Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Great for Cuba

I've heard so many negative things about Cuba so I was delighted to have a great experience at the Starfish Resort on Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba. The resort was clean and the staff was accommodating. The cappuccinos were outstanding as were the always available special drinks. The pool was beautiful. The entertainment alternated between cheesy and extremely good. Cheesy was funny in its own way :) The food is very different than what we are accustomed to here but still delicious. I found plenty of d [... read more]ishes to satisfy me. Resort chefs try hard to appeal to the Canadian appetite with omelette stations, crepe stations grilling stations and pizza stations. It is true that there is no ketchup and the food is not spicy like in Mexico, but tasty nevertheless. The beaches were stunningly beautiful. White powdery sand and aquamarine blue everywhere. These were the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. Small katamaran rides were free on the resort beach and we were also allowed to use kayaks and peddle boats for free. It was so fun. We saw a baracuda further out. We experienced three days of windy, very chilly weather. On those days, there was not much to do as Starfish is fairly remote. We shopped the nearby marketplace for souveniers and rented a car to go the 50 km to the nearest town. We also explored the countryside. It turned out to be a pleasant day. The poverty we witnessed there was a little depressing. We brought dollar store candy and toys to hand out to children and they were very grateful. The sunny days more than made up for the windy days. We returned home as brown as berries. The katamaran excursion was really fun and totally worth the money we paid for it. ($125 CAN). It included snorkeling, lobster lunch, dolphinarium. I rode a dolphin for $20 CU. It was amazing. There were many, many people from Quebec (85%??) and Ontario (10%?). Albertans were rare. There were no Americans yet. Quebecers seemed to enjoy being allowed to smoke in the bar and lobby. WIFI has to be purchased at a cost of $4.50 CU for an hour. You do not have to use it all at one time unless you have a hard time logging out. All wifi has to be done in the lobby. There is no wifi in the rooms. Sattelite tv is available in rooms -- there were good movies on. Rooms were cleaned daily but we were not given fresh towels or bedding during our stay. This didn't bother us but someone who would not like this would,. I"m sure, be given fresh towels upon request. I received an extra pillow when I asked. You can 'feel' the poverty there among the resort staff. We tipped a $1 peso for every meal, maid service, bar service, etc. and found they were extremely appreciative. We were told the average wage there is $18 pesos per month. ($14 CAN per month).

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Amazing beach but bring your own condiments

The beach and water are just amazing at this resort - you couldn't get a more beautiful beach and no one bugging you to buy hats or have your hair braided etc as it is really only tourists on this beach. Great staff, rooms were always clean and well taken care of. Entertainment staff were very good, and there was only 1 occasion where the nightly entertainment was not good(most people got up and left). If you only catch one show it should be the Michael Jackson tribute - the person playing Micha [... read more]el Jackson was amazing. Food was just "ok" - you won't go hungry though. Unfortunately the a la carte's were very disappointing. Bring your own condiments as ketchup, relish, peanut butter, jam and basically anything that you would be used to at home was non existent.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Beautiful beaches

The beaches are simply amazing, the pool is very nice as well. Overall the resort is nice, a little bit older but very fair for the price. The buffets were better than expected but could be better. The drive from the airport is quite long though

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Good Stay at Starfish

Amazing Beach. Disappointed that there were two distinctly different sides of resort, landing us on the bad side when we arrived. We paid to upgrade to an amazing room with ocean and pool view....well worth it. Bld 9. Food was poor, but atmosphere and entertainment and activities were great.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Great Trip

The resort was great for the value. Entertainment was awesome. Don't miss the Michael Jackson show if you go well worth staying up for. Staff were great very appreciative and helpful. Food was OK better than most.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Amazing Staff!!!

The staff exceeding our expectations especially when dealing with the children. The grounds were well maintained at all times. The pools, beach and entertainment were all fantastic. The a la carte restaurants were top quality and the buffet was satisfactory. Again, amazing staff!!!

Playa Pesquero: Great Resort

I booked this resort for my in-laws and they were really happy with it. They can be a little picky but had nothing bad to say including the food (which can be hit and miss in Cuba). The only complaint they had was that it is a very big resort and have lots of people. They prefer smaller resorts. If they liked it, it must have been good.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Starfish Cayo Santa Marie

With stunning beaches, pleasant staff, and decent-to-good food options, the Starfish was great to my girlfriend and I. The equipment was accessible, the grounds were well maintained, and the staff were usually smiling. The daily/ nightly entertaining was great, from well trained jazz musicians to great dancers they seemed to be having a good time with the guests. There's two lobbies to accommodate all your needs, and lots of bars to quench your thirst.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Beautiful beach and pool areas

The site is clean. A little dense on the greenery. Entertainment can use some help. Customer service is lacking in the bar and restaurant areas. Maids are fantastic. Always smiling and saying Ola!! Beach towel service is just not available. Be prepared to use same towels through the week.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: 5 star hospitality

Immaculately clean, friendly, generous, efficient, with endless entertainment and options.an exceptional experience to relax and enjoy leisure time. Bring books and games to fill in the times when weather is not conducive to bathing and sunning. Expect some amazing foods and an abundance, much of which is bland and overcooked. We found there was plenty of food that was delicious and satisfying.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Great resort

We stayed at Starfish Santa Maria resort last week with our 11 months old baby and we had a great time. The rooms were clean and spacious, the food was pretty good , especially the fresh grilled fish and fruits we had everyday. I would highly recommend this resort. It is family and kid friendly.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Not really what I expected

The hotel did not meet my expectations. The exchange rate is high and the Canadian $ is worth LESS than their Peso (CUC) . The food was not what I expected...and very bland..no real flavor. I didn't expect much but would not go back again.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Good resort for Cuba

Average hotel - great value for the money. We traveled with our 2 children and returned on Feb. 16. Nice Cuban resort. Food was not very good by our standards but ok for Cuba (no one got sick). Rooms were ok. Service was ok. Beach was gorgeous but ocean was rough. If you are looking for a nice, cheap place to relax, this would be a good choice.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Beautiful Beach!

We travelled with our 3 year old and 5 month baby! The beach was just gorgeous and the hotel was clean and nice. The downside for us was the food! My hubby got sick one night and I pretty much ate bread and pasta....not the place to go for food, but apparently that is what Cuba is known for. So if you want a nice resort and beautiful beach, the price is right. Bring along a few familiar snacks for the kids...this was helpful!! :) Also, the bus ride from the airport was about 1 hour and 45 minute [... read more]s...yikes! Makes for a super long travel day! The pool was beautiful..but VERY cold! Too cold for me!! We brought towels, as we read that on a review before we left, but honestly that wasn't a problem at all.

Playa Pesquero: Outstanding Beach

Well executed beach resort with above average room accommodations and expansive variety of buffet and al a carte restaurants. Food superior to other Cuban resorts. Staff friendly and accommodating. Great entertainment shows.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Fun Time At Starfish

We enjoyed our stay at Starfish, the resort was nice and we thought the grounds were well maintained and made for a beautiful walk each morning. The staff were very friendly, and we loved the beach! Our one complaint would be that our travel agent requested a crib for our baby, which we only received on our 3rd day.

Playa Pesquero: Cuba: Playa Pesquero

Our friends had been to this hotel for 8 consecutive years so we just had to check its secrets out. My wife and I were at the Hotel February 23 to March 6 2015 for 14 days. Avid birdwatchers with a written list of must see birds. We checked out the layout of the hotel on-line and saw that there were just 4 blocks of rooms that would have a ocean view. Our friends said the hotel would do all they could to grant our requests and they certainly did. We had a beautiful second floor room with ocean v [... read more]iew. Our room was a good size with refrigerator and water, beer and soft drinks were delivered daily. The room was clean and the maid made attack swans/cobras of towels every day. The décor of the room needs updating. It could do with a fresh lick of paint but all the electrics (220 volt) worked. We were amazed at the food quality at the restaurants. We were allowed 4 a la carts per week. We had lobster at least 3 times and in fact all the seafood dishes were delicious. The shrimps/prawns were to die for. All their Staff were fabulous and very helpful and obliging. We took a public double decker bus to Guadalavaca and enjoyed a morning hiking, calling in at a little restaurant overlooking the beach for a beer and a plate of prawns. The beach at Pesquero was beautiful and many holiday makers were scuba diving in the water off the reefs. The only problem was my wife had an allergic reaction to the sand flies. Most people just had a small red bite but my wife's legs looked like plates of raw meat despite applying bug spray. This was awful but it wouldn't stop us from returning again. Just need to do more research into bug bite prevention.

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Amazing beach and beautiful resort

The beach is absolutely amazing and one of the best parts! The room was clean and spacious. The resort is huge and the staff is absolutely wondeful. The only issue is that the front desk wasn't as attentive and didnt answer the phone all the time. The ocean is clear blue, ive never seen water that clear. one day snorkled for about 6 hours! The food was decent enough for Cuba. All and all I had a wonderful stay!! :)

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Very Nice resort beach amazing

This resort is very nice lots of great entertainment great beach, wonderful people the management are trying very hard would go back stayed for 2 weeks would return enjoyed the free lobster at the buffet and the baked potatoes

Resonance Blu Santa Maria: Beautiful Beach

Gorgeous beach. Resort is just getting up and going so few issues but nothing I could not live with. Pools where lovely. The people where friendly and where happy to assists. Had an awesome tow weeks.