We were originally booked for the Brisas Sierra Mar, but due to circumstances we were transferred to the Brisas Guardalavaca While the resort is beginning to show some of its age, it is well kept. Grounds are beautiful and the groundskeepers are very pleasant. Would not recommend this hotel solely because we prefer smaller resorts. This one was too big for our liking, and very busy.

C'était notre 2ème fois Au Brisas Sierra Mar, un hôtel certes désuet et qui mériterait des rénovations, mais qui offre en contrepartie tant de qualités ! Un bémol pour commencer : vous ne trouverez pas de beau site de plongée immédiatement au Sierra Mar, il vous faudra aller plus loin en mer, prendre une excursion. La nourriture y est franchement bonne sinon variée. Beaucoup de légumes, de choix de viande ou poisson. C'est très correct. On ne trouvera pas poisson plus frais. Les chambres sont correctes. Les employés sont incroyablement gentils ! Tous ou presque ! Les musiciens qui s'y produisent sont talentueux et sympathiques. Le paysage est absolument somptueux à toute heure, la longue plage - lorsqu'on sort des limites - est splendide, les hameaux environnants méritent qu'on s'y promène à la découverte de vrais lieux de vie des Cubains. C'est une zone rurale pauvre, les habitants proposent des échanges de biens et soyez préparés à participer à ces échanges (café, fruits, promenades guidées, contre vêtements, produits d'hygiène, etc.) Sortez du complexe et de vos complexes ! ;) Les excursions sont super. Celle à cheval vers la grotte aux chauves-souris et celle à Santiago. Voici une liste non-exhaustives de produits à apporter trouvables au magasin 1 dollar et + : linge, sacs durables et surtout sacs à dos à donner aux enfants, stylos, papier, savon, produits d'hygiène féminine, ciseaux. Vieux électroniques à réparer. Fil à pêche Cordes pour instruments de musique Boyau pneu de vélo

Our first impression of this hill side resort as we climbed the 100 steps to our room was, "Great view, we gotta change rooms to a lower floor!" The following morning, thanks to Mercedes at the front desk, we were moved to an ocean view room a short, downhill, walk to the beach. The view was stellar! The beach isn't soft powder white sand, it's a bit gritty with some fair sized rocks so I'd recommend swim shoes (something I didn't have). There's a shortage of beach loungers and some are in need of desperate repair, but we're not fussy and always found a shady spot under a palm tree to spend the day. We ate lunch on the beach each day so I have no idea what the lunch buffet was like The food, overall, was good but repetitive and for some reason there wasn't any cheese. We were told by a long stay guest there was cheese two weeks ago but none now. Reason unknown. The bars occasionally did not have certain drinks, so if you're a fan of Cuba Libres or pina coladas you were out of luck some days. However: you could drink the tap water at this resort!! Yes it's true. We did and NO ill affect and I can say that my partner usually gets some gastro trouble in Cuba but not this time. Our room was very clean and well kept but dated. So to sum up: dated resort, amazing location, wonderful staff, centrally located to Santiago and Chivirico (shopping, sightseeing). A lower end 3 star resort BUT we met so many retirees that book long stays (10+ weeks) that definitely says something about the resort staff and location. I would recommend this hotel for budget-minded travellers and those who enjoy venturing off the resort to truly get a feel for Cuba. If you are looking for a luxurious all-inclusive stay in a bubble Brisas Sierra Mar isn't for you. If you want to EXPERIENCE Cuba, not just visit,this resort is for you. My partner and I enjoyed our vacation and will go back again. But I know my friends, and they'd expect more than Brisas Sierra Mar had to offer which is the ONLY reason I answer "No, I would not recommend this hotel to a friend." I would recommend this hotel to travellers who want to know the real Cuba and its people.

We love this place. A small resort,quiet and relaxing.The staff was anazing.This was our third time at the resort. We met fantastic people and will definitely return next year.?We were a little disappointed that the bogeguita restaurant was closed

Love this resort It's are go to place, The friendliest there and always see familiar faces Its to be recognized by some of the staff. Been to other resorts in Cuba but this one pulls at my Heart strings, I have no desire to visit any other resort in Cuba, the scenery will take your breath away

The hotel needs work, there are definite maintenance issues. Service overall is good. Sadly, my largest compliant would be the large amount of Cuban nationals that enter the hotel now. They have little too no respect or regard for anyone! They act terribly to be honest . Many of us (visitors) have been mistreated, and left disappointed.The staff seem to have little to no control over this. I do not recommend booking at high holiday times eg : christmas, st valentine.

I’ve been many places in Cuba and I keep returning to Sierra Mar because of its location. The mountains are beautiful. I cycle early every morning and return to the resort before it gets too hot and before breakfast ends. No Cuban hotel is perfect and there are challenges. Food is fine but it’s a country dealing with a blockade from the most powerful country in the world, now in the hands of a vindictive leader so it’s limited in its selection. Fruits and vegetables must be acquired locally and must be in season. Don’t expect avocado and kiwi. Having said this, they should have guava and bananas but they only have it once in a blue moon. Rooms are fine. I’ve been given an ocean view room. Service depends on individuals; some are great at it, others don’t give a damn. Great beach to walk and swim. It’s safe to wander. Take a trip to Santiago, either on your own or with an organized group. Cigars sold by locals are not banana leaves as some may tell you. They may not be the brand the label says but they are Cuban cigars. Cubans need everything from electrical outlets to bicycle tires. Bring something to give away, not only toiletries and pencils. Both Sunwing and Air Transat are fine. Got stranded by both because of mechanical issues but Air Transat put us up in hotels instead of sleeping on the terminal floor. Weekends are busy with Cuban customers but there’s space for everybody. It might be a good time to book an excursion.

I love the resort and all the staff and have been going here for the last 4 years. The last couple of years they have been allowing some of the more affluent Cuban families come to the resort on the weekends and this year I am afraid it was more than just on the weekends. As I said I love Cuba and most Cubans, but I do not like the attitude of the more affluent ones that are allowed weekend passes or day passes. There are far too many and they are loud, rude and obnoxious and filthy. They throw garbage all over the resort and they pile their plates high with food in the Buffet area. No one could possibly eat the amount piled on their plates and we have seen them put large amount of food in their bags or purses to take home. This leaves a shortage of foods for the rest of us They also take cups silverware and other things out in their purses. We get up the next morning and there are no coffee cups to have coffee. They also sit at in the pool at the pool bar all day and evening and not once do I see them get out to use the bathroom, so you know what is happening in the pool while they are drinking all day and never getting off their bar stools The poor staff are run ragged trying to keep up with everyone and they are not happy with the amount that are let into the resort. I do not feel this way about all Cubans. I visited 3 villages while I was there this year, as I had brought children's clothing to help some of those in need. These families are wonderful and so appreciative for anything. They also want to give us gifts of fruits they grow there. So different from the ones they allow into the resort. I am afraid I will be looking at other Cuban resorts next year as I cannot handle this one anymore. At one time I would have recommended this resort but not anymore.

Rooms were clean, staff friendly, food was definitely better than on our previous visits. Eco ala cart restaurant was excellent as usual. There is something magical about eating outdoors, in a lovely garden, with excellent and personal service by wait staff and chef, with only 4 tables. NOT TO BE MISSED, if you have the chance.

We were in Brisas Sierra Mar February 5 to 12. Resort was as good as always (it was our 5th vacation here). First 3 days there were waves, preventing us from snorkeling, so we played volleyball in the pool 10-12 and 3-5 pm. It was fun. The last 3 days water was clear and we were snorkeling for hours each day. Food was good - lot of salmon, shrimps, calamari. Pork and chicken were very good, as always. No fruit due to problems with had in Cuba, but we traded our old clothes with fruit with local guys. Walk to the waterfall was great, we came there twice. Staff was very helpful. Ana from beach restaurant El Yarey makes best Spanish coffee. We enjoyed our vacation.

A great place with spectacular scenery. The staff is trying very hard to keep everything working properly. With no help from the Government, who runs the place, it is almost impossible. It needs work everywhere. Do not expect to get 5 stars for a 3 star price. You get what you pay for. The people that work there are all outstanding. The music around the pool area could be a little less loud, but they listen and turn it down when told. On weekends they have some Cuban Families as guests. Sometimes that is a disaster. They are throwing their garbage, empty plastic cups etc. everywhere. They are very loud and it's understandable since it probably doesn't happen often in their lives that they can stay a day with free drinks and food. Sadly, there are no salt and pepper shakers left after their visits and forks and knifes also disappear. One of the bartenders went all over the place to find 2 glasses because he is responsible for them. If missing, he has to pay for them. There are shortages everywhere, but that is Cuba. The people working at Brisas go out of their way to please the guests. We missed the fresh fruit that we had in the past. It's almost gone. Even Bananas and oranges are in short supply lately. Fish very rare. Papayas we had on only three days in four weeks. The wine and beer is good.

The Brisas Sierra Mar is in a lovely location and the weather is warmer at this time of year than the more northern resorts in Cuba which we have also visited. The people are friendly and as resourceful as they can be. The embargoes placed on them by the US have created shortages. The food is average and adequate but we return there because of the weather and feeling safe even outside the resort. There was a problem with people reserving beach chairs- even the evening before. The music was great and there were lots of activities if one wished to participate. We went to salsa dance on the wrong day and one of the animators found someone who gave us a shortened lesson simply as a goodwill measure. We had many wonderful hikes through the countryside. There were seven of us and we were well looked after by the staff so we had a lovely time at the resort.

The hotel is dated but very relaxing. Great showers, clean towels every day, good variety of food at buffet, great beach nd good snorkling. Second time there and will be returning again because of the weather. Nice guests from all different places. Staff friendly and great music. Sunwing reps need to be more informative at info sessions concerning things-ex: can you drink the water? , excursions, money exchange. etc. Will be returning next year !!!

The hotel itself is situated I'm a very nice piece of property overlooking the ocean the beach was good some weedy spots but you and navigate around them. When area of improvement will certainly be the beach chairs there was never enough of them and they look like the original chairs from when the resort was built in 1991! The food was good and overall the service was also good. I would come back here

The grounds and surrounding area were beautiful! The hotel was very dated and beds and pillows not the best. Live music was frequent and excellent! There was a shortage of beach chairs which was the cause of some fighting among guests. Overall, the place would benefit from better management to ease tensions among guests. The beach was very nice and the staff were excellent. I would give the resort a 3 star rating.

Our 3rd visit to this resort. We were pleased with almost everything - food and drinks were good, friendly personnel as usual. However, we have one huge complaint about the beach chairs (so did many of the other guests). Firstly, there are not enough chairs for the guests, and the chairs that they do have, half of them are broken or at the point of being unusable. It is very disappointing that nothing has changed with the awful chair situation since our first visit to this resort three years ago. If we would recommend this hotel to anyone, it would have to be with a warning about the lack of chairs on the beach.

This was my 5th time at this resort. As opposed to my past visits, this resort has slid a little downhill, figuratively speaking. There were nowhere near enough beach lounge chairs on the beach causing people to come down just after sunrise to put their possessions on chairs to reserve them. This did not always work. There was no orange juice, often no mango juice, no lettuce, often no cucumbers. However, there was a good variety of meats, root vegetables, and breads. One major change that affects smokers is the sudden change from allowing smoking almost everywhere to forbidding smoking in all rooms and at the main lounge. I understand that there are many people who do not smoke and who have difficulty with the contaminated air. However, they could have gone half way with smoking and non-smoking rooms and public areas.

The place didn’t improve much since our last visit. We had some repairs done ( fallen head board, broken light switches) turning the light on head board fell down bruising my right hand. It took couple days to have it fixed. The last night we had rain water leaking on the hallway floor. BUT, nothing can beat the weather ! Very nice nightly entertainment. Very loud music by the pool .

First the airline. Sunwing plays with Canadian luggage. Our flight they lost nine bags the longest mine six days with no bathing suit only one pair of shorts one t shirt and no sandals. Oh compensation they give you a Visa card with money on it but only at store in hotel and in town but since your name was not on it could not use. I am 6 ft 7 in 285 lbs,they had nothing I could buy and card expired in 8 days,and elite ,you paid extra for this and luggage was to be first off. I had so much stress from all of this I had a heart attack. Next the resort needs lots of work to be done but they do not do it. When Cubans came on weekend they stole cutlery,salt and pepper shakers plates glasses it was endless. They would even pick up food out of buffet then put it back. The weekends suck there was slime on top of water in pool. So bad would not go in pool. Will NEVER fly sunwing again,very disappointed. Good deal not to good hotel.

Nice resort beautiful scenery and very relaxing the staff we're very friendly and very helpful , the rooms were a little bit outdated but work out ok. The service and the food was amazing overall I give it a four out of five would definitely recommend the Resort

good food ,good entertainment, great staff from the managers to the cleaning staff. beautiful scenery. great for a reasonable price get way, you could spend more money but it has everything you need sun, sand, good food and great staff.

This was my first time to this resort. The resort itself is very outdated and the rooms need an upgrade but they work with what they have and my room was clean and tidy. The first room we were given had no shelving in the bathroom, no blankets, rotten food in the fridge and the safe was ripped out of the wall. I was moved to a new room the next day with no problems. The hotel clerks were very helpful. The overall experience of all the staff and servers was wonderful. Everyone is very nice and they try to make you feel welcome. I have been to other resorts in Cuba and I found the food at this resort much better. The pool is cleaned everyday. I stayed away from the beach area due to the sand fleas and seeing all the hurt dogs and cats broke my heart. I went to this resort for some relaxation in the sun and that's exactly what I got! The views at this resort are amazing.

Nice rooms.Very clean resort.Staff very friendly staff.I would say mostly older couples.Beach was grey sand also very small not a great beach for long walks.Lobby bar had excellent musical entertainment.

The Hotel was good, we wanted another bed for my son and it was arranged immediately. The rooms were cleaned well, water pressure excellent, hot water always available, public bathrooms well-maintained. Staff were very friendly, never obnoxious or assuming. Food was excellent, great choices, including meatless, always available. Fruit - great variety! The beach equipment (peddle-boats, etc. always accessible and in good condition). The only problem I had was the bugs on the beach, - regretted not taking the insect repellent with us. Water shoes is a must for that beach, as there are some urchins, etc. in the water, - great snorkelling though!

We first went to Brisas Sierra Mar in April 2015. At that time, the hotel was in a bit of disrepair: they had been hit hard from hurricane Sandy (IIRC?!?) a few years earlier, and the resort showed some signs of decay. Pool was in need of repair, rooms A/C went down, water interruptions, etc. Upon returning this year (2019), we found the place to have been significantly repaired, with the pool liner redone, new coats of paint all around, and as always the grounds were well maintained and the modest beach well manicured. We took daily hikes and bike rides, enjoyed snorkeling and swimming, attended a fiesta in the town below the resort, and in general enjoyed the atmosphere. The only slip-up was the water pump failed the morning of our departure. In Cuba, these things happen. One has to accept the infrastructure is old, and in general, never gets updated or upgraded. That said, a very minor inconvenience throughout s week’s stay. The staff were very kind and helpful. On the south shore, this resort has the best food - 4 years ago, and this year as well. We have been disappointed many times elsewhere, but Brisas Sierra Mar consistently had the best food we have experienced on the southern shore 5 times now. BTW - there are ‘shortages’ in Cuba: the situation with Venezuela and Chavez’s death has caused ‘trade’ problems, and no known solutions have been worked out as yet. Hopefully Cubans can see a better future with their prospects, and some element of predictability and sustainability comes out of it. Tourism appears to be their ‘golden egg’, and supports a ton of Cubans, on and off the resort. Please tip generously: the staff work hard, and they desperately need your tips to assist in making daily ends meet. We go to Cuba for their traditional music and dance, and are rarely disappointed. The shows on site are good, and the music, dancers, magicians and entertainers are well-rehearsed and are performing at a high level. The only downside is lack of PA/mics etc for singers (off the main-stage, but regarding acoustic performers around the resort) - unless they are very strong vocalists, they tend to be drowned out by percussion, and the odd instrumentalist (tres/violin/electric guitar) that bring an amp to the gig. To keep the playing field level, the singers deserve a mic, or the instrumentalists should forget amplification. They’ve been doing it acoustically for centuries - why re-invent the wheel? All in all, we really enjoy our time at this resort, and most likely we will return here. Absolutely stunning scenery, sunsets and sunrises, and the staff are the best we’ve encountered in all of the southern Cuba destinations we’ve been to. NOTE: if you travel to Cuba, PLEASE - bring a big flight case and fill the extra space with: shoes, kids clothing, adult clothing, and VERY IMPORTANT - BICYCLE TUBES AND/OR TIRES. Used 26/175 standard issue tires and tubes are like gold to the Cubans. Please, do what you can to help these people with some very basic items. Cheers, and happy travels!

This hotel is in a gorgeous wild location - just ocean and mountain views, hence the name. Lots of amenities and activities, great food and thoughtful little additions to the experience. Snorkelling, hiking to waterfalls, cycling, sea kayaking all make for a well rounded vacation.

While the resort may seem a touch run down, the rooms have a lovely view of the Carribean from their balconies and staff and music more than make up for the lack of maintenance and occasional problems with the elevators. This is a place where many can have extended stays and build lasting relationships. Overall - a wonderful time!!

This would not be the resort most people would like.If you want luxury accomadations,excellent food,lots of activities,white sand beach you wouldn't come here. If you want friendship,adventure, relaxation and the best weather and the most beautiful scenery this is the place to come. I have been here 9 times and each time has been a different experience.The staff are amazing,All the little hitches make it part of the experience.?Will the elevator work this year.What food will or will not be available?This is the adventure and if you bring a bike (leave for someone)you can explore the villages around and cycle being perfectly safe.Great cycling with a challenge on hills. Take a chance and visit this resort.I will certainly be returning next year.What adventure awaits me!!!!!!!!!

Visa NOT accepted at the hotel as shown in the tripcentral info sheet. Almost ran out of money. Room assigned without consultation while on the bus Oceanview room stipulated, not provided. Our room overlooked the main hotel and parking lot. Earplugs used. Five flights of stairs, no elevator. Upon arrival, asked for a different room, as we have mobility issues. Front desk staff rudely rejected our request, both upon arrival and the next morning. They actually argued that you could see the ocean if we craned our necks and looked real hard. We have been to Cuba a number of times and recognize that it is usually a bargain priced destination. The specific hotel incurred significant damage during hurricane Sandy and repairs have not been completed, which we understand completely, given the realities of Cuba. Call for more detail.

This hotel offered a wide variety of food. The hotel staff are so very friendly and helpful. The pool is in good condition and well maintained by the pool staff. The rooms are comfortable and always kept extremely clean.

Great great service and experience amazing Beach people. people working at the reception desk extremely helpful spoke well English. I greatly enjoyed Cuban people and their great and respectful attitude towards me.

The grounds are very nice and the setting is very pretty. Staff is friendly and helpful. Beds are a bit hard and unforgiving. Water sports are very good. Sailing trip on the small catamaran was wonderful. It was hard to get a reservation for the a la carte restaurants. Entertainment was okay - the walks and hikes were very good. The repeat customer event had good entertainment but the dinner could be improved.

This was a great resort food was good shows were good people were great and the view was amazing. We did run out of internet cards but had more bye the end of the week. If you want a quiet week with lots to do this is the place

The people were older quiet the view was amazing and staff were great, would go back for sure my wife would love it lots to do and food was good a little short on toiletries nearness the end. Went to san Diogo on the Cuban bus saved huge the bat cave trip well worth it as you meet people they all help you

Hotel was great value for the money. Enjoyable atmosphere and staff was extremely friendly. Food was good and there was plenty of variety. Hotel staff was always there to make your stay enjoyable. Entertainment staff made sure a good time was had by all

very poor beds, but great weather and views it was worth seeing , I recommend for this money. Fantastic stage performances and good rest , good trip to relax , friendly people , beach little, the water in ocean is warm and clean

We loved this resort the incredible views, the people, lush vegetation and the variety of excursions available. We had an ocean view room in the lower building and it was great...small but no issues with water or electricity or A/C. The snorkeling on the reef was amazing and not far from the resort. We liked the food...lots of chicken, pork, had roast turkey a couple of nights. The beach restaurant had limited offerings and ran out of pizza so we never got to try it. The music in the lobby was great....one group had an amazing violinist. We will definitely be going back here!

Returned customer, familiar faces all over, people staying there for up to 5 months, good budget hotel but far from everything, shortage of toilet paper this time, hotel was full in February and they had more food than usual, my place to escape winter

The hotel location is great. It is between warm sea and mountains and the views are amazing. The service and food are adequate for the money paid. The sea water was very warm at the end of January and we were swimming with grandkids in sea every day. There is an affordable horse riding service for kids. During heavy rain, our room on the first floor was flooded and we were moved fast to the second floor. Then we returned back to the first floor room after room cleaning on the next day. The water in shower was not always hot. We will go back again to this hotel as we like warm sea, mountain views and friendly service.

This was our 2nd visit to this resort, but have to admit our first visit was better. Pros: Great location & views. Services were good. As usual, personnel is friendly. Shows and musical entertainment were also good. Good selection of meat dishes, fruit and desserts. A-la-carte restaurants were very good. Cons: Buffet lacked hot/cooked vegetables. Except for breakfast, food was mostly cold or barely warm. Beach: The most disappointing was that almost half of the beach lounges were ripped/broken. On top of that, there are definitely not enough chairs on beach. The reservation of lounges must be stopped, since most of the chairs are tied together already the day before. So you dont’t get a chair even if you are down at the beach at 8:00. This would not be the case if there would be enough useable chairs for everyone. There are plenty of chairs in the pool area, so why can’t the same be said for the beach area? I go to Cuba for the sun, warmth and especially to swim in the ocean (not to sit at pool, which I can do at home), so not having a chair to sit at the beach is most frustrating. This is the main reason why I would be hesitant to return or recommend this resort.

Our stay at Brisa Sierra Mar caused mixed feelings. We decided to stay in this hotel, because 20 years earlier we admired the beautiful coral reef over there. We were using a paddle boat to get to them and snorkeled there. However, while on the trip by a boat to the coral reef, it turned out to be dead, dark and unpleasant. The reef area was like an old burial ground. Also the beach disappointed us. Twenty years ago there was a beautiful yellow sand there. Now the beach is covered with gray sand. It is probably a result of erosion once beautiful colourful coral reef. Maybe reef decays, turns into sand that is thrown on the shore. Of course, the death of the coral reef is not Cubans fault, but the higher temperature of sea water. The water in the sea was warm, but near the shore the water was not clear because of dark sand. There was an insufficient number of lounges on the beach. Many lounges were damaged although they could be repaired at small expense. Similarly with life jackets with straps and buckles broken or damaged making them impossible to use. We borrowed a two- person kayak, unfortunately one of the paddles was repaired improperly and it was difficult to use. To summarize, there was equipment for water sports but lack of maintenance did not allow us to use it with pleasure. After using a paddle boat outside the small bay at the hotel we encountered considerable plastic in the water here and there. Similarly, around the beach there were lying plastic pieces from damaged lounges. How badly the hotel needs proper maintenance was shown when the rain poured for half of the day. The corridor of the front building at the beach with ocean view windows was completely flooded with water, similarly two rooms on both ends of the corridor (they were unusable). In front of the elevators and in the hall there was deep water. We had #134 room and dirty water came out of plumbing filling the shower tray and flooding the bathroom floor. The staff was extremely nice and eager to please the holidaymakers. We went on a trip to Santiago de Cuba organized by Hola Sun. The tour guide Tania Vivar Perez was very knowledgably, could answer each of our questions and was very nice. Although we heard stories about the revolution every time we visited Cuba for last 25 years, we listened with interest to her version of it. We were very happy with the trip thanks to her. We were happy see that the hotel replaced a Cuban cutting grass with a machete in the mid day heat with free running horses which were also pleasant attraction.

OUTSTANDING SCENERY, SUPER PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE. Brisas Sierra Mar is one resort with the most repeating guests in the Caribbean's, true. People come here because they like to encounter a power failure once in a while, or serviettes instead of toilet paper, (none was available for days), or water running in to their rooms when it rains, as it happens for many years now, because the roofs need fixing badly. They come here to eat anything else but noodles, they were not available anywhere at this time, not even spaghetti. There are no ways to dry your hands in the public toilets, use your shirt. There are plugged up sinks and showers in the room, and seldom will you get warm water to shower. Bicycles are free, but almost fall apart and are somewhat dangerous to drive. There are very slippery floor tiles everywhere when it rains, and some people did break bones when they slipped and fell on them. I know of three persons while I was there. Some guests must be coming back to listen to music around the pool area that is louder then a jet taking off and just goes boom, boom, boom, boom, on and on and basically is preventing anyone from simply relaxing after lunch. Some guests are actually coming back year after year and stay for a few month. They are the tough ones and probably have hearing problems already from years gone by. The people working at the resort are outstanding and know most guests by name because of the many gifts they bring for them year after year. It is also my reason for going back there. Do not expect gourmet meals at Brisas. Food is very basic, but good. If one likes to go back in time to a more simple way of life, this is the place to go too. One can sit on the main highway for 30 minutes without having to move for a vehicle, but may be passed by some goats, pigs, a bike or a horse. What I wrote here are not complains, but simply observations, because I have been coming back to Brisas for the last 20 years and I still like it somewhat, but lately less and less because of the stupid security searches at the Santiago Airport on arrival. One has to go down a few flights of stairs to reach the beach or take an elevator that mostly doesn't work. The old one was replaced recently, but the new one seems to have the same problems. The resort is in desperate need of a major repair, overhaul and upgrade Since it is owned by Cuba this will probably never happen as this also goes for the rest of the country. The most annoying thing are the security searches at the Santiago Airport, just coming from Toronto. Everyone is going through the same procedures again as we just did on the Toronto departure. Do the Cubans think that we stop in midair to pick things up? It would be the only reason not to go back to Cuba for me, it feels degrading and absolute stupid to have to go through this procedure twice. The Cuban people are warm and open to visitors. The Cuban Government is trying everything to make life as miserable as possible to the tourists visiting their country, and that is very sad.

Very clean, tasty food, good service, furniture needs some repairs. Friendly people very interesting and catchy entertainment well organized excursions. Like the chances of using the bicycles , paddle boats, kayaks and interesting snorkeling. Certainly would like to come back , for a longer stay.

Explicably clean in all areas of resort including public washrooms. The grounds were beautiful. Lovely vegetation everywhere. The restaurant buffet was huge and we loved the buns from the homemade bun and bread area. The food was average and we didn't try everything because we were not sure what the ingredients were. I wanted to try out the al la carte restaurants but it didn't happen. The pool was a lot of fun. We played volleyball with friends and enjoyed their swim up bar. Lots of lounge chairs around the pool and plenty of room. You didn't feel that you were right up against the next person. I was disappointed in our room. The closet doors kept getting stuck and were difficult to open and close easily. It was immaculate clean and the chamber maids did a great job of making sure we had everything we needed. Wonderful view of the ocean from the second floor balcony. Who spends much time in their bedroom anyway! Every night we listened to entertainment in the overly large lobby that was open to the fresh night air. We had spanish coffees at the lobby bar and sat in comfortable couches and chairs. They have to repair those elevators though. They broke down the day we checked out with all our luggage, but had staff right there available to carry our luggage up three flights of stairs to the lobby. One week went by quickly. We will definitely return here for two weeks.

Loved the service, the people and the views which were amazing!! Drinks were great if they didn’t run out of what U wanted which happens. What I ate had great taste but not a lot of variety. The Auquatic show was amazing and a couple of the evening shows were very good. The weather was amazing for January no days under 30 degrees. Would definitely recommend if U are Ok with 3 and half stars as the resort itself was fun and the views were worth the stay!!

I had a lovely time and I cant wait to go back. It's so laid back and relaxing. This resort is situated in the most beautiful setting overlooking mountains and ocean. The staff are all very friendly and always helpful. They are all great, from front to dining to cleaning and gardening to poolside and maintenance. Very personable. The entertainment team are fun too. We were there for New Years and the resort was filled to the brim. They managed to pull off a Great feast , a buffet in the courtyard for 400 people. Well done! Entertainment for the night was varied with a beautiful acapella band , a great Cuban band and a fun colorful show at the end. The hotel itself is tired but it is clean. The quaint atmosphere and stunning setting makes up for that. If you are looking for fancy, this is not the place for you, I have been to a quite a few fancy resorts in other countries and I fell in love with this place. The food can be bland but it is good. There is plenty of food and I enjoyed it all. Dont compare it to Toronto restaurants, because if that's what you want, stay in Toronto. Again everyone was so friendly all around. The one and only thing that bothered me was the obvious presence of Cuban "call girls". I know it exists in every country, but here it is too much. It should not be allowed in the resort and the guys (and the odd lady) using it , are an embarrassment in my view, do that in private if you must. Taking day trips is fun , safe and easy. My absolute favorite is this little seaside restaurant called Vista Del Sol in Chivirico. Authentic, delicious, and just stunning. I cant wait to go back!!!!

Theirs was my second time at Brisas. I must say that the hotel rooms have not been updated at all since my first trip. It has been six years. The courtains are still the same, the bed sheets old, stained and with holes. Furniture old and falling apart. I tried to spend the least amount of time in my room. The food was not that great. You had to be there early as they would always run out of food. However, what the hotel lacks in infrastructure it totally makes up with atmosphere and entertainment. They are absolutely great! The beach bartender is super friendly, the animation team are funny, talented and very pleasant. They make you have a great time...Cuban style! The grounds, and I mean the gardens and the mountain views are stunning!!!! Make sure you go on the horse mountain tour with Alfredo.... it is worth every penny. I really want to keep on coming back to this resort but this would be contingent on the hotel doing some serious renovations to their rooms.

Hotel was the same Brisas Sierra Mar. Laid back and very relaxing An enjoyable stay for the money Staff always went out of there way for us during our stay. Resort is clean and pool is repainted. Weather is always great in this area of Cuba and nice and hot

the entire resort is kept clean and tidy, all staff is super friendly. Buffet has lots of variety. The landscape is absolutely stunning. Go for a bike ride and enjoy the scenery. Locals are super friendly, lots of animals like goats, pigs and sheep on the side of the road. A great place to visit and I will certainly go back next year :)

Good 3 star hotel on the south side of Cuba . Scenery is fantastic many returning guests food is average Cuba dark sand beach 2 a la carte restaurants scooter and car rental on site several bars and nightly entertainement panio bar hotel shows signs of aging employees are fantastic

beautiful place to go can,t wait to return the staff was out of this world waiting on you at every turn they were like family the food was fantastic the view is beautiful over looking the ocean and mountains it was a dream vacation thank you to the staff for making our holiday the best

Great hotel for the price. The pool is in need of repair. Hotel staff are exceptional. The food is good. The soup each night is the best ever. It is very convenient to leave the hotel grounds with horse cart rides available.

This resort is beautiful nice panoramic view. I will be going back again. This is my favorite place tranquil and nice people. This is my 2nd time in this resort.Always good experience. The location is fine i like mountains especially the views.

The views at this resort are beautiful. It's easy to look past a few broken tiles, boardwalk and missing paint. We enjoyed our stay here very much. We were told before we went that there wasn't a dive shop on site but there is. We swim in the ocean, so not a big deal but the pool was terrible. Food was good at restaurants and snack bars. People were fabulous of course, it's Cuba. Didn't dive on this trip.

This hotel is on need of repairs. The roof leaks and the hall floors get wet when it rains. One of the two elevators works but the buttons on the 4th floor doesn't work.The staff are amazing and the shows at night are entertaining. The food is typical Cuban 3 star food you won't go hungry. The beach is dark sand and there is a bar and lounge chairs. I've been twice and think it's a great place to relax and recharge. I however will avoid traveling with Cubana as I was stranded in Cuba for 4 days as their aging fleet was grounded after the Havana plane crash. Stick to the airlines that have a proven safety record its worth the extra money. Overall it's a great location and worth a visit.

Great family vacation. Lots to do outside the resort. Horse cart rides to a bee farm and waterfall by horseback were exceptional. Pool needs to be redone to accommodate more people. Staff exceptional and food very good.

Another great experience!! There were Co op students working with the entertainment staff. They made our kids so happy. Playing with them and entertaining in the restaurant made for a lot of laughter. In particular was Leonardo. Great young guy who was very attentive to our young kids. Food was great.

Brisas Sierra Mar is a fantastic resort ; do not expect a noisy boisterous vacation. Expect a relaxed family situation; Food is good; accommodations good, beach is good, Staff is excellent. People return here multiple times ; a great place.

well... this is not a hotel for people that love to take pics of bugs, cracks etc. - if you are looking for perfect, don't go there - if you are looking to become one of the family, do go there. this is a very safe place for anyone with little (or older) kids. it is not a place for anyone looking to party as there are more older folks than younger. if you snorkel or dive, it's a great place, if you like to hike and adventure it's a great place, if you want to just relax, also a great place. if you like stairs and work out, great place! elevators are hit and miss, surroundings are at least for me - wow. food is ok compared to many resorts it's better but it's still not a rui - or another country. take the good with the bad, just enjoy. pool, animation is so so, had better and worse. again, surroundings are super. lots of return guests if that says anything. we have our friends (feels like family by now) there. lots of cracks/bad paint and so on there so again, they are doing their best, but if you like to take pics of that, don't go there.

Have been many, many times. Many of the same smiling, helpful staff as well as great new ones. Weather always perfect. It may be old and a bit run down, but that is Cuba. Food is very good and the view is spectacular.

We've been to Sierra Mar many, many times - at least 20.. We find that the food offered in the main dining hall improves each year, and they are trying new things all the time - kudos to the chefs! The cleaning staff are very good and efficient, the wonderful staff who dish out the flavourful coffee each morning at the main bar are wonderful, the nightly entertainment for the most part appeals to eveyone, the vendors who come to the resort a couple of times a week are pleasant and not pushy. When the resort is full, there are actual fights on the beach for the lounge chairs. I've never seen that before at Sierra Mar, and it was ugly! A good way to avoid that would be what other resorts often do, and stack the loungers every night (Sierra Mar might have to hire another beach staff). Then, when people come down in the morning, there wouldn't be any more of the situation where somebody ties up 4-6 loungers, but doesn't come to use them until very late in the morning, meanwhile other people who are at the beach early can't use these. People were actually screaming at each other; I saw one woman hitting another tourist with her shoes! WHY OH WHY CAN'T ALL THREE ELEVATORS ACTUALLY WORK AT THE SAME TIME! For heaven's sake, pay people who know what they are doing to fix them - ALL - so they run more than a few days at a time. One bank hasn't worked - I think - for three years! The 'day-trippers' who are bussed from Santiago de Cuba, for the most part, need serious lessons in how to behave at a resort -- they hit the dining room like wild animals - often taking ALL the sausages, or pancakes, or plates of cheese; at lunchtime, entire plates of cakes and sweets at dinner - and a lot of it gets shoved into big purses. I know the resort did attempt to curb that by having large bags left at the door a few times, maybe that should happen at EVERY meal when those people come on the weekend. On the subject of the day people, why do they have to throw garbage, plastic glasses and plates, kleenex, etc. all over the paths, the beach and the floor? It's like they haven't learned how to behave when out in public! We have Cuban friends who live in Santiago, and they certainly don't act that way. This year, I went to use the ladies' washroom just off the bar area, and was disconcerted to see a young man (early 20s?) in there with a bunch of his young women (they weren't ladies!) friends, laughing and acting like it was a big joke ( day visitors). When I told him to get out and use the men's, they all just laughed and he refused to. So I went to the front desk and reported it. The desk staff member said she would look into it -- but I watched her - she slowly walked the triangle of pavement near there, talked to a couple of tourists, then came back to me and told me she couldn't do anything because he was "a client". I told her so was I, and I was there for a month, but obviously that didn't count to her. One one of the four stalls in that washroom has a lock on the door, and if I had a daughter who had gone in there, I would have been extremely angry!!!!!!!! I did report this to Sandra, who said she would follow up on it. That was disgusting, and the staff member I first talked to needs to be educated in what to do in situations like that The staff in the beach restaurant are wonderful - and the addition of more hot items to chose from was great! I miss the individual pizzas though! Osmar, the beach bar man who is almost always on dury, is wonderful, and very personable. Pedro, one of the beach staff, works harder than 3 people! He's always raking up the seaweed, cleaning up the cigarette butts on the sand (why do people think it's an ashtray?!) and works very hard and diligently. He's always very pleasant to everyone. The massage lady, Margo, does a great job! We didn't partake of any activities around the pool, perfering to be on the beach during the day, but there seems to be lots to do for everyone!

We loved and enjoyed the hotel and the beautiful surroundings even more so at the 2nd time. People are very friendly. A nice place for total relaxation. However, if you are a foodie you might not appreciate the meals so much. Good idea to bring your favourite spices. We had a great time except this time we traveled with Tripcentral and to our surprise instead of flying us to Santiago de Cuba, which is 45 minutes away from the resort we were flown to Holguin which is 3 hours and 15 minutes of very rough ride away. Since we assumed based on our last vacation experience with Sunwing that we will reach the resort within an hour we weren't prepared for that ride. We landed at 1.30 and arrived to the resort at 6 pm. Arrived totally exhausted hungry and thirsty with headache due to the really rough ride. (No seatbelt) We were the only couple from the whole airplane who was destined for that ride!!! It seems totally unnecessary and unreasonable to fly anyone who will vacation at Sierra Mar to Holguin when there is an airport nearby. It should not be an option at all....but if it is it would be something that the travel agent should discuss with the client. OUR VERDICT We recommend the resort to others, but we don't recommend to trust Tripcentral with your vacation arrengment.

This resort has a number of good restaurants to choose from, including the newly opened Ecological at a mere $5 CUC per person, where the food is truly phenomenal. Not a lot of good options for day trips - you are probably better off haggling with locals - easily found by heading down the road. The resort is clean, staff are friendly, and they do a consistently good job with the entertainment. The lobby always has someone playing music in the afternoon. Typically the resort attracts older Canadians. We went on a day trip to Santiago with an organized tour. The price was $73 CUC, higher than previous years. The island restaurant was crammed, service was poor and very slow. The lunch took easily 1.5 hours, which took time away from the other places that were on the tour. To top that off, both of us got sick - food poisoning we think from the seafood there - as did a few others that tried the seafood dish. This was on Monday, March 5th, 2018. A better value would be just organizing a few people on your own and renting transport to Santiago. General tips: The food is good, some of the staff have had food safety training. Some have not. Watch and when in doubt make sure your burgers/hot dogs are cooked for extra time. Fresh fish is always a safer bet. It's cuba, don't expect a banquet. Always have water and any medications you might need. Outside the resort, lots of folks will only speak spanish, so be ready to learn some or bring a phrasebook. The beach is a wonderful place to explore, expect hawkers selling everything - sometimes questionable quality. Walking past them with a 'no, gracias' will do the trick. That being said, good Rum can be found here at a fraction of government prices. Snorkelling is boring at the beach, but if you keep swimming out a little bit, or take one of the free watercraft, there are some wonderful reefs around the beach area. There are plenty of walking trails in and around the area to explore.

RECEPTION AT THE HOTEL WAS WONDERFUL STAFF ALWAYS AVAILABLE AND COURTEOUS FOOD WAS GOOD (BELIEVE IT OR NOT FOR CUBA) MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS VERY PROMPT AND PROFESSIONAL ROOMS WERE COMFORTABLE TRIP TO VILLAGE - FELT VERY SAFE - ON OUR OWN - WALKED THROUGH THE VILLAGE AND WERE WELCOMED INTO THEIR HOMES WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS RESORT FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO RELAX AND ENJOY A RUSTIC CUBA (MOUNTAINS,BEACHES,SUNSHINE)

This was our second visit to Brisas Sierra Mar. The hotel is 20 years old and has been hit by a few hurricanes so it’s not ‘polished’ but the people are wonderful, staff are friendly and helpful. Our room was just above the beach so we could hear /see the ocean which was lovely. The food was good, with a huge assortment and lots of local flavours to try. Buffet was always three tables long and a roast sliced each meal. The water is clean and drinks are included and ample! On Tuesday we got invited to a wonderful upmarket dinner for return guests - with dancing and a live band.. excellent event!! There were some great excursions to Santiago de Cuba, as well as caves, red sand beach, the nearby village and daily walks into the various local communities. We swam in the pool each day - and this maybe where we both got sick with parasites since the pool water wasn’t as clean as it should be..

If you are coming here for strictly a vacation you will be disappointed.The hotel is rundown and lots of things don't work.Children and people with mobility problems would find it difficult here.At the present time they have no elevators working.Food can be hit and miss.Pool is in need of cosmetic repair. Beach has dark volcanic sand very dirty. There is good cycling and very safe to be on the roads.People are very friendly.

This resort is set in a beautiful location. The mountains, beach and beautiful sunset's stunning views can be enjoyed daily. This is the nicest place I have been to on the island. The resort is about one hour costal drive from the airport. I liked the quick check in from the bus at the airport. It made things so much easier when we got to the resort. My key in hand, I had someone bring our suitcases straight to our room and then headed to the beach! The resort itself is a little tired but kept very clean and the staff is exceptional! From the staff at the front desk to the waiting staff in restaurants, cleaning staff, bartenders and entertainers, they were all there to ensure we had a pleasant stay. They make you feel like family and no wonder they have so many returning customers. A lot of people I met have been returning to this same resort for many years. It is a bit of an older crowd. The food at the buffet was ok. Not a huge selection but satisfying. They have a pasta station and always have a roast of some kind. My experience at the a la carte restaurants were very good. Food was delicious, staff was courteous and they always had someone playing music, which was very nice. They have pizza and fries or banana chips at the grill next to the buffet in the afternoon and the Cuban restaurant by the beach had fish, hamburgers and hot dogs along with a few other dishes of rice beans and meat. I spent most of my time relaxing at the beach but they did have a lot of activities at the pool in the afternoon. There is a band that comes in most nights and plays at the lobby. They also have a show a 9pm every night as well as a disco. There were mosquitos at night and they got me pretty good despite the bug spay I had on. That was truly the only unpleasant thing about my stay. I travel frequently on a budget and have an open mind so I thought this place was great!. I was there with a group of 11 and we all had a great time. Don't expect a 5* and keep an open mind that way you shouldn't be disappointed.

Very good selection of food. Rooms always clean and comfortable. Fabulous staff...always willing to assist. Family enjoyed horseback riding to the waterfall. Kids always busy every day and wanted to stay longer.

I would definitely return here. It is one of the most picturesque resorts I’ve been to. Lots of live music here and there on the resort. Smaller place with an older crowd, very low key and relaxing.

Everything was perfect , clean new linens, plenty of hot water ,hair dresser, massage& pedicure available. This resort has it all with the usual Cuban cuisine.Very good music in the lobby bar( live)Older resort with established gardens . Flights were on time . Elevator working for the whole two weeks.Perfect holiday for us .

Made several trips here now and still find the hotel to be a great place to enjoy and the staff are always going out of there way to make your stay better. Enjoyed the air conditioned dining room. Will definitely be going back

The Hotel was normal busy for January, we didn't go into the pool as it really needs a good cleaning. The room is dated but our Maid took excellent care of us, very clean with fresh towels replaced when required. Food is ok, nothing special but missed fresh fruit as we had mainly canned in the morning. When there was fresh fruit it was hoarded right away by fellow tourists. They did move the egg station away from the hot trays section which is good as it caused a blockage. The staff is great and tries to work with what they have. The grounds are lush as they have recently had a lot of rain, beach dark sand and you will need water shoes to swim in the front, nice area to swim if you walk just past the pier.

THIS IS OUR SECOND TIME AT THIS RESORT.VIP IS WELL WORTH THE ADDED EXPENSE. PLEASE CHECK TRIP CENTRAL FOR THE VIP PACKAGE. EMPLOYEES ARE VERY FRIENDLY, SMALL TIPS ARE VERY APPRECIATED. VACATIONERS ARE MOSTLY OVER 65 YEARS OF AGE. SOME HAVE BEEN GOING TO THIS RESORT FOR MANY YEARS. THERE IS A DOCTOR , NURSE AND DENTIST. SUNWING REPS ARE INFORMATIVE AND OFFER PACKAGES. AS USUSAL YOU CAN FIND TOUR GUIDES NOT FROM THE RESORT OR SUNWING.YOUNG CHILDREN SEEMED TO BE OCCUPIED WITH NO PROBLEMS. LOCAL MUSICANS CAN BE FOUND AT LUNCH AT THE RANCH, ALSO IN THE EVENING AT THE PIANO BAR. REPEAT VACATIONERS HAVE A SPECIAL MEAL AT THE RANCH WITH A VERY GOOD BAND AND DANCERS ON THE LAST NIGHT. EVENING ENTERTAINMENT INVOLVE DANCERS , SKITS, MAGICIAN. I ENJOYED THE VACATION. SO I RECOMMEND IT.

cet hôtel construit en flanc de montagne offre des vues panoramiques autant sur la mer que sur les montagnes de la Sierra maestra,en plus d'une végétation abondante la chaleur de cette région de Cuba en fait un endroit très confortable et agréable. Le personnel est accueillant souriant et courtois, toujours prêt a rendre service pour nous rendre le séjour agréable.Sauf pour la représentante de Hola Sun (caribe sol) Kathie elle ne pense qu'a vendre ses excursions ,nous soutire de l'argent de façon indirecte, peu courtoise et surtout pas souriante et en aucune façon facilitante. Il y a une bonne variété d'excursions dont une nautique pour aller faire de l'apnée au canal blanco qui est gratuite. Les points forts sont la nourriture qui est toujours fraiche variée, avec un souci de la présentation et bonne c'est dans cet hôtel que j'ai le mieux mangé dans tout ceux que j'ai fait, a date. Il y a des repas 4 services avec soirée musicale, deux restaurant a la carte dont le Bodeguita qui est typiquement Cubain avec un décor et une cuisine recherchée et de la musique traditionnelle cubaine. On offre aussi un repas spécial de langouste($), le chef de cuisine Rafael a un réel souci de gastronomie. L'animation est le second point fort elle se glisse un peu partout en musique et en activités diverses marches matinales d'observation d'oiseau, en velo, ou en escalade vers une chute dans la montagne, elles sont gratuites.il y a de l'aquaforme du yoga et des jeux d'eau. les points faibles sont l'état des édifices et des installation matérielles qui sont vraiment déplorables voire même dangereuses. Par exemple,il manque des lumières dans une zone d'escalier. Et des marches il y en a, a vous en faire faire un réel exercice cardio,156 que j'ai compté de la plage au dernier étage(7) du pavillon le plus élevé du site, seul UN ascenseur sur 4-5 fonctionne!!! les chambres sont toujours propres grandes et avec de beaux balcons. Avec quelques rares visiteurs inopportuns.. en dernier lieu cet hotel est assez loin de la grande ville de Santiago ce qui ne facilite pas sa visite soit par des excursions , des taxis ou location de voitures qui sont couteuses.

Rooms were old and need a lot of fixing to bring it up to par. The transfer back home took way too long. 3.5 hour waiting in the lobby, no more ecces to your room. Another 4 hours on the airport , no good! Beach, service we're OK. People are nice and try to make the most of it. Food is Cuban and good

IT COULD USE SOME UPGRADES. LOSE MANAGEMENT. MUSIC GROUPS OF THE PAST ARE MISSING. THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME FOOD SHORTAGES. MUSIC IS MOSTLY TO LOUD. THE MANY DIFFERENT MUSICIANS AND MUSIC GROUPS ARE MISSING.

Hotel was in a good shape despite the fact that it went through Hurricane Matthew . Beach on the right to the resort was covered by debris, but was improving over time. There were not many fruit in the resort's restaurant and very few fish. But meat was outstanding and in a great variety. We ordered lobster dinner in the restaurant and it was very good. Snorkeling was good only one day, other days there were waves and water was not clear. Weather was great (as always in this resort). We did cycling, back horse riding, used catamaran, canoe - everything that resort offered and played all afternoons volleyball in the pool. Drinks were great (as always). What bothered us a lot was kind of black flies (or whatever it was) bites. After-bite did not work at all. I asked for vinegar in the kitchen, but they did not have any. They advise us to use rum and it finally worked. Another negative thing was a flight (Sunwing). It supposed to be a one-stop on the way to the resort and direct flight back when we purchased the package. Sunwing changed it at the last week to have one stop on the way back as well. It was a pain - added 2.5 hours to the flight time. Anyway, we enjoyed our stay as we always did i this resort.

It was amazing resort in 1993, but almost 25 years was nothing done to keep it same way. Elevators don’t work, beach is full of bugs, bars are cheap. Workers are amazing, trying their best specially at Ranchon.

Sierra Mar. The grounds and gardens are lovely with mature vegetation. The coffee is delicious and breakfast is good. Staff is attentive and polite. Evening entertainment is very nice and there is always music everywhere. Excursions into the Maestre Mountains are adventurous and very educating (coffee plantations, wildlife, streams and waterfalls). The only complaint I have are the many steps to climb.(I have a bad hip, ....exhausting) There are elevators and all of them are in disrepair. Our room was clean, good bed, good shower and a lovely ocean view. But despite that I would come back anytime and my husband too. We and particularly he loved the resort.

Brisas was no doubt very nice when built but I think they still use the original beds. The room is fine but even the toilet paper holders are missing and the rolls sit on the counter. Small towels only showed up at the end. You have to rent the in-room safe but that’s pretty normal although I think it’s chintzy. The elevator up to my room did not work for a day after our arrival. The elevators down to the beach never worked for th whole trip. If you have trouble with stairs don’t come, there are way too many. If you forget something in your room you’ll be sorry. The pool was cleaned regularly but there’s a black smudge all around it. There are lots of shade palapas and nice blue loungers but there are also a lot of broken orange ones that should be discarded. The beach has been reduced by storms and is unimpressive. The area is beautiful, the hills surrounding the property are lunch and beautiful. The food is probably the worst and most repetitive of any resort I’ve stayed in of many in Cuba and elsewhere. There are many nice staff members but there is a ton of staff cadging drinks at the bar and it’s evident that food is purloined by the quantity and quality. I have never seen this so blatantly done. The only good thing I can say is that I paid a low price but I would never return and would not recommend this place.

My family and I have been going to Brisas Sierra Mar for about six years. We come back for the friendly restaurant staff, village life nearby, horseback riding and the caring scuba dive masters. This still remains the same. On the down side the food at the buffet is really limited for vegetarians and for those who eat only fish. Even meat eaters may find the food always the same. Repeaters dinner and the restaurants by invitation are good. Brisas Sierra Mar is a family resort that has changed into a haven for older Canadian men and Cuban working women. My children commented on how bad it looks. The resort needs roof repairs, refurbishing of many rooms and a paint job throughout the resort. The drainage system does not work and water can accumulate in the hallways during a storm. During our stay the elevators did not work. This was a problem for older tourists with mobility problems. We will not be returning despite our love for the area and the friendly local people.

Grounds very clean. Hotel in good repair. Food pretty good. Staff excellent Hotel has beautiful scenery. Only bid problem was beyond their control . A very heavy rain knocked out the elevator to the beach level making it difficult for some people to get down with the stairs. The hotel had repair people there promptly but four days later when I left they were still working on it

Price was great for 12 days but the hotel is tired and like many , needs a facelift, no change since my visit in 2012 other than the elevator is now operational , the hotel is 25 years old but was not maintained, some rooms are being renovated but the process is slow. Many many many returned guests, older crowd, food Ok but nothing out of the ordinary for Cuba. likely my last time.

This was & could be again a beautiful resort. Brisas Seirra Mar is reflective of the many resorts throughout Cuba I have visited, It's easy to envision how it looked when new but it to is being allowed to crumble.(How Sad) Lots of stairs & the usual Cuban power outages effecting the elevators. The Buffet is a little better than I expected with some decent spicing. The specialty restaurants need to be told to hold back on the salt. The beach is volcanic sand -beige but hot as --- on the feet. Wear beach shoes you'll be O.K. Staff very nice & worth while day trip to Santiago de Cuba.

My family enjoyed the stay in this hotel. It wasn't really 4 day stay as we came very early morning November 20th instead of evening of November 19th due to airline (Cubana) delay. Also we had to leave fairly early November 23rd and then spent many hours at the airport due to airline delay.

Everything lovely and staff there to answer all your needs. Love the food especially the fish. The Beach Bar and seaside restaurant add to the variety of locations on site. The coffee is exceptional

All-round it is probably the best hotel in the Santiago area, at least for the price, with buffet meals too. An hour from Santiago on the coastal road but the road is good. The road to the west toward Pilon is rough but that whole route is scenic as hell. We rented a Chinese car though (MG) and it had only about 6 inches of clearance with 3 passengers so not suitable for going west past Chivirico. **Unfortunately Cubana cancelled our flight to Santiago de Cuba and we lost a whole day of our short 4-day package to Cuba. Yes, after a lot of sitting around and getting no updates on our flight out of Toronto we were informed of the decision to cancel to next day and they put us up in hotels with meals/coupons. The whole process was really tiresome and inefficient though. Worst thing was we lost 25% of our time in Cuba and we are not informed whether we will get a refund of at least 25% of what we paid for the all-inclusive package. I mean we paid for 4 days, not 3...then we had to endure the inconvenience, though not the costs, of putting up in Toronto for a night. I want to hear if/when we are getting a refund, as this will affect my travel decisions in the future. The fault was not Sierra Mar Hotel's but Cubana's, on the other hand it is a package deal. Larry

First off : the surrounding scenery to brisas is all mountains very remote but tranquil.... the resort was nearly empty but we made the most if it.... food decent...drinks non stop.... swim up bar.... free snorkeling 1 hour trip out on a boat...I bought decent Cohiba from a "guy " ..... there was some prostitution at the resort but not in your face .... very friendly and warm animation people...

Stayed for 11 days in October. Beautiful resort, nice staff.Peacefull and quiet. Exactly what we needed and looked for. Food was typical for Cuba, a little repetitive but tasty. Nice beach, not crowded because most of the guests opted for pool (for, to me, unknown reasons). Only thing that bothered us was "Viagra tour" that came second week of our stay but we tried not to pay too much attention to old Italian men acting in love with their grandchildren's age guests. That aside, if you are looking for a quiet place with great view from all the rooms and from anywhere of the hotel grounds I definitely recommend this hotel.

After some earlier reviews and checking pics on line we decided to travel to Santiago De Cuba and stay at the Brisas Sierra Mar. Of course everyone has their own interpretation so here goes ours. Firstly didn't start off all that great as our flight out of Toronto was delayed and we were given no reason as to why. When we finally landed, customs process was fine and the Hola Rep was right where you could see him (Albert) and directed us to the bus. This is the part that really sucked . . we waited on the bus with the other passengers for over an hour due to a couple who were bringing down an item that apparently was not exceptable so because of that everyone had to wait for them. Given the delayed flight and then this along with an hour and give or take 15 mins to get to the Brisas we didn't arrive until after 1am!! The desk was pretty good though and getting everyone registered. When we got to our room it was clean, air-conditioning worked good and this may sound strange but the toilet worked great too . . lol. Note: they do have safes but we found out the next morning that you have to pay $2 per day to use it. The pool was clean and was the entire pool area. Have to say the workers there work very hard around the hotel area. What is funny though is that the pool has a sign that it's only open from 10am to 5pm and they actually have a stand up sign indicating not to be used before 10am. Because of the time we went first of Oct this resort was extremely quiet which we weren't complaining at all as we like a quiet place for some R&R. The beach is small and the sand is very dark but the water was amazing!!! For the food well we didn't expect 5star meals. I am sure they did the best they could with what's available to them. If I had to say which meal time was the better of the 3 (breakfast, lunch and dinner), I'd say breakfast. It was hit and miss with the staff at the front desk. When we first arrived the male desk clerk was very efficient but during the day when some of the ladies were on they weren't exactly accommodating and when you asked them a question and we only went to see them about a slight issue we had with TV and to find out when the money was brought in so we could exchange our money, they'd sort of shrug and say "don't know" can you come back? There is nothing and I mean nothing to do at this place if you're looking for action . . lol. You'd have to rely on doing excursions if you want to get away from the resort. We ourselves were fine with staying pool side and soaking up the sun. That was at least my prime objective. Now for any animal lovers - do have to tell you while we were there, there is a feral cat colony that hang out just outside the restaurant. If you are compassionate enough to consider bringing some say cat treats, they would so love it! They are skinny and skittish but throw out some treats and they come a charging. We brought some with us just in case we ran into something like this and I am so glad we did. Our pick up from the resort on departure day was well organized but again our flight was again delayed for an hour. Not sure about Cubana Air. All in all for what we paid we were happy with this resort.

We enjoyed a quick 4 night stay at Brisas Sierra Mar. The grounds are very lush and the gardeners were hard at work during our stay. Our room was dated but very comfortable. We had the most amazing view of the ocean from our balcony. We enjoyed fresh onelets each morning and lunch st the Rancheron. Special thanks to Leo for preparing fish for me each day for lunch. We especially appreciated Gladys is the buffet and the top notch service she provided to us. My husband went scuba diving with Edgar from the dive shop and really enjoyed himself. The beach area is smaller but the palapas are a generous size. We brought a hammock with us and we're able to hang it each day in the palapa. The ocean is calm but water shoes are needed as the bottom has some rocks and weeds. For swimming closer to the hotel is less weedy. We didn't use the pool as there were having a problem with algae and working on it. Pool towels you need to ask your maid for them. We look forward to spending a longer trip at Brisas Sierra Mar!

It was ok. Almost ran out or gas, no pizza which makes me sad . It's my birthday l🌾🌾 sully is little no gunna eat this cheese maybe he might idk if hes gunna eat it Maybe it has candles on it since we lit candles on it

Good grounds and beech but couple of local hassles always there near the beech. Food not much choice for thee+ stars. Staff friendly. Reception is not up to date for information. Elevator slow and often not working.

I believe you get what you pay for. It was nothing fancy but we enjoyed the simple hospitality in Cuba. We faced many issues that had been reported, food ok, green pool, broken items in room. Overall would go back!

The hôtel is very intimate, clean and The staff is warm and welcoming. The rooms offers one of The most amazing views i saw, océan, montains and nothing else. The food at The buffet is so so and repetitive but The staff will do The extra mile to please you. I Will definatively book again soon. It is a little paradise.

You have to have an open mind, relaxed nature and not very high expectations when you are booking this location. Lets get into the "The Good, The Bad and the The Ugly". The Good. You can't beat the price this resort is usually available at. This is a very beautiful scenic location. The view from most of the rooms and the pool-patio area is fantastic. They are in the process of making improvements. I was fortunate to have been placed in a room that had just been renovated and they were working on more rooms on my (4th) floor. More and more rooms will look brand new as time goes on. The pool has a new liner and is perfectly fine. The grounds are kept clean. There is always a bar open. You just have to be aware of when one closes and the other opens. Overall, staff is very friendly and they respond to you much like a mirror. If you are grouchy they tend to not smile and laugh with you as much as they would if you are friendly with them. You can find lots of peace and quiet at this resort If that is what you are looking for. Great place to just relax. You can always find "something" to eat if you are not picky. The food at the restaurant was surprisingly good. You can mingle with guests that are Cuban. Most are extremely friendly and great to talk to. One of the great things about this resort are the many guests here keep returning year after year. They are very helpful with letting you know information that will help make your stay more enjoyable. Mangoes were in season. You can pick them fresh from the many trees on site. The Bad. The food is ok. I was there In low season so there wasn't much of a selection at the buffet. As mentioned by many other reviews, the food was repetitive from lunch to dinner and from day to day. The snack bar wasn't always open and it only had hot dogs, hamburgers and French fries when it was open. Salad selection was almost non-existent. We had a snorkel excursion with our package. The boat had been damaged by a recent storm. The staff at the front desk is not very informative with the knowledge of whether or not the outing would take place on any given day. Each day the people the nautical center would say "Tomorrow the boat will be fixed". It was finally fixed on the last day we were there There is no currency exchange at the resort which had a few guests annoyed. I had a massage included in my package but I could never find the person who does the massages. Locals do come to this resort for their vacation and as I mentioned above most of them are very friendly and polite but there are some that don't seem to understand the concept of a line when they are at the bar or in the buffet. Bring insect repellant ward off the sand ticks on the beach. Yes there does appear to be the occasional "older guest" with a "younger Cuban girl" strolling around but they are mostly fairly discrete. The Ugly. Most of the hotel staff is very helpful and friendly. There are a few that will constantly try to hustle you into going to "their house" or restaurant off site for a "Cuban meal". There are also a few male members of the hotel staff that appear to be predators waiting to take advantage of a female guest that has had too much too drink. Overall, you get what you pay for.

Honestly the view was beautiful and the hotel had maybe 50 guests, most of which were local Cubans. We were told it's due to the time of year most Canadians think it's too hot, we found it to be the same as Ontario but with more humidity. The locals were treated like VIP (served first at bar ECT.) the hotel front desk staff were extremely unhelpful and quite rude, they lied about "no resturants outside of resort were open" which they were. A staff member drive us to Oceana where we read was a nice place to eat off the resort..... Well he charged us 5pesos for a 2 minute drive and sped off after being paid.... Knowing the Oceana was closed, so we had to walk back 10 minutes to the resort, asked a server in the buffet and she called us a taxi and sent us to the three rocks about a 15 minute drive away and we were only charged 10 pesos. The restaurant there was amazing. That meal was the highlight of our trip. The resort itself only ever had 1 bar open, either the pool bar or lobby bar. Only 1 a la carte resturant was "working" and was always fully reserved(by cubans) the buffet had gross repetitive food with very little options. Basically lived off rice and bread and mangos. But the buffet was only open 3 times a day and when they were closed nothing else was open to get food. The cafeteria was only open at night for a couple hours then again, nothing available to eat. The "shop" had very limited food options. And when the sign said open, half the time no one was there. The games room was a joke, never open, not even the bar. Basically you could drink 24/7 but could only eat in limited time frames with very little options. Bugs in our room and a barely working AC. The pillows were flat as paper and the tv only worked half the time, with the only available English channels being CNN and ctv(which almost never worked) the maid was great although she never left more than a single roll of toilet paper... When we had to call for another roll one night it took nearly an hour for them to bring it. Hallways were filled with puddles from a leaking roof and cat feces. The pool also was usually closed by 7pm. Pros: awesome serving staff, ocean and mountain view, not many people so always pool loungers available. Cons: front desk staff, rooms, lack of food, lack of available open bars/ shop / games room, lack of activities and under staffed, terrible service, bad upkeep, and having to check out at 12 when our bus doesn't leave for the airport until 3. I highly do NOT recommend this resort.

The staff are so friendly and helpful. The hotel is always clean. The food is healthy with enough options to vary your selection. When I'm in Cuba I go off the resort and visit with the locals. Even though I don't speak Spanish we get out point across. Also there are many Cubans who do speak English. What a humbling experience to see the love they have with each other.

This hotel is a diamond in the rough! We caught this deal for 398$ tax incl for a 5 day 4 night stay to celebrate 2 birthdays. We were very skeptical at first but wee arrived at the hotel and we didn't have to check in or anything as we were given our room keys and bracelets on the bus. We were a rowdy bunch of girls planning to have the time of our lives & we accomplished just that! The staff at this resort in every single aspect did not disappoint us with the amount of service they provided! From the bellboys to the wait staff and entertainment and the bartenders and even the security at night! They were all amazing and went out of their way to accommodate us in any way shape or form! They completely excided my expectations 100%! I personally travel alot and I have never been treated so well as I was at this resort. Food?? Not much selection at the buffet but who needs selection when the items they have are to notch flavor??? Rooms? Older... But very clean and they are just for sleeping anyway. Beach?? Gorgeous! The water was warm and so still you could see right through it! Bars?? Bring your big bottle! They will fill u up no questions asked!! The views are amazing from every single room! We were on 2nd floor.. Next time i will ask for 4th! Just to try something new :) I give this hotel a 5+++++ star for the service alone! Very very very happy with this hotel! I can not wait to return!

The room and common areas were good The elevators were not reliable and should be attended to immediately. The pool was a little less than great but who cares! Nice beach, good variety and quality of food. Majority of staff very friendly and helpful