Your rating of this hotel:
8.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
8.0
Service:
7.0
Cleanliness:
7.0
Food:
5.0
Amenities:
6.0
1) Flight to Cuba.
Tour operator Anekstur. We flew with Asur Air. Registration is online! Don't trust your manager if he says otherwise. But the truth is, only there, on the way back, it will no longer be possible to register online - the site does not allow. We flew out on November 19 at 00.05, we were told that it was impossible to check in online, and having arrived at the airport 3 hours before, we found that there was no one at the check-in! It turned out that almost everyone has already registered on the site.
There is no business class on the plane, we were sitting in the 5th row in the middle. Attention: Rows 14 and 15 are the worst! ! ! There are 3 chairs each, but the armrests are not removed and (most importantly! ), they are located near the toilet. Yes, there is legroom, as it is at the exit, but there is a queue for the toilet near these rows for 12 hours.
There was already a warm soft blanket on the seats, and a set of slippers, a blindfold, earplugs and a shoehorn.
During the flight (12 hours) we were fed 2 times (chicken / beef cutlets and scrambled eggs / pasta with cheese sauce). Both times they gave us a bag of salted peanuts, which came in handy later when we were starving at the hotel between 11 and 13 hours.
We landed at 5.20 am - it was +19 outside. Cold! There were 6-8 buses from Anex tour. The whole bus (45 people) was only in our hotel.
About the currency: if you have euros, then you don’t even have to change them at the airport. You can at the hotel, or you can not change them at all - they are accepted everywhere (except for the return flight - see below) 1 euro = 1 cookie. It’s more difficult with dollars - they don’t seem to be accepted everywhere (didn’t check), the dollar exchange rate is 1 dollar = 0.8730 kuk throughout the country (except, again, for the return flight). They do not charge a commission for the exchange of dollars, although in the memo and on the bus we were told about a commission of 10-13%. They explained to me that it was already included in this low rate.
2) Hotel.
Arriving at the hotel around 7 am, we stood in line for about an hour at the reception (it was necessary to register 45 people! ).
The rooms are already all painted and the only trick is that some have already been cleaned (by the way, there were quite a few of them! ), and some are not yet ...Ours was not ready and we were told to come at about 2 pm (officially check in 16 hours). We went for a walk around the area. After having breakfast and quickly looking around, it was cold on the beach and there was nothing else to do, we returned to the reception. I asked if our number was ready - well, you never know ...I was told that no. We decided to while away the time on the sofas near the bar. And as soon as we settled there, a nice lady approached us and said that "she checked again and it turns out our room is ready. " We went to settle in the room. It was 11 o'clock.
Territory, rooms - a scoop gives, but everything is neat, I would say: they strive to get 4 stars. With us, the entire registration desk was repainted white - for the new year, apparently.
In the room - soap, shampoo / conditioner and shower gel (both 125 ml each - a lot, given that they usually put 30-50 ml each). No drinking water in the room, minibar, by the way, too. Drinking water only in bars and restaurants - normal only in the dining room Amelia (where you can pour water into your own bottles), the rest is tasteless. Tip: Bring an empty drinking water bottle with you. You can buy a bottle of drinking water at the hotel bar - 0.5l costs 0.45 cu.
Internet - 1 hour (minimum) - 2 cookies. It works exclusively in the lobby, sometimes too slowly.
I read reviews that it is better to bring glasses / mugs for drinks at the bar. Did not heed the advice, and in vain. Tip: if you are a fan of beer / cocktails in large quantities, then take an appropriate container with you. In bars, plastic glasses of 200 ml are small for a beer or a cocktail. On the beach and in shops they sell wooden souvenir mugs at 0.
5l and 1l (I don’t know their cost, but I think 5 cookies is the most popular price in Cuba? ). All Canadians come with fitness glasses (such transparent plastic containers with a lid and sometimes a straw) - that's it for cocktails!
3) Beach, ocean, weather.
The first 3 days it was cold (it felt like about 20 degrees when the clouds obscured the sun). A hurricane just passed. On the first day, we wore warm clothes (jeans and a winter sweatshirt) until lunch, then changed into swimwear, but a cloud came and put on a sweater again. In the evening there was a light and short rain and at the show (at 21.30) I was very cold (in jeans and a summer sweatshirt). The weather was like this until our departure - the sun is good, there is no sun, it's cool, if it rains - it's cold.
The ocean is about 24-26 degrees. For me it's cold. It takes me about 5-7 minutes to enter such an ocean.
Those who are more accustomed to bathing in central Russia and the mountains/Siberia consider such water to be “normal” for bathing and splash happily in it.
Very strong wind. . It is always there and when you finally gather your courage and swim, it is always cold to go out!
Waves: the first 2 days were strong, the ocean was restless, the flags were yellow (the consequences of a hurricane), then until the end of the holiday there were green flags all over the beach, the ocean was calm, almost without waves.
They saw only dead animals: a dead turtle in the bushes, 2 dead hedgehog fish (bloated and stank like a ram), 3 jellyfish (20-25 cm in diameter), a lot of "Portuguese boats" (jellyfish, similar to a bluish plastic bag with tentacles in the form of threads - leave a very strong burn! )
4) Excursions. Entertainment.
Shows at the hotel - every day. Dance. the group shows different dances (mostly Latino) - well done!
A bus runs around Varadero.
Everyone calls it excursion, in fact, from the excursion it has only 2 floors and the ticket price is 5 cookies for the whole day. The date is written on the ticket, every day a different color to make it easier to follow. Check/buy at the entrance to the bus. Once, at the exit of the hotel, a man offered us two tickets for the price of one. We were afraid, but in the end the tickets turned out to be real (apparently I took it from one of the tourists) and so it’s quite possible to save money.
We went to the Musulmanes caves. There are no caves as such, it is more like a botanical garden. Walking along the trails with looking at plants and the remains of caves for 1 hour. They said that the caves of Ambrosio are better (bigger and more interesting) than Musulmanes. There is a separate tour to the large caves in the center of Cuba - this is if anyone really wants to go to the caves.
Disappointing: Mambo club disco (in the last building of our hotel) is closed for renovation. They promise to finish by the end of the year. After the opening will belong to another hotel.
There are no excursions to the Indian village, it is also closed for restoration.
We were on 2 excursions:
1) Excursion "Colonial Havana" on Wednesday. 38 people on the bus. Guide Rosa Margarita. She is sweet and interesting. We looked downtown (near the Capitol) by bus without getting off. But on the Revolution Square they stood for 20 minutes - a photo with retro cars is a mandatory program. Lunch lasted more than 2 hours, then old Havana - walking tour. There we bought rum in one of the shops indicated by Rita - cheaper than on Varadeiro and in duty free.
In a group, the excursion is not as informative and rich as individually. Excursion to Havana on a retro car costs 150 CUC per car. You can go 2-4 people. So much more interesting and fun. Almost every hotel offers such excursions (unofficially of course) guards or guys on the beach go. In our hotel, the security guard Mario does this. Many guides speak Russian (some are good, some are worse).
Guide Umberto is very good at showing and telling everything.
2) Trinidad in 2 days. There are 21 people on the bus + Orlando guide (former military pilot). The group gathered from 5 hotels, 6 of them from Lithuania.
The morning began with the news that Fidel Castro had died. November 25.2016 at 22.30. The country declared mourning until December 4 (when his ashes are buried in Santiago de Cuba). Farewell in Havana on Revolution Square on November 28 and 29. No music, dancing, fun, alcoholic drinks are sold anywhere, people look lost. In this mood, we set off on the road, 5 hours one way. Orlando told us about the country, but all his information boiled down to the fact that it was good with Fidel, but now what will be unknown. First stop in Cienfuegos. The city was built by the French, nothing interesting in principle, plus, due to the circumstances, it is quite some kind of provincially low-key. Central square, souvenir row.
There, a Cuban "fed" me with a spoonful of rice with beans and tomatoes. I experienced the hospitality of the Cubans first hand. Then lunch in the park. We got to Trinidad, where the souvenir market is closed, there is nothing to do. Orlando showed us all the sights in 10 minutes and then did not know what to do with us. But then we saw a tourist newspaper with the news about the death of Fidel. A hunt for a newspaper was announced ...The post office, where it was distributed for free, had already closed, and it was necessary to find a postman who delivered newspapers on a bicycle. I spotted it at one of the restaurants and purchased a historical (free! ) newspaper for only 1 Cook. There was a queue after me to the postman - Orlando got 3 different newspapers for free. The newspaper that I got, Granma, is the newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba. There was also a Communist newspaper. youth and the local newspaper of the city of Trinidad (by the way, it was released before the news of the death, and it contained the usual news).
The hostel restaurant turned out to be a very nice 3-storey one with various decorations and photos. There, on the 3rd floor, overlooking the rooftops of Trinidad and the 25 cents tower, we tried the famous local cocktail from earthenware cups. It was entourage and somehow in a special way exciting. Probably because there was something forbidden in it. Returning after 45 minutes, satisfied and drunk, we went to the place of our overnight stay. Arriving at 19h at the 4 * hotel, it turned out that they were not waiting for us and there were no places for us. Let's go to the next one. There, in the 3-star but sweet Las helechos (nice than the first, which looks like a factory hostel), we were placed among Canadians and Germans. We had dinner, drank 50 grams of Santera and Mulato rum (both 5 years old) at the bar, for 2 cookies each, chatted with the Lithuanians about which one is better (Santera is pure unrefined moonshine! , mulato is softer and a little nicer) and went to bed . I woke up at 6:30 and we began to gather for breakfast. The dining room opens at 7.
15 therefore we walked a little - the air is gorgeous, they said that Batista's wife built a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients here. But since there is no tuberculosis in Cuba, they gave it to hotels. After breakfast, we plunged into the ZIL and drove through the rainforest. 30min drive in an open truck through cool rainforest. Winter jacket with a hood and a hat, mittens and wadded pants. That's what you dream about these 30 minutes. The wind blows to the bone, but no one is warmly dressed, because after the trip we will have a 4.2 km walk and swim in the lake.
El coria waterfall. Beautiful. Lake with fresh water, water temperature +16 degrees. Invigorates! Highly! We drank a Hummingbird cocktail (a resourceful local craftsman immediately pours it for 3 cookies a glass) for courage and health, took a dip, and went on. Dinner. We walked 4.2 km in total. Max. height above the level of 535 m. After lunch, we again sat down on ZILs and drove to the bus. We hit the road to Santa Clara. There is a memorial museum to Che Guevara.
It has a lot of photos with Fidel and Raul. Road home 3 hours.
There is no animation in the hotel until December 4th. On the shelves with alcohol hangs "not for sale". In connection with the mourning, the sale of alcohol was banned until December 5 (but they continue to pour in bars - "paid"! ).
5) Flight to Moscow
We were picked up from the hotel at 4.30 am (departure at 8.30 am). Since there were 45 of us, we organized a "breakfast" - a hamburger / hot dog + banana. Coffee and tea at the 24-hour bar. They loaded everyone into one bus - there were not enough seats. 35 minutes 5 people rode standing.
In duty free, everything (coffee, rum) is 1-2 euros more expensive. Serano coffee 16.50 Cook. In all stores in Cuba/Varadero - a fixed price of 14.45 Cuc. Perhaps this is due to mourning, as factories and distributors. centers are closed. We bought coffee beans (only Serano is sold) at a nearby hotel (5 *), as ours and the neighboring 4 * ended. The coffee house was also closed during mourning. There is also a difference in duty free shops - around 1 euro. Duty free packages cost 1-1.5 Cook.
When I asked for a blanket, I was told that there were no blankets on the plane and that they would "regulate the temperature". I assume that the blankets with which we flew here are flying back used in the cargo hold. As a result, all the way the wind was terribly strong from above - right in the forehead and eyes. Nothing can be done about it! And it was cold enough - I sat for 12 hours in a winter jacket with a hood on my head and dreamed of a hat (any! ).
On the way back, we were fed 2 times - lunch (chicken fillet with yellow rice and broccoli or lasagna). There was a bun, there was no butter. There was also no lemon. For "breakfast" they gave an omelette (no choice). There was butter and jam, there was no bun. I was very hungry - I did not eat, even asking for a bun from lunch.
Tour operator Anekstur. We flew with Asur Air. Registration is online! Don't trust your manager if he says otherwise. But the truth is, only there, on the way back, it will no longer be possible to register online - the site does not allow. We flew out on November 19 at 00.05, we were told that it was impossible to check in online, and having arrived at the airport 3 hours before, we found that there was no one at the check-in! It turned out that almost everyone has already registered on the site.
There is no business class on the plane, we were sitting in the 5th row in the middle. Attention: Rows 14 and 15 are the worst! ! ! There are 3 chairs each, but the armrests are not removed and (most importantly! ), they are located near the toilet. Yes, there is legroom, as it is at the exit, but there is a queue for the toilet near these rows for 12 hours.
There was already a warm soft blanket on the seats, and a set of slippers, a blindfold, earplugs and a shoehorn.
During the flight (12 hours) we were fed 2 times (chicken / beef cutlets and scrambled eggs / pasta with cheese sauce). Both times they gave us a bag of salted peanuts, which came in handy later when we were starving at the hotel between 11 and 13 hours.
We landed at 5.20 am - it was +19 outside. Cold! There were 6-8 buses from Anex tour. The whole bus (45 people) was only in our hotel.
About the currency: if you have euros, then you don’t even have to change them at the airport. You can at the hotel, or you can not change them at all - they are accepted everywhere (except for the return flight - see below) 1 euro = 1 cookie. It’s more difficult with dollars - they don’t seem to be accepted everywhere (didn’t check), the dollar exchange rate is 1 dollar = 0.8730 kuk throughout the country (except, again, for the return flight). They do not charge a commission for the exchange of dollars, although in the memo and on the bus we were told about a commission of 10-13%. They explained to me that it was already included in this low rate.
2) Hotel.
Arriving at the hotel around 7 am, we stood in line for about an hour at the reception (it was necessary to register 45 people! ).
The rooms are already all painted and the only trick is that some have already been cleaned (by the way, there were quite a few of them! ), and some are not yet ...Ours was not ready and we were told to come at about 2 pm (officially check in 16 hours). We went for a walk around the area. After having breakfast and quickly looking around, it was cold on the beach and there was nothing else to do, we returned to the reception. I asked if our number was ready - well, you never know ...I was told that no. We decided to while away the time on the sofas near the bar. And as soon as we settled there, a nice lady approached us and said that "she checked again and it turns out our room is ready. " We went to settle in the room. It was 11 o'clock.
Territory, rooms - a scoop gives, but everything is neat, I would say: they strive to get 4 stars. With us, the entire registration desk was repainted white - for the new year, apparently.
In the room - soap, shampoo / conditioner and shower gel (both 125 ml each - a lot, given that they usually put 30-50 ml each). No drinking water in the room, minibar, by the way, too. Drinking water only in bars and restaurants - normal only in the dining room Amelia (where you can pour water into your own bottles), the rest is tasteless. Tip: Bring an empty drinking water bottle with you. You can buy a bottle of drinking water at the hotel bar - 0.5l costs 0.45 cu.
Internet - 1 hour (minimum) - 2 cookies. It works exclusively in the lobby, sometimes too slowly.
I read reviews that it is better to bring glasses / mugs for drinks at the bar. Did not heed the advice, and in vain. Tip: if you are a fan of beer / cocktails in large quantities, then take an appropriate container with you. In bars, plastic glasses of 200 ml are small for a beer or a cocktail. On the beach and in shops they sell wooden souvenir mugs at 0.
5l and 1l (I don’t know their cost, but I think 5 cookies is the most popular price in Cuba? ). All Canadians come with fitness glasses (such transparent plastic containers with a lid and sometimes a straw) - that's it for cocktails!
3) Beach, ocean, weather.
The first 3 days it was cold (it felt like about 20 degrees when the clouds obscured the sun). A hurricane just passed. On the first day, we wore warm clothes (jeans and a winter sweatshirt) until lunch, then changed into swimwear, but a cloud came and put on a sweater again. In the evening there was a light and short rain and at the show (at 21.30) I was very cold (in jeans and a summer sweatshirt). The weather was like this until our departure - the sun is good, there is no sun, it's cool, if it rains - it's cold.
The ocean is about 24-26 degrees. For me it's cold. It takes me about 5-7 minutes to enter such an ocean.
Those who are more accustomed to bathing in central Russia and the mountains/Siberia consider such water to be “normal” for bathing and splash happily in it.
Very strong wind. . It is always there and when you finally gather your courage and swim, it is always cold to go out!
Waves: the first 2 days were strong, the ocean was restless, the flags were yellow (the consequences of a hurricane), then until the end of the holiday there were green flags all over the beach, the ocean was calm, almost without waves.
They saw only dead animals: a dead turtle in the bushes, 2 dead hedgehog fish (bloated and stank like a ram), 3 jellyfish (20-25 cm in diameter), a lot of "Portuguese boats" (jellyfish, similar to a bluish plastic bag with tentacles in the form of threads - leave a very strong burn! )
4) Excursions. Entertainment.
Shows at the hotel - every day. Dance. the group shows different dances (mostly Latino) - well done!
A bus runs around Varadero.
Everyone calls it excursion, in fact, from the excursion it has only 2 floors and the ticket price is 5 cookies for the whole day. The date is written on the ticket, every day a different color to make it easier to follow. Check/buy at the entrance to the bus. Once, at the exit of the hotel, a man offered us two tickets for the price of one. We were afraid, but in the end the tickets turned out to be real (apparently I took it from one of the tourists) and so it’s quite possible to save money.
We went to the Musulmanes caves. There are no caves as such, it is more like a botanical garden. Walking along the trails with looking at plants and the remains of caves for 1 hour. They said that the caves of Ambrosio are better (bigger and more interesting) than Musulmanes. There is a separate tour to the large caves in the center of Cuba - this is if anyone really wants to go to the caves.
Disappointing: Mambo club disco (in the last building of our hotel) is closed for renovation. They promise to finish by the end of the year. After the opening will belong to another hotel.
There are no excursions to the Indian village, it is also closed for restoration.
We were on 2 excursions:
1) Excursion "Colonial Havana" on Wednesday. 38 people on the bus. Guide Rosa Margarita. She is sweet and interesting. We looked downtown (near the Capitol) by bus without getting off. But on the Revolution Square they stood for 20 minutes - a photo with retro cars is a mandatory program. Lunch lasted more than 2 hours, then old Havana - walking tour. There we bought rum in one of the shops indicated by Rita - cheaper than on Varadeiro and in duty free.
In a group, the excursion is not as informative and rich as individually. Excursion to Havana on a retro car costs 150 CUC per car. You can go 2-4 people. So much more interesting and fun. Almost every hotel offers such excursions (unofficially of course) guards or guys on the beach go. In our hotel, the security guard Mario does this. Many guides speak Russian (some are good, some are worse).
Guide Umberto is very good at showing and telling everything.
2) Trinidad in 2 days. There are 21 people on the bus + Orlando guide (former military pilot). The group gathered from 5 hotels, 6 of them from Lithuania.
The morning began with the news that Fidel Castro had died. November 25.2016 at 22.30. The country declared mourning until December 4 (when his ashes are buried in Santiago de Cuba). Farewell in Havana on Revolution Square on November 28 and 29. No music, dancing, fun, alcoholic drinks are sold anywhere, people look lost. In this mood, we set off on the road, 5 hours one way. Orlando told us about the country, but all his information boiled down to the fact that it was good with Fidel, but now what will be unknown. First stop in Cienfuegos. The city was built by the French, nothing interesting in principle, plus, due to the circumstances, it is quite some kind of provincially low-key. Central square, souvenir row.
There, a Cuban "fed" me with a spoonful of rice with beans and tomatoes. I experienced the hospitality of the Cubans first hand. Then lunch in the park. We got to Trinidad, where the souvenir market is closed, there is nothing to do. Orlando showed us all the sights in 10 minutes and then did not know what to do with us. But then we saw a tourist newspaper with the news about the death of Fidel. A hunt for a newspaper was announced ...The post office, where it was distributed for free, had already closed, and it was necessary to find a postman who delivered newspapers on a bicycle. I spotted it at one of the restaurants and purchased a historical (free! ) newspaper for only 1 Cook. There was a queue after me to the postman - Orlando got 3 different newspapers for free. The newspaper that I got, Granma, is the newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba. There was also a Communist newspaper. youth and the local newspaper of the city of Trinidad (by the way, it was released before the news of the death, and it contained the usual news).
The hostel restaurant turned out to be a very nice 3-storey one with various decorations and photos. There, on the 3rd floor, overlooking the rooftops of Trinidad and the 25 cents tower, we tried the famous local cocktail from earthenware cups. It was entourage and somehow in a special way exciting. Probably because there was something forbidden in it. Returning after 45 minutes, satisfied and drunk, we went to the place of our overnight stay. Arriving at 19h at the 4 * hotel, it turned out that they were not waiting for us and there were no places for us. Let's go to the next one. There, in the 3-star but sweet Las helechos (nice than the first, which looks like a factory hostel), we were placed among Canadians and Germans. We had dinner, drank 50 grams of Santera and Mulato rum (both 5 years old) at the bar, for 2 cookies each, chatted with the Lithuanians about which one is better (Santera is pure unrefined moonshine! , mulato is softer and a little nicer) and went to bed . I woke up at 6:30 and we began to gather for breakfast. The dining room opens at 7.
15 therefore we walked a little - the air is gorgeous, they said that Batista's wife built a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients here. But since there is no tuberculosis in Cuba, they gave it to hotels. After breakfast, we plunged into the ZIL and drove through the rainforest. 30min drive in an open truck through cool rainforest. Winter jacket with a hood and a hat, mittens and wadded pants. That's what you dream about these 30 minutes. The wind blows to the bone, but no one is warmly dressed, because after the trip we will have a 4.2 km walk and swim in the lake.
El coria waterfall. Beautiful. Lake with fresh water, water temperature +16 degrees. Invigorates! Highly! We drank a Hummingbird cocktail (a resourceful local craftsman immediately pours it for 3 cookies a glass) for courage and health, took a dip, and went on. Dinner. We walked 4.2 km in total. Max. height above the level of 535 m. After lunch, we again sat down on ZILs and drove to the bus. We hit the road to Santa Clara. There is a memorial museum to Che Guevara.
It has a lot of photos with Fidel and Raul. Road home 3 hours.
There is no animation in the hotel until December 4th. On the shelves with alcohol hangs "not for sale". In connection with the mourning, the sale of alcohol was banned until December 5 (but they continue to pour in bars - "paid"! ).
5) Flight to Moscow
We were picked up from the hotel at 4.30 am (departure at 8.30 am). Since there were 45 of us, we organized a "breakfast" - a hamburger / hot dog + banana. Coffee and tea at the 24-hour bar. They loaded everyone into one bus - there were not enough seats. 35 minutes 5 people rode standing.
In duty free, everything (coffee, rum) is 1-2 euros more expensive. Serano coffee 16.50 Cook. In all stores in Cuba/Varadero - a fixed price of 14.45 Cuc. Perhaps this is due to mourning, as factories and distributors. centers are closed. We bought coffee beans (only Serano is sold) at a nearby hotel (5 *), as ours and the neighboring 4 * ended. The coffee house was also closed during mourning. There is also a difference in duty free shops - around 1 euro. Duty free packages cost 1-1.5 Cook.
When I asked for a blanket, I was told that there were no blankets on the plane and that they would "regulate the temperature". I assume that the blankets with which we flew here are flying back used in the cargo hold. As a result, all the way the wind was terribly strong from above - right in the forehead and eyes. Nothing can be done about it! And it was cold enough - I sat for 12 hours in a winter jacket with a hood on my head and dreamed of a hat (any! ).
On the way back, we were fed 2 times - lunch (chicken fillet with yellow rice and broccoli or lasagna). There was a bun, there was no butter. There was also no lemon. For "breakfast" they gave an omelette (no choice). There was butter and jam, there was no bun. I was very hungry - I did not eat, even asking for a bun from lunch.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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OTHER REVIEWS ABOUT THE HOTEL
- I hope my review saves your holiday.
- There is everything you need for 3 *
- I got the impression that the Russians are not at all welcome there!
- almost a disappointment
- The best holiday
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