Beautiful Resort

This resort was beautiful and clean. The staff were outstanding. Beach was beautiful always lots of lounges. Rooms were nice and modern. Restaurants were great. We had breakfast and lunch at the snack bar everyday, food was made to order and no line ups. Main lobby bar had entertainment every night met lots of people from all over Canada!

WONDERFUL VACATION

We stayed here from June 1-10, 2017 in the privilege section. We loved it. The resort itself is beautiful. Unfortunately for us one section was closed for upgrading so we had a bit of a walk to get to the other side. But that was a small thing. Our room was beautiful, the view amazing and the staff cleaned our room every day. There was never a day we went back to our room that we were not happy with the job they did. Food - this always seems to be an issue for people but for us it was  [... read more]quite good. We spent time between the buffet and the 24 snack bar for breakfast and were never disappointed. Dinner at the buffet was just fine...the grill always had fresh meat and seafood. We did the al a cartes and were quite happy with it. The lobster dinner was the only thing we were not happy with. At the beach we always got a cabana and they served us drinks and the grilled sandwiches were amazing. The beach itself was absolutely beautiful. We are sorry we didn't discover it before hand. The lobby bar was great, drinks and coffee were amazing. There were negatives but they were small. We spent a lot of time at the pool with the swim up bar. The resort must learn to clean the pool every morning. There were many days it had not been skimmed. Regardless of being off season this is something they must do. Mosquitos were bad...but then we went at the worst time of the year. Going forward we would not go so late in the year because of that and the heat. Bathrooms....you need to ensure they are cleaned and stocked consistently. Staff....they were amazing. At every turn the staff was helpful. I recommend this resort. I recommend going privilege as well. This is a new resort but they will have to stay on top of the little things going forward as the competition in the area is about to get very busy.

Great resort

had a great time. Resort was beautiful. Lobby was very comfortable and airy. Food was good, had no complaints. Rooms nice, bed very comfortable. Buffet good selection. A la cartes pretty good. Pool nice, bars provided good service. Beach beautiful!

Bug infested

Been home a week and still itchy. Not sure what kind of bugs they were but not only were they outside they were also in our room. It's hard to have fun when you are constantly scratching and being bitten. I will say, though, the staff was very good and helpful. We could always get a ride back to our room or to the dining room. They were always pleasant. The front desk staff was also helpful. The food was pretty good especially at the French and Italian a la carts. They even supplied a bi [... read more]rthday cake for us one night.

Nice Resort!

The hotel was quite beautiful. Very unique with the different little buildings all over the grounds. The beds were very hard, and the toilets were a disaster, and the drive was long (2hrs). The food was decent, but the a la cartes were tasty. The pools were lovely, and the entertainment was outstanding! The Michael Jackson show was amazing, and the pool entertainers were fun. We had a great time!

A trip of a life time!

It was my boyfriend and I's first trip down south together, he has never been and I have been to Varadero twice before. I wanted the trip to be perfect and the beach was the top on my priority list. It is safe to say Cayo Santa Maria is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We found a part of the beach that was secluded and we spent most of the time there. The water was the most beautiful blue I have ever seen and the sand was as white as our ginger skin! :) There are somethings th [... read more]at frustrated me about the resort, however they aren't even worth mentioning.The resort was very nice and big and I found it very clean...as well the drinks were plentiful. The cameraman excursion was amazing and so was the dolphin show. The food was alright, My boyfriend enjoyed it, I played it safe and stuck with pizza and pasta. The 1.5 hr drive to the resort is not a reason not to go to this resort. We looked at it as an excursion, it was very interesting to see all the villages and learn about the Cuban culture. I was sad to leave, and would recommend this resort to anyone! We will hopefully be back sooner then later!! :)

Would recommend

The resort was pretty nice, beach was amazing, Pools were amazing, staff was pleasant, bars and drinks were great.. food was crappy but that's Cuba.. lots of mosquitoes while we were there, so bring bugspray.

Beautiful Resort, Friendly Staff

The resort grounds were beautiful, the beach was a little rocky in places but goes on forever. The staff were great for the most part and we made friends with many of them. The food was average, what you would expect from a Cuban resort, but the drinks were very good. The privilege package was a little bit of a disappointment, there are really no "private" beach areas for you and the privilege bar is cold and no one goes in there. The lobster dinner that was included was amazing though and the m [... read more]assage was relaxing (though would have been nicer in the outside massage area and not in a hotel room). It's unfortunate there is no longer a disco as there isn't much else to do in the evenings there after the entertainment is done.

Best vacation spot to go and relax without kids.

First and foremost resort was beautiful relaxing lots of fun people were nice. There were lots of pools to go in ocean was clear blue white sand amazing. For sure there's lots of walking but nice there are golf cars to get around but sure is nice to walk. Food was great buffet is always safe restaurants French Italian Spanish was the best. Would I go back definitely will go back five stars for us.

Valentin Perla Blanca or Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso? Different rates,same hotel same disappointment

My wife and I have been enthusiastic Patrons of Cuban tourism for the past 7 years and were looking forward to another relaxing and refreshing week in Caya Santa Maria. There were 2 hotels listed on trip central in Santa Clara: Valentin Perla Blanca and the higher priced Valentin Perla Blance Paraiso. We booked a week vacation with Perla Blance Paraiso thinking it would be a higher standard hotel. On our arrival, we were surprised to learn that the two hotels were one and the same. We fel [... read more]t cheated yet hopeful that this would be quickly forgotten because of previous positive experiences in Cuban resorts; we were to find that the concerns with the Valentin Perla Blanca would be compounded however. Major concerns during our stay involved cleanliness of the room, buffet and main bar, Customer service, long lineups, poorly serviced and disappointing facilities and almost ineffective security In terms of cleanliness, we opened the sheets on the bed and noticed dirt in the sheets; since we arrived late, we were too tired to have the bed remade so we simply took blankets from the cupboard. in the morning we stripped the bed of all sheets and left them on the floor. When visiting the buffet, we frequently had to wait for tables to be cleaned and when they were cleaned it was with filthy rags. The food selection was sparse and when there were dishes that were palatable, they often did not last long and were not replaced prior to the end of the service. The cleanliness from the bar was just as harrowing; we watched as an unused Pina Colada was presented to an unwitting bar patron. We also received glasses which obviously had not been cleaned; in one instance there were lipstick stains on a fresh glass. When checking out, a 2 inch long snail had somehow made its way to the front desk and we pointed it out to the front desk staff He smiled but did nothing. The snail then began to move towards one of the guests who was checking out. It was almost crawling on her sandle when we called it to her attention and of course she was startled; again no response from the front desk clerk who watched the whole incident an continued to check out another couple. There was no lineup and every reason to act. We finaly removed the snail ourselves and set it outside. The customer service was also very concerning. At the main bar it was difficult to get a drink. There were 2 waitresses serving about 150 people and the bartenders did not smile or make eye contact and in some instances sullen. There was also no uniformity with the drinks; you might get a decen spanish coffee from one bartender but the next might choke the drink with too much alcohol or coffee. Other examples of poor service occurred on our checkout. It was raining and so we requested carts for our luggage and we were assured a cart would be forthcoming. We waited for about 25 minutes and since the rain let up, we decided to walk to the main lobby. we discovered in discussions with 2 other couples that they too had requested carts that did not show up. Throughout our experience, staff seemed unwilling to assist even when pressed to do so. Lineups were everywhere at the Perla Blanca. We waited in a line for about a half an hour to register and lineups through out our stay for drinks or food. The most infuriating lineup was in requesting foreign currency; we waited a half an hour to exchange canadian currency into pesos. We were at 2 couples away from our turn whn the window suddenly closed without warning. We checked at the front desk and the clerk told us he head no control over the currency and that the currency exchange ahd probably run out o money. (?) Believe it or not, this was later confirmed by the currency clerk. They rarely had peso coins. so we were forced to request change from the hotel staff. in terms of the facilities, the beaches were not very wide. there was a nice stretch of beach at the far end of the resort but there were hardly any shade huts and the pathway to the beach was a dirt path cut out of bush. The shower drain was plugged in our room but was quickly repaired. Our friends at the far side of the resort told us they had no hot water. There was no "Mike's Coffee Shop" There was also no music after 9pm and no disco. Internet was also laughable; you paid 1 and a half pesos for 1 hour of internet and it frequently went down. When we asked forhelp from the man who sold the internet cards, he told us he was not responsible for the reception and only sold the cards. The most concerning aspect of our stay was the close to ineffective security. During our stay, there was a bar brawl in the resort. First in cuba for us . We witnessed the after effects an were told security did not show up until 30 minutes later. One evening around 9pm we did however witness a very very young man who was obviously very drunk. He challenged the entire main bar to a fight and at one point was about to expose himself when one of the other patrons stopped him. When he stumbled down the stairs to the main lobby I went to the main desk and sugested the clerk cal security. The clerk told me that security was contacted about 15 minutes ago and I suggested the clerk call again right now. The clerk went to the phone and made a call while the drunk continued to harrass patrons ad stumble about. Security arrived 30 minutes later.

True Adult only resort

This was our first time at this resort. We purchased the Privilege Oceanview room. Well worth purchasing the Privilege upgrade. Although, when we got off the bus, it is not easy figuring out where we needed to go as the person already went inside with the sign for advanced check in. Also book with our agent, she was able to request "highest floor" and "King bed" which was key. Positives of the resort: True adult only resort. It has two areas with two different types of adult life. There  [... read more]is the "party pool" with swim up bar, snack back and tons of entertainment, volleyball, dancing, exercising and loud music. Then there is the "relax pool" on the other side of the resort that has a swim up bar and some activities, but definitely more for reading your book while having Mojitos. The food choices were wonderful. 3 a-la-carte dinners and a lobster dinner. So 4 total. All restaurants were really well done and service was wonderful. As well, we get a-la-carte breakfast EVERY morning which was wonderful. We never went to the buffet for breakfast as there was never a line, or anything for breakfast, and the staff at that restaurant was phenomenal. Privilege lounge was also wonderful. They have scotch, aged Havana club, Chivas, bigger selection of beers and the best bartenders on the resort. This was always free for privilege members. The beach at the resort was amazing, Santa Maria is known for the beaches. We spent every day on the beach at some point and one of the days dolphins swam up about 20 feet from the shore and were fishing for about 20 minutes (before other tourists "NEEDED" to get closer and in turn, the dolphins left due to them) Room and resort is all relatively new and upgraded in comparison to others. Meaning that the rooms are all more modern and the restaurants are as well. The pictures are exactly what you will find, they are not misleading at all. We booked with Sunwing, and had such a wonderful experience with them. I feel like we got lucky as everything went EXACTLY according to plan. I definitely would recommend booking with them. Resort is massive. This is either a pro or a con. We enjoyed the amount of walking and exercise we actually got there. Negatives: One issue is every once in a while there is a sewer smell at the resort and near the room's toilet. As well, after about 3 days of showering, the drain was fairly clogged or backed-up or something, not too sure and it kept taking a while for the water to drain. Room service was nothing special. Our issue was they were constantly inconsistent with the timing they would clean our room. One day it was 3pm and another it was 11am. So that was annoying as we needed to be out of our room for them to do their thing and we couldn't predict that. Cigar selection is VERY weak at this resort. Apparently at the market there is a better selection, but also the chance of fake cigars is very high. Duty-free before going home has some good selections. Bus ride is 1.75 hrs. It is not bad when you first arrive as you get beers and you're all excited and the tour guide on the way is usually very entertaining. However, the ride back at the end of your week it is exhausting and feels forever. Also, if you book the early flight (11am) remember, the flight back you leave your resort about 5 hrs prior to your flight time. ie, check out at 5:30am and catch the bus to the airport at 6am. Overall: Overall we were very happy with this resort. Adult only so no children running around and lots of booze flowing. I highly recommend the privilege or silver package, it is well worth the extra money. And the concierge will help you book everything, any issues and supports you very well when you're there.

Good Resort

This hotel had the best lobby I have EVER experienced. I believe the lobby is the heart of the hotel and we had a 2 level lobby that everyone hung in. There was entertainment every night and we didn’t once go to the theatre for the shows. The food was good. I didn’t have one meal I didn’t enjoy but the set up in the buffet could have been a better thought out. The beach was beautiful and we basically hung there most of the time. The pools were well kept and clean. I liked my room but th [... read more]e house cleaning wasn’t the best. My maid was lovely but I think she just had too many rooms to clean. Over all I would say that this was a GOOD hotel that I would go back to if I decide to go back to Cayo Santa Maria.

Disappointed not up to our expectations

We were very disappointed having been to Cuba 16 times. We had made requests in October 2016 when we booked our trip and this hotel did not honour even one. First impression mean a lot to us..we arrived late at night..lots of drunks..lots of smoking..lots of bad staff employees golf cart drivers. Then were put in first floor stale stinky room with two beds pushed together and told there is your king size. Not a good sign. The staff were miserable looking, not helpful ..ladies bathrooms cont [... read more]inuously without toilet paper..honestly why would that happen..over and over. I could go on but I won't.. I just won't go back..maybe Cuba has lost its shine for us..not the Cuba and the people we fell in love with several years ago.

Nice Resort

The resort is huge and requires a lot of walking to get anywhere on the property. It is new and modern and beautiful. I loved the high ceilings and open and airy feeling it had. The staff were friendly and attentive. We rarely had an issue with the employees. If we did, it was mostly due to the language barrier. Our room was nice and clean and modern. The shower was great. The only issues in the room were the ceiling fan didn't work, and the blanket on the bed wasn't washed. My key car [... read more]d also stopped working every couple of days and required me to have it reset at the front desk throughout the week. Our building was perfectly situated in the middle of the resort with easy access to the buffet and lobby and beach. It had great views of both the resort and the beach. The grounds are beautiful but because they are a newer property, they aren't very lush yet. It will be beautiful in a few years when it has the chance to grow. The loud areas of the resort aren't bad for the most part but it's a bit excessive at times. Especially at the pool when people are just sunbathing or dining at the snack bar and there is blasting music and no one is participating in the activities. Same with the beach area. It is a bit much. It vibrates throughout the resort and can be toned down a bit. The front desk is understaffed and check-in and check-out is a long process. And if there is an issue and you require the front desks help, it is a long wait. Booking a scuba diving excursion was extremely complicated. It shouldn't have been as difficult as it was. Our Sunwing Rep recommended the Carnival excursion which turned out to be an awful event and not worth the time or money. It unfortunately cost us a lot of pesos that we could have used elsewhere. The food is not good. We were told that we would not be getting good food in Cuba so we were prepared. Even at this new 5 star resort the food was not good. Instead of getting Cuban food in Cuba, which would be fantastic, we are given food that they think we want to eat. I'm not quite sure what food we are getting in Cuba. It is not appetizing at all. It has no flavour, no seasonings, it is not visually appealing, and is very difficult to eat at times. Hot dogs are used much too often at the buffet. It was hard to find something appetizing at most meals. The food was heavy and oily and we did not feel great after eating. We left the resort and at a Cuban restaurant one day and it was the best food we had during our week. The coffee at the resort was fantastic. The a la carte restaurants have a great atmosphere and dining in those restaurants was nice, but the food is not much different there. Still difficult to eat most times. A resort that size should have more than 4 a la carte restaurants. And guests should be able to book more than 3 a la carte's over the course of a week. The buffet does not vary enough. It is the same food at every meal for the most part. The drinks weren't consistent. They varied from bar to bar and bartender to bartender. It was clear that there is no bartending training. Sometimes the staff members were guessing what to do. The majority of the drinks were great but they were never the same twice. The lobby bar was very nice with lots of seating. It was so open and airy and had a great vibe to it. The bathroom facilities throughout the resort (excluding the hotel room bathroom) aren't the greatest. The entire week I did not find a bathroom stall door that closed or locked. Toilet paper and soap are scarce as well. The pools are odd at the resort and did not look inviting so we did not use them at all, but used the beach instead. The majority of the guest at the resort were French. We rarely encountered English speaking guests. They were not the most pleasant guests to be around but the resort cannot prevent that and the review of the resort should not be based on other guests behaviour. The food and the rude guests would probably keep me from visiting Cuba again but we had a great time during our week and would recommend the Valentin Perla Blanca to others.

Beautiful Resort

The resort was modern and beautiful! We loved the small pool it was quiet and great bartenders! Beaches were lovely, there was a big beautiful beach with a lobster lunch, the middle beach was smaller but really lovely and the gentleman kept bringing us good drinks 😊 Food overall was good! Loved the French restaurant. Overall it was a good resort 😊

Good Vacation

The airline should improve the services for Vacation Flights as to going back to larger seats so people are not crammed in like cattle and the airline authorities should bring back the service of a meal when the flight is a long one. They should take into account that the 'cattle' have already been at the airport for 3 additional hours before departure. We enjoyed the resort as a whole but there were some things that could be improved as follows: The privilege amenities were not in the room whe [... read more]n we arrived and were not provided until the next day after 2 phone calls were made. Door to the balcony would not lock and they would not fix it. They booked our free massage for a day that they are closed and it was a long walk from our bldg to the parlor. We were compensated with an extra free massage later on which eased the pain (lol). However we were not impressed with the masseuse who demanded a larger tip than we were prepared to give. The masseur later stepped in to the argument and things were resolved. The concierge (Janko) told us to come see him on Wed for a booking into the Italian Restaurant as we told him on the first day that we wanted to eat there. Wed came and on looking for him, guess what......it was his day off. However the 2 other concierges that were on site that day resolved this (most thanks to them). At the pool every day was an experience trying to find the attendant responsible for the "pads" to lay on. It could take up to an hour to find him and half the time he was not on the site at all. Other than these things, the Privilege is the only way to go as long as the prices are kept in check to make it worthwhile. The staff were very friendly and were grateful for the tips provided which in turn made for better service (a little goes a long way). We sure enjoyed the beach, pool, heat and listening to the ocean. Our room location was as nice as could be expected face on and overlooking the pool. Overall it was a nice experience.

Simply wonderful week! Wish there was more shade at the beach, as those areas seem to go right away and a lot of people continue to look for same. However, we will be back!

As above. Wish there was more shade at the beachfront as several were unable to find same and wandered as we did - but otherwise a simply amazing resort. Somewhat put off by the accepted practice of saving pool chairs by using hotel towels and then not coming to use them for hours and hours while others do without. Somehow there needs to be a better system. But, we will be back!

Needs improvement

Arrived late April 5. Check in was fast and was taken to our room. We were in bungalow 24, Great location. Close to 24 hr grill and the beach. Hamburgers were great, Service was great there and the omettles were tasty in the morning. Our room was dirty when we arrived. Toilet seat broken, strong smell of urine, lip marks all over shower window. Our fridge was empty as well, broken safe. I told them the next day and the safe and fridge issue was resolved. Our shower was a window so my husband  [... read more]got to see me shower and use the toliet all week lol. My friends room had a coated shower window. The only thing the maid did all week was make the bed. Lip marks and broken toilet all week. Resort is Beautiful ... pools and beaches, amazing entertainment, the Cubans were amazing as always. I tipped but when I didn't it was never an issue. This was our 6th time to Santa Maria. Stayed at different resorts. This resort had the best food. In all honesty they are all the same. If you go to the right of the beach to the end you can go naked. Lots of topless people on the beach. Loved that it was adults only. Service was really good. The only issue was the cleanliness... the room and bathrooms on the resort. Something really needs to be done, it's disgusting. We noticed on the drive back to Santa Clara the amount of garbage everywhere. Something that was never an issue before. I'm not a picky person and love santa maria but things are going downhill. Doesn't take much to clean. We also found it windier at this part of the island Tips: take cleaning wipes, bug spray, 60 sunscreen, hat. Hand sanitizer. Only use the internet in the morning, and it does work from your room. 1 hour 1.50 peso card. If you upload pics it drains your time. They don't give 1 pesos at the hotel bank. Go the the market bank and change your money there for tips. This way your not giving put 3.00 tips at a time. If you vape there was no issues going through customs. We will go back but to a different resort. It's was a great resort just needs better cleaning.

Beautiful, but beware!

This was our third trip to Cuba and our first bad review. The Valentin Perla Blanca hotel and facilities are new and well designed, and the beach, one of the 10 best I've seen anywhere. The food was, at best, 2 or 3 star and we had a major unresolved dispute over our room. We were booked for a MINI SUITE OCEANVIEW. The view we got was the main buffet restaurant. (Please ask me for photos) At 6 every morning, I awoke to the clatter of plates, the scrape of chairs, loud talking.... etc [... read more]. All night till 4:30am. there was a parade of drunks past our window. Because my wife has claustrophobia, we had to keep the balcony door open, so I got no more than 2-3 hours interrupted sleep per night. I tried to get the room changed, but the concierge insisted we had oceanview, because if you lean out from the balcony, you can see the ocean. You can not see anything but the restaurant from anywhere in the room, and it was a room, not a suite. We were there for 2 weeks, but I would have loved to have been able to change resorts after the first night. The management (Valentin) and their front desk staff were the problem. This could be a 4 or 5 star resort if it was run properly, but they did not maintain standards, training or quality as one would expect. The staff, and all the Cubans we met throughout the country, as always, were delightful and motivated.

Beautiful resort.

Rooms were clean modern &spacious. Well maintained grounds. Beach was one of the most beautiful we have ever been to. Pools very clean. Excellent entertainment. Buffet was average didn't change much all week. Restaurants were very good. Friendly staff. Lots of garbage cans around the resort which was great to see. Only one thing I think would improve the resort is washrooms closer to the beach.