Valentin Perla Blanca: Go some where else!!!

Our trip to the Valentin Perla Blanca started with a flight out of Montreal at 6:05am, with Air Transat/TMR on March 7, which means that there is not much open at the airport for food at that time. We boarded the plane and soon realized that the only food that was available, other than a small bag of cookies, was stuff we had to pay for. The selection was expensive and not worth the money. Thankfully, we packed some granola bars. We have always had food to eat on any other flight down to the Car [... read more]ibbean but not this one. There was nothing indicated when we booked that food was not provided. When we have flown before with Sunwing, food was always provided. We travelled with Air Transat to Europe a few years ago and food was provided then so we assumed that it would be provided on this flight. Bad assumption. When we arrived in Cuba, we tried to convert our money at the airport since we heard that the hotel runs out of money quite often but we were not able to because the bus was ready to go before we got to the cashier. It turns out that we did not have a problem at the hotel to convert our money but they had a worst rate than the airport. The bus ride to the hotel was picturesque and interesting and a 2 hour ride. We didn’t mind the ride since we got to see a new part of Cuba. The guide on the bus was only speaking French and Spanish, and we had to tell her that we do not speak French. We were sitting at the very front seat of the bus. She was nice and repeated what she was saying in English to us. My cousins near the back of the bus were not so lucky. Although, they said later on that they couldn’t even hear what she was saying anyways. The guide was also selling beer to the bus riders, and when I asked her if she had any water, she said no, only beer. It would have been nice if they had water as well since not everyone drinks beer. Get some water for the bus ride. We got to the Valentin Perla Blanca around 12:30pm and was told to go to the Privilege desk to check in since we had paid for privilege package. We were told that our rooms were not ready yet. We were then told that we could put our bags in a locked room and go look around and get something to eat. We finally got our room at 4pm but my cousins only got theirs at 6pm. The room was really nice. We got room 2564, but our cousins were in a different bungalow even though we booked at the same time. We were in building 25 and they were in building 22. We asked to be put in the same bungalow and we were told that we would be contacted when the rooms were available but we were never contacted. We just decided to keep the rooms incase we got rooms that were not as nice if we moved. We had towels and beach towels but no face cloths. We had a king sized bed and the room was very nice and comfortable with a nice balcony. It was quiet most of the time except for the partying couple next door. The room was always clean and the AC worked great. Our towels were never changed all week and neither was the sheets We never received: the bottle of rum in room upon arrival, they only wanted to give us 3 meals at the a la carte restaurants, fruit basket in room upon arrival (and ''petits fours'', once/stay), or the private beach area with waiter service. The food. I am not a picky eater by no means and we have been to Cuba a couple of times before. So, we know that it is not quite as good as some of the other places we have been. Some of the food was good and some was downright awful. Pasta with white sauce that tasted like flower and water. Beef so tough that you needed a chainsaw to cut it. Chicken that was as tough as the beef. We did not get any bananas until the wednesday and then they were gone...to never reappear again. The apple fairy only showed up on Thursday...only to leave again that night. Under ripe pineapple that did not have much taste but was ok. Lots of awful guava, though. The cheese disappeared on Monday and only reappeared on Friday. The fry fairy never showed up. She must have forgot to stop at our resort. The first a la carte we tried was the French. It was good. The second one we tried was the Seafood. I ordered the seafood casserole. I got some shells with calamari on it and 4 baby octopus as well as some mystery seafood. I could not eat it. The next one we tried was the Italian. It was the same bland white sauce that tasted like flour and water that I had the day before in the Buffet. I ate a little. We decided to skip any more the a la cartes. A la cartes are supposed to have better quality food then the buffet but they don’t. Most of the food gave us explosive poop afterwards. Bring immodium. The beach is not great as well. People are out really early to grab a chair in the shade and if you want one you need to get up really early to nab one. The beach is not very wide and the time that we were there, the flag was either yellow or red. The beach had been battered pretty badly from the constant winds. The winds were so bad that going for a walk was not really fun. The privilege section is really small and always the first to be taken since it has the prime location. No one checks to make sure that only those that have paid for the package are there. The workers are great. They try very hard with what they are given to work with. They always have a smile and are always welcoming and say ‘Hola’ when they see you. The management really needs improving though. Toilet paper in the common toilets in the main building are another thing. Most run out of toilet paper and when I let customer services know that the mens bathroom is totally out of toilet paper they said that they would get it fixed. The next morning the bathrooms still did not have any toilet paper in them. The morning we left, nothing was open yet. The bus picked us up, for the airport, at 7:15am. My wife was able to get us some muffins from the coffee bar just before we left or we would have starved. Do yourself a favor and buy the VIP package for the airport from your travel rep. There is nothing to do at the airport and the seats are horrible. The VIP allows you to bypass the long line to get your boarding pass when leaving and gives you access to the VIP lounge at the airport. There is food and drinks as well as TV’s to watch in the lounge that is included. There is a lot more, but this review is already too long. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Incredible Beach!!!

My 19 year old son and I stayed at the Starfish hotel in Cayo Santa Maria last week. After switching rooms, our stay was amazing! The beach is breathtaking but make sure you are up super early to get a seat under the cabana. The food is fine-it's Cuba but there is always something to eat. Evening entertainment is good for the most part but take time to go down to the beach to look at the stars. It's quite a sight on a clear night.

Melia Las Dunas: the resort was everything that I expected

everything was great the people are amezing this resort is a place if you want just to relax and it also has a lot activites, the beaches are amezing the music is great the drinks are up to date great fish

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Fantastic Trip!

Overall the trip was fantastic! Resort was very nice and very well taken care of. Staff were friendly and tried very hard to please everyone, and keep everyone entertained and having a fun time! Buffet was great once we figured out that we had to get the guys at the grill to cook us up what we wanted. They were great and would pretty much make anything the way we wanted it! Beach was absolutely beautiful, kept nice and clean. Areas where you could lay and relax in quiet and also areas where the  [... read more]entertainment team had music pumping keeping everyone entertained. Our room was very clean, and we always has fresh towels. Housekeeping would even move the bed to wash floors etc.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Such a Relaxing Time

Loved this resort we were in building 15 ocean view and was week worth the additional fee. No complaints at all about the food service or the facility. Was the perfect get away for the week. Loved the personal service at the beach. Never a problem to get a chair. Water was perfect and we could walk the beach forever. Gorgeous sand

Valentin Perla Blanca: Amazing Resort Bad Service

Read all the previous reviews and if it is something that would bother you then DON'T GO or you will really regret. We were 12 of us and 2 of them were very fussy eaters. There was one day when we actually starved because there was nothing good we could eat. But that is Cuba, however, service was really really bad. There was no milk or creme for the coffee and if there was creme and there were never cups there. When you asked they would bring you one cup rather than filling the station up. They  [... read more]don't change towels in the room. However, the rooms were very spacious and clean. You can't change beach towels. The cleaning staff would tell you to go to the poolside but that stall was NEVER open. We neglected the reviews thinking people were too fussy but everything turned out to be true. However, due to the company we had, we still had fun. The beach is sandy and awesome blue sea. Access to the beach is not good and there is hardly any shade for dark people like us who cannot afford to get any more darker. THOU SHALT READ THE REVIEWS!!!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Not worth the time or money.

The resort was clean but under staffed it took forever to get something to eat other than the buffet. Towel service for the hotel room was terrible the hand towels were never changed. The beach was vary rocky and dangerous to walk we saw a lady break her leg in front of us and the bartenders would to busy talking it took forever to get service not good.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: One of the best resorts

Most important tip: request a second floor balcony room overlooking the pool or garden view. The first room we were given was on the ground floor and had a horrible pesticide smell. Our patio was 3 feet away from dense bushes, so apart from no view, it made the room dark and uninviting. Within a day, the hotel moved us to us to a second floor room overlooking the pool and our friends were given a garden view. This resort has a lovely pool area and gardens and the rooms are all beautifully decora [... read more]ted, very spacious and the beds comfortable. All the staff are friendly and helpful. Only three negatives: the constant and sometimes very high winds in Santa Maria are okay for keeping cool in otherwise hot and humid temperatures, but sitting at the beach or trying to read in those winds was challenging. This is the only reason we wouldn't return to this part of Cuba. The other negatives were that we didn't have hot water for showers and the food in the buffet was not good and neither was the beach restaurant. We've been to Cuba before and did not have unreasonable expectations in that regard. The more expensive enhanced package is worth the cost simply because you can get reservations at 3 a-la-carte restaurants. We liked the Japanese one best, then the French and finally the Italian. The snack bar also has a really good selection of food like pizza, hot dogs and daily specials and is open 24/7. One thing people might want to know is that there is a nude area on the beach...far away from the resort beach, but it might come as a shock to some. We didn't care.

Memories Paraiso: Beautiful beach

The beach was great. The staff was amazing. The hotel was run-down but clean. The food was mostly good. Most of the tourists were drunk. There was not a lot to do if you don't want to drink constantly or if you were not into suntanning. Next holiday I will choose a place with more cultural interests nearby.

Memories Paraiso: Would not recommend to anyone

The resort itself is quite nice however the people there are not so much. The cleaning staff for the rooms and Tom service for amenities were excellent and were tipped accordingly. The restaurants were brutal with the exception of the Chinese and Italian ones. The bar service was pathetic and generally unhappy workers. I know not why. We were not greeted with friendliness with the exception of the fore-mentioned. One server on the beach actually laughed when we asked if they took Canadian money  [... read more]for tips and said I quote "your money is worthless". The extra money for diamond club was a waste as it got us absolutely nothing extra. The diamond club supper which is one of their bragging rights was to be lobster or chicken, our choice but they had neither and served up pork. Sunwing airlines had equally poor service and the in flight food was disgusting. in summation stay away from this resort as it is not worth 600 dollars for a week let alone what we paid to go. As for Cuba itself if my money is worthless then I can surely find other places to spend it.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Very good resort

We just returned from Playa Cayo Santa Maria on Tuesday after a 1 week stay. This was our 15th trip to Cuba since 1995. We have stayed at many different resorts in Varadero, Cayo Coco, Santa Maria and Santa Lucia. This resort had the best food of all the resorts we have been to. The A la Carte restaurants were excellent. The buffet has great selections but very large and noisy so we chose to sit outdoors. Excellent service from all staff. Lightbulb in bathroom replaced almost immediately after w [... read more]e called. For a large resort lots of shade at the beach and less busy spots on the beach and around the resort easy to find. Some nice amenities such as a Mojito bar, beer bar and ice cream stand. Would definitely return.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Amazing resort!

Even though the resort was really big and we walked everywhere, we loved it. The resort was well taken care of. The 2 alacarts that we went to were very good. Beach was so beautiful. Pools were huge. Food was good at the buffet. No complaints here:)

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: nice area

Beautiful area, friendly staff. The only complaint is you should not advertise coffee maker in room if they do not provide coffee. Its misleading. Simple little things like that go along way. I would give this resort a 3 1/2 star not 4 or 41/2 like you advertise. Also only water provided. No juice, pop or beer in your room.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Great vacation

Beautiful beach, lovely friendly staff, great service, nice pools and plenty of activities during the day and evening. Food and music was good. Japanese restaurant was the best but French also good. Excellent day trip to Santa Clara. Nice atmosphere with no one hassling you at any time to buy things. A very relaxing holiday.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: The best I have been to in Cuba in the 3 time!!

The place was beautiful!! The beaches were amazing , the staff excellent, and the food was good for Cuba!! We had a blas! Entertaine is a must see. Went on the catamaran tour and that is a must thing to do!! Would I go back to this resort? yes in a heart beat!!

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: beautiful resort

The staff was great, the food wasn't bad, the ocean was awesome, the rooms were excellent. The nightly entertainment was good. Overall we had an excellent time and will definetly be back again. The weather was beautiful.

Valentin Perla Blanca: HUGE resort!!

Valentin Perla Blanca is a nice resort, but since they are fairly new, I would think that in another year or two it will be a great place. Don't take me wrong, it's beautiful, scenic, great rooms. I think that considering the size, they need more well trained staff. A word or warning, it is so spread out that I would suggest to bring good walking shoes!!!!!!! The people are very friendly and helpful, but I think that they are understaffed. The food was passable, nothing out of this world, a lot  [... read more]of repetition in the buffets. But all in all, nice grounds, nice pools, nice beach and most of all, like I said, very nice people.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Surprisingly good for Cuba

Many great things about the resort. It's new so the rooms and facilities are clean and modern. The food is generally ok, sometimes even good. The coffee and drinks are excellent as is the service. Finally the beaches, beautiful clear turquoise water, fine white sand beaches. It was quite choppy and windy when we were there but not sure if that is normal. One of the safest areas I have visited, but you are extremely secluded (half an hour from the main land, only resorts on the island).

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Great Vacation

Had a wonderful time, hotel was very accommodating. Food was good and was happy with our stay. It was my Birthday during my stay and Hotel staff delivered a Birthday greeting to my room, was a lovely touch.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Great vacation expierence

The Resort was pretty large and very nice. Only couple years old, spacious guest rooms, beautiful facilities, great shows, beautiful beach, pools lots of bars and friendly staff. Recommend the Mediterranean restaurant. Visit the market and go to the carnival night on Wednesday at the market