It took a while for me to write this review, but Los Galeones still lives in my memory, so here goes...
My boyfriend and I (both in our 30's) travelled to Cuba for our first Caribbean trip together from Jan. 17th - 24th, 2006. After a couple of months of research, we decided upon the Hotel Brisas Los Galeones. We liked the fact that it was a small adults only hotel with access to the larger sister resort, Sierra Mar.
This hotel attracts a lot of return visitors, especially from Canada, and with good reason. The staff were all friendly, cheerful and helpful. We especially liked Gladys, one of the servers. The food was much better than we expected. Many regulars brought their own spices and condiments as the food can sometimes be a little bland. Some also brought snacks, although we didn't, we never went hungry! The entertainment, a local band from the village of Chivirico (located at the foot of the steep hill on which the hotel is located!) were very talented. They performed almost every night during and after dinner, which added some extra "Cuban flavour" to the experience. We bought their CD!
Because the hotel is located on the hill top, it provides breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea and the lush, mountainous country side surrounding it.
On "Cuba Night" tables were set up around the pool, a wonderful buffet style dinner (including a roasted pig) was set up and the band performed many wonderful songs, which had most of the guests dancing.
The weather was perfect the entire week we were there, ranging from about 25-32 degrees celsius. Only one afternoon did it become overcast with light rain lasting about 20 minutes. Then it cleared up and was beautiful again.
Rooms were charming and clean, housekeeping did a wonderful job. We always left tips for them, either cash or some of the items we brought (like hair clips, panty hose, toiletries etc.) We stayed in the 100 block, and had a nice view from our balcony. I think the 200 block has the nicest sea views.
We had a pet frog in our bathroom during our entire stay! He was cute and harmless, suction-cupped to the wall mostly. He probably helped to keep our room insect free! The air conditioning was a tad noisy, but worked fine, and we usually had it turned off during the night as we were comfortable without it. Beds were on the firm side, but we had no problem sleeping!
The beach was small and secluded and because of the small size of the hotel, we often had the beach almost to ourselves! The water was lovely, clear and warm and there is coral (so bring some water shoes!) There are also nice sandy pools you can sit and wade in. Snorkelling is also very good!
The steps down to the beach, all 296 of them were fine going down, going up after a few drinks in the sweltering sun proved challenging, but if you take your time and take breaks it's ok. Keep in mind those fit beach bartenders lug food and drink up and down those stairs a couple of times a day! There is a beach bar with dining area and they serve a nice barbeque lunch usually chicken or fish with vegetable such as fried plantain and salad. There is also a change room, shower and washroom. If you plan on going down to the beach you can easily make a day of it, swimming, snorkelling, having drinks and lunch, or just reading on a lounge chair under a tree. Don't be surprised to see numerous goats on the hillside down to the beach, There are also chickens down near the beach bar (lunch?) and the beach mascot, a dog named "Lovely" - don't let his bark scare you, he's really quite friendly!
We went to the Sierra Mar for orientation on our second day. There's a bus that travels too and from Sierra Mar a few times a day, it's about a 20 minute ride. We spent the day there. It had a nice big beach, paddle boats and a large buffet restaurant where we ate lunch. The food although very similar to what was served at the Los Galeones was in our opinion not as good. This is where we also exchanged our currency as the larger resort has a foreign currency exchange. It is a bigger and busier resort and we enjoyed the day we spent there, but we preferred the solace of our small hotel.
The swimming pool at Los Galeones was clean and big enough to service the small hotel. It was never crowded and was a popular spot for most of the guests. The cafe and bar looked on to the pool, so you could dine next to the pool or inside the dining room. Bar drinks were usually quite good. Bar service could be slow to non-existant at times, but guests, especially the regulars would assist in getting and making cocktails or cervezas! I even self served a few times with no problem!
The whirlpool area was a nice private area, also with a spectacular view. It was a good area for sunbathing or reading, the whirlpool, however, only had a couple of working jets. I don't think anyone used it at all.
The grounds and gardens were lovely, and the hotel despite it's age and limited resources was clean and fairly well maintained.
Regretfully, we did not take any of the local tours, nor did we take any excursions into Santiago de Cuba. We were going to arrange for a taxi to take us on a tour of the city on our second to last day at the hotel, however, three days before returning home, I lost the key to the room safe (where all our money and passports were located) at the beach. The staff took measures to help find it, by raking and searching the sand. It miracuously turned up the following day, found by another guest snorkelling! Had it not been for her, we would have had to arrange for a locksmith, which would have cost over $100. Her efforts as well as the staff's were greatly appreciated! This little fiasco prevented us from making the trip into the city as planned, but we'll be sure to go next time!
Since this trip we have been to San Andres Island, Colombia (March 2007) and Playa de Panama, Costa Rica (Nov. 2007). We've always stayed at smaller hotels (under 100 rooms, and all have been 3 stars) and we've been very pleased with all of our choices thus far! We will likely be travelling to Cuba again this coming Feb. although this time will be near Trinidad, at the Costasur resort in a bungalow on the beach!
In closing, we would highly recommend the Hotel Brisas Los Galeones to anyone seeking a relaxing getaway in a beautiful setting. We will definately return to this hotel in the future. The people of Cuba, although poor, have a great sense of self pride and are lovely, warm and inviting people. We always felt safe, even when walking through the village or countryside on our own. Bring items as gifts such as t-shirts, baseball caps, toiletries, toys and school supplies for the kids. They will be much appreciated!