My husband and I just returned from a week at Breezes Jibacoa. The transfer from the airport to the hotel was good. The Gaviota transfer agent was very informative and provided a nice commentary during the transfer from Varadero airport. Check in was quick and smooth and soon we were off to our room with the help of a bellboy. We arrived late at night so it was difficult to make any assessment of the resort at this point. The room was nice and large and very clean. There was a 19" TV, a fridge, hair dryer, coffee maker, lots of hangers and a locked safe. Had a couple of drinks at the 24 hour lobby bar and headed off to bed.

We were located in an oceanfront room and when we woke up in the morning the view was spectacular. Upon a walk around the resort, however, I don't really think there was a bad room location, it would just depend on what you were looking for. If you wanted to be near the action, a poolview room would be for you -- if you wanted more privacy, a gardenview room would be for you -- if you want the view, an oceanview would be for you. There didn't seem to be any villas that were in a bad place.

The buffet had a large variety of food -- lots of fresh fruits, omelettes, meats, there was something for everyone. The buffet restaurant was not air conditioned but we found if we sat under the ceiling fans it was quite comfortable. Remember we were there in September which is a very hot time of year in Cuba.

The beach ranchon restaurant is currently under construction. What they have done is set up a couple of oceanfront rooms as a bar and a grill. They have plastic tables and chairs set up with umbrellas. The chicken and the cheeseburgers at the grill were really good and we found we had lunch here almost every day. The only negative thing I would say about this is that they need to have more tables set up. People come to the grill from the beach and sometimes it was hard to get a table.

The pool at the resort is very lovely and large. It is not very deep but is nice to dip into get cooled off. They have a pool volleyball net set up at the far side of the pool if anyone is interested in playing. The pool is large enough though that water games do not interfere at all with anyone just wanting to have a swim. There were two hot tubs around the pool.

There are activities daily at the resort such as spanish lessons, dance lessons, bingo, hikes, walks, hockey games, volleyball, etc. There is no pressure to participate but it is fun to try some of the activities. There is a dive shop on site and there are paddleboats and kayaks to use. There is a Hobie cat that they will take you out in if the water is not too rough -- you just have to book a time at the dive shop.

We noticed that the management of the resort is very professional. The groundsmen work daily to keep the grounds looking lovely. The beach is cleaned daily. The beach is really nice and warm. The snorkelling is awesome at this resort. There were a couple of red flag days when we were there but mostly yellow or green. The beach is very clean and clear but it is wise to wear water shoes since there is coral and shells among the sand and it is just safer to have shoes on.

One of the reasons we chose this resort was the proximaty to Havana. We spent a couple of days in the city and that was a wonderful experience. The resort offers many excursions into Havana and you can also just hire a taxi to take you into the City for the day to do some exploring on your own.

We took in both of the a la carte restaurants. Martino's, the Italian restaurant was very good, La Taberna, the Cuban restaurant was so-so. It would have been better if they served traditional cuban food like roast pork or chicken, congri, fried plantain, etc. This is just my opinion.

There is a lovely piano bar which is upstairs and is air conditioned. The only problem with this piano bar is that there was no piano music! I'm not sure if it was because it was the off season but a piano player would have added some ambiance to this lounge.

There is a 24 hour internet cafe. I found the connection to be fast enough considering that it was Cuba. I bought a 1/2 hour card and was able to check my email, Trip Advisor, etc. on three different occasions on the same card.

There was nightly entertainment. We did not participate in this so I cannot make any comment about it.

There is a nice pool bar and the bartender there was very nice and we had some really interesting conversations with him.

There is a cigar/rum store on site as well as a souvenir store. Prices seemed to be comparable to the duty free at the airport. There is a money exchange at the front desk that is open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. The rate of exchange was 1.18 to 1.16 Canadian later in the week when we were there. This again was comparable to the rates at the airport.

Overall, this resort was a wonderful place to relax & snorkel. The rooms are excellent, the water pressure and temperature are consistently good, the grounds are lovely. I would have no hesitation in recommending this hotel to anyone.

Mrs. Wheelie