Cayo Santa Maria

This was the best vacation in Cuba we have ever experienced (and we've been going to Cuba for over 20 years).

Was there Jan 10 - Jan 17. Definitely recommend. Adults only, quiet, compact. Lived above buffet. Very convenient - two steps for everything. Morning wend down and jumped into swimming pool. Nice view from the balcony. The lobby bar was good: gin tonic, daiquiri. The food - strong 4 out of 5. The food in 24 hours bar - good burgers and good pizza. And good drink. Entertainment in the lobby bar. Three times a week very good piano player. Almost every evening dancing. The beach is not bad, rocky in the beginning but good at the end. Beach chairs - a lot of broken. Restaurant Ranchon on the beach was closed (not enough tourists), but Grill, burgers, hot dogs on the beach. The drink on the beach was also good. Two hours from the airport.

My husband and I spent from Jan 16-23 at this place we call our second home. We had the absolute best vacation once again at Grand Sirenis Cayo Santa Maria. Everyone will have a different experience, a different opinion, and daddy‘s last night on duty different expectations, and that is perfectly ok. Here was our experience. We arrived in Santa Clara in the morning via Sunwing. Took the bus to CSM with other travellers. Our rep was great to educate everyone on some Cuban culture along the way as well as selling some Cristal Beer to all of us. We were greeted at the Resort by the entertainment team, public relations, and some managers all dancing in the lobby. Each of us handed a welcome beverage. Check in was extremely quick and went very smoothly for everyone. Thanks to Airan and his very friendly, efficient reception staff. And special mention to Airan for giving us some extra special perks as returning guests. Our room was in Bungalow #4 overlooking the beautiful white sand beach and turquoise water. There was a bottle of rum awaiting our arrival along with 2 Cristal, 2 sodas, & 2 big bottles of water. There is a Nespresso machine that takes the original pods. We had 2 fluffy face cloths. 4 big white fluffy towels, bath robes, and slippers. There was also some shampoo, shower gel, body lotion, 2 toothbrushes, toothpaste, a razor, shave gel, and a small pkg of Kleenex on our bathroom sink. Our room was cleaned daily, replacing towels every two days, towel art on the bed, curtain art everyday, and nice and cool upon our arrival in the evening. Always plenty of hot water to shower. We did notice that the water was shut off though everyday around 1000 for a little while. but not sure why. The fridge was stocked daily with two soda, two beer, and water. The beach was absolutely pristine. White sand, turquoise water, some small shells along the entrance to the water, calm water all week, and plenty of beds , palapas, and huts for shade. The beach had entertainment in the mornings until lunch then the team moved to the pool by the snack bar. There is a volleyball net, soccer net, peddle boats, kayaks, hobbie cats and other water sport boats along the beach. The beach has two drink bars and one snack bar that has sandwiches at lunch. Two pools always very clear and clean. Both pools have swim up bars with plenty variety of alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks. The East pool by the snack bar is the busier pool that has the entertainment team set up in the afternoons. As well there was a churro stand all week poolside. A foam party was held on Tuesday afternoon around 4pm. Plenty of beds to lay on around the pool with no need to get up and reserve this time of year. We didn't take in too many nightly shows just because we were ready for bed by 930pm when the show was ready to start. The ones we did see were very good. We spent some time at the lobby each evening after dinner where they always have someone singing or a fashion show before the later show. Each bar always had a variety of different drinks. Think of some different drinks that you like before you go. They had rum, vodka, gin, whiskey, tequila, brandy, liqueurs, assorted coffees, juices, slushies, and sodas. Some very awesome bar tenders at each of the bars. The mojitos at the small beach bar were incredible along with the gin and tonic. Iced coffee with chocolate tequila at the lobby bar. The food this trip was delicious for Cuba. There was absolutely ZERO shortage of it as well. Waffle/pancake/crepe station, egg/omelette station, bacon, tons of bread, cereals, juices, smoothie station, yogurt, soups, full salad bar, cold cut meats and cheese bar, fish grill, beef grill, chicken/pork grill, pasta station, different kinds of rice, different buffet dishes, endless desserts, ice cream just to name some. At the snack bar everyday from 1-3pm they had pizza, and a small buffet set up. As well, anytime of the day you could get french fries, hot dogs and assorted sandwiches. We had every a la carte that they offered and each one was fantastic. Italian, Mediterranean, French, and Cuban. On Cuban day there was a special lunch buffet set up outside in the courtyard by the long shallow pool. They had table and chairs set up in the pool, along the pool and walkway, a chef hand carving pork, a bar set up, entertainment team performing, and a couple of antique cars on display. Was such a delicious meal and afternoon. We had a special dinner our second evening there that was for returning guests, along with a special buffet dinner for everyone on the resort our last evening there. The grounds were kept well groomed and clean. The employees are constantly cleaning, picking up dishes, and making sure that everything is going well. We were stopped every single day by the General manager, the Reception Manager, Public Relations, Manager of Waiters, Captains of bars, and Concierge guys and asked how our day was, how we were enjoying our vacation, if we needed anything, and if there was anything at all that we were missing or needed to please ask them. We felt like we were treated better than Royalty and we definitely can't wait to return. I would give this resort a 5/5 for everything and highly recommend it to anyone. We tipped well with Canadian bills at every meal and throughout the day and evening at the drink bars. We left a tip in our fridge and a tip and small gift on our bed for the maid each day. Good idea to take some bug repellent as the early morning hours and the evenings there are some no see-ums and mosquitoes. Especially if you go to the beach or if you are walking around the grounds. Take some hydrocortisone cream one percent in case you do get some bites. They can be very very itchy. Before you leave the resort I highly recommend getting the VIP lounge from your rep for the airport on your departure day. Totally worth it. Air conditioned lounge area, free wifi, free food and beverages, and priority boarding. $30US/pp We would like to give special mention to Airan - manager of reception and his staff, Yinet & Gabriella - public relations, Ana & Jared. - Snack Bar, Vladamir, Thiago, Catain Victor, Yasinel, & Raynel - lobby bar, Adonis, Yasniel, & Alex - beach bars, Dani, Elizabet -waitress, Yaisel - a la carte booking, Ismaikel - concierge, Rollie- manager wait staff & Elmis- housekeeping

The beach and pools are nice but the foods are not good. It's the same menu every night and lunch for 7 days. No variety. They even ran out of drinks (i.e Mojito and Pinya Colada, Ice cream sandwich among other things. The hotel itself is dated but it's clean. Staff are good.

Dhawa hotel was very nice, very clean, and very well staffed. However, with a low occupancy rate we missed out on amenities - the restaurants were closed, the buffet was not well stocked, hardly any entertainment. There was no white wine or sparkling wine to be found, but the drinks they did have were very good. There is a specialty bar which has a great selection and a good barman. The food was lacking - even with the food they had it was unimaginative. Example- they have fruit, yogurt, milk, but don't have a smoothie station for the morning like many hotels. They have meat and vegetables but often the selection being offered for the pizza station didn't contain many ingredients - even if those ingredients were available elsewhere. The pastry selection in the morning was amazing, but almost no selection of fruit except papaya. The snack bar that was open 24 hours had actually almost no food. I know cuba has a food shortage but we thought they could do a lot more with the food they do have. The beach could have been beautiful - however there was a lot of seaweed washing up. Instead of putting people to the task of cleaning it they put 1 old man with a rake who barely managed to make any progress while 6 guys watched him from the bar instead of helping. As a consequence, the beach was not really accessible for many days which was disappointing. There were boats available for no extra charge which was nice. Our room was spacious, always very clean, and well stocked (towels, toilet paper, water, etc). The cleaning staff was great. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful in most ways. Overall I do recommend the hotel and I hate to complain but am only trying to give an honest review.

Hotel lobby sets the stage for main bar and nightly gathering area. Very large and spacious but divided up in sections to have a cozy feel. Sections are linked by bridges and water features as well as open roof areas to let the sun beam through. The floor is an elegant polished marble and granite. The service, entrainment, and food all first class. Make sure to book any of their restaurants as its an experience you don't want to miss. Only one thing that lacked was the age of my bathtub. It was clean but showed signs of it age and should be changed soon. Highly recommend it ...

I had a really fun time and would certainly return again. All staff at the resort were genuinely kind and happy people. For the entire duration of my stay, everyone seemed very passionate about their work, and eager to ensure that everyone's experience at the resort was as enjoyable as possible. Despite the low-season and a national economic crisis, everything I would expect of an all-inclusive was there, primed and polished. Live music and dancing, authentic cuisine, and careful attention to detail.

I was there a week with no issues. Right on the beach. Plenty of food in the a la cart restaurant. The diamond club rep available every day to arrange private trips.

I would like to take a few moments to thank the entire staff at Valentin Perla Blanca. What an amazing trip I had to Cuba, where I met some amazing staff and travellers. Not to forget enjoying one of the most amazing beaches in the world, on such a gorgeous and well maintained resort. I went to Perla Blanca for the second time at the end of July 2024 and while it was a slow period on the resort, I enjoyed the quiet resort and still had more than enough activities, people and places to keep me occupied. The pools were always clean and open, the beach was of course immaculate, and the staff always had a warm and inviting attitude to help you feel at home, and relaxed. I would like to extend my gratitude to a few staff who went above and beyond ensure their guests happiness. The customer service staff, more specifically Sandro and Marisol, made sure everyone was happy, having a good time, and did anything they could to assist however possible. Knowing I had a late flight, they extended my checkout so that I could continue to enjoy my day and still have a place to shower and get ready for the bus/flight. Thank you so much for this! There was another young lady at the front counter named Lietter who consistently helped me reprogram my keys as I kept demagnetizing them on my phone lol never a sigh or anything short of a smile and a helping hand from not only her, but anyone at the front reception! I would also like to give a huge thank you to Adislen who always greeted me every morning at the main bar with a huge smile and a huge heart, so welcoming for a morning greeting. She always made me a fresh cappuccino and a nice glass of cold water for my morning start. In the evenings, I had the pleasure of being served by Victor at the bar, who consistently went out of his way to make you drinks, serving you directly at the table and always maintaining peak service standards. This hotel is absolutely amazing and while it was my 2nd time there, I would 100% come back again. There are many names I didn't capture of amazing staff from the cook and bartender on the beach, a few pool bartenders and even the maintenance and cleaning staff. I've only been back a couple days and I wish I was back already! This place is paradise on earth, I'll see you guys soon! Thank you so much!

The Buenavista is a small adults-only all-inclusive resort with beach front on 3 sides. And in July, this small resort was maybe 25% full at that. There is one breakfast and lunch-only restaurant, and 2 x a-la-carte restaurants for supper. If you stay on the resort grounds for supper, you must make a reservation through your concierge for supper at one of them. However, a major advantage offered by this hotel is full access to the 2 other Melia properties in Cayo Santa Maria, the eponymously-named resort and Las Dunas. You can go to the beach or the swimming pools there, dine at any of their buffet or a-la-carte restaurants, generally use and take advantage of any facility there, just as if you were a guest at these properties. The room was great - ocean view, spacious, very comfortable (bed, AC, wash facilities), and impeccably kept by the cleaning staff. The beach - the reason we go to Cuba - was great, with small colorful tropical fish swimming with you and around you. A word of caution, there's lots of coral there, so beach shoes should be packed although they're not essential. The Buenavista has 2 small relatively unshaded pools, more for soaking and cooling after a day at the beach than for swimming. There's a bar and a 24 hour grill poolside by one of them. The grounds are extremely-well kept. The staff was amazing, always very friendly and very accomodating to anything we needed. If I could give them 6 stars out of 5, I would. I guess it helps though that there weren't that many other guests to attend to while we were there. I thought the food was good and well-prepared - disclosure, I'm not a picky eater - and again staff there was extremely accomodating to any food or dietary requests that we made. But, by the end of our week, the meals started to have a sameness to them that took away from the experience. And caution, anything with "tomato" sauce actually contains BBQ sauce. However, again, the staff came through for us in this regard by offering us a couple of excellent going-away meals that saved the experience. Bravo. Internet connection was (still) choppy at best, but when I go to Cuba this is more a plus than a negative. There's a gym and a spa on the property, but we didn't use either. The beach was our focus. Overall, we very much enjoyed our experience here. If you want an intimate, quiet, beach-oriented vacation, with the option of more activity and "noise" offered with the aceess to the other 2 Melia properties, this is a great place to go.