rated the Cayo Guillermo Hotel Sol Melia as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location |  | | Staff |  | | Food |  | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Sol Cayo Guillermo Cuba 15/10/2006 to 29/10/2006
Flight by Monarch
Well paying to sit up front the drinks were free, food not bad. My only complaint we sat in row 1 there was no bracket for the flight TV screen. Hence at meal times no where to put them, couldn’t watch film and eat..
Cuba Customs
I have for both 2004 & 2005 complained about aggressive searches. 2006 was much better, very polite, very civilised done by professional Civil Servants quite acceptable. I had to sign a few forms for my HP Photo printer and produce it to prove I had not sold it when leaving.
Transfer
Coach driver had a case of cold beers for nominal cost, great start to holiday.
Sol Cayo Guillermo Reception
After such a long journey a drink awaited and process was fine. As a map reader I had no trouble finding our room but I think more help should be available for senior citizens. Entered the hotel complex by pool and main bar and encountered Mr Grumpy by the end of the holiday knew what he was moaning about. But Hells Bells a good holiday requires a bit of effort and it is that effort that enabled us to enjoy what we could.
Room
Rooms at Cayo Guillermo are in single or 2 story terraces. Ours was a healthy walk from bars & restaurants. But in beautiful well maintained grounds, end terrace single story. The room was a decent size, far larger than Sol Cayo Coco, shower good, loo flushed, bed comfortable. Most days towels and sheets were changed, if I had any complaints it was room cleaning. Gifts always taken but some days no towel or sheet change or sweep!
Restaurants
There was a major problem at the main restaurant, the extractors over the “griddle area” had packed up long ago, and the ventilation had also given up. Enter at breakfast after 2.5 kilos of bacon was put on the griddle and the fumes reached the door at the opposite side not very good for my asthma.
However the actual food was good, all meals could be freshly cooked. Breakfasts & lunch times we had excellent lassies serve us and evenings two wonderful kind men.
We tried the International which had a limited menu, nice tablecloths, but frankly we preferred the smoke next door. We also used the Beach Restaurant (needs booking) evening time and even though our waiter doubled as bar steward at The Rum Bar and knew us well the food was not as good as the main restaurant. This is our opinion and we are fussy eaters, I’m sure those who hate waiting for food to be cooked at the main restaurant may prefer the smaller specialist places.
Beach
White sand seemed to collect sea weed every high tide. Some days this was collected by ancient tractor not others. For most the beach sand was very narrow, at high tide could be half way up your sun loungers! The sea was warm on calm days but there were days it was so rough we did not enter.
Bars
There were two, the Rum Cocktail bar very civilised, friendly open till midnight or sometimes later if there were customers.
The main bar had “All Inclusive” drinks, International Brands, Coffee and snacks. We found this bar located by both pool and stage far too loud for us, but enjoyed a few coffees there.
If you are body piercing man with plenty of tattoos seeking Blackpool Stag weekend in Cuba then this bar is your spiritual home.
Trips
There were the usual range of trips Swim with Dolphins, Havana, speed boats, Colourful Cuba except the steam train wasn’t working. Also a boat trip to a local island and snorkelling over reef and wreck.
We took the local bus down to Sol Cayo Coco Wow how it has improved since 2005
Sad that both Villa Cojimar and Iberostar Daiquir were both shut for repairs we would have liked to see inside both.
Bonus Visitors
There were regular visits from “Craft Traders” offering a large variety of goods as well as a Cigar “Roller”
Conclusions
Needs a few repairs, beach could be improved, but very much a weddings hotel well suited to those who enjoy Stag & Hen Parties at Blackpool.
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rated the Cayo Guillermo Hotel Sol Melia as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We flew to Cayo Coco airport to go to the Sol Cayo Guillermo (Cayo Guillermo island) about 45 minutes transfer. The holiday was brilliant, however, our tour operator, Thomas Cook, could have been much better.
We phoned Thomas Cook up 2 weeks before our departure, as my brother had filled in his tourist card wrong, and we needed to purchase a new one, they informed us that we could get it from the airport on the morning of travel for the fee of £18. So we got there early and did just that.
However, when we arrived at Cuba, he was stopped at immigration as Thomas Cook did not put the official stamp on the back. After many questions, they let him in, but he had to buy a new card. We are complaining to Thomas cook about this. One girl had the same happen to her, but she had no money on her, only travellers’ cheques, and my brother gave her the money for it, as she would have been deported otherwise.
We had pre-booked medical seats, as my uncle travelling with us has bad arthritis. These seats where granted, and we where happily seated together.
When we got to the check in desk, there was a big queue, just as big as the economy passengers (Very disappointing) as we had paid so much more. During this, we where constantly pestered by Thomas cook staff to show them our tickets to prove that we are in premium. Rather annoying, as we had our cases and hand luggage, and had to constantly drop them to show the same person our tickets, I counted, 6 times in 20 minutes.
No other desks where weighing hand luggage but this one was (Yes premium!) She was very rude about it, and my uncles was well over, even after learning that he is disabled and has his medication in the hand luggage, she still forced him to check it, without giving him any time to take his pain killers out. He had to buy paracetamol from boots, even though he is on stronger painkillers. I weighed mine at home on my mum’s scales (she is a slimming teacher, and has professional scales) my bag was 5.2kg and she informed me that I was 1kg over! What a joke! I told her that I refused to check it, as I have asthma and my medication was in there but would take some magazines out.
The departure information on the screens where rubbish! What a joke. 45 minutes before departure my eye! I sat in front of it and it suddenly said ‘final call’ after not saying the gate. We had to run to get there on time, to be greeted by very rude staff, and then we had to wait for the rest of the other miss-informed passengers to embark!
The seats where very spacious at the front of premium, but we had the best seats on the plane! Everyone else in premium had OK seats, I could sit on one for 10 hours, even if the person in front reclined fully! But in economy (I did that 2 years ago) the seats should be illegal!
The flight was comfortable, except to learn that some idiot had been smoking in the toilet, and we would have had to make an emergency stop in the Bahamas. But we didn’t. The premium service was great. We saw Lemony Snicket, The Incredibles, and a few others on the plane. The free drinks where free flowing, and you could ask if you weren’t getting enough. (But we didn’t have to) the stewards where really friendly, and the meals where great.
I had chicken and everyone else had meatballs. All in all, it was worth the supplement just for that, even though the extras we where promised, such as better check in weren’t included. We got a flight bag with lip balm, moisturiser, toothbrush, tooth paste, and headphones.
Getting off the plane was horrible, with immigration. We had to get off with the economy passengers, (I know I sound like a snob) and those with children where allowed to push in. My mum, auntie and uncle went through, when the officer made us let a family of 6 through before us because one person had a baby! I don't think he realised that he'd split us up. But I got rather frustrated, as a lot of people thought me and my brother where a couple! But we had no option. It makes the priority luggage hopeless! As we weren’t there to retrieve it. Then there was all that with my brother’s visa. I ended up getting 7 suitcases off the belt on my own. (I am a 19 year old girl!) Luckily, some kind men next to me helped a lot when they heard what happened to my brother. (My auntie uncle or mum couldn’t help, as they are in their 60s and they have arthritis)
Our rep, Lino, was not much good; he did not understand the English sense of humour! He said ‘we have a problem, there has been a car crash on the road to the hotel and it’s been blocked, we have to take another road which will take 3 hours’ he then admitted that he was kidding, I wanted to strangle someone at that point!
When we got to the hotel, we just fell asleep.
The hotel itself was perfect! The food delicious, the entertainment, wow, and the beach, breathtaking. I have been to Cuba three times. And this was the best time. It is officially a 4* but deserves well more than that!
The rooms:
We were in rooms 709, 710 and my auntie and uncle where in 811. All the rooms where beautiful. Although 811 was a more attractive room, the locations of 709/710 where better. It was 12 footsteps (I actually counted) from the all night bar to our room.
The bathrooms have a shower, toilet, bidet, and sink, although there is no bathtub. But when we’re away, we prefer our showers. Our maid, Maritza was lovely, swans made every day.
We had some English channels, such as TBS, CNN and Discovery. The ¾ beds where also great.
The food:
I woke up on day 2, dreading breakfast due to reading comments here on the food, but when I got there, there was so much choice. (So much so, my brother has gained 1 1/2 stone in 2 weeks) I am really missing my Cuban breakfast of fresh pancakes, doughnuts, omelette's, and fresh mangoes; the orange juice is so sweet, even though it’s freshly squeezed.
Lunch was great too, we went to the beach bar, where Yamalet served us, she was so pretty, and such a lovely girl. The buffet offered hotdogs, burgers, chips, salad, soup, or the waiter service offered pasta, pizza, chicken, pork, and fish. My auntie had squid and loved it. If you go to the el Eden, the buffet, then there are stations where you can have fresh pasta, meat, etc… and there was always something nice on the buffet tables.
Tea was brilliant as well. We could have free lobster every night, fresh pasta, meat, soup, chips, pizza, fish, flambé bananas (ooh, lovely) ice cream, and the cakes where to die for!
We booked 2 nights at the a la carte, where one night was Cuban, and one international. The international was brilliant. We had salmon fillet, beautiful, smoked salmon and shrimp where recommended. You could also have pork loin, beef, etc…
The entertainment:
For those of you who said that the shows were like kids’ plays, you must have some flaming talented kids! I am into theatre, and part of a company, and thought that the entertainment was the best I’d seen! Those dancers could give Joseph and Sadie from strictly dance fever a run for their money! Hello to Yamila, Odyssey, and little Odette! The entertainers work all day on dance lessons, volley ball, and then rehearse, then do the evening shows! Next year, when I come back, I’m taking a bag of jazz shoes for them, as they’re rehearsing in old trainers or bear feet. If anyone goes before me next summer and happens to have a pair spare, please take them. They’ll be so grateful!
The trips:
I went with Thomas Cook, who as I mentioned earlier, aren’t great! I went on a catamaran excursion, and it cost 73 pesos each! For 1 day, where we were on a boat took 3 hours of snorkelling, and a plate of food, followed by 1 hour on a beach. It rained coming back and had to be cut short. This was a blessing! I would advise anyone against this trip, especially as you can have the same trip organised by the Cubans without lunch (but we are all inclusive here) for 20 pesos! Also, don’t go on the salsa night, we cancelled after people said that the reps put music on and left everyone!
My suggestion for Thomas cook is to maybe have people in premium in a different queue for immigration, there where plenty, and coming out, we paid 20 pesos for the VIP lounge which had a separate immigration line, but no one checked tickets. Coming in, it would be great to have 1 or 2 dedicated lines for premium passengers only, then maybe, we could utilise our special ‘priority baggage’ service which we paid £250 each for! Also, please check that your visas are stamped at the back!
I went next door to the Melia, supposedly a 5* and it wasn't a patch, we also took a walk to the iberostar Daquari a 4*, it's a 2* at best! We where happy with our choice!
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Richard from Leeds travelled to Cayo Guillermo Hotel Sol Melia with
Thomas cook
on a couples holiday.