Sol Cayo Santa Maria: Wonderful Family Vacation

First, I have to admit I read the reviews before I travel so to me it is worth it. This hotel was fantastic, we had a great time and I just had to write a review, also sorry if I spelled any name incorrectly. I have been to Cuba several times and even to Cayo Santa Maria but I have to admit the Sol was by far my best time. The staff were amazing. Yes, the drive is about an hour and a half from the airport but the cold beer 2 for $5 Cdn and tour guide made it enjoyable. I cannot really complain [... read more] too much. Rooms: Had lots of windows and a balcony overlooking the jungle I would say. There was a king bed and a twin. Room was always cleaned. The room had working AC and fridge, a safe but it was not bolted down and came with plenty of towels and body wash and shampoo. No hair dryer if that is a big deal. We always had hot water. The resort did lose water twice during the week, longest period was several hours but it was manageable. There was two very solid rocking chairs and a desk with a chair. TV worked and had a variety of stations in various languages, nothing amazing but enough for entertainment for sure. The room had enough plugs to charge all of our devices. Overall no complaints. Beach: Its a long beach with some areas better than others. Plenty of chairs and cover for us to lounge around. They maintain it well and there was very little garbage left around. There is a nude section but its marked so there will not be any confusion and it is located on the far end so no issue there. Beach was lovely overall. Food: Its Cuba so let’s not be overly picky. Buffet had enough variety for every diet and food was very edible. I loved the grilled chicken, breakfast smoothies were great but not available every morning, the pizza/pasta bar was very good. I can honestly say the buffet was good. You can get grilled sandwiches/burgers/hotdogs at the pool bar, sandwiches from the lobby bar at night, beach par had a fantastic BBQ lunch with fries. The pizza restaurant was amazing plain and simple, best pizza and pasta I have ever had in Cuba. They had two a la carte’s and both of them had great food. You will not go hungry at this resort and I enjoyed the food very much. Bars: No shortage here, lobby bar was 24/7, pool bar, beach bar and even the piano bar. The bar staff that was great. Plenty of cold drinks and superb coffee all with great service. No complaints Entertainment: Mini disco every night even if there were no kids, plenty of shows, they even brought in two singers and a variety of musicians. Music was constantly playing in the background and they even had a DJ. The animation team entertained us all but did not bug you so a big shout out to them. Service: I am going to say the best thing about the Sol was the people. The staff were so friendly and helpful. They made our stay that much more pleasant. It is a holiday so enjoy it and enjoy their hospitality. Overall: I know this is the oldest resort in Cayo Santa Maria, they have done many upgrades since Hurricane Irma I was told. It is not too big and in fact the numbers were low so we never had any long lineups ever. They have stray cats that are so sweet and friendly. I cannot recommend this resort enough and can understand why so many people keep going back. It was a great week and we will be back for sure.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing

Every thing was awesome , we had an amazing vacation, the food was wonderful, the people were awesome, beachfront was out of this world, I recommend this place to everyone I know ;)) I will travel to this beautiful place again and again

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: The good,the bad and the ugly

We booked our trip through Tripcentral and flew with Air Transat. We arrived on Thursday, March 8th, 2018. As soon as we stepped into the hotel we were off to a bad start. First thing, we didn't receive a welcome drink as advertised. Next thing is we were given door keys that did not work. So, my wife waited in the room while I got new keys for the door. (It's a long trek as we were in the furthest building from the main building) We go in the room only to discover it is not what we asked for in [... read more]itially. We requested a king size bed on the top floor. We got 2 double beds on the 2nd floor. Also, the bar fridge was empty and turned off. Then we noticed the bathroom lights did not work and its difficult to get cleaned up in the dark. Also, the patio door requires a bodybuilding champion to open as it seemingly was off the track and does not lock. About an hour later, the power went out. So, I walked back to the main building asking for someone to repair these items. They said they would send someone over to do the repairs.( I would have called but the telephone was missing from our room.) Nobody showed up. I was able to locate the electrical panel and noticed a breaker was off. So I switched it back on. The following morning, I noticed a bunch of red circles on my arms and legs. it turns out they were bed bugs. I photographed and documented these bites. If you want to book the a la carte restaurant, you have to get in a long line and long wait times. You can only book a restaurant on the same day you are going. So, that means standing in line for everyday you want to go to a la carte restaurant. We booked 1 restaurant at the Romantico and the only time they had was 8:30 or 9:30. We were lucky and got 8:30. The food in the buffet was basically the same everyday. That's normal for Cuba. There seemed to be a shortage of bacon. I only seen it a couple of times during our one week stay. We tried the grill restaurant near the west pool and it was good. They have chicken nuggets and fries, burgers, and beef sandwiches, etc. The food is good and hot. They have bottles of ketchup but really tastes like barbecue sauce. Every morning, we were going to Mike's cafe in the main lobby for cappuccino. We love the friendly staff. They also have fresh pastries there for those sweet lovers. The fresh fruits in the buffet were scarce. They only had papaya and unripe pineapple. Apparently, the Hurricane Irma wiped out most of the banana and mango trees in the north end of the island of Cayo Santa Maria.

Melia Las Dunas: 4th time and still amazing!!

This was our fourth time at Melia Las Dunas and the staff was still as amazing as ever. The staff remembered us and the service was amazing! The hotel and beach were damaged by the hirricane but you can not tell. Food was average and repetitive and there were no fries all week. All in all the service and the beach made up for the food. We do not go to Cuba for the food. We go for the people and the beach. We will be back!!

Melia Las Dunas: So much to do!

Just returned from a great week at Melia Las Dunas in Santa Maria Cuba! It is a huge resort with so much to do. Beach is gorgeous, staff are wonderful, loved the live music after dinner, and the many bars and restaurants. Lots of activities for kids and adults, definitely something for everyone!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Fantastic time!

The room was spacious and clean with a very comfortable bed. The food was plentiful and delicious . The staff were simply amazing. Friendly and extremely helpful. And the resort grounds and beach were breathtaking. We will definitely be making a return visit!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Top-notch

The accommodations were very good. When we moved rooms and the second room had issues with the sink faucet and the toilet, it was quickly attended to by the staff and the issue corrected. The dining/food was very good keeping in mind that you are in Cuba, not Toronto or New York City. The staff were gracious, helpful and always provided service with a smile.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Overall a good stay!

The hotel itself is beautiful, I love the layout and the easy accecibilty to all amenities. Seeing as the hotel is less than 5 years old is it understandable that the gardens were not as lush as I hoped but getting there. If you are planning on staying at this resort make sure to plan you dinners ahead and make reservations at the restaurants as the food in the buffet is not the tastiest. Staff is super freindly though and they were very helpful with anything we needed. I would go back!

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Super Resort

The Royalton at Cayo Santa Maria Cuba was well entertained, very clean, they kept the room always clean, there was always bottle of water in the fridge. The people working were kind and friendly, We had two butlers who were working long hours to make sure that we were not missing anything, they booked us with other two restaurants at the Resort next to ours. The Restaurant were a la care. For people loving Seafood it was ok, but for others they have the opportunity to try other restaurant. T h [... read more]e Snackbar Sunset had a better variety of food for the lunch hour. It is a quiet resort to relax, younger people might find it too quiet. We had good weather.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: A very enjoyable week

My parents (elderly) myself and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The beach is one of the best I have experienced. It was windy some days and it meant we could whip along on the Catamaran and jump in waves; other days were absolutely still and calm so we could play endlessly. The cleaners in building 4 (esp. the gentleman) were more than kind and responsive. Rooms were immaculate. The food was great for Cuban access to imports. We enjoyed the buffet and then the restaurants at nigh [... read more]t offered great service. In the buffet we were cared for so well by Mariella and Hector. They work so hard and so graciously I am not a pool person but my daughter had fun! Relaxed - no cooking, no driving and no cleaning! I loved the Michael Jackson show but the other entertainment was too loud and needed a bit more variety. Everyone was so responsive and kind. I would return for sure! It is really great that there is a division in the louder section and the quiet section. We stayed in the most serene of buildings! Too relaxed to do the excursions! :)

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: 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!!!

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: 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!

Melia Buenavista: A quiet hotel with a great service

We enjoyed this hotel with great service. The room was a good size with a sunset view of the ocean. The beaches were lovely. The pizza at the poolside was excellent. It’s on the quiet side as it’s not a huge hotel. A few cons: they ran out of towels on one day and our AC was not the greatest.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Awesome March Break Vacation

I just returned from a 1-week march break vacation trip with my daughter to Playa Cayo Santa Maria- Cuba. The check-in at the hotel was smooth and quite fast, no surprises. I asked at the online-reservation for 2-beds in the room, they were able to provide me with my choice with a nice pool view. The resort is spacious, with beautiful sceneries and landscape, pools are v clean, staff very friendly, from the bell-man to the waiters in the restaurants (namely Lianet- at the Snack Bar), to the hous [... read more]ekeeping staff. Great entertainments (musicals and dancing), day time and evening time, at the pool and the lobby. The beach is fantastic, clear white sands with gorgeous blue clean water, access to water activities, and lots of shaded areas to relax and enjoy the view. Unlimited access to drinks (soft and alcoholic), ice creams, etc.. all day by the pools. Clean rooms, not v luxurious but all what u need when u r enjoying a Chalet-style vacation time: sleep, shower, enjoy ur morning coffee and relax. The buffet has lots of choices to choose from; however, personally, I did not find the food v appetizing but was able to manage few recipes and ate them on routine basis. The only inconvenience is poor access to internet! U can buy hourly internet access, but still it is v slow and rarely connected. That was my first trip to Cuba and it was a positive one. I would not hesitate to go again and highly recommend Playa Hotel.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Disappointed

The grounds of the resort are very attractive and maintained well. Workers are continually cleaning. Public bathrooms are a disaster. Either not available or they are stinky and not cleaned well. Many little ants crawling on everything in our room. I advised the maid and she did her best but they always reappeared. The airport upon our arrival was a disaster. 5 flights arrived at the same time and the personnel did nothing to stop the flow of people trying to get through security. We spent an ho [... read more]ur and half trying to get through and when we did, we had to try and find our luggage along with 3,000 other people. This airport is too small to accommodate the number of tourists arriving and departing, as we had the same problem leaving. This resort does not have enough shade umbrellas on the beach to accommodate the number of guests staying here. I had to be up at 4.30 am everyday to secure shade. I am totally exhausted from having to do this for 2 weeks. As well, the bank will only change their pesos to coins of 10.00 and no more.I found the bank personnel rude and not accommodating. I will never return here or recommend this resort to my family or friends. The bright side was the people. Most of the staff were terrific.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Beautiful Beach!!!

The beach is probably the best we have seen in Cuba, and we have been 8 times now. The grounds are not mature but well maintained. The resort is still quite new and the recent hurricanes certainly didn’t help. Hector at the buffet was an absolute pleasure and gave us wonderful service all week long. The activities at the pool kept our teenage daughters entertained and there were plenty of chairs available. Our rooms were perfect. The beds were reasonably comfortable and the showers were [... read more] stand-up ones made in ceramic, so not water build-up in a plugged tub while taking a shower (we have experienced this several times in Cuba) The only bad thing we have to say is that there was an unpleasant smell from the bug fumigating vehicle that passed everyday. More specifically during supper time...not too appetizing. Overall we have no major complaints, and we would recommend this resort to our friends and family!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: resort

Great clean resort with friendly staff. however language barrier made it hard to communicate at times. Amazing assortments of food, no one will go hungry at this location. Adults only resort cleaned daily and sprayed for mosquiteos nightly. Go carts that seat 8 with friendly and funny drivers to take you around the three resorts and to the market if required. Ocean clean with white soft sand, chairs and umbrellas. There is a bar and grill just a few steps from the beach, great food and drink [... read more]s cant get any closer. Note the beach does have lifeguards that patrol just in case the swells get to big in the Ocean. Pools are large in the Adults only resort, many chairs and cabanas for shade as well as a massage location, this area also has a grilling station. Pool bar and bartenders are great and friendly and go out of their way to please. The bar at check in is opened 24/7 so if you need to eat there is food at all times. All in all the vacation and location was great, we would recommend this location if you want a quite relaxing vacation. Oh yes, there is nightly entertainment as well.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: 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.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Loved the Resort

We stayed for 7 days and was our first time at this resort. We loved the resort it was beautiful and the beach was amazing. Pools are beautiful. Need to get out early to get some shade tho. Our room was very clean and the maid did an excellent job. There has been some upgrades to rooms. Beds were comfortable. Food was good got a little repetitive by the end of our stay tho. We would go back. They have definitely worked hard after hurricane Irma to get things back running again!

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Staff were amazing

Overall resort was very nice considering the hurricane and what they went through. Rooms are a little dated but kept very clean. No consistency when it came to fresh towels - one day yes one day no. Mattresses need to be replaced as feeling springs in them when sleeping. The staff were fantastic and pampered us in every way - always wanted to ensure we were looked after and always did it with a smile. Became close with our dining room wait staff and would love to have brought them home with [... read more] us. Internet is a huge issue when we are now living in a world of technology. Understand where we were but would think that by now better communications would be setup. First resort I have ever stayed at that we had to pay to use the internet in lobby areas. Most of time purchased was used up just trying to get on the internet only to be kicked off. Also big recommendation would be to have a printer available for client use in business office so clients can print boarding passes for pre-online check-in of flights coming home. Had to email to reservation office and they never did receive it. Grounds were kept immaculate by their staff. Pool attendants and service staff at the pool were fantastic. Food overall was not that good - a la carte dining was very nice however the buffet lacked variety and taste. Very repetitive at lunch and dinner and by the end of the week did not even want to eat there. Suggestion that they have theme nights or change things up. Again I am keeping in mind where we were and that food items may not be as accessible for them. Pools were well kept and always clean. With the amount of new resorts being built around them - I think they are going to have to do some renovations to keep up with the new and updated resorts. We did have to change our room the 2nd day due to no hot water in our room. Also had to call to have our safe opened twice due to it not opening for us.