we have just returned from a memorable one week escapade in a special experience. when we were their, the hotel was practically to ourselves, we were only 6 guests and had the impression we were at our private estate with our staff standing by to serve us with a smile.in the morning we went down to the beach where waiting was Yaumar who had caught fish for lunch on the bbq. we went snorkeling in clear calm water (very warm) and we felt like jacques cousteau exploring rich marine life and the amazing coral reef. after lunch we would swim again and lay in the shade resting undisturbed.after the day the walk up the 300 steps was a welcome exercise. then it would be the pool or the jacuzzi and a pina colada or a mohito. the supper was always excellent and various,the service was also great. the rooms were always very clean . i found the matress in my king size bed a little soft but had a deep restfull sleep every night.in the morning we would have our coffee on our balcony and contemplate the carrabean in all of its splendor.we met very kind and interesting staff and guests and will certainly return to reconnect with the true sense of gratitude.

My husband and I stayed for a week in February, 2008. We are both in our late-twenties and felt a bit out of our element for the first couple of days, as the crowd is tad older with many cherished regulars. But once we relaxed and got comfortable we really felt welcome and enjoyed ourselves tremendously. The staff is fantastic, the feel for the place is totally authentic, the adults-only restriction is kind of nice too if you don't have kids, (there are limited facilities here) and you quickly meet the other guests as there are only thirty-two rooms .

In order to enjoy yourself though, you have to let go a bit and loosen up. The walk to the beach takes 300 steps down winding stairs so you have to pace yourself (more so, back up). The beach is an awesome natural beach, dark sand, goats and a beach dog, an amazing bbq lunch and fantastic snorkelling.

I highly recommend if you just want to relax, a fantastic 'natural beach' holiday. I wouldn't recommend this place for the food, although it was always fresh and I never went hungry, it is good, but this is a very small resort. If you can arrange some specialties, try talking to the staff about it, as the fish and seafood are amazing but may take some effort on your part to attain. I highly recommend the beer, the wine, the Pina Colodas and the Mohitos, and anything else with rum. If I could choose a day trip again, I would rather go see a coffee plantation than the Santiago de Cuba tour, the country-side is beautiful and the city is not quite the same.

We met some really lovely people while we were there, we hope to see them again some day, we would definitely go back (hopefully sooner than later).

Cheers,
N&B

My Husband and I looked forward to a quiet relaxing vacation at Los Galeones. Having visited there 12 years ago just for a look-see, we thought it was ideal for stunning scenery and peace. The drive to the Hotel is very slow because the road has become very damaged due to devastating hurricanes, but it is not an unpleasant drive because you can enjoy the wonderful unblemished coastline all the way there.We were greeted warmly by staff and tourists at the lobby and taken to our room quickly. This Hotel is a very small property and apparently this is the draw for the mostly senior regulars. We found there was no where to go except down to the beach to get shade because the "regulars" set up camp early in the a.m. in all the spots with shade. The beach is lovely to look at but the water was very murky and the bottom is uneven, rocky and covered in sea grass. We got down to the beach at 3:45 and asked for a drink of water but the bar tender said that was not possible, the bar was supposed to be open till 4:00. It is a long 300 steps back up from the beach but we knew this before we booked the trip, it was not a problem. We were unable to get a drink in the bar at the pool because there were no staff a lot of the time. The food was the very worst we have ever encountered in Cuba and this was our 5th time to Cuba. We are well aware of water difficulties in the Caribbean and we dont worry about hot water being available at all times, however there was no water for a good portion of our stay and guests in the know, were scooping water out of the pool to flush the toilets!!!The" straw that broke the camels back" however was the over whelming disgusting chokingly foul odour from the septic system, that wafted into our room and made me sick to my stomach.I asked for some help with this situation but it was 10:30 p.m. and the only person around was a staff member tending the bar and she could not do anything to help. I read all the reviews on this property on Trip Advisor and I am very discouraged that no-one has written about these very real problems. I am an avid traveler, I love Cuba, but this Hotel should be in my opinion, the last place one would pick for a holiday.We were very lucky to have been able to de-camp this Hotel and head down to Sierra Mar where we spent a most enjoyable rest of our vacation.

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!