Holguin

Beautiful and quality resort with wonderful staff and great facilities. The restaurant was a great surprise. The food was excellent. I had worse in Canada. Rooms were nice and large with a great bathroom. The beach is rather small, but nice. The other large beach is a public beach, so one can encounter some local people who often ask for help. I brought a few small bills to give them. There are also options outside of the resort. We visited Holguin and had a late lunch at a restaurant in the country. We didn't go to the market knowing that they would have the same Cuban souvenirs. I heard that the safari was a great experience and worth the cost. I was disappointed with the VIP lounge at the airport. There was no food, but if you want to drink, there is plenty. The lounge is air conditioned and rather clean and comfortable. The price was about $25 for two. I would recommend this resort to anyone who wants a comfortable and nice place with great dining options. If you are interested in partying, it is on the quiet side, but all depends on other guests staying at the resort. All in all it was was my best experience in Cuba and I have been to this country a dozen times.

We had a wonderful family vacation. The staff were friendly and efficient. There was plenty of food and tasted good. Hotel was clean and modern. Beach was beautiful with lots of palapas and chairs, although they fill up fast. The bali beds were cheap to rent for the day. Pools were clean and refreshing. Entertainment team was great, games room was fun for the kids. Night club on site for dancing. Excursions were great. We went on Bay Adventures to Cayo Saetia, it was an awesome experience.

hotel clean service ok

Gracias - Thank you to everyone at the Sol Rio de Luna Y Mares Resort (home away from home) for yet another wonderful vacation! The people that work at this beautiful resort are more than friends, they are family, making this a home away from home. Yet again, everyone's friendly smiles, laughter, attentiveness, and excellent service made every single day a happy one. Time spent with friends old and new made this vacation the best ever! My tears were sincere when I said goodbye. I miss you all already! Just back from a wonderful two week vacation at the Sol Rio - I was sad to leave and can't wait to return! This was my 8th time staying at this beautiful resort, 3rd since the renovations, and I have seen the changes over the years, both positive and negative. I'll start by saying the positive definitely outweighs the negative. So many improvements since the renovations, including the air-conditioned buffet dining room, 24-hour snack bar, and the new Pinta beach grill. This resort is located in one of the most beautiful areas in Cuba. I love the bus ride from Holguin airport! It brings you through the city, towns, villages, and countryside, with farms among the mountains and valleys. The beach of the Sol Rio, Playa Esmarelda, is spectacular, and the snorkeling is amazing. Unlike the long beaches of Cayo Coco or Cayo Santa Maria, miles long with shallow waters and dozens of resorts, this gorgeious beach is in a cove with only two resorts. The reef has beautiful coral and a great variety of fish. It is actually where the catamaran excursions drop anchor for tourists to snorkel. There is a nature reserve to the right of the resort, where the trail leads to a lookout over the beach, and a nice walking bridge to the left, over a lagoon. Both are easy hikes. My room was on the 4th floor, and the air-conditioning worked very well; it is pre-set, so you only need to turn it on or off. I turn it off while I am at the beach, and it only took a few minutes to cool the room when I returned. There was only one afternoon that there was low water pressure - other than that, there was always hot water to shower. I rarely spend much time in my room, so to give the housekeeping lady a break, I put the "Do not disturb" sign in the door most days. I often ran into her in the hallway, and she always asked if I needed anything like toilet paper. I only needed clean sheets and towels maybe twice a week, so I'd leave the "Please clean room" sign in the door, and she would give the room a nice refresh. Regarding the food; I gained 4 pounds. Please note that any lack of food is not the fault of the resort, as this is the result of outside issues beyond their control. Chef Luis and everyone in the kitchen deserve kudos for making so many tasty dishes. One of my favorite dishes is the roast pig that they prepare on Friday, to celebrate Cuban Day. It is served in the lobby area with side dishes, but I hardly look at those, I just love the juicy pork and crispy cracklings. Of the 14 days, there was only one morning that they ran out of eggs. I don't eat eggs every morning at home, so sometimes just toast and cheese and fresh fruit was enough for me. Bread was just a matter of timing; One day, we arrived at the buffet at 8:45, and there was no bread left, however they brought more out at 9:00. There are some items that I enjoy that were not always available, like the chorizo sausage, but there was always a nice selection of deli meats and cheeses. We often ate lunch at La Pinta beach grill. The soup is always a favorite, and the pork or chicken fajita is also very tasty. Alina was always there with her beautiful smile, and Oscar Luis mixing great Pina Coladas. The pizza at the 24-Hour snack bar is good, as long as they have the crust available. If not, the pita type base gets soggy. Supper was often the A La Cartes, booked in the check-in area by Ronald Toledo, always so friendly and helpful, and the dinners never disappointed. Personally, I love the options in the buffet, especially breakfast, and the grilled meats and pasta. A special mention for Yaquelin, she makes delicious omelettes! What made me sad was seeing guests waste food - taking a lot more than they ate, leaving heaps of food on the table. Shocking, and such a shame. My main reasons for going to this resort is to spend time on the beach, enjoy the amazing snorkeling on the reef, and enjoy evenings in the lobby with good friends. That being said, it is made all the more special because of the people that work at the Sol Rio. They are not only friends, but like family. I can't possibly name them all,...but I'll try; Upon arrival, we are greeted by the friendly check-in staff, and of course friendly, smiling Fonsy, who gladly helps bring luggage to your room. From the early morning greetings and kisses from sweet Paula at the coffee bar, making the best cappuccinos this side of Rome, to the refreshing drinks served with a friendly smile by servers like Yusimi, Oscar Luis, Orphelina, Praxi, Katia, Yanelis, Yanet, Giselle, José, Orlando, Pablo, Jorge Luis, etc.. Other memorable people that make our stay so enjoyable are Clara and Eduardo at the 24-Hour snack bar, and in the buffet, Maiyelis, Josefa, Lucibel, Leticia, Evelio, etc.. Also, the housekeeping ladies are always so friendly, asking if I need anything, always with a smile. Often you will see Customer Service reps such as David Rodriguez and Yunier Zaldivar greeting guests, asking if everything is okay. Also, Belkys and Arelis were always there to make sure everything was fine. They will always do their best to make your stay a great one. Anyone that has negative remarks about this resort does not have the experience to judge. After several years as a repeat guest here and at other resorts, I have witnessed the struggles that the Cuban people are facing. The fact that they are able to provide such great service, meals, and entertainment with the daily challenges they face, is testament to how friendly, caring and resilient they truly are!

We are repeated customers of this hotel and as usual everything was great !

We booked this trip for a family trip with young kids. The hotel is clean and everything is easily accessible. We stayed on the regular side and it had all the amenities needed. There were many pool options for both kids and adults, kids pools were shallow enough for them to reach the bottom and still swim around freely. The white sandy beach was beautiful and calm. it was the perfect relaxing trip to travel to with little ones. As expected for Cuba, Food was not the best, but there were always options that we made do with. We go there for the beautiful beaches and kind people. We packed some snack for the kids, brough peanut butter, ketchup, salt/pepper, and hot sauce since we knew they might be scarce there. The staff were friendly and helpful. The travel time from the airport to the hotel was a bit long (1.5-2hrs) but nothing to put a damper on a great vacation. The hotel is in an upcoming resort area called Antilla, it is safe and quiet. There is not much to do outside of the resort without having to travel 1hour , but we didn't mind just being at the resort. The little "plaza" that is just outside of the resort is just being built up so there is not much there yet, but it was very cute with a pool and little splash pool for the kids that is free to all, a few shops, and some restaurant and cafe options. There was 1 day at the hotel that there was a small market set up with locals selling some beautiful of their beautiful work of woods, leathers, jewellery, and trinkets and very decent prices. We met singles travelling on their own, couples, and families, and all seemed to enjoy themselves here. There is not much nightlife and no 'typical shows" that you might expect from resorts, but they had a beach party and small entertainment each evening. A great place to go for relaxation, but not for a big party. We would definitely go back and enjoy this hotel.

Being VIP, i stayed in one of the Villas, beautiful bright, large room with ample closet space, nice big bathroom TV, fridge and balcony. I mainly ate all my lunch/dinner meals at El Benny's, and breakfast at the 24hr Bar. The waitresses, waiters and Bar staff provide excellent service. The food always delicious and wholesome. The GYM is well-equipped, clean, open and larger than most resort Gyms. Washrooms and showers are also located in the Gym is a sauna. Villa Section has a pool, a mini pool for little children, a mini-club, and a games room. The grounds around the Villa are meticulously kept, the gardeners working tirelessly to keep everything beautiful.

This was the most accommodating hotel/ resort. We had issues with our first room and spoke with hotel staff who then upgraded our room for free and switched our room without any hassle. Hotel staff was friendly and helped guide us to figuring out excursions. I have nothing bad to say about this resort. The food was good as well, lots to choose from at their buffet. I was told you get what you pay for, so I didn't have high expectations. But this resort really exceeded our expectations and we would not hesitate to return again. Wifi was slow (it did work) but you are on vacation after all. Beaches were within walking distance and very clean. They had nightly entertainment for everyone of all ages. It was overall an amazing experience.

Though it is a 2 hour drive from the airport. It is well worth it. Unfortunately the local women that were visiting the resort on the weekend of my trip were very unfriendly, tried to obstuct my paths, pretended to spit at my feet and called me "Puta". This brought me to tears. And I spent the remainder of my vacation at the bar near the beach, where I was treated like a member of the family. Other than that the staff is wonderful, so friendly and so very accommodating. The beaches are amazing and the staff certainly makes you feel like family. I am definitely going back! I will just avoid the local women that take over the main stage on the weekends! I suggest the same or it will ruin your experience!