Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: really relaxing quality place

We had a fantastic time at the Iberostar Ensenachos Good: - the grounds are amazing, well kept, super clean - rooms are clean and pretty for Cuba - I saw NO bug at all...not even a fly - Best service I ever had, they work sooooo hard to make your stay unbelievable - food actually decent for Cuba - best beaches I've ever seen! No doubt about that one. - café latte was insanely delicious - never an issue to have a chair by pool or beach, never ever. Best part of my stay as this is a n [... read more]one sense fight everytime at other resorts. To improve: - the wifi is none existent. We tried to log on 50 times and it failed every time. Hard to communicate with your loved ones and I hated that. - The resort is huge... they don't have enough carts going around so we had to walk a lot so NOT a kid friendly hotel unless you stay at the kids pool/park zone which was super cute for kids under 7 I'd say. - only 3 resto reservations allowed. That was pathetic considering the fact that they were empty every time! - no snack in between meal time. They close and you have no snack place and their store is closed most of the day so if you are missing cream, want anything, think again.... Also they carry no chips! What? LOL I nearly died. Just kidding but seriously no chips?? - super boring: disco never open, not much entertainment, really really quiet! Now for me it was a positive because that is exactly what I wanted but if you are looking for a place full of life and young fun people, don't go there. It's more an elderly resort to be quite honest. I still loved every second of it and I'd go back in a heart beat if my objective was to rest and only rest.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: The Best Trip!

This was my best experience to Cuba so far. The hotel grounds were absolutely beautiful, the staff was so friendly and awesome, the food was great, with made to order eggs for breakfast, and made to order meat for dinner. The beaches were breathtaking and the pool areas were great, especially the kids area. Rooms were clean with a giant balcony and big bathroom. No complaints anywhere! I don't normally return to resorts but I will be returning to this one!

Memories Paraiso: It's always what you make of it

Had a wonderful time soaking up the sun and playing in the ocean. As always I met wonderful people and made friends. The resort is struggling a bit to organize and find its footing it seems given the recent change of hands. The buffet needs more cleanliness and organization, my room had cockroaches but the imperfections are minor if you look at the big picture. STAYED IN 3850.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Don't waste your money

-Not a 5 star resort 3 star at best -virtually no beach at high tide -would not recommend for elderly, young children or people w/mobility restrictions -main dining area needs to be cleaned disgusting display cases sticky surfaces No shower in privileged rooms This was our second time to Cuba first time wad last year same time of year in Cayo Coco Night and day in comparison Staff standouts William at Mikes cafe, Juan one of the front desk managers, Yoankey at main buffet. Don't w [... read more]aste your time with anyone else at the front desk especially Wendy (no joke) nothing but lies.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Not to be recommended for tripcentral clients.

The following are a few things that occurred on our trip to Cuba. We went March 18-25, 2017. I would honestly never recommend this hotel to anyone in the future. We arrived and were the first in line to check in. The receptionist said she got us the same room as last year and we needed to pay 25 pecos per night for an upgrade. I said No, we never asked for that. We only asked for a room on the second floor if available. The woman kept pushing for us to pay the upgrade to which I refused. An [... read more]other woman came over and said she would give us another room but it wasn't ready. We were told come back in an hour. It was pouring rain and we now were up over 30 hours and not impressed. Luckily we had been to this hotel before so we went to the buffet to catch the end of lunch in hopes of something to eat. Everything was cold or empty. We returned one hour later and realized we were the only ones waiting for a room for some reason. We were taken to our room and it had not been recently cleaned. The room was musty and had an odd smell. We just wanted to rest so we began to unpack. There were ants but this is Cuba, I wiped them up, and went to have a shower. Wow, not only no hot water but no warm water. It was freezing. Okay we needed air, the rain had stopped and went to walk around. There were broken light fixtures, lamps and a lot of glass on the ground. I was told that the day before a large group of High school seniors had left. They obviously left quite a mess in their departure. We understand Cuba, we understand they are limited in resources but to have no hot water until Wednesday then only that day and Thursday is insane. Every time we asked we were told they are working on it. We were polite, we understand that it isn't the front receptionist fault but no one could speak English to answer anything. Our Transat rep tried to get us to switch rooms but when we went to inspect it the water situation was the same there. Why move then? The last time we visited the Melia Cayo there were many staff who spoke english but this time there was literally no one we could ask for assistance no matter what we needed. The people in charge of entertainment never spoke a word, the maids couldn't answer why our sheets were soiled and why when I asked for them to be changed they were not. We woke 3 days to ants in our bed. Trust me when I say this was not fun. We then proceeded to spray everything down with bug spray, the walls, bed, floors, door, bathroom, you name it. I literally emptied an entire can of bug spray. This seemed to help but the sheets were never cleaned. The same goes for the towels. Beach towels could not be exchanged as there were never any to switch with. I think this attributed to all the sand flea bites I came home with and the bad rash I now have. The food was awful. Again I am sorry and I don't mean to complain but it was so bland and tasteless. Unless you stood up to 15 minutes in line to have a man make you an omelette for breakfast, pasta at lunch or bbq meat for dinner everything was cold and reheated. I brought condiments to cover the taste but I have to say it was quite bad. I was shocked not to find a banana all week. There was no variety and nothing changed day after day. Language is a huge factor. We were told that transat is looking to replace the Canadian representative who is bilingual to a Cuban resident instead. This is a very bad idea. When even the managers can not speak english you are now taking away the only person who can help. Coming home we were bumped from our priority seating because they changed planes. We had paid for extra leg room for a reason. I have a knee issue and was actually at the Doctors today getting fitted for a new brace and physio. I needed the leg room to keep my knee bent but we were given different seats and I arrived home in a lot of pain. The worst was the empty seat in the front row being used for a woman's purse. I wasn't impressed to say the least. We do enjoy Cuba and the people but to pay so much money for a holiday like this was simply not worth it. We know we will not be returning to Cuba in the near future and in truth we have lost faith in Transat if they put their names behind a resort with such low and poor standards. Respectfully, A very unhappy traveller

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Great new resort !

The swimming pool is really something. Usually, we stay by the beach, but this huge swimming pool with different areas really attracted us. All the employees are very professional and friendly. For a new resort, everything was great.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Great Vacation

The hotel was lovely and clean. It does seem a bit older then one year but still modern just a bit rundown in some areas already. It will be gorgeous once everything has a chance to grow and bloom and fill in! Front desk staff were horrible and had no interest in helping but the other staff were all amazing! Food was good with plenty of options, drinks were delicious, pools beautiful with plenty of seating and the beach was BEAUTIFUL! Go with Privlage club as you can and utilize everything they  [... read more]offer (make sure you check at their special area in the lobby to get all the perks!) Overall a great trip and I would go back again. Oh and make sure to ask for a room with a shower as they have many rooms that include just a tub with no shower head or curtain!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Good Family Resort

A nice spot for families. Beautiful beaches-beach access and well kept grounds. Pool and kids swim and play area was great and located right beside the larger pool area which was nice. For a family of four-room was a good size and comfortable. Some updates needed-rooms and amenities are a bit run down. Food was good-suitable more so for families. Overall an enjoyable time!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Bad from theget go.

As we arrived to our building, there were mattresses downstairs, three of them to be exact. They looked rather dirty. Food was the worst ever. Cold, cold. Stood in line for over an hour to book an a'lacarte only to find out they could not accommodate us. Bad setup. Lobby was always so crowded, it was another wait. Beach was also overcrowded. Fogging twice a day. Toxic. It was our fourth trip to cuba. It was our last.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: New resort

Nice, refreshing, new resort on island close to Santa Maria. No issues to report. Beach is beautiful with drinks and lunch snacks delivered to your palapa. A la cartes could be better but buffet is acceptable. Long ride across causeway to airport (90min.) Entertainment team were fun....Gabriel was a joy to talk to. No bingo. No bugs. Grounds will be fully in bloom next year. Quieter at beach as opposed to pool area.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Warwick

Well I had a blast at the resort. The people were great and most of them friendly. They definitely try to make u understand what they are saying and always smile or most of the staff does. It's a decent place .

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Brand new

This hotel was brand new and it showed. Best pool and buildings. The beach needs a little work, but we are told they will be doing work on it. The food is hit or miss, but thats Cuba. The best food in site was the bbq on the beach. Everything there was very good.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Excellent Service All Round

The hotel is beautiful and modern with an easy layout. We stayed in building 6 with an ocean view on the 2nd floor. The rooms are a good size and the maid service was good each day. The pool complex was a good size but was a bit on the cold side as we had a few cooler days. The beach was good but not as nice as other Cuban beaches but the service on the beach made up for this. Drinks were delivered to you as often as you could handle and water was beautiful. We had all of the a la cartes  [... read more]at least once and enjoyed them all. We only had the buffet twice for dinner and it was ok. Good options for breakfast. We did the snack bar every day for lunch and loved the pizza. All of the staff were very friendly and were keen to have conversations with guests who were interested. We had a great 10 days!

Valentin Perla Blanca: Excellent choice in Cuba

We were very impressed with this property. We went fir the beautiful sand and waters if Santa Maria and were not disappointed. The beach is narrow and long but clean, clear and beautiful. Service is quite good although bit overly fast but hey, you are on vacation food was surprisingly good!! Minor negatives were the extremely hard and uncomfortable beds, bank kept running out of money and staff that dealt directly with the guests that didn't speak much English. Overall a good choice and wo [... read more]uld recommend.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Fabulous resort!

We loved this resort. It had everything you would want and more. Rooms were very clean, rain shower was a lovely touch. Restaurants had great food and great service. We enjoyed the beach and were particularly impressed with the food and drink service on the beach. Lobby bar served the best drinks and coffees. Overall, we were very pleased. We have been to Cuba five times and we would definitely return to this resort.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: nice hotel

The hotel it is around two years old. The hotel and grounds are very clean staff are very friendly . When a person gets a room or before they book it make sure there is a stand up shower , because some may have hand held ones DO NOT work . Food is quite good knowing where you are. Food shack at the beach was great for lunchs . Becarefull of the floors when they are cleaning them , because they do not put WET FLOOR signs on them in most places, When you fall on one of those wet fl [... read more]oors the customer service people do not seem to care . Because when I fell they said oh sorry ( I was a little worry about my hip for a while ) all I got was sorry . We booked with a person named Karol in the Burlington office on Fairview I never in all my years in travelling come across a person in this business who can make so many mistakes on booking a trip . On the first email we got ELEVEN wrong things, he spelled our names and email address he still sent it out wrong. He got one persons email right .You would ask him a question about the hotel he would tell you something total different .THERE ARE NO ELEVATORS in this hotel we where told by Karol yes there was . I spoke to another person they said NO there was not

Memories Paraiso: Amazing Resort

We just got back from Memories Paraiso Azul Beach Resort on March 23rd. We've vacationed in Cuba 8 times now and this resort was by far the greatest. The rooms were nice and clean each day,the grounds were nice and tidy. The pools and beach were beautiful also. Each day our fridge was restocked with Beer, Pop and Water. The food was the best we've ever eaten in Cuba and we had no problem finding something that we all liked to eat. There were all kinds of bars at this resort. Certain times of the [... read more] day they had portable bars set up on the sidewalks. One evening our light in the washroom kept flickering on and off so I went to report it to the front desk on our way to dinner and when we returned an hour later a maintenace man was fixing it. We always bring lots of trinkets to give out to the maids and waitresses and this also helps with service. When you go for a meal they don't forget you and they treat you like royalty. I would definatly recommend this resort.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Awesome resort

This is our very first trip so it's hard to review and compare to other resorts. The staff is so friendly and always smiling. The rooms were well kept and the bed was extremely comfortable. All of the resort, lobby and grounds were tidy and clean. The food was great especially the snack bar at the party pool awesome burgers and chicken fingers and the A La Carte restaurants. The beach was like dream come true, long and outstanding ocean view, good food like the chicken sandwich. Always staff to  [... read more]cater to you. Lots of chairs and shade but no restrooms unless you went back to the pools. The catamaran excursion to the dolphin show and snorkeling for 99 pesos was the highlight of our trip, a must do. The flea market at La Estralla was worth it and so was the Carnaval. The things that we weren't impressed about were that the sewer system had overflown onto the walkway and it wasn't too pleasant to walk by and the smell was not to desirable, should have been barricaded off with a detour so nobody could have noticed it, I'm sure a lot of people were disappointed. It was really hard to exchange the beach towels as there wasn't anyone at the kiosk to do the exchange. We would definitely go back and it is highly recommended. Thank you Valentin Perla Blanca for having us, we love you and miss you all. You have an amazing staff. Hasta la vista

Melia Buenavista: Viva Melia!

My wife an I stayed at this resort from March 14-2, 2017. We have stayed in Cuba 5 or 6 times and have traveled to various other countries throughout the Caribbean. The cuban people are very friendly and accommodating. The food is always substandard and sadly we have come to expect it. We stayed at the VERY BIG and nosey Melia Las Dunas 6 years ago. We said at that time that we wouldn't return to Cuba. After some research on Tripadvisor we decided to try again and stayed at the 5 star Melia Buen [... read more]avista. Grab a glass a wine and read on to the end. Our only real complaint was with SUNWING. Our travel agent, Robyn Murray, at Trip Central was great. Answered all our questions and made booking a breeze. I highly recommend her and we will be looking for here services in the future. SUNWING Clean airplane with friendly onboard staff. This airline is all about selling excursions. The biggest complaint was seating. You can not preselect your seat unless you're willing to pay from $20 to $50!! We asked our travel agent about this and was told that we can wait until we got to the airport and select it for free. We did. We found out that if you are not willing to pay online you and your spouse or other travel companions probably won't get to sit together. Luckily, (because we arrived so early at the Halifax airport and beat the crowd) we managed to get seats together on the way to Cuba. On our return flight the Sunwing airport agent was not so willing to put us together without paying $25 each! Despite being at the front of the line. This is absolutely ridiculous and an obvious low sales ploy. After arguing for 10 minutes with a rude SUNGWING agent from Cuba. I relented and bought the ElitePlus $25 seats. All it included was the seats next to each other. Because of this we will NEVER use SUNWING again. After 35 years of flying all over the world I never had to pay extra to have my spouse sit next to me! Complete BS Sunning. Shame on you. Ok, now that that is off my chest let's get into the fun of it. AIPRORT to RESORT TRANSPORT The 90 minute bus ride was fun. Cash bar (cold beer) onboard with a energetic tour guide named Wally. FYI: Beers outside the airport are 5 pesos for three selection and pop/soda for two and one the bus they were 6 pesos for two beer (Crystal). Either way we all started our vacation with cold Cuban beers! Cheers! Unfortunately there are no toilet onboard the bus. They really need to get buses with toilets instead of stopping on the side of the road so people can relieve themselves. CHECKIN and BUTLER SERVICE Upon arrival at our resort we checked in with ease. Unlike other resorts were you waited in long lines, we walked in and were handed our room keys and information package. Our butler, Raymond, despite his lack of good english, was very professional, charming and attentive. He escorted us on a tour of the resort so we could have our bearings while greeting us with a cool glass of champagne. He was our butler for half the week sharing his off days with Belkis. Likewise, she was very charming, professional and had excellent English. Both of these sweet and hard working people went of of their way to check in with us everyday, book our reservations at the restaurants and always stopped to make certain we were enjoying ourselves. We were pleasantly surprised by some of the perks our sweet butlers provided including (but not limited to) the beautiful drawn bath with champagne on ice waiting for us upon our return to our room after a long day in the sun. 5 stars to our awesome butlers. Thank you so much for taking care of us. You helped make our experience awesome. THE MAIDS Our maids Janiay and Nuriely (I hope I spelt their names correctly) - both day and night maids were fantastic. The room was kept spotless. I discovered a broken bath head and before I had time to report it a repairman showed up and fixed it thanks for the maid. The lovely towel animals were amazing. We always looked forward to what creation was going to meet us. It gave us a smile everytime. Fresh towels everyday. The mini bar was keep full by a attentive staff member as well. We never had to asked for any brewages in our room. The coffee was delicious! THE ROOM WOW!! Gorgeous room. The best in all our travels. Outdoors shower was a nice treat. Nice lounging area to sit, read and relax. Patio off the pool with wooden chairs, table and build in sofa. Jacuzzi bath. Bidet included in the toilet for the ladies. Safe in the walking closet. Everything worked and was like new. POOL, BBQ and BEACH The pool bar staff were always fun. Lester, Laily, Osmany, Orestes were absolutely the most attentive bar staff anywhere. At 5 start resort should have bigger plastic glasses than those small cheap ones used elsewhere. The BBQ served up hamburgers, hotdogs pizza and skewers. Most of the time the hamburgers are under cooked despite asking to cook them well done. They have to work on that one. A huge thank you to Levon and Peter at the pool who reserved our cabana beds at the pool everyday. Levon is a great guy who I enjoyed talking to every morning. He works very hard and is very observant to everyone's needs at the pool. When we went to the beach he would clean off the chair and place our towel down nicely. Pedro and Peter were also very attentive at the beach. We had no complaints at all with these fine staff. Thank you as well to Dany for the Spanish lessons and lending me his personal mask and snorkel. I've forgotten the Aqua exercise guy who is a great dancer, DJ and morning doorman at the beach restaurant. We played a fun round of volleyball with him and a man from Bulgaria. I hate that I have forgotten his name but he was great. Every night we were treated to champagne and either a soloist playing the violin or saxophone at sunset on the beach. 5 star class! FOOD There are three restaurants at this resort. The morning restaurant is also open for lunch. This is also advertised as the resorts buffet. It misleading considering the buffet selection is extremely limited to some fruit, yogurt, pickles, beats, juice and snacks. There are two El la Carte restaurants. One had a different theme each night and the other seafood. If there has been anything we found out in our travels to Cuba, stick to what you know. We ate 5 nights at the seafood location. The spiny lobster and salmon were good. The beef was terrible and undercooked. All the restaurant staff at all three locations were very attentive and friendly. Cuba really needs to import better Chiefs from other countries. With everything else thats great about a Cuban vacation the food is way below par of everywhere else. Its the one thing that everyone talks about. Having a saying like "you don't go to Cuba for its food" is an unfortunate thing that has to change. Bad food takes a 5 star to a 2 star in one bite. If you have a weak stomach or you're a delicate eater, Cuba is not for you. Sorry Melia Hotels, but that's the sad truth. Bring snacks like granola bars, Pringles or gummy bears. The price you're paying is not for good food. :-( SNORKLING Unfortunately, we had high winds for most of the week. That's not a resorts fault. The day I did get out, it was well worth the wait. Beautiful underwater treasure awaits. Some on TripAdvisor say the snorkelling is better than the Great Barrier Reef, well I've been to the GBR and the snorkelling at this resort isn't as great as Australia, but it was right up there in its wonderment. Bring your own gear and definitely go out and explore. Thank you to Dany who very kind and lent me his personal gear to use. LOUNGE BAR This is the only place at this resort to enjoy a bit of nightly entertainment after sunset. Every night there are variety of world class professionals playing either smooth silky saxophone, pianist or clarinet. Outside the lounge bar near the pool we were treated to musicians and one of the best synchronized swimming water shows we have every taken in. The bar staff made any drink we asked for. Each and every one were fun, professional and polite to deal with. CAUTIONARY NOTE On Thursday we were treated to a pool side wine and rum tasting. About twenty of those of us had gathered around the pool took part and enjoyed the knowledgable staff tell us about the drinks. At the end of our trip upon at checkout I was presented to a bill of $40 pesos and asked to pay for the taste testing. I was shocked that we were not told that this was a payed event for some of the alcohol sampled. No one was told that this could happen. No one said we had to pay for some of the drinks. I told the checkout staff, Juan, that this was unexpected and unacceptable. He spoke with bar staff and his manager. His manger understood and waved the bill. I really appreciated this and wanted to mention here that this happened. I have no issue with paying for something when I know about it prior to taking part. I should also be mentioned that an "all-inclusive" resort normally means "all-inclusive" drinks. Thankfully, the manager was understanding and Juan was very polite in solving this misunderstanding. SPA and GYM Although, we toured the faculties upon arrival, we never had a chance to go there after. The gym was free but spa treatments had to be bought. I really could have enjoyed a massage to help unwind but not at the prices offered. Personally, I think that a 5 star should include some spa treatments. I think that if it one or two 15-20 minute sample treatments, like a chair massage, that people would be interested in purchasing longer or broader treatments offered. Just a suggestion. STORE There is a very small store onsite with a very small selection. Its only open briefly during the day. I bought a pair of swim trunks. There was just one style and two sizes. If you're a cigar smoker, you will be disappointed with the small section. However, Melia Las Dunes resort is just 5 kms away with a large humidor and great selection. Free bus rides leave every hour from 10 to 9 and every half hour until 11 for one resort to another and to the market. The bus was always one time and professionally driven. THE END We enjoyed our stay at the this resort. Every member of the staff were friendly and very professional. The resort is an adult only, small, clean and well kept place. The hotel management left a paper survey to fill out the day before we left. This was the first time we received a survey directly from a hotel. They seem to take recommendations serious and are trying to improve and make your stay comfortable which I found very impressive. I hope this review helps those trying to decide where to stay. With all things considered that I have written in this review be prepared to relax in this quiet and lovely resort. IT was unfortunate that our last contact in Cuba was with Sunwing but that will be fixed by not flying with them again. Hopefully, I will hear from them. They also past out a survey on the plane ride home. Let people select their own seats for free and stop the low ball practise of paying to sit with ones spouse! On a final bright note, thank you to the professional Melia Beunavista management, staff and our Trip Central travel agent for everything to make our trip relaxing and memorable. I hope you act upon my recommendations. And who knows someday we may return to your peaceful island.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Great time at the Warwick!

Just returned from a week at the Warwick in Cayo Santa Maria. Cuba is definitely my preferred vacation spot and it's mainly because it's very safe and the people are amazing! I have nothing but good things to say about the hotel and staff. I've been to Cuba numerous times and have only had what I would refer to as bad food at one place. I am happy to say this isn't the case here. There can be line-ups for omelets, pasta stations and freshly cooked meat but nothing I would complain about [... read more]. The staff at these stations are hardworking, entertaining and it's nice to have the option in the buffet. If you complain about the food here you should remember that you're not home. It may not be what you're used to but you're not home so enjoy something different on your vacation. We went to 3 of the 4 a la cartes and enjoyed them all. I won't recommend any because it really depends on what types of food you like. They have menus at Guest Services where you make the reservation. The nice thing about this resort is that Guest Services are available all day so you don't have to line up first thing in the morning to get a reservation. The rooms are clean and comfortable, and while I heard some complain about the walking, I don't know why. Everything, including the pool, buffet, a la cartes and lobby are in the middle of the resort. Unless you're going to the beach at the other end of the resort, the walk is minimal. The beach entrance between bungalows 14 and 15 will take you to the best beach. The other areas are fine just rocky. The ride from the airport is long but the bus is comfortable, they sell cold beer and you get a bit of a tour if it's daylight. If you leave early on your return, the guide on the bus will stop talking, put the lights out and let you sleep. I have no hesitation recommending this resort!