Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Excellent beach vacation

One of the best beaches in Cuba - cool sand and beautiful water even when there are waves. Overall quite place with "Cuban" food and long lines for freshly made omelets or grilled stuff. Good Spanish champagne, good beer and good 7 years Havana club rum (you might have to tip some extra for it). It is an "tourist island" with little interaction with regular Cuban life style. Enjoy the sun, the sand and the ocean.

Playa Pesquero: Best Family Vacation Ever!!!!!

After a long cold winter I booked a last minute trip to Cuba. We were not disappointed, the weather was perfect, the food was plentiful and much better than expected even with our gluten & dairy free restrictions. The mojitos were awesome, most of the servers were friendly & very helpful. We had a " professional " photographer take family pics........they weren't so professional, I would recommend not getting the disc, just pay for the good ones & make sure you view the photos inside, out of the [... read more] sun. Live & learn........we did get a few nice shots. Also my husband and I had a couples massage at the new upscale resort......it was lovely, and so relaxing......I recommend you book extra time to enjoy the water facilities included in your visit ......we only had about a half hour......not enough time to enjoy the extras. All & all I must say this was our best family vacation ever! And a nice way to recharge after our brutal winter. Can't wait to go back!

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Fantastic place to stay

This was a beautiful resort. It was perfect whether you wanted peace and quiet or a party atmosphere. One side of the resort was the quiet side and the other was the lively side. There were two lobbies, two pools and three access points to the beach. The room I stayed in was very spacious with a king size bed, couch, desk and baalcony with patio furniture. Also provided were an ironing board, iron, umbrella and safe. There was a lot of beach front and the sand was very soft but heavy, when the w [... read more]ind picked up you were not sand blasted. The resort itself was very well maintained - gardeners were out in force ensuring everything was healthy, water features were cleared of debris daily, boardwalks were swept clean of sand. The entertainment was varied and took place throughout the day in the lobbies, on the beach (party side), and at the theatre. There were also activities for children. I had heard that the food in Cuban resorts was so so; however, I had no complaints about the food quality or variety. The fish was always superb and in the main buffet for breakfast the banana crepes were divine ( you had to line up for these but it was worth the wait). For the a la carte restaurants my favourite was the Italian - beef carpacio that melted in your mouth and roast pork that was flavourful and tender. The buffets and grill restaurants did have set hours for breakfast lunch and dinner but you could always grab a snack of whatever was being served at the 24 hour grill on the party side of the resort. There was also The Estrella open air market next to the resort that had many souvenir items at very reasonable prices. It was a quick walk -5-10 minutes (depending on your speed) or you could wait for the little tram to take you there. When you first arrive, they give you a map to find your bungalow; however, if you arrive at night I'd recommend waiting for one of the golf carts to take you to your bungalow and then explore in the daylight for how to quickly get around. If you want the quiet side, ask for bungalows on the left (20-30) and for the party side bungalows on the right (1-10). All of the staff that I had dealings with were very friendly and helpful. The few issues that I had with my room: no plug for the sink, lighting wasn't the brightest in the bathroom, couldn't figure out how to work the stopper for the bathtub, water would take a long time to heat up when using the sink tap but the water in the bathroom for the shower heated up pretty much right away. The internet is extremely slow and you have to pay $4.50 CUC per hour to use it; this will hopefully change now that the US embargo has been lifted.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Beautiful beach

Beach was beautiful. Great for walking and enjoying the waves. Managers and employees at hotel were friendly and accommodating. Very clean and well kept. Shows were very well done, but could have had the volume turned down a bit. Didn't go hungry. Lots of places to walk, too.

Playa Pesquero: Amazing!!!

Loved it!! The hotel, the staff, the beach, everything was fantastic! Gotta try the bacon wrapped shrimp at the beer garden..best late night snack! Pasta bar at the alacarte by the pool..so good! Rooms were spotless... Kids loved the towel art everyday! The catamaran dolphin excursion was expensive but swimming with the dolphins was priceless. Bring $10 for extra tricks with the dolphins. Beach is superior,I would suggest going to the left side of the beach less busy and better snorkeling near t [... read more]he reef.. Wear water shoes lots of sea urchins! Get to beach by 8am to reserve your spot..bring tips..for the guys on the beach that help you! We are saving for the next trip to that resort ... Can't wait!!

Playa Pesquero: Mixed review, good points and not so good

Mixed feelings on the resort. The food was excellent. I thought as good as Sandals. Also a beautiful beach, lots of available shade. Staff were very friendly, and the Holgien area was beautiful. The rooms themselves weren't up to what you would expect. Lamps with bare bulbs, and just generally plain. Some bathrooms around the resort were missing toilette seats. It was very clean though. The resort is huge so pretty far to the beach. Short version, I would go back, but I would look at other place [... read more]s first.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Starfish Cayo Santa Maria

We spent the week of March 25th to April 1st at Starfish. Overall it was a good experience. The trip in from the Santa Clara airport was about 1 hour and 40 minutes, but it gave us a taste of the real Cuba. Upon our arrival, we were greeted with music, dance and a welcome cocktail. A very nice touch. Our room was clean and comfortable, but we could have used more pillows. If you have mobility issues, this is not the resort for you. The grounds are very large and sprawling. Getting to the beautif [... read more]ul beach was a chore. You cross a wooden boardwalk , go down a set of stairs and then take a path to the beach. Another set of stairs would be quite useful. Once at the beach, which is very long and very beautiful, there are only 2 places to get drinks and food. Another bar/snack area would be perfect set halfway down the beach. The pools are beautiful. There is a mini buffet at the main pool , but the other pool had only hamburgers and hot dogs and one day was not even open. The food was okay. Some days better than others. One of the best meals we had was from the pasta station at the buffet and the Italian a la carte was fantastic. We managed to see only 2 shows. Do not miss the Michael Jackson show. It was amazing!! Showtime was listed as 9:00, however the actual time is closer to 10:00 They would start giving out awards for the day at about 9:30. Followed by a game. By the time the actual show started, a lot of the audience had left. A suggestion would be to start awards, etc. around 8:30. It is tiring sitting at the beach!! There is a market down the road from the resort with shops, bars, restaurants and craft vendors. Some of the a la carte restaurants are located there. You can walk there or be taken by the resorts golf cart. Starfish is a beautiful resort but could use some tweaking.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Need to work on the food otherwise great

Bus ride was long 1.75 Hrs and bumpy. Wife was carsick,not to the point of heaving but not pleasant. We asked for a front seat for the return and they were very accommodating. The wife had some issues with a previous leg injury so we wrote to them 2 days before the trip . Although we did not get a reply to the e-mail they did see to our requests. They pre-arranged booking in with the rooms already assigned giving everyone an envelope on the bus.That made the booking in go much smoother. Rooms we [... read more]re clean, decor a bit tired but everything worked. Towels were kept fresh, although other reviews warned of problems. Grounds were clean. It would be nicer if they removed more of the jungle from the grounds. Our terrace faced the path to the pool with 20' of thick jungle in front. Only was to get to the pool was the building exits. Pools were excellent, pool bar and permanent hamburger bar beside it were great. The beach was excellent with a handy beach bar. A nice touch was lots of portable bars on carts close to all events so you wouldn't have to go far for a drink. Lots of mini shows, in the lobby, buffet, and in front of the theater to preview the night's entertainment.The hotel is on startup with new ownership from Dec 2014 and it seems lots of equipment is lacking. People complained about things like sports equipment lost or missing, volleyballs for pool and beach, that sort of stuff. The theater was beautiful. Entertainers were great .They need 2 or 3 times more speakers and power amps so you can hear the show when the place is full and a DJ that knows how to run a mixer board. During the Michel Jackson show all we heard was Tish tish boom boom boom and not a word of the singer's voice. The food was not 4 star. I have had MUCH better food at 4 other 3.5 star places in Cuba. The variety was inconsistent.With a good buffet we usually can search through it and find enough variety to please us and we rarely eat at the a la carte .We had to search a little harder than normal to satisfy our needs. We ate at two a la cartes . The service was excellent but the food was below par. No butter for our buns and Cappuccinos came with sour curdled milk, kind of like cottage cheese. The guy making them should have seen that. They offered to get us fresh ones but we were kind of turned off. The people managing the food service need better training. Food at the steam tables was generally cold even at the opening times. It seems they cook the food hours before it goes out and leave it on a cart full of trays before getting it to the steam tables. They did have staff keeping the steam tables clean and attractive but couldn't time the kitchen cooking the food to keep the steam tables full. Long waits for trays to be replenished. Main Buffet had no toaster for breakfast till the last day then it didn't work. You got hit and miss toast from the pizza oven.They would not serve cappuccino with dinner though they had a coffee window for servers near the kitchen. Everyone seemed to do their best with what they had. If they trained their food managers to do a better job organizing things then the materials they have to work with would present better. I understand it is difficult to get a consistent stock of food materials in Cuba but other hotels seem to do better. A long dissertation but the Resort's only drawback I see is improving the variety and quality of food the rest of place was great.

Playa Pesquero: Great resort

Loved it rooms were very clean the lobby was beautiful the service was excellent the good food and drinks loved the la cart restaurants and pools great beach, bar tenders were extremely nice, friendly and helpful every where I will recommend this resort to all my family and friends.

Playa Pesquero: Surperb Holiday

Had a great vacation thanks to our travel agent. Only complaint was we requested a balcony and received ground floor and had a few issues with creepy crawlers in tub and a surprise bug in bed one morning which I'm sure the whole unit heard when I noticed it. But that is nature and not too much can be done I guess.

Playa Pesquero: Amazing resort

Just come back from playa pesquero my 3rd time in Cuba first time in playa pesquero was an amazing resort for the price can't wait to go back ,the rooms are very clean the food is really good the elecarts was amazing never had so good of corse the beach and polls are very nice, recommend this resort to everyone great times

Playa Pesquero: Good resort

Grounds could use a bit of improvement. The beach is gorgoues and the pool is also really nice. But you have to be carefull as there are some missing tiles all over it. There was a playground for the little ones right on the beach, which is great! Tey also have a kids club, but the first time I went in even though there were kids there I couldn't really see the staff and not only the gate was open as there is a small pool inside. Didn't trust them at all with my kid. Staff works really hard and  [... read more]are always busy but maybe they need more employees?! The food seem very similar every day but most restaurant have grills and there is always beef, pork and fish and some even have shrimp and squid. Good stay overall.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Starfish, Cayo Santa Maria

Amazing beach! Beautiful white sand, gorgeous water color, very breezy. Room was clean, bottled water replaced daily, and service great. Problems with in room safe but repaired fairly quickly. Not impressed with the food variety or selections, but found a little something each day to fill us. Staff - friendly for the most part. Overall experience, very good!

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Great value

A good resort with friendly staff and very clean property. The only improvement needed is the buffet, the food was not hot and the service was slow. The buildings are conveniently located to all activities and the listed pathways make it easy to get around.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: A nice vacation spot.

The weather and beach was fantastic. The rooms were spacious and clean but lacking sound proofing we could hear the neighbors' every sound. Mosquito screen was missing from the balcony door. I understand the huge logistic problems the resort has to deal with for the enormous distance from the main land. I was kind of expecting shortages of supplies and I was right even napkins at lunch were in short supply on some drays. The food was so so but never got sick. I think this resort has great potent [... read more]ial to become a fantastic vacation place but management faces a huge challenge. I had the pleasure to speak with Jose Schmidt the Director General he seems a very talented caring individual. I think he will succeed in transforming Star Fish into a high quality resort. All in all out of four trips to Cuba Cayo Santa Maria has the best beach. Not a bad resort for Cuban standards.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Scared for no reason

To start I'd like to thank Nancy, Carlos, Raymundo & Mariella for their excellent service which truly enhanced our stay at the Starfish! My 16 yr. old daughter & I just returned from March Break at this resort. Having traveled to Sol Cayo Largo in 2013 I knew what I should expect from Cuba. To my surprise not only was this resort and Santa Maria beyond what I could've imagined, we would surely return to rekindle our love for this place. Like many will recommend, be aware that Cuba doesn't ever c [... read more]laim to be 5 star and the worst part of our vacation was only attributable to some rude Canadians that live outside of the province of Ontario . . .no, I don't mean Winnipeg, Edmonton or the east coast. Tips from those that arrived before us helped for example book your a la cartes early and to eliminate some flooding from the bathtub, we found it best to sit while showering. Food was plentiful, hot, varied and reliable. We had grilled fish daily, lots of vegetables and a hearty assortment of any carb you desire. There are two pools, one for party time & one for relaxation & rest. Same with the beach loud with music & quiet with shade available. If you love to take in a lovely sunrise, sunset, turquoise water for miles, white powdery sand, fantastic meals and a variety of beverages I recommend you visit this paradise. Tip generously as staff work hard and want to please, try to learn the language it makes for a more enjoyable experience and remember that you are in a different country so be respectful. We will return and have already recommended this resort & the area to friends. Oh also, take in a show at night . . . they take a little while to get started typically around 9:20 but well worth it & there's some very talented performers!

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Wonderful vacation

Our room was very clean bright and spacious, no musty dusty smell at all like you Our room was very clean, bright and spacious, no musty dusty smell at all like you can sometimes get in the Caribbean. I found the entire resort to be very clean, lots of staff. The beach was beautiful, could use a few more shade huts The entertainment was constant - from foam party at the pool, volleyball on the beach, to the evening concerts before the evening show, there was always something going on and there  [... read more]was always a bar nearby. The food was good, for Cuban hotel standards. The only and very small complaint would be the long wait at the grills at the buffets. 15 +/- minutes for a fresh omelet - seemed like the cooks would only make 2/3 things at a time even thought they had lots more room left on the grill, but hey it's Cuba, you're on vacation - why rush... I would definitely recommend the Starfish to anyone going.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: amazing resort!

The hotel is great, the space is huge and the beach amazing, we spent 3 nights and 4 fabulous days, for sure we are coming back!!! We recommend the hotel for couples and families, it is quite and a lot of activities, the Michael Jackson show was amazing!!! Congrats to the entertainment team

Playa Pesquero: great vacation

The flight was nice and easy, the weather was hot and comfortable, the bus ride was also good and comfortable, the playa pesquero resort was overall great, the hotel , the food, the sweet table, the service,the beach was amazing. would definetily recommend this hotel and would also go back.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Beautiful beach but very bad food

We came back from Starfish March 26th and overall we had a good week there! The good No question about it, the beach is beautiful! The hotel staff are friendly. We were there with our 9-month old baby and everyone was always smiling at her and talking to her. At the Mexican Restaurant, the waiter held her for our entire meal so we could eat. He was so nice and made her stop crying. That is what I call awesome customer service! The pools are nice! We were happy that the hotel had 2 different pool [... read more]s to choose from. One pool is a bit calmer than the other. We enjoyed spending time at both of them depending on our mood. Coffee! The coffee at the lobby bar was very tasty! The bad The food. I just could not imagine how bad the food could be. I really just thought that everyone who complained about it probably are just overreacting. But no, they are right, the food is very bad! To find the better options, go for the omelettes and fried rice that the chef prepares in front of you! The rooms could use some work. Our toilet wasn't working properly and the shower didn't drain fast enough. The fan and fridge was pretty noisy! This was our first time in Cuba and we enjoyed it! We will be more prepared to have a lousy food week next time we go and maybe bring some ketchup with us!