Breezes Jibacoa

What a warm and welcoming resort...never was unsure or afraid of travelling by myself..met some wonderful new friends...staff were great to me and went out of their way to include me in activities Close

A nice hotel with all the aspects of an all inclusive stay. The grounds are kept in beautiful condition by an army of gardeners and this in turn attracts some very interesting wildlife. However the first room we were allocatated was at the end of a block with the air conditioning unit attached to the outside wall (as in all the blocks) and unfortunately the unit vibrated through the walls resulting in a constant drone as if sleeping in an areoplane. We asked to be moved and we were - the noise may not bother some people but for us it was an issue. The room was spacious and cleaned every day to a high standard - however the complimentary shower gel, soap etc was not replaced so do not rely on that - bring your own. Also lots of ants - so if you have a ground floor room do be careful of sitting out on the balcony - judging by the bite marks I saw on peoples legs this is a big issue!! The dining hall was OK - but the food is not of a very high standard although adequate - we got to know the dodgy nights and booked Martino's (the silver service Italian - Superb!) Sunday in particular is not so good - roast turkey and veg - including brussel sprouts which have a habit of turning up the next day for breakfast! Another meal was oxtail stew - yuk!! but I am aware that many people did tuck in perhaps I was expecting more. The atmosphere in the dining hall was noisy, chaotic but staff were great. As this is quite a remote resort there is nowhere else to go in the evening - no local village with a bar etc and the entertainment that was provided was in the style of the Butlin's camps of the 60's - very hit and miss and sometimes cringeworthy!!! So evenings can be very boring. There is a piano bar but in our whole 11 days there we never saw the piano player. The beach was lovely particulary the end by the water sports - lots of shade under the trees. Sea very warm and clear - snorkelling a must to see the beautiful fish - you need to book the sailing, but we took out the canoes and pedloes to break up the day. Lovely beach bar - suggest you have lunch there - otherwise left overs in the dining hall!! The only draw back was that by 5pm it was shut - so no after beach drinks that we are so used to in European resorts. Most guests felt that the beach bar could have stayed open until midnight as all other place to have a drink were inside! Yes there are lots of Canadians that stay there - but for most Cuba is a 3 hr plane journey - but we found them to be very friendly and very much like the British in views and values. Do take advantage of the day trips otherwise you will go stir cazy. This is not a place for teenagers as there is nothing to do in the evening - there is a games room with one table tennis and snooker table. The disco resembles nothing like a disco - rather a large hall in a comunity centre. All in all we had a very relaxing holiday - had no choice really as there was nothing to do - wouldn't stay again. Do book a few days in Havana - we wished we had stayed longer - fantastic city - vibrant and full of life - would definately go back to Havana!!!! Close

Having never done the whole 'all inclusive' bit before it was with some trepidation and anxiety that my partner and I left the cultural experiences offered in Old Havana and set off to the Breezes resort. We booked our trip with an independent travel agent and were assured that we would love the resort. Indeed the location was fantastic, an isolated beach set in a ravine of palm trees. Despite the idyllic location it was difficult not to consider the resorts similarities to Billy Butlin's 'gaffs' well known to any of us Brits who have had the 'pleasure' of providing child friendly holidays in days gone by. Although the resort is child free the overbearing presence of Canadians with their thermos flasks at the redady for refill of desired all inclusive cocktail and conversations at a volume for all to hear somehow cast a shadow over the carribean sun! We were fully prepared from reading previous reviews not to expect gourmet food experiences so were not surprised by the communal ;canteen; and restaurants standard of fayre that would have been difficult to stomach for any longer than a few days.If you are looking for a holiday destination that provides sun, good food and drink, and the opportunity for peace and relaxation look elsewhere! Close

My husband and I travelled with three other family members. This was our second time at this beautiful resort and would return again.The highlight of our trip was a ballgame in Matanzas. I would recommend this to anyone who loves baseball. Our Cuba Taxi driver stayed with us and watched the game too. My husband enjoyed the scooters and sailboat. If you want a relaxing holiday and enjoy meeting and talking to new people,this a great spot to visit. If you find Canadian tourists annoying, don't come here! The food was good. The staff members were friendly and accommodating. Bring running shoes for the trip up the hill and to take walks in the countryside. Close

Reviews such as you find on this site can really help travelers make an informed decision. You just have to remember that some folks are pretty difficult to please, and they tend to enjoy whiining in public, frequently outnumbering the positive reviews. I mention this because I really don't understand how people find ways to complain about the Breezes Jibacoa. The majority of the guests we met during the week were folks who have enjoyed several visits. It's not hard to understand why they keep coming back. We travel quite frequently to Caribbean countries and have come to enjoy the many personable people that work in the tourist industry. But the staff at this hotel set a new standard for us. Most will speak to you first of all in English, which is not the norm. (even gardeners and staff in the towel booth.) And you don't many long faces at Breezes. It's a quieter resort than most. That's at least in part because it is an adults-only facility (which we didn't realize till we got there.)Then too, management doesn't seem to subscribe to the belief that pounding techno-pop music should be omni-present. Harsh voices distorting in several languages across the P.A. system were noticeably absent from most presentations at Breezes. Emcee's spoke mostly in English, and their voices are so much easier to listen to when amplified .through some decent audio equipment. The audio levels are kept to a reasonable level. Food in Caribbean countries seems to get panned with regularity, and I read a few criticisms of this hotel when we were conducting our research. We found the breakfasts to be more than adequate in the main dining room. At lunch we enjoyed the short menu at the beach bar/restaurant, where hamburgers are better than average, pizza and fish good, and you can add fries or salad. A much better variety awaits those who choose to leave the beach. and head for the main dining room. Dinner at the main dining room was probably the weakest link. For some reason, they don't open the doors until 7 pm, and they only have one line to serve the hot food., so they end up with a big line-up Some of the folks who've been vacationing for years at this spot expressed their disappointment at this change. Others planned to eat later when the lineup subsided. We thoroughly enjoyed the two a la carte restaurants. Steak at Martino's was the finest we've tasted in the Caribbean, where it's generally compared to shoe leather. We tracked down the chef to ask him where the beef comes from. If you guessed Canada, you win the prize. The Cuban restaurant doesn't seem to garner many great reviews but we had a great time there. Red snapper got our vote as best dish, and most of the desserts were good. The wine at both a la carte restaurants came from Spain, and both red and white versions came out well above the normal fare (served at other bars and the main dining room.) Some talented musical performers added a lot to the ambience, and the best venue seemed to be the intimate Cuban restaurant. It was great to see the wait staff join in the singing and dancing, and on one occasion one of the kitchen staff joined in for a solo part. Great fun. One piece of advice around buying CD's in Cuba. When we visited Guardalavaca earlier this year I was really impresssed with a couple of the groups we listened to. I wanted to take them home with us so I purchased their CD's. A big mistake. Although the music may sound great live, the guys don't have the money to have CD's produced in a studio, so they just find a room and plug in a microphone, and burn copies themselves. Here's the answer, well at least if you're flying out of Varadero. In the duty-free area at the airport, there's a CD stand with a couple of stations set up to listen to the music. We were fortunate enough to meet Hektor Herrerra, a retired University prof who is extremely knowledgeable about music. He's a delight to chat with ... a real gentelman with a couple of degrees in English. One more thought - if you're planning to visit Havana, be sure you get what you pay for. Some advice is offered to save money by taking a cab into the city rather than a tour. The argument goes that an English speaking driver can take you to all the key areas and point things out. Unless you know for certain that a driver is fluent in English it's a bad idea. We took the Havana Special tour, blessed with a young tour guide whose English language skills and understanding of history amazed us. The folks who took the cab saved money but felt short-changed when we compared notes later. We went on a walking tour of old Havana in the morning, with time to pick up some cigars and visit the flea market or other historical buildings before lunch (included) Then we drove through New Havana before being taken to a hotel to shower and change, have dinner (included) and take in the famous Tropicana Show (included) If you do go to the Tropicana it's important to remember that you are supplied with a bottle of Havana Club rum and several cans of cola and ice. But you will be charged for any drinks ordered when you first arrive, although they won't come to collect the money until the middle of the performance. And they won't get out of your face until you pay up. There is a five pesos fee to use your camera in the show (and it's worth it). they sell the tickets on the way in, but people who don't buy the ticket will be hounded mercilessly until they pay up. We were told be a tour rep that you don't have to pay if you don't use your flash. I like to take evening pictures without flash so didn't buy the ticket. Well, half way through the show I came face to face with the camera [-]. Needless to say I paid up. It's a great show, well worth taking in. But avoid the hassles that will occur if you don't play by their rules. Final notes. This time of year is the Cuban winter - temps ran from low 70's to mid 80's in day, with cooler evenings and a bit of rain on a couple of days.. Repeaters at the Breezes claimed the pool was too cool this year - we're beach folks so it didn't affect us. The snorkelling is very good, as long as the red flag isn't flying. That's when the Portuguese Man of War (jelly fish) show up. I hope you'll find this helpful - I honestly hadn't intened to write a book - but it just kept flowing. Enjoy yourself - it's a great spot, and the Cuban people are wonderful. Close