PART ONE: Air Canada flight / Arrival / Rooms.
Resort Report Feb 05/05 Blau, Cayo Coco
Hotel
Feb 04/05 Sheraton Hotel at the airport. We arrived and settled in for a
short sleep, but 1st exchanged gifts we had brought for each other. I
brought everyone a sarong type bathing suit cover up and Peggy brought
t-shirts with a happy face and our name on the front, Judy brought wild
happy face clown hats for everyone (which, although there were photos
taken, will not be shared) and we settled down for a few hours sleep.
Air Canada Flight
Peggy and I had arrived at the hotel early and so we went to Terminal 1
to meet the plane from Ottawa and greet the rest of the sisters. It was
a good dry run as we would have to do it again at 4:30 am. There is a
shuttle from in front of the hotel every 15 minutes and it takes you to
terminal 1. We did not quite leave enough time as we forgot that once
you check in you must then wander through terminal 1 and get on a bus
and drive for 15 minutes to the departure lounge. We made it but no one
felt we had much spare time. No problem. Ken and Thea were waiting
for us and I promptly gave Ken the happy face hat to wear. (just so he
would not feel left out, of course).
Since ken and Thea and I had executive class seats we were able to board
at 1st call. I had seat 1a and was very happy with it. The service in
executive was excellent. Champagne and orange juice (you know how I
love my champagne, any time of the day) a choice of breakfasts and very
attentive service.
I went to the back to check on my sisters and met Deb (happy face from
Ottawa, going to Melia) and we had a bit of a chat and planned to meet
on the beach.
Flight was on time and we arrived early in Cuba. As we were 1st off the
plane we were through customs very quickly and I lined up at the money
exchange booth. It was fairly slow as there is a lot of paper work
required and so the luggage was arriving on the carousal. Of course,
you know what happened. I took Deb’s bag and she retrieved it.
Blau
Quick trip to the Blau and we were the only arrivals. Everyone else on
our bus went to the El Senador. We checked in and our rooms were not
ready and so we left our luggage and some of us went to the café and
some to Yareys for lunch.
Rooms:
We were all booked into building 15 (as requested). The buildings are
renumbered and it was previously bldg #21. Ken and Thea were in bldg 14
(previously 23) Perfect!!!! Peggy and Lorrie were sharing a room and
they were given a room on the 3rd floor with a king size bed (I always
wandered where they hid those king size beds) but that was very quickly
changed and they were moved down to the ground floor with the rest of
us. Everyone was very happy with the rooms and the location.
The rooms have been redone beautifully.
The little step I tripped on for so many years is gone. The floor is
one level. There is new furniture, beds and chairs and tables.
Fabulous new paintings (I would love to buy) hang on the walls and there
are new headboards that match the drapes.
The only change in the bathroom is in the closet.
The center of the closet has built in shelving floor to top shelf. On
either side of the shelves are rods and hangers for clothes. There is a
shelf that runs across the top and stores extra pillows and blankets.
The two doors are the same beautiful wood with full length mirrors on
each door. The vanity also has a full wall to wall mirror.
The shower is new and a bit of a problem as
it does not extend into the tub area and so you must take it off the
wall to prevent it from spraying on the wall or the floor. It helps one
to conserve water by wetting yourself, shutting it off, soaping and
then rinsing. I managed a few times to wash the bathroom floor when I
wasn’t paying attention while I washed my hair. My eyes were closed and
my sense of direction has never been good. Three was also a problem
with hot water. It is still a central system and often the water was
luke warm. Not a problem if you returned from the beach and were hot as
it was a nice way to cool down but it was a bit of a shocker in the
morning. At times it was cold, usually in the morning. One day we had
no water for an hour and so we had to sit out on the patio and drink
champagne.
The 1st week there were no chairs outside on the patio but they brought
new wooden chairs and a table to each of the rooms on the Tues or Wed
and it was nice to sit out.
The rooms have a fridge and a coffee maker
and both were replenished each day. We were also supplied with a large
bottle of water each day as required. Beer and pop and cans of orange
drink.
Maid service was as usual excellent. The staff are so efficient and pleasant at all times. They are a joy to meet.
PART TWO: Staff / Food - Restaurants.
Staff
I discovered that there were many previous staff returned to re-open the
Colonial Blau. It was like old home week. Everywhere I went it was
pure joy to run into staff I have known for years. It is also very
flattering to be recognized by all of them. I have no idea how they
manage to remember guests when they see literally thousands of guests in
a year. Everywhere we went there was someone we knew and/or who
remembered us.
FOOD/Restaurants
Reservations:
At check in you are given coupons for the a la carte restaurants. You
may take them at any time to the Public Relations desk in the lobby.
There are 3 a la cartes. The Cuban , the Italian/international, and the
seafood. You may go to each one evening a week. They are not open
every night. It may depend on the number of guests at the resort.
Buffet:
There are changes in the set-up of the buffet. I will try to walk you
through it. There are tables set up outside the buffet, where the
crafts and arts used to set up each day. As you walk into the buffet
(there is only the one open at this point) on the far right (north) wall
the set-up starts with the pasta station. It was very good and very
popular and so there were always long line-up in the evening. We found
at lunch it was much easier to get a delicious pasta meal. Nest to the
pasta station was a series of trays of quite a variety of foods, rice,
chicken, pork etc, the usual Cuban fare. Then there was a grill with a
chef in attendance, for breakfast, eggs etc and for lunch a variety of
items and then another BBQ grill (west wall) where the chef did pancakes
and crepes in the morning, hamburger, fish etc at lunch and dinner.
Then continuing along that wall was the soup pot, (the soup is always
the best, they are the most flavourful soups you will find anywhere) the
salad bar, then the cold meat and cheese area and then a permanent set
up for a made to order Ceasar salad station. Then there was the dairy
station which had milk etc in the morning and also champagne. At lunch
and in the evening there were several choices of ice cream. Then the
toasters (2) and the pastry table, and on the south wall at the end of
the row was the bread station, with the usual irresistible breads.
We found the food to be excellent at times and mediocre at other times.
It seems like there are some very new and young chefs (when you are my
age they look even younger). I swear some of them were a mere 12 years
old. I think they will improve the consistency as they grow into the
job. We were never hungry and always ate too much and so it was not a
problem, but there is a lot of food wasted as people would take a large
amount of one thing and then determine it was not to their taste and
would leave it and go back to the buffet and try something else. I
can’t imagine what the staff think about the amount of food we are
prepared to waste when they do not have the same access to such a
variety and quantity of food.
Italian
The pasta bar has the most variety of pasta dishes and so the new menu
at the Italian/International is different. The return guests in our
group were a little disappointed as it has always been our favorite
place to dine. The staff has not changed and it was a real treat to
meet up with old friends. The food was for the most part quite good and
we all ordered something different and so we were able to determine the
good and the not so good. (don’t order the ravioli, it comes with a
canned beef gray on it)
The restaurant was also available for continental breakfast as well as toast.
The small room next to the 24 hour café bar also had the coffee machine
where you could get your coffee, tea, hot chocolate and some pastries.
It was open in the morning.
Yarey
The pool grill was a great spot for lunch as it had pizza, (not the same
thin crust as they used to make on the spot, they are brought in) but
the same choices as before. They also had a salad bar, heated dishes,
usually a pasta and a hot vegetable and a surprise each day. One day it
was French fries and I think the word got out to the kids as they lined
up and Ken and I had to fight them off to get our share. It was always
busy morning noon and night.
At night it was the Cuban restaurant and the menu has not changed. The
staff was also familiar here and we spent some time here as it was
across the path from our rooms.
Our rooms were perfectly situated, patio looked out to the ocean and the
front door to Yarey and the pool next to Yarey. The towel exchange was
at the end of our bldg and the massage room across the path form the
towel exchange.
Seafood:
The seafood restaurant was as beautiful as I remembered it. I don’t
recall the walkway along the lagoon, steps down from the area where the
tables are. It is a lovely place to find a quiet moment and look at the
stars and the lights of the resort and the Tryp as well. It may not be
new but I just discovered it. Food was excellent. 2 sisters don’t
care for seafood and so they were limited in their choices but the
dessert made up for it.
PART THREE: Bars / Beach / General comments & Observations / Music / Loose ends.
BARS:
The Piano Bar (at the Italian restaurant)
is exactly the same as it has been since day 1 and I love it. We took
it over for an entire evening one night. It is not as well known as the
other bars and so we often had it to ourselves. We were all dressed up
and made up and decided (not my idea) that it would be a lot of fun to
have our pictures taken on the piano. We got permission form the
pianist and put a shawl on the top of the piano to protect it and took
some shots with me sitting at the piano playing(as if) and one of my
sisters singing (not ever) and then each of us posed on the piano in
various poses. What a hoot and they all turned out great. Derek may
scan one and post it. We went to the piano bar most nights. Champagne
was available at all times and we certainly enjoyed that.
The outdoor caf, next to the Italian and just of the central square
was always a busy place. The wrought iron furniture is still there and
still as hard to sit on but were always filled. It is a very popular
place and a meeting place for guests. The bar is open 24 hours and
everything was available including grilled sandwiches.
Yarey
As I mentioned before it is the pool grill, the Cuban restaurant on some nights and the pool bar.
It was also very busy and the staff was great fun. Some old timers
and some new faces. We had a lot of fun at this bar and it was very
handy to the room.
Seafood restaurant bar upstairs still has
the great view from every angle and the bartender (who spoke perfect
English) was fun and did magic tricks and shared some jokes with us. We
were there a lot as well. We didnt spend all of our time in the bars
but the evenings are long and we usually had dinner at the 6:00 pm
sitting.
Raunchon Beach Bar (formerly Hemmingway and still referred to as)
found on the sight of the previous beach grill. Much smaller, with
tables and benches and a bar, but with only cold sandwiches (you know
the kind, ham and cheese ) Very busy all day with only 1 bartender but
he was always in good spirits. There was music as well and so you could
dance while you wait and a few days they announced a party at the end
of the beach day. We were always having to go and get ready for those
early dinners so we didnt check them out.
BEACH
The beach was as perfect as I remember it.
The 1st several days it was cool and windy and the waves were a little
rough. It rained a bit on one day and we hung around under the palapas
and it was over in a few minutes. The evenings were cool but 1 sister
brought shawls for everyone and we were never cold. It is the 1st time
we have ever had cool weather early in Feb. There were many palapas
along the beach and everyone that wanted one was able to locate their
chairs out of the sun. The second week the weather was warmer and the
ocean quite calm and the beach had changed formation as always happens
after strong winds.
It was a wonderful experience to watch 2 of my sisters who had never
been to the ocean, discover the sand and waves and the salt water. They
were convinced on day 1 and were talking about coming back. We walked
the beach alone and together. We swam and when we had a fairly calm day
we took out the paddle boat and 4 of us went snorkeling down in front
of the water sports bldg. My sister took to it like a duck to water
and I had trouble getting her out of the water.
I walked the beach down to the Sol and had forgotten the difference in
the beach and the sand from one end of the beach to the other. Near the
El Senador the sand is like powder and at the Sol much courser and the
depth of the water is very different as well. The beach at the Tryp
almost disappears at high tide and some days the water would go right up
to the steps at the beach grill.
GENERAL COMMENTS & OBSERVATIONS
All of us talked about the real reason we go to Cayo Coco and agreed it is the people we meet and the way we are treated.
The staff greeted us with pleasure everywhere we went. They knew we
were coming and I guess they were surprised to see 5 sisters at once.
There were many comments made and they watched us pretty closely. If I
wanted to find any of my sisters I just needed to ask one of the staff
and they knew where they were or where they were going It was great fun
for everyone. The PR staff was very helpful each and every time I
requested their assistance. They mentioned D&B and the happy face
group and so I knew we were welcome. Dayami and Iliana helped us with
reservation (not an easy job when it was for 7 people at times. They
were also very helpful in arranging a celebration of my sisters
birthday. It was held at the Italian and they couldnt have done more.
We had champagne (notice a trend here) and they baked her a cake and
allowed us to hang balloons and have noisemakers and streamers. We
saved the streamers for outside so as not to cause the staff more work
cleaning up for us.
We also had a celebration at the Seafood restaurant as the captain
wanted to help us celebrate her birthday. We had champagne and another
cake and a great deal of fun. We were treated like roalty where ever we
went and it was the trip of a lifetime for us all. All of my sisters
plan to return to the Blau in the future. My #2 sister wants us to go
back in November to celebrate her birthday. I asked if she would like
to try another resort and she said why would you look for somewhere else
when you have found perfection at the Blau. They now all understand my
love for the place.
We spent 2 days at the pool, one each week
and although the water was cool it was very protected from the wind and a
cozy spot to be when the beach was too cool. The pool now has the
plastic chairs and the cloth ones are at the beach. I like that as I am
at the beach at all times (when possible) and need the softer chairs.
There was no need to save chairs until near the end of our trip. We did
find there were a lot of people from the Tryp who came down to share
the beach at the Blau (due Im sure to the narrow beach when the tide was
in). No problem as there were only a few times when chairs were
scarce.
3 of us went para sailing. It was awesome.
I have always wanted to do that and it took my novice sister asking me
to do it that tipped the scales. I wanted her to enjoy every
experience and so she agreed to go up if I did and so we went one
afternoon when it was really windy. The experience is one I will never
forget. The complete silence at 500 ft in the air is wonderful. All
you can hear is the wind and you can see for miles. It is totally
controlled by the pilot and he lands it on the same spot on the beach
each and every time. Both of them also truly enjoyed it $40.00 convertible pesos and well worth it. (the man controlling the sail has a Tom Cruise smile and that was a bonus)
We did not leave the resort as there was not enough time. There was an
agreement that 1 week was not enough and future trip would be for 2
weeks.
Quality of the alcohol has greatly improved. Wine ad champagne and liqueurs are much better and more available. And are at every bar.
MUSIC
For the most part the practice now appears to be a group will come to
the buffet to play but will do so from a stationary spot near the door.
At the outdoor caf there was a group each night and they played beside
the bar. The seafood restaurant had a boat floating in the lagoon
serenading the guests and it was magical. Sorta like Venice but a lot
less expensive. They would then come up and play at the tables.
LOOSE ENDS:
It took me several days of complaining about the food at the buffet and
wasting 3 omelets before Ken told me it was the pepper and sure enough
as soon as I stopped using the table pepper and used my own everything
was fine. It was horrible.
The rooms provide cotton slippers, there are new paintings, new drapes new floor lamp,
There is a money exchange in the lobby that is much better that the front desk where the staff are very busy and they never ran out of money.
TV you can now get CBC and CTV very exciting.
Now Derek wants to go asap. I actually got to watch Corrie St. CBC
is out of Winnipeg and CTV out of Halifax and so the times are
different.
We had massages and enjoyed them very much. Appointments are booked at the towel exchange.
Re the water sports, there are hobie cats
and they are available as long as the ocean is not too rough. You have
to make an appointment and one of the staff take you out. If you wish
to go out on your own there are paddle boats,(seats 5) and kiaks (sp)
for 1 or 2 persons. I did not see anyone with a sail board at the Blau
but things change every day.
PART FOUR: More
comments on restaurants, Disco, Entertainment etc. Update on facilities
& renovations at the West end of BLAU.
The seafood restaurant is still the El Dorado
and you access the walkway from the area just in front of the hall that
leads to the washrooms and there is a flight of stairs that take you
down to walk all along the logoon for the length of the entire
restaurant. It is very romantic and there I was without Derek. The
music was magic. I loved it. It was a typical Cuban effort, with one
man to operate the motor on the boat, one to steer with a long pole when
the motor didn't work and one musician playing the violin beautifully.
It was at times haunting and lonely and romantic and at times lively.
The El Caribeno is now the gym (temporarily) . It has some bycicles and treadmills and a few weights and the washrooms are available.
The rest of the area from the east end of the pool to past the tower are fenced off.
The gate was opened at the west end and we did go for a walk through
the area. The salt water pool is empty and everything is closed. The
vegetation is still beautiful. The tower is closed but we did walk up
to the top for the view. We could see the Play Coco from the tower. It
looks quite small. You can also see from that view there is coral in
front of the resort on one side of the beach.
The electric boats are not running but the
signs are still there. The 2nd buffet on the way to the salt water pool
is also closed up tight with the windows covered.
Staff say they expect that section to be opened in a year. They also
say the El Caribeno will also re-open as the Cuban restaurant when all
is finished and the gym will be relocated.
I did not see ice cream availble during the day except in the buffet.
The Churro man was at his station in the courtyard and he made all of my
sisters pronounce charro the cuban way before he would give them one.
It was a hoot. We don't do the rrrrrs well.
One of my sisters is finishing her university degree with a spanish
course and she brought her study cards with her. Everyone was very
helpful and they so appreciate when anyone can communicate in their
language.
The disco is running full blast till 2 or 3 am. Great music and dancing. Some wonderful cuban dancers on hand to show us how it is done. We had a lot of fun in the disco.
There were not evening shows per se but a couple of nights they had events for the youngsters, a magic show and some games.
There were more families there than I used to see at the Colonial.
Perhaps they were booked at the Tryp side, previously. They are putting
together an entertainment team. They did come to the beach one day
looking for volley ball players but I never saw a game in progress.
I think they are still working on the finished product. Some work left to do.
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