Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Christmas in Cuba

We spent week of Dec 19 to Dec 26 at Melia Cayo Santa Maria. Wasn't at full capacity...maybe 75% full?? Room was excellent (junior suite) never used the day bed or chair but it was nice to have the extra space. Grounds were good for the most part (few repairs going on in places...mounds of sand etc) beautiful gardens, walkways lit enough resort a nice size...not too big or not too small nice lay out...our room was in block 17 so literally straight line to anything food was ok for Cuba (better th [... read more]en I have had and not as good as I have had in Cuba) Great food for the Christmas Celebrations (lots of seafood) Japanese restaurant was amazing food and great time!! (beef, chicken, fish & shrimp) the people where amazing! It was sooo nice to go to a place in Cuba that gives you great service regardless if you give them anything (unlike the last place we went to in Cuba)!! The resort is on an island so the ride is 1 1/2 hours from airport which goes fast actually...you go through couple towns and over the causeway The only time we left resort was to go to the market (we took taxi both ways) but there is a small market at the edge of the resort as well We went with the intention of not doing anything but there seemed to be different excursions you could do...but just keep in mind nothing is close. The beach was big and beautiful and well kept...always windy (great for kiteboarding) The kids club was closed this week but it looked amazing!! Nice building, playground, pool...fenced in yard. FYI there is not much at the airport for food when you leave Any questions please email.

Melia Nassau Beach Resort: Excellent resort!

I had an amazing experience at this resort! Friendly staff, a variety of tasty food and awesome beaches. I would certainly recommend this hotel to my friends. The weather was also excellent at that time during the winter holidays.

Melia Las Dunas: Melia Las Dunas

If the beach is important to you, then this is the place for you. The only thing nicer than the beach was the staff at Melia Las Dunas. From the bartenders to the gardeners, everyone made you feel welcome.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Great first time in Cuba

Beautiful resort, great beach and very friendly staff. I would say the food was average but we could always find something good to eat. Really enjoyed the great service from staff, always there to help out with a great attitude.

Melia Las Dunas: Resort used to be great - not any more- nice beach

We have never complained about anywhere we have stayed in our whole lives. We are quite happy to stay at simple hotels without luxury. Unfortunately, our experience at Melia Las Dunas was not a good one, especially the first two days. Had to wait 3 hours, until 4 pm (we arrived at 1 pm) for them to have our room ready (wasted the remaining half day of sunshine in the afternoon on our arrival day). All other guests had their room ready upon arrival. When we got there the toilet was broken, they  [... read more]took forever to come and fix it (promised 10 minutes, took 8 hours and many phone calls), then we flushed once, broken again. We knew from experience that it would never be 10 minutes, but to put us in a room they knew had a broken unusable toilet is just wrong. They came again, “fixed” it, broken again after first flush (no water in tank). We had to use the public toilets in the first two days (filthy dirty btw). They do not have replacement toilet parts on site, the plumber told us that. They offered to change our room, we accepted. Our first room was not supplied with a full set of towels, or even new towels. All of the towels in the room were filthy upon arrival. Pet salamander in our room too. The Customer Service was very poor, horrible. Rude and non-apologetic, nobody takes any responsibility to get things done in a timely manner. Asked to speak to the General Manager, they told us he is only available after 6 p.m. Tried contacting him twice, were told he was in a “meeting”. Amazing how the GM is not interested in speaking to the clients of the hotel, he never did return our call or search us out, as we requested. Apparently, he is in meetings all day long. At Memories Flamenco, the GM used to walk around and introduce himself to the hotel guests, he was a very pleasant man, here, the GM has no interest in the client. The first room did not have a kit with soaps, shampoos, etc. provided (2nd room did). Maid in first room did not do her job the first night, 2nd room she was wonderful. Phone didn’t work in 2nd room, they didn’t fix that in the 4 days before we left. The beach towels are not available when you go to the pool to get them, you need to keep visiting until you get them, wasting more precious time from a 1 week stay. Maybe the could place them in the rooms so we have them upon arrival. All of us, especially my wife and son, got sick on the food, and we were being very careful on what we ate. They are still dealing with their tummy issues. This is the 6th time we have been to Cuba, and never had food problems before. One of the guests said that this hotel is known for food issues. Bring your own ketchup. We spent almost a full day dealing with customer service which we will never get back. A horribly run hotel, with a nice beach. We have stayed in hotels in Cuba rated the same as this one before, the others were far better, newer, better run, better food. We speak Spanish and learned from the staff that the hotel is under-supplied in many cases and begged that we don’t blame the workers as supply shortages are normal here. We never blamed the workers, we feel for them as most of the guests take it out on them. Seems Melia has dropped its former quality standard (or maybe only at this hotel???) The staff are all great, management is the issue. We will not be going back here again. When we told the folks at Memories about a problem (water empty in health club) it was dealt with in a reasonable time (with a small thank you bonus, plate of fresh fruit in the room, for informing them). This is the 3rd different Melia hotel we have visited in Cuba, by far, the most disappointing. Will likely be staying away from Melia in Cuba in the future based on this most recent experience. A recent review on tripadvisor from someone who has visited this place 13 times has made similar observations to mine. Used to be a much better resort in the past. Different management makes a world of difference.

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Amazing Resort! Great experience!

The resort was great! People are very friendly! There was a small mishap with my clothes, but that was a misunderstanding and was handled very quickly. The Italian restaurant is not very good though, so I would not recommend going to that one and wasting your dinner. The Beach Buffet at lunch is amazing. Overall, it was an excellent time!

Melia Peninsula Varadero: Nice Resort

Resort landscape and architecture are great. open areas are comfortable. Room is clean but it is close the sea and need well maintainanance. Dining is good, too many choose, especially restaurants available. Too many funs there. Very enjoyable.

Paradisus Varadero: What to Expect

The hotel was beautiful, the staff friendly and smiling, the beach wonderful. You would simply pick your spot on the beach and a hotel employee would set up your chairs. The water was warm, food was acceptable, booze was plentiful. The reason I rated as average is that the rooms were not vere comfortable. Our ocean view room was actually ocean front but it smelled terrible and I had to take allergy pills just to walk in. The bed was essentially two box springs. But all-in-all, it was a great 4 d [... read more]ay trip. Not sure I would stay longer.

Paradisus Varadero: Superb resort!

Superb grounds and pools...and the most beautiful beach I have ever been on. The staff are fantastic -- the only problem is the front desk people are usually grunpy and not very helpful. But if you accept this, it's a wonderful place. The food is incredible (especially for Cuba) although the buffet is in many instances better than the restaurants that require reservations. In the buffet there are some wonderful and excellent servers -- check out LLeinis, Yanelquis and Eugenio. They will take won [... read more]derful care of you. All in all a superb experience.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Great Resort!!

This was our second time at this resort and we would definitely go back again. My wife and I and our 5 month old son went to this resort on December 11-19th. This is a very large resort that is one year old. The grounds are very well kept with gardeners working around the clock to keep everything looking beautiful! The staff at this resort are always trying their best to make your stay perfect. We really loves Any from the entertainment team, she was always making sure our stay was great and tha [... read more]t we had everything we needed for our 5 month old baby. The only thing we would recommend is insect repellent, we went in December and the mosquitos were terrible! Also, there were tiny ants in our room but nothing too bad. All in all we love this resort and most definitely will be going back!

Melia Marina Varadero: Excellent resort for the price

We enjoyed this resort very much. All the staff were GREAT! We found the hotel very clean especially our room. Our maid was amazing! The entertainment was second to none. The bartenders were all fabulous, especially the staff at the swim up bar.

Melia Buenavista: Cuban 5-Star (??) Resort: Lower your expectations

Grounds / Public Areas / Beaches: The best thing about this hotel is there 3 distinct beaches. Collectively, they provided views in 3 different directions and had different exposure to the ocean, wind & reefs. There were plenty of lounges, all sheltered under thatched roofs, with beach attendants ready to dust off the sand and bring you a drink ... all with the expectation of a tip (but see, 'Service'). If you like oceans and sandy beaches, then you'll likely be pleased with these and the fact t [... read more]hat there are three different ones. One overlooks a calm elliptical cove, protected from the vigour of the ocean by a reef and if you venture just outside of it, there are beautiful trenches and colourful fish to enjoy while snorkeling. The 'Sunset Beach' is a breath-taking, calm retreat with a boardwalk out to a Maldives-looking structure where you can enjoy morning yoga, delightful sunsets, and long walks among sparse mangroves. The main beach was acceptable for swimming & snorkeling for those who like deeper water and playing in the waves. If you decide to go to this resort, in addition to sunscreen, be sure to take insect repellant. Some people (including one of us), were bitten tens of times by sand fleas and the resulting allergic reaction was very discomforting. The grounds were mostly well kept, but some of the paths had stains from vehicles and soil spills that were not cleaned up for at least 5 days. There are two pools which are attractive and lit at night but not deep enough for exercise-type swimming. We did appreciate that this resort was for adults only. Entertainment & Activities: Nightly shows varied in appeal. Some bands were very talented and two others were 'pitchy' or out of tune. The 'house band' was talented, but I think the lead guitarist would prefer to imitate Jimi Hendrix rather than cater to the tastes of the audience. The yoga instructor was very accommodating and tried his best. He lead us through a practise, which was fine. But, he is not trained in yoga ... which is only an issue if you're not experienced yourself and need some modifications to typical poses. The pool shows were entertaining, including a synchronized swimming show which is amazing considering they executed it in less than 1m of water. We did enjoy the classical violin music on the Sunset Beach at dusk. Rooms: One of the reasons we chose this resort was for its modernist-style rooms, for something different. Our room met our expectations (more or less - except it wasn't the room we reserved), with an acceptable private view of the ocean. It was clean and bright and minimalist. We had a king-size which was comfortable, with pleasant linens and choice of pillows. We liked the outdoor shower, which looks private while you're in it, but we noticed you can actually see into it from a short distance away when illuminated by the sun. We found the climate control was inconsistent. We could not maintain the temperature to our comfort, which was aggravated by the maid-service always setting the thermostat to the coolest (i.e. freezing) setting. It was frustrating because we were trying to achieve comfort and conserve energy, but the staff seemed to ignore our preference. Dining / Restaurants / Bars / Food: This, unfortunately, is this resort's (and it turns out others we visited) Achilles' Heel and the reason we will unlikely ever return to Cuba. The food, in a word, sucks!! We dined at all three restaurants on the resort and one of us had a so-called steak at each one (branded various ways including entrecote and chateaubriand) ... worst beef ever ... even I have never cooked anything so awful. I don't think there is a indigenous Cuban who even knows what chateaubriand is. Most vegetables came from a can. Fruit was, for the most part, tasteless. Anything baked (breads, pastries, desserts), was either stale, tasteless, and lacking creativity and choice. Only once, did we ever get the bread delivered to our table warm. Icecream selection is generally limited to coconut or coconut. Once we got vanilla, and sometimes chocolate or strawberry. Seafood was largely tasteless. The best food we encountered at this resort were the pizzas prepared in a brick oven by the main pool at lunchtime, as well as the grilled meets prepared by the same two chefs. Unfortunately, some of the garnishes (e.g. mushrooms) came from a can. So, we learned to choose our toppings carefully over the course of the week. Other plusses included: - pina coladas (as long as you specified to put rum in it ... Santiago de Cuba is best) - cold cuts, cheeses, and dried fruits at the buffet - the coffee ... but only at the Lobby bar. Being fed up with the quality of the food, we decided to try a restaurant at another resort. We went to the 'Romantic Restaurant' at another Melia Hotel (Las Dunas) on the recommendations of another tourist who had echoed our sentiments about the food at Buenavista. Unfortunately, it was equally poor in terms of food, service and even ambience. Neither of us finished any course of the meal. We couldn't wait to get out of there! Service: This was our next major complaint after the food. Our 'butler' greeted us and got us settled, but had little follow up ... again, probably an expectations issue on our part. While the maid service was generally acceptable, we didn't get a change of hand towels for several days, and on the last night of our stay, our turn-down maid took our tip and gifts and didn't actually perform any service. Notwithstanding the fact this was supposed to be an 'all-inclusive' resort, we learned over the first couple of days that the staff generally expects a tip for everything from brushing the sand off your beach lounger to serving you that stuff they claim to be food. There was even a couple dressed in costume who showed up at the Lobby Bar one evening and collected tips from guests just for standing around in costume. The thing that disappointed us most about the service was that most staff do not speak English and when we asked for something specific, they would simply grin & nod and do nothing because they didn't understand what we were asking (e.g. no plates in the buffet until I tapped on one of my existing plates with a fork and pointed to the spot where the plates should have been). At that moment, one service-minded staff member ('Yosvel') rose to the occasion and happily made the situation right. From that moment on, we purposefully sat in his section of the restaurant for breakfast & lunch for the rest of the week because his service was exemplary. Every day we arrived at the restaurant for breakfast (and sometimes lunch), we found many tables had not been cleaned and reset on a timely basis. I just think that if you are in the service business and you don't understand what your customer wants, then for crying out loud go and get someone who can find out. Btw, one of the reasons we are so critical of the the food-service, is because we both have managed a restaurants in different countries. We should mention that there were, in fact, three individuals who provided what we would consider exemplary service. These folks are Yosvel (in Los Marinos Restaurant), Lester (at the pool bar), Lially (at Los Navagantes Restaurant); others deserving honourable mention include Yanisladi (sp? at the Lobby Bar), Yosmeny (sp? the pizza chef), and Lanni (housekeeping). We realize that one solution to our disappointment could be that we reduce our expectations ... and we did. The problem with this is we really didn't want to go to any of the restaurants. But our belief is that if the Melia chain wants to attract Canadians to their resorts, management should remember that there are a thousand other resorts in different countries that are competing for our vacation dollar and we will be happier to spend ours in these other countries in the future.

Melia Varadero: Good Stay But Needs a Facelift

Good News - Staff/Service - Shows - Alcohol selection (nice surprise on red and sparkling wine....not so much on white wine) - Beach and amenities - location - TV Content Selection (nice surprise!) Bad News - Food (best food was at the outdoor Trinidad restaurant) - Room issues (water pressure/temp....air conditioning) - Overall outside appearance (needs a major face lift) Overall we had a good time

Paradisus Princesa Del Mar: Good resort

This was our first all inclusive, overall happy with resort, one issue was getting coffee for the coffee maker in our room, none when we arrived and we kept asking the entire week . Finally bought our own . Food was good , especicially the breakfast omelettes, while we were told tipping not necsarry , seemed to be the norm if you wanted good service. Rooms nice, very clean

Paradisus Rio De Oro: Very Friendly Staff

The hotel was beautiful and the grounds were in fair to good shape. I liked the individual buildings that were looked after daily by efficient staff and I could trust that none of my valued items would be missing when I returned. This is a safe resort.

Melia Las Dunas: Great resort!

The best intertainment I've ever seen!!! Great beach and pools! A very nice shallow pool for toddlers. Food-more than good. A lot of snak bars available throughout the day! Room a little bit outdated.

Melia Jardines del Rey: great resort!!

This hotel was a really nice hotel. It's very big which I like because it allows you to walk outside and enjoy the weather. There are so many different restaurants that you can make reservations at. I really think commend Aqua and the Asian food. At Aqua they have all u can eat crab 3 different types and lobster. And if you ask nicely they will give you two lobsters!! There are two main pools that are so huge and really great. One is shallow for kids and has a gradual walk in. The shows are nice [... read more] and are every night. The front lobby bar or the bar down by the beach make the best mojitos!!! If you walk down to the beach and walk all the way to the end it's very quiet and private and the water is very Sandy. The water is crystal clear!!!! I would totally recommend this resort to friends and family. Loved it!

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Best trip we've ever taken

The resort itself was very nice. The staff was what truly made our trip. They were all incredibly helpful and friendly. The food (especially fresh fish grilled at the buffet) was fantastic, by far best in we've ever had in Cuba. The waitresses we had in the buffet were wonderful. The beach was beautiful. The resort had many water sports included. The entertainment staff were all very talented dancers. The choreography of the shows could have definitely showcased their talent more than it did. Th [... read more]e Neighboring resort is a Melia as well, we walked down to a beach party there hour last night, it was a lot of fun! It is a smaller resort but if you are looking for a relaxing vacation at a resort with incredible customer service I would recommend Melia Cayo Santa Maria.

Melia Jardines del Rey: Very nice resort, great pools, restaaurants

Very nice resort, great service, excellent food and selection, very clean, great tennis courts, landscaping being completed to new part of the resort, excellent restaurants for quality meals and menu selection, very nice ambience

Melia Nassau Beach Resort: Good pre-Christmas get-a-way

I don't typically write reviews, but I thought this hotel deserved one. We got exactly what we paid for and had a great time for a great price from Tripcentral. We would stay at this hotel again if we got a good deal.