Amazing resort

Beautiful resort, clean, tidy, well kept grounds. Food was excellent. Upgradevto luxury worth every penny. The staff was amazing. We did not want for anything. Staff very attentive to all our needs. Room were very clean. Maids were awesome.

Had a great time! Great resort!

We had a great time at this resort. The rooms and grounds were very clean and a pleasure to be a part of. The people working were very kind and fun to talk to! The food at the buffet was very delicious and quite a bit of variety. The only thing that I had an issue with at the buffet was that there were a lot of flies around. Which could easily be mitigated by putting plastic wrap on the food and turning the cups over at the tables. I believe these small changes would have made it even better; re [... read more]gardless, this resort was wonderful, and the beach was even better! Overall, I had a great time with my family and would definitely recommend it to friends and family.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria

Rooms are clean and staff is very friendly and welcoming. Service is very good and entertainment is fun. There are plenty of food/drink choices which are available to you all day and night. The beach and pools are beautiful and I enjoy my time there every time I go!

Can't wait to return!

Beautiful gardens, clean rooms, friendly people. Food was good, there is always something even for picky eaters there's the snack bar which has the best chicken sandwiches and sweet potato fries. The piña coladas in the lobby are always amazing, and the atmosphere is friendy and relaxing. Family had an amazing time and we can't wait to return!

Unforgettable

This resort has exceeded all our expectations coming in. From the staff to the food and beach front it had it all. Wonderful people and have made so many friends. Highly recommend this resort Thank you!

Great resort

Cayo Playa Santa Maria is a great resort. Very clean, food was a little repetitive but all in all it was good! I loved the snack bar sandwiches and French fries. Will definitely go back! The staff was very friendly and accommodating!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria Vacation

I had a good time staying there, I stayed at this hotel the previous 3 times were between October and March, it was much drier and I rarely got mosquito bites, but due to the wet weather recently, I had quite a few bites on my body, I will return there except not during the wet months. I like the friendly staff there, the food is acceptable for Cuban standard, the rooms are large, I will recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a vacation in Cuba, the only down side is it takes approximately [... read more] 90 minutes to get to the hotels in that area from the airport, but it isn't that bad once you are prepare for it.

Very nice

Good service friendly staff Too many mosquitoes and black flies Very poor WiFi Good beaches Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxcxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxxx cxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx cxxx xxxx cxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx

Back again

This was trip #6 for us to this resort and we are already thinking about our next one. Need to request a room with a bathtub. It's great when the pool is right outside your balcony. Great lobster dinner.

Excellent Resort

This resort is a little old, chipped paint, cracked sidewalks and such. That being said, the only issue I had was a sticky balcony door. The grounds are beautiful, flowers, palm trees, trimmed bushes everywhere. Lots of shade, The pools are nice and clean. The beach is beautiful. There were no vendors bothering you every few minutes. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. There was plenty of food. Not real fancy, but good. It is the perfect resort if you just want to get away  [... read more]and relax.

Fabulous Resort

Our week stay was great, clean rooms, great Cuban food, lots of things to do. the resort was less populated as its winding down their busy season but it made for a great time and more one on one with staff and hotel reps. We are defiantly returning for another trip.

We loved our 2 weeks at Playa Cayo Santa Maria!

This was our 2nd time at Playa Santa Maria and I have to say this was the best 2 weeks we’ve spent in Cuba since we started coming in 2017! We have found a place that we will be looking to come back to. First thing is that we noticed many improvements since our first visit in 2023 from the grounds to the furniture in the lobby and beach to the food (to be fair the food is really based availability and situation in the country at the time) but we had no complaints here. Claudia Cruz Sanc [... read more]hez (from customer service) was pivotal in helping us make this vacation so enjoyable and special (from helping us with reserving a room that accommodated our wishes, to reservations at the restaurant to just being there to answer any questions we had0. We also got to enjoy her company a couple of times where we had to opportunity to sit down and get to know her a little more (this kind of thing makes our time feel more meaningful as we get to know people at a more personal level). Also a mention goes out to Yaidelis Calvo Reyes for also keeping on eye out for us. Our favorite restaurant was the Italian - especially the cannelloni and ice cream cake!!! We also really enjoyed the Hamburger/Pizza place for lunch (reservations required). We had the chance to attend the repeat customer dinner which did not disappoint - the food (salmon and steak) was delicious and we enjoyed the live music while overlooking the ocean. The snack bar offered omelettes in the morning (with cappuccino) and always had nicely done grilled sandwiches with fries for an alternative to the buffet or as a snack. The morning we left the resort (at 6am) they quickly prepared sandwiches for us to have on the bus as the buffet wasn’t opened yet. Thanks to Claudia Cruz Sanchez and to Lauren for making the reservations so easy and accommodating our requests. The buffet always has a good selection and we found more than enough of everything to eat. What made the experience of going for meals exceptional was the staff - at the buffet we met so many (unfortunately I don’t remember everyone’s name) wonderful people that made us feel so very welcomed and taken care of: Leo, Abel Raul, Ybel and Mario. There were so many others that always had a smile and hello for us that I am not mentioning that deserve our appreciation as well. The hotel had a nice variety of drinks available from Spanish coffees (lobby) to Marguerita’s (beach bar), crème the menthe and gin and tonic. They always offered wine (red, white or rose) at all the restaurants and buffet. Our room (a suite overlooking the ocean) was lovely. Bright and airy with lot’s of room. Yes the paint and furniture is a little dated but everything was functional and clean. The air conditioning kept us cool although during the afternoon it was nice to have the patio door open and let the warm breeze come through. The only thing that needed repair was that our 2nd toilet had problems flushing (thankfully we had 2 toilets available in the suite and were able to just flush the 2nd one with a bucket of water). Otherwise the room was great. Lot’s of closet space and storage, a table, chairs, couch, fridge, nespresso coffee maker (we brought our own pads that we got at Walmart - regular size pods worked perfectly). Our chamber cleaners Alfredo Vazquez and his lovely wife Mildrey were always there to give us anything we needed (toilet paper, bottles of water, extra towels) as well as just always being there with a hello and smile. There is a safe in the room (no extra cost) and internet always worked well - you get a code at your arrival and this stays the same for your whole visit - no limits on time and no cost. Then internet even worked at some part of the beach! I had the opportunity to have a relaxing massage with Yasmani at the spa - the area of the resort is just so relaxing with the zen music, small garden with chair and little pool which I enjoyed very much. The beach has a new boardwalk and stairs making it easier to get down to the water - there is a little edge that you have to climb down - very manageable from many areas but the new stairs are a nice addition (I would only say that the last step down is quite high - maybe the sand has eroded away making it such a big step). The beach itself is gorgeous - we swam everyday and walked both sides of the beach - we never reached the end on either side. There was always chairs available for us both at the beach and the pool. The entertainment staff was great (we usually are pretty quiet during the day) but could hear the activities on the beach in the morning and at the main pool in the afternoon. But we really appreciated the variety of the many different musicians that came through and played in the lobby late mornings and evenings. From solo musicians to larger groups (thumbs up for the group Septeto Atabey). We were so fortunately to be there at this time as the hotels on Santa Maria have just started organizing a weekly cocktail at the Plaza La Estrella on Thursday nights for Canadians. This was such an enjoyable evening - we absolutely recommend it. All free - a bus picks you up at the lobby and returns later in the evening. At the plaza there is live music, dancing, shows, food (plenty to snack on for supper) and drinks going on from 7 to 11pm. This was one of the best evenings we have ever spent in Cuba so far! We also took a day trip on the $5 bus out to Playa Las Gaviotas which is a natural protected reserve at the end of the island. Well worth the trip out there. Note there are no facilities so bring along what you will need (towels, water/drinks, snacks, shoes, sunscreen). You pay a $5 entrance fee at the gate and walk down a trail for about 10 minutes to one of the most beautiful pristine beaches we have even been on. We also used the tennis courts to play a little pickleball - which was a nice thing to do earlier in the morning (we brought our own balls and rackets). In summary, we really enjoyed our 2 weeks at this hotel and we look forward to coming back here again in the future! The resort filled all our needs but getting to know the staff made it so very enjoyable.

Enjoyable

Everything is clean, well kept, enjoyable but the pools are kiddies pools, to shallow, all four of them, but that is compesated by the nice beach. There is always a gardener around working. Buildings were serviced as well.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria

Our check in was good. My group was booked in the same building but mine was separate. Room: good size for a suite and complete supply of amenities. My 2nd, 3rd and 4th night was infested by bugs. Good thing I brought my bug spray. They were everywhere even behind tables and curtains. I told the reception and was cleaned out by housekeeping but keeps happening for 3 nights Food: plenty / abundant Drinks: whatever you want to drink is available Staff: friendly Pool: good and not busy Be [... read more]ach: excellent Entertainment at night: i give 8/10 Overall: we had a great vacation and definitely will come back

Fantastic time

I drank half my body weight in booze. Spent more time in the pools than ever before (4th time here), the water was so warm. Had amazing cream soups at the dinner buffet. Staff is unbelievable friendly. Can't wait to come back in Sept.

Good resort

Too loud especially in the theatre Long line ups for hot food, could wait 20 minutes Room clean, staff very friendly Too big a resort for our liking Beach OK, but not enough lounges One day, no buns and very limited cold meat selection Ran out of red and white wine, 2 days before we left. Cuba is very short on supplies. Tourists should be told to bring American $1.00 bills for tips. Cuba does not accept Cdn. Coins.

A beautiful resort

I was impressed with the cleanliness of the property. The rooms are comfortable, although in our case, we had to physically move a cot that prevented access to one side of the bed. The resort is very large, though well laid out. The beach is gorgeous but lounges in the shade are very close together and must be claimed early. It is a bit of a walk to get there. We found it difficult to find a quiet place for a card game or a conversation. The noise level was incredible!. I was not impressed by [... read more] the food in the buffet. Even in shoulder season there were long waits for anything freshly cooked. The prepared food was, at best, luke warm . The specialty restaurants were pleasant, friendly and, usually had wine

Amazing customer service

The staff is amazing, Abel, Paulino and Elsa at the beach bar are a ray of sunshine ? they make everyday amazing. Yenisey, Nelson and Emily in the lobby provide amazing customer service ?. It is a shame that people leave cups everywhere. Clients need to either bring a recycled cup or purchase one. No more plastic cups or glass. The resort needs a lot of TLC, walls , flooring and stairwells are crumbling. There needs to be more mix options for drinks, diet coke, sparkling water, real fruit  [... read more]juice. I have been at this resort more than 18 times and continue to visit because of the people who work at the resort, the customer service and of course the beautiful beach.

All inclusive…sort of…

We went to Cuba 11 years ago to celebrate our 10th anniversary and returned to a different part of the island for our 21st anniversary. An important change since our last trip is the underground currency economy. You will not need to change your Canadian, or US (I can not confirm Europeon currency) currency to Cuban pesos. You can pay for excursions with cash (Canadian or US) or credit card. If you need to break a $20 or $50 bill, ask one of the severs in the buffet restaurant or at either the [... read more] 24hr snack bar or the bar by front desk. It is my opinion that tips were preferred in Canadian or US currency. And saving yourself the hassle of currency exchange and the fees was a welcome treat. There is no doubt that the food quality and variety has changed but I feel the hotel offered a good selection . There was always fresh fruit, cheese and bread. Usually the buffet had two different soups available at lunch and dinner. There are three grilling stations for fish, steak, pork or chicken and another for vegetables such as eggplant, green pepper, cucumbers etc. Typically, at lunch there was also a grilling station for vegetables and rice. Although we did not attempt to do this, I saw guests, request uncooked chicken from the other grill station and take it back to be cooked with the rice. We preferred to go to the buffet breakfast to get fruit and bread and order eggs (fried, scrambled, omelet) at the 24hr snack bar. Table service was extremely quick and faster than the buffet line. There is an option to book two a la carte restaurants during a one week stay (Italian, International, Cuban). We chose the Italian and the Cuban restaurant . Despite hotel printed information, there is no longer an extra fee to eat at the Cuban restaurant. And we throughly enjoyed our meal at the Cuban restaurant and would recommend it above the Italian. There is also an option to reserve a table at a one of two a la carte lunch restaurants; a BBQ with burgers and the other one with Pizza. You can only book one lunch restaurant for a one week stay. I have travelled to many all inclusive resorts over the last 30 years including Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic but this was the first time I felt an intense pressure to tip for any and all service. It became clear that if you didn’t immediately indicate you would be providing a tip, you would not receive service or it was quite slow. In my vacation oblivion, I hadn’t quite noticed the trend but by the second afternoon it was more than evident. Guests who literally waved money and shouted for a drink at the bar were served first before others in line. We waited 5 days to obtain a reservation for the lunch pizza restaurant. Our reservation was for 1:30 and we waited in line starting at 1:20pm. There were 4 other groups waiting for a table in line. One group asked a server if they could obtain a table without a reservation and were turned away. During this period of time, there were several empty tables and we continued to wait. We were advised there was a change of staff and we would be seated as soon as possible. While waiting, I watched a woman with two young boys, whistle and shout to get the attention of the cook. Once she shouted his name, she literally waved a $5 Canadian bill and asked him to enter the restaurant. At this time, three parties and ourselves, continued to wait in line to be seated at a table and all had reservations. This woman’s husband who had been standing on the the other side of the restaurant went under the rope surrounding the restaurant to join her. The family was provided 3 pizzas and two burgers. This was done before any of there waiting groups were seated and while those at tables were waiting to order and for their food to be prepared. I was utterly disgusted by the behaviour of this family and frankly for the staff to allow and encourage it. I surprised myself by confronting the husband about their behaviour who defended their behaviour by stating “The staff need the money; we did it to help them”. Despite this couple’s assertion, they didn’t provide money to staff as an altruistic gesture; they did it to help themselves; to skip the line and to be served first ahead of others who had legitimate reservations. We learned from the husband that they had been engaged in this behaviour for several days and “everyone did it”. I can certainly attest that the group who attempted to obtain a table without a reservation were not accommodated but can only assume if they had provided a small bill, they would have been, at the very least, a take out meal. And I am pretty convinced that this family would not have attempted to engage in this kind of behaviour at home in Canada. The property was well taken care of and gardeners were present every day. Pools were spotless and the beach often had lifeguards to ensure the safety of swimmers.

Sea Cruise

Hi, our trip overall was pleasant and enjoyable. I did have one issue. We booked the following Catamaran Cruise: Crucero del Sol (https://www.cayosantamaria.info/excursion_catamarancruise.html) Shortly after leaving the marina, the catamaran crew asked all smoking passengers on the catamaran to put their cigarette butts into a plastic bucket filled with some water. Several people were smoking throughout the cruise. Most smokers put their butts into the bucket. We we arrived back at the Del [... read more]finario (dolphinarium) later in the afternoon. I was the last one to leave the catamaran. As I started walking down the dock, I looked back and seen on of the crew members dump the bucket full of cigarette butts into the ocean where the catamaran was docked. I walked back very upset and asked them why they did that and explained that the cigarette butts are made of plastic and they are polluting the ocean with plastic waste. The crew member started talking in Spanish and looking back and talking to the other crew members, who also were saying things in Spanish, which I did not understand. None of them acknowledged that what they did was wrong or apologized. I suspect this is happening constantly and quite likely not just by the crew of the catamaran I was on, but the other catamaran's offering the cruise as well. I also saw a few passengers that just flicked their butts overboard into the ocean. Throwing cigarette butts into the ocean is completely unacceptable and I am not proud of being part of a tourist activity that partakes in such blatant pollution of the ocean. A clean, ecologically healthy, and beautiful ocean is what Cuban people rely on for revenue and what helps to attract and support tourism in Cuba. Please do what you can to investigate this and put measures in place to stop Catamaran Cruise - Crucero del Sol crew members and passengers from throwing cigarette butts in the ocean. Feel free to follow up with me or contact me if you have any questions.