Recently, our family enjoyed a terrific vacation at an all-inclusive resort in Cuba.  We stayed at the Pullman Cayo Coco, located in Cayo Coco, Cuba.  It is wonderful resort in a little part of paradise.

Location:

Located off the northern coast of Cuba, Cayo Coco is a perfect destination for families with young kids with renowned beaches and a dedicated airport centrally located close to resorts.  The Pullman is about ten minutes from the airport.  After a long flight with kids, it’s nice to avoid a long bus journey to the resort.

Hotel Facilities: 

The Pullman is a new all-inclusive resort in Cuba that is scheduled to be finished construction in January, 2017.  The main attraction to this resort is the large reception area with expansive views of the open waters.

This resorts boasts 7 pools with various depths, including a small wading pool for babies and a larger shallow pool perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Around the pool, there is plenty of shade available if you reserve some loungers on your way to breakfast.

In addition to the pools, there is a beautiful beach with loads of shade under the many palapa huts.  At full tide, the beach can be quite narrow, but during the day, it was wider with plenty of room for the kids to play in the sand.

The Pullman has a kid’s club with very nice staff.  Unfortunately, the kid’s club centre still needs work to make the play area more welcoming.  There is no shade outside and only straw grass covering the ground.

For any medical concerns, there is an on-site doctor and nurse.  A pharmacy is also available off of the lobby in case you need anything. Also consider reviewing our list of medical essentials for your trip!

Check-in:

After e-mailing the resort in advance to request a crib and a small bed, we were greeted by the reception manager, Lis, who let us know she received our e-mail and personally handled our requests.

Knowing we had small children, Lis went ahead and made our dinner reservations at early times to suit the kids. It was a really nice touch that was much appreciated!

Accommodation:

The rooms at Pullman Cayo Coco provide everything you need to have a great vacation.  All the rooms are located in a series of three story bungalows that are positioned to maximize the incredible views.

As requested, we received a room on the ground floor that adjoined to another family member’s room.  The room offers plenty of space for a family of four.  In our case, we had a king size bed, a crib and we made the couch into a bed for our 4 year old son.

The room has a fridge, stocked daily with pop, beer and bottled water.  There is plenty of storage for luggage and clothes. The bathroom is quite large with a full size tub and a separate shower.

The housekeeping service was excellent.  Our room was always cleaned up before our daughter’s nap.  It’s nice not worrying about a knock at the door from housekeeping.

Food:

The food at the Pullman is the best I’ve ever had in Cuba.  The buffet has a wide assortment of food and several cooking stations. It was really easy to find something the kids would eat.

The dining room has plenty of high chairs and helpful staff are eager to fetch them.  At times we had to request teaspoons for the kids.

We found the dining area would open later than we would like for kids.  Breakfast started at 7:30 am, lunch at 1:00 pm and dinner at 6:30 pm.  For lunch, we ate at the pool restaurant, which opens at 12:30 pm.  If you have kids, the chefs will help you prepare a plate earlier for the children.

In addition, throughout the day, they kept food available at the pool restaurant, so it was easy to make a small sandwich for the kids.

A very nice touch was the cart that made its way around the pool filled with sandwiches, ice cream and special drinks for the kids (and for the big kids too!)

Update: Since posting this review, we have learned the Pullman now offers a children’s menu at all of their a la carte restaurants.

Overall Impression:

The Pullman Cayo Coco is the best all-inclusive resort we have experienced in Cuba.  It still doesn’t compare to what you’d find in Mexico, but we consider this an advantage for the Pullman.  This resort is the perfect size where you are never too far from any amenity.

The staff are the key to the success of this resort.  Everywhere you go, the staff greet you with a kind smile and a genuine interest in making your stay an enjoyable one.

The food at the Pullman was wonderful.  Not only is the food in the buffet wonderful, the a la carte restaurants are nothing like we’ve seen before in Cuba.  The Japanese restaurant cooks meals at you table, the French restaurant is simply delicious, and the Creole restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere.  Did I mention they serve wine from Spain?

As a new resort, the Pullman has a few final touches that are needed, but it is a wonderful vacation destination for families.  We hope to return soon…