Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Great Family Resort

Family of 4 with two young teens stayed May 15 to 22, 2015. This was our second time staying in Cayo Santa Maria, 10 years prior we stayed at the Sol Club Santa Maria next door. As before, beach was fantastic. Clean and clear ocean water. Some days were wavy but most days were calm enough for relaxing swim in the ocean. Resort was quiet due to time of year. I’d guess it was only about 1/3rd full. The resort is a good size for those who like a bit quieter vacation but still large enough to hav [... read more]e a good variety of activities, entertainment and restaurants. The resort has a buffet restaurant, 4 A la carte, a snack bar and a beach grill. There are two large swimming pools, one with a swim up bar. The pools have zero entry spots for young children or guests with mobility challenges. The gardens surrounding the pools and rest of the resort were very lush and beautifully kept by the gardeners. There is a market between the Melia Cayo Santa Maria and Melia Las Dunas resort that is a very short walk. Check-in was relatively quick considering the front desk had to check in about 8 or so rooms once our bus arrived. No wait for our rooms as they were ready when we checked in. We got upper level rooms in block 24 close to the pool and buffet with a view of the surrounding land. Rooms were spacious and clean. Air conditioning worked well. Rooms were cleaned each day. There was a small safe in room. Most of the power is 220v with one 110v outlet on the hairdryer. Only issue with rooms was the outdoor lighting was off each night. When returning to room at night it was difficult to see, and a bit dangerous climbing the stairs to second level. In absence of lighting, my daughter started carrying her phone to use as a flashlight, so really no big deal. Food was good. There was lots of choice each day. We generally ate breakfast and dinner at the buffet, while spending lunch at either the poolside snack bar or the beach grill. At the beach grill, chicken and pork are cooked over a traditional coal bbq. Inside the open air restaurant is a small buffet of rice, salads, and other foods to complement the bbq’d meats. The 24hr poolside snack bar offered hamburgers, sandwiches and pizza. The pizza at the snack bar was very good. Buffet offered sufficient variety and choice. One night there was whole roasted turkey and another night roasted pig. There were ample servers and chefs for the number of guests at the buffet. Entertainment was good and varied. During the day the entertainment staff hosted activities at the beach including dance lessons, volleyball, and aqua gym. At the pool, the entertainment staff hosted dancing lessons, tai chi, water polo and other pool games. Dany one of the entertainment staff was especially nice and friendly. Nightly entertainment included traditional Cuban bands at the 24hr lobby/piano bar, and nightly Cuban dancer shows at the theatre. The Melia Cayo Santa Maria resort is a good resort if you enjoy smaller /quiet relaxing resorts. If you trying to decide between the Melia and the Sol Cayo Santa Maria, choose the Melia as the Sol next door appears to be in need of maintenance.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Brilliant family resort

We stayed at the Playa Cayo May 17th to May 24th .It was our 25th wedding anniversary. we flew with Holasun Elizabeth was our tour representative. We had a fantastic holiday. Rooms were always kept clean and mini bar restocked daily. Beach was gorgeous pure white sand, water clear blue and warm , very safe for all age groups. Beach bar and restaurant with choice of buffet or fresh made pasta and pizza stations or grilled meats. Staff always friendly and helpful. 24 hour snack bar available with  [... read more]lots of choices from the menu. There were a choice of pools at different hotel blocks. These were always clean and well maintained We went to the Romantica al la carte for our wedding anniversary, food was excellent and staff were wonderful. We also went to the Italian al la carte. Food also wonderful and our server Elizabeth was fantastic. There was also a main buffet for breakfast with fresh pancake and omelets stations. and also fresh made donuts. Lunch excellent food choices on buffet also with grilling stations for fresh meats and pizza and pasta stations. Again same for Dinner buffet. Entertainment staff were on site encouraging adults and kids to take part in daily activities. They put on a show each night. there performances were excellent and very enjoyable. We did go to the Cigar lounge which my husband enjoyed they have a Humidor for the cigars. The staff here were awesome and knowledgeable re cigars This lounge became a disco after the nightly show. It was fun and the Dj did an excellent job. The main lobby had a Coffee bar which also supplied any alcoholic beverage you desired. During the day the main Lobby had an awesome jazz player and on other days an awesome piano player. We had a brilliant relaxing time and were very sad to leave.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Overall Good

Went to this resort from May 15 to May 22. This was our second time. First time was in 2012 and my rating back then would've been a 5 star. This time is a 4 star mainly because of the food and we are not picky eaters. This time it was 15 of us and 5 got sick. Arrival- We got to the resort around noon with a bus full of people. The rooms were not ready until 3:30pm which was not too bad since we all went to eat lunch first. The drive to the resort went by fast. The guide was telling us about Cub [... read more]an history and it was nice to see Cuban life. Rooms- We had a corner room which was spacious with a walking closet and 2 double beds. We put the beds together and had our children sleep with us. We loved the large glass shower. It was so easy to wash the children and the water had great pressure. They did shut off the water due to maintenance for a few hours one day. That was hard because we just got to the room and we couldn't bathe our kids. The water guy came to refill the fridge in the afternoons. He would knock once and come in so be prepared in case you are not decent. Or you could put the sign not to be disturbed on the door if you don't need anything. The room was clean and the maid did a wonderful job every day. Food- This was our problem area. Our family didn't get sick but our friends did. Two of them was after the Japanese a la carte and because of that we canceled our reservation. The other 3 were from the food at the buffet. The workers definitely need training in hygiene and food preparation. The food is recycled and spoils fast due to the heat. My husband smelled spoiled rice and chicken a few times. He always tasted and smelled the food first before giving it to our kids. We stuck to fresh grilled chicken, fish, pizza and pasta. Make sure you ask the cook to keep it on the grill for a while even if he keeps trying to hand it over to you. Many times they under cook it so you have to watch out for yourself. There was also a lack of quality and diversity compared to 2012. No grilled calamari, no assorted deserts (they had the same cake with different colours on top) and other items that I can't specifically remember. The pizza was also better in 2012. . However, the ice cream was really good. Beach- Enseanchos beach is amazing! Megano beach was hit by a storm and has a shorter shore, broken palapas and some little rocks in the water. A few of our friends cut their feet there. Entertainment - Kids show every night at 8pm and adults show at 9:30pm. The Michael Jackson show on Monday was awesome! They have a disco on the beach at the snack bar every night from 10pm. We went once and loved it! Service - Really good. The people are wonderful and always serve you with a genuine smile on their faces. We tipped every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner (2 pesos). We also brought a full suitcase of gifts (new and gently used clothing, toys, toiletries, kids shoes). We packed them in different bags and hand them out to Cuban workers. They really appreciated them. We do this every time we travel to Cuba. They also prepare special events if you tell them ahead of time at the restaurant (birthday, anniversary etc.). Overall- a 4 star hotel for Cuban standards and we traveled to Cuba more than 10 times. I would return to this resort mainly for the beach, beautiful vegetation and waterpark which the kids loved! Hopefully, the food quality and diversity will improve again.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Quality Resort, amazing beach

Cayo Santa Maria is an amazing place to relax, the hotel was great, service was good especially the bar staff, food was nice. I stayed for 1 week and found no problem with anything. There is plenty to do if you get bored within the resort and want to step out.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Iberostar Ensenachos

Iberosrar Ensenachos - has beautiful beaches, very friendly helpful and engaging staff. The food is good clean real food with plenty of variety to choose from, with fresh fish cooked to order both on the beach and at the buffet and lots of fresh fruit and veggies. The grounds of the resort are lush with vegetation and plenty of birds to watch

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Great Value for the Money Spent!!!

The grounds were nice, the staff was amazing, the room was fabulous and the beach is to die for !!!! Even though it is a family resort the "adults only" area is very secluded and no children were present. The food was good and there was ample selection to choose from to suit every palate !!!!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Beautiful Grounds!!

Third time there. We stayed there last week of April and it was a heat wave 35C everyday.Got there at 12pm and was in room by 12:45pm Booked Spa side and got room requested 2nd floor. Clean and large, air con nice not loud, bottle of rum in room full fridge everyday with as many beer, pop, water. Food was not bad, but it has been better in the past, selection varied, breakfast great, lunch ok, dinner was good. If you booked the seafood rest you could have lobster at least 3 times during the week [... read more]. Spa side (adults only) pool was excellent, lots of palm trees and shade, no problem finding a lounge chair no need to reserve like some jerks do. Beach was great but hot hot hot!!! We would go down at 7am until 10am, after that you would melt, lots of people got sunstroke (idiots). Of course at 8am on jerks would start throwing towels on chairs for the shady spots beware! All three beaches are nice! Lobby is wonderful and relaxing, order special cocktail drinks form the lobby bar, my favourite was the Hemingway, the wife liked the Blue Hawaiian. We had sun all week! Enjoy.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Just perfect!

This resort was a pleasant surprise that exceeded our expectations. We were worried going to Cuba for two weeks especially to a resort we had never been to before. it's Cuba we told ourselves so do not expect much but it was great! Let's start with the positive...staff in the restaurants, bars, and the entertainment staff are friendly and make you feel like family. Ernesto, our room steward, was just amazing! We never needed to ask for anything and his unique daily surprises were something we lo [... read more]oked forward to each day. Lazarau from the entertainment staff is wonderful with all guests and ages. Very professional workouts daily! The whole entertainment staff do a great job. Staff at the front desk are not very helpful...if you want to know something ask other staff they know more. I do not know if it because of staff changeover but they need some customer training and need to know what is going on on the resort. Maps should be given with instructions on check in. All areas are kept clean and appealing to look at. The food in the buffet is plentiful with many choices. It's Cuba people so don't expect fine dining like in New York or on cruises. But they have their version of ketchup and mustard plus some spices such as garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. We ate at the Italian twice so good...chicken cordon bleu was delicious. The Longina romantica restaurant was very good also. Could not complain about the food it was good even the hot dogs were all beef and the snack bar was very good too from pizzas to chicken fingers to panninis. The wine/coffee room needs to be more welcoming (shorter chairs, too high for short people and uncomfortable for leg and back problems) and further advertised. A nice touch would be adding specialty hot chocolate drinks and cookie/pastry snacks. Our only main complaint is the long waits at the cooking stations in the buffet because the grills or pans cook only for 1-2 people at a time. The lines block the other food and lines run into each other. Suggestion is to take out the buffet foods past the pasta station and make the whole end larger grills that handle cooking for six or so people at a time but place each station in a way that the lines for each station do not run into each other. The fresh food at the stations are all worth the wait especially the pasta and the fried rice it just needs some placement and cooking size ability to be improved! All the fresh stations could be located away from the already prepared food and each station should accomodate 4-6 guests at a time. Nightly entertainment in the lobby was nice. Great magician. The Michael Jackson show in the theater is not to be missed...just great. Mama Mia starts off slow but ends well. The other shows nights need to be changed or upgraded. And there needs to be a large, enclosed room like the wine/coffe bar but larger that is air conditioned with game tables, board games, pool tables, etc so there is something to do when the show is over or if the show is not up to someone's preference. Plus a good place to go when trying to avoid mosquitos or when there is a day of rain! We loved the taxis, double decker bus, and the train. The La Estrella market was very nice. No one begged for you to buy anywhere at the market and on the resort...nice surprise! We did the Catamaran excursion with the dolphin encounter and snorkeling...well worth the money! Great day! The rooms are roomy and clean. Everything is pretty modern even the plumbing worked well. Suggestion would be to add a step up to the tub for easier access getting in and out. It's a high tub! The lights in the stairwells need to be kept on at all times since we went to go to the lobby for 6 am for an excursion to Havana and we could not see our hand infront of our face. Thank goodness I had a flashlight on my cell phone. But people who had an early flight were trying to carry suitcases down in the dark. This was building 10 and there are small lights in the stairwell but either they did not work or they are not bright enough. Sewer smells in some areas need some work but it is their plumbing system so it's understandable. We loved the choices of restaurants, the ice cream store, the pools were big and clean, and the beach was clean with powdery, white sand. Water was incredible just be aware of undertow so do not venture far. Plus they have life guards too! A suggesion would be roping off areas for people to swim so they do not go too far and then they would stay out of the path for the water sports like the hobie cats. The hobie cats are included and so much fun. The guys like Medina are great sailors and take you out for a nice ride. Westjet reps were very friendly and helpful. Overall, as you can see we absolutely loved it and can't wait to go back!

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Very nice, but not 5*

My husband and I stayed at the Royalton from May 1-8, 2015 and we had a fantastic time. I was 7 months pregnant at that time. The resort is beautiful and the staff are extremely friendly and attentive. One of the best things was the fact that there was live music at almost every meal; such talented musicians! We stayed in Cabana 501 which is like a suite and was very good looking and modern. Unfortunately the king size bed in our room was broken from day one and never got fixed or changed. Fur [... read more]ther, the air conditioning stopped working on Wednesday and although repairmen were sent to the room after several prompts, the situation did not get corrected. We were told that the AC unit was not powerful enough to cool such a large room. Being pregnant, I was not at all happy with this since I could not take afternoon naps in the room since it was 28 degrees C. We escalated our complaints to management who finally, on the second night without AC, found us another room where we could sleep. The toilet in that second room would not flush. We think all of these things were just bad luck on our part and we still had a great "babymoon". This hotel is for you if you are looking for a very quiet, relaxing vacation at an adults only resort in Cuba. The beach in Cayo Santa Maria is phenomenal. Just don't be fooled by the 5* rating as there are definitely things that could be improved...

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: very relaxing

Enjoy the beach pool room.food was good but not much varity for dinner. Lunch bbx ws good.drinks were good. Entertainment was very short. We enjoyed going to memories for italian.I would probably not go back.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Exceeded our expectations

This was my second time staying at Playa Cayo Santa Maria . I had just as great of an experience as I did on my first trip ! The hotel is modern and well kept .The staff were very friendly and helpful . We absolutely loved the nightly shows ! The food was actually fantastic from what we have heard from others who travelled to Cuba before . We enjoyed some of our favourites -smoked salmon and prosciutto daily !! We never went hungry on our trip! We have recommended this resort to friends of ours  [... read more]and family and everyone who has gone has fallen in love with Playa Cayo Santa Maria ! Can't wait to go back for round 3 !

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: lovely time

Great visit! Nice to see small improvements and you can tell management has taken the suggestions from guests seriously. Way to go! Was a great visit for May. We were concerned for the weather but it was nice. Warm and enjoyable taking a refreshing dip. The hotel was less busy and we didnt have to deal with long lines and staff had time to be attentive with all guests. Its nice to see familiar faces. We love the spa side and highly recommend you book this side if you are adults visiting. This  [... read more]was our 2nd time visiting and were married there last year with a small group . I would highly recommend weddings here as the hotel does not over book other weddings on the same day and have many beautiful options with choice of areas for your ceremony. Because our group was small we married in the gazebo! It was perfect! The grounds are beautiful and private. I would recommend the photographer. Very affordable. Bring lots of tips for those who help make your wedding memorable ! The beaches are gorgeous. we were sad to see many Palapas washed away since last year at the Megano beach. No fault of the resort the tide has raised higher up onto the beach. The island itself at times is affected by lack of running water and the hotels are cut off from time to time. one bizarre situation at our visit this past time was a shortage of cheese everywhere. This limited food options at specialty restaurants and affected the whole hotel. No biggie. Lots of other options. Do not visit Cuba with high expectations of food. We are always open to this and as a result it does not affect our great time! This is a lovely resort. Cuba hotels in general we have noticed depreciates quickly with the humidity and weather. The hotels try hard to keep up but are limited. Assume that a Cuban 4 or 5 star are more like a three star back home. If you are open minded and happy and kind it will make your vacation so much more!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Had a amazing trip

Just got back about two days ago. We had a good time. My spouse and I wanted an inexpensive 5 day trip to relax. This was our second time to Cuba but first time in Santa Maria. There buffet was indoors and offers three made to order items: meats and fishes, pasta and Pizza. The buffet offers salad, rice, and three meats (pork, chicken, and steak). There is a about 4 or 5 items that is recycled throughout the menu everywhere. Food is acceptable. Rooms include Ac, large beds, 24" LCD with many go [... read more]od channels,iron, safe and fridge. The room was a very God size and everything was in good working order. The beds where abit heard but good for Cuban standards. I didn't have trouble sleeping but it is not North American beds and pillows. Staff was friendly except this one person at the check in. Most bar staff will respond better if you tip them. Cle aging staff was outstanding: keeping the room top shelf clean and changing everything daily. The Micheal Jackson show was amazing to watch. Beach is nice but the waters are choppy. We stuck to the pool most of the time. Snack bar is acceptable for a quick burger or pizza. They offer breakfast that is offensive to eat. Stick to the buffet. A la carte are the rehash of the buffet items. Far from air port. Be ready for a 2 hour bus ride. Sunwing offers great food on the plane.

Melia Las Dunas: Amazing Resort

Four of us went, all females, had two rooms. Resort was amazing, clean and staff were friendly. Restaurants for dinner had excellent food with spices, we tried them all and were 5 stars. The BBQ Grill for lunch time was near the beach and had a variety of BBQ food, defiantly recommend it for lunch. We went on April 29, 2015 for 7 days, didn't realize the rain season had started, it rained very heavy for most of the days however, we did have 2 full sunny days. Ocean was so clear and had white san [... read more]d. The only disappointment we had was that we didn't get one of our rooms cleaned daily, someone would come and make our bed but did not clean the room, we asked the maid that cleaned the other rooms who our maid was, she said she didn't know, we had to call lobby every day for clean towels. we even left a tip every day for the maid and the tip money was taken but no clean room. Oh the bed was horrible in both rooms, the springs were popping out, our bodies were sore when we returned home. The bus ride from the airport was only 1hr and 45 min. it went by fast. bus was very comfortable. Overall it was a good vacation.

Memories Paraiso: Best beach ever!

The hotel is okay, and the people were very friendly. But poorly managed. I had requested ground level. 1st room was upstairs. The room we moved to had no telephone, so no wake up calls, Toilet not working right for 5 days. Many visits to front desk, not much help.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Rates itself a 5 Star!

Word of mouth and reviews had us choosing this Resort Hotel, so it was disappointing. I think choosing 3 Star accommodation would have given us the same facilities and services. Food may be slightly better.

Memories Paraiso: Great people and amazing beaches.

Great people amazing beaches decent food but rooms needed maintenance and repair. We came for the beaches and experiences our room was just for sleep so it was overall a great experience. Would definitely come back again. Just to see the people again... Well the beaches too!

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing Beach

This was the most amazing beach I have been to! I really don't have anything negative to say about the resort other than the furniture was uncomfortable in our room and the food wasn't the greatest. P.S. after 6 pm it was swarming with mosquitos

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Brilliant beaches!

Hotel was as good as it could be for Cuba, the staff was excellent as always. The food is great (if you're trying to lose weight). The only con on our trip was that laundry had no clean towels for the room but plenty for the beach.

Memories Paraiso: Amazing beach and staff!

The resort is huge ! The staff is great and the italian and mediterenean a la cartes were the best ! The beach is breath taking and always enough chairs. My only complaint of the vacation is mosquitos make sure to bring OFF!