Villa Cojimar Resort Hotel

I have recently returned from a holiday at the Cojimar Hotel with my wife and two children. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this holiday, but I can honestly say it was excellent.
The apartment was great. Yes the furniture is tired, but your room is only a base. The important things were great. The bed was comfortable (bedding changed regularly), the air conditioning worked well and the bathroom was always kept clean. (full marks to Yvette, our maid)
The food is great. Those that complain about it being mundane were obviously not very adventurous. We only used the "a la carte" pizza restaurant once, and chose to eat in the main restaurant the remainder of the time. The food is varied and plentiful. The waiters and waitresses do work 'a little better' with some "Peso persuassion". Get used to tipping - it's a must if you require things at 'English pace'.
Alex the Thomas Cook rep is great. A refreshing change to find a Rep that is there for YOU rather than your money.
We took advantage of four excursions. The Catamaran (great snorkelling - or just sunbathing if you prefer), the Speedboat trip (great fun - and a must), the Salsa Night (free bar all night) and the Jeep Safari (to sample REAL Cuban life).
Another Alex, in the Hemingway bar , is also great entertainment. Ice juggling a speciality!!!
The entertainment was good. Plenty going on during the day (if you're prepared to take part) and a show each evening. If you want something noisy and 'in yer face' then this is NOT the place for you. If you want to get away from it all and see what life really should be about, then this is perfect.
This is only the second holiday that I've had in my 44 year life that I wished I didn't have to leave. We shall hopefully be returning in the not too distant future.

3 readers found this review helpful

I am 16 years old and went here with my 19 year old sister. I think it is important to come with an open mind. We came here having read many reviews, particularly complaining about food generally across the whole of Cuba. The food I found was excellent. Very wide range of food, 2-5 meats on offer a night, cooked fresh in front of you. Also pastas, salads, fruits, puddings, ice creams and general dishes. Lack of plate reloading became an issue for some... just don't be rude like some as it's obvious the staff do not appreciate it.
The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and by no means expect tips (however even less so from us because we were much younger than most guests). The entertainment is good, and the disco at night is very good, considering your in such an isolated area with few other facilities beyond the hotel. The hotel was going through an intensive renovating process, this including: painting, improving gardens, improving facilities and general adding furniture pot plants etc. This happened in our second week and the transformation was brilliant (not to sound like a interior designer or anything) but was definitely more pleasant.
The watersports on the beaches were good, rarely got a chance to use them without queuing. The coral reef was non-existent (well not swimmable), therefore the men offer to take you out for £15-25 pestos. We went to another beach on the train from the hotel entrance at 9:00am and paid £11 pestos for snorkelling in the coral reef. This was AMAZZZZINGG, loved it, best money spent on the holiday. We saw a lobster! :-) and just amazing fish. The beach is also nicer and the fish swim right up to you! Oh.. can't forget the beach! absolutely stunning.. pretty self-explanatory.
The bar was good.. wide range of cocktails, they tended to make anything you wanted. Many people got ill on holiday, however I cannot explain why. I ate all the food (literally) and lots of it! However I only drank water throughout the day and so this made a huge difference.
The amount of trips was unbelievable! one couple spent over £1500 on trips (3000 pestos) :o! We went to Havana (obviously not to be missed) although we did get lost and the coach left without us!! very dramatic, had everyone worried, but don't worry came back for us! However, like marmite.. love it or hate it.. however I love the culture (again need open mind). We also did salsa night (a definite must do) and Jeep tour- again loved. Many also recommended catamaran trip.. but not really dolphins! The trips means you meet many Cubans- men tend to be pervey (quite a few marriage proposals) however the people are truly lovely!
Sorry to waffle on, but it's just brilliant!! A little recap! Enjoy! x

1 reader found this review helpful

Just got back from a great 2 week holiday in Cayo Guillimero. We stayed at villa Cojimar and speaking to other people on the trips we did we are very glad this was our hotel and not some others on this island and Cayo Coco.
When we arrived it was around 7pm, we were greeted in reception with drinks and bell boys to take the luggage to our room, we were also shown to our room by another person (at the cost of a tip so make sure you change some money at the airport and get change).
Over the 2 weeks we found that staff to be very friendly especially Julia the waitress in the main buffet restaurant. You generally get better service if you tip regularly and at the bar do it at the beginning of the night. We didn’t have to go to the bar once after the 2nd day as all our drinks were brought over before we had even finished.
The food in this hotel is repetitive but always cooked well and in front of you, we were told that the food was cold a lot of the time in other hotels. In the morning get the omelette lady to make you an omelette or pancakes they are yummy. The pizza pasta restaurant is good and worth a visit but the Cuban cuisine not so good, felt a bit ill after that one!
If you think you will get a little bored make sure you do some trips I really recommend the dolphin trip it was amazing! It’s an overnight trip and the hotel there is not so good but worth it the next morning.
The colourful Cuba trip is good but only in the afternoon so if you get offered the speedboat trip and crocodile farm trip by the guys round the pool do it because it’s the same just without the boring bit at the sugar cane factory and the horrible lunch at the farm.
Alex the rep is great he was helpful, and funny and helped to organise a surprise birthday dinner and cake for my boyfriend while we were there. if you want to order a cake its 10 pasos and do it the day before you want it they also ordered a bottle of champagne in as a present as it is not something they actually stick at the hotel. (Ask for chocolate cake)
The rooms were always cleaned well and on most days had some sort of interesting animal made out of towels and a card and decoration on my boyfriend’s birthday.
Overall this was a great holiday I don’t know where some people were staying when they write about this hotel, don’t go expecting the world as it is a very poor country and it is a cheap holiday... you get what you pay for.
I would go back once I have seen the rest of the world.

1 reader found this review helpful

Sorry, this was a waste of our hard earned money; staff were rude and unconcerned about any complaints.
Rooms flooded when it rained. Food was cold and repetitive. Paths were uneven, and broken causing a tripping hazard and the lighting on the paths to rooms were very bad or none at all.
There was no contingency plan for when it rained. It came through the reception area and lounge area because the roof was very damaged, so it was sit in your flooded room or sit in the flooded bar and lounge - great!!!

1 reader found this review helpful

I had a wonderful holiday here in Cuba. It’s a fantastic country for those who want to relax on a beautiful Caribbean beach and for those who want to explore vibrant culture.
The rooms were fantastic, really spacious with two double beds and a clean and quite modern bathroom. The television had satellite so there was a good selection films on.
The rooms were a lovely village of bungalows with two rooms in with a lot of space between each bungalow and a very private little terrace, which was really nice to sit out on in the evenings with a glass of wine!
The staff are very nice and we made friends very easily. The beach is not very wide but it is beautiful white sand a very calm, clear blue sea. There was hardly anyone on the beach so it was perfect for relaxing.
The pool is lovely and big, a bit rough around the edges and a few of the crabs end up in there in the mornings. In fact when it gets dark the crabs are everywhere so watch out for where you are walking because they are decent sized creatures.
There are a fair few mosquitoes about so make sure you wear your insect repellent or you will get bitten to death.
The hotel next to our has a bowling alley and there is a little mini train you can catch there for a few pesos. There is a disco which the teenagers can go there and enjoy themselves.
The only problem is the food. As a vegetarian it was very hard for me to eat basically anything! Many people got a few stomach cramps and some did get a little bit of food poisoning.
I would however strongly suggest going on a excursion whilst you are there at the Cayos are not full of the Cuban culture as no one actually lives there. If you want to see a bit of Cuba there are loads of trips to chose from.
Most are overnight though as it is quite a journey to the mainland. I went on the trip swimming with dolphins which was great ! We went by coach to Trinidad which is a very rustic old Spanish city and it was beautiful!
We went to a few other place on the way as well but overall we had a good taste of the Cuban life. I would recommend taking a few pens or soap and little things like that as in Cuba they cannot get hold of things like this. We took some pens and gave them to a few people on the street and their faces lit up. Also leave anything you don’t want for your maid as she will really appreciate it!
Over all a fantastic holiday great for families with older children in particular.

1 reader found this review helpful

Just returned from 18 nights at The Villa Cojimar.
Whilst it is a beautiful Island there is not a great deal to do and the first time I've ever wanted to come home from a holiday, 14 nights would be fine, but 18 is definitely too long.
Hotel:
Rooms are spacious and airy, but the furniture does look tired. Some of the rooms were being refurbished whilst we were there. Request a beach room at the opposite end of the complex from the disco, it's nice and quiet and ideal for the quieter end of the beach too.
The 2 bars are fine, can be quite a wait to get served in the lobby bar in the evening, especially after the show when there is a mass exodus to the bar. It's worth tipping the bar staff a couple of peso's from time to time to get waiter service, they do look after you then.
Definitely worth investing in a Thermos mug for drinks as the small plastic cups they give you don't hold much and the drink gets warm very quickly. Ideal for coffee too!
Food:
For meat eaters it's not too bad, Breakfast has a selection of cold meat and cheese, fruit, eggs, bread, jams, cereal, omelettes, bacon, chips!!! There's a carvery each night, fish, steak, chicken or pork cooked freshly on the grill for you, pasta, again cooked individually, plenty of salad, bread, potatoes, and rice.
As a vegetarian I struggled to find anything other than salad and potatoes to eat for the entire stay, if you're not too fussy it's ok but they put meat in everything, if you get pasta or an omelette cooked for you there's bit's of meat left over from the last one cooked!
The grill by the pool bar offers hot dogs and burgers during the day, all of our party loved them. If you have the chips from there make sure they're freshly cooked as the crows go and help themselves from the hot plate!
Staff:
All the staff are very friendly and helpful. It's interesting to talk to them, as some of them are trained accountants, teachers etc but can earn more in the hotel industry!
Take some Mac 3 blades for Joy on the lobby bar; he'll be very appreciative, we're sending some over for him! They appreciate anything you leave them, Joy again, and asked for our thermos mugs which we were happy to leave. They all appreciate t-shirts and football tops.
Gym:
The gym is fine if you want weight training but there is no cardio equipment. I went for a power walk each morning along the beach or along the road, it's very safe and you get to meet more locals going to and from work, all wave and smile, do shout "Ola" back to them! You also get to see the Flamingos and other birds in the lagoons along the roadside.
Entertainment:
The nightly show was a bit disappointing, mainly dance routines being performed. There’s plenty of entertainment staff trying to drag you off to play Boules, beach volleyball, water volleyball etc. every day, do have a go it's great fun and there's usually a bottle of rum as a prize.
Excursions:
We did the speedboat trip which was great, make sure you drive on the way back if you want to go fast, going out you go through the Mangroves and can't go too fast. Take some bread or bananas to feed the fish as you go snorkelling and can get them eating out of your hand.
Havana overnight is a must, do go to The Tropicana show, we opted out of it, and really regretted it when we heard how good it was! Take some sweets for the kids you see there as well.
Half Moon Island is great, get a taxi or the train to Playa Pillar and you can take a catamaran to the Island and go snorkelling on the reef, it's 5 pesos each way to the beach and 11 peso's for the boat trip, much cheaper than the trip offered by the reps.
The VIP area in the airport is worth paying extra for; make sure you book it asap as there are limited numbers, free drink snacks, and toasties in an air-conditioned lounge, bliss. A good way to end your stay.
Overall it was a lovely holiday, beautiful turquoise sea, golden sand, and palm trees everywhere, very relaxing. Having seen all of the other hotels on the Island I would be inclined to pay a little extra and go for the other hotels on the Island. If you want a cheap relaxing holiday it's great though.
N.B. Lock up all your valuables as things do go missing from your room.

After reading varied reviews on this hotel we were expecting the worst but in fairness we were pleasantly surprised – this is not to say everything was perfect, but on the whole, the holiday was a good one.
I think as long as you remember you have paid to stay in a 3* hotel and don’t expect 5* treatment you won’t be disappointed. The people we encountered who were complaining were doing so mainly because they had been for a walk up the beach to compare hotels, they obviously had forgotten the fact that the people staying in the other hotels had paid more for their holiday and in a better class hotel. I don’t know what these people expect.
To be honest, we went for a walk along the beach on several occasions and although we did not venture into the other hotels (why would we, we were happy with what we had and didn’t want to spoil this by seeing what we were missing) the Cojimar probably sits on a nicer stretch of beach.
The Hotel in general:
The hotel was clean but a little tired looking. During our stay maintenance work was constantly being carried out (this did not disturb us at all - no noise etc) and if what has been done so far is anything to go by the hotel will soon be upgraded to 4 / 5*, the 2 story rooms at the back of the complex looked great.
It would seem there are 2 sides to the hotel with all facilities situated in the middle; one side of the hotel would appear to be in better condition than the other. If possible go the “Pizza Restaurant” side of the complex (opposite end to the disco) as I believe these were the refurbished rooms.
The hotel gardens were kept nice but in places a little unkempt like between the slabs etc. The paving was a bit wobbly but no problem if you watch where you are going. Be careful on the tiled floors if it rains – they get really slippy.
The Room:
Our room (which was supposedly one of the refurbished ones) was fine, basic but clean. Plenty of hot water and the air con kept every where nice and cool. There was a small fridge, a complementary safe and we had a sea view. The room was cleaned every day to a good standard. The towels were a little shabby but were changed daily.
We were just a few steps off the beach. We had a patio leading to a grassy area shaded by palm trees and then the beach and the sea. This area was lovely as it was quieter than the beach and pool and you could lie in the sun or move into the shade when you needed to, plus you had your own private facilities in your room!
The Beach / Sea
I think this was the biggest disappointment for us. The beach was very nice but by no means would I rate it as one of the best in the world as I have heard other people say. It was long and narrow stretching in front of 3 hotels. The sand was white and most of the time kept clean. A tractor cleared away the seaweed everyday depending on the tide and whether he could drive down the beach or not. I didn’t like lying on the beach too much as the section near our room was so narrow you almost felt as though you were in the way of people taking a walk. Beware the spiky things, these were not a problem but when walking to and from the beach on the grassy / sandy areas wear shoes!
The sea, well what a disappointment! We had read the reviews and had been warned but didn’t really think it would be as bad as people said – how wrong were we. When the tide came in (and the beach disappeared in places) the sea was about knee deep. If you waded out (over the sea weed and sea grass) you could just about swim in very small areas. Forget trying to snorkel, there is nothing to see unless you pay to go by catamaran to the reef. When the tide went out the sea was ankle deep and ankle deep as far as you could see. This was the same for all hotels along this beach (3 of the 4 on the island).
Food
What can I say? No problems with the food, always plenty of choice, never went hungry, never had upset tummy. The service in the restaurant at the start was poor but we soon caught on what to do. Chose a table (preferably at the end of the restaurant furthest away from the food) and stand in front of it until one of the waiters acknowledges you and invites you to sit down. If you follow this tip you will be ok, if you just go in and sit down they will ignore you and you will die of thirst.
People
I heard people say the Cuban’s were the nicest race they had ever met. I would disagree. The people, in the main, were very nice. Some were especially nice others were ok, some were outright grumpy – just like any other race of people you come across. What put me off these people was that you were expect to tip as you go along – at the bar each day, after every meal in the restaurant, at the other bar each day, the maid – the list is endless. The people were lovely and the more they got tipped the lovelier they became – it was all very false to me, and very expensive!
Advice and Tips
Before you go, e-mail the Cojimar and request a room on the beach at the opposite end to the disco. It won’t be right on the beach but close enough.
Take loads of insect repellent the bites were horrendous. We were not too bad, only having about 50 each, but some people had to get medical advice and injections. Some people were saying it was bed bugs but I don’t think so. Mosquitoes and sand flies with sharp teeth and big appetites!
Watch out at the airport (both ways) as they are so strict on excess luggage now. We had to pay £50 going out (it should have been £120 but the girl felt sorry for us and let us off). All because we took an extra bag full of bits and pieces to give to the locals – I’d rather have given them the cash – in fact I did via tips!!! Coming back we were very careful and gave loads of things away, left all sun cream and toiletries etc and just managed to stay within the limit.
Wait to be seated in the restaurant. Avoid the Cuban restaurant unless you like eating in a portacabin! The pizza pasta restaurant is ok but limited choice, worth a visit though for a change.
Go to Pillar Beach – this is how a real beach should be and is well worth the 15 minute taxi drive and 5 peso’s per person return. Out of this world and you can even see a few fish if you snorkel. There is also the opportunity to take a short boat trip to half moon island where the snorkeling is supposed to be great but we did not go as we made the mistake of only going to Pillar on the last day of the holiday and not knowing what to expect we had arranged for the taxi to collect us after a couple of hours BIG MISTAKE.
Go on the speed boat trip – great fun and not bad value for money.
All in all and lovely holiday, met some fab people but would we go back…… No, too many other places to visit and it wasn’t good enough to sacrifice the chance of finding perfection!!!

Been back a week and I wish we were still there it is a haven of peace and quiet.
Having read every review going before we left I had some idea of what to expect. No, it is not the height of luxury but remember the price you have paid....
We stayed in Room 4 - a bungalow right on the edge of the resort and it was fine - ok the furniture was a little "tired" but the room was spotless, the beds were very clean and the bathroom better than mine at home - even had a little frog live in there for the entire fortnight!
I remembered reading to switch the air con on at 20 degrees or lower and leave it that way til you leave and the mosquitoes won't come in - we did this and did not have ONE bite between us all holiday. There is a problem with sand fleas apparently but don't go on the beach at dawn or dusk and you should be fine.
If you are going make sure you do the speedboat trip early on - guaranteed you'll want to go again, also if you can do go to Havana there's nowhere like it on earth! The food was perfectly OK, I think even The Ritz would get repetitive after a fortnight. We didn't go to the Cuban restaurant -heard bad reports, but did go to the Italian which was nice for a change from the hustle and bustle of the main restaurant.
As for tipping, well yes it does make a difference to their wage obviously but it will become blatantly obvious which staff treat tippers differently....in my experience if you are courteous and friendly you get treated the same way whether or not you tip.
They are renovating the apartments - especially the two storey buildings and these are looking good. The entertainment area is now in use - although waiting for the roof to be put on the area. The shows are OK - the dancers are pretty good and work hard. It is not however the place to go for a rocking nightlife (which was fine by us!). I should also mention the male members of the daytime entertainment crew don't like it if you don't want to join in their games - it's amazing the "sarcasm" that they come out with if you politely say thanks but no thanks to a game of volleyball!
Mobile phones work fine and in my experience probably the cheapest option for phoning home whatever they say. Land train to Playa Pilar (a MUST see) 5CUC return pp, same price by taxi and the driver will pick you up at the time you request, boat from Playa Pilar to Half Moon Island for snorkelling 11CUC pp from Playa Pilar, Speedboats 41CUC for around 3 hours, Havana 174CUC for a day trip by plane.
Alex the Rep is the BEST! If you go - kiss to Damary in the Restaurant and Alex please from me! GO AND ENJOY!

My boyfriend and I have just returned from two weeks at the Villa Cojimar in Cayo Guillermo and we can't wait to go back! We had a wonderful time, the hotel is not quite as fancy as some in the area but it is a Cuban owned hotel rather than a foreign owned one.
It was perfectly clean, the pools were great, there were plenty of sun loungers and very little building work going on while we were there. The staff are first class, especially Yuni in the entertainment team and Julio the gardener. They are all incredibly friendly and will bend over backwards to make your stay as comfortable as possible. We had a bungalow right at the beach and the view was amazing, it was spotlessly clean and Marelis our maid would fold up clean towels for us every day and leave us fresh flowers on the beds.
We found that there was a great choice of food. Choices of soup, salads, fresh bread, freshly cooked pasta, fish and meat, a roast carvery, rice and lots besides. Unlimited fresh fruit, fab Cuban ice cream and amazing flambeed bananas, you have to try them! Our rep Alex was great, he was there twice every day so we never had a problem finding him.
We went on the overnight trip to Havana which was amazing and also did the speedboat excursion, the colourful Cuba trip to Moron and went snorkelling almost every day. The beach is beautiful, the water is crystal clear and shallow and you can see all kinds of corals, fish and shells.
All in all we would definitely recommend the Cojimar, we had a great time for a great price and will be going back as soon as possible.

Thomas Cook failed to inform us of the major refurbishment work that was taking place.
We were given an un-referbished room which was tatty and smelt damp which we paid full price for.
The pool also was out of use as it was being revamped. The entertainment area was unfinished.
As this was adjacent to the pool area, even eating at the grill meant that you were invaded by builders dust and noise from power tools.
The Cuban ala carte restaurant was not open until our second week and on our visit did not have enough food allocated to them to ensure we were catered for.
To access the Italian ala carte restaurant you had to walk through where the builders were gutting the apartments. Sometimes they worked until 10.30 pm.
We were in a beach bungalow which was in a lovely spot, until the diggers arrived and proceeded to dig up the beach, leaving huge mounds of sand in their wake completely obscuring our view.
Thomas Cook are still selling this holiday without informing potential guests of any problems at this hotel.