Resonance Blu Santa Maria: great resort

everything good but no towels.pictures do not do the beach justice.note out to smokers beach is not your personal ashtray.staff friendly.grounds nice.clean resort.it is very large bring your walking shoes.i would recommend thjs resort

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: OUTSTANDING,,,,VERY PLEASED

every thing was/is well above standard.Got more than expected,the staff,scuba,fishing,even the food was great.Rooms where always made up.Grounds where amazingly clean.STAFF was more than courteous,they went all the way out to serve Pool was always clean.Plenty of chairs.Bar service outstanding.FOOD was fab..really,, fabulous ,,,,the only "down fall was the Q-bec tourist,,,,,sad behaviour,,,

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: almost a five star

Let's keep this nice and short I would definitely return as are stay was amazing. We stayed in building 9 with ocean view and it was worth it , the view was breath taking. It was about a 5 min walk to all the main activities. However next time I would request to stay in building 11, 12, 14 with an ocean view. The resort was clean and weary well maintained. Pool was amazing so was the beach. In regards to food well I never went hungry how ever there was a couple days were snack bar did not have a [... read more]ny bread , but that definitely was not the end of the world. The food was ok with a number of items to choose from. I would recommend this resort as it is definitely a good value for an amazing place

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: SUPER AMAZING BEAUTIFUL BEACH

The most amazing beach, white sands, long stretch to walk the beach, just simply beautiful. The grounds are nice, they should add more flowers around the gardens. The people are nice & quiet, some of them are more pleasant than others, but overall ok. The rooms are ok nothing great but it is a 4 star hotel so they're fine. The main Lobby can use some fresh paint, so it would look newer again and their sofas and lounging chairs should be updated also. Overall very nice place, would go again in th [... read more]e future, awesome family spring break vacation.

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful resort

This resort was very nice, quiet, food was better than I expected. The excursions were well planned, the resort staff were very helpfull and pleasant to deal with! The adult pool was awsome. The rooms need a little bit of upgrading.

Memories Paraiso: WorstExperience in an All inclusive resort I have

Food was horrible, staff was not helpful at all and cleanliness was far from standard. Very, Very, very, very disappointted. The best part about the trip was the ride to the resort and back to the airport with the Sunwing crew.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Divers review of Starfish

Diving at Cayo Santa Maria, 2 tank dive $55 with your own equipment. $65 2 tank dive renting, the equipment looked good Scuba pro (I brought my own) they pick you up 8am in the lobby at Starfish return 2pm. Large dive boats we had 18 divers lots of room. Diving is OK many small fish viz about 40 ft. Reef looks healthy. Starfish resort, let me start by saying we have been to Cuba many times we have been to Varadero, Holguin, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo this was our 10 time to Cuba and first to Cayo [... read more] Santa Maria. Food- Well its Cuba enough said, second worst out of 10 Cuban resorts we have stayed at. Rooms- Large, two small beds, air worked good, did not change bed sheets all week !!!!!! Because of the sheets worst out of 10 cuban resorts. Bathroom- OK size, everything worked, good water pressure lots of hot water, did not change towels all week we had to hang them on the balcony to dry everyday!!!! Waking around the resort we could see everyone had the same problem everywhere you looked you could see white stained towels drying. Because of the towels worst out of 10 Cuban resorts. Beach- WOW!!! BEAUTIFUL!!! Best beach in Cuba hands down Varadero is a close second. People- very nice very helpful and definitely over worked, servise is very slow line ups for everything. Just not enough help.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Never ate so much burgers and fries

Nice new Hotel with surprisingly quite a bit of wear and tear for a resort that has only been open for four months. Nice resort , beautiful pools and amazing Beach! I'm not a fussy person especially since I read the reviews before going and knew what to expect, but a few things turned me off after a few days of reoccurring issues and shortage and limited food selection. We found ourselves always ending up eating at the snack Bar due to the main buffet always having the same food options or limit [... read more]ed amount of food and variety. When choosing from the menu at the snack bar they seem to always be out of what you want to order unless it's burgers and fries. Not to mention sometimes they didn't have fries either after a forty minute wait. Entertainment staff is awesome and friendly mainly because they could actually speak English ! Would I reccomend this resort? Mehhh not right now or until they work out all these little issues . Still had fun and met a lot nice cool people ! Hope this review helped !

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: You can't beat that beach.

The hotel in itself is nice, I mean it's only three or four years old so everything is fairly recent. Our room was in Bungalo 1 which was close to the lobby so we didn't have to walk far but our family had an oceanview room which was more of a walk but that view of the ocean was absolutely beautiful. We kept your beach towel all week because they're not very good with changing it since they don't have the dryers on site, but we just hung them up on the balcony and the sun-dried them every day. A [... read more]lso you didn't always get clean towels with your room service and some days the resort ran out of bread. Some people said the staff was unfriendly but if you are polite with them they were always nice to you, and they do work extremely hard. The resort is perfect for families there were lots of kids everywhere and they had shows for the kids. If you're single ladies going on a vacation this is not the resort to go to the disco has no adults only 12-year-olds dancing and there's nowhere else around to go. Overall the resort is great for families and couples.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Iberostar Ensenachos

We had a great week at the Iberostar Ensenachos. Our room was lovely, the food was good. The staff was most friendly and helpful. The beaches were spectacular, especially Ensanados beach... white sand as far as the eye can see and good ssnorkeling.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Beautiful resort

This hotel Valentin Perla Blanca is new so we knew that there were going some things that could be better but all in all it was good. The buffet could have better variety of food..cleanliness in the rooms could improve, the staff and entertainment team is excellent, we were privilege but they don't enforce it at all, the pool on the Transat side was getting really foggy it should be cleaned properly....hope this will help and I'm sure that next season there will be a great diffence...

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Great hotel, great experience!

Don't listen to people complaining about the food or the lack of, about the service, etc. It is rated 5 (Cuban) stars, by Cuban standards it is a great resort! The beach is simply amazing and best we've seen. The sand is of a finest grade! The swimming pools are great! There are of course little glitches here and there with food, towels and service. Nothing major though. The only downside is a 2 hr bus ride from the airport. Although it is educational as we drove thru 3 towns (Camajuani, Remedio [... read more]s, Caibarien), each one has history and you get to see the life of a real Cuban city without going on an excursion. All in all, great experience.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Better than expected.

We stayed at the Valentin Feb. 27th to Mar. 6th. We were a group of 12 people. We all had a great time. The weather was great our entire stay, and did the deep sea fishing and catamaran excursions, and watched most of the shows. We've been to Cuba 3 times so knew what to expect. When we first arrived at the resort there was music and dancers to greet us. People complained that there were no drinks to greet them....seriously....the bar was right there.....easy to order a drink before checking in [... read more]. Any resort would find it difficult to greet 3 bus loads of people with drinks in hand. I think too many people are coming to the resort with a bad opinion already formed from the reviews. It started as soon as we lined up to check in. People behind me were already complaining about having to leave their passports at the desk and standing there for 45 mins.....(was only 20....I timed it). The hold up was the first couples checking in. They all wanted rooms together and wouldn't leave the counter until they were accommodated. After they were taken care of, check in took each couple a few minutes. They also have a passport scanner so you do not have to leave your passport with the front desk. Maps were in black and white and were a little hard to see......which is why we printed them in color, from home, before going to the resort. But once you walk around the resort a few times you become accustomed to where everything is. The staff are great, always ready with a smile, and try to be pleasant with everyone......even the ones screaming in their faces because of petty reasons. Our room was always clean, bar always fully stocked and great water pressure/hot water from the massive shower heads. No issues with towels. Changed ever 2 days and sheets every 3 days. A lot of issues with the beach towels were people getting up at 4-5 am to leave their towel on the chairs....and then just leaving them there. Lost count of how many times we'd walk by a chair in the evening to see them being left behind. Can't wash and clean towels if they aren't returned. The bank lines were long. But due mostly to the fact that everyone was there at the same time for fear of the bank running out of money. There is plenty of time to exchange money at the bank at the airport when you arrive before the bus leaves for the resort. We arrived at the resort at around 4 p.m. and the bank was still open at the resort. I checked us in while my husband went to the bank (right next to the check in desk). No line ups.....no issues. We had no problems booking the al la cartes. We ate at the Spanish, Mexican, and French. Spanish was the best for me. Mexican and French were okay.....it was mostly hit or miss....several of us ordered the chicken at the French a la carte....and while everyone's dish was great, my chicken was raw. I don't mean a little pink/red. I mean raw. Everyone else's chicken was pounded flat except for mine.....so I'm guessing they were all cooked the same amount of time....but because mine was not pounded flat it was raw when I cut into it. It was our friends 50th birthday that night and they arranged a birthday cake and fire show with 2 bowls for her. They dimmed all the lights, and came out with the cake and everyone in the restaurant sang happy birthday to her. One of our friends, who is vegetarian, was made a special vegetarian meal at every a la cartes. The buffet food was okay. Some things were a little repetitive, but no one went hungry. Some things were really good, some not so much. There was fresh fish every night, which tasted fantastic. Remember your in a different country.....so what's typical for breakfast or supper for you....is not necessarily typical for them. There was some selection of fresh fruit, but a lot of canned (which isn't an issue for me). Remember....even though it's 30 degrees in Cuba....it is still their winter, so all fruit isn't ready yet. We found the best food was at the restaurant down by the beach. It had a great salad bar and although the menu selection wasn't huge....what was on it tasted great. My best advice towards the food.....bring salt and pepper with you. It makes a huge difference to your food. I bough them at the dollar store and was the most sought out guest at meal time. We always waited about a half hour after opening to eat....we found no line ups and lots of places to sit. We did 2 excursions. The deep sea fishing and catamaran. The guys all caught big fish and had a great time fishing. Catamaran day was great.....snorkelling, playing with the dolphines, a lobster or chicken meal (your choice), and sailing to an island where you could walk out forever and not go past your knees in water. Micheal Jackson show was great.....don't miss it. Shows and activities are posted around the resort. Activities around the pool were a blast and usually entertaining. The beach was amazing, as was the water. Floaties and water balls were fun to have in the water. Didn't really experience any lineups....only time there were line ups wasn't because of staff....it was because some people had to know about every single drink they offered, or just didn't move away from the bar after ordering to let other people order. I'm not saying the resort was perfect....it does have a few areas it could improve on......especially the food. But we chose to focus on what makes a vacation great to us. The weather, the people, learning new things from another culture and making new friends. Sorry if you found this lengthy....but I feel that a lot of people are going to this resort already expecting to have a horrible time and will pick apart everything to make it so. Relax.....your on vacation.....don't sweat the small stuff and give the place a real shot.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Great Beach. Not Great Food.

The resort is fairly large with immaculate pools, lots of entertainment and a long, white, powdery sand beach with amazing turquoise water. Rooms are spacious and clean if a litte outdated. Air conditioning and plumbing worked well. The food was very iffy. At the buffet, fresh grilled items were the best choices but line ups were usually very long. The dishes under the heat lamps were barely edible. Kept at a low temperature for prolonged periods and everything tasted the same, that is to say -  [... read more]bland. The A La Carte restaurants were okay. At least things were hot and you didn't have to wait in long line ups. Nothing stood out as great food but they were better than the buffet. Service at the resort was good and staff is very friendly and professional. Lots of bars and drinks were strong. Great coffee and cappucinos. Be aware, smoking is everywhere with the exception of the restaurants. Smokers seems to outnumber non-smokers here.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: fun in the sun

The beach was amazing....the staff was very friendly,great coffee bar. The rooms were big and comfortable. I went with my wife for our anniversary and it was heaven. Great stay..so go relax enjoy the sun and the great walks along the beach. A definite must.

Melia Las Dunas: Okay

Beach and pools great. Food okay. Rooms average. Lack of towels in rooms. Staff friendly. Grounds well kept. Beach was windy at times but still beautiful. Clear water and clean. 4.5 - 5 star not the same as in other places.

Memories Paraiso: Choose a different resort!

Poor example of Cuban hospitality. Claimed to be a 4.5 star so we paid 4.5 star prices, so not worth the money. Food, service, grounds and cleanliness are all mediocre. Beach was awesome but definitely won't be heading back or recommending this resort to anyone!

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Wonderful resort

The grounds were beautiful and well kept. Public areas & rooms were clean. It was nice to have a choice of a quiet pool or a more active pool. The beach was beautiful & kept clean with plenty of lounge chairs. Nightly entertainment was awesome. If you get tired of walking as the resort is big you can get a ride in a golf car. There was plenty of choice for dining. The mangers and staff were happy to please. I would definitely go back & recommend to anyone considering visiting the Starfish!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Fine

This place was fine.... It has a perfect layout. Very easy to get to everything. The rooms are nice and the deep tub was lovely. Lots of bars and the food was pretty good. The Italian alacarte was great. The cigar bar is the best place to get drinks. The only drawbacks were 1 the location ( so far from the airport) 2 we had a few light bulbs burned out the entire time we were there. All the staff were great.

Memories Paraiso: Great place

I have been to Cuba many times and this was by far my best experience. The food was good for Cuban standards, hotel was very clean and maintained well. Staff were great and the beach was perfect.The only negative thing I could say is that's it's about 1.45 hours from the airport. By even that didn't bother me!