Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: The nicest Resort I've been to inCuba

This resort was very modern well-maintained with beautiful gardens and Landscaping. The buffet with basic but they do make stuff fresh for you and all the ala carte restaurants were very good. The rooms were very modern and clean. The beach with very beautiful and the pool was as well. This Resort deserves all five stars.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: 8th time to Cuba with no disappointment

Great resort...love iberostar chain of resorts. Great food for all tastes,caring customer service,awesome beaches and lovely people. We travelled with two kids,ages 3&5-they loved it. Kids waterpark is great, lots of fun and sun. Would definitely recommend this resort for family

Valentin Perla Blanca: Good resort

Good hotel. Great value. Staff are amazing and friendly. It’s clean but a bit outdated ( not in its decor but some areas need refurbishing). Food selection is very limited and repetitive. Lots of carbs and not enough fish and meat selection. Salads are not very fresh. Everyone was complaining of mosquito bites. My body was covered in mosquito bites the size of a coin. I was bitten in bed every night so mosquitos were a big problem all day and got worse at night regardless of where we were. Mad [... read more]e it not enjoyable. Everyone was complaining. Everything else was fine. Still a good value for the money we paid. The beach is short but the water is amazing! Last two days the beach was overtaken by jelly fish so we had to opt for the pools.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Loved Cuba, disappointed in our room.

I was very excited to finally get to go to Ocean Casa del Mar after having to cancel the first planned visit due to Hurricanes. The beach was beautiful, the resort was clean and well appointed. Unfortunately, we had issues with our room. When we turned on the ceiling fan we lost all the power to our room. My husband had to go to the front desk, they sent a technician who came to our room he checked out the issue. He went to the utility room and switched something and we had power again. However [... read more], we were not comfortable using the ceiling fan. Also, because our room was next to the utility room, there was a constant beeping at night which made it very difficult if not impossible to sleep. Two nights later we lost our power again. This time the technician they sent focussed on one of the bedside lamps, He dismantled it and removed the bulb. He got our power going again, but the constant beeping was still coming from the next room. I believe the resort should have offered to move us to a different room, but they did not.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Had a great time!

We spent a wonderful week here at Sanctuary @ Grand Memories. Beach: The beach is gorgeous, it was a little washed up from Hurricane Micheal but still beautiful. We went when it was still low season so getting beach chairs was no issue for us, can't speak for high season. I wish there were some staff walking along the beach that can take orders for drinks, but it was not a big deal, we just walked over to the bar and got some ourselves. Food: Typical Cuban food. Nothing spectacular but [... read more] never left the resort hungry. Fresh omelettes at Sanctuary are delicious! We always went for the fresh meats and fish, which they usually garnish with some garlic and onion so ends up tasting good. Not many vegetable options. Rooms: We were in Building 61 - had great wifi ($) from the room. Rooms were clean, updated, and spacious. Good water pressure and never ran out of hot water. Grounds: Mature. Beautiful. Well Kept. It was nice having access to both the Sanctuary and Grand Memories lobby. Overall, a great time!

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: Fantastic Experience !

We had an amazing vacation at this resort. The white sandy beaches and beautiful ocean views. Staff are super friendly, knew us by name. Took the time to say goodbye at 6am to us when we left. Loved it!

Valentin Perla Blanca: Had a fabulous time. Yay valentin

Hotel was very clean staff friendly and the service was exceptional. The food ranged from good to excellent. Entertainment outstanding. Would highly recommend this resort. Only thing missing for me was karaoke. Minor in the whole schemo of things.

Valentin Perla Blanca: I Had a Great Vacation!

Upon arrival of the resort I was impressed. Our bus had stopped at several resorts to drop off guests before arriving at Valentin. Ours was clearly the largest and most beautiful! The staff was welcoming and friendly. This was my first all-inclusive trip so I had many questions and the staff was so helpful. The grounds were well taken care of and the rooms were clean, bright, modern, and especially air conditioned! Even though it was off-season, and half of the resort was closed, there was [... read more] a wonderful variety of food at the buffet, a 24-hour snack bar and bar, and terrific entertainment every night. Honestly, I have no complaints about this wonderful facility. The pools were immaculate, as were the beaches. The food was delicious, especially the a la cartes. And I feel like the staff became my family!

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Disappointing

Let me start my saying we are seasoned travellers and normally can just go with the flow and don’t complain much. We appreciate the countries we travel to for their individual beauty, culture, customs, food, people and landscapes. Our party had 2 adults, 2 kids and 2 seniors. The good: the beach and service staff (Except front desk as we found most of them cold and uninviting). Beach was stunning. Most employees were willing to assist and were very friendly. In particular, the room cleanin [... read more]g lady, buffet service staff and chefs, a la carte staff, grounds workers, bar staff, etc. were all great. The bad: the room, food, lack of any day time entertainment, the always closed mini club (kids club), bars not equipped for beverages, pool maintenance, and overall maintenance of the resort. The rooms are a good size and location was great (near the pool and close walking to main amenities), however, the maintenance is terrible. Cleaning staff was great (thanks Aylin), but the room did not have a working phone, the ceiling fan we couldn’t use as it would shake and we felt like it was going to fall off any minute (it also had an irritating clicking noise), the shower towel rack fell on my head (thank goodness on me and not on the kids), only half the room had working lights and cockroaches in the room (and also in my parents room). With the understanding it’s a tropical climate, there will be bugs and lizards, etc. - so no problem. However a roach problem is not acceptable. Our concerns were addressed by having the staff simply use Raid, but that was it. With the towel rack that fell on me and the hazardous ceiling fan, front desk didn’t do much other than to call to have it fixed (I say fixed loosely) - which resulted in dirty towels being put back on the towel rack and the ceiling fan draw string being cut to stop the annoying clatter sound. The fact that it was almost falling off the ceiling wasn’t addressed even through a follow up call and so we just couldn’t use it at all. The room phone was never fixed so we had to constantly walk over to front desk or use my parents phone who were next door which was disruptive. Only half the lights were working, but that was resolved once requested. I also asked for a double room at booking and confirmed with front desk before entering the room only to find a king size bed and a single bed. I requested a room change for the bed issue and the above noted issues and they said they couldn’t find rooms for us and my parents that would be close to each other. Keep in the mind the resort was approximately a quarter occupied, and even that is probably a generous estimate. They refused to move us or even consider upgrading to another area even with all of the room issues. Even though we were upset, we always maintain our composure and respect for others. So I could not understand the issue with adequately addressing the concerns. I mean, come on! So for the entire week 4 of us crammed into the bed. Unreal. With the food, we have traveled several times to Cuba and know what to expect. Even with that in mind, there was hardly any selection. And what little options there were, it just wasn’t good at the buffet. Two people in our party are vegetarian and some days there was nothing vegetarian other than bread, cheese, cucumber and cold peas. Literally. Bless one of the cooks/chefs who realized this and cooked us pasta so we could have a hot meal. The breakfast was decent with an omelette station (thanks to the chef!), but lunch and dinner did not have many options at all. I understand it’s low season, but it was unacceptable. For lunch we would go to the snack bar (there was no menu and limited selection of an egg or chicken sandwich with fries) and so for the entire week we had only sandwiches and fries for lunch due to the poor buffet. There were only 2 working a la carte restaurants, so very limited even with the resort allowing up to 5 reservations during the week. The Caribbean restaurant was the best. Although nothing vegetarian on the menu, the chef would make a fried rice with egg and a little veggies. So 2 of us had only that to eat. The meat and seafood eaters were fine and enjoyed the food. Service was good too. The Mediterranean restaurant was okay. They had one veg spaghetti dish on the menu that was so overly salty you couldn’t eat it, but the meat options were ok. Service here was so slow my poor kids feel asleep at the table waiting a ridiculous amount of time for our food so went to bed hungry. It was truly insane because again, the resort and restaurant was not busy! We chose a resort with a mini club so that our young children would have some activities, but it was closed the entire time!! Only the small playground was open, but the activities rooms were closed. So even if we wanted to have the kids stay there we couldn’t at all nor could they do any activities. There was also no day time entertainment other than a DJ that came to play recorded music for about one to two hours. One day they had a lame “fashion show” only because they wanted to sell swim clothes - they literally came around asking if we wanted to purchase the swimwear. The resort had signs posted in the lower lobby for daily activities at the poolside and beachside, but there was absolutely nothing. Nothing. There were 3 working pools out of 4 and for the most part were nice. The problem most travellers had was that they use chlorine stones and so for 2-3 days before they dissolved it hurt everyone’s feet and was outright annoying for most of if not all pool goers. Also there were tiles missing in the pools. We are not sure how often the pools are cleaned. We never saw any maintenance or cleaning being done in any of the working pools. And at least 3 people we saw (plus my own husband) fell as a result of white plastic grating surrounding the pool that was not supported and so when stepped on, they went right through it. The pool with the swim up bar was closed for maintenance (missing a ton of tiles) so to get a drink you had to exit the pool. Not a big deal, but you do miss the convenience of a swim up bar. The main bars located in the upper and lower lobbies were well stocked and offered variety. The pool bar and beach bar though had very limited variety. Other than our first day there we couldn’t even have mojitos by the pool or beach as they had no mint! Why the staff or management couldn’t just restock was beyond us. And it was like that for a few drinks, so poor variety unless you are willing to exit the pool area and walk all the way over to the lobby. Unacceptable. Staff were nice, but the offerings terrible. The grounds of the resort was nice and the staff are very hard working. At the end of the day, the resort could be so much more and has the potential. It is such a shame that the execution is terrible as the concept (and what was sold and advertised) could be so nice. Utterly disappointed with Labranda and no one in our party would recommend it. That includes a 6 yr old, so what does that say? I will be sharing this feedback with the Trip Central agent and Air Transat.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Beautiful Beach & Great Drinks

Beach and pool were the best part of this resort everything else was terrible to say the least. Customer service ( no internet, no running water, no ac) and bad food..bring your own seasoning & snacks

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: The best resort

This resort was so beautiful. The staff were absolutely amazing. The food was good. I loved it there. The beach was the best. I would absolutely go back there again!!!! I have been to a lot of places but this place by far is the best

Valentin Perla Blanca: 1 week of hell

I back pack a lot, central america in hostels and what not. By far this was worse than a hostel. The water shut off for a full day, the toilets were full of fences and cooks didnt wash hands. Horrible experience.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Save ur money

The hotel was a disappointment First impression on arrival was ok but then it went downhill... I get that it was off season and ive been to others off season but this was really bad.. The food was absolutely gross and no variety what so ever, it was like they put out whatever they could find in the cabinet or fridge, the resort was not fun or inviting after the first day.. The rooms, beach ,pool ok everything else SUCKED.. Im disappointed i wasted money and time never again...

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Breathtaking

Just returned from a beautiful vacation at the Royalton Santa Maria. We upgraded to a balcony room located half way between the lobby and beach which was large with lots of storage and impeccably cleaned each day. The food was good and the chefs very accommodating to dietary wants and needs. The service at the restaurants, lobby were excellent but I can't say enough about about the beach service. Pedro and Norge were always one step ahead of you and you never had an empty cup. The beach is [... read more] stunning and very clean - powder white sand and crystal clear waters. The resort grounds are absolutely beautiful. The gardeners take so much pride in their work and it definitely shows. The staff and management are what makes the whole experience something very special. I would not hesitate to recommend this report and I hope to return next fall.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Great Vacation

We went for 7 days Sept 28-Oct 6. Overall, great experience. Not many people!! Swimming pool was always available, just a few people there so you can really swim freely. Great price for the 4 star. The weather was great. showers at night and sunshine during the day, just the last day was cloudy with short showers. I have been to Cuba 5 times and the good and untypical thing about this hotel is its planning site - first of all you can see the blue ocean when arrived to the front lobby, while othe [... read more]r hotels make you see the bar first. This is the best time in the year to go to cuba from my experience. Great deals due to low season, the weather is still great as for me. Warm enough to swim while refreshing wind at night. December to March is cold for me, i had to cover myself with a towel when at the beach. june to mid sept is too hot, sweating all the time. so beginning of october is really great to swim and spend the whole day at the beach. I highly appreciate the great job that gardeners are doing!! Amazing to look at those beautiful grounds!!! First disappointment was the room key which did not work, had to walk back to reception to replace. Second- the shower glass cabin was leaking with water on the floor after taking a shower, also the drain in the shower could be planned better to drain the water faster so the water pressure at the shower could be turned at max. I have heard that it is the same at other rooms so it is the planning and construction overlook. The food was ok. I never forgot I am in Cuba so not much variety but if you are not picky you would never be hungry. Salmon at the dinner in the buffet was great. Great cooks all the time who would make for you the customized dish from the available ingredients. Also, i appreciated the great work of the pastry-cook. All the sweets were very delicious!! There was ice cream of three tastes for the desert for lunch and dinner. The show every night was great. Really enjoyed the magic show and pirates. The service was very good. No tips requests/expectations here, which made me really happy to give tips at this place. I would go there again for the same price and at the same season.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Very nice resort

The hotel room was very nice. The rooms were very modern. The balcony was very nice. We would definitely go back to this resort. The resort grounds were just beautiful with all the gardens. Gardens were meticulously kept and the resort was always exceptionally clean. The staff was very courteous and attentive.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Good, not amazing

Everything was average to good. Rooms - had to change rooms at 8pm due to no flushing toilet, next room had no television, wife fixed the cable as maintenance was notified several times to no avail, rooms were clean, telephone did not work Grounds - beautiful beach, pools were nice, would return due to stunning beach, plenty of palapas(?) Food - average, meat selection poor quality, chicken good, poor dressings for salads, breakfast great, pizza amazing, ala carte was good Staff - friendly a [... read more]nd accommodating, gratuities help Front desk - poor, not very helpful, plenty of "we will send someone tomorrow", poor English Entertainment - not impressive although they were trying Overall, you get what you pay for, wasn't paying for a 4 star

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great hotel experience!

I don't often write a review but I have been to Cuba a few times and if you are looking for a higher end experience this would be it. The food was really good and that is not something I have said about any of my Cuba vacation destinations. I stay away from beef but the kids ordered the fresh steak and we also ate a lot of fresh omelettes, seafood and pasta. The staff were very accommodating and the service was A+. I would highly recommend this resort especially if travelling with kids. The beac [... read more]hes in Santa Maria are all gorgeous. Lots of seashells for the kids. Lots of pools and a kid area for the parents if they wish to check in young ones. I didn't use this service but I would assume excellent as well. Staff were super friendly and hospitable. Overall I would give this resort a 4+ review and would not hesitate to go back or recommend. I did tip well so that likely helped and I did bring goodies to hand out to the maids each day. The staff will ask you for stuff but I only left the extra snacks I brought for the kids and my travel toiletries. I did visit the dollar store and brought some hair bands, nail polish, makeup etc. They do appreciate whatever you can leave behind.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: We loved our stay!

Best hotel I've been to in Cuba Friendly staff, always a fun time and decent food. Went as a single mom w a teenager. Loved the beach, drinks and entertainment. Be sure to bring your own thermal mug! Will be back :)

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Best beach in Cuba

Stayed Oct 2-9 and loved hurricane season! Weather was perfect so please ignore all the reports of rain.We may have had 5 minutes of rain during the day and some rain during the night.This resort is fairly new with beautiful rooms and very well laid out.There are 2 pool locations.The activities pool for games and music but also a section for quiet.On the other side of the resort is all quieter pools with a kids pool a reflection and a swim up bar.I saw workers in the pool scrubbing down the side [... read more]s and cleaning the bar area. Food at the beach bar was great.BBQ wings ribs paella and hamburgers.The buffet for breakfast lunch and dinner had everything.The staff remembers you each day and has your table ready. Even the chef at the grills will ask you what you liked and then tells you he will make you a special meal and brings it to your table.Fabulous service!! There was no restrictions on booking the al a cart.At 5:30ish you can make reservations for dinner that night. Lobby bar had amazing entertainers before dinner and full shows at 9. Overall this resort is the best in Cuba and we have been to cuba over 15 times and 7 different locations. One thing you have to realize is that this location is for R&R and not for sightseeing. Santa Maria resorts are 90 minutes from the closest towns and the causeway is 49km long.Only tourists and workers are allowed here so please if you go meet the wonderful staff and have fun with all the other vacationers!