Has anyone out there been recently to this hotel as weve just booked an all inclusive 2 week break there in july
Any views welcome and does anyone know which jabs we need before we go :?can anyone reccomend any trips to go on :thanks.

**Please use default colours thank you ** - dr

Hi
I got back a week ago from the hotel next door to the paradisus, the luna and mares and we met several people that were staying at the paradisus and not one of them had a bad thing to say about it, they were very impressed, especially with the level of efficiency and friendliness displayed by the staff.
The hotel looks lovely, we popped our heads round the door and had a quick nose about lol very nice decor in the lobby area anyway!
We had to have typhoid, hepA and polio innoculations.
We are going back to the mares at Easter so will try and have a decent look round the paradisus (they did a walking trip round it from our hotel) and will let you know in more detail.
Cuba is a great country, I am sure you will love it.
Ellie

By the way... I forgot to tell you ....if you go to http://www.solmelia.com they have a virtual tour of a standard room in this hotel..... looks great
Ellie

I stayed at the Paradisus in March this year. Its a fabulous hotel. Food is excellent, probably the best I've ever seen in and all inclusive (lobsters, oysters, salmon most nights, full range of meats ans steaks every night, everything is fresh, crepes are excellent!). Beach is long and clean, snorkelling fantastic (follow the rocky cliffs to the right of the beach, under where people get married, superb marine life). There is a dive centre just down the beach. Unfortunately, I only got to dive on 2 days because the sea was a little rough but from what I saw, the reefs are full of life. Rooms are fully air conditioned (needed in March!) and spotless. Well equiped as well. Evening entertainment is fantastic, the best I've seen in a hotel. 8 piece band and 20 dancers every night, all of them trained ballet dancers. I'm not one for ballet, but it was amazing watching the. They also do other things and gets kids up dancing etc. It's repeated every week.

There is always plenty to do throughout the day, and there are no americans! The hotel does get busy but the staff work very hard. Your glass is never empty! Its not the cheapest place to go to, but well worth the money. Any questions, let me know.

Darren

Darren,

just the man. This hotel has been on my hit list radar for about a year now. Only thing I have to bear in mind when I book a holiday is that the hubby hates having to dress up 'properly' for dinner. That means no proper shirts or trousers - he's definitely just a jeans man. What is the dress code at the Rio del oro in the buffet and al a cartes? He generally's not bothered about shorts as he tends to keep his legs covered up to avaoid mozzie bites. How he can bear to wear jeans in those temperatures I'll never know but year after year he does.

Tracy

Tracy,

Don't worry about the dress code. It may be 5 star, but its informal compared to most 5 star hotels. I'm not a suite man either, don't even posess one! Your hubby will be fine in jeans. There isn't really a dress code, but if there were one, it would be smart/casual. No need for dinner jackets etc. Some were going in the buffet restaurants in shorts. I wouldn't do that myself but some did. They are a little stricter in the al a carte's, but jeans are fine. Thats what I had on most nights. Its a very relaxed resort. You'll have to go before Fidel Castro dies otherwise the americans will ruin it (hope no americans read these boards!). You'll love this hotel, I may even go back myself next year to sample more of the diving. Because its on the atlantic coast, the sea can get a bit rought. When its calm though, its warm (28 degrees!), clean, full of marine life and perfect for snorkelling/diving. Mossie wise, you won't have a problem because the hotel complex is fumigated on a regular basis. You have to bear in mind this hotel is set between a lake and the cuban jungle so you have to expect lots of wildlife. You'll see lots of lizards running around, catching mossies etc and some pretty big frogs (size of a small melon!). The main lobby bar is open 24/7. Spirits are all branded (not cheap local stuff), beer is cuban but extremely good and chapaingne is yours by the bottle (bucks fizz for breakfast!). Sit in one of the jazuzzie's, and the bar staff will bring you over a bottle in a cooler! The staff are excellent and cuba is a great country, very poor though (average wage is $15 US a month). If you just want a relaxing, luxury holiday, this is the one.

Darren

Darren,

hurrah !!

Sounds just the job.

I must admit I do like my 5* hotels - but it's difficult to find ones that are relatively casual. Think this is definitely going to be my next booking. Who did you book / travel with?

Tracy

Tracy,

I like my luxury as well. I don't see the point in saving £100, I'd rather spend it and go to a luxury hotel! I'm quite lucky though, my step dads brother owns an indipendant travel agents in Preston so we always book with him (nice discounds and free upgrades!). We traveled with Thomas Cook. Great aircraft (Airbus A330-200, my 2nd favourite). We first flew from Manchester to Cayo Coco, dropped off/picked up passangers then flew to Holguin. It took about 13 hours all togther. Cayo Coco - Holguin is an excellent flight, low level over the cuban jungle! Have a look at these pictures, just a few memories of the flight.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=339340

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=346085

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=347796

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=339343

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=339397

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=381343

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=381333

I have lots of photo's of the hotel as well. Let me know if you want to see some.

Darren

Darren,

thanks for that - we sound very much alike in our preferences.

Photos are making me excited as our holiday to the Maldives is 1 month tomorrow - still a bit scared about the sea plane though !

Will have to look into this one though as I definitely want to go - almost wish i hadn't already booked my Dom Rep holiday for next may already. I'd be quite happy to cancel it (or at least change my booking to Cuba) but the Paradisus is coming out at £1200 more than the Iberostar hotel I already have booked. Think it may have to wait till later in the year - we'll get there though!

Tracy

Tracy,

I wanted to go to the Maldives next year but its a friends 50th birthday so we thought it would be a bit quiet for her their, going to Cancun instead. Don't worry about the sea plane, it will be the highlight of your holiday (unless you don't like flying!). Air Maldives use De Havelland Sea Otters (DHC-6's), British planes! They are a totally different experience than commercial jets, but it'll be an experience not to be missed. I'm hoping I'll get to the Maldive in 2006, can't wait to go diving with the sharks! I went to the DomRep in 2003, very nice country. I preferred Cuba but that was partly because the hotel was fantastic. The DomRep is a nice place though, especially the south coast. There's just too many places to visit and not enough time!

Darren

Darren,

enjoy Mexico. It's a fabulously diverse country. We stayed just outside Playa Del Carmen this May and had a blast. Would definitely return (if only for the fabulous margarita's). My barman at our hotel was so fussy with his mixing that if he didn't think it was good enough he would through it away - i just watch the quervo disappear down the plughole in dismay !!

Can't resist the Dom Rep - it will be our 7th visit. They have some beautiful hotels at really great prices which mean that instead of two holidays a year, we can then stretch our budget to 3.

Have fun

Tracy

I was very much looking forward to my honeymoon at Paridisus rio de Oro at beginning of August untill I recieved a letter from my travel agent telling me of building works at the hotel.

I am only planing to have one honeymoon in my lifetime and therefore want this holiday to be perfect. Does anyone know how much impact the building of the spa at the Paradisus rio de Oro has on hotel guests? The travelagents letter says that the secluded beach is closed.
Any more details or thoughts from holidaymakers would be greatly appreciated.

look down the bootom of the page and there is a thread with an identical title.

We are going to Paradisus on May 18th and the general consensus seems to be that the building work in quite far away from the main hotel building and accommodation and isn't have an impact on people's holiday - yes the secluded beaches seem to be out of bounds at the moment but can't say this will unduly impact my holiday.

Hope you have great honeymoon - it's a good job you aren't going in September as they are closing the pool during that month for refurbishment.

This is the thread, don't worry about it, you'll have a great time. Its a fabulous hotel.

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=28575

Darren

Thank you! Ill have a look at these threads.

In peak season how are the restaurants at the hotel. Should I book them before we go? If so perhaps you could make reccomendations.

Thanks again

The buffet restraunt can get busy so its best to either get their as soon as it opens or wait an hour until things quieten down. The speciality restraunts get booked up very quickly so I'd advice you book them as soon as you can after you arive. Chances are, you won't be able to book them in the first week, only the second week will be available. Having said that, the food quality in the buffet restraunt is so high it doesn't make much difference, some of what is on offer in the specialities is also available in the main buffet, just not quite as posh! Not many hotels provide lobster, king prawn, oyster and salmon for starters!

Darren

email the hotel a couple of weeks before you go and ask them to prebook all your a la cartes. That is what we did and they were waiting for us at reception when we checked in.

Do the a la carte restaurants really get that booked up in advance then? I was planning on doing them all pretty much the morning after we arrive as any bookings (booked early) could come at the same time as you may book an excursion (ie. Havana)??

I have also not seen anyone make comment about the massage service they advertise - is this still operating or just not particularly good !

The a la cartes are very popular and get booked up very quickly. If you can book in advance, its worthwhile as I struggled to get in the ones I wanted for birthdays / wedding aniversaries. They actually check your passports on arival and check birthdays and cross reference that with booking information. They brought champaigne and a birthday cake when we were in the Mediterrano restraunt and the band came over and sung happy birthday, excellent service. You should be ok booking the morning after you arive, but you might not get a time or day that is most suitable for you, its a case of getting whatever is available.

Havana is quite a distance from the hotel, about 1.5hrs flight from Holguin. Its a very long day trip or even 2 days (I think the day trip left the hotel at something like 6am and arived back close to midnight). I didn't bother for that reason.

The massage service is located in a hut overlooking the sea on the cliffs and is very popular. Again, you need to book this in advance so you get the time and service you want. Most people I met who went in said it was excellent and good value ($40 for the basic service from memory). There is a new spa being built at the moment over towards the private beaches so I presume this will be moved over thei when its finished.

Darren