Great resort, great beach and lots of nature!

What we really liked at Dhaka Cayo Santa Maria is a lot of greenery and flowers on the grounds, beautiful white sand on the beach, amazingly clear and warm water even in December. The room was also modern, clean, and comfortable. Cubans are very friendly people. We really enjoyed our stay in December-January 2022! There were no cases of COVID-19, so we could enjoy a normal life finally.

Would not go back!

The staff were lovely. The drinks were plentiful. The pool was big and clean. The beach is nice but very windy on this side of the island-we went across the street to use the other resort beach & it was calm. The food was beyond horrible! There was limited staff due to low occupancy so restaurants were very slow because they had to serve everything at buffet and specialty stations were not efficient. New Year was the big event for locals who were allowed to attend...food service for those  [... read more]3 days obviously favoured the new guests.

Great deal for the price

This hotel provided an overall good experience for us, especially for the low price that we paid. (Beach/facility) The beach was gorgeous and the weather was wonderful every day we were there. The lawns and vegetation were well taken care of. The resort was on the smaller side which was a huge pro. It was not a long walk to get anywhere Ie/ it was a 2 minute walk from the room to the beach or the buffet. There was a small gym, tennis courts and soccer field. I very much enjoyed the gym during [... read more] my stay. I might also add that there seemed to be ramps all over the resort, so I believe that it is relatively accessible if this is required for your needs. (Room) the room was very nice, my partner has been to Cuba 5 times, and he had indicated to me that this was the nicest room he has ever stayed in. Each room had a balcony and fresh flowers were put on the bed every day which was a nice touch. The room was also re stocked with water, beer and soda every day. (Food and drink) the bars were wonderful, though they sometimes ran out of things, the bar tenders were very kind and would recommend things based upon what we had been drinking. Though not available every day mojitos were amazing and I highly recommend them if you go to this resort. I did have a hard time with the food however. I am a vegetarian and found that there were not many options for me at the buffet as almost every food offered contained meat. There was a 24h snack bar and a beach hut that served grilled cheese, which I lived off of for the week. Additionally there is an omelet bar in the morning which was a fan favourite for my group. If I were to make one suggestion for this resort, I think that having more fruit and vegetables available would be beneficial, though I understand that there are supply chain issues at the moment which could prevent this. (Staff) is he staff were quite friendly, specifically a waitress named Rosy made our trip much more memorable. She was always willing to seat us outside on the balcony even though it was not open at the time we stayed there. She even had our table set up with a dinner setting and twinkle lights one night as she knew we were coming. Truly this woman is a sweet heart and deserves a raise! (COVID) COVID seemed to impact the food offered at the resort a bit as there were some restaurants that were closed when we visited. Masks had to be worn in the buffet, lobby and before we were seated at the a la carte. Also there was a staff member spraying sanitizer in our hands when we entered the restaurants and buffet. At the buffet the food was only served by staff members, and the tables were cleaned after each group left. As far as the covid test to re enter Canada, it went very smoothly. They organized for a doctor to come to the resort 72h before we left, and got our results the afternoon before we were set to depart.

Very nice resort

Loved the resort, grounds and especially the beach with clean white sand. Hotel staff in general very obliging and friendly especially Carlos, Richar, Andalay who served us in the dining room. The mosquitos and sand fleas? were a real nuisance around 5:00 - 7:00 in the evening and 7:00 - 8:00 in the morning when we tried to go for a walk. All in all it was a pleasant experience at the Dhawa.

Amazing time!

The hotel was very clean, the workers were nothing short of amazing! Particularly Osmel and Ernesto (entertainment staff). The food was fantastic. I have absolutely zero complaints. I have been to Cuba many times and this was one of my favourite stays!

Review from violeta

i was in dhawa in january the complex is nice the room is convenient with all facility it wasn't very crowded we had a lot of plates with food but there were not tropical fruits and juice like in the past was some strawberry juice mostly water and baby banana only one day and more pink guava but i could n t eat were unripened i don t criticize i know they are poor just let you know I didn t have too much money in the credit card I took cash with me because my friend was there in decem and  [... read more]she told me to take cash but i couldn t take any trip because they asked only c card was the same problem to pay the vaccin with cc i had to ask people to pay and give them us money that i received from a barman in excange with canadian !! the exchange office was not open until one day before we go and they don t change foreign currencies between them a biig problem was with the personnel making jokes on the back of clients especially at the reception and in the dinning hall in the dinning they were playing with anti insect spray and also they knew how to throw insects toward clients and pinch them taking pict with client while eating without reason and not asked laughing all the time in the computer room we cannot use the internet because they blocked the pc daily while in the middle of writing a msg - including the person who was there for help and cients behind the door I tried to make a phone call but i couldn t have the connection nor talk and i had to pay 5 us I prefer not to be listed on internet if is the case have a good one Violeta

Great resort

Quite the friendly staff. We where pampered because of a small group of tourist at the time. Resort had difficulty staying open because lock down and travel restrictions. It was about 2 to 1 staff and client ratio. Nice clean beach with snorkeling a few meter off shore. Food variety was limited due to sanctions but good quality. The a la carte restaurants were the best I have experienced so far in Cuba. Overall it's an excellent resort

Fabulous resort

This is my 4th time in 2 years at this resort. I love the staff. They are the absolute best. The grounds are lovely. The food is good with good variety. Nightly entertainment. Beautiful beach lots of pools. Very clean. Will be returning.

Very bad resort.

I will start by saying this is my first and last time going to anything less than 5 star. The resort ran out of multiple things including towels, pop, red wine and had a very limited selection of alcohol. On top of that I was there for two weeks and they never changed the bedding even once. I had to ask for soap even when they could clearly see I had none. I exercise in the form of long distance running... minimum 10 km every day and was only allowed 1 large water bottle per day and when i asked [... read more] for two I was told no. The staff on this resort were very nice and capable workers but they were not managed properly. They spray with the DDT wagon during busy hours like breakfast rather than much earlier when people and their children have to either run to get away from it or ingest it not knowing the dangers. I get the kill the mosquitos part but come on... schedules!!! Check in was a nightmare and I have had very long check in processes before. They had 3 people behind the counter but only one could do the checkin and the others just kept pointing to her. I will say I had a fantastic time at the resort with all the people I met but the resort can not take credit for that. We made the best of it.

Nice Resort, lack of bottled water, not a spot for young people

We had a great and relaxing week at Dhawa resort, its updated, modern and very clean. The staff were amazing, especially Carlos, Kevin, Leonardo, Mickey, Yalenia, and Yadiani. They were always so accomodating and so excited to see us around the resort. However, we went as a group of 10 girls on our university graduation trip and came to realize it is a resort for older folks or couples. There was no nightlife, nightclub or anything of that sort, but we still had a blast with the amount of people [... read more] we were with. We tried playing music in the lobby bar but received dirty looks from the bar staff and other guests when trying to make it a bit more lively. The biggest complaint was the lack of available water. As many are aware, non-bottled water can make tourists very ill, when me and my roomate arrived we had nothing in our mini fridge and were dehydrated and parched from a long day of travelling. when we asked the front desk they said we had to speak to customer service that was not going to be there until 10 am the next morning. After that we only got 1 bottle of water a day between two people. We were dehydrated and parched. Secondly. we requested a room with 2 beds and walked in to one king size bed, it was not much of an issue for us, but we had heard from other guests that the same thing had happened to them. The maids are amazing and trustworthy, everything was very clean as well as the maintenance of the resort. The buffet was nothing special, but it wasnt terrible and the cooks are extremely friendly. The a la cartes were good, just not very big portions or a wide selection. (Marichelle - not sure how to spell it, was the best) In the lobby bar, you could be waiting 20 minutes for a drink before they look at you, so make sure u bring money to tip. THE EXCHANGE RATE FOR PESOS AT THE RESORT- PATHETIC. The snack bars pizza was very good, but on the weekends the service is very slow, as the local cubans come into the resort and practically take over. Overall, was a great resort and a great week, but if you are looking for partying and fun, this isnt the place for you.

Great snorkeling!

There are some really good things about the Dhawa and some not so great. Ocean view room was beautiful and there was a screen door so we could hear the ocean at night. The shower was great and we always had good pressure and lots of hot water.The fixtures and furnishings were the best we've seen in our 7 trips to Cuba. 99% of the staff were so friendly. Housekeeping, the gardeners, reception and wait staff always had a smile for you. The grounds were well-maintained and very pretty [... read more]. We never used the pool, but it was clean and very large. The beach is not overly long but there were always chairs and palapas available. The walk-in snorkeling directly from the beach was really good. There were Hobie cats, paddle boats and kayaks to use. We don't partake in the animation activities, but it didn't seem like there was alot going on in the day. Some of the evening entertainment was great like the Micheal Jackson show, the International show and the Aquatic show. There was nice entertainment in the lobby area but unfortunately it is set up in the smoking area which made it hard to get a seat and also not pleasant for non-smokers. The lobby is spacious with plenty of other seating away from the smoking area though. Not sure why but this trip we experienced the most shortages of food and drink. The food was good but you were never sure if what you liked one day would be available the next. We're pretty easy going and just tried something else. Also you had to ask for a spoon which isn't a big deal, but the buffet was understaffed so often people were getting up and looking for them at the wait station.The Italian a la carte was good and the seafood a la carte just so so for me. There was always wine at the a la cartes but at the buffet and the bars it was hard to get. It was usually a white sparkling that was available. The red and white when they had it was just okay. Overall we would go to the Dhawa again, but if the quality was any less the next time it would be our last time there.

Amazing Beach

This hotel was perfect for a relaxing get away. I went with a group of 10 girls and was surprised to see how well they could always accommodate my group. The staff were the best part, as they were all so friendly and helpful. The beach was beautiful, and was a great spot to hangout. We also enjoyed the pool, where they’re was entertainment and music daily. Drinking water was very hard to get, which was the only downside. Overall a nice spot to visit!

Nice resort but NO drinking water!!! Also not a resort for young people!

The resort and beach were beautiful! The ocean water was crystal clear and the beach had beautiful white sand. The beach was a small, only sharing the waterfront with one other resort which was nice if you are looking for a quieter relaxing vacation. If you are a young person however this might not be the place for you. The resort had mostly older folks and there was practically no nightlife. I went with a large group of girls so we still had a great time, however it was definitely an older  [... read more]crowd at this resort. This resort only gave you ONE bottle of water per room (that had to be shared between two people) for the ENTIRE DAY! And sometimes you wouldn't get your new bottle for the day until 4-6pm depending on when they came around to the rooms. If you wanted another bottle it was IMPOSSIBLE to get it. I would go to customer service to ask for water AND would even call the front desk to request water, they would say they are sending a bottle but it would never come.To say I was dehydrated is an understatement. You are not supposed to drink un-bottled water in Cuba, so knowing this the resort should provide access to water bottles for guests!

Great resort.

This hotel was very nice. It was clean for the most part, and the staff was very nice and friendly. Had a lot of fun. Good for families. However, getting bottled water was an issue. The staff were not very willing to give water, only got one 1L bottle of water for two people to share. When asking for another bottle, they would say they dont have one, or in the buffet they would fill an already used bottle of water with their tap water and try to serve it to us with a different cap on, or we woul [... read more]d notice it was alredy opened. Otherwise, good resort.

Dhawa review

So I had a rough time with the A.C. from the very night we arrived the a.c. would work fine until around 10:00 p.m. Then it would start with a very loud noise that would go on sporadically during the night and wake us several times. I went to the main desk 3 days in a row. The maintenance persons would come but communication was a problem because of them not knowing any English. Of course the noise would not occur during the day. After no luck I went and spoke to the Sun Wing rep Lilita who was [... read more] not very friendly but she did finally have the work completed and all was good afterwards. The staff were all excellent and very friendly and helpful. The rooms were very clean and the food was great. The only other issue was that we could have used some place to eat breakfast on the morning of our departure, as our bus was picking us up to return to the airport at 7:00 and realised we could not buy anything to eat until we were on the plane. With 5 flights leaving to go to Canada within half an hour the line up was long and we stood for 2 hours in line to check our bags and go through the necessary process to leave Cuba.

Dhawa, our home in Cuba!!

We were at Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria for the 5th time in 14 months. We love this resort for the amazing service from all employees, they create an atmosphere of family with all guests. We really feel like we are part of the Dhawa family. We prefer smaller resorts and Dhawa fits the bill. No matter which bungalow you are in, you are no more than 2 minutes away from everything. We go to Cuba for the beaches and this hotel has a beautiful beach with lots of shade and chairs. Great drinks se [... read more]rvice too served right at your chair. Food is great and abundant choices for Cuba standards. Rooms are cleaned and equipped with a large shower no bathtub unless you request a suite. Management is very attentive to your needs and are seen on site everyday. There is also a bank opened 8:30 am to 8:30 pm on site to exchange money, which is very convenient. This is a quiet hotel, don't expect party like atmosphere all day long but this is what we prefer. We are really happy we discovered this gem and we will be back again for sure.

Horrible resort !

They call this a 5 star resort ? Well upon arrival in the room that was very clean, i opened the mini fridge and this was inside, 1 bottle of water, 1 can of pop, 1 can of beer, REALLY ? This was typical in all rooms ! We knew the beach would be amazing because its Cayo Santa Maria, some of the best beaches in the world. However i found the food a big problem, the buffet restaurant had limited selection for breakfast & dinner, we never ate lunch there. Breakfast was missing many items, orang [... read more]e juice, cereals, yogurt, and i dont know who eats green peppers and other strange things for breakfast. Something made me violently throw up from the buffet for dinner, there was so much oil in the food. The ala-carte restaurants had very small portions and not much selection, also this resort is not a complete all inclusive, half the main course menu was extra and you had pricing on the menu. There was no caned beer at any bars or restaurants until the resort let the LOCAL Cubans stay at the hotel for 2 days, they seemed to take over the resort at the expense of all the tourists making messes everywhere and making our waits for food & drinks longer. The hotel workers were great, nice people, some of the tourists were very rude, mainly the french Canadians.

The Dhawa, the best so far.

The talk on the beach is "this is the best so far" Its my second time back in 7 trips to Cuba. The grounds are gorgeous and the Premium Ocean Front View, is exactly that . There are still beach chairs and umbrellas at 9:30 am. The staff, is courteous and engaging if you put in an effort. The fridges are stocked daily, and safe is included in the price. I would go back again. Having said that, the 2 things that I can say in the negative, is that I didnt get my king size bed as requested. Of cour [... read more]se its the usual, come back at 9am tomorrow. I know from the past that, when you go back at 9am they tell you to come back again at noon then at 2pm....so I didnt want to ruin my first day there.,I wanted to be on the beach. The second is that our carry on bags were left behind in the lobby. They were the only suitcases in the lobby touching our checked bags. We were the only 2 people in the lobby waiting for our bus that was over an hour late. The checked bags made it on the bus, the 2 matching carry ons were left behind. No follow up plan to get them to us. Not the customer service like here in Canada. Im still waiting for customer service from Hola Sun and Air Transat to get them home to us.

Vitamin B Renewal!

We just got back from Cuba, the Dhawa Resort in Santa Maria Cuba. The weather was perfect except for a bit too much wind. Sun every day, Vitamin B has been topped up. The resort is a bit isolated from the real Cuba which for me is a bit of a negative. The only other negative was a shortage of drinking glasses, I suggest you bring your own insulated cup. Other than those two minor things the resort/the trip was great. Sun Wing got us there on time and unfortunately back home on time as well.  [... read more]😂 The resort is beautiful, well landscaped. The room was large and spotless with a nice shower to get all that sand off. Speaking of sand, the beach was beautiful. Lots of shade “houses” never had to fight for one. You could take a kayak out, a paddle boat or a sail boat (escorted) all for free. No line ups either. The pool is enormous, a bit cold, lots of seating and again so clean. More shade there would be nice. Some of best staff were in the pool bar, hi ladies and gents who work there. Now to food! I have traveled world wide but this was my first time to Cuba. I was nervous about the food. It wasn’t fantastic but I have eaten much worse. There was always something to please most The fish was amazing, fresh fruit, good pizza, lots of fruit and a decent selection of meat. Entertainment is such a personal thing, I was not keen on what was there but others were definitely enjoying it. Last comment. I already spoke of the small issues. The big issue for me was the cigarette smoke, by the pool and in the best entertainment facility. Security really needs to clamp down on those inconsiderate people who smoke outside designated areas. The administration needs to assign a designated area at the pool and they need to stop smoking in the lobby music area. I can’t believe so many people still smoke. And finally to the cleaning staff, gardeners and dining staff. They were all wonderful, the whole resort is spotless. Our room staff were amazing. Thanks! The resort is 1.5 hours away from the airport but the bus was new, the driver and guide were funny so time flew by. Don't let the drive deter you. That is it!

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria

The room was very clean. The food at the buffet was cold. The service was good, but sometimes slow. The hotel ran out of plastic cups at the pool bar. I'm sure they were just reusing the dirty plastic cups. We were told to wait two minutes until they could get more cups. We saw a staff member picking plastic cups out of the garbage bins and putting them in a black plastic bag just after we were told they had no more plastic cups.