All You Need to Know About the Shops
at Hotel Brisas Sierra Mar
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Shops review highlights
Alot of fun, great staff and ok beach. Long rough bus ride. Few shops. Overall great experience.
... just hard to get more if you run out. On departure some shops in the airport will take Canadian currency but not loonies...
... exploring in. Very private area, so don't expect a lot of shops and tourists. It's a great area for rest and relaxing with...
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Write a reviewAlot of fun, great staff and ok beach. Long rough bus ride. Few shops. Overall great experience.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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We stayed at Los Galeones from March 9-15, 2005 and, even though we had to get there via Toronto from our home in Winnipeg it was worth the extra effort and expense. Brisas Los Galeones is a great place for anyone wanting a quiet getaway without the crowds, the noise and the line-ups at the bigger Cuban resorts. With only 25-26 guests (when we were there) you get to know everyone in a very short period of time. There was first rate entertainment at almost every evening meal but not much in the way of late night entertainment - except the revelry that the guests produce! By the end of the week you are pretty much friends with everyone so the party atmosphere is easily generated. This is not the place of late nights and loud discos. It is a place of laughter, warmth and great fun. The staff are amazingly friendly and helpful. The food, although simple, is beautifully prepared and piping hot. It is really healthy food with lots of cooked vegetables and fresh fruit. We had an ocean view room (most rooms have a great view) and it was wonderful to step out on the balcony every morning to take in the breath-taking scenery or to be lulled to sleep at night listening to the surf of the ocean far below. Of course, the price you pay for the great view is a challenging walk up from the beach or the local town. But I'm 53 and in pretty good shape so, frankly, I enjoyed the exercise. There is a twice-a-day free shuttle back and forth to Sierra Mar. It's 20 minutes on awful road but worth it if you want a change of scenery. The food at the Sierra Mar buffet is pretty good. We went to Sierra Mar three times for scuba. There's a good dive shop right at Sierra Mar and it costs about 30 convertible pesos per person. The equipment is pretty good. One of our dives was to an old wreck. If snorkelling is your thing you may as well stay at Los Galeones. It's great. The mud bath tour is probably worth the $15 per person. We didn't go on any of the other tours. Be warned - don't run out of cash. Los Galeones and Sierra Mar are a long way from Santiago de Cuba which is the only place where you can get cash on your credit card and ONLY if you present your Passport. In a pinch you can use cedit cards for tours or scuba but only if you push the issue. They really prefer cash. Take Canadian dollars and get it changed into convertible pesos. Getting money changed is not a problem, it's just hard to get more if you run out. On departure some shops in the airport will take Canadian currency but not loonies or twoonies. Los Galeones is the kind of place that you want to return to year after year. It has an atmosphere that is really captivating and contagious! I'm not surprised they have so much repeat business. I know this much - we'll be back!
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+1
My wife and I stayed here second week in February, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The views from almost any spot on the resort are amazing if you like a mix of mountains, palm trees, ocean, beach, and even a giant cactus at the very top of the resort. Our room was on the 700s floor, so very top of the resort, with about 5 flights of stairs down to the main lobby, and the view was amazing. Perfect sunsets every night from our balcony which was private and nice sized. The room itself was dated, but clean, but the shower head was abysmal. It's more like a tap then a shower so maybe bring a cheap shower head with you if you are picky and twist it on for the duration of your stay. 😁 The mattress is not luxurious by any means and really loud if you know what I mean. Our neighbors said they didnt hear us but I have my doubts.
The main level was prob about 5 flights above the water area again, and had the majority of the amenities. Beautiful spots to sit and relax and enjoy the views. The beach area was actually fair sized considering it's a smaller resort a great spot to sit. But a lot of the chairs are old and worn out so you'll have to get up early if you want a newer one.
Pros: they rent scooters at the resort for 30 cuc so you can get out and explore, well worth doing as the scenery gets better and better. The employees get dropped off in a tour bus every morning and if you hop on it when it leaves again at about 8:50 you can get a ride to Santiago for 5 CUC, really cheap! And leaves santiago again at 1 so not even a really long day, but enough to get exploring in. Very private area, so don't expect a lot of shops and tourists. It's a great area for rest and relaxing with beautiful views. Breakfast has everything you need and an omelette station as well, by far the best meal there.
Cons: the resort needs some serious maintenance. The pool table in the games area is falling apart so badly that I'm surprised it's still there. Beach chairs are hit and miss, benches have broken pieces of wood, tiles broken all over, water temp hard to keep steady, etc. So don't expect tip top shape and modern bc you won't get it here.
All in all a great vacation, great service overall, typically at least one or 2 good things in buffet, and lots of free water activities including sailing which was great. I'd recommend this resort to people wanting a getaway from the hustle and bustle of other touristy areas and who aren't picky.
The main level was prob about 5 flights above the water area again, and had the majority of the amenities. Beautiful spots to sit and relax and enjoy the views. The beach area was actually fair sized considering it's a smaller resort a great spot to sit. But a lot of the chairs are old and worn out so you'll have to get up early if you want a newer one.
Pros: they rent scooters at the resort for 30 cuc so you can get out and explore, well worth doing as the scenery gets better and better. The employees get dropped off in a tour bus every morning and if you hop on it when it leaves again at about 8:50 you can get a ride to Santiago for 5 CUC, really cheap! And leaves santiago again at 1 so not even a really long day, but enough to get exploring in. Very private area, so don't expect a lot of shops and tourists. It's a great area for rest and relaxing with beautiful views. Breakfast has everything you need and an omelette station as well, by far the best meal there.
Cons: the resort needs some serious maintenance. The pool table in the games area is falling apart so badly that I'm surprised it's still there. Beach chairs are hit and miss, benches have broken pieces of wood, tiles broken all over, water temp hard to keep steady, etc. So don't expect tip top shape and modern bc you won't get it here.
All in all a great vacation, great service overall, typically at least one or 2 good things in buffet, and lots of free water activities including sailing which was great. I'd recommend this resort to people wanting a getaway from the hustle and bustle of other touristy areas and who aren't picky.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Brisas S, Director de Relaciones con Clientes at Hotel Brisas Sierra Mar
Responded Feb 18, 2019
Dear Nathan V, Brisas Sierra Mar Management and Staff appreciate your comments regarding our resort. Our guests’ opinions are carefully read and every consideration is looked after. They are an opportunity to improve our services since our main purpose is customers’ satisfaction. It will be a pleasure to welcome you in the near future. Best Regards.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We stayed December 25 to January 8, travelling with Hola Sun via Cubana Airlines from Toronto, with two children.
Cubana seemed to overbook on the way back, leaving some returning visitors stranded at the airport. The flight there and back on Cubana was otherwise uneventful, the legroom was ample, aircraft seemed newer. The flight coming back was delayed 8 hours, so we left the hotel at 12 noon instead of 5:00am (not really a problem!). The meal on the way back (if you want to call it that) was the worst we've ever been served. I don't expect much of a meal on an airplane. But still...
CIGARS:
The hotel doesn't sell any boxes of cigars. They sell a few single Romeo Y Julietas, for around CUC12 a piece. There is no legitimate place to buy cigars at or near the hotel. You can take your chances with the people on the beach - you can buy a box of Montecristo #4's for maybe CUC20 or so if you throw in some old clothes that they like! I can't say for sure whether the cigars were the real thing, but they looked real, and smoked pretty well too. At the airport on the way back once you clear customs there are duty free shops that also sell cigars. Boxes of Cohibas, Partagas, H. Upmann, Romeo Y Juiletas and a few others are sold there. Singles are also available. Prices seem to mirror the state-run cigar shops. I can't say what time the shop opens though...
ROOMS:
Pretty bleak, although generally kept clean. We were on the first floor facing the ocean. We asked for a fridge through our travel agent in Toronto, and one was brought to our room on our second day without asking again at the hotel (so the hotel does pay attention to the booking notes). I had written an email to the hotel about a week or two before going and asked for an extra bed - it was in our room when we got there. That made 3 single beds in the room. I brought a handy blow-up mattress from Walmart ($15) for our 6 year-old, and side-by-side, all four single beds took up the width of our room, with about one foot of space left over. Every room has a small balcony or patio with a few chairs. Be careful of the electrical outlets in the room - most were 220 in our room, including the bathroom which had a hairdryer plugged into it, but there was only one 110 volt outlet in the room, behind the television. You will find CNN and HBO available on the tv.
CONNECTING TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD:
CNN may be the only connection you will have to the outside world while you are there. THERE WAS NO INTERNET AVAILABLE AT THE HOTEL FOR THE ENTIRE TWO WEEKS THAT WE WERE THERE!!! I was told by the front desk shortly after I arrived that the internet had been down for about 15 days. It never came back on while we were there (about a month in total). Cell phone service on my GSM-based ROGERS/FIDO phones was available all the time with a strong signal. Text messages were sent and received successfully too. I can't imagine how much it costs to make or receive a call with the cell phone from Cuba, but will find out soon enough...
FOOD:
I found the food to be generally acceptable. My requirements are pretty low - as long as I don't get sick from the food, I give it a passing grade. So I give it a passing grade (unlike the DR, which failed 3 out of 3 times I was there). The all-you-can-eat grilled lobster tails on New Years was awesome!! I highly recommend trying the a la carte restaurants. Our favourite was the Ecological Restaurant, a charming and unique tiny dining room in the forest behind the hotel. The food served at all 3 a la cartes was a step above the buffet in the dining room. But for the first week we ate only in the dining room, and had no complaints. Be warned that supplies are limited, and they run out of things on occasion. I never saw a banana the whole time we were there. Some days there were no fresh fruit, although most days there was guava, grapefruit, oranges, mandarines, and occasionally watermelon and papaya.
BARS:
The bucaneero beer served is really good - 5.4% alcohol, and tasty, brewed in the European style. They never ran out of beer. But sometimes they did run out of some other ingredients for making drinks, such as lemon juice. There were no fresh fruit such as lemons or limes at the bars, ever.
POWER:
Power outs were frequent, although they usually lasted only a few seconds. The hotel seems to have its own generator - but it does not power the air conditioning or the hot water. One time we lost power for two days, which meant no A/C, and cold showers for two days. The hot water is never really hot, but when it is working it produces warm enough water to take a comfortable shower. Cold showers for two days was annoying. Fortunately the weather was excellent for our entire two weeks - it never rained, and was sunny every day. Even during two days of very high winds, it was sunny enough to be wearing no more than shorts.
EVENINGS:
I was surprised at how dressed-down everyone was at this resort. People wore short-sleaved shirts mostly. Very casual.
ENTERTAINMENT:
Easily the best quality of entertainment that I have ever experienced at an all-inclusive. Not only was the hotel entertainment staff very talented at dance, but talent was brought in from outside the hotel all the time. Local bands, gymnasts, musicians, singers and dancers made up for any deficiencies noted above.
THE BEACH:
I spent most days at the beach. The water was never rough, and was shallow enough for small children to play in. The water is not crystal clear, and on some days snorkling near the shore was impossible. But there is an impressive reef system close enough to shore that you can swim out and investigate, or paddle out with one of the two paddle boats. Many people, including us, brought their own snorkling gear. Ours was well-used there. My wife and a few others were bitten by the sand fleas. I wasn't. They seem to stay away while it is sunny. So leave the beach before 5pm, or on a cloudy day, and you should be fine. Although we brought plenty, I used no insect repellant while I was there, and had no problems.
TRIPS:
I never left the resort, so can't comment directly. My wife went on two morning walking tours led by hotel staff and thoroughly enjoyed visiting local homes, the school, and the mountain waterfall. You can bring along school supplies for the children if you wish. Any items of old clothing are always MUCH appreciated.
KIDS CLUB:
Joanna runs a kids club and some days our kids spent hours there. Most days, though, kids play together with others.
THE BUS:
The trip from airport to hotel and vice versa is unfortunate, as has been described previously.
OVERALL:
We had an enjoyable, relaxing stay overall. I felt the notable flaws were mostly outweighed by what this place has to offer. I would recommend it for the overall value to those who can live with the little things.
Cubana seemed to overbook on the way back, leaving some returning visitors stranded at the airport. The flight there and back on Cubana was otherwise uneventful, the legroom was ample, aircraft seemed newer. The flight coming back was delayed 8 hours, so we left the hotel at 12 noon instead of 5:00am (not really a problem!). The meal on the way back (if you want to call it that) was the worst we've ever been served. I don't expect much of a meal on an airplane. But still...
CIGARS:
The hotel doesn't sell any boxes of cigars. They sell a few single Romeo Y Julietas, for around CUC12 a piece. There is no legitimate place to buy cigars at or near the hotel. You can take your chances with the people on the beach - you can buy a box of Montecristo #4's for maybe CUC20 or so if you throw in some old clothes that they like! I can't say for sure whether the cigars were the real thing, but they looked real, and smoked pretty well too. At the airport on the way back once you clear customs there are duty free shops that also sell cigars. Boxes of Cohibas, Partagas, H. Upmann, Romeo Y Juiletas and a few others are sold there. Singles are also available. Prices seem to mirror the state-run cigar shops. I can't say what time the shop opens though...
ROOMS:
Pretty bleak, although generally kept clean. We were on the first floor facing the ocean. We asked for a fridge through our travel agent in Toronto, and one was brought to our room on our second day without asking again at the hotel (so the hotel does pay attention to the booking notes). I had written an email to the hotel about a week or two before going and asked for an extra bed - it was in our room when we got there. That made 3 single beds in the room. I brought a handy blow-up mattress from Walmart ($15) for our 6 year-old, and side-by-side, all four single beds took up the width of our room, with about one foot of space left over. Every room has a small balcony or patio with a few chairs. Be careful of the electrical outlets in the room - most were 220 in our room, including the bathroom which had a hairdryer plugged into it, but there was only one 110 volt outlet in the room, behind the television. You will find CNN and HBO available on the tv.
CONNECTING TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD:
CNN may be the only connection you will have to the outside world while you are there. THERE WAS NO INTERNET AVAILABLE AT THE HOTEL FOR THE ENTIRE TWO WEEKS THAT WE WERE THERE!!! I was told by the front desk shortly after I arrived that the internet had been down for about 15 days. It never came back on while we were there (about a month in total). Cell phone service on my GSM-based ROGERS/FIDO phones was available all the time with a strong signal. Text messages were sent and received successfully too. I can't imagine how much it costs to make or receive a call with the cell phone from Cuba, but will find out soon enough...
FOOD:
I found the food to be generally acceptable. My requirements are pretty low - as long as I don't get sick from the food, I give it a passing grade. So I give it a passing grade (unlike the DR, which failed 3 out of 3 times I was there). The all-you-can-eat grilled lobster tails on New Years was awesome!! I highly recommend trying the a la carte restaurants. Our favourite was the Ecological Restaurant, a charming and unique tiny dining room in the forest behind the hotel. The food served at all 3 a la cartes was a step above the buffet in the dining room. But for the first week we ate only in the dining room, and had no complaints. Be warned that supplies are limited, and they run out of things on occasion. I never saw a banana the whole time we were there. Some days there were no fresh fruit, although most days there was guava, grapefruit, oranges, mandarines, and occasionally watermelon and papaya.
BARS:
The bucaneero beer served is really good - 5.4% alcohol, and tasty, brewed in the European style. They never ran out of beer. But sometimes they did run out of some other ingredients for making drinks, such as lemon juice. There were no fresh fruit such as lemons or limes at the bars, ever.
POWER:
Power outs were frequent, although they usually lasted only a few seconds. The hotel seems to have its own generator - but it does not power the air conditioning or the hot water. One time we lost power for two days, which meant no A/C, and cold showers for two days. The hot water is never really hot, but when it is working it produces warm enough water to take a comfortable shower. Cold showers for two days was annoying. Fortunately the weather was excellent for our entire two weeks - it never rained, and was sunny every day. Even during two days of very high winds, it was sunny enough to be wearing no more than shorts.
EVENINGS:
I was surprised at how dressed-down everyone was at this resort. People wore short-sleaved shirts mostly. Very casual.
ENTERTAINMENT:
Easily the best quality of entertainment that I have ever experienced at an all-inclusive. Not only was the hotel entertainment staff very talented at dance, but talent was brought in from outside the hotel all the time. Local bands, gymnasts, musicians, singers and dancers made up for any deficiencies noted above.
THE BEACH:
I spent most days at the beach. The water was never rough, and was shallow enough for small children to play in. The water is not crystal clear, and on some days snorkling near the shore was impossible. But there is an impressive reef system close enough to shore that you can swim out and investigate, or paddle out with one of the two paddle boats. Many people, including us, brought their own snorkling gear. Ours was well-used there. My wife and a few others were bitten by the sand fleas. I wasn't. They seem to stay away while it is sunny. So leave the beach before 5pm, or on a cloudy day, and you should be fine. Although we brought plenty, I used no insect repellant while I was there, and had no problems.
TRIPS:
I never left the resort, so can't comment directly. My wife went on two morning walking tours led by hotel staff and thoroughly enjoyed visiting local homes, the school, and the mountain waterfall. You can bring along school supplies for the children if you wish. Any items of old clothing are always MUCH appreciated.
KIDS CLUB:
Joanna runs a kids club and some days our kids spent hours there. Most days, though, kids play together with others.
THE BUS:
The trip from airport to hotel and vice versa is unfortunate, as has been described previously.
OVERALL:
We had an enjoyable, relaxing stay overall. I felt the notable flaws were mostly outweighed by what this place has to offer. I would recommend it for the overall value to those who can live with the little things.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Helpful
Several times to Cuba at different locations. First time at this hotel.
This hotel is in a great location and the staff mostly are very nice.
But the hotel itself is a POS.
Only access to rooms (hotel is built into a hillside) is by elevator or stairs with 100+ steps. Twice in one week elevators were out of commission affecting people with mobility issues and trapping a couple we spoke with for over an hour because doors wouldn't open.
Internet is lobby only. For 2 days you couldn't buy a card at the front desk because their system was down.
Payment by credit card at the shops is not worth the trouble - takes a long time.
No fruit at the restaurants until the last day when a few bananas were laid out and quickly snapped up.
Plastic cups at the bars were washed and re used. Shortage of glassware meant a beer would be poured in anything from a tumbler to a wine glass.
Beach furniture is old, dirty and mostly worn out.
In our room we had maintenance come twice during the week for a noisy airconditioner, broken toilet. We still had to fix the toilet ourselves.
Patio doors had a 2 inch gap at the bottom which we couldn't fix. Lots of little bugs.
This hotel we were told is owned and run by the government and perhaps that is the reason for the problems.
We have stayed in 4 other locations in Cuba and mostly had no issues.
For a first time visitor to Cuba this hotel leaves a very bad impression
This hotel is in a great location and the staff mostly are very nice.
But the hotel itself is a POS.
Only access to rooms (hotel is built into a hillside) is by elevator or stairs with 100+ steps. Twice in one week elevators were out of commission affecting people with mobility issues and trapping a couple we spoke with for over an hour because doors wouldn't open.
Internet is lobby only. For 2 days you couldn't buy a card at the front desk because their system was down.
Payment by credit card at the shops is not worth the trouble - takes a long time.
No fruit at the restaurants until the last day when a few bananas were laid out and quickly snapped up.
Plastic cups at the bars were washed and re used. Shortage of glassware meant a beer would be poured in anything from a tumbler to a wine glass.
Beach furniture is old, dirty and mostly worn out.
In our room we had maintenance come twice during the week for a noisy airconditioner, broken toilet. We still had to fix the toilet ourselves.
Patio doors had a 2 inch gap at the bottom which we couldn't fix. Lots of little bugs.
This hotel we were told is owned and run by the government and perhaps that is the reason for the problems.
We have stayed in 4 other locations in Cuba and mostly had no issues.
For a first time visitor to Cuba this hotel leaves a very bad impression
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Room Tip: Because access to rooms is by elevator people with mobility will have problems if elevators go...
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Brisas S, Director de Relaciones con Clientes at Hotel Brisas Sierra Mar
Responded Mar 9, 2020
Dear clike, Brisas Sierra Mar Management and Staff appreciate your comments regarding our resort. Our guests’ opinions are carefully read and every consideration is looked after. They are an opportunity to improve our services since our main purpose is customers’ satisfaction. It will be a pleasure to welcome you in the near future. Best Regards.
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.