Resonance Musique Santa Lucia

I've been here three times and love it. The rooms are clean, the pool is great, the food has lots of options, and the lobby bar makes the best Spanish coffees and cappuccino. It's close to the beach, with plenty of activities if you want to join in. As repeat guests, we were treated to a special lunch and thanked for coming back. The staff and entertainers are very friendly, and most speak fluent English. Before and after their shifts, they come chat about their lives and ask about ours. I love the way they interact with guests. I also saw comments about not getting water or drinks in the buffet, but we left a peso or two at most meals and were always served. We never found bugs or cockroaches in our room. There was a little gecko one day, but he was harmless and found his way out. The one thing I'd like to see improved is the stair railings.

The staff were amazing, the shows were great, and the à la carte restaurants were usually really good. Gran Club is only five minutes from a small Cuban town, and the hotel provides free bikes to visit it. For an authentic Cuban experience, this place has a lot going for it if you can get past the little problems. We had a nice room, though the doors didn't close properly and the shower heads were a bit funky. The hotel was being renovated while I was there, but plenty of things still needed fixing: a water fountain that didn't work, bathroom doors that wouldn't close, and missing toilet seats in some public bathrooms. Like food elsewhere in Cuba, it was hit or miss. What they had tasted good, but there were very few options, especially at breakfast. I ate eggs all week. They were good, though.

This is my favorite hotel in Santa Lucia, mainly because of the brilliant entertainment and animation team and the kids club. Bonbon is fantastic with the kids. The evening shows are very good, and the dance group and both house bands are incredible. Raymel, the artistic director, is excellent, and Mario, who heads the animation team, is one of the best I've met in Cuba. The buffet food was very good, much better than at Brisas, and I liked the restaurant's light atmosphere. The hotel also has the widest beach, which is great for kite surfing. Since the new management took over in 2017, the name has changed to ROC Santa Lucia. Rates have gone up, so there were very few people at the hotel, but the animation team still ran all the activities and put on full shows. I definitely want to come back. I just hope the prices fit my budget.

We were nervous about visiting Cuba for the first time, but as soon as we arrived, the friendly staff and how clean everything was put us at ease. We spent two dreamlike weeks there without a single moment of doubt or complaint. Our room was nice and clean, and the staff were respectful. The food was good, although spices are limited because of the trade embargo. People often say Cuban food is bad because they're used to more variety in their spices. If you go, bring a tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce. You'll see everyone doing the same once you're there. Being able to visit all four resorts was great, and the beach was clean and right at the resort. If you only take one excursion, make it the Coco Beach trip. It's where Madonna wrote her song Isla Bonita about. The lobster dinner there is to die for. We also took the Camaguay City tour, which was a blast, with lots of culture and history to see. The second time we went, we brought the kids and they had a blast. The entertainment staff are on hand 24/7 and keep the kids' activities going from 8am to 9pm, so I didn't have to worry about them. After several visits this place feels like my second home. When I returned the second time, the entertainment staff recognized me right away, welcomed me back, and even remembered our names more than a year later. Two thumbs up. If you have kids, look for Froggie on the entertainment team. He's amazing with them.