Grand Memories Santa Maria: Wonderful for Families

Hotel was great for families. Pool: was clean and lots of chairs. Kids club: was always open and kids enjoyed it. Food: We are not picky eaters and thought the food was great. We heard it was a lot better than other Cuban resorts from talking with people at the airport at the end of the week. They had an unlimited lobster dinner one night and turkey dinner another. Always had fruit, salad bar and rice or mashed potatoes that were so good and creamy. A station cooking steak, fish or  [... read more]pork chops each night to order. A pasta station and stir fry station as well. Lunch we usually had shredded beef and rice, hotdogs, hamburgers or chicken sandwiches by the pool but the buffet was very similar to dinner. Breakfast they had Omelette bar bacon, hash browns and fruit, plus a toaster to toast bread. Beach: the most beautiful white sand and turquoise water ever. Not very crowded, and a special “diamond club” adults only section if you want to get away from the kids. Rooms: older bed that was a touch on the firm side but the showers had super strong water pressure, the room had ice cold A/C, a mini fridge and balcony overlooking pool side or beach side. Entertainment was very good as well. Kids show at 8-8:30 daily and adults show from 9:30-10:30. Hotel in general: it is a very large hotel and if your building is on the outer edge you will do a lot of walking. At night the paths aren’t lit up very well, but never felt unsafe or got lost. Hotel borders on a market that has restaurants, craft tables, clothing, jewelry, ice cream, popcorn, and other touristy Knick-knacks for sale. Only downside was that we got lots of mosquito bites on the first night Bc we weren’t wearing bug spray. You couldn’t ever see or hear the bugs, but they def got us while watching the entertainment and walking around at night. Wore bug spray on lower legs after that at night, and never got any more bites.

Melia Las Dunas: Resort look nice from outside

Room had bad smell, cover up for mattress was extremely dirty,in the bathroom no hot water or little bit warm, water pressure in the shower very low. In the buffet plates and cups dirty and tables dirty too. Had to look through pile of plates to find clean plate.

Melia Las Dunas: 5/10 Melias Dunas

I was in this resort about 10 years ago, and I was very happy, but this time I was very disappointed. The worst part was the poor hygiene in the restaurants and the bedroom. The staff are wonderful, the beautiful gardens the beach and pool the paradisiacal.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Paradise on Earth

My new husband and I spent our honeymoon at this resort from January 3rd to the 10th, 2020. We were both pleasantly surprised from the moment we stepped into the lobby. Check in was quick and efficient and our room which was on the top floor of the main building was INCREDIBLE. Clean, spacious with a separate sitting area, full bathroom with a soaker tub, double sinks and a rain fall shower. Super clean with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Every morning it amazed me to open my eyes and lo [... read more]ok out to see the crystal clear water of the ocean right from our king size bed. The grounds of the resort are very well maintained with lots of vegetation. The gardeners do a phenomenal job keeping the plants healthy and trimmed. One of the gardeners cut a fresh coconut for me to enjoy a refreshing drink. The beaches (there are 3 in total) are well groomed with beautiful powder soft sand and great snorkeling right off the beach about 30 feet from the shoreline. The water is a spectacular aqua colour and every time I would go in for a swim, my body felt as though it was healing and rejuvenating, with each wave I felt my stress being washed away. There is also a bar and a grill right on the main beach so you don't have to go far to enjoy a cold beverage or to nibble on some grilled shrimp with fresh made banana chips. Food at this resort is great and I don't understand how some people give bad reviews. Obviously, the food will have a different taste than what most Canadians are used to; The reason for this is very simple, Cuban food is real, not contaminated with hormones and pesticides. Chef Ricardo does a fabulous job making sure that the food coming out of his kitchen is of the highest quality. Not once did I nor my husband get sick on the food or the water and ice. If you don't make a gluttonous fool of yourself you should be fine. Now, as beautiful as a resort, beach and grounds may be, I believe that it's the staff that make it special. It's very difficult for me to find the right words to describe the staff at Angsana; each and every individual that we had the pleasure of meeting was incredible. They all went out of their way to make our stay special; From Neydis in customer service, Nalli with her always smiling face, Pocurull making unique and great beverages to Chef Ricardo, the garden staff, the housekeeping staff and many others that I don't have their names, all working hard to make every guest feel welcome. Always ready to assist you with any request. We arrived at this hotel as guests but left feeling like family. We will most certainly be back to this resort very soon. Katherine & Nick PS. If you do find your way to this resort, make sure to get the couples rum massage. It's an unforgettable experience. I gave 4 stars for location because it is quite a long trek from the airport (1.5h)

Gran Muthu Cayo Santa Maria: Stay at Cayo Santa maria

The resort was very nice clean and the people were great. I find the rooms to have lack of everything . The soap were never replaced neither the garbage bags. Food was ok but seems to be running out of food a lot. Sunwing représentative was very nice when we went to the meeting. Said if we need anything they will be there . We had a hard time finding them thruout our stay

Valentin Perla Blanca: Very nice resort

Everything was on par to our expectations.Staff are the best.Rooms were clean.Food good for Cuba . Bartenders were always there.Shows and live music was also very good.Hotel was secluded for privacy.Gardens were well groomed.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: A Beautiful Place for New Years

This is a very beautiful resort situated all on its own on Cayo Ensenachos in the midst of a protected biosphere. Two long sandy beaches are available with one featuring some incredible snorkeling without the need for a boat. We stayed in the Spa section which is limited to adults but toured all the grounds which have amazing vegetation. Whether you eat in the main buffet or any one of the 4 a la carte restaurants you won't be disappointed. Rooms are spacious and only 2 storeys high. Staff are a [... read more]mazing and make you you feel like part of the family.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: We will return! Such a great resort!

From the moment we entered the hotel impressive lobby, to checking into our room everything was AWESOME! I have been to Cuba on 5 other occasions and this by far was one of the best. The food at the main buffet had so many options, and the servers were always wanting to help ensure that drinks were served and tables were cleaned up after use. The beaches we spacious as the resort had two of them, the white sand and lush property was quite impressive.

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Lousy food

The hotel was nice the beach and pool were nice the food was terrible when we got to our room there was no water or coffee and the mini bar was empty we did not get water coffee beer till six pm the next day we will never go back

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: Nice and very loving resort

Its a very clean and nice small resort with lots of activists and fun ..and very beautiful beach plus the snack bar has a very good chicken and fish bbq.the only Thing that I was not satisfied was the shower, we had a third floor ocean view room and the water pressure was almost nothing . The food wasn’t the best you would most likely will find something you will like. They have 5 different restaurant that you can book them if you get tired of buffet restaurant..Thanks for the entertainment te [... read more]am 👏🏻

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Fantastic resort! Would definitely return!

Just got back from here yesterday. Fyi, it’s already changed names to Lagunas Del Mar. 🤣 Food was not that bad - Compared to all the other Cuban resorts I’ve been to! House red wine sucks but you can actually buy a better brand from the bar by the bottle. Breakfast is 7-10, Lunch is 1-3 and dinner is 7-10. The lobby bar has a cappuccino and latte machine and they are delicious. You can actually even ask for one while eating in the buffet and they will go get you one 😉 Pool is  [... read more]fantastic, pretty big with lots of different levels and areas, soooo many chairs there’s no need to save one early in the morning. Snack bar at the beach is the best food & drink by far. But there’s also a pretty good 24 hour snack bar by the pool. They serve many different types of sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs & french fries. They serve pizza as well but only between 1 to 3 PM. There’s also a mini buffet at different times of the day. The pool also has a dedicated bar, one side is swim up but wasn’t used when I was there since there were just not enough tourists. I cannot say enough good things about the two guys who are running the pool bar, Michel and the Yosmel. They are both such friendly souls and always willing to help with a smile on their face. They are also willing to make any drink you can dream up or suggest one if you just can’t decide. If there is no one at the bar requesting a drink Michel will wander around the poolside taking orders and making deliveries, smiling and saying hi to almost everyone on the way. They keep the bar area spotless and are constantly washing the tables and rearranging the chairs to make it look inviting. Not sure if it was just my week, but it was blissfully empty - no line-ups anywhere. Get 2 keycards - one needs to be in slot just inside room for all power to work. You need to leave it in all day if you want to come back to an air conditioned room! The ‘machine’ at the resort bank was ‘down’ all week 🙄 so I couldn’t get out any money by credit card. But they have no problem exchanging money you already have. So bring lots of Canadian $$. *** EXCITING NEWS***** I took a cab to the ATM near the international medical clinic (8 cuc) and I actually used my Canadian bank card to get money out. And my bank card does not have a visa symbol on it. It’s just a regular old chip bank card**** Excursions can be purchased using credit card. You will need your provincial drivers licence & credit card to rent a moped. There were all types of entertainment the week that I was there: The usual Cuban stage show - I know almost every Cuban resort has a Michael Jackson show but none rival the one that I saw here. I literally felt like I was watching Michael Jackson himself. There was also a live 7-8 person Cuban band playing in the downstairs bar one evening, An extremely talented solo guitarist in the lobby, And a fantastic 1980’s cover band by the pool one night. The phone parties in the pool were a blast. Regardless of age, everyone got in on the fun and laughed like children!

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Our favourite resort for "down time" and sunshine.

We have now been to this resort three times. This time we returned in numbers. Six adults and two children over a two week period. The staff are genuinely lovely and very kind people. They aim to please you with their service. Most staff will go well beyond expectations. That's if you are kind and respectful to them as well. The embargo affects some things, but we are not bothered by substitutions. Generally very clean. Beautifully landscaped, amazing beach. There is a small biting midge (nosee [... read more]um) around. (They like some people more than others)

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Wonderful resort!

We stayed at the Sanctuary for a week on Jan 3rd and would book again. Grounds were well maintained. The beach was awesome and we could walk for miles. Couldn't ask more of the staff, they were outstanding from the maids to restaurant staff to butler! Food was okay; we've had worse.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: Had a lovely time

The grounds were great. Have never seen such beautiful foliage.So much care was taken every day with the gardens. One gardener took the time to give us a tour of his herb garden. He was so proud of his work and rightfully so. It just made our day.The public areas were clean. The rooms were clean. The food was fine. Some days our choices were limited but one would never ever go hungry. I don't have anything negative to say about the staff; all very pleasant and helpful. One lady in our group left [... read more] her sun hat on a beach chair. The following day we were back on the beach when a member of the staff that had served us the previous day came up to us and gave the lady her hat. He had remembered her and had put it aside for her. Talk about service. We were quite impressed. My one negative comment was not a word of english was spoken on our trip from the airport to the hotel and back to the airport from our hotel.

Paradisus Los Cayos: Unfortunate Experience

Note: This is the first time I've ever thought I had to warn people, and write a review. So think what you will - - I've myself read way too many 5-star reviews which had no substance...making this place seem amazing. Review posted originally on tripadvisor. Looking back on the trip it dawns on me that I must've mistakenly purchased a trip to a 3-star hostel, but sadly that would have been a better experience. Arriving during evening hours, we were greeted with a lobby that smelled of sewag [... read more]e, and cranky front desk workers. I tried to request a room with two beds but was told to be quite while they went on about random tasks. Eventually we were handed a ripped up paper with a room number and two cards, and told to be on our way. With no bellboy available we had to drag all our stuff to the third floor, only to find out that the room had a single bed. Repeat. This time a floor higher the room had two beds. Perfect....until morning when we were woken up by the most disgusting sewage smell coming from the shower. (The employee we got to check it out, almost threw up upon entering our room...so ain't lying here) After wasting more time to move rooms, we got a good one this time. It smelled of a sports bar, with a piss stained toilet cover, a clogged shower, broken mosquito net, and three lights that did not have a switch to turn them off (maintenance came in and had to rewire things...) This took a while since every time you need serious help, no one seems to know English. I had one guy pretend not to speak English, then few days later approach us while doing customer care survey...spoke decent English. Now is a good time to mention that while this is a very new hotel, the materials used in its construction were very subpar, and everything is slowly falling apart. Anyway let's continue. After finally getting settled in, we dropped by the snack bar restaurant for some breakfast. After ordering two omelets, we watched for an hour as the staff served a cuban family of four plate after plate of food. We never did get ours. This was our first day and a half. Here is a light summary of the rest: - Dirty plates and glasses everywhere. Was served rum with sharp plastic pieces floating inside. Parents have fun with this. - Generally food was ok - but much of it was either undercooked or burned to a crisp. - Bars were either tended by skilled bartenders, or random people who got in through connections. It was a weird lottery tbh. You can either get a really nice drink, or a gin and tonic that's just sprite and ice. The rum selection was nice but consisted of 99% Havana Club variants. - Beach was very nice as usual of Cuba...but not the best in the surrounding area. A few min walk can get you to a nicer place -- especially during stormy weather. I could keep going, but I think I've covered enough. Oh wait, the day before leaving -- our room got robbed. Nothing large to delay our departure, a pair of pants etc...(easy to get away with) Triple lock your stuff up, you never know. If you do end up going here the beach bar has the best chef, so enjoy that. =)

Hotel Roc Casa del Mar: great staff and nice hotel

this hotel is big and nice, the staff is great the pools are nice and clean. There is some problems with the hotel cleaning staff need to learn how to clean the rooms properly, not enough chairs anywhere in the resort at the beach loads of pagottas but no chairs to sit in, not enough chairs at the beach. We went for New Years spent a lot of money which I can say was not really worth it. The hotel new how many people were there for that time and only gave out about 100 hats and stuff for new  [... read more]years and not enough seating for the bands. It would be a great resort if they upgrade the things wrong. Half the time no beach towels or towels in room/

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Good memories

The resort was a good experience! The entertainment and the accessibility of the cays help make up for any thing that may seem off! Enjoy the beach and make sure to befriend plenty of staff. Don’t go for the food or you’ll find yourself eating mashed potatoes and bread for 7 days. Tip 1: walk on the beach not on the sidewalks-take the bus! Tip 2: mosquitoes aren’t the only thing biting so remember to bring deet spray and after-bite! All in all, we had a good time!

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Incredible natural beauty and beaches

Ensenachos is a great family resort with mind-blowing beaches and gorgeously lush landscaping. You feel really immersed in nature here.The staff are wonderful and the rooms are spacious with great beds. The food is good (being mindful that this is Cuba and they don't always have access to everything we have). We've been here twice and no-one in our party has ever been sick. You ome here for the beaches, safety, nature and reasonable prices.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Great value for money

The value for money of this resort is the shining star. We enjoyed our week away, relaxing on the beautiful beach and moving to the pool most afternoons. We visited from January 3-10 and while a small storm brought four windy days, it was still warm and enjoyable. Beach: The beach is stunning, powdery sand with luscious teal water and a long sand bar. We would reserve our chairs about 7 am with no issue but I would recommend doing so for shade and comfort. The bugs seemed to affect everyone di [... read more]fferently but it was very manageable by 1) using bug spray, 2) leaving the beach by 4-5 pm, 3) treating with after-bite or after-sun to soothe the itch, and 4) taking an anti-histamine to reduce swelling and itching if needed. Pool: clean, lots of chairs, solid amounts of variable shade. Swim up bar. Room: our room was clean, no issues with water pressure, air conditioning, or balcony, plus a great view from the 3rd floor of building 60. While I had no doubt in the cleanliness of the sheets and towels, they weren’t “bright white” clean. It was frequent to see stains despite fresh sheets and there was marks on the walls. It’s definitely no Mexico 4 star but it’s Cuba and I’m sure these are some of the best accommodations. Location: I wouldn’t visit Santa Maria again due to it’s distance from “real Cuba”. Employees live 45 minutes away on the main land and there’s no town closer. There is a mall next to the resort good for gifts, trinkets, and off-the-resort restaurants. Excursions: we attended the Rum, Sugar, & Cigar tour and do not recommend. It was expensive for essentially a visit to an old sugar factory facility and a demonstration on rolling cigars. This is not a drinking tour. Snorkelling: Due to the windy weather, we weren’t able to go, but apparently the snorkelling just 1 km away is fantastic. The boat hut on the beach offered to take us for 10 CUC a person for 45-60 minutes of snorkelling time but on a less windy day they said it would be better. I would recommend that if you have the gear. Food: For breakfast, the buffet was great with a lot of options and good service. For lunch, we tried the buffet but didn’t love it, so we mainly enjoyed the grills at the beach or pool. Option of chicken, fish, burgers, or hot dogs usually. All great options. Our week wasn’t super busy, so sometimes only one of two would be open, though they are only a one minute walk apart. For dinner, we tried the Grand Memories buffet. Typical buffet food, nothing more. There was a pasta, fried rice, and meat cooked to order stations. Didn’t try these as we went to the a la cartes the rest of our evenings. The a la carte in Sanctuary changes menu every night. Food was ok. It’s Cuba. Biggest issue was warmth of food, a lot of our meals would have been so much better if they were delivered hotter than lukewarm. Snack bar in Sanctuary is open 24/7 though you have to ask if you want anything more than pizza. Drinks: the pool and beach bars were great, the lobby bar frequently over poured. There was a drink menu but expect that one ingredient they won’t have that day. Try again the next day. Transfer: was about 1.5-2 hours depending on stop points (ours had to stop to use washroom), beer on board 2 for $5, enjoyable scenery and guide. Other details: on the west side of the lobby is a small building which emits a sewage stench. Avoid using the lobby bathroom in the northwest corner and you can avoid this stench almost entirely. Some dogs and cats can be found wandering the facility as is typical for these islands. All seemed friendly though. The adult only aspect was sometimes not enforced. I once saw a butler refuse a small child and parent entrance to the pool area because they inquired, but frequently saw children and parents taking a walkthrough the resort or beach area without consequence. Better signage would help with this. In summary, this was a very nice getaway. It’s not 5 stars but it is clean and comfortable. The price was unbeatable. The beach alone was worth the plane trip.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Ok trip

We arrived New Year's Eve just before midnight. Check-in was decent. Dropped our bags and headed to the theatre for the countdown festivities. It was a great start. The villa we were staying in seemed abandoned with only a few rooms to rent. The first and second level were not lit up and it seemed a bit sketchy and dark in the stairwell. We asked to be changed to a different villa to feel safer with our kids. The second room seemed very run down with AC not working. The Manager Ricardo was quick [... read more] to upgrade to a suite, which we were pleased. We had a villa between pool and beach and it was very convenient. Food was boring and lacking flavor. I survived on omelets and hash browns and bananas. Staff is quite friendly. Biggest problem was lack of beach chairs at beach and pool. It seemed it was deliberate so as to upgrade to diamond club for beach chairs. Great weather hotel needs much TLC.