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> Destinations > Cuba > Trip Reports > Trip Report
January 2004
My wife and I stayed there for 2 weeks in January 2004 with our two kids (7 and 1). A taxi was waiting for us at the airport since we were the only ones on the flight to go to this hotel. The trip from the airport to the hotel is the only downsize with Villa Covarrubias. It is 2 hours long and the road is not so good, but don't let this affect your choice because the 2 hours rides is well worth it.
This place is really great and here is why.
Room : We got a very spacious room with 3 beds and a crib for the baby (Room number #6325). There is a mini fridge in the room and they supply bottled water as much as you need. The bathroom is nice with a bidet and a large shower. We had a room on the second floor with an ocean view. Since we were on a corner the balcony was very big with two great rocking chairs so you can relax there at night listening to the ocean. The room was very very clean and the maids are doing a great job. Sometimes the water is kind of yellow when you open the faucet but if you let it run for a minute it gets better.
Food : The food is good. At breakfast you can always count on bacon and eggs and there is a speciality counter where they cook you an omelette as you like it (ham, cheese, onion, etc...). Lunch is served at the restaurant on the beach. It is almost always the same, french fries, pasta, rice, soup, vegetables and meat. There is a grill where they cook fish, hot dog and a different kind of meat everyday (chicken, beef, veal, etc). Dinner is served at the main restaurant and this is the best meal. There is always a nice choice for everyone and you can get very good pasta at the speciality counter. There is also always a nice piece of meat and fresh fish near the pasta bar. There is also a bar near the pool when you can get a good ham and cheese sandwich all day long. We were always able to find something that we liked. Keep in mind that this is Cuba and you will be happy.
Beach : This is the best part, it is really beautiful, I could even say breathtaking. The white sand is nice and clean, the water is crystal clear and when the tide is low you can go very far in the ocean just walking and watching the fish at your feet. There are plenty of chairs available whenever you're going and you can always find some shade if you want. This is a very secluded place and we loved it. It is calm and peaceful and the kids loved it too.
Pool : Nice design and not too deep. Sometimes it is a little cold, but it is ideal for kids.
Activities : There are many activities to enjoy like catamaran, kayak, pedalo and snorkelling. And since there were not too many people there when we went we never had to wait or to reserve long time in advance to use the equipment. This was very pleasant and the staff is very nice too. Near the pool you can play pool and ping-pong. There is also a tennis court and a basketball court. There is not much to do outside the resort. We went to Puerto Padre which is the nearest town about 40 minutes from the resort but there is not much to see there. This is a secluded resort for people who want to stay there. It you are looking for adventure it is not the place for you.
Animation : The night shows are entertaining, especially if you had your share of rhum ! During the day there is a mini-club for kids from 4 to 12 and is was very appreciated by our kid. Dunya is great with kids and they like her very much.
Staff and service : Excellent is the word that comes to mind. They would do anything to make your stay perfect. Everybody is friendly. Victor and Rodi at the restaurant, Dunya, Arleti and Julian at the animation, Orle in the garden, Ramon on the beach, everybody want you to have a great time and we did.
Bar : In my opinion the best bar is the lobby bar but only because it has a little more choice than the other two. You can get soft drink, water, milk (important when you are traveling with a baby!), liquors, drinks (mostly rhum base) and beer. The glasses are relatively small, but who cares, get two at a time if you are too lazy to go back ! The Rhum punch is excellent.
I read some reviews with complaints about the mosquitoes and some bad odours and I must disagree with them. We never experience any bad odours at the resort and the only time we were bug by mosquitoes was early in the morning after a rainy night. This is the only time we used the bug spray.
We really appreciated our stay at Villa Covarrubias and we would recommend it without any hesitation if you want a great place to relax and enjoy life under the sun.
Thanks to Marco (St-Jean-Chrysostome, QC) for this trip report ...
January 2004
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