Fantastic vacation

This was our 4th return trip to this resort The last was 2 years ago.The resort has made some vast improvement since our last visit. New upgrades with fresh paint in the building s, new fans in the lobby new couches, coffee bar and mojito bars areas have been extended and more seating areas added. Quality of food and the house wines have improved . The beach has been levelled down with better beach access and views of the water. One of our favorite places is the cigar bar to be able to s [... read more]it with my husband and to enjoy a cigar there is wonderful. A big thank you to Yuviel for all your help, we really appreciated this. Thank you also to Gorge and Vanny who are 2 experienced bar men with vast experience in the the choice of cigars and fantastic gentleman also not forgetting Leinisev the coffee boy who also works in the cigar bar . Al la carte were very good ,the seafood restaurant was exceptional Nelson was our server there and also works in the coffee bar. He is such a pleasant hard working young man. We also have to mention the beach guys and life guards. They are exceptional hardworking guys who also rake up any seaweed by hand to provide us with a beautiful clean beach We love this place We had a wonderful relaxed holiday and would return in a heartbeat

Playa Cayo Santa Maria

Very nice grounds. Great job taking care of our room.. Easy check in and out. Lots to do. Beach and water was the main attraction. Entertainment was exceptional in some cases and sad to think they will never be more than a hotel act because of where they live. A different story for them in another country. Good choice if you are planning on Cuba

Nice hotel

was nice, friendly staff, food was good especailly breakfast, grounds were good, could you more cleaning, entertainment was good..beach was warm considering it was november...some jellyfish in the water

Solid 4 Star

2 nd time at the resort...very friendly staff..only draw back is the 1 and a hour drive to the resort..food is good, al le carts were good...beach amazing....not to much to do at the resort...but thats ok as was there to relax...

The best trip ever. Literally...EVER!

6th time in Cuba, have stayed elsewhere previously, and Playa Cayo Santa Maria is #1 in CSM. We walked up and down the beach and PCSM has the best stretch. Friendly, happy staff. Grounds and rooms are spotless. Smaller resort, so it's easy to get around. Restaurants and bars all over, including at the beach. Really genuinely loved the whole experience, we are happy to endorse Playa Cayo Santa Maria, and this is the only resort we'll stay at in Cuba from now on. :-)

Gets better overtime

Playa cayo santa maria We have stayed at this resort 10 times so far and we will keep coming back. From the time we entered the hotel and were greeted by the front counter, it was fast and efficient to get our keys and room. We were quickly driven along with our luggage to our room in the fantastic building 7. Once inside our room it was clean and very nice. Our chambermaid would always decorate our room with towel animals. We saw many friendly faces that are still working at Playa an [... read more]d were happy to see each other. We quickly went to see the gorgeous beach before heading back to the front customer service office as our air conditioning was not to cooling the room enough and also to make our ala cartes reservations. We dealt with both Marta and Yillian, who fixed the air conditioning in our room very quickly and also make our dinner reservations. These two work very hard with long hours and many clients to please but they do it with smile and kindness. At the beach bar we were met by Paulino ( drink, drink, drink) who was fast with our orders. The lifeguards, Rafael, Adrian, Dido, Luis, Jovi and Roberto were very professional on making sure that everyone was safe in the water. We did see a couple of people stung by jellyfish ( the lifeguards were quick with vinegar to sooth the sting.) The beach is truly stunning with white sand that feels like powder and the blue water, you must see it for your own eyes. You can walk for kilometers both ways, which is a must for us. We did go to the pools a couple of times and met a server (Ernesto) who remembered us from our last visit. The entertainment staff led by the charming and vibrant Lisdania who was always entertaining. Along with the other entertainment staff of Chino, Mayluvi, Suso, George, Delvis and of course Duniel. They all work hard in the sun to provide customer interaction by dancing and singing. We did have the pleasure of having dinner with Lisdania and Duniel, which you can arrange as it , was great to interact with them and learn more about the resort and Cuba itself. We did go to the repeat clients dinner and we finally made it to the top five repeat clients that week coming in third. We did go to the disco in the main new plaza one night with the staff and other clients on vacation. This was enjoyable but, We do miss the disco that they used to have in the Cigar bar. One night they had a beach party with a foam machine, which was a lot of fun. On one of our last nights the had a live band playing at the beer garden playing 50’s to 90’s songs which was very entertaining. At the beer garden we saw an old server Javier who we met many years ago. We did go to the Romantico, Italian and Asian restaurants during our stay and the food was excellent. Were greeted by the always friendly and smiling face of Yarely and the staff of Dago, Yurleidy, Yosebel, Katy and Liuvi who were always professional and helpful on dinner choices. With the help of Duniel who suggested the risotto which was delicious. It is great that the hotel promotes staff as we met Yosebel when he was a beach server and Yarely when she was working in the main buffet. At the 24-hour snack bar Omar and Yoxely who were always helpful and quick with their service greeted us. This year we discovered the small restaurant for lunch beside the 24-hour snack bar that served but a delicious soup and nice paella meal for lunch ( you must try this) We were served by Lisbeth who was always smiling and friendly. The main buffet was moved to the ranchon playa for breakfast, lunch and dinner during our stay as the main buffet was undergoing major renovations to make it better. It was nice to have those meals while enjoying the breeze and the view of the ocean. The staff there was great with a special thank you to Pedro, Mercedes, Landy, Raidelyn, Yainary who went out of their way to make us feel welcome. And of course our favorite smoothie lady Gretel who was always ready to make our favorites. There was plenty of selection of food. People have to remember that food and fruits are seasonal in Cuba and not like any other country where you can buy anything out of season. On a plus side the food that you are eating is pretty well all organic and not been genetically modified. There is so much more flavor. At the main lobby we had many cappuccinos and drinks served by the friendliest servers who were always smiling despite it being very hot. Thank you again Leo, Lusieny, Sergio, Yosbel, Aniran and Yanniesy. We met many new friends on vacation from Germany, England and Canada whom we enjoyed their company and exchanged information and who knows maybe we will meet again at Playa We did try the Cuban restaurant at the front of the hotel and were not disappointed. It is a great place and intimate .( please note that there is an extra cost to this but it was worth it). The chicken or pork was delicious along with the rice. The servers of Ronnie, Noel and Marleny were very helpful. Hats off the to the Chef who prepared the meal. For desert Noel asked if we ever tried a Cuban desert called Majarete, which we replied no. He described what it consisted of and that he used to eat it as a child with his grandmother. It was delicious and should be tried if you get the opportunity. From that point on my wife craved it again. When we spoke with customer service Marta and Yillian they informed us that it was only served in the Cuban restaurant and but, they would try to see if my wife could have it again. On one of last nights Ronnie found us in the lobby and asked my wife if she wanted Majarate again. Without hesitant she went to the Cuban restaurant and had her new favorite dessert. It is the small things that make a difference to clients and this hotel and Marta, Yillian and Ronnie went out of their way to make it happen and this is why return so many times to Playa. Luckly many years ago Debbie McGuire suggested we try this resort and we were not disappointed. In fact we have returned 10 times to Playa Cayo Santa Maria

Beautiful resorts

While we travelled going to the resorts the view is beautiful,its a good experience to see this beautiful scenery and we are excited to see the resorts,I was amazed when we arrived to the resorts.All the employees are very nice and friendly.,everythings wonderful,they have recreation for the kids,the pools,beach is beautiful,The kids enjoyed everyting, the foods were okey and the room is very clean and cozy.

Amazing resort

Very nice hotel, very clean areas, amazing staff and great food. Staff are very flexible and would always accommodate our request. Kids love the food in the specialty restaurants. It was wavy on the beach during our vacation but our overall stay were great. Thank you to all staff for accommodating all our request.

Loved it!

I have been to Cuba 7 times now - 6 different resorts, and 4 different cities. Playa Cayo Santa Maria was by far the best resort I have stayed at in Cuba so far. The beach is gorgeous with plenty of chairs and not only a beach bar, but BBQ as well. The people are so friendly, and the food was great. Can't say enough about it.

Wonderful 4th Visit

My husband and I were here for our 4th visit July 6th-13th and had a fabulous time. I was fortunate to win this trip from our local radio station 96.7 Chym FM and Tripcentral and was very excited since we had visited 3 prior times and knew what a great resort this is. We upgraded to the Monte Cristo club so when we arrived we were whisked off for a private check in. This is where we met beautiful Elaine one of the customer service representatives. I had been in contact with Elaine before we arri [... read more]ved via email and she remembered our name immediately. Through the week we got to know Elaine and look forward to our next visit. Yailet, who is also in customer service was also very lovely and set up many of our a la carte dinners. The resort is still as beautiful as our previous visits with the grounds lush and inviting. Many beautiful birds and butterflies to be seen. We were fortunate to be able to dine at the a la carte restaurants most evenings with the exception of our return guests dinner. This resort really does appreciate their return guests and make them feel very important. I was amazed how many staff remembered us even though it has been over 3 years since our last visit. We were also invited to a return guests lunch which was absolutely fabulous. The beach is second to none, long beautiful flat beach in both directions where you can walk for miles. We did this one day and wouldn't recommend during mid day, lol. Food and drinks were great, we have no complaints there at all. The ice cream hut is great - lovely to see Katy every afternoon! Great staff at the snack bar, so many friendly faces to name! Housekeeping was great, had some issue with our door and they went out of their way to help get into the room. I would highly recommend this resort and we are looking forward to our next visit! Hola Elaine - love you!

Great resort.

The resort was beautiful, with 4 huge pools and a long stretch of beach. Staff was extremely friendly. The rooms were okay, the two twin beds were slightly uncomfortable. The buffet food was not the greatest, but the snack bars and ala carte restaurants were much better.

Feels like home

The grounds are kept very well and the staff is extremely sweet and treat you like best friends. The rooms need to be updated but the beach makes it so worth it. Nicest beach I’ve been to ever. Lobby has specialty coffee and great service.

Beautiful resort would definitely go again

Beautiful beaches, lovely staff, over all a great atomasphere, the pools were gorgeous would definitely go back in a heart beat. Just got back yesterday at 2 in the morning and I am so having widthdrawls :(

Well worth your vacation dollars

Beautiful beach very clean and lots of entertainment Beautiful pools great mini bars Beautiful lounge great service, all day entertainment Beautiful coffee shop just off the lounge Good food on the beach and 24 hr restaurant

Nice Resort...but

This was our second year at Playa Cayo Santa Maria. We stay for two weeks and enjoyed our vacation...good to kick back and do what you felt like doing! I do like the resort, the rooms and the extras for being a repeat customer. Last year I did not enjoy the beach as much as there was a rocky area to navigate down to the shore...the Hurricane (Irma) really did the resort a favour by wiping out the rock hill along the shore and now nothing but sand and a slight incline down to the water. We l [... read more]ove everything about this resort, especially the smaller pools, the food, drink etc., but this year we found that the resort was allowing Cuban locals (their families) into the resort for a couple of days...it could have been because of the time of year that we vacation (last two weeks of April). Apparently a number of resorts are doing this...well, I don't know about you, but there is a certain protocol you follow when vacationing in the islands. For example, we found that the locals would eat and drink around the pools and leave their plates and cups exactly where they were and not clean up after themselves. This quite often attracted the seagulls. Many times vacationers were found cleaning up after the locals...As well, we found at times that the locals were being catered to before the vacationers... Think that we will try another area/resort for next year and ask the question of our agent...Are the locals being allowed into the resort? Seems funny as no employees of the resorts in Cayo Santa Maria stay on the Island...they all travel the Causeway each day.

Excellent resort

We were in Bungalow 5 which was great. The room was spacious, comfortable and the bathroom very functional with dependable hot water. Housekeeping was very efficient. The food was good by Cuban standards and service was very good. Staff everywhere were cordial, friendly and helpful. Only complaint was poor internet service.

Beautiful Resort

We first visited P.C.S.M 2 1/2 years ago and recently returned from our second visit. The resort was even better than before. With beautifully maintained grounds, clean & comfortable rooms and warm friendly staff, we highly recommend PCSM!

Good

The resort is clean and well kept. We requested for 2 double bed but got a queen size bed.food and drinks are so so. The resort is too far from the airport, therefore wasted 2 hours by bus. The drinks are too bland and food are repeatitious.the beach is fabulous.

Very nice resort!

The beach was beautiful and the sun was very intense after so many days there, I understand why the Cubans wear clothing from head to toe. The beach was very rocky from the bar to the huts and was hard to walk so be careful of those white rocks hidden in the white sand as I stubbed and badly bruised my toe while there many times. Beach volleyball on the beach was a lot of fun and they would try and get you up and get you to exercise on the beach, thanks to the entertainment staff on the beach.  [... read more]There was two food hunts on the beach one that had hamburgers and one that had hotdogs and of coarse the bar with many choices of drinks and beer. Tried the hotdogs Panini style they were good but didn't try the hamburgers. The resort was very well kept by the grounds keepers, maids housekeeping and staff. The bus drivers, taxi drivers, the staff on the beach and sun wing tour guide all very helpful. The pizza oven was a treat to have where you could have a pizza prepared in front of you while you waited cooked on homemade pita bread, Snack bar open 24/7 as we arrived late Wednesday morning at 130am and was able to grab something to eat and drink before we went to bed. Cotton candy was a bonus but because of the humidity was melting as fast as we ate it but was a really nice treat. Pools very clean and a nice change from the beach and there were a lot of options for you to pick from. The entertainment was an assortment of performers always able to entertain you and the main lobby was always busy with panio, singers or something. You could also purchase wifi for a hour for 1.50 peso, but sometimes hard to get on internet not always available or to many people on at the same time. You could get on either in the lobby or at the snack bar. Was nice to be able to reach out to your family and be able to say you made it there and were having fun. The ala-carte were a nice change from the buffet, But the buffet you could always find something for you to choose from. Wished there was a few more options to shop at. We did go to nearest shopping area was very hot that day though make sure you are prepared with water and hat. They sell water big bottle at market for 3.50 peso. Was a little disappointed not to find large Cohiba (cigars) at the resort or at the duty free shop or at the airport but purchased small ones instead. There were a lot of excursions to choose from but we didn't do one this time as we just wanted to relax and enjoy the Vitamin D. Cubans spoke a lot of Spanish and French, and some spoke better English than others but we all managed. Enjoyable trip for sure.

Playa cayo our family

We know that many people both good and negative reviews on the hotel but, we have been at this resort eight times and have stayed 11 weeks in total. We know that there are many hotels in Cayo Santa Maria but, listed below are the many reasons why. For starters the hotel is in process of changing the beds for those who thought they were to hard and also changing the brown blankets with new comforters during our stay. As soon as you get off the bus from the airport you are greeted by the lo [... read more]vely ladies Claudia, Yumary in front reception always willing to help out. We did see Mykael who used to work in the Spa but, now in sales. Also Michel, Yusef and Eric who are always willing to take time to ensure that you are enjoying your visit. In the main lobby bar there is Lusieny, Javier, Adrianna, Sergio smiling and asking what they can get you to drink weather it be hot or cold. In the customer service room you have Gustavo, Marta, Yulien who take care of any issues or concerns that you have. The 24-hour snack bar servers, Rafael, Yurquemy, Joicey, Leo and Yipsy always providing excellent service in the restaurant. During one day of the week is Cuban day, which you can have a real Cuban meal in the patio beside the 24 hour snack bar, which was served by Lisbeth. The main buffet food was always hot and had cold food also. During our stay we had fresh mangos, which was nice surprise as many of the crops were damaged from the hurricane and only now are starting to grow and produce again. The staff of Pedro, Gretel, Raidelyn, Yainary were outstanding. We did eat at the Romantico ( Dago and Noel) and Seafood ( Yosbel) provided us with excellent recommendations on choices. The beach is truly stunning to the eyes and there are many palapas to shade you from the sun. The beach has been repaired and there is more sand and easier access for those with mobility issues. The beach bar staff of Paulino and Maidelin, Yosmany also ready to refill your mugs ( drink , drink). As always the guardians of beach ( lifeguards) always alert for our safety. Thank you Rafa, Adrian, Roberto, Dido and Yovi. The gardener (Cobo) and towel exchange ( Yosmani) And of course the animation staff of the very friendly and outgoing Lisdania, Duniel and Delvis The staff goes out of their way to help you to have a good vacation. We know that they see many clients 52 weeks a year and it must be very hard to remember your face but, they seem to recognize and remember you when you arrive and treat you like part of the Playa family. The reason why we listed they names of staff above is that it is always good to see old friends and meet new ones. Lastly, We would like say a special thanks to Marta in customer service and help during our stay, which allowed us to relax and truly enjoy our stay. We will be definitely be returning.