Villa Cayo Saetia

During our three weeks in Cuba, mostly in Casa Particulares, the three days at this Gaviota Group hotel were the worst. We expected better service for “European” prices, but found it worse than a 25USD-Casa Particular. When we tried to enter the national park, we were told the hotel had electricity and water problems, probably since the last hurricane. Nobody had contacted us beforehand. We were sent to the same owner's all-inclusive hotel at Guardalavaca, about three hours away, and spent three days convincing staff there that we didn't owe more money and had only come because Villa Cayo Saetia told us to. Don't book through the Gaviota-group homepage: they charge 100% and might “lose” your reservation.

The food included with the stay was very basic and not tasty, and the service felt very poor. The atmosphere was strange, impersonal, and unwelcoming, with mostly wealthy older foreign visitors. It’s an old colonial hunting place, and the price is way too high for what you get. I had a super presidential luxus Room that could fit around 10 people and was willing to pay extra, but the company that owns this and most luxury Hotel places in Cuba wouldn't let me bring my Friend. They aren't customer friendly about changes or extra people. This was the worst and most expensive place I've stayed in Cuba. I would never recommend it to anyone.

The Castro family comes here for luxury, while ordinary Cuban people don't even have enough to eat under this dictatorship. The reviewer says Fidel Castro created this private island for his family to hunt exotic animals, which ordinary Cubans cannot legally eat.

The beach was amazing, and the food was simple but fine. We stayed one night in Dec 2016, and it seems like a great spot for a couple of days.