Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Wonderful place for the price we paid

This is fairly a new resort, grounds, pool, beach, rooms, public washrooms all well kept all the time, food was very good, especially the sea food always fresh(salmon, cod,basa etc) one of the best beaches in Cuba.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Good family vacation

We have been to this resort before when it first opened. The service is about the same the food a little better, but it is Cuba. Generally there's a lot of walking though you can take a cart when it's available. The most outstanding feature of this resort is the Ensanachos beach. The beach is shallow for quite a distance, generally calm and clear, snorkelling right off the shore with many varieties of fish where you can simply feed the fish.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Royalton Cayo Santa Maria Paradise

as soon as you arrive at the Royalton you are greeted and treated like royalty. Someone surprisingly already has your luggage and you introduced to your butler who immediately welcomes you and accompanies you to your room . No waiting at front desk in long lines for check in . All staff is very warm and welcoming and the rooms are impeccably kept and quite spacious. Butler service is always available at any time of the day . It is up to you to use their services and not feel like you are imposin [... read more]g . No buffet is available only a la carte restaurants which are all booked by your butler . No waiting in line early morning to reserve the restaurants . Ocean is crystal clear no rocks or seaweed . Also many palapas available and no waking up early to reserve your palapa. Overall highly recommend resort only 122 rooms so you get to know the other resort guests . Great place to relax and recharge your battery. Great bar service with full local and non local alcohol. Would definitely go back . It was our second time there in 2 years .

Melia Las Dunas: Great value for the money!

I travelled to Cayo Santa Maria in early Sept '16 alone (young female) and I had a great time! The resort is nice and really big. I had great A/C in my room. The beaches were beautiful, clear water and white sands. The food was better than I last remember 8yrs ago. This resort has enough options to choose from. The island is secluded and quite, which is nice for couples and families. Not much in terms of off site parties. I would visit this resort again!

Memories Paraiso: Memories Paraiso Azul

Friendly and helpful staff. Fair value for your money. Desserts are very tasty with a large quantity. Savory part of the buffet is a bit bland and gets boring after a while. Nice evening entertainment.

Memories Paraiso: Decent resort with a beautiful beach

The hotel is a little run down and needs a lot of maintenance and upgrades. The fountains were filthy, the chairs in the restaurants and lobby were all stained. The matresses were old and springy and the room was so humid that everything always felt damp. Our room phone didn't work for our entire stay and our faucets were loose and leaking. The staff was amazing though and the food was really good.

Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso: Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso - Santa Maria Cuba

My first time in Cuba was last year, my wife and I stayed at the Cayo Coca Melia. We had a lagoon room and our stay was 11 nights. The lagoon room was way too far away from the main lobby, the pool and the beach. Our first night, we were very hungry after travelling and ate at the main buffet. The air conditioner was not working, finding out from current but previous guest that it was down for over a year plus. We ate prawns which were not on ice and in a non air conditioned. We were sick for a  [... read more]few days after that.Mostly all food that we tried to eat tasted fishy and salty. Other than that, our stay at the Cay Coca Melia was very enjoyable. The staff were amazing and friendly. Now our stay at the Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso was a couple of notches up. The food at the main buffet was enticing with a lot of selection, ( NO fishy smell or taste). The entertainment during the evening was great. The beach, was incredible. We did change our room, the day after our first night. The reason was that I paid full price, approx. 3 months before our trip, to have a ocean view. But, what we ended up with was a view of the tops of the trees at sitting level. I had went to the front desk the next day and had it changed from building 24 to building 29. The room was 3 level, not 2 and had a incredible view of the ocean. Plus building 24 was way to from to walk to the main lobby. We had a 3 rd party going with us, but cancelled. Again, I was the first to book a seat on Sunwing. On the way back, I thought that I had a window sit, but I did not. A bitter older drunk woman purchased my window seat at the airport last minute in Cuba. I would recommend to anybody to go to the Valentin Perla Blanca Paraiso. I myself may go back there in the near future.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Nice resort

The rooms were good so we're the grounds. The beach was amazing and the service was amazing as well. The place was kept very clean and stuff was friendly. The food could be better and it got better in the last few days, and they really should keep different meats separate pork and chicken. In overall nice resort for the price.

Melia Las Dunas: A nice resort

We were transferred to Playa cayo santa maria due to a/c issues at Melia las Dunas. Overall the resort was clean and had a nice layout. The beach was lovely and there was a nice variety of excursion choices. Staff was fairly friendly. Next time I would probably select a resort closer to the airport. We basically had to be in the front lobby 6 hours before our flight. Makes for a long day especially when traveling with children. Overall our experience was great. And Lawrence our trav [... read more]el agent was fabulous! !

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Great resort

Resort was great and clean, staff was very friendly and helpful. Great evening entertaimment especially the Michael Jackson show. Good selection of food. But the downfall was that the food was cold. Would return again in the future.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Bed bugs nightmare!

This hotel must have been great...10 years ago, when Iberostar actually cared. This is NOT a 5 stars hotel, even for Cuban stadards (we have been many times in Varadero before). The service is only good if you tip. The food selection's very basic. Always the same stuff over and over again ( buffet and restaurants). Had problems changing the beach towels. But the definite worst was the bed bugs/fire ants in the room. We even changed rooms but had the same problem. We came back home with severe bi [... read more]tes all over our bodies and pain for several days AND night. Needless to say, we will never go back to this resort.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Met expectations

This is our second time to the resort but first with 2 teenagers. We stayed in both the Spa section and the Grand Villa 2 bedroom unit. If you enjoy a more tranquil vacation within a beautiful environment surrounded by nature, this may be a good choice for you. Not a great choice for those who struggle with walking. Rooms and villas are showing signs of wear since our last trip. Food was good (lots of freshly grilled fish choices!) The people of Cuba are like no other and we hope that that never [... read more] changes. Lined up for our trip home beside a Jet Blue Flight to Fort Lauderdale with NBC reporters......glad we visited Cuba before the American influence.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Very nice resort

This hotel is very new clean and modern. Staff were excellent and very friendly. Great beach for snorkelling. Food was ok. We are picky eaters so we ate a lot of the same food each day. They have more work to do to get the entire resort up and running. Only half the resort was open in August. Lobby bar has a great atmosphere and had entertainment each night. Pools were ok the water was very warm and not very refreshing but then again it was really hot when we were there. Internet access was not [... read more] very good. You buy an hr card for 2 Cucs. Mikes coffee house was awesome for cappuccinos and americanos. Issues we had in the week were our safe had to be opened twice and our sliding door lock was broken. Maintenance staff fixed both issues fairly quickly.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Needs a lot of TLC

This hotel is only 5 years old and is already run down. A lot of signs of damage in the rooms and around the resort. Beds sheets had holes and were stained, stained cushions and walls, lamps didn't work in the room, very noisy fridge and air conditioning. Around the resort, we found only one outside shower that was functional enough to rinse off. Food was exactly the same everyday. Meat left out on the counter at the grilling station of the buffet where blood and juices was dripping down the cou [... read more]nter and can easily make people very sick. The beach is very hard to access. You need to climb up and down some steep corals to get to the ocean. When the tide is high, it's impossible to walk on the beach. The shaded areas at the pools were very damaged, making it hard to find shade. Pool chairs at the main pool were in rough shape. This hotel is owned by a Cuban company, so a lot of locals come to vacation there with their families. Preferential treatment is given to them and we found ouselves waiting a very long time at a restaurant because all the locals were getting served first. On the positive side, the animation team was very good. They work very hard and very long hours to keep people participating in activities. Although some of the games were very inappropriate for children and some of the nightly shows were completely inappropriate for children. Being a family resort, this didn't sit well with us and we heard many families complain about the same issue. I wouldn't return and wouldn't recommend.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Hotel has potential but is not there yet...

As the title says, this hotel has potential but it is too new at this point and needs to improve in several areas. We went a family of 4 with 2 teen girls and stayed there August 21 to 26. Here's my review: Beach 5/5: The best part of Cuba by far. The beach is not wide, but this is something I preferred. Lots of shade and good loungers. Never had to be early to find a good spot. There are a few spots with rocks but only on the west side of the beach. Catamaran rides are free and beach is sea [... read more]weed free, clear and turquoise perfect water, always warm. Room: 4.5/5 - Rooms are very nice and new, with nice decoration in good condition. Nice LCD TV and the AC works flawlessly (not humid and cools nicely). Bathroom has a new shower and good fixtures. Safe works flawlessly. My only complain about the room was that that the sliding door to outside did not close at all, so room was vulnerable of someone breaking in. Nothing happened to us and we left our valuables always in the safe, but this issue should be resolved soon. Lobby/Restaurants/Public areas: 3.5/5 - Lobby is very nicely decorated and ventilated. Buffet restaurant has good AC and tables are adequate. Only two theme restaurants were open uring our stay. The asian Origami restaurant was decent, nice place and the food was about same quality as buffet. The italian restaurant was awful! Tiny and the food was horrendous. Lack of grass makes the gardens look awful but that will hopefully change with time. Entertainment 3/5: Only the first show (Michael Jackson night) was nice, the rest were boring. Staff 3/5 - After going to Mexico, Colombia, Dominican Republic I can say that Cubans were dry and not happy at all, from the airport to the hotel. We were very surprised because most Cubans we know that live in the USA and Canada are amazingly friendly people. So not sure if this is something that only happens in Cayo Santa Maria. The maid did a decent job cleaning our room (no towel figures though) but we did leave her $5 so maybe that made the difference. Just 1 bartender in main bar was friendly with us and we speak fluent Spanish so language was certainly not the issue. Food: 2/5 - The food was one of the worst things of our vacation. Very few selection and so-so at best. The pasta and pizza were ok. The meat and fish and shrimps is not cooked well at stations, plus long lineups even with an empty hotel. Breakfast omelettes were decent, but lunch and dinner items are the same, so it gets repetitive really quickly. Cubana Airline: 0/5 - That was the worst part by far of the entire trip. Flight was delayed 4 hours heading South and 2.5 hours coming back. Food is bad, service bad and they only have water and nasty coffee to drink. I will never in my life travel in that airline again. Conclusion: I think the place is ok and the beach was gorgeous, but unless the food and staff improve I would not go back to that place. There is nothing to do after the night show so if you plan on dancing or having night life fun head somewhere else. Overall I would give the hotel a 4/5 just because rooms, pool and most common areas nice. Once they open the other 3 restaurants things should be better too (Ranchon restaurant looks nice). The long 100 minute drive fromairport to hotel is a con as well.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Overall, a good resort

Pros: 1. Fantastic beach - powder sand, lots of places for shade, clear water, hardly any rocks or seaweed, no people on beach trying to sell you things, very safe. 2. Hotel grounds - landscaping is pretty, everything relatively easy to get to 3. Staff - overall, staff are very friendly and helpful 4. Rooms - comfortable beds, good air conditioning (you need to specify in person to the cleaning lady to have your sheets and towels changed, otherwise they will not change them) 5. Entertainm [... read more]ent - there were many options for entertainment in the evenings. The Michael Jackson show is actually quite well done and not cheesy. Often there were live bands playing at night in the main square by the bar. Cons: 1. Blocks with no shower - some of the blocks at this resort only have a bathtub with a deep step inside which could be slippery/difficult for some. As well, there is no curtain or enclosure so the water floods the bathroom 2. Restaurants - there were only two a la carte restaurants open (Oriental and Italian) and one buffet. Only the Italian restaurant was good. They definitely need to open more to have more variety and less of a wait 3. Food - breakfast was the only meal that was reliable with fruits and eggs available. Otherwise, it was difficult to have food that wasn't saturated in oils and there were no fresh salad options and all the vegetable trays in the buffet were soggy and covered in either oil or butter. 4. On many occasions, we did see favors being done for guests if they paid (being served first, being given better food or food that wasn't out for others, etc). Some staff would ask you for presents and tips. 5. Gift shop in hotel - our luggage was lost/delayed for a day and a half so we had to go to the hotel gift shop. It is very small and does not have even the essentials, such as a toothbrush, deodorant, etc. There is a market that you can take a bus or taxi to that has some more options. 6. Gym - very limited, no free weights 7. Lighting - it is very dark at night and the paths are not well lit. Would be a good idea to bring a flashlight. Recommendations: 1. Ask for a room with a shower 2. Ask for a room on the 2nd or 3rd floor as the balcony doors do not lock and some people reported break ins 3. Go to the small grill hut by the beach for lunch as they have the best options 4. When ordering drinks, they almost always will add a lot of sugar or syrup so make sure you ask them not to if you don't want it 5. Mike's coffee in the lobby is the best for your caffeine fix 6. Stay at the beach for sunset around 7:30 p.m. 7. Wear bug spray at night 8. Bring an extra beach towel as the beach towel exchange place was not always reliable 9. Bring a water bottle so you don't have to rely on the very small plastic cups they give you for drinks

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Good Time!

Had a great time at this resort. There is a wide selection of food, drinks are great (def not watered down) The staff are amazing . The beach is beautiful, and there are 4 pools to choose from. I will defiantly return.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: The worst vacation ever!

Well, I'll start with the good - beautiful beach! The reception staff - nice and polite. That's it. Now the bad: Worst food ever if there was food at all. Dirty, dirty, dirty plates, forks, spoons, napkins, and you have to beg the rude waitresses for it so they say they don't have. We got served in dirty unwashed and used from somebody else glasses many times, disgusting! Check the bottom side of the plates, disgusting as well. Sometimes only old bread and butter leftovers. People don't r [... read more]espect lines, just jump in front of you. 90% Cuban people, drunk 24/7, you can see them sleeping outside because they didn't make it to their rooms. Man and women all together. They smoke everywhere as well. The pools dirty, nobody uses the washrooms. We tipped generously at the beginning but it was not appreciated. The kids entertainment had sexual content not suitable for kids at all. We wanted to go back to Canada since day 2, it was not vacation at all. It's not our first time to Cuba, so we thought we know what to expect, it turned out otherwise. Don't go there even for free!!!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Love it!!

This is my third time to this resort, and I love it more and more everytime. The staff are so amazing and you can't beat the beach and the ocean. It's paradise. We always find something to eat, and we are always sad to be leaving. Already looking at going back in December.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Highly Recommend!!!

My wife and I just spent 2 weeks at Valentin Perla Blanca at the end of July, beginning of August, 2016, for our honeymoon and I would highly recommend this resort to anybody! There are 2 main pool areas at this resort and one was shut down for renovations, but because of the time of year, occupancy was very low, so crowding at the open pool was not a problem. I did talk to someone who was at the resort for the second year in a row and he said he actually preferred the pool that was closed, whi [... read more]ch I thought was great because I have something to look forward to if I ever return, a slightly different atmosphere. The beach was fantastic, no issues with rocks, sandy beach that continues into the water. This is a new resort, only open a couple years, so it is very modernized. Same plugs as Canada/USA, so you do not need converters. As long as you keep the patio doors closed, the air conditioner keeps the room a perfect temperature, which you can set yourself. The workers were super friendly and the food was decent, once again, I hope to get back there someday and I highly recommend! -Troy