We arrived to 5 days of very heavy rain and an overnight low in Havana of 8 degrees not what we were expecting from our Caribbean holiday. The second week was better but not good and even though the rainy season was only just officially over we felt gutted at the weather.

The hotel was large and very clean. the staff were faultless the nicest, kindest, friendliest people on earth, they couldn't do enough for you. Drinks were plentiful and your glass should never be empty if it's anything to do with the staff.

The rooms are large and very clean, the maids leave towel sculptures for you and even bottled water if you leave a note asking for water.

The food in the main restaurant is what you would expect from an average, large all inclusive self service dining room. Plenty of variety.

The fish and seafood, rice and chickpeas are the best choice however if you have fussy eaters, and we did, they may experience some difficulties because the beef etc is very very tough, just forget it and go Cuban if you can you will do better.

The a la carte restaurants are much better, by far in my opinion is the Japanese, watch out for" Paul Burrell " one of the chef's here looks just like him. The Italian is good too, a bit more formal. The Cuban is Cuban, live singers to serenade you, lobster and Mosquito's.

The Cuban restaurant is situated towards the bottom end of the resort by the wooden bridge across the lagoon that takes you to the beach, this is where the mozzies will get you, when you sit outside for a meal, a drink or on your way to and from the beach.

Please take bucket loads of repellent with you and calamine for after they get you!

We were situated in room 4821 and experienced noise from the nearby hotel Blau disco which started at 11pm and went on till 2am, it was really loud, a base boom that felt as though the walls were vibrating, it was very difficult to sleep in our room during these hours.

The hotel operates a policy of not allowing children to occupy upstairs room because of the heavy rains whilst we were there many ground floor rooms were flooded and some guests were moved 4 times the first week, mostly those with children who were not allowed to occupy upstairs rooms.

Trips not to miss , the day trip by catamaran to the dolphins and the speedboat adventure trip.

The beach was a disappointment to me. I may be spoiled but I expected more of the Caribbean. At the very far end of the beach past the Hotel pesquaro we came across syringes and medical waste washed up on the beach, it all seemed so out of place.

All in all I had an OK holiday, a few members of out party got very bad tummy upsets, the weather was poor, the hotel was average but the staff were brilliant and the hotel was very clean with food what you would expect from a mass catering hotel.

I will not be retuning, there is much to commend it for but a lot to be desired in my opinion.

First impressions of the hotel

Very good, beautiful well kept grounds, large reception area and lobby bar with waiter service. Massive outdoor freeform pool with swim up bar. We arrived at 4pm just in time for the more susceptible members of our party of 6 to be bitten by the mosquitos which are rife.

Rooms
Our room was quite the largest we've had on holiday with lovely balcony and good garden views. Wehad two large beds pushed together to form a massive sleeping area. The beds were a bit hard though. We had lots of drawers and wardrobe space provided, there was also a free card operated security safe (whichever 'door key' card you use to lock it is the only one which will open it). We had welcome drinks in the fridge, Just leaving a note and the occasional tip for the maid ensured lots of 'towel sculptures' and regular bottled water daily. The air conditioning was adequate without being too chilled, and I found it quiet and unobtrusive overnight, but others did turn it off only to to be disturbed by the occasional noise of the fridge starting up.

The bathroom was very nice with bidet and multi mirrored vanity unit, hairdryer and both European220v and american 110v sockets. The shower/bath was also very good, but we experienced a few days of cool water when a water heater for the site went down. This wouldn't normally matter much, but the first week was the coldest in Cuba for 10 years, being colder than London on one of the days.

How we longed to warm up in a hot bath! We had our own resident baby lizard who lived in the bathroom, he was lovely but very timid, running and hiding often in the toilet roll holder..

The Tv had mainly Spanish channels on it and the only English speaking news channel was CNN which concentrated on The Iraq war constantly, rarely mentioning any European news.

Hotel facilities

The weather inevitably affected the enjoyment of our holiday, 4 days continuous rain in the first week, plus cancelled excursions meant few of the outdoor facilities could be taken advantage of. A further 3 days of cool dull weather ensured that when the sun finally did come out, the pool was chilly, only getting warm in the last days of our holiday. In the 2 weeks we were there the red flag flew on most days, and there were only one or two days when the sailing facilities were available.
AS seems to be the norm in these resorts, you are not allowed much peace and quiet around the pool, and have to endure periods of loud music, lots of it rap whilst supposedly relaxing. in the late afternoon the music was replaced by Bingo.

During the rainy days the Lobby bar was full of people playing cards, trivial persuit etc - not much to do but eat and drink. The Animation team did their best, but playing Bingo isn't my idea of a good time.
The staff were wonderful, dedicated, efficient, friendly people and ensured you never had an empty glass!

Restaurants

Buffet -evening
In the first week, we preferred to dine late, say 8-30 pm and we found the "hot'" food lukewarm, the soups cool with grease films on the top, the meats tough and some of the vegetables which would complement the meal missing, awaiting replacement. We found that a lot of foraging had to be done to locate and put together something that both looked and tasted good. I could be done though, don't get me wrong, its just that the components of a balanced meal never seemed to be available at the same time.
You could ALWAYS get delicious salads, especially the tuna and sardines. Watch out for the stones inside some of the olives. Pasta cooked while you wait was always available too, with a variety of ingredients & flavourings. In the second week we dined earlier and found the food fresher,vegetables still available, meat more tender and Hot! So a good tip is to dine early in the buffet!

Buffet -breakfast
All the usual things available, plenty to choose from, but if you like English bacon you will be disappointed. Omelettes and fried eggs cooked to your specifications while you wait. At all times the service was excellent, for beer, coffee etc served at your table.

Japanese Restaurant
Far and away the best place to eat in the resort, lashings of delicious beef, prawns, swordfish (and rice) freshly cooked at your table with panache and showmanship, make sure you book early in the week to avoid disappointment. Sushi is available but not compulsory.

italian restaurant
Very nice but nothing special, and we had an early sitting in the first week, The service was rushed, they obviously couldn't wait to get rid of us to vacate the table for a later sitting. Much better in week 2 on a late sitting.

Cuban Restaurant
Located next to the Mosquito swamp and in the open air, those prone to being bitten did get bitten despite lashings of Deet. Very nice local musicians at your table, but not everyone liked the food. We did not enjoy the lobster and my wife was taken ill in the night after that meal, may have been coincidence..

Snack bar
located near the swimming pool, was a pleasant location, with entertaining mynah type birds nesting in the roof, perched on the rafters and the tables. The food was delicious, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chips and chilled beer on demand, again with excellent service. There was however, a hygiene issue here, as the birds pooped on the empty tables and the serviette wrapped cutlery. You had to look up to ensure your plate wasn't in a drop zone.

Beach
Access to the beach was across a long bridge above the swamp, and again mosquitos were a problem on those journey to those susceptible to being bitten. The beach itself wasn't the best caribbean beach I've seen but was still very nice, with lots of natural shade from the trees and plenty of umbrellas, which came in handy on the many times that it rained. There were submerged shingly barnacled rocks often invisible beneath the water, so water shoes or crocs are highly recommended if you don't want problems wading out through the shallows.

The Beach drinks bar was only staffed by one person, always cheery and friendly and chatty, so occasionally long queues formed whilst you waited for this person to mix cocktails etc which is a shame when you only want a beer.

If you decide to walk westwards along the beach, eventually the beach tapers away so you have to negotiate a rocky outcrop. Beyond here seems to be a natural collecting point for flotsam and jetsam. Here all kinds of rubbish were accumulated, including medical waste and hypodermic needles! Hence another reason for wearing crocs.

Beer Corner
Is an Open air bar which unfortunately was closed most of the time due to inclement weather. It was a pleasant start to the evening when it was open.

Cigar Lounge
Little used but most comfortable bar, obviously for smokers and not surprisingly reeking of cigars, had almost personal service due to its lack of clientele.

Excursions,
Many were cancelled due to unprecedented bad weather but we did manage to sail on the Catamaran in the sunshine to swim with the dolphins which was ace. As we arrived it rained, so we emerged to sodden towels, put on sodden wet clothes so we could sit wet through in the dining room and eat a delicious lunch.

General
Out of our party of 6, 5 came down at various times with attacks of the squits. Immodium became a scarce resource as our supplies ran out by the end of the first week. You cannot buy anything like it in the hotel shop. We were not the only people affected; there was ample evidence that we were not alone. There are hygiene issues here, and further to the comments of Jandiaman (who was one of our party) I would suggest that flies in the Buffet Restaurant were also contributory factor. No attempt was made to cover up bread rolls or some salad stuffs, some of the jams and preserves were in open dishes. Packet varieties are available . They were crawling with flies. The sun beds around the pool can be contaminated with bird droppings, so check them before use. So if you were thinking of bringing one packet of Immodium, think again. Bring 3 packets.

Summarising, what might have been otherwise a lovely holiday was spoiled by bad weather and most of our party of 6 succumbing to attacks of the squits.

Tips :-
1.Eat in the buffet early evening
2.Take a variety of Mosquito repellants, not just Deet. Mozzie-guard worked well for one of us.
3.Check your cutlery in the snack bar and buffet, and check your sun bed for bird droppings.
4.Take alcohol based antiseptic gel to sterilise your hands regulary.
5.Don't forget the immodium
6.tip the staff regularly as you go, they remember you and look after you.
7.take some form of water shoes.
8.Pray for good weather
9.If you want to buy cigars, there is a better selection and they are cheaper at the airport. than the hotel.
10.If you need to catch up on the news, use the Internet room.

Flew with Cubana - would not again. Just after ban on hand luggage so nothing to occupy 4 children aged 7 and under.

PCV is a lovely hotel. Large spacious reception area with comfy chairs. Table football for the children and a bar serving lovely Daiquiris! What more could you want?

Food is lovely. Buffet had loads of choice and when you think the population of Cuba are on food rations it should make you more grateful. The seafood restaurant had excellent lobster as did the buffet. The japanese restaurant was also excellent. The children enjoyed watching the food being prepared in front of us by the friendly chef.

The rooms were nice and spacious and clean.

The beach is lovely with trees and nice shallow water for the children.

All in all a lovely holiday

We flew from Gatwick(UK) with First Choice in their standard Star class. Paid extra for extra leg room seats which was well worth the money as although I am nearly 6' 4" I couldn't reach the seat in front!!

Flight was only slightly behind schedule, we arrived in a tropical downpour but we were the only flight in Holguin at that time so queues were effectively non-existent for immigration etc.

Transfer to PCV was quick (as it was the only stop) although we had to wait a while in the coach whilst some missing luggage was located.

Check in was quick at PCV, although we had to wait for an hour as our room was not yet ready. This wasn't a hardship as we sat in the large airy reception area and downed a couple of glasses of very welcome beer and champagne!

When we finally were taken to our room we were delighted to see that we had been allocated a second floor corner room with a large wrap around balcony (I had emailed the resort in advance with a request in Spanish - I don't know whether this was the reason). The room was large, comfortable and was kept very clean during our two weeks. There was nearly always hot water although it was only warm at 7:00pm after everyone had showered. We tipped our maid every other day and asked her to supply us with bottled water as the fridge is only stocked on day one with water and two small cans of pop. The air con was very effective and we had no problems with insects at all.

Site

The grounds are beautifully landscaped - the grass was somewhat brown when we arrived but a deluge one evening soon greened everything up. There are a large variety of shrubs and trees, many in flower whilst we were there. It's not a huge site so it's possible to walk everywhere on the clearly signposted paths.

Beach

The beach is very pleasant with easy access to the sea - there are a few rocky bits but it's perfectly possible to get in and out without any problems; the water is refreshing, without being cold and was never too rough even when the wind got up after a few days. The snorkeling is very good particularly to the right of the PCV in front of the Blau. Vast numbers of brightly coloured fish and if you are prepared to swim out ~ 100 metres you can find some larger fish which will feed on banana or bread. The only downside of the beach is that it is relatively small. As our second week coincided with Easter it got pretty crowded by 11:00am. The weekend was even more crowded due to the presence of several bus loads of locals who used the beach between Pesquero and PCV. In the second week we had the usual European problem with sunshades being "reserved" before breakfast, although there was no shortage of sunbeds.

The walk from the hotel to the beach is via a causeway over the "Eco areas" - was a bit dried out when we arrived but the sharp rain showers we had late afternoon and overnight soon freshened the area up. A large variety of wading birds to be seen.

Pool

The swimming pool was quite large - always room to have a brief swim to cool down altho I found it to be a bit too warm!! Plenty of sun beds around the pool altho in our second week parasols were hard to find by late morning. There are two separate sections of the pool for the younger kids plus a totally separate babies pool by the kids club.

Restaurants

*Buffet*- always plenty of choice; Tuesdays(fillet of Beef) and Thursdays(Lobster and assorted seafood) are outstanding nights - also some good stir fries and pasta dishes - Only downside was occasional shortage of choice of vegetables (other than salads).Very good selection of fruits,cheeses and sweets for afters. Service was always very good at all three meals.

*Italian* - the nearest to what I would accept as a la carte- good choice on the menu with excellent service in quiet, air conditioned surroundings. We had two good meals altho the fillet of beef was not so good on the second occasion.

*Japanese* - we were a bit disappointed on our visit to the Japanese restaurant - altho the food was perfectly OK everything seemed a bit mechanical as they seem to go thru the same routine day in day out which made us feel a bit like we were on a conveyor belt - there is a standard menu, all you can do is leave things out. Our waitress took our "order" then we were all served everything anyway.We also didn't get offered extra drinks or coffee at the end of the meal. To be fair though a lot of people we talked to during our two weeks, raved about the Japanese; so you pays your money and takes your choice!!!!!

*Caribbean - *our lowest rated; It doubles as an a la carte snack bar during the day which was perfectly fine - comfortable to sit in out of the midday heat and have a beer and a pizza (which were excellent) - in the evening it serves up a very limited menu with little or no atmosphere due partly to the large empty spaces between tables. The night we went the food was mediocre, with an overcooked piece of fish and a very tough piece of fillet(???) of beef; also the service very poor, we had to go to get another glass of wine ourselves. However, this was the low point of the whole holiday!!

*Creole - *We liked the Creole (Cuban) restaurant a lot; the nights we went there was plenty of atmosphere, the food was good and our waitress(es) very attentive; The Cuban peasant soup was a meal in itself, and the pork steak in rum/ fruit sauce very tasty. Again however there was some negative feedback from other groups who weren't very impressed and preferred the Caribbean!!

Bars

*Main bar - *generally good service all day - somewhat slower in the evenings especially the second week; Waiter service to the lobby area and the tables broke down a bit later in the evening altho very good earlier on.Lots of kids running around in the evening which made it a bit too noisy for us!!

Great choice of drinks altho very frustrating if you were just waiting for a cold beer whilst the person in front had ordered 3 or 4 cocktails!!

*Cigar(Piano) bar* - always quiet(empty) in the evenings - perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle-chill out with a coffee and a (very large) Scotch or Brandy whilst listening to some undemanding music. Pedro the barman always seemed to have the glass topped up b4 you realised it was anywhere near empty! Also air conditioned which made a pleasant change from the main lobby.

*Beach Bar* - Eduardo did a sterling job all week, keeping everyone on the beach supplied with beers, soft drinks and rum punches; the insulated mugs we took were worth their weight in gold as it meant only a couple of trips to the bar per session. Those without had to make do with very small plastic cups - one mouthful of beer and they were gone.

*Pool (swim up) bar - *only used it once or twice; seemed to have a fine selection of drinks - our second week a group of Canadians had taken up residence on the stools in the pool and seemed determined to drink the bar dry!!

*Beer corner* - very pleasant outdoor area to sit, drink beer(assorted Cuban and imported beers available) and watch the world walk by. Entertainment supplied by a folk singing guitarist who plays the fig leaf like a kazoo!!

Entertainment_

Generally low key - supplied in part by the Italian resident staff who tried very hard in the day to get people round the pool and on the beach involved in team games like volleyball or water polo, as well as "silly" games and bingo.

The best part of the evenings was the resident band who were very professional but not on for very long most evenings. There appeared to be "participation" most evenings on the stage - a lot of the younger kids/parents got involved. The shows were mostly amateurish - not to our tastes, but they tried very hard!

The journey home via Holguin airport was again painless as we were the first flight due out in the afternoon. The flight was almost on time so we were boarding before the majority of passengers for the next flight had cleared security.

We would would definitely go back to the PCV - possibly next Spring but we will avoid Easter or the Spring Break periods.

The hotel was in a beautiful position on the beach but surrounded by a national park, where storks and plenty of other birds sat in the trees and river in between the beach and the hotel.

We went for a week in November - weather was great. Food was a little bland in the main restaurant, but the japanese a la carte was fantastic. The rooms all had cd players.

This hotel used to be called Breezes costa verde and part of the superclubs group, but it is now just called Playa Costa Verde.

Myself and my family have just returned from cuba staying at playa costa verde formally super club breezes. A fantastic time was had by all.I have two bots aged 17 and 13 who both found the water sports fantastic. myself and my husband went scuba diving and watersking which were both included in the all inclusive deal. The restaruants were wonderfull especially the japanese and italian good food in both. The cuban had good food however being next to the nature reserve you got few insects flying by but still worth a visit. Staff at the hotel were very helpfull and friendly. being a pure country if you visit this place a few gifts of old football shirts or t shirts would be greatly apprieciated We will definately be going back.

We stayed here on an all inclusive basis abd could ot fault the food. We particularly liked the Japanese restaurant. The food was always fresh and even in the buffett restaurant the main meals were cooked as you waited, eg pasta. We never left the hotel for the two week duration of our holiday, by choice not because of its location, about 10-15 minutes from Guadalavaca. A lot of the other guests did the day trips to the dolphins, cigar factory etc and enjoyed them. Most of the staff were very good. The music around the main pool was limited and when you asked them to change it it was rearly done. The entertainment was very good if you wanted to take part you could, if you didn't they left you alone. It has an onsite air-conditioned disco which was good. It played live music as well as disco and local music.

Overall this is an enjoyable holiday. The hotel was not half full, but all of the restaurants and bars were open.

I would recommend this hotel for either couples or people with children over 4 years old (they had a kid's club).