Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Sanctuary For Adults...Not So Much

Our bad but this resort I thought was adults only...low and behold it is a large resort with 3 sections. One of which they have labeled adults only. They loosely draw lines but we heard more than one child during our week. They should really not tout this as such but it was a lesson learned for us. Besides that we had a few other issues but we are the type to simply look at the positive.... the beach is absolutely fantastic!!! That's what we go for. Luckily the snack hut there had equally go [... read more]od food and the beach bar poured us all we ever needed. The staff at these locations were also a positive. We had a great vacation on the beach but will look at other options and scrutinize the adults only...

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Nice place

This is my 3rd time to Cuba this year, all different locations, they all have their pros and cons. For Labranda the grounds are nice and green and well kept. The pools are beautiful with lots of space to swim and lounge but the water was pretty filthy especially around the edges. They seemed to be having a food shortage, no French fries, hamburger, hotdog buns, or pasta station at lunch or dinner and no mimosas for breakfast! Food at the buffet was usually cold and tasted old or rotten. We basic [... read more]ally ate bread and fried chicken the whole 7days. The room was ok, clean but did have a little bit of mould and a slight musty smell. The bed was springy. The beach was gorgeous with bright blue water and an amazing view of a far off island. Overall the vacation was ok because of the amazing, friendly people who work there. Besides the food it’s a nice place. Oh the cappuccino weren’t very good either.. I personally wouldn’t go back.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Tranquil resort

I really liked the place, the staffs were friendly and accessible. I would definitely suggest this hotel to friend or family member...in fact I want to go back in the near future and stay at the same place. It was exactly the type of tranquility that I needed.

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: Worst Cuban experience for 8 years

It was my 10th visit to Cuba and worst one. Good sides: staff very friendly and tried their best, weather OK, beach good for leisure and snorkeling as well. Bad side: FRAUD! We were promised and paid for 4-1/2* service, got food around 2*. Main buffet (both floors) been closed just before our arrival and we were not informed about it. Cuban rep of AirTransat told us that they informed Canadian counterpart, nobody passed this information tom us. For 3 days stay locations for breakfast and lun [... read more]ch changed twice! About food offered: 1. No buffet at all. 2. No frying station - just plain omelet for breakfast with bad oily taste delivered from the kitchen. 3. A lot of flies on the vegetables - after our comment waiters move boxes to kitchen and delivered to tourists by request on the plates (just hid it from main dining room, ha-ha). 4. Even at diner restaurants provided over salted or hard/chewy meat. A lot of mosquitoes on site, we were told by hotel's employee that due to lower number of guests all services and headcount reduced by 1/3 (approximately). CONCLUSION: never ever going to this resort. Mexico all Jamaica/Dominican Republic looks less risky choice for off-season (second week of September).

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Need some renos

This resort defintely needs some work. If you dont mind cockroaches crawling while your eating then you will be fine. The beach is gorgeous..the ice cream parlour was a great treat and the coffee bar.The snack bar should offer some breakfast items Especially when you have to leave early to catch the bus to the airport and the buffet is closed. The staff are very friendly especially Mario in the buffet restaurant. Met some really nice ppl which made the trip a whole lot better.

Valentin Perla Blanca: Very Nice Experience

I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere, the cleanliness, and the helpful staff. The swimming pools were excellent for relaxing and playing volleyball. The beach is expansive, and extremely picturesque. The food is simple but fresh, and I suggest that visitors bring their own hot sauces.

Dhawa Cayo Santa Maria: The most amazing vacation DHAWA, Cayo Santa Maria

Visited September 3 - 10, 2019 The resort was amazing, everything was fairly close to each other. The food was so-so. The beach was beautiful , the rooms were very nice, and the pools were fantastic. Would highly recommend this resort, the grounds were absolutely beautiful and everything was very clean. The staff were lovely and always wanting to help. Check-in was stress free. The only complaint I have and it has nothing to do with the resort, the mosquitoes were brutal but it could be be [... read more]cause of the time of year. I travelled solo, and I had the best week in every long time.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: excellent resort for family

Good hotel on grate location and good service. People are very friendly and shows happiness when are you satisfied. Staying in this resorts was good out of season. I will recommend this for people that can take vacation at this time as price is very good.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Beautiful Country, Terrible Resort

We had a lovely time in Cuba although I would not recommend Grand Memories to others. The location was amazing and the staff were friendly; however, the accommodations and amenities are in a severe state of dilapidation. We did not voice our concerns while there (though we came very close) as we were spending the majority of our time off the resort. In our room: the toilet seat was broken and not secured, the fan didn't work, there were odd stains all over the ceiling, the light on the balco [... read more]ny was broken and hanging by loose electrical wires, there was only one bath towel for three people (even though I kept asking for more), there were always ants in the water glasses and we were itchy and waking up with bites or rashes every day we slept in the beds until I finally asked them to change the sheets -- the problem was resolved after that. On the resort: the buildings were tired looking, the floors and furniture appeared dirty, the dishes and glassware were always greasy even though they were "clean" and we saw many cockroaches in the restaurants. At one point during breakfast a glass was dropped and smashed on the floor and no one cleaned it up or sectioned the area off -- we were there for another 30-minutes and it was still all over the floor when we left. Lastly, on the morning of our departure the buffet failed to open even 30-minutes early so guests could eat before travelling close to 2-hours to the airport. As adults we dealt with it but most (including ourselves) were travelling with small children who were obviously very hungry until food service began on our flight to Toronto over 4 hours later. I do wish they would rate this resort as a 3-star at best as it's very misleading as a 4-star. Many guests did complain and some were moved to alternate resorts as a result. I've travelled to Cuba a few times and have stayed in 3-star resorts that were in better condition and offered better service than this one. I would return to Cuba as it really is a special place but never to this resort again.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Ok Resort!

I can honestly say this wasn’t our best vacation. The Diamond Club package is so not worth it. Do not waste your money!!! We waited 3 hours before being able to go to our room. This already rubbed me the wrong way because we had our 16 month old and a 9 year old with us. There was some sort of mix up and our room las given to someone else. We were then placed in a room that did not have a phone. Again mom with two kids and no phone in the room. I went to the concierge to ask for a phone to be  [... read more]placed in the room. I was told that the building where they put the Diamond Club guests has a faulty phone line and that not all rooms have a working phone. I ended up complaining because we had also bought the superior package with ocean view, and we were put right beside the pool where there was music on all day. Getting my little guy to nap was a nightmare. They moved us to another building farther away and they told us the phones worked. Yes there was a phone in the room but not working. I gave up! The next 3 days water was an issue. I spoke to 5 different people requesting and extra bottle of water in the room and I was told don’t worry it will get done. It never did. I needed the extra bottle for the formulas for the baby. Finally I had to pay a worker to help me get water and from then on every day we had extra water in the room. It was very frustrating. I have been to Cuba 7 times before this. I have never ever had an issue with food because we aren’t picky eaters. But this time around... they had the extract same thing every single day for lunch and dinner. We got tired of it real quick. By the third day this became an issue. The only time when we really enjoyed the food was in the a la cart restaurants. The hotel was pretty badly damaged because of the hurricane and you could see it. The iron in the rooms is all rusted, windows are cracked or broken, pieces missing from the walls, the shutters in the buildings has mold on them. Yes they are slowly trying to fix it but it still looked really bad. The only good thing about this resort was the beach. The beach is just beautiful. Otherwise I honestly do not recommend this hotel. I was way too frustrated trying to get the basics for the kids and I like to relaxed on vacation not be frustrated and feel like no one is listening.

Melia Las Dunas: Melia Las Dunas is affordable and fun!

Considering what we paid the Melia Las Dunas exceeded expectations, they always did a wonderful job cleaning our room (shout out to Betty) and the rest of the facilities were always clean and well kept as well.

Playa Cayo Santa Maria: The best one!

Very good service, AMAZING people The room was very clean and a beautiful view in the sea A lot of choice of food Good animation #1, special entertainer, variety of activity day and night The best hotel in Santa Maria

Iberostar Selection Ensenachos: No so amazing resort!

Hotel grounds: Dull and outdated, need an improvements. Room: Bad. My son killed 10 cm cockroach inside the room. The maid killed a spider size of tarantula, little less. So if you have fear of insects- staying there WILL be problematic. Territory: wild jungle! I like premises like that, but if you like more civil surrounding do not go there. Also, they have problems with lights- the walkways are dark, we had to use Phone's flashlight to see where we were going. Scary! Beach: priceless [... read more], this is why I can forgive all other faults. Food: yak! Seriously- very bad. Cockroaches crawl on the cakes there. My little son had a fly in his pasta. Juice is dissolved with water to the point it is water, colored water. Service- DO you like to be serviced??? DO NOT go there. They all just ignorant. I looked at them and I understand why the country is so poor. They are lazy, ignorant, they only speak Spanish. In the other words- there was no communicado with workers at any level of service in this place. Sunwing shall drop this hotel. Very very very disappointing experience.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Great Vacation in Santa Maria

We had one of our best Cuban vacations ever at Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria. Staying at the sanctuary you could use all of the services of all the adjacent Grand Memories and Paradiso. The food was better than most Cuban resorts and the quality, service and presentation of the food in the a la carte restaurants was exceptional. Beaches are hard to beat and I find in Santa Maria they are the best along the North shore of Cuba. Although the private beach in front of the Sanctuary ha [... read more]s a coral shoreline, however once in the water the beach was very sandy. The beach is nicer at the Grand memories which is a mere 5 min walk along the beach. I appreciated the natural look of the private beach. As an "Adults only resort" at the Sanctuary I found it to be very laid back. Also, the pools were not unruly with screaming children. Very interesting perk was a butler service for the guests. Maron and Mercedes rotated the service throughout the week for the guests on the same floor of the bungalow we were staying. They would cater to booking reservations, managing the maintenance issues or responding to any questions we'd have. We ate dinner at the a la carte restaurants all week. A personalized touch that allowed us to maximize our time and eliminate the time lost in the lobby. The internet service could be reached in our room and on the pool. This service has come a long way I would return again any time.

Roc Lagunas del Mar: Labranda Cayo Santa Maria

I enjoy my stay at the resort. The people were friendly the rooms were big. We had 2 rooms for five adults everyone was very comfortable. The showers were large. Nice views from the balconies. The swimming pools were well kept clean. The drinks were endless.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: You pay for what you get.

The beach and the pool were amazing! However those were the only good things at this hotel. The service was not what I was expecting for a 4/5 star hotel. You would have to call the waiter over like 3 times before they actually came over. The rooms were like a motel room, not a hotel standard room. The shower had cracks in it. I think the most disappointing aspect of it all, was the food. I’m vegetarian and there was practically no options for me except pasta and fries. It’s kind of difficul [... read more]t to live off of that for 5/6 days straight. The food was incredibly bland. The only thing that made this hotel sort of worth it, was the amazing beach and the fact that the staff are generally pretty nice, despite the incredibly slow 2 star service. Also, things like milkshakes aren’t available. Ice cream is only available at dinner and lunch, not whenever you would like, which is surprising considering it’s all inclusive.

Paradisus Los Cayos: Room for Improvement

The hotel décor and rooms were modern and comfortable. The beach is stunning with some great snorkelling. The service has room for improvement. Check in was very slow. The hotel should allow guests to book restaurants each night of their stay rather than limit to 3 per week. Service was slow for food and drink options and they often ran out of food or drink at all venues after you had waited a lengthy amount of time. Smoking should be designated to certain areas only as we travelled with childr [... read more]en and other guests were smoking everywhere including in children's sections.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: A wonderful time

What a beautiful resort with well kept grounds, a lovely beach, ultra clean adults only pool, as well as helpful and friendly staff. We stayed in building 60 on the second floor which gave you partial views of the pool and ocean and beautiful views of the tropical landscape. We had two great butlers, Mercedes and Marlon who alternated days working and did whatever they could to make our stay more enjoyable. We stayed during an exceptionally hot and humid week but our butlers and staff always h [... read more]ad a smile, a hola and wanted to know if we needed anything. We would highly recommend the adults only Sanctuary of Grand Memories.

Melia Buenavista: Still a very good resort

Melia Buenavista, 21st to 28th August 2019 Several time to this Hotel because as described in my previous report it was the best Resort I have visited in Cuba...... Still a very nice resort but, this time around I sensed deterioration (compare to 8 months ago) example: Service still very good but you feel the staff is exhausted, less friendly...some people work extra hard and other I can't tell what they are doing!... Introduced unnecessary red tapes and cut on some services and offering ( [... read more]like sparkling wine at sun set and at some restaurants, Herbal tea, vegetables....) Maintenance, A/C, Torn curtains, Broken furniture, broken tiles, pealing painting......all down one notch. Food quality and variety has deteriorated. Beaches are still excellent. Landscaping still impeccable. Night Shows still very good. All in all still a very good resort but unfortunately lost altitude. In the future I will still consider it but it is no longer on the top of my list.

Melia Cayo Santa Maria: Excellent hotel!

Very nice and child friendly hotel with a high quality of service, clean and spacious rooms, lovely and professional staff, a good variety of food, lots of activities, heavenly landscape and a pristine beach.