Sirenis Playa Turquesa

It was our first trip to Cuba. We were somewhat nervous, as we are not seasoned travellers, and heard bad things about the food. Everything went well. The rooms are great, the grounds were fabulous and well kept. The mosquitoes were a bit much at times, but they sprayed and it helped. The food was good...more or less the same thing every day, just called something else! The pools were very clean, and the swim up bar was excellent. The entertainment staff was fun, but not pushy. The pools are on different levels, so not a great place for someone who does not negotiate stairs very well. All in all, a great time for our first time to Cuba.

On arrival we had a very quick and friendly check in and were whisked away to our bungalow on a golf cart. The hotel was set in lovely spacious gardens. We were very pleased with our room, clean tidy and very spacious. Food was very disapointing especially in the buffet restuarant with most food cold and at best warm. The al a carte restuarants were much better with good meat dishes especially but the desserts were like a lucky dip compared with what was on the menu. The pools were superb with a great choice of 5. The beach was excellent with a good choice of watersports and swimming was safe. We found the staff and the people in Cuba so friendly. Entertainment was every night with a good variety of shows and a bonus was a very good aqua dance show once a week. Bar areas were good and drinks were also very good for an all inclusive. Barman at pool bar was the king of cocktail tricks and even performed on stage one night. We went on 2 trips but I must say the Santiago trip was a long time on the coach but was very interesting. In General a good hotel but starting to look a bit dated but it appears that the work is starting and the improvements were clear to see

My husband and I returned from GPT this am after staying for 7…very cold…and very cloudy days. We in fact only had close to 6 hours of sunshine in 7 days…so it was quite disappointing. One thing I have discovered in my research on tripadvisor is that no matter the destination, there are many things that can occur out of a traveler’s control (life the weather) which may have some kind of effect either negative or overly generous in their review. My hope is to provide clarification with some of the common topics of concern I had for this resort, my personal experiences of same, and indulge myself in offering what constitutes my two cents and provide a general review of our stay without the influence of the crappy weather. I have read that people are surprised about the negative reviews for this resort…but one needs to consider the source. If someone is complaining about food and in the same review complains that there are blades of palm leaves in the bud vases instead of flowers….well you see where I’m going here. Firstly…the bed bugs, or bugs or other critters. I did not experience any of these. We stayed in the 400 block of villas; these are sort of in the middle, so half way to the beach. In my research the topic of bugs was raised….again… and I do recall someone saying that it’s a good idea to rinse off your feet so as to avoid tracking sand fleas into your room. I personally followed this advice. There are villas close to the beach, in fact the balconies are a pathway from the sand. I did speak with one couple who said they were being bitten. I asked them where they were located and they told me in the villas on the beach so there could be a link between the two. There were NO mosquitoes at all…and the resort did spray or smoke the area one evening. So it is a complete falsehood that this resort does not spray or smoke for bugs because they don’t care about complaints. I only saw one big frog and seeing that I was visiting his island, we got along just fine. The beach. It is shallow water, this is true. There are a lot of shells, and bits of coral, and sea grass this is true. The coral reef is about 400m from the shore as I was told on the Hobbie Cat. After the reef the water gets much deeper. The water close to the beach is not clear but it is not “murky”…at least I would not describe it that way. One would hope that a resort would preserve this nature, and they are doing a wonderful job doing so. I have stayed at Luna Mares about 10Km from GPT where you could be up to your neck in the water and be able to see your pedicure. So, if you are looking for this type of water, do your research. Conversely, if you are looking to snorkel the beach at GPT is a dream come true. It depends what you want and all is relative. There is lots of place to sit; the beach bar serves drinks…and lots of them….and you can order a ton of food. The food. People, what do you want from an all inclusive buffet? The food can get cold, it can get mundane, but if you expect to eat like royalty…you need to be staying at 5 star resorts. We ate at the Grill, the Mediterranean, and the Italian a la cartes. Have I eaten better food?....yup. But I was on a vacation with my husband enjoying the company of these fantastic people in Cuba and the world didn’t end because I had better steak at the Keg in Ottawa. Don’t hang your hat on food to make or break your vacation. Overall it was all very good. Do bring maple syrup if you have to have it. And don’t believe that they don’t have ketchup or jam, because they do…everyday, and everywhere. If you love your Tim Horton’s you’ll have to put on your big girl and big boy pants and drink what’s being served. I had a Spanish coffee every morning at Don Bartolo’s. Fabulous. The Disco, entertainment etc…not much going on at the disco…at least when we stayed. But if you are travelling with a group of people it would be like going anywhere together. There are nightly shows and they try very very hard. Is it like Vegas?...nope. But if you want that sort of thing…then go to Vegas. The Rooms…Clean Clean Clean and beautiful. Let me be tactful and say there is not much noise barrier ;) Things to do. There are activities every day in the pools or at the beach. You have to check out Giovanni at the pool bar; he is an outstanding bartender! You can take a bus into Guardalavaca and shop or buy a day pass to visit other resorts to see what they are like. Ladies, if you have a nice bum I would pass on the massage. That’s my two cents. Generally you will be overcome with the beauty of the cascading pools and gardens. It is breathtaking. Beware of the stairs, there are many. I would recommend this resort to anyone; if mobility is remotely an issue you will be challenged. I would definitely go back again. That’s my two cents!

just returned from 2 week stay. Great resort, new management under Giuseppe, has made improvements for the better - food is excellent "mangia bene" Andrea. staff is friendly, helpful and lots of fun. rooms clean, grounds well kept, entertainment great! really like the whole atmosphere. view from top pool (5 pools in total - from adult to kids)to the beach is spectacular! be back next year!

We just got back from our perfect trip. We stayed at the Alegro from Jan.30th till Feb. 13th/2010. This will be our 4th trip to this resort (2006-2007-2009-2010) and plan on going back next year. You & your family will have a great time. The Kids Club is a great place for your kids to play. My daughter loved it (5yrs old) The STAFF in all areas are great, very friendly & the food is very good. There is always something to do or there is lots of ways just to relax. One other thing I would like to say is that if you need any type of medical the service is great.

We just returned from a 2 week stay at the newly named Sirenis Grand Playa Turquesa.This was our 1st time with the new owners and we seen many changes that are all for the good.New italian head chef,so the food was much improved.Gardens were cleaned up very nice,and lots of rocks and new trees being planted.A lot of painting and fixing things.The workers are so friendly and they have been there since our first visit and they remember you.We went with a group of 18 from 5yrs to 65 yrs and there was something for everyone.Two of us had bug bites but the rest were fine.We are planning on next year already!!

My husband and I traveled to the Sirenis Playa Turrquesa February 8th - the 15th on what, as our adult children described as our honeymoon. After much research we chose this hotel through Transat Tours and we could not have been more pleased. We never had a bad meal at this hotel. The buffet always had something for everyone, we had a choice of 5 a la carte's but chose to partake in only 3 along with a romantic lobster dinner on the beach that we did have to pay for but was well worth the 30 CUC each. The staff were always genuinely friendly, the general manager and head chef were seen often around the resort at any given time of the day. Contrary to the "bed bug" review that someone made here, there were no bed bugs. The rooms were very spacious and very clean. There is alot of walking as many noted as the pools are on levels but if you find it hard to walk there is always the option of a golf cart to pick you up and shuttle you around. Would we go back? Definitely...we are, in fact, already looking at the same place next year only extending it by another week. This is a family friendly resort, there were many there with families and young children. You can go just to relax or for a cost participate in some of the day trips. Either way, a vacation is all what you make of it and we made the most of our long awaited honeymoon. GO, see for yourself. It is well worth the money we paid with the convenience of being able to leave from Ottawa.

I have been at this resort many times now with friends. I was concerned that it would deteriorate under new Serenis management but in fact it is better. There has been improvement in food and overall landscaping. The staff are excellent; friendly, co-operative and helpful. The people of Cuba especially in this region are the nicest in the main tourist areas of the Carribbean. I often travel off resort and always feel safe. I believe Cuba is one of the safest countries in the world. I was with a group of 18 people from January 30 to February 13th. Everyone in the group had a wonderful holiday. It did help that it was 30 and sunny almost every day! Many in the group are repeaters to this resort and the ones who came this time say they are returning next year with other friends. The resort is on a slope to the beach with 7 cascading pools which makes for beautiful views. Of course, that also makes for many steps, so if you have difficulty with steps then this would not be the hotel for you. Our group however didn't mind the steps especially since it enhanced the view. Sand fleas are a problem for some people so those who are suseptible should bring appropriate preventive medication and/or creams. Overall I highly recommend this resort.

We enjoyed our stay at the Sirenis Play Turquesa. The location is beautiful, the rooms are spacious and clean and the staff very friendly. Entertainment staff a bit lazy, many activities did not take place. Food was OK, hit and miss at the a la carte restaurants. If you book the late reservation, expect your food to be overcooked. We liked the Asian, but expect it to be exactly like Canadian food. The Grill bar and restaurant was a hit the the teenagers, always open for snacks. Entertainment was good most nights compared to other resorts we have been to, the aqua show was very good. An excellent band on night. Pools fantasitic, but lots of stairs, so if mobility is a problem do not go to this resort. All in all we would recommend and go back if the price was right.

This was the first time for us in Cuba, and for those of you who are expecting the luxury of St Lucia, then pay their prices. Cuba is a very poor country and yes the food was not as varied as I had had elsewhere, but, the place was very clean, the staff very friendly and helpful, and although the hotel was onlt 1/3rd full we had no complaints. When we did have a problem with the sand fleas, our room was immediately sprayed and the problem went away. The hotel is not suitable for those with mobility problems, but that is not the hotels fault, it is the responsibilty of the travel company to get the details right and if like my mother you cannot manage steps then no do not book to come here. I do feel we expect too much for what we pay at times, and maybe if everyone visited outside the hotel it might help them realise how amazing it was that we got the food we did. I have stayed on other Carribean resorts when the electricity failed regularly and hot water was only patchy. This was not the case here. We also went on the 2 day trip to Havana, where we learnt so much about the country and it made us realise just how poor the poeple who live in this country are, and what a stuggle they have just to live day to day. I would happily recommend this resort and Cuba to friends, as you will find people who if you treat them well will be only too happy to make your holiday. Go with an open mind and you will get a very good value for money time.