Caribbean-On-Line

Share    
Search for
 

Travel Insurance

Geat a FREE, no obligation quote for travel insurance - click here!

Trip Advisor
Read Caribbean Hotel reviews at TripAdvisor

Caribbean Travel & Life
FREE ISSUE!
Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine

West Indies Maps
Tourist Islands of
the West Indies
$12.95

Caribbean Calendar 2009
Caribbean 2010
Calendar $13.95


Cuba Hotel & Villa Reviews

Brisas Sierra Mar, Santiago de Cuba 02/01/2007
Reviewers Rating: Excellent
We have just returned from two wonderful weeks at the Brisas Sierra Mar resort in Santiago de Cuba.
Flying with Cubana airlines made us a little nervous but I have to say that I would pick it again any time over the other regular charter airlines. There was lots of leg room, small box lunches, free head sets and free beer….a Crystal to get you on your way to a great vacation! We had about a 20 minute delay in leaving but we have with other airlines too.
Customs and security in Santiago was fast and efficient. We were on the bus 10 minutes after going through security!
The road to the hotel is unbelievable! We live in northern Ontario and the bush roads up here are better than the main highway…there were craters in the road. We thought the bus was going to disappear in a few of them.
We were given our room assignments, keys and bracelets on the bus. That helped speed up the check in. They even kept the dining room open for us as we were getting into the hotel after 9:30 in the evening.
Our room was on the seventh floor. We had hoped for a room on the third floor but after opening the curtains the next morning and seeing the view…we decided to keep our room! The sunsets from our room were incredible; I think we took a picture of every one of them! The room was clean and bright though like others have said, a bit dated. You spend so little time in your room; it’s not a big deal.
The main dining room was quite large so there was never a problem finding a table. There was plenty of helpful staff who were really quick to clear away dishes or top up wine glasses. The food, for me, was not that great as they put green and red peppers on everything…hubby loves peppers so he couldn’t see the problem! I did find enough to eat as they had a great pasta bar with quite a few things you could add to your choice of sauces. Breakfast as my favourite as Ariel makes the best omelettes! Lunch was usually down at the beach restaurant. Leo had fresh fish, burgers, hot dogs, fries, salad or soup waiting for you. There was always a band playing at lunch too.
On our last night we had supper at the Mariposa. Have to say it was the best a la carte we have ever eaten at. There was a big group of us so we pre ordered our dinner entrees the day before. Again you could not ask for better wait staff, every need was met. Our evening was complete with the music of Miguel, a very talented man.
Even though the beach is not white sand it is still amazing. You can walk to the end of the point, a good hour’s walk. There were a few local people who were near the trees just off the hotel property. They were trying to sell cigars or shells. Most were very polite and a simple no thank you seemed to work. Two young gentlemen were unceremoniously removed from the beach by the army when they got a little too pushy with the guests.
There were sand fleas on the beach that seem to be the worst between 9 and 10 in the morning and again between 4 and 5 in the evening. The guys seem to be bothered more than the girls for some strange reason...maybe it was because we had more sun screen on...who knows.
We did a day trip to Santiago in a cab. It was a nice day, spent just walking around the narrow streets. Had a great lunch in a paladare, they gave us so much food it was hard to move!! The shrimp and pork chops were the best ever.
One of the other excursions we went on was a catamaran to a near by island to snorkel and have lunch. This tour I would not recommend. The beach was terrible, so if you were one of the people who did not snorkel there was nothing to do while you waited for the others to finish their swim. The snorkelling was not that good either..getting out to the deeper water was not the easiest..lots of rocks and grassy clumps to get over.
The snorkelling in front of the hotel was just as good.
I would return to this hotel in a second. It was a great place to relax and recharge. You can see our pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/cubagary

Deb and Gary

click here to leave a new review!


BOOK YOUR HOTEL NOW AND SAVE
Island Destination: Check-In date: Check-out date:
(MM/DD/YY) (MM/DD/YY)
Show more hotel options.
CLICK HERE FOR DAILY SPECIALS Adults:
 Kids:

Read more Caribbean Travel reviews at TripAdvisor

These reviews are provided by Caribbean-On-Line for entertainment purposes only, and we can not be held liable for any results from the use of this information. All user reviews become the property of Caribbean-On-Line LLC upon submission.

Caribbean-On-Line does not assume and does hereby disclaim any party for loss or damages caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or any potential travel problem caused by information contained in this Web site, even if such errors or omissions are a result of neglience, accident, or any other cause.

Please see our legal page for more details.

travel deal$
Departing from:
Going to:
Depart: (MM/DD/YY)
Return: (MM/DD/YY)


Search for

About Us | Advertising | FAQ | Feedback | What's New? | Privacy Policy | © 1995-2010 Caribbean-On-Line