Amazing Resort, service but not greatest beach !

hi, overall the resort is beautiful, excellent service, great staff, food was great as well. entertainment was so so, except one night the aqua show, the rest was a bit boring. most disappointing was the beach, beach wasn't clean (too much algae in water, which made it unpleasant to go in) but in beach service and staff were very nice and pleasant. thanks

Dhawa

Food- Repetitive for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the buffet area. 3 lacartes are ok. Snack bar food on the lists are not available when u order like the chicken nuggets and sweet potato chips. Food are Very good for cuba resorts. Love the cooking area for seafood, pasta/pizza and for meat. I got diarrhea for days from something i ate or drink. Room- I paid extra for the oceanfront view. Beautiful view hope they made a pathway going the the beach for building 5 which is infront of the oce [... read more]an. I like that they separated the sink from the toilet and shower room. I wish they made the door for the shower coz water splashing outside that makes the floor so wet. And the water pressure is really good and hot water too. But the drainage is not good. Making a flood all the time when taking a shower. The sheets and towels we get always have stains on them. Which i find it so not clean. Beach is not long sand beach and rocky. And the youll pass by a pond/swamp that really stinks. I love that they didnt touch the beach. Ull see sooooo many different kind of fish and corals. Like you are in a aquarium. U didnt need to go into deep water. U can go snorkelling for free. Bring ur snorkelling gadgets and water shoes. Entertainment- Is only OK. Service- The WORST service ever from the front desk- bank- internet shop- waiters. We still tip every service even i dont think they deserve it. From the front desk (lots of them dont speak english so when youll ask them theyll "just say i dont know". we always get ignore and pass by or bumped by someone i dont know if they dont see us or ignore us. Sometimes no one is in the front desk to ask questions and you see all of them smoking by the side of the front desk or they are on there cellphones while they are talking to you. Bartenders- quiet few times i got the wrong drinks. People cleaning the room- are okay. I dont think they clean the shower room. Waiters from the buffet- Again we are getting ignore. We always look for service. Always looking for a waiter to get a coffee or drinks or utensils. Yet others after us gets a service before us. I feel like because we are "asian" we are getting ignored or forgotten.

Great Family Resort

The resort has only been open since December, so you can imagine how sparkly everything still is. There are nice rooms, A/C is very cold which you need in the heat they are currently experiencing. Staff are amazing, very gentle and friendly! One thing we had an issue with was the shrimps not being cooked at the Italian restaurant that messed up our stomachs for a few days. Their is a bad smell behind some bldgs as there is a swamp. Beach was great. Make sure you apply a lot of sunscreen!

Great resort

Beautiful resort, great pool , food was really good, excellent service, accept the activities and team that should entertaining the guest is really poor, the team should be more outgoing and able to interact with guests. The beach is good.

Great!

Just got back from one week at the Dhawa resort. I can't say anything negative about my experience. Top notch customer service and friendly staff. The manager was always around supervising his employees . Very nice to see this. Food was ok, snack bar rocks, rooms were beautiful and super clean. Nice modern decor. Really enjoyed listening to the musicians play at the bar. Beach was great. I only wish they had a bathroom closer to the beach but no big deal. Had a great vacation and look [... read more]ing forward to returning to Dhawa.

Nice new resort

We just returned from one week stay in Dhawa and overall it was a lovely vacation. One thing that really upset us was that the Deluxe Oceanview package that we bought was nowhere close to the oceanview. Our room (848) was facing an unappealing lagoon, so future guests should be aware. Otherwise, the food was a typical Cuban variety. We tried all la carte restaurants and French was excellent, Italian pretty good and Seafood just OK. Rooms are new and very well designed, so are all public spac [... read more]es. Beach is not busy and has a lot of available palapas. Service on the beach is a definite plus. So, go there and enjoy it. Just be aware of the 'Oceanview' false advertising.

This resort is worth every penny!

This resort exceeded my expectation! The food was great (a little repetitve, but I can manage for a week). Room is awesome, comfy beds, great shower. Also good customer service! staffs are all very friendly. The beach is sooooooo beautiful. Bring your snorkelling gear with you as they don't offer any rentals.

Amazing resort

Yes the best, I have to say never seen a Hotel like Dhawa in Cuba, it's so clean spotless, all the services on the beach very attentive, helping you out with the chairs and clean them, the animation the best Lacci, Tania, Junie, teaching how to workout in the beach, and the pool, stretching twice a day, the food is good, should be more servant in the buffet, the juice drinks could be set up on ice in a closed window all sorted out, so flies don't get to it, or the lady doesn't have to squeeze g [... read more]lass by glass, to create a line up, she could be serving or cleaning the table, overall, the shows in the theatre just beautiful, the disco the same, and the entertainment every night was fun, dancing and karaoke. I would go again.

Awesome Resort

We stayed at this Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria for 11 days and it was one of the best vacations I ever had. Had so much fun and met so many great people Very impressed with the cleanliness of the rooms. Received clean towels daily and our fridge was filled with water,pop and beer every day The staff was amazing. Very friendly and always wanting to please you. Had wonderful conversations with them. I lost my iPad on the resort and housekeeping had found it and returned it to lost and found. I was so [... read more] pleased to see how honest the staff were. The pools are very big and clean. Staff had a few games around the pool for both adults and kids. The beach was private and beautiful. Staff were always coming around to ask if you would like something to eat or drink from the beach bar. Motorized sports were available to use with no fee. The food was ok. I had my franks hot sauce with me and it went on everything. I just found it to be repetitive every day. Ask for Daniel at breakfast. He will make you an awesome omelet. Sports bar was opened 24 hrs. We had many chicken tenders from there. All in all it was an amazing vacation and I give this resort 2 thumbs up. I will recommend this to anyone. Can't wait to go back. Hopefully next year.

Second time and loved it even more!!

I honestly cannot say enough great things about this hotel! The number one reason I returned was because of the staff..... there were many and they couldn't do enough to please you or put a smile on your face. From reception to cleaning to bar and beach staff!! Second the hotel is new therefore well maintained and clean. The variety was amazing and everything was cooked great and hot. I would go back again, in fact I plan to in the near future...... I had a great experience both with a frie [... read more]nd and as a solo traveller!!

Great resort

The resort was great overall. Food, beach, room and service was good. Too many mosquitoes (day and especially night time). Even bug spray doesn't keep them at bay. Love placement of building # 5. Preferred the Ocean Del Mar but still a very good resort

Decent Resort - some key items to consider

May 20-27, 2017 Room: 815 (building 8, ground floor) 2 Adult Travelers, not new to Cuba or to Cayo Santa Maria, new to this hotel. Overall, I’d rate this resort a 6 or 7/10 – Your mileage may vary. There is extremely limited additional content beyond the core resort function – you may get bored here around day 4. I myself would not return to Dhawa, but it’s not for disappointment in this resort, it’s because I have a better Resort that is familiar to me, has far more extras, shoppi [... read more]ng and activities, better selection of food, better beach, more mature staff with longer service experience and is competitive in price, even a touch lower. Resort: - Only 11 buildings – spaced relatively close so not a ton of walking - Grounds/flora was very well kept and clean – interesting and beautiful assortment - Wheelchair accessibility virtually everywhere – do ask for an accessible building though as some have stairs even into the ground floor level - Buildings 5/6 close to Lobby, 8/9 close to beach – everything else is “in between” though not far at all. - Wake up calls came ~30 minutes late pretty consistently – (Cuban time? ) - Wireless in the lobby was difficult to connect to at times, but plenty fast enough when you finally did get connected. They have a DHCP server timeout issue to resolve and this issue will disappear. Unlike other resorts we have been to, you do not need to log out of the webpage to stop the internet access timer for your card. Disabling the wireless connection stops the timer here. This may have changed for all of Cuba (unsure) - Wireless does NOT function in the rooms at all – might have something to do with the wireless units having been removed from the buildings (I saw just the cables hanging) - Seat cushions were thin and not very comfy on all but the larger couches in the lobby - Mosquitos were bad. The resort did fog the common areas with the Permithrin based fog several times a day, but everyone was still bitten fairly regularly. Our trip was at the start of the summer there though, so increased mosquito activity is to be expected. - FLIES! There was an abundance of pesky flies in the lobby and in the buffet restaurant. They do not have the ultraviolet bug zappers like they do in the other resorts we have been to, so we were constantly harassed. - Security cameras very conspicuous. Feels a bit big brother-esque - All spaces incredibly clean – the cleaning staff was doing a great job. - Staff is predominately young and new to resort service. Communication was sometimes difficult as my Spanish is as poor as their English but we managed – I don’t see this as a failing of the resort or the staff – just something that will organically improve over time (for us both!). French was REALLY lacking – but there again, given time I’m sure this gap will close. - When attempting to speak Spanish, would often get English responses which created a unique opportunity for us both to develop better skills. - Drinks were inconsistent – some days the Pina Colada was amazing, others is was sad and ungarnished – Gin and Tonic sometimes came with a slice of cucumber (which was awesome!), sometimes not. Some Mojitos were great, others didn’t bother crushing the mint or adding lime.. Perhaps just a training issue? - Coffee was always great - Music. We didn’t expect what we heard and in a lot of ways this was disappointing. I LIKE Cuban music and would have liked to stick to that for our stay. Despite this: o The 24H snack bar by the pool played a lot of American music. (Alanis Morissette, ect), any Cuban music was by Pitbull o Lobby often featured familiar American classic rock tunes, some of which were either instrumental covers (we heard “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica played on a banjo?) or covers with the lyrics changed to Spanish and performed by artists who sounded a lot like the original. In the evenings we had some live lobby entertainment with Spanish singers singing some English classics, or Spanish songs, or playing guitar or piano. o Beach played classic Caribbean music, mostly instrumental - Lobby bar service was not great. When they did interact it was pleasant and positive, however we were often forgotten about, walked past without being asked if we needed anything or the area we sat (main lobby within view of the bar staff) didn’t get a visit at all. We found that 90%+/- of the time we had to walk to the bar to get drinks ourselves. Beach: - Overall, the beach is pretty good depending on what you are looking for (if you are looking for miles of powder white sand in perfect condition with nothing but crystal clear waters, look elsewhere) - Long beach – approximately 1km end to end, 80 feet wide - Most of the beach at the tree line is shaded end to end with palm huts that provide excellent shade with the exception of the far end that will undoubtedly be built out when the next portion of the resort (the VIP resort) is completed - Beach volleyball net installed and in good shape - Lots of seating - Sand is deep, but lots of debris in the sand - Water has some weed issues. The parts that are clear are nice, but around waist height in most places, the bottom is weed or rock/debris covered (which is not all bad news if you like to snorkel) - Abundance of aquatic life – despite a lack of significant underwater structures there is a lot of marine life to see while snorkeling. I myself say a few sea cucumbers, a Rock Lobster, Several groupers and other fish I couldn’t identify. - Beach service is STELLAR. Not only is the drink staff spot on, but service is pretty quick given the size of the area the gentleman has to cover. Also, they actually serve food right to your chair! Chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, ect – all of which was excellent quality. Food: - 24 hour restaurant adjacent the pool o Service was good o Flies, Flies and More Flies o Open Walls, not enclosed o Food was inconsistent – sometimes chicken nuggets where chunks of chicken, sometimes they looked like oversized cat litter wood pellets o Calamari came out looking and smelling amazing, but was so hard to chew I abandoned it. o My Partner had the Chicken club a half dozen times during our stay and loved it. o I had a seafood pizza which was spot on good. - Did not attend meals in the French or Italian a la carte Restaurants - Fuego Del Mar (Seafood Restaurant) o Had the 15CUC (each) Lobster dinner that featured a whole lobster, split lengthwise and cooked with a sauce reminiscent of a roux (white buttery creamy sauce brushed on generously). The meal was delicious though I would have asked them not to brush any of this on the lobster - Buffet restaurant o *Note* – the staff really needs to be trained how to handle food properly. The cook needs to scrape his griddle often – this is understandable as the garnishes people often ask for stick to the surface and need to be removed before cooking the next meal. At the seafood station, I witnessed the chef, innocently enough mind you, scrape the griddle with his spatula, then proceed to remove the guck by banging and scrapping the spatula in a green garbage bin at his feet, before again using the same spatula on the food he was cooking. YUCK. Additionally, there are no wash stations near the chefs for hand or equipment washing – the resort really should address this before someone gets sick. o Open 7 to 10 for breakfast, 1 to 3 for lunch, and 7 to 10 for dinner o Food selection was limited, but quality was excellent (save for the above note) o 3 “Grill” areas featuring a restaurant style griddles and a cook each to service your requests.  The first was Fish and seafood – Usually Basa, Tilapia and a third fish that rotated between a local variety, salmon and calamari, the fourth option was usually octopus. I frequented this station exclusively  Second griddle featured Beef, Pork and Chicken – my partners favorite  Third “Griddle” area was a pasta station with selections of sauces, noodles and meat/veg. neither of us went but some couples we knew did go and say it was excellent. o Bread station with DIY toasters o Fruit/Salad station with great selection including pickles and cheeses as well as cold cuts and vinaigrette dressings o They had bacon! It was sad floppy soupy bacon though – they just need to be shown how to bacon properly. o Flies..Again.. o This restaurant is enclosed and Air-conditioned, with some outside seating options Shop: - Only one shop at the resort – Open 9 am to 9 pm. - Items in stock were the quality you would normally expect - Selection was very limited – had to travel off resort for cigars worth smoking - Store Staff was very friendly Pool(s): - Lower main pool was Large enough to accommodate quite a crowd o Only shade in pool under the small pool bar overhang o Ample seating surrounding the pool, though shade “huts” were really only effective if the sun was overhead. o Pool bar service was extremely slow – often had to get out and walk around to the deck height portion to get the bar tenders attention. In her defense, she was alone tending bar for both sides. They should have had a second staff member tending the pool side. They did have a server patrolling the deck asking for drink orders. o Had a mysterious white paint-like oily-waxy goo on various body parts and clothing from around the pool bar somewhere. Still no idea where it came from, but this was reported by almost everyone in immediate vicinity of the bar on the pool side. o Pool was clean and well-kept otherwise o A basketball net was available for use IN the pool, as well as a couple moveable poolside nets - Upper circular pool was shallow and well suited to younger children with adult interaction o Two “fountains” the kids seemed to enjoy. They didn’t spray far out of the water, barely above the surface in fact but the kids seemed to like it o Towel hut was immediately beside this pool. Quick friendly attendant there from 9 to 5 to exchange towels - Lower rectangular kids pool was very shallow throughout and suited to toddlers with direct supervision. o This pool was gated to avoid escape  o Plenty of shaded seating around this pool Rooms: - Spacious enough though tipping cleaning staff netted no differences as it does in other resorts. This is not a problem for us however – just a nice to have - Very Clean/Tidy – fit and finish is nice - A/C works GREAT..best I’ve ever had in Cuba even in 40+ Degree weather with humidex - Safe didn’t work – probably just an electronics issue – didn’t bother asking for repair - Shower was a combo hand wand and overhead rainfall showerhead.

Fabulous new resort!

We were looking for a quiet relaxing vacation and this resort was perfect for that. Lizbet at reception was so wonderful, started our vacation off on the right foot. Check in was quick and Lizbet made us feel so welcome. The property is stunning, for a new resort to have so many beautiful plants, flowers and trees was impressive. I thought the food was very good. We understood it was slow season and probably not as much selection as high season but everything was fresh and delicious. We really e [... read more]njoyed the gourmet restaurant, our server Elizabeth was the best! Although the beach is not that big we thoroughly enjoyed it. The water was crystal clear. While in the water you could see different fish swimming around and crabs on the bottom. Very cool. Beach service was incredible. Sorry I don't remember this young mans name but everyday he remembered what we liked and just kept serving us. The people are wonderful, remember to tip them well. They work very hard making sure your time there is enjoyable. Building 9 ocean view was perfect. I also had a wonderful massage overlooking the water. Specialty coffees are amazing. Look forward to going back. Thank you all!

Relaxing Enjoyable Vacation

My boyfriend and I (20 years old) traveled to Dhawa from May 13-20th. Rooms: The rooms were new, very clean and spacious including a large rain shower. The rooms were cleaned everyday, with new towels and mini fridge refill. The house keeping staff were very accommodating. No issues with door locks or AC. Food: Not expecting great food, we were really impressed. The buffet was not very big, only 8 trays of food under a heater and 3 stations where the food was cooked to order on the grill. [... read more] Breakfast was omelettes and crepes or pancakes. Lunch was Pasta, Fish and Meat. Dinner was the same as lunch. There was also a salad, fruit (mango are amazing) and dessert table. For the Al La Cartes we were told before we could only book 3 but on arrival they let us book 6 for no extra charge. The appetizers were nothing special, and some of the dinner meals were not so great. The seafood and Italian had amazing salmon, Italian had very good pesto pasta. Not impressed with the lobster pasta at the seafood or tomato sauce pasta at Italian. Drinks: Bring your own cups because their plastic cups are small! The drinks were nothing special. There was a large drink menu at the lobby bar but the only slushy drinks were lemonade or strawberry. So most drinks were just made with ice and not blended... Our favourite drink was mimosa's, the wine was surprisingly very good. Would recommend them offering a sangria. Beach: I have been to other resorts in Cayo Santa Maria and I have to say the beach at Dhawa was not as nice. The sand had a lot of sticks and roots. The first 15 feet into the water were beautiful but beyond that was all seaweed. The service at the beach was great, snacks, drinks and fruit served right to your seat. The best part of the beach was the palapas, there was always lots available. No need to wake up early to reserve. Excursions: We did the speedboat tour with included snorkeling! It costed 40 CUC and was well worth it. The tour started out snorkeling at a coral reef where there were tones of colourful fish and ended with driving your own speed boat following a tour guide to a sunken ship. Overall: The resort could be amazing with a couple minor changed. Very pleased with the service, cleanliness, and food! Great Value!

Nicely decorated new resort

The rooms were spacious, clean and well kept. Pool area was nice with lots of tropical plants around the resort. Food was ok but seafood restaurant was a disappointing. Needed more variety of vegetables and fresh fruits in the buffet, plus labels on food so you didn't have to guess what it was. Staff were friendly, although some were a little pushy for tips. Overall nice resort with reasonable food and friendly service.

A wonderful experience!

This was the first time going to Cuba for my gf and I. We chose Dwaha by the pictures and reading other reviews online. The hotel is wonderful. Clean, barely untouched, very brand new. The food was amazing. Seafood and various meats freshly cooked right in front of your eyes. That goes for pasta as well. They also had several different delicous salads from the buffet. The desserts were very good and changed every other day. The breakfast and lunch were worth it as well. There is a 24 hours snac [... read more]k bar. So you couldn't go hungry on this resort! The pool was nice and large and at a fairly decent temperature. The beach was very clean and beautiful. At times in certain places it had seaweed and was a little rocky. But that didn't take away from the clear water. There is only one shop on sight, this could change as time goes on. They have the essentials in there and plenty of gifts to buy (cigars and alchohol included for all you lovers out there). We realize that the hotel opened this year (2017) so its quiet which is nice. There were no lines to get food, alcohol, find a decent seat at the havana club. We went on an adventure to a carneval that had dancing and music all night. Food and drinks were including. A fun experience to get off the resort and see the market square at night. A fair distance away from santa maria. So you if you want to plan on an adventure off the resort it might be a few hours away. Overall it was a wonderful experience. All the staff were very nice. They catered to us with warm smiles and great service. They made you feel like you were at home away from home. Would definietely recommend this to anyone. Hopefully we go back to Cuba again!

Very nice resort

The grounds were beautiful lots of flowers gardeners were all ways working hard rooms were have nice and clean showers great lots of water pressure and always hot could use a little more night life but overall nice resort would return

Exceeded expectations

Great experience would recommend this resort. The service and accommodations were excellent. We loved the beautiful beach. We enjoyed excellent snorkelling and saw hundreds of fish just a short distance from shore. The workers are friendly and very helpful. We hope to go back to this resort in the future as it exceeded expectations.

Paradise!!

I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I was with Dhawa! The hotel was stunning, so clean and fresh. Everything was brand new. The staff was amazing, I have never felt so spoiled in my whole life, honestly I was waited on hand and foot. One day after I had too much sun my lovely room attendant showed up with soothing lotion for my burn. How incredibly sweet was that?! It was very quiet during our stay, we never had to wait on anything, there were never any lines. The food was decent and plent [... read more]iful as were the drinks. The beach was clean and quiet and I never had to leave my spot for food or drinks. There were fish in the water that came right up and swan around us. They are still in there soft open so there were a few very small things that they are still working on. For example the food in the buffet had no signage which was difficult for me as I have a serious food allergy. Overall the whole week was amazing and I would go back in a heart beat!

Great vacation

We (family of 3) went to Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria bw April 13-20, overlapping with Easter. Likely because of the Easter the hotel was half full which reflected positively in little crowded restaurants, bars and beach. Check in/out Fast, we were greeted with a light cocktail, exactly what we needed after the flight and road trip and set the tone for a beautiful vacation. Room We upgraded to an ocean view room, which was worth it, although the bungalows are built so that most rooms have some [... read more] view to the ocean or pool. Our room (bungalow 8, top floor) was new and very clean, the beds were comfy, including the portable extra bed for the child. No problems with the AC or the shower/hot water. Food We liked the buffet food, particularly the fish grill and pasta stations. We were lucky the resort wasn't busy especially in the first 4 days so we didn't have to wait in line at the grill, as reviewers in March had complained. The downside (of a less busy resort) was that there was less variety, especially with the side dishes and the fruit. We never went hungry, though.There were trays with excellent pork, chicken, snapper or rabbit meat.They prepared delicious smoothies with exotic fruit, rich brownies, and flan. The service was excellent (given that there were more staff than tourists) with a special mention of Maryoli (sorry if misspelled) and the girl at the pancake station. At dinner there was live music, various bands of talented musicians; loved their Cuban rhythms. A la carte restaurants We tried the Seafood and the French restaurants. We particularly liked the Seafood one, the sauce/pesto that spiced the food really added a zing. The service was impeccable, thank you Carlos, the spectacled black waiter, and the French restaurant manager/hostess. Snack bar Good, fast food type, though the service happened to be slow at times. The only place to find fries. Lobby bar Excellent cappuccino, cafe colombiano, pina colada, margarita. They served their coffees with a cookie or a sugar cane stick (loved it). Beach Positive: long, with plenty of palapas, lots of fish and coral very close to the shore, the pelicans put up a day-long show of bomb-diving to catch fish. We were literally pampered by the staff at the beach bar: as soon as 10 am, Oswaldo from the bar came to each palapa to take the order for drinks, that he would bring on a large tray. He and others from the bar went out of their way to keep the tourists 'hydrated', knew exactly in what language to address each of us as well as our preferences.That was remarkable. Same for the beach personnel that set the armchairs for you, they remembered everyone by their name. Thank you, Raul, Osmani and Isney. Negative: there were lots of rocks in the sea, close to the shore, so water shoes are recommended. It was very windy, not sure if it was just the time of the year, but the beach seemed to be in a windy bay. It was only towards the end of our stay, when more tourists started to come, that we saw the annoying practice of some people reserving beach armchairs early in the morning only to appear on the beach at 11. The other negative remark is that there was a lot of noise during the siesta hours, hotel employees were congregating in the corridors, talking loudly and calling each other between floors, I'm sorry I have to bring it up, but this could be easily fixed. Overall, this was an excellent vacation, new facilities and remarkable service, most likely will return.