Never again

This is my review of this hotel. It was out 3rd visit and unfortunately for them it was the last. The hotel has gone downhill in the past years. Caters more to Cubans than to tourists. Most of them are disrespectful, cut in line , play loud music in the halls at all hours, drink all day and really don't think about anyone but themselves. Before people start telling me their opinion about this or that, I was married to a Cuban, have lived in Cuba for months so I know how life is outside of reso [... read more]rts...but this hotel does nothing for us Canadians compared to their own people. Positive points: The beach Rooms are comfortable Air conditioning works great and some staff members are real gems 1 bottle of water everyday No shortage of toilet paper Negative points: Buffet closed for 10 days out of the 14 we were there and when open little to no options. A la carte was offering the same food day after day Snack bar wait time was an hour + and they would serve Cubans before us even though we were there before. Younger girl at the snack bar needs to be fired for her lack of service and bad attitude Bar at the beach rarely had anything to drink..no beer, no rum, not even ice But on weekend when Cubans would arrive there was lots of options available and buffet would open. Towel hut to change your beach towels is closed for good so you have to find the maid and get fresh towels (when you could find her as they finish early) No white towels for 2 days Had to ask for sheets to be changed on the second week or else they wouldn't have done it. We understand it's low season but people like us paid alot of money to be forced to eat chicken and rice or spaghetti and sandwiches for lunch and supper. They should really close this hotel to tourists and cater only to Cubans as they seem to be kings even though they pay only 40 usd a night compared to us. people need to know the truth before they waste their money on this place.

Beautiful resort, excellent service

We stayed at Dawa for a week in May. The service was excellent. The resort was beautiful. The grounds are amazing. The beach is beautiful. The pool was lovely. The negatives are there is zero animation, daytime, and nighttime. A couple shows here and there. We had very limited buffet in the morning. Lunch and supper were served in an à la carte restaurant. It had a small buffet. And the same three or four dishes offered at every meal. we would stay there for two weeks if the food was better as [... read more] in variety. It tasted fine. However, it got very boring at the end of the week. They ran out of white wine every day. There was no vodka most days, but everybody who worked there was lovely. The day we left there were many Cubans coming in for the Mother’s Day weekend, which was supposed to be a huge party. They had lots of vodka and lots of food, etc. available that weekend so that was a little disheartening because it wasn’t offered all week. I would not go back to Dawa only because of the very limited food choices with a resort just down the beach had had quite a few extras from what I’ve seen and heard. But loved loved loved the staff. Our cleaning lady Barbie. The pool bartender Hanny/Jorge. The beach bartender Mary. The beach lifeguard Pablo. They were all so amazing and many many many others were amazing in assisting us with our stay and making it wonderful.

Was ok

we where at dhawa last week and as we book last January grand sireninis 2 very different resorts dhawa we ate the same thing all week 1 a la carte and was the same options as the buffet and buffet was close that night as this was a first for some of our family was really upsetting since grand sirenis had much more to offer food wise and entertainment dhawa had no entertainment during the day and at night was a 20-30 minute show wich I understand with the number of people there stag was good  [... read more]pool bar was awesome lobby so so all in all we had a good week but don’t think we would go back and was disappointing for our first time travellers

Serious need to improve!

This was our 3rd time at the Dhawa and probably our last unless major improvements occur. We are all aware of the food shortages in Cuba and went very well prepared with food and snacks. However, this time was beyond acceptable. We arrived on a Thursday and were about 100 guests. Friday morning the occupancy doubled as Cubans came to spend the weekend at the resort. The variety of food was nonexistent and the food would disappear immediately as locals would be taking portions big enough fo [... read more]r five or six people. Now don’t get me wrong, we all know how difficult it is for them so it is very difficult to blame them for this, however the staff admitted to us that they were limiting the amount of food at the buffet for that reason but what about Canadians who paid good money to be there? It’s like the saying goes, they are biting the hand that feeds them. After the weekend, we were down to about 60 guests and they closed the buffet for dinner, only leaving the a la carte restaurant with 4-5 meal options. Due to the low level of occupancy, there was no entertainment during the day and for the 9 nights we were there, they had a couple of musicians in the evening for an hour but the rest of the time was simply a fashion show. The sad thing is that they don’t seem to realize that whether they have 60 guests or 500 guests, they should commit to still providing entertainment. The positive of this resort is the staff, the beach and the size of the hotel, as it’s very small and making it convenient to get from one place to the other

Food and supply shortages!! Staff were amazing though.

While we've been going to this resort for quite a few years, there is definitely a lack of many things this year. They ran out of eggs, chicken, toilet paper and even beer was running out by 1pm at the beach bar. This trip was way overpriced for what was included. Agencies selling these all-inclusive trips to Cuba need to warn clients about the extreme shortages at the resorts. We are so thankful for our amazing friends working there that brought us their own extras from home to make us f [... read more]eel more welcome. We love them!

Lovely Resort!

This resort was truly lovely. Most of the staff was fantastic, especially Victor the activities coordinator. He is simply the BEST! The rooms were big and clean with plenty of hot water. The grounds were well kept and so gorgeous. They work so hard to keep this place spotless! They were only at about 20% capacity which was nice. It was quiet. We never had an issue getting chairs at the beach or around the pool. The food was not great but no one goes to Cuba for the food and the shortages are no  [... read more]fault of the resort itself. Would recommend bringing your own snacks and some peanut butter for your morning toast...the bread is always fresh! We had a really wonderful week at the Dhawa resort :)

Great experience

First time returning to Cuba, after 2020, it was also first time in Cayo Santa Maria. The resort didn't disappoint, it was in quite decent condition. Room was clean and beds always freshly made. Had hot water at all the hours. The pool was well maintained and pretty inviting. Food was probably best I've had in Cuba as much as the situation allows it. The chef's were creative with the restrictions imposed on them. On a couple of occasions I very much enjoyed the burger at the snack bar by the  [... read more]pool, that was the culinary surprise of the trip. The beach is absolutely amazing and snorkeling was as interesting as it can be, making it the best possible experience of the trip. The staff was pleasant and I had the pleasure to go for a short catamaran trip around Cayo Espanola. Ask the guys at the beach for the experience, it will be interesting. If you're interested in an snorkeling experience, they can take you for a couple of hours trip by the reef which is supposed to be quite interesting for a small fee. Now the least pleasant part: The worst thing was the sandflies bites which became really difficult to bear by the end of the 2 week trip. These creatures are so tiny, it's almost impossible to see them but their bite is really unpleasant. Be prepared and bring bug repellent, it will be worth it's weight in gold! The small lagoon, between the resort and hotel is a wonderful part of the biosphere but the miasma emanating from it can be quite strong. All in all, this was a great experience for a winter getaway especially at the price that was purchased. There were quite a few tourists on the second week giving the feeling of a semi-private resort, somehow. Looking forward to go back as soon as possible

Our first 2 week vacation

We were very pleased with our room (garden view). It was large, clean with a comfortable king bed, great rainfall showerhead, water pressure and water temp great. The pools and beach were very nice along with staff, water toys - pedalboats which we used often and the hobi cat rides. All the staff every where wanted to please and did so! Early in our stay, I had to use the medical post. They had to administer a muscle relaxant injectable for 3 days due back muscle spasms. I was so grateful for  [... read more]their care and so was hubby. Thank you Dhawa medical team. We travel to Cuba so we know about Cuba's economy, shortages and food situation so we keep our expectations in check. We found the food and desserts to be fine - hubby loved their rice pudding. The lobby bar served great spanish coffees, cappuccinos and cold beer, the staff were attentive and available making sure you had been served. The grounds are just beautiful, many guests commented on the immaculate grounds. We found a great deal and thought let's try 2 weeks and had an enjoyable stay. Dhawa did not disappoint.

Amazing staff, Average hotel

Starting with good stuff, Gabriel at the lobby bar and Sunay in the buffet always went above and beyond whenever we saw them. Toilet wouldn’t fill had ti fill the back with the shower, and foods bad.

Beautiful rooms and staff

Overall staff very warm friendly helpful Life guards super nice warm friendly interactive informative Beach bar guys funny warm friendly Water sport main guy Danny not very friendly unless you tip a lot then become one of the favorites with special privileges to people who tip well so many restrictions about using paddle boats where u can go is small area and not fun - where other hotels give you a lot more freedom to explore - Danny yelled at me for going out of his site and was band f [... read more]rom using paddle boats for rest of stay because we went around the corner to see the star fish opens at 10 am never ready until after 10:30 close at 4 pm Nice music on beach daily beach is amazing clear clean turquoise waters shallow for quite aways calm and great snorkelling and swimming saw star fish and many other species wait white sand Internet is very spotty and don’t get any in the rooms by the beach basically only main lobby is internet ret is spotty

2nd time and great place to vacation

Rooms are big and spacious. Air conditioning and ceiling fan work great. Refrigerator stocked with only a bottlr of water everyday. Beautiful grounds kept clean. Small resort where everything is within walking distance we were in block 5 which id right off the lobby. Loud music at night so if thats not your thing ask yo be put in block 7,8 or 9 which are closer to the beach. Beach is beautiful. Not long but really nice. Food was repetitive but aleays found something to eat. One of the biggest d [... read more]ownfalls is the mosquitoes..really bad compared to varadero.

Beautiful Resort.

Clean charming, beautiful view and amazing maid. The airport Toronto lost my luggage but I didn't stress much. Every one at Resort where kind and helpful. I want to thank Barbara, Alex and my wonderful maid.

Truly beautiful all around

The grounds are well kept. Rooms spacious and immaculate. The Staff is wonderful, friendly and helpful. And the food was varied and plentiful. Overall, I had a beautiful time and highly recommend it.*

Amazing time

The staff are so nice and inviting making sure we were always topped up with drinks, the resort was great and food was good, the beach was so nice. Rooms were great amd so was the views. Definitely will be back.

We Would Return If…

This vacation could have been near perfect except for one aspect. The beach, friendly staff, room, room issues fixed same day, WIFI so-so, beautiful grounds, and so on were all positive. We met so many wonderful people from QC, NB, & NS. The deal breaker for us was that the indoor buffet was closed for most of our 10-day stay. I have never heard of a resort doing this. Arriving at the first week of low season, they decided to make renovations to two indoor eating locations which included the  [... read more]buffet. The result was a smaller buffet, and most importantly being outside, a buffet swarmed by flies. Eventually we stopped eating from the buffet and only ate what came out of the kitchen that we could order.

Beautiful beach

Small resort. Staff shortages noted pool bar was not staffed and only one a la carte in operation. Each night was a different cuisine Italian, French, or Cuban set in the same restaurant. The ladies working there were hard working and very friendly. We got there around 3 and the only place to get something to eat was at rhe snack bar which had a limited selection. We ordered a chicken sandwich and got two pieces of bread with a tablespoon of minced chicken. They also had a cheese sandwich. So w [... read more]e were hungry by the time the buffet opened at 7. The piano bar was very entertaining. They had a couple of different people play piano and also had a guy come in another night to play guitar. One night was karaoke which was fun to watch. Omar in the sports bar made a great pina colada. This was the only bar that made it. Drinks were limited. Seems the only drinks were made with Havana Club rum. All in all I went for the beach and beautiful weather which was great!!!

Not good at all

Just really bad..won’t return to Santa Maria..worst resort ! The food was bad, people sick, beach full of weeds, clean place nope ..I did enjoy the sun at least.will not return in Santa Maria not for a 1:45 bus drive to deceive

Could be better ...

We stayed at Dhawa from March 11-18, 2023; resort/beach is good, the staff were nice as always in Cuba. BUT food was so bad, even though this is our 4th trip to Cuba and we have very low expectations for food, this time you can't ignore it. I understand that they may have supply shortage BUT that is not an excuse for example to not cook the rice well or a pumpkin... I got sick after couple days with diarrhea/fever and I heard other people had same problem as well. We never had seafood durin [... read more]g our stay which you expect to see in the middle of the ocean. After I got sick, our breakfast/lunch/dinner was bread and cheese. A la carte restaurant, only 1 restaurant and rotate every day, from Cuban to French to Italian cuisine ... NOT good at all. I would definitely recommend changing the chef for Buffet and A la carte; they should have quality control for food as well.

Dhawa cayo Santa Maria

Hotel and grounds are beautiful! Well kept grounds comfortable rooms clean and not dated. Food is another story buffet everyday didnt matter morning or afternoon same thing Yes you could get an omelette freshly cooked for you line ups long However you could find something Alacartes were aweful cold over cooked 3 people in our group of 8 got sick Yes its cuba Yes there are shortages But to serve cold food in an ala carte not acceptable Sunwing complaint Ordered duty free on the way  [... read more]down For my return Nothing but they charged me Also ordered VIP On sunwing app guaranteed lowest price well hotel sells it for 30 us we paid 50 canadian total rip off Connie Jean

Okay Resort

Beach, pool and grounds were really nice. Service was great! Food was plenty full but would recommend more tongs and sanitizer for cleanliness. Saw mold on the bread, cockroaches around the food. Think they just rinsed the plastic cups to re-use them so bring your own cups for everything. Disappointed they didn’t have white wine or vodka. A few people got really sick while there from the food.