Playa Cayo Santa Maria

2 weeks of the same food everyday at the buffet. 2nd week no eggs to be found . The staff is why many people come back to this hotel, and the beach. Maybe it's time to look elswhere. [Details]

We had a wonderful time, we went with friends and they were very impressed by the friendly and helpful staff. Rooms were very clean. The Buffet had all kinds of fruits cereal meats fish, ice-cream. [Details]

We really enjoyed ourselves. We spent everyday at the beach as the pools were not very clean. The staff was amazing. Coffee shop and drinks were very good. Food was not so good, and mostly cold. Rooms were very nice. An outdated but beautiful resort with a lot of well kept greenery. It was hard to eat in the buffet as there were flies everywhere and sometimes birds. Ac works in the rooms and restaurants. Overall good for the price paid. [Details]

On arrival was hoping not to have to change rooms later as last year but it happened again, the rep at the front desk told me my emails sent prior to my arrival were in vain as he tried to convince me no notes about any prior arrangement had been done, said cust serv doesn't communicate with room reservations ? Me and my wife were happy with the room change. The weather was crumby for three days, windy and cloudy but, this can happen. Food okay for Cuba but, no eggs one day out of three and the same with butter, coffee and toaster machine. It seems that the mechanics for repairing a toaster and coffee machine is mind boggling for hotel management. Beach is among the best in the world although the beach buffet was below par. The cleanliness in general for the rooms is fair but the mattress was awful, I never have back issues and here I did ? an old beat up mattress it was. [Details]

Disappointing on the situation of the administration not able to answer any questions of the shortages they have. Somedays no milk in the morning only at the lobby or snack bar. Evening at any restaurant no white or red wine. Again no explanation given. Beach and employees are the main reason this place still has it's loyal guests coming back. [Details]

The beach is beautiful, however it is multi levels with stone outcrops making it challenging to get down if you have mobility problems and impossible if you use a walker or wheelchair. We suggested to managers that a small wooden walkway in at least one spot like neighbouring resorts would be an easy, inexpensive remedy. The remainder of resort was assessable. You could also call for golf cart but be prepared for long wait at times.
The food was edible, but many shortages and very repetitive buffet selection. You will always find something to eat, but you will probably eat the same items every day. Rooms were very clean, freshly painted, and firm but comfortable bed. The grounds were beautiful and very well kept. The spa area was cosy and serene and there were 4 pools to choose from. [Details]

Overall very happy with our choice. A little disheartened that we had 2 twin beds and not a king and when pushed together one was 2 inches higher than the other. The room had visibly seen some rough use by other travelers
that require attention. Ie the towel rack barely hanging on the wall.
Beer and soft drinks replaced daily is advertised but has been discontinued supposedly due to Covid 19. If this is in fact true it should not be promoted. You do however receive water on a daily basis so I fail to see the difference as it relates to Covid.
Overall a very neat and clean with a very accommodating staff. The beach is awesome
We would go back in a heartbeat.
The food at the Italian a la cart was excellent
Always found something to eat at the buffet [Details]

Overall our experience was good. I would not consider this a 4 star Hotel. Rooms are in very poor condition, especially Building 5 although they are very clean. Ruth did an awesome job!! Staff for the most part were friendly. Food was very repetitive. Beef was NOT good. Snack bar food (chicken wings and fries) was good. We ate those often. No vodka at the bars but we could buy it at the store. Gin arrived day 3. We were approached often to exchange loonies and toonies into bills, although we tipped with US currency. We had to change rooms on day 5 as our toilet had a small crack in the base. No one offered to help us relocate and we were on the top floor. After I asked for assistance someone did help us move our luggage. Catamaran excursion was amazing! Overall it was a great vacation as the beach is amazing, the weather was awesome and the price was right, but we would not return to this resort. [Details]

The hotel is well situated close to the beach with a lot of greenery everywhere. The rooms are nice and comfortable. [Details]

Clean hotel, very friendly staff, superb gardens and alleys, good restaurants with good Cuban food. The 4 pools are amazing and their bars are very good. The beach is nice. [Details]

We were there with my daughter. We enjoyed the service, atmosphere, beach and gardens [Details]

Bad cuban administrtion, bad experience waiting for every thing in line from dishes to spoons hot water, I spent half my vacation time waiting in line, go to that hotel if you want to loose weight. the only reason to go there is to help the poor people of Cuba and the beach . [Details]

We had such an amazing week at Playa Cayo Santa Maria. The beach is absolutely beautiful and powder white sand, clean and turquoise. So many pools to choose from. Antonio at the swim-up bar is very courteous and manages the entire pool area by himself, always had a smile. At night we also would visit the Mojito Bar, not very busy but Raul knocks it out of the ball park... with his bottle flipping, and secret drink. Oh, you have to ask for Raul's secret drink! He will light up a cinnamon stick, smoke the glass with it and etc... my fav, while I was there. Janet with Hola Sun is always there to help, and they should have more of her. The food is okay, you have to be creative, but its Cuba. Room was okay also, a little dated but clean. We will definitely return. [Details]

The prices for all inclusive were very reasonable. The staff was very nice, helpful and welcoming. The services delivered at the resort were excellent. The buffet had a large variety of food and chefs were very hardworking and nice. Overall experience was very good. [Details]

I have a wonderful time, the people was nice [Details]

THis is our 5th time there love everything about it [Details]

Beautiful place and hotel is clean, the people are very nice. [Details]

We enjoyed our stay for the most part. This was our fourth time to Cuba but our first time to this resort. We were surprised that limited WIFI was included with our stay as we were used to paying for this in the past. The beach did not disappoint as usual. So amazing. The staff experience was mixed... there are those that go above and beyond and then there are those who seem like they don'r like their job. I'm sure this is not a situation exclusive to this resort. The biggest pet peeve was actually the other tourists and, in many cases, the locals. The usual things like "saving" seats at the beach or at the shows or budding in the food lines by having one person stay in line and then having a family of 5 join them once they got to the front. The sanitary measures were disappointing as well (see comment in that section). Again, we love the country of Cuba and we know they are going through difficult times so things weren't as good as our previous trips there. We will probably still revisit if the price is right. NOTE: Bring US$. This seems to be the preferred currency (even over their own Cuban Peso). [Details]

Once again nothing to say but wow. [Details]

The grounds, rooms, pools and staff are great. Everything is clean, the staff go out of their way to help you and make your stay great. Rooms were very clean, the grounds and buildings are in good order. We have been to this resort six times, and sadly, with whatever the issues they are having, now is not the time to visit this resort. The had limited Cuban beer on tap. They were using an imported Spanish beer that was not good. The had no diet Cola, they had no to limited sparking water, so no good mojitos. The food was terrible. We understand Cuban food issues, but they were using canned veggies, instant mashed potatoes and ran out of items daily. Plus we noticed a huge turn over in regular staff and the cooks kept sending stuff out raw. The a la carte restaurants have terrible slow service and we left one without eating because of the service and then had raw pork served at the other one. If you want to sit a a great pool or beach and drink substandard drinks and you can get it at 800.00 then maybe go, but until they figure out and fix the training and supply issues, look elsewhere. [Details]

The experience was very good considering it was during Covid. A lot of the resort activities were closed due to Covid.
The staff were amazing, they were very professional and catered to our every need. The cleaning of the resort was exemplary , staff wore masks at all times and cleaned all surfaces after every use.
The buffet and their staff was very good with a good variety of food. The personal pizzas for lunch were excellent. The A-La Carte meals were below average (cold food and with no flavour therefore we cancelled two of our reservations and went to the buffet for suppers.
The beach was beautiful with soft sand and well maintained.
There were no outside activities (the market was open but only 2 stores were open)
Overall the shortcomings were due to the pandemic ,I would recommend this resort for a relaxing get away [Details]

Just returned home from a week stay at Playa Cayo Santa Maria. I want to start off by saying the resort grounds are absolutely beautiful and very well kept. The staff are very friendly and the nightly shows in the theater were fantastic (totally different show every night and each one was very entertaining) The food was....well...you are in Cuba...but there were some things that were very tasty it just gets very, very repetitive. If you are going bring Ketchup because theirs is very different and gross! I was surprised that there was no butter for your bread (maybe because of covid shortages??)
and it seems like the food at breakfast was the freshest and then they seem to put the leftovers back out for lunch and dinner (ex. the hashbrowns) but again, this could be a supply issue due to covid....it wasn't a big deal. Our room (bungalow 15) was in a perfect location. 2 min walk to the ocean and also our room walked right out onto a pool. We were about a 3-4 min walk to the main lobby, theater, and buffet so it was fantastic. The rooms are basic...2 beds, a little table and 2 chairs, a TV and mini fridge and a dresser. We had hot water (very hot) our entire stay and the rooms were very clean (only a few baby ants by the sliding door but we were ground level and would have the patio door open at times). Was a little disappointed that the local markets were basically closed (only one store open) because of covid also (which I understand) and I did notice that the prices of things had gone up quite a bit but in reality, they have gone up everywhere. The only issue I had was with the locals. From what I understand, this hotel is the only one 100% owned by Cuba and I'm guessing that's why a lot of locals go there.....the locals were beyond RUDE! They would bud in front of you at the bar and the buffet. They would literally move your stuff off your beach chair at the pool and sit down (when there were tons of empty chairs available) and I'm not talking one or two of them...literally most of them...which is a shame because the staff are all so friendly and kind. All in all, we had a fantastic time and it was the break we needed. As I said, the resort itself is stunning and very well kept and the staff and entertainment team were amazing and so welcoming and friendly. I would highly recommend this resort to anyone. Oh...and the beach was stunning. [Details]

A little bit about ourselves, we are a family of 4 that have traveled almost 40 times to Cuba, with another 20 times across the Caribbean. Hotels ranged from between 3 to 5 stars. Since 2012 we have visited Cayo Santa Maria 15 times and this was our 7th time to Playa Cayo Santa Maria.
My wife and I stayed for 3 weeks while my adult sons stayed for 12 days. We traveled Dec 21, 2021- Jan 11, 2022. For 14 of the 21 days, we had summer-like weather, truly fantastic! Clear blue sky with no clouds and crystal blue ocean with no waves averaged 80 degrees.
This definitely helped us have an even better vacation.

Beach 5*
Water was crystal blue and clear, and not at all murky. It was warm for a large portion of our stay. For the rest of the days, it was wavy but we still managed to enjoy splashing around the waves.

Check In 5*
As repeat guests, it was a breeze! We asked and received the exact rooms we wanted.

Room 5*
The room was perfect! We had a top-floor room with a wonderful view. They offered a free in-room safe and a min-bar that was stocked daily with soda, and water. The room-servers were polite and efficient, they left the room spotless and always made towel art that we got a kick out of.

Grounds 5*
The hotel is medium size so be prepared to walk, which we enjoy. The grounds are perfectly kept, the gardeners start early and finish mid-afternoon to ensure everything is perfect. The gardener on our section was Julio, a true delight to deal with. Our morning conversation was a treat! He helped us practice our Spanish and is a wonderful person. He made our stay much more welcoming.

Bars 5*
The bartenders are some of the most pleasant around. Always smiling as they serve you. The quality of the drink is better than average. A couple of them had slushy machines with pre-made strawberry and lemon granitas or pina coladas which may not be authentic but you can't beat a cold drink in a warm climate.

Restaurants
The main buffet 4*- thanks to the staff, Ariel, Yandy and Yuliet!
Great breakfast with made-to-order egg, omelet, waffle, or pancake section. Some fresh fruits mostly papayas, pineapples, guava, or starfruit. Fresh (sweet) bread, many kinds of cheese, and other cold cuts. The coffee was solid at the buffet but the juices were not very good.
Lunch was solid. Once again the had made to order meat section with beef, very limited chicken and even less pork. A made-to-order fish section and a made-to-order pizza section. Lots of ice cream, cheeses, salads, cold cuts, and the rest of the trimmings, They would also have pre-made meals like stews and so on.

Dinner- pretty much exactly like the lunch menu except they had more specialty pre-made meals, lamb, roasted turkey, and so on. We always found something to eat and never left hungry. I'm a big fan of made-to-order stations, never have gone wrong with grilled chicken or pork.

My only complaint is the buffet would get busy as PCSM was the busiest hotel in the whole strip. Many Canadians and locals filled the place especially during the holiday period. This was a good thing as all the amenities were opened but involved waiting in line a bit.

Snack bar 3*
Served pressed sandwiches, hamburgers, fries, hotdogs, calamari, pizza and chicken fingers. It was fantastic the first 2 days when they had everything, but after that, they started running out of items, no calamari or chicken fingers for most of the trip. Some days they would have burgers and then for 2-3 days they did not have them.

Specialty restaurant 4 to 5*
The Romantic restaurant was our favourite! The beef sirloin, chicken with cheese or seafood medley were delicious. The Cuban soup and salads were also wonderful. What made it even more special was the staff. Thanks to Claudia Maria, Claudia, Dagebrto and the hostess Mildrey. We ate there often and they made it special every time.
The Italian was hit or miss depending on what you ordered. The lasagna was good.

The Cuban was good, especially the chips, soup, and chicken.

Lobby morning coffee- quick service. always served us with a smile. Emily and Jaydi were always pleasant.

Pools - were cleaned daily.

Entertainment - During the holidays they had foam parties on multiple days, it was crazy. Hundreds of people celebrating. It was nice being away from the lockdown in Quebec. There was also a beach party one night. Lisdania did a phenomenal job getting the party going. Next to the beer garden, there was a saxophone or singing group every night before the night entertainment.

There is no volleyball at the resort; we asked the entertainment manager to look into purchasing a ball. If you are going bring one! The court is behind the sandwich place at the beach, small but if we had a ball there were enough players to get a game going.

Internet- worked well and they gave you as much as you needed when you ran out. Worked well all around the resort and the rooms but not at the beach.

Staff- 5* What makes PCSM our favourite is the staff. It starts off with the Yailedis the customer service manager. She does everything to ensure you enjoy your trip. She is extremely competent and is a delight to deal with. She was the main reason why our stay was so perfect.

Nora is the restaurant reservation person. Her commitment to ensuring the guests enjoy their stay is outstanding. She did everything to make sure we had a great trip. [Details]

The other resort we usually stay at is not open and our friend Jenny now works in the snack bar at this hotel as well as my brother Michel as a captain in the buffet, so we figured why not stay here. We'll it did not disappoint. Top notch service all the way. The rooms are super clean, everyone is following all safety protocols for covid. We actually felt safer in Cuba then we did back home in Canada. Staff at all times had masks on and sanitizer was always available. It was only guests you would see not following covid protocols the hotel had set out. Only time you didn't have a mask on is either in the pools, or at a table in the lobby, buffet or a la cartes. Otherwise you wore your mask. [Details]

Having travelled to Cuba many (this was trip #40) times, I can honestly say that this was (by far) the best hotel and resort that I have seen!
The value proposition for this resort is almost impossible to beat. The hotel room was large, comfortable, quiet and clean. The bar fridge was re-stocked daily and the TV channel selection and TV reception was great. The WIFI in this hotel is free and accessible throughout the entire property. It was even available in our room, which was in one of the buildings on the outskirts of the resort. I speed-tested the internet from my room and measured 8.5 Mbps down and 8 Mbps up!
The food choices at this hotel were very good as well. Although the buffet was a bit repetitive, there were always great choices (smoked salmon, croquet potatoes and fish) to fill my plate. Whereas many Cuban hotels struggle with fly control at their buffet and restaurant's, this was not the case at this hotel. The a la carte restaurant's at this hotel were really good too. We ate in the Italian, romantic and Asian restaurant, and every single meal was extremely good. The steak dinner I had in the romantic restaurant was the best steak I have ever eaten, period! We also ate at the sea side restaurant where you could get grilled fish or pizza during lunch. There is also a 24/7 poolside restaurant where they served calamari, shrimp, pizza and burgers. I want to emphasize that all of the restaurants at this hotel are very good ... and that's a first in Cuba for me.
The beach at this hotel is (bar none) the best hotel beach I have ever seen! The fine white powdery sand extends for kilometer's in both directions from the hotel property. The water in front of the hotel is nothing short of amazing ... a shallow entry to a turquoise sea with a rock & shell free entry on a soft and sandy bottom.
There are 4 pools on this resort. The central pool hosts many of the usual noisy activities, there's a pool near the Punta Arena ranchon that's less noisy, and then two other pools which are surprisingly quiet and peaceful.
The Covid protocols at this hotel were very good. On arrival we were given a rapid Covid test which was free; this practice was discontinued several days after our arrival due the the Canadian requirement to be double-vaccinated before boarding the plane in Canada. The PCR test required to return to Canada was $30 (USD) and the test was conducted on-site. All the resort staff wore their masks 100% of the time; including the beach staff and the life guards. Sanitizer was abundant throughout the property. The guests were obliged to wear their masks when in restaurants or covered spaces.
The resort has all the things that you'd expect at a Cuban all-inclusive ... the seaside kayaks, tennis courts, basketball court, and ping-pong table are well maintained.
Overall, I was really impressed with this resort. According to the brochures, the hotel rooms begin at 500 sq-ft and the suites measure up to 700 sq-ft.
The large rooms, free WIFI, exceptional staff, amazing food options, clean pools and the spectacular beach make this resort my all-time favorite Cuban get away! [Details]

I wrote the same kind of review yesterday and somehow, it has disappeared today. So here it is again.

This hotel is one if not the best in Cuba
In spite of embargo there is an abundance and variety of food for everyone. Hey, this is Cuba.

The restaurants A la carte are very good and the service is impeccable
Garibaldi, Romantico, Asian , Sea food and Cuban la Bodeguita $

The staff is so friendly that many of them became our good friends ( we've been there 5 times already and are going back next February)

Special VIP dinner and lunch for returning customers.

The spacious lobby has music and nice tropical drinks.

Well kept gardens with colourful flowers.

The beach is the prettiest I've ever seen with the best animation team. ( on the beach and at night in the theatre)

There is always something fun to do there, and they go out of their way for the clients.

There are nice clean swimming pools all over the resort for everyone's taste and mood.

Last but not least. Every room is well situated with gardenview, seaview etc.

I read a few comments and of course, there are complainers as usual but I can see that there are also many lovers of the Playa Cayo Santa Maria just like me. [Details]

This was our second time visiting this resort. We went a year prior as a group of 20. When we went in 2019 the resort was very clean. The workers on the resort were very appreciative and the service was amazing. This year the service really lacked we ended up having to tip double the amount thinking our service would improve but it did not. We had entertainers asking for our hats, and shoes off of our feet! The front desk could not speak English very well so made communicating very tough. We were put in villa 8 this time and the noise level was unbelievable loud. Every day we had to take our keys to the front desk as they would stop working and no we did not put them with our cell phones. The wifi here is terrible so we didn't really have our phones on us. This year our hole crew had diarrhea not sure what was different this year apose to last year as last year none of ya got sick. We spent lots of our time at the beach, the one day we wanted to spend at the pool we couldn't find any chairs as they were all being saved. Way to many rude French speaking people attend this resort. We will not be returning back to this resort. [Details]

We booked last minute over the Christmas holidays for a family of 5. The price was great. But I would say I was quite disappointed in this hotel. I did not have high expectations but I did expect more. It was not very well maintained. I did not see any staff doing poolside cleanup. Spills a garbage were not picked up. Just felt dirty.
The restaurants were ok. But they run out of essentials like cheese at the pizza oven. White wine was not available unless you purchased a bottle. The New Years eve entertainment was lame.
Rooms were clean and basic but no frills. One towel per person, one bar of soap per room. No bathmat, no conditioner. One bottle of water per day in the room. Bottled water was not given out anywhere else on the resort.
Bring your own bubba cup for water and alcohol and for your kids. Otherwise you get your drinks in a shot glass sized disposable cup.
Staff wasn't so pleasant or high on service.
BEST thing about this resort is the beach. It's gorgeous. 10/10. [Details]

4th time at the Playa and not the last everything as usual was great. [Details]

the beach is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. nice clean and modern pools. the room was ok but surprised of the staffs folded my used towels back for my next day uses. I got some beach sands on my floors I guess that was came with my flippers the next day after room cleaning service those sands were still on my floors and it makes my floor very slippery.
most of the staffs are working hard and nice except a stuff was asking me to order foods for him and it also happened to my daughter and her friends that they have been asked for getting some drinks form the bar for them too
there's few cool and good looking guys were trying to hit on young girls and tell them that they are short of foods and money and their family member are sick ect. trying to get something from kindgirls
I don't know if the hotel managements know what's going on with their staffs or not ??!!
These issues should have been stopped otherwise I'll not feel safe to take my girl to the hotel again [Details]