Solo visit in March (return visit after 10 years), staying in Junior Suite Al Fresco, Diamond Club.
Flight from YUL to CCC with Rouge. Uneventful - arrived bang on time. Rouge is...well...Rouge. Bring some sandwiches and a book.
Always nice to go somewhere warm which is in the same time zone.
Opted for private transfer from CCC to resort. Worth it. Didn't have to wait for the bus. Was in the resort precisely 18 minutes after leaving the airport (not a soul on the road and pitch black) and there was blissfully nobody else checking in. There isn't a specific check-in for Diamond Club, but makes no difference. They specifically asked me to tip (discretionary) in LOCAL CURRENCY (so go to the exchange place in the hotel - I got 70 pesos/$1 CAD). Didn't see anyone else tipping in local currency and Canadian coins are useless to them unless you're the person they ask to exchange for banknotes. Found my own room as didn't want to put anyone to the trouble of having to play chaperone.
Went to Bites on arrival to get something unhealthy after opting not to buy Rouge in-flight food. No pizza, no burgers. Nada, except sweet potato fries. Fine by me.
Room 3701 (half bungalow) located opposite the lake (lake?) about 2 mins walk from reception. Nice and quiet, about 2 mins walk to the beach. Didn't know if there was anyone in the adjacent room, but didn't hear anything.
Obviously room had undergone renovation in recent years (flooring/bathroom, etc). Aside from outside light + electric socket not working, it was well appointed, spacious and clean, including daily restocked fridge and coffee maker. Really way too much space for one person. Watching TV on the odd occasion made me thankful I ditched cable TV years ago and no longer have to endure mind-numbingly cliché commercials.
My nightly visit by Kermit (the frog) started on day 1. Not easy things to catch as they tend to hop around a lot. There's something you don't get to do at home (unless you live in the rainforest). Had no issues with the room which required any intervention. Sliding door to the outdoor shower was a bit special, which is probably how the frog kept returning.
Grounds of the resort are immaculate. It's obvious they'd been doing some work on the pipes/drains outdoors, but repairs/modifications are a good thing.
4 restaurant reservations had already been made for me (Diamond Club bonus I think). Mediterranean restaurant serves breakfast for Diamond Club snobs which is intimate than the buffet restaurant with less flies. Didn't see a menu, opted for omelettes, bacon and eggs which appeared to be missing in action from the buffet restaurant. Very attentive service, but food prep took 20-25 mins (take a book).
Incidentally, wi-fi service is available gratis in the lobby and immediate surroundings, which is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d to the limit (depending on the time of day) by other guests all sucking bandwidth at the same time. Opted to pay my provider's fixed daily roaming charge instead, which is way more convenient when you want to do a WhatsApp call standing in the middle of the ocean, without eavesdroppers. Why you would WANT to do a WhatsApp call in the middle of the ocean is a different question.
Since I was travelling solo for a mental detox, I opted not to socialize, but that's not to say there's still plenty going on entertainment-wise. The staff work tirelessly for the guests and have unlimited patience, enthusiasm and smiles. Let's not forget where you are and the impact of all manner of trade embargos and a struggling economy which they have to grapple with. Remember to take some goodies with you as gifts for the staff, including things which are hard to come by locally including toiletries, cosmetics, etc. As mentioned earlier, I was advised that tips in LOCAL CURRENCY are preferred. USD and CAD are not local currency.
As for the beach......powder-white sand and crystal clear waters stretching as far as the eye can see pretty much sums it up. Diamond Club has the eastern end of the resort beach. It's a bit squashed, so you can drag your sun-lounger further along if you want relative peace and quiet.
Seems there are several tours on offer. There's a bus which goes from resort to resort too (not sure why you would want to do that). Scooters to rent, places to explore, classic American cars to ride in, etc, etc. Depends on your wallet and sense of adventure. This part of Cayo Coco is a bit remote (thankfully) so it's a bit of a trek (by taxi) to visit the nearest sizeable town (Moron).
What else can you do aside from swim (or just sit in the ocean), eat and drink. Well.....walk. I walked about 25km both East and West. There are more resorts to pass by going East (and you need to dodge the horse poo) but you can walk West pretty much as far as your legs will want to go and it's completely deserted after passing one resort adjacent to Memories. Powder-white sand and crystal clear water, alone with your thoughts and the remnants of aquatic life that were scared away from the tourist beaches. I walked West for a good hour and didn't even get as far as Campismo Cayo Coco. Given the proliferation of things that bite, might be a good idea to wear something on your feet, but kind of detracts from that 'walking barefoot in sand' experience.
As for Memories, only used the main buffet one time, since there were 'snacks' available at the beach. Given the circumstances, choice of food is plentiful most of the time. Being a fan of ham and cheese sandwiches will help. Think it would be a good idea to invest in a few of those fly-zappers in the buffet restaurant for people who are aphid-sensitive. Missed out on the Asian restaurant, but other restaurants were great (one place you can get wine), even though some of the choices were not available. Cuban and Italian restaurants are in the same building, which looks like it was built last week. Go early - busy. Late reservation (8-ish) and the places are pretty much deserted (in my experience). Don't forget to try Beans for coffee of all types and whatnot. I forgot all about the place but I heard it's a real gem (found by the pool).
On the subject of things that bite, I was bitten like crazy irrespective of chemical add-ons and yes, itched like mad. A combination of sand fleas/mosquitoes and other things with wings. Be warned. There are no remedies for bites in the resort store.
Conclusively, a resort definitely worth a visit. Just don't go ape if there's a fly in your soup, your toilet roll isn't immediately replenished or you can't find any white sugar.
All credit to the management and vast crew of dedicated staff who work their behinds off to make sure you have a great experience and feel like a lifelong friend.
Additionally, what I would say actually turns the tables on writing a vacation review as it's about the guests. Some of the behaviour I witnessed by grown adults was, quite honestly, appalling. Just because you paid for a vacation does not give you the excuse to be loud, obnoxious or disrespectful to the staff. Staggering up to the bar (any bar) and shouting demands at the staff is something you might see/expect at Club Med, but not at a 16+ resort in Cuba. Same goes for the people who think they have to blast loud music on the beach without any thought of the people in the vicinity. It's probably okay, but it's polite to ask.
Talking of polite, 'please' and 'thank you' go a long way in whatever part of the world you happen to be in, but is particularly earned and deserved by those who are possibly/probably much less fortunate than you and working like crazy for your benefit. It's not an entitlement just because you paid for a vacation. Please have some respect for your fellow humans and curb your alcohol intake if you can't control your behaviour.
Enjoy!
