Hotel Review: Sol Melia - Paradisus Rio de Oro, Holguin Cuba - Plus Pictures and Video
Have a question about this resort? Post a comment! I'll reply within 12 hours.LATEST: Follow this link for a satellite view
If you find this information useful, please post a comment. I really appreciate it.
We travelled to the Paradisus Rio de Oro in May of 2005 to attend a wedding. Our stay lasted one week and we intend to return.
Despite positive reviews found online prior to our departure, this was our first trip to the Caribbean in 15+ years and we were worried about every possible problem (getting sick or injured, food poisoning, malaria, you name it). I am pleased to report that our concerns were unfounded. We had a wonderful time.
Before you leave, go to http://www.solmelia.com/sol/mas/jsp/CMasSubscription.jsp and sign up for the Sol Melia frequent traveller program(me). You get at least one perk at the hotel... Free late checkout (a big deal). You'll get a confirmation email. Print it out and take it with you. You will need it to claim your late check out benefit.
The ride from the airport takes slightly under an hour. A tour guide is typically provided to tell you a little bit about the area as you drive. I suggest sitting near the front so you have the opportunity to ask questions. Prior to your departure from the Holguin airport, exchange some currency to Cuban Convertible Pesos. Be sure to get at least 20 single peso coins... this is the most important denomination for tipping. The Cuban Convertible Peso is pegged to the US dollar (valued slightly higher). Bring Canadian, UK, or EU currency... US dollars are subject to an additional tax on exchange. Before you board the bus, it may be a good idea to grab a beer or two from a vendor. Cristal (the tourist beer) is priced at 1 convertible peso per 355ml can.
When you arrive at the hotel, assuming you have two or more people in your room, send one person ahead with all your paperwork (confirmation, etc) and have them get in line at the specially set-up check-in desk. They will give you room keys and basic info packages. They will then drive you to your room (without your luggage). Take some time to discover your roo
m while you wait for your luggage. Tip 1 peso to each guy who delivers your luggage. Ask them for directions to the pool and beach so that you can get your bearings. There is a map on the back of your check-in package, but it isn't the best.For evening arrivals, the buffet restaurant will still be open. You should head there for a quick bite. The buffet is very well run and we ate there 90% of the time. Dress well for dinner (no tie required at the buffet). More on eating later.
Rooms are fine. "Junior Suite" is good. If you upgrade to the Superior Junior room, you'll be sorry. They are on the main floor and (I hear) smell musty. We had a standard "Junior" room,
on the second floor (that's as high as you can go!) and it was perfectly fine. Rooms have TVs and phones. The TV has plenty of American and European programming. We enjoyed VH1 which is perfect for when you only have 10 minutes (we don't get VH1 at home in Canada).The toilets are interesting.... They are a European design. I'll find a picture eventually. Due to the extremely low water level in the bowl and the general shape of the bowl... It's skid mark city. Could be very
embarrasing if you're there for a romantic vacation. Go to your local Walmart or Target or whatever and buy a $3.00 toilet brush, bring it with you and leave it there when you leave. You'll be glad you have it.Garden Villa
The Garden Villas are amazing, but at $1700 a night, they're very very pricey. Dedicated staff just for you. Multiple buildings (all for you). A lookout tower (just for you). A pool (all yours). A Jacuzzi (yep, all yours). An oceanfront lookout overhanging a cliff (amazing, also all yours). If you can afford the villa, even for 2 nights, go for it.
Tipping
Okay. Pay close attention. Tipping will make a big difference at almost any resort in Cuba. Take the first 1 or 2 days to gain an understanding of who works where. You'll want to concentrate your tipping on staff that can make a difference to your stay. Tip 1 convertible peso per drink/service. You can occasionally spike it up to 2 or 5 to make sure you stand out and they remember you. Insist on dealing with the same staff member each time to develop a rapport. After 2 days or so, the "switch" will flip, and you'll get outstanding service from that point on. Bottles of rum will get delivered to your room, you'll get the fancy Cognac without paying extra, etc. Please post a comment with your tipping advice and experience.
Walkie Talkies. Seized when you arrive at the airport.
I was asked for more details about walkie-talkies being seized at the airport. Several people in our group brought walkie-talkies to keep in touch with each other while at the resort. When you arrive at the airport there are two screening points that you must pass through. If they discover walkie talking type devices, they will take them away from you and give you a claim slip to get them back before you board your return flight. A few of the people in our group had a bonus interrogation added on to the seizure. They didn't seem very upset about it, so it must not have been so bad.
Anyhow, I brought my walkie-talkies in a carry-on bag that was absolutely loaded with electronics (camera, video camera, iPod, speakers, and a bunch of power supplies), plus two apples. The apples caught the attention of the screeners and they made a big show of seizing the fruit. But I think they were too distracted by the fruit to notice the walkie-talkies. So I managed to make it to the resort with my communications devices.
Click here for a video of the pool area.
Crude Map now available! Unmarked black rectangles represent the standard 16 unit room structures.
If you have any questions about this resort - please post a comment. I'd be pleased to answer.
Here is a list of topics I will cover on future edits:
- Weddings
- Pool, cabanas, lounge chairs
- Sauna. Always available when we were there because nobody used it. It was very nice.
- Hot tubs
- Beach Towels, provided in your room. You can exchange for dry ones at the activity centre. Don't lose them! You have to buy them if you lose them.
- Exit tax
- VIP room at airport - Smells smokey. No real food. Don't do it.
- Bank at hotel, exchanging money
- Cigars
- Rum
- Shows
- Food - overview, cleanliness, service, choice
- Water
- Lobby Bar
- Buffet
- Shellfish allergy. My wife is severely allergic to shellfish. The staff understood the shellfish allergy and took it very seriously. No problems at all.
- Japanese Restaurant
- Mediterranian restaurant
- Cuban "Creole" restaurant
- Poolside BBQ place
- Beach restaurant
- Fun Pub... Too smokey for me.
- Room service
- Other hotel
- Activities, general advice
- Castro and Che souvenirs, buy them and wear them at home... Not in Cuba. They won't help you make friends.
- Tipping guidelines
Labels: cuba holguin sol melia paradisus
12 Comments:
Hi,
As I prepare for making with my wife a 3 week stay in this resort for the coming
christmas / new year holidays, I was very interested when I found your comments.
So I have somme further questions about the Paradisus Rio de Orio.
1) How could I get some (even approximative) situation map of the resort, to see
among others the location of the rooms / bungalows versus the beach.
2) As I made reservation for a Superior Junior Room, it looks like I made a
bad choice? Can you confirm?
3) You gave also some comments about the toilets. Do you mean there are problems
with the cleanliness or worse, also with bad smells?
4) What should be (in your feeling) the best room Nr in terms of quiet place (very
important for us), cleanliness and best location versus the beach?
5) Do you know when this resort was put in operation?
6) Do you think Paradisus is the best in terms of quality for the Guardalavaca
area?
7) How about the kindness of the hotel staff?
Apologies for all these may be stupid questions, as it is the very first time
we want to stay in the carribean area.
Thanks a lot for every useful information.
Best salutations.
J.D. & O. S. / Switzerland
1) How could I get some (even approximative) situation map of the resort, to see
among others the location of the rooms / bungalows versus the beach.
-- I'll try to come up with something in terms of a map for you. We might have a crude one in a luggage pocket or something.
2) As I made reservation for a Superior Junior Room, it looks like I made a
bad choice? Can you confirm?
The way they describe the rooms makes it tricky to remember which one is upstairs and which one is down. You want upstairs. I'll check with a friend to confirm what that's called. Pretty sure it's just the "Junior Suite"
3) You gave also some comments about the toilets. Do you mean there are problems
with the cleanliness or worse, also with bad smells?
No.. They are clean until you use them. I am used to a North American style toilet with a high water level. The toilets at the resort are of a European design with a very low water level and your "business" tends to leave marks behind.
4) What should be (in your feeling) the best room Nr in terms of quiet place (very
important for us), cleanliness and best location versus the beach?
Cleanliness isn't an issue. Our group had guests spread out all over the resort and nobody complained about cleanliness.
Our room was directly across from the activity centre and we found it to be remarkably quiet. The centre closes around 6pm as does the pool bar, so pool area is very quiet. The pool is also near the beach, so I encourage you to try for a room near the pool.
Rooms near the main lobby building are exposed to the loud music from the nightly shows and whatever noise drunken guests may make late in the night. If you can - stay away from a room near the lobby.
The absolute best room option in terms of quiet is the Garden Villa. However it costs $1700usd a night. There are 3 or 4 available.
5) Do you know when this resort was put in operation?
From a conversation I recall with a staff member, the resort is about 10 years old and has been run by Sol Melia for 5 years (I think). It isn't old.
6) Do you think Paradisus is the best in terms of quality for the Guardalavaca area?
Yes. No question. Based on conversations I have had with people who stayed elsewhere.
7) How about the kindness of the hotel staff?
They were very kind. Some advice...
Take a few days to recognise some faces, learn which staff member is working at the activity centre when you use it, which bartender is working the lobby bar when you need service, etc. Then begin tipping that person any time you deal with them. One or two convertible pesos per encounter should do it. Keep that up for 3 or 4 days, then you can lay off. As soon as you start, the service level you experience will go from very good - to excellent.
I'll Try to get those other answers for you.
Thank you very much for your quick reply. We are very interested to see your further comments.
Regards.
J.D. & O. S.
Added a video and some more details today.
Crude map now available.. Scroll up to see it.
Best thanks for the map.
Regards. J.D. & O. S.
Hi again,
We have two other questions:
1) About changing money. When you finish the stay and you have still some convertible pesos: Does the bank change them to Euros, Dollars or else? ---
2) Somebody told us about, say "non-official" or "private taxis" we could eventually use for making excursions or so? Did you hear about?
Regards. J.D. & O. S.
Thanks - keep the questions coming.
You can change money back to your preferred currency at the airport on departure. The exchange rate is obviously not the best, but the convertible peso is no good to you outside of Cuba... So it's a good idea to convert back.
Private taxis - never used them myself. The staff at the hotel advised against using them frequently, so we didn't.
The taxi question reminds me about a good trick to extend your last day at the resort. Do some research early in your stay to find out how long a taxi ride to the airport is... Then arrange for a late checkout using the MaS program (see article) and skip the bus to the airport. They get you to the airport way too early anyway. This way you get an extra hour or so to rest in the pool.
Thanks for your info about this resort. I would like to know if it's located directly on the beach or if there are steps to go up/down to and from the beach. Any info concerning this would be really appreciated.
Thanks again.
There are two main routes to the beach. The main route takes you down a set of stairs. The other is a long easy sloping path.
There are no beach front rooms. But there's a really cool cabana nestled in the trees near the stairs down to the beach. You have to be quick to score that in the morning.
Hi. My family are staying in the PRDO in Cuba for 2 weeks later this month. I have found your information useful but have a question please:-
You mentioned about seizing walkie talkies - please can you provide more info, as I was planning on taking them.
Is there any other general advice you can offer on the hotel, other than what you have already written?
Thanks and regards,
Dan.
I was wondering if you have any pcitures inside and out of the new beach restaurant (Feb 2007). Aslo do you know if they allow beach dancing? We're trying to plan our wedding. Thanks so much.
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