Paradisus Rio De Oro Reviews

This was our second visit to Paradisus and we can not fault it in any way. The friendliness, food, location, beach and pool are all wonderful. Yes the accomodation does need a little attention but hey this is Cuba that we are talking about. We cant wait to go back. Just hope that all is well after the hurricaine in sept.

We went Thomas Cook & flew in their premium cabin, which was not worth the money. Only an inch or two extra legroom & the same food offerings as economy. On the outbound flight the complimentary drinks were curtailed early, as a couple got drunk & instead of refusing to serve just them, they refused everybody. On the flight home the stewardesses started to sell duty free from the back and as we were in row 3, it was all gone when it got to us. When I queried why premium cabin passengers had not been offered the same duty free goods as those in economy, the stewardess became very irate & rude. The moral of this is, don’t pay the upgrade, it’s just not worth it on this airline. Oh & yes the priority luggage labels used at check in, didn’t work either. Our cases were last off both ways, there & back.

When we eventually arrived at the hotel it didn’t get any better. The room allocations were appalling; none of the requests had been honoured. People who had requested upstairs rooms got downstairs & vice versa. It appeared that all of best rooms were allocated to the Canadian guests & the British just seemed to be second-class. Whether this because the British travel companies pay less, I wouldn’t know. All in all, we had 5 different rooms during our fortnight stay. Two rooms that we had rejected as they were out in jungle part of the hotel & 2 because the air conditioning was broken. This meant packing and unpacking all the time, which just became an annoying nuisance & a big waste of time. Some of the rooms & some of the bungalows are well situated in lovely garden surroundings, but others are right out in jungle (very dark & dingy).

The food on the whole is quite good, especially the Patio restaurant, our favourite, which we used five times. The Japanese was not as good as others we have been to, so only used it the once. The restaurant reservation man was very amenable, especially after a ten-peso tip, so we only ate in the buffet twice.

Drinks were of a high quality, if you tipped the waiters & bar staff you got ‘real baileys’, not Millwood cream or any of the other look a likes. So it really was worth looking after them, so they looked after you.

A word of warning, this really is an early morning ‘towels on sunbeds’ place, especially round the swimming pool. If you didn’t have a towel on sunbed by 7.00 am, then forget it. The beach is a better option if you don’t want to get up

We have never felt the need to visit the same place twice until we visited the Paradisus in Gaudalavaca. We first visited it in October 2006 and again in 2007 and we are going back in Febuary 2009. The rooms are very spacious and clean (just a little shabby) but the hotel was having a face lift to bring it up to standard. The staff have become our friends, they are truly wonderful people. The food is first class in the resturants and with 24 hour room service you need never go thirsty or hungry.

Definitely one of our best holidays, very luxurious.The staff are all very friendly and make you feel welcome,they can't do enough for you.There is a wide range of food to choose from all very nice,but our all time favourite is the japanese a al carte resturant VERY NICE!The beach is absolutely beautiful with a nice bar and resturant on it, its heaven. although one thing i must say is there are quite afew crabs which scared me but there harmful. The spa area is so peaceful had afew of the treatments which were very nice. Want to burn off some of those extra calories (yes i know your on your hols)hit the gym at the spa got all you need. Pool area really nice with little private islands and your own lilo,and very important... swim up bar. This holiday is definitely for honeymooners and couples.

Definitely one of our best holidays, very luxurious.The staff are all very friendly and make you feel welcome,they can't do enough for you.There is a wide range of food to choose from all very nice,but our all time favourite is the japanese a al carte resturant VERY NICE!The beach is absolutely beautiful with a nice bar and resturant on it, its heaven. although one thing i must say is there are quite afew crabs which scared me but there harmful. The spa area is so peaceful had afew of the treatments which were very nice. Want to burn off some of those extra calories (yes i know your on your hols)hit the gym at the spa got all you need. Pool area really nice with little private islands and your own lilo,and very important... swim up bar. This holiday is definitely for honeymooners and couples.

Probably the best holiday we've ever had for relaxation.First choice flights are superb with plenty of leg room ,minimum fuss(from Manchester , we arrived 7:00 and were in the departure lounge for 07:15!!),decent food and good in flight entertainment via the seat consoles(films ,tv ,radio and games).

Hotel Paradisus Rio de Oro is first class.Well trained and friendly staff ,excellent and varied food in all the restaurants,real drinks(not the local rubbish you get at some all inclusive hotels)clean and always something happening - musicians just ";appear"; and start singing and playing.There is no pressure to give tips although the 1 peso coins are much appreciated and accepted when offered.We changed £20.00 notes periodically at the hotel into the 1 peso coins.1 peso was about 60p while we were there.

Didn't bother with the pool and only went on one trip to Holguin city which was good value.We also did the horse and cart ride to Guadalavarca market one morning(15 pesos -dropped off and picked up an hour later)There were plenty of trips on offer including Havana ,jeep rides ,dolphin swimming and free horse riding and pushbikes.People who got involve with the various activities like salsa dancing and yoga really enjoyed it.
There's lots of space and beds on the beach but if you want to be under a shade it's necessary to ";resrerve"; (usual procedure -up early and go down to the beach with a towel and book and stick it on a chair).Plenty of free water based activitys including diving and catamaran rides.

The only problem is the mosquitoes.Most of the apartments are in wooded areas so mosquitoe repellent is a must.Having said that , the bites aren't malarial or overly painful and some people seem to get bitten more than others(me -hardly at all - my wife -lots).
Whether things will alter in Cuba when Fidel Castro eventually dies remains to be seen but for the time being it's close to perfect whether you're professional layabouts(like us ) or prefer more activity)

excellent resort. food could not be beaten it was excellent and the restaurants were fab best food i have ever had.

pool area lovelly, however if you like to sit in the sun it was hard finding a good spot because a lot of the pool area is shaded by trees. we went to the beach which was fab.

staff cant do enough for you and they are all very helpful.

trip to havana was good but very tireing.

would def go back a lovelly holiday and resort.

Like many others we had read all the reviews and found them very useful, although I can't understand how some holiday makers could find fault with this resort, we all had a fabulous time, especially our teenge daughters who made full use of the 24 hour free room service. My only gripe was other holiday makers hogging the chairs round the pool with towels.

This was the first time we had visited Cuba and also our first experience of a 5 star hotel.The hotel staff were all very friendly and helpful. I would certainly recommend e-mailing the hotel and especially Roger. He made sure we had appartments in a really good location half way between the resturants and the pool. We had an apartment with a corner balcony and our daughters and their friends, when they arrived a few days later were all in the same block. Also e-mail your restaurant reservations, this saves time and avoids the queues in the morning. Although they say they restrict you to a visit a week to each of the 4 restaurants, we didn't find this the case. However, because the choice of meals is quite limited (although delicious) you probably wouldn't want to go more than twice to each of them. We only went to the Cuban resturant once and then cancelled our other one. We loved the Japanese restaurant, the entertaining chef was great-make sure you book to sit on the table of eight. The buffet was also fantastic with an amazing choice of food. We were very lucky the beach shack was still open, the perfect place for a glass of champagne and lunch- a beautiful view and music, friendly and very efficient staff, what more could you want? Well possibly to then lolling about in the pool floating on one of chair mats, what a brilliant idea.

I would recommend you go on some of the free morning excursions- the one to the local village is very good and very enlightening into the life of the Cubans. The highlight of the holiday was definately swimming with the dolphins. It was very expensive, but well worth it. Book it through your rep. You cant get it any cheaper. We know we tried it! Just to hear synical teenagers ooh and aah is worth the money. Make sure you pay the extra for the tricks with the dolphins. Amazing!! We also paid for the DVD and it still brings a smile to my face. When watching the show be ready to volunteer. Our 17 year old daughter did and got to do an amazing trick!
Regarding tipping. We tipped all the time, mainly because they get paid so little and some of the students don't get paid at all.

As to what to take. Shampoo, toothpaste,soap, toothbrushes are all very expensive.
Our teenage daughters went round in a gang in the evening. They also went to a disco on the beach, the only place where mosquito repellant was necessary. We found the other holiday makers a little lazy. NO amount of cajoling by the entertainment staff could get them involved in water polo or aqua aerobics. My husband and friend were the only ones who made good use of the free tennis coaching. Make sure you get to go out on the cataarans a couple of times and tip the boys to tip you up! And make sure you get to sit in the jacuzzi at least once and order a bottle of champagne.

We wnt with first choice and although very good if you are doing a two centre holiday i believe the Holiday Place/Club have a better arrangement where you fly into Guardavalaca, then you fly to Havana and then out of Havana. Rather than wasting time waiting around for delaayed planes. If you go to Havana get your hotel to book you a two hour tour of Havana. We did it in aa 1954 convertible Oldsmobile, another highlight and make a reservation for The Paladare La Guaridia-unmissable.

We had a really good flight with First Choice upgrading to their premium class. On arrival at the Hotel we were greeted with drinks but unfortunately there were not enough and we missed out. Our room was spacious but in serious need of refurbishment being worn and chipped especially the bathroom.

The staff were excellent and the food in all restaurants fantastic as was the pool and the beach. Unfortunately the spa was not completed so no sauna, steam room etc.

Trips - We went on the swimming with the Dolphins which was great but remember to take some cash with you because once you get there it is extra to be pulled round by the finns of the dolphins and to be carried round on their noses.

We also went on the speed boat trip which was fantastic. The boats were fibreglass and old but went really fast and you got a really long trip up the river and out to sea.

We went on the trip to Santiago de Cuba which was a three hour coach drive over pitted tracks (main roads!) sometimes only doing 5 miles an hour. Try not to use the toilets at the ";comfort stop";. An old lady hands out a sheet of loo paper at a charge, the toilets have no seats, no doors and no flush and the sinks have no taps!! We visited a castle and had lots of hassle from the guides for money. The town was disappointing and the poverty was very obvious but if you don't go to these towns you don't realise just how poor these people are.

Back to the hotel. One night my husband turned over in bed a gently nudged the bedside table and three legs fell off it. The clay lamp fell off the table and broke. We reported this to the housekeeping department and were told that it was fine that the table had broken but ";we had to pay for the lamp";. We explained that the lamp only broke because the table was faulty but ";everything in Cuba has to be accounted for"; so as the table could be stuck back together for probably the umpteenth time we would have to pay for the lamp and if we did not the maid (who was not in bed with us in the middle of the night) would be charged and she only earned $25 a month. We paid up.

My husband also got locked in the gents down by the pool restaurant (climbing out over the wall into the next cubicle) and the cubicle remained locked for the rest of our stay so how often they were cleaned is questionable. Certainly the public toilets around the whole of the hotel left a considerable amount to be desired.

One of the problems with a country like Cuba is that the holiday is VERY MUCH hotel based except for the trips out. It is not a suitable place for car hire or going out alone. There are no bars, clubs, disco's etc. so it is very much hotel based. The entertainment was very good but the same dancers each night so a bit repetitive.

This is a beautiful resort - the pool is lovely and clean and could not be better. The beach is out of this world. Unfortunately as with all of Cuba once a place is built it is not adequately maintained (if at all) and therefore this Hotel is in serious need of upgrading and decorating in order to maintain its status as a 5* resort.

Would we go back - No - but we like to visit a different country each year - but we do know other people that have been more than once.

Where to start?. What a fantastic place all that you could ever want. Excellent location, Spacious spotless rooms,Gourmet grub, Beautiful sandy beach,Perfect pool Spectacular snorkeling, Fantasticly friendly staff,horse riding, golf,Hobby cats,walking trips, bike rides,Spas, saunas, massages, If you have thought about it they have done it and arranged for you to do it. Thinking of going to Cuba this IS the place to stay.

I could not recomend it highly enough. Paradisus it is named and Paradise is what you get. We went on the catamaran/dolphin trip good value and a fantastic day out, Bearing in mind that the catamaran takes you just off the Esmerelda beach where the hotel is it is still a great trip. Havanna the two day trip was an eye opener into trying to understand the way of life over there. Although it was fascinating it was shocking because of the poverty. It made me feel selfish because of the luxury we were living in at the hotel.

An experience not to be missed

Just a quick warning to others that have booked for this hotel this year. We are due to go in July/Aug 2006 and have just received notification from First Choice that the Hotel are currently undertaking building work and this will continue until Nov 2006! Although we were advised that we could be (depending on availability) situated as far away from the building work as possible we felt that it was not worth the risk and have therefore decided to change our booking and go somewhere else. The Hotel is planning to build beach bungalows and a new beach grill. We didn't want to risk suffering noise and disruption when we were looking for 2 weeks rest and relaxation so we have changed our booking.

The hotel is fantastic with tremendous staff, wonderful restaurants, a lovely pool and a fantastic beach. Our favourite restaurants were 'El Patio' and the Japanese restaurants and we'd advise to book your tables before you go to avoid missing out.

Rooms are huge and kept very clean with a TV, CD player, hairdryer, mini-bar etc and you are also able to get (free!) room service 24 hours a day.

Entertainment was not great, but all in all a fantastic holiday!

Well what can we say Wow comes to mind.

This hotel is Paradise.We had a most fantastic time at this hotel. The food was good,especially then restaurants. We liked them all, but our favourite was The El Patio.The room we had was nice and clean with everything you need.The bar was a good place to go and mingle and chat to other guests.The staff in the whole of the hotel are so friendly and make your stay such a happy one.Drinks are a plenty,Champers all day long if you want.The evening entertainment was very good.The beach was absolutely fantastic. We spent alot of time on the beach and loved walking up and down it.The beach restaurant is well worth a visit too,and what a lovely view to enjoy while having lunch.We did not want to leave to go back home and we shall be going back here again very soon and taking our friends with us.

If you choose to go to the Paradfisus you will not be disappointed.

HOTEL. Clean. Large, spread over a large area. Gardens wonderful. Lounges well furnished, very comfortable wherever you settled.

LOCATION. Remote. However the hotel, its natural surroundings and trips out were more than sufficient to keep us occupied. If you like birdwatching, you'll love it.

ACCOMMODATION. Best and largest room in my holidaying experience.

FOOD. Lots of it and bearing in mind this is a holiday hotel the choice and quality was admirable. The al a carte restaurants served excellent food, but the menus didn't change in the 2 weeks we were there. Some of the pre-prepared buffet food was not very hot, but like the Greeks, maybe the Cubans think hot food is bad for the digestion.

Booking restaurants is not a problem, bit of a queue sometimes. A lot of people Emailed bookings ahead. The Japanese restaurant excellent but somewhat theatrical performances by chefs cooking food in front of your group. El Patio has the atmosphere of a top international restaurant, and the Mediterranean's ante-room is really quite magnificent - take coffee in there and feel like royalty. The Cuban restaurant is the least impressive but still is excellent with romantic dining 'islands' outside the main area. Other restaurants cater for lunchtime, the one on the beach gives a brilliant combination of fresh cooked food and a table beside the coral sand and blue Caribbean. You could pay a fortune for this alone in other resorts.

DRINKS. Good quality, not just local brands. Wine OK rather than impressive.

SERVICE. Impeccable. Smart, cheerful and friendly without any over-familiarity.

BEACH. Clean. Watch for one or two dips in the sand when wading out. Snorkel below the massage balcony to see fish (take some bread to be mobbed). At low tide it is almost possible to walk out to the rocks - good for nervous swimmers.

POOL. Big, clean. Plenty of sun beds, but needs to be - usual selfish behaviour- hours of non-occupation by reservists! Hotel managers please note. DO something about it. Don't just put up notices - give them a 'warning ticket,' move their stuff after an hour - yes, they'll be a upset; good! The rest of us will be happier.

ENTERTAINMENT. Professional standard, not the usual holiday reps doing amateur night. Really good shows, a live 10 piece band, large ensemble of dancers, singers. You would have to pay good money to watch this back home. First time I've bothered to go to a hotel show.

SERIOUS BIT. The Cubans are poor. A senior waiter gets $10 a month, he can double it with overtime. A manual worker might get $5 a month. A teacher we met, $15 and a doctor $35. But, they are happy, reasonably content and have all their essential needs met by the socialist state, which, by and large they support. So, when we guests are tipping we need to dwell on the context. Tipping a dollar in Cuba equates to, say in the UK, a mega-wealthy person on £50,000 a week (Footballer, industrialist, pop star) giving a £150 tip to every waiter, bell-boy, the man who gets your sun bed, the cab-driver etc etc. It just wouldn't happen. We gave our room cleaner a $1 a day. If half the 16 rooms she cleans did this she'd be picking up a months wages per day in tips alone! I'm not saying don't tip, I'm saying think about it; a dollar for every little service and showy $5 tips were becoming noticeably commonplace. If you feel that you need to spread your wealth around then there are people in the world infinitely worse off than the Cubans. Maybe the $5 handouts should be heading their way. Just a thought.

(PS after I had this personal debate with myself and I cut back on the over-generous tipping, I found to their great credit that the staff carried on giving me the same, wonderful cheerful service).

Final summary. I've been to a few 4/5 star holiday hotels and I reckon this is equal best. I heard some people complain that it wasn't a true 5 star. Well, yes, it's not the Paris Ritz or the London Savoy nor does it pretend to be. As a holiday hotel it really will take some beating, and if you take the price into account it would win hands down against any 5 star hotel in the world.

We booked this holiday not only to enjoy a first class accomodation but also to get married.

This hotel is most definately top class.The food is fantastic and such a good variety and quantity.The resort has high security no body bothers you on the beach.The sea is clear and warm and no Mosqito Bites!.The day of the wedding was superb no stress very well organised and every effort was put in by the staff.The gardens are superb and the staff work very hard here to maintain a lovely resort. The wine waiter in the El Patio restaurant Raymondo does ensure you get first class treatment and he loves football. If you have any old football shirts take them with you he would greatly appreciate them.If you like a good glass of wine look out for Mary in the buffet restaurant she will make sure your glass is never empty.

If you like top class accomodation and food etc we would sincerley recommend this hotel.