Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Very nice 👌

The hotel is very clean and the rooms is very clean and comfortable. The staff very friendly and helpful and happy.the food is repeated and needs attention.the flay is very annoying around the table and the plates 🍽 and the cups. Especially inside the buffet.but we really enjoyed our trip around the beach ⛱️ and the pool and the entertainment and the show.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Beautiful Beach

Our 10-day stay at Sanctuary had a few hiccups initially but overall the beauty of the beach and the fine weather far outweighed any issues we encountered. The staff went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable. We especially enjoyed guitarist, Esther, in the Sanctuary lounge. An amazing talent. Always impressed by the world class musicians that played every night. Special shout out to Sucel, Jai, Richard and Miladie. This was our 5th time to Cuba and clearly COVID-19 and a hurricane have  [... read more]impacted supplies. No vodka, pina coladas or top-shelf liquor brands most Canadian bars stock. We saw chicken only once. Tilapia only fish option. Some beef but mostly pork at the a la cart dinners. Carry your own tissue pkgs as paper products are limited and bathroom tissues run out. Enjoy!

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Awesome Resort!!

First resort in Cuba that we will be back to. The beach was beautiful, the people will go out of their way to make you happy and the food at this resort is really good. Very clean resort too they are constantly cleaning. Definitely recommend

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Very nice resort!

That’s a nice resort with very friendly staff. The rooms are large and very clean. The landscape is very beautiful, the pool is very clean. The beach is amazing. It was great to be at the beach after the pandemic. There was missing a few things like pasta but we always had something to eat. I would go back!

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Never disappoints

Simply love the 3 hotels that make up Memories Cayo Santa Maria. Best staff ever. Armando, Pablo, Delvis, Jorje, Yordanis, Wandy, Jenny, Ena, Laine, Ulysses, Leche & Rosa to name a few. They are the true reason these hotels people keep coming back (like myself) time and again!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: This resort was ok

It was ok but a bit run down in my view. The beach was incredibly beautiful. The staff was very friendly and worked with what they had. The food was so and so but you could always find something to eat. The drinks were never the same from one day to the next and every bartender had a different recipe...but that was ok I suppose. For the rooms, they were clean but dated. What was strange to me was that there was just one fitted sheet on the bed. No flat sheet over it and no blankets or bed cove [... read more]r... There was a blanket in the closet... I still can't figure that one out.

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Incredible Resort

This resort is huge. A 1.1 km walk from lobby to the other end. First the negatives: the buffet was only so-so, a pipe broke and we were out of water for a day, occasionally ran out of beer at a certain bar (just went to another bar), music at the pool a little loud at times. 1.5 hour bus ride from the airport. Small inconveniences. On the plus side, the lobby was large and impressive. The pool was beautiful. Didn't stay in the Adult Zone this time, but their pool and separate snack bar w [... read more]ould be great. The Fiesta Section looked over-the-top. French and Italian restaurants were delicious. Most amazing beach you'll find as the resort is on a peninsula and the water is completely still in the bay. We'd go back in a heart beat.

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Review

Grand Aston Cayo Los Brujas is a beautiful resort, filled with lots of fun activities and entertainment. We enjoyed the available water activities the resort offers. Services at the bars and restaurants are great, however there were a lot of restaurants that changed locations and we found out last minute. We did not have a good experience at the Cuban Restaraunt. Service was not so great as we waited for our table for a long time and was not greeted in a friendly manner. The food took a long tim [... read more]e as well but the mains was delicious. On one of the days, water was not available throughout the resort except the lobby. If you need wifi in your rooms, expect little to no signal at all.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful resort

The resort and rooms were very clean. The grounds keepers worked very hard to keep the trees and gardens well kept. We spent most of our time at the beach which had plenty of beach loungers and access to 2 beach bars. The staff was very friendly in every area. We were unable to get into the ala-carte since they seems to fill up quick. The out door BBQ was great. The food was good but I wish they had a bit more variety. The omlette was really good along with the rice.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Exceeded expectations

Very clean resort; pools, beach and grounds were cleaned constantly. Rooms were dated; they really need to be upgraded (there was noticeable rust on bathroom fixtures, for example). However, they were kept pretty clean, and any small issues with the room were addressed quickly. The beautiful beach was the star of the show; pure white sand, turquoise water, lots of palapas, bar service on the beach (a server would come by to take your drink orders and return with them). Service throughout was  [... read more]outstanding. Despite signs by the hotel indicating that "reserving" bali beds and loungers was not permitted, and that items would be removed, there was strong evidence of "towel wars" at this resort. However, guests are getting fed up with this practice, and I witnessed several people reclaiming "reserved" beds/loungers after they hadn't been occupied for hours. I'm glad to see there is starting to be some push-back on that. RE: Covid. We had completed our Cuban government health form on-line prior to departure (which included information about our our vaccination status). Upon arrival at the airport, our phone with the QR code we were sent was scanned and we breezed through customs. Travelers who had not completed the form online had to complete the form in hard copy at the airport before they could leave customs. We had been advised in advance that there was random Covid testing at the airport (both RAT and PCR), but we did not see anyone get tested. Staff at the airport were, for the most part, wearing masks. Although we wore masks on the plane, in the airport and on the transfer bus, we were in the distinct minority. Most travelers were not masked. At the resort, guests were not masked and neither were most of the staff. Staff who were masked were noticeably sick (with a cough), but there were not many. Guests had the option to eat outside at both a la carte restaurants. Both restaurants inside had high ceilings, good ventilation, and tables not set too closely together. This was much appreciated.

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: The Good, the Bad & General Advice

The Good -Awesome staff in the restaurants, buffet, and bars (avoid the main lobby bar though) -Hotel was nice, nice pool, and always something going on (poolside entertainment, evening musicians in the lobby, shows in the theatre) -Food – not as bad as I thought; enough selection and seasoned well; fresh fruit/veg (without stomach issues) -Wifi – the fact that we got some free wifi (4 hrs I think total) was great as we didn’t expect any and it was reasonably fast -There’s a tiny  [... read more]private beach right near the pool (through some trees), which was nice and quite with a few chairs and some decent snorkeling (bring your own gear) -Snack bar – it always had food and drinks available and friendly staff; the ham and cheese sandwich (a panini) was a good go-to; the fries were also pretty tasty (although most of the time served cold and ketchup was a hot commodity) The Bad -Not the cleanest – if you’re irked by unclean sheets, probably not the place for you. The blanket had a lot of stains on it and the deco pillows looked to have remnants of ‘fun’ (we avoided touching any of it) -They didn’t change the towels at all (even though some were clearly dirty), our housekeeper didn’t seem to care much unless we left money out (I thought you tipped after a good job, not before?) -Everyone smokes! As a non smoker this was annoying, even sitting at the beach, there didn’t seem to be much fresh air anywhere -The hotel still seems to be running at 75% capacity with a few areas shut down (we didn’t mind too much as the hotel seemed to be at 50% capacity guest-wise ,which was nice as it wasn’t so full) -The first 3 days we didn’t have any hot water in our shower (they apologized for having an issue at the time and delivered a bottle of rum to each of the rooms, not sure if that was a welcome gift or an apology gift, but hot water eventually returned, so it was okay) -Towels – towels were seldom available; get them and keep them for the duration of your stay (or do like we did and bring travel towels as backup which came in handy) -Availability of drinks was hit or miss; sometimes they’d have it sometimes they wouldn’t (different bars had different things and not always – even basic things like tea and pina coladas) General Advice -We seemed to be the only ones who didn’t get the memo to bring your own thermos/mug – everyone had insulated mugs (great for keeping your beverage cold, reducing waste, and getting a decent portion rather than having to go back to refill the tiny takeout cups) -We wish we brought Canadian (seems to be preferred over USD) -We tipped $1USD/drink and $2+USD/meal/pp which seemed on the high end compared to others (but I wouldn’t have changed that) -Cuba has had it rough over Covid (imagine most of the country’s economy and employment completely halted for several years); Inflation is way worse than in Canada and even if people have the money, stores are often bare, so consider bringing toiletries, medicine, toys, etc. as ‘tips’ for the people who really make your stay special

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Lovely Resort!

The grounds were beautiful - lots of palms and well-tended beds of hibiscus, azaleas and other colourful flowers. The buildings were laid out so that all rooms were close to one of the 2 pools and snack bars. The main buffet was central, with many washrooms available around the property. One pool had fun activities for those who wanted to participate; the other pool was quiet; plenty of lounges and canopied beds in sun and shade. The beach was wide with many more lounges. The sand was not groome [... read more]d so I would recommend water shoes for walking on the sand and for swimming. But wonderful for finding sea shells. American money is preferred for tips but Canadian was also accepted, even our toonies and loonies.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Friendly staff, lovely pools, modern rooms

The resort was lovely. The staff were friendly and helpful. The rooms were pretty and clean, with a nice view of the ocean. The beach was nice white sand, but it could have been groomed regularly. The restaurants were fine. French, Mediterranean and Steakhouse all had mostly the same menu items cooked the same way so that was funny. Also it was a long drive from the airport.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing Hotel& Staff

This hotel& resort was amazing! Some staff did not speak English very well but if you’re patient they are extremely willing to help and are great to talk to. Beach was amazing! White sand with no rocks or seaweed, there’s also no fish or waves by the shore which was disappointing but you can do a scuba tour and see fish/coral. Entertainment was also 12/10 especially the MJ show. There were lots of activities like volleyball, dance lessons, bingo and more. Food was…..edible. Must bring seas [... read more]onings, ketchup, maybe some soups etc. there is only pork at the buffet and we only had chicken or potatoes available 1 out of 7 days but the ala cartes were much better as they offered turkey, beef and lobster. Also it’s located at least 50km from the nearest city so it’s a bit of a drive from the airport / excursions. If you can tolerate the food situation (average for Cuba especially since it’s an island it’s hard to get food), I would highly recommend this resort to anyone looking to book in Cayo Santa Maria:)

Memories Paraiso: Amazing resort

We came back 10 days ago from Memories Paraiso and it was awesome, can't wait to go back. The stuff are just simply awesome and hard working. I celebrated my birthday there. I had a blast time with my friends Yoan, Viviana and Reinier. Thank you so much guys for the everything full off surprise. Thanks to general menager off the resort Julio for that night to happend. Alejandro(Alex) and Nordelys the guest desk, thank you for making our stay pleasant, you are the best. Gisselle, Emilio, Arle [... read more]y, Juan Carlos, Memories Paraiso entertainment team and Yosdany, Abi, Yeisel, Andy and Gisselle, Grand Memories, thank you for your dance lessons, you are an awesome people. Your entertainment teams are great , keep up good work. The bartenders at the Memories Paraiso and Grand Memories beach bars are very friendly and making awesome drinks, also bartenders from Grand Memories lobby bar did great job to keep up with everyone's orders. If you want drink best Penacolada, Mimi Vice and Majito, the Memories Paraiso lobby bar is the place to get it. If you get hungry there is a pizza bar open 24 hours beside Grand Memories lobby. The line can get long though. At the Memories Paraiso pool side is the pool bar and a sandwich stand where Marco can do ham and cheese sandwiches. Across from pool is grill where all buffet is now. The food was very good and we can always choose something to eat. From the grill is 2 minutes walk to a village La Estrella. This village was build espetily for tourist where they can buy souvenirs from Cuba.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Awesome remote beach

The staff and services are amazing from the minute we arrived to the last day on checking very efficient. The hotel, restaurants, and room are up to standard in comparison to other resorts. We were frustrated waited a long time in line booking a la cart dinner. I wish they have an online systems we can book in advance before our arrival.

Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas: Adequate Resort

Liked the opportunity to book at the adults only portion of the resort. Closer to the beach and it had its own breakfast/lunch/snack building which was much closer than the buffet. Although I would have liked the option to upgrade further to the Fiesta building. The grounds were very pretty and well kept. The pool could have used a vacuum, but not terrible. The food at the buffet was limited and I found it could/should have been at a hotter temperature for items that were cooked. I felt the reso [... read more]rt was in short supply of several everyday basic items, i.e., bottled water, napkins, bar supplies, etc. Being on an uninhabited island, I'm sure it's more difficult to keep everything needed in supply, global supply chain issues coupled with inflation contributed to their shortfall. All staff encountered were very friendly and hard working. The beach was wonderful with lots of chairs and space. Nice beach for a good walk too!

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Boutique-like Resort for Relaxing!

In general the facilities where modern and clean. The grounds/gardening features outstanding. Food preparation was good for Cuban standards. Staff friendliness was truly outstanding! There was some entertainment in the evenings but this could be improved. Cuba has wonderful musicians which we did not see enough. Having two beaches made for a nice variety.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Fantastic!

The Royalton was an incredible place for some relaxing R&R. My wife and I went for our anniversary and we absolutely enjoyed every minute of our stay. The Royalton is a smaller and quieter resort, which was exactly what we were looking for. The service was exceptional, and the beach/pool is to die for.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: 3Weeks

The resort grounds are very nice and well kept. Pools are fine. The rooms are very clean and sufficient. They will replace towels every couple days. Water is given every day in the mini fridge. No beer or soft drinks. Make friends with the lady’s cleaning your room. Treat them well and they will try hard to please you. The beach is beautiful definitely a lot of shells in the sand so be careful. The staff try very hard but the situation is very different in Cuba now. Lisa at guest services [... read more] is amazing if you have a problem speak with her, she was always helpful. Emilio in the animation group was very attentive and always tried to talk to and please the guests. The food is not great but you will not starve it definitely is repetitive. Try and bring items to help ease that like peanut butter, salad dressing, ketchup, hot sauce, syrup, and snacks for your room. They are limited in variety but are doing the best with what they can get. You just have to be creative with what’s in front of you. We were there 3 weeks and it was fine. I would definitely recommend this resort but be prepared do your research.