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Grand Playa Turquesa 01/09/2006
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
Hey, I just went on a family vacation and thought I'd write a review because I had found the site so useful before.
The Grand Playa Terquesa is a HUGE property with five pools, and a beautiful beach. The rooms are great. If you're on the top floor you have 20 foot ceilings. The rooms I stayed in, (or any room from 518-524), you'll have a maid named Gladys. You want her, trust me. She makes your towels and blankets into swans and hearts each and every day. And of course, a little incentive for her never hurt, (cheap chocolate, pantyhose, nail polish, a few pesos, that kinda thing)
The restaurants were good, especially the Cuban restaurant, which you need a reservation for. Its completely uncrowded and the steak is amazing. I hear the shrimp cocktails are good as well. La Hacienda is the all purpose three square meal buffet restaurant. They have great food, vegetarian or carnivore, and you can custom order things like pasta, as in choosing your sauce (cream or tomato) your ingredients (ham, olive oil, onions, garlic) and your type of pasta, (always three types, usually bow tie, spaghetti, and penne noodles). Breakfast always has French toast, pancakes, waffles, fresh fruit, fruit salad, and lots of hot other foods too like fries, wedges, sausage, etc.
The beach and pools are amazing, thats all I can say. The five pools are great, the middle pool is the main event pool with dancing lessons, water polo, and even a bikini/muscle man contest(s). The beach is huge, there are tons of water sports, (sailing, windsurfing, kayaking single or double, paddle boats, etc.) and you can get snorkelling equipment for free, which is nice to find little bits of souvenir coral. The swim up bar in the pool is great, and the kiddie pool is nice as its only a foot or two deep and completely empty most of the time. I spent most of my time at the pool, and the beach, and that was definitely time well spent.
The Don Bartolo bar is excellent, you haven't tasted cappucinos until youve been there. They have great drinks, and food most of the day (pizza, salad, burgers, etc.) Its basically a huge hangout for everyone not at the pools/beach/their room. The staff are nice, and they have the classic bartender tricks but better, one guy was flipping a bottle and catching it the glasses, basically juggling 2 bottles using glasses. Hard to describe but utterly insane.
The only thing I would like to change is the Cuab culture of patience. Menana, menana (basically, later, later) Because quite frankly, I don't like getting through immigration going home at 1230 when my flight leaves at 1200. It just doesn't feel right to me. The day I was coming home, today, January 6th, there was some limited deal with the States, where Cubans could fly to Miami to visit relatives. Three flights. In total, there were eight immigration windows open for six flights leaving within 80 minutes of each other. The crowd, and thats all it was, was pushing, shoving, packed like sardines. The Holguin Int'l Airport simply isn't big enough. They didn't have any organization whatsoever, not even those portable fabric barrier strap things used in EVERY OTHER AIRPORT IN THE WORLD. Some older woman passed out from the heat from being so tightly packed and the stress of being pressed on all sides. Not enough to stop me from going back, but definintely something to consider. But don't let 2 hours of stuffy heat stop you from going. This is the best resort I've ever been to, it's a beautiful property on a huge beach where you never get bored.
The activities were good, there was a gym, ping pong table, two foosball tables, soccer fields, and tournaments in tennis and ping pong and some other sports. The shows were usually pretty good, or so I heard from my parents. The Rose Bowl is more important to me that a Cuban Fashion Show. But no matter where your priorities are, you'll never be bored.
There are two excursions I recommend. The first is the dolphin swim, which was a great experience that you are guaranteed to enjoy and have great memories of it for years to come. The other excursion is taking a taxi to the market in Guardalavaca, on a hotel property, where the goods are amazing, the craftsmanship is excellent, the the prices are rather flexible. Its also steps away from a beach if you get too hot from all your bargaining and deal making at the market. It's the real place to spend your money, cheaper than the gift shop and more fun haggling as well. The souvenirs available there are great.
So all in all, I had a great vacation experience and would go back in a heartbeat. I highly recommend this resort, and although I'm no expert, I'd give it a 5 Star rating.
Feel free to email me with any questions.
Nabeel
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