More Traveller Reviews of Sol Cayo Guillermo Hotel
Had fun.....
from A TripAdvisor Member
The hotel was nice, very clean and had a wonderful staff. I would rate it a 3 mostly due to the food. There was always lots to eat but always the same. The beach was wonderful although very narrow. We met up with friends from England and were they to do this trip again I would go but given a choice I would pick a different resort.
Good ole' Brits
from A TripAdvisor Member
Fabulous place, fabulous people - but remember your insect repellent.The extremely friendly staff can keep you occupied with the many events on offer.No yanks - definitely a plus! The Brits, on their big booze sessions made the evenings priceless and we even served our own drinks and made our own toasties whilst the bar staff took well deserved breaks! Highly recommended.
awe-inspiring views with superb facilities
from Landlord
I suppose a holiday, in many respects, can be made by 'going there' with the right attitude. If you go to the sol club expecting Gordon Ramsey food you will be disappointed but you will receive fresh, wholesome food with a massive choice. There is something for everyone including a large selection for vegetarians even fussy ones. The beach like all the other reviewers mention is beautiful and sitting in the beach bar, sipping a 'mohito', watching the sea lapping the white beach really is paradise. A few minor detractions are: a lack of a fan in the main bar, the heat and humidity make sitting watching shows very sweaty. Nightclub not brilliant, and beer only served in half pint glasses. A superb variety of trips are highly recommended we did them all and they are all worth every penny especially jamaica, dolphins, havana overnight and jungle safari. Budget about £1000 for 2 if you want to do all the trips. Take a lot of 1 dollar bills with you as the tips are really appreciated and if you do the trip to moron to see how the locals live you will not begrudge giving them out. We got back sept 16 and I have just booked to go back in feb. We have been to all the top resorts around the world and this has to rate amongst the best. Feel free to mail me if you would like any more info
Great Holiday
from roey
Returned on 14th November 2003. Totally agree with couple from Hants. We also ignored the criticisms of some reviewers. Lovely beach and clear warm sea. Able to walk in sea and feed the fish with bread or bananas, complex excellent. Clean and comfortable rooms. Gardens were glorious. Staff were friendly and helpful. Trips exceptional. Overnight to Havana is a must, we were well looked after. The Jungle Tour was fantastic fun. Buffet - had something for everyone. Cannot understand the complaining about food. Had four a la carte during the two weeks and they were excellent. Would definitely recommend it.
Fantastic!!!!
from A TripAdvisor Member
Well we returned from a fabulous holiday at this resort yesterday. I read the reviews before we went, some of them weren't too great but they didn't put me off and I am glad. The people who said the food was bad must be completely mad or used to eating at expensive restaurants all the time. I thought the food was wonderful there is a huge range to choose from and you can go up as many times as you like. My boyfriend ate enough to feed a small family every meal time! The hotel is gorgeous, the rooms are very clean and our chamber maid Maria was extremely chatty and funny, we tipped her a dollar every day and came back to find swans made out of the sheets and blankets. The trips are great we went on the Jungle Tour which is a must, the catamaran is also a fantastic day out and swimming with Dolphins is brilliant and well worth the money. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. I can honestly say if I could go back tomorrow I would. Of the four hotels on the Island I definately think we had the pick of the bunch. Go for it and enjoy a wonderful, relaxing holiday!
Highly Recommended!!
from A TripAdvisor Member
Sol Kayo Guillermo is unique in a few ways. It's not a hotel, it's a collection of two and one story bungalows. We walked out of our bungalow almost right onto the beach which was convenient and down right cool. The hotel next to it, the Melia, has a long pier going out into the water, which attracts fish underneath, which makes for hours of free snorkeling. There is a coral reef near by. Not close, but close enough for a good swimmer, so if you have your own gear, bring it. There are catamarans going out to the coral for $11. What makes the location unique to any other resort, is that the island is very secluded. As a matter of fact there are only three hotels on the island and next to the Sol is nothing but land to walk and explore. The resort in general is just fine. The rooms are artistic and clean, the grounds are pretty, the hut bar at night is a real treat and the night time entertainment is breathtaking, as they have a few world renowned dancers. The staff is wonderful, but do yourself a favor and bring stuff to tip with, rather than money. Since its a communist country, they have little access to things we take for granted. Tip the bar and restaurant staff with candy and gum (they cant buy that kind of stuff and they take it for their kids). Tip the chamber maids with things like razors, feminine hygiene products, make up, nail polish, hair accesories, costume jewelry, magazines, etc. and be sure to leave a note that its for them. Bring all that kind of stuff around your house that you don't use anymore, including old t-shirts, etc. Bring stuff for kids on your tours into town, such as crayons/pencils for boys and hair pins for girls. You'll be glad you did. Others have reviewed the food as bad. They must be picky eaters. The food was fine and there's lots to chose from.
It made our honeymoon.
from A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and i returned from sol cayo guillermo on the 29th oct. All we can say is wow ! The hotel was clean all the time, the staff were fantastic. The shows by the animators at night were amazing. The food did get a little boring but we found that if you asked for something they would do their best. One of the chefs cooked us a fresh paella one night as my husband is allergic to peppers and it was fantastic. The beach although narrow was wonderful, we fed the fish in the sea every day. Alex our rep was great, we did three trips, swimming with the dolphins was the best. I would highly reccomend anyone to go to this hotel who wants a chilled time with excellent service and entertainment. We renewed our vows which was a nice touch and included in the price. Not really for kids though, our little one would have been too hot and bored. Fantastic weather. All together - PARADISE.
relax and chill out
from A TripAdvisor Member
Just returned from this hotel,wasn't the best one we've been to but wasn't the worst.Pool cleaned twice a day, beach cleaned every day,room's clean and linen every day food o.k,very friendly place,staff very helpful.All in all a very good rest.Trips limited and quite expensive,Alex resident rep o.k.ish.Fine for a 2 week break where beach and pool are required,no good for rousing night life plenty of international drinks as well as the rum...Sun shine every day,sea water warm.Returned 8.10.03
Best place for dieters!
from A TripAdvisor Member
Just returned from a stay at the above hotel. Managed to lose half a stone in weight, thanks to the quality of the food in the buffet restaurant ie salad every opportinity with cabbage!!!! instead of lettuce ... as a vegetarian not much option and the pigs head will put you off anyway following the beach barbeque!!!! Food was mostly luke warm if lucky, and the selection was the same most nights. Although they did have a pasta chef who would prepare you a meal in the same frying pan which he would prepare his previous meal inc. ham!!!!!!. Although the staff were very friendly ............. for a tip! The Al a Carte restaurant was much superior and again staff very friendly. Gardeners very friendly and worked very hard!!!!!!!!!!!! the most geniune!!!!!!!! as goes the chambermaid! Beach and sea lovely and clean ..... and as you would expect for a carribean holiday! Over all in September staff very friendly (mostly for tips), food so so , and evening entertainment quiet poor an hour show (mostly dancing at 10 - 11 p.m. and that is it!). If you want a real relaxing holiday this is it !!!!! p.s. room very clean and satillite t.v. excellent! p.s.s. mini fridge does not been mini bar - which is available in other hotels, it is a mini fridge which is fillable at cost of approx $11.
the clearest waters you'll ever see
from A TripAdvisor Member
I stayed at this hotel in August 2003 for 5 days as part of a trip travelling all round Cuba. I arrived from the mainland via taxi and the first thing that hits you is how isolated Cayo's Coco and Guillermo are. Also not having ANY Cubans around apart from the staff is a little strange and takes a bit of getting used to. Having said that it does mean that you aren't hassled for money all time which can only be a good thing. The hotel itself is very well designed and we were lucky enough to get a room right by the pool and only about 50 metres from the beach. Also, if you like your food you've got more reason to be happy here than nearly anywhere else in Cuba. There is a good selection of dishes and the lunch time menu in the buffet restuarant is a good reason to over eat. For dinner though I thought the a la carte restaurants were much better. The creole restaurant was pretty empty both nights we went there though the food was of a good standard if you ordered the right thing but the other a la carte was definitely the best. Lobster was on the menu here though you have to pay extra for it and to be honest the food was the best I saw in Cuba, definitely up to international standards. Also a bottle of champagne was $45 which is worth it given the romantic surroundings. There were three shops in the hotel where you could by what you wanted really, though I recommend buying cigars at the airport as they are cheaper there. There were also a wealth of excursions to take from the hotel. You could go horse riding for a few dollars though the horses weren't the best kept, there was a trip called a "Jungle Tour" where you ride speed boats and go snorkelling that was a lot of fun, and we also went scuba diving down to the coral reef which was great too. When you wander down onto the beach you'll see the clearest waters you've ever seen and you could do worse than to sit in a hammock for a couple of hours and let the world go by. This place really is a paradise, although it is obviously a bit of an artificial one. I would heartily recommend this hotel for a family or for couples. You'll have a good time. The only thing I would say against this hotel was that the nightlife was pretty poor. The disco never gets going due to the poor music selection that they play there and the apathy as a result of the guests. I wasn't too bothered about this just as I wasn't too bothered about the standard of the entertainment which was pretty awful. The worst night was a "comedy" night where we had to watch sub-Benny Hill routines about people falling over and homophobic drivel about supposedly gay men chasing other men around the stage. I suppose kids might enjoy the entertainment though... if they're below the age of ten.
4 readers found this review helpful
we have arrived home from cuba staying at the sol guillermo hotel, well what can i say it was just fantastic one of the best hotels we have stayed in,it was very clean food great staff could not do enough for you,the larger was a bit to strong for me but i still drank it... more