Villa Cojimar Resort Hotel

2 readers found this review helpful

My 17 yr old daughter and I have just got back from Cayo Guillermo Villa Cojimar. We stayed there for 8 days and we just can't wait to go back ! I dont know why people complain so much. It's Cuba and we loved it, and i've travelled a lot! The staff over there just make you feel at home, always a smile on their face and trying to serve and help you the best they can.
The animators and the dancers were great. Don't miss the night shows, it's a must. Have a drink and laugh with them, they are nice and friendly! There is always something to do during the day: dancing lessons, water - beach volley ball, petanque, spanish lessons, or just tan on the beach reading a book, visit the other hotels around etc....If you want to have fun or just relax, you make your trip the way you want it ! Enjoy the disco at night with the dancers, it's great ! The food was very good, it's a buffet so you make your own plate and there is always 2-3 cooks there to make something special for you and every night, live musicians play music and sing. You wont starve, the grill servs good food in the afternoon. The bartenders are always joking around in the Luby and by the pool, the reception staff available with fast service and the room maids leave flowers everyday! The gardeners will bring you fresh coconut !ITS VERY CLEAN every where in the rooms, restaurant and by the pool!!
The sand is white and the ocean has never been so beautiful, not too deep though very safe for families with young ones. Go to Playa Pilar the water is deaper and you'll have a wonderful sight only 5 pesos (I suggest a taxi, same price but faster). Speed boat is pure adrenaline, dont miss it ! It's an all inclusive, be nice, you would leave tips for services in your favorite restaurant and bar at home, 1 peso here and there once in the while will make them happy, if you dont give anything, they'll smile at you anyways ! Say Hi to Yuni, Jenny, Juan and Angelo for us ! We had a great time !!!
Julie and Sabrina

2 readers found this review helpful

This was my third trip to Cojimar. This time I took my husband, daughter, son-in-law, grandaughter (6), mother (76) and her friend.
I felt that it would be a place to relax and safe for the little one. I was so right. My mother walks with a walker (she and I had been there twice). On both the other occasions my mother was treated with great respect by the Cuban people who went out of their way to help.
Cayo Guillermo is very tiny. It has the most beautiful waters I have ever seen (and I have travelled all over the world). I love this spot because it is small, fairly secluded, safe, friendly, and flat!
My mother could easily get from her room to the pool or restaurants - the pool and the gorgeous beach were the destination my grandaughter and I spent most of our time.
We also spent a day at Pilar, a fabulous beach you get to on a little train or taxi that cost only 5 pesos return. At Pilar the water is deeper, you can snorkel or just walk for miles on the a pristine white beach with no hotels or buildings.
Ok - Cojimar is not a s****y resort - it feels a bit like an English holiday camp....I have always had a room right on the beach and love it! Rooms are clean, and basic. TV/mini fridge/safe and A/C included. But don't expect luxury. My daughter and familly moved four times in the week because of problems with thier rooms (toilet overflow, noise, frogs(!)etc...) - but my room was great.
There are sand fleas...and many folks (especially those from England or with very fair skin) seemed to be bitten all over. I usually suffer if mosquitoes are around, but I only had a few bites. Some tips - don't wander around at dusk, don't wear anything perfumed, take a good repelent with you. Also pack calamine, cortizone cream and a good anti-histimine if you suffer.
Food is VERY basic. The Italian restaurant is great. The fish and fries at the pool bar for lunch is wonderful. They bake great bread - breakfast is fresh eggs cooked to order and good Cuban beans. Stay away from all the "mixture" stuff, mostly made out of hot dogs and heavens knows what. Stick to simple things, like pasta, vegetables, cheese. Water is fine to drink if poured at the restaurant and bar. Don't use tap water.
Take some fibre snacks (they don't have whole grain anything). Also take some hot sauce, packages of Heinz ketchup and a few tins of baked beans...
Yes, tip a little and bring a few fun things for your maid. I brought little gift bags to put on my pillow each morning (toiletries, little toys and crayons, tampons, toothbrushes etc...)
Get to know a few of the staff and they will remember you and help you when needed.
Don't complain and whine. Look at the ocean, play in the ocean, read by the ocean and experience beautiful moments with your family. Remember we go back to work and snow all too soon. This holiday will keep me smiling until spring.

2 readers found this review helpful

Hotel is situated on a stunning beach and the gardens are stunning too. Resort has all you need. food is good not amazing but cooked well and what expected in cuba. what really makes this hotel / holiday is the staff. they are amazing and so friendly. still in touch with a few. Been here over last six years. Even the entertainment in evenings is good. the disco has lots of staff in it but even when off duty they get you involved and sit and talk to you. If you want a hotel that goes the step beyond friendly making sure you have a wonderful holiday this is for you. Not a 5 star hotel but more friendly than any 5 star .
if your going to this hotel email me as i have photos for the staff. You will be known by them before you get there.they will make your holiday so special.
pyrotech999@hotmail.co.uk

Stayed her from Xmas day until New Years Day.
Got here hoping for bungalow but was given room in two storey block, no view apart from a tree. Room big and clean. Free air con!! Was very clean.
Food rubbish! Partner thought different. Same rubbish every day.
Drink local rubbish!! After few days gut rot!
Entertainment ok apart from new yrs eve. Band on and very repetitive got up and left at 11.50 am!! Yes early!
Food at grill good fish and burgers. Expected to tip for everything if they smiled at you they expected a tip!
Beach narrow and water ankle deep most of the time but clear. Few jelly fish but was told they were harmless
Salsa night trip don’t bother!! Just a waiter dancing, on a beach a few miles from hotel not worth it.
Speed boat trip and hide a way trip great, well worth it.
Nothing around the hotel so if you get sick of food and drink there you have had it. Couldn’t do two weeks. No life apart from hotel.
Plenty of beds around pool no many pre booking them!
Alex the rep very friendly.
If you want luxury then book some were else. Cheap and cheerful but no frills.

Go to Cuba with an open mind and forget about the hustle and bustle of normal life. The hotel is clean the staff friendly, engage in conversation with the staff and a few peso's tip works wonders.
There is plenty of choice in the restaurant and recommend the Cuban gala night. Our maid Yvette was excellent and left nice surprises with towel decorations! The rooms are spacious and clean.
Alex the rep is knowledgeable helpful and friendly. We went to Havana swam with the dolphins and went on the colourful Cuba trips all highly recommended. Be warned between June and October it can be humid and a lot of mosquitoes.

2 readers found this review helpful

Hi returned from Cayo Guillermo on Nov 11th 2007 stayed at Cojimar. Me and my partner had a great 10 nights there, we had a room right on the beach which was great very clean and spacious, air con and a great shower.
The restaurant and food was good all edible, all the people at Cojimar very friendly and a good laugh. The shows at night were all good entertainment and the dancers were great never stopped all day loads of energy. The weather was in the 30's red hot round the pool but if you walked to the beach their was a great sea breeze. Take some mozzie repellent and you should be ok. The trips are good specially the speed boats this is a must if you go to Guillermo.
If you like fishing and taking a few bits for the beach go up to the bridge on main road were the locals are, all very friendly and very helpful. Caught some big red snapper of theirs, a barracuda about 10lbs and loads of fish called groncos which locals use for bait. Look for a guy up their called David Mendoza you'll see him without a doubt usually has about five bobbins with lines out, speak to him he'll put you right if struggling. Great bloke excellent fisherman fished there everyday for the last 13yrs. A local so if he doesn’t know how to catch snapper nobody will. haha If you see him say hi from scovicbulldogs he'll remember me as I gave him my real and other bits, good friend.
Anyway we came back and booked again for end of March 2008, me and misses can’t wait to go back, all in all you make your holiday but the Cubans make it for you as well very friendly. If you want the nightlife with pubs and clubs go to Benidorm etc, but if you want to relax and meet great people and have a beach which is beautiful and warm clear blue sea then go to the Cayos don't think you'll be disappointed we wasn’t.
Didn’t think the holiday was right for us when first booked after looking at the reviews people saying nothing to do, as I also like a wonder to the shops and things but honestly it did not bother us at all just make the most of it and enjoy your holiday.

The people that work at the Cojimar work very hard and when you give them tips not a lot 1-2 pesos they are very appreciative and don’t stand there waiting for tips. It’s a nice gesture to say thank you as they don't get big wages each month.
If you go say hi to Angelo one of the dancers he is great and very helpful and also fisherman David Mendoza up on the bridge just say Scott & Vicky say hi and see them in March.
Great holiday think you’ll love it.

2 readers found this review helpful

Me and my boyfriend went to Gran Caribe Cojimar, Cuba in June. Two weeks before we was flying out my friend asked if we wanted to book seats together we wasn't going to but in the end we did. I would advise you to book your seats as a lot of couples didn't get to sit together and 9 hours is a long time next to some one you don't know and its only £20.00 each so go for it!
When we got on the bus we didn't know what to do. There was a lot of older people getting on the bus, my partner asked me if we was going to an oap hotel. There was a couple sat in front of us they were a bit younger than us and that was it.
When we got to the hotel there was a drink waiting for us and some lads playing music. We checked in and was told someone would bring our cases to the room. On the way to the room the gardener said he would take us to the room we gave him a tip (don't know why, he broke the tv). We waited for our suitcases for 15 mins but they didn't come so we went to get them because we wanted to go for a walk.
We had dinner that night and saw the people we met on the bus, so we went to the bar for the rest of the night. I didn't think we would make it back to the room as the drinks just kept coming.
The first few days it rained but 6 of us played ping pong all day as well as drinking it was a good day. After that it got really hot and spent most of the time in the pool.
If you want to go on a trip speak to Uni who works round the pool (he's the short guy). He will take you to the speed boats, croc farm then to a cuban house for a cuban lunch. When you leave the house leave a tip as they have paid for the food and they don't have a lot of money. If you see the flying boat have a go and take a camera with you its really good.
Don't go on the beach late evening or the sand flies will eat you alive (they loved me). Make sure you go to the beach on the train it is even nicer than the beach you are on and its deeper than your ankles. Watch out for the crabs. They are massive and they walk down the paths at night, I did a lot of screaming the first night walking back to the room. Also watch out for the horses you can get up in the morning and their near your door.
The food was ok. It was always warm but I was very poorly I didn't put any weight on in the 2 weeks I was there. Make sure you tip early on and you will get looked after very well. There will be a drink on you table ready for you when you have got your meal. Stick to one end of the restaurant and the same person for tipping. Julia was great.
The maid was very good she always made something out of our towels and left flowers every day.
Try the fish of the grill at lunch it is really nice. It comes with a head on it but they cut it of for me I couldn't eat it with it looking at me.
We only tried the pizza place it wasn't to bad they give you a lot of food. We went twice the second time was for someone's birthday. Adele paid for a cake for her boyfriend (ask for choc it was yummy) and got given a bottle of fizz. They don't keep it there so if you want some then order a few days before you want it.
By going up in the boat I noticed the other hotels and they didn't look that nice so I was glad we went to this one.
The train also goes to another hotel at 9pm and you can go bowling and drink real beer. It comes back about 12:00ish and they have air con.
Overall it wasn't too bad we had a good time found some friends and have good memory's.
Just remember 3 things: Tip, be friendly and leave you air con on all day!

1 reader found this review helpful

Just got back from a weeks holiday and it was fabulous!!!
We had a brilliant week and just wished we had longer to explore more of Cuba. The accomodation was good, double beds, working electricity, air conditioning, sealed windows so no mozzies could get in and a clean, decent bathroom. It was a perfect room for what we needed, I mean how much time do you actually spend in your room on holiday anyway!!
The hotel itself was set out as a mini village if you like and from the beach you could barely see any buildings as they were wonderfully camouflaged by palm trees! I thought this was wonderful as other holiday resorts are usually big blocks of concrete sticking up all over the shop!
The beach had bright white sand and the sea had at least 6 different shades of blue as far as I could see. The water was shallow (knee high) for quite a way out but ideal for lounging about, if you wanted a swim the pool was close or just jump in a catamaran for some diving!
The staff were all very friendly and when our air conditioning leaked it was just one phone call to reception and a man was up in 2 mins to fix it.
The night life within the hotel was different. There is a show every night, usually a dance show and you can tell the dancers are well practised and look almost professional but if that isn't to your fancy there is a bowling alley which you can get to on the 8pm train car thing from outside the hotel... 2 pesos for a game and a nice bar and crazy golf at the same place too!
Last thing cuban food... whose heard of the 'fantastic cuban cuisine ' you can get?... nobody!! because Cuba isn't known for its food but they do try hard and try to cater for everyone. If we got the same food we got at home then what's the point of going on holiday!! The food is basic but all edible and well cooked. Me and my friend didn't get ill once while we were there because we didn't go with that mind set... we heard plenty of people complaining but that's half the problem.
I'd recommend Cuba to anyone, the place is fantastic, people are so friendly, weather is great... it's not like home, but who'd want it to be and if you book this hotel you get what you paid for, a brilliant 3 star service... not 5 star like some people whinged about!
Go to Cuba and ignore everyone else and make your own opinions!

Went to cuba on the 11th October, a date I will never forget... just let me say it was the worst! Do not go here no matter what you hear you will be so disappointed.
Firstly: get to the resort, the staff look at you like well words don't say, the rooms was nice yeah but nothing to talk about, as for the food well just read the other reviews I just could not wait to get home to get something to eat, the beach was lovely if you like swimming in ankle deep water, activities well none at the hotel just the ones from the rep...
The only thing that made my holiday perfect was the person that I was with, my girlfriend Christine. She made it amazing unlucky for some you can not take her with you....lol.
On a level guys do not go there you will not be happy at all with it it, does sound quick and very bad in what I'm saying but don't really write a review but said to myself that I will jot a quick one down... for those that do go all I say is beware..

We had an excellent holiday the people are fantastic especially all the entertainment staff, Yunie, Angelo, Yarie and everyone else.
The rooms and the pool area could do with a lick of paint but everything else was fab.
We thought it was so great we are going the same time next year.
Just remember you get what you pay for its a 3star not 5 and you will be fine!!
Granadina liquor is very nice!