This is a review from Gaz(TheHat) & Paula, from Scousland, UK.

We arrived on 23June 2008 for 2 weeks. This was our first time in Cuba and we were unsure as to what to expect.

Upon arrival at the airport we were greeted by bellboys from the hotel, who gave us our room keys and all the information needed. They also put our room numbers on our baggage, and that was that. The next time we saw our cases was in our room.

The resort is a pleasant 90 coach drive from the airport. The guide on the bus gave us plenty of information on what is what about the area. On that subject, apart from the 2 hotels close by, there is nothing but a road and an electricity generating station beyond the front gates !!! The nearest locals live is about 30/40 miles away, so if you want to go for some extra activities outside, like clubs and bars..forget it !!!!

Our room was in block 19, not far from the beach or the 'activity' pool. Our room was clean spacious, with aircon, towels and all that you could need. There was a mini bar that was stocked daily, and a tv if you wanted it, the maid cleaned daily.

The resorts pool are split into 2...one for adults, where, when we went there it was peace and quiet..not an awful lot going on...the other pool was where most of the daily activities took place. Waterpolo (waterrugby if you ask me), water vollyball, salsa dancing about 4ish,and other 'team' activities that the entertainment staff laid on. Oh, and not forgetting the Jacuzzi !!

There is a pool bar at each location, also a snack bar. Now a tip for brits, at the snack bar by the activity pool, they do a dish called 'poutien' or something like that, I think it must be a Canadian dish? but to us, its chips, cheese & gravy...lol....not that I went all the way to Cuba for Brit Food , but sometimes the day after a few rums , you need some 'stodge'...lol

The Beach: This is the jewel...It is white sandy, and goes for miles...If you get onto the beach and turn left, past other two hotels there are reefs and also less and less people...be sure to take water, as this far down, you can be all on your own.
There are various water activities, from hobbie cats to pedalos....
There is a snack bar on the beach with a lady doing panninis, and also you can get waiter service from the beach bar...yes your drinks brought to you...on another point I would invest in some containers that keep your drinks cold, we got some plastic ones from Morrisons, but you will see different people with all sizes, depending on how much they want to dink...

The places to eat: The main place is the buffet ‘Caibarien’. You get breakfast here, as well as lunch and dinner. They do a Lobster Dinner on a Friday and that is very popular, there are normally queues to get a table from about 8 onwards, it is popular..!!

There were 5 bookable / ala carte restaurants open while we where there.
The Romantica, The Seakhouse, The Seafood, The Italian , and the Pizzeria.
All doing different foods , by far the most popular was the Italian , which seemed to get booked up days in advance , but the food here is very good together with the atmosphere created by the musicians. We did not have any problems booking what we wanted. You have to book the above restaurants and you do this at two desks in the lobby. There is no extra charge, the only thing that you may want to pay for is a better quality of wine with your meal, and this is very reasonable !!

Places to drink: During the day you have two pool bars, two beach bars, the beer garden bar and the lobby bar, plus wine with your meals if you wish, at night there is just the lobby bar and that beer garden.

The Lobby Bar (24hour) carries a vast array of branded drinks , but there are a few that you have to pay for , these can be seen on the bar menu. The service is ok here, with waiter service till about 11pm, then it dies off as the staff go home, but you can still go to the bar.

The Beer Garden bar is also open 24 hour, and you can also get snacks here .Burgers, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, and fish fingers (no sign of Capt Birdseye here). This is a much more laid back bar, with great service, not a massive choice of drinks , but enough…You are away from the Lobby which can get noisy, with a show on most nights, and after a hard day in the sun, this is the best way to relax.

Nightly entertainment starts about 7/7.30pm with the resident Cuba band getting things going on the stage in the square near the Lobby. They are actually very good, and the entertainment staff are always about to get you up dancing. On that point like all ‘resorts’ they have their own resort dance , and forgive me here it’s called ‘The Ragga Ragga’ or ‘The Macca Macca’ or something, but the kids and some adults love it…some of us just hid when we heard it..lol
There are shows most nights which are ‘glitzy’ and ‘noisy’… We cannot comment on them, as we did not go to see any, sorry !!!!!

One subject that comes up is mosquitoes …yes they live here, yes they bite/sting, but my god, we are in a tropical climate not at Brighton or Southport !!! So some advice (from a guy who got bitten 22 times on the first night on his head alone)..
You wont go out into the hot sun without sun protection, so don’t go out at night and in some cases early morning without insect repellent. We bought some stuff from Boots. It’s a lotion in a silver plastic bottle/container..about £5…well worth it, or you can buy stuff with 100% DEET…This is the chemical that’s supposed to stop them biting…The hotel does fumigate by way of a pick up truck with a smoke cannon on the back that blasts smoke throughout the resort, but depending which way the wind is blowing, depends who it gets…lol Just be prepared, just like mosquitoes, there are lizards, crabs and cockroaches about…You are on a tropical island.

Tipping…. Tip as you want 1 CUC peso is 50 pence !!! not a lot and these people live for the tips….if the service is good …tip well…we saw one group of twelve tip just 3 pesos , and this was for a birthday party in one of the bookable restaurants ( a cake was supplied also) come on people …. Dig a little deeper in places like this !!

The Excursions: There are many to chose from, we just went on two. The Catamaran and Santa Clara (and local villages). The Catamaran is a great day out for all ages. The marina is only 30 mins away. With plenty of snorkelling and rum, together with a lobster or chicken lunch. (our Captain Freddie, went and caught a live lobster, he threw it back)

The Santa Clara trip was fascinating for those who like local culture and history do not miss this trip..!!! I would not suggest taking young children on this, as they will get fed up. The trip includes a ride on steam train, a visit to a church with a gold alter, a cigar factory , and then to Santa Clara the ‘home’ of Che…This trip includes lunch, and free time in a couple of places.

Overall, this holiday surpassed and exceeded our expectations, so much so, we cannot wait to go back. The resort in my book may not be 5 Star, but it is easily a 4.5 based on overall facilities and location.

One footnote, if you are thinking of going to Cuba, GO NOW !!! Go before McDonalds arrives, because once it is there, it will destroy the magic that is CUBA !!

We stayed at the Melia Las Dunas June 14, 08 to June 21, 08. Truly feels like I awoke form a wonderful dream. This vacation was definitely surreal. I book with five people at first and four other friend’s book last minute. Prior to going I pretty much read over one hundred reviews on this resort. When booking five months in advance. I had to follow up to make sure we made the right decision. I personal experience a lot of things people didn’t talk about when writing there reviews. I will comment on things other people said and things I have not read in the past.

Location
Melia Las Dunas is in the middle of no where. The resort is very big. Lots of people vacationing; feels like being in a village. There are probably six hotels/resorts in the area. No one leaves there resort so the road is empty. I went for a bicycle ride and got some famous picture. We felt like kids exploring the beach and swamps. I was in back 25, which is located on the family side of the resort. We book 2 ocean view room and 1 superior room, which had an ocean view too. My other friends stayed in a standard room located at bock 20. We diffidently notice the differences in views. I was a little scared when I read a review saying that there was no ocean view at this resort. They obviously weren’t in my block. The view is beautiful. The Melia Las Dunas has access to the Melia Santa Maria resort. They don’t have access to the Melia Las Dunas. You can take a walk other there and have a drink or two. The gym and sports centre; just wonderful. There is a soccer field/court, lots of tennis courts, a basketball court and a rock claiming wall.

Beach:
There is not a lot I can say, that has not been said before. Everyone writes about the Beach and how heavenly it is. The white sand feels like a skin moisturizer. The sand has a silk like texture. I would suggest an underwater camera. There is loss of beautiful fish swimming on the shore line. Bring some bread from one of the buffets and stand or set in the water and feed them.

Food:
Buffet
The food was a lot better then I thought. When everyone I know plus here on Tripadvisor; talks about how the food in Cuba is not the best. You really don’t know what to expect. For people that don’t eat Beef, Pork or Chicken, like me. There is lots of fish. Normally at other resorts I’ve been too. The selection of fish was very limited. There are three or more different kinds of fish to choice from. This made me very happy. I did find the food to be a little cold at times. I’m not a pity person in general, so I didn’t mind too much. “When the food is cool you taste the most flavour.” But you’re going to have to be the judge on how the food taste. The Ice cream is like no other I’ve every tasted before. The Ice cream goes really fast at the buffet. I really don’t like to eat Ice cream when I travel. The reason I try it was because of the line up. Glad I try it because I fell in love with it. Wish I could take a box or two, home.
Restaurants
I will start with the best. The pizza place I don’t remember the name. It’s not hard to find. Ask around and someone will point you in the right direction. Compliment to the chef. I eat there almost every day. Not because it was on the same side as my block. (Room) The sea food restaurant. May or may not be the name. Situated where the sea food a la cart take place. I did eat there once. The shrimp was good but you have to shell it yourself. The Beer Garden. Now this name I did remember. The Beer Garden is open 24 hour. The food was good. There were home made potato chips, which were ok. No one seemed to finish the chips. They had no taste.
A La Carte
The A la carte restaurants were absolutely five star class. The sea food A la carte was very mediocre. It’s outside basically in the open. This is the only A la carte that’s not five star, in my eyes. The grill was very good. I had the tuna with fruit. The fruit went well with the tuna. I’m going to try making it, can’t wait. The Italian was good. The only problem I had with this a la carte was I had to wear long pants. When on a sun vacation I don’t really like to feel hot wearing pants. Dress shorts should be sufficient for the occasion. Had shorts on and the receptionist wouldn’t let me set down unless I changed. I didn’t make a big deal because I was with a big group and knew long pants were required. Ordered a shuttle back to my room and he waited for me. He brought me back, in no time. The Romantic was my favourite and a lot of other peoples too. There were a lot of people rebooking, it’s really that good.

Staff
The employees were great. Half of the review I read said tipping is not necessary, which is very true. I couldn’t believe the service I got with out having to tip. The first day I got there I didn’t convert my money. They treated me like I was tipping all week. They indulge everyone the some, I personally feel people tip a lot more. The maids did a good job on cleaning are rooms. On the last day she left gifts for my friends and me, we really appreciated it. Special Thank You goes out to the house keeper. The entertainment staff is very helpful. They made my stay extra special. Wish I could name everyone on the entertainment staff but I’m not good with names. The employee speaks very good English, French and Spanish. This is hard to find. Anything you need just ask and they will have not problem understanding you. If it’s unavailable they tell you straight out with out guessing on what you are asking for. The only thing I didn’t like about them speaking three different Languages; waiting for them to get to the language you are familiar with. That’s just me being selfish.

Shopping
The price at the independent shopping area is unbelievable. Usually the shops you find on the resort are way over priced. Here at the Melia Las Dunas I think the things in the shops are under priced. I bought most of my things from Roger. He took good care of me. Roger gave me some really good deals. One of my friends I personal have never seen him buy anything on vacation. The deals were so good he couldn’t help but buy. Roger is not there everyday so you’re going to have to ask when he will be selling his goods.

Mosquito
There were a lot of Mosquito’s at the resort. It did seem like the mosquito’s where everywhere. After the first night they didn’t really bother me that much. I did go in June which is known for mosquitos.

Disco
The best disco I’ve been to on a resort. The music selection is endless. They only play about 20 songs over and over again. They have the music but don’t play it. A friend of mine took a look at the computer and seen folders of County, Dance, R&B, Soul, Hip Hop the list goes on and on. She asks to pick some songs and they let her. You may have to write down the song you want them to play. Believe me they have it. I don’t know if we got lucky but the disco was full of young singles and young couples. We partied until 3am almost every morning. There was a newly married couple in there late 20’s. The wedding party had over 80 people. Yes a very big destination wedding. Lots of there friends and family were in the disco partying it up. We did go into town are last night. We went to a club that was known for young students. The club was already full so we ended up going to another club with an older crowd. It was ok. Renting the vans to take us into town was easy. Thanks to the Air Canada representative.

I had seen a review and the person whom wrote; was at The Melia Las Dunas the same week as me. They did not recommend for young single. I am a young single and had the time of my life. Which go to show, “do not book basest on one review.”

Any Question just asks and I’ll be more then happy to answer.

Judy from Montreal
Visited Melia Las Dunas from June 22 to 29....

Food:
There was so much choice....Buffet and Restaurants...that by no means were u ever hungry...We ate at the Seafood Restaurant several times....the Italian twice which was amazing....the Romantica also nothing to complain about....the Grill was another story...I guess we should have know better than to think that the beef would be good...but hey nothing in life is perfect....the snack bars and the Beer Garden also good....Friday Nights is seafood night in the International Buffet...the lobster was amazing....The Creole Buffet was great for breakfast...really good omelettes.....croissants like home....mango's were amazing in the International Buffet....ok enough about the food...

Beach:
The beach was the nicest I've ever seen..this was my first visit to Cuba but definetely not my last....the water so clear blue and warm....no rocks at all....so little seaweed that's it not worth mentioning....We used to go to the beach early before breakfast and always had our chairs cleaned off for us....The Beach Bar was great and the bartenders were so friendly...they even came on the beach to take your order for drinks....The 2 lifeguards we saw from time to time checking to make sure all was good...also on the beach was the Grill...this wonderful woman was there from 10am to 4pm...to make grilled sandwiches....I just wish I spoke spanish....

The Lobby:
I have never seen such a large lobby with so much going on...seating arrangements in the lobby were again amazing...haha...I use that word a lot....best way to describe my experience....entertainment in the lobby in the evening with a trio or duo of musicians...and just off the lobby A band played every night before the show...many people got up to dance both to the band and to the trio of musicians...if u like coffee u will love the coffee bar ....great expresso and cappacino.....mmmmmmm

Rooms:
We stayed in bldg no 42...all rooms are beautiful and well kept..clean...I did not see one bug all week...almost everyday when we would leave in the morning a gardener was working and stopped to chat and give us women a flower....so sweet....

Mosquitos:
We were only bothered the first night in the International Buffet and that was because before we got our luggage we went to eat there without our OFF...big mistake....but that was understandable since the Buffet was sort of closed in ...no air circulation....after that was smooth sailing....I applied my off each evening before going out to dinner and I had no problem...also because most of the other places were more open and there was a breeze....which the mosquitos do not like...lol....

My overall experience with the Melia Las Dunas was a great one and I would definetely recommend this Resort to my Friends and Family....The staff was very friendly and always willing to chat with u.....some spoke more english than others...but we managed to understand each other....

I travelled to this hotel with my daughter and grandson. This was my 6th trip to Cuba. The property is huge and the grounds and common area are very nice and very well maintained.

The room appeared as the picture is the brochure. However, the air conditioning was not enough cool and the cleaning of the room could have been better. For instances, there was stains on the bedspread at our arrival and some dental paste stains on the wall of the bathroom near the sink.

The pools are nice and clean but there was frequently no chairs available due to other tourists reserving the chairs even if they were not at the pool.

The beach is very beautiful. White powdery sand and turquoise water with no rocks. However, there is not enough palapas (again because of all the chairs being reserved for people not even at the beach) and it was always difficult to get some shade at the beach. This was problematic as we were travelling with a young child.

The staff were courteaous, friendly and worked hard to make our stay enjoyable. The service at the bar and restaurant was good.

The food at the buffet restaurant however was the worse I had in the Carabean. We did not try the a la carte restaurant because we were travelling with a child. The food was not fresh, not tasty, not well presented, not hot and there was flies in the food. For example, the first morning I was expecting fresh fruit but the melons were mushy the bananas were too ripe (they were black and mushy) and the ananas not ripe enough. The best food was the pasta bar or the grilled meat or fish counter but the line-up was much too long. I have been to Cuba several time before and I was not expecting the same standards than in Canada. Of course we always managed to find something to eat and fortunately we have not been sick but I was disappointed by the quality of the food.

Overall, I would not recommend this hotel and I will no go there again.