Grand Memories Cayo Largo — Hotel in Isle of Youth

18th time to Bella lsla - wish we had stayed for 2 weeks instead of only one! However, getting away for a short time from the cold and snow at home was certainly better than nothing!||There was no beach at all this time - but what a MAGNIFICENT, raging sea!! Quite amazing - we could see the spray from our balcony - it was higher than the limestone cliffs!! And anyone who wanted the beach at Sirena was shuttled there 3 times a day.||The island experienced some food shortages (cheese and eggs for a couple of days), but we were always able to find something to eat - the pineapple is lovely! Our primary reason for visiting Cuba is NOT for food, but for the amazing People, Sun, Sea and Geography - and I never lose weight!||||AROUND THE RESORT - PLACES & PEOPLE that made our Trip!:||I cannot say enough about the incredibly professional, and helpful people in Public Relations - Mayrim, Dianelys and Ernesto!! They have a very difficult job, having to deal with all of the problems of the guests, both small and large - it is not a job I would want to do, and yet they are able to address it with grace and honour!!||||The Lobby Bar is a favourite of ours - capuccinos after breakfast, drinks in the afternoon and evening - the wines at the resort are very good Spanish ones, and our wonderful friends, Jose Luis, Marianys, Leidyana, and Marti make great cocktails too! I also love to just sit in the lobby and read - great breeze, and sometimes just nice to get out of the sun for a bit (I can't believe I am saying that!!).||||Lunch was great at the Opalina Bar (beside the lovely pool) - Julien makes a very good chicken sandwich with fries and the beer and wine are great! Thank you Alex, Marialys and Orlando - great service with big smiles always!!||||We also had lunch a number of times in the Ranchon - overlooking the sea! Spectacular views for sure! It is buffet style, but you can also order chicken, fish or beef from the grill! Sergio and Osmany are excellent, extremely professional servers - my glass of wine and my husband's beer were on the table before we even sat down! And Osmany makes the VERY BEST 'special coffee' - that's all I'll say!!||||Breakfast each morning is in the Buffet, as is dinner (if you do not book in the a la carte). As I said before, there were some shortages for a couple of days, but there was always enough for us! It is amazing what Radame (the executive chef) is able to do with a sometimes limited selection - and the pasta guy, Joel is amazing, and has the BEST smile! Alvarez, Anya, Eyleen and Yaima are just a few of the lovely servers! There is a very cool looking tiered pool outside the windows of the Buffet that is currently being painted and fixed up with sea type statues - look forward to seeing it in operation the next time we go!!||||Roberto and Alex at the Stage Bar (it is also open all night) are very busy every night, especially during the shows - which are amazing! The bands, dancers and singers are excellent - definitely much better than I have seen at other resorts! Very talented Artists!!||||The Animation team are lovely - they work very hard at providing activities around the pool - dancing, yoga, games - you can get as involved as you want!||||And if you want a SPECTACULAR massage, in a thatched hut, up high, with the sound of the ocean, and a soft breeze blowing - Conchita, Angel or (another woman -Io siento, I forget her name!) are truly amazing! And it is a BARGAIN!! I highly recommend the massage, for sure!!||||As for rooms - we had a spectacular 2nd floor Bungalow, with ocean views from the front of our balcony and pool view from the side! It was gorgeous - and to sit out at night and see a sky so full of stars - well, it was crazy! And Mirta kept it perfectly clean for us!!||||Last but not least, the people on Reception, Daryl and Ilien this time, were great! They get people checked in and out, change money, will call taxis, arrange transportation, answer most of your questions - and if they don't know the answer, they'll find someone who does. And I put Carlos in this group as well! Carlos is the Head Porter, and he is AWESOME! He is so positive and ready to help!! ||||Would I suggest you visit this resort? Absolutely - the beauty of the surroundings and of the Cuban people are truly WONDERFUL - it is my...

This was our 17th visit to the Bella Isla Resort on Cayo Largo, Cuba - 31st time to Cuba! It truly is our HAPPY PLACE and we had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas 2019 and New Years there with our friends! Our room was lovely - 2nd floor bungalow - and it was taken care of perfectly by our housekeeper, Elvira - she is amazing!||||When we arrived on Dec. 22 there was no beach in front of the hotel, but a couple of days later it started to build until there was beach as far as you could see east and west!!! Mother Nature is very fickle and sometimes does not let the beach stay - we were lucky! It did disappear after a few days, but then came back again for New Years! The resort supplies free transportation (about 1/2 hr) to and from Sirena Beach (considered one of the five most beautiful beaches in the World!) three times per day - they will also provide a packed lunch to take with you if you tell reservations.||||I absolutely love this resort - the location is beautiful, as are the grounds - however it is the people that work there that keep us coming back! They are incredibly helpful, kind, and generous. They work very long days (20+ at a time) away from their families, but still have smiles for everyone!||||Unfortunately Cuba, in general, has to deal with supply problems for just about everything right now. In May 2019, the current president of the US implemented the Helms-Burton law (in the past it was always suspended by the US government) which has had an enormously negative effect on Cuba and its' people - and also the tourist industry. Sometimes that translates into limitations/shortages on food and drink. It breaks my heart to see my friends, the front line workers, have to deal with disgruntled guests about problems they have no control over.||||Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and the Return Guest Dinner, were all great! Lots of food, drink and PARTY!! I want to say 'Feliz Navidad' and 'Gracias' to all of the wonderful Cuban people who helped to make our holiday so special - from Management, to Public Relations, to Reception, to Porters, to Bartenders, to Servers, to Gardners, to Housekeepers, to Animation Team, to Dancers and the Masseuses - to ALL OF YOU!! Feliz dos mil viente!!! WE...

Volevo dare 2 stelle, poi ho pensato alle persone gentili e amorevoli che ci hanno accudito e darò 3 stelle. ||Certamente il prezzo, ancorché di altissima stagione (ultimo dell’anno), non è stato coerente con le mie aspettative.||Dividerò in 2 capitoli la mia recensione: le cose positive e quelle negative.||Le cose positive. ||1) Il volo Neos è lungo ma sopportabile nelle migliori aspettative. ||2) I Caraibi sono i Caraibi. Il clima di fine dicembre - inizio gennaio è stato gentile. Il sole è sempre potente, ma la temperatura andava da 25° a poco più di 30°C (ultimo giorno nuvoloso poco più di 20/25°C). Umidità più che accettabile per essere ai tropici. ||3) La spiaggia del Resort è inesistente, ma le spiagge di playa Sirena e Paradiso sono a 10’ di Autobus e sono incantevoli 5 stelle (meglio la prima).||4) Le escursioni proposte, sono vicinissime e piacevoli.||- Isola delle Iguana 3 stelle per originalità, ma non c’è altro.||- Snorkeling su Coral Reef, 3 stelle. Pranzo eccellente sul catamarano, capitano e marinaio 5 stelle. Reef 1 stella (deludente, tutt'altro rispetto a Maldive o Sharm).||- Piscinas 3 stelle, indimenticabili le Stelle marine giganti 5 stelle. Le iguana ||- Cayo Rico in trimarano 4 stelle, ma senza riparo sole 1 stella. Ristorazione eccellente ma è ansioso desinare con le incombenti iguana sotto i tavoli.||5 stelle alla comandante del trimarano ed al marinaio per empatia, disponibilità ed umanità. ||- Visita Havana in giornata. Non valutabile per indisponibilità aereo.||5) I Cubani. 5 stelle. Tutti molto cortesi, amorevoli e socievoli. Alcuni un po' indolenti, ma con una piccola mancia, diventano solerti.||6) Per mia sfortuna, ho potuto apprezzare il servizio clinico dell’isola. Pur con mezzi limitati, i medici e gli infermieri sono stati professionalmente ed umanamente perfetti, 5 stelle.||7) L'assistente Martina, 5 stelle. Empatia, gentilezza e professionalità, ci hanno garantito un’assistenza eccellente persino in clinica medica.||8) Il personale del Resort 5 stelle, per gentilezza e professionalità.||Le cose negative:||1) Il Resort mostra i segni del tempo. Il primo impatto è da “Colonia di Vacanza” del ventennio fascista. Luci bianche, soffitti altissimi ed architetture razionaliste. 2 stelle.||2) Accomodation 2 stelle. Le camere dell’albergo sono su 2 piani sopra la hall. Ci sono pure delle villette a 1 piano che sembrano più nuove. La mia Camera al 2° piano senza ascensore (e se è anacronistico pretenderlo a Cayo Largo, lo è pure fare qui edifici a 2 piani), aveva alla finestra, un vetro sostituito con un pezzo di legno bianco. Il miscelatore del lavabo “stillicida", il wc senza “scopino". La doccia nella vasca scivolosa e con tenda.||Tutto ciò al netto di un bellissimo letto matrimoniale enorme da 5 stelle. Aria condizionata non funzionante nella mia stanza (altri ospiti mi hanno riferito la loro perfettamente funzionante.||3) Il Cibo. Il menù disponibile in tutta l’isola, prevede quasi sempre un monotono: piatto di pesce o piatto di pollo con riso.||Alla “Mensa" self service con assistenza camerieri, al netto dell’ottimo vino e della gentilezza del personale, la qualità del cibo per un italiano è insufficiente, 1 stella.||Un po' meglio nei 2 ristoranti “a la carta" (con lo stesso menù) 3 stelle.||Nel ristorante a playa Sirena, propongono aragosta (gommosa), gamberi, pescado ed il solito pollo con riso. 2 stelle con dubbio clinico. Ammirevole la disponibilità al loro soccorso medico prestatomi.||Il “lunch box” del resort è indecente!!! Un sacchetto con pane in cassetta e formaggio locale. Per cui è indispensabile spendere almeno 20 Cuc a pranzo a persona (ristorante playa Sirena).||4) Gli insetti. Ovunque sull’isola sono presenti mosce e zanzare, ma i più fastidiosi sono dei minuscoli insetti bianchi (anche di giorno), pungenti e più irritanti delle zanzare. Visto aereo antidiluviano sorvolare l’isola per trattamento disinfettante, non so quanto efficace. ||5) La spiaggia del Resort non esiste e venire ai Caraibi per stare in piscina, è ridicolo. 1 stella. ||6) La temperatura gelida degli autobus locali. Impossibile convincere gli autisti a spegnere l’aria condizionata. Se perdi i transfert gratuiti dal Resort al Marina, il costo è di 2 Cuc a persona.||7) Il cambio 1 Euro con 1,0152 Cuc, non è vantaggioso. Lo shopping e tutti i pasti fuori dall’albergo, costano come in Italia almeno 20 € a persona. ||8) Il servizio wifi è uno stillicidio di schede Etecsa da 1 €, per 1 ora di collegamento. Nel 2019/20, concedere il free drink e far pagare il wifi in albergo è anacronistico.||9) Il cosiddetto cenone di Capodanno, non che avessimo grandi aspettative... ma un minimo...||||Sintesi: al netto del sovrapprezzo dell’altissima stagione, il costo è esagerato in rapporto al prezzo ...