Hello again... I spent a week (9/15-22/2012) with my wife and step-daughter at the exclusive VIK Cayena Beach Club (CBC).

First of all, the best thing about the CBC is that it doesn't pretend to be something it is not. They don't claim to be a swanky 5-star joint. They aren't. I will say their service is top notch. Everyone, from the reception manager, the wait staff at the restaurants, the entertainment crew, all the way to the guy trimming the hedges, is as polite as could be. Always with a smile they will greet you, "Buenos Dias!"

The food is pretty good. The restaurant on the exclusive side of the property, is a great place to have breakfast or lunch. You are literally eating 50 feet from the beach. They have some really good things on the menu. My step-daughter is a "Pescatarian"-- the only meat she will eat is fish. She made it through the week without running out of tasty options. The international buffet on the main side of the property is also good. It has about 6 serving stations they stack with food choices. There is always beef, pork, chicken and fish available. Also, plenty of greens and other veggies.

The activities available are kind of hoakie... They play silly games during the day. Beach volleyball, "olympics," horseshoes... I just prefer to sit on the beach.

There is an attached watersports center, Pelicano Sport. This is where I got my entertainment. The shop is not owned by the resort. I have met and enjoyed some conversation with the owners Peter and Chris.This is where I got my entertainment. I scuba dive... I went seven tanks during the week and finally earned my Nitrox certification. My wife and step-daughter took advantage of the free activities they offer-- boogie boarding, snorkeling, kayaking and sailing.

So, with all this good stuff, there has to be a bad... right?? Well, yes... unless you like big feather pillows, bring your own. Also, the beds are FIRM. As those are personal preferences, it may or may not matter to you.

Anyhow, I hope this helps. If you have any questions, I usually respond fairly quickly. I will be putting up pictures soon.

We loved Cayena!

My husband, two teenagers (13 and 16) and I were there from 8/4/12 through 8/11/12, and we had a great time. The people, beach and water sports were terrific. We also loved the El Cano restaurant for breakfast and lunch and the feeling of being spoiled by the warm and friendly staff at Cayena.

The boutique feeling of the hotel was GREAT. We got to know not only the warm and friendly people that worked there but also several of out fellow travelers from the US and other countries. We enjoyed a fun dinner party by the pool, coconut water from coconuts that they opened for us and a great party boat half day that were all free for Cayena guests. We also enjoyed a few of the Arena Blanca activities and resources although we were definitely happiest on the Cayena part of the property.

I'm not sure what the previous reviewer was talking about but everything was working fine during our stay of the same week. The room was pretty, clean and had great views. I would agree with other reviewers that this might not be up to a five star rating in regard to some things (the sheets were only ok) but the service and again, the warmth with which it was delivered can't be beaten! Think casual, island style luxury, not the Waldorf.

One pleasant surprise- the half hour catamaran ride that is mentioned on the website can be a half hour lesson if you want and then you can take the boat out every day for a half hour on your own! Just remember to reserve it and the windsurfers ahead of time.

Enjoy the beautiful beach, sheltering palopas, people and coziness! We hope to do the same again next year!

Went here on my Honey moon from 8/5 to 8/12, got there and had to pay twice for an upgraded room with a queen, or king size bed, never got it, I told them i was on my honeymoon and all i wanted was a room with a king or queen bed, not the honeymoon sweet, all i got for an answer was do you have your marriage license, now i got married on a friday and left for the trip sunday, so obviously the paperwork was in process and i didnt have it (so i paid twice for an upgraded room with a king or queen bed and never got it, but i was to hot and tired to argue anymore and accepted the two full beds we got). In the week we stayed there, the toilet broke twice, the AC worked poorly, the food was mediocre, the pool was gross and was getting inspected by some sort of health person, the beach had like 10 feet of sea weed to truck through to just get to decent water, the excursions were ok but over priced, you constantly had people coming up to you to try and get you to buy things, or buy into a time share, the whole hotel lost the toilets for like 7 hours and our room was fumigated all in the same week, and this was my honeymoon, which at this point i consider a complete disappointment, also there are a bunch of feral cats running around. Also every room has a lock box, unfortunately you have to rent a locking mechanism at an additional cost just to use it. The upper management was fairly rude, the grounds crew, bar tenders, cleaning people, and the waitresses etc, were very nice however. To sum it all up, i would never stay at this hotel chain ever again, whether it be here or anywhere else they have resorts...

My girlfriend and I went to Cayena Beach for a week in the middle of June through Interval. It ended up being cheaper than a lot of other hotels in the area and it was advertised as "5 stars" on their website. Definitely not. I'm going to make an objective list of pros and cons to help anyone who is considering booking at Cayena Beach.

PROS: The beach was absolutely immaculate. It was our first time in the Caribbean so this was quite a treat. The private pool bar for Cayena Beach guests only was great. It was empty and the bartenders were very nice. The whole Cayena area was great for the Cayena guests. All of the employees were very, very helpful and nice. You can tell that they really want to make your feel at home and make your trip the best it can be.

CONS: NO AIR CONDITIONING. That's right. During the week that we went, the air conditioning in the entire Cayena building was down. The hotel didn't do anything to alleviate the heat for the guests, didn't offer to move any guests, and simply said that it should be fixed soon. It was broken on the Saturday that we arrived and it was still broken the following Saturday when we left. Going back to an 85 degree room at the end of the night really wasn't pleasant and this alone ruined the trip. Also, the food wasn't great. It was just ok but for the money that we spent, I was expecting a lot better. Furthermore, my girlfriend and I both got violently sick from the food. I know there are other factors involved with getting sick but fair warning that the food is sitting out without air conditioning. Next, there were tiny ants crawling around our bathroom. In a "5 star" room, that was absolutely unacceptable. Next, all the pools close at 7pm so couple that with no air conditioning and you have quite the problem.

That was our trip in a nutshell. The theme was "we're just going to try to make the most of it." Unfortunately that's not the mentality that you want to have from a vacation. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. If you want to save a few bucks and the things I described don't bother you, by all means go for it. We still had a pretty good time here, mostly due to the great staff. I just hope our next timeshare experience is better because we were both looking forward to going home and that says something. Good luck.