Hotel Valentin Cayo Cruz

We loved the atmosphere and had a really good first trip to this resort and to Cuba. There was entertainment by the pool every day, the beach was gorgeous, and staff service was great. We got to know a few staff members with help from Google Translate. They’re friendly people when you treat them respectfully and tip well. The buffet had plenty of good options, and dinner at the Italian restaurant was good too. Our room was clean and well kept when the maids came, and we had no problems during the week. There were cats and dogs around the property, plus some wildlife. The cats were friendly, while the dogs were skittish. Take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. We saw a lot of guests being rude to staff and then complaining about their “attitude”; plenty of people didn’t tip either. Please come with an open mind and some empathy. Staff work long, hard hours and keep trying their best. This may not be the five-star experience some people expect, but it’s a very good place for easygoing people who just want to have fun.

Our problems were too numerous to list, and we spent three days going back and forth with management to get them addressed. There was a leaking toilet, dirty sheets, and other room issues. The cigar lounge and sports bar stayed closed for our entire visit. The only place to have fun was the disco, but it cost $5 to enter, drinks cost extra, and it was a five-minute walk outside the resort. It feels almost deliberate, like a scam to get your hard-earned money. Don’t stay here if you’re up past 9pm.

The buffet smelled like manure, the food was horrible even by Cuba standards, and we found a pebble in the rice. There was mold in the bedrooms, especially on the shower door and lamp frames, and on our last night we found two cockroaches in the room. We went in with low expectations, but this resort was much worse than we’d imagined. Please avoid it. We stayed seven days and only got clean towels on the second-to-last day. The resort ran out of ice every day. One evening we were told there was no water, but after we explained we needed it for medication, the lobby bar gave us water from a full case. Bartenders and the receptionist were very nice, though the waitresses were rude, never smiled, and service was very slow.

The room was decent, and the food was okay, but we had a long list of problems. Check-in took ages with just one person at the desk, who was on the phone. The room wasn’t cleaned properly and the shower floor was disgusting. Don’t count on fresh towels even if you ask. After day four, I left our used towels outside the door, and the maid opened the door without knocking and threw them inside. Some rooms have bathroom doors that won’t close properly or closet dresser drawers that won’t open. The fridge in my parents’ room didn’t work and stayed broken despite asking twice. We only got pool towels after asking at reception on day two. There was a coffee maker but no coffee, the internet was terrible, and public bathrooms might not have toilet paper. Only a few restaurants were open, for very limited hours. The snack bar menu was sparse, and we waited an hour or maybe a bit longer for fries. Getting a reservation at the à la carte restaurants was almost impossible. Some bars had no white wine or rum, drinks involved long lines, and the pools were cold. The buffet was nothing special, the desserts weren’t very good, and the chocolate was awful. The beach was okay, but the sand had lots of small rocks and there was plenty of seaweed. If we return to Cuba, we definitely won’t choose all-inclusive.