Hotel Villa Coral

“Bravo Villa Coral”

After many trips to Cayo Largo staying at Playa Blance I decided to try Bravo Villa Coral. This gem is usually only directed at Italian visitors with two trips a week from Italy. Recently they have added Canadians as guests. It is small and intimate with only 55 rooms but superior in many ways... Plus

After many trips to Cayo Largo staying at Playa Blance I decided to try Bravo Villa Coral. This gem is usually only directed at Italian visitors with two trips a week from Italy. Recently they have added Canadians as guests. It is small and intimate with only 55 rooms but superior in many ways. The lush grounds are lovely and well maintained,. the rooms most comfortable. The food was exceptional both in variety and presentation. There were only 4 English speaking guests, the rest being Italian. The staff was friendly and welcoming but more fluent in Italian as a second language. The beach was located only 75 steps from my room and was wonderful. There is no clothing optional as with other areas of Cayo Largo. I almost did not write this review since I did not want too many Canadians to find out how lovely it is. Only one negative comment in that they only supply you with a bottle of water on your first day and you must purchase water after that. of course you can appeal to the barmen to help you out BUT bottled water is a must in your room. It would be nice also if the staff had name tags to help you learn their names for daily contact. Extras like a pool bar and a theatre area located between it and Lindemar make for a quiet and most enjoyable atmosphere.. The day trips to Paradiso and Serena are included in your package free of charge. I shall return..

Moins

“Great Place for the Right People”

That's 4 stars for the vacation in general, not for the physical plant which has some deficiencies. Having spent Mar 22 to Apr 5 at Villa Coral I really don't have much to add to SuckaJones' comments. I know a lot of people I would strongly advise to stay away (many of whom should probably never... Plus

That's 4 stars for the vacation in general, not for the physical plant which has some deficiencies. Having spent Mar 22 to Apr 5 at Villa Coral I really don't have much to add to SuckaJones' comments. I know a lot of people I would strongly advise to stay away (many of whom should probably never leave home in the first place). For anyone who can put up with a few imperfections and needed repairs I don't think you could find a better place. There was a definite shortage of hot water while we were there, in fact a lot of the time nothing at all came out of the hot water tap, but after a day in the sun the cool water felt pretty good. The soap they provided was pretty basic but the cheap, house brand shampoo I took lathered well and did a good job in the shower. The food is certainly not fancy but is well prepared. Service in the buffet was always good if sometimes a little slow (but it's a holiday, who's in a rush). We were quite content to wait a minute or two for our usual drinks (which mostly arrived without us even having to ask for them). We tipped regularly but not much during our stay and then made up for our stinginess at the end. No hassles from anyone at any time and always good, polite, friendly service. Again, if you demand perfection in all things and lots of action (one of the selling points for me is that there is nothing to do but relax, walk the beach and spread on more sunscreen) at a very low price don't even think about going here. If you have some flexibility and can roll with a few gentle punches chances are you'll have a great vacation. Will I go back...you'd better believe I will! I calculate 11 months and 23 days until the start of my next visit.

Moins

“The Diamond in the Rough,and I mean ROUGH!”

Gran Caribe Club Coral is not for the 4-5 star individual. HOWEVER it's truly the 'diamond in the ROUGH'. The beach- Absolutely amazing. Close to white sand, crystal clear water, and various lawn chairs and shelters alongside. Walking barefoot is great. HOWEVER certain spots have head to toe nud... Plus

Gran Caribe Club Coral is not for the 4-5 star individual. HOWEVER it's truly the 'diamond in the ROUGH'. The beach- Absolutely amazing. Close to white sand, crystal clear water, and various lawn chairs and shelters alongside. Walking barefoot is great. HOWEVER certain spots have head to toe nude sun bathing, men and women full out nudity. The Hotel-There are 2 lodging areas. For families and closeness to pools, bar and restaurant, request the Villa Coral with your travel agent. 3 max per room. But with families of 4 or more, request 2 rooms connected, meaning a door in between both rooms. Double and single occupancy. If you want peace, and seclusion from all of that, request the Soledad Villa. Huge rooms closer to the beach. Quiet and very peaceful. HOWEVER, the whole resort and property looks run down. Paint faded, concrete broken and cracked, grass is hit and miss for landscaping. Sometimes there was no hot water. Hit and miss each night. Maintenance also spray a fog machine for insects in the evening around the whole resort. The biggest complaint is the Villa Isle hotel where you check in, is only for Italians. Very serious about that. Run by the Cuban staff, depending on your wristband, put it on yourself rather than they applying it on your wrist. You will not be allowed to use the Italian bar, pools and restaurants. Internet is about 12 dollars CAN for 1 hour access. Make sure to log off, or time will run out. The food- Decent selections, covers chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, fresh breads, pasta, and whipped cake desserts. Breakfast was decent. One a la cart restaurant. Pizza, burgers and fries during snack time. HOWEVER, Only 2 serving tables, 4 hot trays of food, and that's it. Breakfast is from 7:30-10:00. Lunch snack from 11:00-1:00 PM. Lunch from 1:30-3:00 PM. Dinner snack from 4:00-6:00 PM. Dinner from 7:30- 9:30. If your arrival is between those times from the airport, you have to wait. Try and close the doors of the restaurant. Flies are all over the bread and desserts. The Bar and Entertainment- Decent drinks, nothing elaborate. One bar available alongside the pool. Children's pool along the walkway. Pull up some chairs from the stage and enjoy some family fun in your almost private pool. Nightly entertainment was decent. Good dancers, decent shows. Not every night, but something always happening. HOWEVER- As mentioned earlier, unless you're Italian and part of the Villa Isle hotel, no access to their pools or bar. That sucks. To conclude, my family had fun, but we're low key and don't mind the blemishes that would turn away many 4-5 star guests. For the time period, it was worth it!

Moins

“Basic, Rustic, Beautiful”

Beach and scenery lovely and intimate. Bring a shade tent if you go exploring. The snorkeling was fantastic, right off the beach in front of Coral villa. Bring snorkel and mask from home. Took an excursion by catamaran ($70) and the snorkeling was even better. Food is bland, all buffet, brea... Plus

Beach and scenery lovely and intimate. Bring a shade tent if you go exploring. The snorkeling was fantastic, right off the beach in front of Coral villa. Bring snorkel and mask from home. Took an excursion by catamaran ($70) and the snorkeling was even better. Food is bland, all buffet, breakfast was best. Our waiter 'Urbano' was attentive. Coffee was great. Milk with cream was only at breakfast. Snackbar would forget about you after you had ordered. A la carte dinner at Soledad was a fixed menu and slightly better. Small drinks sub-par and you get tired of rum. (Even Anejo wasn't smooth, Pina coladas varied from OK to excellent depending on who made them). Bring a LARGE thermos mug. Rooms were very nice and clean. Keep doors closed to avoid tiny mosquitos. 'Daysi', our maid was sweet, and efficient. Upkeep is below par. Occasional hot water. (Not often enough) Enjoyed the dance shows, and the guitar players at dinner. Staff was mostly friendly. Did not get to know very many of them. (Too bad) Tennis courts in disrepair yet playable. Change money at airport. Hotel charged 15% more for convenience. Not much for a kid to do except ping-pong. I may sound like a complainer, yet I had a very relaxing easy time.

Moins