(Here is the 1st section of our report. Derek took copious notes all week (on tiny bits of paper, I might add) and so he will do the next section and I will add any impressions I have, as he has done in this section. Teamwork.)
Geri has done most of the work here, Derek’s additional comment appear in her text.)
FLIGHT:
We flew with West Jet and were at the front of the line at the airport. They did not open till 12:30 and the flight was at 3:40 We spoke with the ticket agent re the NJT suitcases and she had to go and speak to the WOV representative, who was stationed nearby. There was no problem with those suitcases. There was also no problem with the heavy load in the other 2 suitcases.
Left on time and it was a good flight. Leather seats, very comfortable. We slept for part of the trip. Dinner was a box lunch. Enough to satisfy your hunger but …. It did mean we did not need to run to the buffet upon arrival at the hotel.
(Derek): I missed Air Canada. The cutsey things that Westjet makes their staff do I just find irritating. And the food’s better on AC. Westjest seats somewhere between regular charter and AC I think.
We had seats in the 2nd row and so were through customs and security very quickly. I had our luggage well marked and so it was very easy to identify. We had 5 suitcases and 3 arrived in good time but------when all luggages had been collected an agent came out of the “back room” with the last one and asked us to open it. I had taken one of the NJT and put it inside one of ours and added gifts.
N.J.T = "Not Just Tourists" (humanitarian (medical) aid.):
They asked me to take out the smaller suitcase and I explained to them what was in the case and gave the woman the letter from the organization. She read it and looked through the suitcase, then showed the letter to the security person beside her, he read it and looked at the items in the suitcase. Then she called 2 more guys over and they all he read it and she took everything out of the suitcase again and looked at each item. Again someone else arrived and she went through the whole process again. I asked if there was a problem and she said no. Then they asked me what all the other stuff was and I explained they were for tips at the resort. They smiled and said that was good and finally they allowed me to put all of the stuff back in the case and smiled and said it was good for the Cuban people.
(Derek): We weren’t quite the centre of attention at the customs examination table. A young man found himself having to explain the function and purpose of what is often called a ‘marital aid’. A powered one with several parts and some electrical cord between the parts. Ahem. I was very impressed with (a) his straight-faced explanation using gestures and minimal Spanish, and (b) the fact that the customs folks kept their straight faces on until he had left for the parking lot. After that, well, you can imagine! He asked for our assistance in the explanation, but other than 'sex toy' what can you say?
At this point we were of course the only people left in the airport and other than a few who were in getting money everyone was waiting in the bus. We had to travel in the back of a small van type bus and I was sick. Gravol helps and so I popped a gravol and tried to concentrate on keeping my head steady and my eyes focused, in the dark. It is always a longer journey when you can’t see anything. We did arrive after 10:00 pm and decided to just head to the lobby bar and fortify ourselves with a few drinks and let them get our luggage to the room.
(Derek): I find it gets better after you’ve been over the same route a few times and have a sense of what’s out there in the dark, but I still prefer daylight arrivals. On the upside, we got to see a fair bit of nightlife in the towns we passed through. Remedios ain’t Sudbury, but still the dance clubs and bars are pretty lively. Not to mention the streets.
ROOMS:
We were registered in the bus and so we knew our room numbers. We looked on the map and were very happy to see we were in a unit close to the beach path and the beach grill.
We were very pleased with our room. The location was perfect and the room was beautiful. We had an ocean view from the balcony and I sat out for a few minutes before bed. There was a great breeze and we decided to leave the door open for the night, to hear the ocean and feel the breeze. There were no mosquitoes and the balcony doors were equipped with screens. The balcony was small with 2 wicker chairs and a small table.
(Derek): RE. THE MOSQUITOES:
we didn’t see any the entire week and there was no spraying or smoking of them either. But we were told that the Sol had the usual dawn and dusk experience of them that we remember from previous visits. Apparently it has something to do with the extra shade provided by the more mature foliage over at the Sol, compared with the ‘just planted’ look at the Melia.
Inside there was foyer as you entered with 2 shelves and a mirror, an umbrellas stand and some art. It was a good place to put empty suitcases and the beach gear we are always carting around.
A couch as you entered the room piled with cushions and very comfortable. A coffee table and a chair completed that side of the room. There was a large window behind the chair, that was covered with a bamboo curtain and roman blinds. One portion of the window could be opened and with the balcony door opened it was a beautiful cross breeze.
(Derek):when we first arrived there was a bottle of rum and a fruit plate (guavas!) waiting for us. I think this might be a Happy Face thing, so be sure and tell them you’re coming.
We also received a card from the room manager welcoming us “home”. Three was an envelope with 2 dinner reservations that were most welcome. One for the Mediterranean and 1 for the Italian.
On the wall opposite the bed was a wall unit with the TV, coffee maker and a shelf above. The shelf was handy for many things.
Below were 2 doors and one held the fridge, (stocked daily with 2 beers, 2 pops, 1 large water and 1 small water with gas) and the other door was for storage.
(Derek): STORAGE, STORAGE, STORAGE:
This was the best room, both in terms of the decoration (all walls painted with patterns and nice bright colours) and storage that we’ve had I think. Nice to have enough space to completely unpack even 2-3 weeks’ worth of stuff and not have to use suitcases for storage while the gift-tips are slowly distributed.
The door to the bathroom area was opposite the foot of the bed. It had a curtain that could be closed and the bathroom itself was divided into 2 rooms. The anteroom had a long counter with a full-length shelf and to the right of the vanity was the closet. There were 3 large shelves on top and 4 drawers below. The hanging closet was a good size with lots of hangers and a shoe rack on the floor.
To the left of the sink and vanity was the actual bathroom. It had a door (not all resorts do have a door that separates the 2 areas) and it contained the toilet, bidet, shower and tub. The tub was very deep and the shower was the type that you could remove and use it as a hand held shower.
(Derek): The tub had a sturdy handhold around and over the soap dish. Handy if you have trouble getting in and out of a deep tub.
The water was always hot, although the pressure was not great. Towels etc were good quality and were changed as required. Same for the bed sheets. If you did not require the sheets to be changed every day there was a card on the bedside table you could place on the bed and the bed would be made but not changed. I think that is such a good idea. We do not change our sheets a home each day and it is a waste of water soap and time as well as wear and tear on the linens.
To the left of the door to the bathroom on the same wall opposite the bed was a desk and chair with a mirror over the desk.
There was a safe in the closet and it was self programmed. The toiletries provided were very nice. They were in a basket on the counter and I found it very handy for my makeup and creams.
(Derek):Separating each section of the room (i.e. foyer from sitting area, vanity/dressing area from sleeping area) was a curtain rather than a door or nothing. Added some elegance. As did the unneeded mosquito netting over the bed. Though I got tangled in it one night and woke thinking a fog had moved into our room off the ocean sometime during the night.
There was a small coffee machine with coffee supplied each morning. Leaving a note will get you more than one package of coffee of course, but decafe is unknown, so bring your own if your so inclined. The machine is equipped with a nylon mesh filter, so loose coffee grounds will work fine.
The bed was a KING!!! Not two twins that had to be pushed together (and which are guaranteed to slowly drift apart in the night).
Lots of lamps and lights everywhere. More than we’re used to.
On the down side, a bathroom scale was provided so I could track an increase of 2kgs over the course of our week there. Bad, bad, bad scale!
Part 2: BARS, RESTAURANTS, BEACH, STAFF etc:
The lobby bar is open 24 hours a day. Comfortable enough, open to the lobby and with several exits into the central pools area of the resort. It also has a patio area that is fully exposed and which has a reasonable view of the theatre where the nightly entertainment happens (but get there early for a seat). The chairs and tables are wicker and quite comfortable.
(Geri): it is quite a large bar with several tables as well as bar stools. I found the chairs too large for me to be comfortable. The seats were very deep and if I sat to the back of the chair, my feet were straight out in front of me. If I sat so that me feet touched the floor there was no support for my back. The tables were a nice size.
Pool table and Cuban music on CDs.
Bucanero and Cristal on tap, Mayabe in bottles and cans. The margaritas are highly recommended! There were brand name drinks of all kinds available as well as champagne at all times (except when they ran out)
Snack table in the lobby bar over by the door to the piano bar. Cheeses, breads, ham etc. Fruit.
Swim-up pool bar. Looked fun but we’re beach people and use the pool only to cool off on the way to or from the lobby.
Off the lobby bar is the piano bar. Great live music when we were there. Acoustics are actually not bad, and it’s a much smaller space than the piano bar at the Sol. Service is not as good but I am sure that changes as the staff does.
Snack bar, at the pool has great thin-crust pizza and snacks, full-service bar but the servers double as bartenders, so something on the complicated or arcane side might stump them. Open 24 hours. Love those pizzas!
RESTAURANTS:
Italian was very good. All the usuals, plus I would highly recommend the salmon carpaccio (thinly sliced smoked salmon drizzled with olive oil and dusted with herbs). I had, at the server’s urging I should add, two orders one night. Yum.
The Mediterranean restaurant was dandy too. The filet mignon was nicely done and the portions were not small either. They do a very nice cheese appetizer of shredded lettuce or cabbage (we had one with each on the two nights we were there) mixed with feta and pressed into a bowl shape, drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction.
We weren’t much impressed with the buffet however. The food was OK, but not up to Sol standards let alone what you’d expect at a 5-star. Among other things we didn’t see the variety and quality of breads and pastries that we’ve come to expect at any Cuban resort.
The layout of the place is also odd, with just one exposed ‘island’ in the eating area. The buffet itself is behind a wall that runs across one end of the room. There are three entrances/exits, making the traffic pattern chaotic. And slowing the process of getting your food.
(Geri) STAFF:
Great staff, although there were a lot of students who appeared to be very hesitant to approach your table. They appreciated being asked to do something and there did not appear to be anyone in particular directing them. There was bacon everyday and the usual omelettes etc. at breakfast, pasta station at dinner.
The only badly-prepared food we had was courtesy of a (Spanish) manager who was trying to compensate for the badly-designed layout by showing the omelette chef how to speed up the line, reduce the line-up, one morning. His omelettes suck. They were not cooked through and we noted many still sitting on plates at the tables.
We didn’t have to eat there more than the once we needed to for a review, so we didn’t. A Happy Faces Guest visit to the Sol’s international Restaurant to see Ramon and the staff there plus reservations at the Meiia’s a la carte restaurants keep the numbers on that horrible bathroom scale climbing.
A word about the Melia’s restaurant captains. Eduardo at the Mediterranean is of the chatty host variety and very pleasant. The fellow at the Italian (whose name I didn’t note, apologies) is more of the efficient type, helping staff with wine etc., but otherwise out of view unless you’re at his tables.
There’s a dress code in effect, but not always enforced while we were there. I must be getting old, but I think shorts, tank-tops and baseball caps worn throughout a meal kinda detract from the experience other diners get.
Staff at these kinds of places always have my admiration for making you feel like you’re at a pricey joint while at the same time meeting the management’s expectations in terms of turnover, tight seating times etc.
Both a la cartes had chairs neither of us found terribly comfortable. At the Mediterranean the chair arms butted perfectly against the table ledge, making it difficult to eat comfortably without perching on the edge of your chair.
The beach bar and grill does all the usual and was fine, but I have to say I prefer the charcoal BBQ at the Sol. Everything gas or electric at the Melia.
Fine place to eat though. The windscreens came in handy, as there was a fairly steady wind off the water most of the time while we were there.
All indoor bars and restaurants are now non-smoking.
The wines on offer were a cut above what we have seen at the Sol.
Champagne always around except for one night when I think we drank them dry.
The Creole restaurant was closed while we were there. A Japanese restaurant is opening soon. How soon seems to vary depending on whom you talk to.
The Creole restaurant (beach grill during the day) was open the last few nights that we were there (it was outside our room, so we could see it) but we were not notified and it appeared that the guests were all British. Perhaps it was opened due to a large contingent of Brits that arrived during the week.
BEACH and POOL:
The beach gets sculpted by the water of course, but it was nice and wide while we were there, though with a small cliff along parts because of the storms and wind the week before we arrived. Mebbe 2m high in the worst spots. We watched it change during the week.
(Geri): it is a very wide beach and allowed for a lot of room for everyone. There are many palapas. They are so close they almost touch each other. Anyone who wanted one was accommodated. Since it was so hot and the sun was very hot and stayed directly above for a long time, we all needed the palapas. They run along the top of the beach.
There is enough room on the beach to have 3 rows of chairs.
Lots of chairs.
We didn’t do any real pooling while there. Two side by side in the open area at the centre of the resort off the lobby. As mentioned above, one has a swim-up bar. Close to the 24-hour snack bar.
Lots of very nice wooden lounge chairs though, and these wonderful foam mats/cushions for them. Trouble was, there weren’t enough of the cushions for more than about half of the chairs. I tried lying on a chair without a cushion and it was worse than the plastic chairs on the beach. They seem designed for the cushions to be used with them.
A few of the cushions were down on the beach (but not enough to make up for the lack at the pools). They’re not only really comfortable, but they float!!!
OTHER:
Cybercafe charges $6 per 30 minute session, but there was never a connection when I tried to check on the shenanigans in Ottawa. Though the very nice woman who runs it swore they did have connections occasionally. Part of the problem may have been the occasionally EXTREMELY windy weather we had.
(Geri):It was great to see all of the friends we have made at the Sol in previous visits. When I went to the PR desk to make dinner reservation the PR staff (and 2 students) were very excited to see my “happy face “ pin. They had been notified that we were arriving and had been watching for us. Marialus approached me and said you are Sheedy and said she had been looking for the guest with the happy face badge. I got a full report on where all of my friends were and was able to set up times to meet with them. The grapevine works well as it was barely minutes before we were running into our friends. Some of them have changed positions but all were eager to do anything to make our stay a fun and pleasant one.
The admin for both the Melia and the Sol are now run out of the Sol.
(Geri):Jose Carlos was at the airport and at the Melia for orientation for a wedding party that was travelling with Sunquest. He explained that it was the last time Sunquest would be coming into the Melia. Apparently, Sunquest and World of Vacations have reached an agreement with the resorts, (government?) that Sunquest will be the exclusive wholesaler for the Sol and WOV will have exclusivity for the Melia. That is for flights out of Toronto. They also will be night arrivals.
Gym is under construction. Melia guests have gym privileges at the Sol until it is ready. It is to include day-spa facilities.
Beach showers are an odd thing to mention, but the Melia has some very fancy ones, sculpted really. And the similar if more ambitious one at the Sol’s beach grill is worth the walk down. Really! We watched the artists completing the one at the Sol and we were fascinated. Beautiful work.
Melia guests have drinking but not eating privileges at the Sol. Not reciprocated.
One shop with a walk-in humidor. But aside from cigars I think the Sol’s shop has a better selection, even of t-shirts and souvenirs. Worth the walk over if you need to buy for the grandkids.
CONCLUSION:
It was great to see the place, and while there are still some kinks being worked out, it’s headed to becoming a full 5-star.
The rooms are a real highlight and if we were going at a time of year when we might have to spend some time indoors (September say, when he prices are dirt cheap but there’s always the chance of a hurricane wandering along), I’d want to go here.
But overall and on a ‘bang for your buck’ basis, I can’t help but compare it to the Sol next door.
When I do that the food comes out even (though the Melia wins on pizza!!!), the champagne is something we can bring or buy there. And, truth be told, we know so many of the staff at the Sol that it’s like visiting friends rather then a resort hotel.
Price will determine if we return I think. With Geri retired we not only need to pay a little more attention to such things than we used to, but she’s now home and surfing the web for cheap package deals. If she can get us to the Melia for less than the Sol, great. If not I’d expect you’ll find us at the Sol.
(Geri): I really liked being able to wander around both the resorts anytime. [/b] It was also very easy to get a lift over on the golf carts, if you were tired or hot. We walked the beach to the Sol as well as in the evening we went through the complex. It is a short enjoyable walk. It may sway us for the next trip.
As usual the staff remembered us. They have amazing ability to recall faces. Staff who had previously worked at the Sol recognized us at the Melia. I wore my happy face at all times and that may have helped but they are still uncanny. They would approach us and ask if we had been to the Sol and mention that they remembered us. It feels good. We also remembered most of them as well.
One perennial complaint: there's still no Canadian news channel,
despite the fact that 75% of the guests must be Canadian. If you work
at it you can get the RDI feed to TV5 at 07:00 (as I recall), but that's
it."