Brisas Sierra Mar

I stayed here from March 10 to 17. I stayed in room 104 (give or take). I always leave the "do not disturb sign" on my door because I don't trust the maids based on my many trips to Cuba where they go shopping in my room and take things. On this trip, I went to Santiago De Cuba for a 2 day trip and when I got back the maid had been in my room (thereby ignoring the "do not disturb sign") and I discovered that my shampoo was missing. There was no point in complaining because it is not a significant item. However, when I got home I realized that a new golf shirt worth $75 that I brought down was missing.

Of course this is what thieving maids rely on. You don't realize anything is missing until it is too late to complain because you are already home.

It's too bad that we have to spend valuable time on our vacation to run inventory checks because the maids are stealing from us. [Details]

Sierra Mar is situated at perfect location. Staffs are friendly. Only issues I saw is there are lack of facilities like described in vacation deals like cycles, basketball, tennis. Didn't't get these in resort. Kids were forced to swim in 2ft pool. The deepest pool is around 4ft and kids are not allowed even with adults. Found roaches in bedroom and dinning area. Around 1 hour far from San Diego best for Seniors or individuals who prefer to relax, drink and relax. [Details]

The stay for a week long with my family was overall satisfied. We enjoyed the time being despite some shortcomings like: few cockroaches were seen in the restaurant; deprived from the bycicle facility, basketball facility and tips was extensively expected to offer at every steps.
Nevertheless it was reasonably good
Thanks [Details]

Looks older but well maintained, they were painting when I was there [Details]

One of the best trips to Brisas Sierra Mar I've had and it was great seeing old friends and making new ones. Its honestly has the highest repeat guest and they and the staff our proud of the resort and it shows.
Many upgrades being done with what little they have.
Its really about seeing the mountains and ocean collide with breathtaking views.
The beach is not white sand and honestly the beach loungers need replacing and more of them during there busy season. BUT the views of sunrise and sunset are amazing.
In order to enjoy this hotel you need to understand Cuba. If want to go and just eat & drink and lay on a beach for a week and dont care and not see any culture BSM is not for you but if you want to see how they live and immerse yourself in there music,culture and heartfelt love then BSM is for you.
Please understand Cuba is under going massive shortages and difficulties and its not the staffs fault. No the Local management. Blame the embargo. While we were there there was no bottled or can beer but lots of draft beer. Fruit was non existent due to embargo.
However the food was the best I've had in Cuba.
Cant wait to go back next year and see what they have done to improve and see my friends again. [Details]

The hotel is fortunately located in a very beautiful place between big mountains and the sea. Most of the rooms have ocean view and/ or mountain view. The rooms have old furniture, the air conditioning is old and not efficient, the walls need to be painted as there are signs of water infiltration. The room maid however, keep the room clean. The bathroom needs also renovation. The good thing was that I had hot water. Also the tap water is drinkable. The restaurant lacks of food diversity. Same food every day, little choices ware served. The wine was insufficient so don't ask for a second glass. The fruits were missing from all the meals and also the morning yogurt in some days. The beach was clean but the chairs very old and broken. The bars have poor diversity of drinks. The elevators were not working few days. [Details]

The people are fantastic and helpful. Lots to do. Can drink water straight from the room tap, no problems. Good food and drink, awsome cappucino. Bring stuff and trade and barter, they appreciate it. [Details]

We've been going for 12 years. They do the best they can with food that's in season and available. Expect lots of cabbage and squash in the winter months, along with guava, papaya, bananas and citrus fruits. The bread is good. Supplies do run out. This year was the first time we had butter for the entire 2 weeks! Always a good variety of meats. Anyone who doesn't like their food is too picky. Not sure what they eat at home.
The musical entertainment is top notch, world class. We wish they would start the lobby music at 6 p.m. again. It's always very nice to sit and listen to the musical bands, pianist, etc. no matter where on the grounds they are playing. Exceptionally talented. Stage shows are okay if you enjoy watching mostly naked women dance around. Resident magician is very good though.
We do wish they would prohibit the prostitutes coming in. It's very distracting for other visitors. We know that will never happen as this is a great source of income for them.
A few staff resort to asking for money....fill in any excuse. They are well off compared to most folks living in the mountains, and never go hungry and receive lots of tips. There are beggars on the beach just past the resort who are basically too lazy to work and try to sell shells, pieces of fruit, etc. they get in the area. Don't get sucked in.
A few people who are still going went after it was first opened and it was a magnificent structure, have watched it fall into disrepair. It needs updating and repair badly. The last couple of hurricanes were very hard on the place, but there are fixes available to prevent this damage. Water running down the halls is an every day occurrence. It's a shame the Cuban government has allowed this to happen after the Canadians spent so much money building the place.
Don't get sucked into buying an ocean view room. All rooms are ocean view...so go with the garden view (it's cheaper).
We love this resort because it's in the middle of nowhere...secluded and peaceful. Lots of great hiking whether down the road, in the woods on top, or on the beach. The staff is very nice and helpful and most speak more than Spanish (English, French and German).
We enjoy the catamaran and paddle boats. Snorkeling is not as good as it once was because of hurricane damage to the reefs, but we understand it's slowly rebuilding.
Very relaxing every time we go. [Details]

Fun atmosphere
Lovely and nice staff
Great beach
Many activities to do
Safe place [Details]

This was my seventh time to Cuba, in various resorts and cities, and I usually stay at the 3 1/2 star properties as I find them small, friendly, no long wait lines, just relaxing. This visit was a particular surprise. The resort far exceeded our expectations. I always survey trip advisor and usually have an idea what we are heading into. This resort property is built on a hillside. There is no one above or beneath your room. Very quiet. Balconies are very private. Excellent happy staff. Clean in all areas including the poolside bathrooms, and well stocked at all times. Food was above average in comparison to previous visits. Sometimes we had to wait to get a table but with the meal times being 2 hours long it wasn't a hardship. Just meant another drink before dinner. Thank you for the hospitality and we will be returning. [Details]

My family and I have been returning to this resort for over 13 years. Not much has changed in that time - the rooms and facilities are dated and could use a refurbish but the people are what make the difference.
Make an effort to get to know the staff who work there and it will completely change your experience. [Details]

80 minutes from airport.
Hotel has 2 buildings, only 1 has elevator and lots of stairs to clime.
Basic hotel, dont expect luxury. [Details]

I like this little resort yes its 1H15 minutes from airport we filled registration at airport before boarding bus which was a little chaotic but really helped, room key in hand as we got to h
Hotel.most rooms have sea view reception when possible fills seaview rooms with people staying 1 weeks and give garden rooms for people renting 3-4 days. I had a nice room with everything working flat 32''TV limited channels CTV Toronto , CNN international , Spanish video channel , DW , RAI , telesur ,a few sports channels.good aircon , balcony with 2 chairs&coffe table ,clean bathroom 4 towels 2 hand towels nice soap N shampoo, good size shower( always had hot water even at 7;30 am ) ,Good Kingsize(Hotel Hard ) bed , food Buffet was ok always choice between Pork , chicken and fish with beef sometimes plenty of bread and butter , overall food ok , my 1 major complaint they must improve FRUIT JUICES unacceptable having this kind of watered down juices available when it should be best thing.pool too small Volume of water (depth) it gets murky on weekends with (FIN DE SEMANA HOLIDAY SEEKERS )Beautiful Beach ( some complain about beach but its 2 km wide just walk a bit you should find YOUR perfect spot) .plenty of beach chairs , regular tables and chairs should be added in front of beach Bar . hotel should try fix cab prices for trips to Santiago/Chivirico some Guests are charged insane amounts .I will return [Details]

4th time here. Not much has changed in the last decade. Osmar is still at the beach bar and Gladys is still in the cafeteria. There are still no towels when you arrive and at least one elevator won't work. However, the beach and staff are great and I would like to return. [Details]

Clean but poorly maintained. [Details]

Not enjoyable at all. [Details]

I chose this hotel because I wanted to go somewhere around Santiago. The hotel was clean but needs work because of the hurricane and lack of government funding, but I have no real complaints.
I was worried about the beach because the water is not the blue I've come to expect in Cuba. The water was clear and very warm, a pleasure to be in.
I went on an excursion into the city with the tour guide and found a city full of history and great architecture.
Although the guests were mostly retired couples I found the general ambiance to be very friendly. There are people who come back year after year and the staff welcomes them with hugs and kisses, like family members. [Details]

Nice hotel. Freandly staff. [Details]

This is our 7th visit. Hotel is in dire need of upgrading, in particular the plumbing, wiring,and all cement and tile work. Taps and toilets are always dripping. Toilets are ancient and the wire pull was held together with ornament hangers and twist ties. It broke. All walking areas have tripping hazards because of unevenness going from one type of finish to another. Apparently many people were injured this year because of this (broken legs, ankles, wrists, cut head, etc.) They made an attempt at shingles on some of the structures, but in places must have run out of material and just left it. Even the tile rooftops were crooked and broken up. What was once a top of the line hotel has deteriorated to maybe a 2 or 3 star. The setting is fabulous,and the architecture brilliant, but the maintenance needs serious attention. The workers have prehistoric tools to work with and take little pride in their work. Sloppy cement work is an example. They need tools and need to be taught how to use them and be rewarded for good workmanship. It's a dream, but this is a communist country. The food is good and the staff is excellent. It's quite clean as well. The pool liner was also ripped. Hoping they don't take 3 years to replace that. The hot tub took 3 years to fix. One wing has never been opened the whole time we've been coming. Other activities have just been left to deteriorate (mini golf, tennis courts, gym) It's always our dream when we come there that it can be restored to it's original beauty. Only Mike Holmes can make a difference. Come on Mike!! We'll show you around. [Details]

lovely quiet resort with friendly staff,paved roads facilitate bike rides to Cheverico and other places. The view of the mountains and ocean is breathtaking and so are the sunsets. Warm weather and sunshine almost guaranteed.Not very good for the infirm, many stairs to the beach and the elevators break down often. It is best to exchange money on arrival, front desk is without often. Get internet cards when available if you need to stay in contact with home.....they run out for days ! [Details]

fantastic location.
cycled daily to Chivirico. exceptionally scenic road. cattle/horses grazing the valley amidst the hills by the side of the sea.(and everywhere goats, pigs, donkeys, fowl etc etc. an animal lover's paradise)
pathetic beach/water condition;not ideal for bathing, though very much enjoyed walking the coast which runs on for miles. [Details]

accommodation good, services good,
hotel needs upgrading regarding exterior and interior finishes,
out of 4 elevators only one was working on and off. very challenging for older people. [Details]

This is a smaller resort and so you have the opportunity to get to know people over the course of the week. The rooms were clean and the service was excellent.The food was very good although as there is only one buffet restaurant for everyone there is not as much selection as larger resorts would provide. The wait staff was wonderful and friendly. The excursions were reasonably priced and interesting. The resort itself was hit hard by hurricane Sandy a couple of years ago, and there are still a few repairs ongoing. If you are looking to spend a week in the sun without the huge cost of a 5 star resort, then this really is the place to go. We all had a fabulous time, and will return again next year. Thank you Sierra Mar. [Details]

No complaints. This was an excellent trip for the money that we spent. [Details]

This was our 22nd vacation at this resort, we still love it there, but it was not without a few disappointments. The El Ranchon restaurant has been undergoing renovations for more than two years and was still not opened, having missed several "scheduled" or hoped for completion dates! One of the "new" elevators ran sporadically, and when it did it usually had a mind of its own, ignoring the passenger's commands. The other one did not operate at all. For about half of our stay there were NO CUCs available at reception for exchange! No CUCs, no tips, no trips and no business for the store or handicraft vendors. Only one of the 2 lobby computers was available for use by guests and the planned WiFi service is non-existent. [Details]

Good food, very welcoming CSR [Details]

If it were not for the wait staff, the entertainment staff and the maids I would say avoid at all cost. But these people try to make your stay enjoyable. They go out of their way to make you feel welcome in their country. You don't mnd tipping them the extra pesos. About 3 days before coming home I notice them washing the drinking cups in the bathroom and taking them back to the bar to be reused again. We also watched the lifeguards collecting the cups from around the pool areas for days which we thought was awesome keeping the area clean WRONG he too was collecting them, handing them in and rinsing them out to be reused for more drinks. DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I used the bathroom one day and a staff member had all 3 sinks overfilled with water one of which was dirty water trying to clean these cups when I asked where I could clean my hands after using the bathroom she said in the same sink as the one with the cups she was rinsing. Needless to say I didn't catch on to this until 3 days before our holiday was about to end and stopped using their cups and used our own and came home with someone else's germs and illness. Thanks Brisas Sierra Mar. [Details]

Was quite disappointed with the overall quality of the hotel. I was expecting just a little bit more. My hopes were high which means I was highly upset in how things were for the duration of my stay. I would not recommend this place to anyone who has high expectations, cause they will not be met. [Details]

Not too crowded in Summer with mostly Cuban families enjoying their vacation as well. Entertainment staff and all workers very friendly, Food was good. Check out Saturday night party in Chiviricco. [Details]

Beautiful location, 1 hour from airport, local villages nearby, food was excellent, staff was friendly and helpful, rooms were OK, lots of steps to climb but elevators were available [Details]