More extensive choices of cheeses and cold cuts, smoked salmon, Serrano. Big boat loaded with seafood big langosta, shrimps and crabs.An entire pig roast - cochinillo, this is Spanish dish and always
spectacular and good. Spanish dulces.
After that we had a very nice show with kids in the first part, dance lessons and a spectacular boogie night show. They provided cotillion and served sparkling wine in a pyramid before the meal and also at midnight.
Although sparkling Spanish Cava was always available, and they even had some Freixenet and better wines to sell at the entrance of the buffet, so it was possible to get them for more demanding clients.
Christmas and New Years weeks are more expensive, but the food seemed much better and more choices as compared to low season. Of course they can't cook all this quantities and varieties for just a few guests.
For a Cuban resort the food was good to very good. Many places in Cuba have almost inedible food. So this hotel was a stand out.I had a chat with some other families and we all agreed food was really good for Cuba.
Of course if you are always eating from a single counter, the variety can be limited, however, we tried different counters and were very pleased with different choices.
One funny incident with our ketchup. I brought ketchup and Dijon mustard from Canada. Another tourist have seen my son having our ketchup and came and took it then after asked if he could have some for his family of 4.
Although I didn't mind them having it, we didn't want them to pass it around, so my husband told him it comes from Canada. The guy became like really embarrassed. He assumed I took a common bottle to our table.
Some people just have these thoughts, I guess they would do it themselves? Anyway, I asked for $5 and we had a good laugh. I didn't mind leaving them, and in fact we left our ketchup and mustard on our departure to the hotel.
A good joke.
Clients of hotel were generally nice and I had a chat with a couple of them. The personnel smiling and nice. We gave tips and some little gifts, although the room maids were well dressed, with makeup and had nice running shoes.
I had a little chat with one of the women of my age working at the buffet. She provided the best service of all, always remembered what we drank, and was quite discrete. I really appreciated her service. I don't aim to be the staff's
best friend, but she was really efficient, very polite and hard working and I liked that. She has a son and I left my son's jeans and sport vest at the end which looked like new ( kids grow up quickly), and she was very grateful for every gesture and tip.
I know some younger servers seemed very friendly and it is also nice, but they were literally spoiled by $5 tips, so not sure how sincere they were, although some people are naturally easy going.
A smile and a big thanks goes also a long way.
I helped some people with food choices to direct them to the right counter. I speak a bit of Spanish, which was really appreciated by staff. And I helped a few kids serving them soup or other dishes.
There are 2 extremes: some people tip a lot and others not at all. We tipped regularly but especially for good service, after all the tip is a sign of appreciation of service.
The shows were great. The dancers were spectacular and very nice to watch. The Cuban show and the Boogie night were very nice. One night it was raining and other nights
there were interactive shows, which we skipped.
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