Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing beach

The resort is relatively new and the staff are awesome. Management staff including Pedro and Vicente went above and beyond in ensuring that our stay was comfortable and had everything we needed. The food was a bit challenging due to supply issues. There was always something to eat but lacked in variety.

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Awesome resort

The resort was beautiful and the staff was very friendly. The beach was awesome however there are no bathrooms or food near the beach but there is a beach bar. Our room was clean and spacious although we did not get clean towels all week. If you have mobility issues beware there is a lot of walking especially to the beach. All in all this is a very nice resort just a lot of walking.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Beach is not assessable for mobility challenged

The beach itself is amazing and the water is beautiful and clear, however the beach area is almost 2 tiered and you have to go down a steep slope over rocks to get to bottom level. It is not walker, cane or wheelchair assessable. If the resort built a short wooden walkway down like neighbouring resorts have it would be. The remainder of the resort is easily assessable with ramps, grounds easily assessable. The hotel itself could use a good pressure wash to brighten it up. That being said worke [... read more]rs were always painting and repairing around the resort. The grounds are beautiful with gardeners working hard to maintain its beauty. There are a number of pools to choose from, from the lively main pool to a few quiet ones. The room was dated but clean and firm but comfortable bed. The food was edible but very little change from day to day, interesting enough resorts nearby had a greater selection of food and less shortages.The staff are very friendly and helpful.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Excellent time at the Coral level

Everything was great, the beach is awesome, the resort is small and you get to know some of the other guests and the food was excellent (based on Cuban expectations - some of the best pork and fish that I’ve had in years.) What makes this place special, are the staff. Within a couple of days they knew our preferences and did everything to ensure we were well cared for.

Melia Las Dunas: Not what I expected at all

I stayed 10 days alone & struggled with hot water and water pressure the whole trip. (My last 2 days, I did not have any running water, couldnt even flush the toilets. I brought this up to them and I only had water near the end of my trip. I even paid extra for the room (3 hours) due to my late flight, I wanted extra rest and wasn't feeling well and STILL had no water in my room. Waste of money & plus the extra money I paid for extra time in my room!!!) I requested with my travel agent a top flo [... read more]or and the front desk refused to grant me the top floor. Every day for 3 days, I came in the morning to the front desk to ask for the top floor. Finally after the 3rd day they gave in but only to a top floor room which was far away from the necessities. They lacked necessities like toilet paper, working appliances in the room, towels, etc. Beach wasn't very clean, a lot of seaweed. There was a lot of food options but when buffet was open, it was always cold. I never had any staff greet me when I was seated for any drink or if I needed anything. They would only honour those in groups of 2+. Staff wasn't very pleasant regardless of being polite and tipped. Also, a very outdated resort. I was told if I didn't leave anything for the cleaning lady, I was going to be left a letter to warn me that I needed to tip her. Overall, DO NOT recommend!!!

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: It was just OK.

It was just OK. I understand to food situation but there is sure something wrong. Yiu can just go to another resort down the beach and they have much better food and different varieties i.e. plenty of cheese, pizza etc. They were slow and sometimes didn’t even respond to problems. It is a beautiful resort, but they just have to address things. A big plus is the beach, very beautiful.

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Amazing resort!

Second time at the Grand Aston Las Brujas and surely not the last. The staff is very curteous and the rooms (always block 3 for me) is very well kept and extremely clean. The beds are comfortable. Food is good, drinks are amazing and coffee at the lobby bar is succulent. Strongly recommend this resort.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing time

The staff are so nice and inviting making sure we were always topped up with drinks, the resort was great and food was good, the beach was so nice. Rooms were great amd so was the views. Definitely will be back.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: We Would Return If…

This vacation could have been near perfect except for one aspect. The beach, friendly staff, room, room issues fixed same day, WIFI so-so, beautiful grounds, and so on were all positive. We met so many wonderful people from QC, NB, & NS. The deal breaker for us was that the indoor buffet was closed for most of our 10-day stay. I have never heard of a resort doing this. Arriving at the first week of low season, they decided to make renovations to two indoor eating locations which included the  [... read more]buffet. The result was a smaller buffet, and most importantly being outside, a buffet swarmed by flies. Eventually we stopped eating from the buffet and only ate what came out of the kitchen that we could order.

The One Gallery Hotel: Started well, and then things went terribly!

I have travelled to Cuba many times, starting about 25 years ago, going almost every year. It was great to see how tourism has lifted the Cuban people, especially the ones working in the tourism industry. Over the years, I dropped off many items, colouring books, crayons, pencils, pens and soccer balls, to all the Cuban regions I visited as a traveller. It was always worth renting a scooter or a car to help these poor and suffering people compared to us Canadians. I remember dropping off items [... read more] at a local church/school and the priest telling me they need new educational school books. I have always loved the service and hospitality of the Cuban people. If you tip, it is always appreciated and respected. If you look at the monthly Cuban salary, that tip always mattered greatly to them. Unfortunately, my last trip to Hotel Selectum, Santa Maria, was terrible, making it my worst vacation in Cuba. The first few days were excellent; the Hotel was new, the beaches were great, the gym was good, and the service was terrific. I was so happy I made the decision. Then on Good Friday, busloads of locals came into the resort, with it being Easter weekend and kids not being in school. This changed the whole outcome of my two-week vacation. The first thing you notice when going to the buffet is that the locals would push and bump ahead of you in line. They never smiled and were quite rude and piled on the food. When you're waiting in line at the meat grill, there are normally 6-8 people in front of you and was a 10-15 minute wait. Now the locals would pile on their plates with the grilled meat with 10-20 pieces and two plates each. Suddenly, the wait was 5-10 times longer because management allowed this hoarding. There was a fresh platter of smoked ham at the buffet, and two people (locals) in front of me took the whole plater. It was crazy what we were all seeing, and I was starting to hear the frustration of all Canadian tourists. I also had my chair taken on me at dinner before I finished, and I had people at lunch take my table when I had my knapsack on my chair. With the influx of people, there was always something missing, whether its food, paper towels, desert bowls, cutlery, etc. You could never enjoy your meal in this madhouse situation. On the first day of the local's arrival, the pool was packed, and it was a big party, which was excellent. The following day I noticed the pool was green and that there were algae. I have pictures of algae floating around in the pool. It was insane how much algae there was. There was staff trying to remove it. I'm in the water treatment profession and know you need to shock it, and some algae are resistant to chlorine, meaning you might need to dump the whole pool. I only went into the pool one day before I noticed the algae and did not enter the pool for the rest of the two weeks. It always had a green colour tinge to it. This was so concerning me and my group of friends that we decided to change Hotels. We spoke to the Sunwing rep, and they talked to the management of Selectum. The manager asked us to stay and said this was only for Easter weekend. A Dominican Republic lady working for Selectum and helping them start up the Hotel also stated this was temporary. So we decided to stay. Unfortunately, after Easter Monday, it was calm for a few days, and busloads started returning. The Hotel management lied to us about this overcrowding being temporary. The service at the Main Lobby bar also changed, it did not matter how much you tipped in the past, and I tipped every time I ordered; there were now too many people and too few staff to keep up with demand. The elevators in my building were down 7 or 8 times in the two weeks, and the hot water was not always working. The refrigerator's complementary water bottles and soft drinks were repeatedly not replenished. Cuban food was always substandard; things were lacking from day to day. I always accepted it as part of a third-world country. I never complained about this and focused on the good, including helping the Cubans. Over the years, I have encouraged hundreds of my friends, co-workers and family to visit Cuba. I did not know the Cuban tourist dollar was discontinued before I left. I had 80 dollars (about 100 CDN)with me; now, it was a worthless piece of paper. When I landed, I always went to exchange my money at the Airport because they always offered the best exchange rate. For $350 CDN, I received around $30000 pesos. It was so much paper money in $500 Cuban bills I had to hide it in my luggage. When I got to the airport bus to the Hotel, they told me not to exchange the money and use Canadian or American dollars. They can't exchange coins, so don't bring Looney or Tooneys. The best solution for tips to hotel staff is now US $1 and CDN $5 bills. Unfortunately, I could not return my Cuban Pesos to CDN dollars, which is another sign of how quickly they can take our money and are not there to help us. Its policies like this are only devised to rip us off. Everyone at the Hotel, including in the Lobby, was uncooperative in providing me with change for the Peso. I'm stuck with about $150 CDN value of Cuban pesos. If I never return to Cuba, it's also a worthless piece of paper. Finally, so many locals had been sick at the Hotel, and I noticed they were congested and coughing, and I then caught a cold or maybe even covid. I'm taking care of my aging parents in their late 80s, and the last thing I wanted to do was risk getting them covid. In the reviews on TripAdvisor, it was a Hotel that had just opened with few people staying at the Hotel and only had 3 reviews. This is the worst I've been in terms of being sick since covid started in 2019. I hope my parents don't catch whatever this is. Where were Tripcentral, SellOff Vacations, Sunwing and Tripadvisor in all of this? We are the customer, and they allow us to go blindly into Cuba. When someone complains on Tripadvisor about anything, Trip Advisor quickly states they are not responsible for these negative customer comments. What about taking a stand and protecting us, the consumer? Especially when it comes to safety, like when algae are floating in a pool. What about working with the Cuban government and Hotel management in teaching and instituting rules and etiquette for the locals? There used to be many Europeans travelling to Cuba, and now it's all or mostly Canadians. Many Canadians at this Hotel have told me they are not returning to Cuba. What about protecting the Cuban tourist workers that have allowed them to have a better life in Cuba? I'm not against Cuban people; I have always helped and proudly given them lots of money and goods. It was my pleasure helping them. I also hope Tripcentral, SellOff Vacations, Sunwing and Tripadvisor and the rest of the tourist industry work together and help get the Cuban schools modern Spanish educational books. Modern education would help lift the Cubans in the long run, and most Canadians would gladly support that. I feel that Cubans and Canadians get along so well because we are alike in being kind and generous. It's all the management at every level that is ruining this now. I hope they take action and do better. Sadly until I see positive changes, I'm not returning to Cuba. I'm also rescinding my recommendations to all my friends, co-workers and family to visit Cuba.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Good time!

The bus ride from the airport to the resort was less than impressive. No working toilet so we pulled over, next to the highway, for the bathroom. It was disgusting. The ride from the resort to the airport was much better. 1.5-2 hours is a long haul regardless. Front desk staff were helpful and timely. Room was clean and kept stocked. Beds were uncomfortable. Grounds were kept well. Managing cigarette butts must be a challenge. ALOT of walking which was great! More signage on direction of [... read more] facilities would be appreciated; although, we did figure it out after a couple of days. As a non smoker I truly struggled as all common areas allowed smoking (not the buffet area though). Any entertainment I couldn’t partake for cigarette smoke. The beach is spectacular! Never struggled for a lounger. Entertainment crew are outstanding! Food was good yet repetitive.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Staff 7 stars. Resort 3 stars

I’ll start by saying we have had great vacations twice now at this resort . The staff in general are amazing people who will go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable . The resort itself is aged and not accessible at for for rooms other than ground level . The food in the buffet was not very good , other than the omelette station in the AM which were made fresh in front of you . Good food can be found at the market which is a short cab ride away 10 bucks americano each way . The fo [... read more]od in a la carte was much better than the Buffett but you’re limited to 2 of those in yur week long stay . A great and enjoyable can be here if expectations are kept low and reasonable . At best the resort itself is a 3 star with easily 7 star staff .

Memories Paraiso: Woman beware

I’ll start with the good things about this resort, beach was amazing. Food was great! Our male housekeeper was awesome. After about two days we and other people noticed woman were being followed to their rooms at night by a “man in the bushes” a 21 year old male was robbed and beat up by a “man in the bush” it was to the point I wouldn’t walk alone at night without my husband. Another thing was beer was hard to get which wasn’t a huge deal I just found something else to drink. We m [... read more]ade the best out of it but never I have felt unsafe in Cuba so this was scary and disappointing. I won’t return.

Paradisus Los Cayos: Great family resort for the price, we wanted a five star, and this could be it with some attention to detail

We had a fun time at this resort, the beach was absolutely beautiful. The service at the buffets and the beach bar was also good. The rooms were good, cleaned daily and restocked daily, the A/C worked well. The service at the snack bar and the bar beside the lobby was not good! Each time we went to both the snack bar and the lobby bar, we did not feel welcomed! The wifi kept disconnecting from the device so you constantly had to reconnect, as well, it was timed, so you had to go back to the  [... read more]lobby to ask for more time. My room also had an issue with the lock, so there were a number of times where I had to go to the reception desk to ask for the door to be unlocked and have my key reset. The resort also needed a fair bit of maintenance (roof work / paint). The hallways were never mopped, and the building roof looked like it was about to fall in some spots. Our last evening, it rained and the buffet and hallways were flooded, and the ceiling caved in in one part of the hallway. The restaurants were not the best. The worst part and the reason we will not return was that there were flies in the dinning room and cockroaches in the buffet, it was not one cockroach, it was an infestation. There were cockroaches running around in the bread, the plates, the other food stations, it was just gross! If the hotel got this infestation under control, and had more supervision around the cleanliness of the common areas, I would rate this resort higher, but as is, we will not return.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Relaxing Resort

The Good: The staff are outstanding, the beach is the best I have ever visited because of the beautiful sand, many shade areas and plenty of chairs, ability to walk a good distance on the shoreline, this is a quiet resort with no loud music playing constantly thus the title relaxing resort The Bad: Cuba has supply issues thus the food is prepared well but very repetitive, no milk 1 day, room towels and beach towels are not changed, bed linens changed once in 2 weeks, asked for a wake- [... read more]up call didn't happen

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: 3rd time at this resort

Beautiful resort as always, however Covid has not been kind and Cuba still very much suffer. Gettimg supplies is very hard for them, they try their best. We all know cuban food is pretty bland but now it's even worse. Toilet paper was never an issue anywhere. You can't beat the super friendly staff alwsys eager to please and of course the Beautiful beach. We will diffently return.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Great vacation

I been in Cuba 7 times. Always had a great time. First time in this hotel first time without my kids just my boyfriend and I. Beach is perfect! The resort is well taken care of! Our room was amazing! The maid the butler did an excellent job! All the staff actually been amazing. We had no issues. Food was fine we love breakfast and usually skipped lunch. Definitely enjoyed the fruits! So delicious! From our part no complaints. We had a fun relaxing week. Definitely recommend it!

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing resort

This is a really beautiful resort. Grounds are well maintained. The staff are very friendly and go out of their way to make sure their guests are happy. The rooms are big and need some updating but overall no complaints. I will go back.

Melia Las Dunas: Fantastic Resort!!

This resort was amazing. It was surrounded by nothin but friendly resort staff. Not to mention a very clean resort ! Funtastic resort ….Beaches were out of this world beautiful and water was goregeous. we went on a Catamaran tour with a lobster dinner was great! met some really kool people from Nova Scotia.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Decent

There needs to be lights in the pathways and the food was cold everyday, was a nice stay but with issues they didn’t get fixed while we were there, I don’t think we would come back but they definitely need work around the resort