Hi folks. We’re a week back from the Jibacoa
and just now getting around to posting our impressions. What I’ve done
is read through the existing postings and resort reports, and just add
our impressions, opinions and conclusions.
FLIGHT and TRANSFER:
We flew Air Transat’s first class. The
flight was great and the larger seats and other extras make it worth the
price in our view. I believe that for two of us we paid an additional
$300 round trip. It helps to arrive in good shape and ready to go. Of
course for Geri, the additional luggage weight allowance was important
as well. Double, it was.
For us, not having been there in 12 years or more, the changes to Varadero airport were impressive.
The bus ride to the resort went smoothly, all the more so because there
were only 8 people (six of them in our party) for the trip.
Nevertheless, we had a full-sized bus. Luckily too, as the washroom came
in handy for those who made use of the beer tent in the airport parking
lot.
THE RESORT:
Others have described it in detail. So I will just add my impressions.
The layout is pretty standard, though I think the landscaping is a cut above the usual. The rooms are fine, though I found the lack of a room mini-fridge annoying and not understandable.
In every other respect the resort is 4-star, so the lack is odd. Not
having a cold drink in the room or cold water for middle-of-the-night
sipping, or a place to keep a late-night snack is noticed.
We stayed opposite a grassy area with a gazebo.
In 2 weeks there were 2-3 weddings there. Around the gazebo is a small
moat full of fish. They take kindly to being fed, so grab a few slices
of bread at breakfast and stop off on your way back to your room!
The bars were dandy, the food fine. The
Cuban restaurant was good, the Italian was excellent! Our only complaint
here was the fact that each room could only get one reservation per
week at each. We regularly stay at much cheaper resorts (the Tryp Cayo
Coco being the best in this regard) with equally good a la carte
restaurants, but where you can book a table as often as you’re prepared
to make the effort.
Highlights of the buffet were the Thursday lobster festivals and the chef who did the breakfast omelets (Rady). Yum! on both counts.
The buffet goes through a series of ‘theme
nights’. I particularly enjoyed the Mexican nights as I find Cuban and
buffet food generally rather bland. Lobster night aside, I didn’t notice
that the themes were fixed to any particular day of the week. Added a
bit of spice (literally as well as figuratively) to the buffet
offerings.
Between 16:00 and 18:00 each day there are cakes and tea available outside the Cuban restaurant on their patio, hot snacks (eg. patties and pizza) in the lobby.
The Breezes was the first resort-style hotel we’ve stayed at in Cuba that had room service. Only
available for breakfast. HUGE plates of pastries and fresh fruit, plus
all the fresh orange juice and coffee you can get down. Highly
recommended, but I was ready to go back to bed right after! Look for the
order form in your desk drawer and drop it at the front desk the day
before.
There are the usual assortment of small stores in the hotel,
with prices considerably better than in Havana or at the airport. In
addition the 3-star resort next door has a shop with a larger selection
of handicrafts and booze (less of everything else though) and you’ll
have no problem wandering over, either along the beach or by road. Just
tell the security folks what you’re there for.
BEACH and WATER:
The beach is a bit coarse for our taste. A
mild disappointment compared with our Cayo Coco/Santa Maria/Guillermo
haunts. Not exactly rocky, but lots of shells and chunks of coral, small
and large etc. along the waterline. The snorkeling off the beach was
good. And the farther you go the better is gets. One odd thing we
noticed was the lack of Sergeant Majors on the reef…anyone have an
explanation? Lots of other fish though, including a couple of different
varieties of rays.
One day a large turtle washed-up on shore.
Not pleasant, but interesting as I have never seen one live. Looked like
it died of natural causes (or at least I like to think so).
One very disappointing thing about the water was the regular invasions of Portuguese Men O’War.
At best I would say we had two days in a row that we free of them,
though most days they would appear later in the day. My notes say that
there were three days when we had to stay out of the water entirely and
make for the pool.
Which wasn’t as bad as it sounds really.
The resort is close to Havana, Matanzas and Varadero, so each day saw
many guests head out by bus for the tours. So the pool was far from
crowded, even when the beach was closed. And the beach was never
crowded.
TOURS:
Each day there was a free nature hike up the hill immediately behind the hotel. Worth
an hour or two, though a bit steep at first. You don’t have to be in
great shape, but decent shoes and a fair bit of wind are needed.
We took a cab into Havana one day and did a self-directed tour. There were 6 of us, so we got a van and spent the day (9-18:00). $25US plus tip for the van and driver made it a good deal.
We did the usual, wandering around the markets and the old city.
Plus we gawked through the Hotel Nacional where we were meeting a
friend for drinks. Wonderful public areas in the hotel and our friend
says the rooms are still pretty fresh from the renos done a few years
ago. Worth a visit just for the history of the place. It’s oddly
reminiscent of the CP (now Fairmont I guess) railway hotels here in
Canada. Big, lush, lots of stone and wood, opulent public areas.
We had lunch at the grill out the back entrance,
overlooking the Malecon. Probably the priciest lunch we’ve ever had in
Cuba at $10US, but it was wonderful and there was way more food than we
were expecting (or wanted…but we tried valiantly to get through it
all!).
Also in Havana we stopped from drinks at the Hotel Sevilla
not far from the Museo d el Revolucion. Lobby areas looked wonderful,
nicely restored. Wonder what the rooms are like as it’s in a great
location!
On another day we rented a car and parked in Matanzas (30
mins. away) and walked around for the better part of a morning. Much
fun. The town was in the midst of a local version of the national
books/literary festival. Highly recommended.
On the way we stopped at the highest (314m) bridge in Cuba whose name escapes me, took some pictures, grabbed some souvenirs and enjoyed a really lovely view.
If you drive, note that the speed limit lowers in each direction
suddenly just before you get to the bridge. It seems to be a popular
spot for a speed trap too.
We then went on to Varadero. We couldn’t
believe how much it has grown since we were there a dozen years ago. It
also looks as though the beach is starting to recede a bit. We stopped
for (a great!) lunch at a ‘sports bar’ near the base of the peninsula
which I would recommend if I could remember the name!
We kinda took a snorkeling tour, but the area is not protected from the open seas, so
it was too rough to get out of the boat. Instead we had a highly
entertaining trip up and down the coast in a large-ish deep-sea fishing
boat. Much fun as the waves were up to 2m (felt like 30!), but I
understand that while the diving around the resort is dandy, snorkeling
is less so for this reason. The coastline is too exposed.
Tours we didn’t take were the daily SCUBA dives (which
probably make this resort a must for divers as the dives are included),
the various (many options) organized Havana tours, the dolphin show
(Varadero so an hour just to get there), the catamaran day snorkeling
tour (Varadero again), the Jeep Challenge, the cave snorkeling, and the
Jungle Tour (Varadero, mini speedboats, no snorkeling) tours.
OTHER:
The upstairs bar in the lobby opens at 18:30 and is very nice. Inside
seating, plus two patios, great staff and an enjoyable piano player. We
made it our meeting spot each evening before dinner. A little more
formal-feeling than the other bars.
We never saw a show, but we certainly heard them! If you’re anything but a very heavy sleeper I’d suggest getting a room as far as possible from the pool (where the stage is).
The bicycles are new and, oddly, in very bad shape.
Apparently just before we arrived they replaced old, working bikes,
with the new, broken ones. Check carefully before grabbing one and
heading out.
Massage service is available in the gym. Call to book, then pay at the front desk and present the receipt.
The gym is open from 7:00. Fairly complete by hotel standards.
There’s a small lending library in the gym which no one seems to know much about. We left a few books, enjoy!
The front desk would cash non-US traveler’s cheques, but wouldn’t do cash advances. You had to get into Matanzas ($87US if you rent a car for the day!) to find the nearest bank.
There’s an internet café with 2 systems (another being replaced or installed). Nice setting across a catwalk from the upstairs bar in the lobby building.
The ice cream freak in our party could only get a regular fix at the beach grill. Ice cream was occasionally available at the buffet.
Staff, as always, wonderful. Look for the Singing Gardener!
Conclusion:
As always we had a great time, but the real
advantages of this resort over others we use regularly are the diving
(included) and it’s proximity to Havana and Matanzas. If you dive or
want to spend some time walking around two great old, lively and fun
cities, this is a great resort as you get both. And it’s cheaper than
staying right in Havana.
If it’s beach time and isolation you’re looking for, we’d suggest you head for one of the Cayos.
___________________________________
ALL (with apologies):
Geri has reminded me of two omisssions from my report.
1. We took one of the Hobie catamarans out a couple of times.
We tried a few more times, but it was too rough. You can't get them on
your own, but must have one of the water sports staff with you. Hardly
ever any snorkelling from the cats we were told: it's almost always too
rough outside the reef.
That said, we had fun each time and we actually enjoyed the ride, even though there was no snorkelling.
2. We had a large rat visit us our last night there (could have been
worse, could have been the first night...). Some noises woke us up a
couple of times, about 3am I got up to check on them and flipped the
bathroom light switch only to have a large rodent run past me and into
the closet...which I slammed shut, though only after a rather graceful 2
metre leap ("gazelle-like" was the phrase Geri used I think, or was
that the phrase I suggested she use when describing the night's
festivities to our travelling companions the next day?) from the
bathroom doorway to the foot of the bed.
Construction at the resort next door combined with tropical architecture at our end.
The front desk moved us fast, we left three staff behind searching for the brown beastie.
S+*t happens. No great crisis, but as I said, best to have these things
take place nearer the end than the beginning of a vacation!
:-)
Comments on Breezes Jibacoa by Geri - Added on Jan ' 05.
geri here, I would like to add my comments on Jibacoa.
"We loved the resort and I am sure would
have enjoyed the snorkelling if it were not for the "man of war''
problem There were not just a few but hundreds. they came daily and
stayed. On the days they were not there we were fearful of going out in
case they came and on most days they did. That limited us to the
shoreline and we needed water shoes because the bottom was really rough.
I would have been happy to have spent the whole vacation snorkelling
and be without a nice sandy bottom but when we couldn't get either it
was a disappointment.
The beach however was just great. There
was lots of sun and lots of natural shade and the best beach grill ever.
They had ice cream. It doesn't get any better. Ken could indulge all
day and not just at meal times.
We all really enjoyed our stay and am very happy to hear that the jelly
fish are not there all of the time. The lifeguard led us to believe
that they were a regular thing.
ken and Thea would love to go back as Thea was really thrilled with all
of the theme nights at the buffet and Ken liked the access to the ice
cream all day."
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Ensenachos Resort Dec 2006
Here is a review of our trip in December.
Hideaway, Ensenachos
Some observations Derek and I made. Things we particularly liked. There have been many reviews and so we will try not to comment on stuff that has been dealt with by many others. This is the 1st resort I’ve seen that so many have gone so soon and all reported on their experience.
DECOR:
We have all read about the beauty of the lobby and the rest of the buildings but I particularly loved the floral arrangements on the tables and shelves in the lobby area. There were a team of men who came in every Thursday and changed the arrangements and I was in awe of the originality of the creations. Many people commented and swore to take the ideas home. They were exquisite. Flowers hanging upside down from the top of the vase and huge vases with one flower in them. I have pictures if you go to Derek’s photo gallery.
The landscaping throughout the resort was spectacular. I have never seen so much of the original habitant within a resort area. It was like having parts of the forest around you. It gave a very different feel to the walks around the resort. Three was much precision landscaping done by the very talented gardeners but there was an equal amount of natural trees and brush as there was designed plants. Again, we noted that for the 1st time in Cuba the staff (as in the gardeners) were equipped with state of the art tools. The gardeners actually had real hedge clippers and electric trimmers. We are very used to seeing them with a machete and a very large knife. It did seem to give the landscaping a bit more of a precision look. The landscaping was beautiful and it was a joy to walk or bike around the resort.
We liked the smooth paths, they were easy on the feet and were not terribly hot when you were bare foot
ROOMS:
The rooms have been described on several occasions so I will not add anything except to say we really enjoyed the shower. I did so especially after the Blau a few weeks earlier. The balcony was also very nice. It was quite large and private, even though our room was on the 1st floor and at the front of the building.
The bathrobes and towels supplied were so soft and cuddly and absorbent, (I will not be able to go to the Blau again) Derek and I wanted to keep them and bring them home. (we didn’t) Slippers were also available, a very nice touch if you knew in advance and didn’t bring your own.
Maid service
There was day and night maid service. Towels in the morning and in the evening. Bed turn down, and they changed your beach towels, a service we particularly enjoyed. We never had to go to the info desk and/or wait for a towel.
CONCIERGE:
I think the concept is great especially for people who have not been before and don’t know the ropes. I know the reservation system is a lot better that spending any part of your day standing in line to make a reservation. There are some problems that need to be ironed out. Different people related different experiences with their concierge. Some had their reservations made for the week on the 1st day and some did not know until 5:00 pm on the day of, where or if they were dining a la carte. Derek found it impossible with our concierge the 1st week to get a booking for the happy face group. He informed us that each building got x # of seats at each restaurant and had to mete them out to all of the guests. He had some great difficulty with this chore on a daily basis. He tried very hard to please but seemed to be a bit overwhelmed at the whole prospect. The second week we had a different concierge and she was amazing. (More later) I swear she knew about problems before they happened and she had a handle on everything. One couple we met couldn’t get something as simple as the beach towels sorted out having been sent here and there and back again. They were very laid back about it and it was a running joke each day. They did not let it interfere with any of the joy they were having in paradise. I think the resort will end up with the best of the best by the time all is up and running.
BARS:
The lobby bar was very comfortable and versatile. It served all drinks of every description and the bartenders were very well trained in all ways. The service was impeccable. The bar could be open air or closed depending on the weather and the bugs. There were several door, on 2 sides, to the patio/veranda. It was a short walk across the hall to the cigar lounge where they had the pool table and the 15 year old rum. WE played pool a few times and Derek indulged in the rum. In fact, I believe ha and another happy face managed to deplete the supply completely. I suspect they did it all by themselves.
The orientation meeting was held in a meeting room and the whole area of that resort was obviously designed for conferences and business conventions. Soon it will be Cuba where the companies will be treating the staff to out of country meetings.
Drinks included all coffee liqueurs, all brand names, Smirnoff, tanquaray, jack denials, scotch, brandy, if you wanted it, it was available.
The bars had granite tops. Having just priced them for our kitchen renos, we were impressed. They had electric ice crushing machines at the bars.
The nightclub/disco was not usually busy but there were a few nights when the crowd was there and dancing. It is well set up with benches, stools, tables and chairs and couches. It is also staffed by 2 of the 3 staff from the Sol and Melia. Hernier was the bar man and was from the Sol. Carlos Amores was from the disco at the Sol and then the piano bar./disco at the Melia.
BEACH:
There were lots of beach chairs, no matter when you made it to the beach. They were unfortunately hard plastic and very hard on the back. We were surprised that this resort did not have more comfortable chairs at the beach. It meant we were unable to spend a lot of time at the beach due to my lingering injury sustained at the Blau a few weeks earlier. There were also lots of palapus’. The beach is very wide and so there were 5 or 6 rows of chairs and no one was crowded.
The water was shallow for a short walk and then was swimable very quickly. The water was however, very cold the whole time we were there. We were quite surprised as the weather was very warm. Derek does not enter the ocean if it is not warm, warm warm. Therefore it was not much fun to go alone.
It is a great beach to walk as everyone has said. There is always something to see and the sand is so nice to walk on.
There were also lots of chairs at the pools. They were nicely spread out to give some privacy but it was also easy to group chairs if you wanted. There were additional chairs available and the attendants were happy to get them for you.
BEACH BAR:
We found it to be very busy at all times. The staff tried very hard but there was a very small area to serve both food and drinks for
everyone on the beach. There will have to be more bars or a major expansion on this bar to adequately serve everyone. We tried a few times to get table service but they were just too busy. We were never in that big a hurry but did feel sorry for the hard working staff that were running from here to there and trying to get everyone fed and watered. We found it much easier to walk up to the pool snack bar to get lunch. There was also a limited selection. The 2 guys who were in charge of cooking the food had quite an assembly line going with buns on one BBQ and meat on the other but it did take quite a while. They were cooking for a lot of people. When the resort is full and people have paid a lot of money and expect fast and efficient service, the resort will have to do something to rectify the situation.
POOL SNACK BARS:
We were very happy with the pool restaurants. They were called snack bars but were misnamed. We spent most of our time at the Royal Hideaway Spa section pool. The menu included calamari, cold tomato soup (delicious) chicken breast sandwiches, Caesar salad, regular or with grilled chicken, and many more delightful items we enjoyed. The service was impeccable, friendly and fast. You could have a quick lunch or, as we did on some days, a long leisurely well into the afternoon lunch. There was full bar service and the beer was served in chilled glasses.
There were linen table cloths and napkins. I got a lesson each day in how to fold the napkins. And there was a test.
We liked the pool service for drinks. You could go to the bar, in the water or not and the staff came to your chair to serve you and were very prompt and frequent.
Our favorite wait staff was Ingrid at the pool snack bar. She was fun and went out of her way to please and to tease. She was efficient and pleasant. We enjoyed her nearly every day.
SPA:
One of the duties of the concierge was to book appointments at the Spa. I found (at least with William) it was not possible. He would take the request and tell you he could not confirm till the end of the day. If he was unable to book the time and person you wanted, you had to wait until the next day or agree in advance you would accept any time of the day and with any of the staff available. They have computer at their desks but from what I could gather they were not hooked into the system. Perhaps it is a future plan. I found it much easier to go to the Spa (next door) and book my own appointments.
I was very impressed with the facilities and the caliber of the staff. Everything was up to the minute high tech ultra sophisticated. All of the staff were very proud of the facilities and were happy to show me around. They offered all types of massage and any other kind of spa function.
One day Susset was taking a group of Cuban people on a tour and one of the men came up to me and said Hola, do you remember me? It was Jose, the receptionist from the Melia Spa. We had great hugs and he informed me that they were there for a tour and they would be getting some training at this spa. What a small world.
All charges from the spa are added to your room bill and so you do not need to carry any money with you. You just sign for the treatment. I had a massage every 2nd day and it did help my back. They were much more expensive than any other resort. $40.00 for a ½ hour regular massage and it was the cheapest one. I also had a pedicure. It was not so expensive but also not as thorough as one here in Canada.
There was also a lap pool at the spa in front of the gym. It was very quiet all day and we spoke with a couple who spent their days there because they liked the quiet. It was also the area where yoga and tai chie were held.
HOT TUB:
We found the hot tub and the cool pool beside a nice place to spend the day. We would ask for the hot tub to be turned up until it was actually hot, (the Cubans have a problem with this concept) and then we could hop in the cooler pool for awhile. I had my floating lounger with me and I could lay in this pool and read without disturbing anyone or floating in anyone’s way. There were comfortable loungers set up there as well and it was very near the bar and the snack bar. Given the great set up and the service, I couldn’t tear Derek away from the pool. I have to admit I was very happy to stay there most days. It was better for my poor tailbone and the water in the pool was much warmer than the ocean.
FRIENDS:
We ran into many friends form the Sol and Melia. Some we recognized, and some who recognized us. It was such a treat to walk into a room or bar or restaurant and have someone come rushing over to give us a hug and exclaim how great it was to see us. They were very afraid that the cost of the resort would keep old friends away. We explained to them that the resort at this time was in fact the same or less that the Sol and Melia. They were surprised because they were aware this resort was going to be very expensive and elitist.
In the Spa pool area we met Jeony (Melia lobby bar) who is called el gatto, (the cat) he remembered us and greeted us with joy.
William, our concierge for the 1st week remembered immediately upon our arrival. So did Roberto,the bell hop (from the Melia). He remembered my sister as well and asked for her. Roberto came to us the next day to say Eli was waiting for us to arrive and wanted us to go and visit him. He said when we were ready he would bring us to see him at the buffet in the villa section.
The delivery person for the maid supplies arrived and knocked on our door a few days after we arrived and with practically no English, he managed to convey to me that he was bringing a message from his mother, our friend Elsa from the beach grill at the Sol. We did not know the Sol was shut down and were planning to go over and see her. He had a letter from her welcoming us back to Cuba and telling us the Sol was closed and so she would be unable to see us this trip. I was able to respond to her and have him take a letter to her. He is going to school to learn English and will attempt to become a concierge. I do get the impression it is a coveted job. I am therefore surprised that they are not all of the same caliber. (more later)
We met Raymond the gardener near the pool, we remembered him from the Sol.
WE met Dacre, he works in the lobby bar. He was the brand new employee who gave Derek and I the tour of the resort last Feb., 06.
Yasmenony, a student we made friends with at the Sol buffet was working in the kitchen at the buffet. She was very excited to see us and asked for Judy immediately. She is working 4 days at the resort and attends school 3 days. She is not concerned with not having free time. She is loving the resort and is very excited about working there on a permanent basis. The buffet is the only place where there are students working and they are the final year students. She is one of those bubbly happy face staff that you love to run into every day.
SEAFOOD RESTAURANT:
WE enjoyed the restaurant. The setting out on the point was beautiful. There was an outdoor veranda around 3 sides and it was very romantic to walk around and look at the moonlight. There is a gazebo near by with a lit path to it that is also nice to share a moment. It is quite a distance from the main lobby and so it is a good idea to get a ride, if you are dressed and wearing high heals.
The interior is elegant and we found the food and the service to be excellent on both occasions we ate there. We were excited to find Duny (from the Sol) working here and she arranged to be our server and so it was very special. She was a student when we were last at the Sol in Feb, 06 and we enjoyed getting to know her then. She loves working at the resort and is very happy.
We were offered 2 choices of red and 2 of white. Chile and Spanish. I chose Spanish and enjoyed the wine more than I expected. I had lobster and chicken and my only complaint was the portions were too much and I hate to waste such good food. They will offer you a taste of the wine and you can choose from the 2 selections. NOTE: they had proper stoppers fro the wine and the champagne. A small thing, but there were so many small things, they add up to a luxury resort with all of the little amenities we never expect to find in Cuba.
MISCELLANEOUS.
There were small spoons available at the bar and in all of the restaurants. I have always had a problem finding them.
Bicycles were new and had all of their parts and were comfortable. My butt did not care for the type of seat and I did walk a bit funny for a few days but we enjoyed our bike ride.
I have the Italian restaurant review as well as the Gourmet restaurant and I will get to them soon. Until then, so long.
Geri
Hideaway, Ensenachos
Some observations Derek and I made. Things we particularly liked. There have been many reviews and so we will try not to comment on stuff that has been dealt with by many others. This is the 1st resort I’ve seen that so many have gone so soon and all reported on their experience.
DECOR:
We have all read about the beauty of the lobby and the rest of the buildings but I particularly loved the floral arrangements on the tables and shelves in the lobby area. There were a team of men who came in every Thursday and changed the arrangements and I was in awe of the originality of the creations. Many people commented and swore to take the ideas home. They were exquisite. Flowers hanging upside down from the top of the vase and huge vases with one flower in them. I have pictures if you go to Derek’s photo gallery.
The landscaping throughout the resort was spectacular. I have never seen so much of the original habitant within a resort area. It was like having parts of the forest around you. It gave a very different feel to the walks around the resort. Three was much precision landscaping done by the very talented gardeners but there was an equal amount of natural trees and brush as there was designed plants. Again, we noted that for the 1st time in Cuba the staff (as in the gardeners) were equipped with state of the art tools. The gardeners actually had real hedge clippers and electric trimmers. We are very used to seeing them with a machete and a very large knife. It did seem to give the landscaping a bit more of a precision look. The landscaping was beautiful and it was a joy to walk or bike around the resort.
We liked the smooth paths, they were easy on the feet and were not terribly hot when you were bare foot
ROOMS:
The rooms have been described on several occasions so I will not add anything except to say we really enjoyed the shower. I did so especially after the Blau a few weeks earlier. The balcony was also very nice. It was quite large and private, even though our room was on the 1st floor and at the front of the building.
The bathrobes and towels supplied were so soft and cuddly and absorbent, (I will not be able to go to the Blau again) Derek and I wanted to keep them and bring them home. (we didn’t) Slippers were also available, a very nice touch if you knew in advance and didn’t bring your own.
Maid service
There was day and night maid service. Towels in the morning and in the evening. Bed turn down, and they changed your beach towels, a service we particularly enjoyed. We never had to go to the info desk and/or wait for a towel.
CONCIERGE:
I think the concept is great especially for people who have not been before and don’t know the ropes. I know the reservation system is a lot better that spending any part of your day standing in line to make a reservation. There are some problems that need to be ironed out. Different people related different experiences with their concierge. Some had their reservations made for the week on the 1st day and some did not know until 5:00 pm on the day of, where or if they were dining a la carte. Derek found it impossible with our concierge the 1st week to get a booking for the happy face group. He informed us that each building got x # of seats at each restaurant and had to mete them out to all of the guests. He had some great difficulty with this chore on a daily basis. He tried very hard to please but seemed to be a bit overwhelmed at the whole prospect. The second week we had a different concierge and she was amazing. (More later) I swear she knew about problems before they happened and she had a handle on everything. One couple we met couldn’t get something as simple as the beach towels sorted out having been sent here and there and back again. They were very laid back about it and it was a running joke each day. They did not let it interfere with any of the joy they were having in paradise. I think the resort will end up with the best of the best by the time all is up and running.
BARS:
The lobby bar was very comfortable and versatile. It served all drinks of every description and the bartenders were very well trained in all ways. The service was impeccable. The bar could be open air or closed depending on the weather and the bugs. There were several door, on 2 sides, to the patio/veranda. It was a short walk across the hall to the cigar lounge where they had the pool table and the 15 year old rum. WE played pool a few times and Derek indulged in the rum. In fact, I believe ha and another happy face managed to deplete the supply completely. I suspect they did it all by themselves.
The orientation meeting was held in a meeting room and the whole area of that resort was obviously designed for conferences and business conventions. Soon it will be Cuba where the companies will be treating the staff to out of country meetings.
Drinks included all coffee liqueurs, all brand names, Smirnoff, tanquaray, jack denials, scotch, brandy, if you wanted it, it was available.
The bars had granite tops. Having just priced them for our kitchen renos, we were impressed. They had electric ice crushing machines at the bars.
The nightclub/disco was not usually busy but there were a few nights when the crowd was there and dancing. It is well set up with benches, stools, tables and chairs and couches. It is also staffed by 2 of the 3 staff from the Sol and Melia. Hernier was the bar man and was from the Sol. Carlos Amores was from the disco at the Sol and then the piano bar./disco at the Melia.
BEACH:
There were lots of beach chairs, no matter when you made it to the beach. They were unfortunately hard plastic and very hard on the back. We were surprised that this resort did not have more comfortable chairs at the beach. It meant we were unable to spend a lot of time at the beach due to my lingering injury sustained at the Blau a few weeks earlier. There were also lots of palapus’. The beach is very wide and so there were 5 or 6 rows of chairs and no one was crowded.
The water was shallow for a short walk and then was swimable very quickly. The water was however, very cold the whole time we were there. We were quite surprised as the weather was very warm. Derek does not enter the ocean if it is not warm, warm warm. Therefore it was not much fun to go alone.
It is a great beach to walk as everyone has said. There is always something to see and the sand is so nice to walk on.
There were also lots of chairs at the pools. They were nicely spread out to give some privacy but it was also easy to group chairs if you wanted. There were additional chairs available and the attendants were happy to get them for you.
BEACH BAR:
We found it to be very busy at all times. The staff tried very hard but there was a very small area to serve both food and drinks for
everyone on the beach. There will have to be more bars or a major expansion on this bar to adequately serve everyone. We tried a few times to get table service but they were just too busy. We were never in that big a hurry but did feel sorry for the hard working staff that were running from here to there and trying to get everyone fed and watered. We found it much easier to walk up to the pool snack bar to get lunch. There was also a limited selection. The 2 guys who were in charge of cooking the food had quite an assembly line going with buns on one BBQ and meat on the other but it did take quite a while. They were cooking for a lot of people. When the resort is full and people have paid a lot of money and expect fast and efficient service, the resort will have to do something to rectify the situation.
POOL SNACK BARS:
We were very happy with the pool restaurants. They were called snack bars but were misnamed. We spent most of our time at the Royal Hideaway Spa section pool. The menu included calamari, cold tomato soup (delicious) chicken breast sandwiches, Caesar salad, regular or with grilled chicken, and many more delightful items we enjoyed. The service was impeccable, friendly and fast. You could have a quick lunch or, as we did on some days, a long leisurely well into the afternoon lunch. There was full bar service and the beer was served in chilled glasses.
There were linen table cloths and napkins. I got a lesson each day in how to fold the napkins. And there was a test.
We liked the pool service for drinks. You could go to the bar, in the water or not and the staff came to your chair to serve you and were very prompt and frequent.
Our favorite wait staff was Ingrid at the pool snack bar. She was fun and went out of her way to please and to tease. She was efficient and pleasant. We enjoyed her nearly every day.
SPA:
One of the duties of the concierge was to book appointments at the Spa. I found (at least with William) it was not possible. He would take the request and tell you he could not confirm till the end of the day. If he was unable to book the time and person you wanted, you had to wait until the next day or agree in advance you would accept any time of the day and with any of the staff available. They have computer at their desks but from what I could gather they were not hooked into the system. Perhaps it is a future plan. I found it much easier to go to the Spa (next door) and book my own appointments.
I was very impressed with the facilities and the caliber of the staff. Everything was up to the minute high tech ultra sophisticated. All of the staff were very proud of the facilities and were happy to show me around. They offered all types of massage and any other kind of spa function.
One day Susset was taking a group of Cuban people on a tour and one of the men came up to me and said Hola, do you remember me? It was Jose, the receptionist from the Melia Spa. We had great hugs and he informed me that they were there for a tour and they would be getting some training at this spa. What a small world.
All charges from the spa are added to your room bill and so you do not need to carry any money with you. You just sign for the treatment. I had a massage every 2nd day and it did help my back. They were much more expensive than any other resort. $40.00 for a ½ hour regular massage and it was the cheapest one. I also had a pedicure. It was not so expensive but also not as thorough as one here in Canada.
There was also a lap pool at the spa in front of the gym. It was very quiet all day and we spoke with a couple who spent their days there because they liked the quiet. It was also the area where yoga and tai chie were held.
HOT TUB:
We found the hot tub and the cool pool beside a nice place to spend the day. We would ask for the hot tub to be turned up until it was actually hot, (the Cubans have a problem with this concept) and then we could hop in the cooler pool for awhile. I had my floating lounger with me and I could lay in this pool and read without disturbing anyone or floating in anyone’s way. There were comfortable loungers set up there as well and it was very near the bar and the snack bar. Given the great set up and the service, I couldn’t tear Derek away from the pool. I have to admit I was very happy to stay there most days. It was better for my poor tailbone and the water in the pool was much warmer than the ocean.
FRIENDS:
We ran into many friends form the Sol and Melia. Some we recognized, and some who recognized us. It was such a treat to walk into a room or bar or restaurant and have someone come rushing over to give us a hug and exclaim how great it was to see us. They were very afraid that the cost of the resort would keep old friends away. We explained to them that the resort at this time was in fact the same or less that the Sol and Melia. They were surprised because they were aware this resort was going to be very expensive and elitist.
In the Spa pool area we met Jeony (Melia lobby bar) who is called el gatto, (the cat) he remembered us and greeted us with joy.
William, our concierge for the 1st week remembered immediately upon our arrival. So did Roberto,the bell hop (from the Melia). He remembered my sister as well and asked for her. Roberto came to us the next day to say Eli was waiting for us to arrive and wanted us to go and visit him. He said when we were ready he would bring us to see him at the buffet in the villa section.
The delivery person for the maid supplies arrived and knocked on our door a few days after we arrived and with practically no English, he managed to convey to me that he was bringing a message from his mother, our friend Elsa from the beach grill at the Sol. We did not know the Sol was shut down and were planning to go over and see her. He had a letter from her welcoming us back to Cuba and telling us the Sol was closed and so she would be unable to see us this trip. I was able to respond to her and have him take a letter to her. He is going to school to learn English and will attempt to become a concierge. I do get the impression it is a coveted job. I am therefore surprised that they are not all of the same caliber. (more later)
We met Raymond the gardener near the pool, we remembered him from the Sol.
WE met Dacre, he works in the lobby bar. He was the brand new employee who gave Derek and I the tour of the resort last Feb., 06.
Yasmenony, a student we made friends with at the Sol buffet was working in the kitchen at the buffet. She was very excited to see us and asked for Judy immediately. She is working 4 days at the resort and attends school 3 days. She is not concerned with not having free time. She is loving the resort and is very excited about working there on a permanent basis. The buffet is the only place where there are students working and they are the final year students. She is one of those bubbly happy face staff that you love to run into every day.
SEAFOOD RESTAURANT:
WE enjoyed the restaurant. The setting out on the point was beautiful. There was an outdoor veranda around 3 sides and it was very romantic to walk around and look at the moonlight. There is a gazebo near by with a lit path to it that is also nice to share a moment. It is quite a distance from the main lobby and so it is a good idea to get a ride, if you are dressed and wearing high heals.
The interior is elegant and we found the food and the service to be excellent on both occasions we ate there. We were excited to find Duny (from the Sol) working here and she arranged to be our server and so it was very special. She was a student when we were last at the Sol in Feb, 06 and we enjoyed getting to know her then. She loves working at the resort and is very happy.
We were offered 2 choices of red and 2 of white. Chile and Spanish. I chose Spanish and enjoyed the wine more than I expected. I had lobster and chicken and my only complaint was the portions were too much and I hate to waste such good food. They will offer you a taste of the wine and you can choose from the 2 selections. NOTE: they had proper stoppers fro the wine and the champagne. A small thing, but there were so many small things, they add up to a luxury resort with all of the little amenities we never expect to find in Cuba.
MISCELLANEOUS.
There were small spoons available at the bar and in all of the restaurants. I have always had a problem finding them.
Bicycles were new and had all of their parts and were comfortable. My butt did not care for the type of seat and I did walk a bit funny for a few days but we enjoyed our bike ride.
I have the Italian restaurant review as well as the Gourmet restaurant and I will get to them soon. Until then, so long.
Geri
Pre-Opening Tour of Ensenachos Resort - Feb 2006
Touring of the facilities while staying at Melia CSM.
Well, here we go. Just so you know, I took notes throughout our visit, so hopefully I’ll get this right.
I’ll try to divide things into chunks the Forum software will find digestible…
INTRODUCTION
Some general impressions first.
This place is VERY impressive. Lush even. It’s by far the most luxurious hotel we’ve seen in Cuba. In a very different, tropical, way it ranks up there with our railway hotels and places like the Hotel Normandy in Paris I think. But as you’ll see, I think the level of service may actually be higher.
The only question re. this hotel will be what the pricing will look like when all is up and running, and whether at the price charged (inevitably higher than the ‘club’ style resorts we’re used to) will the place be able to reach reasonable occupancy levels?
At the moment the Ensenachos is being marketed strictly as an Occidentales hotel, with the Royal Hideaway relationship to start at the official opening in June.
Whilst we were there were only a couple of dozen guests. Only the ‘standard’ (but what a standard!) rooms area was open. The suites and bungalows bits won’t be ready for a while yet. I haven’t said anything about them as everything we have is drawn not from our tour but from the marketing bumpf that’s available.
As you’ll see from the photos, there’s still a bit of finishing work to be done on the main building.
Speaking of the photo, here’s the link to my photoblog’s set for this hotel:
http://flickr.com/ph...57594070015482/
GETTING THERE:
We were encouraged to call over and do a tour and report for the Forum. Our original intention was just to deliver a ‘good luck with the new job’ gift for Ramon, formerly the captain of the international restaurant at the Sol, now playing the same role at the Italian restaurant at the Ensenachos.
We’d also connected with the MD and nurse from the Sol re. Delivering medical supplies for Not Just Tourists and found out they were training medical staff at the new hotel. They had an idea of Ramon’s schedule, and so we decided to give it a whirl.
Jose Carlos called over and the next thing we know we’re in a taxi on the way over.
Sussette met us at the entrance. With her was one of the many (more on this later) concierges, Angel. She introduced us and turned us over the Angel for a couple of hours for our tour.
While we’re on the subject of Jose Carlos, Sussette and Angel I have to editorialize a bit.
Cuban staff is these kinds of positions (tour rep, PR etc.) are always just so much better connected than Canadian resident staff. They know people at other hotels or in other parts of the tourism biz (often having attended language or other schools with them) and are much better situated to get these little ‘not in the book’ tours and arrangements made.
LOBBY:
Amazing. Huge, airy. Marble floors, walls in areas, very lush.
The walk up from where a taxi or bus would drop you up will certainly make an impression. 20-30 metres long, 10 wide and all marble every step of the way.
The lobby itself is huge with chandeliers and wood-clad pillars and more, much more, marble.
Seating areas scattered about.
There’s a separate reception desk area that’s got a/c and more staff than most resorts twice its size. Again, lush and marble are the two words that come to mind.
The lobby has the entrance to the business centre (which most of us would only use for the internet café) and the conference rooms.
Opposite the business centre and reception desk area are shops (the usual plus the Joyeria, an upscale perfumes/jewelry store) and the lobby bar.
The bar is very nicely appointed, has a jazz quartet and vocalist (you there Dave?) playing each evening. It’s a/c plus a patio overlooking the rear fountains and gardens leading down to the beach walkway (beach itself can’t be seen for the vegetation).. Pool table.
The bar wouldn’t be out of place in a Delta or Sheraton-level hotel here in Canada. Very nice.
Off to one side and facing the rear of the hotel opposite the bar is the buffet restaurant. Designed to maximize the view. Very nice. And lots more marble.
The hotel actually has an auditorium seating 476 with a stage, lighting setup and sound system! All indoors and a/c! With comfy upholstered seating.
LOWER LOBBY:
To get to the lower lobby you can take an elevator or descend some wonderful curving (you guessed it) marble stairs. Perfect for wedding photos or any photos. Grand curving staircase.
On the lower lobby are a nightclub, the Japanese, International, and Italian restaurants, and an a/c room where car rentals, excursions reps, etc. desks are located.
We couldn’t test the restaurants, but the Japanese (also serving Thai) was up to the standard of the rest of the building. The menu was pretty large and there were lots of wine choices. And for the first time wines we’d be able to buy at home were available.
Sushi, Pad Thai, grill table standards all on the menu. Chopsticks on the place settings, very upscale appointments, little moat to be waked over as you enter.
The Italian has the same quality of appointments, plus this place has the added advantage of having Ramon running it. Pretty much a guarantee it’ll be great. I’d have more to say about the menu etc. here but we spent our time there catching up with Ramone as he was in the middle of a staff meeting when we walked-in.
When complete the hotel will have 9 restaurants.
There’s also an a/c library with seating for tour group briefings seating up to 98 people.
Out the back is a huge fountain (water running down over rocks into a pool) and walkways towards the beach.
BEACH:
It’s a bit of a trot through mangroves on a wooden walkway, but worth it. Very fine sand, slightly curving waterline. Gradually deepening.
Beach bar (soon grill) as upscale as the rest of the hotel. Washroms. Tables and chairs in sun and shade throughout the day. Furniture aluminium castings rather than plastic.
Standard beach chairs. Just more of them and many more palaypas then you would expect for the size of the hotel.
Over to the left can be the seen the suites area and then further down (with its own beach in a small cove, restaurants building etc.) the bungalows section.
The beach here is sheltered, being not just in a bay/cove, but on the lee side of the Cayos. So there shouldn’t be the wind/water effects the beaches on the windward side of things experience.
SPA/GYM:
The gym is good as the Melia’s, which is very good indeed. But it’s a/c!!!
The spa wasn’t up and running but it didn’t appear as large as the Melia’s.
Large roofed area for Tai Chi etc. with rubberized floor.
Medium-sized pool.
Most extensive medical facilities (waiting room, exam rooms, treatment room) we’ve seen.
ROOMS:
Here’s mebbe the best part: not only re. What is currently in place, but for what the rooms might suggest about the suites and bungalows to come.
Each rooms building has 20 rooms set on two levels in a hollow square. Each courtyard has a small garden and fountain.
But best of all, each also has a desk and computer and a concierge. Yep, a concierge.
One concierge per 20 rooms. They arrange room service (want sushi at 03:00 every day of your vacation? It can be arranged!), book tables for dinner, make excursions arrangements, book scooters or cars…
Plus each building has a maintenance person who inspects it each day and a complement of two room cleaners. This is amazing level of staffing I think.
The standard room has a foyer. The rooms are very well appointed; about the size of the rooms at the Sol CSM I would say. Note quite as large as at the Melia, but a much higher grade of finish.
The bath has a glass shower stall a Jacuzzi tub, large counter area, and a separate room for the toilet. Overall, quite the largest we have seen in Cuba. Bigger than some hotel rooms we’ve stayed in!
Glass door out to a good-sized balcony (the room we looked at was a corner, so a view on two sides, other rooms one view, but as large) with a table and chairs.
Best feature from Geri’s perspective was the walk-in closet.
Best seems like such an inadequate word…
The entertainment centre in a cabinet, has a DVD player, a nice touch I thought.
Though not up there with the walk-in closet, of course!
Marble, marble, marble.
ACCESSIBILITY:
There’s an elevator in the lobby building and all other buildings and facilities are wheelchair accessible.
ACTIVATION:
Overall the hotel is taking a much lower-key approach than we’re used to at ‘club’ style resorts. There will be staff available if you want them for things like tennis or weight room instruction or assistance, but no one wandering around exhorting you on a bullhorn to come play volleyball or whatever.
Were we to stay here I think the only thing about this new approach that would cause me concern is that I wouldn’t have much fun daydreaming about being alone in a room full of activation staff…just me and my cattleprod…
There are tennis courts and the usual play areas.
GROUNDS:
They have clearly worked hard to maintain as much of the mature vegetation as possible. Grown trees, mangroves etc. and in place. I would say very little planting is required.
Lots of water features throughout. All of high construction quality. Most weren’t full and operating when were there.
STAFF:
Staff makes or breaks any hotel/resort. The Ensenanchos has ‘cheated’ a bit by bringing in so many of the experienced staff from the Melia and the Sol CSM that it’s hard to imagine any problems in this regard.
I’ve mentioned Ramon above. Frankly we personally are lost with his decision to make the move over from the Sol. It’s unlikely we’ll ever be able to spend the kind of money the Ensenachos will be costing and he really made the Fontanella at the Sol.
‘Course, with Nail taking over it looks like we’ll be more than OK, but I’d rather have BOTH of them rather than lose one. Sigh. Why can’t people realize they’re obligated to organize their lives to meet MY needs?
Other familiar staff were Sussette from the Sol (public relations), Marelis (ex-Sol reception, now she’s a building concierge), her partner Yoany who’s ex-Melia lobby bar and now the head server at the Ensenachos lobby bar (great margaritas!), William (ex-Sol bellhop) now a greeter/bellhop at the end of that long marble walkway into the lobby, Katia, (ex-Sol public relations) is now a concierge…and those were just the folks in sight while we were there that we recognized. There are probably many more we didn’t run into or who were off that day.
And as the other sections of the hotel open no doubt there will be some further movement of experienced staff over.
Even the new staff are making a serious contribution. Angel, our guide and one of the (many!) concierges, is working his first hotel job. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
PRESENT & FUTURE:
Right now the hotel is still under construction. Even in the open areas there is work being done.
TMR is flying in from Montreal and Signature from Toronto and Ottawa.
There were only about 25 guests there when we visited, but the portion of the hotel that is open is fully staffed. We were told this is so all the bugs can be worked out before it starts to fill after the official opening.
So at the moment a party of six would be outnumbered by the serving staff in either of the a la carte restaurants that are open. And if all the guests arrived at the same there would have been one bellhop for every two bags!
So now might be the time to go as it will likely (sigh) increase in price once it starts to fill.
By all accounts the Royal Hideaway in Mexico (the only other such hotel) is an amazingly luxurious hotel with great food and amazing levels of personal service.
I can’t see any reason why the Ensenachos won’t get there too; in fact given what we know of the staff who’ve gone over (we shall miss each and every one), it might surpass the original.
I guess our only sour note is the cost of the place. It seems very unlikely Geri and I will ever get there unless they have some serious deep discounts in order to establish the place this summer and next winter.
On the one hand, for the sake of Cuba and particularly of the staff there now I hope it flies as they clearly expect it to.
On the other, Cuba’s not a destination like St. Maarten or Negril of Barbados; a place where high prices and such are expected. You have to wonder if it can be successfully marketed when guests are going to be expected to pay something like 4-5 grand per week…
Guess we’ll see, but in the meantime we’re certainly keeping our eyes open for intro pricing and/or selloffs as staying at the Ensenachos would clearly be unlike any prior Cuban (or other, come to think of it) hotel experience we’ve ever had.
Derek
Well, here we go. Just so you know, I took notes throughout our visit, so hopefully I’ll get this right.
I’ll try to divide things into chunks the Forum software will find digestible…
INTRODUCTION
Some general impressions first.
This place is VERY impressive. Lush even. It’s by far the most luxurious hotel we’ve seen in Cuba. In a very different, tropical, way it ranks up there with our railway hotels and places like the Hotel Normandy in Paris I think. But as you’ll see, I think the level of service may actually be higher.
The only question re. this hotel will be what the pricing will look like when all is up and running, and whether at the price charged (inevitably higher than the ‘club’ style resorts we’re used to) will the place be able to reach reasonable occupancy levels?
At the moment the Ensenachos is being marketed strictly as an Occidentales hotel, with the Royal Hideaway relationship to start at the official opening in June.
Whilst we were there were only a couple of dozen guests. Only the ‘standard’ (but what a standard!) rooms area was open. The suites and bungalows bits won’t be ready for a while yet. I haven’t said anything about them as everything we have is drawn not from our tour but from the marketing bumpf that’s available.
As you’ll see from the photos, there’s still a bit of finishing work to be done on the main building.
Speaking of the photo, here’s the link to my photoblog’s set for this hotel:
http://flickr.com/ph...57594070015482/
GETTING THERE:
We were encouraged to call over and do a tour and report for the Forum. Our original intention was just to deliver a ‘good luck with the new job’ gift for Ramon, formerly the captain of the international restaurant at the Sol, now playing the same role at the Italian restaurant at the Ensenachos.
We’d also connected with the MD and nurse from the Sol re. Delivering medical supplies for Not Just Tourists and found out they were training medical staff at the new hotel. They had an idea of Ramon’s schedule, and so we decided to give it a whirl.
Jose Carlos called over and the next thing we know we’re in a taxi on the way over.
Sussette met us at the entrance. With her was one of the many (more on this later) concierges, Angel. She introduced us and turned us over the Angel for a couple of hours for our tour.
While we’re on the subject of Jose Carlos, Sussette and Angel I have to editorialize a bit.
Cuban staff is these kinds of positions (tour rep, PR etc.) are always just so much better connected than Canadian resident staff. They know people at other hotels or in other parts of the tourism biz (often having attended language or other schools with them) and are much better situated to get these little ‘not in the book’ tours and arrangements made.
LOBBY:
Amazing. Huge, airy. Marble floors, walls in areas, very lush.
The walk up from where a taxi or bus would drop you up will certainly make an impression. 20-30 metres long, 10 wide and all marble every step of the way.
The lobby itself is huge with chandeliers and wood-clad pillars and more, much more, marble.
Seating areas scattered about.
There’s a separate reception desk area that’s got a/c and more staff than most resorts twice its size. Again, lush and marble are the two words that come to mind.
The lobby has the entrance to the business centre (which most of us would only use for the internet café) and the conference rooms.
Opposite the business centre and reception desk area are shops (the usual plus the Joyeria, an upscale perfumes/jewelry store) and the lobby bar.
The bar is very nicely appointed, has a jazz quartet and vocalist (you there Dave?) playing each evening. It’s a/c plus a patio overlooking the rear fountains and gardens leading down to the beach walkway (beach itself can’t be seen for the vegetation).. Pool table.
The bar wouldn’t be out of place in a Delta or Sheraton-level hotel here in Canada. Very nice.
Off to one side and facing the rear of the hotel opposite the bar is the buffet restaurant. Designed to maximize the view. Very nice. And lots more marble.
The hotel actually has an auditorium seating 476 with a stage, lighting setup and sound system! All indoors and a/c! With comfy upholstered seating.
LOWER LOBBY:
To get to the lower lobby you can take an elevator or descend some wonderful curving (you guessed it) marble stairs. Perfect for wedding photos or any photos. Grand curving staircase.
On the lower lobby are a nightclub, the Japanese, International, and Italian restaurants, and an a/c room where car rentals, excursions reps, etc. desks are located.
We couldn’t test the restaurants, but the Japanese (also serving Thai) was up to the standard of the rest of the building. The menu was pretty large and there were lots of wine choices. And for the first time wines we’d be able to buy at home were available.
Sushi, Pad Thai, grill table standards all on the menu. Chopsticks on the place settings, very upscale appointments, little moat to be waked over as you enter.
The Italian has the same quality of appointments, plus this place has the added advantage of having Ramon running it. Pretty much a guarantee it’ll be great. I’d have more to say about the menu etc. here but we spent our time there catching up with Ramone as he was in the middle of a staff meeting when we walked-in.
When complete the hotel will have 9 restaurants.
There’s also an a/c library with seating for tour group briefings seating up to 98 people.
Out the back is a huge fountain (water running down over rocks into a pool) and walkways towards the beach.
BEACH:
It’s a bit of a trot through mangroves on a wooden walkway, but worth it. Very fine sand, slightly curving waterline. Gradually deepening.
Beach bar (soon grill) as upscale as the rest of the hotel. Washroms. Tables and chairs in sun and shade throughout the day. Furniture aluminium castings rather than plastic.
Standard beach chairs. Just more of them and many more palaypas then you would expect for the size of the hotel.
Over to the left can be the seen the suites area and then further down (with its own beach in a small cove, restaurants building etc.) the bungalows section.
The beach here is sheltered, being not just in a bay/cove, but on the lee side of the Cayos. So there shouldn’t be the wind/water effects the beaches on the windward side of things experience.
SPA/GYM:
The gym is good as the Melia’s, which is very good indeed. But it’s a/c!!!
The spa wasn’t up and running but it didn’t appear as large as the Melia’s.
Large roofed area for Tai Chi etc. with rubberized floor.
Medium-sized pool.
Most extensive medical facilities (waiting room, exam rooms, treatment room) we’ve seen.
ROOMS:
Here’s mebbe the best part: not only re. What is currently in place, but for what the rooms might suggest about the suites and bungalows to come.
Each rooms building has 20 rooms set on two levels in a hollow square. Each courtyard has a small garden and fountain.
But best of all, each also has a desk and computer and a concierge. Yep, a concierge.
One concierge per 20 rooms. They arrange room service (want sushi at 03:00 every day of your vacation? It can be arranged!), book tables for dinner, make excursions arrangements, book scooters or cars…
Plus each building has a maintenance person who inspects it each day and a complement of two room cleaners. This is amazing level of staffing I think.
The standard room has a foyer. The rooms are very well appointed; about the size of the rooms at the Sol CSM I would say. Note quite as large as at the Melia, but a much higher grade of finish.
The bath has a glass shower stall a Jacuzzi tub, large counter area, and a separate room for the toilet. Overall, quite the largest we have seen in Cuba. Bigger than some hotel rooms we’ve stayed in!
Glass door out to a good-sized balcony (the room we looked at was a corner, so a view on two sides, other rooms one view, but as large) with a table and chairs.
Best feature from Geri’s perspective was the walk-in closet.
Best seems like such an inadequate word…
The entertainment centre in a cabinet, has a DVD player, a nice touch I thought.
Though not up there with the walk-in closet, of course!
Marble, marble, marble.
ACCESSIBILITY:
There’s an elevator in the lobby building and all other buildings and facilities are wheelchair accessible.
ACTIVATION:
Overall the hotel is taking a much lower-key approach than we’re used to at ‘club’ style resorts. There will be staff available if you want them for things like tennis or weight room instruction or assistance, but no one wandering around exhorting you on a bullhorn to come play volleyball or whatever.
Were we to stay here I think the only thing about this new approach that would cause me concern is that I wouldn’t have much fun daydreaming about being alone in a room full of activation staff…just me and my cattleprod…
There are tennis courts and the usual play areas.
GROUNDS:
They have clearly worked hard to maintain as much of the mature vegetation as possible. Grown trees, mangroves etc. and in place. I would say very little planting is required.
Lots of water features throughout. All of high construction quality. Most weren’t full and operating when were there.
STAFF:
Staff makes or breaks any hotel/resort. The Ensenanchos has ‘cheated’ a bit by bringing in so many of the experienced staff from the Melia and the Sol CSM that it’s hard to imagine any problems in this regard.
I’ve mentioned Ramon above. Frankly we personally are lost with his decision to make the move over from the Sol. It’s unlikely we’ll ever be able to spend the kind of money the Ensenachos will be costing and he really made the Fontanella at the Sol.
‘Course, with Nail taking over it looks like we’ll be more than OK, but I’d rather have BOTH of them rather than lose one. Sigh. Why can’t people realize they’re obligated to organize their lives to meet MY needs?
Other familiar staff were Sussette from the Sol (public relations), Marelis (ex-Sol reception, now she’s a building concierge), her partner Yoany who’s ex-Melia lobby bar and now the head server at the Ensenachos lobby bar (great margaritas!), William (ex-Sol bellhop) now a greeter/bellhop at the end of that long marble walkway into the lobby, Katia, (ex-Sol public relations) is now a concierge…and those were just the folks in sight while we were there that we recognized. There are probably many more we didn’t run into or who were off that day.
And as the other sections of the hotel open no doubt there will be some further movement of experienced staff over.
Even the new staff are making a serious contribution. Angel, our guide and one of the (many!) concierges, is working his first hotel job. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
PRESENT & FUTURE:
Right now the hotel is still under construction. Even in the open areas there is work being done.
TMR is flying in from Montreal and Signature from Toronto and Ottawa.
There were only about 25 guests there when we visited, but the portion of the hotel that is open is fully staffed. We were told this is so all the bugs can be worked out before it starts to fill after the official opening.
So at the moment a party of six would be outnumbered by the serving staff in either of the a la carte restaurants that are open. And if all the guests arrived at the same there would have been one bellhop for every two bags!
So now might be the time to go as it will likely (sigh) increase in price once it starts to fill.
By all accounts the Royal Hideaway in Mexico (the only other such hotel) is an amazingly luxurious hotel with great food and amazing levels of personal service.
I can’t see any reason why the Ensenachos won’t get there too; in fact given what we know of the staff who’ve gone over (we shall miss each and every one), it might surpass the original.
I guess our only sour note is the cost of the place. It seems very unlikely Geri and I will ever get there unless they have some serious deep discounts in order to establish the place this summer and next winter.
On the one hand, for the sake of Cuba and particularly of the staff there now I hope it flies as they clearly expect it to.
On the other, Cuba’s not a destination like St. Maarten or Negril of Barbados; a place where high prices and such are expected. You have to wonder if it can be successfully marketed when guests are going to be expected to pay something like 4-5 grand per week…
Guess we’ll see, but in the meantime we’re certainly keeping our eyes open for intro pricing and/or selloffs as staying at the Ensenachos would clearly be unlike any prior Cuban (or other, come to think of it) hotel experience we’ve ever had.
Derek
Havana for the 50th!
Here's a short, quick and dirty review...
Walked about all day, every day. The work being done to restore the old city is quite spectacular, the innovative funding interesting, the fact that it almost appears as though the City Historian is running the entire city is pretty entertaining (to someone who trained as an historian and wore the old 'Earn Big Money, Become a Historian' t-shirt with enthusiasm and bitterness). :-)
NEW YEAR'S EVE - 50th Anniversary of the Revolution:
New Year's was fun. The usual walk, then a fairly sedate dinner and watching the fireworks from near the harbour.
On the way home we had to run the gauntlet of residents throwing buckets on water on everyone passing beneath on the narrow street. Got well soaked.
Much fun. Cuban tradition.
More fun was getting back up to our apt. and out on the balcony and doing the same to many, many people for several hours, glass of rum in hand (wine in Geri's case and she preferred large squeezable water bottles, more accurate than my bucket). Got to know our neighbours all around and across as we'd co-operate in pointing out where people were hiding.
At one point some tourist spoilsports got two cops to try and convoy them through. HA! I'm thinking either the cops were just going through the motions or thought it would be funny to say to them "Yeah, sure, we can get you through, just follow us and make sure you walk down the centre of the street in plain view".
50th anniversary celebrations very muted. Anything too exciting would have been seen as inappropriate as the hurricane recovery process is far from complete.
= = = = = = = = = = =
Camera may have gotten toasted in my soaking, but too much fun not to have a price; and besides, it's time for an upgrade anyway. :-)
Long as the memory cards weren't toasted I mean. Roughly 1300 photos.
Spent a day at the central cemetary. Great fun.
One surprise in all the fun: the food is far, far far better than expected.
Many fine little restaurants, if not exactly attractive decor-wise, have very good food. And the best and cheapest are not the privately-run ones but the co-ops and some of the state-owned spots. Very pleasant surprise and part of the City Historian's plan for the place.
Had the best paella of my life (geri gave it a rave too and she has spent much time in Spain) and some fries and great BBQ chicken on a rickety crumbling balcony overlooking the Malecon in a small state-owned restaurant in n otherwise abandoned building (for good reasons abandoned).
With three fine Cuban beers it might have cost 11Pesos (15CAD???) for the two of us to dine.
We drove around and thru Vedado and Playa/Miramar for a quick tour and to have lunch at a paladar near the Russian embassy, but spent almost all of our time in the old city. And still feel like another couple of days would have helped.
The last time we popped into Havana for a couple of days we stayed in Miramar. Fun but not the walking/poking around kind of spot Old Havana is. Among other things, a long walk between beers!
27-29 and once or twice some cloud in the early part of the day. Not much wind makes it off the ocean and into the streets, so a little sweaty on occasion, requiring us to retire into the shade for a cold beverage now and then.
= = = = = = = = = = =
Re. where we stayed,
We would recommend it, and highly, but on the understanding that it's not a hotel and one shouldn't expect hotel-level appliances and such. We like this kind of travel a lot for our non- 'lie-down-and-read-on-the-beach-for-two-weeks-then-get-up-and-go-home' vacations. But we've recommended places we loved for people who are more into hotels and they've not enjoyed the experience. We find it's fun to interact a bit with your host, get at least a glimpse into how they live. Plus the location is almost by definition in a residential rather than commercial/touristy area, and that helps too.
And, perhaps most importantly, the much lower cost associated with this mode of accommodation makes it possible for us to travel more than we would if we stayed in even the cheapest hotel - and we get a much higher standard of accommodation for our money than we would at those cheap hotels.
We stayed in the home of a Cuban man, Juan. His casa particulare (CP) is called Juan and Maragarita's (Margarita died last April unfortunately). It's been in operation for a few years and is one of only 10 (of hundreds) that are recommended by our bible, the Lonely Planet.
I'll leave it to Geri to describe it, but basically it was exceptionally clean, fairly basic but with everything you might want except cooking facilities. It's at the top of Obispo, less than 50m from the Floridita. Not wheelchair-accessible (I'll leave it to Geri to describe just how true that statement is!). The lower of two floors, Juan lives up top, we rented to lower floor, so really it was like having our own apartment.
In case anyone is leaving soon for Havana and wants to book with Juan, his number is 867-9592. He speaks excellent English (went to uni in the US and returned to Cuba in 1959). Tell him Geri and Derek sent you...
You can also book his place through a website, but a call will cost you less than what he has to pay to the website owner for each day you stay with him. And, frankly, while we loved Juan and Juan's place, the website was not so handy. It was OK for the booking (though we were shocked at how much of what we were paying Juan was going to the website manager), but the website folks themselves were supposed to pick me up at the airport when I arrived with Geri's daughter Vicki at midnight. By 01:30 we were in a cab on our own and headed into the city. So far not even an e-mail from them about this.
= = = = = = = = = = =
On restaurants and such,
Again we relied on the Lonely Planet. Geri and I will chat today and sort out who reviews what and start that process today. Luckily we had little snow fall while we gone and so I don't need to spend the weekend shoveling.
Restaurants-wise we stuck pretty closely to the places suggested in the Lonely Planet. The one major exception was New Year's Eve, when most places were closed, at least to us (the Spanish regional/ethnic association restaurants were open, but only to members) so we paid a fair bit for a meal that was rather unexceptional at the Cafe Europe on Obispo.
So these are just highlights. Assume the food to be good and the prices towards the inexpensive end of the spectrum if I say nothing in particular.
The best spot, I think, was what used to be the Rancho Coquito, now called Malecon 107 (which is also the address). GREAT paella, and very good eveything else, all at very, very reasonable prices. We ate on a balcony overlooking the Malecon. Our only complaint: it's only open for dinner, not lunch.
We also enjoyed several of the restaurants in the 'clubs' operated by associations of people descended from various Spanish region (Catelonia, Canaria, Adaluscia etc.).
The Cafe Prado at the bottom of the Prado on the west side, in a triangular building, introduced us to pin (pineapple) daquiris. Many of them. Yum! Reasonably good food too, and very large portions.
The O-Reilly Cafe on (you guessed it) O'Reilly had a great house special sandwich. That and a beer cost mebbe $3. Vicki had a burger for $1.35 she liked.
The Cafe Santo Domingo was good for breakfast, OK for lunch and has a GREAT bakery downstairs for bread and pastries and such. It's on Obispo across from the newish U of Havana building a block or two from Plaza de Armas.
The Cafeteria Torre la Vega (114 Obrapia) was very nice. We ate at one of the tables across the street in the park. Three meals with six beer for less than $20.
The Oasis in the Arabe Cultural Centre building gets bad reviews from the bible, but upstairs in the centre proper is a nice little restaurant. Kinda blends North African and Cuban. Not reviewed in the Lonely Planet, but quite good for lunch.
Bars?
I thought you'd never ask! The rooftop bar on the Hotel Raquel had great views but the beer was something silly...$5 I think. We stayed for one, enjoyed the view and decamped.
Ditto the roof on the Hotel Ingeterra, only the views around the architectural features of the roof are a little hard on the neck. Nice close-up view of some of the Teatro Grande though.
At the other end of the spectrum were a lot of places out of the touristy bits where the beer was at most $1.25. We even found a spot on the east side of the Museo de la Revolucion (almost directly across from the laundry van on display at the back of the museum) with $1.15 beer while Vicki and I were waiting for Geri to arrive. No name, pink with several openings onto the sidewalk. Friendly staff and regulars. Beats paying four times that over in the lobby of the Sevilla, plus you'll see no one but Cubans and the odd lost and thirsty tourist with a bit of a sense of adventure. Same could be said for many of the places where we would try and stop for a beer or a coffee or a quick lunch. The decor wasn't always what we might be used to or comfortable with at home, but it was always fun and with one, blessedly brief exception (apparently even Cuban men occasionally drink too much), we had a fine time with the regulars.
The Bar Monseratte had GREAT music in a town where great music is pretty much the standard, if that makes sense. $1.25 beer too!!!
Outside of Centro and Habana Vieja, the only place we ate at was a paladar called La Fontana, very close to the Russian embassy complex. Very nice food but it came in at something like $30-40 per person. Very, very nice food I should say. Popular with the Canadian embassy staff. This was the only paladar we ate at.
I must say that overall I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food where we ate.
The only disappointment: Los Nardos (across from the Capitalino) is now closed.
Photos can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dblackadder/s...57612055539425/
Walked about all day, every day. The work being done to restore the old city is quite spectacular, the innovative funding interesting, the fact that it almost appears as though the City Historian is running the entire city is pretty entertaining (to someone who trained as an historian and wore the old 'Earn Big Money, Become a Historian' t-shirt with enthusiasm and bitterness). :-)
NEW YEAR'S EVE - 50th Anniversary of the Revolution:
New Year's was fun. The usual walk, then a fairly sedate dinner and watching the fireworks from near the harbour.
On the way home we had to run the gauntlet of residents throwing buckets on water on everyone passing beneath on the narrow street. Got well soaked.
Much fun. Cuban tradition.
More fun was getting back up to our apt. and out on the balcony and doing the same to many, many people for several hours, glass of rum in hand (wine in Geri's case and she preferred large squeezable water bottles, more accurate than my bucket). Got to know our neighbours all around and across as we'd co-operate in pointing out where people were hiding.
At one point some tourist spoilsports got two cops to try and convoy them through. HA! I'm thinking either the cops were just going through the motions or thought it would be funny to say to them "Yeah, sure, we can get you through, just follow us and make sure you walk down the centre of the street in plain view".
50th anniversary celebrations very muted. Anything too exciting would have been seen as inappropriate as the hurricane recovery process is far from complete.
= = = = = = = = = = =
Camera may have gotten toasted in my soaking, but too much fun not to have a price; and besides, it's time for an upgrade anyway. :-)
Long as the memory cards weren't toasted I mean. Roughly 1300 photos.
Spent a day at the central cemetary. Great fun.
One surprise in all the fun: the food is far, far far better than expected.
Many fine little restaurants, if not exactly attractive decor-wise, have very good food. And the best and cheapest are not the privately-run ones but the co-ops and some of the state-owned spots. Very pleasant surprise and part of the City Historian's plan for the place.
Had the best paella of my life (geri gave it a rave too and she has spent much time in Spain) and some fries and great BBQ chicken on a rickety crumbling balcony overlooking the Malecon in a small state-owned restaurant in n otherwise abandoned building (for good reasons abandoned).
With three fine Cuban beers it might have cost 11Pesos (15CAD???) for the two of us to dine.
We drove around and thru Vedado and Playa/Miramar for a quick tour and to have lunch at a paladar near the Russian embassy, but spent almost all of our time in the old city. And still feel like another couple of days would have helped.
The last time we popped into Havana for a couple of days we stayed in Miramar. Fun but not the walking/poking around kind of spot Old Havana is. Among other things, a long walk between beers!
27-29 and once or twice some cloud in the early part of the day. Not much wind makes it off the ocean and into the streets, so a little sweaty on occasion, requiring us to retire into the shade for a cold beverage now and then.
= = = = = = = = = = =
Re. where we stayed,
We would recommend it, and highly, but on the understanding that it's not a hotel and one shouldn't expect hotel-level appliances and such. We like this kind of travel a lot for our non- 'lie-down-and-read-on-the-beach-for-two-weeks-then-get-up-and-go-home' vacations. But we've recommended places we loved for people who are more into hotels and they've not enjoyed the experience. We find it's fun to interact a bit with your host, get at least a glimpse into how they live. Plus the location is almost by definition in a residential rather than commercial/touristy area, and that helps too.
And, perhaps most importantly, the much lower cost associated with this mode of accommodation makes it possible for us to travel more than we would if we stayed in even the cheapest hotel - and we get a much higher standard of accommodation for our money than we would at those cheap hotels.
We stayed in the home of a Cuban man, Juan. His casa particulare (CP) is called Juan and Maragarita's (Margarita died last April unfortunately). It's been in operation for a few years and is one of only 10 (of hundreds) that are recommended by our bible, the Lonely Planet.
I'll leave it to Geri to describe it, but basically it was exceptionally clean, fairly basic but with everything you might want except cooking facilities. It's at the top of Obispo, less than 50m from the Floridita. Not wheelchair-accessible (I'll leave it to Geri to describe just how true that statement is!). The lower of two floors, Juan lives up top, we rented to lower floor, so really it was like having our own apartment.
In case anyone is leaving soon for Havana and wants to book with Juan, his number is 867-9592. He speaks excellent English (went to uni in the US and returned to Cuba in 1959). Tell him Geri and Derek sent you...
You can also book his place through a website, but a call will cost you less than what he has to pay to the website owner for each day you stay with him. And, frankly, while we loved Juan and Juan's place, the website was not so handy. It was OK for the booking (though we were shocked at how much of what we were paying Juan was going to the website manager), but the website folks themselves were supposed to pick me up at the airport when I arrived with Geri's daughter Vicki at midnight. By 01:30 we were in a cab on our own and headed into the city. So far not even an e-mail from them about this.
= = = = = = = = = = =
On restaurants and such,
Again we relied on the Lonely Planet. Geri and I will chat today and sort out who reviews what and start that process today. Luckily we had little snow fall while we gone and so I don't need to spend the weekend shoveling.
Restaurants-wise we stuck pretty closely to the places suggested in the Lonely Planet. The one major exception was New Year's Eve, when most places were closed, at least to us (the Spanish regional/ethnic association restaurants were open, but only to members) so we paid a fair bit for a meal that was rather unexceptional at the Cafe Europe on Obispo.
So these are just highlights. Assume the food to be good and the prices towards the inexpensive end of the spectrum if I say nothing in particular.
The best spot, I think, was what used to be the Rancho Coquito, now called Malecon 107 (which is also the address). GREAT paella, and very good eveything else, all at very, very reasonable prices. We ate on a balcony overlooking the Malecon. Our only complaint: it's only open for dinner, not lunch.
We also enjoyed several of the restaurants in the 'clubs' operated by associations of people descended from various Spanish region (Catelonia, Canaria, Adaluscia etc.).
The Cafe Prado at the bottom of the Prado on the west side, in a triangular building, introduced us to pin (pineapple) daquiris. Many of them. Yum! Reasonably good food too, and very large portions.
The O-Reilly Cafe on (you guessed it) O'Reilly had a great house special sandwich. That and a beer cost mebbe $3. Vicki had a burger for $1.35 she liked.
The Cafe Santo Domingo was good for breakfast, OK for lunch and has a GREAT bakery downstairs for bread and pastries and such. It's on Obispo across from the newish U of Havana building a block or two from Plaza de Armas.
The Cafeteria Torre la Vega (114 Obrapia) was very nice. We ate at one of the tables across the street in the park. Three meals with six beer for less than $20.
The Oasis in the Arabe Cultural Centre building gets bad reviews from the bible, but upstairs in the centre proper is a nice little restaurant. Kinda blends North African and Cuban. Not reviewed in the Lonely Planet, but quite good for lunch.
Bars?
I thought you'd never ask! The rooftop bar on the Hotel Raquel had great views but the beer was something silly...$5 I think. We stayed for one, enjoyed the view and decamped.
Ditto the roof on the Hotel Ingeterra, only the views around the architectural features of the roof are a little hard on the neck. Nice close-up view of some of the Teatro Grande though.
At the other end of the spectrum were a lot of places out of the touristy bits where the beer was at most $1.25. We even found a spot on the east side of the Museo de la Revolucion (almost directly across from the laundry van on display at the back of the museum) with $1.15 beer while Vicki and I were waiting for Geri to arrive. No name, pink with several openings onto the sidewalk. Friendly staff and regulars. Beats paying four times that over in the lobby of the Sevilla, plus you'll see no one but Cubans and the odd lost and thirsty tourist with a bit of a sense of adventure. Same could be said for many of the places where we would try and stop for a beer or a coffee or a quick lunch. The decor wasn't always what we might be used to or comfortable with at home, but it was always fun and with one, blessedly brief exception (apparently even Cuban men occasionally drink too much), we had a fine time with the regulars.
The Bar Monseratte had GREAT music in a town where great music is pretty much the standard, if that makes sense. $1.25 beer too!!!
Outside of Centro and Habana Vieja, the only place we ate at was a paladar called La Fontana, very close to the Russian embassy complex. Very nice food but it came in at something like $30-40 per person. Very, very nice food I should say. Popular with the Canadian embassy staff. This was the only paladar we ate at.
I must say that overall I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food where we ate.
The only disappointment: Los Nardos (across from the Capitalino) is now closed.
Photos can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dblackadder/s...57612055539425/
Gran Caribe Cayo Largo 2011
Cayo Largo, March, 04-11, 2011
I found a $600.00 (txes incl) trip to Gran Caribe, Cayo Largo, and my sister Peggy and I decided to go. The flight was scheduled for a 6:10 departure and we were at the airport and in line by 3:00 am. It was a completely painless check in and we were not overweight. We checked an oversize box with our 2 beach umbrellas at no cost as well as a sports bag. I also checked my carry on and so had only my purse to take on the plane. We booked row 2, A&C and had a very comfortable flight.
Flight left 50 minutes late but it was only a 3 hour flight. We arrived at 9:55 am and were on the bus at 10:45 am. We were at the resort at 10:55 am. I really liked that.
Check-in:
The front desk was very small and there were only 1 person checking people in but it was not a long process. Very little English spoken, or understood by the front desk staff. No rep at all until the next day, so we were rather at loose ends. The Nolitours rep gave us our directions to the bus at the airport and a card for a orientation meeting the following morning.
Our room was not ready so we had a drink in the lobby bar and met William, the bartender. Ordered a Cuban Cristal beer and discovered it was premium beer and cost 1 CUC. It was 2.50 CUC at the airport. Surprise. Bucanaro is not to my taste so I ordered a lemon Daquari.
Room:
Room was not too far from the main lobby, in the Villa Coral section. Room was very, very basic. No tub and shower was curtained but not much lower than the floor and so t was like a wet room. Small sink with no vanity, counter or shelf. A towel rack and a broken toilet roll holder were the only extras. It was a 2 star. We had many occasions to remind ourselves it was a true 2 star. There was no seating in the room.
We were on the ground level and had a patio off the side with a door that did not close properly and so did not lock. It would not stay closed and so we reported it to the front desk. They did not understand the message and so I walked down and talked with 3 people and eventually explained the issue. By late afternoon we were getting worried that the open door may allow insects into our room, so I called the desk again and suggested they either fix the door or move us to a room with a door that closed. They sent someone who had to put in a new mechanism and we were good to go.
There was a large double closet with lots of hangars and 1 shelf that was so tall I could barely reach it. Peggy couldn’t reach it at all. There were no drawers except in the bedside tables and on the vanity bench. That were very shallow and so we didn’t use them. There was a large wooden luggage bench in front of the patio doors and so I used it for my suitcase with everything that didn’t go on a hangar and Peggy used the bench that was in front of the vanity.
There was a small fridge. There was also a second window, 2 small beds with the thinnest pillows I have ever seen. They were a foot square and thin, thin, thin. I have pictures, Derek will upload later.
We went to ask for more pillows and met some other guests who were doing the same thing. The front desk couldn’t seem to understand the request. After 20 or 30 minutes they seem to get it but the next day we still did not have more pillows. We asked the maid, none of whom spoke any English and so gestures were all we had. Became interesting when we were out of toilet paper.
Resort:
We met some new friends, a mom and daughter and daughter’s 7 year son, and discovered we knew a lot of people back home. It was like old home week in the labour movement.
We found a lot of mosquitos and the flies were everywhere. I have never seen so many flies. Apparently there is a swamp very near our area. We did not feel the need to check it out as I am not fond of swamps, especially those with supposed alligators. The woman who lives in the swamp told our friends the swamp was our water source. Could explain the intestinal difficulties that both Peggy and I suffered all week. We did not drink the water but we had no way of knowing what the food was washed in. We got fresh water each day from the bartender but had to pay him. The 1st day the maid brought us a bottle but neither the bar nor the restaurant was able to fill it for us. They did not have taps or hoses. The bar used bottled water and the buffet filled up the container in the buffet from bottles as well. This was not the case in the other bars but we were not able to access them.
The beach:
The beach in front of the Villa Coral was very rocky with soft white sand when the tide was out. It was not a comfortable beach. There were palapas but they were the A shaped ones and so fit only one beach chair. That was directly in front of our small section. Other areas of the beach had regular as well as A frames palapas. Other area had wider areas with more sand but all areas were very rocky.
The Food:
Food was very basic, with limited choices and unfortunately, open to and covered with flies. I have never seen so many flies at a resort. It was quite off putting.
Food consisted of plain white rice, not kept heated and often mystery meat. We did have some good roast beef and very tasty fish. One night they had a roast of pork, one night a turkey. No fries and I don’t recall potatoes. Fresh fruit appeared occasionally but was limited and not always fresh. For several days the only bread, including for breakfast was dinner rolls. Deserts were the traditional excellent beautiful cakes and pies and pastries. Neither Peggy or I are desert eaters but everyone seemed to enjoy them. They did get bread for a few days but it was limited to soft white bread. I was quite disappointed. They did have a toaster so we could toast whatever was there. The chef did eggs in the am and the hard-boiled eggs were both hot and cooked. Ice cream was good. 1 flavor per day.
The staff in the buffet spoke very little English. Each time I tried to speak Spanish to them they corrected my pronunciation. Kinda makes you wonder. It was very difficult to request anything. It has been so very long since English was an issue in our travels to Cuba. They were all fluent in Italian, mind you. We discovered there were very few non Italians at the resort . Coffee and tea was available in the buffet in the morning but the machines were covered up and unplugged for lunch and dinner. You had to leave the buffet and go to outside and around the pool and down the steps to the bar and get a coffee there. No tea. The wine, 1 red, 1 white was soooooo bad, I was unable to drink it at all. Our friends said the red was tolerable but only just. The staff ate at this buffet.
More on the resort / Bars:
So, that was the buffet. The pool, the lounge area, and a small area with 8 tables overlooking the lounge and the pool made up the entire rest of the area we were allowed to be. We were given red bracelets that we soon discovered meant we couldn’t go anywhere else in the resort, use any other bars or pizza bars. We soon decided not to keep them on. Our only bar was the swim up pool bar and pictures will show the difficulty in that. Above the bar was a very small sitting area with another 8 tables with plastic chairs. That was the entire scope of the section we were privy to. We did not know this on day 1. We had not had orientation yet. We did not know there were snacks available between the buffet times. Since the buffet did not open till 7:30, yes, 7:30 pm for dinner we were hungry about 5:00pm and went looking for the 24 hour snack bar. Someone mentioned there was a pizza bar over near the lobby and so off we went. We went up to the bar and ordered a beer and a pizza. There was a staff person waiting for a pizza and she asked if we were wearing red bracelets, DUH, she could see them as well as we could. We politely answered yes, and she then informed us that we were not allowed in the area, nor were we allowed to use the bar or order food. When we explained we were hungry and missed the snack time at our area she allowed us to have a pizza and the bartender waited until she left and offered us beer. She introduced herself as Public Relations. She really kept an eye on us after that. She ate at our buffet and I was tempted to ask to see her red bracelet. There were about 6 tables that the staff used, even when it was really busy. The staff appear to work 12 hour shifts for 20 days and than go home to the mainland by boat for 10 days.
Our new friends had their orientation on Friday and mentioned there was an artist going to be showing his wooden jewelry that night and then he would be leaving the island for home. It was the last chance to see the merchandise. They asked us to go with them. They were not really clear exactly where it was but was sure the taxi driver would know. You have to order a taxi at the front desk. We did so and along came a very big bus. Their rep had told them the cost was negotiable and so they assumed if there were more of us we could work a deal.
The hours posted for the facilities were as follows:
Aqua Bar---8am to 1am
Snack Bar 11am ---1pm
Pizza Bar (same as above) 3pm -----5pm
Buffet
Breakfast 7:30am –10am
Lunch 1:00pm –2:45
Dinner 7:30pm ---9:45pm
On Sat at noon we had our orientation meeting. She explained the 2 beaches on the peninsula and how to get there. There is a small train (tractor pulling a train), which was free and the times were posted in the lounge. You could also use the bus or taxi. She mentioned it also visited other resorts and you could get off and check them out and shop.
Our bar served coffee as I mentioned and rum. Mohitos were available but none of the fancy drinks. Water, cola, beer, rum.
Massage was available in the medical center, which was in the same building as we were in. $25.00 for a full massage for 1 hour. Prices I have not seen for a long time.
The ocean was also very rocky and so we stuck to the pool which was very deep. I could walk across it on my tip toes only and so my noodle was very handy. Peggy brought her floater and spent a lot of quality time on it.
We did take the train to Playa Sirenas. It was a very crowded bumpy ride and took 45 min and then we were told the last train back was in 2 hours. Sand was beautiful and deep. Very hard walking. We brought our own umbrellas and so didn’t worry there were no palapas left. No chairs empty either. Very wide large beach and beautiful water. There was a very large full service restaurant with stalls for shopping as well. But we found we needed to get home quickly (travelers disease), and managed to get a taxi back. We didn’t leave after that except for a few walks down the beach.
Funny things happened at the snack bar. We ordered French fries and were told no. I mentioned I saw fries and with a limited English/Spanish discussion it turned out you could order hot dog or a hamburger and fries but not fries. So I ordered a hamburger and fries and Peggy ordered a hot dog and fries. Unable to eat hamburger or hot dog but ate the fries. Next time same situation. Must order hot dog to get fries and so 4 of us ordered hot dogs and fries and ate the fries. You could order pizza in the afternoon but not fries. However, The 7 year old with us could order both and also fries whenever he wanted. On day 3 they finally conceded they may as well just bring us fries. They even allowed us to order 2 plates if we wanted. On days when we didn’t find anything at the buffet it was very important to get our fries. We ate at every opportunity. No weight gain at all.
TV, 2 english channels.
We did go to the Sol on the last day and were impressed. Very rocky but great beach and pool grills and a beautiful resort. Would consider returning to that resort. There were gazebos close to the water and they did utilize any flat rock area with chairs and palapas. We got a real beer in a real beer glass. It was nice. They served us without a qualm.
The weather was perfect and we got a lot of wonderful sun and rest and relaxation. We experienced a wonderful raging wind and rain storm the night before we left and thankfully we were in the (forbidden) lobby bar and enjoyed the view of both sides of the storm The ocean was fabulous and black.
We took a cab to the airport in the morning and were 2nd in line and got great seats again and the VIP lounge was closed. Peggy was not well on the way home and the “in charge” with CAN Jet took very good care of us.
Derek picked us up at the airport and we had a great drive home.
Memories Azul Cayo Santa Maria 2012
Feb 21 to March 06, 2012
Flight with SunWing was scheduled for 6:15 am. We stayed at the DoubleTree hotel on Dixon Road. A very good deal at 99.00 per night, which included free parking for 14 days and the shuttle to and from the airport. Wake up call was booked and we settled in for a few hours sleep. Shuttle to the airport was painless. Took all of our luggage into Terminal 3 and started to look for the Sunwing counters. Couldn't find them and so we asked a few people and finally a kind staff person said you are in the wrong terminal. Sunwing is in terminal 1 with Air Canada. He gave us directions and off we went. I thought for a moment we were with Judy. It was our 1st experience with the sky train and we enjoyed the experience. We had our luggage on a cart and we were able to use the elevators and take the cart right on the train. It was fast and simple.
Once we got to the right place, check in was quick and easy. They weighed all of the luggage including our carry on. One carry on was 2 k over and she suggested we move things around. I put a few things in my purse (knapsack) and all was well. Makes sense eh, same plane, same weight. With that in mind as soon as we were through security I put it all back in the carry on.
Getting the super elite was really worth the money, just for the separate elite check in and advance seat selection and priority boarding. We booked the 1st row and knew there were no overhead spaces above our seat and needed to get on board so we were able to store our bags immediately.
There was a ½ hour delay due to the manifest having the wrong pilot’s name. They needed to send it back for correction and have it faxed back to the in charge. Smooth flight, champagne was served as well as a hot breakfast.
Arrived at 10:10 am and we were the 1st off the plane and through customs. Luggage was very slow but no problems. The bus was almost full when we got to it. Derek took care of luggage and I got seats on the bus. There were only a few seats left and we were at the back of the bus. Derek came on the bus to say he was going to go to the bank for money. I left our personal bags on the bus and went to tell him, I had money and if he wanted a beer I would get it. We went together to the small bar and ordered a beer and Derek decided to go to the bank anyway. I waited for him at the bar and buses started to leave. I was sure I was keeping an eye on our bus, but when Derek finally got back and looked at the buses, he noted our bus had left. I was sure at that point that Judy was with us. We spoke to a few people and explained that our luggage and personal bags with passports were on the bus. They put us on another bus that was also going to Memories and said not to worry. So, I didn't. I am fully aware that things left on the bus usually disappear, but I was sure a knapsack and a travel bag would be kept. One of the women on our bus was more frantic than I was and couldn't imagine how I could remain so calm. I just said with the communication that happens in Cuba, they probably are already aware and it would be waiting for us. I was a bit scared though. I could picture us having to go to Havana to the Canadian consulate to get permission to leave the country and documentation for the Cuban Customs and Immigration. But we had a beer on the bus and tried to relax and enjoy the ride to the resort. (1 CUC at the airport and 2 on the bus).
When we arrived at the resort and got off the bus, our rep and bus driver were there with our bags. I was so thrilled I hugged the poor guy and Derek tipped them with many thanks. All is well and a lesson learned. Derek thought I should have run in front of the bus and flag it down and kept it there for us. But since I didn't see it leave, that wasn't an option. LOL given Derek's ability to panic he was quite good about the whole episode. Once he told everyone at the airport who would listen he was quite calm. I was impressed.
Several of the bridges are still under repair and there are by passes. We were able to see the Dolphin Aquarium and Sea Lion area from the causeway.
============================================
We were served champagne and juice upon arrival. The check in system was a bit different. They sent us to a hallway where they had set up a large table with envelopes and once you found your envelope and were assigned your room, you gave the number to the bell hop and he marked the bags and loaded them unto a golf cart and trailer. (Derek took a picture), it was impressive. The Diamond Club guests were sent to the Diamond Club lounge off the lobby and were checked in there. Drinks and snacks were offered while you waited. Our names were not in either place and so I asked for the Public Relations person on duty. I had received an email from Eduardo the day we left saying he would upgrade us to Diamond Club and to check in with PR when we arrived. My brain was not in gear; due I'm sure to the lack of sleep, the passport scare and a glass of champagne. A call was made and Ania from PR arrived and informed us that we had been upgraded to Diamond Club, and also to a suite in building #53, one of the ones I requested. We were given special silver bracelets. We were, of course, thrilled and enjoyed some more champagne and beer. Doreen, you know how I love my champagne. Derek gave our room # to the bell hop and we finished our drinks in the beautiful lobby. Once we were calm and collected we made our way to our room. We went through the lobby, which is opened 24 hours, and wandered with our map to the room. We discovered there was a pool with a pretty bridge right beside our building. We were on the 2nd floor halfway down the hall. There was a skylight outside our room and hanging plants and an open area where you could look up and down to the other 2 floors.
The Suite was great. Inside the door was a small hall with a powder room off to the left. Ahead was a large room with a sink, table and chairs, couch, chair, TV, and a side table, a coffee table a fridge and a coffee maker. At the end of this room was a balcony with sliding glass doors with a screen, and a great view of the ocean. We were close enough to hear the sound of the ocean. There were 2 chairs and a little table on the balcony.
The drapes were new and worked very well. It is so nice to experience the newness of a resort. We have been to many and enjoy the discovery as well as the newness of everything.
Off the hall to the right was the large bedroom with a king size bed, a chair, bedside tables and lamps with a ceiling fan. There was a very large luggage/ bench area that was quite useful. There was a desk with 3 large drawers and a fridge. Another TV, and a floor lamp at the end of the desk. The room also had a full-length mirror on the wall that backed onto the bathroom.
The windows in the bedroom were very large, making the room very bright. The windows were also well draped and opened for a fresh night breeze and the sound of the ocean.
Separate AC for each room, which we found quite convenient. There was also a door between the 2 rooms, which we also appreciated at times.
Off the bedroom was a fantastic bathroom with a separate toilet with a door, to allow privacy when you are sharing a bathroom. There is a separate shower, a soaker tub and a quite large sink and vanity area. The open space was very large. Inside the bathroom door, to the right was a walk in closet, with clothes rack, 3 large drawers, the safe and an iron and ironing board. It also had a 2-tiered shoe rack. I think Derek was more excited about that than I was. I was very pleased with the entire setup. There was room to dress in the closet if necessary. All in all, a thrill. I am a Diva when it comes to Hotel rooms. Our room in Turkey was about the size of the bathroom in Cuba.
We unpacked a bit but couldn’t wait to get to the ocean. Our building was the closest to the ocean and so it was a short walk to the beach. There is a path and a bridge, a small building on the way to the beach with flush toilets and a sink. A little wooden bridge over a gully, and then the beach bar, which is very close to the beach. At the end of the walk, there is a designated Diamond Club section of the beach.
The Diamond Club section of the beach is to the left of the walkway and is marked off with pylons. The beach staff that monitored the area. If you are not wearing a silver bracelet they politely explain to people the special beach and show them what area of the beach they may use. There are 2 rows of palapas’ and a surplus of the mesh beach chairs. There is bar service in this area of the beach. The beach is very wide and there is lots of room for everyone. On either side of the Club area there are also palapas’s and plastic chairs. I was very pleased, as the mesh chairs are so much better for my back.
Outside our building there was pool. Quite shallow, at my shoulders in the deepest spot under the bridge. The bridge was very pretty and provided some shade. The chairs were mesh and there were palapas’ all around the pool and a pool bar as well. Beside the pool area was the children’s building and play area with a very large frog fountain. Water flowed from the frog’s mouth and the kids enjoyed running under it. There was also a very shallow splash pool at one end of the area but I never saw it used. Might be a good place to put a chair and stay cool.
There was a book exchange (a cart with books people would drop off books and trade for another). This is always a nice benefit as people often run out of books.
To the right of the pool lay the path to the main areas of the Azul. The auditorium on the right (or across from the west entrance of bldg 52) is very large and comfortable. Derek took several pictures, but I will try to give you a verbal view. The auditorium is a beautiful large stage and the seating is a slight semi circle. I love the set up. It is tiered and all of the seating is in comfortable wicker chairs with cushion and a table for every 2 or 4 chairs. It made for a very comfortable way to watch the show or attend the orientation that was held here. There are 2 bars across the back and table service as well. One of the best set-ups I’ve seen. It was large enough to accommodate everyone who wished to attend.
We went to the buffet for dinner, but as large as it was there were very long line-ups at every station. There were tables available but it looked like a very long wait. We decided we would walk around for awhile and see if it would be quieter later. The Italian Restaurant, across from the buffet was full, so we walked around the lobby and checked out the Diamond Club lounge. Past the Club we found the Gourmet restaurant and they welcomed us to have dinner. It was very quiet, only a few tables occupied. We had a very pleasant lobster dinner. The restaurant has a fixed menu, appetizer, soup, lobster with veg, potato, and rice and dessert. They served a good wine, and we totally enjoyed the dinner. We were entertained by 2 musicians, playing a violin and a base fiddle.
We then had a drink in the lobby and listened to live music there as well.
An early night, sleeping with the bedroom window open and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean waves. Perfect Paradise!!!!!!
The next morning we had a great breakfast at the buffet. It is very well set up. There were several stations for eggs, crepes, and French toast. The set-up for toast was well done. There was a long counter with a toaster at each end, with all of the bread in-between. There were croissants every day and various breads as usual. There was rarely a lineup. At lunch and dinner the table had pizza, hot out of the oven. Seemed to be very popular with all ages.
There was fruit, cereal, milk, yogurt and various meats as per Cuban tradition but there was also a steady supply of crispy bacon for those Canadians who love their bacon. I’m sure they had one chef in the kitchen exclusively cooking bacon, because they would no sooner bring out a tray and people would be there to empty it. There was never a long wait till another tray arrived. It is the fastest service I have ever seen at any Cuban resort.
Orientation:
We went to orientation in the auditorium. The entertainment staff started the session with a song and dance and then the Director General, Eduardo Marron Orozco was introduced and he welcomed everyone to Memories and introduced all of the directors in charge of the various departments. It is one of the things that make Eduardo a very successful and popular General Manager at all of the resorts he has managed. He takes the time to be at orientations and is also seen throughout the resort daily. He invited guests to approach him at any time. We have been at other resorts with him and have always been impressed with his interaction with both staff and guests. He is very familiar with Happy Faces and treats us very well.
The rep informed us that the Memories Azul/Paraiso has 1,386 rooms. It is a very large resort but does not give the impression of a huge complex. It is well designed and very easy to get around. It does not seem to be a long walk to get anywhere. It helped that we were in the center of the Azul.
The rep hours are 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00pm to 5:00 pm. It makes sense as Sunwing has the entire resort and so all guests must be serviced by Sunwing reps. There were lineups most of the time. They had a desk at both resorts, with 2 reps at each. It was clear they were making every attempt to service clients.
The rep mentioned the ban on seashells and coral being taken from Cuba, as well as the usual departure info, rum and cigar allowances.
He explained the Diamond Club lounge concierge. Members could use the lounge and make all reservations there. The lounge was very comfortable, with couches and chairs and tables. They served coffee, tea, juice and snacks all day. There was also bar service. Very comfortable while you wait to make reservations. An aside, while we were there one day one of the clients was taking a very long time and we found out later, he was attempting to make reservations for 27 people AND he wanted them all at one table. Ya right.
Everyone else made reservations in the auditorium where 2 tables were set up. It prevented the normal long lineups in the lobby area.
Bars:
Lobby Bars 24 hours
Grill Snack Bars 24 hours
Pool Bars 9:00 to 18:00 (6pm)
Beach Bars 9:00 to 18:00 (6pm)
Theatre Bars 17:30 (5:30) to 23:00 (11pm)
Buffet Restaurants
Breakfast 7:00 to 10:30
Lunch 12:30 to 15:00 (3pm)
Dinner 18:30 (6:30pm) to 22:00 (10pm)
Grills
Continental Breakfast 09:00to 11:30
Lunch 12:30 to 18:00 (4pm)
Snacks 24 hours
A la Carte Restaurants:
Dinner 18:30 (6:30pm) to 22:00 (10pm)
Reservations made from 9:00am to 15:00 (3pm)
Dress code required
Menus; Italian, in the main building,
Mediterranean, /Caribean Tex-Mex, at the Paraiso pool
Asian Fusion, Steakhouse, at the Azul main pool
Gourmet, in the main building.
Room service 8:00 to 22:00 (10pm)
Mini bar replenished according to consumption. This included the usual, large bottle of water, 2 beer and 2 soft drinks.
Part two:
A few more things we learned at the orientation;
Bank: there is a bank in the Azul lobby and you need your passport to exchange money but not to get change if you already have CUCs. It is open 9 to 5 and is usually very busy in the am.
Reservations for dinner can be made from 10 to 5 in the theatre.
He spoke about excursions and I will list them if there are any new ones. A big disappointment for us was the catamaran. There is no longer the 1/2 day or full day snorkeling trips with lunch on board. They all go to the Dolphin center and all meals are now at the center.(Since we choose not to attend the dolphin center, we cannot go snorkeling. We have so many fond memories of our snorkeling trips.) The price is $99.00. There is only 1 stop for snorkeling, a short visit to an island, and them to the aquarium. The boat carries 70 people. I miss the smaller ones.
down. This grill at night was the Tex Mex on one side of the restaurant, and Caribbean on the other. Both were very good.
Both Grills at each resort often has lobster and crab meat. One grill at Azul was Asian Fusion and the other was steak.
The lobby bar at Azul is quite large and although very busy before dinner there was always comfortable chairs to be had. It is sectioned and provides table service. There were different musicians each night and all were excellent. The wine was good. Champagne was available most times. They ran out if it was busy.
There were 3 pools. The one outside our building was the smallest and we enjoyed it. It was never busy busy. The Azul infinity pool on the hill was in front of the 2 Azul Grills. It had a bar, however, we never used it. The pool was beautiful and very busy. The setting was beautiful as you could see the ocean. The Paraiso pool was also well appointed and well laid out it was busy but there was always chairs and never seemed to be crowded. There were shaded areas, sunny areas, quiet areas, something for everyone. The 2 Paraiso grills were located at one end of the pool. Seating inside and out, covered and not covered.
The Italian Restaurant hosted the special lunch for return guests and we received an invitation. We attended and sat with Eduardo and his lovely wife Rosita. They sat at our table and joined all of the discussions. Both of them are very experienced hoteliers. We enjoyed a 4 course lunch, artichoke, cream of tomato soup, steak with rice and potatoes and gravy as well as cake for desert. Lunch lasted about 1 1/2 hours. He thanked everyone for returning to Memories and suggested we recommend it to friends and I am happy to do so.
He commented that deep pools were no longer being built. It takes too much chlorine and maintenance. All of the pools are deep enough to swim but not to dive. 160 centimeters maximum.
There is a towel exchange at every pool.
There are 8 a la carte restaurants between Azul and Paraiso, available to everyone. Diamond Club guests are allowed 5 reservations per week and 4 for others. Although, it was noted, due to the crowds and lineups at the buffets, people are encouraged to go to the a la carte restaurants. We did so on most nights. The buffets were also very noisy. It is a lot of people talking and laughing. We found the lineups quite long, so we avoided the buffets at night. We were always able to get a table at the a la cartes.
Derek and I enjoyed our room very much. It was a special treat. There was a nutty rum cake on our 1st night, along with a bottle of rum. We had turn down service each night with chocolates on the pillow.
We discovered that Eduardo enjoys peanut butter and chocolate( the real stuff, not milk chocolate). Any Happy Face who has some space in their luggage would bring some joy if they managed to slip some of either in the suitcase.
There are CD players in the rooms.
We talked with the Sunwing reps and they are very excited about the expansion Sunwing is doing. There are direct flights from Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Ottawa and soon Halifax.
Additional Details:
Chairs throughout the resort are very comfortable. They are wood and upholstered.
Each lobby has an area with a thatched roof off the lobby.
There is a pool table at the Steak House Grill on the Azul side.
Room doors have under door sweeps, keeps out all creatures large and small.
Restaurants are:
Mediterranean
Italian
Gourmet (lobster)
Tex Mex
Asian Fusion
Steak House
Caribbean
Buffets
The tower at Pueblo (shopping area) has 76 steps to the top. Great views!
There are buses that go from all of the resorts to the pueblo as well as to the small shopping area near the Melia and Melia Las Dunas. The bonus is that if you want to go to any of the resorts you can take the bus to them. It is 1 CUC for each trip. We found it very handy. We also walked to several and then took the bus back to our resort.
Melia Cayo Santa Maria 2004 Visit
I spoke with
Jose Carlos as soon as we arrived in Santa Clara and he informed me that
O’Daisy was now working at the Melia and he would arrange for me to go
and see her. Jose Carlos is also stationed at the Melia with designated
hours at the Sol.
We arrived on the Monday and so it was Thursday before I was prepared to leave the beach and go to the Melia.
Jose Carlos arranged for one of the golf carts to take me over to the Melia from the lobby at the Sol. There is a path from one resort to the other and it is easily walked from one end of the resort. There is always a security guard in attendance, as the Sol guests do not have privileges at the Melia. Any Melia guest may use the facilities at the Sol.
O’Daisy is now working at the tour desk in the lobby at the Melia. The hours are better for her with the baby. She had a picture album to show me and the baby is absolutely beautiful. She is the exact replica of Jose Carlos. There is no resemblance to O’Daisy whatsoever.
O’Daisy then took me to meet Maite, who was also public relations at the Sol, when we were there last time. Also Vivien. What a treat to see all of them. We were standing in the lobby chatting away and we were talking about the 1st anniversary of the Sol where I met all of the VIPs and Maite then introduced me to a VIP at the Melia. He was the assistant General Manager, (very good looking) He was very pleasant and did I mention very good looking?
They offered me a tour of the resort and of one of the rooms. Very good PR. I was totally impressed with the resort; the facilities and the rooms are the best I’ve seen.
LOBBY:
very large and open, they are still adding things like 2 fishponds, leading into the lobby. There is vegetation and the lobby is well set out and very artistic.
ACTIVITIES:
The 6 tennis courts are nearly completed. They will be world class. The initial intent was to share the courts at the Sol but that was not working out and so they proceeded to build their own. They are to the right of the lobby as you go out to the pool area.
The pool is very large and spread out. The lounge chairs are wood and they have the most fantastic gel filled lounge pads. I fell in love immediately.
The entertainment center is very large and it has walls that can be raised or lowered so that it can be an indoor or outdoor area. The band shell is huge and so is the seating area.
They were setting up for the ceremonies to celebrate the 1st anniversary and the official opening. Although it is still a work in progress dignitaries were arriving for the ceremonies and it was to be declared officially open.
There is a pool grill and a swim up bar and next to that is the Italian Restaurant. Farther down toward the ocean is the International restaurant (more about that later).
Closer to the ocean there is a wedding center/gazebo and on the beach several palapas.
There is a lobby bar and a piano bar off the lobby, there was a meeting going on in the piano bar, but we looked in and it looks very comfortable. There is a patio outside the lobby bar with wicker chairs and tables, looked like a very relaxing place to sit outdoors and have a drink. The piano bar has a jazz trio every night.
There is a 24-hour café, of course.
There are plans for a spa.
ROOMS: we went to look at one of the rooms and I was very impressed. They are the nicest I have seen to date. There is a small foyer as you enter the room with artwork on the wall. The rooms are very large with a king size canopy bed, a couch and comfortable chair beside a window. The sliding glass doors out to the balcony are screened. This is a first. It is brightly decorated.
There is a desk, TV, stocked fridge CD player.
The bathroom is split. Shower and toilet in one room, the sink and vanity in another with the closet and drawers. There is of course a full-length mirror.
We all did the tour and then sat and had a cool drink in the lobby bar before I went back.
Maite, with the approval of the assistant General Manager, invited Derek and I and our friends to come to the Melia for dinner one night. We decided we would come the following week when our other friends arrived. We chose the International restaurant. I will do a separate review of that night.
They are building 2 new restaurants that will be open during the high season.
The staff and management have been working very hard since the Melia opened. They have had some growing pains and made many changes but they appear to have everything under control. It has been a very hectic year for all of the staff, but they work together as a team and are very proud of the work they have done and with good reason.
I decided before I left the resort that I wanted to come and stay at the Melia a.s.a.p. We are hoping for June, 2005.Our friends Sue and Gaby decided 10 minutes after arriving and falling in love with the Sol, that they would come back with their kids for March break. I contacted my travel agent as soon as we got home to get available times and as it turned out they will be going to the Melia. The times worked well and the price was lower than the Sol.
We arrived on the Monday and so it was Thursday before I was prepared to leave the beach and go to the Melia.
Jose Carlos arranged for one of the golf carts to take me over to the Melia from the lobby at the Sol. There is a path from one resort to the other and it is easily walked from one end of the resort. There is always a security guard in attendance, as the Sol guests do not have privileges at the Melia. Any Melia guest may use the facilities at the Sol.
O’Daisy is now working at the tour desk in the lobby at the Melia. The hours are better for her with the baby. She had a picture album to show me and the baby is absolutely beautiful. She is the exact replica of Jose Carlos. There is no resemblance to O’Daisy whatsoever.
O’Daisy then took me to meet Maite, who was also public relations at the Sol, when we were there last time. Also Vivien. What a treat to see all of them. We were standing in the lobby chatting away and we were talking about the 1st anniversary of the Sol where I met all of the VIPs and Maite then introduced me to a VIP at the Melia. He was the assistant General Manager, (very good looking) He was very pleasant and did I mention very good looking?
They offered me a tour of the resort and of one of the rooms. Very good PR. I was totally impressed with the resort; the facilities and the rooms are the best I’ve seen.
LOBBY:
very large and open, they are still adding things like 2 fishponds, leading into the lobby. There is vegetation and the lobby is well set out and very artistic.
ACTIVITIES:
The 6 tennis courts are nearly completed. They will be world class. The initial intent was to share the courts at the Sol but that was not working out and so they proceeded to build their own. They are to the right of the lobby as you go out to the pool area.
The pool is very large and spread out. The lounge chairs are wood and they have the most fantastic gel filled lounge pads. I fell in love immediately.
The entertainment center is very large and it has walls that can be raised or lowered so that it can be an indoor or outdoor area. The band shell is huge and so is the seating area.
They were setting up for the ceremonies to celebrate the 1st anniversary and the official opening. Although it is still a work in progress dignitaries were arriving for the ceremonies and it was to be declared officially open.
There is a pool grill and a swim up bar and next to that is the Italian Restaurant. Farther down toward the ocean is the International restaurant (more about that later).
Closer to the ocean there is a wedding center/gazebo and on the beach several palapas.
There is a lobby bar and a piano bar off the lobby, there was a meeting going on in the piano bar, but we looked in and it looks very comfortable. There is a patio outside the lobby bar with wicker chairs and tables, looked like a very relaxing place to sit outdoors and have a drink. The piano bar has a jazz trio every night.
There is a 24-hour café, of course.
There are plans for a spa.
ROOMS: we went to look at one of the rooms and I was very impressed. They are the nicest I have seen to date. There is a small foyer as you enter the room with artwork on the wall. The rooms are very large with a king size canopy bed, a couch and comfortable chair beside a window. The sliding glass doors out to the balcony are screened. This is a first. It is brightly decorated.
There is a desk, TV, stocked fridge CD player.
The bathroom is split. Shower and toilet in one room, the sink and vanity in another with the closet and drawers. There is of course a full-length mirror.
We all did the tour and then sat and had a cool drink in the lobby bar before I went back.
Maite, with the approval of the assistant General Manager, invited Derek and I and our friends to come to the Melia for dinner one night. We decided we would come the following week when our other friends arrived. We chose the International restaurant. I will do a separate review of that night.
They are building 2 new restaurants that will be open during the high season.
The staff and management have been working very hard since the Melia opened. They have had some growing pains and made many changes but they appear to have everything under control. It has been a very hectic year for all of the staff, but they work together as a team and are very proud of the work they have done and with good reason.
I decided before I left the resort that I wanted to come and stay at the Melia a.s.a.p. We are hoping for June, 2005.Our friends Sue and Gaby decided 10 minutes after arriving and falling in love with the Sol, that they would come back with their kids for March break. I contacted my travel agent as soon as we got home to get available times and as it turned out they will be going to the Melia. The times worked well and the price was lower than the Sol.
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