Roc Lagunas del Mar: Amazing March Break Vacation!

Do not believe the horrible reviews!!! Your vacation is what YOU make it. The Cubans are just there to assist and make it even better for you! Don't pick everything you've read apart - Go with an open mind and have a TON of fun! We just arrived back home from our visit at the Warwick March 10-17th and were definitely sad we had to leave! We arrived extremely late (2:00 a.m.) on Friday night and found ourselves in a room with 1 king bed for 3 people (myself, my husband and our 12 year o [... read more]ld daughter). Within about 15 minutes they had a cot (felt like sleeping on a concrete slab) but she got through it fine and first thing Saturday morning we were switched to a room with 2 double beds. Rooms: We were in Bungalow 10 Room 1029 - Ocean view - on the 2nd floor - I must say this is the BEST bungalow to be in - you're close to absolutely everything and it's quieter than bungalow #9 - which is close to the pool but would be very noisy. Yoel was our maid and he always answered our requests and we never had any issues. The only inconvenience was on the last day when there was no water in the morning, but we packed up, went to the pool and when we went back to shower before heading out it was back on. No complaints. Food: You will definitely not go hungry at this Resort. Although the food is repetitive there is nothing wrong with it and you can always find something. I strongly suggest the fresh pasta or fish station (the grilled beef & chicken tends to be overcooked). The line ups can be long - it just depends on when you go. The buffet closes at 10 a.m. for breakfast but you can always get breakfast foods at the 24 hour snack bar. The 24 hour Snack Bar is perfect for a bite when you're at the pool or you just so happen to miss the buffet because you overslept in the morning. They serve pizza, burgers, fries, and a few other items. The Crazy Lobster has a great lunch. The fried fish & fried chicken were very good. Some days you'll be at the beach and a guy will come and ask you if you'd like a sandwich - they were serving ham & cheese panini's at the middle beach bar one day...really tasty. We never got to try the beach bbq'd ribs and chicken - as both days we went looking it wasn't offered. There's also a little hidden gem of a bar just off the path to the beach between buildings 9 & 10 and in that little area is the most amazing fish fry. Cooked different every time you go and very very good! A La Cartes: We only ate at the Crazy Lobster & Le Med. Neither were for me, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. If I may suggest to management (hopefully you read your reviews), invest in steak knives for your a la cartes. Beach: You can't control mother nature and as other reviews state, the beaches have coral. the last few days of our vacation was very windy and where there's coral one day, there may not be the next. Just bring water shoes or flip flops in case you need to walk over it. the best part of the beach is on the right hand side, but you can also find good beach at any of the entrances, it just depends on the tide and what it does over night! A shout out to Armondo the bartender at the beach bar between 9 & 10 - he makes an amazing Cayo Sunrise (with Malibu) and always has a smile on his face. Entertainment: The entertainment crew were great. Always entertaining. The only thing I can say (again, management if you're reading your reviews) is that the "Comedy Show" is not appropriate for children...not even a little bit. I would say it's more 16+ for sure. All other nights the entertainment was very entertaining and enjoyable. Internet: $1.50 pesos for a 1 hour wifi card. The best time to get the wifi was in the morning around 9:30 and in the evening around 11 or so. Sometimes we would be able to get it in our room, at the pool or the Crazy Lobster restaurant in the afternoon, but it was hit or miss. If I didn't need to connect with the outside world while I was on vacation I would have disconnected altogether. The very limited access was a welcomed break for sure. All in all, we had a great vacation and will definitely go back to Santa Maria again. Would I recommend this resort - absolutely. Would we go back? Definitely, but because it was our first time in Santa Maria, we would like to experience other resorts as well. See you again some day Warwick Cayo Santa Maria!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Okay resort

I booked because of reviews and it seems the reviews were both good and bad. Most beautiful beach I've seen but large rock to get down to get to beach. We found 2 large cockroaches in our room which I understand because it's a tropical country but still unnerving! Rooms were clean, wait times for omelettes extremely long but I'm assuming that was because of March Break. I don't think I would travel to this resort again but would be willing to try another.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: A modern resort!

-Beautiful contemporary room! -Spacious lobby & well kept grounds, felt uncrowded even though we visited over March break. -Beach was beautiful with some areas of coral outcropping, as well as smooth sand further down. Water shoes recommended if you want to walk over the coral to get to snorkeling area. -Food was fine, but the variety could have been better, and buffet foods could have been hotter. -The à la cartes had speedy service and great selection (a nice change from the buffet!) -Th [... read more]ere were 3 pools, one of which was empty during our stay. -The overall atmosphere was quiet (may have just been the week we stayed...)

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Not a kid friendly resort, rocky beach, green water in the pool

Starting with the positive points, the resort is new, people are nice and work hard to make your stay enjoyable. Food is basic, no variety, however the grilled meat and omelettes were great, coffee and cappuccino were great as well. Good selection of drinks. AC unit worked well in the room. There is a flat screen with a few channels and a mini fridge filled daily. Safe is included at no fee. Now for the bad, the resort has no beach... a storm took the sand away last year and exposed corals ev [... read more]erywhere, we had to walk a good 20 minutes from the hotel to find a little spot where we could stay on the beach and go into the water. To get there we had to climb over cliffs of sharp corals and be careful not to fall (and carry the kids and beach towels and bags etc). By the time we got to the beach, kids needed a bathroom and so we had to begin the journey back, the nearest bathroom being 20 minutes away, over the dangerous cliffs or corals. The beach also has only a few palapas, not a lot of shade. Now for the pools, they are all located in the middle of the resort, about 4 of them, and by day three the water turned green and disgusting, we never saw any filtering or medusas cleaning the water, just a guys with a bucket of chemicals by day 4. One kid woke up with closed eyes and discharged in her eyes the next morning. Kids area is in-existential, with a little playground next to the pool, in the full sun, a couple of swings and a little slide, no water park or daycare or full playground. Amenities are basic, no spa, fancy gym or gardens.dated retro decor, even though it is a new resort. Uncomfortable beds and pillows, a toilet that leaked and smelled and not very clean overall. A 3 star at most.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Surprisingly good!

This is our first time in Cuba and most of our friends actually discouraged us in going. Even though the bus ride from the airport to the resort was 90 minutes long, it wasn't boring at all. We arrived at the resort early but was allowed to go to the buffet to have something to eat. We were both so surprise about the amount of food at the buffet. There is something for everyone, for every age. The food was great, there is absolutely no complain about the food. Then, we headed to the beach  [... read more]area and it was absolutely beautiful. The water was clean and crystal clear. Our room was clean and was kept clean everyday. The bathroom requires some repairs but really not a big deal. Overall, our first experience in Cuba is surprisingly very good! We would certainly return to same hotel.

Melia Buenavista: Amazing beach !

This was our first and probably last trip to Cuba. We knew going in not to expect too much from the food but it was not good at all. The best food at the resort is the pizza and hot dogs at the pool snack bar. The variety of food at the two onsite restaurants was very poor. We even went to the other two Melia resorts for dinner hoping they would be better unfortunately they were no better. On a positive the staff are amazing and go above and beyond to make sure you have a wonderful stay. The poo [... read more]ls are immaculate and the grounds are lovely and we kept. The room was very nice and clean and well maintained. The outdoor shower was great and always had lots of hot water. My only complaint about the room was the bed it was like a concrete block and by day 3 my back was seized up and quite painful. My husband had discomfort as well and neither of us have back problems. The highlight for us were the beaches. The water was incredible and the best part of the vacation. Sadly I would say we won't be returning to Cuba as we felt this was a lot of money for what we got. We went to St Lucia same time last year for the same amount and it was a far superior resort. In closing it's not the resorts fault it's what they have to work with but there's so much room for potential it's a shame.

Melia Las Dunas: Good resort

The beach was narrower than expected and it was difficult to find chairs, but chairs at the pool were always available. Rooms were large and the hot water plentiful. Line ups were long at the buffet. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Very good resort.

-The best thing I found is that it was new, very clean, everything worked. This was somewhat unusual based on my past experiences in Cuba although I always enjoyed Cuba and other resorts were also acceptable. -Big rooms, big washroom, big bed, good linen -No bugs, sand flees -I would rate facilities ***** -generally convenient distances to meals, beach, entertainment. -The swimming pools were excellent for young kids. However there was no pool for good swimmers, too shallow. -Good tennis f [... read more]acilities -Food rating: ****. Generally good and versatile. But the special a la carte evening formal dinners meal was tasteless and not good. Only tried one. To be fair we found the same thing at other similar resources. The beach was just OK because we ha to walk left or right of the hotel to find clear sandy beaches as the volcanic rocks in front were rather sharp. In summary I would go back to this hotel

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Iberostar Enenachos in Cayo Ensenachos

The hotel is very clean. Lots of fish to eat. Family resort full of entertainment for children. The beach is very shallow and crystal clear water. But what I think is most important is that no one person in the family (2 adults 3 children) did get sick. Definitely a resort I would visit again.

Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso: Beautiful Resort

We enjoyed our stay!! The food was amazing, the beach sand was so soft and the water was so clear!! However, 2 hours from the airport is too far! The entertainment was top notch!! All that was lacking for a 24hr drink and all adult resort was adult entertainment!! Nothing much happening after 10:30pm and no disco on the property. Also, the desk and concierge do not answer the phones and we feel that we bought privilege for nothing because the added service was simply not there! If you like a nic [... read more]e relaxing place to go and you like to go to bed early, then this place is for you!

Melia Las Dunas: Good resort

The grounds were clean, the dining was good there was something for everyone. The rooms were dated, the beds lumpy. The staff were friendly, the beach was perfect, beautiful, clear water, very enjoyable. Could of used more information from the tour group.

Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso: Absolutely Beautiful

We just loved this resort from the first time entering the beautiful lobby.. The landscaping ...flowers,plant etc I have to mention the gardners who look after everything out in the heat all day with always a welcome and a smile...The staff were friendly and always remembered us ...check in was a breeze as was check out...Food was good ..we liked the specialty restaurants as a change ...There was a problem with a few of public washrooms but we always had our room to go to... Beach ,pools ser [... read more]vice wonderfull... Could have music ,dancing a little later into the evening as it is an adult resort But other than that we loved our two week stay

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Would not go back

This resort was nice but some flaws would make us not return, unfortunately. The adults only side of the Grand Memories - the Santuary was quiet and certainly very relaxing. The pool and beach areas were definitely the best part of this resort. Absolutely gorgeous. The pool was not busy and you could always find a shade or sun spot. The poolside bar was great. Santa Maria itself is remote in that there is not a lot in the immediate area (town to go to for example) but you go here to get away and [... read more] enjoy less hustle and bustle. Varadero 2 hours away; Havana 4 hours. The staff overall were friendly but the general understanding of English was poor for many of the staff even in the concierge service. As a result the communication for instructions, directions was hard. The Sun Wing-Nexus staff however were very helpful and communicated well. The butler service in this side of the resort was convenient to have but again communication not great. The food was average, bland at best but many a la carte restaurants gave some variety. The rooms and grounds were neat and tidy. I would give a 3 star rating in Canadian standards. The main reason we would not recommend this hotel is that they have a history of water issues. Although not sure the real reason, whether it's pipes breaking or other problems, the resort will shut the water off during the day. We had 2 days when they did this and they will not tell you when or for how long. We talked to other people staying the week before us and they had 4 of 7 days without water for most of the day. Apparently there have been times when guests had to go to the pool with their garbage buckets to get water in order to flush the toilets. This also related to unclean poolside bathrooms (with reports of toilets overflowing) and more serious questions of how restaurant staff were washing their hands and kitchen areas to cook and prepare our food! It's unfortunate but we would not return to this part of Cuba. We are of the understanding that the water issue involves most of the resorts in this area. Other than that it would be good value for what you pay as the beach and pool were beautiful.

Melia Las Dunas: Fabulous Beach

The beach was awesome; the grounds very nice with nightly entertainment. Well lite at night. Rooms and the cleanliness not so great. If you are looking for beach and the room is less important - then this is the place for you.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: It was amazing resort. We were there in January 2017 and decided to go again when we saw the special on the morning before we left

The staff are great,Yireni,Rosa,Leodanny,Dania ,Yandriel and William to name a few of the great helpful and fun staff. Our room was very clean and and a lovely ocean view. There was a wide choice of food ,the fresh fish every day was excellent plus the smoked salmon. Also there were station where one could have their choice of chicken,pork and meat cooked while you watched,also you could choose to have fresh pasta. We are planning to go there again next winter.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: 3 out of 5

Not terrible. Food was good. Service was so so. Have to tip to receive adequate service. Beach was gorgeous. Weather was perfect. Resort was dated but mostly clean. Big problems with water pressure. Excursion in the mountains was the highlight.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Happy and Disappointed - S Trip Ruined the End

Just came back from Melia Cayo Santa Maria! Flew with Sunwing Airlines. Stayed 03/06/17 to 03/13/17. To sum it up the resort was OK - not the best but not the worst I have been to. But honestly, to be able to enjoy a week's worth of sunshine and drinks at the beach in the middle of a Canadian Winter, this place was great. With that said, here is my 2 cents about my stay and impression of this resort. The Good: 1. Staff: The staff (including servers, bartenders, front desk, ground keepers, [... read more] entertainment staff, and chambermaids) were all very friendly for the most part. All the staff said hola or hello when they walked by. 2. Cleanliness: The grounds were well maintained and were clean. Lots of lush vegetation and the beach was beautiful. The rooms were cleaned every day and I never came back from a day at the beach/pool to a dirty room. Yes, the room did appear dated but it had its Cuban charm. 3. Food: Let's be honest...nobody goes to Cuba for the food. But that being said, the food was very good at this resort. The lunch beach side grill restaurant was 10/10 (You HAVE to try the grilled chicken and sausages).The buffet offered a very good selection and variety of food items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The a la carte restaurants for the most part were great. We were lucky enough to try 3 out of 4 restaurants (Japanese, Italian and French). We had a very fun teppanyaki chef at the Japanese restaurant. The food at the Japanese and Italian restaurants were great. Definitely try the deep fried cheese at the Italian restaurant. As for the French restaurant, stay away from the lobster bisque and lobster entree. No amount of salt/pepper could have saved those lobster dishes (this was seen with many of the people who ordered the bisque and lobster). But I was impressed that a lobster entree was offered for no additional cost. 4. Transfer from airport to resort/Sunwing Nexus rep: The bus transfers were well organized. I never felt confused as to what was happening or how I was going to get to and from the airport. The Nexus rep (ODaisy) was very knowledgeable and kind. She is at the front lobby everyday from 14:30 to 16:30. So definitely go find her for all your questions. Also based on the geography of this resort, I wanted to point out that the bus ride from the airport to the resort is about 90 mins each way. If you have motion sickness...you have been warned! 5. Entertainment: Definitely a quieter resort (which I wanted). There was aqua fitness at the pool in the afternoons, daily evening live bands at the lobby bar, and a dance or show every night at 21:30 (usually for about 45 mins). Overall well organized activities. The Bad: 1. Tipping/Gifts: For the most part, staff were very grateful for tips. However I did notice on a few occasions that if my tip was less than $5 CDN, staff wouldn't even bat an eye. What did upset me though was one occasion where I saw a resort guest bring presents/gifts to the staff at the snack bar, and it appeared once the guest left the area, the staff were making fun of the quality of the presents (in front of all the snack bar patrons)...found that to be quite disrespectful. The gifts were by no means cheap either (sunglasses, baseball jerseys etc). 2. Maintenance/Water Pressure: The buildings at the resort are starting to show its age. Exterior walls are peeling off, room curtains were dangling by a thread etc. But we went to Cuba to enjoy the sunshine and good weather...you could have put me in a mud hut and it would still beat the brutal Canadian cold/snow. We also noticed some issues with water pressure. The water essentially trickled out of the faucets. Hot water is hit and miss. But apparently this is an ongoing issue among all the resorts in Cayo Santa Maria. We met a family staying at a neighbouring resort and they did not have water in the showers for 2 days. 3. As another reviewer mentioned, S Trippers and March break party groups began to arrive the Friday. The groups were loud (but what did you expect with unsupervised high school students with access to alcohol). Loud parties in the rooms were heard. Drinks were spilled on walk ways etc. 6. The biggest disappointment was that this trip was supposed to be our honeymoon. We are a low key couple but did appreciate the fact that there would be additional incentives as a newlywed couple visiting the resort. Well...not the case when we arrived at the resort. The reception staff claimed they did not receive a copy of our marriage certificate and/or indication that this trip was our honeymoon. In fact staff was rather rude when we inquired further about the mix up. Our travel agent in Canada had photocopied and faxed our marriage certificate to the Melia, and indicated on the booking confirmation form about the request. We decided to just let it go and enjoyed the resort as regular patrons - fine by me and to be honest, we kind of expected a slip up with this. Overall my resort stay was a 3 out of 5. I was pleased with the stay, and would recommend this resort to those seeking a quiet retreat (outside of the March Break time frame).

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Amazing Hotel with the best staff.

Beautiful well kept grounds. Clean pool with lots of sun loungers brought to you and placed just where you want to relax. Beach,the best I have been to. Again, the staff on the beach were so helpful. Bar staff, especially the Havana beach bar, were exceptional.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Iberostar Ensenachos

Beach was fantastic! Staff were all very helpful and kind. Hotel rooms were OK. Food not so good. Overall nice stay. Always had loungers available either at the beach or the pool. Lots of shade available. Complimentary catamaran ride was awesome!

Melia Las Dunas: Amazing Resort

The grounds, the landscape, the architecture exceeded my expectations, it is a very beautiful resort. Well, this is my second time to the Caribbean, so I do not have much to compara against; however, I don't see why this place would not meet anybody's standards. The food was good, if one know what to choose. I chose to stick with fresh fruits and vegetables, some of the vegetables are unbelievably fresh and wholly organic. That was a treat for me, to eat some truly organic squash, asparagus,  [... read more]hearts of palm, oranges, papayas, bananas etc. The drinks are a little washed down, the ice creams are ok, but the local salad dressings are amazing (all home made with fresh herbs). The only concern I have is the public washrooms. The resort has to up its maintenance of the washrooms since in many occasions they lacked soap, soap dispensers and toilet paper. They also didn't keep up with the cleanliness of the washrooms. In the evenings some of the public washrooms' baskets were overflowing with used toilet paper. They definitely could and should do a better job there. It is a public safety issue!! The other issue I found, is that one day they did not have running water and I was afraid that could have caused widespread infectious diseases. I understood that that was not the first time that the resort was out of water, it had happened once before during the previous week. On the service side, people are warm, friendly and genuine. They made an impression in my 12 year old. Atmosphere and entertainment are great too. I wish the resort would have an ocean view, that was a big miss. At night, I felt I walking around a country club, not a beach resort because the resort is surrounded by foliage, it is a provincial park after all. Other than that, great experience and I recommend the resort to anyone.