great pool and beach if you have children as the pool is very quiet and the beach area where you swim is protected so warm and calm. [Details]

Have been to Cuba 8 times. Normally stay at a 4 or 5 star. Going to a 3 1/2 star was risky. Very pleased. It was clean,relaxing,staff was friendly and worth the cheap price we paid. If you are looking for night life it is not for you. It is a little out dated. The food was very plain. Beautiful weather. Do the Trinidad trip. [Details]

I spent a very pleasant 12 days at the Costasur resort at Playa Ancon. On arrival,I was upgraded to a bungalow, which was really lovely. They are right on the beach and so convenient for swimming, in the natural rock pool. [Details]

I would go again, had a good experience. It was clean, quite and safe. [Details]

My main reason for this hotel was the access to snorkeling. However the whole experience was very good. The beach is west facing so every afternoon you have the sun facing you as you face the ocean, along with the beautiful sunsets. The beach is small but with plenty of palms and palapas for shade and there was always lounges available.
The outer ring of coral around the beach creates a perfect ocean pond where you can literally just float! There are a few small stones for the first 10 feet stepping in, but after that it's smooth sailing, no real need for water shoes. The water is also not very deep, probably 5feet at the deepest, so everyone in the afternoon was hanging out in the water, floating about, swimming, chatting and having a great time.
The snorkeling itself is only fair on the inside of the reef but a great place for beginners as it is very calm especially in the morning. Definitely bring your mask and snorkel, fins not really necessary.
The reef to the right of the main beach about a 15 minute walk is much better for snorkeling but a lot trickier to get to as there are a lot of stones and coral and very shallow water for at least 20 feet. You can see the reef from shore and if you look to the far right, just before the last rock visible in the water, you can see a natural break in the reef. If you swim there you can access the outside of the reef which is very good snorkeling!
I stayed in a bungalow and recommend it. The extra space was great as was the access to the beach. The rooms are not classy, but kept clean and have very good air conditioning.
The food...is ok. I never went hungry, but if you are picky at all I would go somewhere else. The food is prepared well but it gets dull.
I came for the location and glad I did. About a 15 minute cab ride away is the historic town of Trinidad, not to be missed. Plenty of good restaurants and music, even a cave that is a disco for the younger ones.
I will definitely return but I will try to get a flight into Cienfuegos, a shorter bus ride would be a bonus! [Details]

No double beds. Horrible for couples. The beach is 'man made' apparently so not like what I was expecting. To get to a 'proper' beach we had to walk for 20 mins. [Details]

Great for the price! Friendly staff, and everyone working at the hotel was great! [Details]

My husband and I made an impromptu decision to go on a little getaway, the price was right and we thought, why not? And are we ever glad we did! Costasur is truly a hidden gem! What a great 5 days of rest, relaxation and immersion into the Cuban culture. [Details]

Stayed for 14 nights
10 would have been perfect.
I came here following a friend's recommendation and all was exactly as expected for Cuba.
I would have liked more fresh seafood on the menu. [Details]

One of the best vacations we have had yet. The buffet was typical, but there was always something edible. Even our picky son was happy with the pizza and pasta and there was always fresh fruit and veggies. The beach was clean and the reef was fantastic, great for snorkling. The pool was never busy and the snack bar hamburgers were just fine. Most of the staff was fantastic, Rimule who drove one of the horsecarts was fantastic along with his wonderful family.Thank you for the wonderful dinner.Pedro with Cubacan, Levy and Myralis with Sunwing. Our beachbar bartenders, Jose Cuervo says HI! and everyone else who made our vacation perfect. One note of advice, if you are a picky person who expects to be waited on this is not the place for you. If you do not have a sense of humour and cannot deal with small issues like the power going out occasionally, or a bug walking under your door or the sometimes funky smell coming from the drains. This is not the place for you. We will be back for sure one week was just not enough time.I could go on and on with all the fun we had, our 12 year old prefers this to Disney world, Nuff said! [Details]

My Husband and I went to Club Amigo Costasur for our honeymoon. The trip was fantastic! We loved the hotel! We stayed in a bungalow on the beach and couldn't have been happier. We would definitely suggest this resort to other couples and people traveling in groups. The bungalow's seem to be the best place to stay on the resort. Very large with a living room, bedroom and bathroom (with shower, no tub). The people at the resort were extremely nice and made us feel very welcome. We made friends with our favorite server and will definitely be going back to see everyone again. While there we went on 3 excursions: Tour or Trinidad, 3km hike through the national park and snorkeling. All 3 excursions were fantastic with exceptional guides and definitely worth the money! Our beach on the resort was smaller than usual for Cuba, but it was just big enough. We never felt like it was over crowded even on the busiest days, we were always able to get sun beds even when arriving in the afternoon. Overall we both loved this resort and can't wait to go back. [Details]

This is my third visit to this lovely little hotel and it just keeps getting better!

I noticed lots of nice improvements since my last visit in October. You can't beat the location particularly if you stay in a bungalow. The food choices were much improved since previous visits and were much appreciated. A lovely pool and wonderful staff who treat you like family.

I will always return to the Costasur when I need to relax and recharge.

Unfortunately, the one computer was down all week - but not a big deal! [Details]

The hotel was clean. The staff was wonderful. The food was better than expected. The cats on the outdoor tables was a turn off, but still a great holiday on a great beach. [Details]

Club Amigo Costasur Plata Ancon Nov 5-11

The hotel is 90 minutes from the Ceinfuegos Airport through some nice scenery if you get to travel it during the day.

The hotel is located directly on a private beach area, past pictures have not done the area justice so I hope some of what we will put up will help get a better idea.

The hotel has two main types of rooms, the apartment style with ocean views and the bungalows. For those familiar with European basic hotel rooms the size would not come as a shock, but as Canadian's who frequent Cuba the tiny rooms were surprising. However they were clean, fairly well maintained (some minor repair work needed here and there) and lots of hot water and air conditioning when needed.

We did not see inside the bungalows but were told they have a bit more space and would recommend with the types of deals going for this area going the extra bucks for the bungalow. We also found that because our room was in the main building we could hear all the kitchen noises.

There are 3 bars at the hotel, the pool bar is the only one that is 24 hour and the only one with frozen drinks. It is also the only one with fountain pop the others use bottles. The frozen orange with dark rum in it is quite yummy.

Warning: For lovers of Cuban coffee, this is not the hotel for you, we tried it at all the places they had it and it was very bad. We went all the way into Trinidad to get a decent one.

In addition for the first time ever for us in Cuba there were times that there was almost nothing we considered edible on the buffet. Luckily they did have fresh fruit and salad which I essentially lived on for three meals a day for the week. It took the hotel 3 days in before they seemed to understand they needed to turn the hot plates on to keep the food warm, nothing was covered (lots of flies), even the staff joked about the WWII fries for breakfast. There was no bacon, hot dogs cut up and some meat they called ham but definitely was not. The butter had a funky, bad, cheesy taste and anything done on the grill was done in so much oil it upset my stomach.

One night (when the Cuban tourist board people were there) the staff found the on button to the heat and served fresh sweet potato fries and a few other decent dishes. We also had roast pig one night and a turkey on the last night both were fabulous.

Staff were friendly and helpful. We never saw our Hola Sun rep the entire time we were there but the rep from Sunwing Levy was fantastic setting up trips, helping with any hotel or area questions and had a great insight and sense of humor about the hotel shortcomings.

We took a horse and buggy ride along Playa Ancon, two trips into Trinidad to see the city, museums and to have lunch at a place we found called Santander.
We also did a trip into the Sugarmill Valley by taxi as the steam train did not consistently run while we were there, apparently it breaks down a lot.

The beach and water were wonderful, no need for water shoes unless you want to explore the rockier areas around the hotel water front.

We did do the ala carte one night, we did the lobster which was okay but with the butter in the area it ruined it for my husband. The hotel is starting a program where you can arrange with the front desk to go to one of the two other hotels, Amigo Ancon and the Brisas for dinner at one of their ala cartes, we did not take advantage of this but suggest it may be a good idea.

Mosquitos abound as usual I got bitten but my husband not nearly as much. The government was actually spraying in Trinidad as apparently Dengue fever has made an appearance in Cuba.

The hotel is also used as a stopover for tour companies so the hotel can be oone day half full and then the next full with folks only staying 1-2 days, all Europeans. This meant suddenly the bbuffet had long lines and ran out of basics like coffee and bread.

Overall for the price and the ability to explore a new area it was well worth it but they have a long way to go to be a regular spot for us to visit. There are rumors there that the Iberostar chain (they have a regular hotel in Trinidad) may be putting an all inclusive hotel on Playa Ancon between the existing hotels, it so it could be worth visiting in the future. [Details]

This is not my first time in Cuba, nor in the Trinidad area. I chose this hotel because of good comments regarding the beach. But that is the first big lie about this hotel. The beach is non-existant. The beach that is commended for being the good one is 2 miles away. We changed rooms twice. There was no hot water, except in the morning, and no water at all after 5 pm. Bugs are everywhere, bed bugs, mosquitoes, jellyfish in the water. Plates were dirty, if you get any at all. The food is from 2 days ago. Thank god for the barbecue! Avoid salad at any cost. For entertainment, you have to go to Trinidad. Vultures were flying above us, as if they had a nest on the roof. Four cats were running around tables, begging for the food. Flies were all over the food. A-la-carte restaurant is ridiculous. I got food poisoning. The lighting around the hotel resembled a horror movie. This was the first time I saw hookers and customers in a hotel in Cuba. Hotel should be taken from the list of offers for vacation. The beach that is 2 miles away is a public beach. Reception had no currency exchange for the first 3 days of our stay. [Details]

When we got there we did not expect much, and that is what we got. The food was typical Cubian Rice, chicken, potatoes. We did one Al la carte was very good. The staff became friendly after the 4th day and after tipping everytime we were served. The restaurant staff always wanting to sell you their friends restaurant or some excursion. They are free to eat anytime they want even while working. Smoking and drinking while working which in my opinion unproffessional. Not as it was 15 years ago. The 24 hour snackbar is not 24 hours. Only open 10-5 and only when they have food. Pictures of hamburgers hot dogs french fries and sandwiches are displayed but you only get grilled sandwiches and only after they have served the locals, which there are alot of mostly on the weekends. Cabana's are invaded by the locals so if you do not get up early miss breakfast maybe you will get one. The rooms are very clean and the maids are always eager to place decorations on your bed. The front desk will serve you after they are finished there conversation with the other worker and if the are not on the phone. The pay little attention to the tourists. If you are a local then you will be served first. The exchange employee is rude and unfriendly so no need talking to him just ask for your exchange and get on your way. Bar tenders are friendly if you tip. If you don't they take their time serving you. Show a Peso and they will jump. Tridad is something to see. Just take the local bus 2 peso's round trip. I felt very safe walking around with 4 of us. We made our vacation fun but I will not return to this hotel. 3 hours from the airport long trip. [Details]

The hotel itself is passed its prime but still delivers a great vacation. We did not have very high expectations but all expectations were exceeded. We had a great time. [Details]

Nice hotel.Should put up signs for daily activities. [Details]

Love love love!! 2nd time in 3 months and wanted to share the experience with my 16 year old son and his amigo. Now they are planning a trip with friends and family next year - that should say it all :) [Details]

Great rooms, gorgeous beach protected from heavy waves, lots of sun. Food is as expected - you can always find something to eat. However, never had hot water the whole week and after 11 pm, the place is dead. [Details]

The people were super nice and you felt like family. The room was clean and the food was very good. I'm not a fussy person and would return to the same place. [Details]

Good value for money paid, clean rooms and public areas, acceptable food, one of a kind beach [Details]

We had a great week at Costasur. It is very quiet and out in the country and near Ancon and Brisas resorts. The hotel is quite basic and rooms were very clean. Our maid Isabel was excellent and made artwork with the towels every day. All of the staff were very friendly and made our stay very enjoyable. It was fun to get to know their names and get to know the staff. The food was above average for Cuba and we enjoyed all of our meals including one night at the a la carte. The pool was great and always had lots of chairs. Many bus tours would stop just for one night at the resort and then move on the next morning and so we would go for breakfast late (9 am) and early for dinner and were never bothered by crowds. The beach was in front of the bungalos and had nice white sand with some huge rocks further out and made for some beautiful sunsets. The hop on hop off shuttle bus can pick you up at 10 am, 12 and 2 pm to take you into Trinidad (15 minute ride). Trinidad is a must to see with cobble stone roads, markets, beautiful art shops and especially the church Santisima Trinidad. Our one disappointment was the hot water or lack thereof for our showers, but on our last day we had lots of hot water. The price was unbeatable. We would love to go back again [Details]

A Bargain at the price paid. [Details]