Just returned Monday from another great trip to the Mojito!! This was our sixth visit. We returned this time with family (daughter and husband) and close friends of theirs and close friends of ours. We all enjoyed a great time.
The food was great - as it was slow season, the selection was about half what is usually available but always well prepared. Everyone could always find something to eat. All the a-la-cartes were tried and there were no complaints there!
We were all in building 17 and found it close to all amenities (lobby, pools, buffet and snack bar) and just a 5 minute or so walk to the beach. We have also stayed in buildings 16, 18, and 20 - all of these are close to the main amenities. Rooms were kept clean and mini-fridge replenished every two days with water, pop and beer. Air conditioning worked wonderfully. The only complaint was lack of hot water a few days - but easily fixed by going to the front desk and requesting maintenance.
We attended the Cigar Lounge a few of the nights and Freddy the bartender impressed everyone with his bartending skills. He makes the best Mojito!! And of course the band Tahiti was awesome. Unfortunately, due to the ill health of a band member (or a member of the family) they were unable to play the last two nights of the week. The band plays Monday to Friday. We do hope everyone is okay now! When we were there without the band playing, a few in our group played a couple games of pool - we all had a great time!
We managed to take in one night of entertainment and we chose the Michael Jackson show. It was very well done and the dancers were wonderful! Hopefully next time I can stay up to watch Chicago - I've heard it is also very good! We are early risers so staying up late doesn't happen very often!!!!
Weather was hot and sunny most of the week! Hurricane Joacquin was in the vicinity and we had winds for a couple days and rain for about 20 minutes. The beach took the brunt of the 'storm' - it was closed for a couple days - mainly because there was no beach. Some of the palapas didn't survive, the railings and bottom stairs to the beach were basically destroyed and lots of debris washed up. Hurricanes and the moon don't mix well with the tides - lots of waves! But they were cleaning up every day so hopefully all is back to normal - the beaches are beautiful!!!!
Mosquitos were plentiful last week!!! I think just because it was quite humid at the beginning of the week and they do like early morning and dusk. So bring your insect repellant. We have been in December before and mosquitos were not an issue.
We did not encounter any 'towel issues' as some have reported in the Cayo Coco area. There were always clean towels in the room and beach towels were exchanged every day. If you like to have a facecloth - bring your own from home.
We walked up to the market - about a 5 minute walk. Lots of local artisans with their wares. There is also a pharmacy and a few other speciality shops.
All in all a great week! We were welcomed with open arms by many of the staff - front desk: Ana, Ariel; bartenders: Ariel, Edil, Luis, Tamara, Roberto, Yosvany; restaurant/bar staff: Alex (Lixander), Dayami, Lizandra, Aisel, Carlos; entertainment staff: Alec (activities director), Adrian, Yami, lovely young lady at the towel hut (whose name escapes me); gardeners Raul, Osvaldo and many many more whose names I can't remember at the moment!!! Also, a shout out to the staff who keep the public areas clean and tidy!! Just love the staff here!!
Also, a huge shout out to Jorge (I hope that is how it is spelled) the Manager who was always out and about checking on things! He would be up before everyone else and would always be seen throughout the day, during the evening entertainment and perhaps in the disco - always making sure things were running smoothly. He was everywhere!! We made a special attempt to speak with him several times - there were some maintenance issues (broken filter for one of the pools) and he reassured us that it would be fixed as soon as they received the new filter (not an easy task in Cuba). Also, during the storm - keeping everyone away from the beach while they were doing repairs and cleaning up. After all, the tourists are his responsibility - everyone needs to feel safe and protected - and that he did!! Hopefully, everything is back to normal now. Jorge made a point of coming to see us on our departure day and hoped that we would be back - we reassured him that we would and that we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
We think this resort is good value for the money. Best part - it is only 15 minutes from the airport - very convenient!! Go with an open mind and you will have a great time!!
