Starfish Jibacoa Hotel, Havana City Cuba. 4 stars.

Poor snowNovaScotia

“Beautiful place, poor service and ambiance ”
On the positive side, this must be one of the loveliest beaches with a beautiful reef within swimming distance--no boats or escorts necessary. It's not crowded and is set in spacious, clean garden. On the negative side, middle management is rude, puts you off, and figures you are there for their benefit and convenience, not yours. We arrived in the middle of the night, were placed in a room that we had not reserved that was 30 degrees with a broken air conditioner and full of mosquitoes. It was next to the main gate where the guards joked all night to keep themselves awake (of course). When we asked to be moved to our quiet, removed single storey room we were told that the hotel was overbooked (we had made reservations months in advance, so this was deliberate on their part) and come back around 9 am, then 10 am, then noon--oh, it was the housekeepers' fault (it was overbooking, we learned), then 3 pm. We finally got moved at 4 pm, having lost a night of sleep and a day of frustration and not being able to unpack. We thought the hotel owed us something--maybe stay in our room until 3 pm (rather than noon) the day of our departure (at 7 pm)? Oh, no, that was against the rules, couldn't dream of it. Our agent got our departure hour delayed, at least, in theory. On departure day there was no record of this agreement. With a lot of pressure, they changed their minds--apologies, no effort to please returning guests. The dining room is large, noisy, and dark, under-staffed, and please, someone buy enough spoons! Although the food is fresh and well presented, someone has worked hard to remove all taste from it. Even the ice cream was tasteless. If the male staff do not like to wait on tables, then they should be assigned other tasks--the women are very pleasant. The evening entertainment is of poor quality--no real Cuban would put up with it. Finally, unlike other places we have stayed in Cuba, everyone's hand is constantly out for a tip. The bartenders, with one exception, were welcoming, cheerful and patient. So, despite the luxuries of a gorgeous beach and reef, nice grounds, and single storey rooms, we probably won't go back. We are left with a bad taste in our mouths.

Poor labelb

“Great beach but sketchy resort ”
I had a great vacation despite the poor amenities. So it depends what's important to you. I chose this place because family members would be there too. I had low expectation of a 3 star in Cuba (we usually go for 4) but, even so, I was shocked at some of the shortcomings. First of all, the beach is super quiet and lovely. I've never seen such an unencumbered beach in Cuba. Even the occasional Portuguese Man of War did not interfere with our fun in the sun. We brought water shoes and had a good time exploring under the water and just swimming and tanning. The proximity to Havana is also nice and we did a one-day excursion in a private taxi. Also, the small entertainment budget actually resulted in better evening shows than at big resorts because it was often traditional Cuban music, small bands. Simple and perfect. The real downfall is the food and the (lack of) cleanliness. My bf saw a rat in the a la carte restaurant and found a cockroach in his luggage upon return! (The a la carte is good if you like powdered mashed potatoes and overcooked protein, ahem.) The rooms are ok, very quiet, quite moldy however. Though some of the food, especially meat, was tasty, I think they use poor quality oils and perhaps lack in kitchen cleanliness. The bacon was undercooked (some people brought theirs to the grill to have it cooked again), and I started to take butter up to the grill to fry my eggs in with the hope of solving my digestion distress (sadly, it didn't help much). My stomach was upset the entire time and we had the pleasure of overhearing other tourists describe their gastrointestinal drama in detail (um, bring Gravol and Immodium). I think I was lucky to have gotten away with just tummy discomfort and annoying bathroom runs. Two members of my family caught a Norwalk-like virus that lasted over 24 hours. Not a fun way to spend your vacation! The other disappointing aspect is the lobby bar. It utterly lacks charm. Usually, I enjoy a pre-diner drink with live lounge music in the lobby, but there was none of that here. They play crappy sounding pop music too loudly and the chairs are uncomfortable. It's also not well ventilated. So there. A very peaceful place, but I won't be returning.