Valentin Perla Blanca: This resort has issues !

This resort has the location/setting potential to be a five star but it is definitely not. I'd give it a 2-2.5 star rating at best. The food was horrible, all dried & chewy. Even the coffee & tea was bad. If you want to lose weight this is the place for you. Every person we spoke to spent at least a day sick in their room. Everyone had diarrhea from the food. We never got a clean towel for 6 days. We couldn't even exchange our beach towels. We had the same bed sheets the whole week. Tiles were a [... read more]ll loose sitting al over on the bottom of the pools, the beach chairs were broken, the walls in the restaurants & hallways were filthy with handprints. Once you used your shampoo & toiletries from the bathroom you didn't get any more. We had no bath mat & the shower ran out all over the floor every day. It was advertised as three buffets. The one was open between 1:00 & 3:00 for lunch, one never opened at all until there was nowhere for any more people to sit & then they only opened it for seating. You would literally stand in line for 20+ minutes to get an omelet or stir fry or pancakes or donuts. We lived on bananas , yogourt , boiled eggs & spaghetti noodles for 5 days. The French & Italian a la carte restaurants were the only good food we had in 8 days. The bars constantly ran out of alcohol & glasses. The staff were miserable except for one meat carver. Most of the staff didn't understand anything you said you wanted or needed help with. It was pretty darn bad. If it wasn't for the gorgeous beach & awesome shower in the room we would have booked an early flight home. We stayed in Cuba in 2008 at a three star resort & it was better than this place. It's really too bad because it has the potential to be a really nice place. I would not recommend this resort.

Memories Azul Beach Resort: Nice holiday!

I felt the resort was mostly average. I felt it was too expensive for what we got. The rooms were ok - we had no power twice in the room and it took a couple of hours before it was restored. I had to call several times before it was serviced. Sometimes my room was forgotten for bar refills and bottled water. Often a phone call wouldn't suffice, I had to go in person to customer service to request bottled water. The pools were beautiful but the water was freezing - we happened to hit a cold front [... read more]. The brochure advertised heated pool which is definitely not the case. The beach was awesome though I felt not kept clean on the shorelines - lots of sea weed. I've been to Cuba before in Cayo Coco at a 3 star resort which I felt was much better than this 4+star resort in Santa Maria. And Cayo Coco was the least expensive. It makes me question the accuracy of their star rating in general. Either way, as a single mom, my daughter and I were ecstatic to get away - and she fell in love with the beach as well as their burgers served at the beach grill at lunch time!

Valentin Perla Blanca: Nice Resort

hotel and grounds where clean, bed and pillows were rock hard, lacked daily activities (water sports, games) map of resort was not in english and did not show names of restaurants, NO SWIMMING POOLS they are large but narrow and very shallow, nightly entertainment shows were ok, employees at the resort were very nice

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Good value

I felt this resort was a good value. We travelled with our almost 3 year old and 6 month old. We met the grandparents and cousin family with 2 kids the exact same age as ours. The kids club was just getting going when we were there but unfortunately our kids are still too young to be left there without having meltdowns. The travel day to get there was long as our plane left at 6am. If you have kids under 4, then I'd highly recommend a flight no earlier than 8am. Our toddler was beside herself fo [... read more]r about 2 days because of this interruption. The bus ride, although about 2 hours long, was actually one of my favourite parts. Kept us and our toddler entertained just to look out the window. Pools & Beach: The beach is gorgeous and there are many huts to sit under for shade. We never had a problem getting shade. The water was only calm 1-2 days of our stay though. Pools are nice too and you can mostly find a place to sit but not as easy as the beach. Food: Ice cream station was always great for the kids (and adults). I'm sorry we forgot to tip the ice cream lady, although I have a suspicion that tips are shared at the very best. The beach restaurant was convenient and food mediocre, except for the pizzas which were amazing and spaghetti which was great too. Get there when it opens or there is a long line up for pizza. Lots of high chairs for the kiddos. If you have more than 1 kid under the age of 3, I wouldn't even try to book a restaurant. We tried the second night and ended up getting our food to go. We found it best to sit outside for the buffet (very loud inside) and went to the snack bar 2 nights as it opens earlier than the buffet. Also, if you have picky kids I'd suggest bringing some food that is familiar to them. The grandparents brought peanut butter which worked well for sandwiches on the beach. The few things the kids did like weren't available everyday so it's nice to have a backup. People: Everyone was nice. Some were much happier than others. I found getting our baby to smile actually brightened up workers more than tipping them. The standard for customer service doesn't appear to be as high as in north america, but we expected as much. For instance, I small happy birthday message was sent to our room, which was nice but it was delivered after 10pm when all 4 of us were finally sleeping. We ordered a crib and cot for our room so they knew we had kids. Rooms: Nice and clean. I'd suggest changing your room is you have kids and get a ground floor unit. Ours was very dark and we couldn't sit out at night and enjoy ourselves. Luckily the grandparents arranged for us to change rooms after 2 nights to an ocean view room for a reasonable fee per night. It was well worth it as the kids went to bed around 8:30-9pm and we wanted to enjoy an hour to ourselves on the balcony.

Melia Las Dunas: We had amazing vacation,great resort,excellent!

We enjoyed so much stay at this resort,very nice staff ,beautiful beach,food was excellent,fresh ocean fish everyday for lunch and supper,even they serve lobsters for buffet lunch and supper.they presented amazing shows every night.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Very Nice Resort!

Grounds are well kept. Pools are nice. Beach is good too! Most of the food is what is expected in Cuba with an exception or two. 2 chefs for every meal ready to make your order the way YOU like it. Eggs, pancakes, steak, chicken, pork etc... By the beach, between 12:30 and 3:30 2 more chefs at the huge BBQ. Something for everyone. We have been to Cuba before so we brought a few condiments. KETCHUP! (especially if you have kids). They run out very quickly and go for a few days without. It was a l [... read more]ifesaver for us. We wanted to take a tour but because we were 5, we found it a little much. Please talk to the tour organizer "Augusto". He found us a private driver for the day at a very reasonable rate. Fantastic guy that is really there to make you happy! We found the Cayo's a little excluded with no public transportation t the mainland but a great resort if you just want to relax and get away from it all -

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Good resort fair price

We travelled March 4 this year. We enjoyed our trip and we are people who travel all the time so I know what to expect when going to Cuba. Upon arrival a the airport my daughter and I needed to use the washroom and they had women in the bathrooms dolling out hand paper and soap and they were not about to let anyone not wash their hands! They were pretty insistent on the washing. Good for them. Wish they had that here lol. Check in at the resort was the best we had ever experienced. Rooms were  [... read more]already assigned when we were at the airport so upon arrival at the hotel it was a matter of showing our passport the bus ride to the resort is about an hou and a half which was fine as there was beer to purchase at 3 cad which is a fair price. But ensure you have smaller bills and she took loonies on the bus. Upon getting to the resort my first turn off was the fact we couldn't find a single women's bathroom which worked. They have all low flush toilets and garbage bins in each stall however I don't think a lot of people understand that their systems don't handle toilet paper well which is why those bins are there. Men always had toilets working to my knowledge. So having said that after we got our rooms we always just went back there to use toilets as we didn't find it that far to walk. I would seriously recommend that the manager look to place information on the back of the stall doors about the plumbing the limited ability to flush toilet paper. Some just don't realize this but unfortunately as the deed was already done and with low flush toilets, it creates a solid blockage which I assume is a disaster for them to handle in Cuba with their more limited means in replacement parts for septic systems. We had adjoining rooms which we didn't expect but we're very happy with as we have two teens sharing a room and hoped they would be close to us. Turned our great as they had twin beds and we had s king. Hard beds but certainly good for Cuba no springs or anything like that... The girls shower didn't seem to have any hot water so they showered in our room all week, we did address this at the front desk however I don't know that anyone came to look at all. Wasn't a big deal for us since we had the adjoining room... The buffet always had something for everyone. The home made breads were fantastic and tons of cold meats so you could make sandwiches if nothing else appealed to you. Side note. The resort is running at I would guess about 60 % occ so only half the resort is open. It is a mirror from one side to the other.. As a result the buffet could be quite busy at times and the traffic flow around the buffet itself wasn't very great. I would reconfigure it as the grills create a bottle neck but also plates and what not weren't always at the end of the buffet but in the middle so it made things a little disjointed. Only two fights while we were there.... Having said that that was a first for me to see ever in over 4 decades of travelling. People. We are guests in their country please behave accordingly. I believe they may have been removed from the resort but not certain. None the less didn't hamper our good times just another story to tell as a first lol. Personally I would love to see designated smoking areas on the resort as Canadians are accoustomed to this so why do you need to smoke everywhere? We have been to others which did have this which we preferred. The beach was gorgeous. The sand was the best we had seen. Windy most of the time so we could use the paddle boats but went out on the small catamarans with the sailer we dubbed reed the crazy Cubian as he would get it up on probably a 65 degree angle. Amazing sailer and never felt like he wasn't in control. Only costs a tip which we tipped him well as he made it a fun adventurous trip. Always lots going on in the beach as well as pool. I wish that people wouldn't throw their cigarettes into the sand as it is gorgeous and won't remain as such if everyone treats it like a garbage dump. Disappointing that people do this but did notice that there were people raking the beach every day. So it would help somewhat which the non organic matter. But primarily it was to clean any seaweed which may have swept up overnight onto the beach. Lots going on around the pool. They had two foam parties which everyone had great fun with! The general manager and I believe most of the management team were there for one of them. There is a kids club with lovely ladies working there. We didn't have kids that age however did see how the kids loved them. There is a second pool on the other side which is quiet for those not wanting to be in the thick of things of just looking for some quiet flake out time. We could always find a seat at the beach as well as the pool. We have been to resorts that if you didn't get down there by 7am you would get near the pool. This was no issue. And guys on the beach to help you find loungers etc. The grounds were beautiful maintained and always saw men around working non stop. I would certainly recommend the resort to anyone. There are always going to be people who complain however pick your shots. You are on vacation... suspect isn't as easy fix especially being in Cuba.

Melia Las Dunas: Nice resort

My stay was great! The only thing that could have been better would have been if we could get unlimited beach towels and if the maids would replace our bathroom towels everyday and not just fold them up. It would have been nice to get a fresh one everyday.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Terrific Resort!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this resort. A wide variety of food is offered at the buffet, with a beach resto buffet available for lunch daily. The white sand beach is inviting, although Hurricane Sandy took out a sizeable chunk. The pools are all large and a good alternative to the windy coastal beach. Overall, the resort service is very good. Any issues we had were resolved quickly.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Ready to go again!

We absolutely loved this resort... the room was spacious, had a great view, and close proximity to pool, beach, dining and entertainment. Beautiful beach and friendly staff. Food was ok but the drinks made up for it! Only real complaint is about the state of the bathrooms in common areas... dirty and in disrepair.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Wonderful relaxing time!

Had an amazing time. This is our second time to Cuba first was to Veradero and both my husband and I preferred this location. This is the place you go when you want to relax and not do a lot is sight seeing. Yes there are some excursions to do like the Catameran, swimming with dolphins, deep sea fishing but any trips to cities take All Day or over night. Our room was comfortable and when we asked for extra pillows and blankets for cushion they were in our room within hours. Great movies on the T [... read more]V in the early mornings and the AC worked so well we actually had to turn it off a couple times in the middle of the night (and I love an ice cold room) Housekeeping was good but not overly friendly.. Could be the language barrier. Gardeners and cleaning staff were super appreciative for the gifts we brought. The bartenders were fun and engaging and we met lots of people who were super friendly. Management was very helpful and front desk staff was always accommodating even when it room key didn't program right three times in a row The beaches are BEAUTIFUL and if you don't mind being 100ft from the bar you can have a beach to yourself...it is busy near the bar... Bring your Buba Cups! Never had trouble getting chair on the beach in or out of the shade Now the big question: food... I think people forget that they are in Cuba and that Cuba has limited trading partners. Yes we brought some condiments with us, ketchup, hot sauce, soya sauce, and mustard. Don't be afraid to try things. Yes not all of it is good (to my standards). But it is an adventure. That being said there are always cooks available to make fresh food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is simple food but good. Stuck to the grills and you can't go wrong it is worth the wait My husband and I are planning a return trip next year with a couple friends we met while there

Memories Paraiso: Great Resort and employees were "awesome"

Well maintained since we were last visited.The employees were very professional and obliging.The grounds were well kept and clean.Great entertainment. Our only disappointment was the fact that we could not get Bacon or deep fried French Fries both of which they served on our previous visit.

Melia Las Dunas: Melia Las Dunas

Good: - Resort very neat/tidy and very large - Drive from the airport includes a tour of the countryside - Staff were very friendly Bad: - Food is Cuban, so bland is to be expected (bring own ketchup if needed) - Got sick from the food - Beach towels run out daily. I assume because nobody brings them back the night before to allow for cleaning. - People holding lawn chairs at the pools and beach is a MASSIVE problem at this resort. It gets very frustrating and absolutely something the staff nee [... read more]ds to prevent. People get up at 6:00am, cover full banks of chairs, and leave for the day. Comments on other reviews: - People complain about the bed sheets not being changed daily, I dont understand why sheets need to be changed daily, do you do that at home also? Its a "green" resort that tries limiting its water waste - Beach towels, take them back the night before and give the staff the opportunity to clean them

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Good price for that hotel

Rooms were not the best had water issues and tv's very outdated. The resort was very big and clean and well kept but only half the resort and places to eat were open. The bars were very busy but staff did their best to kept up. The beach was great.The worst part about the trip was the tourists. They were very rude to staff and other guests.

Melia Las Dunas: Not much for high star resort

positives: weather was great, pool was beautiful negatives: no pool towels (had the same one for 3 days) - did not change room towels - no change available for money exchange - only had 3's and 5's in CUC's, 6 minute walk to beach - seemed too far from room and also there must have been some sort of storm because most of the cabanas were washed away and there was an 8 foot wall of sand with a drop to the beach area. - ran out of French fries, hotdogs and toast bread on 3 of 7 days - felt bad for [... read more] kids

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Good Value for the money we paid

We paid slightly less than $1000/- for a 7 night stay at Starfish Caya Santa Maria for the last week of Feb 2016. For the amount we paid the hotel was very good value for money. If I had paid say $1200-$1500 my review would not be so positive. The rooms are large and our room was clean and everything worked. Good housekeeping service. The design of the shower does result in the floor around the tub getting wet when one showers; it is what it is! The beach is beautiful and one of the best I have  [... read more]ever seen. It has white sand which is soft, the water is crystal clear and there is a sandbar about 50ft out. It tends to be rough as it was windy when we visited the resort so take advantage of the beach whenever the weather is good. The pools are huge. There is a pool with no washroom and bar near building 29 which is quiet and a great place to hang out if you are want solitude. The service is overall very good and the staff hardworking and pleasant. The food at the buffet is repititive and can be boring. We loved the freshly grilled fish and at it at lunch and dinner along with rice, bread and cheese. The food at the Italian ala carte was very good. There is a bar in the same bldg as the Italian restaurant which is now crowded. We didnt enjoy the Seafood ala carte restaurant; preferred the freshly grilled fish at the buffet. There is a lot of entertainment at this resort. The rock band on Wednesday evening was awesome.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Pay a little extra and go somewhere else

The beach is amazing but everything else isn't. The resort needs an upgrade, food is very repetitive, check to make sure your bed is clean when you get there, the shows aren't very good, you can't get the "A la cartes" unless you book on arrival and the seafood one wasn't very good. You're lucky if one out of six toilets work in the common areas. This is a 4 star for Cuba but anywhere else it would be a 2.5

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Excellent Resort

The rooms are nice, the lobby is really nice, restaurants are great. The only recommendation I could give is that the access to the beach from the main pool should be better, there should be a sign up as the other access from the outdoor lunch restaurant where the boats etc. are is so much better and safer. The staff were excellent on the resort. The food was very good. Anyone who was hungry had no one to blame but themselves, there were always so many choices.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Overall a wonderful experience!

Rooms are beautiful, beaches are stunning, entertainment staff is amazing, pools are so-so, food was very good and plentiful! Our indulge package provided a butler who was always there for whatever we needed. We had an amazing trip to the Valentin Perla Blanca March 2-9, 2015! Thanks to Diane McLelland at Trip Central for all of the assistance in booking, and to Air Canada Vacations for a superb trip!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Friendly and clean resort

This was my 2nd time to Playa Cayo Santa Maria. I will go again! The staff are great, the pools clean. The rooms are clean and comfortable. The food is average Cuba food. Overall it was a very nice stay!