Melia Long-stay Photos Uploaded

Ta-dah!  The photos are HERE.  As always I will promise to do captions, but...

More from the Melia

Random notes again.

1.  On Xmas day there was a water ballet display in the main pool.  It was combined with a display of excessive tolerance of small children as three 10 year olds were allowed to pretend to join in.  The team, from the uni at Santa Clara, did a nice job of avoiding them but their parents deserve a whack.  I wouldn't have minded seeing one of the performers crush one of the kids by the time they were done, so long as none of the ballet types were injured of course.😃

2.  Years ago, in Veradero so must be 25 years ago, we remember seeing a man standing on the beach with his hands over his head rotating in the sand.  Rotisserie tanning we called it.  Saw someone doing the same here.  Gotta admire the dedication.  😃

3.  Another of the 'I enjoyed many years ago' books that I brought along to re-read before passing along to the stepson who owns Toronto's best second hand bookshop, Re: Reading on the Danforth just west of Pape on the north side, is Orhan Pamuk's The Black Book.  Not just still a great read but also, as with others I brought, a very different read as I have now spent time in Istanbul.  Even has a scene on isstikal Caddesi.  Found memory of walking along it just after dark and hearing the tiny tap-tap of dozens of shoemakers at work. 

4.  I have well and truly fallen into a daily rut.  Nice to have a (quite good) cappuccino waiting for me each morning at 0700 though.  At my table even.

5.  The server providing poolside drinks started a conversation with the folks sitting next to us one morning.  Turns out they live literally a stone's throw from us in Cobourg.  Small world.

6.  Another book to get a positive notice even if recently published is The Tailings of Warren Peace by Stephen Law.  Look for it.

7.  Lots of great weather but a couple of days really toasty.  The afternoon of one we retired to the lobby bar and sat in the shade and breeze, read and directed new arrivals off the airport bus to the bar's washroom.  In the old days the busses had their own and a bar at the back to boot.  Getting old...and so is my bladder. 😳

8.  One of the reasons we so love building 17 here is that with an Oceanside room on the 2nd floor you can get a blistering breeze by opening both doors.  Much better than a/c.

9.  I'm reassessing my plan to get a bus pass when I retire.  I think maybe an electric golf cart.  Had a couple of runs in one.  Quiet, feels fast in confined spaces and clean. 

10. Scorned Woman Sauce a great general purpose sauce for adding a bit of zest to resort food and drinks.

11. The Mambi Lounge on the Danforth in Toronto comes highly recommended by folks here as a Cuban bar and restaurant.  Music pretty good too they say.

12. We slid over the Sol for their weekly suckling pigs BBQ.  Kinda fun, they make a bit of a party of it.  Kinda reminded me of 20 years ago at the Guitart Cayo Coco when they would roast a few on the beach once a week.  A Cuban navy patrol boat would always anchor off the beach that morning, causing much anxiety among the tourists.  The crew would paddle ashore in an inflatable and spend the evening flirting with tourists and enjoying the party.  The boat would be gone the next morning.  😄

13.  Who says beach vacations aren't learning experiences, a chance to expand your mind?  Today I learned that before it became a mouthwash Listerine was a topical treatment for gonorrhoea. 😄

14. Shared a table at lunch with the cutest young couple from a village near Munich who are on a beach stop in the middle of their tour of Cuba.  Much fun.  A reminder to always take advantage of a shared table.  In the dozen times we have we've never had a bad time.

Couldn't Resist, So...

We're off to Manchester (UK) and Iceland in early October.  We've always wanted to take a tour of the Coronation Street set but the tours ended when the show went to a five nights per week schedule.  No time for tours around the shooting.

Anyway, the production company built a new set (hence the overnight increase in the size on every room on the show) and the old one has been in use as a tour site since April.  On 4 October that ends and the demo starts, but on that same day we're doing a tour.

The cheapest flights direct Toronto-Manchester-Toronto were Iceland Air and so on the way back we're spending 5 days in Iceland.

In Manchester we're staying with friends but we're HERE whilst in Reykjavik. 

Treat number two results from Geri inheriting a sum from her father when he died (see below).  She'll be in Cuba for 4 weeks over Christmas and New Years while I will be joining her for three weeks.  Letting us both celebrate Christmas and New Year's on the beach at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria.

Sol Cayo Santa Maria (Cuba) 2013

Well, as always, a bit later than I had hoped, but here’s our review (mine really, Geri’s comments will follow).  This’ll be short, just a bunch of notes about changes, my comments on things.  Seems a waste of readers’ time for me to re-state things I’ve said (or which others have said better) in prior reports.

Another great travel day outbound.  Getting a hotel room with parking is definitely the way to go for early-morning departures.  For us (100+km east of Toronto) it’s cheaper than a limo or cab, far more convenient than the airport bus, and both cheaper and easier than long-term parking.  If we had a departure later in the day we’d train and then bus it, but for anything requiring us to be at Pearson before 09:00 this is the way to go.  My only cautionary note would be that hotels seem to have and then not have room-with-parking deals, so each trip seems to require that we stay at a different hotel.  Interesting in some ways, but I do wish the Sheraton on Dixon was always offering a special as it was the best all around.  Next to the Sheraton right at Terminal 3 of course.  Though the Holiday Inn (970 Dixon) was closest to the airport (Sheraton Gateway excepted of course) and offers the most frequent shuttle service (15-20 minutes, 24 hours a day).

Best of all waking up at the airport or close to it makes for a reasonable first day.  We arrive ready to go rather than ready to nap.

Though of course what I mean by ‘go’ is ‘go to the beach, get a beer and lie down with a book’.  No marathons or mountain climbing on arrival for us.

The only down side to the trip there was the size of the seats on the Sunwing aircraft.  We got the ‘Elite Plus’ package and so had an additional 10kgs of luggage and priority check-in.  Worth the price.  But we couldn’t help but think it would be nice to have something like Air Transat’s or Air Canada’s semi-business class options.  Bigger seats and a few perks.  Sunwing’s tiny seats a bit of a challenge for anyone XL-sized.  Or anyone having to sit next to such a person.  Dunno what to say to those seated between two large people.  Good luck?

At the Santa Clara end of the trip things went smoothly as well.  The bar expansion is complete.  There’s work being done to expand the ramp (larger or more planes expected???).

The gambio wicket is now outside, easily accessed by all, including arriving passengers.  To your right as you exit the arrivals area with your luggage.

The rooms at the Sol are as always: fine.  I love those bright bathrooms; bright thanks to those huge windows.

They do show some wear.  I think a full reno is still a few years away but it is coming.  There have been some touch-ups (metal railings on stairs and balconies have replaced the wooden for example, and painting is pretty much a continuous job for at least a couple of staff).  But it’s hard to complain about a bit of rust on a bath tub and that sort thing.  While it’s there, the fact is that this was a 4-star hotel when it opened, but always priced and marketed as a 3.5, so it can stand a bit of wear before it’s time to complain too loudly.

One thing was annoying, though it’s over and done with now: there were repairs to the water system happening while we were there.  It meant no hot water in the rooms from about 10 until exactly 5pm each day.  And no water at all overnight.  Not hard to live with, but a notice or warning to that effect would not have gone too far wrong.

This happened on about 5 days I think.  Extra bottled water was provided though.

Speaking of bottles, we had one of rum waiting in our room on arrival.  Nice to know they remember us, keep track.

There was one couple we got to know who had more serious issues with their room.  The a/c never worked properly, which presented problems for them as both had health issues.  A bad week for them as there were no empty rooms to move them to until they were almost ready to return home and even swapping out the a/c unit didn’t fix the problem.

Geri also had a serious problem with the wear-and-tear issue.  Getting out of the pool one day she had one foot go through the plastic grating that surrounds the pools.  Some bruising and scraping.  I took a piece of grate to the Public Relations office and demonstrated how easily broken it was.  They were quite apologetic, we received late checkout (Geri’s idea, they offered fee massages for us both) and the following day the grating was being replaced.

Now (it has been a while since we stayed here) beach and pool bar service when staffing levels allow.  Very nice touch and something  that we used to see only at 5-star joints.

Service was always great, despite the large number of students.  For the first few days they were around the regular staff worked alongside them, so many positions were double-staffed; afterwards no problems other than the odd mixology issue (margarita with an olive turned out to be not bad actually, may try it again).

If you’re thinking of going to the Sol, don’t forget that it is a family resort: a fair number of kids about, especially noticeable at the pool.

No coffee or tea in-room, but the lobby bar a short walk from anywhere on the resort for quite good coffee.  On two days the water had been off overnight and so there was a delay in getting (an admittedly very early) morning coffee until it came back on around 06:30.

No bacon for a couple of days.  Ditto French fries.  Probably just as well as I put on weight despite the shortage.  Two mornings the better smelled a bit off.

Generally we still think that the Sol’s buffet is about the best on CSM.

There was a staff rotation amongst all the bars and restraurants the second week we were there.  Vistually everyone has changed work locations.

We took the Jeep Safari’ tour for the first time.  Was OK, enjoyable.  Bits of it will be more or less a matter of taste.  We enjoyed the nature walk the most.  Geri the lunch stop as lunch was a suckling (or close to) pig and the carver, a very nice woman, was happy to slip Geri all the crackling.

The only bit I think all would not enjoy was the wait the majority of the tour had to sit through while a small number of the group did some horseback riding.  Especially annoying as there were, it turned out, some interesting historical sites nearby we could have visited rather than sitting around beerless for an hour.

We skipped the simulated cockfight.  I’ll spare you my rant on this and such things as swimming with dolphins.  A matter for each conscience I suppose.

In a similar vein, along the road kids and parents stopped to wave at us as our convoy of jeeps went by and some of the tourists were slowing to hand out candy to the kids.  I have to say we find this appalling.  These people are effectively running a begging school for children.

On a lighter note, the fellow driving the jeep in front of ours was in dire need of driving lessons and/or thought the rules of the road didn’t apply to him as a tourist (he managed to stop at exactly one stop sign out of perhaps 20-30).  We nicknamed him F***wit and had a fine time keeping track of his violations.

NOTE: all the vehicles provided had manual transmissions.

Weather was perfect save for one rainy day and one slightly cool (22???) day.  On the rainy day we were able to make use of the umbrella in our room.  On those two days the piano bar was opened as a substitute for the lobby bar.  Quite pleasant.

The lobby bar hops around 0700 as it is the first stop (coffee) for tour guides etc. when they arrive.  Good time to practice your Spanish while waiting for a cappuccino.

Food at the Fontanella good by all accounts.  Buffet mentioned elsewhere.  Cuban closed after a fire.  Almost ready I would say.  Substitute was the pizza restraint operating for dinner.

Pizza and beach grills quite good.

My friends the fish in the pool around the lobby doing well (though might be several generations/fish fries removed from those there in 2003) but the pool around the Fontanella was still empty of water (and fish).

Beach great, as always.  Secluded bits pristine between the nude beach and the Melia Buenavista at the west end of the beach.

The bungalow at the west end of the resort still there and still looking great.  A friend who’s a tour rep tells us it is sued regularly by people wanting to spend a few days in luxury near the end of a week or two at the resorts nearby.  CUC300 per day for double occupancy.  One day...

The return trip was fine, thanks in large part to us opting (as we always do) for the VIP option at the airport.  Even with three outgoing flights we were able to find seats and get great service from the bar staff.  We both had a couple of G&Ts to help us sleep on the flight.  I also had a ham and cheese sandwich, toasted, Geri some bagged snacks.  And of course best of all we had priority check-in: faster even than the Elite Plus line.

Perhaps the most important but difficult-to-word bit to my report is in regard to the ‘feel’ of the place.  Admittedly we’ve been going there for a while (we were on the first flight from Toronto, I think in January 2003), but even allowing for that I think it’s fair to say that the place has a near-unique ‘homey’ feeling to it.  I think it’s largely due to there being a lot of stability amongst the staff.  Over the years a number of taken advantage of promotions and the other advantages of having new resorts open nearby and moved, but a great many have stayed.

That combined with a loyal clientele who keep returning every year gives it a ‘feel’ you don’t find many other places.

Memories Azul Cayo Santa Maria 2012

Click here to view photos.

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.

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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 1^st 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.

Nov. 2012: DONATION UPDATE HERE!

Melia Cayo Santa Maria May 2005

PART 1: Flight (Westjet vs Air Can. from Toronto) / arrival / NJT supplies / rooms.

(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.