Great resort

Very clean, great beaches, friendly staff. Food is ok, not much variety. Not the staff’s fault in anyway. They really try and do the best they can. 3 different beaches, so depending on the wind, you can find a calm beach to relax.

Beautiful resort!

We stayed in a Junior Suite on a second floor, which we asked for. The room was perfect, and loved the outdoor shower! We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of food, however, it was clear that there are lots of shortages still. We are beach people, and it was a challenging trek through the sand to the palapas on the clothing optional beach. Plenty of palapas and our "beach boy" was very attentive when he saw us every morning. The beach bar was manned by Andres, who would make that t [... read more]rek to us (when he wasn't busy at the bar). Saved us from walking :)!! We had lunch at the grill bar by the main pool...get there when it opens, or you'll miss out on the specials! It's very popular. Our butlers, Yani and Daymi, were gems. We especially want to thank Yani for her special send off on the Sunset Beach on our last night there...very unexpected. It's a very quiet resort, but there is entertainment at the Lobby Bar every night. Some excellent musicians!

Beautiful beaches and friendly courteous staff.

The people were doing their best to work with what they had. The food was not good for the most part - Typically there were 3 choices on the menu and choices # 1 and 2 were not available. Breakfast was usually pretty good. We got into the habit of late breakfast and earlier dinner (6:30) as there was never much appealing about lunch. Dessert was always good - always the same (ice cream or cake) or both! The pool bar offered pizza which was pretty good and french fries - hit and miss for availabi [... read more]lity of the fries. Coffee was not good and never hot. Alcoholic beverages were fairly limited - unless you like rum. It is evident that the resort was hit hard by COVID and it will take a while to recover. If you are a foodie this place is not for you but if you like amazing beaches and spectacular sunsets don't hesitate. And do bring clothing, hygiene products, jewelry, hair products for the housekeeping staff and if you have any leftover sealed COVID test kits the medical staff will be extremely grateful! Tip generously - the wait staff work hard - the quality of the food is not their fault.

Nice quiet Resort

It is a lovely resort, the pools are beautiful. It was so nice to have a quiet pool and another one which played music. The beaches are spectacular! 3 different ones to choose from. Our room was beautiful and over looked the pool. We enjoyed the outdoor showers. It would have been nice to have one buffet restaurant on site but we did venture over to their sister resort for lunch one day. Unfortunately, their supply lines are still suffering since COVID and they ran out of a few food item [... read more]s as the week went on. (bacon, milk, crepes)

Quiet tranquil resort

The staff at the resort were lovely. The rooms were fine, we really enjoyed the outdoor shower. Found the food selection was very limited. Looks like it got a little run down during the last few years. We like sunset beach best out of the three different beaches at the resort.

Exceeded our Expectations...

We have visited Cayo Largo 20 times over the past several years, overtime the beach has eroded and the prosperities have deteriorated so we thought we would try Cayo Santa Maria for the 1st time. In short, the hotel and staff significantly exceeded our expectations. The resort is small, but very well positioned at the tip of the island. You have 3 beaches to choose from the west, east and center of the island, so you can position yourself to your desired beach based on winds and weather condi [... read more]tions. We are beach walkers; it is a beautiful 2km walk to the next hotel on the east beach. The west beach provides a walk thru natural sea setting, lots of wildlife. There are 2 pools, very nice, very quaint, feels like your own private pool. The rooms were excellent, very spacious. Some minor wear and tear, common in Cuba as they do not have money to upkeep. The shower is OUTSIDE the room...awesome, showering under moonlight and the stars! The meals were between good and great. There are 2 dining restaurants, providing excellent meals for dinner. Breakfast, you can also order off a menu. The only critique was the buffet offering for breakfast and lunch was very limited, basically a few salads and breads. Beyond this, you could order off the menu, the options were limited, but the quality and presentation style were as good as dinner meals. We would have preferred a more extensive buffet for both lunch and breakfast. There was one evening dinner by the pool, very well done. There are no stage shows, only a small 2–3-person group playing music by the 1 main bar in the evening. If you are looking for quiet, romantic setting, this is the place. NO KIDS! adults only. The BEST part were the staff! Everyone was exceptional. We took a brief visit to the other 3 Melia properties, they are huge, noisy, kids, busy...you get the idea, Buenavista was the complete opposite, exactly what we wanted. Oh, one more comment, at the sunset beach, each evening, they had a Kenny G style trumpeter playing tunes as part of the sunset...it just doesn't get any better.

Relaxing at its finest!

Really enjoyed this small all inclusive. Food, beach, staff were all amazing, room was spacious and clean, al a carte restaurants were very professional, great menu and excellent staff, felt like casual fine dining every night! 24 hour wood fired pizza, burgers, paella was a real treat. Great for snorkeling with a reef right off the beach, felt very safe. the beach was unbelievable - three separate beaches all providing different options, including a more private area for those wishing to sunba [... read more]the in the nude...we will return for sure! Live music in the evening was excellent as well. If you want a party atmosphere, or watersports, or a large buffet, you can take the free shuttle to the other two Melia resorts, but this gem is for peaceful relaxation. Was a bit of a trip from the airport (1.5 hrs) but the bus was cool and comfortable, and it was more of a tour than a bus ride, lots of information about Cuba and the local area etc.

A Beautiful Retreat

Overall Resort Score: 7/10 -older more mature guests, a few young couples here and there (including my husband and I), quiet and is more of a retreat. If you are looking to party and for a resort with activities, this is not the resort for you. -giant blue crabs start crawling and running about the resort right when the sun sets. Very scary and unpleasant for someone who is scared of bugs/spiders/crabs. I was surprised the resort did not catch them and serve them to guests. -the resort fumi [... read more]gates to help control the mosquito population. They even do it when guests are around. Given that it is a pesticide and Cuba has different health and environmental regulations who really knows if there are any long term side effects to breathing this stuff in. -every morning at breakfast your assigned butler will greet you before you go in to discuss any concerns you have and make your dinner reservation -neatly manicured grounds with beautiful flowers, palms and shrubs -the best coffee -mixed drinks are overly sweet and taste artificial. Ex. If you order a pina colada you are not getting one with fresh pineapple, its alcohol + a pina colada drink mix. -pools are clean. They had two pools, one was more lively and the other was more quiet. -learned that a doctor and nurse live on the resort on rotation; that's good -nightly entertainment in the form of live music and singing -everyone gets 5 hours of Wifi access daily. If you run out you need to go to the front desk to get a new login -the resort generates it's own electricity so you will not be affected by the daily blackouts local residents experience for hours every day. Beach: 10/10 -pristine, white sand, clean beaches. There are 3 access points for the beach at this resort -little to no seaweed -shallow water access, schools of fish even come to the shallow end -lots of beach chairs available any time of day, everyone is spread out -attentive butler service at the beach for drinks -daily yoga by the water in the morning Food: 6/10 -definitely not a 5 star spread. Cuba is a struggling country and it is clear in the food that they serve. If you are looking for a gourmet culinary experience this resort will not provide that nor am I sure any resort in Cuba will. Please come here with the understanding that you are visiting a 3rd world country who imports more than they export and has major economic issues. -need to book a reservation for dinner and not all restaurants were open/available -the resort ran out of flour 2/7 days of our stay and so they were serving hamburgers and hot dogs without the buns and did not have pizza available. If you don't eat beef and pork no snacks for you...not even fries. -asking for seconds or more dinner rolls at dinner seems frowned upon. You could definitely lose weight here lol. Staff: 7/10 -most of the staff are friendly -encountered a few rude staff members -highly motivated by tips and tips are expected for every little thing they do for you -most of the staff really try their best to give you great service Room: 6/10 -not very clean, good thing I brought a huge container of Lysol wipes -floors were not very clean -furniture was dusty -outdoor showers. Note: around the time the sun sets and into the night there is no hot/warm water coming from the shower head. So take a shower before the sun sets -called for new towels mid-way through our stay, we asked for two towels and only got 1 because the housekeeper said they don't have anymore available. What?! -extra hand towels we asked for did not look that clean -mini fridge with non-alcoholic drinks are not restocked unless you request it -sink faucet head is too low you are almost touching the sink, that's gross.... -bedding was never changed during our stay -little red ants in the room -you can order food and drinks to your room but regarding food it will only be the three snack items available pizza, hamburgers and hotdogs -furniture is old and dated Spa: 8/10 -the massage itself was 10/10 we did an aromatherapy couples massage and it was excellent -sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy also a must -one of the spa staff members, looked like a manager was a little moody. Everyone else was really nice -easy to book a reservation, lots of time slots available -clean but the change room had a urinal the overflowed which was pretty gross and the showers had a little mold So if you are thinking of coming to this resort, you are coming for the beach and for a quieter resort that is more like retreat. Hands down the most beautiful beach I've ever been to. I would actually come back just for the beach. At the end of my stay I did feel refreshed.

Amazing resort

Awesome place, super clean grounds, nicely kept, Staff extremely pleasant, all of them, chambermaid name Judy is the best we ever dealt with ( we travel 3 times a year for last 10 years) Buttler name Joan Martinez Ariosa —- we couldn’t ask for the better one as well. We will return to that hotel for sure ( group of 8 people).

Amazing resort

Awesome place, super clean grounds, nicely kept, Staff extremely pleasant, all of them, chambermaid name Judy is the best we ever dealt with ( we travel 3 times a year for last 10 years) Buttler name Joan Martinez Ariosa —- we couldn’t ask for the better one as well. We will return to that hotel for sure ( group of 8 people).

Very good place to stay and relax

My wife and I stayed in Melia Buenavista resort May 17 to May 24 2022. Overall, we have enjoyed our staying a lot and would rate the resort with 4 stars. Here are the things we liked: Small size and quiet environment. This is an adult only resort and it’s quite small and boutique-style – there’s about 102 units, so even when it’s at full capacity, there’s only sightly over 200 guests at the resort. This ensures a quiet and relaxed environment, no large noisy crowds, no [... read more] line-ups for food, no competition for beach chairs – there’s always plenty of them available on the beach. Boutique style residences. Some of the accommodations at he resort are duplex-style villas, that’s where we stayed. The room is spacious, with two terrace at each end, outdoor and indoor showers, bathtub, separate closet area, large sitting area, fridge, coffee makers – very nice amenities. 3 Beaches. The resort has three beaches, which is an awesome feature. It allows already small number of people to spread out and have a good rest. The three beaches are different: one is fairly shallow, you mainly walk you knees or waist into the water, it’s good for sitting in the water, having drinks and watching sunsets. The resort has gazebos in the water at that beach, which shelter you from direct sun and nearby bar keeps drinks coming. The second beach is a snorkeling place – it gets deep pretty close to the shore, so you can snorkel right off the shore without travelling anywhere, which is very convenient. There’s plenty of fish/corals to see in the water to keep you occupied for hours, we really enjoyed this one. The third one is the main beach, real gem – the iconic white sand/blue ocean beach Cuba is famous for! It’s quite long, clean, has a bar and lots of beach lounging chairs, umbrellas and gazeboes. At the far end area, to keep it discreet, people go topless or nude. Entertainment. There’s entertainment during the day – dance or aqua aerobics class for the active folks in the main pool, that’s a lot of fun! Also, there’s some entertainment in the evenings, no big shows, but a band usually plays and sings, it’s really nice to sit around and enjoy it. Personnel. Very helpful people at the reception and with fluent English. Best ever bar folks. All resort people were very nice and friendly. They always greet you and help you get around/answer your questions. Specifically, guests are assigned a couple of butlers who see to your needs and do some chores for you. That is an awesome service – if you want to order food/drinks to your room or have an excursion booked or anything else – you don’t need to go to the reception, you talk to your butler – and things get done quickly and efficiently. Our butlers were Armando and Joan, both awesome, super-friendly, courteous, knowledgeable and always there to help you! Thank you, Armando and Joan, for making our stay at this resort so enjoyable and we hope to see you again! Things that need improvement We think that most things which need improvement are the result of the pandemic and 2 year shut down of Cuban resorts. It takes time to get the resort back to its best, it’s understandable. This resort has opened up a few months ago (around December of 2021), so we’ve seen an ongoing effort from the resort people to identify and fix all the issues. Facilities. Need maintenance/some repairs. Although the living quarters are bright and spacious and have all necessities in them, a number of things needs maintenance and fine-tuning after 2 years of all Cuban resorts been shut down due to pandemic. Specifically, water pressure was low at times. For a couple of days the resort had to shut the water down completely for a few hours – for maintenance and repairs. The resort is working continuously to identify and fix these issues and personnel was very accommodating and courteous during repair times, provided guests with information and access to alternate sources of water. Also, some small updates may be needed to wall paint, chairs or other small things, but overall everything’s in a good shape or getting there, just a bit rusty/dusty after a long shut-down. Beaches Need maintenance. They are the best we’ve seen in and outside Cuba! But, again, due to long shut down some things are waiting to be fixed. Specifically, in-water gazebos at the shallow beach used to have hammocks in them (the resort still has a picture of them on their website 😊), but no hammocks when we were there, so would be good to get them back! Also, one of the gazeboes was broken and laying as a sad pile of wood on the beach. The resort may also consider adding water sports/equipment to their services. Food and drinks. Needs better variety. Again, due to pandemic, food supply is under pressure in Cuba in general and this resort. Main thing: there’s plenty of food available for each and every guest, so no need to worry! The variety is limited, but decent to provide for all food groups: basic veggies (lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchinis. There is fruit: bananas, mangoes, some others. There’s rice and pasta. Some variety of dishes at the a la carte restaurants, but not a big variety. Meet supply, specifically pork, is under pressure, so pork is not often on the menu, but there’s beef, chicken and their very best – white fish! Drinks – need to increase variety. Some are missing due to supply issues, specifically, there’s no tonic, so you get your gin-and-sprite cocktail instead. Some hard alcohol is missing, like cognacs. But there’s plenty of Spanish bubbly and white/red wine, as well as beer to keep everyone happy. So, overall – a very decent resort, worth the money, we plan to go there again. Pleasant personnel, tranquil rest, best beaches. If you are sympathetic to their ongoing efforts to overcome hard times and make things better, then you can put up with some occasional small inconveniences and have a really good time there!

The staff are the most friendly, warm and helpful that I have experienced!

We loved our room a great deal with a beautiful view of the ocean. It was so spacious and the bed was really comfortable. We were celebrating my milestone birthday and the hotel gave us an ocean view and did not charge extra for this. We really appreciated this. The outdoor shower was a real treat. The maid kept our room very clean and the fridge was kept stocked with water and pop. It was so wonderful to have two butlers assigned to us while we vacationed at the resort and they took car [... read more]e of all of our needs. They booked our restaraunts for us each day at the hour that we requested and we never had to line up to book al la cartes. It we had questions or concerns, they were on top of it! Joan went above and beyond for us when it came to any or our requests and took really good care of us. He checked in on us frequently and made sure that our stay was enjoyable. Almando was very friendly and helpful as well. The cappacinos were delicious and we enjoyed room service frequently. There is nothing lke sipping a monring cappacino on your balcony while looking at the ocean and hearing the bird songs of Cuba. The resort is peaceful and quiet and my husband and I enjoyed our first adults only vacation. Thank you to all of the staff for making our first stay in Cayo Santa Maria a very pleasant and enjoyable one!

Adults only resort Paradise!

MB is the perfect place to unwind/relax. Everything is a short walk away. Food was better than expected. Service was amazing. 5s for tips bc coins are hard for them to exch...Note: Cubans only make 40 USD per month. Clothing donations are also very much appreciated.

Wonderful time

The hotel was very nice, very clean, staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was better than i was expecting and have never being to Cuba before I heard many people telling me bring your own spices its bland ect. For me as a vegetarian yes things were limited and there go to was pasta but it was all edible my wife on the other hand enjoyed what she ate which was mostly chicken dishes. For those who complain about the food notice the drive in you are in a third world country and are eating  [... read more]better than most residence. The beaches were nice went snorkeling for hours each day. I would return to this resort without question. Some items dont work the best shower door hard to open sliding door not able to lock(on second floor so not a concern for us) i understand age of resort as well as how sea breezes can corrode metal.

Excellent Service

The resort was immaculate. The grounds were well maintained. The beach service was the best. Everyone at the resort made you feel like you were a guest and took excellent care of us. The spa service was nice. The food would have been average but considering the resort was five star I would have to rate it below average. We had a couple of clothes items taken from our room. Overall it was a great experience it was just the items taken spoiled such a nice week.

Amazing experience, the people at the Hotel made our stay memorable

The Hotel was wonderful, the room very clean, special thanks to Yeri, Levin, Lester, Yenima, Joel, Leydi and Alien for they kindness and making our trip incredible, we plan on coming back for sure, one of our best vacation

Beautiful resort with the best staff!

This was my favourite stay in Cuba. There are three gorgeous beaches and two pool areas. It’s a great place for snorkelling. It’s a smaller resort, which is perfect if you’re looking for a more peaceful vacation. The rooms are beautiful and have everything you need. There are three restaurants and a snack bar, as well as a shuttle service to dine at the neighbouring resort. They offer daily activities like dance lessons and aqua fit as well as varying nightly entertainment. I can’t say e [... read more]nough wonderful things about the staff. Everyone is so kind and friendly, they go out of their way to make sure you have everything you want and anticipate what you might need. I’ve never felt more at home at a resort and I can’t wait to go back!

My favour place

2nd time in this resort and it is definitely my favour place. Small nice resort, beautiful beach all 3 of them. Nice rooms. Amazing stuff. Everyone from reception , Buttler, maid, to all bar and restaurants stuff. Looks like everyone there just want to make your stay the most wonderful experience.

Best We've Been At!

This was our 22nd trip to Cuba since 2006. Everything here was superior to any resort we had previously stayed at, except for the beach, which doesn't quite measure up to Cayo Largo imho. But hey, that's Mother Nature's doing!

Very good hotel

The hotel is well suited for adult adults. It is small and well run. The staff are friendly and helpful, the place is very clean and the 3 beaches are all different, the room spacious and comfortable. This said if you’re a foodie best think again the food is unappetizing and repetitive.