Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: It was not as advertised

The room was good. The sheets were stained and had holes. The bathroom needed upgrading. The water pressure and temperature was great. You get 2 1 litre bottles of water a day...or you're supposed to. We had this on the first day and the rest of the time it was a struggle to get any. Also this is delivered at the end of the day, if they deliver any. The food was good. A lot of seafood however there are a lot of sanitary issues. There's flies in the juices and naturally would also land on the f [... read more]ood and "snacks" they sometimes leave out for you. The food was repetitive. It tasted ok. Staff were ok. Don't be sold on getting a butler service here as though you're going to be extra special because you won't be, so paying extra isn't worth it. Most of the time we ate at the Grand memories buffet. More selection and we had a wonderful sincere server named Rawson who made our time there worthwhile. The butlers however all they do is book your a la carte reservations, get you a cart to go around the place. We should mention Yahniel..hes one of the butlers he's very nice and very helpful. The biggest frustration for us was that no one wants to take any ownership there when you have a request or an issue esp the front desk for sanctuary guests. The beach however was beautiful. Tonnes of jellyfish though and sardines right on the shoreline. We swam w sticks to help us navigate w the jelly fish around. There are a lot of sand fleas that hurt and bite you like crazy. Definitely bring some moskul. Overall, we wouldn't recommend this resort. Definitely nothing more than a 3* and don't pay more than. $800/pp. Use your money somewhere else.

Melia Buenavista: Quiet friendly resort

We have stayed at this resort now three times. It is a quiet small resort for adults only. We have gotten to know some of the staff there and they are all very polite and helpful and in particular our butler, Daymi, is always very helpful. The food is slightly better than average for Cuban resorts. But we do not go for the food we go for the beach. In this resort they have three beaches our favourite one is the deeper one where you can do snorkelling right off the beach. Totally amazing.  [... read more] All the rooms are very nice. There is a living room area with the fridge separate from the bedroom area and the bathroom and showering area is also separated. It is very typical of a Melia resort. We enjoy it very much. The downside of this resort is that it is on the pricey side usually even more expensive than a Royalton. It is a very small resort though. We will definitely be going back.

Melia Las Dunas: Beautiful vacation.

The Hotel shows its age but its still a very nice hotel and staff are amaizing, being the low season the food was repetitive but good. The beach is one of the best..just stunning and so are the grounds. Lots of music at night and lots of little patio to sit outside, I loved it.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: never lets us down... a return to seeing family

We stayed at this resort from September 29 to October 13. We have stayed at this resort multiple times as it was good to see old friends and meet new ones. From the time of check in from the front desk ladies was quick and fast and we were taken by the shuttle to our room by Duvier who was friendly and talkative . Our room was great and had an ocean view. A very special shout out to Marta who arranged for our ala cartes in advance, and any other requests we had asked. She is truly a  [... read more]miracle worker and deserves to be recognized for going above and beyond. We were in building fifteen and our chambermaids did an excellent job cleaning our room daily. There was a diesel fuel shortage during our stay and some stay had to stay on the resort for three days and then have three days rest at home. This made our vacation feel more like a family as you got to speak with them more and understand the hardships without seeing their families. From the front lobby staff, Yusy, Leo, Yusleidy, Rachel, Sergio and Adrianna did a great job and remembered our drinks ( double espresso, and cappuccino) The buffet as good as there was always something to satisfy your needs. Of course the smoothie lady Gretel was always there to make your requests. Our servers Mario, Yaniery, Ariel and Avelino were always friendly. At the beach bar Lazaro, Paulino and Maidelin always were quick to get our drink requests ( drink, drink) even though the weather was very hot most days. Abelito at the Panini stand always greeted us with a smile. We ate at the ala cartes, Romantico, Asian, Italian, all the food was delicious and the soups even better. We would like to thank Yarely, Yosbel and Laura for their recommendations on selections and fast service. The animation staff of Duniel, Lisdania, Susu, Mayluvi, George and Leo always were entertaining new and old clients and welcoming them into the playa family We did attend the VIP dinner night and had a great time and met some wonderful repeat clients. Our friends Karen and Kevin were celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary and the resort gave them a special table, played their wedding song ( endless love) and also provided them with a cake in the lobby. Yaidelis announced that it was their anniversary in the lobby bar , which was very nice. We did go the La Bodeguita restaurant and we highly recommend going as the food was great and the room nice and quite for a nice dinner. Omar and Sergei were our servers that evening and they were very professional during our meal. My wife had mentioned that she like a dessert called Majarete and low and beyond Sergei had made her wish come true. Talk about customer service, The 24-hour snack bar was a great place to grab something to eat and the staff were always friendly. We also saw Yilian in the cigar bar making reservations for clients. Also we spoke with Maykel in the spa whom we met many years ago. We did eat lunch most of the times at the El Pescador for lunch that had a selection of grilled pork, chicken or fish daily and the soup was always tasty. Thank you Lisbeth, Lazaro for the great service. A special shout out to the lifeguards (Rafa, Adrian, Luis and Yovi) who many watched in action as there was a client from another hotel who had a little to much to drink and was harassing clients from Playa. This client fell several times trying to get into the ocean and could have drowned, The lifeguards helped him to a palapa and gave him water and let him sleep it off. They then walked the client all the way to the melia las dunas where he was staying. We did attend the pool/foam party, which was fun for all, The only problem that we noticed that many parents did not watch their young children in the foam and as a result a young child almost drowned. The lifeguard Rafa noticed the women was in distress and quickly cleared the foam with his hands along with another lifeguard named Adrian, and they were able save the boy. In the future we think the there should be lifeguards on duty during this event. This resort is not large and just the right size for walking to get to locations. It is the staff both old and new that make the difference and make us feel like family and not just a client on vacation. There are so many faces that we do not see that keep the hotel operating behind the scenes along with the gardeners who take pride in their jobs and keep the resort looking lush and beautiful. Also a thank you to Yusef and his security team keeping the resort safe for both clients and staff. We are amazed on how staff remember you and your names even though we only come once a year.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Absolutely Beautiful

This resort is now 1 year old. The grounds, pool and resort is immaculate. My room was maintained 100% with no issues. If you're looking for a vacation to relax entirely, this is it! It was during off season, so the nightly entertainment was limited. The food was mediocre at best. Having said that, The Sports Grill was fantastic! All staff memberes are fabulous, including management. They work really hard to ensure you are happy and satisfied.

Melia Buenavista: Love the showers

The hotel was not full as it was off season. The rooms were clean and huge. Our room faces the ocean. The balcony allowed us to sit and have coffee every morning watching the sun come up. The hotel comes with 3 beaches which are lovely. The staff is amazing. The butler service is Awsome. The restaurants were all a la carte allowing ya to pick our meals. Very eco friendly hotel. Thanks for a great time.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Great destination

The hotel and grounds were great although there was a shortage of food. Beaches are always fantastic! Nothing compares to the Cuban waters and beaches. The staff is wonderful, very nice and accommodating.

Melia Las Dunas: Great resort!

We have been there for the second time, it was a great experience. Food was ok, great pizza, but a little beat dissapointed because they didn’t have french fries all days. Beach amazing!!! New towels!!! Kids show every night!!!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Ok

The grounds were clean and well maintained. The rooms were exactly like the photos. Lots of hot water and pressure in the shower. Service was lacking. The bars and restaurants always running out of mix, pop and alcohol. No bar in the room. No pop in the room after multiply requests. Plenty of food but over cooked. Lack of entertainment. If you are looking to go on excursions cross your fingers. We tried to book 3 and all were cancelled. Our safe was broken into and $330. Was stolen Will never  [... read more]go back.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Not what we had in mind

This hotel offers a lot to be desired unfortunately it’s not able to hold its end of the deal...from rooms that aren’t clean, to food served room temperature, to hearing “no” when asking for a coffee. The beach and grounds are beautiful unfortunately there’s an inability to cater to people efficiently and to the standard they claim. We’ve never heard so many “no’s” to requests from asking for a coffee, asking for clean blanket to asking for a later check out.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Cuba

The resort over all is nice. The staff is amazing during this difficult time in Cuba. It is rainy season and we had rain- lots. We are still burnt still had fun and havent gone without things. Great relaxing time. Beach is a jump and jellyfish everywhere. So we walked to memories beach its flat. Yes we will return! Food good at al e carts. The one cuban you pay its food is to salty. Buffet morning great!

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Its ok

The hotel itself is not too bad, the staff and service was great. Yet, the lack of variety of food was a bit disappointing. The buffet was very poor and basic. Also, I would recommend them to take care of their beach better, as it is beautiful but you can tell that they do not really bother to even out the sand after storm, so the rocks are coming out, and the gaps are there which makes it harder to walk with the kids.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Will Not Return

We have been to Cuba over 25 times. I have had bad experiences and great experiences. This resort by far was the worst. I’m trying to be positive but all I can say is this resort is stunning! Very beautiful. I have read negative reviews and thought people were being too picky. Trust me I have never ever been this sick in Cuba. The rooms were not cleaned well whatsoever. 3 cockroaches even climbing on the walls. I was sick all 7 days of stay due to food. Breakfast didn’t have many choice [... read more]s. Restaurant by the beach menu was not tasty. Dinner buffet was never open you had to attend El a Cartes and the food options weren’t good. Even now thinking of the food options I feel sick. I’m not a picky eater. As mentioned I’ve been to Cuba over 25 times. My family has been there many times in the past and they too were stunned. We later found out the resort now has different owners who are not inspecting what they expect. If attending this resort bring the following Lysol Raid Bug spray Benadryl cream- you will be eaten alive. Peanut butter Nutella Crackers Jam Munchies that can get you by. Best of luck if you have already booked this resort. By the way the bus we were on for our 1 hr and half ride did not have a washroom. Not impressed

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Disappointed!!!

I have been to this resort four times. I had a group of 12 with me. They all decided to go based on my raving and recommendations. Ten out of twelve were ill within 24 hrs. I found the selection of food was horrible this yr, the same beach towels used all week due to "no more towels", suites not cleaned properly, early wake up calls to attempt a clean of the rooms, resort ran out of certain drinks, no potatoes all week, same menu all week at the beach grill...ALL WEEK. it was a huge mess. Appar [... read more]ently they were very limited on transportation on the island due to lack of gas. Staff was being transported in to work give days straight and sleep at resort. The explanation of the lack of food selection was very limited delivery of supplies. I was told that a Spanish company has taken over this resort. Being to Cuba 13 times, when this happens you can kiss the resort goodbye. It's a Melia... unfortunately it doesn't deliver like a Melia. Will not be returning.

Melia Buenavista: Beautiful resort and people

The only negative point is the food. For a 5stars is most be better. But all the rest: services,people, room and the beach is amazing. We love the tranquility of the beach. We love the beautiful and clean room. We love the great services of the cuban people. The wine was good too. Often the meat was too cook and the soup cold.

Playa Luxury Cayo Las Brujas: Average Resort

I was little disappointed at this resort. Check in around 11pm at night. We were the last to Group to check in for the night so we were looking for foods . But we were given the run around because most of the resort don’t speak really good English. Because it was low season. There were just around 40 guests the first 3 days when we were there. Therefore the whole week we were just eating buffet there weren’t enough guests for them open any other restaurant. And we were told we only allowed  [... read more]1 hr on wifi for each date. They do have a really nice beach. But walking distance is a bit long specially if you want to use there kayaking and other stuff. From where we were staying it’s only takes about 5 minutes but it would take another 7or 8 minutes if you need to use the facility. One nice thing is the people were very nice even though 85% of them speaks minimal English. The other thing the manager for Coordinating was very good. Visit it middle of September 2019

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Siblings bonding vacay

The beach is the same anywhere in Cuba. I only gave 4 star because the resort is so big that the beach area is not enough to accommodate the number of guests. We did not stay by the pool because we did not like the set up of the bar wherein the wet side is at the back of the bar. The service was top notch! From our butler Jose who made sure that our needs are met including extending a couple of hours before we check out. Our servers, Rabelo, from Memories buffet (don’t know if I got the  [... read more]name right) who brought his own hot sauce from home because the resort does not have any and sharing with us avocados from his garden. We were so touched by his effort. Raul from the Italian restaurant and Inubis from Santuary buffet who made sure that our table is well taken cared off all the time. Mr Armando the gardener (Mr. coco man), who supplied our daily coconuts and last but not the least Thomas, the driver, till we left he made sure that our luggages are on the right bus. These people are the highlight of our trip. They never expect anything from us, for a fact some of them does not want to get the tips we give them but the friendship we build in a week just casually talking to them about life or sometimes nonsense topics is very big to them. We will surely miss them. The food for me is the best among the resorts I’ve been in Cuba. My brother booked this resort because they serve seafood every day. Kudos to the cooks/chefs. Here is the downside why I don’t recommend this resort, the rooms smelled liked moulds, safe is broken, no umbrellas in 2 out of 3 rooms we booked. The rooms are not properly cleaned. The bed and pillows are good but it seems like something is biting you while you sleep. When I came home, all the clothes I hanged in my room smells like moulds. Even their towels smell like moulds. The bed linens are dirty. The entertainment at the lobby is not that great. You can’t enjoy the night because ithe Lobby is too small. There’s just no room to accommodate people. I have been to Valentin Perla Blanca and it is night and day with Sanctuary. If not for the great service of the people that worked there, I would have not enjoyed our stay. PS. Make sure to pack Off lotion and after bite. This is my 3rd time in Cuba and 2nd in Cayo Sta. Maria and I should say that this resort is swapped with mosquitoes and flies.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Amazing Resort with Amazing Staff- Coral Section

The Grand Village (Coral Section) is where we stayed and it really is a paradise. From the moment you arrive you are greeted like family returning home. We arrived very late to the hotel , but the check in was fast and easy as they had everything ready for us, we were then taken by golf cart to our room where they had the room cool and the hot tub warm for our first night. Our Villas were amazing and the new addition of the step up jacuzzi was a great way to relax during your down time ,  [... read more]or to settle in for the night, with a beautiful view of the ocean. On our second day our main room AC went down,(but the bedroom AC was still working great so everything was still OK and cool) , the staff was there right away to try and fix it, unfortunately they did not have a part and said they would return the next day. Again the next day they came and still did not have the part so without asking they offered to move our room to another villa, which we did with their help.The staff in this section are beyond amazing and really know how to make your stay the best it can be. The meals were amazing as well. Lunch at the beach grill right on the ocean , can't be beat! And the daily lobster was an added bonus. We ate most meals at the Grand Village but did try the buffet once, however , the main buffet was under renovation so we they had something set up in one of the restaurants for guests, it was not that great so at that point we decided not to eat outside the villa section. The only cons from our trip was that the resort does need some updating. The paths to the beach needed repairs and it is very dark at night with few lights along the paths actually working.Also, some nightly entertainment in the lobby area of the main resort when relaxing after dinner would be a nice addition as well. But overall , my wife and i had a great trip and will be returning again very soon.

Melia Las Dunas: Big resort

Hotel is in the average of confort with poor social activities, not to mention the Food is very bad with not too much choice nor diversity of cuisine We have to eat the same menu for the whole week ! Fruits are of poor choice, not even orange not even banana

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: amazing resort

the play in cayo santa maria xwas great ,,grounds are very well kept ..staff was so freindly and helpful..food was great always found something to eat ,,the beer was cold and rum very good ..i would go go back to this resort again