Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful beach, unusual resort

If you are looking for a relaxing peaceful vacation this is NOT the place. Loud music on the beach, loud music at the pool, loud music before dinner in the lobby, loud music in the buffet dining room. It appeared that during the day it was a competition on which location could play the loudest music. Rooms were very clean and comfortable, lots of hot water. We knew going in what the food situation would be like but it was a little worse than we expected. Buffet dining room was not very clean. Wo [... read more]uld not return.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: amazing resort

from the time we arrived was a very good vacation to the room with aq ocean view and pool view to the servers and all hotel staff were wonderful.always found food to eat and lots of great people to chat with only complaint was no much shad around the pool ..maybe they can put more umbrellas out

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Superbad but not like the movie

Everything was awful besides the people, beach and pool. There was no water running for a day, even though I got the ocean view room. The bed was. Dirty when I got there. Around evening the entire resort smelt like sewage, mosquitoes were everywhere. Including the room, assuming the service staff left the door open too long. The steak house had no steak. The food was awful. AND INSTEAD OF SUNWING ON THE WAY BACK, WE WERE ALL LIED TO AND THERE SOME OTHER SKETCHY FLIGHT WE HAD TO GET ON WHICH WAS  [... read more]INFESTED WITH MOSQUITOES!!!!!!!!!! 5 HOURS IN THE PLANE GETTING BIT……. NO FREE SNACKS……….. I FORGET WHAT AIRLINE THAT WAS, BUT MY WORST.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: April 2023 Experience

My sister and I just came back from this resort and all we can say is you get what you pay for. We booked this resort a few weeks before we left and it only cost us $1100. So again, you get what you pay. For. I would never pay more! It is not a 4-5 star resort. There are only 2 pools and they close very early in the evening. I think it was 6 PM. Including the pool bars. The beach itself was beautiful I will say. And they do have some paddle boards and water stuff that are free.But everythin [... read more]g is based on a lineup and 1st come 1st serve. They were very generous with their alcohol, but they were very limited on their knowledge of cocktails and different drink mixes, so I only had the same two drinks for the whole week. It got old pretty quick. The food, though I heard there was a food shortage, was plenty but it was the same thing everyday and again very few selections. But plenty of it. I don't recommend waiting an hour in the lineup to book the restaurants because the restaurants serve the same food as the buffet, but they only give you one small serving where the buffet you could eat as much as you want. The 24 hour snack bar is not a snack bar.You have a selection of a ham sandwich or a chicken sandwich or if you are lucky a hot dog, but it does not come with anything but bread and the meat. My recommendation as I had read before is to bring your own condiments. They don't even have salt and pepper anywhere ... no ketchup, nothing. Also, if you do go, DON'T BE SELFISH! There are ignorant people stacking on food, bread, desserts, etc. Eat only half and the rest is thrown away and less people have options or don'tget any. Don't be greedy! The staff is very mixed in my reviews.I had some that were very nice, but I had many that almost seemed annoyed if you asked them any questions. So I didn't have the best experience with the staff. It does take an hour and a 1/2 to get to the resort and it is a long trip.They do have a bus that you spend $5 that you go to other resorts on the island and there is a small resort about a 45 minute drive away that has a market and restaurants that you pay, but at least there are more variations of food and drinks.The market is very small. The room definitely needed some upkeep.They said it was only built a few years ago but it looks older.There was water and condensation everywhere always. I never want to complain but definitely know what you're getting into when you go. If you want all you could have alcohol and sit around and do nothing, this is the place. If you are one like me that likes to get up and do things, this is not the place. Even the pool, though it has a volleyball court and the property has a tennis court and basketball court, you have to bring your own sports equipment.They did not have a volleyball. So keep that in mind. For those who have kids, there is a very small pool but with no activities, except maybe at night time there's a small activity at the Theater, but the kids room consists of a chair and a table and 6 cribs.There's no toys or anything that I saw. So definitely bring your own. The theater night shows were OK.They do try their best and they do try to get the audience excited. Again, you get what you pay for. I personally will not be going back to this resort or others on the island, as I heard they were all generally the same.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Good vacation spot

Fantastic entertainment and evening shows! Beautiful rooms, beach and amenities! Morning activities by the beach were great but couldn’t find all the afternoon activities by the pool. Food was limited and inconsistent in availability but tasted good. Service was good for the most part. Check in could have been more informative. Ran out of water twice during the week but it came back after a few hours. Overall good vacation for the money.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing beach

The resort is relatively new and the staff are awesome. Management staff including Pedro and Vicente went above and beyond in ensuring that our stay was comfortable and had everything we needed. The food was a bit challenging due to supply issues. There was always something to eat but lacked in variety.

Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach: Grand Sirenis Mayan Riviera - amazing vacation!

We spent 9 days at the resort (April 13-21/23) and enjoyed all of it! The rooms were a great size and very comfy; the food was ample and amazing - lots of a la carte options with a variety of restaraunts and an ice cream shop at the pool; lots of wildlife around the resort including monkeys and iguanas; super friendly staff; entertainment, the market comes to the resort a couple times a week to shop for souveniers, tours are available to book at the resort (which were awesome), the beach was wo [... read more]nderful with lots of seating, shade & sun, a swing for great selfies and snorkeling (bring your snorkel & mask!). Overall we had a wonderful vacation and found the resort enjoyable with everything we needed. There were several weddings at the resort as well. No issues at all with Covid concerns, no masking required. This was a repeat visit for my friend and my first time at GS and I would go back! Missing it already.

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Grand Sirenis Punta Cana

Waterpark area for kids is far from rooms. Three small areas for little kids a shallow pool great for bigger kids and slides. One main pool and only a small area for kids. The rest of the pool is 6ft -7 deep. The family suite is not exactly a suite, very small but beds and pull out bed were at least comfortable. Overall resort was ok but will choose a resort with anything near main area so kids have something to do other than be in the water and sun. Lastly had a medical emergency with my tod [... read more]dler and the doctor was great. Went out by ambulance. Resort is 45 minute from the hospital.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: It was just OK.

It was just OK. I understand to food situation but there is sure something wrong. Yiu can just go to another resort down the beach and they have much better food and different varieties i.e. plenty of cheese, pizza etc. They were slow and sometimes didn’t even respond to problems. It is a beautiful resort, but they just have to address things. A big plus is the beach, very beautiful.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Relaxing vacation

The resort itself was very nice, clean, bright, and well landscaped. The workers were all amazing. They all work very hard and always had a welcoming personality. Everything we left was appreciated. The beach is amazing, lots of broken shells but we managed to not cut our feet all week. No pestering venders on the beach, it was so relaxing. The drinks were ok, selection was limited but doable. We stuck with the one pool closest to the kids club. Seemed to be less busy at the bar, and we grew ve [... read more]ry fond the bar tender Vladimor. He was the most sweetest, happiest person we met there all week. He is amazing at what he does, and made our days fun at the pool. When we go back we plan to visit him for sure. Great person through and through. Our biggest issue was the food. We have been to Cuba a few times before and although the food is a bit bland that wasn’t our issue. It was the repetitiveness and small selection they offered that we struggle with, especially with kids. Thankfully I brought snacks and noodles for the kids. There was also a small market next door, depending on availability offered pizza, fries, burgers, pork and chicken pieces. If you take a 10 min bus or a taxi ride there is a much bigger plaza that offers much more food options. Including poutine, which was really good! We would return, once the food issue improves a bit. We would recommend this resort to family and friends. So thankful for this amazing country and the wonderfully humble Cubans that make it so great.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful beach and location

The room and hotel were very clean. We loved the beach, absolutely amazing. The drinks were good; however, there was not much variety and options in regards to the food which is due to the situation of the country rather than the hotel. The staff were very friendly and professional! Thank you

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Nice resort

Grounds were well maintained. People were friendly and always willing to help. Food was typical of Cuba in terms of taste. There were a few issues with his much food was available. The grill stations always had long lines.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Awesome Ocean view Room

April 5 - 12 we had a great week! Room # 0356 was perfect with king size comfy bed and the best ocean view from top floor. Very quiet and well stocked and cleaned everyday! Thanks to our maid Carlos. Enjoyed the paddle-boats and catamaran. Ocean is crystal clear for snorkelling, saw many starfish and different fish not far off from shore. Never any issue getting beach huts or chairs at the pool. We spent most of our time at the beach near the nautical centre. Beach was the nicest in front [... read more] of our resort imo. There was no cheese, fries, pizza or burgers. But still plenty of other options. Breakfast was mostly egg omelette and fruit. Some days there were papaya, guava and bananas but mostly pineapple. Lunch at the beach grill. Fish was very delicious but not available on our last day. Adonis at the Ranchon bar makes the best margaritas! We ate at the a la Cartes every night with mostly good service. Champagne was available every night! Just ask for it. Rose was good too, but didn’t like the white or red wine. Our server Ali at Ciao Pescao restaurant was exceptional! Thanks for taking such good care of us. Even had lobster and shrimps one evening. Very delicious! Just keep in mind supplies change from week to week, even day to day. Don’t sweat the small things you will enjoy your vacation better. Vladimir at the quiet pool was very friendly and remembered what drinks you liked. He made the best mojito! Laydis at the active pool was great too! If you have any concerns see Pedro at customer relations in the lobby, he is eager to help. See him also for your free bottle of rum. (Sunwing customers) Very good cappuccinos and Spanish coffee in Lobby bar. Thanks again to everyone for a great week!

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Fabulous beach, great hotel

Great location 90 mins from airport. Hotel is 5 years now, new still, excellent hard working staff. Nice clean rooms. Food was good, had 2 days french fries at snack bar with a good sandwich...then no more fries. Some days at buffet had cheese etc....by end of week no cheese. Never starved. A la carte were very good. You do not go to Cuba for the food.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Family Friendly

Beautiful beach, friendly staff and family friendly layout. A good fit for travelling with young children. The nightlife can be loud so may not be ideal for light sleepers. The food was ok overall but the buffet was small and the lines for fresh grilled meat and eggs was long at times. The variety of food was limited but we always found something to eat (even for our three year old). Would return with our children again.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful Hotel, Terrible Food

This would be my first trip to Santa Clara but my 10th trip to Cuba. The hotel grounds and room are beautiful, clean and Modern. The food selection here was the worst I have ever experienced in Cuba.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: As good as it gets, overall five stars

This review is critical for all visitors visiting this hotel. before I visited the hotel. I read the reviews and I was prepared in case there was some food disruptions. At first we had lots of fish, chicken, pork, cold cuts, rice, But near the end of our stay. We noticed they were low on chicken and some cold cuts. So bringing my own Ryebread and brown bread, and a small jar of peanut butter I was safe and never having any problems eating . Note, I’m still trying to figure out how I gained 5 [... read more] pounds and I was on a diet and rrigorously working out. I can’t comprehend how I gained 5 pounds. And I ate like bird

Grand Sirenis Punta Cana Resort: Great family resort

The grounds were kept in great shape. The hotel staff very pleasant and felt safe during my stay. The food was quite good. I was nervous around reviews of certain rooms but made myself quite clear upon arrival that I expected a decent room and did. Lack of lounge chairs problematic. As a smoker couldn't stand you were only allowed to sit in a very small area in lobby. I would t recommend this resort for those that want quiet. Way too many children. However fantastic place for those that do. Att [... read more]ention needs to be placed on some of the activities for safety reasons. Covid rules non existent which is the norm for now.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Decent resort / great beach / great staff

The beach is the best beach you can get. Swallow warm water, lots of fish and starfish. The sand is wide, the resort was low capacity but I was always able to find a spot. Lots of shells since there are a ton of sea creatures to discover. The sea recreation team was sooo good. The staff are amazing and really made all the difference on this trip. Big shout out to Nancy at the lobby bar. She's a gem. The food was fine. I'm not a particularly picky eater. I go for the beach not the buffet  [... read more]and could always find something to eat. Really most days I was able to find some delicious, never got sick, neither did my daughter. She is a picky eater but definitely found things to eat without issue. Churros and cotton candy for the kids which was great. Grilled shrimp, grilled chicken, fried chicken, grilled fish, fried fish. It was fine. Bring snacks, there is NOTHING to eat the airport, one little shop and its nasty AF, employees coughing and super gross hygiene. The room was just ok, no real control over the thermostat and the patio door needed to be slammed to close it, very loud, you can hear the music all night if you are in the main building, didn't bother me but some might not like. For a young couple or group of friends, this resort would be pretty dope. Romantic no, family centered no. I didn't find anywhere in the resort particularly clean was my only issue really. It was dirty per say but things like always crumbs on the buffet tables, surfaces in the rooms not wiped down. I will say the shower drain in my room let out a gawd awful smell at times. I had to literally put towels over top of the drain. Not sure if it was just my room but it was pretty bad. We had a great view and the smell went away so we didn't switch rooms. All in all, great for Cuba. If you're a picky traveler don't go to Cuba, the star grading is very skewed country wide and are more like a North American 3.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Great resort!

We had an amazing time at the Grand Sirenis Cayo Santa Maria, we were there from March 24-31. We had an ocean view room, stunning view. The weather was fantastic the whole week. The food was good, enough variety and supply, no complaints. The grounds were lush, beautiful, well maintained. Never any problem getting a beach or pool chair, lots available. The beach was gorgeous, lots of room to stroll, the water was crystal clear. We brought sand shoes, not a total necessity, but they were nice t [... read more]o have, especially in the afternoon when the sand was hot. Did some snorkelling on our beach, saw fish, crabs, sting rays, star fish, a lobster, all very close to the shore. The staff were very friendly and appreciative of the tips and gifts that we gave to them. Would recommend this resort.