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Holiday Reviews > Caribbean > Cuba > Holguin > Holguin Hotels > Playa Costa Verde Hotel > Read Reviews
Playa Costa Verde Hotel ReviewsPage 1 2
| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs P Draper |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
We had a fantastic relaxing holiday.
Staff extremely helpful and friendly, always smiling and genuine!
Lovely spacious clean accommodation.
Good choice of food and restaurants.
Well kept grounds. Close to lovely beach. Good choice of entertainment offered. Enthusiastic animation team-good fun!
Good choice of excursions if required.
We will return again in a couple of years- our best holiday ever!
Another week would have been nice!
Thomas Cook Rep Nancy is BRILLIANT!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr S Butler |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We've just returned this morning from Playa Costa Verde (4th Aug-18th Aug) travelling with First Choice with my wife and 2 young children (aged 5 and 8).
Having previously travelled to Dominican Republic 3 times, we thought we'd try Cuba and boy - are we glad we did !!
Flight out was a little over 9 and a half hours and not too bad and clearing immigration and baggage reclaim at Holguin took a little over 15 minutes so this was lightning speed. Do make sure that you have received your visas in advance of checking in within the UK as you will need these. Ours didn't arrive in the post and this caused a delay at Gatwick whilst we had to get new ones issued and you'll be most unimpressed if you have to rejoin the checkin queue at the back!
Transfer from the airport to PCV is around 55 minutes and on arrival, you'll be met with a cold fruit punch as you queue to check in. As we were first through the airport and onto the coach, we made the mistake of heading to the back of the coach .. as a result - we were last off and last to check in.
Check in was very painless - they take a quick photocopy of all passports and issue you with 2 room keys (credit card style) and a slip for exchanging your towels. The room keys also double up as your Room Safe key too but BEWARE - whilst both keys look identical - you should only use 1 for the safe and 1 for the room entry since the safe gets "confused" and won't open. On 2 occasions we had call maintenance to get them to drill the safe door out and replace it ... the first time because we'd used the room key for the safe ... and the second because it just "died" on us. Once you've established which one you'll use for the safe, try to look for a distinguishing mark on it (or make one yourself - maybe a small cross in the corner) so you'll know.
Take UK Cash with you ... to the left of the reception, there is the bank where you can change your GBP Sterling for Convertible Cuban Pesos (CUC). The CUC is roughly valued to the same as the US Dollar and whilst the locals can use standard cuban pesos, any transactions that YOU make will be in CUC. Our exchange rate fluctuated quite a bit during our stay from 1.78 when we arrived to 1.65 as we left. Roughly speaking though, 1 CUC is about 60p and £60 will get you around 100 CUC. HINT : When changing, ask for SMALL denominations and you'll get notes in denominations of 5 and 3 CUC ... and coins of 1 CUC. Whilst it is an All Inclusive Holiday and the people are very friendly, you will find you'll be given that extra special bit of attention if you tip for good service. Please don't tip in Sterling since they are not allowed to change it and it's therefore useless to them.
Most people earn only about 15 CUC a month and so if you want to tip the waiter / restaurant staff / coach drivers / tour guides / room maid ... they'll be most appreciative.
We left 5 CUC out for the maid on day 1 and I think she wanted to have my children based on the lovely thankyou note she wrote and the beautiful origami she did with the towels in to the shape of hearts / swans etc. In hindsight - this was probably a bit steep as we found out afterwards most people tipped 1 or 2 CUC ... but we typically left a 3CUC note at mealtimes (£1.80).
Rooms were reasonably ok. The main bed was huge (Superking) and then a double sofa bed thing was also in the room for the kids. All rooms come equipped with an iron / ironing board / hairdryer / fridge !!! / coffee percolator so there's no need to pack any of that rubbish and weigh down your bags (But take your own teabags as we found their standard "english breakfast" tea was in short supply).
Food:
The main "international buffet" opens 7:30-10:30 for breakfast, 12:30-14:30 for lunch and 18:30-21:30 for evening dinner. If you are very fussy, you may find things a little repetitive but there is ALWAYS something you can eat:
Breakfast - cheese / meats / croissants / cereals (coco pops) / omlettes / eggs / sausages / bacon (sometimes) / meatballs / spring rolls / toast .... plenty to choose from !!
Lunch - varied with salads / fish / soups / cheese / meat ... and then the main "grill stations" provide chicken breasts / pork / fish which is cooked in front of you to your liking. At the far end, they'll do pasta to order and even "create your own pizzas" which taste lovely and are always piping hot as you watch them go into and come out of the pizza oven.
Dinner - usually a main roast joint (pork / turkey / beef / red snapper fish) and again the turkey / pasta / fish grills. Thursday night is lobster and crab so if you like this - don't book any of the a la carte restaurants on a Thurs (more of that in a minute).
Of course - you don't have to eat in the international buffet .... the snack bar on the opposite side of the pool (30 second walk) is open 24 hours (yes - it really IS 24 hours) where you can get pizzas / hot dogs / burgers / fried chicken / chips / toasted tuna - cheese - ham sandwiches) if you don't want to stick the set dining hours.
A La Carte Restaurants :-
You can book up to 3 of these each week. Choice is Kyoto (Japanese), Italian, Cuban or Vegetarian. We did the Japanese twice (Excellent) , the Italian once (ok but not much to write home about) and the vegetarian once. We're not veggies and were told they do chicken as well however on the night we attended this restaurant, they were not doing their usual menu as they were doing a special dinner for repeat visitors. We'd never been there before but loved the champagne reception we got with the Beef / Steak and prawns / chicken main course !!!
The Japanese - as reported by many here is pure entertainment value. The starter is a choice of Sushi, Soup or salad. The soup really is rough .... you can imagine a huge pot of fish heads boiled in dish water as you're tasting this ... but the sushi is pretty much what you get here in a supermarket so if you're into that - go with the Sushi. Any way ... get the starter out the way quickly because the fun really begins with the main course. Your own chef comes to the table and cooks the rice in front of you and dishes this out around your table of 8 people. Then comes the chicken, the Beef, the most beautiful prawns I've ever tasted and sword fish which is stunning. The guys get called up to assist and flick the chicken and beef in the air and catch it on the knife .... and you can also try to catch the prawns in your mouth .... a great evening of fab food !!!.
Amenities :-
The pool is huge and in 2 sections. There are some missing tiles (as noted by others here) but when I read this, I was expecting huge 1 foot square gaps. In fact - these are tiny tiles about an inch square and not at all troublesome. They did close the smaller section of the pool on our 7th day to drain, re tile and re grout and this was refilled on the day we left so they are no doubt going to do the same with the main section during a quiet / off peak time.
There are plenty of sun beds but very little in the shade and it was a blistering 36-40 degrees out there. TIP - try to pitch up on the grassy area next to the "Club House" - there's shade under those coconut trees !!!
You don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to reserver sun beds either. One or two people seem to do this but we were by the pool any time between 9 and 10 am and were always able to get "our spot" :-)
The beach is a 5 minute walk from the pool - an interesting trek across a concrete "walkway" through a "nature reserve" but the sand is white and the sea beautiful.
There is a "Kids Club" run by "Chiky" and is targetted at 4-12 year olds available from 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00 daily but realistically, this is really only suitable for the 4-7 year olds in our opinion. It's a great way to keep the little kids out of the sun on those really hot days but it's basically a pre-school / nursery area.
There are a couple of pool tables / fuzzball tables for the older kids and we saw most teenagers congregated around those.
Entertainment in the evening .... "Kids Mini Disco" at 8:30pm until 9pm where all the children learn the silly repetetive dances and play silly games but both of our children loved this part ... it was the highlight of their day !!
9pm to 10pm was the "Showtime" and varied from dancers / magicians / bad lip-synching to songs from Moulin Rouge etc.
We were pretty much ready for bed by this time but the nightclub was open until 2am if you wanted it or you could sit in the reception bar / snack bar 24/7.
We just did the 2 excursions whilst we were there - the speedboats which was fantastic fun and the kids especially enjoyed this ... and the sun cruise which was a day split half on a catamaran and half at the sealife centre where we did the dolphin swim. On all the excursions involving dolphin swims, you get the basic petting / stroking included. If you want to be pulled by their dorsal fins or foot pushed (where 2 dolphins come up behind you and lift you up by your feet out of the water ...and is absolutely AWESOME!!!) - you'll need to pay an extra 10CUC per person before you get in the water. For us, it was a no brainer and had to be done. If you want "professional photos" - it's an additional 5 CUC ... and you can have a DVD for 45 CUC (we gave that a miss).
All in all - this was a holiday where we felt perfectly relaxed. It's like the Dominican Republic was 10 years ago ... nice a quiet and a little backward in their way of life. Having been to Dom Rep 10 years ago, 5 years ago and again last year, I've seen it sadly start to become a bit of a "caribbean benidorm" and is now too commercialised for my liking. Cuba is just starting out and gets my seal of approval.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jun 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Ms K Coleman |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
First of all the flight to Cuba went very nicely, I've never flown long haul before and I seemed to cope just fine, there was plenty of leg room, staff very helpful. The only bad thing about the flight is the competitiveness of the television, I must have watched the same episode of Friends 5 times over the journey.
There was no problems at the airport, I've read that the Cuban airports can be quite scary but I found the people very nice and friendly and there were no problems. Our suitcases were all collected in less than 5 minutes. The transfer from the aiport to the hotel was quite slow (it was supposed to be an hour but it seemed alot more) however there was a rep there giving plenty of information about the country, people, culture and so on. The countryside in Cuba is beautiful, get out and explore it while you can!
When arriving at the hotel I was immediately impressed although the check in was rather slow the hotel was very welcoming and drinks were provided while we were waiting. We were then taken to our room which was very cool and very large with a nice big bed which could have fitted about 5 of me in it!
Positives:
All in all I was impressed by the large pool which in the day had plenty of activities, e.g. water polo, water aerobics, volleyball in the pool and on the beach, and there were even Spanish lessons held in the lobby. There were plenty of sunbeds however we went in the low season and we were told by another family that if you visit inbetween November and April it is supposed to be much much busier.
The beach was GORGEOUS. The sea was absolutely perfect! Although you have to really watch where you are walking as I fell over the coral a few times. However if you walk left up the beach for about 5 minutes to a little cove the snorkelling up there is supposed to be much better. Also if you are a keen snorkeller take a pedalo out into the sea abit further and there are much bigger fish there. If you have the chance go on a hobie cat @ the beach, me and my partner had such a laugh! The waves out to sea are huge!!
Another positive is the bar, drinks are not watered down, the shots are huge, the waiters are very friendly, its 24 hours and you can drink absolutely anything you want (thats there of course). The nightclub is a good laugh and its not just full of kids. However if you wish to relax somewhere nice and cool, the cigar lounge is for you, although the drinks are limited in here.
The maid service was also very good within the rooms and they were very friendly. We left our maid small gifts everyday e.g. body sprays, soaps etc which they are very pleased and grateful for as they do not earn alot. A good tip is to leave all your unwanted toiletries behind for the maids also and if you have any unwanted clothes at all at home and you have room in your suitcase a great tip is to take old clothes and give them to the staff as they are very appreciative of this.
Another tip is to take money with you everywhere. We spent most of our money tipping and little money buying anything!
Negatives:
This hotel is great however I found many negatives. First of all is the quality of the food in the main buffet. It is very repetitive and not for fussy eaters at all!The birds are absolutely terrible and watch them because they nibble at the food and get into the food also. The snack bar is ok, sometimes service is quick, other times it is slow. Sometimes the burgers weren't cooked enough. Personally I did not like the Italian resturant but I liked the Cuban resturant, we did not try the Japanese but many people told me it was great and good fun!
Another negative is the location of the hotel. If you want to do absolutely nothing all holiday but stay by the pool and on the beach this is the hotel for you. However as I am quite young I found it quite boring and the excursions were quite expensive. We went on the speed boat and mini boat trip which was ace!! In my opinion I would definately visit Cuba again but in a location that is much closer if not in a town.
Our room did not impress me much of the time, we called the repair men about 20 times the whole time we were there. Our safe broke 3 times, the electricity had to be fixed as did the television, the radio and the shower.
In my opinion this hotel is more of a 3 star than a 4 star plus, the hotel definately needs a re-vamp and the birds need to go!I would recommend this hotel for people who want to relax but not for people who want to explore or visit bars, resturants out of the resort because there just is none!!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jun 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss KG Tonner |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We are just back from 2 weeks at the Playa Costa Verde hotel, and it was amazing, my partner and I loved every minute of it. The rooms were really clean, and the maid was in every day, they also have a laundry service, which you pay for each item, prices vary for each of the item. The buffet had plenty of choices, I can be quite a fussy eater, but I was never not eating, plenty salads, fresh made pasta/pizza, grilled chicken, pork, fish, which was really nice. the snack bar was good too. We tried all the al-la-carte restaurants exept the Vegetarian, however was told they served meat, so we probably would have booked for there. the Japanese was amazing, best out of them all, our cook on both occassions was Yoli, and she was lovely, really put a smile on your face, and she's a great cook. the Italian is nice, 5 courses and the Cuban was very nice too. The pool was great, plenty of activities around the pool and in the pool if you want to get involved. the weather was great when we were there, rained a couple times, maybe lasted 2/3mins, few times it lasted one day from 12noon till dinner, but then you have sky, plenty good films on, and not in spanish. Or the lobby bar has some good cocktails to sample and the staff are really nice, making sure you always have a drink. It only take about 5mins to walk to the beach, and it's just amazing, the water is very clear, and we took down some bread and fed the fishes, the water is so clear that you can't miss them.
We went to havana for a day, long day, but well worth it, when we eventually go back to Cuba, our next trip would maybe be staying in havana for 4/5 days, then going to a resort for the rest of the trip, as their is just so much to see. the police presense in the streets defo puts your mind at ease as you have free time to walk around without your tour guide.
We also swam with the dolphins, which was a great day/night, you will really enjoy this trip if you go, good fun. The other excursion we done was the sunset cruise, would have been good if we didn't end up with seasickness (had too much booze the night before), so bare in mind, don't have too much to drink the night before going, and seemingly too much coffee can cause your blood pressure to drop and cause the sickness too, however had we been ok, the free bar would have been very appealing, good music onboard the catamaran and water very choppy, so bewarned. Dinner is also included, and was not too bad considering. All in all, it wasn't too bad after the seasickness.
Would not hesitate in going back to the PCV, as the staff are really pleasant, that goes for the maids, to the gardeners, barr staff, hotel entertainment etc.
We were a young couple, and we would defo go back, it had from families, couples, and 1 group of people when we were at the hotel.
Would give this hotel 10/10 for sure.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs K Maxfield |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Stayed at The Playa Costa Verde from May 21st to 4th June 08 and it was fantastic. Lovely family holiday and a nice time of year to go as was not overcrowded. The entertainment team work very hard as do all the staff. The best cocktails are in the lobby bar and the staff in the bars are very attentive.
Ice creams are available all day and you can eat and drink as much as you like (and we did!). The snack bar is 24hrs and the food in the buffet is fantastic as long as you are willing to give it a go! There are a good few show cooking stations at all meal times-try the pasta and the flambe fruit.
The buffett is not like a canteen as you can get in some AI's-on an evening the tables are properly set with fresh linen and wine glasses as you would get in any nice restaurant.The japanese is great, the pool is fantastic and the beach is beautiful. You can get snorkles from the club house (and fresh towels so don't take your own) but do snorkle in the sea as there are corals and it is not too deep and you can see loads of fish. if you decide to go you will love it.You do get bit quite a lot so take after bite spray but a good local tip is to put gin on them it really does work!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss K Kerr |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
Very nice hotel, loads of facilities, not a great deal of nightlife, nothing outside the hotel. All in all a beautifule resort ideal for those looking to relax and try out some water sports...
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Dec 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss R E Garlick |
| Overall
Rating: |
8/10 |
| Comments: |
We have just returned from our first visit to Cuba, travelling with First Choice Holidays.
First of all let me say how fantastic the First Choice staff were right from meeting you at the airport, to looking after all your needs at the Playa Costa Verde, and even ensuring you were safely returned to the airport and checked in ready for your return journey.
We had a fantastic stay at the Playa Costa Verde; the hotel was well maintained with a beautiful pool area. The Italian restaurant and Cuban restaurant were great, but not to be missed is a visit to the Japanese restaurant which was fantastic.
We were however very disappointed with the food in the buffet restaurant, which tended to be luke warm or even cold, and not very appetising!
The staff in the hotel were the friendliest I have met, and not only keen to meet all your needs, but also in your fancy just a chat. We learnt alot about local Cuban life from the staff, which was great.
We did find however on the second week of our holiday, after the New Year, the service in the Lobby Bar wasn't as good, the waiters weren't as available and you had to wait at the bar.
We also hired push bikes, and went out for a few hours on our own. The locals are so friendly, and also keen to get on your photos.
The whole holiday was brilliant, so thank you to both First Choice holidays, and the Playa Costa Verde Hotel.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Nov 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr J Lindop |
| Overall
Rating: |
4/10 |
| Comments: |
The room overlooked the road, it was damp, smelt fusty and was in need of a total refurbishment. The food in the buffet was cold and a poor standard.
However we asked the rep to move to the Playa Pesquero. She did a great job and arranged a viewing of the rooms and the hotel, following which we, at a little extra cost, were transferred and had a great holiday.
We would say the Cost Verde was only just a 3 star.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs R Draper |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
I went to Cuba on my Honeymoon and will definitely be going back. This hotel, in my opinion, could not have been better. The staff were very polite and would always be smiling and always be happy to help!
The food in the buffet restaurant wasn’t anything to write home about however the other restaurants that are at the resort were lovely. My husband and I were quite lucky with the restaurants as we ate in them 10 days out of 14 there. Our favourites being the Italian and the Japanese.
There is alot of activities which the hotel offer and there is alot for children to do as well.
The entertainment is terrible and this is the only thing that I would suggest they should change. We were quite lucky as we had met some other honeymooners out there so we made our own entertainment. The nightclub is ok but not very big.
Overall I had the time of my life and I'm looking forward to going back again hopefully next year.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomas Cook |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr Alan Maynard |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
Overall for a family holiday with youngish children you can't go wrong here. To begin with, the staff are fantastic, having been to five other Carribean islands and Mexico these people really are the best. Every single member from chamber maid to waiter wanted you to have a great holiday.
The rooms were certainly adequate and to be honest you need to bear in mind that you spend hardly any time in them. They are clean, Air Conditioned and the beds are comfortable if slightly hard.
The food was ok, we have definitely had better and even though the place was only half full they were very strict about when you could visit the themed restaurants ie once per room per week. The wine was awful but there was nothing wrong with the rest of the food just not inspiring.
Three big let downs and they really must sort these out. Firstly, the entertainment in the evening is absolutely dire,they put on weird fashion shows which wouldnt be out of place in Paris, and Ballet and local dancing. Neither of these do they accompany with any explanation as to what they are about with the result that they play to empty chairs. They need to get a resident band so people can dance.
Second area of disatisfaction is the management of the pool. Teenagers were allowed to take plastic cups from the aqua bar into the pool which they filled with water and used as projectiles. Often these hit people who weren't part of their group. However this is surpassed by their inability to police the pool to stop loutish behaviour which on our holiday meant that we had to take matters into our own hands or suffer foul language and generally obnoxious behaviour.
Finally, they must get the transition from hotel lobby to rooms at the beginning and end of the holiday right. When you have just got off a coach after an hour and before that a 9 hour flight you want a quick transition and they only have two golf buggies for a 480 room complex it takes ages and you are standing in an unconditioned lobby waiting forever.
Equally at the end you can wait an hour and a half for your cases to be collected. If they could address those three issues this would be a really great place to go especially for young children. If there was just one thing I would say is a priority it is the entertainment, otherwise you just get bored and then drunk once you have eaten your dinner.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Dec 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Airtours |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs Karen Finch |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Fantastic holiday, everyone was happy, pleasant, rooms fantastic.
We me, hubby, 4 children went for Xmas and New Year, had a wonderful time. Thank you to yillian, Anthony who are excellent nothing is too much trouble for the staff. They are warm welcoming and always smiling.
Giving them a tip was well worth it they treat you like royalty.
Going back next august with the family, the entertainment great and involved everyone in the shows, if you want an experience of a life time go to this resort you won’t be disappointed. They are hard working and put 100% into every thing they did.
Restaurants fantastic, beech beautiful, trips were a bit expensive but well worth it.
Give this hotel and staff 100% for all they did for us, well worth a visit.
Do beware of the Canadians & French very rude to all; they get on your nerves after a bit.
But overall had a wonderful time!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Nov 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs Lucy McGoldrick |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We visited this hotel in Nov 06 for our honeymoon. It was a wonderful hotel and the Cuban staff were so friendly and helpful.
We had rain for a week but still had an amazing time due to the entertainment staff, especially Gonzalo (Gogo) Kathy, Robin and Julio! Say hello to them if you see them! They're so funny and keep you entertained.
The food was great, no tummy bugs for either of us and we tried everything, rice, seafood, ice cream, all the usual culprits!
The beach was lovely, sea was so warm and clear with great snorkeling.
I cannot fault the holiday in anyway and we are going back hopefully next year.
TIPS: These are never expected but appreciated. Toiletries and old clothes and shoes especially as well as money. They don't earn a lot, the equiv of £25 a month MAX so £1 (in convertible Pesos) is tiny to us but a lot to them. They deserve it too, working 12-16 hour days in the heat with an hour bus ride home at the end of a long day.
Enjoy your holiday!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Nov 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs M Binns |
| Overall
Rating: |
5/10 |
| Comments: |
We stayed at the Playa Costa Verde from Nov18th to Dec 2nd 2006. The Hotel was beautiful and the grounds were a delight.
The weather, however was not good and although we were aware we were at the tail end of the rainy season we hoped for better and were sorely disappointed. The first week except for one day, we got continual heavy rain which caused flooding within the hotel and many guests were moved several times and lost belongings.
The Hotel will not allow guests with children to occupy upstairs rooms for safety reasons due to the balconies these guests were affected by the floods some many times. We experienced temps of 8 degrees overnight which is cold for Cuba. The second week was a lot better but not what it should have been.
The beach was just OK, I have been on better in the Balearic's, but it was reached by a bridge over a swamp nature reserve and we got eaten alive by mosquito's despite our liberal use of repellent. I used 3 bottles alone for the two weeks and received 35 bites, a lot of guests had to see the doctor and suffered worse.
The staff were wonderful, beautiful, charming people the best I have ever come across. The Hotel was very clean, bright and spacious. The rooms were large, exceptionally clean but the beds although large were very hard indeed.
We experience a great deal of base boom from the nearby Blau hotel disco at our end of the resort which made it impossible for us to sleep at all between the hours of 11pm and 2am.
The food in the main restaurant, I felt, was fine, but members of my party felt it was almost inedible and blamed it for their tummy upsets believing that because it was lukewarm it was not safe. I do not think this.
I believe their tummy upsets were due to the change of water, surroundings etc etc. The variety of food on offer in my opinion was good but I like fish and seafood and I do accept that the beef etc was very tough indeed.
The a la carte restaurants were much better especially the Japanese, look out for the chef who looks like Paul Burrell, you can't miss him.
Don't miss the catamaran trip to swim with the Dolphins or the speedboat adventure, both very enjoyable.
All in all I won't be returning, a lot to commend the holiday for, but a lot of mixed feelings, not what I hoped for from a 4 star plus resort, however not the fault of the wonderful staff.
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Thomson |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr K Griffiths |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
We got a last minute booking. All inclusive. Which we didn't realise meant everything.
This place is paradise. The rooms are beautiful, the beach is great. There was always something to do. Best of all there was a bar in the pool. Food was plentiful.
Only downside was the mozzies but you can't blame the hotel for them. We’ll be hard pressed to find a holiday this good this year. Here’s hoping!
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| Board Basis: |
All Inclusive |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Sep 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
First Choice |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs C Slade |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Wow! This was our honeymoon destination and I cannot fault this place.
The staff were so very friendly and there was nothing too much to please, their service was top notch, even the gardeners would put down their barrows and say 'hola' whilst I was sitting on the balcony. The maid Maria nearly always unseen but her presence was known by the wonderful swans/elephants/flowers that greeted us on returning to our room, which was air-conditioned, after a day spent on the idyllic white sandy beach/clear turquoise waters.
I have to agree that the Japanese restaurant was a sight to behold as the staff worked their magic with the food they served, a show in itself! The Cuban restaurant a buffet for the mozzies (loads of autan spray required for this one), but again the food was well prepared and presented. Italian restaurant rather proper, but suggest the beef fillet (superb) and finish with cheesecake.
Most of the meals are in the buffet restaurant, we chose to dress for dinner each night and felt a little out of place, but bugger it you only honeymoon once! Only the fussiest of eaters would fail to find something in here, fish meat or vegetarian, but again the staff were very attentive without any tips, and would be topping you glass up whether it be beer, wine or water.
In fact I have nothing negative to say about playa Costa Verde, although the tour operator knew it was our honeymoon but no provision had been made about that, and nothing was done once brought to the attention of the rep on site; would I go again? Darn right I would, I loved this place, as did my wonderful new hubby, and I have suffered the worst post holiday blues ever!
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Playa Costa Verde Hotel ReviewsPage 1 2
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