Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: A Disappointment

My sister whom I travelled with had been here and raved about this resort. We arrived to find that the place is in disrepair and the services to be lacking. Although the staff works hard and try to please they have little to work with. They don’t even have the basics to work with. A 5 star this is not the place is falling apart and has not been maintained and they donot provide the services they advertise. Times are tough for the staff and the repeat guests are now disappearing. Please p [... read more]ick it up because soon you will have no one.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Great Resort

My husband and I decided to go to Grand Sirenis Hotel in Cayo Santa Maria for our wedding anniversary. We had an amazing time. The overall aesthetic of the facility is amazing. Very clean, wonderful colour scheme, and very appealing to the eye. The dining experience was better than I expected, but not the best I've ever had. There is definitely room for improvement when it comes to the food. More flavour, more variety. The one thing my husband did not like at all was the infestation of mosquitoe [... read more]s, which I'm not sure can be completely controlled, however, a little fumigation wouldn't hurt. Everyone on the resort was eaten alive to the point where it was difficult to enjoy the nightlife, despite all our efforts with repellents and destroyers. I also think that we went during a slower season and the entertainment was lacking effort. Overall, it is a nice hotel, the beach was clean and just beautiful! The greatest part of our stay...THE STAFF! Wow, the staff is just wonderful. They are so gracious, so kind, always positive. (Minus management, they seemed to always look upset.) We made sure to tip every chance we got because the staff deserved it. Special shoutout to Jabao, Hector, Vincent, Cindy, and Enrique. Thank you so much to each and every one of them.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Beautiful Resort

Beautiful clean resort. Smaller therefore more compact, intimate. The staff is incredibly friendly and quickly get to know you and your likes. Would have enjoyed more organized entertainment at night (in low season perhaps every other night) Absolutely need washroom availability at beach where bar is open

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: A Great Week at Royalton Cayo Santa Maria

This was our 14th trip to Cuba, so we are familiar with the food and shortages of goods. This hotel was a very good smaller hotel. The service is second to none, and everyone is so pleasant and accomodating. The grounds are well maintained and quite lovely. The beach is spectacular (although rough at times - which was a surprise). While there were shortages (no eggs, no gin, ran out of keg beer and serving from bottles, no shrimp, no white wine at the lobby bar one evening) we ate well and en [... read more]joyed a wide variety of drinks to satisfy our tastes. Overall we enjoyed the restaurants, but found the fare no better or worse than most 4 or 5 star hotels in Cuba. Our room was clean and adequate. We were given beer in our fridge 4 of the 7 days of our stay (even after asking our concierge to ensure we had some). Our housekeeper was excellent and always left our room spotless.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Had the Best Time!!

My boyfriend and I chose this resort because the beach is on an inlet, meaning the sea will be very calm. We were not disappointed. The beach was gorgeous, boasting still, turquoise, transparent waters. The sand went on for miles. We were unable to rent a peddle-boat due to lack of staff, but I’m sure if you stay during peak season you will be able to. The pools were not heated, meaning if the sun was hidden behind clouds it was a little chilly, but by no means did that put a damper on our tri [... read more]p. Everyone mentions the lack of decent food in Cuba, so we went into the week with low expectations. Our expectations of the buffet were met, however the snack bar was our saving grace. Be sure to get a pizza between 1pm and 3pm - they are delicious! We both enjoyed the Italian and French a la carte restaurants, though neither were special enough to write home about, and we both preferred the snack bar food. If you drink, be sure to try the chocolate tequila at the snack bar! Make sure you bring CAD or USD to tip, as they are preferred over CUP. Also, try to refrain from tipping with coins, as they are not accepted at Cuban banks. We exchanged over $70 in coins so that the employees could actually use their well-deserved tip money. We cannot speak on the entertainment, as we did not attend any shows. We played one game of pool at the “Thematic Bar”, and enjoyed it. Bring games, as there is not much to do besides excursions (check out the Jeep safari!). There were a few very minor things we thought could have been better, but nothing that would ruin our stay: 1. Certain lobby bar staff will ignore you until you butt in and ask for what you want, even serving other people before you when you were there first. 2. There are two pool towel exchange stations, but only one was open for half of our trip. 3. Spotty wifi is expected, but it should at least reach to the bed! (To clarify, my iPhone had problems, but my boyfriend’s Android did not.) 4. Water temperature in the shower was incredibly finicky. You turn it 1 cm to the left and it’s boiling hot, but 1 cm to the right and you’re shivering. This could be typical for Cuba, but I feel it’s an easily fixed small issue. 5. BRING BUG SPRAY! This does not affect my review, as it is not the resort’s fault, but the mosquitos were absolutely terrible. SPECIAL THANK YOU to Ariel and both Victor’s at the snack bar. Those three made our vacation amazing. They are genuine people - very kind and willing to answer any questions you may have about life as a local. Ariel is hilarious, and made me laugh so hard I cried! They actually made the language barrier fun to work through, and helped me learn more Spanish. Overall, we loved this resort, and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. If we choose to return to Cayo Santa Maria, we will definitely stay at The Grand Sirenis!

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: I am done with Cuba!

We returned to this resort because of the great time we had here in april of this year. What a change this visit was. One restaurant only open for breakfast and lunch, with no live grilling stations. So no omelets or fried eggs for breakfast and no fresh fried fish at lunch. Sometimes no air conditioning on, with open windows and thus an abundance of flies. The ala carte restaurant for dinner with no reservations just show up and hope to not wait long. Shortages of coffee, eggs etc at time [... read more]s but the worst was when the water pump broke....I went to get my first morning coffee and was told no coffee because no water....this was my last straw for the Starfish. We asked to be moved and were! By late afternoon still no water and I don't know when they got it fixed. Thanks to my Holasun rep. that quickly acted on our behalf to fix our holiday.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Relaxing Vacation at a 3* - Oct 17 - 25, 2023

The hotel was what we expected for Cuba and for the price it was a good deal (under $1,300 for 2) Overall, needs some TLC. Room: Clean, hot water and good water pressure. Damp but expected during the rainy months. Fridge did not get filled except for a water bottle. No robe as stated on website (not a big deal). No alcohol in room as stated on website (again no big deal). We asked to move rooms for a better view and they were very accommodating. Front desk: Helpful with any questions and wifi  [... read more](need to get wifi password and log in everyday). Public bathrooms: Clean but no toilet paper ever (bring your own) Lobby: Not grand, very small and underwhelming. Buffet: Only had buffet for breakfast. Lunch was al a carte and dinner required reservations or walk over to Grand Memories for buffet. Snacks: only saw pizza and chicken sandwiches at the beach and at the pool. Pool: Clean, nice that we had the choice of two pools - one with the pool bar and one without. Music was loud and mostly played hard rock music. Beach: Beautiful Food: We didn't starve. Not a lot of variety but we found something each day at Grand Memories buffet (fresh grilled chicken, pork and fish - no beef). Ran out of eggs a couple of times. Fruit was limited. Drinks: White wine was good. Ran out of beer a couple of days. Spanish coffee at the lobby - very good. Mixed drinks were very sweet and they only had diet coke. Lots of bottled water available. People: Everyone was very friendly we had no issues. Please remember the gardeners they work so hard and get no tips or gifts. I would recommend the Sanctuary if you are getting a good deal and know what to expect when travelling to Cuba. From what I saw it is in much better shape then the Grand Memories except for the buffet. Bus ride from airport to hotel is almost 2 hours (something to consider) and for that reason would probably not return....makes for a very long day.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Spectacular

This was my 3rd time to this resort. The staff is amazing. Always something to do if you want or just relax. The kids club is wonderful. I will definitely be returning. Grounds are clean, water beautiful. There is something to eat for everyone.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Great resort

The hotel is very well maintained with lovely landscaping and great pool area. The rooms are roomy with good housekeeping daily. We found the staff to be very friendly and always ready to accommodate your needs. The beach is beautiful and cleaned daily.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Great, relaxing vacation

Great, relaxing vacation. You can't beat the beaches anywhere. If you go go to the outdoor bar at sanctuary, Darrell is the best bartender he really took care of us and made our trip absolutely amazing. We went when the resort was actually slow but we preferred it. Staff is very friendly. I had message the manager ahead of time for our anniversary to do something special for the room that ever ended up panning out, but still had a great trip.

Melia Las Dunas: Amazing vacation

This hotel is amazing, it was my third time here as I knew what to expect and was going with my daughter and sisters for there first time.. they loved it ! The hotel is very clean, the staff is very friendly and helpful! I found the food to be amazing there was something for even the pickiest of eaters! The beach and pool are both amazing and the staff is always trying to keep you busy! The only thing better is if all the a la cartes would have been open, but the buffet was excellent! Of  [... read more]course it was slow season so that was to be expected! At least we always had a place to lounge pool side or beach! That's a bonus!! I will be back

Iberostar Coral Ensenachos: Great resort

The hotel is maintained exceptionally well. Especially the grounds, the beach and the rooms. All the hotel staffers courteous and helpful at all times. Willing to do any extra service to make the stay enjoyable. The food is acceptable based on the current situation of the country

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Amazing resort

Hi everyone, as I already did a review on Grand Memories Hotel and mentioned there Sanctuary, cuz I was staying twice in Sanctuary Grand Memories. It's amazing only adults place , magical paradise in everything!!!! I personally highly recomend this place. I'll be back there for sure!!!! Great ppl, nice rooms, good food, perfect service. Love this place!😍

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Amazing resort

I have been in this resort for few times already, just love it!!!! Specially Sanctuary, it's adult only. Everything is wonderful there, the food, the atmosphere, the beach is magical. The personal in a resort are so nice and welcoming, room service is very good. I really liked that they have some food service on the beach, so you don't have to go for a lunch somewhere else, if you don't wanna leave. One thing thou was bothering me, it's sandfly, but it's not up to the hotel right, it's natu [... read more]re. Ppl you have to be prepared for these insects, do not take your towel after the beach to your room, change for new ones, if you couldn't do so, leave those towels outside in a balcony, cuz those sandfly jumping in your bed and continue biting you!. Also I would like to suggest something to the ppl who brings canadian loonies. It's amazing that you wanna tip ppl there, bit Cuban banks do not accept loonies, and ppl have to struggle to run around and exchange them , so please if you won't mind , it's not a big deal to go to the bank before your trip and buy American dollars by 1 dollar . You will help them a lot. Cuz imagine you got money, which you really need, but you can't use it. I guess that all what I was a about to comment. Again place is just magical in all ways, highly recommend!!!!

Sol Cayo Santa Maria: GOOD

Hi there how are you i love all you people the bar staff is great to me always i love them my room was better the food is a big thing with me a lot of other people i am sure it will get better were i am naked a lot i in joy the nude beach i meet you the last time i was there you seem like a great person they keep my room nice who ever i meet there are so nice to me i am a kind happy guy always i hate to say it but the washrooms need some help other then that say hi for me BOB to the lobby staff [... read more] and i hope to see you all in JANUARY SO BE HAPPY CHEERS .

The One Gallery Hotel: Beautiful resort

We stayed at The One Gallery resort for 2 amazing weeks at the end of September 2023. The hotel is beautiful, and new, with lots of art decorations. The beach is huge, lots of shade and beach chairs and the water was so good and clear you can spend the whole day in it. The personnel are very friendly, always smiling and there to help. The food was very good with lots of variety and nicely displayed, compliments to the chefs. I would like to mention a few waitresses and waiters: Lizai, Yes [... read more]enia, Yoni, Magdiel at the buffet restaurant or Elizabeth and Alexandro at a-la carte restaurants. Not to forget the housekeeper Eli who did a great job and made nice towel displays and solved our faucet problem. Also I'd like to mention the butlers, and customer service personnel who were always ready to help. We will go back anytime.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Great resort!

Great resort and location. Very lovely beach, beautiful! Staff are very friendly and helpful. Food was surprisingly good. Cuba is unfortunately suffering from a lack of amenities which is of no fault of the resort but it would be wise to pack items to bring. ie toilet paper

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Fantastic time

This place is beautiful. Friendly staff. Big clean pools. Amazing beach with plenty of lounge chairs and shaded areas. Water is so clear. I saw jellyfish for the first time. Can't wail to come back in April.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Pretty nice place if you don't expect much

Overall, the hotel is quite nice: great rooms, friendly staff, decent entertainment program. . Points to deduct: - terrible food is not a surprise in Cuba, but I basically survived off the bar sandwiches. Awful buffet, hit or miss À la carte. Bring your own snacks. - the mattresses are hard: I, and other guests I talked to were waking up with sore backs - we went during slow season (September) and some facilities were not operational (multiple restaurants\buffets, kids program)  [... read more]- no elevators in the buildings - you have to work every day, climbing to 4th floor, if you want a room with nice view - lobby, lobby bar are open air, and depending on the season, remain hot day and night if there's no breeze - came back with A LOT of sand fly bites - didn't bother me during vacation itself, but after returning I spent few days in agony over the bite spots becoming extremely itchy, bring mosquito spray - most paths around hotel are concrete - not very pretty - and after a rain are pretty slippery. - both pools are pretty shallow, 1.1m deep max - the beach is coarse sand a lot of broken seashells, wear water shoes on the beach - will also help with hard corals and sea vegetation - could be plus or a minus depending on a person, but for me it's a minus: the hotel is located in a gulf of sorts, so there's no waves or the sound of the ocean

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Amazing resort!

This was our second time vacationing at Sanctuary at Grand Memories! We loved it just the same. We realized our timing was a bit out of season and some adjustments were made (lunch and dinner buffet were served at the main hotel). The staff was friendly and helpful as usual. We had our butlers from last year remember us and conversations were pleasant and it was like talking to old friends. Accommodations were welcoming and we didn't have any problems worth mentioning (minor inconveniences).  [... read more]We vacation in Cuba for the beaches, not the food. The food is repetitive, sure, but New Year's stay in the Bahamas was just the same for almost triple the price... There is always something that calls to us and we do not go hungry. The staff is friendly and willing to help or get someone who could help. Overall, the experience has been awesome this time around too and we are planning to return!