Sol Cayo Santa Maria: DID NOT GET THE VACATION WE HAD BOOKED

BOOKED THIS RESORT ON MAY 13TH FOR JULY 9 TO JULY 16 AND ON ARRIVAL DAY GOT TO RESORT ONLY TO FIND OUT WE WERE NOT EVEN BOOKED AT RESORT. RESORT WAS OVER TAKEN BY THE S-TRIP GRADUATE EXPERIENCE WITH 583 STUDENTS BETWEEN THE AGE OF 16 TO 18. AS A RESULT WE WERE MOVED TO THE RESORT NEXT TO SOL.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Love Cuba and Love this Resort

This is my second trip to Cuba, and once again I am thoroughly impressed. I purchased the "Monte Cristo Club" extra with Air Transat and glad I did. Direct transfer to the airport and express check in are worth in alone. However, Air Transat Rep at the airport could have provided more clarifying information. When I approached the rep and stated I was going to Playa Cayo Santa Maria, she simply gave me a bus number and where it was parked. I questioned the direct transfer, and she simply gave [... read more] the same information. When I got to bus, I double checked and was told(with a slight tone) that if this is the bus I was told to go to it is the right one. All the while, others travellers going to different resorts are getting on the same bus. In the end, I was the first stop on the trip, so I suppose it was direct transfer. But I was never really sure until I got there. When I got to the resort, Marta, the absolutely wonderful and friendly Monte Cristo Rep, was standing there with a sign. I approached her, and simply had to wait for my luggage to be taken of the bus. Which, I think, could have been done a little more efficiently. They unloaded one section of the cargo hold first before moving on to another. All the while mine is right there next to them. And nobody is taking the luggage they are unloading cause they are still on the bus going to other resorts. Oh well. :) Beyond these minor inconveniences, everything couldn't have been more perfect. Marta directed me to a private area, where I was provided with a cold towel and drink. I was already checked in and reservations were made for the al a carte restaurants. I was handed my 2 free hours of Wifi (included in Monte Cristo) and my room keys. Driver took me to my room and after that I had to do was find the beach (which was just around the corner) Room was in an excellent location. With a view of both the ocean and one of many pools. I simply went out one door for the pool and the other for the beach. Room was also very nice and well kept. I have never had an issue with the food in Cuba. Buffet is standard fare, I suppose, a little bit of everything. And the al a carte where done in a fine dining style. I went to four of them, Italian, Asian, Seafood and International and all were done exceptionally well. Not a big selection of fruits and vegetables, but I suppose that is just the climate and maybe that will change soon. I went on 2 excursions with Air Transat / Gaviota Tours. First one was a Land and Sea Tour, consisting of a Cave Tour, Horseback Riding, 4 x 4 Off-roading (my personal fav. lol) and a speed boat back to Cayo Santa Maria where we stopped along the way, given a mask and snorkel and looked at the fishes. Lots of fun. Second was a trip to Havana. A long day, but well worth it. Yanko, our tour guide was amazing. Really knows his history and takes great pride in presenting it. And always able to answer your questions. And let's face it, I have been on tours in other countries, including Canada, where they could hardly drive the bus let alone give you a history lesson. If you've never been to Cuba, you have to go to Havana. Cause like they say, unless you've been to Havana, you've never been to Cuba. Entertainment every night was great and grounds are very well maintained and laid out. Staffed is very friendly and helpful. Overall an amazing resort. I am not the type to go to the same resort twice, but I would highly recommend to others.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Mosquitos problem!!!!

Boring, average food. Dirty kitchen. Flies in main lunch facility. Mosquitos in the morninng and in the evning. Veru hard to enjoy hotel in those hours. Staff good but lazu. Oceanview rooms are actually too far from ocean. Beach and sun great.

Melia Las Dunas: Okay resort for the third visit

Overall our vacation was great with the grand-kids for their first time and our third time. The grounds are well kept. Dining was great for what we pay for. Our room was okay but the bath tub need work. The family pool is falling apart and no towels until the 4th day never available. The pool bar was okay. Heard from other guests it was their 1st time and would not come back to this resort. I would let my family and friends know what to expect from this resort.

Melia Las Dunas: Amazing experience

The hotel was absolutely gorgeous. The the staff were incredibly friendly! I want to especially thank our maid service, drink service to the room, our buffet server and all the bar staff. I also want to say that the beach is incredible and there were always huts available which was awesome Thankyou for the wonderful memories!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Nice Resort

The very well kept, friendly staff, needed more activities at the beach. the Wi-Fi was horrible. Buffet food was ok. Restaurant food was great. it would help to have more staff who understood English. the was a particular staff member by the name of Yayma, she was absolutely amazing and really made sure our stay was pleasant.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Good resort

This hotel was pretty good. There were a few things that didn't work like the closet door and we had ants in our room, but they took care of the ants right away. The dining was great. The beach was incredible. Overall all it was pretty good. Just a few things to iron out as it is so new.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Resort Needs alot of work

I understand this is a new resort. Supposedly a 5 *. The grounds dictate the resort being new. The parts of the hotels which were open were definitely not 5* service. The rooms were nice but a lot of people including ourselves had problems with showers overflowing into the hallway, power surges which blew out a lot of peoples blowdryers. They are very skimpy with toilet paper, no Kleenex's in the room, they put a coffee pot with coffee and sugar but no creamer. House cleaning was not geared to 5 [... read more]* our beds were made but the floors were not swept everyday, coffee cups not cleaned nor coffee pot. "The food tasted recycled every day, most of the days they did not have any bread for the hamburgs or hotdogs, Staff preparing food on beach not very clean touching raw meat then making sandwiches, licking there fingers while also making sandwiches, we threw ours out. When it rained the water entered the main floor of buildings, very slippery not cleaned up right away, my husband fell, broken glass layed on main floor practically whole day. I was quite disappointed as this made us decide this will be our last time going to Cayo Santa Maria. Most of the Staff was extremely friendly, especially the beach bar staff. I feel the resort should have had what was opened,(rooms) up and running with 5*amenities before opening the doors. Grounds are one thing but Amenities are another. The pool was big but not very deep, and very crowded. We travel quite a bit and was really taken back with this place.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Really lovely

The resort was really gorgeous. Don't listen to the negative comments about the beach. Yes there is some coral here and there but mostly just at the centre of this long and spacious beach. On either side it's gorgeous light sand and crystal clear water. The staff is lovely. They treat the Canadian tourist really well. Food was just ok - as is the case everywhere in Cuba. Drinks were fab and so was the coffee. Overall a definite 4 out of 5.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Good resort!

Overall , it was a good experience. The beach was beautiful white sand , clear water just like the ones in the movies. It rained almost every night but during the day it was sunny and hot. We stayed on bungalow 09 and it was close to everything and right infront of the main buffet. The rooms were always clean and they were modern. There is also numerous of pools. there is pools for everyone , if you want to relax there are the quiet pools and then there is the main pool where they do the activ [... read more]ities at 3 pm. i recommend you go. The food could be better,but i heard its like that everywhere in cuba. the resort is in the middle of nowhere so if you plan on going out of the resort keep in mind it might be long travel. Everyone was very friendly. The motto is " ohh mawww gawdd" I would def return. i recommend.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Ragga, ragga, ragga, ragga, ragga....

The resort was great! This being the second time to this locale, made it easier to relax knowing we were in the hands of great people. The grounds, the staff, the rooms and the food all top notch. It is such a great mindset to shut the phone off for the week and just embark on a peaceful and tranquil journey to Cuba and in a weird way feel at home. The animation staff are fresh, upbeat and very enthusiastic insuring everyone is having a good time.

Melia Las Dunas: Great resort!

Here is a breakdown of our stay at Melia Las Dunas (adults only side) from July 3-8. PROS Despite many peoples complaints about the food in Cuba and the poor state of the accommodations, we felt as though the food was good and we were very well taken care of. Our room was nice and clean and was maintained daily. The staff at the restaurants were extraordinarily hard working and mindful of their patrons. We were particularly impressed with the Ranchon (beach restaurant) with their attenti [... read more]ve wait staff, manager and hardworking cooks. The resort is literally split into two halves, one for adults only and the other for families. We appreciated having quiet time to lounge and swim without crying babies and children running around, while the families still had a place to vacation without disturbing everyone else. The 24hr lobby bar and snack bar are great features after everything else has closed and even in the early morning hours when the airport buses come and go. The beach was big and beautiful with white sand, warm clear water and a plenty of seating and even though we travelled to this resort with the beaches in mind the pools proved to be just as good! The many other resorts attached to this resort were great to see as well as the near by markets. CONS July is the quiet season. We were aware of this when we went, but other travellers should be warned that despite the advertised amenities, some will be closed. When we arrived in July, several restaurants and one of the two main buffets were closed (which is understandable due to the amount of people there) which made the one buffet considerably busy and the remaining restaurants that were open overbooked. The staff is very polite and helpful, but at times can be overly helpful expecting tips when it is unnecessary. Although this was not an issue, it can be an annoyance at times, especially when you are not prepared to pay anyone. We did witness a baggage handler getting very upset with a woman over not giving a tip. We know this is no party resort, however the 6:00pm general closing times for the most of the grounds including the pool areas, beach areas, ice cream stand, and pizzeria seemed a little early especially when the sun didn't set until hours later. It is understandable that the beach closed for obvious safety reasons, but the other amenities should at least be open until 8 or 9. Aside from the hotel itself, the bus ride from the airport to the resort is long and tiresome as well as the airport wait, however the staff worked hard to ensure everyone made it to their flights and did their best to entertain the guests during the bus ride. These cons are all simply little inconveniences to us, which didn't really impact us enjoying our vacation. OVERALL This is a very good resort that works above and beyond to serve and impress their guests and will be sure to offer a great vacation spot for couples or families. The inconveniences do not surpass the good features this resort has to offer, we highly recommend it and look forward to travelling to Cuba again in the future!

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Pretty good

This resort was nice, very big. The beach was my favourite part... very beautiful. The customer service was okay. The food was a bit better then average Cuba food. The rooms were very nice and clean with luxurious bathrooms. Everything was good. Only thing.. due to this being a new resort a lot of construction was still going on... many parts of the resort had no flowes or trees planted yet.. just kind of taking away from the general apperance of the place. In 2-3 years this place will be great. [... read more]. still has some work to do for now. Overall, I would give it 4 stars.

Memories Paraiso: Our third time there: is a good choice in the area

All common amenities in Cuba. A good consistent service. Waiters were great. More Caribbean seafood would be appreciated on the menu. We missed the pianist at the bar area.A private room for watching sports with bar and AC would be great ( some conference rooms or other alike are idled.

Memories Paraiso: Good resort ! It worths the money especially if can book in discount.

The bungalow was nice and quiet. The room clean with 2 double bed , air conditioning. In the fridge every day o bottle of water and 2 beers. I went at end of June, when was not crowded. The food was ok but a lack of variety, almost the same food. The trip with the bus from airport to resort 1h45. All to do is to enjoy the beech, to eat, to relax , to do nothing , to forget completely the job were you have to come back after.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Superbe plage

Bonne bouffe, surprenant, belle plage, magnifique chambre, difficile d'avoir des serviettes et de l'eau! Belle expérience en général! Beaucoup d'animation sur la plage et c'est bruyant pour ceux qui ont envie de relaxer....

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Great resort!

Great lobby, the rooms were good but a little outdated. The staff was amazing. Best cappuccinos we have ever had. Amazing beach and helpful staff at the beach helping with chairs and anything that was needed.

Melia Las Dunas: Great resort !

We recently stayed at this hotel as it was recommended by our friends. We were pleasantly surprised that it was just as they said it would. The hotel itself is a bit older and might need a little 'face lift' bit it was charming in its on way. Loved that the lobby and everything that u needed didn't require climbing stairs as it was located on the ground level. The rooms were well ventilated so no musky smell, towels nice and clean changed daily and air conditioning working extremely well conside [... read more]ring it was close to 40°C. Staff very friendly and helpful throughout the resort, the beach even though it was narrow it was clean and we'll maintained by the friendly staff. Surprisingly even the food was good l😀. We go to Cuba every July and we can officially say we found the perfect resort for those looking for some quiet time or those with families😊

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Great resort

Had a relaxing vacation at Starfish. Aircon worked perfectly for a hot day. Amazing beach. Downsize was there was only 1 buffet place that was open as well as the a la carte since it is low season Cuba. There was always something for everyone at the buffet.Not a 5 star but it was clean, and friendly staff.

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful beach

Everything was good except the blankets and the bed sheets were too old. Beautiful beach but watch out with the jellyfish, my kids got stung on the 1st day at the beach. A long walk from resort to the beach. Great done with the nighty entertainment.