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Tryp Cayo Coco 11/24/2003
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
We went to the Tryp Cayo Coco Hotel from October 26 to November 2, 2003. I was travelling with my son (11), my mother, my sister and her daughter (3 1/2). This was the third visit at that hotel for my son and I, the first visit to Cuba for the rest of our group. My sister and I were treating our mother to celebrate her birthday (80th).
I felt a review of the Tryp was in order since there have not been many recent reviews, especially since the recent sale of the colonial section which split the resort in two. Or did it? It looked to us in the past as if the Club and and Colonial sections were two separate entities that were brought together under the Tryp banner and while the colonial section is esthetically more pleasing, we never felt in our prior visits that the large size of the resort worked to its advantage. Our last visit especially, about a year and a half ago had us questioning whether we would return to the Tryp. It was just too plain big, most of the colonial section was closed at any given time, some restaurants open, some not etc. However, an excellent price brought us back this fall and while there was very little info available on the Tryp since the sale of the colonial section, we felt that with the amazing deal we got, we had nothing to lose.
Since we were travelling with a senior and that we were celebrating her birthday, I took the precaution of sending an e-mail a week or so before our trip just to ensure that we would have connecting rooms easily available.
I must say that the hotel outdid itself. My son and I arrived in the morning while the rest of our party was arriving in the evening as they were flying out of Montreal and we were flying out of Toronto. Upon checking in, they knew who we were and the reception personnel even gave me access to my mother's room and allowed me to do her check-in for her in order to save her lining up at the reception desk upon her arrival.
We had been given fantastic rooms that were connecting, and each room had a fully stocked fridge and a bottle of rhum. Keep in mind that this was special treatment we were given for my mother's 80th birthday, but my God, they did very well. At the Guest Relations Department, they were expecting me and I was informed that they had booked us in the La Carte restaurants every night and that they had something special planned for Mom on her birthday dinner. They could not have been more gracious or accommodating, instructing me to let them know if there was anything they could to help.
So our first day was spent getting re-acquainted with the resort and at first glance, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that all the gazebos, banisters and railings had been replaced with new PVC ones. On our last visit, some of those were starting to really show their age, made of wood and peeling paint, some very shaky and in obvious disrepair. This has been addressed and the resort looks much brighter and cleaner, not to mention safer. A beer patio and pool tables were added by the pool. As well, they are now serving hot dogs, hamburgers and fries at the pool bar.
Unfortunately, there was live music at the beach grill only one day at lunch. I really missed the house band Palmares playing at lunch, but I understand that they are touring on an extended contract and will return next year. As for the evening entertainment, we only got to see one show, arguably the least interesting one (the Cannibal show...we call it the Flintstones). That show was presented the second night we were there and for the remainder of our stay, the shows were held in the disco (La Vida Loca) as they were tearing down the roof of the stage to expand and upgrade the stage area. Stay tuned. So the Cannibal show was the only one we caught as the Vida Loca does not lend itself well to large scale shows. The venue is too small, too loud, rather claustrophobic. Not a good place to be with a senior and a toddler.
The food was very good throughout the week. Enough about oh well, it's Cuba...they really try and there is something for everyone. The buffet has been improved since our last visit to include a pasta bar and we found the variety and quality of the food more than satisfying. As an added treat, we were witness to the pastry chef entering a dessert competition held across the Melia chain. The chain holds a pastry/dessert contest across its chain and by the looks of it it's a very big deal...the hotel manager was taking pictures of his pastry chef's masterpiece and was understandably very proud of him. When my mother asked me how to say "congratulations" in Spanish and offered her congrats to the chef, the manager offered the dessert for us to eat!!!! It was far too beautiful to eat and if anyone should feast on it, it should have been the chef himself!!!!
We found the personnel everywhere to be professional and accommodating to a fault. On the night designated to celebrate Mom's birthday (her birthday is actually in July), the La Carte manager presented my mother with flowers and they served us champagne along with a beautiful birthday cake. We were of course pleased to see that Mom was getting the star treatment, but I have to say that all in all, the staff could not have been more helpful throughout our entire stay.
I was happy to see that despite the change of venue, the pizza is still as tasty as when it was served at El Yarey. The pizza place is now in the beach bar to the left, the one with the loft and the bar shaped like a boat. The beach grill still offers the same lunch fare of grilled chicken, grilled fish, hot dogs, burgers and assorted sandwiches. At night, the beach grill becomes El Mar where the former El Dorado seafood menu has been combined with the creole menu to offer an interesting mixture of both Cuban and fish/seafood fare. This new arrangement works very well and was our favorite meal of the week. THis restaurant opens on nights when the other La Carte is closed, the other one being the international restaurant, Loma Azul. That alternating schedule also works well and provides for enough variety. Really, the only thing I missed from the old Tryp was the Italian fare from La Fontanella.
Many animation team members are still around and continue to offer the same enthousiasm with the assistance of new faces. The main change I noticed was the look of the beach, since my last two visits at the Tryp took place in summer months. THis time around, I could really tell that the change of season was under way, with the water rising much higher at high tide, licking the steps of the beach grill. I had never seen the water quite that high and with that much seaweed. As we were entering the rainy season when I was there, the wind was pretty strong and the catamarans and pedal boats were hardly ever out. GOne is the water trampoline, but I wonder if it's just a seasonal thing. I also did not see the glass bottom boat, which I would have liked to take my mother on. But the water was very rough while we were there, perhaps that is why they didn't take the boat out.
We took the Trinidad excursion one day and thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes for a very long day, but very worthwhile doing as we cross the island completely from north to south, seeing a lot of the beauty of Cuba along the way. Crossing many small villages and seeing the landscape change before our eyes. I recommend that tour to anyone who visits the area.
In closing, I was very impressed with the Tryp, post-sale so to speak. There is always room for improvement, but I could see very large steps taken in that direction and would not hesitate to return to that resort or recommend it to anyone. It seems to me that returning the Tryp to one entity has been beneficial and that the management is obviously striving to maintain its business. Good for them.
Marie Jolicoeur
Burlington, Ontario
Marie Jolicoeur
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