Meliá Jardines Del Rey — Hotel in Morón

My husband a I just spent 9 great days at the Melia Jardines del Rey in Cayo Coco. We loved every minute. We have no complaints. We liked the food. There was a big selection to choose from, fresh grilling stations of meat and fish, fresh pasta station, hot dishes, cold cut and cheese, fresh stir fry and even pizza occasionally on the night time buffet. We loved the baby octopus and mussels. The desserts were all delicious as was the ice cream. There is also an ice cream parlour half way to beach that is open until 4:30. In evening there were two churros stands -- one by the buffet and one by the coffee house. We really enjoyed the Al cartes especially the Barbeque one. We had lunch almost every day at the beach restaurant buffet which had a good variety of food and saved me walking to the main buffet. When I was at the noisy pools I enjoyed a nice hamburger and fries at the snack bar and when I was at the quiet pool I enjoyed a ham and cheese pizza at the pizza restaurant. The food was tasty and we loved it. I organized a special dinner for my husband's birthday and enjoyed surf and turf -- half a lobster and best tasting pork steak which was absolutely delicious. They also made him a birthday cake. I have read bad complaints about the food. I don't understand these people, yes the bread was smaller and they didn't survey bread at the Al cartes but that's because Cuba has had a shortage of flour. They are doing their best with what they have. One day they had boiled eggs on the buffet but the other days it was liquid eggs only for omelettes and my husband was fine with it. He buys liquid egg whites in a carton here and they use liquid eggs in most of the hotels that offer scrambled eggs for breakfast. There was so much food to choose from -- way more food than I ever have at my house. If you can't find something to eat you have a problem. For the price we paid I'm surprised that had so much. The fresh fruit was fantastic - papaya, guava, pineapple, watermelon and mango occasionally. |The drinks were wonderful -- some bars made them better than others. The first day we had no Pina coladas but after that we had them. Mojitos were wonderful - the last day they didn't have mint so I had lime daiquiri. There was always red, white and rose wine at the Al cartes but only white wine in the buffet. That was okay because there are many many times I have neither red or white wine at home. |The beach is absolutely wonderful -- yes there are big rocks and coral in front of resort. I heard it has changed -- six years ago it was different -- the hurricane changed it. If you walk to either side of the resort you can find a sandier entrances. We brought closed Crocs and there was no problem. The water is so clear and turquoise. There are sand dunes during low tide and you can see so so many starfish and big shell fish which are absolutely amazing. My husband loved the ocean as did I. The loungers are all new and in great shape. |The pools -- so many -- I believe six -- were all nice and they were working on removing the green algae on the side of the quiet pool. The loungers by the pool were also in good shape. They were constantly working on improving the resort. They strung lights along the main walkway the first couple of days we were there. They were taking apart a lot of the rooms and repainting the rooms in bungalow 15. They added all new lights in corridors so that they were nice and bright. They were painting the walls in the snack bar and the ice cream parlour. They were painting the cement on the concrete stage infront of the lobby. The last night we were there we noticed they had added new Neon lights in the lobby. The first day we arrived we saw several people in the water ponds in lobby cleaning the sides and painting the statues. The water fountains were put cleaned and were working half way during our stay. |In terms of the grounds -- the gardeners were constantly working -- trimming bushes, cleaning up coconut trees, planting new palm trees, planting perennials, and cutting the grass. |Our room was clean, no they don't change the sheets during your stay unless you ask because the laundry is done off the property. We got water and beer every day. We had enough toilet paper but towards our stay they must have been running out so I was given a roll of paper towel -- we had brought some of our own so we used them. That wasn't a big problem. The public bathrooms ran out of toilet paper in the late afternoon so I always carried my own or tissue but was no big deal it's Cuba and they can't get supplies that easy. They do the best with what they get -- they have to ration supplies at time. |In terms of the workers. No complaints -- everyone was super friendly and they all smiled and said hello. All our waiters in the buffet and the Al carte restaurants, bar tenders, bathroom ladies, ice cream girl, snack bar staff, housekeepers and gardeners were super friendly.|The customer service people were absolutely wonderful. I emailed in advance because I have mobility issues and required a central location. All my needs and more were meant. Daineris and her team in customer service were super helpful. She works with the wedding planner who decorated and prepared the beach up beautifully for the beach ceremonies. I loved watching two weddings while we were there. If my hip was bothering me I asked them to trolley me to the beach from the lobby and they did on several occasions. ||We loved loved our stay at Melia Jardines del Rey. There might be a few glitches while you're there , example the light in our shower was very dim but we had nice hot water, but remember you are there for the sun and fun. We took an vintage convertible car around Cayo Coco for $35 Canadian which was so much fun. Our half day tour of Moron was cancelled so we couldn't stop on the causeway for the fresh pineapple but we got some on the beach -nothing like a fresh Pina colada in a fresh delicious pineapple. We also enjoyed fresh coconuts supplied by the gardeners on the beach. Go with an open mind and enjoy yourself! |I forgot to mention there is a small flea market in the Flamenco plaza just infront of the resort along with a bowling alley, cigar store and I believe a restaurant. I just visited the...

Just got back from Melia, stayed there Dec 25-1. First off, I completely understand the situation of the Island and this was my 8th time in Cuba. There are definitely many great takeaways from my stay and good hard working employees who can make your trip and help you out also. The food was good overall, but certain items would go fast and run out. One main buffet for 500+ people for breakfast, lunch and dinner would get chaotic and this was quite stressful as you’re risking whether you will eat or not till the next meal. Dinner was a bit more spread out as they had a few ala carte restaurants. However most of these restaurants had only a few items on the menu (which is prepard In bulk) and service was far too slow. Portions here were also very small we witnessed guests getting up and leaving couple times. The buffet breakfast especially was very very disappointing as the buffet is the only place open and after 9am I can guarantee you 75% of the food is gone, there just isn’t enough.

Rooms had decent King beds and flat screen TV but the shower had scarce hot water, sometimes none and the towels we got were beach towels only, we had to ask multiple times to get 1 or 2 white ones. Apparently a company who stocks and cleans them is no longer in Cayo Coco. The maids wouldn’t clean our room till 5pm most days, and the room key would easily de-magnetize some days we needed to replace our key cards multiple times. Overall minor issues with the room but lack of amenities and no hot water or pressure during 5-9pm after-beach hours kind of made relaxing after a long day much harder to do.

The food and drink service (plastic cups used majority of the time) just could not meet high demand. This hotel might be good during low season but not when you have guests taking 15 eggs or 8 pancakes at once. The long line ups and waiting really eat up into your vacation. Extremely slow wait times at some of the cooking stations and basic items like pasta sauce, pancake mix and rice & eggs would run out during the eating hours. After a long day of sun and beach we felt like we always had to rush to eat dinner because we didn't want to risk eating just the leftovers constantly.

For Cuban standards this is a maximum 4 star hotel, for more North American standards this is 3 star on a good day. As I said with an open mind coming here, you can get by with a week by enjoying the beach and nice scenery & pools. Entertainment included pool party’s and some beach activities, you can tell the staff tried to make the atmosphere fun.

I’ve stayed at Melia Las Americas in Varadero last summer and I regret not going there again, I wouldn’t trust another Melia hotel now in the future to be honest. Again the situation in Cuba is out of the hotels control but the problems on the outside affect many numerous small things this resort fails to offer. I’m only mentioning some of the issues we had, we specifically had a pile of construction garbage right below our balcony (bungalow 14) which the front desk said they would clean right away didn’t do nothing for 7 days.

Overall just too much work and time management is needed to enjoy the stay here. The lack of food and slow service is not up to par for foreign travellers. The front desk guest service has a very bad lack of structure, they try to help but we felt like we had to solve our own problems all the time.There was always somebody in the guest service office as its in the lobby!

I was not expecting the ritz carlton here but I’ve seen better bungalow style resorts elsewhere and I would not recommend this hotel unless the price is no more than 700-800$ for the week. Reading some of the reviews I have spotted many Spanish fake accounts that give 5 star ratings which I can tell you with my own ‘Cuban standard’ certainty we cannot give more than 3 stars. I am giving this hotel a 3 star Canadian/Euro rating myself but will be staying far away from Melia international and the entire hotel chain of "Sol Resorts" moving forward. Once again the hard working people made our stay fun, not so much the...

A Wonderful Stay at Meliá Jardines del Rey! My son and I just returned from a fantastic week with friends at Meliá Jardines del Rey. This was our third time at this resort, and each visit just keeps getting better. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warm smiles, a refreshing tropical cocktail, and outstanding hospitality. The front desk team, including Front Desk Supervisor Yohander and his friendly colleagues Melissa and Yosveny, went above and beyond to accommodate our needs. Their multilingual skills and willingness to help made check-in and our entire stay seamless. Our ocean-view room was spotless, with comfortable beds, hot water, and reliable electricity. The property itself is breathtaking, with lush tropical gardens and vibrant flowers. The gardeners, including Yosveny, Miguel and Yaniel, do an incredible job maintaining the landscape and also make beautiful handwoven hats and flower crowns as souvenirs for guests. The food exceeded expectations. There was always plenty of fresh eggs, chicken, seafood, vegetables, and delicious tropical fruits like papaya, guava, starfruit, and local bananas. My son and I have a gluten intolerance (celiac) and traveling can be challenging, but Francisco, the Food & Beverage Manager, made sure we were well taken care of. He coordinated directly with the chefs—Oscar, Manny, Maikel, and Lilly—to provide us with safe, delicious meals. We enjoyed everything from grilled meats and fresh vegetables to homemade soups and incredible lobster dinners. The effort and attention they put into ensuring our meals were safe and enjoyable was remarkable. There are several staff members I would love to recognize for their exceptional service, including Gretchen and Tony at the Italian restaurant, the friendly ladies at the café, the bartenders at the lobby and beach bars, the buffet restaurant staff and the beach bartender's Joel, Omelio, and David. One of the highlights of our trip was our special farewell dinner, prepared by the dynamic husband-and-wife duo, Chefs Maikel and Lilly. They went above and beyond to create an unforgettable meal for us, featuring a rich and delicious cheese soup, flavourful lobster risotto, and perfectly roasted chicken. Every dish was cooked with care, and the flavors were simply incredible. It was the perfect way to end our trip and truly showcased the dedication and talent of the resort’s culinary team. The beach is stunning, with crystal-clear waters perfect for swimming and relaxing. We loved stopping by the coconut hut for fresh coconut water with Miguel and his amigos—a refreshing treat after a sunny day. The pools were well-maintained and kept sparkling clean by the hardworking staff. Evenings were just as enjoyable, with fantastic entertainment. We especially loved the Valentine’s Day show, which featured incredible singing, dancing, and live music. They also had a very talented and engaging Cuban band that came around to the restaurants in the evening. My son plays guitar and he joined in with the band a few times, it was so much fun! One thing that stands out about this resort is the dedication of the management team. Fabio the Deputy Director and Ruben the General Manager, are always present, ensuring that everything runs smoothly. They visit the restaurants, pools, and bars, personally checking in with guests to ensure everyone is happy. Their leadership and commitment to guest satisfaction are truly commendable. After yet another wonderful stay, we are already thinking about when we can return. Meliá Jardines del Rey is more than just a resort—it feels like a second home. The kindness, warmth, and hospitality of the staff made this trip unforgettable, and we came home with incredible memories and new friendships. If you're considering a trip to Cayo Coco, I highly recommend this resort. Whether it’s your first time or your third (like us!), you’ll be welcomed with open arms and treated to an unforgettable vacation. Hasta pronto, Meliá...