Hotel Esmeralda by Mystique

The security, hotel staff, and cleaning crew were very good. The on-site restaurant prices were fair compared with places off-site. The breakfast buffet is gone. Now they serve one portion of bread, thin meat slices, eggs, and sometimes fruit. Internet is charged by the hour. Blackouts leave the room without AC and can make it uncomfortable, and the pool is only open on selected days of the week.

At breakfast, the butter was old and tasted awful. Then cockroaches were on the floor and climbing onto my chair, so I left nearly screaming. Our tour guide had warned us the food was terrible and there was a high chance of getting sick, so we skipped dinner there. The room smelled moldy and horrific, seemed very old and dirty, and the AC made noisy sounds and stopped when the power was out. The pool water was dirty and green, and hotel guests couldn’t use it after 6pm. Local? people took over the pool with their own loud party, then carried it on in their rooms or in the seating areas near the elevators. This is the most terrible hotel I’ve ever stayed in. It doesn’t deserve even one star.

The taxi ride to the airport, in a very cool 1950's car booked through reception, was a highlight of the stay. The staff by the pool seemed friendly too. But this used to be a great hotel and now feels like a value chain-level place with only a few above-board amenities, including the pool. Food service is limited at best. The breakfast restaurant seemed like it couldn’t be bothered to serve us. Someone in our group had that happen, and when I went before breakfast was supposed to end, I was told it was already closed. After that, I’d look at other options before booking here again.

The reception was great and the price was good. The room was basic but fine for sleeping, and they provided fresh towels daily. Breakfast was included from 7:30-9:30am. The pool was questionable, and we couldn’t find bottled water anywhere. The cleaning was abysmal. It was clear the floors weren’t cleaned. There aren’t many taxis around, but the stadium and small shops selling cold beers, water, and little sandwiches are a 5-10 minute walk away. Holguin loses electricity during the day, though not at night, so the room’s AC worked when it mattered. Not great, not bad, with low expectations.