Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort

Our first post-COVID trip out of the country turned out even better than expected. Arrival and departure via air-conditioned coach went smoothly. The Aston was as gorgeous as the photos indicated; the beach, the gardens, and the pool. The 'low' season meant that some facilities were not open but the uncrowded pools and beach more than compensated for it. It was also relatively easy to book the restaurants. The buffet had lots of tasty options even if it did not vary much from meal to meal. The restaurants offered some change even if the food was not necessarily better than the buffet. We do not drink enough to review the open bar but they seemed busy enough.
Presumably due to the lower occupancy, we also got more WIFI access than some previous reviewers. Even so, we were economical with it by downloading the pages we want to read and turning the WIFI off. The tile floor in our room was sparkling clean and we appreciate the daily supply of bottled water. The air conditioning was efficient and we spent the hotter times of the day inside. Although it was just a short walk to the beach and not a much longer one to the buffet (via shortcut), there is always the option to catch the little open-air cart.
The staff was great; a tribute is especially due to the various individuals involved in recovering our laptop that was left on the bus on arrival. Reception seemed singularly unconcerned and assured us that it would be found, but when we contacted the vacation group, nobody had seen it. The agent initiated a series of phone calls and tracked down the laptop in about an hour. Whatever the challenges the Cuban people are facing with sanctions and downturns in the economy, the visitor would be the last to feel it. Whether from a personal point of view or a political one, I would love to return to Cuba. Aston will be my top choice! [Details]

I noticed that anywhere you went on the resort it was very clean. The employees very nice and courteous. Two large pools with swim-up bar.
The room was nice and clean with large washroom. Lots of hot water for shower.
The beach is nice and even have small sail boat rides and paddle boat free but we tip them.
Was impressed with snack bar, french fries, ham cheese, hot dog which was very good.
Food at buffet and French Restaurant was very good. If you upgrade to Club, do it before you leave. Cheaper. It will give you access to the Club House Restaurant which is very good. Also the cigar bar. No beef, lobsters or shrimps. But Worth going to this resort. [Details]

We went to Fiesta Americana on Wed February 11th - Wed February 18th in 2019 and had an amazing time and decided to go back the exact same week in 2020. We were disappointed this year.

Here were the pros from last year:
-weather (only rained one evening for about an hour)
-food was excellent (for Cuba's standards) with fresh fruit everyday, a person available to make fresh smoothies, even options such as brie cheese were available
-not crowded, don't have to get up early to save a chair by the pool/beach

Cons from last year:
-broken chairs (almost all of them have broken bases which make very uncomfortable for lounging)
-very slow service at the snack bar
-ran out of all bread throughout the hotel most days
-we were in the main block which was really loud

This year's pros:
-weather - above 30 everyday, didn't see one drop of rain
-got invited to a 'special dinner' one night with 8 others (4 couples) where we were served surf and turf in exchange for a review...
-great spot
-we were in block 17 which was (in our opinion), second best block. If we could choose, we'd request 16. closest block that is not right in the centre of the action. We don't like being a mile away but don't want to be right in the centre of the action kept up late from disco music, etc.

This year's cons:
-they brought in over 1,000 local cubans for Valentine's day (Friday) and Saturday. It was awful because that resort cannot handle that many guests. Not enough restaurants, not enough food, not enough toilet paper, not enough currency. Just plain awful. Every food lineup was hours long. They ran out of most of the food at every restaurant (imagine going to an italian restaurant and being offered penne noodles with white sauce and no meat as the ONLY thing left on the menu). Many of the Cubans were rude and would quite literally push you out of the way and butt right in front of you in lines. Huge disaster.
-currency was always out at the hotel. they wouldn't break large bills into smaller ones so we tipped a few times and then stopped tipping until they'd break our bills (tried 3 days in a row before they finally had smaller money)
-the above mentioned problem trickled into everything else.... toilet paper was always out, food was always out, etc
-almost every lounger is broken and uncomfortable. we got up super early to reserve 2 of the 5 good ones around the main pool

Still a cheap trip with great weather if you can let go of the anger you face trying to line up for a simple drink or coffee. And if you're ok for a couple days standing in line for an hour before getting seated at a restaurant. [Details]

The hotel is old and small, limited things to do.
The staff can be rude at times.
The food was horrible.
The beach was nice but lots of rocks in the water. Bring water shoes. [Details]

Went in January with 2 kids on our 12th trip to Cuba. This resort has a beautiful beach, and 2 very large pools. (The pools tend to be cold though). We upgraded at the front desk to a family suite. It was huge with a king size bed, 2 bathrooms, living room with pull out couch. If you want quiet rooms that are still close to the restaurants and beach, buildings 16 and 17 are best.

Food was average for Cuba. Bland pastas, etc. Lots of seafood at this resort though if you like it!! The buffet had shrimp, fish, calamari, and seafood things I don't even recognize. Drinks were great and easy to get at the many bars sprinkled all over the resort. The lineups for different food items move very slowly and I sometimes gave up waiting. (20 min for ice cream was normal) For those that like a la cartes- this resort does not take reservations for a la cartes. It's just first come first served, so there's lineups for them until about 8:00 every night. Kids club was pretty dead except for the huge bouncy castle that was set up twice a week. Biggest I've ever seen. Nightly shows were just ok. Lots of soloists singing celine Dion...Wifi worked ok, but to get it you have to line up and go into a moldy office where the wifi keeper sets up an account. It takes a while, and I'm sure their government is reading this as I type after all the info they needed:) [Details]

Vacationed Jan 8-17 / 20.. we had a good time , check in was easy, The first week, food was good with lots of choice , I presume due to the full capacity. The second week was disappointing.Employees are great , grounds are clean, the beach was awesome , clean, was a pleasure to see, too bad visitors still don't pick up after themselves!!!! Great entertainment, much enjoyed [Details]

I upgraded our room to include a walk in shower and not a shower in a bathtub which cost us an additional $120. each for the 2 weeks, but it was well worth it. The room was updated and clean, however, far for me to walk to the pool or buffet area with my walker. I view of this, I utilized their room transportation services by calling the lobby to request that I be picked up. At times, we had to call the lobby twice resulting in a waiting period of a half hour to be picked-up because the message wasn't relayed to the chauffeurs in the first place. The food, well it's Cuba! It is apparently common that the food received is far less than the amount of food ordered. Consequently, for about 3-4 days they didn't have flour so anything made with flour like pancakes, cakes, etc., were non existent, as well as bananas, and potatoes. The weather was great, all in all we had a pleasant vacation. [Details]

Overall I would not recommend. As I got incredibly sick on the 3rd day, I was unable to enjoy the food since I was so scared to get sick again. The emergency stairs were very dangerous and we were using it because our elevator was broken to get on the 4th floor. We were not so lucky with this hotel. Thank God we had amazing weather all week so we could enjoy everything outside the hotel. [Details]

Fiesta Americana Holguin Costa Verde is a perfect place for a vacation, whether on your own or with a family or friends.
The hotel room was comfortable, with chairs on an outside balcony. No radio, no wifi, and not necessary. This was really getting away from all those distractions (but there was tv if you needed it). There is wifi available in the lobby area if you really need access.
Food was local and fresh. I loved the variety of fish and the fresh fruit and juices. Service was excellent. Had the most amazing coffee (and spanish coffee!).
The ocean is the highlight. Beautifully clean with velvet sand beach, shallow for kids and amazing snorkelling.
The grounds were beautifully maintained and smelled wonderful. Bonus electric vehicle was available to pick you up and drive to the main building or back to your room.
There was entertainment each night and again, something for all ages, including kids. Excursions were also available.
There is also a large pool that many people enjoyed but I did not use it. Why, when there is a lovely ocean?
The people working here are among the best people you will meet; Cubans are amazing hosts. [Details]

This is not close to a 4 star hotel. The food was not good at all, they did not have any options. No ketchup, hot sauce, pop other than cola most of the time. They did not even have mints for mojitos. The service was poor even though the resort was empty.

There were some nice staff for sure and even they had mentioned that the resort has gone worst since the ownership has changed.

I have been to Cuba many times and this was the worst resort compared to the others. [Details]

Quality of food has changed extremely since new ownership, very poor food quality. [Details]

Pools close super early - don't expect to swim after 6pm, the staff will kick you out.
Restaurants are not open - website shows 9 restaurants but only the buffet and one other restaurant are open each day.
Many food products not available - fruit over ripened, bread extremely dry, not many options. We lived on Omelette for breakfast, and over cooked pasta for dinner. Many meats (specifically chicken) were served uncooked.
Phones only work in the lobby, don't expect to use your phone from your room.
The staff is pleasant, rooms were clean. [Details]

1 to 10 result = 10 the best [Details]

Just returned from our vacation from Fiesta Americana. Our objective was to have a good time on the beach with the kids, which we absolutely did and have good access to cycling (brought our own bike) - which my husband did. The drivers are VERY respectful of cyclists.
If your objective is to experience the finer side of things - premium food or beverage, premium rooms, wifi in rooms - this is not your spot. [Details]

This is an amazing resort. So many a la carte restaurants to choose from, no reservations needed. So much variety in different types of food-all excellent. Buffet has a huge selection. The food was superb! Entertainment every night. Staff were friendly & helpful. This is a large resort but within a short period of time, anyone can find their way around. Beach was always packed, lots of water activities for everyone. Only downside was having a room overlooking the pool which was very noisy at night since entertainment usually happened here & people up early in the morning sitting at the pool side tables. This is a party resort. All ages here from children to elderly. However, I was more than happy with this resort. [Details]

We would absolutely come back to Fiesta Americana. Here are our thoughts:

Pros:
-Beautiful resort, well taken care of. They were doing some renos while we were there but things were looking good
-Pool was beautiful, and a cool shape
-Beautiful beach - as always, Cuba beaches are great
-Friendly people/staff at the resort.
-Good food at the buffets- everyone always complains about the food in cuba but I thought it was great. They had 2 fresh omelette bars in the morning, plus a fresh pancake bar. They also had 2 people cutting fresh fruit and making fresh fruit smoothies every morning. They had bananas, pineapple, apples, grapes, etc. They even had brie cheese! Yum!
-Unlimited a la cartes (including an Italian restaurant which was awesome! We always tried to line up right before 6 or you'd be waiting a long time and we don't like to eat late)... this was mid-Feb, and they said they were fully booked while we were there, so not sure if it's always like that.
-Weather was amazing - we only had 20 minutes of rain for a week, and the highs were all 29-31.
-Men don't need closed-toed shoes or pants at a la cartes
-Seemed like the buffet was open at all hours between 7:30am to bed time (not sure 100% but I think so)

Negatives:
-Loungers ALL BROKEN - this was by far the most annoying thing of the week for us. Every single lounger by the pool had broken plastic. So the loungers basically provided no support and I watched some bigger/older people try to get out of them, they couldn't.
-Slow service at snack bar. Usually this is the "quick food" that you can stay by the pool for. They only had hotdogs, hamburgers and fries and you averaged an hour wait to get one. They also had a bread shortage while we were there so they didn't have buns most days. Good news, the buffet was available for quick food.
-No service by the pool. This didn't bother us but it does bother some pool. I think they were too busy to have people walking around to take drink orders
-Washrooms near the pool - not sure about the men (he wasn't observant), but the women's washroom had 1 stall broken and out of service the entire stay, 1 stall had no toilet paper holder and I HATE not knowing if the TP had been on the ground, touched all over, etc. The last stall had a door that wouldn't close [Details]

I'm typically not a difficult person to please while on vacation, as long as the sun is shining and I can get a drink promptly I'm a happy person. Unfortunately for this resort the weather and a nice (But very rocky) beach was the only thing it had going for it. Seems short staffed. You had to wait in lines all the time for a drink sometimes waiting up to 20 minutes. Wait staff never approached me in the seating area in the lobby to ask if I wanted a drink, and in the 24 hour snack bar you could sit with an empty glass for up to a half hour before someone would come by and offer a refill. One night I wanted to test the waters and sat in the lobby/ lounge area for an hour. NO ONE asked if I wanted a drink. First 2 days there they had no single pesos so I was forced to tip a minimum of 3 pesos for everything (Even just for a coffee) and this still didn't help me get even decent service. (I tipped very graciously the first 3 days hoping it would help pick my service up a little bit). They also very tactically rotate their staff in all the departments, so it is hard to build a good report with any person as they are always in different places and different times.
This resort seemed overran by the Cubans while I was there and their service from what I could see was definitely better then mine.
One afternoon in the 24 hour snack bar I ordered a hamburger and hotdog with fries. I waited for over an hour and a half to receive them but yet 2 cuban familys that sat down about 20 minutes after me received theirs 20 minutes before I did.
No after super entertainment so not a lot to keep the kids entertained before bed. Evening entertainment didn't start until 8-830.
Kids club open 10-12 and again from 3-5 so a bit inconvenient for parents.
Make sure you get to the beach early and get your seat picked out other wise there will be no where to sit. Beach is packed.
Food was great, but very little to choose from in the buffet. Make sure you get to the buffet as soon as they open otherwise you can wonder around for 10 minutes trying to find a seat (4 days I sat there and didn't even get offered a glass of water with my meal) There are a lot of different restaurants to eat at, but good luck trying to figure out what time or days they are open as there are no schedules posted anywhere.
The toilet in my room leaked the entire time we were there. Maid service was made aware of this and said they would send someone (Never happened) I had to wrap towels around the toilet to stop it from leaking into our room. Maid service didn't bother to clean up the towels so by the end of the trip I had 5 towels on the ground to soak up the water.
Over all like I said in the title I would not recommend this resort to anyone.
When talking to other tourists it seemed like they all were having the exact same experience. [Details]

I don't know where to start because there were so many things we saw during our stay that should never happen in the service industry but did. I was told before leaving to not compare Cuba to the service levels and quality one would receive in Mexico or the Dominican but never expected what we witnessed. [Details]

Fourth time at this resort, New owners have made significant upgrades to rooms (mattresses, bedding etc) grounds. Staff all the same. Checkin was quicker and more efficient. Leo from Public Relations was excellent help with the planning of tree in honour of late brother in law. All alacartes excellent as well as the buffet. Food more than adequate. Beach excellent
Would highly recommend to everyone [Details]

Overall we were happy with our experience here. We had 2 issues needing attention and they were both dealt with promptly. Check in was fast and efficient. We enjoyed the a la carte restaurants each night. 2 nights were very busy so the wait was longer. You have to line up just before 6 to avoid the lines. [Details]

Unfortunately the hotel is getting older and the quality is going down. We have been staying here since 2008 five times. Now the half of the hotel is empty because not so many guests come.

One night we got rainfall from the ceiling for the whole first floor - water level was ankle deep. Nobody showed up to help or inform; the electricity was still up. We had to move to another room, which was an unpleasant adventure with two little sleeping children. The guy who was recommended as a manager assistant could not speak English.

As a compensation we agreed on two half-massage sessions for free.

So just be ready for some challenges, and everything will be OK.

It is still an option for someone, like me, with stressed budget. [Details]

This hotel was Very nice. Room was in the old area room was clean had just been renovated. Our room in block 6 was close to the pool restaurants lobby beach and bars. Bathrooms throughout the resort were always clean Grounds were very well kept.
Bar staff and servers in buffet were very pleasant and helpful.
Resort was not too busy at this time of year. No lineups at bars and restaurants. We did not go to Alacarte restaurant.
Beach was clean with lots of loungers and cabanas. Pool had lots of loungers and cabanas.
We will return to this resort. [Details]

Best staff ever! That's why I keep going back. Great beach, ok food. Always enjoy my stay. Will definitely go back. [Details]

We were in the main Hotel Rooms and they are clean and everything worked we even had no problem with the hot water and the air conditioner is silent. The beds are comfortable and the pillows all 6 of them are fluffy not like pancakes. We had a bathtub and shower combo and it was high to get in and out of I have hip and back problems my wife had to help me out of the tub so request a room with a shower only if needed. Food we ate very well Breakfast bacon eggs and all the trimmings omelets fruits yogurts our bellies were full a we wobbled to the beach. Lunch you had pasta design your own sauce fried fish or fried chicken ,beef or pork. and all the trimmings fruits and veggies same went for supper. We did not starve I loved the desserts and ice cream. The beach was clean great for snorkeling not many rocks in the water. The staff are polite and super friendly and always helpful. We have been traveling Cuba for the past 25 years for this trip we paid $885 each and that is what it is worth I would not pay more.The Resort has changed its name now to Americano Costa Verde new owners from Mexico.VIP I saw no difference except 1 private pool and bar and ocean view soon as it gets dark there goes the view and on vacation who stays in the in their room except to sleep.I have no problem rating this resort a 3 1/2 star We have been in better resorts and we have been in OMG I want to go home resorts lol lol lol All my raatings are by Cuban standards not Canadian [Details]

The hotel was very clean but aged; 2 bottles of rum provided in room at start of stay and water bottles were always in the fridge; the buffet was very bland and nothing too authentically Cuban included outside of the beans/rice/fruit and a very bland pig roasted on site (cool to watch) - bring hot sauce or other items to add some zip; the food seemed to be rationed - on the buffet if items ran out the attitude was "too bad, eat something else", and if you want a mojito, get it early because they do run out of mint and won't get more until the next day; food seemed to be recycled as some items didn't look fresh day-to-day with mostly reheated, mushy leftovers from supper served for breakfast, and those from breakfast, served for supper, and some of the juices were fermenting from one day to the next - we all eat leftovers but you wouldn't expect this quality for what you pay; on the other hand on the buffet they had made-to-order items each day: for breakfast there were crepes and omelettes and for supper there were always fresh cut meats and fish/shrimp made to order and the fresh fruit was awesome; the staff was for the most part really nice and helpful - if you want a private city tour from a local, ask porter "Julyian" for "Roy" for an amazing tour; Mikel and Guillermo and a few others at the bars really stood out - too bad we don't have all the other names of the really good ones but you'll spot them quickly. Certain items at the hotel were priced in line with duty free, for example the cigars sold outside of the buffet area. The beach bar was good for the basic drinks, not good for things like pina coladas which were made with instant mixes, not fresh like the other bars. The beaches were very good, but as usual, get your chairs early; snorkeling was good with good variety of fish and average coral; fishing off shore was okay - didn't get anything but locals seemed to get small stuff; pathways were numerous and good to walk; birds were singing nicely even though most were a common black bird like a grackle. [Details]

I'm not someone who gets bothered by much but at the end of our family vacation I couldn't wait to go home.
The resort was clean (old and outdated) and people were nice but the service was terrible and as the week went on everything kept going down hill. The food was running out in most restaurants, the Buffett was terrible with a lack of selection but the worst was trying to feed my kids. The Buffett was NOT kid friendly. The pasta station had no tomato sauce. There was no French fries or anything kids would like. I watched many parents struggle to find things for their kids to eat. It makes for a very long week.
We have been to other resorts and never had an issue but The Blau can not say the same.

We will not return. [Details]

This place is disgusting and infested! We went on vacation for Christmas 2017 and all got infected here with scabies from this location. Collectively my family was diagnosed by 2 separate doctors and a friend who was also on the trip as well had the same ordeal. All parties live in three separate households. It took 6-8 weeks to finally be contacted back after we sent a complaint WITH PICTURES. When the hotel responded back they said it could not be from their hotel because they have never had reports about it before. They said we got it from our house - how a total of 7 people who live in 3 separate households got it with the only thing in common but vising this resort seems like enough to me. We didn't even sleep in the same rooms while staying at the resort so this also proves this is something throughout multiple rooms in the hotel. They also said because we weren't seen by their doctors they will not take fault for it. Any doctor that is familiar with scabies can tell you it takes scabies symptoms approximately 10 days to show up - our stay was 7 days. We purchased travel insurance with our trip so if it had presented itself within the 7 days we would have addressed it then. We've sent pictures and they are not accepting fault for their dirty establishment. Never go here - you will be infected. Look at the pictures and tell me how it's possible that all 7 of us were infected after staying here. [Details]

We just arrived home from our 18th.time to this resort.We paid $2085.00 each.Two days after booking this trip;the price went up to over $3500.00per person.When we left the resort;there was only app.340people there.Full house is app.1500 people.The prices are higher than a 5 star resort.We will not go back unless the prices drop to a reasonable price.Who ever is responsible for setting the price;had better look into this mistake. [Details]

I got good service as long as there was not to many Cubans to be served.the hotel intertainment I give that a 2.the food was good but in short supply at times and plates where to.this resort seams to be geared more towards the Cuban tourist. [Details]

Immediately switched rooms as my ocean view room was looking at a bunch of trees, and upgraded to a Plus section room in block 27 which i had to pay about 100$cnd for. Room was excellent and close to the VIP bar which is only open from 6:00pm. (no good imported beers available that i could see) It is a long walk to the beach. The entertainment at night is terrible and loud most nights and could use a lot of improving. All the staff is great except for the front desk. [Details]