Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: I got the value that I paid for

Well well lets talk, I have been to Cuba over the years about 40 times and yes I have seen the ups and down of this country. This resort I would say is a solid 7 with always room for improvement The pools and beach are beautiful and clean with great views. There were lots of beach lough chairs in great shape in both locations. The problems that I seem to see is the workers and management lack of common sense. Some examples in the Sanctuary lobby doors opening into the buffet area the workers st [... read more]arted sand the edges of the door on their hinges rather removing these doors and removing them outside, so as they sanded the paint and dust where flying all over the buffet and into the kitchen over the food. Later at supper one of the cooks came over to the trays of food and stated to spray insect repellant over himself and the food. The open buffet was a fly magnet with no control it's like they have given up on this problem. As you can tell by me the food hygiene could be a lot better.IE common sense! If I had to pick to save time I would go to Cayo Coco same beach better airplane times. No 2 hour bus ride both ways. Now did I get my moneys worth, yes I did for what I paid.

Melia Buenavista: Wonderful resort

Long drive to get there, but well worth it. Staff is amazing and always try to be helpful any way possible. Grounds are kept clean. Restaurants are a la carte and they try their best to keep food choices different every day. Did have an issue every day with key card not working in door for room entry. Twice technician came to fix. Other times we had key card re-programmed at front desk. Nice variety with three different beaches. You are also allowed to freely visit other Melia resorts on Santa C [... read more]lara with a shuttle bus. Special thanks to Oro, Manuel , Christian and Leylie. ( Not sure if the spelling is correct)

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Playa Cayo Santa Maria Vacation

I had a good time staying there, I stayed at this hotel the previous 3 times were between October and March, it was much drier and I rarely got mosquito bites, but due to the wet weather recently, I had quite a few bites on my body, I will return there except not during the wet months. I like the friendly staff there, the food is acceptable for Cuban standard, the rooms are large, I will recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a vacation in Cuba, the only down side is it takes approximately [... read more] 90 minutes to get to the hotels in that area from the airport, but it isn't that bad once you are prepare for it.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: 5 stars hotel in Cuba

Thanks for everything,every staff service is good or they tried best to satisfy with guests in the hotel group(we want quiet room ,they change two rooms with quiet and beautiful view second day).the location is in paradise on earth,the food is perfect,the garden is scenic,the weather is beautiful warm,the beath is excellent,the room is good as there is in Cuba. Thanks again!

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Disappointed

The hotel was nice unfortunately it has changed dramatically since my visit in 2020. The resort is to small and limited restaurants to incorporate a diamond club. We never had our mini fridge restocked after asking several times. Also wrote a bote and placed it in the fridge. We never had our pool towels changed and a limit on bath towels. We had issues with our safe also had a leak in our ceiling. We also asked to have our rooms beside each other before we arrived and were placed in separate bu [... read more]ildings. all the food had changed since 2020 and very repetitive. I know Cuba is known to have limited food but unless you were diamond club it seemed very limited for a five star hotel. Also seen favouritism amongst different people. Had to ask for everything nothing was offered. In the past everything was explained and clear as to what was included with our stay. This time it took two days of complaining to our butlers to get anything we wanted or needed. When I spoke to different people about the drastic change in the service since 2020 I was told the hotel was under new management. We had six in our party and we made the best of it. The beautiful beach and hard working staff did their best to make our stay a memorable one. I feel bad that I highly recommended this resort to my family because of My past experience only to be sadly disappointed.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Wonderful staff and location

Beautiful resort. Grounds are lovely and well maintained. The size of the resort is great if you like small and short walks between amenities. It was quiet which was also our preference. The rooms are very nice and well looked after. Our room cleaner was amazing. Also, our butlers Javier and Maria were exceptional. Genuinely caring and helpful. Most of the staff were fantastic. The beach is absolutely spectacular. You cannot beat it. There were always plenty of chairs and help to get a spot/set  [... read more]it up. Massages on the beach were a treat! This resort would be perfection if not for the food. We had higher hopes for the Royalton. The food was not only often inedible but we got very sick on our return. I hope that this can be rectified - we would go back time and time again if we had more confidence in the food. Thank you to the engaged and helpful staff who made this beautiful resort a welcome and enjoyable stay.

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Terrible resort

There was hardly any fruit to eat. No lettuce or salad or any food for a vegan other than beans. 2 of the workers brought me fruit from their home town yet the resort had only papayas and once gave me a tiny plate of mangoes and underripe watermelon. Star fruit and Guava were very bitter. Orange juice tasted like powdered Tang with sugar and water…there were no smoothies or fresh juices available. Butler upgraded us to a diamond member for free which made absolutely no difference other than bein [... read more]g able to use the beach restaurant for breakfast and lunch and sitting on the right side of the beach. Maids could not provide clean towels, hand towels,floor mats or beach towels when requested as they said there was a shortage. Room service brought coffee in small plastic cups and said there was a mug shortage. The 24 hour restaurant ran out of fries and pizzas on a daily basis and seldom had any ketchup. Enclosed Restaurants were infested with flies all over the food and buffets. The mosquitos were really bad that my group bought some repellent at the market which was very expensive. The beach was awesome and the beds were comfortable and the sheets were changed daily. Expect to have a few large cockroaches sneak into the room along with geckos. The adjoining rooms can get very noisy depending on who your neighbours are. Entertainment was a hit and miss every evening although my 88 year old mother enjoyed watching them. The modelling show at the beginning of each show was to sell beach coverups which are more than half the price at the local market. The staff were all friendly and tried to help whenever they could but their hands were tied from shortages or late shipments….we weren’t sure of how or why there were no towels, or food shortages and mug shortages.

The One Gallery Hotel: Great hotel and staff

8 of us had an incredible stay at The One Gallery Hotel in Cuba! The hotel itself is fantastic, with beautiful rooms, amazing food, and an incredible beach that you can’t get enough of. What truly stood out, however, was the exceptional service from the staff. Special thanks to Jose Alberto and Yunior – the best butlers we could have asked for! Also, big kudos to the amazing cooks Barbaro and Jardano (spelling?), ladies preparing pancakes and fried rice and to the bartenders Yandriel, Luis Am [... read more]ado, his tall friend (sorry I forgot the name!), and of course Noel in the Sports Bar. The entertainment staff kept us engaged, the cleaning team kept everything clean, and the gardeners made the grounds look beautiful. You are all doing an amazing job, and we truly appreciate everything you did for us during our stay. We’ll definitely be back! Thank you The One Gallery!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Fabulous Resort

Visit: Aug 20-27 Reception: They really try to reduce the check in time and succeed at least in the low season. Rooms: Most rooms are in a good state of repair but some need attention Food: "Food is not good in Cuban Resorts" Forget yourself, this rivals places in Canada. I haven't had better steak at a la cartes anywhere and the buffet had an excellent quality selection. Staff: Friendly, prompt and courteous Biting Insects: They fog morning and night but you still need a good repellent Li [... read more]nens, Bed Cushions,Chair cushions: This area needs some attention. Towels weren't always replaced, the seat cushions and bed spreads need a cleaning/repair schedule, many are soiled and not changed all week. Shuttles: Electric vehicles that require charging. So. No excuse. Shuttles should be prompt especially in the low season. Area for improvement: the buffet could us some fly control, many flies. Try some fly paper or screen the hall at both ends of the buffet, Beach: White powder, beautiful sunrises, well maintained clean and raked every morning. Airport: Long ride, Cuban government please make the island airport international

Paradisus Los Cayos: Great Staff, Gorgeous Beach, But Maintenance Lags

Getting to the Resort The resort is at least 1.5 hours from the airport, and the journey can take longer depending on how many resorts the bus stops at to drop off other guests. Paradisus is the second-to-last resort in Cayo Santa Maria. The buses were air-conditioned with comfortable reclining seats. Some had washrooms, others did not. The tour representative usually shares a bit of history as you pass through the towns. We arrived late at night/early morning, so it was dark and there wasn’t m [... read more]uch to see. Beer was available for purchase at the start of the bus ride. Check-In Check-in was quick but depends on how many people arrive with you. The bellboys take care of your bags, so don’t wait to grab them—head straight to the lobby line. We were dropped off at the Reserve lobby. Once you receive your keys, the bellboys meet you at your room. If you booked the Reserve or Royal section, you get a butler assigned to your room. The Rooms We stayed in the Reserve section, which is on the right side of the resort. The rooms were generally clean, though one had a non-functional shower. Water pressure was decent, but hot water was more lukewarm. Be aware that water is cut off during the night for maintenance. The room included shower gel, soap, and shampoo/conditioner. Toilets were dual-flush, but one had a faulty plunger button that required multiple presses to stop flushing. Closets came with an iron and ironing board, and hair dryers were available. A small fridge stocked with beer was provided. There was also a tub outside the bathroom—interesting and a bit odd. Towels and beach towels were provided, but be careful not to lose them or you may be charged. Most outlets were 220V, though 110V ones were available. Most chargers support both voltages. A safe was also provided. Our rooms had one king bed and two queens. Pillows were extremely soft—almost too soft. Not sure if pillow service was available in the Reserve section. Each room had a balcony with two chairs. Rooms were cleaned daily, and bath towels were changed, though they didn’t always smell fresh. Some had rust or other stains. A few handles (e.g., bathroom doors and closet drawers) were broken or needed maintenance. Beach towels weren’t available for exchange, but our butler arranged replacements midway through our stay. Rooms were swept and mopped daily. The Resort Due to low occupancy, the left side of the resort was closed. The resort is beautifully designed but in need of maintenance, finishing touches, and a deep clean. It has a beach-themed color palette and architecture. Some areas are stunning, while others feel overdone—like the bathtubs in the rooms, which we didn’t use. Air conditioning was broken in the central section, making dining in those restaurants uncomfortable. Many areas needed paint and repairs. Some hallway lights were broken or flickering, with exposed wiring. Chairs were worn, stained, and had torn fabric. I didn’t see the general floors being cleaned. One muddy footprint remained untouched throughout our stay. Pools looked clean and were maintained daily. The Royal section’s pool appeared cleaner. Staff areas had dirty floors and debris. We saw a few stray cats and dogs, which I think should be removed. Beach and buffet access was good, with multiple routes. We also saw a large tarantula, but it was dealt with quickly. Many floor access/light ports were broken with exposed wiring. Overall, the resort feels like it hasn’t been properly maintained since it was built. The Beach This was the best part of the resort. The beach was pristine—no sargassum, soft sand, and clear water. Some rocky areas were present but avoidable. There were fish in some spots, which was amazing to see. Water activities like kayaking and catamaran rides were available. We had drink service in front of the Reserve section, and one staff member (brown hat/red gloves) was exceptional—constantly checking in and ensuring guests had drinks. The Food We stayed in the Reserve section and had no major issues with food. Breakfast and lunch offered a decent selection, though the variety didn’t change much. The dining and kitchen areas need improvement. The grill area looked dirty and had flies and cockroaches. Lighting could be better. The Reserve buffet often ran out of mangoes, so arriving early was key. This wasn’t an issue in the Royal section. One day, the Reserve kitchen lacked chicken and pork due to broken equipment, and no alternative options were communicated. The Royal section was unaffected and could have been used, as the prep areas are connected. Two à la carte restaurants—Passion (Italian) and Fuego—had broken air conditioning, making dining uncomfortable. The food felt like repurposed buffet items and wasn’t great. Bana, the teppanyaki restaurant, was the best experience. Food was cooked in front of us and was delicious. The Reserve buffet was converted into à la carte dining on some days, which was enjoyable. The beach and pool snack bars had limited but satisfying options. Drinks were consistently good. We brought ketchup, mustard, and relish but only used ketchup for fries. Salt and pepper were always available. One gripe: the Royal section (adults only) had more variety and availability, which doesn’t cater well to families. For example, mangoes and fresh pasta were always available in the Royal section but not in Reserve. I hope these options become resort-wide. Food variety should be universal—especially for kids. Drinks can be the exception. People and Staff The staff were amazing—attentive, responsive, and solution-oriented. Ari and Yasser, our butlers, did a fantastic job reserving dinners and addressing issues. They regularly checked in to ensure we were comfortable. They always ensured that our kids were well taken care of in terms of food and drinks. Restaurant staff and cooks were also excellent. The chefs and waitresses were always smiling. Yanel, Richard, Freddy, Lana, Daymara and Deanna were always ready to assist and make us comfortable in the snack bar and Reserve buffet. Norma and Tani at the kid's club were also fantastic and checked in with us every day to let us know about activities happening throughout the day. They were really great with the kids! Overall, no complaints—the Cuban people are absolutely wonderful, warm and welcoming. They really do treat you like family! The staff do their best to work with what they got! Other Bring a lot of change for tips. There is an onsite money exchange place but you may get a non-preferable rate. Speaking of money, they prefer USD, and items for sale are all in USD. But I say stick to your home currency. If you want to gift them something they would appreciate neck fans, but also do some research for other items. The Cuban people are grateful for anything! You can take items like school supplies, over the counter medications, pre-packaged food and snacks, hygiene products and basic products like soap, toothpaste and shampoo. They even appreciate things like sauces and spices as it is not readily available for locals. Simple things that you may take for granted!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Amazing resort! Great value for the money!

The beaches are absolutely AMAZING! The resort is not new but has a certain colonial charm to it and given the circumstances the staff is doing their best to keep it in good shape. People are very friendly and willing to help. We had a very pleasant experience. There is a large variety of good foods. And drinks as much as one might dream of. And there is ice available all over the place. If you're looking for a top notch 5+ stars experience you should find another resort (and possibly pay doub [... read more]le or more), as this might not be for you. But if you're not too picky and looking for a really nice quiet place to relax and have a great vacation with stunning beaches and great people around you, this is a great resort to go to.

Paradisus Los Cayos: Good resort for Cuba

Beach 5 star (one of the best I have seen). No sargassum. Staff 5 star (polite and out beat) Room 4 star (need some maintenance, we experience no water for 6 hours one day and 1 hour next with little explanation from management. Bathroom door look and can not unluck, but room was large) Grounds 4 stars (large complex) Food 3 star (expected, not a lots of choice or varieties included a la carte but Banos was the best) Bus drive was long but expected If you are looking for beach, this is the [... read more] place but only the beach for a good price

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Beautiful but requires to go back to original state

The Royalton Cayo Santa Maria is in same state as previous years except the Company has introduced their Diamond club level. Resort is too small for this and it has changed what once was! Sadly will not return!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Very nice

Good service friendly staff Too many mosquitoes and black flies Very poor WiFi Good beaches Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxcxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxxx cxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx cxxx xxxx cxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx

Paradisus Los Cayos: Wonderful Resort, will return.

Thank you Manuela at Trip Central for recommending this resort. We stayed at the Paradisus Los Cayos the week of July 19 to 26, 2025. We were upgraded to the Royal section. The Royal section was well maintained and the rooms were cleaned daily. We enjoyed our stay having already been to Cuba before, but this was a big step up from our past visits to other regions. The beach was amazing, water was clear and warm. The Royal section has a private beach and someone always is there to set up yo [... read more]ur chair and umbrella. There is a small bar as well on this breathtaking beach. You can venture for a walk all the way around the next resort where there is another gorgeous beach, call the Playa Las Gaviotas, next to the Wildlife refuge. You can also enjoy a fresh coconut or mango some of the workers bring, they don't charge, but you can give them something if you wish, they really appreciate it. The rooms were spacious and modern. Water pressure a little low some days and no hot water, but warm. The rooms are air conditioned, it was down for a couple of days but no more than a few hours, there is a ceiling fan in the room as well. We stayed on the top floor facing the forest, so there was always a nice breeze. There is an elevator for convenience. After our beach visit, we would stop at the Snack bar and have fries and pizza (thin flatbread style). Always we were received with warm smiles and greetings. The drinks were served in glasses and very tasty. You can get bottled water as well. The breakfast and lunch buffet were really tasty and lots of options. Remember this is Cuba, not Canada and US, so food tastes a little different and served differently, but it was delicious. Our butlers Ari, Fidel and Yasser always asked us how we were enjoying ourselves and booked us every night in a different restaurant. We personally enjoyed the one at the Royal building. The servers were for the most part very professional, there are some younger inexperienced staff, but the manager quickly resolved any issues. We went to the Sky bar a couple of times, it had amazing views. We stayed had our coffee and drinks at the outside lounge in Royal area. Special thank you to Maruan and Osmel who always prepared our delicious drinks and coffee. They both were extremely kind and very professional. Also Lazaro, Armando and all the servers at the Royal were always smiling and friendly. We were very comfortable and always someone attending to our needs. The lobby had a washroom which a wonderful lady was always there making sure everything clean and well stocked. Understanding that language for some is a barrier, just a smile and thank you goes along way. The pools were maintained daily, unfortunately some obnoxious visitors kept hoarding food in swim up pools and would drop things in there, the staff you could tell were not impressed, but they maintained their professionalism and cleaned up as quickly as possible. The Royal was peaceful and quiet, even the main pool in this area was quiet, light music in background. If you like it more upbeat, the Reserve or the other side of the resort maybe for you. Thankyou again to the staff for your professionalism and attentiveness. We thoroughly enjoyed this trip.

Melia Buenavista: Amazing Resort!

This place is beautiful, peaceful, with a heart. You can spend the day by the beach, the pool, doing activities. Very clean, amazing personable staff, delicious food, snacks, drinks. A place to relax, enjoy nature, music, people, walks and food.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Amazing resort

This is beautiful resort, this was my third time there in June 2, stayed there for a week, the weather was magnificent even thou it was showing online rain and clouds, you'll never know. All week was sunny and beautiful. Good room service, good buffet, love the bar and snack bar with yummy sandwiches at the beach. So bad there is no more coconuts at the beach anymore, we really loved it a lot!!!!! The stuff are very nice and helpful. Beach is the best. I'll definitely will be back again a [... read more]t this resort.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Beautiful place and service

We stayed at Coral ensenacho adult only. Ground was beautiful with so many white butterflies everywhere, felt like we are in heaven. Villa was huge!! Bigger than my house in Toronto!! Jacuzzi in terrace with table set and loungers. 3 bathroom, 2 walk-in closet, kitchen, and 2 beautiful huge bedrooms. Food was good, enough variety, lots of drinks. All the staff were so kind, friendly, so helpful. Beach was beautiful with white sand and clear emerald green water, fish dancing around our fe [... read more]et. Only little problem was no wifi connection inside our room. And 24 hours snack bar was very far, we have to wait for the Cart Because this resort was so big, we need more time to find all the facilities.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Amazing resort

Resort was amazing . Great time to go when it’s off season.Pool was empty and the beach was as well.200 at the resort and the resort is huge. Would definitely be booking again . Service needed attention and buffet was full of flies.But they were doing their best

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Little disappointed

This was my second time to this resort, was much better a couple of years ago.... I just have a couple of complaints,,first is, this time never had lobster unlike last time which was included at one of the elecart... Also no included late checkout...they wanted 25 American an hour....been to Cuba over 25 times...usually as a repeat customer, they throwing a late checkout