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Sol Pelicano-Cayo Largo 08/04/2004
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
Hola! First of all, I want to thank Anne M - that mosquito repellent saved us hours of itching!
We (four of us, 24-27 y.o.) booked the Sol Pelicano in Cayo Largo from July 16-30. I loved every minute of time spent on this gorgeous island.
Flight/Arrival: Flew with Skyservice. Very cramped if you're taller than 5'5. I loved the fact that the hotel was a 5 minute drive from the airport, so we got there fast, checked in fast. The staff was very curteous, helpful and accomodating.
Rooms: beautiful, new, clean bathrooms (no rust or chips anywhere). Hair dryers are provided. The only annoying thing was the yellow-ish water in the sink ( I don't recommend washing anything white in the sink), the water in the shower was warm and clear. The rooms were cleaned everyday, and water was replenished on a daily basis. We had a TV, lots of storage space, and a beautiful balcony facing the beach and beach bar/restaurant.
Food/Beverage: no complaints, however, this being a Sol Melia resort, I was expecting some more variety in Cheeses/Cold Cuts, and consistency at the bar. A few times there was no mint (no mint means no Mojitos :( ) and no tonic (no tonic = no gin tonic or vodka tonic). However, these were very minor things, I'll take Cuba Libre ANYTIME! So the food was great, always fresh, and lots to choose from. Breakfasts mainly consisted of eggs (sunny, scrambled, omelettes) pancakes, sausages, GREAT bread and rolls, fresh fruit and vegetables. The SnackBar ZUN ZUN was great. Lots of variety, great service (Thank you Dinaldo) best coffee in the resort. Dinner was also good, and the Fillet Mignon at the a la carte was delicious, must book a day ahead. All in all: No stomachaches, no need for Pepto or Immodium. Good food.
The Beach: left me breathless. We had our hut for the 14 days - you can easily fit 4 loungers inside, and not worry about burning, or moving around for shade, and it also saved our cameras from rain one day - it came out of nowhere! Be sure to visit Playa Sirena and Playa Paraiso. They were absolutely stunning. I have never seen anything like it. The sand had a texture like flour, and the sea was the most unbelieavable turqoise colour, and so calm. There is a catamaran trip $69 U.S. that takes you to both these beaches, then snorkeling for 2 hours (most amazing types of fish, great coral reefs) and a lobster lunch was included. The catamaran also takes you to Iguana Island - now these are some interesting creatures-very fun!
There were trips to Havana for only $125 U.S., however the planes were very small, old, and our Sunquest rep. suggested it wasn't the safest trip to take. Sunquest doesn't sell Havana Trips anymore (accident, I presume?). It's unfortunate, because it's such a great deal, and a great opportunity to see the city.
Service: amazing. This probably has something to do with the fact that the hotel was at 1/2 capacity, so there were no line-ups anywhere. 4 drinks at the bar would cost you 2 minutes. Roberto at the lobby bar was amazing, as was Dinaldo at the snack bar. Just wonderful.
Grounds: very clean and very pretty. Lots of beautiful flowers, however not too much grass. This would probably be the only complaint about Sol Pelicano. There is one adult pool (although not very deep at all) and it has chlorinated salt water. there is also a childrens pool with a playground (slides, hang bars, etc.) The massage parlour looks great from the pool and the massages were nice and relaxing $20 u.s. for 45 minutes. Well worth it.
We also biked over to Sol Club Cayo Largo to do some research for the future. Bigger resort, with much more vegetation and flowers. I preferred the beach in Pelicano, it was much cleaner and more accessible. Has some 'perks' that the Pelicano doesn't, i.e. their entertainment stage has a roof over the audience, their chairs are padded, not plastic, some loungers are made of fabric, therefore more comfortable, they have more than one a la carte, therefore more choice, etc, etc...But this is all reflected in the price.
Summary: this was a deal of the century-$1200.00 including taxes for 14 days. I would go back in a heartbeat. I loved the Pelicano. I will definately go back to Cayo Largo, perhaps the Sol Club next time. But for $700.00 difference per person, I wouldn't hesitate going back to the Pelicano. Keep in mind - this place is for pure R&R - if you want to party, try Cancun.
Any questions, please feel free to email me!
anchi80@hotmail.com
Ana
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