Have just returned from a nine day stay at Superclubs Breezes Jibacoa, a complex which is an hours drive from the capital Havana, Cuba. The resort is situated against the backdrop of a wooded hill and contained within well laid out grounds that lead directly onto a beach. Our accomadation consisted of a simply furnished bedroom, with a king sized bed, and a bathroom with toilet, sink and bath with shower. A shared balcony overlooked the gardens. The rooms had air conditioning but the system struggled to cope with the humidity and no amount of fiddling about with the switches and dials, seemed to have any affect on the in room temperature.
Hotel facilities outdoor ,included a swimming pool, jacuzzi, tennis courts, a basketball court, and a watersports centre. Indoor facilities included table tennis, pool tables, and a seperate disco room. There is a large outdoor arena where shows are held nightly.
The main restuarant, Los Girasoles, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on a buffet basis. There is plenty of choice; and all dietary requirements are catered for. Dinner is a themed affair. Some evenings we were disappointed with the offer, and must make reference here to seafood night; which we found to be uninspired! There is no air con in Los Girasoles; the ceiling fans can't cope with the hot conditions and eating was a sweaty affair. Other restuarants - La Taberna and Martinos have an al -a- carte menu. Booking a table is via reception. We experienced difficulty in making a reservation, and needed to go through our tour rep to book. Eating in La Taberna is worth the experience if only for the super efficient air con. I found the menu here to be rather sparse, and where's the wine list? A choice of either red or white wine is out of step with today's dining needs. I can't tell you about Martino's; we couldn't get a booking, and this with the resort less than half full; Lord help them at peak season!! We ate breakfast and dinner at Los Girasoles, and used the beach grill for lunch. Situated in a beach hut setting, with open air dining, cheerful staff dispensed simple food, fish, beefburgers, hotdogs, and pizza (all served with french fries) freshly cooked.
Drinks are available 24/7 from a variety of bar settings. Bar staff were happy and friendly and went out of their way to serve any alcholic concoction you could imagine (and more). The main ingredient, white rum is the base for many colouful and exotic cocktails. The beer ain't bad either!!
Entertainment is organised by a hard working staff who try their best to encourage guests to partake in daily volley ball, tennis lessons, dancing lessons, aerobics, and a host of other beach games. The same staff are also responsible for hosting the nightly shows which start at 9-30pm and last about an hour. We found these shows to be good and varied. The entertainers, from magicians to dancers with lots in between work hard in the hot conditions to provide variety; and who would dare not to take part in the sun dance ritual which ended each show. This is supposed to ensure a sunny day to follow, and it certainly worked during our stay.
My first impressions of the resort was that there was a holiday camp atmosphere, albeit an upmarket one, but what was lacking in quality was ceratinly made up for in quantity and guests are well taken care of.
Of the facilities available, we used the pool and the watersports centre on a daily basis. The pool water is lovely and warm and we admit to swimming at all times of day and most evenings; a dip after the show had finished rounded our night off lovely!! There are plenty of poolside loungers, several shaded areas, and a poolside bar for that essential lunchtime cocktail.
At the watersports centre it is possible to scuba dive, take out a catamaran, or a pedalo in the shape of a swan, or simply borrow a mask and fins to snorkel amongst the many colourful corals and rocks in the warm, clear sea. I scuba dived every day. I used my own equipment, though it is possible to rent dive gear. The main dive sites are a short boat trip away from the centre. With visibility around 25 metres, and a sea temperature of 30.C, diving waswonderful experience with lots to see around the reefs. The dive guides were extemely helpful and safety concious at all times.
What did we enjoy most about our holiday? Well, resort policy doesn't permit persons under the age of sixteen years of age, and this above all else seemed to spawn a relaxed and sensible atmosphere that allowed guests to truly enjoy their holiday. The weather helped; during our stay the sun shone every day and daytime temperatures were in the upper 80s F. All the staff, from gardeners through to managers were friendly and helpful and all understood English (and many other languages as well); makes you feel kinda humble when you can only speak one.
What could be improved? It's always easy to criticise and we were disappointed at times with the food in Los Girasoles, but overall our dining experience from the buffet, was adequate. But, resort manager please note, the wine on offer in the restaurant is not good. The white is served warm and is unpalletable, and the red is sour tasting. A wine list from which guests could purchase ( if necessary) a bottle of their choice would enhance the dining experience. Also some thought to climate control in the buffet area would be most welcome.
Would we return? A resounding Yes!! There's not a lot more to say - except, did I tell you about our swim with the dolphins? Fantastic!!
