Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Amazing Resort

Most importantly the staff at Dhawa are amazing which made our trip memorable. The cleaners do an amazing job each day to ensure our rooms are spotless clean. I would definitely come back next year...

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Excellent beach, resort is very nice

The hotel was modest in size, lovely main pool if that's your thing. Beach is soft white sand, shallow water and very clean. Lots of chairs available, beach bar service. Quesadillas offered at the beach lunch station are delicious! Grounds are very well kept, tip the gardeners, they're out there every day to make sure your views are as beautiful as possible. The butler service was very good, not too pushy and they were very good at anticipating the need to have your dinners booked; our firs [... read more]t introduction was to Ketia who was very helpful, kind and genuine. She took care of everything for us, so when Mario came the next day ( as they alternate) there wasn't much to do. The main bar is very well stocked. Nice Spanish wines were served in both dining rooms. Service staff were very good, hardworking and always busy cleaning or clearing tables to ensure no guest had to wait for a table. The bed was comfortable and the room very large. We were situated in room 0106; perfect location for us. The resort is aging, but still in decent condition. With the gap of tourism over the last few years it is understandable that repairs will take a while to get done, not only because of supply but money needed to undertake them. The reception desk staff were helpful and courteous. The general Manager, I think his name was Francesco...was so kind and always present. It was refreshing to see someone in his position so very much committed to his guests and their experience. The Spa was very nice, clean and the massage therapists there were good. The only criticisms I can point out, is the food at the 24 hour snack bar is "typical Cuban", not so good. Fries were not prepared freshly, but seemed to be reheated. Best thing at the snack bar was the ice cream...and the grilled lunch service. The wait staff there are good but not as efficient as the main dining staff. Also, getting fresh beach towels, especially on the last 3 days of our stay, was impossible as not enough on hand. The loungers on the beach will need updating over the next year so the guests don't all destroy their backs. Thank you so much to Anna , our chambermaid, she was so happy and pleasant. She did a great job and our room was always clean and towels positiioned in new towel art daily. My husband and I have visited Cuba since 83, and would definitely return to this particular resort without hesitation, but not in May. Mango was plentiful but with the rains the mosquitos were as well. Woudl have been a perfect vacation , if only we didn't experience a 2 hour delay on the way there and a 7 hour delay on the way home. With Cayo Santa Maria being a 90 minute bus ride away from the airport, it makes for a long "travel" day.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Amazing resort, and amazing Agent!

I have never been to Cuba but after much search I booked Iberostar Selection Ensenachos, had an issue with booking via bank but Brenda was such a sweetheart, handled the payments, ensured we are updated with all information and necessary documents that must be filled out. It was a smooth trip with her help. Now on to the resort itself, the staff are amazing they have beautiful smiles all around and go out of their way to make your experience like none other, the resort is absolutely beautiful,  [... read more]the beaches are to die for. I don't have any complaints about anything at all, had an issue with card not working but they were very happy to switch rooms, because they have availability but this is hands down of the best experiences we had. My 6 year old and I had a wonderful time and were sad to leave. Overall highly recommend visiting here, we are already planning to come back here!

Paradisus Los Cayos: Needs so much improvement!

Not very clean at all! Flies everywhere in all restaurants but especially at the buffet!! Food wasn’t great and not a lot of choices. We are not fussy eaters but we ate almost nothing! Not even at the a la carte restaurants. Everything looked like it was in a can and then dumped on our plates. Washrooms near the restaurants and bars absolutely disgusting!! This is the worst experience for us in Cuba! We have been a few times and usually go for the beach and the water so we do not expect  [... read more]much in terms of food and drinks, but very disappointed for a 5 star resort.

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful beach and hotel grounds

The hotel has large grounds which are well maintained with a well landscaped garden - it really is a beautiful.pmaxe to walk through and be in. As with other Santa Maria resorts, the beach is gorgeous. The rooms seem to have been well designed and decorated, but the one I was in at least could have used a fresh oat of paint, but that felt like a minor opportunity for improvement. Overall, the hotel was lovely to stay in!

Melia Las Dunas: Another great vacation!

The 9th time to Melia Dunas and will be back again. The staff are so friendly and attentive, the grounds are well kept, food is good and plentiful and the beach is beautiful. Couldn't ask for anything more!

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Fantastic place !

Just amazing ! Loved everything from the minute we landed to the minute we left ! Amazing stuff, clean rooms, the beach just breath taking ! The view from the room spectacular ! My best trip to Cuba so far ! Going back for sure !

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: The best vacation!

This was the most amazing resort! Staff were so friendly especially Elvis,Ricky, Alex, Yasnier, Adrián, Rollo and his crew. All of the shows at night, the food and the beach was amazing, there wasn’t anything that didn’t go perfectly. The room was extremely clean and we had a beautiful ocean view as well. I have absolutely no complaints and am counting down the days until we go back!

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Wonderful Staff

My cabana was very nice, ocean view and a good size. The house keeping staff were wonderful. However, when we arrived it appeared they were not ready for us. The wait to check in was too long and no written or verbal information was provided about the resort or the cabana room. Restaurant and bar staff were very obliging and friendly. Unfortunately, the resort did not appear to be actively managed very well.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Great time

I had a great time, my first solo trip. The hotel staff always made me feel welcome. The resort is clean, well kept gardens and stocked bars. The food was not the best, I have been to 🇨🇺 7 times and have never had an issue until this resort. No fries, no butter, smaller buffet than most resorts, less options.

Melia Buenavista: wonderful time

The hotel was very nice, very clean, staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was better than i was expecting and have never being to Cuba before I heard many people telling me bring your own spices its bland ect. For me as a vegetarian yes things were limited and there go to was pasta but it was all edible my wife on the other hand enjoyed what she ate which was mostly chicken dishes. For those who complain about the food notice the drive in you are in a third world country and are eating  [... read more]better than most residence. The beaches were nice went snorkeling for hours each day. I would return to this resort without question. Some items dont work the best shower door hard to open sliding door not able to lock(on second floor so not a concern for us) i understand age of resort as well as how sea breezes can corrode metal.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Very nice resort

Grounds were beautiful. Gardeners do a fantastic job keeping it trimmed and clean. Rooms were great. Could be a little cleaner. Maybe a bit of an update on decor. Dining area was good. Waiters were always very attentive and pleasant. Food choice could have been better. The bar did not have a whole lot of choice. Very limited on mix for drinks. Ran out of beer for at one point. This resort would be nothing if it weren’t for the staff working here. They deserve the credit for our enjoyable gate [... read more]way. They made the best with what they had. Have to mention that the bar tenders at the beach were not very energetic. We stood and waiting long periods of time for service. They had only one tending to bar. So when they were getting drink orders on the beach no one was at bar.

Melia Buenavista: Excellent Service

The resort was immaculate. The grounds were well maintained. The beach service was the best. Everyone at the resort made you feel like you were a guest and took excellent care of us. The spa service was nice. The food would have been average but considering the resort was five star I would have to rate it below average. We had a couple of clothes items taken from our room. Overall it was a great experience it was just the items taken spoiled such a nice week.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: amazing resort

the hotel service was fantastic the air transit rep Raoul was so knowledgeable food was good no complaints people always friendly covid was not a issue had to wear a mask in the lobby till u sat down and same with buffet .only issue was my wife had a bathing suit taken ,but went to Raoul and security were so good on this .spike to all the maids .but did not get back we found out that they had trainee maids in one days and that is when it was taken ,they know who and they will not work again the [... read more]re .all in all we had a very relaxing time

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Nice Hotel but bad Food and flies all the time in the smelly buffet

The Grand Sirenis Cayo Santa Maria is a nice and new hotel. well located the beach is amazing the hotel pretty new and the room well decorated. The major issue was the buffet, always smelly and full of flies. at a point there was more flies in the buffet than outside. The bad smell was probably coming from the restroom close to the buffet. They were understaffed at the buffet even if the hotel was not full. The Food was not good and not diverse compare to the grand memories were I was a coup [... read more]le of years ago. One person in particular was very nice and helpfull, it was the waiter at the beach, by the name of Yordanys. He was always smilling and in a good mood. A hard worker always here to help.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

We have been travelling to Cuba for over 25 years and absolutely it. We knew with Covid we would experience some shortages, issues etc. and we did. However, having said that, it did not impact our vacation one little bit! The Good (1) The Staff. The staff here are amazing, from reception, to the restaurants, the maids, the gardeners and the beach. A shout out goes to Lissandra and Carlos in the Buffet restaurant, and Francisco and associates at the beach. (2) The beach. The beach is ama [... read more]zing – warm, crystal blue waters, white sand, lots of palapas and chairs. We walked it every morning. A shout out to Francisco for always setting us up on the beach. (3) The food. The majority of the food was delicious. We stayed with freshly grilled meats at the buffets and, although they have limited resources, they do an incredible job with preparations. There was always fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh breads and desserts – always something to eat. In terms of Covid, everyone wore masks and surfaces were constantly disinfected. All staff wore PPE and sprayed your hands as you walk into any restaurant (4) The resort was on the smaller side which was a huge pro. It was not a long walk to get anywhere (5) By far, the absolute best bar was the Havana Club Bar. Cocktails, service and atmosphere was always a treat. Huge kudos to the staff who work there, especially Zehnia. The Bad (1) While waiting at the bars, buffet lines etc., we were often overlooked and locals would just walk up and get served over us. Not looking for priority, but just for everyone to wait their turn. (2) There is NO bathroom at the beach. Not sure how they haven't done something about this yet. (3) There is NO snack bar at the beach either (Just a shack offering tacos) (4) The snack bar is by the main pool and the food was hit and miss. No food or drink menus at the pool snack bar. We had to just guess what they may or may not have. (5) The only thing cash is good for is .. tips! Everything else must be paid for by credit card. The Ugly (1) The resort sprays for mosquitos during busy hours, mostly right before dinner! Everyone has to run to get away from the fumes. I understand the need to spray, but how about when everyone is asleep!? (2) We were in Building #4 right across from the Lobby. I thought this would be a great location but … NOOOO! The disco was right in the lobby so music was blaring until 1am most nights! Who, in their right minds, would put the disco in the lobby?? (3) Always carry toilet paper with you as more often than not, there is no bathroom tissue. (4) The bathrooms in the lobby area had a horrible smell – avoid them if you can! (5) Very little concern for the Non-Smoking Signs or Sections. Everyone seemed to light-up wherever they felt like it. Thank goodness for the Havana Club as it was air-conditioned and no smoking allowed.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Not clean and bad mangement

The management of this hotel is very bad. Customer service is literally non-existent. The buffet was full of flies at all times and there was a continuous smell of sewage. When we tried to go eat outside we were told that we are not allowed. We asked to talk to a manager and he/she never came. We never had enough towels in the room (1 for 2 people) and we had to ask multiple times to receive a second one. Water would not evacuate in the shower and it was never taken care of. The only pos [... read more]itive thing about this hotel is the beautiful sand beach and the server at the beach. His name is Yordanys and he has been INCREDIBLE.

Vila Gale Cayo Santa Maria: Nice resort

Hotel grounds were nice, beds were comfortable, some staff were great and others weren’t especially since they did not speak English, Buffett did not have many options for breakfast, lunch or dinner! TOO many flys in buffet like discusting as they landed on EVERYTHING! My first time in Cuba and was not very happy!

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria: Good to finally travel

Hotel is rated 5 star and has many many great reviews, I think mostly from return guests who seem to love the place. This was our 9th trip to Cuba and will be are last, we did say that after 8th. Things that stand out that make us not want to return. NO shade at the quiet pool, both pools were missing many of the shade cabanas, they were never replaced as you can see the footings. NO vodka for most days, NO clean towels in room or beach towels for many days and worst was the 630pm truck dri [... read more]ving around resort spraying a cloud of insectiside as guests tried to run and hide from the poison cloud. The building all have butlers, sadly ours were invisible and not very helpful. Lester just looked disinterested, Diana at least was friendly. The staff continually ask guests to post good reviews which we found desperate, clearly the Cuba people are just trying to survive. They are always friendly and doing their best with what they have been given from resort. The Managers walk around constantly asking for feedback, they are the appeasers, really dont fix anything but make promises. The staff seem afraid of them. The lobby and dining rooms are tired and have very uncomfroatble chairs, needs a make over. Most connecting resorts are closed and just collecting dust, very misleading to say you can use the other close resorts when they are closed down. The mosquitoes were butal most nights and prevented any outdoor dining. We traveled with another couple , their first time in Cuba, they were disappointed as they had been in Mexico last December at another resort. There were very little in the way of special at this resort. The bus drive is 2 hours and this resort was the 5th drop off, made for a long drive in and out. The beach is amazing, the cuba people are special. It was good to get away after 2 years, this resort is small and try to make the guests feel special. We enjoyed the Iberostar resort down the ocean much better. We dont want the token response from hotel managers, just advocate that the owners of resort fix some things to ensure the fine workers continue to have a job.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Overall good stay

Just got back from our trip- highlight of our stay is the beach, immagine best beach ever and this one is better! Great service at the beach getting lounge chairs, drinks. Starfish sighting, snorkeling galore. Resort is outdated with minimal maintenance, you can see the resort and the country is recovering from shit downs, from training of personel to food options. Lack of food or choices of food was the biggest shocker for us. We been to Cuba a different resort many times one never goes there f [... read more]or good food. However basic fruit like mangos, bananas were missing. Limited quantities of deserts that were gone immediately. No fancy drinks, even things like white soda and sugary Pina colada were not there everyday. Eventually you get used to it and fresh fish (only 1 option) and rice were our go to. Once again shortages function of recovery. Report was clean - rooms were kept well. We could not get beach towels for 3 days (good thing we brought a few) as they were always iut of them. We would be back,