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Sol Club Cayo Guillermo 12/09/2004
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
We stayed at the Sol Club Cayo Guillermo from October 25th to November 5th, 2004. The resort was maybe 40% full. This was our second time at this wonderful resort and it certainly won’t be our last. In fact we have plans to return again next year. This was our first time away for 11 days and it was perfect. Usually we have had 7-day vacations. The 11 days was so much better. I highly recommend it if you can find one. As I mentioned, this was our second time there and I wrote a review last year so I don’t want to make this review too long winded by repeating many thoughts and observations that are the same. You can find my last year’s review at: http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/hotelreviews/cu/20031103220504.shtml .
AGENCY AND FLIGHT
This year our trip was catered through Signature Vacations. As last year, we booked our trip with Coco Toth at Bravo Travel, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Again Coco was great to deal with and very helpful. We originally booked a 7-day trip, but Coco had called us to tell us that for a mere $140 extra, we could get 4 more days. That’s why I use her, a travel agent with my best interests at heart. Thank you again Coco.
Signature Vacations on the other hand, I have a few issues with. While it didn’t effect our great vacation in any way, we never saw our Signature tour rep at all. In fact we didn’t talk to him until the second to last day, and that was by telephone. As it happens, we were the only ones from Signature Tours staying at that resort, and I think on all of Cayo Guillermo. So the rep didn’t see the need to meet us and leave the standard info for us to check up on. Not good in my books. If we were a couple on our first trip to this resort, we would have been lost.
My concern would have been magnified if this wasn’t our second time there and we didn’t know the FANTASTIC staff we did. It was our staff/friends Dayanis and Mykel that took the time to find out the information as to when our regretable return flight was leaving. Many thanks to them!
The flight itself was very good and the staff of the Skyservice airplane were also very good and friendly. With a great tailwind, we arrived 30 minutes ahead of schedule.
WEATHER
The weather was very good for the entire stay. It did drizzle a few times throughout our stay, but for the most part it was hot (about low to mid 30’s), sunny, and perfect. Last year we vacationed one week earlier and I think we would try for that again. This year was windier and therefore wavier. Not too wavy that you couldn’t enjoy the ocean, which we did every day. Unfortunately, it was too wavy some days that my scuba diving had to be canceled.
CHECK-IN
As last year, it was a breeze! No problems and the reception staff were very friendly and helpful.
ROOM
We had requested the same room as last year (904) http://community.webshots.com/photo/98207725/98210252mMCztU and they had left a wonderful fruit platter and a bottle of rum for us. This room is our favourite because of it being so close to the ocean, it’s privacy, and still not too far to walk to the main amenities. It is in one of the four unit single story bungalows and I found out it was considered one of the ocean front rooms, not a superior room. As far as we’re concerned, it is a superior room. Please see my last years review for the description of the room.
RESORT GROUNDS
The resort is in excellent condition and the gardening staff deserve a lot of praise for it. I’m amazed on how beautiful they can keep it and usually with using hand tools, such as machetes. I wish my home grounds could look as nice!
RESTAURANTS AND FOOD
I consider myself a person who knows good quality food. While I understand that some people don’t care for the food at some Cuban resorts, I have yet to understand why. The food at the Sol Club Cayo Guillermo is quite tasty and very filling. I have yet to have ANY problems with food. I wish I could eat that well at home! My favourites were, the beef tenderloin at the a la carte (Don Guillermo) and the flambeed bananas at the Buffet. Also make sure you have the pizza, and fresh squeezed orange juice, as well as at the main bar be sure to have the custom toasted sandwiches.
One restaurant I should touch on is the El Vigio (Beach Restaurant and Grill). It’s called a different name for the evening fare, but I can’t remember it. This was closed for renovations last year so I couldn’t comment on it. For lunch, you can wander in off the beach and enjoy a small buffet as well as order food off a menu. You will find dishes of pasta, fries, potatoes, pork, cold cuts and buns as well as custom pizza. Very tasty! In the evening, reservations are to be made in advance (at the beginning, if you stay in peak season). This is an open-air structure with a canopy and a windowed wall facing the ocean.
I also have to mention a little (off the resort) restaurant. The Catec is located down the beach past the Sol Club as if you are walking toward Playa Pilar. We decided to grab a lobster dinner off the resort and it was great. We actually had a platter that came with one lobster each, fish, shrimp, a plate of cucumber, and a plate of fried plantain all for $20 each. Sergei and Ernesto were wonderful to chat with and I highly recommend their place for a different atmosphere apart from the resort. We even had the whole place to ourselves.
ENTERTAINMENT
This year the nightly show had a more comedic tone to it. Quite entertaining! We also went to the disco a few more times this year and really enjoyed it. Some of the staff venture over after the nightly show as well and it’s quite entertaining to watch some of the dancers move to the rhythm of the Cuban (and other) beat. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the nightclub scene.
TOURS AND OTHER FUN
Well this year we didn’t do any tours/excursions, but I’d still recommend the Jungle Tour that we did last year. One thing we did this year was tandem parasailing. What a blast! I highly recommend this. If you talk to Amigo (Carlos Amigo), tell him Geoff from Ontario says Hola and how is the beer mug! The parasailing consists of being harnessed in with a pilot (not sure what you call the person controlling the chute) while you are attached to a boat by a cord http://community.webshots.com/photo/217394520/217400702QZEaeW . You are then pulled up to an altitude of 350 metres and then at a certain point you and your tandem guide are released from the boat, take a short tour, then glide silently to the beach where you started from. Be sure to take your camera, as the view is breathtaking. http://community.webshots.com/photo/217394520/217405868qLvpvv The Parasailing was $40usd each and it lasted for about 15 minutes. Well worth every penny!
One other thing I did this year was go scuba diving. I’m a certified diver but the Sol Club does offer courses. The Sol Club and The Melia Cayo Guillermo, share the dive centre that is located at the beach near the Melia. If you talk to Dayanis at Sol Club, she’ll be able to get you a discount. As previously mentioned, it was too wavy to do more than one excursion, but what I did was great. We dove off a beautiful reef and saw a lot of colourful fish as well as a puffer and a sting wray. The equipment is Mares and is in very good condition. The staff are also good. I’d recommend at least one dive. One dive through the centre is around $45usd, (less if you book through the Sol Club sales department). I was told that usually you are required to book a minimum of 5 dives.
THE PEOPLE
I mentioned it last year and have to again this year, the staff are absolutely wonderful. Our North-American resort could learn a few things about hospitality from this staff. This time I’m going to elaborate more.
First of all I have to say, thank you so very much to Dayanis, Gretel, Yulima, Mykel, Marilyn, Orisbel, Yudy, Juan Alberto, Iray, Hector and Carlos (our favourite Beach Bartenders), Marlon, and so many more!!! Without a doubt they continually make our stay the best we can have. This year I had the pleasure of vacationing during my Birthday. If you ever have a chance to vacation during your birthday, spend it at the Sol Club Cayo Guillermo! Mine had to be the best birthday I’ve had since I was a child! I have to again thank Gretel who with the help of my wife made it a very special and memorable birthday. I was treated to a special table with a beautiful flower arrangement at the Beach Restaurant which we happened to book for that evening. After dinner I was presented with a marvelous cake that was too big for just the 2 of us to share. After dinner we took in the nightly show, and then went back to the room to change for the disco. As if the evening couldn’t get better, a knock at the patio door gave way to the House Salsa Band (Cuba Sun) serenading me with a Spanish version of Happy Birthday as well as one other tune. Now this was very special, since the band had to leave for their 1 1/2 hour bus ride home. A Cuban tradition is to celebrate your birthday at midnight on the eve of your birth. We were apologized to because the band had to leave at 11 and wouldn’t be able to serenade me at midnight. Definitely no apology was needed! What a perfect thing to happen for my birthday! One I’ll not soon forget! Thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart! I thought it would be very difficult to top last year, but this trip certainly did.
For anyone thinking of going to this resort, please feel free to email me with any questions. gef_m@hotmail.com
Photos:
http://community.webshots.com/album/98207725WavSRu
http://community.webshots.com/album/98247485aTdhKA
http://community.webshots.com/album/217394520GreAAh
At the time of writing this I hadn’t up loaded all my pictures, so there will be more than what I’ve linked to here.
Enjoy,
GefM
GefM
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