Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Our experience, no sugar coating.

This is a review of my personal experience while staying at the Iberostar Ensenachos for the second time. This is not a review to encourage or discourage anybody from selecting this resort as your travel destination; yet simply providing details on our experience alone. We stayed from Nov 21st - 28th and traveled out of Halifax via Toronto with WestJet (I now love them). We paid $1073 per person, taxes included. Previously, we paid $1550 per person in February 2013. We traveled with one other  [... read more]couple, and had 2 rooms initially in the park suites. We had requested upstairs rooms in building 41 or 42 with king size beds via email in Spanish (thank you google translations); we received 2 downstairs rooms in building 41. Building 41 & 42 in the park section is ideal, and likely the most requested buildings as there is a wooden walkway with a short walk to the end of Megano beach right outside your building. Barefoot walking to the beach rocks; no hot pavement or long walks to get to Megano beach. Building 41 in the park section was certainly showing its wear. The ceiling fan in our room was missing, the facet in the bathtub was missing, the ironing board wouldn't stand and the iron wouldn't work. Those things were quite minor and likely due to the overwhelming request for that building. The pool was also close by, but shut down on day 2 of our vacation for tile replacement; which was obviously overdue as one portion of the pool has been blocked off for safety reasons. The work had to be done, so we were cool with that. Notices were posted reminding parents that children were not suppose to go to the Spa pool due to this temporary shut down as they had a water park that was also fully operational. However, parents didn't care and took their kids to the Spa pool any ways, and nobody enforced it. Along with that, it appeared to be a 'free for all' for lounging parents to allow their feral children to do whatever they pleased; some people just shouldn't have kids - just sayin' ... having impromptu conversations with 8 year olds while swimming in the pool was fine, but sometimes a bit uncomfortable. In the summer, management did change at this resort; including the chefs. There are a few changes that have trickled down due to that. Last time when we arrived we were taken into a room where all our keys were ready and handed out in quick fashion, now it is much different. Upon check in people line up at reception in multiple lines to receive keys, and then have to get into another line to have passports scanned, but the lines are all mixed in and it made it confusing and a bit of a hassle - again, minor but could be easily fixed. Customs into the country was a breeze, and mainly based on if you had traveled to Africa or have been in contact with anybody who had traveled to Africa, all regarding the Ebola outbreak. Don't bother with holding up the bus at the airport for money exchange; it's the same rate at the resort. We were the first in line to change money at the airport and darn near missed our bus; they were NOT going to wait for the others, no joke, the ship was ready to sail. Bus to resort did not have bathroom on board, but in the past it had. They do a quick halfway for any desperate people (likely due to the beer they feed you). I'm sure by now you have read that it is 1.5 hrs on the bus to the resort, but it's very interesting and lots to look at - we quite enjoy it, even though it was our 4th time visiting this area. Now for the food, this is the interesting part. Previously we loved the food, and enjoyed it - that has changed. Nothing is hot whatsoever - and you MUST rely on the grilling stations (Pasta, pizzas, grilled seafood, grilled pork, beef, omelets, etc). I don't understand why they can't keep their food hot, it was hot before ?!?!? The lines were not bad, but it isn't the busy season as of yet. You will eat well, but you have to use the grill stations to do so OR order room service. The lunches at the Megano beach and pool bars are great, and made to order. The beef is bubble gum beef and is nearly impossible to chew, there is a reason Cubans don't eat beef. If you are picky, ask your grill guy to cook your meat longer as sometimes things were a little underdone, but nothing that could harm a person. Bacon in the morning is undercooked and I had the omelet guy cook it on his grill a little extra. We did NOT over drink etc, but 3 out of 4 of us did experience stomach issues for 3 days while there; I was shocked and surprised as we have traveled many times and NEVER have had any issues and I have guts of steel. I wouldn't avoid this place based on this, but heads up for Imodium if you are concerned. Honestly, the best food I had during the week was at the Asian ala carte and the room service. Room service is a bit of a hassle for the staff to lug the food on the tray, but worth it - the only decent fries and chicken breast I had all week. Seafood restaurant we had high hopes for, but that also was garbage. MAKE SURE YOU BOOK THE ASIAN ALA CARTE. Heck, book it 2-3 times if that's what you want. What amazed me was a few of the staff had remembered me from 2 years ago, and I'm not a 'stand out person' ... they literally came right up to me and said, " Hey, I remember you, how have you been " ... amazing. Yunior (Junior) at the buffet is FAB, so fab he should be running the entire buffet. One day we asked for strong coffee, so he went for a walk to the lobby bar and came back with STRONG COFFEE lol. The staff remembers what you want each day, what you drink etc. etc. It does appear that the staff are competitive on getting people to sit at their section; likely the tips. We tipped 1-2 CUC for each meal, and sometimes 3 when service was fantastic (it always was). These workers are out of this world, very different from any other resort that we have visited before. These folks are some of the best that this area has to offer. The beaches are the best that you are going to find in the Caribbean. Ensenachos is the island before Cayo Santa Maria, which is more protected, so even on windy / off days; the water is very calm and very safe to swim in, even for small children. We don't have children as we come with a ' non breeding contract ' (ha ha), but it's perfect for families with small kiddies, VERY SAFE. You NEVER see a red flag on the beach, yet up the road in Cayo Santa Maria it is common. If you have children, this is ideal, but please don't be irresponsible parents and allow your kids to annoy other guests. Also, please keep your children dressed, unclothed children on the beach wasn't what I wanted to see, and quite frankly it's likely dangerous due to the intense U.V. penetrating where the 'sun doesn't shine'. The 'Kids Club' was alive and active - the workers appeared to be ideal people who really worked well with children; parents, tip these people, they don't get tips but have to travel 4 hours everyday on a bus with others who are bragging about how much they made in tips. They are looking after your little pride n' joys, show them some appreciation. Okay, so one night after supper our door wouldn't open, so I suspected that our keys had been disabled. We walked back to the lobby, got new keys and they still didn't work. We then walked back again and tried round 2. After that hassle, without working keys, we used our friends phone to request a bellboy come and open our door. They did come right away and still couldn't open our door. Something went wonky with the mechanism in the door and they had to break in via the back door. The next morning I went to guest services (dial 5 on your phone, or go to the downstairs lobby), and baby they were on it like white on rice. I hadn't been able to leave my room after the ordeal and when I did, I had to put duct tape over the latch so I could get back in. Anywho, guest services told me that they would fix the door immediately (which they did), move us to the spa section (adults only), give us a bottle of rum, and give us 30 minute massages for free. Score. I didn't even complain, get nasty, nothing, RESPECT goes a long way with these people, and trust me a lot of folks staying at this resort seemed to have left their manners at home. The French Canadians would mob a golf cart as you were trying to get on it, make nasty demands to staff, and then talk about us thinking we didn't understand what they were saying (we sure did, and would speak to them in French as we exited the areas Ha !). Drink guys come around at 5:40 ish daily to fill your fridge, you can pretty much get whatever extras you want, but you have to be there to get extras. Leaving tips in the fridge result in nothing extra. If you want to start a 'collection of drinks' just hide them in a spot late afternoon and let them restock. Beer included Crystal, Bucanero, and a new beer called 'maybe' (which was quite nice). Never saw a can of orange pop the whole trip, which was odd because we usually do. Diet cola was hit or miss, but just ask a bartender for an entire bottle when you see it. If you ask for milk for in your room (morning coffee) get it at the lobby bar, they will gladly give you an entire carton that will do you the week. The cigars at the resort are about 3 times more expensive than at the airport on your way out, and they claim it's because they have a humidor. The cigars at the market appeared to be high priced too, same with the beer. Beer was $3.00 CUC at the market bar, and $2.00 CUC at the market store. Off the island I paid $5.50 CUC for 2 beer, a pint of rum and 2 colas. They will soak you at the market if provided the prime opportunity. The market is HOT, HOT, HOT, so go when they open, 9 am. The bus is $1 CUC return, but is a lot of waiting; a taxi is $5 CUC each way. There are 2 markets, but Peublo Estrella is the largest. If you do any off island excursions, the prices are much better in towns.

Memories Paraiso: Too many little problems

Hello, I would like to post some complaints about our recent trip to Memories Hotel, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba Nov 26th thru Dec 3rd. So many little issues that it drives you crazy! Room 6031, Shower Towels were filthy! We talked to the Sunwing rep and they sent up a nice bottle of rum. Problem being the next day we received dirty towels again! Brought them to the front desk and were assured we would get new towels that night. They never showed up ! Toasters in dining room didn't work. We asked to  [... read more]get them repaired but nothing happenedFood on the buffet was cold! Talked about it and nothing changedPasta station was very slow and after waiting a long time food tasted burnt!Bacon is raw, people were having the egg person fry it for them causing more delaysDirty plates and garbage around the pool area were there for 4 daysNo salt and pepper in the salt and pepper shakersCoffee served was cold,Capaccino Machine broken often,Went to get an omlette made and all the bowls were empty.No spoons available on tables. Had to ask and then rec'd a huge ladel or a mini spoonDiamond upgrade was not worth the moneyBeautiful Lobster meal ruined as food was ice cold.This hotel is not a 4 plus star ratingNon Kaluah being served out of Kaluha Bottles. I asked for Kaluah and was served something else? Diamond Club??Food on Buffet had been reheated so many times it was dried out and tough To sum up, we were at this same resort last year and it was a lot better than this. We will not be returning. As for the Sunwing flight, we had our granddaughter (9) with us and she wanted to watch the movie. She was in seat 17 F and could not see the screen. When we brought this up with the flight attendant she said too bad luck of the draw I guess!! Is this how Sunwing treats its customers. If so, we won't be back again.

Memories Paraiso: Good Time

This was our 8th visit to Cuba, first to this hotel. Grounds were beautiful. Public areas were clean. Food in Cuba is getting better & better, more variety. Al a carte restaurants are improving as well. Italian was the best of all we tried. Public bathrooms needed more toilet paper, numerous toilets not always working. Some building look tired & more general maintenance needed. Power went off a few times but that is Cuba. One block of rooms was under renovation so that was a good sign. Buffet  [... read more]restaurants - food from grills good but found service slow, they could be doing more than 1 dish at a time. Main buffet - we found a drain hole (5 inches) in the floor that was open (no cover) in a high traffic area. This could have caused serious injury to an ankle or a child's foot. We pointed this out to a manager at the restaurant but by the end of our stay nothing had been done. The manager showed lack of concern for the risk to the guests or his staff. Enjoyed entertainment in Lobby Bar during the evenings. This would run before the theatre entertainment. It would be nice if the lobby bar entertainment would have lasted longer as not everyone wants to go to the theatre. Location - beaches are beautiful but long way from the airport. Not much to do in the area.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Sunshine State of Mind

Pools were heavenly. Beach was sub par too many rocks and steep inclines, although the water was gorgeous and they had catamarans and kayaks for use. Service at the beach was excellent, bar and the guys that got our chairs. Check in and out very quick and efficient. Lobby bar area very nice lots of seating. Service is top notch too. Entertainment staff was annoying always trying to get a free meal. Shows at night were wonderful. Michael Jackson especially. Restaurant service and food were very g [... read more]ood. Mario at breakfast and lunch and the lady that makes the fresh juice were excellent. Lady that ran the kiosk beside money exchange was very rude. Overall a great trip just a few things that could be better.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: very nice resort

We visited this resort for 15 days. This was our 3rd time in Santa-Maria and not our last. Granted it is almost 2 hours from the airport but you see 3 towns on your way and we like to consider this an excursion. The resort is 3 years old and very modern. The landscaping is beautiful and will only improve with time. There are 4 pools each with its own bar. The rooms are modern and a good size. They give you 1 bottle of water 2 beers and 2 pops per day if you consume them all (they will only repla [... read more]ce what you drink). If you want more water just ask the guy when he comes and its no problem. Of course we come here for the beach. It is amazing but I found that this year there was more jelly fish than ever. We went to 3 a la carte and they were all good with good service except the Italian. Our waiter was having a bad day and ruined our night out. The second week we opted not to go to the Italian because of the bad service we had there although the food was very good. We would not hesitate to recommend this resort to friends and family.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Good value

Clean grounds, always being manicured. Good shows. Only choice of 2 a la carte restaurants during the week with Sunwing, not so good. Rooms clean but bugs present once in a while. Ample hot water for showers, excellent. Buffet food is buffet food. Beach awesome. Even though Trip Central asked for an adjoining room, we had to pay extra ($$) upon arrival for one.

Melia Buenavista: Mother/Daughter Trip

My Mother (57) and I (31) had a wonderful stay at this amazing resort. I was a tad apprehensive prior to leaving, because I had heard of poor food in Cuba and mostly vacation in Mexico. I assure you that this is NOT the case with MBV. My mother has a seafood allergy and our butler made all the resturants aware prior to our dinners for worrie free dining. We relaxed around the pool in a beautiful cabana each day, and enjoyed the pool floats that they provided. The pizzas by the pool bar is a must [... read more] for lunch. Delicious!! We each had three spa treatments (2 different massages and a facial) the Estheticians a were wonderful and the prices were very comparable to back here at home. It was very relaxing and just what we were looking for. My only complaint was that the wifi was not working most of the week and made it difficult to communicate with my husband back home and to do a few work emails. I will most definitely return.

Memories Paraiso: Great Beach

Great beach! Many hotel pools to choose from, good service at the pool and swim up bar. Hotel grounds were a post card, immaculate and flowers everywhere. Friendly staff. Hotel rooms are large but starting to show their age. Food was terrible but that its Cuba. This is one of those mega hotels so be prepared to walk - shuttles are not always around when you want them. Tip: when changing Pesos back to Canadian money, don't use the money exchange wickets at the airport, go to the snack shop or dut [... read more]y free at the airport and they change it back one for one - no fee involved.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Well worth the 4+ star it is rated at

My wife and I spent a fantastic week at the Hotel Playa Cayo Santa Maria from Nov. 9 to 16, 2014. We have been to Cayo Santa Maria with three other vacations, to other areas of Cuba five times, and other Caribbean islands. The Playa is a very nice resort with great staff and a great location. So let’s start with my review: Weather: We had 30* + each day and basically no rain. Can’t get any nicer than that and good weather always makes a trip that much nicer! Beach: As with the other rev [... read more]iews the beach is amazing with power white sand. I will note that it is narrow, especially when the tide is high. There can be strong winds this time of year and we had two red flag days. I will mention that even during the red flag days we were allowed to swim in the ocean, but for safety you could only go out so far. Other resorts we have been at will not let you in the water at all during a red flag day, so it was nice to be able still swim in the ocean during the windy days. As noted in other reviews you can walk the beach both ways for very long distances, which is something we love to do. During our stay a few people were stung by Jellyfish, but even though we were in the ocean every day we had no problems. Staff and tipping: We found the staff to be great. They were friendly and always happy. We do tip, but at the same time we do not feel that the service was any different whether you tipped or not. I feel that as long as you treat the staff friendly and with respect you always receive great service and usually good conversations. Even though all the staff was great a special note has to be made for the Snack Bar staff...they were fantastic even when they were busy. The manager of the snack bar ensures everything is running smoothly and what is nice is that the staff are all happy even though they are busy. The snack bar is opened 24 hrs, so if your flight is a late one you can still get a good variety of food. Also, a special note has to be made for Mairalys (assistant director for the resort). She was fantastic and helped us make our vacation at the Playa a special one...thanks Mairalys!!! Resort: The resort is very nice, modern and in good condition. The staff are always cleaning and completing landscaping to keep everything looking great. There were quite a few kids during our stay which is okay and it worked out well, as there are three other pools away from the main pool, which are quieter when you just want to chill. We had a couple of bug bites, I think they were no-see-ums, but there were very few bugs of any type around the resort. Room: Our room was in the 14 block, which is away from the busier parts of the resort. It was fantastic and everything was kept very clean and working well. Food: We went to all the la a cartes and enjoyed all of them. I would say that the Italian was our favorite. We enjoyed the buffet and felt that it had a good variety of food and the quality was also good. Of course the staff was great there too! We found that any line ups were quick as compared to other resorts we have been at. Note: timing can be very important to reduce any wait times e.g. if you are going to the beach restaurant try to get there by noon, as there is usually a lot of people coming off the beach around 12:30 and it can get busy. There is always something being BBQ at the beach restaurant e.g. fish, hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage etc. We really liked the wood stove cooked pizza. For our taste we always had extra cheese added. Yes, I gained a few lbs while there, but it is a vacation. Drinks: Even though it is common for the lobby bar at most resorts to have the best drinks, which is true at the Playa too, we found that the drinks were still very good at all the restaurants and bars. They have the basic drinks and specialized ones too which are nice to try. There are a few different types of wine and for my liking I preferred the non-Cuban wines, such as the Spanish. If you find you too do not like the Cuban just ask for another type. Entertainment: Overall the entertainment was good and similar to other resorts we have been to. As other reviewers have noted the Michael Jackson show is very good. Tips: - When you land at the airport there can be a long line-up outside for currency exchange. Instead of going there go back in the airport to the departure area and usually there is no line up. You can also get your money exchanged at the hotel. The currency rate when we were there was 1 Cdn dollar = 0.83 CUC. - With the bus ride 1 ½ hrs so make sure you buy some beer (if that is your thing) outside the airport for the trip. Our bus did sell beer, but not all of them do. Also, our bus had clean washrooms, but again not all of them do, so you might want to use the facilities at the airport before departing to the hotel. jcsun

Memories Paraiso: Beautiful Resort

We had a lovely vacation. The resort grounds are beautiful, pools are clean and the staff was wonderful. Food was not great but that was as expected. We stayed in building 55 on the second floor with an ocean view which was great. We did not upgrade to Diamond club and did not feel as though it is necessary, the only real difference between DC and standard is really the butler service on the beach. We usually went to the beach between 9 and. 10am and always found seats. I believe you also get a  [... read more]bottle of rum in your room upon arrival and an extra a la carte but we heard they were not great and you can buy rum at the store for $5. We did the full day catamaran excursion and went deep see fishing. We thoroughly enjoyed both and would say that these are very good value for the money. I would definitely recommend this resort although would suggest you take some snacks to supplement meals especially for more picky travellers.

Valentin Perla Blanca: One of The Best

Valentin Perla Blanca has to be one of the best resorts in Cuba! If you are looking for an adults only resort in which to relax and unwind this might be for you! It's quite secluded, on a magnificent beach, with great service and beautiful new facilities. The food was good. Live music every evening and the Cuban house bands are great.

Melia Las Dunas: Worth It!

Was definitely worth what we paid. Grounds are well kept, food is okay (we didn't starve) rooms were clean, people were friendly. The beach is narrow for walking and laying on but water and sand is beautiful!

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: One of Cuba's finest!

Fifty one of us attended a wedding here. They set us up in our own hall for the reception which was above and beyond the package paid for. The staff became part of our family during our stay. Excellent!

Melia Las Dunas: Amazing resort

Melia Las Dunas is an amazing resort. There you will find beaches like in your dreams, very helpfull people and a lot of activities all day/night long. Family area was seperated, therefore even for younger people a very comfortable stay!

Valentin Perla Blanca: New hotel with a lot of potential

Great vacation, beautiful and relaxing, a holiday is what YOU Make it. Brand new hotel, pristine, fresh, clean. A few thoughts regarding WestJet. For westerns making this trip, because the layover is longer than 4 hours it's not really a connecting flight and the layover could easily be made shorter and more pleasant with optional flight times. Either shorter ( shorter layover, there were other flights coming and going to take from Calgary ) or longer for that matter ( stay in TO a couple days  [... read more]and take the same flight back to Calgary a couple days later, as an option) As it was 23 hrs door to door. As for the resort, WestJet vacations did not state , 3 a la carte dinners?! Max. Per week. As Hotel did?! And FYI, there is NO room service in the hotel, also as stated. Front desk needs better English. As for the hotel, it is 2 hrs from the airport, great new buses. Hotel is lovely new, water is virgin natural beach with coves not like Varadero , access by boardwalks, some people did't the like this, esp. Elderly, wouldn't recommend for handicapped. Nice clean pools, most staff really try and are friendly, English could be better and would avoid problems and offer continuity. They are new, some glitches improved while others deteriorated in the 2 weeks we were there. Staff name ID and signage in general still not there, food ESP. Need identifying in the buffet. They should abandon the 3 a la carte dinner and that would eliminate the problems they were having with reservations and English language. They also had a serious beach towel situation, they hopefully can rectify or communicate better to guests. Entertainment and food excellent. Don't like their handling of their ' privilege' guest. Program, it should more transparent , rather they flaunt it in front of other guests. We have seen this done better at other locations, without insulting ' unprivileged' guests. Many favourite staff members really made our holiday enjoyable. Entertainment group were fantastic, ESP. Considering they were new... Very active., fun loving, and modern entertainment. They really made the trip!

Melia Las Dunas: Perfect holiday!

This resort was amazing from morning to night! It had three large buffet restaurants,even one at the beach! and many a la carte restaurants. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The large lobby is like the hub of the resort with bars and a theatre and multiple lounge areas for people to get together. Great shopping at the resort and nearby. ALWAYS something to do:dancing,water sports, shows, shopping, not to mention a beautiful beach. Rooms were clean and comfortable.Great shows and beach!!!

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Excellent Resort

If your looking for rest and relaxation, the Royalton is the place for you. A very small resort, which allows you the ability to quickly go between the pool, the beach and your room within minutes. The personal butlers are great and are there for you with whatever you need. I would recommend this resort to anyone

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Great vacantion

I went from 16 to 24 November, love it , the maid was very nice , room clean , food not that great but I don't starve and I didn't go there to eat Great atmosphere, I had good time , I will return , totally worth the money

Melia Las Dunas: truly relaxing!

Upon arrival the foyer is breathtaking. It is quite large and ironically we only saw folks in their golden years walking around. The beach, pool and grounds are well maintained and the workers are polite and attentive. The beer garden opens up a grill section for lunch. ..... fantastic!

Melia Las Dunas: Amasing Cuban Infusion

Great beach, great coffee, lively entertainment and surprisingly good food ;))) Would come back in a heartbeat… Although a family resort, the division of pools into adults and family on opposite sides of the resort makes for a nice balance, allowing a break to those tired parents in need for some moments of quietude…