At Chivírico, about one hour drive west of Santiago de Cuba, this all-inclusive hotel comprises two very distinct entities about one mile apart. Both are cliff-top, with sensational views down over the Caribbean Sea and towards the Sierra Maestra mountains. The main complex – Brisas Sierra Mar – has the lion's share of facilities, plus 200 rooms; the 34-room Los Galeones is an entirely more intimate experience. Apples and oranges. That they're operated as one is a quirk.

The Sierra Mar was formerly a SuperClubs property. Today, run wholly by Cubanacán, it draws a mainly Canadian value-priced package crowd. We love the unique tone lent by its clifftop locale, with the swimming pool and sundeck overlooking a beach of gray sand accessed by a funicular. Hobi-Cats, sea kayaks, and aqua-bikes are there for daytime pleasure. Animation staff keep things rolling at this ever-lively resort, where by night a pianist tickles and live shows precede a disco. It has a gym, sauna, tennis, and even a rarely used basketball court. It welcomes families and has a kid's club. The Los Galeones outlet (linked by a shuttle bus) is limited to a small pool and paltry gym, plus sauna. But it also has a scuba outlet. The beach here is accessed by a 296-step staircase!

Accommodations at Sierra Mar stairstep the cliffface and offer dramatic ocean vistas. Relatively small by international standards, they also feel dated. By contrast, rooms at Los Galeones are set back from the clifftop and open onto the courtyard pool. King beds are an option at both hotels but be warned – in our experience "king" means two singles pushed together. Refurbishing is long overdue at both resorts, as the peeling paint and sagging fixtures attest.