Sol Río de Luna y Mares Resort ****

Anónimo, CA, 2007-06-20  
Pour deux dames qui voyagent seule, la destination doit être sécuritaire. Et ce fut le cas! Un hôtel formidable et très propre, un service impécable. Les cubins sont des gens très bien et respectueux. Diane et moi nous avons passée une semaine formidable, rencontré des gens inoubliables même peut être des amis(ies) on ne sait jamais. On gardera contact ça c'est certain. La bouffe était très bien avec ses quatres restaurants dans l'hôtel mais il ne faut pas oublier que voyager c'est l'aventure et il faut avoir une largesse d'esprit à découvrir la cuisine Cubaine et bien d'autres. Alors mon amie et moi avons mangé a notre faim et très bien apart ça! La plage est merveilleuse à vous faire rêver.... le sable blanc et cette mer d'un bleu aqua...C'est magnifique.. Il n'y a pas de photo qui vous donne la vrai image de cette plage...La chambre bien que petite avec balcon sur la mer était quand même bien. et très propre. Le service de chambre est parfait. On avait amené des petits cadeaux a leurs remettre et on les a gatté toute la semaine. Notre chambre était sur le côté Mares que je préferrais. Lunas est bien aussi mais on était plus prêt de tout sur le côté Mares. Il y avait toutes sortes d'activités a l'intérieur de l'hotel près du bar on pouvait jouer du billard, ping pong. Cette établissement est vraiment pour faire plaisirs a tout âge, petits et grands. Ce fut pour moi un voyage que je n'oublierai jamais. Louise Roy Alexandria, Ont Canada

Anónimo, CA, 2007-06-20
This was our first visit to cuba and also our first time all inclusive the hotel was very clean and the staff are very friendly there are plenty things to do like horse riding snorkling scuba diving etc most are free apart from scuba diving and ski diving.The entertainment team are there most of the day with activities for all the family and at night there is a theatre with a show on which is a must for the costumes and entertainment all though its only on for about 90 mins and after you can join in with the team to learn dancines and competions.
The food all buffet style breakfast is about the best evening meals we found the fish and meat ok but finding somthing to go with it was a bit cold the alcarte menus were ok though during the day you could get a snack from 2 of the snack bars pizza hot dogs burgers etc they also have a bbq on the beach once a week .
Near the hotel is a mini zoo which only cost a peso which has excotic birds snake and a croc but is right on the lagoon facing the dolphin aquarium where you can see pink flamingos and swans kingfishers in the wild .There are many taxis and horse and carts to get you out and about the near town has a daily market and a few shops to get your cigars and rum the hotel shops are over priced.
Take plenty of insect repellent with you as there are lots of mosquito i swear by Avons aftersun with insect repellent i and mosquito wipes we did not get bitten but there were lots a people that did especially your feet and legs so cover up and put plenty on.You can not much toliletries out there so dont be caught short especially personel items Ladies.
You dont need to take towels as they are provided and you can ghange them daily but even though they have a hairdryer if you have long hair i would take one leave your iron at home there was good they have a coffee machine in your room with milk and coffee and water left daily.
The local wine is very strong and the local beer is really nice
but if your on a budget and wont to make the trip to Havannah you need to take about extra £400 with you or your credit cards but not American ones i.e express capital one mbna they wont take them or scottish pounds.
Even though the two hotels where joined and the beach was very clean with plenty of beds i still felt there wasnt enough for us to do around and about if you want to just chill this would be great
if you like to stay 2 weeks around the hotel
Hope these comments have been usfull.

Anónimo, GB, 2005-11-22
My boyfriend and i have just come back from Sol rio de luna and mares resort in guadelvca in Cuba (10th nov 04 - 18th nov 04). We stayed in the Mares side of the hotel. The luna seemed to be aimed at canadians and americans. We had a brilliant time there, the weather was lovely apart from a few spots of rain on our last day. Our first day there - we were so tired!! we decided to go straight to bed, we had decided to take a beer each with us to our room. To our suprise we had woken up in the morning to find a cockroach in each of our glasses!!! We did not complain as we were in a carribean country after all - its to be expected!

*BEACH*
Before i left for cuba i read the reviews about the hotel, it kept saying how lovely the beach was, dont get me wrong, the sand is white the sea is blue - but i have seen better beaches in greece!! maybe it was just the time we went out there (sea was very very rough!!!) we did not go in the sea during our entire time there.

*FOOD*
the food is quite good - the italian food in the buffet restaurant (do not get this confused with the italian a la carte restaurant) was the best night (foodwise) there!! There are 4 a la carte restaurants at the hotel (2 in luna & 2 in mares) you are aloud to use two restaurants per week. so if yo are luck enough to go for 2 weeks you will be able to go to all of them. Book the first day you get there to save dissapointment! we went to the mexican which is by the mares pool, and the cuban restaurant which is on the mares side of the beach. Both were ok - cuban was better because it was different and had larger portions than the mexican (tiny portions). The luna buffet (we found) was better than the mares as it is smaller but you are gauranteed a seat (sounds strange - but true).

*LOCATION*
Do not expect nights out - there is none. The entertainment in the hotel is crap!! but i do feel guilty for saying this as they tried so hard!! they are good dancers but there was a lot of naked bums flying around!! There are loads of excursions you can partake if you wish although the "jungle tour" is not for the faint hearted!! The name has nothing to do with the trip! there is no jungle, there are two people to a speedboat and you have to follow the instructor in a line (quite an adventerous line!) definately worth a go!! and it works out £20 each or $39 (it is now cuban convertables). we took and horse and buggy into guardelvca - very good!! it is not a town!!! there are about 10 craft stools and that is it!! Although you can walk down to the beach. but is worth the trip.

*OVERALL*
Overall it was a good holiday and i thoroughly enjoyed it - its a real value for money hotel! but then again we only paid £440 each for one week!! it was a last minute deal and im glad i went. One thing i would say about whole tipping thing: before i left i read the reviews and people were going on about tipping and how you should do it. call me old fashioned but i believe in tipping when someone has done you a service e.g bell boy or your guide on a trip. I would say that tipping is expected!! they hand you presents when you are eating your dinner etc. I didnt appreiciate this at all! apart from those odd few the staff are really nice and are willing to help without a tip!!!

My boyfriend and i would definately go back to cuba it is a beautiful place! we would maybe go to vadero next time and we would love to go to havana!!
******** ENJOY YOUR STAY ***********

Anónimo, GB, 2005-11-09
We returned on the 7th November, having spent 2 weeks at the Mares. We booked the Luna with our Travel Agent but were glad to be in the Mares because of the huge amount of boulders/rocks on the beach at the Luna side.
We did not have a CD player/iron or ironing board in our room and had to ask for a hairdryer! The rooms were basic and clean, no complaints there. The food was not all that good, the exception being the gourmet's, they were OK. My main complaint was the fact that we got left behind by Thomson's on departure day and had to get a taxi from the Hotel to the Airport. What possessed the Thomson rep to let the coach drive off without 2 of his customers is beyond me. I will be taking this up with Thomson in the UK.
This aside, and the couple of accidents I had because of the poorly constructed surfaces (trip hazards....please be careful), the holiday was OK.
My Husband was not impressed with the watersports, as the sailing was cancelled on most days, despite the fact that sailing boats perform better when the wind is blowing. They even chased a windsurfer around the bay, to get him to come back in because it was windy...unbelieveable!
This was our 3rd visit to Cuba.

Anónimo, GB, 2005-04-13
We travelled with thomas cook from gatwick to Holquin. The flight was delayed by 9 hours (the one flight goes back and forth so a delay takes weeks to correct) so we were put on a coach to Brighton for the day (in the snow!) Where we stayed in the Metropole and were treated to breakfast and lunch before being bussed back to the airport for our flight. The flight was long and uncomfortable. It took 10 hrs 20 to get to Valdarero where we were disembarked, while the plane refueled, for 2 hrs. The onward journey was 1hr flight to Holquin then a 1.5 hr transfer to the Mares were we arrived at 5.30 am. There were 11 of us in our party but our rooms were allocated quickly and the oldies retired while the youngsters went to the bar which stayed open as long as they wanted to drink! Our room was on the ground floor of the Mares, room 1020. All was fine to start with, it wasn't until the next night we heard the loud disco music from 11.30 to about 3 am. We thought this was a one off until it happened again the next night. Apparently we were directly above the disco bar on the beach (lovely view!). We complained to the desk staff and they gave me the key of another room to look at (1007) this was further around the corridor and therefore much quieter. The staff were fantastic and could do enough to help.
Our stay was very nice and relaxing. The rooms were very clean and the staff left us bottled water each day. There was a huge selection on the buffet the secret was to walk up and down a couple of times and have a good look- its amazing the number of times someone said "oh! I didnt see that". Book all the restaurants as soon as you arrive or you will not get in. The lunchtime snackbars turn into a la carte restaurants in the evening and the mediterranean was best at both times.
The beach is just fantastic, but can get a little noisey when there is a volleyball match on, the beach bars are well stocked with the local beer (crystal) which is very nice and always served ice cold. The wines are a bit of a lottery until you get to know which ones to ask for. If you get on well with the waiters and TIP well then they can get you champagne (Cava)