Valentin Perla Blanca: Nice vacation

Considering that hurricane Irma passed through only a few months ago, the resort was in wonderful condition. Some repairs and renovations are still on going but it did not affect our trip whatsoever. The Cuban people are very resilient and maintained their friendly hospitality throughout. I would recommend this resort as it lives up to it's billing.

Melia Buenavista: it was great - very quite and relaxing resort

friendly staff, attentive, very clean rooms, spacious. well maintained by staff each day. beautiful pool and facilities. would like to open the doors in the room but without screen doors it is very hard as mosquitoes get in. should have screendoors. should also have a 'do not disturb' sign that can be used. many staff members knocked at the door while we were in the room and we felt we could never have our privacy because we never knew when they would knock or come in. a 'do not disturb ' s [... read more]ign should be given to all guests.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Good Value

I have personally been to Cuba about 10 times now, 4 times at Cayo Santa Maria, and I have to say I was somewhat worried before traveling to this resort due to the mixed past reviews and lack of current reviews. Turns out there was nothing to worry about. This is not the highest end luxury resort but you aren't paying for one either. For the price, we felt the resort offered very good value. For reference, we stayed Nov. 22-Dec. 1. More Details: Rooms - basic but clean and all had a fresh co [... read more]at of paint. No major issues. I had read about people losing water for periods of time but we did not experience this issue and showered at different times throughout the day. There was always hot water available. Our A/C in our first room did stop working one day but we were quickly offered an upgrade to a room with an even better view and the move was handled quickly and efficiently. Food - there was always a good selection available and always a grill station at lunch and dinner with steak, burgers, hot dogs, pork, chicken, fish, calamari, mussels, etc. Probably the best and most consistent availability of grilled meats I've had in Cuba. There were also grills every day by the beach and pool if you wanted to grab a quick burger or chicken on a bun instead of changing and sitting down to a meal. We had no issues and between the two of us sampled everything including meats, seafood, cheeses, cold salads, hot dishes, pizza, sandwiches. Not sure what other reviewers experienced as I saw a lot of reviews mentioning lukewarm dishes at the buffet. Maybe that was toward the end of the night because any time we took food from the buffet, it was steaming. Beach and Pools: both beautiful and clean! Not sure if it was time of year but we never had issues finding loungers. Prime spots at the beach were taken early but you could still find something and it was never a problem to find a shady spot at the pool any time of day. Service: We found the service to be excellent, as others mentioned. Everyone works very hard here (I think 24 hour shifts??) and despite probably being exhausted, always went the extra mile. Resort over all: The Sanctuary side of the resort is a smaller, adults only resort, which we enjoy because it was so easy to get anywhere including beach, pools, lobby. It was also a very quick walk to the larger main lobby or carts were always available to take you. My partner went to the gym most days which is located in the nearby pueblo and the driver would even return to pick him up at any time he asked. Main lobby had shows most nights. Smaller Sanctuary lobby has 24 hour service for drinks or snacks (pizza, ham sandwiches mostly). Negatives: The butler service thing was somewhat annoying and unnecessary. It did feel like the service was an excuse to involve another person you had to tip. The butlers are supposed to be there to help you with anything you need including a la carte reservations but you also have to go through them to obtain water for example which is unnecessary. I don't think I should have to ask for a basic necessity on a daily basis. Sometimes we really had to insist that we needed more water. Also, the butler for each building alternates with another butler every second day and combined with moving rooms, for us it was difficult to form any type of relationship with the person who was supposed to be serving us. Also - the awful reports of the sand fleas are true. I've never had a problem with them anywhere and I was covered. I was one of the lucky ones in that my bites didn't itch but so many others we met couldn't sleep due to itching, ended up with welts covering their bodies, and had to travel to a nearby clinic for Benadryl. Repellent didn't seem to work either so not sure what the solution is. Possibly this aspect is worse after the recent hurricane. Over all, we had a great vacation and I would recommend this hotel.

Melia Las Dunas: Started rough ended better!

The hotel was beautiful but unfortunately we had five rooms in one building and all the rooms were infested with the same black bugs, tub filled with them! Kids afraid to sleep ! They finally moved us after three nights and a lot of complaining ! After that we enjoyed the resort fully!

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful incredible experience!

My roommate and I travelled to Melia Las Dunas at cayo Santa Maria Cuba nov 24- dec 1. We where slightly worries at what state we would find the resort and surrounding areas post hurricane. Upon arrival we where welcomed by amazing hostest, happy, courteous, smiling, professional workers. They came to say hi with drinks and then brought to our rooms with the bell boys and golf carts. Bell boys really kind and gave us a tour of the resort on the way to our room. I was very surprised to see that t [... read more]hey managed to fix and renovate the majority of the cabanas, restaurants and building. No very much destruction, fresh paint coat everywhere. Due to the hurricane one half of the resort I believe it was the adult section was destroyed a little bit more and they focused on fixing up the main areas for family vacations. That being said everything was tip top shape, pool beautiful and pool bar amazing. 24 hour snack bar was delicious. I’ve been to Cuba 3 times and I have to say that was the best snack bar food I’ve ever had; chicken burgers, cheese burger, cheese sticks, French fries, poutines... you where never forgotten or left alone by the bartenders once they saw you sit they where ready to take your order. The room was nice, clean, bed mattress was firm and mediocre for comfort but still managed to rest well. Our housekeeper was a sweetheart leaving us notes and talking with us in passing. Buffet was good for Cuba can’t complain lots of options for everyone...but they where quite short on veggies and fruits it looked like it was all canned fruits (I somewhat expected that post hurricane) no problem we usually ended up at the snack bar for more food later on. The à la carte restaurants...now the Mediterranean and Italian was amazing. We went to the Mediterranean 3 times (usually you only go once but if you are friendly and make a buddy within the workers you are set) and italien we had reservations for our last night there we got seconds it was yummy. The Cuban restaurant we weren’t fans. But still enjoyed our time. They had a 4 th restaurent as well the international à la carte. We didn’t have a chance to try that one since you only have 3 reservations you can make but heard good things about it. I believe in their website there should have been more a la carte options but with the hurricane they weren’t able to get them all up and running yet. The lobby was gorgeous and the paths around the resort well maintained. The beach...I was dissaponted that the hurricane ate up all the beach in front of our resort. We had 10-12feet of sand before you hit the water but if you walked to the right or the left of the resort you had beautiful big sandy areas. There where no palapa’s or shade makers and most palm trees where destroyed during the hurricane. A lot of people where bringing umbrellas from their room to use as shade makers worked well. Not too windy but the area we where in created lots of waves large waves to up to a meter high if not more. Lots of fun nice soft sand sandy ocean bottom very little if any rocks in the ocean. We had a blast in the water and sun tanning. The animation crew was great signing dancing, water aerobics in the ocean in the pool musical quizzes...so much more. I would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone looking for an easy going great service relaxing vacation. I will definitely be returning in the near future excited to see what the whole resort will look like once all fixed up.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Beautiful resort

Very clean resort. Staff very friendly and very helpful. Good service. So many food choices even for picky eaters like me. I found the food very good. Calixata always had a smile for us when we dined at the buffet and made us feel at home. He even brought my husband a coffee from another area one evening when we stopped in at the buffet. Even though they are still busy with cleanup from the hurricane the staff was like one big happy family. I would recommend this resort to anyone going to C [... read more]ayo Santa Maria.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Bad Experience

This hotel is no way 5 star Cuba. The room was filthy had to be switched twice. Some restaurants and pools were closed. Spoiled food. Beach was closed 5 out of 7 days due to very small waves. Worth experience ever.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: A Wonderful Time

We have just returned from 11 wonderful days at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria. This was our 9th trip to the resort. Being so soon after Irma I was totally amazed at the state of the resort. If you have not been here you would not know that this hotel property was hit by a CAT 5 hurricane. The work completed by the employees and construction is truly amazing. The grounds are spectacular and the gardeners deserve first mention here as this sets the tone for the whole resort. Some trees were lost, a l [... read more]ot of leaves are gone, others show a definite lean but I was surprised by the number of coconuts that survived. Cleanup continues but flowers are growing, trees and bushes trimmed and grass is being cut. Everything is manicured and is worthy of new pictures on the Melia sites and brochures. The pool area has lots of shade with new palapas completed. One pool has had the tiles repaired and was completely regrouted. The hot tub between the pools is operating and has many areas for relaxing around it. The two men that maintain the pools and area take such pride and do exceptional work. They are to be commended. Beach towels were available from 9:30 am to 5:00pm daily except for an hour during lunch. New towels were added to the supply the same as for the rooms. There was never a shortage of these. The lobby and bar makeover that was near completion last April has been finished with new painting due to some storm damage. New lighting has been completed and the lobby washrooms have been totally renovated. The openness and extra seating makes it comfortable for viewing the nightly entertainment or enjoying a refreshment at any time of the day or night. The food we have always found to be very good with lots of variety but it seemed better than ever on this trip. The Italian al a carte is now a Tex Mex. This is a corporate decision. I found it different but should you like it very spicy then you may consider bringing you own sauces. The French is now International and has a varied menu. No lobster but a surf and turf with a lobster tail and beef that is wonderful. The Japanese and Mediterranean are still as good as ever. Now my Rant. In many reviews of this and other resorts people have complained about flies in the Buffet. Yes there are flies but if people closed doors after themselves like they do at home there would not be as many getting in. My room seem to be just as I left it in April but I then discovered the new balcony door. Many of the doors have been replaced. The fridge was restocked daily with whatever you required, Pathway lighting has not only been repaired but upgraded as well making for safe romantic walks in the evening hours. It is now much easier to see the crabs scurrying about. Nestor has a new beach bar with many upgrades. One upgrade is a small grill where you can get grilled sandwiches, and burgers. The walkway to get to the beach has been replaced. The Ranchon has a new roof and floor with a new bar and equipment. Expansion of this building was put on hold for now. The beach seems to have been improved from the storm as it is bigger. Shade is not a problem as there is plenty of palapas and loungers available. The Cuban day party was at the Ranchon and beach with music, food, drinks, and dancing and was a great time. There has been many changes to the resort but the one constant is the wonderful staff. Due to Irma their lives have been upset with damage to their homes and families but they greet all guests with warmth and sincerity as they did before this event. Heriberto, Bladimir, Danial, Osbeil, Demarys, Kiriena, Juan Carlos and all the lobby bar staff (too many names), Alaine, Yasmilsky, Yigani, Freidy, Ramone, Hamlet, Louise and his partner at the pools all do an exceptional job at making a guest stay memorable. The gardeners, maids, entertainment staff with Arel and Ernesto, the service workers all make your visit special,

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Exceeded my expectations

My 10th trip to Cuba, 2nd to Cayo Santa Maria, first time travelling solo, without family. Looking for relaxation and nature, not partying. Why choose this hotel: 1. One of the few hotels that did not have a surcharge for a single traveller - almost all resorts charge 30%-50% extra for one person in the room, this one did not -  smart business decision, I would not have gone otherwise. 2. Best food I've seen in Cuban 4-4.5 stars hotels, no contest. Great presentation, variety, qualit [... read more]y. 3. Free safe in the room, free 1 hour of WiFi per day (!), free beer, soda, and a bottle of water in the fridge, replenished daily, beach towels are already in the room on arrival - again, very smart business decisions. 4. Good service at the buffet, great Pina coladas. 5. Territory is small, everything is a short walking distance away. Took me 3 min to walk to the beach. 6. Cuba is safe in general, this hotel is on a small island, no local population at the long  beach, no vendors. Hotel guests are mostly Canadian. 7. Quiet and relaxing beach. Some waves, but swimable and naturally beautiful, unspoiled. 8. Great value, I almost hesitated to leave this review, wishing to keep this hotel to myself, but the staff deserves an honest review. 9. More English language cable TV channels comparing to other Cuban hotels. Staff speaks English. Even gardeners try. 10. Pelicans, lots of them! Close and personal! 11. Rooms are modern, good AC. Good mattress, probably best I've seen in Cuba, good sleep. Great hot rain shower with huge shower head, good water pressure. 12. This resort is fully Cuban owned.  Originally I was not sure about what to expect, turned out to be much better than foreign-owned or managed hotels in Cuba. Great job! 13. Short time after the hurricanes hit the Cayos, there's barely any sign of the damage, almost everything has been restored. 14. Indoor air conditioned buffet. Why you may not want to choose this hotel (depending on your preferences) 1. 1 hour and 40 minutes drive from the airport. 2. Not much to do outside hotel for party goers. 3. This is NOT a 5- star hotel, there ARE cracked tiles, broken steps, if that is vitally important for you, don't go. 4. Prices in the store are inflated, buy your booze at the Duty-free. 5. Prices for extra services are steep. I can get much cheaper haircut and masages in Canada. 6. Some staff does frown when not getting a tip. Sorry, not going to tip for every drink at all-inclusive. And frowners won't get tipped at all. 7. Housekeeping is not that great. When I arrived, there was garbage in the can from previous guests, one coffee cup in the room was not washed after previous guests either. Lots of other small things that would get a housekeeper in Canada into a serious trouble. 8. Sand flies. This problem is common for Cayos, not this resort per se. You won't see them but you WILL get bites. 9. For people with mobility issues: the path to the beach is rocky. Overall though - great value for the price.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Great quality vacation

Hotel was gorgeous. Great rooms. Great pools and bars (we especially loved the swim up bar, and the great morning coffees from the lobby bar). Amazing exercise, dancing, and entertainment. The service and staff were awesome. Food was sub par, but definitely would go again for a great deal.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Wonderful experience

I have been to Cuba and specifically Cayo Santa Maria multiple times and I loved this hotel. We had a wonderful experience, from the staff, the food and the drinks were all awesome. The beach has been improved post hurricane Irma and is now super large, you are not sitting in the water and there are lots of palapas, the ocean beautiful as expected in Cuba. The pools were also very good, snack bar close by for a quick snack or lunch. The rooms are well appointed, clean and modern. At this po [... read more]int I have nothing negative to say about this hotel, I would go back anytime.

Melia Las Dunas: Angus ont

The Hotel was fantastic food was great and the staff where fantastic. the beach was so beautiful the entertanment was good would go back in a flash the only thing l didn't like was the ride there a little long

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Amazing resort

The entire vacation was amazing. The staff we met including YAO and JUAN and YAZZER made our stay incredible. The rooms were amazing and the view of the ocean every morning made the week amazing. The food was amazing. Give it a try it's great

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: A trip to remember

Being my first time down south, I have to admit this was a remarkable experience. Where do I start? lol OK ok ... I will begin with the grounds - clean, well taken care of and spacy (lobby included). The lobby includes lots of comfortable couches, tables with chairs and a bar with lots of alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshments. The gardeners look busy keeping the place clean as well as fresh looking - they are friendly with a good morning / afternoon smiles. Swimming pools are very c [... read more]lean. Water is the right temperature for anyone to dip in and enjoy it either alone or with their children. Each pool has many sunbathing beds to rest on and gets some sunrays. Volleyball net is set up in one of the pools - great idea to be active while in the pool. A small gym offers you the option to work out - very discreet and private place Total grounds area is very safe for anyone - wherever you go, there seems to be a local grounds worker welcoming you with a smile - you feel really welcome there which is a nice feeling especially for a visitor. Public areas - the beach was very clean and water ... well - let's just say we were in the water very often lol. Background Cuban music made the atmosphere even more enjoyable - the waiters and waitresses at the beach kept your thirst quenching with refreshments. Lifeguards clean the beach in the morning as well as in the evening for the next day. They are on guard to ensure the area is safe - it was very windy on some days (waves) and the lifeguards were very professional about keeping people away from the deeper water areas at the beach - safety first of course which everyone understood. Nicely handled. Rooms - clean, clean, clean. Every day the floor was cleaned, the bathroom was shiny, fresh towels were offered, the bed was done (not to mention the beautiful towel animals they've created on the beds everyday the room was cleaned). The small fridge was always full of refreshments of your choice. I especially liked the little safe you get to hide your personal belongings (with your own personal code) - this is great for putting away your passport, your keys, money or any other valuables you might have and want to keep safely stored. The view from the balcony was also enjoyable - you can hear the ocean from a distance which itself sounds relaxing and calm. Dining - if you attend breakfast, lunch or dinner, the food selection was plenty. You have an option of having something fresh prepared for you such as egg omelette with different ingredients to choose from, rice, fish, chicken, beef, pizza, grilled sandwich - just to name a few. Desserts were delicious and fresh tasting - you can also have a fresh squeezed juice made for you - talk about leaving satisfied. The waiters and waitresses were always busy and your glass was always full (if water, juice or coffee/tea). You knew you were leaving the dining room happy and full. Features - daily evening shows kept the visitors laughing, clapping and entertained. The entertainers involve the visitors / tourists in dancing - during some shows you can go on the stage and join them. Before and after the show, the lobby keeps you refreshed with drinks. You can attend different, enjoyable excursions of your choice - if going alone or in a group, the selections are nice to choose from such as visiting Havana via plane or by bus, swimming with the dolphins, boat adventures and many many more. Gift shop - a little gift shop within the resort offers various types of souvenirs - anything from clothes, shoes, sweets, bottled alcohol and other gifts that remind you not only of the beautiful resort itself but of the beautiful island of Cuba.

Melia Las Dunas: Resilient Cuba (Melia Las Dunas)

We traveled Nov, 11th for a week stay at this fabulous hotel expecting the worse, but was pleasantly surprised how this resort restored 90% of the damages Hurricane Irma caused. The people from the house keeper (Carlos) to the gardeners wait staff and bartenders all had smiles welcoming us too the resort. The food was good the service was excellent and overall very clean. The sports bar was fantastic served great burgers The beach was damaged due to Irma but everyday it got better, we re [... read more]ally enjoyed our stay and we will be back we highly recommend this resort

Valentin Perla Blanca: Amazing resort

The hotel was modernized. Very nice well kept. Very clean. Would go back again. Beach was amazing. Food was ok services was good. There were a lot of the worker that spoke English. The rooms were very clean.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Not ocean casa del mar, switched due to hurricane

We were scheduled to go to go to ocean casa del mar, but had to switch due to hurricane Irma. We decided on sunscape Bavaro beach resort. What an amazing resort, excellent for families, lots of activities for all ages. Clean resort and rooms. Staff were excellent, polite and efficient. Food was good and there was enough choice to satisfy most people. No booking of a la cartes so we went twice to chopsticks. Beach had lots of seaweed, but by day 3 they had cleaned it all up and it was nice. Excel [... read more]lent entertainment and the staff who did the activities were great!! The only downfall was the amounts of locals that came Friday till Sunday, nothing wrong with locals, only the resort went from half full to full, and it was harder to watch the children in the pool. Was a great holiday and certainly would return, but would say this is more of a family resort vs a couples type resort.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Charming resort

Just back from Cayo Santa Maria . A relaxing holiday in a very friendly environment . The staff made all the difference to make my stay memorable . I highly recommand that hotel for those who are looking for a relaxing holiday ! I won't hesitate to go back again

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Wish we could have gone here.

We love this resort. Its our favorite of all of Cuba destinations. Unfortunately , we were not permitted to go to this resort due to the hurricane. We ended up at a different Melia in Holguin. Hopefully, we will be able to come back to this fine resort as it is top notch to us and the service , food, beach, staff etc are amazing ! We look forward to coming to this Melia resort in the near future.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Great Resort!!

The staff at this resort were so friendly and helpful! For a bigger resort it was well kept and a pleasure to be at. The only downfall was the food but you can get by. Totally worth the trip.........)