“Fine for travel weary backpackers”
For the main purpose this hotel seems to serve, it meets the requirements. It appeared that the majority of guests to the place were part of overnight excursions from the main tourist areas to the North coming in to do the hiking tour in the Escambray Mountain Range. So as a result most of us were tired folks living out of backpacks, the hotel was a nice place to rest, eat and tidy up, to be ready for the following day's activities. Arrival: Very nice, we all arrived later in the evening after a long, slow climb up the mountain in the bus following a visit to Trindad. Though very little English was spoken, the international language of a smile and a motion to sit down with a drink placed in your hand worked told us we were welcome. Check in between our guide and the hotel staff saw us assigned to our rooms in a rapid manner. Room: Very basic, check tested the Telly for the TV lovers out there - did not work, Oh well, the music from nature would have to suffice! Beds were clean and comfortable, the bathroom tidy as well, but the switches and related were atypical of seen outside of major resorts to the north and major cities, and that was hit and miss in working all the time. The shower was an oddity that allowed water to almost fully wet the whole bathroom floor, take note, it got very slippery and there is a slight rise in the doorway that one could stub a toe on if not careful. The door to the room was very flimsy, and the fact it had a lock was mere gesture to keep a determined moth from getting in, and the curtain covering the main window did not do a good job. All is all, a clean room with a roof over your head. The place is built like a fortress, all concrete. Food: The fare was fair, nothing special, but the basic things were alright, we kept to things cooked right in front of us. The food did not compare at all to what we were getting at the Blau Varadero. We were sure we saw things from the supper menu that were now on the breakfast table. An opinion can go either way on this one, I am merely giving what I feel is an objective fact. The atmosphere was quite decent in the restaurant, with all walks of life eating there, meaning the tourists, guides, bus drivers etc, a real camaraderie. But one thing kind of set us off in a wrong direction, see 'Entertainment' below. Entertainment: We did not do the disco, we heard it was good from others, we wanted to retire early in anticipation for the next day's hike. But during our supper, we had a group going around playing musical instruments, and when they played at our table of 4, we gave a decent tip to them, and the lady, the leader, did not even give us eye contact or a 'Gracias', she simply walked away, we were invisible. Quite rude, considering I gave her a polite and respectful 'Gracias' and smile, as did the rest of our table. Staff: As mentioned further above, not much English spoken, but the staff did their best, motioning, expressions, and gestures worked very well on both parts. With the exception of the entertainment group around the supper tables the evening we were there, it was service with a smile and best of intentions. Hotel area: Needless to say, spectacular. Nighttime had all the usual sounds of wildlife in the woods, the mountain air cool and crisp, the stars super bright, an almost full moon. We got a few mosquito bites, the dampness and still air allowing the critters free flight. Some bug spray on us cured that real fast, I do hear in high bug season the bugs can be quite bad. In the morning, the view and ambiance was very nice. One felt, obviously due to the fact they were about 700 meters above sea level, in a cottage surrounding, made all the more intriguing by the tropical plants in the midst. This just added to the wonders and enchantment of the whole area in itself. Because of the location, typical of a lot of mountain resorts anywhere we have traveled, good transportation is a must to have if you want to sight see. All sorts are available here Conclusion: For the services we took part in and had a chance to use, this place is a decent one to stay for a day or two we figure, and longer may get to be a little long in the tooth. But for what it is set up to be, it does what it is supposed to do, and that is give you a safe haven. Sorry, never got real nice pictures of the resort, other posters have some nice representations of the place.

“Simple but good! ”
As most reviewers here we spent a night at the hotel as part of a Trinidad and hiking tour. The room is basic but clean, with a cute flower arrangement by the maids when we checked in. Staff don't speak much English if you are only and English speaking tourist, but they are all very friendly and nice. After all, you are in a Spanish speaking country! The food at the buffet was typically Cuban - simple but nice and tasty. Beds are comfortable, the hotel generally very quiet so you are guaranteed to have a peaceful sleep in the mountains. When you do go stay, remember you are in a rainforest - there will ALWAYS be mosquitoes. You can't blame the hotel for that ;) Just bring some extra strong repellent and you'll be fine!

“As it was ”
During a two days excursion to Trinidad and Topes we stayed for one night in this hotel.After an adventurous bus ride to the mountain top through the dark of the late evening we were received at the reception desk with a free welcome drink.This hotel is situated amidst vegetation and forest. We were given the room at the end of the corridor next to the lobby-bar, unfortunately the sounds of voices and laughter from people at the bar came right through the thin door.The room itself was basic, spacious,slightly outdated and had a damp smell. The lock on the balcony-door needed maintenance. TV worked fine, the airconditioning produced to match noise. Beds were not unconfortable, after the bar was closed we had a good night sleep.The bathroom was just ok; with a schower, no bathtub,two peaces of soap and enough warm water. At the restaurant around dinnertime we found some suitable food ;fried fish & chicken combined with yucca,vegetables and sweet potatoes,etc. Also for breakfast the choice was fairly acceptable: fried eggs, bacon, cheese, fruit juices & slices, etc. We especially liked the "mojito" at the lobby-bar, to our taste quite the best we had throughout this holiday.

“Not That Bad Afterall ”
We spent one night here as part of our "overnight to Topes" tour. At first glance I was a bit freaked out but I did just leave a 5 star resort to take the tour. Everything seemed dark in the room when we entered and the lighting was not very good so there were many dark areas and I'm a bit freaked out about bugs etc so I was hesitant about staying there. Our rooms were all 2 double beds with a nightstand between them and the thought of sleeping in this room scared the heck out of me, didn't think I'd sleep a wink. Our tour guide was kind enough to allow us to push the beds together so my husband and I could sleep nearby each other and she even helped us do so. The bathroom seemed so dark with its red tiles but once you looked close it was obvious that not only was it clean but it was also quite newly redone. The shower area is just slightly recessed from the floor and has a shower curtain. I thought for sure that the floor would be soaked but it actually worked very well. The walls seem to be made of concrete and there is a fair size closet in the room with a couple of commercial type benches inside. There is a wall safe that requires a key, I expect it is at an additional cost as we didn't get one. The furniture is mostly of a wicker type look and it does the job. The views were absolutely amazing, I had wished I could pack it up and take it back to our resort with us! The patio door did have a large space at the bottom but we just pushed a towel up against it to sleep. The most concerning thing for me was the fact that I couldn't locate a single smoke detector anywhere in the room. So to sum things up I was a bit put off at first by the room but once I got past the dark corners I saw it for what it truly was, a decent room that was quite clean. It wouldn't be my place to stay for a long vacation but one night was just fine. I think for backpackers it would be an ideal place to lay your head at night as the sights nearby are amazing.

“Excellent view and comfy bed, but simple accommodations ”
Stayed here before hiking the following day in Topes de Collantes. Food is not bad. The room was basic, clean, and everyone in our room had a great night's sleep. Be sure to bring your own shampoo as there is none.

“As good as it gets in Topes, but i would have rather not stayed ”
This place is simply awful...but it is the best of the few hotels in Topes. Surly, uninterested staff in the hotel itself. Restaurant staff are better and do offer a smile. Whilst the rooms are clean, the balcony doors do not lock and the curtains clings for dear life to the curtain pole. All very shabby, but if you into the hostel type experience then you will cope. Be prepared for basic food if the flies that sit on the open food does not put you off. I can cope with a few inevitable flies, however breakfast which was laid out on the table before sitting down was so infested i didn't recognise the fruit. When i next go to Cuba i will stay in Trinidad and visit Topes on a day trip. The other hotels are even worst...i would even consider them if i were you.

“Very Good, Clean, Good Food ”
I stayed in this hotel one night as part of my Trinidad tour from Havana, I recommand this hotel. It is clean, quiet, great location on top of mountains and good food. I liked my room and it was pretty comfortable.

“As good as it gets in Topes!”
We stayed here on our second night in Topes as we were relocated the first night to nearby Villa Caburni. Los Helechos is definitely the better option. It offers a buffet restaurant for breakfast (Included) and dinner (13 CUC per person) , Lunch was a la carte. Their is a heated indoor pool (Water was cold when we were there, heating system has been out of commission since last year) Disco and Games room (Bowling and Pool Table) was also available at an additional charge (quite minimal) The rooms were quite spacious, Our room had 2 double beds, cable tv and shower with plenty of pressure and hot water. Tip: All in all this is best equipped hotel in the Topes area, Their really isn't much to compare to. Also in terms of food options their really isn't much options, if you don't want to pay the over priced buffet at Los Helechos you can dine at nearby El Retiro for less than half the cost and you'll also get a wonderful view. I don't think we will be returning to Topes especially staying for more than 1 night, I would recommend Topes for a really good day trip as their is alot to see. For accommodations and restaurant options Trinidad is your best bet.

“I stayed one night in the Hotel, excellent, clean and the food was good. ”
Very scenic Hotel with excellent facilities. Good food. The Hotel is 840 m above the Sea Level. We took Russian Truck to Park Guanayara. The trip was enjoyable.

“One night stay during a tour ”
We stayed here on an overnight trip with a group for a hiking tour in the mountains. The staff were very welcoming, the food was good, rooms were clean and showers were hot. I would have loved to have stayed to get to know the area better. I've seen complaints on here that there were dead flies/mosquitos, beds are clammy, rooms are damp..... you're on a mountain in the rainforest, be realistic! We loved it and wouldn't have any problem going again or staying longer!!!

“"just one night" ”
I stayed here during an overnight trip with a tour group for hiking. pros: friendly staff & nice surprise from housekeeper with sense of humour. Good for nature loving couple as it is in the middle of the woods in the mountains. cons:Ice cold showers, dead flies/mosquitos everywhere blood stains on bed sheets, jammed door (hard to open) I will not come back, ever. "just one night" is a what helped me make it through the night.

“Good Hotel ”
Nothing wrong with the Hotel. Clean, very good showers etc and food perfectly adequate. I would have no problems with staying there in the future. Go for it!!

“Certainly an adventure..one for backpackers ”
We stayed at this hotel overnight as part of an excursion which was fine as we could enjoy the romance of the adventure, the doors were old and creaky and the rooms were basic where nothing worked, but the maid had tried hard, it was clean and she'd made towel sculptures.The other staff werent particularly friendly and the buffet was pretty awful, but the soup and pasta was tasty. The hotel is very run down and completely over run with mosquitoes. The pillows hurt your neck, but it was fun to explore iits run down buildings. There was loud talking and chattering coming from the floor above us...except it was a one story building with no floor above us....creepy.

“A basic, adequate hotel in a beautiful location ”
This hotel is in a stunning location, high on the hills in the forest above Trinidad. We stayed here on the Santa Clara, Trinidad, Forest Trek excursion from Varedero. There is not actually anything really wrong with the hotel, just also there is not alot right. It is basic, clean, the beds are comfortable, and the resturant food is edible. It is fine for a 1 or 2 night stay in the woods, so dont worry about staying here. Probably what makes it feel worse is that for most people you stay here after staying for at least a few nights in Varadero, so it feels like a bit of a let down, when actually viewed in its own right it is a basic, ok hotel.

“Large room with wonderful towel and bedspread formations”
The room ladies certainly make a big effort with the bed covers and towels to make the rooms look nice and different with swans, babies and putting a blanket inside my nighty to look like someone lying on top of the bed. The rooms in the main hotel building had balconies but noise from what looked like holiday camp blocks went on late into the night. There is an indoor large swimming pool with loud music and the restaurant was quite good with plenty of choice - one of the best in my 2 weeks in Cuba.

“Basic But Not Problematic ”
I stayed at Los Helechos as part of a two-day Cienfuegos-Trinidad-Topes des Collantes tour we booked through our resort in Varadero. I should add, the tour was a lovely two days even for a person like me, who doesn't usually do so well on structured tours! Overall, the hotel was quite adequate. The staff were helpful and efficient. Unlike Varadero where most people speak some English, a little Spanish does come in handy out here though. Our room was clean and smelled of fresh mountain air and pines. Everything worked as it should. The buffet supper was limited in choices compared to the mega-resorts of Varadero, but very tasty and quite Cuban (yummy cream cheese soup, roast pork and chicken, yucca, plantains, rice and beans). The omlette station was closed the next morning, but the breakfast buffet was certainly adequate to get us ready for a day of hiking in the mountains. The whole experiece of staying at the mostly empty and somewhat isolated Los Helechos was a little surreal, although not at all unpleasant. As a homebase for exploring the mountains, Los Helechos was perfectly acceptable.

“Strange but beautiful location ”
We stayed here for 2 nights and were dreading it after reading the reviews. However the room was ok . Everything worked , fridge, tely, shower, a/c, plugs , and it wasn't dirty. We stayed on the second floor of the right block. The entrance to our block and the stairs up to the room were a bit dismal . We had a balcony which overlooked a beautiful patch of forest. It can be quite noisey as the trucks and busses struggle up the steep hill. The hotel has regular tour groups passing through. The restaurant was buffet style for both dinner and breakfast. There was a good selection of food with a plentiful supply of fresh fruit. The evening meal ,as much as you can eat , with a free drink included was very good value at 13 cuc. Topes de collantes is a very strange place, it feels like a 1950's cult movie set but it has lovely walks,even in the rain. The hotel provides a refuge in the weirdness!

“what an experiance ”
this hotel was booked for us by the british heart foundation, as part of our trekking adventure through the cuban countryside, the only reason i would ever tell anybody to stop at this hotel is because, its in the most Amazing location , however we knew before arriving that it was a bit of a hell hole, so we ( a group of 19) were well prepared and after spending the last 2 nights under the stars we were so pleased to have a clean shower and an average comfort bed, the food was better in this hotel than alot of places we had eaten however the food in this part of cuba is pretty basic, there is a discotech at the complex and a great chance to mix with the locals, but if your in this part of cuba then expect to rough it and enjoy being in such a remote place the scenary is mind blowing , do go trekking and exploe this amazing national park and you wont care how run down and basic this place is,

“Not Recommended ”
My friend and I stayed overnight at this hotel as part of the Trinidad overnight trip that we booked with our Thomas Cook rep back in Varadero. Check in was fairly hassle free and we were given a complementary drink of rum and coke. However, when we arrived at our room, i started to worry. The doors weren't very secure at all, and they were covered with a flimsy type of curtain that didnt cover the entire window in the door allowing anyone to peer in from outside. The door stuck badly on the floor too, and when you tried to open it, it made a terrible screeching noise. The bathroom was by far the worst. The shower - dont get me started - i refused to use it. The good news is that the toilet flushed fine! The little window in there couldn't be shut properly either and i slept in fear that night of being eaten alive by mosquitos. However, i doused myself in repellant before going to bed and i was bite free in the morning thankfully. If you have lots of things to charge, like camera batteries, camcorders, phone etc, make sure you take the flat 2 pin travel adapters as there is only one plug for the round 2 pin adapter in the bathroom. One thing i will say though: i found the bed very comfortable. Sometimes, hotel beds can be quite hard but this one was just right. As i recall, there was a disco on the night we stayed over and it got quite rowdy at about 1am with people shouting and talking loudly whilst returning to their rooms. I wasn't impressed with the food either; there was hardly any choice. All i had for dinner that night was a bit of chicken and a plate of rice because there was nothing else! Breakfast was a similar affair although slightly better. There wasn't enough to fill me up though so i had to spend half an hour cutting all the fat off the bacon to make a couple of bacon rolls. Overall, the hotel setting was nice and im sure there'd be a nice view if you're allocated a room not on the ground floor. The room itself wasn't too bad i suppose, although i wouldnt class the hotel as a 3* - more like a 2*. But still, it was adequate enough for one night.

“worst hotel ever ”
We stayed here for one night as part of the Trinidad Rambo Tour from our stay in Varadero. It was appalling. The rooms had damp uneven ceiling tiles, gaps in plasterwork, damp walls, very unsafe electric switch in the bathroom, leaky shower, gap at the top of the door. I hated every moment I stayed in the room. I hate bugs and was petrified what might lurk in there. The only positive thing I could say is that the towels were fluffy! The food in the restaurant was awful, hardly any choice and 2 people in our party said they vomited in the night. 3 Star, more like minus 3 star.

“Holiday room fromhell ”
we were recomended this hotel by our agent Captivating cuba. Please do not book to go to stay here or be persuaded it will be okay. the place was damp to the point of mouldy on all the walls, curtains hung by an old washing line and the pool and gardens filthy. We diidn't wait to eat or drink there! Basic does not describe this place. We had to leave and find our own accomadation. We are still trying to get a refund from the agent captivating cuba 4 mths on. Don't book with them either would be our adivce!!

“Great Views”
The views here were incredible and worth the stay for that alone. However the rooms are basic, and although clean, very outdated. Overall the staff were friendly. We were charged on checkout for meals we hadn't eaten - but did manage to sort this out eventually. The food here was OK but most of the food seemed to run out by 8pm. We really enjoyed the horseriding that we did here.

“Loved the Views but..... ”
Los Jazmines was the second hotel we visited on our journey around Pinar del Rio and was a fry cry from the standard of hotel we had experienced in Havana. The views are amazing and having travelled around the local area, we established that Los Jazmines definitely had the best view of the Vinales Valley compared with the other hotels. However, the hotel itself is in definite need of attention. The hotel itself is split into two blocks (3 storey each). There are also cabanas alongside the hillside which are more attractive looking. The rooms in the main hotel blocks are very small and basic - two single wooden framed beds, ageing bamboo furniture and an extremely out-dated bathroom. The room is airconditioned, although the unit itself looked antique. The main critism is the restaurant. It is common knowledge that food in Cuba is not exactly gourmet standard, however the food at Los Jazmines hit even lower levels. Our first evening we decided to eat in the hotel restaurant - big mistake. Although the hotel was fully booked, there was only one other suffering couple eating dinner and then we discovered why. We think it was supposed to be pork cassarole - that would have been news to me - it looked as if a mis match of poor quality meat had been thrown in a pot and stirred with some gravy. Having forced some rice down, we decided to go to the snack bar which was based downstairs and was open late. For the three nights we were at Los Jazmines I have never eaten so many ham and cheese sandwiches. The following evening we followed a recommendation in our travel guide to eat at Don Tomas in Vinales village and surprise surprise most of the people staying at our hotel were dining there too. This was not the only complaining point. During the day when we sat by the pool side, taking in the views, and watching the various storms riding over the mountains, we were rudely interrupted by coach loads of noisy tourists (most seemed to be Cuban) who were permitted to swim in our pool, eat and drink whilst in the pool and play volley ball very loudly. This really ruined the ambience of the beautiful views that we had come to enjoy. It was often so loud we could'nt hear each other talking. Los Jazmines is an excellent place to base yourself and explore the Vinales valley, however being Government run, the standards are far below what we would expect.

Nature is wonderful
In a part of the Topes de Collantes mountains chain, Los Helechos Hotel is located 800 meters above sea level on Guamuhaya, a massif mountain in Cuba's central nature region – an area known for its natural beauty.

We were treated like long lost friends
We arrived home at 3:30 this morning from our 5th trip and another great week at the Blau Colonial in Cayo Coco. My wife's sister and her husband joined us again this time. We were treated like long lost friends, with hugs and kisses (where appropriate) from everyone. A cold front moved in on Monday which meant the winds and waves picked up for the week. It wasn't much different than last November according to the review I posted here on Debbie's. Of course everyone had a blast in the waves and if it was windy on the beach, there was always lots of chairs at the pool, where it was sunny and calm. There were only about 200 people at the resort so it wasn't very busy. I'm guessing it's the state of the global economy thanks to big oil. There is lots of painting and general maintenance taking place at the resort. It also looks like the west side will open in 2009 after extensive renovations during the past few years. A beautiful new beach bar, restaurant and aquatics centre has also opened at the west end of the beach property at the Blau. Hurricane Ike did considerable damage to Cuba and the resorts in Cayo Coco weren't spared. Workers were putting a new thatched roof on the beach restaurant next door at the Tryp and new cabanas were being built on the beach at the NH Crystal. I'm not sure if we'll get back to Cuba in March like we normally do, as Trixie is packing her medical bag and heading to Uganda to help out at an orphanage for three weeks in February. That trip will put a major dent in the wallet and like the rest of you, the markets are trashing our investments and cash flow too. However, imagine working in Cuba. I was speaking with one of the foremen supervising the crew of painters. He was being paid 20 pesos a week. It was the first time he had seen the ocean and he was extremely up beat and happy to be working! Safe travels and don't wait until you're too old to stroll the beach hand in hand or play in the waves.