Just got back from Breezes Jibacoa on March 7, 2005. I was very impressed with this resort. The room was quite large and very clean. It was very secluded and I would not recommend it if you wanted to party. The food was great! The Dining Room was set up so nicely for all your meals and you could eat inside or out. The staff in the Dining Room were great. The breakfast was wonderful with the fresh squeezed orange juice. The bread was excellent. I did take the Havana day trip which I found interesting but a little depressing. I took balls and a lot of other things to give to the children in Havana. I don't think that this was a good idea as I ran out of items and people that did not get something were very upset. The pool was very cold which seems to be a common complaint with the Breezes. The grounds were very beautiful and well kept. The beach bar was great. They had french fries, pizza and chicken. The french fries were amazing. The snorkeling was wonderful. It was like looking into an aquarium with all the different coloured fish. Because you are in the only resort in the area you did not have to wear one of those plastic armbands. The hotel was full but we never had a problem getting a chair around the pool or at the beach. I also booked the restaurants before I left and when I arrived they had my confirmation for me. If you do not book ahead of time you get very late reservations because the restaurants are mostly booked. I would highly recommend this resort and would go back in a minute.

Enjoy!!

We visited the Jibacoa last year and absolutely loved it. The food was great, but the service was the outstanding factor of the whole resort. Everyone, especially dining room hostess and staff made us feel more than welcome. the following trip we visited the SuperClubs Costa Verde. what a mistake that was ! Everybody sick, unfriendly and angry staff, dirty rooms yuk ! I'd return to the Jibacoa in a minute. Joel and Odanatey were our servers. Outstanding !

We were at Breezes Jibacoa for the week of February 14-21. This was our first all-inclusive experience and wow .... what an experience it was!

We did a fair amount of research prior to booking our trip and we utilized Tripadvisor as our main resource. The reviews read on this site are very accurate and informative and made our trip that much more enjoyable.

Important Tips:
1. Remember to bring an insulated travel mug with a lid. The plastic cups that they use at the pool and beach bars are quite small and your drink will get warm quite quickly in the sun. At the lobby and piano bars and the nite club you can get a real glass. The cubans free-pour their rum so be careful... the drinks can sneak up on you. But what the hey ... you're on vacation!
2. Our favorite bar was the beach bar. The atmosphere is what you would imagine a bar on the beach of Cuba would be like. The food is good. We recommend the pizza or chicken. The fries are good too. Great service.
3. We brought alot of small toiletries and toys for tipping. Shampoos, toothpaste, gums, crayons,etc. Leave these for tips for the maid and you'll come back to your room to find thank you notes and beautiful things made out of your towels. The maids do very well tip wise here so don't forget about your favorite bartender or chef as well. You will get good service either way but little gestures go a long way with the Cuban people.
4. Take in the daily volleyball game in the pool as well as the dance lessons at poolside. We learned how to salsa as well as how to do the Sun Dance which is a nightly ritual after the night show.
5. Many reviews said the pool was cold. I would say it was cool but after a day of snorkelling and baking in the sun the pool was very refreshing. And always clean.
6. The snorkelling off our beach was excellent. The reef is amazing. It's best to snorkel in the morning when the sea is calm because often the wind kicks up in the afternoon. We witnessed people stand on the reef when they we're out snorkelling. DO NOT do this. The reef is a living thing and takes many years to grow.(As well as there is fire corral.) Pay attention to the flags. If it's a red flag then don't go in. It either means lots of jellyfish have blown in from the tip of Florida or the current is strong.
7. Keep your luggage and clothes up off the floor. There is a crack under the room door and we had two cockroaches come in and get in our suitcase. After we discovered this we kept a towel along the bottom of the door at night. However, those two roaches were the only two bugs we saw during our entire week.
8. The drinking water is restocked in your room every day so remember to drink lots of it. You can also get bottled water at all bars. I got tricked into thinking beer and rum were rehydrating me and ended up with a mild case of heat exhaustion. A night of rest and rehydration fixed me up good as new.
9. Book your two dining room reservations when you arrive as well as any massages, tours, etc. There is a board in the lobby that has all the tours and activities on it. The scooter tours are a must. We went to Santa Cruz and the Bellamar caves. Javier and Adrian are excellent tour guides. Be careful. The cuban roads are not well kept up and a couple on our tour crashed their scooter resulting in a broken leg and a flight home. The catamaran cruise is a booze-cruise which was lots of fun. We had fresh lobster, saw some dolphins, snorkelled and went to Cayo Coco island for lunch and socializing. Take lots of sunscreen, a towel and a hat.

Food:
The buffet was excellent at breakfast, lunch and supper. The omelettes and fresh-squeezed OJ were our favorites. We had a person in our group who has a restricted-diet and there was no problem for her in finding a variety of good food to eat. Martino's was an excellent dining experience and is a must. It was a nice break from the buffet experience. They don't book alot of tables at once which makes it quiet and great for conversation.
The breads in Cuba are absolutely amazing. Delicious!!

Nightlife:
This resort is not a singles scene. We went for our 10th anniversary along with another couple who was celebrating the same. That was perfect because the quiet,secluded nature of the resort caters to couple activity.
If you want a singles scene then go to Varadero. The niteclub here plays good music but it's very small and not many people utilize it.
The night shows were good, fun entertainment. The performers obviously take a lot of pride in what they do. Sometimes the show could be a little cheesy but overall worth checking out every night. Often audience participation was requested but there was no pressure to participate.

Rooms:
The rooms were very clean. We upgraded to the ocean-view for $100 and it was well worth it. We had a patio with a grassy area in front of it and were about 100 yds from the water's edge. We would often take a drink back to our room after the night show and relax listening to the ocean.

Staff:
The morning walk with Eric to the hills is a must. It's as much of a comedy show as it is an informative tour and breath taking view. It's free and it's a great way to get the cobwebs out. Wear good shoes and takes some water. We did not have any issues with any of the staff. They take alot of pride in their jobs as they are very lucky to have employment in the tourism industry. If you have any questions about Cuban history ask any one of the staff. They are very knowledgeable about their country and heritage, something which I think Canadians are lacking.

Overall Impression:
This resort is an immaculate and very well run all-inclusive resort. If you are looking for quality R&R with no worries about anything, minimal lineups, good food and drink then this is your resort. There is as much, or as little to do as you want. There is no pressure to take part in activities but you are very welcomed if you do. Give Breezes Jibacoa a try and have an amazing time ... we sure did!

Just got back from a week, Feb 19th to 26th. We went as a group of fourteen. Our ages varied from early thirties to mid forties. My choosing this resort was partly based on the reviews I read on this site. Generally speaking I agree with the postive experiences the previous reviewers have written and will try and touch on a few things that have not been so widely discussed.

Generally
Setting and layout of this resort is impressive. Additonally it's a fairly new resort which really helps. I found it clean, well looked after, and attended to. The grounds are beautiful and both pool and ocean are close from any room location. Staff is polite, curteous, and friendly but can really warm up if you take the time to get to know them. As for our weather it was really great. We lucked out. Typical day for us was scattered clouds [85% sunny] and just wonderful temperatures in the low to mid eighties or slightly above as our week progressed. Often had to move to the shade which is readily available under fixed grass roofed umbrellas and shore trees. Seating and loungers are always available either pool or beach. You don't have to run down and play the towel game. BIG plus and extra bonus points there! Pool temp was fine for me. Same with ocean. Very nice once you're in. Resort is predominately Canadian travellers however a total of 72 from the U.K. was announced one evening.

Room
Room was fine [pool view]. Nothing spectacular but clean and comfortable. Who hangs out in their room anyway? Ironing board and iron available in-room. Hair dryer on the wall but it's not powerful so decide for yourself. Power is 220 / 60 cycle and a converter was supplied and in my room. Sound proofing is very good but if you want real quiet then request something away from pool area. Nightly shows until 11:00pm WILL be heard even with patio door closed. Room was stocked with three 1.5 litre bottles of water and they are replenished as used. Water is readily available on the resort. No drinking water issues at all. It was very good. In room-safe is supplied however here's a tip: When you want to open it just hit the door and it'll pop open. We found that one out more amusing ways. Just try getting it open without hitting it!!

Beach Bar
Food is basic but typical of most beach bars anywhere. Burgers, fries, pizza, although there was an offering of chicken and salad for the more healthy conscious. Drinks are great and the beer [Crystal] is comparable to Blue Lite. [For those of you from Canada] For those of you who like the slushy stuff try the Miami Vice. And yes... the cups are small so as with all the previous reviewers I'd advise you bring along an insulated travel mug.

Buffet
Food is so subjective so I'll stay away from personal taste comments but generally I'd agree with the other positive reviewers and found it very good for Cuba. Generally speaking the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet is large, varied, and well presented however most importantly the dishes are properly prepared and set out. Cold foods are chilled and offered in such a way as to stay chilled. Hot foods the same. Additionally, if you are a healthy eater you won't be dissapointed with any of the three offerings ie; breakfast, lunch or dinner. Fruits are always available and are excellent especially the grapefruit and oranges and there's a decent selection of things like raisins, figs and cereals at breakfast. Lunches and dinners are the same with numerous varieties of fruits and vegetables of all types either hot or cold. Available outside seating is a plus and we chose it continually.

Martino's
This is the Italian restaurant and unfortunately for me I never made it but everyone in our group who did was very impressed with both the food and service. Book early!!

Activities
Lot of options both those included as part of the package and those you pay a fee for ie; Havana Tour, Varadero Tour, Catamaran Cruise, Scooters, and on and on. The activity for me personally was the snorkeling. Just couldn't get enough of it. Really really great stuff especially under a bright sunshine which tends to bring out the best of the reef and its hundreds of inhabitants. Best of all it's right off shore! I brought my own snorkel and mask and although the resort supplies all snorkeling equipment free of charge, if you have your own snorkel and mask and the room to bring them I'd advise you do. No substitute for your own stuff especially a snorkel. One additional note, respect the beach flags. We however only got red flagged one afternoon.

Nitpicking
No in-room fridge. [Other than the tropical suites] This is the first time I haven't had one and missed it. No in-room cold beverages or leftover snacks or treats from the buffet. A cold drink of water at 3:00 in the morning would have been nice.. or even a munchie. I'm sure some of you can relate.

There are a few times when it's difficult to get something to eat ie; between 10:30 am and noon for example. There is a few plates of food in the lobby bar fridge but won't satisfy cravings. This harks back to the in-room fridge issue. Be nice to make up some sandwiches at the morning buffet and bring them back to the room for refrigerated storage for later.

Beach is nice but it's not that miles of pristine white sand that you can walk on forever. If you enjoy the long walks then you'll be forced to walk back and forth.

Bottom Line
A great out of the way resort catering to those who just want to kick back and relax. Your choice of this resort will be to get away from your typical resort strip. There is no walk-to off-resort nightlife. There are no walk-to off-resort shops or markets. You're away from all that and that should be one if not the main reason you choose this resort. Everyone I spoke to at the resort regarding their own experience and impression was very positive. Definitely a couples resort. There were a few singles there but if your looking for the singles scene or party scene this won't be your resort. Would I return? I'd say yes and may sometime in the future. If you have any questions feel free to email me. Subject: Jibacoa