Holguin, Brias Guardalavaca

went 3* at the Brias Guardalavaca in Holguin, go 4* always found something to eat.

Brias Guardalavaca is a large resort, first room we got was a disaster, 2nd room much better but mattresses probably 20 years old, food typical cuban but big selection should find something you like

The people are so friendly and are not pushy for tips. They really like to hear about your culture as well as telling some of there own. They go out there way to help and advice you. Great people

Brias Guardalavaca is a resort that I have been to 6 times now and each time I was able to fully enjoy not only the resort but the surrounding countryside and outlying cities by jeep and moped with my husband. I think that this resort is good for families and couples. Perhaps the family or older couple would be better suited as I don't think that there is much night life for singles.It is a good, reliable resort.

Modern facilities, good food selection in main restaurant plus two speciality restaurants. Friendly staff. Grill bar open 24 hours if you want to eat something during off restaurant hours. When gym equipment breaks down it takes forever to get it fixed. Well maintained beach. I've been there 40 times and will continue to go four times a year as long as I'm able.

We had out honeymoon at the Brias Guardalavaca in Cuba, and we had a fabulous time! We must not get carried away because we would have had a great time where ever we went on our honeymoon, but we still had a great holiday here!

Holguin, Brias Guardalavaca - Stayed at Brisas in May 1999 and again in May 2002. This is our favourite resort in Cuba. As repeat visitors we were given the best room in the hotel, a bottle of rum, fresh bouquet of flowers, and invited to plant a tree in the Friendship Garden.

Las Brias Guadalavaca Resort- Holguin Cuba

From Dave - Toronto, Canada

Stayed at the Las Brias in Guardalavaca (Hotel Side) from Sept6th to Sept13th, 2003 and was afraid of the hurricane season but got 7 days of sunny hot 33 degrees weather!!! It was not humid and very breezy by the beach. This is a good place for the money but I must warn you that the FOOD is PRETTY BAD. Often not edible esp the lunch buffet and the dinner buffets at the Hotel side. The facilities were there and the beach was nice- so for the money it's a good deal despite dreading eating everyday.

You get varying opinions thru out these reviews and even when chit chatting with others at the resort. Lots of people said the food was amazing or excellent. Get Real!!! I really don't know where they were coming from? I'm picky but will still eat anything. Some meals, I couldnt even find anything to eat. Breakfast was ok. Here's my quick summary of the all inclusives I've been to in the last little while so you can judge where I'm coming from:

Brias Guadalavaca -Holguin. Cuba rated 4 star (definitely not the food) paid $500 Cdn + taxes Sept 2003 (2 stars on the food and 1 star on the springy coiled sinking beds. Ok facilities)

Palladium Kantenah/Colonial -Mayan Riviera rated 4 to 5 star - paid $835 Cdn + taxes June 2003. (amazing food, posh grounds, marble everything and elegant including the rooms)

Casa Del Mar -Bayahibe, Dom Republic rated 4star -paid $775 Cdn + taxes Dec 2002 (fair food, good facilities, basic place)

Iberostar Dominicus Hacienda -Baybahibe, Dom Repubic rated 4 star - paid $842 Cdn + taxes May 2001 (great food and service, elegant premise, good basic rooms)

Coral Hamaca - Boca Chica (Santo Domingo), Dom Republic rated 4 star - paid $1200 Cdn + taxes Feb 2000 (Overall good - nothing outstanding but nothing bad, Overpaid as not last minute)

Rancho Luna -Cienfuigos , Cuba rated 2 star -paid $399 + taxes May 1998 (pretty bad place, lots of single men going there to have fun in town with local women, good proximity if you want to see Trinidad or Havana)

I think the chain you go to has a big difference in the quality and service and food etc. I believe the European Chains like Iberostar & Fiesta (Palladium) are superior to the Domestic chains like Brias (Cuban), Coral (DR), Casa Del Mar (DR). Sometimes star ratings tell the story but sometimes they don't as stars don't rate the food quality but only the number of pools/restaurants etc. Then again it depends who rates it and person's past experience and expectations. Eg. Brisa was dirt cheap as I got a great deal during low season but the food was awful, I guess for what I paid for - it's not all that bad.

SUMMARY:

Here's a quick and dirty summary of Las Brias:

THE GOOD:

1. Beach is very nice with a nice breeze and lots of shade if needed and turquoise water

2. 2 good size pools with swim up bars. Grounds are well laid out well and lots of chairs and a manageable size resort.

3. Excellent selection of premium liquor at the bar next to the Italian restaurant

4. Good nightly entertainment. I liked the local band every night followed the shows which were not bad.

5. Plenty of lounges and papulas (pool and beach)

6. Snorkeling 200 meters off the beach is good, but non existent close to shore

7. The beach grill at the hotel has good burgers/fries and pizza when you can't find edible food at the hotel buffet (can also eat a la carte for lunch (burgers) at the Seafood Restaurant)

8. Free excursion to the Indian Village (the ride is more interesting than the village/show itself)

9. Emptiness of the resort especially in the Villa Section

THE BAD:

1. FOOD. Lunch buffet is really bad on the hotel side as well as Dinner buffet on the hotel side (Villa side is better but not always open due to low season), Soups are usually glue, Seafood restaurant are no more than buffet food in disguise. The exception is the seafood as it has lobster. All food is overcook all meats, and pastas.(see food section below), Bread/buns are usually hard (often like a hockey puck) and dry, no edible desserts at all. Even ice cream is usually all melted or refrozen

2. The BED is really bad. It sank like a hammock and I could fell the springs. Had a sore back all week

3. Service was often slow or they would forget your order. Often you are left waiting as workers are more concerned with socializing with co-workers or grabbing a drink for themselves. There are some who were excellent.

4. Very few smiles/greetings from workers (unlike Mexico, Dominican Republic) could be due to management

5. Only 1 bottle of water in the mini fridge. I managed to request more from the maid everyday but they tell everyone to refill at the bar (pain)

6. Poor facilities for Kids Club

7. D cor of the Hotel side (lobby/rooms) look ancient -Russian Austin Powers look.

HINTS:

1. Grab a real cognac/whiskey from good bar and bring it to the show or the Grill area at night..

2. If you want peace and quite go to the Villa pool or beach. It's usually empty

3. When snorkeling, enter from the boat pier as this will get you way out to the reef.

4. Book a la cartes and the Indian excursion right away. Arrange your a la cartes based on the buffet themes you like to skip -I avoided Cuban nights. Go for the later sittings as you get more pool/beach time!

5. Costs in the hotel shops are the pretty much the same as anywhere in Cuba. A bottle of rum may cost 25 cents more than duty free!!! Just buy it here out of convenience. If you want cigars just go to the strip mall down the street from the hotel and buy it there (see Cigars below)

6. If you have a later flight out- take a hamburger or pizza to go as you'll starve at the airport/in transit

DETAILS:

LOBBY & FURNISHINGS:

The Villa side is much more appealing as it's only 3 years old where as Hotel side looks it came out of communist state run hotel in Eastern Europe- Bad d cor despite only being 9 years old. If the cost of the Villas is the same or marginally more go for it as the hotel rooms are a little shabbier.

GROUNDS:

Nice and compact compared so some monsterous resort I've stayed at before. Everything is within a 5 min walk.

POOLS

Two good size pools. One figure 8 shape pool on the hotel side with a nice swim up bar. One end is deep and the other is shallow. The pool gets cloudy as the week goes on. The kiddy pool doesn't look like it gets cleaned. The Jacuzzi fits 1 barely 2 (maybe too cozy). The villa side is basically empty when we were there. I believe 4 people at the pool (irregular shape) and your personal bartender at the swim up. So if this is what you're looking for stick to the villa side. The other jacuzzi on the villa side is hidden.

BEACH

Sand is white and the beach is very wide. Two areas to go in one at the hotel side and the other is the villa side (each with their own water sports equip). These are still only 5 min. aparts so nice and compact). The ocean was a nice 29-30 degrees warm and turquoisey with grassy patches beyond the sandy area. There is corals which separate the Villla and Brias side. Great breeze at the beach at all times make it a very comfortable and relaxing place. Lots of shade under lots of trees and lots of lounge chairs everywhere. The reef is about 200 meters out where the white and orange buoys are. It's about a 10 min swim out. The best reefs are to the right towards the fishing village (see snorkeling section below)

SNORKELING

There is no snorkeling right off the beach as it's all sand and then grass. You must swim out to the reef. It's swimable if you have fins or you can cheat by taking a paddleboat out or walk out to the boat docks then swim out from there. The reef is directly in front of the dock about 200 metres out and extends to the right towards the fishing village. It may overwhelm some novice snorkelers as it seems far out but it really isn't. It's extensive and quite healthy. Lots of nice corals including sea fans. There a good number of fish but not an abundant amount/variety. Spotted a lonely barracuda & file fish, lots of large yellow snappers, some blue/yellow tangs, dottybacks, damsel fish, the odd squirrel fish, and quite a few wrasses. Look carefully and you may see the only yellow spotted moray eel I saw.

DRINKS/BARS:

Some pretty good premium liquor at the bar next to the Italian restaurant but only open at night. They hide a lot of them in cupboards or turn the label around so you don't see it. They push the local stuff. There is cognac!! (Couvessier VSOP, Camus SP) Whiskey/Scotch (JW Red./Black, Jack Daniels, Jim Beam (they hide), Real Kahulua, Martini etc. Other bars are pretty much local stuff with except at the Seafood a la carte restaurant.

Bar serves drinks in the TINIEST plastic cups I've ever seen (5-6 oz)

FOOD:

To sum it up it's Pretty horrible. Lots of can foods. The Villa side in general is better than the hotel. It was low season so only one was open for lunch or dinner. Breakfast was the only half decent meal of the day. I guess how wrong can you get for eggs/cold cuts/fruits.

Quick Food Guide:

Good: 'Ham'burgers, fries and pizza at the hotel/villa grill, omelettes (but greasy), cold cuts, fruits

Edible: Chicken (but often cold), salads

Bad: Fish (hard and salty), rice (hard as a rock), carrots (rubber), beans (wilted and old), soups are

tastless and gluey, ice cream is usually melted and some occasion watery

Avoid: Blood sausage, Beef (like leather), pastas at buffet (mushy/over cooked and strange sauces)

BUFFETS:

Breakfast (Villa/Hotel)

Regular fair everyday made to order omelettes on some ancient burner - very greasy also!!!! The guy making the omelette is pretty slow and is more interested in grabbing a beer/drink at the bar and socializing with fellow workers. Other foods include bacon (somedays pretty sad looking all fat and tibits), sausages (stay away from the blood sausage -I think it got recycled for the WHOLE week), cold cuts, cheeses, pancakes, stange looking scrambled eggs, hard and dry breads (toast it), fruits (papaya, guava, pineapple, melons), freshly squeezed orange juice, stale cereals, watery yogurt.

Lunch Buffets:

For me unedible usually. Go to the Grill or to the Villa a la carte

Lunch Grills (Villa/Hotel):

Good "Ham"Burgers and crunchy fries. Pizzas are ok too.

Dinner Buffets:

All forgetable on the Hotel side (stay away from the roast beef) except for night it was at the Villa side (Market night) this night had a grill made to order with leather steak, pork/lamb chops, snapper, good paellas, a huge scarey 3 ft fish, very good shrimps in wine sauce, ok stew beef and bbq chicken..

A LA CARTES:

Italian:

Hockey puck bread, tiny shrimp cocktail with mayo, minestroni stew (not soup), salads nothing exciting, caneloni is ok, filet mignon is overcooked (surprise surprise) and not the most tender, prawns overcooked, ice cream is ice cream not gelato, good service

Seafood:

Nice ambience, fruit cocktail, seafood pastry puff, salad nothing exciting, lobster (could be overcooked), prawns over cooked, cheesecake (mousse-like), cappacinno good. Lots of entertainment as the waiters all double as entertainers doing: card tricks/juggling/singing/flute players.

CLIENTELE

Beginning of week 40% Canadians, 40% Brits, 10% Germans and the odd locals.

Lots of Couples/larger groups of friends/and families there. Not so many male looking for local girls crowd" here as with other Cuban resorts (those are usually in resorts that don't have single supplements).

Exchange Rate:

Bring tons of $1US bills. This is the currency to deal with. Be careful as you get back tourist peso for change. Note: local pesos are different from tourist pesos. Tourist are not allowed to used tourist pesos. You can also bring things to barter with vendors instead of cash.

CIGARS:

Don't buy them off the street/beach or from a person who claims that their friend/brother works at a cigar factory. These are all fake!! So anyone offering you a box for $20US or $40US or even $70US for Cohibas the chances are they are counterfeits The only place you will find the real stuff is in a respectable store with a humidor. At the factory is not always the cheapest either. Watch out for workers/peoples standing outside/or even within the factory claiming they can sell you some at the price.. These are usually different products repackaged for sucker tourist. They are scraps or rejects or even local products for local consumption. Watch out for broken seals and official stamps on the box as well as uniformity of the cigars. They should be of identical in colour/size/density and each label should line up perfectly and look identical!!!! No respectable place with sell you a box where the seal has been brokened.

Here's a good rule of thumb. Smaller cigars like Monte Cristos #4 are about $3 US each or about $75 a box of 25. For larger ones they will run about $5 US each or $125/box. This is as cheap as you'll get them if you want the real things. It's still a fraction of what you pay for back home.

To ensure you don't get had, here's a site with a gallery of trying to tell real from the thousands of fakes.

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Static/Counterfeit/count_copage17.html

If you want some for fun, buy local cheapies to bring home. I got these local Sectos (from Holguin) avail at any local Kiosk for 1 peso each or $1 US for 25 of them!!!! They are only 4 cents each. This is what locals smoke. They are not bad for fun. -of course not for serious smokers.

DID YOU KNOW:

Few interesting facts I found out:

Average income is $20US/month (people who work in hotels can make that much in tips in a few days - most professional, even doctors, make less than hotel workers)

Pension is $4US/month

Government allows $5US/kid/month

Slaughtering a cow is a criminal offence-up to 4 years in prison (they are seen as valuable for farming & for their milk) . This is why all they eat is pork/chicken.

Most products can only be purchased with US and not Cuban pesos with the exception of things like produce which are only avail from local vendors. (3 small watermelons cost 2 cuban pesos or 6 cents)

Frozen Lobster tails 2lb cost only 75cents US each (I paid 2 for $3US)

People walk for miles to go to work as public transportation is unpredictable (often not coming at all)

A foreigner can not own property in Cuba

A foreigner is not allowed to enter a private vehicle even if it is a friend (must use taxis which are very expensive)

Gas is about $5US / gallon

A car (classic ones) goes for about $5000 US to $10,000 US if in good condition.

Most households have a color TV. Some have fridges (but often empty)

Duty on import goods are 1:1 (so if you brought in $200 US of merchandise to give -duty imposed is $200)

Cubans are friendly but an invitation to their home is ,often, not always, a set up for asking for money/items

Some beggers are professional and con artist esp the ones who harass tour buses when you go on excursions.

What can you do?

Bring old clothes/shoes to give away (give to the ones who don't beg and/or the poorer village people as oppose to hotel workers)

Bring tolietries such as soap/shampoo, pens, lipstick, make up (used or new - all appreciated)

Some bring food from the hotel and give to the locals/security guards or locals at the local beach

EXCURSIONS Off the Resort:

Didn't do any excursion really off the resort beside the free one they have. And a quick 1 hour horse carriage ride.

Indian Village (free):

Sign up when you arrive at the same place as you do the a la cartes. They go on Thursdays at about 6pm. You go on a tram that looks like a train. The tour had a John Lennon tribute before going to the village. Band playing JL songs/Pigeon release/Mojito drink (this wasted an hour). Then finally off -wisking pretty fast on the roads. I'd say the highlight was the tirp going there. IT was very scenic going thru the countryside and villages. Especially as you climb up the mountain passing beautiful Royal Palm groves on pot holed roads. The scary part is coming down at - pray for good brakes!! The trip took almost 30 mins. to get up there. You are greeted by nude women at the front where they pain your face and give you a rum drink. You then sit down and have dinner. The dinner was actually good (better quality than the hotel food). It was avocado salad, fruit cocktail, soft bread, a plate of tasty bean rice, pork & cheese, plantain chips, and shredded cheese on a guava for dessert (strange). Drinks are included. The show was uneventful as they pass thru the huts. The end had a few ritual dances. You were back to the hotel by 9pm.

Horse Carriage Ride ($10 US / hr-I bargain him to $4US):

They take you to the nearby fishing village then another village (lots of banana plantations) then to the town of Sepsa and then by some sugar fields then back to the public beach area/market and then back to the hotel. Definitely work the $$. You could also do this by taking a mountain bike out. I did this a few time before hand to give away some of the stuff I brought.

Venturing off to the Public Beach:

Follow the boardwalk pass Club Amigo resort to get to Guadalavaca Beach. Here you can see the real locals beaching and pinicing. There is a small market up the stairs to buy souvenirs. Nothing too exciting for me. Note you can bring stuff to barter with them if you don't want to use $$$. There are beach parties at night here also if you want something different or want to mix with some locals.

Venturing off by Bike (free):

You can take one of the bikes to check out nearby villages or the countryside. Note it is very hot out there so take water. Make sure the brakes work!! And that the bike's wheels aren't too warped.

Other Excursion Offered:

But Swim with the Dolphins would cost $75 US

Taxi to Holguin would cost $60 US return (unless you could bargain down to $50US). Holguin is not Havana/Trinidad but it's a fairly big Cuban city.

Scuba is $35 US/ dive. I didn't go as the sites didn't seem to exciting and I was content with snorkeling at the hotel

CONCLUSION:

To summarize the facilities is good and the local is fine especially given the price I paid. However, I would not recommend this place if food is important to you. This is why I would not return here or maybe back to Cuba. I still did enjoy the resort despite this one major downfall.

If you have any question you can contact me at

[email protected] or [email protected]

I've traveled the world extensively backpacking to 5 star resorts. If you want to read my personal website check out my other personal travelogues (India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Micronesia, Philippines, Tanzania, Morocco, Kenya, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, All over Europe, the US, Canada, Hawaii, and the Caribbean (Cuba, Cancun) -which include my experiences and great travel tips, you can check out my personal web site at:

http://members.fortunecity.com/namabeer/index.html

Note: if you want to read my reviews on resorts

Palladium Kantenah, Mayan Riviera .

Coral Hamaca (http://www.epinions.com/content_23662726788) or

Iberostar Dominicus Hacienda (http://www.epinions.com/content_65812926084) or

Casa Del Mar in La Romana (http://www.epinions.com/content_84550258308) you can visit my epinions reviews