|
Las Brisas Guardalavaca - (Holguin) 10/26/02
Reviewers Rating:  Great
I went on this trip with my girlfriend. We found our AirTransat rep and promptly boarded the bus. The ride to the resort was very long. It was scheduled as a 60 minute ride, but actually turned out to be over 90 minutes due to the number of stops to other resorts. Some people were getting sick from the bumpy ride. The Resort looked great, very picturesque and comfortable. We received complimentary fruit punch drinks once we arrived, which was much appreciated. Check-in was quick and we were on our way to our rooms. I had asked for a second key card so that we could leave the air conditioning on while we were out. The in-room safe cost us $2 per day extra. I felt this should have been included with the room since we had paid extra to get a superior (ocean view) room. The air conditioning was very weak and we had to advise the front desk. They promptly sent a technician to increase the strength of the air conditioning. We also found out that we needed two coupons to have access to the a-la-carte restaurants which were not given to us when we checked-in. We also found out that we needed a piece of paper that we had to give to the beach cabana in order to get our beach towels. We asked for both at the front desk and did not encounter any problems. Other than that, our week progressed very nicely. The food at the buffet was good for the most part, but alittle redundant after a while. They did however on several occassions have very nice feasts (roast lamb, roast pig, roast turkey, etc). The pool was very clean and warm. The volume of guests were not bad either, it was approx 3/4 full by my estimate. The beach was amazing. Clear water, white sand beach and palm trees for some shade when desired. I spent most of my time on the beach and also did some snorkeling. We found out though, that while we were swimming (approx between 9am to 1pm daily) there were swimming salesmen floating by trying to peddle their wares...anything from sea shells, cigars, rhum, t-shirts, etc. They are not allowed to walk on the resort's beach, so this is how the get around that restriction. It wasn't too bad during the first couple of days, but then it got more and more annoying. Some of them asked us to bring them food. On the one hand, I want to bring them food, but on the other hand, I'm paying to have fun and have people cater to me. And besides, the guards were watching everything and I didn't want to cause problems. The pool grill was great, but had no variety. They had hamburgers, hotdogs, grill cheese & fries, every day. Drinks were great too. In general, the staff was very friendly and hard-working. Our maid was great, she made swans and hearts on our beds and always kept our room clean and neat. We gave her daily tips and thanked her before we left. The nightly entertainment was good, but did appear alittle skimpy and could have been substantially improved. Still, it was very enjoyable. The fashion shows were great, especially the bikini wear. ;) Check-out was also quick, but when it was time to leave, our plane was delayed for over an hour. We were waiting at the lobby at 8am. Our bus was to leave at 9am. We saw the other people, using other tour carriers, leave promptly. But we were still waiting at 9:30am, when our AirTransat rep raced in and posted a paper stating that the bus will be leaving late. She had woken up late that morning, so we were the last to leave the resort at almost 10am. All in all, even with all the negative factors (which really weren't that serious), it was still a good vacation and a good experience.
G.R.
| 
