Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Awful resort

The resort was lacking in the basic services. Poor hygiene, poor room cleaning with no towel/soap/shampoo change and 1 towel available in a 2 people's room. Lack of general basic supplies (No toilet paper in public washrooms, toilet paper used as restaurant tissues, no hand sanitizer available in the corresponding containers). Poor choice of food, same food from breakfast to dinner (scarse basic food resources such as oil, butter, no sweet breakfast options like cereals or jam), overall tastel [... read more]ess food or poor quality food. The only positive notes were the overall friendly staff, the entertainment and a nice beach. However, there was a totally deceiving hotel advertisement. The resort is barely a 2/3stars!

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Christmas trip

The gardens were beautiful. The bartenders and wait staff were amazing. Pool was huge and clean. Food was decent. French seems to be just as fluent as Spanish there. Excursions were as expected with no surprises. I wish we would have known that they now accept Canadian money.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Memories of Memories

The resort is not well kept. Many things not working like lights, tv, outlets, etc. Basic room was not very good, the upgraded rooms looked nicer. Cuban people were amazing as always. Still enjoyed the weather and found a way to have a good time, even though the resort had several food and drink shortages throughout the week. Toilet paper napkins at every meal were an extra nice surprise. Cuba is always a place where you need to lower your expectations but post-covid Cuba will turn many away.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Overall great resort

The hotel was great. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Staff is very friendly and always eager to help. Food was also great. With all the reviews and reviews of shortages of food, we did not experience any of that while we were there. The only things that were a little off was the napkins, they were cut in half as it was probably to conserve paper. But honestly not a big deal at all. if you want to get into details but again not a big deal: Cof [... read more]fee-not great, get yourself an Americano or expresso at the bars, they were great, Spanish coffee even better if you like alcohol. Beach is beautiful and clean, nothing like cuba beaches but this one goes on for miles. BEWARE....Sand fleas, mosquitos are the worse. I was and still am covered in bites. if you go to the beach, read up on sand fleas. I would have used bug spray if I knew. take a shower immediately after coming from the beach as they will be on your clothes and or bags/towels. Most people we encountered had the same problem and they are super uncomfortable and itchy. BUG SPRAY IS A MUST, other than that it was a great stay and would highly recommend this resort to everyone.

Memories Paraiso: Terrible

Paid for Diamond Club. Don’t bother. I’ll start at the beginning. No welcome drink upon arrival. No special treatment with regard to check in line ups, no ocean view room available. Stuck us in a horrible old room. Told us to come back in the morning for an ocean view room. Returned in the morning to be told still no room. Asked to come back in the afternoon. Keep in mind we’ve now spent a whole day trying to get the room we paid for. Went back in the afternoon. Still no room. Went to the  [... read more]Sunwing Rep and refused to accept the room they put us in. She did her best and managed to move us to Sanctuary Resort. A nicer and adult only resort within the Memories complex of hotels. Finally happy with a new room, still not ocean view that we paid for but better than the other one… then we discover that they’ve put us in a room neighbouring a couple physically fighting and screaming and yelling (I think this was done purposefully) allllll night long. Security etc involved every single night. Didn’t sleep for 3 nights. Spoke to reception… they were “working on it”… amidst all this, for food poisoning and we were in bed for 2 days straight. The food: horrible. Worst I’ve ever seen in all my travels to Cuba. And trust me, I don’t go there for the food. I even brought my own bread, peanut butter etc. Thank God for that. I understand the country is struggling. I just wish I had know how bad it was. I wouldn’t have wasted my money. No premium liquor for our diamond club either. No vodka at all. No gin. Only cheap rum and beer to be had. Toilet paper was hard to come by as that is also what they used for napkins in all the restaurants… Bugs: I have over a hundred bites. They spray the whole resort twice a day with big trucks but it doesn’t help. Mosquitoes there are absolutely horrendous. Everyone was covered in red swollen bites. All said, worst trip ever and not worth a penny of what we spent. Deal or no deal. I will never be back. I’ll spend more and head to Mexico or Jamaica. WAY better money spent.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Diamond Club worth it? Oh yes :)

We had a very nice time at the Grand Memories hotel. Everyone was working so hard to make the stay enjoyable for everyone. We learned that the hotel was operational this year after 2 years of closing during covid but all in all it was a nice experience and definitely worth the Diamond Club. Andy and the Diamond Club team took care of our needs which were few but being able to book the A La Carte every night was worth it alone. We really really lucked out with an Ocean view as well. The view and  [... read more]location of the building (55) was just amazing. The water was calm on several days and anyone who has been to several Carribean islands knows Cuba boasts some of the best beaches and the Grand did not disappoint with the white sand and crystal clear waters. You can see 40 feet down easily. Watersports were free and taking the Hobie 15 with the beach was free as well..just tips :) The snack buildings on the beach were great (burgers and great pizza) and the coffee and drinks were fantastic. As we were leaving, new dining locations were opening up as well. Most surprising is that the food was not what I was expecting. It was pretty darn good and has come a long long way from what it was before. Cuba has a rustic beauty which I always loved and I return to Canada with a great sense of appreciation for what I have. I recommend the resort, booking through Trip Central and Sunwing as well. Communications were great and the air travel was enjoyable as well.

Memories Paraiso: Amazing resort

Plage exceptionnelle, personnel réellement sympathique et ayant à coeur le bien-être de la clientèle, chambre spacieuse, lit moyennement confortable. L'hôtel aurait besoin d'une peu de rénovations mais cela ne nuit pas à l'expérience. Nourriture très bien pour Cuba. Si vous avez la chance, demandez la chambre 5637 qui a le meilleur emplacement du resort selon moi.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Very loud party resort

Beautiful beach and property built in 2019 so fairly new and everything still works. It's Cuba, so the food isn't very good and the service is inconsistent. Some shortages as well but nothing too serious (no draft beer or Pina Coladas for 2 days). Good free, Wifi coverage on most of the resort including the rooms. Starting at 10AM, there are usually 3 or 4 different sets of loudspeakers blaring at full volume all over the resort (Beach, pool, snack bar, lobby bar) so it wasn't easy to find a qu [... read more]iet spot to lounge and read a book. Week of Dec 13-20 there were also quite a few very drunk, very loud young men who seemed to come right out of a frat house - congregating at the bars and yelling profanities with slurred speech. One night at 3am someone kicked over 3-4 of the lighting bollards while screaming F**K. I suspect that the low price point is a factor in attracting this crowd. So ultimately, very nice place but don't expect much peace and quiet.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Nice resort

Newer resort, no major complaints. Buffet was hit and miss. Resort was getting busier our last 2 days they needed to add more staff at the buffet A la cart restaurants were really nice and staff were wonderful. Beach was beautiful. Mosquitoes were brutal

Paradisus Los Cayos: Excellent week!

The Paradisus Los Cayos is a gem. The hotel, the grounds, the room, all was in excellent shape and maintained clean. Everyone was helpful, very polite and very friendly. Upon arrival, we were upgraded to the Royale Service with a swim up room. It gives you access to a private beach and what a beautiful beach. We walked the beach often, it is stunning. There were no algae or very little that was cleaned before you show up at the beach. The food was delicious although repetitive. The efforts mad [... read more]e by the staff to make sure you have everything you need are really appreciated.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Cuba's Gem

Relaxing, calm Zen style resort for people looking for a quiet stress free holiday. Our ocean view room was beautiful. The 1 large and 2 small beaches were stunning and kept very clean. Seaweed is a current problem throughout the Caribbean but less so in Cuba and the Angsana keeps their beaches incredibly well. The grounds are lush, well manicured and full of colorful flowers, perfect for walks day or night. Pools are large, clean and perfectly maintained, not 1 leaf in them.The food was surpri [... read more]singly better than any Cuban resort we've been to. Plentiful and fresh and the a la cartes had some very good choices. A 24 hr. snack bar that includes a la carte breakfasts is a real bonus for late or early arriving travellers. The 24 hr lounge is also good - drinks are generous and variety is great. There is no big entertainment centre here, just local talent in the lounge in the evenings but again this is a small intimate resort not catering to a party atmosphere. The best part of Angsana is the staff - the best, happiest, eager-to-please group I've ever encountered throughout the many Caribbean resorts we've travelled to.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Excellent Smaller Resort

Melia is a smaller hotel which means less walking but with lots of amenities. Restaurants were excellent with lots of choices and great service. Beds were comfortable and maid service kept the rooms well stocked and clean. Staff were friendly and very helpful. Every time we return to Melia Cayo Santa Maria, it’s like coming home! We highly recommend this hotel!

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Excelente Resort

Rui and Maria Portuguese from Guelph ON. We just got back from our first visit to Cuba and we’re extremely impressed with this beautiful resort.Clean and bright with modern decor. Not to big that everything it’s easy to get to.Food was fairly good not massive buffets but big variety.The entertainment stuff go above and beyond they’re on the beach in the morning and on the afternoon on the pool trying their best always.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Just ok

I would say this resort was just ok. Of course the staff were amazing. The beach was ok. Entertainment was minimal, very disappointing. Food was okay. Location is out of the way and far from anything. We did the Jeep safari and thought that was well done. The lobster dinner and sunset cruise was excellent. Highly recommend. The bugs were horrible. I came home plastered in bug bites.

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful Resort

Beautiful beach area. Pool was nice with lots of lounge chairs at both pool and beach. Service was excellent. Food was very good. Rooms clean , beds comfortable. We had a wonderful time at this resort and look forward to returning. Would recommend resort

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Grand Sirenis Cayo Santa Maria

Overall common area is clean. Should apply some ways to reduce the numbers of mosquitos and flies especially in the dinning areas. It appears that they did not have enough staff doing room cleaning. Cooking staff should be advised how to cook beef and steak. Most of the times they were cooked well done even I had requested for medium rare! Beach is nice though.

Valentin Perla Blanca: We had the best week!

Very friendly and relaxing atmosphere. The staff was amazing, very kind and attentive. The rooms and public areas were clean and as expected. Free wifi wasn't expected but was a nice bonus. The beach and pool were awesome, lots of different areas to explore each day (there are a few separate beaches and mini pools within one pool area). The food was so much better than I expected (I kept hearing the food in Cuba wasn't the best and I am a picky eater but I liked everything I ate). 10/10 will be  [... read more]returning and would recommend!

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Well, not what we expected.

For starters, the resort changed hands 2 weeks prior to our arrival. No problem, at least it wasn't cancelled. We were a group of 13 and arrived at the hotel to a grand welcoming ceremony, we all thought that this was the most amazing welcome we have ever received at a resort. When looking around in the lobby/bar area, we noticed that not a guest was to be found. Wow, that's unusual, they must be arriving later. Nope, we were it! The hotel has approximately 742 rooms, there were a total  [... read more]of 29 guests at the hotel the week we were there. Within 30 minutes of arriving, we knew every guest at the resort. There was no buffet offered, every meal was at one of 2 a la carte restaurants, chicken, pork or beef were offered every night with a side of rice. That was it! Oh, pasta, fish and beef were offered twice. No other vegetables. There really were no options at the snack bar for breakfast (again, no buffet), lunch wasn't much better at the snack bar, but the pizza at the beach was fantastic. We didn't starve but it certainly wasn't a great experience. We ate quite a few times at the market, at least there were food options. The last day we were leaving at 1pm. There was only 1 egg available per guest and nothing for lunch. The staff kept saying pizza in 20 minutes, but pizza never came but the bus to the airport did. The resort is beautiful and the staff are wonderful but I can honestly say I would never return to this resort or any other Grand Mathu resort. Obviously management does not care one bit about their guests or staff. The poor staff were so embarrassed and I'm sure tired of saying 'no sorry, we don't have that'. To top it off, 4 of the rooms had bed bugs so it was a very itchy week for 6 guests.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Great resort

We just came back, had an amazing week from December 5 to 12. Wish to stay longer but… hopefully we will come back. Very clean and good looking room. Housekeeping service is fantastic. All public areas are in the good hands. Didn’t notice any shortages of food or drinks. Lobster night was great. Delicious bread and soup, plenty of fresh vegetables for salad and local fruit. Love everything you made for us.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: It was OK

My boyfriend and I went to Cayo Santa Maria for our first time. We have been to Varadero in the past but before COVID/before the shortage. The beach and ocean was absolutely stunning and probably the most beautiful I have seen so far. The staff were so so friendly and probably why we didn't mind the trip as they are so kind, and so happy and appreciative of every little thing, even if you just chat with them.The resort was dated, however it was still fine. The rooms were OK, of course if you loo [... read more]ked closely you can see things rusting, etc, but we chose to ignore that as we hardly stayed in the room (except to sleep). We stayed at the adults section of Grand Memories, however if you are looking for entertainment at the Sanctuary, there are next to none. We would walk 5-10 minutes or take a cart to the Grand Memories to attend the nightly shows at 9:30pm, which were just ok as well. Some nights they had good shows, other nights it seemed like they just made things up on the go. Most of the time, we would just drink in the bars and talk with other couples we met. The entertainment during the day was OK, they had games at the pool with the entertainment team. We were told this resort is the "liveliest" of all Cayo Santa Maria resorts, but for us it wasn't enough. That's on us, now we know it's more of a quiet/relaxing place. As for food, the food was OK. I am already aware that Cuba food in comparison to other places isn't the best, but we made the best of it. The Sanctuary only has a buffet for meals. We learned that when you book dinners it is at the Grand Memories, which can be super confusing to navigate so we ask for a cart to take us to said restaurant. The shortage is really apparent here in their food and drinks, which of course is not the workers' fault whatsoever. Our butler would schedule us for certain restaurants but the food is all essentially the same thing with maybe a slight change to a menu. Sometimes they run out of things on random days. A turn off for us was when they could not provide daily water bottles in our room fridge. Supposedly, the fridge is supposed to be stocked but there was no room service for ordering things, and only one giant water bottle per day. Some days, when we asked for water, they said they had none left and could only provide water in little cups. This is an issue as we can't drink Cuban tap water and because of alcohol consumption, you would think we would need more water bottles in the room. There were also times they ran out of beer at around 1am-ish. Again, we are aware of the shortage and how COVID affected their tourist industry. The excursion was so much fun and very beautiful. While snorkeling we did actually see coral reefs., and fish, and even a stingray! I recommend their catamaran cruise (99 USD), which includes the catamaran, snorkeling, a dolphin show and interaction, lobster lunch (delicious!) and relaxing on a beach before returning to the resort. We spoke with other tourists who had been to Sanctuary prior to COVID and they said it was amazing and nothing like it was when we were there. I hope to return when it goes back to its former glory as we didn't mind it, but would not return with their current shortage. Would I recommend this to my friend group? No, because I know what they like and this wouldn't be for them. But it might work for individuals who don't mind little entertainment.