Great Time Again

Once again we had another great time visiting this resort. There are numerous renovation projects underway. Opening of the lobby bar area with an additional patio area and removal of walls makes for more room and a much more open space with air movement. The beach grill is to be reconstructed making it larger, the gazebos around the pools have been rebuilt as well. Rooms in some buildings have or are being freshened. Renovations should be completed for the high season. The food was as always goo [... read more]d and my wife being quite picky always found plenty of choices. Staff are wonderful although some have moved on to other positions and we will miss them but others are taking their place and are just as friendly and eager to assist.

Love Cuba!!

This was my 25th time to cuba! This hotel was top notch! People and food were great! I would recommend it and also go back myself! The only thing I didn't like was the trip from the airport! It's very long and stops at every hotel! Other then that I have nothing but good things to say about this resort! It would be nice to go back and see all the renovations they were working on while we were there!!

We are still under the Cuban Charm!

We have been to Cuba many times... First time in the summer and to a Melia. We would like to go back to the same place. The staff was excellent, room spacious, clean and the food was very good with a lot of choices. The beach was spectacular and the pool area and garden simply beautiful and well maintained. The only thing that my husband wished that there was a straight flight from Ottawa.

Good Resort

Most beautiful beach I've ever seen!! Very clean. And quiet. Good service on the beach with someone always around to help pick up a chair or if you got hurt. Fun playing volleyball on the beach with the entertainment team who have so much energy! Pools were also very nice and clean. A lot of space to move around with equal amount of chairs. I liked staying by the music area where there was always something going on like salsa lessons. Great music also. Not too many people at this time of year so [... read more] it was nice. Rooms were clean and nicely decorated. I love the bright colors! Comfortable sleeps. The food was okay. The grill was amazing. Nice hot meat off the grill with Cuban plates and salad. It was really good righr by the beach. It gets very busy though. When the entertainment staff helped by seating everyone it ran a lot faster. The snack bar was awesome. Put up with our late night cravings of pizza and beer. Very friendly and accommodating. Always felt comfortable. Never tried the restaurants. The bruffet was okay. Eggs in the morning and meat, rice and beans etc. for dinner. Nothing exciting but the staff cooking worked really hard so that we appreciated. The banana and crepes cooked in front of you was amazing! The waiters were so friendly and quickly knew what you liked to drink so each time they saw you they had it ready. The coffee was so good. Drinks were okay. Beer and rum which we thoroughly enjoyed! The shows were fun. They have a dancing competition with people from the crowd and that's hilarious. Stores, disco, gym, spa and bowling all really close by eachother and fun to have on the property, it was a lot of fun at the disco and bowling. The entertainment staff were all so great and friendly. Made sure you always were having a good time, whether dancing, talking, playing sports whatever. They were awesome! Bus to get to the hotel from airport was long about 1 hour 45 but the ride is nice because the your guide gives you some background on each town, I think you pass 3 towns. I thought my trip was great. My friends and I enjoyed it. It was fun for 3 girls to drink beer, relax and salsa! I am not sure what they have for kids so I am not sure I'd bring my kids but definately I would go back with a group of friends and that has a lot to do with the staff and the beaches!

Mosquitos problem!!!!

Boring, average food. Dirty kitchen. Flies in main lunch facility. Mosquitos in the morninng and in the evning. Veru hard to enjoy hotel in those hours. Staff good but lazu. Oceanview rooms are actually too far from ocean. Beach and sun great.

Overall a nice relaxing time!

Overall we got what we wanted which was a lovely beach to relax on. Things we did not like is that the breakfast hours were from 7:30-10. Which meant we could not sleep in as the other food facilities did not serve breakfast foods. As well, the hotel is more of a 2.5-3 star hotels. It needs upgrading. Linen and towels were stained and old. Food was ok. most of the staff was friendly. Some not so much. We did pay a bit more that he value we received.

#1 in Service

This was our 4th stay at the MCSM. The beach is stunning and the service is excellent. Food was actually pretty good for Cuba. Resort does need some tlc in places. Looking forward to returning next year.

Beautiful resort

beautiful resort, clean property, friendly staff, great service, beach is amazing. Great for a relaxing vacation. more options on the buffet would be nice. The worst thing for me was the 90 minute bus ride from the airport

Good deal for the money

Facilities are clean, well maintained. Variety of food is limited but quite tasty. Wi-Fi is practically non existent , Stone Age. Do not take Hola Sun and Cubana Airline, it is guarantied not to be on time.

Great value - beautiful beach

Had a great stay at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria. Was blown away by the beach - perfect sand and water. Would definitely go back and would recommend to a friend. The resort is a bit older, but it's well maintained and clean. Food was nothing special but there was variety and was overall just fine. Great value!

More Good Than Bad

Overall a nice experience, grounds very clean and nicely groomed, grounds crew always visible. Some minor eyesores such as walking path lights and garbage containers which had exposed wiring and were broken. The service was excellent, typical of the Cubans, genuine smiles for everyone and always wanting to please. Food was acceptable, but repetitive. Room was clean, a few upgrades would go a long way, newer showers and sink faucets. First day, the fridge was empty, I needed to call to have wa [... read more]ter, pops, beer and a coffee machine. Once that was completed, the service was flawless the rest of week. I walked long distance along both sides of the resort, I would say that this resort has one of the nicest ocean front, with plenty of shelter and seating, not unlike any other resorts, you still have to get up early for those prime spots, but still plenty available later in the morning. The pool is nice, im not a pool lounger, but did spend a few hours in and around the pool. I would recommend to some of my friends. We rarely go to the same resorts more than once, no exception here.

AWSEMEN RESORT COULDN,T ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER

ENJOYED EVERY THING ABOUT MY WEEK ,ALL STAFF, RESORT, FOOD GROUNDS ETC.POOLS , BEACH,DRINKS,RESTERANTS I AM HOPING CUBA STAYS THE WAY THAT IS BEST FOR CUBA I ALSO ENJOYED THE ENTER TAIMENT THANKS AGAIN

Fabulous Time!!!

We were a party of 6 women. 3 in our 40's & 3 ranged late 60's - late 70's. I have been to Cuba a # of times over the years & knew what to expect. I loved this resort & would go back in a heartbeat. I will provide a review below: Airport Arrival: Upon arrival, get your $ changed at the airport. The exchange rate is better than the resort. Even if you don’t get it changed, they accept Cdn $ on the bus ride. Before getting onto the bus you can purchase beer, soft drinks & water because it's col [... read more]der than what's on the bus. The drive was 1.5 hrs to the resort, which I really didn't care for because I just want to be at the resort asap. However, I'd do it again because you got the opportunity to see the landscape & you can have refreshments. Resort Arrival: I found it to be quick & efficient. They already booked us for 3 a la cartes, which I really liked because I find it a chore to go book on my own. You can change your reservations if you want. Rooms: were super clean and that’s all I cared about. They were huge & the bed was a little hard but hey I didn’t go to Cuba to sleep all day/night. We were supplied with water, pop & beer every day. Bring a face cloth. A la Cartes: I went to the Italian & Japanese Restaurants & glad I went. The Italian had a beautiful ambiance, however, we found our food salty but I spoke with others & they did not. Loved the Japanese restaurant, a lot of interaction, the chef even called me up to cook. I did speak to others that did not have the experience we had, so I believe it may depend upon your party & chef. A couple of our party members were concerned about the food, however, that was put to rest when they got the appetizer & saw the food being cooked. They were then raving how great it was. 3 of our other party members went to the Mediterranean Restaurant & loved it. Buffet, Grill & 24 hour Snack/drink Bar: They are all good & there is something for everyone. I ate at the buffet a couple of times but I found it quite loud. Ate at the grill bar by the beach once & it was really good. I only ate there once because there was always a line up & I wasn’t patient to wait a bit because I discovered the 24 hour snack/drink bar. Well, that’s where I ate from then on. The food & service was superb there. Omelettes, pizza, bacon cheese burger, club house, ham sandwiches – YUMMY! There was more but not enough days to try it all. Pool/Beach: 2 pools beside one another with one swim up bar. I liked how the pools gradually declined if anyone has a problem using stairs to a pool. The beach is remarkable which has a beach bar & servers will come down to the beach to serve you. We typically stayed at the beach all day & went to the pool later in the afternoon. Service: I cannot say enough about the AMAZING service we had. Staff were constantly coming up to us asking if we needed drinks, our rooms were were cleaned up every day so well & I can be pretty messy. Front desk was always good to advise when there was potentially going to be change for your pesos (I had some larger bills). Our toilet kept breaking (constantly flushing) for the 1st 3 days & it was the dual flush & I tried to fix it & couldn’t so I asked for a repairman & he got in immediately every time I requested. Entertainment: Different theme every night & that was really nice. Then there was this AMAZING singer afterwards. There is a disco & bowling alley that I didn't make it to Tip: I went down with $30 worth of dollar store items such as candy, hair clips/ties, nail polish, emery boards, dinkies, pens, pencils, markers…..which I gave out as tips & appeared to be preferred over the $, but I also did tip with $. I also brought a # of medical supplies such as various band aids, tweezers, scissors, items in a 1st aid kit. I gave that to the head gardner. If there is one thing I can recommend go to the dollar store & bring down items for tipping because they do not have access to all the items we have at home. Many people go to Cuba with a certain expectation & if you are someone who needs things “just so”, then Cuba may not be the place for you. I encourage anyone who has never been to Cuba come with an open mind & experience the wonderful Cuban Culture, you will not be let down!! The Cuban people are the most amazing & delightful people I have ever met, that’s why I keep going back. Remember, you are on vacation, just enjoy.

Average resort

Grounds, pools, beach and staff are great lots of beach chairs. Rooms are old and dirty. Did not receive any towels in the room that were not stained. Dinning room/food was average but you could get something cooked fresh.

Great resort

Very clean. Great service all around except for the Buffet. Food was very good. No complaints. Very friendly staff. The grounds were always well kept. People had issues with replacing pool/beach towels but we didn't care we could only get them twice

Excellent trip

Just back from our second time staying at this hotel. Many improvements from last year. The staff are so friendly and attentive, the entertainment was wonderful, the room was always clean and well stocked! The food is good - could always find something we liked to eat and we particularly loved the pizza at the pool bar which is open all the time! This hotel is great value for the money

Great food and service, beach was adisappointment.

Great food rooms and service Beach was a disappointment as weak swimmers would have trouble with the sharp drop off and undertow at the beach. Pool area was very good. Air Canada rep was no where to be found.

Winter escape!

I enjoyed my stay; great service, terrific staff, wonderful beach & marvellous bands in the lobby in the evening. Japanese great. Would like to see the lobby area better lit; too dark in the evenings.

The Best! (in our opinion)

I've purposely titled my review this way because resorts (especially in Cuba) are usually a matter of personal taste. We love the smaller size, quiet style and quaint atmosphere of this resort very much (we've been 6 times). Service is top-notch, grounds and amenities are beautiful, beach is number one. The resort had hiccups this trip (next to no water pressure, very little hot water) but we know that this isn't usually the case because it's the first time we've had a real issue in all our visi [... read more]ts. Food is sometimes a bit mediocre, but we're not there for the food -- in any case (especially if you eat off of the fresh-grilled stations) there is always something that is pleasing and filling to eat. You'll likely never get me to say that I don't mind the 90 minute bus transfer to/from the resort -- but it's a price we pay for wanting to be there. This resort is mainly good for couples and groups over 30 yrs -- very little for the "party crowd" -- but entertainment is good and there's still lots of fun to be had. We won't go anywhere else.

Nice Resort

Beautiful Beach. (no towels to exchange for 3 days) Great Rooms. Small Buffet is unsatisfactory. Needs more choices and fresh fruit/veggies. (Italian Restaurant was good. 24 Hour restaurant was a blessing.) Although this is a nice resort with lovely grounds, I would not recommend based on the food. Have been to Cuba x9.....Worst food yet.