Resonance Blu Santa Maria: First solo trip

Being on my trip alone this time, it was crucial for me to feel safe. I needed to change rooms, they were awesome in assisting me with my needs. Folks are very nice, was told it's very safe and eventhough it's slightly old... they work very hard at keeping things clean. I was already warned that the food wasn't that great, so I brought stuff and I did manage to find a few things to feel content. I had brought gifts to offer everyone that assisted or served me. If you can bring shoes or school su [... read more]pplies to help the locals. My cleanilady was the sweetest and I will miss her smile. The beach is gorgeous and the sand very clean and soft. Plenty of long chairs both at pool and beach area, as well as shady spots. I was grateful the sealed bottles of water they gave but I had brought water tablets in case. Their was entertainment such as dj and fashion show at pool area during the day, in the evening the dj would keep everyone laughing and dancing at the bar. The bus ride is very entertaining and they tell you about Cuba. The airport is small but clean, make sure you get many 1usd dollars to give as tips & don't exchange too much of yr money in pesos cause you might stay stuck with them. Their currency changes every 4-5 yrs. Bring tiny kleenex packs, wipes & a tiny handsome bottles since most of the public bathroom have none. You may see ladies offering some but they do it to get money to survive so pls tip. Lots more to say but this should help. Overall a beautiful place with very hard working kind ppl but I will be going to explore other places.

Iberostar Origin Playa Pilar: The surprise

So I have traveled to Cuba about 7 to 8 times and I have never had such a bad experience. The maids stole from us as well as they didn't really clean the room. There was even one day my door wouldn't lock. There were three staff members that were amazing. There were also some rude staff members. I am used to Cuba standards but my toilet wouldn't flush and in the room my boys had the shower would flood. I would not recommend going here.

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Fantastic, fun vacation

Beautiful hotel the staff were absolutely fantastic. There is nothing you could ask them to do for you that they wouldn’t do with a big smile. The food was good nobody would ever stir to death. It’s certainly not a five star Canadian restaurant but there’s nothing wrong with the food, my favourite was the chicken Caesar salad we had fresh omelets every day. There was always a pasta bar lots of bread and sweet to eat. Cuba economically is struggling but hopefully with the return of a lot of Canad [... read more]ians they’ll be able to get back on their feet vodka, however, is nonexistent in Cuba at the moment , if you’re a rum drinker or a beer drinker, you’ll be just fine

Grand Aston Cayo Paredon Beach Resort: Hotel

The hotel was supper clean and staff very nice and helpful! The food was not good! The beach was great but all the chairs were taken before anyone was there just towels on them to be saved the sunwing representative was not helpful at all!

Brisas Guardalavaca: Beautiful Resort shortage y

The ground s were beautiful and well maintained Everything was kept very clean. The main dining room was large and well kept. There were other dining rooms and they were very nice. The food was not the greatest, but there was enough to choose from. There were times when some things were not available. Understandable because of energy shortages.

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Amazing experience

The whole experience was incredible. Great staff, friendly people, beautiful weather. The ocean was majestic in its own right, sand and seashells for miles. Snack bars made you feel welcome and comfortable with cold drinks and delicious snacks while spending time at the beach. From arrival to departure and everything in between Hotel Playa Paraiso and staff are " knocking it out of the park"

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Not as advertised! 2 star

Wow people are delusional…this is not a 5 star resort! 2 star at best! Your butler encourages you to give a 5 star review…joke! You get what you pay for! So many shortages to list and the food is well…awful! Stained unwashed sheets and blankets…no beach towels on the daily…etc etc! The beach is 10/10 but good luck finding shade due to the lack of beach chairs and tiki huts! Oh and the word “sanctuary” is not as advertised especially when the crop duster plane sprays you daily on the beautiful be [... read more]ach! Pathetic! Please stay away at all costs!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Beautiful Resort

We arrived at the resort check in was smooth however our room wasn’t ready until four hours latter. However, it gives us time to become familiar with the resort and have lunch. We were one of the first stops after leaving the airport. First the good things about the resort there was sufficient amount of food in the buffets. They had roast pork, chicken, beef and salmon which was freshly cooked and it was warm. The pizzas were good and fresh. Plenty of bread and butter. The sweets were the best  [... read more]we every tasted at any of the resorts we been to before. The down side lot of stuff was reused and was often cold. The eggs where powdered eggs and the bacon was chopped up in cubes and placed under the heating lamps. The Mengano Beach snack bar was great grilled chicken, sausage’s, hotdogs, beef or chicken bulgers. They had soup and some salade items. I really enjoyed this place and the service was great. The Mengano Beach bar was great having a wide variety of drinks alcohol and non-alcohol. The Mengano Beach was the place where the activities occurred. The animation team could improve a little more if you are into these things. The lounger guy was on top of things finding you places on the beach in the shade. The Ensenacho Beach area is beautiful and you got to get there early it quickly fills up in the morning. Be prepared to stay the day it’s a bit of a walk to the main buffet. Also, the water appears to be a bit warmer. The bar has good service lots of alcohol but no power for the draft beer. They do take the beer down in water bottles. The snack bar is grilled just burgers and hotdogs. The la Carte restaurants were not bad they had hot food which was very good. The only choices we had was Cuban, Asian and Italian. The food was really good. The rooms were large with a walk-in closet. Large bathroom with both shower and tub. The beds were your normal Cuban mattresses. The resort grounds are beautiful and so nice to walk around. The resort is still in good shape but is showing her age a little. They appear to doing some work on the outside. The resort was at 30 per cent capacity when we arrived. The good thing about Cayo Santa Marie there wasn’t any Russians. The tour guide on the way in from the airport said Cayo Santa Maria area is usually 90 per cent Canadian Tourist. The staff work very hard and appear to a little older worker. The negatives the buffet items were cold, powdered eggs and no tonic water. But we couldn’t beat the price it like 2008 prices. Cuba is suffering and numerous times been told the they need the Canadians to return to their resorts. We were reminded how important we are to the Cuban tourism. The good thing we usual enjoy ourselves in Cuba. Just remember the price is half price of going to DR, Mexico or Jamicia. I would return to this resort again. Just a note some of the resorts in that area had run out of beer for a couple of days and had no eggs or butter. If you keep it in mind there are shortages and no fault of the workers you still will enjoy if you can't accept that go somewhere else.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Great value for awesome beach!

We selected the "Diamond Club" option when planning our trip. For us it offered some privileges but not always. We arrived on the early flight out of Montreal and knew that the room would not be ready until 2 p.m. as stated in the perks of being a member of Diamond Club. That did not happen, people were in the room until after 2 p.m. and the room was only ready near 5 p.m. This meant that we could not book any of our " a la carte" restaurants since we were not officially in the computer system.  [... read more]We had packed our bathing suits, sandals and small towel in our carry on to enjoy the beach and there was no problem for us to eat. We did need to open our suitcases in the lobby to get our sunscreen. I preferred eating in the members only Diamond Club restaurant since it was air conditioned and did not require us to stand in long lines for our meals. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style but a much quieter atmosphere with servers offering drinks including wine. It is about the same food wherever you choose to eat and the beef was delicious! You need to enjoy eating a variety of vegetables and fruits. Salads are available even at breakfast with us choosing a protein such as pork, beef, chicken and fish. We are not fish eaters and for the most part the meats were delicious. Our only comment on the food is that you often have the same choices in the buffet or Diamond club. It is the atmosphere that is different so choose what you prefer. In the main buffet, "Selections" there is a lower buffet counter for children to independently choose their favorites like fries, chicken nuggets, or sandwiches. Ice cream line, spaghetti line are always long. Diamond Club does have a private beach area (there is a 12 " elevation from the tides) there are plenty of chairs and usually you do not have to get up early to go reserve chairs. (unless a group comes in) We were often there at 10 a.m. with plenty of chairs & palapas available. The resort has a beautiful two level pool, with music and activities for children & adults. Our room was in building #2 ground level facing the pool area, diagonal of the 24 hour snack bar/coffee bar. Great location. Building #1 &2 are the best for being near beach, pool and snack bar. The other buildings are on the other side and have paths leading to the beach. The gym only opens at 9 which we would of preferred earlier and is located at the opposite end with the spa and doctor clinic. We did not use any of these services. I forgot to mention that Diamond club has a private bar and snack bar on the beach which is very convenient. Great burgers on the first day and then depending on what they had, it could be chicken, fish, hotdogs. There is another snack bar on the beach offering "tacos" which are delicious but not what we think of tacos. Soft homemade little tortillas filled with grilled veggies. Delicious, a little greasy if you need to be careful but very tasty. Expect a line up when they start cooking these! What can you say about the beach, PERFECT! When you walk right of the private area for Diamond Club there is low flat rock formations to walk over but that did not seem to bother any of the people cause once in the water, it was beautiful. Left of Diamon C. private area is all soft sand, lots of shells to find and you can walk all the way down. Friends travelled with us and were disappointed with their room in poor condition with toilet not working, noisy air conditoner preventing a relaxed sleep but we had no complaints with our room. In Cuba if it is your first time, there are always problems with supplies, mainly toilet paper sometimes drinking water but generally it was always solved with patience. Cayo Coco is NOT near a town or shopping of any significance. So if you need those things, maybe this is not your resort. We needed relaxation, sunshine, beach and drinks and that is what we got!! P.S. Condiments such as peanut butter, jam, vinegar, salt, ketchup, mustard or relish are not available. On occasion they can run out of coffee.

Iberostar Coral Esmeralda: Amazing location

Clean and very spacious rooms Great comfort Amazing beach Short distances to everything Relaxing environment Good food Impeccable service Public washrooms always clean Plenty of drinks & coffee No noise or pollution

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Cuban Gem!

If you are focused on perfection and updated decor, abundance of food choice and unwilling to appropriately tip the hard working staff then The Royalton Cayó Santa María is not the resort for you. If you admire the beautiful tropical grounds on this smaller property, the cleanliness of the resort, the friendliness and accommodating staff then continue reading. My husband and I who are in our early 60’s from Kitchener, Ontario just returned home from our second stay at The Royalton. Both visits [... read more] were in Feb for 2 weeks and we absolutely love this resort! Situated on one of the most stunning Caribbean beaches, the sand is so white and soft and the water so clear and warm. There’s miles of beach to walk. We were always able to find a palapa. The resort has two beautiful, clean pools that are appropriately water filled as this is an adults only resort. The staff are amazing! At The Royalton you’re assigned two alternate butlers. Their job is to make your stay memorable. They are your “go to” people. On our first trip we were assigned Michel and Omar. On this latest trip we had Lester and Diana. All excellent and thorough. Both stays we had a junior suite which were comfortable, clean, had a good sized bathroom with shower and soaker tub. Each night we slept very well on the comfortable mattress. The rooms are dated but that didn’t bother us. More important was that we had a working toilet, hot water, safe, fan and a/c. Wifi was available in the hotel rooms but the service could be intermittent at times. Stronger wifi could be found in the lobby, lounges, and restaurants. Our maid Alina was the best! Aside from always providing a clean room, her towel creations and daily notes were inspiring. The culinary staff continued to offer tasty and nutritious meals despite the food shortages and supply issues currently affecting all of Cuba. Each dinner a new entrée was available. I would suggest taking small gifts for the Cuban staff, for which they are very grateful. Items we Canadians take for granted aren’t available to them for purchase especially medicines, shoes, clothes, hygiene products. There is a reason why The Royalton has so many return guests. This truly is a Cuban gem property!

Memories Paraiso: A great expiriance

This time we had our vacation in Memories Paraiso. The place is well-organized with flowers and a lot of vegetation around it. The people were very friendly. The food was well prepared with a big variety. I liked the pears and the cookies!

Roc Arenas Doradas: Good Hotel

Hotel is good,Superior rooms are great.Food is average,Beach is great,Staff is very friendly.Only thing we didn’t like is its we never get beach towels in our whole visit and Very hard to get reservations for restaurants.We went to book the reservation very first day they said everything is book.I will give 3.5 Star to this hotel.

Iberostar Selection Holguin: Great resort

The hotel was well kept and clean,the staff were very friendly helpful,and hardworking, we had no complaints about the food it was good.fresh juice every morning, omelettes, bacon,bread, no shortages.

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Really beautiful resort.

The resort is absolutely beautiful and we will most definitely be back! As usual, not knowing a resort can cause frustration, especially after traveling and not having food for awhile, so the first bit being there was not fun, but that was on us. Cuba has never been known for their food, but they are struggling more than ever now, but you will not starve. There will be at least one or two things you will enjoy - they truly make the best with what they have. The beach was amazing, pools were beau [... read more]tiful, although should be cleaned more regularly as there was always debris on the bottom. Food felt like a challenge. So for toir reference the buffet is open 7-10 for breakfast, then closed until 1230-3 for lunch, then closed again until 630-10 for dinner, there is a 24hr snack bar right below, and another snack bar is the adult only section who also serves breakfast after 10 but is only oppen until 4pm. There is another option called spices, this is for Fiesta rooms, although we were adult only and ate there not knowing this, but was refused service the second time, so was a bit confusing. Also, another disappointment, was how much I enjoyed the spa area but towards the end of our stay was kicked out for not having bought a service inside, which qas a surprised to us as for 2 weeks we were always there and using the pool which looked to be open to anyone, so the confusion just added some stress and frustration, I confirmed with the lobby and asked if this was the rules and he basically said it depends on the person working, as there had been multiple other spa workers who had never said anything to us or asked us to leave. Only 1 lady did. The rooms are very nice, but can see why some people review it as being unsanitary.. it just looks used, and no sheets or towels are changed unless you ask, which is not a big deal but being there for 2 weeks we really needed new towels and found it hard to contact the lobby, as the phones didn't seem to work and had no instructions on how to dial the lobby. But overall we really enjoyed this resort and will definitely be back.. the workers are amazing and the entertainment is one of the best! Overall a very veautiful resort. Would definitely recommend especially for the prices!

Sol Palmeras: Fantastic Resort

Always an amazing time, have been 7 times and already booked for next trip at Sol Palmeras. Continually updating resort, rooms and bungalows. Longest and most beautiful beach. Staff are all extremely friendly and accommodating. Have made quite a few friends over the years. Look forward to seeing Yaqueline , Pudarmis in the buffet. Caridad at the lobby bar/ liquor table, Mario the ever smiling bellman. Last but definitely not least my greatest dear friend, Odarmis. Who always makes our trip the b [... read more]est, from restaurant reservations to room accommodations. Good assortment of food, never gone hungry while there. As to food shortages and bland food, this is a country going through hard times. Want spice bring your own, I’ve never needed to. Cuban resorts are in a different class than other countries. Travel to Cuba with an open mind and you’ll have a great time. Can’t wait to get back

Grand Aston Varadero Beach Resort: Nice Resort!

The resort looks new and the grounds are nicely laid out and well maintained. The staff is generally pleasant and eager to please, although mostly young and somewhat inexperienced, especially in the housekeeping area. Several basic things were missed, like making sure soap and bottled water were replenished when the room was cleaned. These items were provided upon request but it shouldn't have to be requested, in my view. Overall, it was still a pleasant and memorable experience.

Playa Costa Verde: Fantastic resort

Went on this trip based on reviews only . We were not disappointed. Loved it and will definitely return for two weeks next time . Rooms a little dated but clean and spacious. Pool and beach were beautiful .

Hotel Playa Paraiso: Good resort and amazing people

This was my first time at this resort and I went as a group of 6, and we had a good time. The grounds were kept in great shape, if you needed something there was always someone around to help, and the a la carte meals were great. The buffet offered freshly grilled meats and pasta, and made to order omelets for breakfast. While the rest of the buffet was slightly bland and repetitive, it was on bar with what you get in Cuba. Personally I lived for the fresh bread and butter available at every mea [... read more]l. It was a treat not having that nasty chemical tasting crap they try to pass off for bread in Canada. Top thing about this resort was the staff 100 %. Everyone was so amazing, helpful, and friendly. They remembered your name, your drinks, and were always ready with a smile. Only staff member I had difficulties with was a lady in reception who was quite rude and was refusing to call us a taxi...insisting we take the bus. It took some harrassment on our part, but she finally relented. People that are at the face of your resort should be helpful and friendly....this woman was not. The beach was beautiful, and they made these amazing fried balls of goodness at the beach bar. I think they referred to them as beignettes, I'm unsure, but they had the perfect amount of flavour and weren't too greasy. Not a sweet, but something light to snack on. The staff at the pool bar were the best of the best. Carlos, Raoul, and Danielys (I apologize if I messed up your names). Thank you for making all of our vacations that much better. You are amazing people.

Aston Costa Verde Beach Resort: Simple solutions

We enjoyed our stay. The variety of food was always available. Staff friendliness from waiters, to kitchen and cleaning staff along with the gardeners and delivery personnel was always evident. We found that signage was missing as far as the hours of the big buffet, no pamphlet to indicate the ground plans of the resort. It was difficult to find the schedule for nightly entertainment. Also when the A la Carte Restaurant would close due to technical reasons, we were not notified or their wa [... read more]s no signage giving that it had to close. Our room was wonderful with an ocean view. We did encounter a few issues and staff came right away to fix it. Having a tag in the room saying: "Do not disturb" or "Please Clean" would be a great asset. Their was issues with currency as to what was accepted which is American money or credit card. Pools were beautifully kept and grounds as well. We'd recommend this resort to others but simple solutions would improve this place greatly.