Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Wonderful resort!

This is a larger resort - grounds were well kept, rooms were clean, nice pools and pool areas and the main attraction...the beach was beautiful. Food was good with a nice variety at the buffet. We had one instance where there was water/pipe issues but the staff/mgmt were organized to provide guests with extra water and whatever was needed while there was no water. Overall this was a nice resort and recommend this place to others.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: never again

This was one the the worst resorts i have been to, the food was terrible, you can tell there was no effort into it, fruit was almost rotten! the beach was also very rocky and dirty, lots of cabanas knocked down for the amount of time this hotel has been up its already falling apart. the ala carte restaurants, you have to wait about 1hr and that doesn't guarantee you'll be eating there, they only have so much food so we were told, so you'll have to come back tm, and line up again. i wouldn' [... read more]t even go back if this was down to the lowest price. the best part of this trip was getting a tan, the entrainment was really good. this place needs more staff and smiles they all look miserable with the exception of the entrainment team. I'm also surprised transat would have anything with this resort for anytime i have flown with transat the resorts have been pretty good.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Well Worth the Money!

While this was our first time at a resort, we felt as though it was well worth the $788 that we spent for our 5 day vacation. We ran into a few bumps along the way, in the first few days; items such as water and beach towels were supposed to be in our room upon arrival, yet it took us quite some time to finally receive them. We heard from other guests as well that their rooms were missing small items when they arrive, such as soap or towels. Once we had this sorted out, it was fine! The  [... read more]food was fairly basic but still great! Although if we had stayed much longer than 5 days, we most likely would have gotten sick of the same types of food every day at the buffets. Ocean Casa del Mar is fairly new so they have a few things to improve on (ie. better maps or signs to help you figure out where to get to for activities, restaurants etc.) The front desk, room service, and customer service employees were all very polite and helpful. The pools were very clean, as well as the beaches. We were a little surprised by how narrow the sand portion of the beach was, but it was okay. Definitely recommend taking advantage of the included activities such as kayaking and catamaran sailing (bring your own snorkel gear if you want to do that for free). If you are looking for a decent hotel in Cuba, this would be it. However although it is 5 star, it does not compare to 5 stars in other countries.

Memories Paraiso: Very nice resort but ugly rooms!

Amazing beach and very nice resort. Unfortunately, the rooms are dated and full of bed bugs. This is really unacceptable. Also, the maid would not pay attention to your room without a good tip. The resort is very neglected and need an upgrade ASAP.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Amazing resort

The resort was great ! Most staff were great ...maybe have more management available to over see house keeping ! Food was good for cuba food ! Beach was fantastic! We drank the resort dry of chocolate tequila! As for Hola Sun I will not travel with them ever again! We will not fly with Cubana every again!

Valentin Perla Blanca: Nice resort, no nightlife!

If your looking for a relaxing, quiet, early night kind of resort then I would recommend. Food was good for Cuba, we thought the grounds and rooms were beautiful as well. But after the nightly show in the theatre (finished at 10) there was absolutely nothing going on. No music in the main lobby, no disco, no other entertainment at all. ONE night they had a beach foam party which was amazing and we really wished they had things like that planned more often. Even throughtout the day the "party poo [... read more]l" rarely had music or entertainment. Wi-Fi was super shitty and if your booking spend the money for the privledged, totally worth it! Didn't have to wait in lines to book anything, had a much better a la carte style breakfast and they privledged bar was awesome we spend a lot of our time there. Would try somewhere else next time.

Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso: Good Resort

This hotel had the best lobby I have EVER experienced. I believe the lobby is the heart of the hotel and we had a 2 level lobby that everyone hung in. There was entertainment every night and we didn’t once go to the theatre for the shows. The food was good. I didn’t have one meal I didn’t enjoy but the set up in the buffet could have been a better thought out. The beach was beautiful and we basically hung there most of the time. The pools were well kept and clean. I liked my room but th [... read more]e house cleaning wasn’t the best. My maid was lovely but I think she just had too many rooms to clean. Over all I would say that this was a GOOD hotel that I would go back to if I decide to go back to Cayo Santa Maria.

Melia Las Dunas: NIce resort

We spent one week at this resort the first of April. THe resort is big, be prepared to do a lot of walking. THe beach is amazing, we enjoy d the beer garden! we stayed on the adult side. THe swing up pool bar was nice. The food at the buffet at breakfast was ver good. THe coffee was amazing ! I miss the Cuban coffee When eating at the main buffet be careful of what you eat. I think I you stick to French fries, pasta and bread you will be ok. MY husband and I were very sick when we got home. OVer [... read more] nice place.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Wonderful Experience!

This resort was the most appealing and wonderful experience I have had in Cuba. The bus ride after the flight was long, but knowing that the was fun, sun , food and relaxation after made it worth while....20 minutes after arriving at the hotel, we were in our beautiful room with the most amazing views.yes i said views!!! From our top floor balcony to the left was the bluest water ever , the ocean.......straight ahead, this quaint little lake........to the right the pool and pool bar......what m [... read more]ore can you ask for! The little snack bar at the pool has great food....chicken wings and beer. and....If you want a quick easy going regular breakfast thats the place to go.....met a wonderful cuban lady , named Adaisy.......she looked after us and always had a smile a hug and a kiss for us....The whole staff was friendly and always ready to help...The buffet was very good.....always tasty and well served. The gentleman that drove the golf carts were always courteous and ful of knowledge. The a la cartes were very good, enjoyed the french , and the salmon was excellent at the seafood restaurant. The lobby cafe had the best ice caps....with kaluha . The wifi was sketchy......The cleaning staff did an amazing job......only thing about the rooms that i didnt care for...the window that was between the shower and the bed......our cleaning person was able to rig a shower curtain over it for privacy.. Over all, a great week,,,,,,,,would go back for sure!

Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso: Disappointed not up to our expectations

We were very disappointed having been to Cuba 16 times. We had made requests in October 2016 when we booked our trip and this hotel did not honour even one. First impression mean a lot to us..we arrived late at night..lots of drunks..lots of smoking..lots of bad staff employees golf cart drivers. Then were put in first floor stale stinky room with two beds pushed together and told there is your king size. Not a good sign. The staff were miserable looking, not helpful ..ladies bathrooms cont [... read more]inuously without toilet paper..honestly why would that happen..over and over. I could go on but I won't.. I just won't go back..maybe Cuba has lost its shine for us..not the Cuba and the people we fell in love with several years ago.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: WORST RESORT !!!!! MUST READ

Worst experience Never cleaned room Had to go to supply room myself to get clean sheets pillow cases swept and mopped own floor Power went out Staff is unappreciative Impossible to find water Stay away Absolutely disgusting Beautiful resort but a shame with lack of service

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Just a horrible experience, that's all

I am really sorry to give this hotel a bad review, but there was no warm water during our stay. We could not have a shower !!! The butler informed us that there is no sunny weather so the containers with the water on the hotel roof don't warm up !!! The hotel grounds were nicely kept but there was no area to sit down and relax, no launge area and it was only adults hotel !!! All the beech chairs by the pool were reserved all day long with no people occupying them, only beech towels. No i [... read more]nternet was available during our stay April 14-21, 2017. The cards we purchased did not work. No internet was available in the lobby either. The washroom around the resort had no locks !!! And this was a 4+ star resort ! The food was nothing special as were all the restaurants, less than average, but the worst was all the servers waited for tips !!! No tip - bad service. My last comment is AVOID CUBA AT ALL COST and save your money. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE ! During my stay the cleaning lady stole my gold & diamond ring right from my purse. Of course I reported it to our butler, but guess what, we will look for it I was told. The butler made a written report on the stolen diamond ring, it had not only a high monetary value but a sentimental value as well. Really dissapointed, it was 4+ star hotel in Cuba, Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria. Just don't go there, save your money !!! Sincerely, Barbara Toronto Canada Sent from my iPhone

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Won't Recommend to Friends

I have been to Cuba 3 times, including this trip and it was by far my worst experience. There are safety hazards all around the resort. Some of the issues we ran into were (to name a few): 1. There are missing tiles in all the swimming pools, as well as broken or cracked filters around the swimming pools. My son cut his toe on our second day and sliced the skin right off. Had there been any skin left, it would have required stitches, but he cut it so bad we couldn't get him stitched  [... read more]up. Bring a first aid kit, it will come in handy. 2. There are uneven walking surfaces, including raised flooring (for no apparent reason), gaps in walkways, including in the lobby. I wouldn't recommend wearing high heels in the lobby, as you might get your heel caught in the gaps and severely hurt yourself. The gaps in the walkways have shifted over time and become bigger. Better maintenance of these walkways is required. On our first night we saw a lady stub her toe so bad, she surely must have broken it. 3. Access to the beach requires you to climb down rocks. There is one section where rocks have been strategically placed as stairs, but they have not been maintained and have shifted. Again, my son was hurt when he fell trying to get down to the beach shore. It would be much more safe if a staircase is built here to allow guests of the resort to safely get down to the beach. We saw them at other resorts, and have no idea why this is not the case at Hotel Playa. 4. Poor lighting at night. There are some lights, but in my opinion, not enough to light walkways at night. It's another safety hazard, not to mention the feeling of unease when walking alone in dimly lit areas trying to get back to your room. I am not a person who is overly demanding and requires luxury, however I do have basic expectations when it comes to customer service, especially when I am paying a lot for a vacation. Customer service at this hotel is by far the worst I have ever experienced on any vacation in any country I have been to. With the exception of 1 waitress at the 24 hr snack bar, I felt like employees could care less how they treated guests at the hotel. Even when we tipped (and we tip well, and continued to tip well even when we were unhappy with the service) it did not change how we were treated. Getting a drink to be brought to you took forever. There was one occasion when a waiter asked us if we wanted drinks by the pool. We put our order in and waited 45 minutes. He never brought them. In fact, he walked right by us with drink orders for other guests but didn't bring ours. When we decided to leave the pool area, we let him know we didn't need the drinks, he just nodded and said nothing. I found the service in the buffet to be about the same. Getting coffee with breakfast or a drink with dinner was hard. It usually arrived when we were finished our meal, at which point we didn't need or want it as we were ready to leave. This was also our experience in the lobby bar. I could go to the bar and request a drink and get it much faster than if I waited for a waitress to get it for me. More often than not, we would see the waitresses standing around chatting by the bar instead of serving guests. On more than one occasion we heard stories from staff members about them being poor, having lost a spouse and being a single parent, or a wife expecting a child in hopes that we would give them more money. One bartender even asked my brother for his shoes, explaining he was on his feet all day and needed good shoes. Oh and by the way, my wife is having a baby. They’d whip out their phones and show you pictures of their kids I hopes you’d feel sorry for them and give them stuff. My son's t-shirt was stolen from the beach on our first day. And my nephew's baseball cap was also stolen during our trip. On our last day, I saw one of the employees wearing the hat. Cleanliness was also an issue we experienced. Our rooms were cleaned daily, but the common walkways in our bungalow were not. There were dirty dishes in the hallway that remained there for 5 days until we told a customer service manager about it. There were also blood stains on the stairs (left from my son's bleeding toe) that were not cleaned until we told the customer service manager about it. One of our rooms had an ant infestation in it, that even after fumigated was not cleared up. While the buffet food was repetitive, I must say there was plenty of it. They didn’t run out of anything during our visit. We had dinner at 2 of the a la cart restaurants, the seafood and Italian. The Italian restaurant was by far the best food we had during our stay, and were very happy that we booked it for our final night. These were just some of the issues we experienced while we were at Hotel Playa. But we had enough that we are off Cuba and might never go back. Hotel Playa, we were told is considered a top resort in Cuba. Though I have no idea why and would beg to differ. We have been to another resort in Santa Maria, and it was hands down a better experience for less money.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Fair resort but would not go back...sorry....

Hi Judy....To be honest with you we were not impressed with this resort. I wish we knew that smoking was allowed everywhere on the premises. Not happy about the 1 and a half hour bus ride from airport to the resort.(We were not informed about this) Two full days of travelling took away from our vacation.Check in time is not until 4 PM. The washrooms were continually flooding and the faucets were coming right off of the units in the sinks. The resort is run down and not very sanitary. The foo [... read more]d was so so....not great not terrible. Entertainment was a disaster in the evening. I know these people try but they need professional people in there to help get the resort back on its feet again. At this point we would never go back to Cuba again. Also our room was at least half a km from the front lobby and no one informed us that a trolley would take our bags to the villa, so here we are 70 and 71 years of age and dragging our bags all the way to our villa and then to discover a long flight of stairs up to our suite.very upset...

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Beautiful Resort, but...

For a resort that was only 3 years old it looked run down already. There are too many condos' for the facility. Our room was looked after as long as you gave a good tip. The public washrooms were not looked after however and there was not enough of them. Each restaurant should have a public washroom. There were far too many stairs to take to get to the washroom from the restaurants. Considering there were bars/pubs on the beach, there should have been some toilets available down there. I g [... read more]uess you are supposed to pee in the ocean! Several of our wedding party guests fell through the overflow drains around the pool as they were made of cheap plastic and were sun baked. (all sober at the time).

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Sad face

The hotel itself is very nice grounds are kept well. I found it poorly lit at night. The pools were not cleaned on a regular basis and one was actually growing pink goo in it and you couldnt see the bottom for slime. Food was okay. Service difficult because very few understand what you are saying. Beach was nice it was windy on out stay but kids had fun in the water. Entertainment okay the rock show was the best.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: A Slice Of Heavon...

We stayed at the Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria Apr. 11 - 21 / 2017. The weather was fair as it was windy this time. The Resort was excellent. Lots of water/pressure and heat. Our room was kept clean every day and when ever we needed anything , the resort responded promptly. Our cleaning lady did a superb job . Our butler ladies , Mercedes and Malyses , worked hard in a very professional manner to please us . They made all our arrangements for dinners and gave us special attention to he [... read more]lp make our stay very special. We will always remember our stay as A Slice of Heaven . The people that work at the resort are always pleasant and smiling. Everybody was smiling ! The staff is of the upmost ! The Entertainment was great . The poolside music was our music ! The resort staff treated us like family. Such a wonderful place to have a holiday. We ate very well . The food was very good. The presentation a 10/10. The choices were many , the beach....o that beach. If only I could have that beach...I long to have that beach ... again. Oh yaaaaaaah . Soft sand like talcum powder , and the blue ocean water , the gentle breeze on my face..... The electric carts that moved us around the grounds were superb. The different games on grounds , chess, volley ball , pool , bingo...all of it ..just so exciting. A holiday is a time to relax , have fun and spend time with that someone special. This is that place to do just that. I would say to anyone , don't put it off , go. You will never forget it !!

Valentin Perla Blanca: The Resort facilities is 5 star but the food is at best 3 star

Room, grounds, lobby, pools, etc.. were out of this world. The food in the buffet and the a la carte restaurants were way below par. The grill stations in the buffet can not keep up with the demand and most of the times the meat/fish were raw and lacking any flavor. I used to joke with my wife guessing what the food will be. It repeats 100% every lunch and dinner. There was one time they had chicken wings (which disappeas instantly) and once make-your-own pizza in the buffet. No shrimp and no f [... read more]ried fish at all. We ended up eating french fries and chicken fingers and sometimes chicken wings in the 24 snack bar almost every day. We went to the Italian restaurant which did not offer pizza, and to the sea food restaurant and got the lobster dinner for 20 cuc once and grilled chicken once and grilled salmon another time and asked for the sauce on the side and not on top as the sauce did not taste good. The 2 hour trip from the airport (especially at night) is a show stopper. The beach on the extreme left is wide and beautiful and the bar on that side we heard has a chef between 12 and 3 pm who offers tasty grilled chicken burgers but we never got to taste as we only knew the day we were leaving, this service is not advertised anywhere and if you don't show up early they run out of chicken very fast. Baisey at the front desk was very helpful and pleasant to deal with. We were there for the sun and beach mainly and we got that but if you are not eating well that reflects on your vacation badly. I will not go to Valentin again for sure.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Great place for adults only.

Great location,good food/not great,but this is Cuba/.Beautiful beach,no need to be very early to find beach chair.There are two different pool areas with snack bars,where you can have decent lunch.Again, enough chairs for everybody.There are two restaurants/buffets,serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.No long lineups for particular foods,wich requier preparation /be patient/.Extremely friendly service at restaurants.Especially team of Barbara,Lazaro and Raul serving you the best way they can.Ther [... read more]e were some negatives too/no hot water in the shower,broken coffee maker etc./Those thinks were fixed in no time. After we spoke to one of the menager/Louis,we got new room.So if you have any problem at all don't bother talking to PR desk people , just look for menager.That would be all, the place is worth the money you pay for staying there.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Nice

Think too big for me. To busy with lines especially waiting for food but very friendly staff & clean. Needed toilet paper. clean towels Tks for the complimentary bottle rum Too long bus ride fr airport for me but others may not mind!!!