Beautiful Resort only 8 years old

This resort is huge and quite beautiful. The grounds are very well maintained and the staff are amazing. Special shout out to Manuel and Julio for making us feel so welcome. The beach is breathtaking, we had so much fun playing in the waves. The food was great, no shortages that we were aware of :) Although large, this resort is in desperate need of more guests, it was very quiet while we were there so the a la cartes were closed as well as some of the other advertised amenities. In spite of  [... read more]the low occupancy we were well taken care of and the staff was very attentive to our every need. If you are looking for a very quiet beautiful place this may be the perfect spot for you.

Do Not Book This!

When I tell you that we had hot dogs and rice for 50% of our meals, I am not kidding. There was no real buffet ever. I know to drop by standards when it comes to Cuba as I've been there many times and I'm not spoiled by any means, but I've never experienced anything like this. Breakfast there was no meats, no eggs, no fruits. Only some tomatoes, cucumbers, slices of cheese, and cereal with no milk, and you could order a thin pancake if you wanted. At the snack bar there were only 3 options every [... read more] day: cheese sandwich, tuna sandwich, or hot dog sandwich. Most of the time they didn't have bread either, so they'd just give you a plate of cheese. Lunch would be at the beach hut, and it would always be grilled chicken (which wasn't awful but under seasoned) and lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes on the side. They served that with everything, but with nothing on it. No vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, etc. so it tasted like grass and it's a shame because I love vegetables. We found ourselves unscrewing the shakers and putting salt and pepper on everything. There is also only one a la carte restaurant, not 6 as advertised!!! It is only Cuban which is more rice... and two nights were "italian". And every dinner was a soup, and chicken or pork with rice on the side. Every, single, day. It was only one day where a "Miguel from Customer Service" had arrived and there seemed to be more interesting food options like fish and employees with actual work ethic. I definitely know from experience not to expect too much, but this was worse than being in jail. This is what you get when you mark Dining as your top preferences on trip central? Unbelievable. We spoke to others that visited Cayo Santa Maria afterwards while waiting to board our flight home, and they had an amazing experience compared to us at different resorts. They had burgers, pasta buffets, japanese-style a la cartes, etc. What was also very odd was that there was not more than 12 guests at the hotel, and I am not exaggerating. It felt weird walking around and not seeing a guest for long periods of time. Even at the nightly entertainment lobby, there were never more than 10 guests there and so they performed in the lobby instead of the actual theatre. I'm not sure why an agent wouldn't inform us that the hotel seems to be "sold out" for months and yet no one is staying there. We tipped everyone well with every single interaction but none of the staff seemed happy to be there. I return to Cuba often partially due to the service of the employees and how welcoming and kind they are, but I did not get that vibe here. Hola Sun rep (Michael I believe?) never came to our resort which was unfortunate since we wanted to do an excursion and neither did a Sunwing rep although they have desks in the lobby. Michael from the bus transfer had mentioned that since we're the only guests here, that a pre-scheduled orientation wasn't set up but that I'd get his contact from the receptionist. This never happened. It's almost as if this resort got left in the wind? Rooms are decent, although ocean view upgrade is not worth it as you barely see above the tree line. Grounds need upkeeping. Beach is phenomenal and like out of a postcard. Blue waters and white sand. There is only one main pool area and it is extremely run down. They were touching up some tiling and paint while we were there. I suggest Cayo Santa Maria but not this resort. We are extremely disappointed and will be filing a complaint. It was not cheap for Cuba either and I cannot believe this can pass as a 5 star resort.

Disappointed

The rooms were very clean and the grounds very well kept. There were only 2 restaurants and your choices were chicken pork or fish for dinner and the same thing at the snack bar for lunch. Breakfast was powdered eggs and the odd time crepes they called pancakes..no syrup Breakfast and dinner served at restaurant and snack bar for lunch. We were told we could only have what the Chef allowed. That included bread and vegetables and if there wasn't enough too bad. Dessert was ice cream. I gave u [... read more]p on the food and would only have breakfast and if there was any, take some bread to my room. I was there last year for 2 weeks and although there were shortages the buffet was open and offered different choices. I realized once I got to the resort that Sunwing was fully aware of the issues and could have forewarned us. People would come in and leave again. We were not offered any other resort or a trip home. If we did it would cost a lot of money (we were told,) I definitely do not blame the staff. They did the best they could in the circumstances. I have had many trips booked through trip central and Sunwing. I cannot ever see this happening again

Empty resort

First time ever to go on March break time and the hotel is almost empty, the day we arrived we spent more than 3 hours to check in ( by the way we supposed to be EXCELSIOR CLUB) rooms are not ready and we requested connected rooms we have been 2 families with 4 teenagers 2 kids each family. And the receptionist didn’t know what she’s doing she gave us 2 rooms each family and the rooms were far from each other, we kept explaining to her that if there’s no connected rooms which their website said  [... read more]they have, at least she can put the rooms to be next to each other we spent over 3 hours to do that and we had to give her the room numbers next to each because she doesn’t know anything. The phones in the room was dead, if you need anything or in case of emergency you have to walk to the lobby, I am sure they did that on purpose so no one call them. The buffet was not a buffet at all it Han nothing and was open door, the food is full of flies and insects (so disgusting). We complained that we will leave if the didn’t move the buffet indoors and they did the next day.We have been to Cuba for more than 5 times last time in September 2023, and we are aware about the food shortage and varieties, but it’s first time to be like that. The snack bar supposed to be 24/7 but it’s not actually sometimes when you go they have nothing. No bread even!. The beach is amazing, the staff trying their best. The pool needs maintenance, my son was injured because of the broken pieces of the floor in the pool. EXCELSIOR CLUB is not worth it.

Not recommended

Hotel take 2 hours to be accommodated Hygiene problem at buffet since it was an open space where birds an insects with limited amount of food Hotel say the Snack bar open 24/7 (its a joke ) False advertisement about excelsior VIP package No coffee/tea machine at the room Phone is not working and you need to walk to the lobby every time you have issue

Resort was half closed due to construction, I wish we would have known this before booking

Grounds were very nice , people very courteous towards their guests. Three of the restaurants were close due to a broken water pipe that flooded the restaurants. No eggs for breakfast for the first three days.

Horrible!! Do not stay here.

This hotel has such great reviews and stars but I can assure you that this is a 1.5-2 star hotel max!!! I have the pictures to prove it. There supposedly 9 restaurants which is false there is 1 that rotates nightly. We upgraded to the excelsior club and it said we would get so many extras but we didn’t get any. Including the bottle of rum that was supposed to be in our room. We had to switch rooms right away when we got there. Keeping in mind we have two young kids and it was like 1am when we fi [... read more]nally got to check in. Add we needed dinner to that and the snack bar that was 24 hours wasn’t even open. When we pulled up to our building there was 9 toilets just sitting outside the building. The room wreaked of smoke and was so dirty and all the pillows were ripped and garbage. They moved us rooms and it was better, with better views and 2 beds instead of one for our family of 4. The lines at the buffet were absolutely insane. It would take over an hour for fresh food and people would load everything they could take to their rooms on plates not leaving much for others to get. The sunwing rep was very helpful for us and after 2 days we left that resort and went to another resort which was amazing. Don’t get deceived like we did. This place is absolutely horrible.

Nice staff doing their best

Food was as expected, but you go to Cuba for the beach and sun which were both beautiful and in abundance. Unfortunately, hotel resources were lacking such as no coffee anywhere for 2 days, insufficient toilet paper, room keys that consistently deprogrammed (even when not touching a cell), and a safe that needed repair twice. The staff are so nice and really try their best. Overall, underwhelming for a holiday destination.

My experience at Roc Casa del Mar

I am going to preface this review by letting every reader know that the workers are amazing and that we made the most of what our vacation was. All statements I make are either my opinions or my observations and personal experiences while at this resort from December 26th, 2023 to January 2nd, 2024. Sunwing should be ashamed of themselves for how they have marked this resort. This was my wife's first time going anywhere and the main reason I choose this resort was because of Sunwings claim of [... read more] 9 restaurants. I gladly paid the extra money for the Excelsior upgrade that gave us access to all the restaurants every day. Good, hard earned money waisted because there aren't nine restaurants, there is one and it rotates through the various options (Cuban, Asian, American, Italian, etc.). The other restaurants are all closed as is half the resort due to the low number of guests. Well we were only able to get three days out of seven because the other days that line restaurant was booked solid and for the days we could book the only available dinner times were late 8:30 - 9:30pm. This upgrade was also supposed to have its own lounge but it doesn't exist from what I was told by the staff. Its own section in the buffet, but it was closed. Its own beach section and drink service which did exist, kind of, but everyone no matter if they had the upgraded package or not was using this section so does it really exist? The bathrooms by the pool were cleaned maybe once every two days and that's according to the bar staff near by. Toilet seats are missing, stall doors broken or missing. Toilet paper non existent, but that's actually common for Cuba (bring your own) The New Years Eve buffet dinner was a nice touch however I don't think they anticipated the amount of local guests that would be there to also enjoy the holiday. My Wife had to wait over an hour in line for a lobster tail, but at least she got one ? And as she said the server was taken aback when she only wanted one as most people were quite willing to take up to six at a time. Seeing the locals fill bags with fresh fruit and other food to take with them was heartbreaking and annoying all at the same time. I will say we both loved the Cuban people, they were as they always have been, an amazing bunch. We made friends with the pool bar staff and they really made out vacation. Coffee bar staff are just as great. Would I go back?........to see the people again...yes. Would I go back over a holiday again?.....not a chance. Was I disappointed....in Sunwing for what they are selling vs what they provide... absolutely YES and again Sunwing should be ashamed of themselves. I am not sure if given the choice if I'd take another Sunwing Vacation if one if one of the other carriers were also available, even if it cost a bit more money. I've gone with most of them and none have lied to me about what I'm getting. Buyer beware, ask all the questions you can think of, look at the online forums for the resorts prior to booking to understand what's happening.

Hôtel laisse à désiré

Je suis déçu de l’hôtel, toilettes publiques extrêmement sales, manque d’eau souvent pour prendre notre douche, draps sales à l’arrivée dans ma chambre. Bouffe vraiment ordinaire et redondant. Le staff est super parcontre.

Nice Resort to relax

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar was a clean and pleasant resort. The lobby is spacious and modern and a great place to relax with a great view of the ocean. The room we stayed in was clean and plenty of room. The wifi connection was not stable in the room, however was strong and stable in the lobby, the buffet restaurant and the lounge/bar area. The beds and pillows were average. The accomodation buildings surrounded the pool which was very convenient. The pool was a nice size, with two side by sid [... read more]e (one mainly for adults with a swim up bar and volleyball net, while the other was more kid friendly). The beach was beautiful, the sand so soft and the water so clear and blue. Music, drinks and food all available at the beach. Entertainment at the lobby bar nightly was well done and fun to watch followed by the DJ playing great dance music. One of the few negatives was the activities that were listed daily did not take place. This is an area the resort could improve upon, by having fun games and / or activities taking place at the beach and also at the pool. There were also no kayaks or peddle boats or snorkeling equipment available on the beach. Only one a la carte restaurant was open along with the buffet and there was a snack bar by the pool. However it was more of a casual restaurant rather than what would come to mind when you say "snack bar". There also needs to be more lighting along the paths and walkways to the building where rooms are located. All in all the resort was good if you are just looking for relaxation on the beach or by the pool. The staff was friendly and helpful. At most I would rate the resort a high 3.5+ or 4 *

Best Beach, Excellent Service

I have been to this resort 7 times and truly enjoy my vacation. The resort is beautiful, beaches are the best and staff are all so friendly, pleasant and engaging. The rooms are fine, always clean, I personally like the meal options at the snack bar, buffet, Ranchon and beach grill. I will return to this resort.

Fabulous Resort

Hotel has been well maintained. Room was clean, spacious, relaxing. Beds were comfortable. Amenities provided ie shampoo, conditioner were very nice. Food was very good. We upgraded to excelsior and had private lounge area for breakfast and dinner. We also used the other restaurants and food and service were excellent. Snack bar was great. Pool area was beautiful, beach beautiful. STAFF were absolutely Amazing. We will be back soon!

It ok

This was my second time in this resort I found some change the ground are beautiful they really try is a new management I found the buffet some day was ok some days was Barely anything the a la Cart restaurants they gone worse. I brought my family there Because I was soddisfà from the year before we were 9 wen we arrive they give us the WF after on the second week they started changing people wen they arrived for that service witch is advised as a free Feature now it’s only for people that b [... read more]ook of the privilege room witch you don’t get much there ether so they change $1 per hour so that disappoints me very much

A bit rough, but everything you need for a week in the sun

Good value for your money resort. Rooms are clean, food is good if you stick to the options at the buffet you like. A la cartes not worth the time lining up. Some sprucing up is definitely need though. Lobby bar entertainment was usually better than theater shows. Overall would go back for a cheap week away in the sun.

Disappointing!

At first glance, the hotel looks amazing. The room was adequate. we upgraded to "privilege" at extra cost a got a room without a shower - just a hand-held shower wand. The buffet was horrible. Minutes after the buffet opened, the food was already cold. The food in Cuba is never good but this was absolutely disgusting. We lived on bread, butter and bland pasta for the week. The a la carte restaurants were hugely disappointing - nowhere near the "asian" or "italian" they claimed to be. The "privil [... read more]ege" lounge was never opened, the privilege area of the pool was never monitored nor had enough chairs. There was no real entertainment - the bank closed when the teller felt like he wanted a break. The hotel store had enough room for one customer at at time and had little merchandise. As privilege customers, we were entitled to premium drinks but were never offered any - the bars had no coke to make drinks . The pools were missing tiles. The one redeeming feature of the hotel is Alberto our privilege host. This young man is the most accommodating pleasant helpful and genuine person. The hotel needs to make sure to keep him!!!!!!

Satisfied with a couple disappointments

The hotel service, and the room, was very good. The SUNWING REP WAS VERY ARROGANT AND NOT HELPFUL AT ALL,!! he told us outright if we didn't tip we wouldn't get any service, and he didn't give us a chance to tip him, he wouldn't any questions for us.For that reason I would hesitate to book with sun-wing again, The bell boys on the other hand were very helpful they got us a private excursion, and helped with anything we needed. "they deserved more than a tip". I would recommend the hotel for t [... read more]he staff but take a different tour company. The beach was OK, but no snorkeling and not very appealing.

Ocean Casa Del Mar Review

Ocean Casa Del Mar in Cayo Santa Maria February 28th to March 6th was where we spent our vacation. The hotel was very very good and so is the room in the service we were impressed with the quality of service that we received from both dining staff and bus boys and all those that have anything to do with us we're more than Pleasant and helpful the beaches were beautiful. We would recommend this location to our friends for future getaway.

Great Vacation

Just returned from our 2 week vacation at Ocean Casa Del Mar. This was our second time there and we enjoyed it just as much as the first time. The staff are great, the rooms are clean and spacious and the food was the best we’ve had in Cuba yet! We were in building 6 and were right in the middle of the walkway to the beach, the pool and snack bar, the towel exchange, and a very short walk from the buffet and lobby. The beach is amazing and one of the best we’ve been to. The lunch time bbq at [... read more] the beach is also fantastic. We got an amazing price on our trip and we were extremely happy with it. We’ll definitely be going back again!

Very nice resort

We all were very satisfied: the rooms, the food, the drinks, the pool area, the beach, everything in short reach, the people who work there are awesome. all good. The service from Tripcentral was very good too. Thanks it made our holiday great.