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Sol Cayo Guillermo 11/07/2005
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
We stayed at the Sol Cayo Guillermo (SCG) from October 22nd through to October 29th, 2005. We are a married couple in our mid 30’s to mid 40’s from Ontario, Canada. This was our third trip to this wonderful resort and as before we are looking forward to returning again and again.
As this was our 3rd trip and I have written a review the other times, I will write this one somewhat differently as I don’t know what else I can say to tell you how much we enjoy this resort, it’s staff or about the resort grounds and accommodations.
To read more of my take on this resort, you can read my past reviews at…
http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/hotelreviews/cu/sol-club-cayo-guillermo-20041209075341.shtml
And… http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/hotelreviews/cu/20031103220504.shtml
You can also see pictures of this resort on my webshots page at… http://community.webshots.com/user/gef_m
AGENCY AND FLIGHT
This year our trip was with Air Canada Vacations. As the past 2 years, we booked our trip with Coco Toth at Bravo Travel, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As usual, Coco was great to deal with and very helpful. I highly recommend her as a travel agent.
This year our departure date was to be at the same time that Hurricane Wilma was ravaging the Yucatan Peninsula and the Western tip of Cuba, (Pinar del Rio and Havana). While many friends and family were very concerned about us flying to Cuba, there wasn’t any need for it. Our flight was perfect! Very few bumps and the Air Canada flight staff were great as well. This year we were lucky to fly Executive Class and what an option this was. Only 2 seats per row, nice leg room and complimentary drinks. We arrived in Cuba in good time and we were one of the first through customs. We exchanged our money for Pesos at the airport teller that is after customs. No problems but we had to wait about 20-30 minutes for others to clear customs and find the bus. We had time to talk to our rep. while we waited.
WEATHER
As I mentioned, we arrived in Cuba while hurricane Wilma was around, but our weather turned out to be fairly decent. The first few days were sunny, very hot and humid with highs of high 30’s C (high 80’s into 90’s F). By mid week the weather did turn somewhat overcast with sunny breaks, but was still warm and we were able to enjoy the beach every day. We did have rain showers from time to time but again nothing that lasted the entire day. We were never cold in the evening and were always in our swimsuits during the day. Other years we have had perfect weather in October but this was a banner year for hurricanes.
CHECK IN AND ROOM
As usual, check in was a breeze! While our bus to the resorts was full, we were the only ones staying at the SCG, so there wasn’t any waiting in line.
Our room was ready and waiting for us. This year we had room number 902, a couple of doors from our usual room. It was still in the same single story bungalow and was just as nice. The one difference of this room was that we had a king-size bed instead of 2 doubles. The bed also had a bug net hung above the headboard, but it was never needed. In our room waiting for us was a bottle of Dark Rum and a fruit platter. A very nice touch to be welcomed with!
RESORT GROUNDS
Still in very good condition and as usual the gardeners are working hard everyday!
BEACH AND OCEAN
I was worried about this when we were leaving home. I wasn’t sure what Wilma would have in store for our lovely beach. It turned out that the beach was as beautiful as ever and I noticed that the tractor and beach crew had come by to clean the seaweed even before we got down to the beach. Of course this also does depend on the tides. They tend to clean the beach, starting from the Cojimar working towards the Sol Club during the time that the tide is low. The ocean, while somewhat wavy, was never too wavy to swim and enjoy.
RESTAURANTS AND FOOD
I have to say that even with the resort being at the lowest capacity I’ve ever seen it the food didn’t differ from the past years.
BUFFET
While I’ll agree with some posts who say the food at the buffet can become repetitive, it is still decent. Personally I usually go to the grills and have some fresh food cooked for me. For breakfast I would have 2 omelettes with onions, peppers, ham and cheese. I sometimes had beef with onions and peppers grilled separately. For dinner I would have grilled a mixture of beef, pork, fish, squid, onions and peppers. The buffet usually consisted of dishes with shrimp, potatoes, mussels, pork, chicken, meatballs, beef, pizza slices, sliced meats, breads and pastries for the dinner and some of the same for breakfast. We never ate there for lunch, but I’m sure it was close to the same. For breakfast be sure to have their freshly squeezed orange juice! It is the best! Dinner also had a collection of tasty desserts like crème brule and other pastries, fruit, and the all time favourite, flambeed bananas.
EL VIGIO/CONUCO
For lunch the beach restaurant is called the El Vigio. For the evening dinner the restaurant changes to an a la carte that you need to reserve and is known as the Conuco. For lunch, there is a small buffet that consists of sliced pizza (very good I might add), fries, sometimes sausages, potatoes, sliced meats and breads, fruit and ice cream. You also have choice of ordering off a menu that has dishes of pork, chicken, and my favourite, pizza. Actually I would walk down the beach, order pizzas for my wife and I and then walk back to our loungers. There is also a bar area. As this is a beach restaurant for lunch, you can walk off the beach with swimsuits and cover-ups.
For dinner the Conuco has a menu of dishes of beef, pork, chicken and salmon. I ate the beef and also some of the pork and both were very tasty and tender. My favourite though was the beef. The seafood chowder appetizer is delicious. The desserts consisted of ice cream, chocolate cake, fruit, and a few others I can’t recall at this moment.
DON GUILLERMO A LA CARTE
As usual this restaurant did not disappoint us. The dishes consist of beef tenderloin, salmon, pork, chicken and a few others that again I cannot recall. The appetizer I enjoyed the most was a smoked salmon, wrapped in seaweed, drizzled in honey and seasoned with dill. My wife enjoyed a shrimp appetizer. Another selection I enjoyed was a seafood soup, similar to chowder. My favourite here is definitely the beef tenderloin. Cooked to your liking. Also the chocolate cake and ice cream is delicious.
For every restaurant and buffet service is great. At the main buffet, you serve yourself, but you are catered to for drinks. Don’t forget any of these people when you are finished your meal. While you are at an all inclusive, the meals are well worth a little monetary appreciation.
NIGHTLY ENTERTAINMENT
As last year it was comical and very entertaining. In fact this year on the last night we were there, I was asked, with a very pouty face I might add…lol…to assist in the show with a few others, 4 couples in all. This was a complete riot and I loved every minute of it. Lets just say, that the end of the skit involved a blindfolded female partner with a pitcher of beer, an empty glass placed in either the front or back of the pants, or on top of the head or like me, in between my legs while lying down and shouting out to my partner where to pour the beer. I’m sure you can imagine the outcome! The audience loved it and so did all of the staff and us unsuspecting volunteers. We did go to the disco this year more, but unfortunately as the resort was at low capacity, there were few people there. Not that this is a complaint at all, but more an observation. The DJ still played the music, a few of the entertainment staff came and we still enjoyed it. It would have been that much better if more of the guests had taken part. If there is something you want to play, be sure to ask the DJ. If he has it, he will do his best to play it.
THE PEOPLE (STAFF)
I can never write any review and leave out saying something about the staff. The staff is the best. Even at low capacity and with many having to come by bus 1 1/2 to 2 and sometimes 2 1/2 hours to work, they are still friendly and warm. They always have a smile and have an “Hola” for you.
As this was our 3rd trip, we knew many people and as soon as we arrived at the resort we were greeted by “Hola, my friends...when did you get here?” Along with big hugs and the traditional 2-cheek kiss
I am amazed by how people can remember us from one year to the next. This trip we were approached by a few different staff members that we hadn't really got to know last trip, so they didn't really have a reason to remember us. They came up and asked..."you were here last year, yes? I remember you, do you remember me?" Well of course I did, but it was a whole lot easier for me to remember than her!
This year we took down some letters to staff friends from others who frequent the resort. While you should be somewhat careful about doing this, I am very happy we did. We got to meet new people and made even more friends.
It is amazing how much you already great trip can be enhanced when you feel like you are at home with many friends!
OBSERVATIONS
A question I have from time to time is “why do you choose the SCG over the Melia CG and the Iberostar Daiquiri?” Quite simply, we like the layout of the resort. We like a small resort with bungalows. It consists of about 268 rooms in 1 and 2 story bungalows. It is laid out to stretch along the beach instead of stretching back from the beach. This allows for less walking to get to the beach. The small resort also is easier to get around and seems more personable. Also, because the resort stretches along the beach, there is more beach area for the guests and you are not packed into a small area.
Another question I have had is, “Why is this resort rated a 3 1/2 star and not a 4 star?” This is our favourite resort. While it is great and we have never had problems with food or water or anything, it does not have as many amenities as the Iberostar and Melia CG. I’m sure that this has a lot to do with it. We go to Cuba for the R&R and to enjoy the friendly people. We have never been disappointed by the SCCG in any way. In my honest opinion it warrants more than a 3 1/2 star and if this resort had more amenities, it would easily receive a high rating.
I will also state again to those who are looking to purchase cigars. Black market cigars are not worth the match to burn them. These cigars are quite typically made of banana leaves or worse. Many are not able to be smoked because they are plugged and if they can be smoked, taste horrible! DO NOT purchase cigars from any of the resort staff or off the beach or street. You will be throwing you money away. Please do yourself a favour and only purchase your cigars from the Government approved stores, which include the airport, and resort stores. Cuban Customs is checking everyone that they see with cigars. They want to see the official receipt that is given to you by the stores. If you do not have this receipt, your cigars WILL be taken from you. When you buy from the store be sure to have your passport with you, as they will need some information from it for the official receipt.
If anyone has any questions about the Sol Cayo Guillermo, please feel free to email me at: gef_m@hotmail.com
Geoff (aka GefM)
Geoff (aka GefM)
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