Breathtaking Beach!

This hotel was wonderful. It was such a nice change from my previous stays in Cuba in other provinces, to have the level of service and a fridge in our room with fresh bottles of water every day! My only complaint would be- there needs to be a lot more options for shade on the beach, unless you are at the beach at 5 am to reserve a seat, you are sitting in the sun. I was also surprised that all additional excursions and a la cartes were additional cost and not included in the cost of the trip. T [... read more]hat was a first for me and I have been to Cuba ten times!

Good impression.

The impression was very good, there were no negatives. We only had to change the room, because the original room was not what we wanted. But no problem with change. Food was ok. The resort was too big and crowded for me. The entertainment was incredible.

Amazing resort!

Beautiful gardens, mature resorts are the best, full of character and charm. The rooms are very clean and so is the entire resort. You can't get better beaches; best in the world! Staff is outstanding they took care of us even outside the resort when we wanted to go explore or go out to the disco. The restaurant were good we never went hungry.

Nice looking

The grounds are well kept. The workers work really hard to keep the place clean. Wish more people would consider how much work goes into keeping grounds and buildings clean. Seen a couple just dump garbage into a bush .The sewage smell did get pretty strong near the building exits .the air port was something else, just like any other why cant we take water through customs as we would be drinking it before we ever got near the planes , why cant they have the security at the airport doors to make  [... read more]sure you don't take them on board its stupid to through it out and turn around and spend another $ 2. on a bottle money grabbers. Then when we returned the bull we put up with at the airport was unreal. Food almost the same prepared every day needs more variety every day.

Great resort

Had a great time it is our second time at this resort great beach The staff amazing rooms were great bars were great weather perfect can't wait to go back this was my sixth time to Cuba The staff here remembers you and is happy to see you again

Excellent resort

The entertainment team in this resort is amazing! The ground, pool, room was always clean. The staff always friendly. Overall it's an excellent resort for all ages. The "a la carte" restaurant was good and the buffet was ok.

First time in Cuba

We didn't expect a lot. People told us you don't go to Cuba for the food- they are right. The beach was great- although we would have liked to have had the palm umbrella no shade to be had and for those of us who like to be on the beach but have shade- this is not good. Rooms were cleaned daily, eating areas were clean, maybe they could have better towel service. Can't find a lot to say wrong --its Cuba .We went for the weather and the beach. Didn't notice anyone cleaning the pools -in Dominican [... read more] and Mexico you always see them in the morning cleaning the pool. We didn't go in the pools- wasn't a big deal for us.We had read some reviews about staff not being polite -no complaints from us staff was courteous and helpful, check in was great took no time at all. My husband did complain about the pillows said they were too flat.Great place for the price we paid.

Cheap Getaway, worth every penny!

We were looking for sun, a bar, and water to swim in for less than $1000 each and this resort delivered! Service wasn't great, rooms nothing special and food was ok at best - you get what you pay for! Will bring peanut butter, granola bars ketchup and hot sauce next time!

A yearly thing

Absolutely beautiful resort. Amazing staff. This will be an annual trip for our family. Loved it. Ocean and beaches were beautiful. Everything you need right there on the resort. Food was actually really good. I have recommended this place to a few friends already. They are going in the following weeks. They will not be disappointed.

Resort was ok. Beach was awesome.

Beach: Excellent, beautiful - one of the best we have seen. Resort: in a bit of disrepair. plumbing is bad. lots of walking as it is a big resort. Food: Average. Food is overcooked but they do have a variety of choices. Pool: large and very nice - sometimes a bit dirty due to so many people using it. Rooms: Large and spacious - very clean - Plumbing is a problem in many rooms. A/C worked well.

Beautiful!

First time on an all inclusive vacation and I will definitely return! The beach was spectacular, food and drinks were great! Perfect getaway place. Rooms and restaurants were clean. The drive from the airport to the resort was long but worth it and you learn quite a bit from the tour guide! Overall, great experience.

Great for the price

The hotel staff were fantastic, very helpful. Food was not that great, selection was terrible but i did not come to this part of cuba for the food , as i came for the beach. Probably the nicest beach i have every been on and ive been to quite a few destinations including costa rica. I would reccomend this resort to others to try out

Starfish Santa Maria Cuba

We went for a lower budget Vacation and got what we paid for! We heard a lot of people complaining of toilets leaking in rooms although we never had a problem. Beautiful beach, beautiful resort. The service is terrible in Buffett. Wifi barely works took us three days to just connect once and you have to pay for it. Very close the market I would advise you to check out. Kids were everywhere including the swim up bar.

Very nice scenery, but...

My husband and I spent a week there last week for our honeymoon. I would say we would give this trip an ok, good average 7/10. The resort and scenery was very beautiful, nice clean and very pleasant staff. But there were a few things were disappointed with. First the bed was not comfortable at all and had to request more pillows. Secondly the bathroom didn't function at its best. Very little water pressure from the sink and the shower head was loose so it kept falling forward so the water kept f [... read more]alling against the wall and the water drained VERY slowly, plus there was no plug if you wanted to fill the tub to bathe. And as for the public washrooms, 99% of them were either closed or not functional, so you had to go to your room to use the bathroom most of the time. Lastly the food was so so, only enjoyed eating a few things outta their whole buffet, not fun eating the same thing all week. The pool and beach was wonderful, very pleaent and relaxing, and their shows and activities they perform are fun and entertaining. also theres a market near by with more restaurants and shops to explore. All in all our trip was ok, not great but good.

Good resort fair price

We travelled March 4 this year. We enjoyed our trip and we are people who travel all the time so I know what to expect when going to Cuba. Upon arrival a the airport my daughter and I needed to use the washroom and they had women in the bathrooms dolling out hand paper and soap and they were not about to let anyone not wash their hands! They were pretty insistent on the washing. Good for them. Wish they had that here lol. Check in at the resort was the best we had ever experienced. Rooms were  [... read more]already assigned when we were at the airport so upon arrival at the hotel it was a matter of showing our passport the bus ride to the resort is about an hou and a half which was fine as there was beer to purchase at 3 cad which is a fair price. But ensure you have smaller bills and she took loonies on the bus. Upon getting to the resort my first turn off was the fact we couldn't find a single women's bathroom which worked. They have all low flush toilets and garbage bins in each stall however I don't think a lot of people understand that their systems don't handle toilet paper well which is why those bins are there. Men always had toilets working to my knowledge. So having said that after we got our rooms we always just went back there to use toilets as we didn't find it that far to walk. I would seriously recommend that the manager look to place information on the back of the stall doors about the plumbing the limited ability to flush toilet paper. Some just don't realize this but unfortunately as the deed was already done and with low flush toilets, it creates a solid blockage which I assume is a disaster for them to handle in Cuba with their more limited means in replacement parts for septic systems. We had adjoining rooms which we didn't expect but we're very happy with as we have two teens sharing a room and hoped they would be close to us. Turned our great as they had twin beds and we had s king. Hard beds but certainly good for Cuba no springs or anything like that... The girls shower didn't seem to have any hot water so they showered in our room all week, we did address this at the front desk however I don't know that anyone came to look at all. Wasn't a big deal for us since we had the adjoining room... The buffet always had something for everyone. The home made breads were fantastic and tons of cold meats so you could make sandwiches if nothing else appealed to you. Side note. The resort is running at I would guess about 60 % occ so only half the resort is open. It is a mirror from one side to the other.. As a result the buffet could be quite busy at times and the traffic flow around the buffet itself wasn't very great. I would reconfigure it as the grills create a bottle neck but also plates and what not weren't always at the end of the buffet but in the middle so it made things a little disjointed. Only two fights while we were there.... Having said that that was a first for me to see ever in over 4 decades of travelling. People. We are guests in their country please behave accordingly. I believe they may have been removed from the resort but not certain. None the less didn't hamper our good times just another story to tell as a first lol. Personally I would love to see designated smoking areas on the resort as Canadians are accoustomed to this so why do you need to smoke everywhere? We have been to others which did have this which we preferred. The beach was gorgeous. The sand was the best we had seen. Windy most of the time so we could use the paddle boats but went out on the small catamarans with the sailer we dubbed reed the crazy Cubian as he would get it up on probably a 65 degree angle. Amazing sailer and never felt like he wasn't in control. Only costs a tip which we tipped him well as he made it a fun adventurous trip. Always lots going on in the beach as well as pool. I wish that people wouldn't throw their cigarettes into the sand as it is gorgeous and won't remain as such if everyone treats it like a garbage dump. Disappointing that people do this but did notice that there were people raking the beach every day. So it would help somewhat which the non organic matter. But primarily it was to clean any seaweed which may have swept up overnight onto the beach. Lots going on around the pool. They had two foam parties which everyone had great fun with! The general manager and I believe most of the management team were there for one of them. There is a kids club with lovely ladies working there. We didn't have kids that age however did see how the kids loved them. There is a second pool on the other side which is quiet for those not wanting to be in the thick of things of just looking for some quiet flake out time. We could always find a seat at the beach as well as the pool. We have been to resorts that if you didn't get down there by 7am you would get near the pool. This was no issue. And guys on the beach to help you find loungers etc. The grounds were beautiful maintained and always saw men around working non stop. I would certainly recommend the resort to anyone. There are always going to be people who complain however pick your shots. You are on vacation... suspect isn't as easy fix especially being in Cuba.

Ready to go again!

We absolutely loved this resort... the room was spacious, had a great view, and close proximity to pool, beach, dining and entertainment. Beautiful beach and friendly staff. Food was ok but the drinks made up for it! Only real complaint is about the state of the bathrooms in common areas... dirty and in disrepair.

Wonderful relaxing time!

Had an amazing time. This is our second time to Cuba first was to Veradero and both my husband and I preferred this location. This is the place you go when you want to relax and not do a lot is sight seeing. Yes there are some excursions to do like the Catameran, swimming with dolphins, deep sea fishing but any trips to cities take All Day or over night. Our room was comfortable and when we asked for extra pillows and blankets for cushion they were in our room within hours. Great movies on the T [... read more]V in the early mornings and the AC worked so well we actually had to turn it off a couple times in the middle of the night (and I love an ice cold room) Housekeeping was good but not overly friendly.. Could be the language barrier. Gardeners and cleaning staff were super appreciative for the gifts we brought. The bartenders were fun and engaging and we met lots of people who were super friendly. Management was very helpful and front desk staff was always accommodating even when it room key didn't program right three times in a row The beaches are BEAUTIFUL and if you don't mind being 100ft from the bar you can have a beach to yourself...it is busy near the bar... Bring your Buba Cups! Never had trouble getting chair on the beach in or out of the shade Now the big question: food... I think people forget that they are in Cuba and that Cuba has limited trading partners. Yes we brought some condiments with us, ketchup, hot sauce, soya sauce, and mustard. Don't be afraid to try things. Yes not all of it is good (to my standards). But it is an adventure. That being said there are always cooks available to make fresh food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is simple food but good. Stuck to the grills and you can't go wrong it is worth the wait My husband and I are planning a return trip next year with a couple friends we met while there

Good price for that hotel

Rooms were not the best had water issues and tv's very outdated. The resort was very big and clean and well kept but only half the resort and places to eat were open. The bars were very busy but staff did their best to kept up. The beach was great.The worst part about the trip was the tourists. They were very rude to staff and other guests.

Good Value for the money we paid

We paid slightly less than $1000/- for a 7 night stay at Starfish Caya Santa Maria for the last week of Feb 2016. For the amount we paid the hotel was very good value for money. If I had paid say $1200-$1500 my review would not be so positive. The rooms are large and our room was clean and everything worked. Good housekeeping service. The design of the shower does result in the floor around the tub getting wet when one showers; it is what it is! The beach is beautiful and one of the best I have  [... read more]ever seen. It has white sand which is soft, the water is crystal clear and there is a sandbar about 50ft out. It tends to be rough as it was windy when we visited the resort so take advantage of the beach whenever the weather is good. The pools are huge. There is a pool with no washroom and bar near building 29 which is quiet and a great place to hang out if you are want solitude. The service is overall very good and the staff hardworking and pleasant. The food at the buffet is repititive and can be boring. We loved the freshly grilled fish and at it at lunch and dinner along with rice, bread and cheese. The food at the Italian ala carte was very good. There is a bar in the same bldg as the Italian restaurant which is now crowded. We didnt enjoy the Seafood ala carte restaurant; preferred the freshly grilled fish at the buffet. There is a lot of entertainment at this resort. The rock band on Wednesday evening was awesome.

Pay a little extra and go somewhere else

The beach is amazing but everything else isn't. The resort needs an upgrade, food is very repetitive, check to make sure your bed is clean when you get there, the shows aren't very good, you can't get the "A la cartes" unless you book on arrival and the seafood one wasn't very good. You're lucky if one out of six toilets work in the common areas. This is a 4 star for Cuba but anywhere else it would be a 2.5