Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Great resort, wonderful people, amazing beach

It was great resort worth to visit another time. Food was great, maybe more varieties of fish. Amazing beach, good for long walks. Rooms were decent, big, and clean. I would recommend this resort to other people.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Fantastic resort

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Royalton Cayo Santa Maria Feb/Mar 2023. All in all a wonderful stay and it deserves the 5 star review. Just a couple things for future guests. As a Canadian our smallest bill denomination is 5 dollars. We have one and two dollar coins which you can use for a tip, but it's harder for staff to exchange. We did not bring coins and they did not have a money exchange. So when we tipped it was 5 dollars minimum. That added up quick so we tipped every few drinks or so. [... read more] It appeared that the service was worse when we did that so in order to get the "best" service from staff we had to tip 5 dollars for everything pretty much every time. We saw people using American one dollar bills and moving forward that's what we would do. We spoke to the check in staff and there was no money exchange at the resort. According to her. It is an adults only resort and from front lobby to the beach was a two minute walk. Very small which we loved. All in all we loved our stay. I had been to Cayo Santa Maria previously and was able to exchange my Canadian money to Convertible Pesos on the resort but again that is NOT an option. So my suggestion would be to bring lots of Canadian 5s and American ones. Use the American cash for drink tips and 5s for meals and maid service. Other than that we loved our stay. Food and service was 5 star. Facility was 5 star. Beach was beautiful and I would give it 6 out of 5 stars. So beautiful.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Better than we expected!

It was our first time in Cayo Santa Maria. It's a 90 minute drive from the airport. The surroundings were lush, the staff were helpful and charming. The food was great (we love Latin food) and the drinks were fantastic. Will definitely go back.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Valentin Perla Blanca

Excellent service ….staff is amazing , weather was excellent and resort was kept clean Best beaches in the world . Entertainment was really good and no shortage of food at this resort.. over all I give this a 4 out of 5

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Nice resort.

This is our second time at this particular resort. The beach and protected bay are outstanding. Our room was ok, but starting to show signs of wear and tear. The buffet was good. No issues with any of the food. The staff are all amazing. Super helpful and friendly.

Melia Buenavista: Beautiful resort!

We stayed in a Junior Suite on a second floor, which we asked for. The room was perfect, and loved the outdoor shower! We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of food, however, it was clear that there are lots of shortages still. We are beach people, and it was a challenging trek through the sand to the palapas on the clothing optional beach. Plenty of palapas and our "beach boy" was very attentive when he saw us every morning. The beach bar was manned by Andres, who would make that t [... read more]rek to us (when he wasn't busy at the bar). Saved us from walking :)!! We had lunch at the grill bar by the main pool...get there when it opens, or you'll miss out on the specials! It's very popular. Our butlers, Yani and Daymi, were gems. We especially want to thank Yani for her special send off on the Sunset Beach on our last night there...very unexpected. It's a very quiet resort, but there is entertainment at the Lobby Bar every night. Some excellent musicians!

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: The best resort we have ever been to in Cuba. This was our 15th time

The bus ride from Santa Clara airport is 1.5 hours. Check-in was fast The rooms are still looking new and have a balcony. We were in the main building with an elevator. Other buildings are 3 story with no elevator. Younger staff, they all seem happy. Great service! The food is cuban, we had lots of fresh vegetables and some fruit on the buffet. Roast pork seems to be the meat of choice. No pasta at the main buffet, but they had good lasagna at the snack bar. We brought some paper plates wi [... read more]th us so we could get a salad from the main buffet and a sandwich from the snack bar and eat on the beach:) The beach is gorgeous and the ocean is very calm almost like a lake. Pools are also great with lots of shade and chairs available. There were 7 of us ranging from 1-65 years old and we were all very happy.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Amazing resort

This resort was by far the best resort we have ever stayed at in Cuba. The staff made us feel welcome as soon as we walked in until the final moment of departure, the beach was spectacular . The room was nice with an ocean view. The food was good didn't go hungry by any means always could find something, even if it was the same everyday.The beach bar was our favorite thanks to" Javier " always a great time and loads of laughs. 10/10 in our books.would recommend this resort to anyone.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Ensenachos is still terrific

We visited Iberostar Ensenachos in late February 2023 and stayed in the Park section; it was our 9th visit, first since Covid. The resort was half full, which meant no crowds in the buffet or on the beaches, but also fewer services: for example, less entertainment in the lobby at night, seemed like reduced menus at the pool and beach grills. We lunched in the buffet most days. Our room was fine, though the furniture is getting tired: some chips, drawers that didn’t quite fit. Several build [... read more]ings were not open and were being renovated. Canned drinks are no longer being stocked in the room fridges, supposedly for environmental reasons. Water was in reusable glass bottles. Overall the food was good, but with odd shortages; one day there was no bread. Likewise at the bar - very little in the way of liqueurs. We stuck to rum drinks. The beaches are the main attraction of this resort and they are still amazing.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Awesome resort

The hotel is very nice the have the best beaches I’ve ever seen the people were outstanding couldn’t of asked for a better vacation the food was good and the rooms were very nice the view from our room was amazing

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Great resort!!

Staff,beach,pool was amazing. Rooms need a little update but they were still very nice!! The food was good at this resort considering it is cuba. The bus ride is a little long but is fully worth it once you get there!!

Melia Buenavista: Beautiful beaches and friendly courteous staff.

The people were doing their best to work with what they had. The food was not good for the most part - Typically there were 3 choices on the menu and choices # 1 and 2 were not available. Breakfast was usually pretty good. We got into the habit of late breakfast and earlier dinner (6:30) as there was never much appealing about lunch. Dessert was always good - always the same (ice cream or cake) or both! The pool bar offered pizza which was pretty good and french fries - hit and miss for availabi [... read more]lity of the fries. Coffee was not good and never hot. Alcoholic beverages were fairly limited - unless you like rum. It is evident that the resort was hit hard by COVID and it will take a while to recover. If you are a foodie this place is not for you but if you like amazing beaches and spectacular sunsets don't hesitate. And do bring clothing, hygiene products, jewelry, hair products for the housekeeping staff and if you have any leftover sealed COVID test kits the medical staff will be extremely grateful! Tip generously - the wait staff work hard - the quality of the food is not their fault.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: good resort but lots to improve

Lots of rooms and space great facilities but at night there are no entertainments, for people who only stays in the hotel it is annoying, also the people act like they are bothered so much u if u don’t speak Spanish, it changes when u left a tip, obviously lol I have no problem with tipping but please show your hospitality to the guests, food is always the same, certain people are good but they should at least explain to you how the tip works if the workers are sharing

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Amazing resort and incredible staff

We loved our stay at Angsana it was simply incredible… the private beach breathless. Food was also good compared to current reality there. We were upgraded since there was issue with room. Management was very understanding would go again 100%

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Great weather….poor hotel

Context: We are easy going, had basic expectations based on previous trips to Cuba. We love the simplicity, comfortable pace, Cuban people, beaches, and in comparably lower price. Picked the Grand Sirenis for its relative newness. There was however an appreciable hardship at this hotel (Feb 17-24). Some general and specific observations of our week. Hotel seemed only about 1/3 occupied: Food/Drink *Very little food at the extra hours snack bar (“ham sandwich”, “cheese sandwich”, “h [... read more]am and cheese sandwich” 3 of (5? 6?) menu items along with hotdogs. No easy pizza, burgers or snacks, ever. Frequently no fries. *Regular buffet *extremely* humble, with lots of repetition along two simple service areas. No cooked fish dishes, in plentiful supply in the past—except for large sardines, and regular razor clams. Routine items: pumpkin, stewed half tomatoes, cheese, ham, ham and more ham, black beans, rice, chicken (the latter I ate daily, it was good, but still…). Good dinner rolls and bread, finely shredded lettuce, and on one day, a decent creamy cucumber salad, which combined well to improve the lettuce. *not easily grossed out, but one meal featured chunks of ham with skin on the back—and pig hair still evident. *had the last 4 eggs one morning at 7:45. Otherwise eggs/omelettes are necessary survival (NB seldom potato variants at any meal…hash browns twice, once French fries, and stampedes that could not be satisfied). * limited but adequate fruit. We tried smoothie bar once, seemed acceptable to many others. Self serve hard ice cream popular and delicious. *domestic red wine fine—but poured in 2 or 3 oz servings; replenished if asked. Coffee, Fanta and frozen lemonade (at the bars) all good, as was iced coffee. At different times there was no vodka, no wine at the lobby bar. *hotel room decent, decor and bed, but as noted elsewhere not clean. Cleaning staff in the hall daily but no clean bath towels or mats for simple exchange (after using ours for few days). Tipping had no bearing. *Mid-week, three staff knocked on the door to check our towels, one with a clipboard. We thought this meant changing them, but it was to quickly inspect if we were hoarding them; then they left! We used the pool/beach towel provided for showering. We also just made own beds (one day I noticed the label showing on my pillow case—on inside-out—reversed it and saw lipstick on the other side then put it back on the wrong way! *Rooms had mini fridges, not minibars: no provisions except 1 bottle water daily. General *apparently a complimentary bottle of rum could be obtained from Guest Services, have to ask; we’d already purchased allowable duty-free as gifts. *buffet not open for supper until 7 pm, too late for many, especially youngsters *entertainment varied/limited. Agree with all: MJ show excellent with seemingly professional dancers. Should have brought tips for their all-out performance of 1+ hour. Another night’s “beach party” out front was noisy and went on until well past 12:30 a.m. *very beautiful beach, plentiful chairs/umbrellas, safe area, clean, calm water, lots of small shells. *wait staff were mostly pleasant and working hard. Atmosphere and weather goes a long way…Latin tunes and people still very much enjoying their escape from Canadian winter. We had brought necessities and children’s school supplies which were deeply appreciated. I have an affinity for Cuba and chalked up a lot of the above to the post-Covid realities and a country with unique political/economic woes…. Having said that, guests at the nearby Angsana gave positive insights on their food, restaurant options, spa, smaller size and wonderful facilities…so, if you’re still with me, look there or elsewhere. ——-> TripCentral and Sunwing: honestly endorse your products as vacation-worthy; Grand Sirenis should be sidelined until things improve….

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Has potential

We arrived on Feb 18 2023 and the hotel was dead. Hardly any restaurants open and they only allowed 2 a la carts, but had no other food available so you had to wait till 8 to get food at the one restaurant open. Booked 3 ocean view rooms- wound up all ground level garden view and they refused to change it. The hotel was dead- it was eerie considering it is supposed to be busy season. I know you don’t go to Cuba for the food , however with the shortages there it was really bad. I was sick for 3 [... read more] days. The staff are friendly, the beach was beautiful.

Melia Las Dunas: Perfect vacation

This is a lengthy review, but we returned to MLD in February of this year after a couple of years of absence, and we have been impressed. We've got a room in villa 24 which was under renovation couple of years ago. Everything was clean and in working condition. The bathroom was about half renovated, with some items being new and others just kept up. We would warmly suggest to have the bathtubs replaced with walking showers if possible with a future renovation. This would add more value to the [... read more] rooms and more comfort to the travelers. Our room maid Carlos genuinely cared for us to love our room and went beyond his duty to make it happen. The grounds were as well kept as always, with splendid vegetation and even a bit of passing wildlife to enjoy. It was nice to see the pop-up coconut stations were the gardeners would entice us with fresh cut coconut water every day. We are not necessarily restaurant people and between the buffet and grill, we've found all we wanted every day, and some more. We've heard from friends returning from recent trips to the Caribbean that they've missed either fruit, food, deserts, or even cutlery and cups. We have not experienced any of the above. There was plenty of seafood, meats, cheese, fruit, sweets and ice cream to choose from, no shortage indeed. A nice touch to see sushi offered a few times as well. Many thanks to our preferred breakfast egg station ladies (sorry for not asking their names) and our dinning room helpers, especially Suyen, for their attention and care that we are satisfied and the food is cooked to perfection. Another very nice surprise was to see that the wi-fi is included in the price and available in rooms, restaurants, bars, and the traditional lobby. Best way to spend an evening keeping in touch with dear ones at a glass of wine or cup of coffee. Amazing service at the lobby bar, nicely stocked, and bartenders open to creative ideas (coffee made "special"... haha). There was entertainment every night and we've enjoyed especially the Esencia music playing couple. Lucky enough, we've got to listen to them twice during our 10 days stay. The fashion shows were also fun to watch early in the evening. We were not travelling with kids, but could not stop to appreciate how much time and care it was invested in the little ones at the resort, even though the kids club was under renovation. The ladies were busy from morning to late evening, with unwavering energy and creativity to make the kids happy. And last but not least, the beach was as amazing as ever. We had good weather, a bit windy in the afternoon, but not enough to keep us and others away from the sand and water. Free fun watching the pelicans patrolling and the seagulls making friends with people. Cayo Santa Maria offers long beaches and we clocked over 20K steps every day, a good way to stay in shape while lazing for so many days. We were definitely spoiled and enjoyed every bit of it. Many thanks to all that worked to make our trip an enjoyable experience, and looking forward to going back as soon as possible.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Nice Resort

Great People. The lobby receptionists weren't as welcoming as we hoped, and didn't go out of their way to address concerns. Specifically keys that wouldn't work and getting maintenance to fix an air-conditioning issue. The grounds were well kept and clean. Rooms were cleaned every day with new bedding, night life was good, they had something for all ages. The Gym could use some work, one treadmill was down all week making it difficult to get on, some equipment was broken. Food was ok, lots of va [... read more]riety and the staff and cooks in the buffet areas were awesome.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Okay

Pros: amazing beach and the best staff. Cons: resort needs some repairs, the rooms need to be cleaned and found many bugs in the bathroom, the resort sprays pesticides every morning and evening at 6. Not sure what it is, but smells like burnt diesel fuel. As far as the food, you should know there is not a buffet and choices are limited. I went because of the beach and staff

Melia Las Dunas: Post Covid, a reason for mediocracy

Love the layout of the resort, and of course, the beach is amazing. We returned here with friends based an awesome experience in 2018. Although the rooms were clean, they are in great need of renovations. Only half the guest room phones are working (ours wasn't). Stocked guest room fridges is no longer, despite being advertised; only response was "sorry". Was informed upon arrival that half the resort was closed, and then found out that the wonderful little shopping piazza was closed too; ver [... read more]y disappointing. The bar offered limited domestic beverages only; a few international items added 2-3 days before our departure. The food is what we expected; nothing great. I applaud the effort, but think they would be better off to featuring their own specialty items only; eg. ketchup garnish on a caprese salad does not work. The staff are very friendly and accommodating; they made the trip! The doctor's on site, especially Nurse Carlos and Dr. Miguel were amazing!! They were extremely attentive; cannot thank them enough. Thanks to all the hard working staff trying to make the best out of a difficult recovery.