Name: Brisas Guardalavaca All Inclusive
Address: Playa Guardalavaca Banes Playa Guardalavaca 82300 Cuba, Guardalavaca, Guardalavaca, Guardalavaca, 84170, Cuba
Rating: 8

Shopping on site

Air conditioning

24-hour reception

Elevator/lift

Currency exchange

Garden

Pharmacy

General

Bathtub

Rooms

Accessibility features

Wheelchair Accessible

Accessibility

Laundry

Safe-deposit box

Services and amenities

Cafe

Restaurant

Meals

Wi-Fi

Internet

Bike rental

Recreation

Parking nearby

Parking

Conference Hall

Business

Sports

Massage

Sauna

Beauty and wellness

Pets allowed (under 5 kg)

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Brisas Guardalavaca All Inclusive

Guardalavaca

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

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limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

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with-view

annex

basement

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1-bedroom

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not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

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breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

Was a great experience returning guests.   Al though cuba is experiencing one of the worse shortages ever.  The staff at this resort makes up for it in there friendly ways. Our wonderful maid and friend Raquel, made our stay very comfortable, she made sure we had everything we needed in our rooms, and a friendly smile everytime she seen us.  Alain in the swim up pool bar, always keep the drinks flowing and had a wonderful smile.

Great resort

Cleanest,  friendliest and safest resort.
This is my 14th time going to Brisas Guardalavaca. I would have to say even though the shortages here, it has been the best trip there in a long time.
Yes there are shortages, but I was never thrifty or hungry. There are alternatives to your first choice of drink or food.

There was a huge improvement to the entertainment and service overall this year. Henry and the entertrainment team are more interactive with the guests. More activities during the day and evening. I found all the staff from reception to server to bartender to front security are more friendly. Always willing to have conversation and greet you with a smile.

I give a big shout out to Raquel in the hotel, she always ensured our rooms were spotlessly clean and we had water and a beautiful smile to greet us. 
Arisdel, Alex,Delvis, Frank, Junior and Douglas at the front of the hotel entrance for always having a wonderful coversations with in the evenings , when we wanted to unwind and get away for some quiet time. The one sad thing is the lobby bar is no longer there to grab a coffee or drink. Hopefully management will reconsider and at least put a coffee station back in the lobby, so when guest want to unwind they don't have to go all the downstairs to get it  and lobby washrooms closing at 11pm is not a good thing.
That was our only low comment.

We were a group of  14 people in total. All miss the lobby bar.

Snack bar bar staff were always friendly, buffet was good , Thank you Mario!
Pool bar Alain was sweet and super friendly.
Chuchos, Carlos,Arnaldo and Reynaldo, Junior and Juan Carlos ( amazing)

To George the manager,  was a pleasure to meet you and  we can feel the difference in the atmosphere of the resort. Good job! Please consider a new lobby bar for guest arriving and departing as well as for guest that just need to unwind. Please open the washroom in the lobby again.

Overall great vacation. See you all again soon!

Best vacation in the past few years.

Beautiful location close to the nearby town . Great beach. Superior dining places on site with lots of variety. Super friendly staff. Many people have been going there for years and some stay the winter there. We saw some incredible musical talent while there, in the lobbies, and by the pools

We'll be going back

My husband and I just returned from spending five great weeks at Brisas. We had also been there for a month in Nov/Dec which was also wonderful. The staff at this resort are amazing and make it the fantastic place it is. They are so friendly and treat the guests as though they were family. The fact that numerous repeat guests spend one to six months here every winter speaks for itself. 
In regards to the restaurants, yes, there may be times when they are short a certain item, however, there is always plenty of other delicious food to eat. The resort is very clean and the villa rooms are spacious. The maids, especially Kenia, kept our room spotless. The staff at the front desk and at Public Relations were always there to help and made sure our holiday was the best it could be.
We are already looking forward to a return trip next winter. 


Five Great Weeks

We have been coming to Brisas for 15 years now.  We have been approximately 12-13 times and are giving feedback based on being repeat guests.  We travelled during the week of my birthday. The resort was at full capacity which was nice to see.  There has been much feedback about a lot of food shortages in Cuba the last few months.  We were very fortunate that at Brisas, the only food shortages we saw was that there were no regular potatoes, bananas, shrimp the week we were there.  We have found that the food is getting better and that it is becoming more flavourful.  Being repeat guests, we were lucky to have our fridge filled every day with water, beer and whatever pop was available.  Sadly the resort no longer had any slushie drinks or even regular juices. The only thing available was a very sweet flat coke, tamarind, guava and mango juices.  Unfortunately I do not drink any of these juices so had a tough time with drinks.  They did have pina coladas but they changed up the mix they use and it wasnt as good as what they had in the past but I still enjoyed them and really liked drinking them from a real glass.  All the bars at the resort now carry all the good rum.  In the past, the 24 hour bar would have the not so good rum, that is no longer the case. Was nice to see all the good rum at all the bars.  Made for lots of happy guests.  While we were there, the Guardalavaca area was having issues with water.  We would go a few hours without water which was inconvenient.  They tried to do it during the night but it didnt always happen during that time.  The water also had a earth/dirty smell and taste to it.  Sadly the tea and coffee tasted the same as they used the same water to make it.  Hope they can get this fixed soon!  The Guest Services staff were fantastic in arranging for a special birthday dinner for me.  All I can say is wow, the food was fantastic. They also sent me breakfast in bed with Cider which was very nice. This is one of the reasons why we always return, you just cant beat the customer service at this resort.

Also want to mention the repeat dinner we attended.  We normally come when there arent as many repeat guests and were accustomed to just the repeat lunches which we always enjoyed.  During this past visit, there were over 100 repeat guests.  We were given a special dinner that was set up outside the villa pool.  The food that night was fantastic. We had bacon wrapped filet mignon with lobster tail. The dessert was also fantastic and I'm not normally a dessert person. The show that night was very nice water ballet show.  Its nice to see that Brisas appreciates their repeat guests and goes all out in doing these events for their guests.

To sum up the review, we will of course always come back to Brisas.  The staff is like family.  We can only hope that Cuba is able to fix their issues with shortages because its not fair to the staff having to deal with upset guests who arent as understanding.  Until we meet again Brisas family!

January 2024 Stay

Had a great trip to the Brisas resort was booked for a Villa but after one day notice the walk was kinda of far got to switch to Hotel no problem rooms and villa were good 
Food drinks and service was excellent pool and entertainment were great .
And all the Cuban poeple working there were very kind and helpful.
Will be a returning guest again .

Awesome Trip

We arrived at the resort late and tired. Odalis greeted us with a smile and provided us with a great room with an amazing view. I couldn't thank her enough.  All the lobby staff are amazingly polite and make your stay comfortable. 

The buffet was good.  6 out of 7 days there was bacon and good cheese. I would trim the bacon and then go up to the omelette bar with the bacon and cheese. They had prosciutto and pancakes. That was my breakfast everyday. We ate supper at the a la cartes 4 nights. They were very good. Just a heads up 3 are over at the villas.

The beach is nice and close to the main area near the pool. Everything is a short walk to things compared to some other resorts and great oceanviews from almost anywhere. The water was so warm and the bottom is nice clean beach sand.

Alan and the rest of the bar staff (bar beside pool) were wonderful. Always bringing cold drinks and food with a smile. He always ensured we were well looked after. 👍

A common phase I heard from different people throughout the week.... we come every year....
That speaks volumes! 

They didn't have Vodka but usually do...  might want to bring some duty free. Ironically before we got there I was calling it
GuardaTheVodka.  Lol

Looking forward to going back again next year

Great vacation

A few notes to consider when reading this review: (1) This was my 3rd time at the resort, travelled with family that has been over 40 times to Brisas Guardalavaca; (2) We all know about the current economic & geopolitical situation affecting Cuba, it's worth looking into if you're not familiar.

Brisas has become a very comfortable property to visit for my family. From the front desk staff, to bartenders, to groundskeepers, and everyone in between -- the staff here will go the extra mile to make sure you're enjoying your vacation. They fully understand that there are areas that Cuba is lacking in, but they'll always make an effort to make you feel like a VIP. I had the luxury of travelling with a couple of actual VIP returning guests, but there was no noticeable drop-off in service across the board.
If you're looking for a quieter, more relaxing trip, the Villas are where you want to be. There's a la carte dining close by, a separate pool and swim-up bar, and easy access to the beach. To be more in the action, the main hotel has its own pool, bars and restaurants, as well as an entertainment team and music throughout the day. Flexibility to bounce back and forth makes it easy to have the experience that you want.

The food in Cuba is never "amazing" -- but it's not as bad as people would have you believe. If you're looking for an abundance of over the top, five-star dishes, you'll never find that in Cuba. If you're eating like a regular person with 3 meals per day and some snacks -- this is more the vibe you'll get. Admittedly, buffet options were a bit limited -- they do what they can with what they have, and it's not going to win any awards. Mixing in a la carte restaurants and not trying to eat every item at the buffet at every meal will make for a much more enjoyable experience.

Overall, a visit to Brisas Guardalavaca is a great, relaxing vacation. That being said, I have to comment the on-going "scam" that seems to be shining through here. As noted by both S_A_E122 (we were alert because we read their review before going, thank you!) and V L (who seemed to be there at the same time as us) -- be very wary of the cleaning staff and the towels. We were staying in the villas, and faced the same issue TWICE (again, we were with guests who had been over 40 times...still didn't stop the staff from trying).
We had a family of 4 staying in 1 room and a couple in another -- because of size and views, they decided to switch rooms and made note of how many towels were in each room. 5 towels moved with the family of 4 and 3 towels with the couple. Despite letting the front desk know of the switch, and telling the cleaners multiple times, I was there as one of them confronted my mother in her room about stealing a face towel. My mom pointed out and showed them the towels and looped in all of the staff that she had informed. The maid continued to accuse her of stealing a towel, despite us counting out the total quantity that was accounted for. This was immediately reported to guest relations and the GM -- we even made a point to let them know that this is on the internet and is an ongoing problem. Two days later, a single guest in our group ran into the same situation, with the same cleaner accusing her of taking a towel, despite her counting out and showing the full quantity of towels. We raised this again (obviously there's been no discipline, or actual looking into the situation) and she was left alone. The third, "near" occurrence came when trying to switch beach towels, a group of 4 asked the cleaner, who responded she could give them 3 now and 1 later -- immediately they said no, knowing exactly how this would go. For myself and my guest, we ended up using the same towels for a week, we weren't playing that game with them. Extra disappointing because we tipped every other day, and brought along clothes, candy, everyday goods, etc. to gift to staff around the hotel -- my parents have done this each of their 40 times there.

On a previous trip (2 months ago), my mother was accused to taking a towel but not confronted at the hotel. It wasn't until she tried to check into her flight at the airport that they demanded she pay $13 USD for the missing items...which weren't missing at all. Be aware, be vigilant -- everyone is trying to squeeze money out of you in some way in Cuba. This put a damper on an otherwise great experience, but we're trying to view this incident as separate from the larger trip.

On the topic of 'scams' in Cuba -- unrelated to this hotel we ran into another situation with airport gate agents accepting bribes. My guest and I were nearly removed from an Air Canada flight that we checked into in advance, and paid for seat upgrades on, because a Cuban guest on Standby paid the Gate Agent $40 CAD. We watched it happen, and then watched our seats (18B and 18C) be given away as we tried to board the plane. Not related to this hotel, but something to be aware of when travelling to Holguin.

Holiday Break

First time at Brisas and had a wonderful time.  I was upgraded to an ocean view room in the main hotel section.  Thank you so much Theresa, who works at the front desk, for accommodating my request.  Had an amazing view.  The room was clean and housekeeping came by daily.  One thing to note is that all ocean view rooms in the hotel section also face the main pool and the entertainment stage.

Will be loud at night and during daytime activities.  The noise did not bother me too much however if you are a light sleeper or want a daytime nap, this may be bothersome.

There is a $20 non refundable charge for the safe.

The New Year's Eve party was great.  Lots of flowing "champagne", dancing, music.

Met Angel from the entertainment staff.  Was always happy to see us and would give us an update on the planned activities. He took us on a bicycle tour of Guardalavaca.
His friendliness and laughter was a highlight of this trip. 

By chance, I stopped in to the "Cigar Bar".  Very nice atmosphere with great views of the entertainment stage and ocean.  I was the only visitor.   Yurlian, the bartender, made me a Spanish coffee.  There are no cigars at the "Cigar Bar" due to lack of product.  As there is a VIP area at the pool, this would be a great space for a VIP bar until cigars are available.

The beach was clean and there was an abundance of beach loungers.  Lots of free water sports (catamaran, kayaks, peddle boats).

The food was good.  Especially enjoyed the International a la cart.  The Cuban restaurant is great for breakfast.  You avoid the busyness of the buffet and can enjoy the amazing waterfront views to start your day.

We tipped the staff in US$.  Also brought many essentials to give to the staff (over the counter medicine, shirts, school supplies, chocolate, kid toys, razors, solar lights).

Will absolutely visit again.

Great time for New Year's Eve

Cuba has not fared well through the pandemic. That being said it’s never been a place to go for fine dining so keep expectations low on the cuisine front. You will always find something to eat … 

This resort sits on a beautiful beach. The rooms are fine we had an ocean front villa area room which was great. We had to move since a leak in our ceiling in the bathroom left puddles of water dangerously all over the floor. After the move all was great. The staff accommodated luckily. The grounds are kept very clean and you can get a la carte breakfast and lunch daily at the Cuban and seafood waterfront restaurants. Servers are too notch at both.  Be sure to tip $Cad no loonies and toonies these people work hard and live for tips. Bring lots of $5s and or USD bills. 

the rooms will not be cleaned properly, beds made yes but nothing else and you won’t get bottled water in your room. I think this is a supply issue but also suspect cleaners are treated pretty terribly and may be penalized financially if towels go missing …!?  

- we were accosted upon leaving about a beach towel that we never received and had to convince them we didn’t steal. this was not an isolated incident. 

if you are going to Cuba for the food, it’s not your place but if you want to do some wonderful snorkelling , lounge
On Gorgeous beaches and meet some lovely locals than this is your place. 

Make sure you bring all necessary medical supplies / bandaids and highly recommend bringing chips / granola bars / snacks and pop / wine. Cuba is struggling and their supply chains are hugely impacted. Even alcohol - no pins coladas/ tequila / martinis / no soda water / coke etc. first
World problems though so compared to what Cubans are facing Daily seems absurd to even mention. 

The staff at the main pool bar and swim up bar are fantastic as are the servers at Cuban and Seafood restaurant. The market just down the road was fantastic and the beach you can access just ten
Mins from the resort is up there with beaches in Antigua etc. 

The entertainment is … hmm not amazing nor are the kids programs. Our son made friends and had a ball but if
You are going to kids programs this isn’t your place 

New Year’s Eve entertainment was great. Live music and fun. I loved  that Cubans were hotel guests! Some people complained about this. To them I would say … stay in Canada if you just want to hang out with Canadians… 

Would I return - yes. I would just be far more prepared. 

They need Canadian tourist $ and the
Locals need tips ! Go ! Enjoy ! 

Gracias!

Brisas Guardalavaca All Inclusive

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