Coralia Club Playa De Oro

Perhaps, my travelling companion and I stayed at this resort at the wrong time of the year. The Travel Agency we booked with rated this a 'four star' resort. I beg to differ. At dinner in the main dining room one evening the 'teak' chair my friend was sitting on colapsed. [She is definitely not overweight/heavy]. Apparently, this had happened to a gentleman the evening before. We reported the incident to the manager on duty - the hotel management has no record of this. Therefore, I would suggest you be concerned about your safety and customer service if required. The rooms are not very clean. If you are planning a stay there bring along bath soap, toilet paper and a pillow. The pillows are better suited for Barbie and Ken. I will not even address the food. All I can honestly say is the beach, bread, wine and beer is good.

In all my travels down south, this has definitely been the unfriendliest place I have stayed at and by far with the worst customer service I have ever seen. I would say easily that 90% of the staff could care less about serving their customer.The front desk staff was extremely rude, I honestly was never served with a smile and hence avoided the desk unless absolutely necessary. One time, I had requested a wake-up call and was asked for my room number and told "no problem" without even being looked at. I didn't receive the wake-up call. Incidently, lack of eye-contact or looking annoyed by a request was pretty much the standard for front desk and bar staff.Even more unbelievable, our group of 7 were having dinner one night (mediocre food) and got friendly with an adjacent table of about 15 people from France. World Cup soccer soon became the topic of discussion and at one point they began waving their cloth napkins in the air and singing the French soccer anthem, at which point we replied in kind with our own anthem.Up from his table darts the general manager of the place and yells (no exaggeration) at us, telling us to "shut up". We were all astonished by his reaction and even dared ask what was the problem with some friendly fun. He simply retorted that our behaviour was inappropriate in his restaurant. We all tip-toed out of the restaurant as a gesture of how ridiculous the incident had become.One final negative comment, although the drinks (alcoholic and otherwise) are usually very tasty and spiked, they were watered down at Club Coralia. Some of us even bought our own breakfast juice from the hotel gift shop and brought it to the restaurant.In fairness to Varadero however, this was my second time there and I must say that the beaches are gorgeous and the people are very friendly, for some reason not at this resort. I would return again to a different resort, the one I stayed at the first time was excellent but has since unfortunately closed.

Just returned from Playa de Oro on November 10/03. What a great resort. All of the good reviews I read before leaving were accurate. The food was acceptable, the hotel was clean, the staff was helpful and the beach was breathtaking.... We went to the dolphinarium and swam with the dolphins which was the most exciting part of the trip. We also did the varasub day trip and unfortunately, it was a very rough day and the view wasn't very good and many people on the boat were seasick (which made me feel sick). The animation team had us in stitches during the evening shows. Great resort for everyone. Can't wait to go back.

I too went to coralia club playa de oro. I had gone with a friend of mine. We went in june 2003 and augest 2003. We had so much fun the first time that we dicided to go twice. I spent the best to weeks of the summer there. It is a beautiful hotel. The people who work there are amazing they make u feel at home. The beach is like 1 min away from the hotel. It is like the the beach is your backyard. All i have to say is that i can't wait to go back. Anyone who goes to cuba must try this resort. You have to see it for yourself. Everyone has there own opinoin. I give this hotel a 6 star for the great feeling it gives u being there.

My friend and I just came back from Playa de Oro and had the vacation of a lifetime. We went for two weeks September 7, 2003. It was our second time there and it was even better than the first. The food was normal (but Cuba what do you expect), the staff was AMAZING, the activities on the beach and the SHOWS (SHOWTIME!!!) were also very good. We made a lot of friends...memories to last a lifetime... We will definetely go back next year. Two staff members that we will never forget...Cannot wait to see them again...p.s. Always remember P.I.M.P. and "You are so Cute!!" We definetely recommend this Resort to all of yous!!!

I just came back from Club Playa de Oro and I miss it soo much already. Besides the fact that we were in Cuba, a place of great history and rich culture, we resided 7 days on one of the most beautiful beaches my eyes EVER laid eyes on. Turquoise calm waters and white sands that went on forever. It looked like Paradise to me. Before I went I didn't know what to expect of Club Playa de Oro but I have to say from the minute we stepped in and were greeted by the pineapple juice I knew this place would be amazing. The pool is beautiful, the rooms neat and clean, the satellite TV entertaining in between coming in from the beach around 6 and getting ready for dinner - especially all the MTV reality shows. Ahaha! But seriously the best part of coralia was their animation team. I have to say all the people are AMAZING - especially the magician. If you happen to be so lucky to speak to him make sure he does the mascot/levitating paper rose trick. I hope you are as lucky as I for getting that rose after he's done his performance ;) The band played amazing classical cuban music similar to the Buena Vista Social Club. It's soo amazing lying on the beach of Paradise (Located only in coralia's front- I checked other resorts nowhere as nice) and have the sound of the beautiful trumpet playing in the background. The food was quite good, I was expecting it to be horrible as it was in my past trips to other parts of the carribean. The best food is Cuban night, make sure you get some of those delicious plaintains ... if you go to the beach bar for lunch the waiter there is soo sweet he will fry banana's for you like he did for me and my friend. I suggest that when you go to the a la cart restaurants you tip those waiters. My only complaint about Coralia was that after the shows ended at 11:00pm you would head over to the discoteque but the animation team could only stay until 11:30 pm as they were instructed by their manager not to stay past that time. It was horrible because they were the only ones I wanted to dance the night away with. We checked out la Rumba night club it's $10 USD and that includes drink and entrance but in my opinion the place sucked. Apparently there's an amazing club called La Mambo Club only minutes away from Coralia were there's classic salsa dancing to live band dancing. We found out to little to late about it - thanks Neobe!!!! The rum was nasty, but I hate all rum - I'm an amaretto kind of girl! But you must have a mohito when u are in cuba. My advice for women is yes the sexual advances can be a bit annoying at times but don't take it to heart, laugh it off like I did and just remember at the end of the day men will be men and will always try their shot at anything that resembles a female. Ahaha! Seriously though, get to know the cubans, tip them, gift them - they are so sweet and generous. Finally take lots of money as it is quite costly to go on those trips i.e. havana trip ($70 USD), cataraman ($70 USD) etc etc. I will definitely go back to Cuba again and I will definitely look for my cuban amigos - juan, miguel, neobe, aleman, boris etc etc I miss you guys and I still got my crazy tan to remind me that I was just in Cuba.

My best friend and I stayed at the Coralia Club Playa de Oro (Varadero Cuba)the week of June 21 We had the best time ever.The Hotel is so beautiful with its open air concept...At night you can feel a breeze from the ocean...There is wicker furniture and the lighting makes it the ideal place to relax/read or have a drink at the 24 hour bar. The rooms were average, nicely decorated. The food?..Well it was my first time in Cuba..I got there with the misconception that the food in a no-no, but contrary to this...I enjoyed all their well prepared, fresh food at the outside Buffet and at the restaurant.There was an abundance of food.Fruits. Vegetables , Fish..Something for every taste. They have a live band which plays popular cuban latin music.They are amazing!They are everywhere-all day! At night ..there is the Bomba Club...Music is sometimes a little too disco for me..but once in awhile you ll get that new stuff...every nite they have a show with a different theme... The Staff?..They are the nicest people on the planet. Everyone becomes your friend...from that bellboy who carried our luggage, to the waitors,chefs,animators/security/the boys from the nautical points/Its all one big happy family/Of course you ll find a few that are too friendly, But there is a great sense of security there and its very safe at night.Well i could go on forever... But i have to say that the Beach...is Paradise. On our last day we stayed in the water all day until 7:00..(of course we went to eat) Here life is different.Everything is simple. No decisions to make..what to wear , how to get there . or what time...I am definitely going back. Well we both are! Ps My friend...its her 6 th time there!!! If you need more info..just send me an email!!

well, i just back from the Coralia Club Playa de Oro and i had a wonderful time. This was my first all-inclusive vacation so i wasn't sure what to expect. I was at the resort from the 5th of July till the 13th and i loved every moment of it. Location: upon arrival, the lady at the front desk would assign us a room and we would recieve a snack box that concisted of a ham sandwich, a banana and a juice box. The main lobby at the resort is beautifull. It is a sprawling space with plenty of chairs, 2 pool tables and most importantly a 24hrs bar. since the lobby is not a closed interior cool breezes could be felt while hanging out in here. Over-all this was one of the most fun places to hang out once all the day's activities were done. One should be warned that the bar tender at night could sometimes be a little grouchy and would be sleeping on one of the chairs, trying to hide behind a wall. If bothered he will not be happy but, since it is his job, he will serve you eventually. As the night progresses he will try to serve you very very strong drinks so that you want hassle him anymore... be warned... just say "poco alcohol por favor." once out of the lobby you are lead towards the pool in which several paths leading to the two 4 level room complexes are seen. You can either choose to go towards the pool or head towards your room. I arrived at 4 in the morning so there wasn't anyone to be seen in the pool area. As i made my way to my room, on the second floor, i noticed that there were some crabs, small lizards and frogs crawling on the wall of the first floor. It wasn't because the place was dirty it's just because the first floor is not closed off... if your squimish stick to the second floors or higher. Besides the creatures only come out at night and as far as i know don't go in the rooms. The rooms were basic but extremely confortable. There were two beds, a mini fridge, 3 chairs and a table. My room was facing the pool (and the ocean) so i couldn't complain. The next day i went to the beach and was amazed. the hotel is clearly located on one of the best locations to be found on varadero beach hands down. I walked further west to visit the other resorts and i found that they didn't compare to what we had. There was also a snack bar near the pool area, a beach bar, a beach grill at the resort. all the facility were very clean, well maintained and over-all confortable. the staff: hmmm, this was probably the only thing that bugged me during my vacation. yes it is true that the staff, for the most part were extremely active and tried to animate the guests. however, the cuban men were contantly flirting/cruising the women on the resort. I'm not talking about harmless flirting but full on touching/gropping/grabbing/grinding flirting. Seriously some of the things that they did would almost certainly qualify as sexual harrasment back here in canada and the U.s. or anywhere else in the world. It was not uncommon for a girl to be kissed on the shoulder or neck without warning or to be french kissed for that matter. This took place whether or not the woman wanted too or not. Most of the male staff would do this to all the young pretty girls at the resort some liked it, but others, by the end of the week were so annoyed that they even went as far as to complain. i don't think this is particular to this hotel but this is still a very disturbing thing to see. A friend of mine was walking by the pool at night and was approached by a worker who insisted on talking to her and wanted her to go "away from the cameras" he suggested that they go "to the beach or to her room" when she refursed he would insist until she told him that if didn't stop she would complain to the manager. I understand that we are on vacation and clearly some of the girls there were looking for a good time but that doesn't mean that ALL the girls tolerated and expected relentlance advances fromt he cubans. As the week progressed the advances became even more agressive. Me being a guy, i had had no problems but i did talk to some of the girls and they all seemed to agree that this was getting to be bothersome for them. Most of them were so shocked by the advances that they didn't even know how to react so they didn't do anything... just let it be. Food: I heard horrible stories about the food before i got there. However i was pleasantly surprised once there. While it is true that the food is not as good as the restaurants here, it still is very edible and doesn't make you sick. As long as you don't expect a 4 star quality restaurant by our definition you have nothing to worry about. The main buffy had a nice variety of chicken, beef, smoked meat, fish, pasta, shrimp, vegetables and fruits. The also had a wide variety of breads and some good desert. The beach grill was a nice place to have lunch as there was a live band playing music. The food over there was also quite good. The a la carte restaurant was a nice change of pace. the service felt more like home with attentive waiters and a full 3 course meal (soup/salade, main dish and desert) i recommend the lobster cream for the entre and the chicken or steak for the main dish. the wine over all was tolerable. Bottom line, unless you are an extremely fussy eater the food over there will be satisfactory. Don't worry too much about it and you will be fine. activities: i went on the banana boat (5$) which was extremely worth it! i also went on the catamaran ride that included snorkeling, a brif swim with the dolphins and a stop for a meal at cayo blanco... a deserted island that is absolutly magnificient. I payed 70$ and was extremely pleased with it. The dolhin thing is a little bit touristy but... were on vacation so who cares! i rented a scooter for 24 hrs (25$) which was also fun, if not a little dangerous. By far one of the better activities i managed to do was talk to the beach guy responsible for the boats and asked him to take me to the local coral bay on varadero. For 15$ he took me ther and broad a lot of bread. Having never did this before i was ouststanded witht he sheer variety of fishes out there. as soon as you give them bread 100s of them come swarming at you. They swim around you as if you are a fish like them. the guide with us even managed to catch a fish with his bear hands! the 10 p.m shows every night were fun if not a little cheezy (who cares your on vacation right) and the club ont he resort is outstanding. I just let myself go and danced my heart away. oh and also the pool is an exellent place to do some yoga. I managed to do it every day. On the last day people took notice of this (staff included) and even clapped (once i finished) cheering me on. Over-all: i made lots of friends, people from spain, colombia, montreal, toronto were all there. Interestingly enough the language i spoke most during my trip was french canadien... needless to say the hotel's guests are mostly montrealers. I made a lot of friends at this resort and am planning on seeing them again at my local bar soon. I travelled solo but, becaused i had an opened mind and a willingness to meet people i was never ever alone. Some other guests also came alone too but most were in couples or group of friends. This is definitly a happening place to be... its good for the single, the young, the old, the families... everybody!!!! Planning on going back next year hope to see you guys soon Johnathan M.

I'm going to write quite a long review to give you a good idea of what its like there!=)I visited the Coralia Club Playa de Oro resort with my mom in mid April 2003! We arrived at Coralia around 930pm and we were very pleased when we walked into the lobby. Its a very big, high and wide open area filled with places to sit, pool tables, the 24 hour bar, entrance to the restaurant, and reception area. This was one of our favorite places to hang out! Check in took around 30 minutes. We were greated with a glass of pinapple juice and warm hellos from some of the animation staff! You are given two keys(well they are cards that you swipe), you need two keys because in order to keep the AC and lights on in your room you need to have one of the keys in the slot at all times. The rooms are nice, we had two single beds, a mini fridge, safe, and a patio. The rooms are very clean and the maids do an excellant job every day. We had the same maid throughout the week and she left us notes every day thanking us for the presents. Its a great idea to bring a bunch of stuff down with you to give to the maids(toothpaste, perfume, chocolates, lipstick, stuff for their kids, etc..)The rooms are not extravagant and luxourious, but they are very nice, colorful, and neat! The grounds of the resort are beautiful, exotic flowers and palm trees! You will often see the gardeners outside and they are very friendly. Since we arrived late the first night mom and i couldn't go watch the live show so we went back to our room and got ready to go to the disco!!The disco hours are 11-3, its called la Bamba! We stopped by the lobby bar first and had a few drinks and met a few people. Depending on how many people are at the bar it might take a few minutes to get a drink. You have to understand that things are done differently in Cuba. There is no rush to do things, whats the rush anyway? Your there to relax! The drinks are made with quite a bit of rum and as the night gets later they make your drinks stronger and stronger....so be careful! The disco doesn't start to get crowded until about 12ish. They play a variety of music there, rap,r&b,disco,pop.local,etc...The bar at the disco doesn't serve strawberry daqeries or pina coladas. They only serve beer and rum punch. Breakfast is served between 730ish and 10. Its buffet style and its in the main restaurant. There is a lot of things that go on during the day. At 9am by the pool bar there is a yoga/stretching class. Martha does this and its a great way to start the day. At around 11 there is beach volleyball and salsa lessons on the beach. Throughout the day a band will play on the beach and encourage you to dance with them. At the pool there is always water polo and fun games and water areobics in the afternoon. The beach is amazing, white sand and bright turquois waters. There are catamarans, and kayaks that you can use for free and the banana boat is around throughout the day. It is a 5 dollar charge for the banana boat, but well worth it! For lunch you can either go to the beach grill or the main restaurant. We chose to go to the beach grill because there was live music and because we went to the restaurant every night. Lunch is between 1 and 3. The food at the beach grill is okay. Some of the things they served were pasta, chicken, pork, rice, french fries, fruits and veg., breads, etc... There is a live band that plays in the lobby between 6-7 then dinner is from 7-10ish. Dinner at the coralia was excellant. They had a wide variety of foods and the setting was very nice. The waiters were very attentive and you would often remember them from the disco! My mom and i didn't even bother going to any of the a la carte restaurants because we enjoyed the main on so much!There is a different theme show every night at 10 at the stage. We enjoyed these shows a lot. There was dancing,singing and even a little magic! The entertainment was well done and different every night. The pool bar closed at 11, right after the show was finished. There are many trips that you can take, we chose the havana trip. We were very fourtunate to have a wonderfull tour guide who showed us everything we ever needed to know about havana! The workers at the resort all have a university education but they get paid more working in a resort rather then in their own fields. We had an AMAZING time on our trip and we can't wait to go back! The resort got better and better each and every day! The staff was great and we met a lot of great people! Coralia Club playa de oro is a great place to party or just to relax for a week or 2! =) Go on this trip with no expectations and with an open mind....if you do that i promise that you will not want to leave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife and I went on the cheap. We did get decent value for what it cost. Accomodations were on ground level and convenient to everything. As someone posted before we went, we got a second key (credit card like) that only opened the door and not the in-room safe, which we left in the appropriate slot to have the A/C run all the time. Said A/C, an in ceiling thingy, sprung a leak the first day we were there. I didn't really care, but the Minister of Finance would have none! She advised the front desk and by the time we came back to our room, a maintenance type was there repairing it. The buffet food was fair at first but got progressively worse. They don't seem to have a lot with which to work. I would strongly suggest that if you go, get up early and make a reservtion for the à-la-carte restaurant. The lobster creme was very good. My wife had the salmon and it was great. The pork cordon bleu was very good. I had beef, should have had something else. Tagliani and sea food stew, OK. We once had a beautiful sea bass in the buffet and it was picture perfect, problem was I would have preferred to eat a picture as it probably wouldn't have been as dry. As for the servers wanting tips for every drink. I have heard that some people have had problems. I, only one. The boss hates smoke ao she always chose the none smoking section in the buffet area. We invariably ended up near the door and far from the server. Service wasn't tipable. I didn't keep real close track, around $30-$40 U.S. for the week. As for tacky souvenirs - this a real money saver. there isn't much from which to choose. Regret, I got with the program too late to take advantage. Next time, early first day, I will check with the beach guy to show me how to sail a Hobby Cat. Extra-curricular We took Catamaran trip which was $70 U.S. for the day. They picked us up around 9:00 A.M. drove us to the Cat harbour. We powered out for about an hour, anchored in shallow water and we snorkelled. It was fairly overcast so the visibility was not as it could have been and there really wasn't that much to see. We then motored to a pen where they had Dolphins. In groups of ten, we got in the water and the Dolphin swam by and gave each a beak to the cheek. It swam by again and we were able to touch its back. We the were able to pose individuall with the Dolphin giving one a peck to the head. Back on the boat, over to a beach where we were served a lunch of lobster tail and shrimp. Nothng to write home about, but competent. Aw, yeah. Here a group of musicians sang two songs and then passed a hat. Beat it off to the beach as soon as you finish eating and save a buck. After about a couple of hours, back on the Cat and some sailing home. Arrived at the htel at around 5:00P.M. All in all, a very pleasant day. Ratings: beach near perfect for swimming. Accomodations very comfortable. Food fair to middlin'. Service mostly friendly. Value, very good.