Hotel Colonial Cayo Coco

The garden view from my room was gorgeous, and the bed was very comfortable. I also had hot water and great air conditioning. There were lots of food options, and as a vegetarian I really appreciated the chefs' efforts to cater to me. Customer service was exceptional, from reception and the chamber maid to the bartenders, pool maintenance, and management. Thanks to all the workers and management for the hospitality and excellent service. I've visited Cayo Coco many times, but this was my first stay at Hotel Colonial. I chose it for the amazing beach, attractive Spanish colonial architecture, and beautiful, lush gardens.

The staff are amazing, the historic buildings are beautiful, the beach is well maintained, and the pool is clean and refreshing. The resort is only half open, though. The saltwater swim-up pool and tower bar are closed, perhaps because of Hurricane Irma damage and Iberostar's earlier management, which essentially ran the resort into the ground and abandoned it. The place still has a lot to fix. Buildings are worn, some stairs are wonky, doors are hard to open, and the stone-and-dirt patchwork walkways may be a problem for people with mobility issues. They're trying hard to make repairs. Food is a sore spot: it's not always available, has little variety, and items run out fairly often. There were no five-star meal expectations, but even basics and fresh grilled meats were sometimes missing. On weekends many local Cubans come to the resort and eat and drink it out of things. The bar ran out of beer and other liquors for several days, leaving limited choices and staff having to say “sorry no more left.” Staff were overwhelmed on weekends, and service went out the window. Water in the rooms was hit or miss. Sometimes there was none for hours. The maintenance closet gives you an idea why, it's a patchwork of patches. Many leaks leave water pressure at 3-4 psi. The resort considers hot water to be 50 degrees Celsius, but that would be wishful thinking. It was lukewarm at best. In a tropical place you may not want a hot shower, but warm enough to clean yourself would be nice. I don't want to discourage anyone from seeing the beautiful Spanish architecture, enjoying the slow pace of life, or meeting the wonderful staff. Just be prepared for a resort still struggling after a devastating hurricane, with few resources and extremely poor previous management. At most, I'd call it a 2 1/2-star resort.

The beautiful beach and breathtaking hotel made for a lovely stay for my girlfriend and me. The staff made it even better, especially Enrique at reception and the lovely gentleman who handles excursions. The entertainment crew were lovely too, and the lobby bar bartenders really impressed us. I'd recommend Hotel Colonial for a pleasant visit to Cayo Coco.

The beach was awesome, with lots of chairs and little shade huts, just a short walk from the room. There are plenty of bars for drinks, lunches, and snacks. The rooms were clean, the bed seemed new and was very comfortable, and we had running hot and cold water throughout our stay. A good portion of this clean resort is shut down, likely because of the pandemic. Only two à la carte restaurants are open right now, and the food is decent. The buffet rarely had salt or pepper, we never saw ketchup or mustard, and the fresh fruit we often enjoy was in short supply. Things are different in Cuba now. Staff work hard to make it a pleasant stay, though some things need improvement. The brick roads around the resort have holes that could cause trips. A big disappointment was the lack of Cuban coffee, whether to drink there or buy to take home. Moron, the nearest town, is an hour away and well worth a visit. One interesting note, Fidel Castro opened this resort in 1993.