Good point fabulous view from beachside bungalow, from there on it all went downbank.
The food is at best bland at worst downright awfull little edibale food on ofer on many occassions, surly resteraunt manager, since returning yesterday I have visited my GP who has prescribed a course of anti biotics to counter the stomach problems I picked up nine days ago whilst on holiday.Mantyguests were experiencing the same issues.
Beware leaving any of your possesions out of site at any time, lots of oppurtunist theft on offer, security is basically a joke the room ajoining ours was almost broken in to, if the room had been unattended I have little doubt it would have been burgaled, the locks on the rear of the properties are flimsy and unsecure.
Tips are expected,members of staff spend plenty of time either trying to sell rum,cigars,coffee etc. or begging items of clothing etc from guests.
Local residents with the assistance of hotel staff are using the hotel facilities free of charge, I witnessed the security guards assisting local families with entry in the hotel complex as well as food and drink provided all day.
No way is this a three star Hotel ,do not be fooled by the price tag there are much better hotels in this resort.

As we were return guests we knew what to expect to me it is paradise. You do get a bit fed up of the food but thats with every all inc holidays you book. This year we had one of the old beach bungalows but i have no complaints - it was clean and comfortable what else do you want - my idea of a holiday is that you only use your room to shower, change and sleep. We will definately be going back next year hope we meet a great crowd like we did this year from Liverpool and Manchester.
Do get in touch with me if you want any info.
Glenys, Bethan , Will, Jill, Kate and Ben

I booked to go to Villa Cojimar after quickly looking at the reviews. Some were good and some not as much, but as it is after a 3*, I figured keeping my expectations low will allow me to enjoy the vacation anyway.

I am not fussy at all but this was my first vacation alone with 2 kids (5-9). As a single mom, I wanted a safe place, family oriented and I needed a place where I could relax! So bearing this in mind, this resort turned out to be A1 on my list!!

I flew Sunwing down. Service was great. Buses took us to our respective hotels without any delays and the Sunwing rep gave us a bit of info about the place.

I had emailed the hotel prior to arrival to ask for a room near all amenities. This seems to be useless. Upon arrival, they gave me a room far in a 2 story building and fortunately for me, it was already occupied. A gardener who was helping me with my luggage went back to get me another room. He told me to stay put with the kids. I asked him to check into getting something closer and he did! We got rm 63 (villa/bungalow), close to everything! A few steps from the pool, from the beach and from the restaurant. Villas seem to be renovated as opposed to rooms, from what I gathered from other guests. Villas and rooms are the same price, you just have to ask. Ocean view doesn't make it much better, except that you may have a view upon waking up in the morning and maybe somewhere to lounge in the afternoon. But for us, the room was for showering, changing and sleeping only anyway.

The food was bland as for anywhere you will go in Cuba. BUT it was still quite good. My kids never complained!! They had fresh pasta, grilled foods at the pool bar, great omelettes in the morning. It was better than expected! We ate at the buffet every day. People who tried the a la carte restaurants seemed to be pleased as well. We bought bottled water at the store and never drank water from the tap. We didn't get sick. Their food seemed to suit us just fine.

The staff is amazing!! Even if you don't tip, they are extremely helpful. Of course, it is nice to tip as they will be more than appreciative. I gave all the staff who helped me out something little at the beginning of our stay (gum, soap bar, lipstick, nail polish) and then a little goody bag (with soap, shampoo, shoe laces, comb, shavers, etc.) I sent with my kids at the end which made them so happy. I also gave the cleaning lady the kids' old running shoes and sandals for her kids. She was very happy. These people work very long hours and travel from far every day, and still keep a smile on their faces for us. They're great!

Entertainment was fabulous and the team was amazing. They organized day and evening activities for us without fail and they put on great shows in the evenings. Mini Club was great and although my kids preferred to stay with me, my daughter participated at the 9PM mini disco and loved it and I saw the girl taking great care of the kids who went to mini club during the day. It looked like a great babysitting service for the parents! (Maybe not for me, but could be for others).

The grounds and rooms were kept super clean and are still being renovated. The work did not get in our way at all! The gardens are beautiful and our room although basic in decor was spotless. The pool area was clean and lounge chairs were plenty. We got our spots under the shade early (9am) to spend the day there, but there were many more chairs around the pool, with some shade or under the sun. I read reviews about not enough towels, but I never had that problem. I saw a cart rolling in often with plenty of them at the Club House often. The only thing that disappointed me was that they didn't give me all the info upon checking in. I had my towels and had to go back to enquire about hotel towels the next day. It just required a hotel stub to pick them up and return at check-out. Some of the info was on the back of the resort map they gave us at reception, but the clerk didn't tell me it was there. With 2 kids, I didn't notice or take the time to look at the map more carefully from the get go. But this is Cuba... it often is the same elsewhere too. We didn't lose out on anything as a result, so that's fine.

The beach was nice, very shallow waters great for kids, but kids prefer the pool anyway. Some plants and algue in the water make it less interesting for them. The sand is like white flour and there are plenty of chairs there all the time. Most people sit at the pool. I heard a few comments about sand fleas at the beach although I never had any problems. Apparently they bite at the ankles.

I was prepared for mosquitoes and sprayed with kids' Off every evening, but the breeze kept them away from the amphiteatre. I never even saw one. Apparently there were some around the pool where some guests sat to watch the shows. I would guess they stay around water and bushes mostly.

The sun is extremely strong and you burn fast. Bring LOTS of sunscreen as you will be using it a lot. The store's bottles are quite expensive. With the nice breeze most days, you don't feel burning but you are red by the end of the day!

For money exchange, I did it at the airport in Varadero where we had a stop-over. Otherwise the hotel offers the services and it isn't much more expensive then elsewhere. Not worth looking for the stand upon arrival at the airport. I changed 1.13CAN for 1CUC and kept a few 1CUCs for tips once in a while.

We didn't try excursions although we heard the entertainment staff accompanied guests on some of them and they were great. A day trip to Moron was popular to see the real Cuba as well as a small trip to Pillar beach. Some people complained about fleas at Pillar. With my kids on a 1 week vacation, we decided to stay put.

I would recommend this resort for single moms! I felt safe and well. I came back fully relaxed and the beautiful tropical environment combined with the friendly service allowed me to forget work for a full week. Plus even though I had my eye on the kids at all times, I knew they couldn't go far and they were safe too. The staff got to know them as well and the kids liked them very much.

Their comment: "Can we live here???" I think that says it all!

Just got home today, was worried before we left after reading some bad reviews, but i really cannot say anything negative about this resort, and the location is beautiful, Cuba is a wonderful destination. We had room 5 right on the very edge of the complex, we could see the sea, and the peace and quiet made the 2 weeks heaven. All the hotel staff were friendly and very helpful. Club house for changing towels was a bit slow, but hey this is cuban time. We visited Havana and did the speed boat trip, both excellant days out. Would not think twice about going back.

Pete and Jan Hemel Hempstead