TORONTO - (a rewrite - lost original and this is a synopsis)

No way, I won't go. Its time for my annual trip outta here and I after much thought, Galeones will never be again.

I don't believe one should have to 'work' at having a vacation -- I'm already city/work fried...I don't want to compromise on selfish indulgence. I will not again.

Food - abysmal

The bar: Day 2, ran out of lime/lemon, out of beer 1/2 the time, no mint -- oops.,

BBQ on the private beach? - never mind. Didn't happen until the final day when everyone was too sick to enjoy it. Some pandemic had attacked our hotel and its sister hotel down the road -- 2.5 days out, I was.

Private Beach? so neglected that one afternoon down there, pretending you're Robinson Crusoe is quite enough.... tiki bar, long deserted, BBQ -- same; beach itself, very dangerous with natural detrius -- not good for bare feet.

Rooms were swell. Staff changed me after the first nite because they felt my room was not up to snuff. And they were quite right. Didn't have to say anything though -- good work with that. Clean too. Enjoyed the daily staff -- the few without guile.

Staff -- how gullible are you all? I read the reviews before I went down. I knew one was to stuff their suitcases with gifts for the needy staff and families..... or, the black market -- and even that's okay. who cares. Me, I do, I care when I feel I'm essentially paying twice for a mediocre vacation. This giving of toiletries, clothing, etc.,.... is not good will, it is posturing and guilt absolving -- exploitation is exploitation. You're doing it. Live with it. Cuba is the most corrupt vacation destination I've ever been to.

I fear that I must skip the horse ride story (highly recommended!) and advise all travellers to do whatever they feel necessary to protect their money. My Canadian dollars were stolen from my safe. Cuban money left behind. My Canadian dollars, in a separate purse, inside my vault were missing when I packed up to leave on the last day. Perhaps taken while packing, grabbing a coffee (great coffee!!!) 5 mins. out of the vault, in my knapsack.
All rooms have ground/hillside accessible balconies.

I'm not going back.

I stayed in Brisas Los Galeones for one week in April 2008, and I would like to write unbiased review, to help fellow traveler (I find some reviews of this hotel are simply exaggerated):
- The best part of the vacation is the true beauty of this part of Cuban coast. Going to the hotel from airport is very exciting, scenic ride (the road is in dire need of repair, as stated in other reviews).
- The hotel itself is very small, on top of the hill, and the view is fantastic. Waking up and hearing farm animals across the hill was very charming. However, my bed was very uncomfortable, and if I had it four years ago, when I was battling my injured back, I wouldn't be even able to use it. Air-conditioning is very noisy - useless when you are trying to sleep. Watter pressure is very low, sometimes non-existant.
- The food: much better than in factory-style hotels. The best I had in my three trips in Cuba. I found some of the dishes still too heavy (avoid bacon).
- The beach - after you descend 300 steps, you discover secluded paradise. However, bring watter shoes, otherwise, going into the watter will be near-impossible. The first four days of my stay, the sea was very rough, which made swimming very dangerous.
- Entertainment: live music in the evening, in dining room. All musicians I heard were simply brilliant. After that, unfortunately, there is nothing else to do but drink.
- Trips: take one at least. Get out of the hotel, and Sierra Maestra will overwhelm your senses with joy. If you want to do something on your own, be aware: roads are horrible, and taxis are hard to get.
- Conclusion: this could be one of the best tourist destinations in Caribbean. However, some serious investments are needed, to make it a true gem. This way, it will stay popular with less-demanding, low-paying, senior tourists from Canada.

My wife and i have just returned from this amazing hotel, actually sanctuary would be a better word to describe this place and i debated weather i should write a review in order to keep this gem as secret as possible but i'm not that selfish and just hope to be able to return for years to come. It is difficult to explain my experience at the los galeones but this was our 26th trip and we have found what we were looking for, if you are not a sociable person or if you expect 5 **** amenities and are not willing to use or learn basic Spanish ($4 at wallmart) please do not go to this resort and [-] on every-one's parade but if you are saddle up and ride.
Even though this is a small resort you have many options, if you are fit and adventurous you are minutes from amazing trails in the sierra mountains and minutes from people who have never seen tourists before, you can get a local guide from the town of Chivirico or just get a few beers and sit in the center of town and mingle with the locals (my personal favorite) but if all you need is 100% peace and quiet just head down to the beach and enjoy the breeze and yuamar and illian will take care of you, no worries

People often mention older guests at this hotel and it's true THANK GOD i have met enough drunken idiots to last a life time and this time was able to enjoy amazing conversations with some fantastic people and have returned a much better person because of this, thanks to all of you for this wonderful experience, your send-off is engraved in my memory for ever.

If you plan to visit this resort and wish to bring things for the people i know that yomar at the beach bar likes to speak english so an english/spanish dictionary would be nice, Illian the lifeguard really needs running shoes (white sneakers size 42) Josée at the reception would love a soccer ball and "lovy" the resort dog and mascot could use ear drops for mites, the rest of the people say that toiletries are the most expensive and difficult to get so tooth paste, tooth brush, soap, and things of this kind will be appreciated, if you have a thrift store in your area buy some t-shirts and shorts of all sizes and you will find some one who will need them

ENJOY CUBA

We have recently returned from a week long (27 March 3 April) and our second stay at Los Galeones, and it was great. We enjoy the atmosphere of the small hotel. The staff works hard and they make the very best of everything that they do and don't have.

For us the steps (approximately 300) to the beach are not an issue, nor is the hill to town. The weather during the day was terrific and each afternoon provided some much needed rain and pretty intense thunder and lightening. There was only one power outage and it was for only a short period of time, so a small flashlight is a handy item to have with you.

The food although not spectacular, was plentiful and always well presented. Nothing like the fresh fish at the beach bar for lunch on a regular basis. The nightly live entertainment was excellent as always.

It was a relaxing, enjoyable, and quiet week to get away from it all. If that's what you're looking for then this is the place for you. We will definitely be going back!