Deal for the price!

Ocean view rooms are nice. Buffet is good. If you like fish there is plenty along with custom stir fried rice. The people working at the resort are so kind and always smiling. The seafood alacarte is the best choice. The beach is definitely the highlight. It's breathtaking. The hotel seems to have limited towels for both the rooms and beach. Overall for the money it's a deal and we had a really nice time there

Great deal so it was fine!

The wall of the room was splash with juice or something that could have been clean before our stay. All the holding bars in Tha bath was falling apart. The service was super good, beach awesome but not enough chairs for a big resort like that. Buffet was horrible only the omelet station was good. Pizza on plate was delicious. I got married in 2011 at the Melia Las Dunas in santa clara and it was way better for everything. But for the price we pay we can't complain

Nice place for families - beautiful beach

Transportation to the airport was comfortable. The hotel lobby was nice, fun in the evening. The food was great for Cuba. We've travelled to Cuba six times prior and this was the best hotel for food so far. Drinks we're good too. Rooms we're clean and pretty up to date. Pools were all nice. Our favourite was the pool that had the kids pool attached. The drinks were also the best here. I can say the beach on Cayo Santa Maria was like no other beach I've been to. Absolutely beautiful. Clear blue w [... read more]ater with the softest sand and almost no waves. If you're travelling for the beach, look no further. I'd also like to say the people here were very friendly. The staff was amazing. The best we've come across in Cuba, and we've always found the people to be very nice. Really, this resort was just sweet. Only a few things that could be improved upon: (1) I found there to be quite a few cigarette butts and plastic cups in the sand at the beach. Perhaps they should consider raking the beach more often or putting out more ash trays and garbage cans. (2) There are a lot of smokers. This is all over Cuba, not just this hotel. Its annoying. My suggestion would be to have more non smoking areas around the resorts and perhaps have non smoking tour options. (3) Wi-fi. The wi-fi is no good. But who goes on vacation for wi-fi anyway.

Nice resort

Nice beach! The rooms were nice. I would have liked a smaller , less busy resort to avoid long walk to buffet, beach or pool and line ups at the buffet. The omelettes and fried rice stations were very good but always had a long line up. Bar fridge in room always well stocked.

Great time

I had a great time at this resort. Staff was very friendly. The air conditioning broke in my room and I was moved by the end of the day to another. Very pleased. Pool was lovely. Food was adequate. Made fresh if you wanted.

3 Star Expectations = Happiness

Decent resort at the right price. as long as you go down with a positive attitude and 3 star expectations, you will have a great time! Beach, pools and food at the BBQ restaurant are great! Buffet food is hit and miss- some items were just terrible, but there was always something decent to eat. Worst part was the very dirty public washrooms. We had a great time and chose to enjoy the good and ignore the bad. But we are not likely to go back to this resort- we have stayed in better places in Cuba [... read more].

For the value

the hotel santa maria is far from a 4star resort.it is only a 3 star at most.you get what you pay for and we all knew that going into it. the grounds are nice but its a big resort which means if you dont like walking back and forth to your room then this resort is not for you. rooms are very old,beds are old and pilllows suck.we never got to exchange beach towels once because the booth was closed all week.terrible!!!!!! the main lobby was great place to meet and sit from drinks at night.service  [... read more]was good at pool bars and the bartenders know now to treat people. the beach was just ok,lots of sea weed. the food was not good and if you dont like fish you will not like it.they did pigs on the beach 2 days and it was great to get some good tasting pork.really enjoyed the bbq. cuba is cuba and for the value(price)its ok but we will not go back to this resort or santa maria.its a 1.5 hr bus ride and its to far from anywhere.thats ok if you dont want to do day trips. hate to be negative but this resort is not what it says it is.we all had a great time because of the group we went with and met some very nice people. they do their best with what they have and that you can wish for.

Very Nice Resort!

Grounds are well kept. Pools are nice. Beach is good too! Most of the food is what is expected in Cuba with an exception or two. 2 chefs for every meal ready to make your order the way YOU like it. Eggs, pancakes, steak, chicken, pork etc... By the beach, between 12:30 and 3:30 2 more chefs at the huge BBQ. Something for everyone. We have been to Cuba before so we brought a few condiments. KETCHUP! (especially if you have kids). They run out very quickly and go for a few days without. It was a l [... read more]ifesaver for us. We wanted to take a tour but because we were 5, we found it a little much. Please talk to the tour organizer "Augusto". He found us a private driver for the day at a very reasonable rate. Fantastic guy that is really there to make you happy! We found the Cayo's a little excluded with no public transportation t the mainland but a great resort if you just want to relax and get away from it all -

Excellent Resort

The rooms are nice, the lobby is really nice, restaurants are great. The only recommendation I could give is that the access to the beach from the main pool should be better, there should be a sign up as the other access from the outdoor lunch restaurant where the boats etc. are is so much better and safer. The staff were excellent on the resort. The food was very good. Anyone who was hungry had no one to blame but themselves, there were always so many choices.

A nice Vacation away from home and work

You get what you pay for they say, but I have had better for 1000.00 pp. Staff not overly friendly, the rooms not the cleanest, they need to wash headboards and doors etc. when they prepare each room for next guest. The beach water was beautiful however they need to remove what they raked twice daily, not a lot of areas to sit on beach as piles of seaweed took up the space. Lots of broken chairs around the pool. Poor nighttime entertainment except last night which was Michael Jackson tribute. No [... read more] white wine anywhere unless you wanted to buy it. Always offered white or red anywhere else I have been including Cuba. If you don't like your room, good luck changing. My gf had to put up with a smoking room to even get a decent one.

Nice resort

Hotel is dated and could use some upgrading. Grounds are mature and well kept. Our room had a smell of previous smokers which lingered all week even when we opened the balcony doors to air it out. Could not get a glass of white wine anywhere on the resort but yet they had vendors selling it outside the buffet that you could take in with you. Disappointing as I am not a beer drinker.

Awesome Resort!!!!!

Great resort. Fantastic staff!!!! Beautiful beach. Would definitely go back again. Resort was well kept. All bathrooms were very clean and had toilet seats. Don't believe the bad reviews. Pool bar staff were awesome. Please remember to tip. The staff work very hard and have very long days to make your stay very enjoyable!!! Hats off to Hotel CSM.

Great Resort for the price

For the price awesome resort the staff were all great no real complaints ..the food was Cuba ..lots to find to eat ...lots to drink ..lots of beach ...................................................:)

Beautiful Resort

Great resort for all ages. I went with my parents and my boyfriend. There was always something to do. Great activities throughout the day. Rooms were clean, always food to eat and drinks everywhere. The food was alright, nothing special. I would bring peanut butter and ketchup next time lol. Also, if you like to have snacks ( chips, chocolate) make sure you bring them. Very expensive there. I had a little bit of stomach problems, but my parents and boyfriend was fine. Water and ice were safe for [... read more] consumption. Staff was great. Pools were clean. Not a lot of chairs at pool so need to get there early. Beach was beautiful. Lots of chairs on beach. It was a private beach, no access for the locals. We stayed in building 11 with a garden/ ocean view. Very nice for pictures and tanning. It was a little windy though. Everything seemed new and clean which is a must for me. The resort is pretty big so it didn't feel crammed. There is also a train that comes and takes you to the local market, very nice experience. I would go back :) The only down fall is the resort is located 2 hours from the airport, so after a 4 hour flight, there was a 2 hour bus ride. but all in all, it was a good time.

Beautiful resort!

I've been to Cuba 4 times now and this is by far the best resort I've been to. The beach was beautiful, there's a nice little walk way to the beach on the right side of the resort! The rooms were big and air conditioned.. Right before dinner someone would stop by your room and offer you a water bottle, pop or cervsa if you wanted! I suggest you ask for a room on a higher floor, ours was on the ground floor so our view was a walk way, we didn't have much privacy at all if we opened the curtains a [... read more]nd the room was kinda dark. They have flat screens in the room and they have a decent amount of channels to choose from.. I was watching friends before dinner a few nights! Make sure to remember which towels are clean and which ones are dirty because they don't change the towels every day, they hang them up if they're on the ground so just make sure the clean ones are in a certain spot so you'll remember! The food was the best I've ever had in Cuba, didn't get sick once. BRING KETCHUP - they don't have the "katsup" or whatever there so make sure to bring it! If you wanna go to their snack bar right beside the pool, I suggest sitting right near the bar otherwise it'll take abit for the servers to come over. The pools were awesome, you could always find a spot but I would suggest grabbing a spot right before breakfast and putting towels down to mark it because that's when you'll get the best spots! They have servers walking around the pools and beach offering to get you drinks or to fill your bubbas up which was sweet! The drinks were tasty (get the lime daiquiri with vodka, yum) The excursions are pricey once changed into Canadian so if you're planning on going I'd bring extra money! The service was great, most people were super friendly but if make sure to have a great attitude and tip, you will get even better service! All in all this resort was amazing and I still can't get over how beautiful it was, i deffinately will come back here in the future! Hope this helps :)

Tempered Expectations.

One of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Clean rooms. Friendly staff. Very disappointing food. Same buffet everyday - 3 times everyday! Very low food & restaurant cleanliness standards. Minimal entertainment.

Amazing resort!

I really enjoyed my vacation here at Hotel Cayo Santa Maria. It was the first time when I booked a holiday on the island Cayo Santa Maria. Amazing...I will go back for sure. Animation was the best...Keep up the good work guys.

A changed Resort

The hotel is very beautiful but being our second time around we noticed the wear and tear of lack of maintenence. When we first went, the hotel was called Eurostars and it had just been built. 2 years later, the hotel changed its name for the Cuban Government now is in charge. We all know about Cuban restrictions but it was very evident that the hotel suffered. The food was not the same ( some good changes, others very bad). The rooms were still nice but being moved 3 times during our stay, we n [... read more]oticed that most rooms are very deteriorated. Most phones in the rooms don't work. The bed sheets were clean but the decoration pillows and the throw were very dirty and stained. Pillows are scarce and ridiculously thin. We only had a good time bc we love the ppl and we were happy to see the friends we made from our previous stay. They made our experience memorable. The beach is definitely the best part of the resort. It's as if it was photoshopped. We visited Valentin Perla Blanca and it was way better maintained. Gorgeous Resort.

Beautiful Resort

Example: What did you think about  this hotel? (grounds, public areas, rooms, dining, features, etc.) If you are looking for a place to get away and lay by the water -this is the place for you. It is very quiet and isolated. The beach sand is like some I have never seen before- like walking in flour. The people are friendly and tourists were mainaly all Canadian. We went on the jeep Safari tour- I guess it was what you would expect - the meal was fanatastic. The only recomemdation I would make  [... read more]is not to arrive at night- they do not help your room or give good direction on paths that are not well lite up- it was very frustrating to fins the room after a lon flight and 2hour bus ride to get there.

Nice break from winter

We enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Cayo Santa Maria. It has a great beach and two pools... one more quiet and the other has a little more "party" vibe. The bartenders and staff at the lobby bar were friendly and certainly liked to free pour the drinks. My only criticism overall is not of the resort but a more general issue with Cuba, and that is the shortages they will sometimes have with respect to food. Thankfully that was never an issue with liquor ;) If you love great food, Cuba is probably no [... read more]t the right destination for you... but the people are friendly, the weather is great and it usually has a great price point.