Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Beautiful Resort

The hotel was excellent. Very clean and our rooms were cleaned daily. The resort appears new. Everything is like new. The pool was very well maintained and the kids enjoyed it. In the hotel everyone hung around the huge lobby, because it had comfortable chairs and sofas. The servers brought you a drink or espresso coffee. We enjoyed the gentleman that played guitar there nightly. So talented.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Sanctuary grand memories

This is definitely not a 4.5 star resort. Pros beds were comfortable, beach is amazing Staff are wonderful Cons, pool is falling apart, rooms definitely need an upgrade, Wooden stairs leading to a spot to eat actually broke while someone was walking up them, food was scarce, mold on pillows, not much of a selection for drinks Overall I would give this maybe a 2.5

Valentin Perla Blanca: A great week overall

We had a great week. The best part was the BEACH!! Best beach I've ever seen, and I've been to 15 countries. Pulled pork sandwiches at the beach grill for lunch were incredible!! Resort was only half opened. No nightly entertainment. No toilet paper in public washrooms. Recommend taking small tissue packages to keep on you! Lobby is beautiful and clean. Great coffee. A la carte restaurants are nothing special at all, buffet was better. Snack bar had fish sticks, homemade potato chips, small ch [... read more]icken sandwiches and little potato croquettes. Quiet/relax pool was closed, only one party pool was opened, but it was great. Lots of entertainment and music at the pool. Even a foam party one afternoon. Pool bar/music closed at 5pm. Buffet was quite bland, but we didn't go hungry. Great calamari and mussels. Omlettes everyday! Great sausages one day. Rooms were good. Beds and pillows terrible. I recommend bringing a pillow! And snacks! The people were awesome, we had a great week. Hoping they get back to full operation soon. This resort was much better back in 2018. But overall worth the price we paid. The beach itself was worth it!!

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Nice Resort

Stayed in the fiesta side. The room was very clean. Always had hot water. Staff is amazing. Food was really good. Didn’t see any shortages. It’s kind of a quiet resort. Not the best nightlife. More for an older crowd, or the kind of people who are in bed very early. Beach was just ok but boring. Not much music and zero Entertainment. Next door was much nicer.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing customer service

The staff is amazing, Abel, Paulino and Elsa at the beach bar are a ray of sunshine ? they make everyday amazing. Yenisey, Nelson and Emily in the lobby provide amazing customer service ?. It is a shame that people leave cups everywhere. Clients need to either bring a recycled cup or purchase one. No more plastic cups or glass. The resort needs a lot of TLC, walls , flooring and stairwells are crumbling. There needs to be more mix options for drinks, diet coke, sparkling water, real fruit  [... read more]juice. I have been at this resort more than 18 times and continue to visit because of the people who work at the resort, the customer service and of course the beautiful beach.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: All inclusive…sort of…

We went to Cuba 11 years ago to celebrate our 10th anniversary and returned to a different part of the island for our 21st anniversary. An important change since our last trip is the underground currency economy. You will not need to change your Canadian, or US (I can not confirm Europeon currency) currency to Cuban pesos. You can pay for excursions with cash (Canadian or US) or credit card. If you need to break a $20 or $50 bill, ask one of the severs in the buffet restaurant or at either the [... read more] 24hr snack bar or the bar by front desk. It is my opinion that tips were preferred in Canadian or US currency. And saving yourself the hassle of currency exchange and the fees was a welcome treat. There is no doubt that the food quality and variety has changed but I feel the hotel offered a good selection . There was always fresh fruit, cheese and bread. Usually the buffet had two different soups available at lunch and dinner. There are three grilling stations for fish, steak, pork or chicken and another for vegetables such as eggplant, green pepper, cucumbers etc. Typically, at lunch there was also a grilling station for vegetables and rice. Although we did not attempt to do this, I saw guests, request uncooked chicken from the other grill station and take it back to be cooked with the rice. We preferred to go to the buffet breakfast to get fruit and bread and order eggs (fried, scrambled, omelet) at the 24hr snack bar. Table service was extremely quick and faster than the buffet line. There is an option to book two a la carte restaurants during a one week stay (Italian, International, Cuban). We chose the Italian and the Cuban restaurant . Despite hotel printed information, there is no longer an extra fee to eat at the Cuban restaurant. And we throughly enjoyed our meal at the Cuban restaurant and would recommend it above the Italian. There is also an option to reserve a table at a one of two a la carte lunch restaurants; a BBQ with burgers and the other one with Pizza. You can only book one lunch restaurant for a one week stay. I have travelled to many all inclusive resorts over the last 30 years including Cuba, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic but this was the first time I felt an intense pressure to tip for any and all service. It became clear that if you didn’t immediately indicate you would be providing a tip, you would not receive service or it was quite slow. In my vacation oblivion, I hadn’t quite noticed the trend but by the second afternoon it was more than evident. Guests who literally waved money and shouted for a drink at the bar were served first before others in line. We waited 5 days to obtain a reservation for the lunch pizza restaurant. Our reservation was for 1:30 and we waited in line starting at 1:20pm. There were 4 other groups waiting for a table in line. One group asked a server if they could obtain a table without a reservation and were turned away. During this period of time, there were several empty tables and we continued to wait. We were advised there was a change of staff and we would be seated as soon as possible. While waiting, I watched a woman with two young boys, whistle and shout to get the attention of the cook. Once she shouted his name, she literally waved a $5 Canadian bill and asked him to enter the restaurant. At this time, three parties and ourselves, continued to wait in line to be seated at a table and all had reservations. This woman’s husband who had been standing on the the other side of the restaurant went under the rope surrounding the restaurant to join her. The family was provided 3 pizzas and two burgers. This was done before any of there waiting groups were seated and while those at tables were waiting to order and for their food to be prepared. I was utterly disgusted by the behaviour of this family and frankly for the staff to allow and encourage it. I surprised myself by confronting the husband about their behaviour who defended their behaviour by stating “The staff need the money; we did it to help them”. Despite this couple’s assertion, they didn’t provide money to staff as an altruistic gesture; they did it to help themselves; to skip the line and to be served first ahead of others who had legitimate reservations. We learned from the husband that they had been engaged in this behaviour for several days and “everyone did it”. I can certainly attest that the group who attempted to obtain a table without a reservation were not accommodated but can only assume if they had provided a small bill, they would have been, at the very least, a take out meal. And I am pretty convinced that this family would not have attempted to engage in this kind of behaviour at home in Canada. The property was well taken care of and gardeners were present every day. Pools were spotless and the beach often had lifeguards to ensure the safety of swimmers.

Iberostar Coral Ensenachos: Wonderful vacation

Great beach, awesome staff, and overall a wonderful vacation. It was our 3rd time staying at this resort and everything met our expectations. The resort is quiet, the food was well prepared, at great place to relax and enjoy the sun.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful Resort!

The grounds ,rooms,pools,and beach are beautiful. The staff are amazing Jasmin at the pool bar is great at his job,very friendly and kind.The staff in the buffet and other restaurants all go out of there way to make your experience great. The staff are Hard working I will be back forsure ?

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Wonderful Resort!

This resort is top notch. From check in to check out they were all amazing! The rooms although older decor... were very clean and spacious. The staff were great, always friendly and polite. The food was good. I always found something to eat at the buffet. There are lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. The Japanese a la carte was our favourite! Shout out to the bar tender at the quiet pool. I never got his name but he was always ready to serve and help the guests. We would definitely return to th [... read more]is resort.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Great Cuban Resort

This is our 2rd time at this resort ( at least 10 times of 2 week stays) . First and foremost you need to start with this is Cuba , and they are having a very hard time with their economy . The shortages are real . We had no water in our room from time to time (resort wide) no coffee , Cuban rum , eggs , bacon , chicken , bathroom tissue . But if you came to Cuba this should be no real shock . After saying all this there is no other Caribbean place we have gone with such lovely genuine peop [... read more]le NONE !!!! The beaches are the very best , no seaweed ,white sand , shade . Food is plentyful , you will never be hungry . As for the Cuban rum , it comes and goes but there is lots of other options. The resort is gorgeous , well kept . If you give it a chance it may become a place you yearn to visit over and over.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Great resort with amazing staff.

3rd visit to this resort. Unfortunately Cuba is experiencing many shortages which has impacted this visit. Shortages of many items like eggs,bread,chicken,rum and other necessities made this trip less enjoyable than other visits. The worst shortage was toilet paper for 3 days. Fantastic beach !

Valentin Perla Blanca: Cuban Paradise

This hotel was very well kept.. rooms were clean and had no issues getting water daily and our room always had toilet paper! Food was decent, very repetitive, but did not go hungry ever. All the workers went above and beyond to make our stay amazing. The beach was stunning, spent several days enjoying the beauty.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Beautiful beach!

The beaches were beautiful!! Ensenachos beach is a must! The room was clean but some amenities such as toilet paper were in short supply (I suggest you bring some). There were some food supply issues some days but we ate at the a la Cartes and the fresh cooked food at the buffet. I would go back to this resort!

Paradisus Los Cayos: Lovely, amazing, largest resort I have stayed at in Cuba, not that I need large

All good except washrooms need some taking care of. Washroom off entrance as you come in beside registration desk in dire need of repair. Door locks broken on all, no soap in any dispenser, and womens washroom beside large pool just past buffet, no soap, no toilet paper in 1, seat completely sliding of base in 1 of the toilets. Happy with Buffet, considering shortages country is having, lots of food, eggs n/a 1st 3 days, thats all. Some cultlery in buffet dirty, needed replacing a few times. Oth [... read more]er than that all good. People that work there amazing, friendly and personable. Our room was good. Unfortunately pool directly off back lobby out of service last 4 days we were there, as well as childrens pool out of service entire time we were there, and quite a few families with children. All in all great hotel, yes would recommend.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: good

Since I found that Cuba was given alot of poor reviews, I thought the stay at Grand Memories was good for the price. I would go back again if I had a lean budget. The service was very good, the housekeeping was very good, the people were very helpful, and courteous. The entertainment was good. I would of liked to have the opportunity to dance more. Overall I would rank it good.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Sea Cruise

Hi, our trip overall was pleasant and enjoyable. I did have one issue. We booked the following Catamaran Cruise: Crucero del Sol (https://www.cayosantamaria.info/excursion_catamarancruise.html) Shortly after leaving the marina, the catamaran crew asked all smoking passengers on the catamaran to put their cigarette butts into a plastic bucket filled with some water. Several people were smoking throughout the cruise. Most smokers put their butts into the bucket. We we arrived back at the Del [... read more]finario (dolphinarium) later in the afternoon. I was the last one to leave the catamaran. As I started walking down the dock, I looked back and seen on of the crew members dump the bucket full of cigarette butts into the ocean where the catamaran was docked. I walked back very upset and asked them why they did that and explained that the cigarette butts are made of plastic and they are polluting the ocean with plastic waste. The crew member started talking in Spanish and looking back and talking to the other crew members, who also were saying things in Spanish, which I did not understand. None of them acknowledged that what they did was wrong or apologized. I suspect this is happening constantly and quite likely not just by the crew of the catamaran I was on, but the other catamaran's offering the cruise as well. I also saw a few passengers that just flicked their butts overboard into the ocean. Throwing cigarette butts into the ocean is completely unacceptable and I am not proud of being part of a tourist activity that partakes in such blatant pollution of the ocean. A clean, ecologically healthy, and beautiful ocean is what Cuban people rely on for revenue and what helps to attract and support tourism in Cuba. Please do what you can to investigate this and put measures in place to stop Catamaran Cruise - Crucero del Sol crew members and passengers from throwing cigarette butts in the ocean. Feel free to follow up with me or contact me if you have any questions.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Stunning beach, resort and amazing service.

The Royalton Cayo Santa Maria is one of the most stunning beaches and compares to Turks. You can walk easily on the white sand for hours. You can get a palapa on the beach or pool at any time of the day. The pools offer spacious beds and surrounded by palm trees. The garden is lush with vibrant colours. The butler service Michele made our 23rd wedding anniversary very special from ballon’s, flowers, cake and bubble bath. There is an abundance of food leaving you satisfied. Highly recommend the c [... read more]appuccinos, croissants in the morning, quesadillas by the beach and fish options. My hubbys favourite dish was octopus with pasta. The staff is exceptional, friendly and keeps property clean. We had to use the medical services which were also available, quick and rectified our hiccup. If you’re looking to retreat to a quiet adult only property this is great one. Recommend bringing a bubba for the beach, bug spray and sweater for breezy evenings.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Worst trip ever!

Bathrooms were disgusting…never any toilet paper …always over flowing Food was the worst in over 20 visits One couple got locked in their room…over 3 hours One of our guests got a cockroach in her mouth No cushions on the seats at the buffet at sanctuary .. but there were at Grand memories… we just had staples to sit on No wine the whole 2 weeks ..except the last day Last day had no choice but to eat at the buffet at Grand Memories….we paid more to eat and drink at Sanctuary …should not ha [... read more]ve been forced to go elsewhere Bartenders at the pool were downright rude I can go on but I voiced my opinion… I am done with Cuba Sunwing reps say it’s management, management says it’s Sunwing Someone should get their act together they are destroying what used to be a great vacation

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: Naturalist Cuban Paradise

We had a fantastic, unforgettable, time in Cuba, March 27-April 7, 2024. (long review, multiple Sub-Topics). Beautiful beaches and fantastic weather. In regards to the resort, we can only compare it to our experience from last year at a 5-Star Resort, Melia Buenavista. Both resorts are small and are Adult Only. SOL changed from family after Covid. Both have Naturist beach sections. Of course it is an unfair comparison but the resorts are near each other and both operate by the same Foreign C [... read more]orporation. First, I should point out I did a surprise Marriage Proposal while in Cuba. A country we are both truly happy and ecstatic to visit. EXCURSIONS We met the Air Transat Representative the first morning. The times he is there are posted beside the lobby desk. We immediately booked the Tuesday, Sunset Lobster Dinner Catamaran Cruise and it is when we got engaged to be married. NOTE, sunset was on the Catamaran and dinner was at One Gallery Resort at 9pm. (bring snacks). A heads up to everyone regarding the Saturday, Havana Bus Excursion. We spoke to the Air Transat rep, Rusbel Santiago, and told him we wanted to go to Havana. He said there was a Saturday bus tour going. We said we would prefer to fly there. He said Air Transat does not support that tour. We asked how long the bus ride is each way and he said 4.5 hours, in fact it is closer to 5.5 hours. Again we said we prefer plane. The total excursion was 21 hour trip (Rusbel had suggested it was 15 hours). I asked for link about the tour and I never received it. I also asked if the price was Canadian and he said yes. After the credit card alert came through it was US$. During the trip we spoke with our tour guide, I discovered that the SAME TOUR GUIDE does the Wednesday Havana Plane Tour Excursion, 12 hour total trip! And the difference in cost was only about $20 more each. I was furious that Rusbel did not have the courtesy to tell us about it. He knew about it because he is friends with the tour guide as the tour guide joked that Rusbel has a huge appetite. The guide kept referring to Rusbel as one of his Salesman! You cannot believe everything Rusbel tells you. He skirts on the truth, I believe he had personal interests in having us book through him on the bus verses on the plane through someone else. I kick myself for not doing research and having blind faith that everyone is looking after your best interest. That is certainly not the case in this experience. My Fiance did not recover from the grueling long bus ride for another whole day. For the Havana Plane Tour go next door to Melia Cayo Santa Maria (CSM) at 9am and speak with their Excursion Representative at their desk in the main lobby. ROOMS The rooms are newly renovated, they look fresh and modern. They have these cool blue LED lights around the room, NOTE, they can be turned off; there is a small metal button on the wall (near the lights) that looks like a dime inside a quarter. You need only TOUCH them to turn OFF/ON the lights. (capacitance switch). NOTE, they are still running on the infrastructure of 70 years ago (I do not think the sewer stacks were changed inside the building; an oversight they may regret in the near future). The hot water supply/pipes are old, one room barely had luke warm water. Unfortunately, we had to change rooms at SOL three times for various reasons. Yes, an inconvenience but was worth it as we finally were happily settled after the fourth night. WIFI Unfortunately, WIFI signal strength varied, room to room. If you require a good signal, check it before you unpack. WIFI was great in the general lobby area and buffet restaurant. FOOD I did not have any issues with food there for both years even though I'm a fussy eater; I go to Cuba expecting less due to possible shortages and prepared for it. (more later in this). My beautiful Fiance on the other hand had issues last year at the 5-star and no issues this year. We were there for 11 nights and eggs were not available on only two mornings. That's incredible considering the neighbour Melia CSM never seemed to have any eggs! Bring your own Ketchup. SHORTAGES Items mentioned below occurred during our stay but keep in mind that things change on a daily and weekly basis. COFFEE Coffee on the other hand was less available. We knew this might be an issue because we joined an active FB group, "Friends of Sol CSM". So in preparation we purchased a 220V portable kettle and McDonald's instant coffee from Amazon. Best thing we ever did. Made coffee in 4 minutes every morning! PIZZA I give this a separate topic because it was something that was mentioned numerous times by many repeat guests. The SOL has an actual Pizza Building on the resort with tables and chairs. Unfortunately, it was not open during our stay. We heard it was open earlier in the year but it closed because they lost their water supply to that location. The SOL main restaurant/buffet building also had a Pizza Oven! But again it was not being used. A guest that was there in December said it was working then and there were constant long lines for their delicious pizza. WATER There is another shortage that was not mentioned. Bottled water. Our first day, we were provided in the room, a large bottle of water, the next day, two small bottles. After that none. Each night we had to scout places and ways to get water. Not the easiest task. There appears to be internal struggles between the front desk, bar and restaurant. Instead of helping front desk with client requests, they do not share the valuable commodity. So seek your own source of water and remember a tip goes a long way. TOILET PAPER Toilet paper is a rare item throughout Cuba as we discovered on a day trip to Havana. Bring a couple of rolls for back up, even for your room! Ladies may want to carry the Kleenex travel packs with them at ALL times. FRESH BREAD/BUNS Fortunately, this is baked daily at SOL and there were never any ingredient shortages. And wow, their buns are delicious. REPAIRS Repairs /maintenance seems to be hit or miss. Usually miss, but that is expected as it is a small resort and it is likely not feasible to have a full time handyman. FRONT DESK Speaking of front desk, the STAFF really tries hard to help you but it seems that they are not given the AUTHORITY to actually get things done. Each request seems to pass through one manager to another and then await approval. Unlike last year at the 5-star we had two butlers assigned to our needs, (alternated days but they communicated to each other); there, all of our requests were taken care of immediately without question. DOCTOR There is no doctor on-site. The on-site Doctor at Melia CSM next door is available for SOL guests; ask front desk for a shuttle ride; 24/7. I used this service for a broken blood vessel that kept getting bigger and also had a cut on my foot that needed disinfecting. There was no charge for the service but the Doctor glady accepted the $5CAD tip that I insisted she take. And since the bell boy, Raul, waited for me and drove me back, he got a tip too; it was late evening and the Melia CSM 24 hour restaurant was not busy so I got two pizzas to go! Staff & TIPS Take the time to talk to the staff and learn a bit of their way of life. It may open your eyes to their struggles and it makes your minor inconveniences seem petty. We were constantly looking for ways to tip and which dollar store gift to give to whom so they appreciate it more because they really needed it. You can really tell when you give a gift that they needed; their reaction and smile is very heart warming. Currency When it comes to money, bring bills that have NO CREASES, rips, cuts, pen marks, etc. The Cubian banks are very, very fussy and will not accept bills with visible worn creases. One guest we met actually ordered new uncirculated $5CAD bills from the bank a week before going. LOONIES & TWOONIES Sure, you can bring loonies and twoonies for tips but you better buy them back with bills when you get asked. Personally, we prefer using US$ bills as it is less weight and cumbersome. Just before you leave to come home to Canada, go around and offer to purchase old bills or coins from the staff to help them. So bring extra new looking $20 bills for this purpose. FLEA MARKET WARNING, if you go to the Flea Market, they do not have credit card POS terminals. Cash only, US cash to be specific. Most places will charge you DOUBLE the US price if you pay in CAD$. CREDIT CARDS Oh, all purchases with credit cards will require your signature even though you have to use a PIN. I suppose the banks want that extra security in case you dispute the charges. And they do not give you an itemized POS receipt like they do here. It's just a copy of the credit card slip. If you like keeping track of purchases, bring a pen with you. PALAPALAS ON NATURIST SIDE A strange thing started happening on the Naturist beach. There was always overflow in the number of people verses Palapalas. We started waking up at 5am to reserve a place we preferred. Each time I ran into 4 or 5 others at that time of morning doing the same! The Naturist sign position has become Dynamic in that it seems to move daily. But each day you can see there is overflow into the Textile section. The Naturist side has grown significantly compared to last year. It spans almost to the Beach Bar now. REIKI MASTER If you have a minor health issues, book a Reiki treatment with Roberto in The Gym. He is a 19-year Reiki Master and receives yearly, a two week refresher/update training, from his Master. Without knowing in advance Roberto told me of what he found with my body! He even mentioned something I did not know and will have to get checked by an MD here. GYM If you are a fitness fanatic, they have a state of art Gym with the latest new equipment! Super surprising considering the shortages of consumables they experience on a daily basis. New equipment arrived while we were there! EVENINGS There are biting insects when the sun goes down; bring insect repellent with you. We used Muskol, others had Off. If it has 15% Deet, it works well. ENTERTAINMENT There was no April calendar of events (saw one for March). It seemed hit or miss if there was going to be a 9:30 show. It seems they try to book shows but they may not show up. At the minimum there was usually music and line dancing lessons. YES, We recommend going there if you are a Naturist. Remember, you are going for the sun, beaches, weather and kind hospitality of the Cubans. Do not expect to have unlimited options in food choices. Do not expect to have all the amenities you have in Canada. Be thankful for what you do get and enjoy yourself. SOL, has the potential to be much more for Naturist. But limitations from the government may not allow it.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful Cayo Santa Maria

Playa Cayo Santa Maria is a great resort for families, couples and singles. It has something for everyone, kids club, gym, quiet pools, main pool with swim up bar and an amazing beach. The resort is well kept with comfortable rooms . The buffet was well stocked and the a la cartes were also very nice. Claudia went out of her way to ensure we had a wonderful vacation.