Fantastic Resort

We just returned from this resort and have only positive things to say about it. The entire staff was friendly and helpful. The grounds are very well kept, the restaurants and rooms were spotless and the swimming pools were clean and amazing. The beach is beautiful with plenty of loungers. I was stung by a jellyfish and Adrian the lifeguard immediately took me to have it sprayed with vinigar and suggested I put ice cubes over the area. He was professional and very helpful. He also got us our lou [... read more]ngers every day and brushed them off for us. We were very impressed with him.

Nice resort and staff!

We recently stayed there and had a nice vacation.The beach was excellent,our room was clean but the towels and sheets were sometimes not changed daily.Food was acceptable but salad bar and pastry needs some improvement(regarding freshness).The pools and beverages were really nice.Gardening and public areas are beautiful and over all we had a good time there.thanks

Wonderful place for the price we paid

This is fairly a new resort, grounds, pool, beach, rooms, public washrooms all well kept all the time, food was very good, especially the sea food always fresh(salmon, cod,basa etc) one of the best beaches in Cuba.

Nice resort

The rooms were good so we're the grounds. The beach was amazing and the service was amazing as well. The place was kept very clean and stuff was friendly. The food could be better and it got better in the last few days, and they really should keep different meats separate pork and chicken. In overall nice resort for the price.

Great resort

Resort was great and clean, staff was very friendly and helpful. Great evening entertaimment especially the Michael Jackson show. Good selection of food. But the downfall was that the food was cold. Would return again in the future.

Needs a lot of TLC

This hotel is only 5 years old and is already run down. A lot of signs of damage in the rooms and around the resort. Beds sheets had holes and were stained, stained cushions and walls, lamps didn't work in the room, very noisy fridge and air conditioning. Around the resort, we found only one outside shower that was functional enough to rinse off. Food was exactly the same everyday. Meat left out on the counter at the grilling station of the buffet where blood and juices was dripping down the cou [... read more]nter and can easily make people very sick. The beach is very hard to access. You need to climb up and down some steep corals to get to the ocean. When the tide is high, it's impossible to walk on the beach. The shaded areas at the pools were very damaged, making it hard to find shade. Pool chairs at the main pool were in rough shape. This hotel is owned by a Cuban company, so a lot of locals come to vacation there with their families. Preferential treatment is given to them and we found ouselves waiting a very long time at a restaurant because all the locals were getting served first. On the positive side, the animation team was very good. They work very hard and very long hours to keep people participating in activities. Although some of the games were very inappropriate for children and some of the nightly shows were completely inappropriate for children. Being a family resort, this didn't sit well with us and we heard many families complain about the same issue. I wouldn't return and wouldn't recommend.

Good Time!

Had a great time at this resort. There is a wide selection of food, drinks are great (def not watered down) The staff are amazing . The beach is beautiful, and there are 4 pools to choose from. I will defiantly return.

Love it!!

This is my third time to this resort, and I love it more and more everytime. The staff are so amazing and you can't beat the beach and the ocean. It's paradise. We always find something to eat, and we are always sad to be leaving. Already looking at going back in December.

Great beach

Awesome beach great room service maids very friendly only real problem was with a waiter refusing to get someone to clean up cat shit that was under are table Mario at the Buffet was great always smiling we would go back

Amazing resort!!!

Great vacation, we will be back, food and staff were great. The grounds were very clean the rooms were clean and great air conditioning. Entertainment was very good showed you a lot of the Cuban culture. All the staff was happy and couldn't do enough for you. The food was very good, a lot of people said would not be great but was very good. Great value for the money.

Changed hotels after one night

First impression is very nice. We travel quite often and adjust our standards when we visit cuba. This is our second stay in cayo santa maria but first at this resort. We booked a family suite which was extremely spacious but on the first floor. We asked to be moved to a higher floor to avoid bugs and hopefully have a partial oceanview. We were told that the resort was overbooked and we would have to come back in a few days to see if there was availability. Cool not a big deal as it was  [... read more]a last min request. We got to the hotel at 8pm and check in was breezy. We settled in and headed over to buffet for something to eat. What a disaster. People were fighting for tables. We had a waitress hold a table for us but upon returning another family had taken our seats. The line ups were easily 30 mins long for somewhat fresh food. The meats were swimming in blood. The buffet is small and food was sparse. My daughter (4 y/o) was hit a few times by passerbys with no apology. No fault of the resort but further added to our decision to change resorts. We settled on eating bread for dinner. The next morning we walked around the grounds, which were nice but very tired. The pool cabana beds were ripped with filling spilling all over. Tiles missing in the pool. For breakfast we had ice cream from the ice cream bar and chicken fingers from the snack bar. Kids liked it as that would never happen at home. We promptly met with our air transat rep and switched to another hotel that afternoon. If the hotel was not overbooked we may have given it a chance. This experience was horrible due to the amount of people during low season. Based on my experience and the positive one we had at the second resort, i would not return or recommend playa caya santa maria.

Stunning view

Nice place to relax and enjoy vacation.room is ok food not bad so many choices.beach stunning.people working there are nice.t he bus drive to and from the resort is long took an hour and fourth minutes to get thete

Nice stay, but a few critiques

This resort was beautiful overall, although some details were less positive. On the bright side, the beach was jaw dropping. It was a beautiful turquoise color and very warm. The sand was almost like flour, it was so white. Also, the animation team was fantastic and always full of energy. They truly know how to entertain a room/group. Special mention to Ernesto, Walter and Frey (I hope the spelling is correct.) Also, two buffet servers, Hector and Yanetsy, were incredible and always ready  [... read more]to serve everyone. Furthermore, Noel was wonderful at the catamaran station; he was so great and welcoming. On the negative side, we didn't always have clean towels and the infrastructures seem much older than 5 years. Also, the dinner service at the buffet in particular was quite cold, many workers were hostile and slow, except for our last night when a buffet manager (Adrian) strolled around; he asked us how we were served and he truly showed care. The service was good then. Moreover, the food at the buffet was plenteous but nothing was really good. Very little vegetables could be found, and the fruits present were old and tasteless (except for the mango.) it was hit or miss with the food. We would recommend this resort, if one wasn't too picky with food and cleanseness. Everything is worth the water though.

Resort to come back to!

We spent a week in Cuba (July 24 - 31). Stayed at Playa Cayo. The whole family plans to come back again soon. Kind-hearted/very helpful staff, clean rooms, gorgeous beach ( great for kids), excellent food (big variety for any choice).

A good resort

We upgraded the room to sea view room. The view was spectacular and quiet. The place was great and the food was great. Beside the snack bar, there is a very good fish and chip restaurant . Our flights from Toronto to Cuba and Cuba to Toronto were upgraded to business class. Thank you Air Canada. We truly enjoyed our trip and visit. However, there are some minor issues as listed below: 1) We found a small cockroach in our room. A day later, fire ants were also coming into the room. We asked [... read more] the hotel to spray some insecticide but they did not acknowledge. I had to use liquid soap to stop the ant attack. 2) The room was also congested with too much furniture (i.e. an extra sofa) so there was virtually no walking room. There was less than a foot of space between the bed and the sofa. I stubbed my toes on it a few times. We asked the hotel to remove the sofa, but again they did not do it. Other rooms that had the same configuration as ours did not have the sofa. 3) For a beautiful sea view, there were no outdoor chairs to sit on. We asked for it and they again did not acknowledge. Stupid management! 4) There were very few cooked vegetable choices. 5) The buffet restaurant was like being in a huge cafeteria: noisy and busy. It was necessary to line up for food for 15-20 minutes at a cooking station (i.e. meat, fish or eggs etc.) The line ups would block access to the food on the buffet so you would need to excuse yourself to reach in to access the buffet food.

Love Cuba and Love this Resort

This is my second trip to Cuba, and once again I am thoroughly impressed. I purchased the "Monte Cristo Club" extra with Air Transat and glad I did. Direct transfer to the airport and express check in are worth in alone. However, Air Transat Rep at the airport could have provided more clarifying information. When I approached the rep and stated I was going to Playa Cayo Santa Maria, she simply gave me a bus number and where it was parked. I questioned the direct transfer, and she simply gave [... read more] the same information. When I got to bus, I double checked and was told(with a slight tone) that if this is the bus I was told to go to it is the right one. All the while, others travellers going to different resorts are getting on the same bus. In the end, I was the first stop on the trip, so I suppose it was direct transfer. But I was never really sure until I got there. When I got to the resort, Marta, the absolutely wonderful and friendly Monte Cristo Rep, was standing there with a sign. I approached her, and simply had to wait for my luggage to be taken of the bus. Which, I think, could have been done a little more efficiently. They unloaded one section of the cargo hold first before moving on to another. All the while mine is right there next to them. And nobody is taking the luggage they are unloading cause they are still on the bus going to other resorts. Oh well. :) Beyond these minor inconveniences, everything couldn't have been more perfect. Marta directed me to a private area, where I was provided with a cold towel and drink. I was already checked in and reservations were made for the al a carte restaurants. I was handed my 2 free hours of Wifi (included in Monte Cristo) and my room keys. Driver took me to my room and after that I had to do was find the beach (which was just around the corner) Room was in an excellent location. With a view of both the ocean and one of many pools. I simply went out one door for the pool and the other for the beach. Room was also very nice and well kept. I have never had an issue with the food in Cuba. Buffet is standard fare, I suppose, a little bit of everything. And the al a carte where done in a fine dining style. I went to four of them, Italian, Asian, Seafood and International and all were done exceptionally well. Not a big selection of fruits and vegetables, but I suppose that is just the climate and maybe that will change soon. I went on 2 excursions with Air Transat / Gaviota Tours. First one was a Land and Sea Tour, consisting of a Cave Tour, Horseback Riding, 4 x 4 Off-roading (my personal fav. lol) and a speed boat back to Cayo Santa Maria where we stopped along the way, given a mask and snorkel and looked at the fishes. Lots of fun. Second was a trip to Havana. A long day, but well worth it. Yanko, our tour guide was amazing. Really knows his history and takes great pride in presenting it. And always able to answer your questions. And let's face it, I have been on tours in other countries, including Canada, where they could hardly drive the bus let alone give you a history lesson. If you've never been to Cuba, you have to go to Havana. Cause like they say, unless you've been to Havana, you've never been to Cuba. Entertainment every night was great and grounds are very well maintained and laid out. Staffed is very friendly and helpful. Overall an amazing resort. I am not the type to go to the same resort twice, but I would highly recommend to others.

Good resort!

Overall , it was a good experience. The beach was beautiful white sand , clear water just like the ones in the movies. It rained almost every night but during the day it was sunny and hot. We stayed on bungalow 09 and it was close to everything and right infront of the main buffet. The rooms were always clean and they were modern. There is also numerous of pools. there is pools for everyone , if you want to relax there are the quiet pools and then there is the main pool where they do the activ [... read more]ities at 3 pm. i recommend you go. The food could be better,but i heard its like that everywhere in cuba. the resort is in the middle of nowhere so if you plan on going out of the resort keep in mind it might be long travel. Everyone was very friendly. The motto is " ohh mawww gawdd" I would def return. i recommend.

Ragga, ragga, ragga, ragga, ragga....

The resort was great! This being the second time to this locale, made it easier to relax knowing we were in the hands of great people. The grounds, the staff, the rooms and the food all top notch. It is such a great mindset to shut the phone off for the week and just embark on a peaceful and tranquil journey to Cuba and in a weird way feel at home. The animation staff are fresh, upbeat and very enthusiastic insuring everyone is having a good time.

Great resort!

Great lobby, the rooms were good but a little outdated. The staff was amazing. Best cappuccinos we have ever had. Amazing beach and helpful staff at the beach helping with chairs and anything that was needed.

Another Fantastic 9th Return Stay

We have stayed at the Playa Cayo for our 9th week and the hotel and staff still make us feel at home, just like your visiting Family. Thanks to Raul and Mareyi for the wonderful accomidations and relaxing atmosphere. This island has the most beautiful beach in the world, the wow factor is incredible. there is so much selection of food to eat and if you want something more to your taste the staff will try to accomidate you within reason. this is the best vacation you will ever get for the money [... read more] hands down. Thanks to all my friends at Playa Cayo Santa Maria.... Sam & Debbie.