Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Wonderful time

Spent last two weeks of March here. The beach is awesome. It is the reason we go to Cuba. The hotel is a nice size, the beach is maybe a five minute walk from any of the buildings. The lobby is big with lots of sitting areas. The rooms are good and spacious and bright. The a la carts were repetitive - same food in the French and Mediterranean. The Cuban was the best. The food at the buffet was iffy, we were just after March break but it was pretty bad even for Cuba. Things did get bet [... read more]ter the second week, but you couldn’t rely on something being there the next day. If I was bringing kids here (or probably anywhere in Cuba) I would bring peanut butter, ketchup, Nutella, crackers, salad dressing, etc.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Great Vacation!!!

March 24-31, 2023 Beautiful resort, gorgeous beach, weather was hot and sunny. Ocean front room had amazing view. Check in and out was fast and easy. Transfer to and from resort was good as Air Transit rep was very informative and there was lots to see. Food was better then I thought it would be. Great vacation. Would I go again - ABSOLUTELY!!!

Valentin Perla Blanca: Great resort for a relaxing holiday!!!

The hotel is great. The buffet was good but shortage on some food supplies. The staff was great and friendly. The only issue we had was that the housekeeping was helping herself to our Canadian change we left on the television area. We left her the gift and tip money on our bed for her but we were really shocked the she helped herself to our change. We never ever had this happened before on our trips to Cuba.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: beautiful beach

we really enjoyed the resort. grounds are well kept, staff were great. always so kind. Chicho always took care of us and our room. the beach is amazing, snorkel right off the beach, take the hobby cats out for a tour, paddle boats or go for a long walk on the white sand beach with crystal clear water. sting rays, star fish and may other little fish as soon as your toes hit the water. always lots of palapas on the beach. we only went in the pool once. hard to pull yourself away from the be [... read more]ach! we knew going to Cuba that there were food issues, so we packed snacks, ketchup, nutella and vodka. food variety was very limited. most days eggs for breakfast, no pancakes the odd day there was bacon and no milk for coffee or cereal. there was beef at the grill station the first day then none the rest of the week, some days chicken, and everyday pork. no fries, pizza, of hamburgers. so you have to be creative with the pork. very repetitive for lunch and dinner, same thing all week. desserts were very limited to icecream and jello and some very dense cake square. a la carts were very nice atmosphere but went to the steak house and no steak/beef. some entertainment in lobby was very good others no so much and some very loud, too loud for the space. we were in bungalow 3 and was easy access to everything. for a newer resort it could use some touch ups, the first room we were in the toilet ran constantly, the towel bar was barely hanging in front of the sink, and near Buffet #1 there was a room above that water was pouring off the balcony onto the roof, not sure if it was a broken pipe or what but we reported it, it stopped but then pouring out again for a few days. also noticed that bungalow 1, 2, 7, and 8 were not in use, the resort was definitely not to full capacity. the resort definitely has potential. but you have to keep in mind that Cuba is having a hard time getting supplies, the ports are not releasing and what ever resort is at the top of the chain get priority on supplies. please be kind to the staff, if you have any clothes, shoes, toys, anything. please leave for the staff. they are very appreciative for all of it. i would hope in the future Cuba is able to fix some of the supply issues and be able to add to their food variety. if they do i would definitely go back. this was our 6th time to Cuba and 3rd time to Cayo Santa Maria. just can't beat their beaches.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Resort is beautiful

We had a different experience this time from last year - unfortunately there is no manager on site which is evidenced by lack of staff which in turn leads to frustration especially when checking in. We arrived at 1;pm However our rooms were not available until 5pm . Their are shortages of goods and wine not their fault However when you are paying these prices you expect better. Our rooms were clean and we were compensated for any issues we experienced in that we ate Ala Carte most nights.  [... read more]The pools unfortunately were murky towards the end of our stay they need to be shocked. The beach is beautiful and well looked after.

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful mature gardens

Amazing people and landscapes. Just a great overall experience. Staff all over the resort go above and beyond to make your vacation memorable. Have been to Cuba many times and very aware of the shortages. If there's something you can't do without be sure to bring with you.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful Resort

Amazing place to stay! Employees are very kind! Pool and beach are top tier! Only thing that wasn't at our taste was the food! Every thing else was perfect. We had a great time out here. If you are a foodies person it might be hard for you

Valentin Perla Blanca: Absolutely amazing!

It was amazing! The rooms were great, they had a bit of a hiccup with key cards the first two days we were there because their system was down, but that can happen anywhere. We made the best of those two days by preplanning ahead of what we'll do for the day. The bell boys were outstanding driving everyone to their rooms and opening everyone's doors because of the key card situation. They worked very hard and were amazing. Love the set up of the whole place. Pools were great and the pool bar and [... read more] snack bar was great. From the main bar, buffet, restaurants, to the night shows to the disco tech, it was amazing and the staff was outstanding. The best staff we could ever have. They were always in great spirits with everyone. It was amazing. I really enjoyed my week there.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Good place to stay

The resort was clean and the people were warm and friendly. I had read that you needed to bring your own salt and pepper, but you didn't need to. The food was surprisingly good and nothing like what I had read from other comments. The resort does need upgrading; it is dated. But, considering they were shut-down for 2 years, it was kept clean and they did their best. Our housekeeper was the best - Alina. She went above and beyond for us. It is a quiet adult resort and it was actually what I was l [... read more]ooking for. If you want to party - this is not the place for you. But, if you want good food, wonderful staff, clean rooms, and peace and quiet (in the evenings), this is the place for you.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Horrible Experience

Resort wasnt clean, employees were mostly kind but some were very rude. Food selection was the worst we ever experienced in Cuba. Rooms werent cleaned properly, no clean towels everyday. Alcohol limited in bars and barely any night entertainment. We will not come back to this resort.

Melia Las Dunas: Great resort in Santa Maria

The Good: Food was quite good for Cuba, they had a variety of food and the A La Cartes were great as well and were fairly easy to book. The 24h grill had burgers, hot dogs and fries and was very good/convenient. The Beach was amazing and there were many Palapas for shade. The rooms were large and kept very clean. The grounds and the staff as usual were amazing. Beach towels were available and if you went at the right time, it was easy to replace dirty ones for new ones. Minor annoyances: D [... read more]ue to shortages, they would run out of Milk, Bread at the Grill, Plastic cups (bring your own and you are fine), Ice and some of their iced drinks.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Better than expected

This was our 4th visit in 5 years and we were worried about all the negative reviews generally from all locations in Cuba so we were pleasantly surprised to find that Ensenachos hasn't changed a bit, in fact we thought that the buffet was quite good. Most of the week we enjoyed delicious (and expensive back home) all you can eat smoked salmon. The fresh fruit, veggies, bread and butter were excellent and in fact better than the fruit we can get shipped into Toronto. Most of the meat was challeng [... read more]ing but it's always been that way. We did sometimes find some edible beef, pork or chicken. The service was great. The lobby entertainment quality ranged from terrible (karaoke) to amazing (live Cuban trio). Everything worked: WiFi, Toilets, shower, hot water, TV, beach towels, no blackouts, etc. The (TWO) beaches are still amazing as is the swimming. Lots of lounge chairs as we suspect the resort is still nowhere near fully booked. Same with the (TWO) pools - very clean and not too crowded. One evening in the lobby, the no-see-ums bit us up pretty good so after that we wore bug spray and sat away from the outside and that seemed to solve it. One calm late afternoon at the beach we got bit up as well so bug spray is probably a good idea. Overall, the place could use a bit of paint, some lighting and door repairs, a few plumbing repairs, etc. but it's CUBA and so this is just the way it's been there for many years. Probably why it's half the price of other destinations. We just love the country, the beaches and the people and feel very safe and welcome there. I'm sure that we'll go back.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Beautiful upscale resort

Beautiful hotel with wonderful staff. Buffet was delicious with top notch food. Fish, cheeses,turkey, chicken, made to order pasta and breakfasts. Special coffee bar and 24hr service. Beach was semi-private and clean with no-one bothering. Late night dancing and shows

Valentin Perla Blanca: Good time

Just want to start by saying that I had no issues the ppl are friendly and will try to help you the best they can . Pool and beach and both beautiful and Félix at swim up bar dandy guy and can mix drinks . Food is good you won’t go hungry , shortages on eggs one day bacon the other etc / no condiments bring your own . I over heard a few ppl say no running water in there room , before bell boy leaves check your water make sure toilet flushes and air conditioner works , in short a great resort  [... read more]but if prices exceed over 1300 for this resort I will not be going back , prices to Cuba are getting outrageous and I will be going elsewhere for 1600

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Not good at all

Just really bad..won’t return to Santa Maria..worst resort ! The food was bad, people sick, beach full of weeds, clean place nope ..I did enjoy the sun at least.will not return in Santa Maria not for a 1:45 bus drive to deceive

Valentin Perla Blanca: Great resort!

We went To Valentin Perla Blanca during the third week of February 2022. We had a great time. The staff were very nice and helpful. We got the privilege package which we felt was worth it as it included: premium drinks, separate bar/lounge area, private concierge, a lobster dinner, a half hour massage, private area on the beach, a bottle of rum. We found the food to be very good and no shortages of any foods, alcohols or mixes. One issue we had was that in the public washrooms in the main buildi [... read more]ng, sometimes there was no toilet paper so we always carried a roll on us! The beach was wonderful and we spent most of our time there. We very much recommend the resort!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Great staff and beach ... but ...

We where there the week of Feb 28 – Mar 7. Sanctuary Memories is one of 3 memories resorts that are end to end to end. Grand Memories and Memories being the other 2. Sanctuary is the premium of the three with Memories being the lesser and Grand being in between. We arrived at Sanctuary around 11pm and entered the booking desk area in the lobby. The lobby, lobby bar and booking desk where small and looked like something out of the 1990s. The lobbies in the other resorts were very large and  [... read more]very modern and welcoming. While we where checked in somewhat quickly, we were jammed into a small area waiting to get our room. We found out later that there was food for us, but the staff did not inform us. We were also told we would receive a welcome drink, which also did no materialize. Our bags were taken to our rooms by staff (perk of being at Sanctuary). There are 6 buildings that surround the pool. Building 61 is closest to the beach. The rooms are dated, but a good size. Each building has 3 floors. We where on the 2nd floor facing the ocean. While we could see the ocean over the trees, I’m sure the view from the 3rd floor is better. Yes … no elevators. Each building has 1-2 butlers that take care of any needs and make a-la-cart reservations. Our butlers were Jose and Dayan. Both are great guys and went above and beyond in their assistance. I asked what the difference in Sanctuary and the other resorts … Sanctuary has butlers, no kids and 20% off spa. The rooms are air conditioned, but for some reason towels and sheets where always damp. I confirmed this with many other guests. The bath tub is very narrow and the bottom of the tub being about 6-7” off the ground, which made it tricky getting in and out. The grab bar came off the wall in my hand. The staff, beaches, pool and grounds where great … everything else not so much. Noting that this is Cuba, my expectations for the food where very low … and the actual food was lower than I expected. Pork is the main meat with some chicken. I got tired of eating pork. All the a-la-cart restaurants did not have any choices … everyone got same meal … usually grilled pork. Sometimes, they had beef, but it was tough as leather. There is only 1 a-la-cart at Sanctuary, with the others being at Memories. You would think that being in a tropical climate, that there would be fruits abound … no such luck … there was only papaya and guava. All the juices served are made from powder mixes and tap water. They have 24hr snack bar, but only serve pizza (tomato sauce looks like tomato juice). There is a shuttle service between the 3 resorts. It is a 15-20 min walk from one end to the other. We felt the food at the buffet was better than the a-la-carts … more variety. There are a couple of food huts around the pool and at the beach, but they only serve grilled pork. The bar had beer and rum, not much else. No vodka. The lobby bar had mix for various mixed drink, but I couldn’t get a mojito anywhere. The ice cubes are made with tap water. Between the buildings and the pool is a walkway and bushes. Every night and morning there is a truck that goes along the walkway fogging the bushes for blackflies … they are using pesticide. You can smell and taste it. I feel the fogging pushes that bugs towards the pool. I ended up with bites all over my body. The on-site doctor helped with the itching. I had asked the front desk if there was a schedule for the so-called evening shows at the theatre and general ‘need to know’ around the resort. Neither was available. The odd night show they had was not acceptable entertainment. We had to constantly ask other guests and our butler about where things where and what was going on …. Including the towel exchange. Overall … I’ve been to worse resorts, but I’ve been to better in Cuba. Would I go back … NO.

Melia Buenavista: Peaceful haven

Gorgeous hotel with three separate beaches. Huge rooms with outdoor shower and deep soaker tub inside. Two pools, main pool with bar and pizza grill, and quiet pool. Staff are excellent throughout resort, and we had two awesome butlers, Joan and Rey.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Wonderful Resort

We spent a week at Angsana It was everything we had heard from previous reviews. The staff is friendly and helpful the food was plenty and the drinks were top notch. If you are looking for a quiet adult resort this is the one for you. We would return to this resort in a heart beat!

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful beach and resort, not enough food

Grand Sirenis has a stunning beach with calm water as it is situated in a bay. The resort is new and modern, the staff is friendly and service-oriented. There was a shortage of food and note we are experienced annual travellers to Cuba. We ate mostly pork/ham, cabbage, rice and tomato. I actually didn’t mind it but it became very repetitive. Pasta, bread, cheese, potato, beef and chicken started to show up later in the week. Perhaps the situation was worsened due to the March break crowds [... read more]? It felt like an episode of Walking Dead watching people rush the buffet. If the food supply is improved, I would return. Overall we enjoyed our trip.