Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Iberostar Ensenachos, Cuba March 5 to 12, 2017

Bus ride from airport to resort well organized & smooth. Upon arrival our rooms were ready. Bus boy loaded our luggage onto cart, drove us to our room and he was very friendly. Our room was very clean (2729) Only complaint, the white towels have seen better days, could use a little bleach to camouflage the stains. I asked for more hangers, they appeared 3 days later. The maids kept the room extremely tidy & clean & mini bar was well stocked every day. Grounds on the resort are very well groome [... read more]d, only complaint is that light bulbs on the walkways needed to be replaced. (maintenance issue). Bathroom locks on doors in central lobby needed to be replaced & running out of toilet paper & hand towels was an everyday issue. Also that the beach restaurant washroom running out of toilet paper and hand towels was an issue and it was not kept very tidy at all. All meals at the hotel were well prepared and such a lovely large variety. Waiters and waitresses are the Best! Wi-Fi is very slow, you log in you get kicked out & minutes you pay for count. We travel quite a bit, & this is the 1st time we had airplane malfunction. Checked bags, went thru Customs & waited for departure at 11:00 a.m. Boarded plane & waited on plane for 1 1/2 hours. Captain says we have to go back to terminal. Take luggage with us. Luggage is left on tarmac, we proceed thru Customs. It starts pouring rain, luggage gets soaking wet. We wait at terminal until 5:00 p.m. & told we have to board buses & go back to a hotel (1 1/2 hours away) with our luggage. At this resort it took 1 hour to check-in. We get a courtesy room and a meal. At 11:00 p.m. we board bus again & drive (1 1/2 hours away) back to Terminal. Arriving at 1:00 a.m. Check in again and Customs yet again. Finally boarded new plane with new crew and took off at 1:30 a.m. Arrived in Toronto 5:00 a.m. Get home unpack wet suitcases, scatter all wet clothes all over the floor and time to get some shut eye. I'm Thankful the pilot made the decision he did, as this story could have had an unhappy ending!

Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso: Beautiful, Relaxing and Modern.

Beaches: White sand, crystal clear water, lots of shady areas. The long beaches made for wonderful evening/morning walks. Pools: Well kept, unique design, clean. Relaxing pool on separate side of resort from the activities "party" pool, made it easy to enjoy whatever mood your in. Grounds: Beautiful Gardens, paved pathways, simple design (easy to navigate), multiple access points to the beach. Main lobby building is large, open and well situated. Rooms: Modern, Air conditioned, Balco [... read more]ny (paid for garden view and still had a view of the Ocean) Cleaned daily, Bar fridge was re-stocked daily. Food: We had a la carte breakfast at Rachon Tobacco most days (Privilege Package Perk) the selection was good, the food was very good. Buffet had a large selection including fresh grilling stations, pizza bar, salad bar...it was easy to make healthy eating choices. The Seafood restaurant was very good, French was okay, Spanish was good and the Lobster Dinner (Privilege Package Perk) was very good. I am a total foodie and found my meals for the most part very enjoyable. No complaints about the food which was surprising from what I had been told about the food in Cuba. Staff: Very fun (and flirty), always smiling, very accommodating. I tried my best to speak Spanish with staff (basically learning throughout the week) who were always willing to help me with my pronunciation or teach me new words. Staff were very appreciative of tips and gifts. I would recommend the Privilege Package upgrade. We had a room on the top floor which faced the ocean (Paid for Garden View) Upon arrival we didnt have to wait in line in the main lobby, our concierge escorted us to our air condition privilege lounge, provided comfortable seating and a welcome cocktail. He showed us where everything is on the map, booked our a la cartes and free massage, and escorted us and our luggage to our room.

Memories Paraiso: Awesome!

The resort was perfect for us- 4 girls travelling to get away for a break. The beach was amazing. The pool was clean and the food and service was awesome. There were your typical Cuba mishaps- like times of day when water pressure was low or at one point no water, but this is Cuba and travellers need to keep that in mind. We didn't let anything ruin the trip! The buffet repeated but there was ALWAYS something to eat, the room service was early and excellent filling our fridge with whatever we re [... read more]quested and maid service was just as good. I think our favorite would have to be the staff! All of them provided excellent and most importantly genuine service. They didn't give extras for the tippers and didn't expect anything from anyone. It was a great place for no pressure and great memories!

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: The worst vacation ever

We had no water. You can not use the toilet, bad smell everywhere. Dirty everywhere. Service in the buffet bad, bad food choices, no tea, no yogurt, no french toast, you should always wait in line for food. Waiters speak only Spanish. Never again...

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Nice Resort

This hotel resort was perfect for me and my wife and our friends. From Cuban standards, it has all what you need to enjoy a nice comfortable stay. Food is good, I would not recommend the A la Carte restaurants though, it's just not worth it unless you need to be in a tête-à-tête or looking for some kind of intimacy. We had a much better experience at the Buffet, which has a good variety for both vegetarian and meet eaters alike. The rooms are clean and very comfortable. The beach, outstanding [... read more]. The only true drawback... the hotel is 1h30-2-h away from the airport. For us that meant loosing two days of beach: we arrived at 1:30pm on a Friday at the Santa Clara Airport and by the time we were checked-in at the hotel it was 4:40pm. The following Friday, we had to leave the hotel at 9h30 am for a 2:00pm departure. So you need to factor that into your trip if you are planning a one-week stay only.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Great Resort!

First off I would like to say I loved everything about Trip Central, the booking and the service afterwards was just awesome! 3rd time in Cuba. We don't really have nothing negative to say. Drive to the resort is close to 2 hours however just enjoy the scenery!! Check in was quick!! Exchanging $$ was quick!! The resort was clean including the lobby/pool washrooms. No complaints at all like other reviews say!! Our room was clean! The food was good! My family had no real complain [... read more]ts. Like other reviews say, it's Cuba, we don't cook the same way, therefore we may not like it as much... However we did not loose weight! :) Line ups at the buffet were not that long, maybe a 10mins wait and we went at different times in mornings and evenings. We found it long waits at the Snack Bar. One time we waited over 1 hour (for lunch). As for the towels, no problems at all, the guy cleaning our room/building, was always there, morning, afternoon, just remember to exchange them with him. The a la Cartes, we reserved 3 nights, the lady who reserved for us was friendly and quick. The food at all three a la Cartes was good and the service was good, everybody was nice and quick! The beach, yes like the reviews say, there are rocks, but just find a place with no rocks, it's perfecto and better than snow!! :) Bus goes to the resort every hour, great to use (adults $2 pesos each, kids free) to go visit the markets or even the Dolphin show which my family (two boys 8 and 10) absolutely loved!! $16 Pesos for a family of 4. Can't beat that for a 20mins show with dolphins! I could go on and on in my review. For sure there may be something not to satisfactory, each family is different, however I think when you go on a trip, you have to make the best out of it. If you spend your time finding what's wrong at a resort or be negative, you will be unhappy for the week.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Very nice.

It was calm and friendly, like we wanted. The staff/workers try very hard to keep visitors happy. Grounds were beautiful, lots of flowers and shrubs. Different music by the pool daily. The food is ok which is normal for Cuba. The two other connecting Resorts were noisier with children and more people. This was perfect for us. The Beach was fantastic. Aqua blue water and blue skies. The sand was white and deep - awesome.

Melia Las Dunas: Great Resort!

This is my 3rd time staying at Melia Las Dunas. First time was with friends, second time I took my family including 2 young grandchildren aged 7 and 1. This time I went solo. It is a great spot. The resort is very big so be prepared to do some walking. My room was lovely and clean, and was kept so my entire week there. There were some problems with the water, but apparently the entire island was having issues and it was not a big deal for me. Check in and check out was fast and extremely  [... read more]easy. I ate the buffet 90% of the time; you will not starve!! There is always a great selection at every meal and I never ate the same thing twice at supper. The wait staff is very accommodating and always helped me find a small table as I was alone. The pool areas are always busy, but clean and well maintained. The grounds are beautiful and the groundskeepers take huge pride in their work. The beach is awesome, with absolutely the most beautiful water you will ever see or swim in! The evening entertainment is always fun and the main lobby is one of my favourite spots; I went there in the daytime to do some reading and have a drink, and the evenings were great for pre-dinner entertainment. All in all, I really love this resort and am already planning another trip with my family for next winter.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Never again

No water. When we arrived we were met with a room without water. No mention at check in. Was told it was a broken water main that affected all resorts on island. Only to find out on bus back to airport that guests at other resorts had no water issues. Had periods of water here and there but at no specific times and went days without showering. Met guests on arrival that said it has been off 4 days prior to my arrival. I was travelling with my family, children, and air Canada vacations didn't che [... read more]ck to see if any major problems such as not have water, a basic necessity, were affecting their customers they are sending to this resort. Extremely disappointed in this resort and air Canada vacations for ruining my family holiday. I feel I wasted thousands. We were all sick as expected. How are the dishes being properly cleaned. People using buckets to fetch water from the pool to pour down their toilet. Brutal. Starfish Santa Maria don't go. Air Canada vacations don't use them. Trip central, thank you for advertising this on your website and contributing to the absolute destruction of my family holiday.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Don't waste your money

No water for 2.5 days washrooms had either flooded toilets or were shut down. Food was disgusting and we are by no means picky eaters. Do not eat at the el la carts absolutely disgusting. Rooms were dirty bedding was never changed and used the same towels. Would not recommend this hotel ever. More like a two star rather then a 4.5 star

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Very nice resort!

This was my first time to Cuba and I went with an open mind. This is what my family experienced during our stay from the 3-10 March 2017: Bus ride from the airport in Santa Clara to the Warwick Resort, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba. The tour guide was extremely informative and the trip was very interesting. It does take approx. 2 hours to get to the resort from the airport but we definitely got to see a lot of Cuba and the scenery was beautiful. Make sure you use the facilities at the airport as [... read more] there aren't any on the bus and the driver does not stop. Check In at the Warwick: Very slow - it took approx. 1 1/2 hours to check in once we arrived at the hotel (only 2 hotel clerks were there to check-in the entire bus load of passengers). Something that was very noticeable was that fact that the public washrooms throughout the resort never seemed to have toilet paper in them. I learned quickly to take the spare roll that was in our room with us wherever we went. I did mention this several times to the staff. I wasn't the only one who noticed this....several guests were complaining about it. Our room was great (Building 17, Ground Floor). It was very clean except for the fact that the patio door would not lock (we had to brace the ironing board in the tracking of the patio door). The lady that cleaned our room did a fantastic job and we always had a fresh supply of towels, water, pop and beer). The beds only have one 'body pillow' per bed. I had read the reviews ahead of time and we took our pillows with us...no problem. The beach towels are plush and plentiful and may be exchanged every day! We found the resort to be very beautiful and well laid out. Most days there were hardly any people in the pools and there were plenty of lounge chairs to relax on. The beach is beautiful and the water is crystal clear to see to the bottom and the sand is almost white. The beach was not crowded at all. Service on the beach was fantastic as well! We were very impressed with our A la Carte meals with the exception of 'Crazy Lobster'. Service is fantastic at the A la Carte restaurants. The male servers at the Buffet Restaurant were far more attentive than the female servers and were always there to greet you and serve you your beverage choice. There was an issue with the bank located within the hotel. There was a day when it wasn't open at all. Then it reopened the following day however the teller at the bank stated that she would require our passports as well. If you go to the bank at the La Estrella Market you will need your passport at well. There are lots of souvenirs at the market and you can 'barter' on the price of goods. There was no pressure to purchase anything at the market. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I personally really liked the Cuban culture, the people and the language. I did get food poisoning on the 9th (the day before we left). However, I was told ahead of time to expect this. Yes, I was up-to-date on all of my vaccinations. A lot of the other tourists that we met at the resort were complaining about the food, choices, etc. We found the food to be very good and always plenty of choices. It seemed as though some other tourists were expecting exactly what one would get in Canada. It is important to remember that you are not in Canada but that you are in Cuba and things will be different. The pork, fish and eggs were fantastic and very tasty! Here is how we tipped: We tipped the housekeeper every morning (approx. $3.00 CUC as well I left a small package of goodies for her every day (i.e. toothbrushes, make-up, nail polish, children's colouring books, crayons, toys). I also took gardening gloves and hard candy for the gardener and give him $2.00 CUC every few days). We also tipped the bartender every day as well as our servers (we even tipped the cook who prepared our food at the grill). Even though there was a lack of toilet paper in the public washrooms I still tipped the ladies that clean the bathrooms - it is a thankless job. They were most appreciative. The employees were always appreciative of whatever you gave them. We saw 3 of the nightly shows and they were fantastic! Overall I would rate this resort at a 7.5 out of 10. I will definitely be going back to Cayo Santa Maria.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Definitely not a 4+star

The resort main reception area is nice when you first get there. The staff very was helpful. We did get what we asked for as far as a suite with ocean view. Very little representation from Sunwing. The agent was there basically to book excursions. Any concerns you might have, had to be addressed to the resort staff. We booked a 10 day stay and out of those ten days we had only 4 full days of water. The other days were intermitent. Cold showers in the morning and had to fill the tub in or [... read more]der to have some water to flush the toilets and sponge bath. The smell sometimes was pretty offensive as the public washrooms were not being serviced. That brings us to the next concerns how did they wash the dishes and everything else that needs water treatment. Also no phone service in the room so no access to front desk in case of emergency. We bought a WiFi card but could not access the internet anywhere. The food was not very appetizing and we almost became vegetarian as we couldn't eat the meat. Maybe SUNWING should reconsider representing this resort.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Needs Some Work !

Well where to begin ? I have been to cuba many times and was very happy ,but this time was not so good the starfish resort was not up to par ! We stayed here for 7 days and was only able to shower 3 times (2 of them cold) due to the lack of running water it got so bad that we and many of the other guests had to pail water from the pool to our room to flush our toilets using the room garbage can liners. Some people were even bathing in the pool with soap at night so gross. Due to the lack of run [... read more]ning water they closed all the public wash rooms on the resort many times through out our stay and we never seen them vaccum the pool once during our stay which is not good since there was a lot of sand in it from people washing the beach sand off of their feet . Also we had to ask for an exchange of our coffee cups / glasses and silver ware many times at the buffet because they were still dirty. We talked to people at the resort and found out the water problem was at other resorts in the area aswell, but starfish seemed to be the worst . On a good note the staff and workers are awesome and friendly . We managed to make the best of the week, but wish it was more like a vacation not a chore. Well with that all said you may want to do research on the resorts in the area to see if the water problem is resolved before you book your trip !

Valentin Perla Blanca: Relaxation!

Nice, clean hotel with friendly staff. We did not experience one problem with the hotel. Beach was beautiful although the water was a bit cooler than expected. Pretty isolated so not much in the way of excursions.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Just Ok

Very Beautiful. Beach Beautiful. Beach Bar Servers were excellent. Staff at inside Bars we're terrible. Not friendly, sometimes rude. Food was the same everyday, but the waiters we're excellent& friendly. Front Desk was not very helpful. Our Butler Juan was great when we got to see him. Would not return.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Beautiful resort ❤️😁🍹🍺🥗

Just got back from Iberostar Ensenachos in beautiful Santa Maria. We had a wonderful stay. We went with our almost 4year old. Great place for a family vacation. No issues whatsoever. Food was VERY good- the best I've had in Cuba yet (4th time visiting different places). Wonderful, friendly service, great food and drinks, clean resort and the BEST beaches!!! Looking forward to coming back soon.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Beautiful Resort - Disappointing A la Carte Restaurants

Ocean Casa del Mar was a beatiful resort, in every way. The only thing we didn't like was the a la carte restaurants. We've always had good experiences at other resorts in Cuba and have always defended Cuba when people say the food is not good which is why we were so disappointed. We tried the Italian, Asian and Seafood restaurants. We gave up after the 3rd and started going to the buffet, which we really don't like doing.

Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso: Relaxing Vacation

Lobby is great for the evening listening to live music and meeting people. Entertainment in the theatre is ok. WIFI is extremly poor. Public washrooms throughout the resort are missing alot of toilet seats & toilet paper. Food in 24 hour snack bar and buffet are better than other resorts i've been to in Cuba, a la carte, seafood didn't have half of the menu ended up getting beef skewers, french is terrible very salted with lots of no littl ebugs on table & dishes, Italian was amazing. Beach isn' [... read more]t great, party pool chopped up both areas have alot of broken chairs and having to play the towel game no later than 6am or you'll end up sitting on cement stairs/ landing above the pool filter area. Pool entertainment staff doesn't mingle with clients. rooms are average and clean, mini bar stocked between 5 & 530pm very smart to be able to get more tips. Maid service very good. if your looking for a relaxing trip this a place for you. I wouldn't return to this resort unless it was no more than $800 taxes in. I would rate this resort a 3 1/2*.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Beautiful Resort

The Warwick Cayo Santa Maria is a beautiful resort. The staff did a wonderful job catering to our needs . The selction of food was good , had many options at all meals .The grounds and pools were well maintained . My only disappointment was with the beach, as we have been to Santa Maria in past at other resorts that had beautiful white sandy beaches . The Warwick has a large beach area , but it is very rocky and uneven, just disappointed it wasn't like the beaches we had been on before. Overal [... read more]l this resort was fabulous and would definitely come again.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: OK resort

Beach was great. Food wasn't good or hygienically prepared Not recommend for vegetarians or anyone with dietary restrictions Alacart restaurants has difficulty to get into and the food wasn't much better there either