Resort was great, but we had some issues.

Great beach, rooms were adequate. Staff OK. Food was not very good. Worst we had in Cuba. Shopping was fine. Entertainment fair. Wine was fine. Coffee in lobby was great at the restaurants not so much.

Nice Resort

I think everything was good, the pools, the beach, the resort rooms the breakfast buffet was delish, the dinner buffet not so good, the 24 hr grills were ok, the service was awesome, I did like that is was not over crowded at buffet's and grill's

Great resort

Great resort,great service,amazing beach,would go back,food selection was good,house keeping was great,bus ride from airport was a little long but over all was great,best Spanish coffee ever,great value for the price.

Good Resort!!!

I thought the resort was nice. Clean rooms, friendly staff. Food was fair. Pizza and 24 hr grill bar was great. Pools fantastic and the beach! The entertainment was really good! We appreciated all the staff they were awesome and so friendly. We knew the food would be different but we found food we liked. Chefs will prepare omelettes how you like, chicken fish etc. I loved Cuba, very hot!! Great beach and lots of chairs and shelters from the sun if too hot. :)

Almost exelant

The hotel is very good. Big, clear and comfortable . For us wasn't enough animations. In the evening was boring . The foods varied and delicious. Gorgeous beach and unreal beauty sea. Staffs very helpful and friendly.

Great Time!

Had a awesome time at this resort. We went April 22. No problems with check in . Was quite fast. Service was awesome. Loved the coffee in the lobby. The disco was under renovations so were not able to use that. Little quiet at night but was relaxing. The food was ok, You can find something though that you will like. Beach was amazing, Very beautiful. Got stung by a jelly fish but vinegar I brought took most of the sting away. Rooms were clean, Sheets don't get changed everyday but I was ok with  [... read more]that. People that worked the resort were very friendly. Overall I would recommend this resort.

Fantastic resort

Everything is well maintained. Gardeners working nonstop to keep the grounds looking wonderful. Our room was always well cleaned with lots of towel art. Plenty of hotwater and towels. We asked for oceanview and that is exactly what we received. An amazing view of the ocean! Mini fridge was also well stocked each evening. Food is cuban food. It was not fantastic but nothing to complain about. There was always a great selection. Night entertainment could be better.

Amazing resort

We stayed here the last week in April, our first trip to Cuba. The staff were friendly and the beach was beautiful. The nighly enterainment was great. I strongly suggest the catamaran trip worth the money.

Great Trip!

The price was right to stay at this resort for a week! The bus ride is 1.5 hours to the resort from the airport so it would be best to book your flight so you arrive during daylight to see the wonderful scenery-- also they have beer on the bus for $2 so you can start your party! Check in was relatively quick and easy, the rooms were clean and nice looking. However, the pillows were not very comfortable and the shower had poor water pressure some days. There were multiple pools you could enjoy, i [... read more]f you prefer to be close to the "party pool"-- the one with music and activities-- I would look at the map and request a certain building because the resort is quite large and it might be a far distance to walk if you do not. The main beach is on the other side of the resort compared to the part pool, but it is a nice walk, and the lunch buffet is over there. The food was excellent, some of the best I've had in Cuba (6th time there). One bartender at the lobby bar was kind of rude and slow. Also, many of the workers seemed to expect tips and the bartenders split tips so you couldn't only target those that gave you good service. Overall, we had a good time!

Perfect vacation

Beatiful resort beach and people. Would return in a heartbeat. Great price. Building 14 was requested during booking and received upon our arrival. Sarah jean was very helpful and informative when we booked with tripcentral. Westjet was not on their game but our rep in Cuba (junior) was fantastic. Perfect resort to relax and unplug. Nightlife can be found if you want it and i would recommend this resort forsure. The bus ride from airport is long but lots to see and beer to drink. I enjoyed the d [... read more]rive as you get to see some real Cuba before you reach the island.

Amazing place to get away and relax!

My vacation at Hotel Cayo Santa Maria was the best trip I've ever had! Beautiful beach, the staff were all amazing and friendly, everything was very clean, and the food was delicious! They really made you feel at home. I will definitely be going back to this resort soon!!

Beautiful resort!

This hotel was beautiful! By far the nicest beach in Cuba! The pools were equally as amazing, because you had an ocean view from them as well. Would definitely reccomed the international a la carte restaurant! Great food. Buffet food is okay.

Amazing Resort!

For my first time in Santa Maria, definitely not my last, this resort was great! The people who worked on the resort, from the pool to the beach to the front desk and lobby bar were all very friendly. The food was good, the pizza on the beach was great! The beach was flawless! The lobby bartender "Carlos" was always smiling while serving every customer, it was just a great trip overall, arrived home very relaxed!

Great vacation awesome resort

We travelled Mar 26-Apr 2, 2016, 2 adults and 2 children. This was our 3rd trip to Cuba, first time to Cayo Santa Maria. In the past we stayed at both a 4 and a 5 star resort in Varadero. Hotel Cayo Santa Maria was the best we have experienced in Cuba we would actually give 4 1/2 The suite (1250) was amazing, clean,modern and spacious. It is located close to the beach the main lobby and the quiet pool. With an amazing view of the beach from the double balcony. We requested a cot and it was set u [... read more]p in the living area when we arrived, the maid met us coming out and offered a 2nd cot so both kids could have their own. This was very appreciated as we didn't have to share the king bed with any kids! The only complaint would be that the cots are very hard, though this didn't prevent the kids from sleeping. There were 2 tvs with lots of English channels which was nice early in the morning,the kids pulled the sliding door between their room and ours so they could watch tv while we got to sleep a bit longer! The rooms were always clean, towels were always fresh, never sand in the beds and they provided lots of extras in the bathroom (toothbrushes,slippers,bath salts,shaving kit,cream and shampoo). The fridge was stocked every night around 5:30 with lots of water beer and pop. The resort itself was clean and modern, there were lots of loungers at the pools and the beach, we never had a problem finding shade at the pools. The quieter pool was almost empty until about 3 in the afternoon so it was like our own private pool. The beach had lots of shade but people like to save their chairs so if you weren't there by 930 it was hard to find shade-still lots of chairs though. The beach is the most beautiful we have ever seen and the water was perfect. We tried the catamaran that the hotel offers for free and was a lot of fun. The food was the best we have had in Cuba. The pizzas from the beach were very tasty and great for a light lunch or afternoon snack. The pig roast and chicken roast were the best meals of the whole week I would highly recommend waiting in the lineup to get this. The main buffet was where we had most of our meals and we always found lots to eat and really enjoyed just about everything. The fresh donuts in the morning are the best but they go quick. We found the filled the empty spaces quickly and only had a problem getting a plate one night. The choices did become repetitive towards the end of the week but we didn't have a problem with that. Small spoons are with the servers and they will bring them to you when they see you getting dessert. The ice cream was very tasty also. The grilled meats and fish at lunch and supper were very good always a line up but never more than a 10 min wait. The evening entertainment was ok, we were often to tired to stay for much of the show but the dance night and the magic show were great. The lady at the kids club who organized a kids show was lovely and my kids had fun being a performer on stage. The clown was also awesome, face painting and entertaining all day. The 2hour drive from the airport wasn't horrible it was nice to see the scenery and relax in the air conditioning, a bathroom on board would make it more pleasant, and our super early morning departure meant we slept on the drive back. The drawbacks to this resort for us was some of the servers in the restaurants, some spent a lot of time talking to each other and seemed uninterested in helping,for example not offering more coffee at breakfast or not refilling water. But we finally found a section with friendly and helpful staff and we sat there with no problems. Also there was only one day we were able to exchange for a fresh beach towel, would have been nice to get a fresh one more often. Off resort the market we went to was small and didnt offer a lot of different things compared to Varadero and Havana markets so we were disappointed with that. We did not do any tours or go to the town with the pirate ship so I can't comment on those.

Could be 4 star with a few basic improvements...

half pathway lights were out , pool cleaned only @ end of our stay, buildings not clearly #. most staff friendly & hardworkers.beach was awesome. replacing natural shade areas with red plastic canopy s is NOT an improvement. most entertainment was sub-par but the piano music in lobby was nice. room were fine--clean & lots of hot water.food was good for cuba esp omelets & pastas.drinks easily available @ most bars but the lobby bar which is soo busy in the eve is always understaffed. if they open [... read more] the disco for dancing this will add alot to nighttime fun.

Nice relaxing vacations

This resort is nice, the beach is perfect and the meals are good eventhough the menu don't change much. The Italian and Seafood restaurant are good. The resort is large so you are in for good walks. The hotel room was clean and the maid very friendly. The minibar was fulled daily.

Deception

Hôtel looking so good that i Was really desapoint. Always the same bad food on the Buffet, not so many animation, some bugs In the bed, not enough palapas at the beach...îll never go again at this hôtel.

Nice Resort, Nice Rooms

I was impressed with the room, the grounds were nice and the beach was beautiful. Stayed in Block 11 which was super convenient and my room was a partial ocean view although technically a garden view. The show at night ends around 10:30-10-45pm and is very audible from Block 11 until then. Food was alright, was expecting a little better, since I've been to lesser star resorts with what I considered better tasting food.

1st Island Visit

We returned 2 April from seven days at Hotel Cayo Santa Maria and really liked it. We've been to many other Caribbean locations but have been hesitant to do a Cayo, thinking we might feel a bit too isolated. Pretty neat surprise to see there are no resort bracelets, you can wander any resort. We walked the beach for four hours one day and had refreshing beer and snacks the whole way. The beach is long with white, soft sand and level, shallow water. Great for relaxing, wading and swimming but les [... read more]s fun for those who want big waves. Food was fine for Cuba and the two pig roasts were exceptional. Good variety of drinks and the room fridge was refilled every day. Lots of clean towels, lots of beach and pool chairs and our room was fine.

Great place for families

My family and I travelled mid-february with two other families. The kids all had a great time at the beach and at the pools. The parents did too. Highlights were the pig roasts, the clown shows for the kids in the evenings, and the great service we experienced from all the staff at Hotel Cayo Santa Maria.