Is an all-inclusive holiday in Cuba worth it? Our surprising stay in Cayo Coco

First published: September 2025.
This is not a sponsored post & I am not affiliated with any of the hotels, restaurants or organisations mentioned.

When my husband and I booked a week in Melia Cayo Coco, a 5-star all inclusive Cuban beach resort, as part of our 2-week Cuban itinerary, I was relieved at the thought of getting some rest and relaxation. However, I was also disappointed at the opportunity cost that this entails! A week there meant a week nowhere else, and that’s on an island filled with exciting places to go and interesting things to see and do! So, did we enjoy it? More importantly, would YOU enjoy it and is it worth the time and money? Let’s find out!

ABOUT ALL-INCLUSIVE BEACH RESORTS IN CUBA

Probably the most famous ‘hub’ of beach hotels and resorts is Varadero. This famous stretch of beach, a short 2h drive from Havana, hosts many all-inclusive beach resorts. It is probably the best choice for travellers who do not wish to venture far from Havana.

Apart from Varadero, many all-inclusive beach resorts in Cuba are concentrated in areas called Cayos, such as Cayo Coco, Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Largo, Cayo Guillermo etc. In Spanish, ‘cayo’ translates to key, cay, or islet. It refers to a small, low island, often composed of sand or coral. While I would not necessarily call them remote, these areas typically feature nothing more than hotels. When we visited Cayo Coco, there was only one road connecting the two large hotels to the ‘real world’. Entry was restricted by security who asked for our reservation details before letting us in; I am not sure if this is the case for all resorts. I personally don’t like gated communities and never felt the need for that in Cuba, but some travellers might feel reassured by that.

Perhaps the reason for this detachment from everyday Cuban life is the fact that the majority of these hotels and resorts are run by large multinational corporations. If you do a quick research online, you may recognise many of the brand names. However, even if the hotel is a Melia, Sol or Royalton, the Cuban Government still owns at least 51% stake. These types of hotels and resorts are typically joint ventures with foreign (non-American) companies that have contracts allowing them to run the resort for a certain number of years. For that reason (and I may be wrong) but, as I see it, even though all-inclusive resorts in Cuba will not give you a glimpse of real island life, you will still be contributing a little something back to the nation’s economy.

HOW TO SELECT THE PERFECT ALL-INCLUSIVE BEACH RESORT IN CUBA?

When you are planning an all-inclusive beach resort holiday, especially one where there’s nothing else near by, there are two things that matter the most:
A) The quality of the hotel / resort.
B) The quality of the beach.
This makes things surprisingly easy for our Cuban all-inclusive holiday.

In terms of the quality of the hotels, there’s plenty to choose from in Cuba, especially if your budget can cover a mid to high tier hotel. Naturally, European / multinational hotel chains will charge ‘western’ prices. However, we did find that prices in Cuba are more modest than, say, Ibiza, Mykonos or the French Riviera. So, pick the hotel that best fits your budget and, of course, personal preferences in terms of design, activities etc. It’s also worth mentioning that there’s a good portion of family friendly hotels and adults-only resorts on the island too.

Regarding the quality of the beach, we are in luck! Clearly, I have not been to every Cayo in Cuba, but I have done quite a bit of research and had discussions with a fair few other travellers. For better or worse, the hotels in Cuba have picked some of the nicest beaches on the island. Always do your research but, it’s safe to say that most hotels are set on spectacular beaches, true Caribbean style!

Other than that, I guess proximity to Havana might make a difference for some. In that scenario, Varadero is a safe choice. In our case, Cayo Coco was a small detour from the road that connects Havana and Trinidad, which were the main destinations in our 2-week Cuban itinerary.

ABOUT MELIA CAYO COCO RESORT, CUBA & DID WE ENJOY OUR STAY?

First things first, Melia Cayo Coco did not sponsor this post. I doubt they will even read this! With that out of the way, I will say that for the price, this was an excellent resort stay.

As you probably know, not all 5-star resorts are equal. The glam and over indulgent vibes that some 5-star hotels offer is not something that you will find here, and the price for this hotel reflects this. However, Melia Cayo Coco did offer us everything we needed in a demure, simple and beautiful tropical setting.

THE LAGOON ROOM

Our room was on one of the small buildings on stilts that surround the lagoon and I’d definitely recommend those. They felt a bit more exclusive and a bungalow style accommodation is almost always better than a sprawling building! The room was prettily decorated and spacious and the view of the lagoon was quite unusual and oddly relaxing.

Would I be exaggerating if I said that the lagoon rooms offer Maldives-water-villa style accommodation for a fraction of the price? You decide!

DINING, ACTIVITIES & SERVICE

Our lagoon room also came with the perk of a separate breakfast venue. Also set on the lagoon, it was a delightful space and had plenty of options. The lunch and dinner venues were very good too, with plenty of tasty options. If it’s Michelin star worthy fine dining you are after though, the experience will not live up to your expectations.

Melia Cayo Coco is an adults-only hotel. The staff organised a variety of activities for guests and there’s also a gym and marine activities available. We particularly appreciated the salsa lessons in preparation for our next destination, Trinidad!

Service was very good throughout the resort. All the members of staff we came in contact with were friendly, helpful and polite.

THE BEACH, POOL AREA & BEACH BAR

Without a doubt, for us, the highlight of the resort was the beautiful long stretch of palm fringed beach that it is set on. The turquoise water was warm and crystal clear and the white sand was soft and powdery! Every day, we spent most of our time swimming in the sea and relaxing on the beach. Thankfully, there were plenty of sun loungers around.

Since the beach was the main reason we went to Cayo Coco and, thankfully, it didn’t disappoint, we didn’t spend much time by the pool. Nevertheless, the pool area was large and relaxing. The pool design felt a bit old fashioned to me, but I do think that I am in the minority of people who prefer rectangular swimming pools!

Last but certainly not least, the thatched beach bar made delicious cocktails. I cannot remember if there was a limit to the amount of cocktails we had as part of our all-inclusive package, but it certainly exceeded my own personal limit of alcohol consumption!

WHO IS IT FOR? IS AN ALL-INCLUSIVE BEACH RESORT STAY IN CUBA SUITABLE FOR EVERYONE?

Cuba can offer plenty of spectacular experiences to anyone. However, an all-inclusive beach resort stay on the island is not for everyone.

WHO IS IT NOT FOR?

Having previously explained all about the all-inclusive beach hotels and resorts in Cuba, if large hotel chains are really not your thing, this is not really the type of hotel stay that you will want to do. If you only ever visit boutique hotels and locally owned guesthouses, you are better off in the cities and local towns. There you can find plenty of small hotels, guesthouses and casas particulares.

Similarly, if you are on a backpacker’s budget, you should probably head for a small town or village near the coastline and head to a local beach from there. There are plenty of beautiful local beaches all around Cuba and they will probably be empty during the weekdays. During the weekends, you will get a glimpse of local life in Cuba!

On the other end of the scale, while there are many 5-start resorts around, ultra luxury resorts like Aman, Six Senses or the Four Seasons do not currently have a presence in Cuba. If you are used to ‘6-star’ levels of service, amenities and design, you might be a bit disappointed by Cuban all-inclusive resorts.

Lastly, I’ll just state the obvious. If you are not a massive fan of sitting on the beach or by the pool, then what will you be doing all day? If you are wondering about the quality of the beaches in Cuba, it’s worth mentioning that, in general, beaches in Cuba are perfectly swimmable (unless you visit in low season and encounter bad weather). It’s always worth checking with the locals, in case of some random phenomenon, but, as a general principle, you can’t go to a white sandy beach in the Caribbean and not swim in the crystal clear turquoise waters. You just can’t!

WHO IS IT FOR?

Beach lovers, families, couples or anyone in need of rest, relaxation, vitamin sea and D, as long as you don’t feel like you are missing out on other parts of glorious Cuba!

Needless to say, all-inclusive beach resorts are generally intended as places where one visits to do very little throughout the day. If that’s your goal, go ahead and book that resort! However, if that is actually what keeps you from taking the plunge and booking an all-inclusive stay, I’d say that you don’t have to spend a week there. Even though that’s what we did and what many people do, you don’t have to do the same. A two to three night break from your whirlwind cultural tour of Cuba is a very good way of savouring the island’s beaches in some comfort and relaxed luxury.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This may not be evident from this specific blog post but, I am not a big fan of all-inclusive resorts. This stay in Melia Cayo Coco may well have been my one and only so far and the key driver behind it was easy access to a spectacular tropical beach and a need for some rest after a busy period back at home. Melia Cayo Coco provided ample amounts of that, so it turned out to be a good choice. Do I have FOMO for not seeing more of the ‘real Cuba’? I definitely do. But you can only do so much in two weeks!

Whatever your motivation behind considering an all-inclusive holiday is, I support it. This is your precious time-off and you should do whatever you want with it. I would insist though, that if this is your first and only time in Cuba, don’t just book an all-inclusive resort. Dedicate some time to see some of the rest of the island too. You won’t regret it!