Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing resort!

I really enjoyed my vacation here at Hotel Cayo Santa Maria. It was the first time when I booked a holiday on the island Cayo Santa Maria. Amazing...I will go back for sure. Animation was the best...Keep up the good work guys.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Great Trip!

We wend to Starfish Cayo Santa Maria. We had an amazing experience, the bus was waiting for us at the airport, the resort was exactly as it looked on the advertisement. Weather was amazing, and service was good at the hotel. I expected a better food variety. Other than the food the experience and the service was amazing!

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Overall Great Resort

Rooms, pool, dining areas and grounds were very clean and maintained. The daily entertainment was fun and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. Good mix of all ages staying as well, would recommend.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Playa Cayo Santa Maria

The hotel grounds were kept very nice and clean. The rooms and the public washrooms however could do with some upgrades. Both the day and night entertainment were great and so were the staff. Over all we had a good vacation.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: The Best! (in our opinion)

I've purposely titled my review this way because resorts (especially in Cuba) are usually a matter of personal taste. We love the smaller size, quiet style and quaint atmosphere of this resort very much (we've been 6 times). Service is top-notch, grounds and amenities are beautiful, beach is number one. The resort had hiccups this trip (next to no water pressure, very little hot water) but we know that this isn't usually the case because it's the first time we've had a real issue in all our visi [... read more]ts. Food is sometimes a bit mediocre, but we're not there for the food -- in any case (especially if you eat off of the fresh-grilled stations) there is always something that is pleasing and filling to eat. You'll likely never get me to say that I don't mind the 90 minute bus transfer to/from the resort -- but it's a price we pay for wanting to be there. This resort is mainly good for couples and groups over 30 yrs -- very little for the "party crowd" -- but entertainment is good and there's still lots of fun to be had. We won't go anywhere else.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Beautiful resort. Amazing beach. Great pool.

The hotel however was rated as a 4 and it's a 3 at best. The washrooms in the common areas (near the buffet and in the lobby) were almost all out of order and we had to go back to our room to go to the bathroom. The food is average. There are not many activities during the day. I was disappointed that there was no aqua fitness.

Memories Paraiso: It's ok. In need of some work

Beach is unreal. Pools are awesome. As for the rooms they are in bad shape and need work. They night entertainment is excellent. I wouldn't recommend the diamond club we talk to people that had it and there was no difference. As a over all I feel it's a 3 star resort. I will not be returning.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Worst Ever

Worst stay ever! My wife fell on an unlit walkway going into a restaurat. Broke her foot. No wheelchair. Took taxi to hospital. Got back - no help whatsoever. Had to change room from 3rd floor to the ground. Refridgerator wasn't working. Asked for 6 staight days in a row, still wasn't looked after when we left. Food at the buffet was cold. Another guest bit into a donut and there was a piece of glass in it and he cut his lip. In the 9 days that we stayed after the accident the management did not [... read more] ask once how my wife was. 

Valentin Perla Blanca: great time alone with my husband

grounds are nice. The beach is beautiful. Could go for long walks on beach. Water a deep blue clear color. Great in afternoon when tide was out. Alot of chairs on the beach. Alot of walking if you like that. Need more chairs at the pools. Bar tenders could have been friendlier. Liked that it was adult only.

Valentin Perla Blanca: This ressort is hard to asseses

Beautiful accommodation and beaches but way to far from airport - ca 2 hour from airport plus around 3 hours before departures time plus time of flying make your trip way to long. Lack of milk, fresh juices, jams and serials.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: A changed Resort

The hotel is very beautiful but being our second time around we noticed the wear and tear of lack of maintenence. When we first went, the hotel was called Eurostars and it had just been built. 2 years later, the hotel changed its name for the Cuban Government now is in charge. We all know about Cuban restrictions but it was very evident that the hotel suffered. The food was not the same ( some good changes, others very bad). The rooms were still nice but being moved 3 times during our stay, we n [... read more]oticed that most rooms are very deteriorated. Most phones in the rooms don't work. The bed sheets were clean but the decoration pillows and the throw were very dirty and stained. Pillows are scarce and ridiculously thin. We only had a good time bc we love the ppl and we were happy to see the friends we made from our previous stay. They made our experience memorable. The beach is definitely the best part of the resort. It's as if it was photoshopped. We visited Valentin Perla Blanca and it was way better maintained. Gorgeous Resort.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Awesome Resort, we will definitely rebook!

The hotel was more than we anticipated. We loved the food; there was variety and plenty to eat. The bars were well stocked, many of them with premium liquor. The staff were friendly and helpful. The grounds to the hotel were very well maintained and had beautiful and mature trees and shrubs. The beach is beautiful. The pools were crystal clear and very well taken care of and had lots of access to pool side lounge chairs. The entertainment staff were engaging and lots of fun. We attended a family [... read more] destination wedding on this trip and the staff did an awesome job for a beautiful wedding.

Memories Paraiso: Great family trip!

This was my 5th time at this resort. We were there from January 31st to February 7th, 2016. Check in was smooth - we were given an envelope at the airport prior to boarding the bus with our room number so all we had to do was attend at the desk and we were given our keys. We were in building 32 - very central and close to everything. We were a party of 6 - myself and my husband, my in-laws and my two granddaughters (aged 5 and 3). The weather was awesome. As everyone who has travelled to this re [... read more]sort knows, the beach is the best part! White powder sand and the clearest water you have ever seen. The resort was kept very clean. The majority of the staff at the resort was great. The only complaint we had this trip was the food. As I mentioned, we have been there 4 previous times - we all don't expect much with Cuban food - that is not why we travel to Cuba. We go because of the friendly people, the culture and the beautiful beaches. The food was very repetitive this trip. Normally there are a lot of choices. Not this time. The main course it seemed every dinner was pasta. In the past, there have always been carving stations - turkey, ham, roast pig. The only night that there was anything "different" to eat was Saturday evening, when they offered lobster etc. Like I said, we do not go to Cuba for the food, we were just a little dissappointed as in the past there was far more variety. As well, I thought i would mention that the week that we booked, Sunwing had a special for children to travel free (well not free but a very discounted rate). I would have thought that as there were so many children at the resort, they would have ensured that there was "kid-friendly" food at the buffet. We did not go to any ala-carte restaurants this time as we were travelling with two little ones. There was no pizza at the resort - the pizza ovens in the buffet were not utilitized. The french fries were hard to come by - when there are so many children at the resort, you would have thought those two items would have been staples. Kids don't want to eat fish or grilled steak(beef). All in all, we had a wonderful vacation. Based on some of the very bad reviews the resort had been getting in the months preceding our vacation, we were a little concerned, but there were no concerns.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Second trip

Second time staying at this resort. Beautiful grounds- lots of chairs at pool and beach. Rooms are clean. Food is typical of Cuba but resort has multiple stations at buffet for fresh pizza, pastas, rice, crepes, etc. Had our wedding here and was very pleased with service outcome.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Disappointed

Good size resort but not too big. Enough pools, bars and beach that you could always find a place to lounge. Lobby not big enough nor is it laid out well to accommodate events in the lobby nor all the guests. Same food for lunch and dinner with no variety. They need some theme nights. Rooms need a coat of paint. Lisdania (entertainment) and the evening dancers were top notch professionals. Worth seeing the shows each night. Liked the Italian a la carte (Garibaldi) but the rest not so much. Not m [... read more]y first time in Cuba and have enjoyed other resorts better. Yami in the Italian restaurant, Sergei in the lobby, Karl, Ypsey and Yanetsky in the buffet were wonderful.

Melia Las Dunas: Great Family Holiday

We had a really lovely stay at Melia Las Dunas at the end of January 2016! The resort was beautiful, clean and well laid-out. The staff were professional and friendly. We were open-minded about the food and were pleasantly surprised by the quality and selection at the buffets and snack bars. The a la carte restaurants we tried were all very good (Asian, Italian and Seafood). The beach was amazing, and there were always sufficient beds by the pool and beach. Resort towels could be exchanged daily [... read more], but FYI, do so early as they would run out before lunch. Our room was clean, however we had to request that our sheets be changed upon arrival, as they were not clean. As disappointing as it was to encounter this problem upon arrival, the issue was dealt with quickly by the hotel staff. We found the double beds too small, and would have much rathered queens. The resort is big, so be prepared to do a lot of walking. We enjoyed a hobie cat ride from the resort beach, and had a great experience with the staff member who took us out (Bucil, i think). The entertainment was excellent, especially the evening shows. Our favourite was the in-house Cuban band! We did an all-day Catamaran tour that included snorkelling, a visit to an island for beach exploration, lunch and a dolphin encounter and show ($99/adult). I would highly recommend this tour as it was one of the highlights of our week! We took a cab to Pueblo La Estrella to do some shopping (5 pesos for the cab ride, each way), and we had a delicious lunch at La Casona, a creole restaurant. We brought many over the counter meds with us, as we were nervous about travelling with our two children, but we didn't need any of it. None of us got sick. There was lots of bottled water available, and they only serve bottled water in the restaurants. Bug spray is a good idea for the evenings. If you go to the beach at sundown, expect to get bitten by the little black flies in the sand. Other than that, the bug situation wasn't too bad (I get concerned at resorts that have no bugs and wildlife at all - we saw many geckos and one garden snake!). We would definitely go back to Melia Las Dunas (we would request bigger beds, though)!!!

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful Resort

Example: What did you think about  this hotel? (grounds, public areas, rooms, dining, features, etc.) If you are looking for a place to get away and lay by the water -this is the place for you. It is very quiet and isolated. The beach sand is like some I have never seen before- like walking in flour. The people are friendly and tourists were mainaly all Canadian. We went on the jeep Safari tour- I guess it was what you would expect - the meal was fanatastic. The only recomemdation I would make  [... read more]is not to arrive at night- they do not help your room or give good direction on paths that are not well lite up- it was very frustrating to fins the room after a lon flight and 2hour bus ride to get there.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Nice break from winter

We enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Cayo Santa Maria. It has a great beach and two pools... one more quiet and the other has a little more "party" vibe. The bartenders and staff at the lobby bar were friendly and certainly liked to free pour the drinks. My only criticism overall is not of the resort but a more general issue with Cuba, and that is the shortages they will sometimes have with respect to food. Thankfully that was never an issue with liquor ;) If you love great food, Cuba is probably no [... read more]t the right destination for you... but the people are friendly, the weather is great and it usually has a great price point.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Wouldn't go back

This is the only resort in all our years of travelling that we won't be going to again. We have been to Cuba numerous times so we know what to expect. Food was blander than usual and overly repetitive at every meal....and hot stuff was far from hot...lukewarm at best. Our room was clean and everything worked well. The public bathrooms were terrible...rarely cleaned and never seemed to be fixed. Someone has posted since that the old manager has returned and things will get better which is good as [... read more] this could be a fantastic resort if food and washrooms were taken care of.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Had a great Trip to the Iberostar Ensenachos

First of all, let me start by saying this was our 7th trip to Cuba and my third to Cayo Santa Maria area. Having stayed at the Melia Las Dunas, Playa Cayo Santa Maria and now the Iberostar, I feel I can give a fairly accurate review. We stayed in the Spa Section Second Floor room. The Room was lovely, nice Cuban feel to it. The Bed was hard but I really haven't found one in Cuba that wasn't. The food was very good for Cuba standards. I felt that the a la carte restaurants could have had a bit be [... read more]tter atmosphere, perhaps candles and music would be a nice touch. Beach was beautiful, more of a natural beach. Some areas of the beach could use a bit of a clean up, but being from the East Coast it didn't bother me one bit! The resort is huge, would not be suitable for those who do not enjoy walking or have mobility issues. The beach is not visible from the rooms nor the common areas of the resort. It is a bit of a hike along a nice wooden boardwalk through the mangroves. The cubans working at the resort were very friendly, as we have found everywhere in Cuba. Alexis who works at the front as a bellman is a lovely gentleman who truly takes pride in what he does and the connections he makes with the guests. As with everyplace we have been, maintenance is often an issue for Cuba... lets face it, they do not have things at their fingertips. So yes there were some light bulbs out along the walkways at night, paint chipping and broken latches in some of the public washrooms. Did it bother us?... NO! We travel quite a bit and have been to Mexico, DR, Florida as well as Europe. Cuba is and will always be one of our favorite destinations. Great Value for the dollar, and as for the food we have never gone to Cuba and not come home with a few extra pounds. The food is basic, not necessarily gourmet, but we have never really had a bad experience, but have always stayed at 4 star or better resorts.