Nice resort

this resort is good for adults who want to stay on the resort to relax eat and drink. a la carte are not good. buffet was excellent. rooms are clean. fridge is kept stock but not by the maid another guy comes around for the fridges and usually later in the day. at least in number 11. there are male maids so don't take everything for women. pool bar service was great. chair guys are helpful. favorite drink was pina colada but they were never made the same.

Awesome resort

the resort was clean. pool bar guys were awesome. Randy, Jordan and Janet. rooms were clean. my maid did not build me anything out of my towels even though I left her lots of stuff and she was highly tipped. but the room was clean. there are male maids there so don't just take lady stuff like we did. buffet food was great. a la carte not so much. beach was nice but count on the wind but we liked the wind to keep us cool. don't go here if u like to go off the resort do stuff. and if y [... read more]ou've been to a market don't bother going to the one close by.

Amazing resort

Beautiful hotel and grounds. Very beautiful beach. Staff very friendly and helpful. Well maintained and very clean. Great variety of food choices. Would absolutely stay there again. Tour guide on bus on way there and back very informative and entertaining.

Amazing resort

This resort has a beautiful beach. The beach has lots to do as well like kayaking etc. Great entertainment every night different kinds like comedy, flamingo, aquatic dancing, beach party, with great singers and lots more. The pools are very nice with a swim up bar. Great service by their staff!!!

Amazing Resort

Dhawa was beautiful. The pools were amazing. The staff were helpful, entertaining and accomadating. The snack bar had wonderful food and you couldn't go hungry there. We will be back there again for sure!

Dhawa - lovely, clean resort - love the people

We just came back from Dhawa, Cayo Santa Maria. This is my 12th trip to Cuba. The lovely Cuban people keep me returning. The staff were friendly, polite and helpful, even with some limited language skills. They always had a smile on their face. Our room was spacious and kept very clean. We were located on the 3rd floor and had an interesting view of both the lagoon and the beach (building 11). The grounds are beatiful and the gardeners should be very proud of their work. The poolside is kept  [... read more]clean and there is daily entertainment and activities provided for all ages. More chairs providing shade need to be added and by early afternoon it is very hard to find any place to sit. The beach is lovely with lots of water activities available. There is a shortage of chairs in the shade at the beach as well. The lounge area is not large enough to accomodate everyone in the evening and smoking needs to be more limited with signage posted. Given that we aren't exposed to this at home in Canada, we are no longer used to this amount of smoking, especially for young children. There is nightly entertainment in the lounge and the tables are always kept clean. There is also seating in the lobby as well for those wishing a more quiet moment. The buffet is quite busy and there are large lineups at the food stations. The food definitely needs to be improved at the buffet with more variety (not just plates of pasta and rice with a mixture of added meats and vegetables). I was quite disappointed in the al a cartes with the best being the French restaurant. It would be the food that would keep me from returning and, remember, this was my 12th trip to Cuba.

Very nice vacation

The hotel and beach were lovely, staff was very nice. The food selection was repetitive, but all of it was tasty. Just wish that there was more variety. I would like to return if the food selection improves.

Worth the Price!

This is a nice, clean resort. The check in was well-organized and we were greeted with a refreshment. Beach: The beach is very short, but beautiful to run or stroll. The staff members were available all day to help find a lounger and set it up for you. They went above and beyond. There are lots of shaded loungers at the beach. The only issue was getting a lounger close to the bar and bathrooms. No issue if you reserved seating early in the morning. Hopefully that issue will be rectifie [... read more]d once the “sister” adult resort on the other end of the beach opens in September. The servers on the beach and at the beach bar/grill were fantastic. It was amazing how the server walking the beach remembered all those orders that he had tucked in his smock and on his large tray, carrying them from one end of the beach to the other. All staff worked very hard trying to please the many requests of guests and with a smile. The morning stretch and dance lessons were both enjoyable. There was always a beach volleyball game taking place each morning. Pool: The pool area is clean and had lots of loungers. Again finding shaded loungers was an issue unless you reserve it early. The pool bar was somewhat busy but not a very long wait. Staff were friendly. Entertainment around the pool was fun, but they were not forceful. You could participate or just sit back and watch. They had water aerobics, games and dance in the pool daily. A suggestion would be to replace the umbrellas that are have been broken from the wind with more secure covers. Food: Food was very good. The buffet provides stations with fresh pizza/calzones; pasta; fish, chicken and beef. Each chef worked very hard trying to move each line along quickly. The served tried to serve all the demands but seemed to be overwhelmed. A couple times we had to get our own water or utensils. Not that we mind serving ourselves, but not very sanitary. Although the area looked clean, one other issue was tables were never wiped clean before others were seated. I contribute these issues to the resort being under-staffed. Add more staff especially in this area and it may alleviate these issues. The a al carte restaurants were fantastic. We enjoyed the food, wine and service in all three -- very quiet and relaxing atmosphere. Servers were very professional. The snack bar was our favourite place to have breakfast. Although the selection of the buffet was not there, it offered a sufficient breakfast. Great items on the menu for lunch as well. Drinks were great too. The servers and bartenders went above and beyond. The beach grill was a great place to eat lunch as well. They offered sandwiches and burgers, with a smile and conversation too. There was never a wait here. The restaurant down by the beach was wonderful too. It was set up buffet style daily. Great place to sit out of the sun and enjoy a larger lunch without going to the pool or the buffet restaurant. Cleanliness: The rooms are kept very clean. I can only credit this to the maids. We had no issues with our accommodations here. The bathrooms around the resort were always kept clean. The chamber maids were never far from the bathroom if they weren’t already in there cleaning. The maid in the snack bar was often seen cleaning the floors. The tables in the snack bar “appeared” to be wiped after each guest (unlike the buffet restaurant). Wi-Fi: The cards are 1 peso. Getting access was not an issue in the lobby or rooms. We were able to get access at times on the beach. It was worth the cost. Lobby/Bar: The lobby was the “place” to be in the evening if you are interested in sitting back listening to the live music each night or partaking in a dance with your partner before the show begins at 9:30pm. It is very low key. If you want to kick up your heels, wait for the disco to open later in the Havana Sports Bar. DJ is great there too. There is often a wait at the bar for a drink, or you can sit back in your chair and have one of the servers bring it to you. Again there are new bartenders, so be patient. We all have been learning at some point in our lives. Shows: The entertainment in the theatre each night was great. The shows lasted an hour. There were lots of laughs watching the professional dancers interact with the hotel guests. Overall, this is a lovely resort. The dog living on this resort was a deterrent since I have a fear of dog. Whether or not we will return, will be seen. We don’t typically return to the same resort. However, I suggest you give it a try! It was worth the expense we paid.

Nice but severely understaffed

Pros: New resort, gorgeous beach (approx. 800m x 60m), large and clean pool, all 3 a la cartes, snack bar food, Hobie Cats/kayaks/pedal boats fun and included. Cons: Lack of staff (esp. in buffet - servers also bus tables, do place settings, etc.), buffet too small, some bars & amenities close at 5 PM so that staff can catch a bus back to the mainland, ran out of vodka on day 2, beautiful shuffleboard court - no pucks or push sticks, nice lighted tennis courts - lights don't work, no prepar [... read more]ed finger/snack foods for on-the-go, could use an ice cream stand and ready-made pizza/hot dogs under a heat lamp (waited 45 minutes one day for 2 personal pizzas).

Nice Getaway!

The hotel was nice, nice grounds, pool, beach and staff. Excellent live entertainment in lobby bar each evening. The French Restaurant was Superb. Buffets lacked, excellent omelets though. The beer was not good at first of the week only had Buckeneers (I think that was what it was called, they brought in crystal beer by our last day (much better)

Amazing Resort

Definitely a 5 star resort. Beach service is such an awesome feature. This resort has a nice layout and everything is close together. Lots of beach and pool loungers make it ideal for one not to have to get up early to save a spot.

Great resort and good value.

Just my thoughts on our last vacation February 15-22 at this place. WE have been going to Cuba in the last 3 vacations in the span of 4 years. WE have been to this area twice, first in 2015 at Iberostar Ensinachos and this year at Dhawa Resort. WE were at Santiago de Cuba at Club Amigo Los Corales last year. Comparing the two locations Iberostar and Dhawa, I would say the Dhawa is better because it is newer. Comparing Dhawa to the Club Amigo Los Corales, I would say last year was better although [... read more] it was only rated 3* in comparison to 4.5* this year. Things I loved about last year were the natural fruits like mango, yam, plantain banana, and guanoabana. Due to Irma and devastation it did to the area, these fruits were never available. Salsa dancing in Santiago de Cuba were done at the resort and on the street during our excursion to the city. I would say that for value and entertainment the trip last year was better. The people at Santiago de Cuba last year were more accommodating. I guess they try to make up with hospitality and service for the lack of amenities. I am not saying this year is not good, I would say it is comparable to the trip we had in Mexico back in 2009. Accommodation at Dhawa was excellent and the food offering were at par with what you would see in Mexico. The cost of our trip this year was a bit less than what I paid in Mexico or Dominican. In a year or two Dhawa Resort will most likely charge the same as Mexico or Dominican for the same week we had. All I am saying is that if you are used to 5* accommodation, go to Dhawa. If you want value and just to relax, go to Club Amigo Los Corales. Word of advice if you are taking day trips like visiting the city of Remedios and Santa Clara. The tour guide will ask you to leave your bag in the bus, please take your wallet with you. Cuban people are honest and trust worthy, but you never know. About Dhawa resort in general, the beach was full of shells and there were sand fleas because we all have little bites on our legs and those who laid down on the sand have them all over their bodies.. You definitely need a water shoes to walk around. It was beautiful weather all the time except on one day when it was so windy that you need sunglasses to be able to see. The best show at Dhawa is on Monday were they had all the guest on stage and participate. The best laugh I had in years. A la carte restaurant were all great. I love the French cuisine except for their bread being hard and old and the french Onion Soup didn't have cheese on top, so that was a failure. Order the lobster for $23 and the portion was big enough to be shared by two. Worth it. Room was cleaned everyday and it is brand new and so advanced with the card having to turn on all the lights. Nice touch. Overall, we had a great time and most likely come back in 5 years.

Exceed my expectations

Where should I start? From the check-in to check-out, we have no problems. The accommodations, restaurants, bathroom and the grounds are kept clean at all times. The food was surprisingly great. Love the 24 hour snack bar. Overall, the hotel and most especially the staff are wonderful. The beach people are so nice and accommodating. The only negative I would say that the pool is cold. I rated 2 for location due to long distance from the airport.

Disappointing Resort

We stayed at Dhawa during Feb 2018 for 7 days. We have traveled other places in Mexico, Jamaica, etc. so our review is somewhat comparable to other 4 - 5 star resorts. In overall, we would give this resort 3.5 stars out of 5, but they have the potential ( spaces and people) to do well. Dhawa is located far from markets and other amenities. They are currently building more resorts and extensions around the resort, but currently (in 2018) it is not up to par with other resorts. First of all  [... read more]food is not 5 stars. It is more like 3 to 4 stars. food choices are boring and the other restaurants in the resort are not that great. We are not food enthusiasts, but we could easily tell that they are bad. A lot of people staying at the resort did not go to the restaurants because they are not that much special from the buffet service. Heard many people complaining. Employees are quite friendly, however, they will always expect tips which we did not really enjoy. There are few employees who are working very hard to make it a great place. (e.g. door holder, entertainment folks, some bartenders at the lobby bar, and beach folks) Front desk people are the least friendly and unwilling to help. We had a partial ocean view room, and it was okay. The build quality was poor, but it had all the necessities. We think the rooms are made out of cinder blocks. One thing we didn't like is how it was not sound proof. we could consistently hear upstairs folks walking and babies crying at the same floor. The main beach is nice with long white sand and a lot of potential for snorkeling. We did snorkeling for 3 days straight and we love it. A lot fish and erotic fish. However, the pools are pretty boring and not for kids. They are building more extensions to the resort, so maybe it is better to travel next year to get your full money worth.

Beautiful Resort / Relaxing Stay

My husband and I just returned from a 7 day vacation at Dhawa. We have been to Cuba many times but this was our first time in Cayo Santa Maria. The resort is very nice, new modern rooms, comfortable beds, great shower and lots of choices for food and drink. The pre-show entertainment was ok, but we prefer more traditional Cuban music and that only seemed to be played at the buffet for a very short time. It would have been nice if they had played in the Lobby as well as there was lots of time bet [... read more]ween 6-9:30 (when the shows start) to accommodate. Our only real complaint is the wind. The beach is beautiful but we were unable to stay for too long as it was just too windy to be enjoyable. We are not really pool people so are not likely to return for that reason only. Otherwise everything was great and as usual the Cuban hospitality is top notch!

Very good resort with some issues

Great Resort -Food was well done -Shower in washroom mold and mildew buildup could have been better -Female resort receptionists not the nicest -great cleaning staff -windy beach but beautiful - children shouldn't have been allowed in nightclub/bar open at 10

The best resort we have been to in Cuba

Hotel was clean and modern. The staff were friendly and always trying to please. The pool and beach is excelent. Good food and the alacarts were high quality. We will definatly recommend Dhawa ! !!!

Beautiful resort but lacking service

The resort is new and beautiful. We upgraded to a one-bedroom oceanfront suite and it was fantastic. The room was the best part of the trip, except the door didn't lock, so we had to slam it every time. It probably really annoyed the neighbours... The employees at this resort are all brand new or students and most haven't worked at a resort before. There are very few labels on the food or labels were wrong, so as a vegan I was concerned about the ingredients. Many things appeared to be veg [... read more]etarian (i.e. "vegetable soup" was actually chicken soup) and menus were not translated properly. My father-in-law has a seafood allergy and the "pumpkin soup" at the French restaurant was actually "seafood soup with shrimp". I was excited about the make-your-own calzone at the buffet but they didn't cook it long enough, the dough was raw and I got food poisoning. I was in my room for 3 days. My husband got a calzone later in the week and it was also raw. No one spoke enough English to confirm if there was dairy in the items at the buffet. None of the al la carte restaurants would accommodate dietary restrictions and there was no vegetarian option for the fixed menu on Valentine's Day, so I couldn't even eat dinner with my husband. The service was VERY slow and often we did not receive drinks (coffee in the morning, drinks in the lobby, water at meals, etc..). It was very frustrating. My mother-in-law didn't receive her entre at one of the restaurants. Tables in the buffet were not cleared fast enough and there was nowhere to sit at breakfast. We would have to stand around and wait for tables to be cleared. We reported a lot of this to management, who apologized but didn't offer any reassurance that they would improve anything. In fact they gave excuses like, “we have a lot of students working here right now’, “we’re overbooked” and “we can’t label things because the company has to send us the labels first”. It took us 2-hours in line to book the a la carts because the lady handling the bookings was also handling the guest service phone (i.e. "I need more towels" or "my safe won't unlock") so each reservation took about half an hour. The beach was beautiful but people were reserving chairs at the pool and at the beach by bringing their own towels or putting towels over multiple chairs, so there were never enough seats. We had to get up at sunrise to get a palapa at the beach. By 8am there were no chairs left at the pool and by 9am there were no chairs left at the beach. I didn’t use the pool because there was never any space. The food and service at this resort were very inconsistent. We had one good experience at lunch at the seafood restaurant and the next day it was awful. Maid service was also inconsistent. Some days we would get towels, other days we wouldn't. Calling down to the front desk was pointless, nothing ever came. They gave us a green wristband, which apparently meant that we were “VIP”, but it actually didn’t change a thing. I’m not sure why they bother having different colours. Overall, I would say that if they did a serious overhaul of their service and menus with proper food labeling, this resort has potential to be good. But for now, I would strongly suggest going somewhere more established.

Will definitely go back!

Feb 9-16 2018: It was our 7 times in Cuba and we loved it! The Dhawa is now in our top 3. Modern rooms with a rain shower head. Impeccable service from the staff and clean resort. Perfect large beach with the downside of having to "reserve" our chairs before 8 in the morning but it was their first time being at full capacity so they might adjust. The buffet offers a good selection but my advice is to enjoy the eggs, pancakes, pasta and grill bar. They are fresh and you choose your ingredients T [... read more]he pool is big and we never felt cramped. The lobby bar offers great Iced cappuccino :) We've enjoyed playing pool in the lobby and in the discoteca. It was a great week! Thanks to Kristy from tripcentral for the help!

Awesome Place!!

The resort was great. Rooms where very nice and clean. Beach was amazing and the grounds are kept perfect. Finally we thought the food was really good to. Will definitely stay at this resort again very soon!!