The resort was nice. Beach beautiful. We went during a very very very low occupancy (maybe thats your thing) we ended up transferring to another resort. However, again. It was a nice resort. Clean. If you enjoy quiet time this resort is for you! Food? Well let’s just say we don’t go to Cuba for the food right.

We had a great week at this resort !!! I have been to Cuba multiple times, the staff at this resort is. amazing. Like other resorts it is getting tired looking. There was only one La a cart restaurant open, the resort was very empty not high season yet. The food at the buffet was cold everyday, I checked the steam table it didn’t have enough water. I did bring this to the manager’s attention on the last day he said he would fix it. Right now in Cuba there is a gas shortage. I was used to having more variety at the buffet, in saying that I will say the food that was there we made due with. The 24 hour snack bar opened on the last day we were there. At this point they weren’t offering much, I am sure as the high season arrives there will be more selection. The beach is amazing!!! The staff at the beach were wonderful, the second you arrive a nice man gets your chair set up. The beach bar staff is wonderful !!!! Always there to get drinks with a big smile ? The resort is very clean !!! The front desk staff is by far the worst I have ever dealt with… they literally were the only staff that didn’t care. For example they don’t care what room they give people no thought put into any of the rooms We were a couple and given a room with 3 twin beds Two friends traveling together were given a king to share. I feel after traveling long hours you should get the rooms that were asked for. Our reservation had king marked on it. The manager after getting stern with the front desk did up grade our room, just felt that should t be necessary when on vaction

Amazing people and landscapes. Just a great overall experience. Staff all over the resort go above and beyond to make your vacation memorable. Have been to Cuba many times and very aware of the shortages. If there's something you can't do without be sure to bring with you.

We arrived on Feb 18 2023 and the hotel was dead. Hardly any restaurants open and they only allowed 2 a la carts, but had no other food available so you had to wait till 8 to get food at the one restaurant open. Booked 3 ocean view rooms- wound up all ground level garden view and they refused to change it. The hotel was dead- it was eerie considering it is supposed to be busy season. I know you don’t go to Cuba for the food , however with the shortages there it was really bad. I was sick for 3 days. The staff are friendly, the beach was beautiful.

Same food all the week 🤢 really bad! No restaurants around ! Never again. Nothing good at all, only one menu at night no buffet. The desert is terrible like literally terrible. Im happy to come back home

I just want to let you know that this resort is amazing, clean ,good food ,amazing staff ,I would return tomorrow if I could, thank you everyone for the great service. Costumer service representative was a great help always, chef Jesus Albino Vargas ,delicious food .

I have been traveling to Cuba many times and have enjoyed each visit. This was the best. Everything was wonderful. The grounds were well maintained. The room was clean. The food was the best I have ever had in Cuba. The beach was magnificent. The staff without exception were polite and helpful. My only criticism is the music being played at the bar was too loud.I could hear it in my room while trying to sleep. I would without hisitation recommend this resort.

For starters, the resort changed hands 2 weeks prior to our arrival. No problem, at least it wasn't cancelled. We were a group of 13 and arrived at the hotel to a grand welcoming ceremony, we all thought that this was the most amazing welcome we have ever received at a resort. When looking around in the lobby/bar area, we noticed that not a guest was to be found. Wow, that's unusual, they must be arriving later. Nope, we were it! The hotel has approximately 742 rooms, there were a total of 29 guests at the hotel the week we were there. Within 30 minutes of arriving, we knew every guest at the resort. There was no buffet offered, every meal was at one of 2 a la carte restaurants, chicken, pork or beef were offered every night with a side of rice. That was it! Oh, pasta, fish and beef were offered twice. No other vegetables. There really were no options at the snack bar for breakfast (again, no buffet), lunch wasn't much better at the snack bar, but the pizza at the beach was fantastic. We didn't starve but it certainly wasn't a great experience. We ate quite a few times at the market, at least there were food options. The last day we were leaving at 1pm. There was only 1 egg available per guest and nothing for lunch. The staff kept saying pizza in 20 minutes, but pizza never came but the bus to the airport did. The resort is beautiful and the staff are wonderful but I can honestly say I would never return to this resort or any other Grand Mathu resort. Obviously management does not care one bit about their guests or staff. The poor staff were so embarrassed and I'm sure tired of saying 'no sorry, we don't have that'. To top it off, 4 of the rooms had bed bugs so it was a very itchy week for 6 guests.

Beach was nice. Ran out of food by day 3-4ran out of vodka day 3. No bread, veggies, fruit, butter, milk.staff were constantly begging for us to get them food and drinks. Only 1 bottle of water offered to the room of 2 people daily. NO BUFFET all week, NO entertainment all week, store had NO snacks, and was hardly open. On the last day of travel we were offered a wiener on a plate was all that was left to eat in the resort. With a 12 hr day ahead of us, kinda pathetic.

Well, they ran out of food, vodka, pop. We had NO buffet all week, NO entertainment all week. Staff were nice but shouldn’t be up and running if it’s not ready! By the last day we were offered a hot dog wiener cut up on a plate before we left. No bread, butter, milk, veggies, fruit. Staff were constantly begging for us to get them food and drinks. No snacks in the store that was not open very often.

Rooms and beach were ok but food was horrible and was being cross contaminated. For example chef was making a chicken and he was using the same fork to pick up the raw and cooked meat , Not many vegetables or fruits for the vegan and vegetarians. Workers were sweet and nice . I made the suggestion to keep some vegetables and fruits separately for vegan and vegetarians

It was a good family Resort with decent amenities. Beach and pool was superb. Food was ok. Front desk stuff was a bit rude. We really enjoyed the time with the entertainment team throughout the day with a lot of dance. However night concert was not so good. Also, we had to replace our door keys 3 times. It didn't work time to time. But overall we really enjoyed the time. Will go back again.

The resort is very well laid out. The beach is fantastic and we were always able to get beach lounges. The pool is large and never overcrowded. The servers are all very friendly and willing to help.

This resort was the best one I stayed at in Cuba. Very clean amazing beach the buffet had losts of variety I was surprised for Cuba the food was good. The staff is very friendly the rooms are clean we had clean towels every day . Beach towels, we could get fresh ones every day.

Just came back from this resort. We loved everything about it. The staff, location, service, food were amazing! Weather was not great, but it’s their winter so nothing to complain about. We will be coming back again next year.

Resort was nice, nice beach nice pool. Rooms need a little upgrade. The pillow is paper thin and I found bugs in my room. Found a cockroach as big as my palm aswell. Overall other then that the staff were nice

It was our first experience of all inclusive vacation and we absolutely enjoyed it! Starting from the beginning - travel agent answered on all our questions very detailed and promptly. Upon arrival we were taken care of by the local agent and were brought to the hotel. Same on the way back - very good coordination and organization. We were traveling with our daughter of 10 years old, got a room with three beds, where we just moved two beds together, so there you go: king size bed)) Room is nice and clean, we had a girl who cleaned it daily. Now... we did leave her tips (nut bar from Costco and stuff like toothbrush, stick deodorant, little shampoo from Dollarama... pretty cheap for us) - room was perfectly clean! She even organized our shoes... In general - stuff is very friendly, not bugging you unless you look at them, so they know you need something. Also, we did leave tips to our favourite waitress and waiters, they were really nice. Food is really good. Please do not expect pizza to be good there or burgers to be served! It's Cuba..... they are not used to this food, they only make it to satisfy Canadian customers))). Rice is amazing! Try it! The guy making rice with pork and chicken on open fire is amazing. His food was sooo good. Fruits, veggies, salad, meat - everything was awesome. Minus for someone maybe - no orange juice in the way we are used here in Canada..., but there is a lot of freshly done pineapple juice. We loved it. Coffee in the lobby is awesome! Beach and ocean is super good - white sand, warm water. It's a dream)) It's tricky a bit to change beach towels, because the guy who issues them doesn't seem to be on his place every day, but was only a challenge for us on the first day, when we left our towels on the beach. Then we just kept them overnight until the next day and just exchange it on our way to the beach, when someone was there. To all fairness - i think out of our 7 days there, we saw towel guy 5 times... Will agree with some of the reviews: limited supply, like bar on the beach might not have pina colada for you, but it will be available at another bar besides the pool))) When you go, pack a big thermos mug))), It can be filled with good stuff at any bar lol))) Overall, great experience, will definitely go again and will recommend to friends.

Be Live Collection Cayo Santa Maria resort is absolutely amazing. The suite we were in was outstanding ( nothing can compare). It was huge extremely clean and well taken care of every single day. The grounds of the resort were well taken care of daily. The pools were beautiful The beach and Ocean OUTSTANDING. The staff we’re always attentive and friendly . The buffet food looked good and there was plenty to eat for most guests ( my husband and I are Vegan so it was difficult for us to find food) Overall the resort is definitely the one I would recommend to everyone.

Some good points ,some bad points.First good points,fantastic beach,great service,always hot water for the showers,no lack of towels,clean rooms,great weather,over all fun holiday .Animation enjoyable. Abundant shade on beach, no rocks when entering surf. Clean beach, gardens very beautiful,good internet.Clean toilet all around.Clean pools.Kids friendly. Welcoming staff. Good desserts and cakes. Now for the negatives . No wines for 3 days at the buffet, lots of excuses but no wine. Less food variety than any other resort we have visited in Cuba . Low quality food at the restaurants. Bed, not comfortable. Outdoor beach buffet closed, unacceptable. No regrets for having chosen this resort, because we had a great time. thank you to all the staff , extremely friendly , and fun to talk to.

My family spent 7 days here and had beautiful weather and found staff to be amazing and friendly. Asking them their names goes along way. This is our 8th visit to Cuba, 5th to Santa Maria and there was an obvious difference with the food. Less variety, lots of reuse of items. People were sick. The resort is doing the best it can with the shortages the country is facing, but go with this in mind, and keep expectations in line.

I would highly recommend this resort 😊 the beach was to die for. The bartender at the beach was spectacular! Food was so so . But that’s expected in Cuba . We had an ocean view room and it was nice just sitting out on the balcony listening to waves. Give this resort a chance you won’t be disappointed!

The resort was clean rooms were comfortable the food was plentiful and tasty. But the real hidden gem is the staff. They go over and above to make your stay the best! Here is just a few of the amazing staff Animation team Pedro Ariel Adrian Pupy Jamilah Bar staff Caesar Remberto Adis Leivys Yulier from the pool bar! Yudenir Dayana Yulier Reiniel Customer service Miguel Leidys Food and beverage boss Eduardo Entertainment boss Girlaldo Yandrey You will not regret choosing this resort new management is making wonderful changes!

Our hotel need some TLC...but this will happen with new management. This is my 4th time there and the Cuban people are amazing at this resort!!!! The food was good! We will definitely go back next year !!!!!!!

The hotel over all was more than I expected. Pools and beach area nice. Drinks were all good. This is Cuba, the food was ok always something to eat. The al cart restaurants were very good. Rooms were clean and comfortable. Can't really say anything bad about this resort. We have been to cuba several times and would not hesitate to go back to this resort.

The resort is very clean , functions and waterfall working ... some minor repairs are needed and lights replaced for nite stools. Food is the best .. fresh and the bread is wonderful. Pizza cooked to order, bbq hotdogs are wonderful and they have French fries...bring ketchup. And the ice cream stand is open most days. And the distance from the pools ...yes there are lots of pools to choose from...to the beach is maybe 100meters

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

The hotel itself, grounds and pools were well maintained. Average Cuban resort with above average main pool area and beach. The food was nicely cooked however the choices were a lot more sparse than usual. I felt the day and night entertainment could be a bit better. Definitely one to put on your short list!!

Everything was beautiful. From the rooms to the pools to the beach. Entertainment was Ok The only things I have to complain about is this resort is very far away from everything and the food was the worst I’ve had in Cuba. It’s about a 2 Hour Drive to the airport Not really any markets around or much to do unless you want to spend a ridiculous amount of money. ( over priced )

We had a great week away at this resort. You can tell that it was a bit run down but there was a lot of work already done during the week we were there! The previous owners let it go but the new owners seem to be doing good things! It has an amazing beach and great pools. There wasn't the best variety of food but the food was good! The snack bar had delicious pizza! All in all a great trip to Be Live Cayo Santa Maria.

The hotel is a large resort with nice beach and fantastic pool layout. Rooms are large and fairly comfortable. All the staff was fantastic Food was not bad a lot of variety but pretty much the same thing everyday. The specialty restaurants were pretty good also. if you are looking for a cheap getaway this one works. .

The resort was beautiful. The food also was delicious. Clean pool and beach 10/10. Service was excellent. Lobby lounge was fun to spend the night there having a drink. And listing to the music I would give them 5 stars

We were able to walk the length of this Resort twice each day after meals for exercise. Exceedingly pleasant and helpful staff,:from Janitors to Managers. Clean beaches & spacious (I do not use public pools). Rooms are well kept, although we killed a few small roaches (cucarachas).But I did not report it. Management could be more pro-active in the information category: 1) Provide written info in each Apt./Room (Habitación), e.g.: Tel #s to dial for Reception, Office, etc. I usually visit each destination only once, so as to be able to experience as many as possible. Now Be Live Collection has changed that for me. I want more of it. On the day of our return home (Dec.3rd), we've convinced our grand-daughters and their mom to have their vacation at Be Live, Collection Cayo Santa Maria, in January, 2020. I also will be returning later in 2020 with two other couples..

Our experience with this resort was terrific although they are updating things and doing some painting, we were never disturbed. The room was clean and quiet and the staff who cleaned our room was efficient and left many nice touches. The beaches were beautiful and quick to get to. Lots of shade and sun. Beautiful sand and the staff on the beach were quick to help every morning. The food was plentiful and good. Lots to choose from and again the staff was quick to help and kind to speak to. The bar staff was amazing! They were knowledgeable and shared their cultural experiences with us. We will definitely go back and if you get the chance, go into their towns nearby. We enjoyed our day exploring the Cuban culture. Also bring American currency for tipping. Please remember to tip the staff, they depend on it!

The staff is the best !!Great people we also liked the food. They had good seafoods and fish.Drinks where very good. The entertainement team was nice ! Made a lot of friends. We will go back for sure.

It's very clean resort, very clean room, 3 pools across the lobby (one in process to repair broken tiles) and one located on the West side of resort. The Ice Cream place operational from 10am to 4 pm, Kids Club, Beach towels, Buffet restrain, Snack Bar, beach bar, two pool bars, bar on Lobby, GYM, tennis court, mini bar, Free Safe Deposit in the room, and free 1hr wi-fi per person daily. (Me and my wife had 14 hrs of wifi for one week). The amount and varaity of food were enough for me and my wife, however, looks little bit less than in other resorts. (I been on Cuba 11 times already). If you decide to be a vegetarian, its a perfect time to start in this resort. I don't care about the food, I'm here because of ocean and beautiful beach. Not enough lighting at evenings outside of room, so make sure you have a flashlight. The big issue with safety on the beach, if you see the red flag and you'll decide to swim, probably you'll not get any help when need it, so you on your own. One women nearly drowned, the swell took her to deeper water and she had a problem to come back. While the lifeguard was blow his whistle, I swam towards her. Its takes about 10 sec to reach her, but took long time to come back, the tides been pushing us to the ocean. I almost drowned myself, thanks to one guy for helping us to get on the shoal water. The Customer Service promissed to overlook safety issues on the beach. Its very nice people, not spoiled like other employees in Varadero. I saw a real working people there. I'll come back again.

The hotel is located approximately 2h drive from the airport. The staff is very friendly and helpful, modest choice of food, the beach and the sea are really amazing! Daily night shows. Cheap, worth its price.

This would be our second time to this resport. The best part of this resort are the people that work there. Many gave extra efforts to ensure we had everything we needed. Recommended to all.......

The food in this Resort is not even one star Worthy. When I opened the cloth napkin a cockroach came out. the prices for a la carte items are exorbitant and once ordered it is undercooked the only good thing about this place was the beach itself.

We were thoroughly enchanted with the grand tulip resort in in Cayo Santa Maria The staff were exceptional always at your beck and call and so hard working The pool area was great but the beach was heaven The food was good the desserts delicious will definitely go back👍🏻❤️

We were very happy with the resort. All the workers were extremely friendly and couldn't do enough for us. We have been to Cuba 5 times and we know the food is ordinary. This hotel had good food, but did not change the menu. So for 7 days you had the same choices. The beach was gorgeous as were the pools. Never a problem with chairs. Always enough. Went to the market place called Esrella. It was beautiful. Many artisans. Taking a taxi was very reasonable. Ask for a vintage car. Such fun. All in all a very enjoyable stay. Would go back.

We decided to go to the Golden Tulip and are very happy we did. Don’t let the negative comments scare you from this resort. This is Cuba, we found something at the buffet that we could all enjoy, this includes our fussy grandson. The pools were fantastic and the beach is one of the best you will ever enjoy. Beautiful

The beach is amazing! The staff are super friendly and helpful! The grounds and pools are kept very clean. No complaints with the food. Rooms kept very clean. Travelled with another family, so we had 4 kids ages 5, 10, 12 and 16...Fabulous time had by all!

The hotel was amazing. The personnel was polite, present for us at anytime of the day and welcoming. The site was really clean and the beach too. The beach was one of the most beautiful at Cuba, and we went 12 times. The room was spacious with working AC.

The hotel grounds and public area were beautiful and the beach was fantastic. But that's where it starts and stops!! When we arrived, it took more than an hour to get checked in as the lady was busy cleaning her fingernails with a pair of scissors....it was after 11 p.m.... we get to our room to discover that there are no towels, no toilet paper, no pillows, the balcony door didn't lock and we were on the main floor, the tv converter didn't work, and the air conditioning kept cutting in and out. It took forever for hotel maintenance to come and fix the lock on the room so we could go to sleep. The bed was hard as a rock. The mosquitoes were a nightmare. The food was atrocious, and I found a long, grey hair in my fruit from the buffet. I made reservations at the Italian restaurant and when they opened the doors 20 minutes late they announced they had no Italian food, only chicken and salmon. I broke a glass in the foyer and the shards of glass stayed on the floor for almost 2 hours before they were cleaned up. All in all, the staff were very friendly, but I would not recommend this place nor will I ever go back to this hotel or this area.

Amazing beach!!! After all that's why we go to Cuba. So many chairs and Palm shades, drinks and food ❤, practically on the beach!! Pools and grounds are beautiful, clean, so are the rooms with mini bar fridge supplied daily!! What more can you ask for! We absolutely loved it :)

The grounds were beautiful and beach was stunning! People were friendly. Food needs improvement. The beach towel station I have never seen opened the whole time we were there. Great children’s pool and daycare. Yes would go back.

The resort was excellent. The people who worked there were polite, courteous, helpful which made our stay even better. Only one complaint, fix the card readers on the room doors. We went through at least 5. Recommend this resort highly

We didn’t have any water for a few days and when we did there wasn’t any hot water. Multiple high value items stolen from rooms and was reported but staff didn’t seem to care. Rooms were locked at all times.

The Hotel was great and very clean. The grounds were very nice and well keep up. amazing staff and lots of food to choose from.The public area such as the pool and beach were great with very friendly staff.and i would refer this resort to many others..

This hotel is lovely on the outside in the common areas but lacks customer service and common amenities. When we got there it took almost an hour to get checked in as there was only one woman working. We were taken to our rooms.....what a disappointment!! The beds were hard as hell, there were no pillows, no towels, half a roll of toilet paper, the tv converter didn't work, the air conditioning kept cutting off, the balcony door didn't lock and we were on the ground floor, there was no lighting in the hallways outside the rooms, and the fridge was empty and warm. I spoke with the manager the following day after waiting for her for over 4 hours and she was no help at all. She made excuses for every issue I raised and did nothing to rectify anything. Miguel at customer service, however, did everything he could to improve our comfort. The food here was atrocious!! No variety and poorly prepared. We made reservations at the Italian restaurant and when they finally opened 15 minutes late, we were advised that they had no Italian food, only salmon and chicken. Disappointed, we went down to the buffet. There I found a long, coarse grey hair in my food and when I brought it to the waiter's attention he took it from me, threw it on the floor and asked me if I wanted something else. To say we were bitterly disappointed is an understatement. I broke a glass in the lobby and the shards of glass remained there for more than 2 hours before someone came and cleaned it up. The flight down to Santa Maria aboard Sunwing was a nightmare too as only the 2 bathrooms at the back of the plane were working. This must have been the same plane I flew in to Mexico in February as that plane had the same issue with only the rear bathrooms functioning. This is my 3rd trip to Cuba and will be my last!!! Perhaps someone from tripcentral should actually go to this resort and check it out before promoting it. Terrible....couldn't wait to get home....never again!!!!

The grounds and beach were beautiful! Most of the staff was very welcoming and pleasant. We only had two issues. First, the front desk took forever to talk to someone. Our room key didn’t work while we were there, and one time I stood at the desk for over 30 minutes for a task that took 30 seconds to rectify, while my 8 month baby needed food that was locked in the room. Each time it didn’t work we had to walk from our building back to the lobby (a bit of a hike), then back to the building, only to find out the card didn’t work again.... then back to the lobby.... then back to the building. Only one of the front desk girls was pleasant and helpful. The others could have cared less. We repeated this probably once a day for a total of 4 days of our trip. Second was the food. Nothing made us sick, which was good. And we aren’t picky eaters by any means.... but the resort is full of guests who are. So they find a good item that everyone likes (like bacon at breakfast) and pile their plate high, leaving nothing for the rest of the guests coming after. And there isn’t enough to restock for the rest of the buffet. So my husband I learned really fast that for breakfast/lunch/dinner buffets if you don’t get there for opening, you get the scraps. A la cartes were very small portions, and rushed through (although mostly tasty). On the bus home there were people from other resorts praising the food selection, so if food is a big point for you then maybe this isn’t the best place. But it wasn’t bad food by any means... just not the fancy gourmet level that you’d expect at an all inclusive. But it’s better than most of the country eats, so it’s about perspective. BUT THE BEACHES! Get the ocean view if you can afford it... you won’t be disappointed. Everything was very clean and well kept. And the bar tenders and buffet staff were so friendly.

I loved the resort and everything about it . Of course the beautiful weather contributed to my 5 star assessment! The workers there were so nice. The pools and beach were amazing. You will have a good holiday there!

Beach was great . Towels were hard to get. Food was the worst I've found and this was my 4th trip to Cuba. Night for Italian restaurant had no Italian food. Blackflies left me with large welt, even though they sprayed. Manager was not much help. Our room was kept clean and tidy and the staff were great.

This was my 3rd time in Cuba in different areas of the island and the Golden tulip in cayo Santa Maria has to be my worst experience yet. The service, food and overall environment was not at all what I expected. The staff especially were rude. They ignored us or pretend not to be able to understand English. Upon arrival we were checking in but the hotel receptionist couldn't hear us because of the very loud music in the lobby. We later went to find something to eat at the 24 restaurant. The staff were rude and didn't want to serve us. They gave us cold fries with nothing to put on them. As we were heading back to our room we came across 2 staff members being intimate at the side of the bar. We had no towels or toilet paper . The balcony did not lock and the hallways to the rest of our groups room had no hydro leaving them to walk back to their rooms in the dark. We complained the next morning to the hotel manager and she was more concerned about her staff making out during working hours. I travel atleast 2 times a year and this by far was the worst hotel I've stayed at. I would not recommend it to anyone.

We had a great week at the Golden Tulip. The beaches were breath taking and the staff were very friendly. Every day our room was cleaned the room service staff created a new towel animal which was a nice touch! We went to all three à la carte restaurants but preferred the buffets. They always had fish available to be freshly grilled for dinner and lunch. We never had to wait in line for the buffets and there was always a table available. There was always something to do. Great equipment for water sports. The gym was also very nice and air conditioned. The market was quite close and only about a 10-15 minute walk away. I would recommend this hotel and will come back!

We had a great trip. There were a few things that bothered us. For example, we were not able to exchange our beach towels. We got stuck with the same for the entire duration of our stay even after requesting for new ones twice. The food was not great. We were expecting that A la carte meals would be better but it wasn't the case. One of us, got served with something that looked like a mouse in one of our plates (pictures were taken). The entertainment in the lobby would stop at 10pm after the show in the theater which was sad... It would have been nice to be able to keep the music going until at least midnight. Other than that, the servers were great and very nice to us. Our room was well kept. The resort itself needs a little TLC here and there but overall it was a great spot. The proximity to the beach was super. I would recommend this resort if there's improvement to the quality and variety of the food.

The best part of this resort is the beach and that is what I came for. The rooms were fine. The accommodated us giving one king bed and a double for my son in the same room. However I cockroach appeared on top of my counter top. This only happened to me in our group. The hotel premises was nicely decorated. The entertainment team are friendly and go out of there way to have you participate. Food stations are slow most of the time and very repetitive. Had to ask for towels and use them the same ones all week due to the laundry issues. Overall we had a great time as the company and beach compensated the minor things.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Golden Tulip for the second time now and LOVED it once again. The staff is awesome, the beach is amazing, the pools, yeah they are missing some tiles BIG DEAL.. this isn't a 5 star resort in Belize people! If they closed the pool to fix the tiles then people would complain the pool was closed.. lose lose situation here I read reviews about no towels, no plates, no french fries, no bread etc.. I have never had any issues with getting any of them. The food is mediocre, you're only there for a week and if you need to stuff your face with all of your normal favorites then stay home.. the only complaint I had was it could have been warmer. Free wifi for 7 hours, which is awesome.. I had a cracked toilet seat when we got to our room, so I went to the front desk and told them.. by the time we got back from the pool it was fixed less than 2 hours later. Night life is typical of Cuba.. loud and energetic.. When we were at the pool bar my boyfriend asked if he could have some Canadian Whiskey, and the bartender gladly went to the lobby bar to get a bottle and kept it there for the week for him. Sunset Catamaran was amazing , we did that for my birthday and the Lobster dinner was out of this world. My only real complaint worth mentioning is the rude French Canadians and the Europeans that need to travel in groups of 10 plus.. not saying all of them, but there were more than I could count on one hand that thought they were entitled to more than the rest of us. They would hog the food and had no manners whatsoever. One lady thought it would be ok to move our drinks and belongings to another table in the buffet so she and her 5 kids could sit at our table.. I came out and told her she could move or I would do it for her. Overall, I would go back here in a heartbeat..LOVE this resort, location and next time I will make sure I know some swear words in French before going :)

The hotel is good and the pools and beaches are nice , room and service good also the staff are nice and friendly. The only thing I can say is a bit bad is the food Overall is a great place to stay and enjoy Cuba .

The hotel is really nice with access to an absolutely stunning beach. The room was clean and comfortable. The staff were friendly. There were some inconsistencies with food/drink and no available beach towels during our stay - we had to reuse the same towels. The gorgeous ocean made up for all of it.

The resort is clean, and staff were exceptional. It was one of the most beautiful beaches I've been to. Resort was a little tired, needing some repair, but Hurricane Maria did do a lot of damage to the island. Ground crews worked daily, but often garbage left on beach after the days events. Food was good and tasty, but little variation. A la carte restaurants only okay, but had some excellent dishes, often not having dishes offered on menu. For the money, I would definitely recommend and return.

Grounds of hotel was amazing! Lots of bars, great size pools, great night entertainment, and awesome staff! Rooms were good! The only downside to the rooms were the pillows(too flat) so hard to sleep. The a la carts were amazing and buffet for breakfast was great but dinner not so much. All in all great hotel and service!

We were there Jan 25th to Feb 1st and the weather was just right. The service was great although it's hard to get a hold of the front desk at times. We called once for maintenance when the air conditioner quit and without exaggerating the repairman was at our door no more than 15 minutes from when we made the call. I'm going to have to call it "My Bad" since I was unaware that the AC will stop if the balcony door opens....whoops...lol. The Staff and maid service was excellent and mini fridge restocks were done everyday including water around 4pm by a separate attendee. You could always get something at the buffet if you weren't picky and you'll find it very busy on the weekends. Things got a little quieter from Monday on. The pools were excellent as well but you'll find parents let the kids go nuts around the adult swim up bar and it gets quite annoying having them jumping off the stools beside you, some got a nasty word and look from the barmen, the parents didn't care, they were on holidays and apparently it was up to everyone else to babysit for them. You might not see this review if they can't remove what I write next. A word on travelers that come to this resort; 80% French and yes, they are more arrogant and self centered while on vacation. An example, a Frenchman while in the buffet stood up, slammed the table and demanded his water right away, the place went silent. I'm glad I'm Canadian and brushed it off as a poor upbringing. 10% were Russian, no need to explain if your a traveler and 5% were German, same as above and 5% were English speaking. In other words, the French have found a place to call their own and treat it that way. Now with that little rant out the way I must say the resort itself it worth the effort to get there, it's around 2 hours from the airport depending on the time of day, it would seem longer in the dark. The causeway alone is 48 miles long and you pass through a couple little towns as well. It's a small airport and gets very crowded and you must use the portable stairs to get on and off the plane from the tarmac. Again the service and people who work there are very helpful and polite and will always say "Hola" when you pass. The beach is fantastic with plenty of banyans for all, even 4 lounge chair banyans, you will have no problem getting one no matter the time of day you go. There are two beach bars and the one further down the beach provides Pizza's and they are excellent. All in all I totally recommend this resort but speaking French would be an asset. Another note on pools, there are 3 pools and after the second day we stuck to the kiddie pool, it was much quieter with all the kids up at the swim up bar and even the kiddie pool has a bar; I recommend the Spanish Coffee, the servers and wonderful and it closes at 5pm but no Spanish Coffee after 4pm. The booked restaurants were good but book early, they fill up fast. We were in the 18 block and it's very close to the kiddie pool, the beach and lunch buffet (beach and buffet were right across from our room and the area is quiet). They roasted pork two days of the week and started cooking early in the morning and it was ready for lunch. You gotta try it, tasted great and I went back for seconds on both days. So, if you don't mind the bus ride, the French this is a resort to really consider. We probably won't go back but we really have nothing bad to say about the resort itself; had a great time and came back relaxed.

Beach and natural environment is wonderful, especially when it is calm. They provide kayaks and paddle boats. In regards to food, if you are really into food like me it is not very good. It is mostly lukewarm buffet dishes. The biggest problem is most of the food comes from one dining room where there is not enough room for everyone. It is kind of bedlam in there. There are a couple dishes everyone wants and they just get ravaged in two minutes and you have to wait for them to be replenished. There are a couple made to order stands but the lineups for them are huge. In regards to the rooms there was visible mold on our picture frames. They were not that concerned about this. They did let us go look at a different room but it was not better. All this being said, when the prices are around the $800 mark and you don't mind missing really good food for this long in order to have a nice beach, it is a good choice. The hotel is way out on a Cayo Santa Maria which is pretty amazing. There are some cool excursion options too. There is a pool table which doesn't get too busy either.

everything is horrible from the minute you enter the so said resort till you leave it . it was a nightmare for all of us glad that we were able to leave that place and move to another resort everything is bad from food to room service to reception towels not washed had blood stains on them bed sheets had blood and stains

Room was ok so were staff but don't expect the same as a regular hotel elsewhere. Food was gross & I mean gross.....took coloured rice & found a 1" piece of pig skin with hair on it....other white rice had small black pieces--looked like something prisoners would get. All food not clean & very very basic....hardly any bread & 2 barbecue areas had extremely long line-ups for 1)fish 2)dry beef & pork or chicken, no sauces etc., few salads & most with no dressings , deserts were rubbery, dining room only opened at 6:30 & huge lineups running to barbecue area as nothing else somewhat palatable. Also hotel was too far away from airport ...could not really visit any towns without taking a whole destination from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. Market close to hotel was a joke....& cost us $9.00 CUC for a 10 min. ride & all items were what we would find at a carnival! Will never advise anyone to go to this hotel & this really turned us off on Cuba!

This resort is horrible I can’t believe what happened with us since we arrived we were big group we arrived around 3 pm we did check in in almost 3 hours we had problem with the receptionist there as I reserved two rooms she told me after long waiting u will. E in building 1 and ur kids building 16 2- when we entered the room it was discusting the towels smells bad and full of stains the bad sheets has blood stains as well no water in the fridge 3 when we went to the restaurant big line up dead flies on the food no service 4- the animation team is very poor At the end I don’t recommend it at all by the way thanks air transit for moving us to better one

Not impressed with overall experience the resort was nice room ok beach and pools were great however customer service sucked. The buffet was small not a lot of selection also air transat was awful. Would return to Cuba but not here

We enjoy our stay at this resort very much. It was clean, the people are amazing and very accommodating. It is well kept the beaches are beautiful white sand. Excursions were organized very nicely. Would love to go there again

Beautiful beach. Clean room and pool areas. Staff all very friendly and helpful. Not enough people at front desk during check in. Long line up for eggs at breakfast. Should prepare fried eggs and scrambled eggs in advance for the food line. Most of the time there is not even hard boiled eggs. Lack of variety and care of cooking is the major problem of the food provided. We had the same food served 3 times a day 7 days a week by the end of the week we are rather glad be out of that food. Remember dinning is a pleasure not a chorus. There is nothing wrong with the materials, as a matter of fact the chicken and pork and fish (fresh one) tastes better in Cuba, it just need a little more incentive as to make better food.

We enjoyed this resort for the exception of the bugs in all of the restaurants and buffet area. The beach was great and the rooms were kept clean and functional.The grounds were very nice and clean and the staff were very helpful once they understood our needs.

Hi, I will first start with how nice the resort looked like. We were very happy to be in such a nice resort. The staff was awesome friendly and helpful. The cleaning staff in our rooms did an awesome job with the cleaning.as far as the negative side of this resort was the cockroach’s, they were all over the eating areas. If this resort would have been in Canada the health unit would’ve shut them down. Reaches were seen in plain daylight, what a pitty. Simple cleaning on a daily basis would have prevented such an infestation.

We just returned home from a lovely vacation at the GoldenTulip in Cayo Santa Maria Jan.2-10. The staff is wonderful and always ready to help! Our room was beautiful with 2 ocean views, always clean and with fresh towels each day. The beds were comfortable however the pillows were not... BEACH is spectacular! Soft white sand, turquoise blue waters and lots of palapas for shade! Hot and sunny 27-31°C each day! POOLS were beautiful and clean, infinity pool as well as kids pool! GARDENS and flowers, simply beautiful! FOOD is actually very good! Breakfasts: omelettes, pancakes, ham, bacon, cold cuts, cheeses, yogurts, smoothies, fresh breads and fruits. Lunch: Beach restaurant offers fresh grilled pork, chicken and fish each day. Also pasta, paella, rice , fresh fruit, pastries, ice cream and a SPECTACULAR VIEW OF THE OCEAN!! BEACH BAR: Makes delicious pizzas from 1-3pm and great drinks!! Dinner: We ate at 3 "a la cartes" during our stay... Italian grilled salmon was excellent! Buffet always had a great selection as well! TRIPS: We took the speed boat/snorkeling tour. I did not enjoy the speed boat. The waves were high and the boat was bouncing on the waves a lot but the snorkeling was amazing!! Many beautiful colorful fish and corals to see!!😁 All in all we had a WONDERFUL TRIP!!

The beach at this resort was to die for. By far the most beautiful and breath taking beach ive ever been too. The food/beverages were near to awful and the resort its self was mediocre. But the beach made it all worth it.

the enviroent of resort is nice, room is clean well, bars are good. but there is insert bite whole body red buttons lot of people not only me. the food quality need to be improved. the beach good quality clean clear water.

After spending months saving to take my family away on a much anticipated vacation, along with two friends, I was very excited to book, at what appeared to be a great resort to retreat to for a week. On arrival, the view from the lobby to the ocean is quite nice. The lobby is very basic and dated. The chairs were badly stained yellow and the washrooms leave an overall impression of a lack of cleanliness. The pools are beautiful but do need attention as many other reviews have noted. The rooms were clean but just...ok. The grounds are nice and inviting. Now the real issue... As it was along day of travel, we were all very hungry. After checking in and getting settled we headed to the buffet for some food. The first thing we noticed was the odd smell. When you get to the food area it is apparent that there are no standards for cleanliness. The glass over the food is dirty and greasy, also full of fingerprints and looks as though it hasn't been cleaned in a very long time. The food smell and visual was unappealing and did not invoke any desire to eat, even though we were sooo hungry. Noticed a few cockroaches on the food carts and walls. When you see them when the lights are on, you know there's an issue. We know that Cuba is not known for its food but this was just not right. We had to eat however, and chose carefully. Everything was cold and unappetizing but we got through. Took a walk, enjoyed the grounds and went to sleep. The next morning we all woke up looking forward to breakfast, hoping it would be better. Most things were cold, half cooked and generally tasted bad. Spent the day at the beach and enjoyed the day. A few of us felt a bit off, but got through. By 3 o'clock in the afternoon, my son (15) was not feeling well at all. He went to the room to lay down. We checked in on him for the next few hours, of which he got progressively worse. By 8pm he was in tears from the pain and throwing up along with diarrhea. We gave him some medication and got him to sleep. Around 11PM, I started... the same thing. Keeled over in pain, vomiting and diarrhea. I now understood what my son was feeling. The pain was sooo intense it had me in tears. We we terrified. In a foreign country, in intense pain and what to do???... The night was rough. By the morning we were no better. The pain kept coming back in waves and both of us were on the beds curled up and in agonizing pain. My wife went to the front desk to request an ambulance. (very scary). The bell hops drove us in a cart from the room to the ambulance waiting on the grounds. At this point, it is important to note that NO hotel manager or official came to us or showed any concern as their guests. After a 3 hour visit at the local clinic. (injected pain meds and IV for dehydration), we were given 500 peso bill for the services. ($700) canadian. I understand that they must charge but just wanted to warn others what to expect. We did not have cash and they were kind enough to let us come back the next day after we made arrangements to secure the funds. That day was spent entirely in bed. My Wife, oldest Son and our two friends checked in on us throughout the day and tried to make the best of it.... By 2 or 3 in the morning, my son was in agonizing pain again. I, still feeling unwell went to the front desk to request the ambulance again. This time... NO Ambulance!!! Told it was broken down!!!! I was really angry at the whole situation now, but the pressing concern was getting him treatment... They ended up driving us to the clinic in a golf cart. It was what it was... The doctor gave him more pain injection and meds.. Golf cart back to hotel. (You'd think the hotel would have at least got us a taxi by now) By the next day, my son was better, but not quite right for there rest of the week. We demanded to be moved to another hotel and the Hola Sun rep we had did everything she could for us and got us moved to the Playa Caya. She was awesome I must say. However, again I must stress that NO, absolutely NO hotel official or manager came to speak with us, apologize or to express concern for our well being!!! While waiting to be transferred we learned from a Taxi driver and... a few GT employees that the Golden Tulip has a very bad history of food issues. Also on bus back to airport at the end of the trip we talked to others who were sick from there. (and other hotels) (although not requiring Hospital). The new hotel was better but honestly the food area still left something to be desired. For the rest of the week I carefully observed the food handlers everywhere and it is easy to see why so many people get sick there. They obviously have no standards or food safety training in Cuba. Make no mistake, this is the root the the problems associated with why so many people get sick there. Handling raw meats with bare hands, no washing stations and handling cooked food and utensils with same hands. Dirty trays, dishes not washed properly and reusing bowls with raw eggs and meats. Also, things like using the water taps to rinse out smoothie blenders and making new smoothies in it. (contaminated now with non filtered water). Its a roll of the dice if your gonna get sick or not!!! I spent the week, off and on from throwing up and painful gut spasms and constant painful burning diarrhea. We made the best of what was left and managed to get an excursion in by Thursday... I did not feel well and still wasn't eating but made it through. Been home for three days, still sick. Been to the hospital here at home. Running tests to rule out salmonella or food borne parasite as it is still with me. $3000 family vacation down the tubes. Oh, did I mention that NO manager at the hotel expressed any concern? Ya, sorry. I think i did. I am expecting some retribution for this and would like to see Transat Vacations do a better job selecting resorts they back. Not happy, but most importantly, two of us suffered physically on what should have been a good memory filled family vacation...

I traveled to Golden Tulip at the end of November and it was definitely not a busy time at the hotel. They said it was at 50% capacity during the time but I honestly think it was more like 20%. Which was ok for me because there were no long lines and it was very quiet. Because it as low season - the entertainment was downplayed quite a bit as well. Night time shows were all the same singers / dancers and routines - just in different costumes while labeling them as different shows and themes. The resort itself was alright - nicely laid out, easy access to the beach, and the rooms were ok as well. The pools and pool areas were beautiful but nothing compared to the beach. The best beach spot in Cuba I've seen thus far. Beautiful white sand, no rocks, lots of chairs, shade and calm waters that you could walk out really far and still only be waist deep. Lots of fish to see because the waters were soo clear. The food was hit and miss - some days it was pretty decent and there a few days it was completely off (and as always, a lot of repeat and reused dishes). The last night before I left they had a party down on the beach. About 30 mins after it started there was a full blackout. I mean - picture being down on the beach and suddenly it's PITCH BLACK. It wasn't a full moon out so we literally couldn't even see our own hands in front of us. There were NO EMERGENCY LIGHTS to dimly guide us. But luckily most ppl had their cell phones with them and used the flashlights which was the only saving grace that we were able to see our way back to the lobby where most ppl congregated. At least there were emergency lights there and the staff kept the bar going. Nothing else to do because no one really wanted to go back to their rooms with NO AC, light or tv. All of it didn't bother me too much because I feel overall safe in Cuba but I was surprised there were no emergency lights anywhere except the lobby - to others it was a huge safety / security concern. Overall it was a great trip except for the fact that it was a little too quiet and dead. I imagine during hi-reason it's a much more fun place to be.

We are a couple in our late 40s, speak somewhat the Spanish language, we've been to Cuba many times, different resorts (just for background). We traveled first time to Golden Tulip, for one week, at the beginning of November. The facts: - Staff being friendly and doing their job is overall what made our trip a good experience. - AC unit in the room equipped with a digital thermostat that works well. Safe in the room but no phone nor is there a box with Kleenex. I had to fiddle with the TV cable to ensure the connector makes good contact with the actual cable, so I can see channels clearly. Bed on the firm side in case you don't like this. The couch is rather stained and not looking clean. Water pressure (cold or hot) is good so that is impressive since the water is coming through the pipes from the main island from what we were told. - There is an assigned person that distributes once a day a bottle (2L or so) of water to the rooms, but he seems to not enter the room instead just knocks at the door and if nobody answers he takes off, no bottle. I saw a few times a bottle of water in front of other rooms, but not in front of the door of my room, not sure why. I ran into the guy once and told him to leave me a bottle at the door as well. That worked for one day I believe, other days I was simply in the room when he came around. - lots of chlorine in the swimming pools, I mean LOTS, guy comes one afternoon with a bucket full of chlorine pellets and pretty much empties that bucket in the kids pool, going around, on the steps of it, underwater. The smell was strong even sitting by the side of the pool and 3 days later still signs of that chlorine pellets visible. Too much for my skin so I avoid the pools. - nice beach with lots of shade and beds. The lifeguards were walking around with a brush and offering help to place a bed where you wanted and swipe the sand of it. Towels for the beach were handed out without any particular concern for tracking them, that was good to not increase the stress level, being worried about holding on to your beach towel or else pay 25-50 USD for it. - restaurants: we never tried the a-la-carte restaurant. The food variety is good, I find the variety and creativity with pastries impressive, the resort is a French-Cuban investment I understand. The bread variety is quite poor. At times large plates or bowls for cereal were missing, I had to ask for them. At times the washed plates stacked up next to food seemed to be too hot to touch them. Good service at breakfast time to get a coffee fast without having to chase waiters. We are not too picky about food so in general we do not complain about food services, just for reference. The restaurant close to the beach is very convenient and is great to eat lunch out on the terrace with a full view of the beach and the water. At times there was a barbecue grill working, for meat, sausages or even a pig on the grill event one day, hosted by the gardeners. - gym: there is a person managing the gym when open and handing over towels, few machines and some weights, the machines (treadmill and a stepper and some spin bikes) worked just about all of them and looked alright (I've seen in other resorts some really beat-up equipment). There is a tennis court which is OK to hit the ball but the fence on the side away from the resort has holes and is not that high and balls can get lost behind, in the mangrove/tropical bushes. - entertainment: shows every evening in the large theater but we did not pay much attention to it, I personally thought it was rather dull, lots of dancing themes without much difference. The lobby has a piano with live music in the afternoon-evening, that is nice, relaxing. Some evenings there was a fashion show as well, with local fashion sold in the resort store. In summary, we enjoyed the time in this resort and we had no issues that would have spoiled our vacation otherwise. The weather was nice, the first 3 days a bit windy and waves rather too big to swim in the sea but later the winds died and it was great to soak in the very warm water. The resort was only 50 % full we were told (low season ?) before ramping up towards the end of the year, this could account for getting more attention from staff. We would be open to returning to this resort. Have a great vacation.

Was our first trip ever, and I am sure glad we chose Golden Tulip. First off, you don't come to Cuba for the food so I'll get that out of the way. We were told Pringles travel rather well and by day 4 or 5 you'll wish you had packed a few tubes of them. Trust us on this one. What one does come to Cuba for is the white sand beaches and the exemplary service of which there is plenty of. 4 Pools always clean, Swim up bar is always fun then you can spend the next day in the grotto or sleeping the night before off at the beach. Lobby Bar comes alive every night. Dont forget to pack your semi formal wear for the a la carte restos highly suggest Hielo Fuego. Went on two excursions, Santa Clara is a must for admirers of Che. Also went on the speedboats, definitely will get the heart racing, you've been warned...lol. Dont forget your tipping cash 20-25 CUCs for the week should do it, depends on if you want preferential treatment :)

We stayed at Melia Cayo Santa Maria for 2 weeks & it was our first time there. The grounds are very well maintained & picturesque. There resort had no tea whatsoever & some of the liquors were in short supply. The food was okay, but on some days we did have good meals. The rooms were always cleaned. The place is dated. The pools have some missing tiles.

We switched resorts from Golden Tulip to Melia Cayo Santa Maria due to TripAdvisor reviews. We were so glad that you did switch. Melia Cayo Santa Maria is a small resort and was very quiet and very friendly staff. The only problem was that some domestic drinks were not available and NO TEA at all at this resort and many others on the island, as well as the airport. The rooms were large and nice. We have an ocean view, Villa 11. The first week was quiet with only 50% capacity, second week was a bit busier but resort was not full. Second week we enjoyed more seafood as it became available. Staff was very friendly and always said hello to us. We met some new friends and enjoyed ourselves. The night time entertainment in the lobby bar was fantastic, there were three violinists who each performed separately a clarinet/sax person, a live band and every night we enjoyed the music. Weather was perfect, it rained at night while we were sleeping. Melia sprays every morning at 6 and night at 6 for mosquitoes and that is one of the reason why we switched our vacation to this resort. This is the first time here but have stayed in Melias many times. This is about our 15th trip to Santa Maria and this resort was one of the best we have stayed in.

I was a little concerned because the reviews leading up to our stay were so bad. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by our stay. Everything was clean, service was good, food was definitely repetitive but we always managed to stay full. Drinks were very good, bottled beer, specialty coffees etc. Pools were definitely dirty but were cleaned regularly while we were there. Beach towels were a major issue but we were told to use the room towels which we always had plenty of. Overall it was an amazing vacation. Definitely there’s room for improvement but overall we enjoyed our time there.

All nice & clean. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We stayed at the Golden Tulip the first week of November 2018. Overall good week. No shortage of beer! The beach is awesome. We aren’t pool people, but the pool looked clean. The staff was very pleasant and helpful. The food was good. Loved the salmon and beach grill pork barbecue. There was a bug in our room a couple of times but we were on ground level and that can happen. We would go back!

Spent a week at the Golden Tulip Aguas Claras Resort with my 2 sisters. We had an amazing time. Had plenty of food to choose from. Never went hungry. Beach was amazing as always in Cayo Santa Maria. Large rooms and clean. Staff was very accommodating. Always did their best to make sure we were attended to at all times. Entertainment team was excellent. Made us laughed all the time and was always making sure that we were having fun. Highly recommended!

Clean hotel, renovated rooms, modern decor. Rooms do not smell mold either not humid (the AC works perfectly). The service is very good. The food is good, maybe not as much variety but still very good and fresh. The resort deserves 5 star. The beach is clean. There are two big pools.

We went for 7 days Sept 28-Oct 6. Overall, great experience. Not many people!! Swimming pool was always available, just a few people there so you can really swim freely. Great price for the 4 star. The weather was great. showers at night and sunshine during the day, just the last day was cloudy with short showers. I have been to Cuba 5 times and the good and untypical thing about this hotel is its planning site - first of all you can see the blue ocean when arrived to the front lobby, while other hotels make you see the bar first. This is the best time in the year to go to cuba from my experience. Great deals due to low season, the weather is still great as for me. Warm enough to swim while refreshing wind at night. December to March is cold for me, i had to cover myself with a towel when at the beach. june to mid sept is too hot, sweating all the time. so beginning of october is really great to swim and spend the whole day at the beach. I highly appreciate the great job that gardeners are doing!! Amazing to look at those beautiful grounds!!! First disappointment was the room key which did not work, had to walk back to reception to replace. Second- the shower glass cabin was leaking with water on the floor after taking a shower, also the drain in the shower could be planned better to drain the water faster so the water pressure at the shower could be turned at max. I have heard that it is the same at other rooms so it is the planning and construction overlook. The food was ok. I never forgot I am in Cuba so not much variety but if you are not picky you would never be hungry. Salmon at the dinner in the buffet was great. Great cooks all the time who would make for you the customized dish from the available ingredients. Also, i appreciated the great work of the pastry-cook. All the sweets were very delicious!! There was ice cream of three tastes for the desert for lunch and dinner. The show every night was great. Really enjoyed the magic show and pirates. The service was very good. No tips requests/expectations here, which made me really happy to give tips at this place. I would go there again for the same price and at the same season.

Everything was average to good. Rooms - had to change rooms at 8pm due to no flushing toilet, next room had no television, wife fixed the cable as maintenance was notified several times to no avail, rooms were clean, telephone did not work Grounds - beautiful beach, pools were nice, would return due to stunning beach, plenty of palapas(?) Food - average, meat selection poor quality, chicken good, poor dressings for salads, breakfast great, pizza amazing, ala carte was good Staff - friendly and accommodating, gratuities help Front desk - poor, not very helpful, plenty of "we will send someone tomorrow", poor English Entertainment - not impressive although they were trying Overall, you get what you pay for, wasn't paying for a 4 star

We stayed at the Golden Tulip the week of Sept. 21, 2018. We have been to Cuba now 8 times. We usually go to Varadero but decided to try Cayo Santa Maria this time. Our overall experience was good but there was definitely areas for improvement. Bus ride: Definitely 2 hours. It’s very long especially after flying. The bus ride for us was during the daytime hours so we were able to see the small towns and country side but I couldn’t imagine that bus ride at night. Resort: Beautiful large resort. Grounds are well maintained and very pretty. Guestrooms: We upgraded to an Ocean view prior to our departure. It was totally worth it. The view was incredible. Keep in mind that when you are out on your balcony/terrace the mosquitos are bad. Also, keep your eyes open for tarantellas. We were beside our friends and they had a giant tarantella hiding in the water hole of their balcony. Probably the size of an average hand. Also, check your sliding door when you arrive. Ours barely opened. You had to be Hercules to open it. We stayed in Block 15 on the 3rd floor. Housekeepers were great! Mini bar always stocked. Food: This is where improvement needs to happen. The main buffet was horrible. Like I said previously, we have stayed in Cuba several times and have never experienced such bad food. This was the first time we found the food awful in the main buffet. They offered a large buffet, but there are sections in the buffet and in each section there was 5 or 6 chafing dishes of different food. The thing was, the entire buffet was sections of the same 5 or 6 dishes. We were lucky to find one thing we liked. Breakfast was the only meal in the buffet that was tolerable. Fresh eggs each day. Never count on any fresh bread. Or should I say buns. They never had bread. Each day they had baskets of buns, even for breakfast. And they were rock hard stale. I brought peanut butter with me and couldn’t even use it for toast. Most of the staff in the main buffet were good. Some were pretty pushy for you to go into their sections. One time we sat down and no one even came over to greet us or ask us if we wanted anything. There were definitely staff around and then when we left 3 staff stood by our table expecting a tip. It was very unusual. International and Italian A La Carte: Thank goodness for these restaurants. The meals in both restaurants were really good. The staff were incredible. Fresh sliced bread – like right out of the oven fresh. Why not at the buffet?? We ended up booking a 3rd a la carte so we were guaranteed a good meal. Also, you will see a lobster/steak dinner advertise. DO IT! It’s $20 Pecos each and 100% worth it. The lobster is huge and incredible. One our friends had the steak. It was the size of a dinner plate. So good! The Thursday of our stay they opened up the beach grill and had a pig roast. This was really good. They don’t say anything about it, we just stumbled across it. If you were at the other end of the resort you may miss out on it. Beach: Most incredible beach ever! Tons of sunshade. 2 beach bars. Beach towels were always available. Pools: The 3 tier pools (main pool) are very beautiful but the 2 lower level pools were closed 3 days we were there. They did re-open but very dirty. The main upper pool by the swim up bar was so disgustingly dirty I don’t know how people even swam in it. Hair, floating things, the white grout throughout the entire pool was black with dirt. It was gross. Never once did we see anyone cleaning the pool daily. Any other resort we have stayed in they actually have a pool person who goes into the pool and vacuums and cleans it daily. The “family” pool is the same – dirty. Bars: All of the bars we went too were amazing! The staff were so friendly and kind. The lobby bar was a lot of fun. The Spanish coffees are to die for. The air conditioned bar was great too. We played pool, the music was great and it was a good place to cool off for a bit as the lobby bar was rather hot. The mosquitos and sand flies/flees (idk) were horrible. We got eaten alive. I used muskoil spray and came home covered head to toe in bites. They fogged each night which was good I guess. The fogging smell was toxic. Catamaran: It was okay. The lunch was fantastic. They drop you off at a beach for over an hour. It’s nice but the beach has no shelters, no washrooms and no drinks. All in all our vacation was great. We travelled with 2 other couples and we made the best of our week there, not letting the bad things get in our way. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t go back to Golden Tulip Resort. There are too many things that need to be improved, things that should be there to begin with.

The resort itself was very nice, beautiful pool area and the most amazing beach I've ever seen. However the pools were not very clean so we ended up spending the majority of our time on the beach. Rooms: The rooms were nice, we had an ocean view which was fabulous. There were only 2 very tiny drawers in the closet which was not great as we had to live out of our suite cases the entire time. The pillows are flat but you can ask for extra pillows if you want. The cleaning staff were great, the room was very nice with the creative towel sculpture on the bed daily. The water guy was wonderful, friendly and very sweet. Pools: all the grout in each pool was black and there were missing tiles. There were pools on three separate levels and there was an infinity pool overlooking the ocean which was amazing! Lounge: The lounge was good, no fans so it was very hot to sit in there in the evenings. The bar staff and waitresses were amazing and friendly. Entertainment Staff: Joey was my favorite, so personable and funny. He wanted to improve his English and it was fun talking with him. Entertainment: Not much for entertainment at the resort, other than in the evenings at 9:30 when the stage show started. No foam party at the pool, and not a lot of fun activities happening. Bugs: There were a ton of mosquitoes and tiny biting flies..Our legs were covered even though we used 'Off'. They sprayed the bug fog in the evening when we were sitting in the lounge, they should maybe do that in the middle of the night instead. Beach Towels: were available every day and they were big, thick, blue towels. I loved them. Beach Bars: the staff was fantastic, the drinks were great!! Beach: Lots of cabanas set up for shade, and the beach was beautiful. Make sure you have flip flops for walking to and from the beach through the trails as there are lots spurs in the trails. Be careful in the water - lots of jelly fish. Buffet: The buffet was not great, six stations of the exact same thing. We stuck with the eggs cooked in front of us in the morning by a super great chef, and the chicken legs and potatoes at dinner time. Everything else I was not a fan of. 24 hour Snack Bar: The food was much better and available during the day. One day they had a big pig roast and buffet in one of the beach buffet buildings which was great. Lobster/T-Bone Steak: It was very much worth the 25 Pecos, so much food and was absolutely amazing! Bus ride to resort: The ride was very long after flying in. It was interesting to see the little towns on the way but the 2 hours on the bus was too long. Catamaran Excursion: Not the best I've been on for sure but it was nice. The dolphin area was fantastic, the staff on the boat were boring, they dropped us off at a beach with now shade, no drinks, no nothing for over an hour as they pulled back out into the ocean and waited. Not happy about that but we were on vacation and we made the best of it. I love Cuba!

The rooms were clean with up to date facilities. Always polite staff. Beach was amazing, while we where there it rained a couple of times during the week but never for more then 15 minutes and always able to carry on with activities. Buffet was mediocore, not really impressed, would recommend eating at beach spots or 24 hr bar as much as possible. The service at the grills was slow but polite. The items in the buffet dishes was duplicated so not really as many options as it looked and the hot dishes were not always hot. The lobby bar staff were awesome for service and attentiveness but mixing of drinks was hit and miss if you got the right mixture. They couldn’t grasp that I wanted vodka instead of rum. Usually added the vodka into drink with the rum. The pools look awesome, swim up bar and multi level overlooking g ocean but not very clean. The grout in the tiles was always black with mould. The drive from the airport to the hotel was about 1.5 hrs. Very long.

I found that the place was too big with a lot of walking on cement everywhere, and was very slippery with the humidity. The washrooms were very good with toilet paper. The quality of food could of been better, nothing much to eat, had bread and pasta. The meat was scary. I was looking forward to Cuban bananas, but had none, no smoothie station. I had diarrhea. I was covered with mosquito bites. The internet doesn’t work in the lobby in the evenings. Also everything is expensive now. The bag of Serrano coffee is now 17 Cuban pesos which is about 23 Canadian dollars, didn’t but any, cheaper at Starsky and Hutch in Aurora.

La plage était magnifique et l’hotel très propre!! Pour ce qui est de la nourriture je donnerais un 7/10 mais je n’avais pas de grande attente car c’est Cuba!! Par contre très déçu du savoir vivre des cubains en visite à l’hotel!

This resort is very clean. Rooms are large with bar fridge which is replenished daily. Room also has a safe. Both services included in your all inclusive package. Each room also has an iron, ironing board, blow dryer & umbrella. The beach was a bit smaller but kept tidy & very beautiful. Staff were all friendly & helpful except for the guy who worked in the money exchange shop. He never smiled or exchanged any type of pleasantries or small talk with you. The food, although plentiful was the usual, rather bland. A nice feature, you could get either a bottle of wine or champagne to take back to your room every evening when you left the buffet after having your dinner, no charge. My two complaints would be one, I have been to Cuba 5 times & I have never seen the mosquitos so bad!!! You could barely sit out at nite, they ate you alive! My second complaint was the gift shop. Rather pricey! Smokes & liquor much higher than any other resort I've been to. Also, you could'nt count on them being opened during their posted hours. They seemed to open & close at their own discretion.

This has been our fourth stay at the hotel, first week of March. Not crowded at all, lots of space, great long white-sanded beach. Great for those who value the above. Good selection of food and drinks at buffet and bars. Lots of mosquitoes, take a good spray. Specialty restaurants are good for experience, don't go there to get something special in terms of food. The staff still doesn't speak acceptable English, particularly at the front desk and housekeepers, and they like if guests speak Spanish to them. Overall, very satisfied and look forward to go there again.

I love the layout of the resort. Block 19 is great if you have children. Get a ground floor your steps to the pool. The resort is fairly new but it does show wears and tears. The room is big and nice and bright. Only concern of the room is it didn’t feel as clean as I would like it there were visible stains on the decor pillows so unsure if they are washed or just tossed back on the bed but it makes it feel dirty. Stains on the coushions on the chairs in the room etc. The staff were very friendly and nice. Never felt pushy or needed to tip each and every time although I did tip well I didn’t feel like I had to to get great service. The towel hut is never open so bring your own towels. We walked by multiple times a day and it was never open. The ice cream hut although says open daily 10-4 it is never open not once so that was disappointing. The food is ok it’s typical for Cuba it’s not great but it’s not terrible. Very repetitive and bland. The bank at the hotel couldn’t take credit cards for money a few days I was there because the line wasn’t working so plan to bring cash to exchange to be safe. There is no doctor on site it is a 5 peso cab ride there and 5 back but the clinic is very clean and they were very professional and helped us very quickly. The pools seem to have a lot of wear on them like rust stains and broken tiles which are cracked and sitting at the bottom of the pool they need a bad vacuuming. The kids club is great the girls there are awesome. If you get this resort for the right price then go because it is overal beautiful and a great valu but I wouldn’t pay more then say 850 per person you can get better for that or less.

Hotel was fabulous. Great size. Rooms clean. Pillows sucked. Bring your own if able. Beach was breathtaking. NO issues with finding chairs. Ran out of towels at times. Pool was clean and not too busy Food was edible. Typical Cuba food. Didn't starve!!! Bus ride from airport to resort about 1h45min. Ok when travelling during the daytime. Would definitely go back.

My husband and I travelled to this resort April 18-25 with a few of our friends. First time to Cayo Santa Maria but 7th time to Cuba. It is a 2 hour drive from the airport but it went by quickly and I enjoyed the history told by our tour rep. I was very impressed with the layout of this resort. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. The grounds were lush and beautiful. Food was as expected in Cuba. We did love the ham and cheese sandwiches at the snack bar and had one every evening. The beach was incredible! Nicest beach I’ve seen. This resort is great for couples, families or groups...something for everyone. Planning to return for sure.

Just got back from our trip at the Golden Tulip! (April 12th-19th) We really enjoyed our stay and the amazing staff that made it that much better. It was not busy during our stay and we had no problems getting a chair in the mornings beach or pool. We spent our time on the beach but the pool is absolutely beautiful for those pool people! Easy check in & out, good food (especially the Pizza Hut on the pool YUM) Also one night they had a pig roast and that was VERY tasty! I would most defiantly reccomend this resort to someone and hope they love it just as much as us. We have no negative comments to make but a little tip I do have is pack face cloths & beach towels. I don’t think Cuba has face cloths so we had packed our own & there was always a long line up for beach towels which I read before our trip so I’m happy we brought our own! Also the pillows are a little flat it did not bother us my boyfriend prefers flat pillows but I just put two of the small throw on pillows under the actual pillow and I was perfectly fine. For someone that might be an issue so just bring your own! ALSO the beach was SO nice this resort has it’s on beach area which made it less busy, we really liked this! Thank you Golden Tulip for a great experience and the friendly staff! We had a nice relaxing vacation.

We had no problems at all. The food was very good, the staff were very nice and rooms were clean. We would go back tomorrow if we could. The beach is lovely and they are building new shade every day.