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| Last Updated:
27 September, 2009 |
| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Nancy ~ Toronto |
September 2009
Arrival: May 2009
Beautiful beach, multiple warm pools, excellent rooms! Quite a drive from the airport (90 mins) to resort but beautiful classic Cuban sites on the way!
Rooms:
Clean and spacious, no bugs, tub/shower/toilet area is separate from sink and vanity area....nice! regular bed and daybed was comfy, no A/C issues. Fantastic plumbing! No shortage of toilet paper etc here!
Restaurants and Bars:
Buffet was quite good, never went hungry, no tummy troubles! A la Cartes were nice.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Beach is spectacular, white fine sand, lots of chairs/shade, depth drops quickly to under arm depth but really warm and clean, NO jelly fish/rocks/seaweed! Lots of floaties for the pool,
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Stayed on resort! Been on tours on prior trips to Cuba, ie Sol Cayo Guillermo.
Other Comments:
Pleasantly surprised...NO complaints! It was beautiful, well maintained, nice shops on-site as well as some at hotel next door. No beach vendors! Nice! Start of rainy season at end of May, but did NOT affect our vacation at all! Only rained usually at night for an hour! MOSQUITOES at the beach at sundown were really bad, even with Deet! May have just been a bad time of year for the Mozzies~ YES, would certainly go back to this resort in a heartbeat!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Shaun & Wendy ~ Canada |
August 2009
Arrival: July 26th to August 2nd
Air service was with Air Transat. We liked the Microwaved Box meal they served. Landed in Santa Clara. We got on an bus with A/C and rode 1.5 Hours. Going through the small towns in Cuba makes you realize how much we have in North America. We could not believe how simple the locals live and yet, full of smiles. The locals really like tourists. All of the Political Revolution Signs are a sight to see. There is a long crossing from Santa Clara's beach to where the resorts are and it's very thin. As a driver it was scary to be own as there is not much room for error. They could have made the crossing 2-4 feet wider. People at the Resort were very greeting, service to the room was fast and the Front Desk was helpful. There is an Air Transat Rep onsite at during business hours. They are able to assist with any questions. Raul and Genevieve were our AT reps.
Rooms:
GREAT!!! We were on the 2nd floor. Room is larger then the pictures on they website show. Balcony - 2 chairs with small table. View of the pools below and the room we had came with everything you'd need. Small fridge, but a fridge anyway. A full size bathroom, with Shower, Douche (ehhh no thanks) sink, counter. Also a cabinet closet with hangers, fold up ironing board, drawers, mirrors. T/V was small, didn't really use it at all. Mosquito net around the bed, Didn't use that either, We only saw one bug the whole trip and it was on a tree. There was a DayBed as well, didn't use it either, it was the pillow holder. The Room was as big as a Doubletree or Holiday Inn Standard Suite, with an amazing view.
Restaurants and Bars:
Bring your own Steak Spices. Being use to spicy food made this experience interesting as I did not believe steak could have no taste.
RESTAURANTS: all over. One near the entrance. Two "reservation only" as well. One next to the pools, another one 200 feet from the beach. All are open during different hours. Food and snacks are everywhere. Buffet serves decent food. Service waitress/waiters were good. Food is very bland in Cuba, needing seasoning, with salt and pepper. We found that the breakfast was the best meal and the most fresh. We love sliced Pineapples and could not get enough of them. Rhum makes the food taste better.
Bars: GREAT!!! We brought 3 Thermos. They are a need.
Small plastic cups are just not enjoyable to carry in deep sand. You will spill half your drinks and it's annoying. We had our 32OZ Themos always full with good stuff. Rhum is everywhere and bartenders are great. They can make numerous drinks and some local unique drinks that hit the spot. I found the local beer very weak, but smooth.
There are 4 bars and all are offering great service. The swim up bar has a cool setup with a bunch of barstools in the pool water. Nice to sit, drink, and move the feet freely in the water. Rhum makes the water feel better.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
BEACH: Great. It is shared with the 3 other resorts. You can walk along the beach for 2 hours, take a dip in the 80+ degree water. Take a canamaran ride or pedal boat if the water is calm. Fold down beach chairs under TIKI huts are all over the beachfront. Reserve yours early, because people start getting there around 8:30AM. Sunrise was amazing to watch. Clear, clean water. Watch out for JellyFish as I got a sting or bite. Burns for 30-45 seconds. Feels like a lighter or candle too close to the skin. Dealt with it with some rhum, lemon juice. Took a nice drink to ease the pain. Rhum makes the pain go away.
POOLS: 2 of them, dead center in the middle of the resort. Both are cleaned with high amounts of Chlorine and scrubbed daily. Very clean and fun snorkeling in. One of them has access to the swim up Bar.
GROUNDS: Super clean. No garbage anywhere. All in the cans. Nothing was nasty at all. I was expecting to see something out of place and the groundkeepers did not allow that. There was honestly no cigars or bottles lying around anywhere. Nice paths all around the resort. Easy access to everything.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Not really. We went for the Beach. We did go on a Canamaran for a bit, but the waves were rough and we cut it short. Being Sea-Sick is pretty easy with 1% water and 99% Rhum. No Tours, we were too busy enjoying the resort services.
Other Comments:
If you have read all the text above, and you're still debating to head down to the resort, Re-Read this whole text again. We kid you not. It was amazing.
We will go back to the exact resort again, just with Steak Spices and some more Tanning Lotion. We had a great time, met a whole bunch of people, made new friends with staff and guests.
The ONLY downside to our trip was the loss of our Camera on the 2nd to last day. August 1st started so amazing, but by noon, it was all over. We searched the beach, the bars, the restaurants, spoke to security to check camera footage, but to no avail yet. We left all our info with the staff at the resort and still praying to get it back from an honest person. We can get another camera, it the 600+ photos and videos that we took.
It was a Sony DSC-T700 and we've posted the info on several boards.
If you head down there and find one, it's ours, so help us get our photos back.
Thanks for reading.
Shaun and Wendy
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Lyn & Al ~ Maritime Province, Canada |
June 2009
Arrival: April 2009
Arrived in the morning around 11:00. All was great. Left from the Quebec Airport which is the closest for us living in New Brunswick. Very nice Airport and friendly staff. Flew with Airtransat, all was great.
Rooms:
Our rooms were ready upon arrival. We changed in our swimsuits and were at the beach in minutes....WOW. Room was clean and you are close to everything no matter where you are situated. Large room, always very clean.
Restaurants and Bars:
The drinks were pretty good but I'm a beer kind of girl. My hubby also. We love the Crystal and never run out when we're in Cuba. We get the cans if we can and will even buy some at the little store in the resort if we don't have enough in our mini fridge. We tip our mini fridge service guy and he will leave extras but if he didn't get to it we buy a few at $1 each at the store. We take a insulated backpack with us and fill it with our beer cans and stop at a bar in the morning to get ice.....YUM! Cold beer on ice very early in the morning. LOL All restaurants were pretty good. Best one was the Grill and the Seafood.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
I love Cuba for the people and for their beaches. This one was just breath taking. We were in Varadero many times and loved it there also but Santa Maria was quiet and the beach was just amazing.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
No tours on this trip. If you are looking for activities, well this is not the place to go. It's an adult only resort and very quiet. There's no flea markets on the beach or anything like that. There's construction beside the MCSM, some said a small shopping area with restaurants, some said a bowling alley, go figure, maybe a Casino I'm not sure.
Other Comments:
We took an afternoon at the spa and that was terrific. You just can't go wrong at the MCSM. Loved it!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Diane ~ Ottawa, Ontario |
May 2009
Arrival: May 1st to May 8th
Warning - confirm you flight information before you go to the airport. My daughter and I went to check in our baggage at the Air Transat counter for our flight from Toronto. The ticket agent could not find our names even though we had an e-ticket, so she asked me to go to the Air Transat agent at another booth. My daughter stayed with the luggage and I went to the other counter to be told that we were now re-scheduled to leave on May 3rd and how our travel agent rec'd 2 e-mails and never confirmed that we agreed with the changes or wanted a full refund to cancel - only 2 options available. Found this funny since my travel agent was a family member so proceeded to tell my daughter in front of the check-in personnel, who told us the plane was not full and since it was low season, the hotel would not be full. We went back to the agent and my daughter demanded that her manager become involved. They agreed we could go on the flight and they would talk to the hotel and look
at a return flight through Montreal. Did not get confirmation that we were returning to Montreal until the 2nd last day there. I will never travel Air Transat again if I have a choice.
Rooms:
Even though our reservation at the hotel said we would not arrive until May 3rd, we could get a room on the second floor. Talked to two other groups who had rooms on the first floor and they had cockroaches and ants. We did not. Had to call the front desk since our fridge was empty but they came quickly with the contents and came daily to re-stock.
Restaurants and Bars:
We found the breakfast the best meal of the day. Daniel was so great making french toast - if you go to this resort bring him some maple syrup. Returning guests bring him some and he would appreciate it. Enjoyed the chicken at the beach restaurant and the french fries were always good. The 24 hour bar was a good place at night to have a drink to listen to music before the entertainment at the theatre.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Wonderful. The beach was fabulous and did not have a problem getting palapas except for 1 day and we did not have a problem getting one at the pool either during our week stay. The first day I went to reserve at the beach at 7:30 am and had my choice of any chair. By 8:30 it still was not full. I did not reserve any other day and had chairs under cover no problem. We went to the pool in the afternoon and always could get chairs with cover also.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
We took the Santa Clara tour and had a good day. If you go on a tour remember to pack toilet paper. We went to the museum and memorial for Che Guevara and used the washroom. The washroom was clean and had an attendant but there were not lids to the toilets nor toilet paper. Squat and go - good thing we were told before we went. Went on a tour of a cigar factory and enjoyed yet felt sorry for the workers. Could not bring purses or camera in either the Che museum or factory but not an issue to keep on the bus.
Other Comments:
Wish I had known about the scam of the worker who exchanged the Cdn money into Pesos. He did sidetrack me when he was counting my money back asking me about the i-pod I had with me, and I just took the money after he counted it. He also took my magazine and asked questions to continue the conversation. Don't know if I was scammed but thinking back it would not surprise me. Exchanged $$ - 3 different times and each time we had to wait for him while he was having a cigarette or having a conversation with another worker. Make a note not to bring $$ that has any rip in it as he will not accept it. Bills have to be perfect.
Would I go back to this resort - yes if another carrier used this resort but will not book with Air Transat again. They were the only tour operator that had a desk at this resort so I believe they have full control, plus the Air Transat Manager and rep who met us at the airport were there daily eating either breakfast, lunch or dinner then drinking in the bar at night and also using the pool area. Got to talk to them daily about our return flight and the possibility of getting our return flight through Toronto but in the end it did not work out. We had plans for Toronto the weekend of our return which we had to cancel also. When I found out through an e-mail from our Travel Agent that Air Transat never called or e-mailed them about changing our flights - nor can they produce an e-mail that they attempted to contact them. We also meet another women in a restaurant and had a conversation. Turned out she was also suppose to be on our original flight but her agent called her the night before departure saying she checked her flight status to find out she was re-scheduled for Sunday departure too. Since she was retired, it wasn't an issue leaving 2 days later, but she confirmed her agent had not been notified by Air Transat either.
Even though there were negatives getting to the resort and home, we did enjoy our week there and had great weather.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Ted ~ Montreal, Canada |
May 2009
Arrival: April 12th, 2009 to April 26th
Most of the info, you've already read previously. I'll talk about
differences from most reviews. As we were only 6 couples, there was no pre
check in on the bus on the way to MCSA but, rather at the hotel. There were
no dancers or drinks awaiting us at the hotel. We arrived at 3:30PM! Others
were more lucky than us but, check in was relatively painless and we were
wandering the grounds rather quickly.
Rooms:
The rooms were all suites and even though we had asked for an upper level
room in a crtain part of the resort, our wishes were not met as the hotel
was 'supposed' to be full but there appeared to be many vacancies.
Rooms
were kept nice and clean by Katia but, they are getting dated after 6 years
of use. Mini bar guys came every night from 5:30PM onwards to check and
refill the fridge-nice people!
Restaurants and Bars:
We checked the Restaurant Menus but nothing appealed to us, so we stuck with
the Buffet and pool Restos instead. We felt food only 'average' (yes,
we
know it's Cuba and we've been 10 times and stayed at lesser
resorts) but,
4.5* it's not. Cheese left out all day in Buffet so, it's rather beat
up by
supper & after flies have gotten to it!. Still only 1 toaster. They had 2
but 1 mysteriously disappeared during our stay! You had to eat early to
avoid line ups. Breakfast was best meal of the day with everything you could
want. Daniel is a charm at the pancake/French toast grill.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Everything simply lovely and much hard work and effort put into the place!
Thanks to all the outside people for the care they take to keep it lovely.
Not enough palapas--you need to be out there at 6:15AM to reserve or else
you'll be baking in the sun all day! As we went to rest, not fun to wake up
at 6:15 to get a shady spot! No problems getting a nice spot at the pool
area when it was windy or in the afternoon. Slow season was upon us.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Saw the BMX bike riders--very good & fashion show was fun as you can
purchase the stuff shown! Activities & activity staff were very laid back&
not pushy!
Rather than take the bus & get to see what they wanted us to see, we rented
a taxi & driver and went to Remedios & Santa Clara to see what we had
listed& stuff recommended by driver. Full day out from 8:15AM to 5:00PM &
very
interesting. Cost $130 (same as bus tour) & no lunch but we ate at a
recommended Casa Particular the driver knew--great food & never had supper
that night!
Other Comments:
As of April 26th, Buffet closed at Noon & only open at Breakfast &
Supper.
There were many 'estudiantes' (trainees) as Bar & Wait staff so,
service
everywhere was very inconsistent depending on who you got & how much
experience they had. (we are still awaiting 2 cappucino's promised us at
supper one night even after reminders!) Don't know if the 'new'
Barcelo
'stole' staff to fill their hotel or, this hotel used as a training
ground?
Watch out for the Cadeca at the Hotel. As seasoned travellers, we knew to
ask for a receipt & count your Pesos. This scam involves distracting you
when you hand over your Canadian money by talking about your camera/phone
etc. and when he counts out the money you've handed him, he's short the
amount you 'say' you've given him. We got dinged for CDN$20
although he was
at pains afterwards to ensure we had the right amount of peso's shown on
the
receipt. Hold your money & watch him count it out. We've learned our
lesson.
To sum, being so isolated from town (at least 45 minutes), we found hotel
great for 1 week but long for 2 weeks. As we really needed to rest & relax,
it turned out ok.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Debbie ~ Ontario, Canada |
May 2009
Arrival: March 27 to April 3rd
Flight: We flew Skyservice from Toronto to Santa Clara. We were on time so
we were lucky enough to be at the resort by lunch time.
The flight was quite comfortable, as we are not small people and have had a
few flights that were like sardine cans.
The transfer from the airport was quick and efficent. The drive to the
resort was long, about an hour and a half. The scenery was nice so it didnt
feel that long.
Rooms:
When we got on the bus we were handed an envelope with our bands and our
room number. We were given building #1, have to admit we were really
disappointed as we had a map and knew where
that room was. We went to our room to find out our worst fears were
realized...our room looked over a building site and we were greeted with the
sound of trucks and machinery as well as the fumes from them.
We went to see the guest relations person, a real sweet lady. She told us
not to worry that she would fix it but not until the next day. The
following day we were moved to building #11...what a great place!
We were just off the boardwalk to the beach and the beach restaurant. Let the vacation begin!!!! Our room, once we moved, was beautiful. We had a
king size bed, sitting area and a nice balcony to enjoy a glass of wine on
while the sun set. One night we returned from our anniversary dinner and
there were flower petal hearts all
the way to the bed, with candles burning in the centers. The netting had
been pulled around and there were swans with flowers in the middle. Flower
petals were everywhere even in the bathtub. Felt sorry for the maid the
next day...
Even a bottle of champagne chilling for us too. What a nice treat.
Restaurants and Bars:
Food: The food at this resort was great. I could not fault them for
anything. It was hot, tasty and plentiful. Service was also really good,
and it didnt seem to matter if you tipped or not. We always sat in the
same area so we got to know the lady a bit more each day. We had one meal
at the Sol ala carte but I have to say I wish we had just stayed where we
were and went to the buffet. We went to one ala carte just off of the
dining
room and it was very nice. Quiet and much better atmosphere for quiet
conversation.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Pool: We tried the pool the first day as it was getting a bit windy and it
was mid afternoon. It was a bit cool but I like that when it is so hot out.
It was a beautiful pool. It has a really nice swim up bar and that side of
the
pool seemed to be the more lively side. The other side was a little
quieter. We never had a problem getting chairs by the pool but people still
had the chairs sporting towels by 7:00 in the morning.Beach: Now this is
what we go Cuba for!! It was amazing....a beautiful long beach perfect for
strolling. The water is the most beautiful shade of tourquoise. Mid day
the sand was a little hot but that just gave us a chance to
do our 100 yard dash to the water!
There was a young gentleman who would come and see if anyone wanted a
drink....he must have calves of steel, trekking in that sand all day! The
hut situation was a really hot item the week we were there.
This hotel has to fix this problem...there are nowhere near enough huts for
the guests at this resort. Some of the situations got pretty ugly. Not my
idea of fun to fight with other tourists for a hut. We were lucky as
we are all early risers so we take our coffee to the beach to watch the sun
rise so we never went without shade. Some people just seem to leave their
manners at home when they vacation....if you ask most people will squeeze
over so there is shade for more people...its always nice to meet new people.
Some where pulling others chairs out in the sun and setting up camp while
you just went for a quick dip. The guys took thier snorkelling stuff and headed down to the point as there
was more rock and coral there so the fish were more plentiful. They saw
quite a variety of fix and sea creatures so they were happy.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Tours: We took a taxi to Remedios and Caibarien. It was a whole day trip
and so worth it. The taxi driver took us for lunch at his friends
restaurant in Caibarien. It is a small fishing village so the seafood was
all fresh.
She served us lobster done two ways, shrimp done the Cuban style, snapper,
black beans and rice, banana chips, salad, coffee beer and water...for
dessert..fresh fruit. She charged us 10 convertable pesos each. What a
lunch..we
could hardly move. He took us to a sugar mill museum where the lady gave us
a private tour as the other group who was there was German. Since there
were only four people we got to drive in the engine of the steam train that
goes
between Caibarien and Remedios...I even got to drive it! What a hoot. Our
friend brought eyeglass frames for the optician so we dropped those off and
got a tour of her shop.
Shows:
I have to say we only saw a few as they were mostly "lets make
fools
of the tourists" shows and I really dont like those. The people who
stayed
seemed to have fun so I guess its just a matter of likes and dislikes. The one dance show we did see was really well done. I love to Cuban dance shows so that was what I was hoping for.
Other Comments:
Staff: As in most Cuban resorts the staff are what make your vacation so
great and the staff here will make you feel like family. They were all very
friendly and always anting to help.
Conclusion: I really enjoyed our stay at the Melia but the beach hut fiasco
was a real downer. It seems to me to be an easy fix...put up more huts!
There is room...they dont cost that much as it is palm leaves!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Tim ~ Penticton |
April 2009
Arrival: April 1st - 8th
The flight down was the usual long, cramped, bad food and poor audio on the not so good movie other than that the flight was good.
The 90 minute bus ride from the Santa Clara airport is in fact very interesting and was actually a highlight on the trip. A guide is aboard the bus and does an excellent job explaining the sites as we made our though cities villages and the country side. I am glad that we arrived and departed during the daylight hours. Check in at the hotel was quick and painless. I had requested a room with a king size bed on the second floor and close to the beach, and I got all of the above, thank you to who every made that happen
Rooms
As I said we got exactly the room that we had requested and the rooms themselves are quite nice. Not overly fancy with marble and jacuzzi in the centre of the room but it was quite large very clean. Everything worked fine, air conditioner, fridge, good water pressure and always lots of hot water. Nothing to complain about.
Restaurants and Bars
We found the food to be generally very good.
The main buffet however did have a few glitches. First the layout is in away bizarre. The desserts are in the main sitting area and the rest of the food is in area is in a separate area that sort of is in the back. The area is away too small to provide enough counter space to provide a good variety of food. The salad bar was sadly lacking lattice most nights. In short what food was there was good, even though it did take awhile to work your way to front of the line to get the grub. That brings us to the service. We thought it was fantastic. All the servers were very friendly and super attentive. In fact I don't think we have ever had better.
We did two al carts. The Seafood down by the beach and the Mediterranean.
Both had excellent food and service, in fact both my wife and I agree that the filet mignon we had was the best either one of us have ever had. But we don't get out much.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is the reason we go on holiday and this beach didn't disappoint. The Sand was soft, clean and white and the ocean is that postcard perfect blue. The beach is long enough to keep any beach walker happy. The one draw back to the beach in front the Melia is that unless you want to get up before the sun does you won't get a palapa. I was down every morning at 6:30 for my beach run and I would say most of the spots were taken by then. It didn't appear to be much better at the Las Dunas or the Barceló as I checked them out on my run to. The Sol next door did seem to be a bit better with still some shade palapa left after breakfast. We took with us a Canadian Tire beach umbrella and I'm I every glad we did. It gave us the freedom to go where every we wanted to on the beach at anytime. It was an absolute necessity down at the Clothing Optional end of the beach were shade and chairs are hard to come by.
We spent only one part day by the pool to get out of the wind, and even though I am sure lots of the "beach" people were doing the same the were still lots of chairs but not much shade available. The pool bars had, like the rest of the resort very good service
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Didn't take any tours,that we will do next year.
Other Comments
We really enjoyed this trip as it was like a step back in time with no helicopters,no airplanes or paragliders overhead. No jet skis,no motor boats.
Never saw one person on thir laptop or heard a cell phone ring. If that sounds good to you this is the place for you.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Andre ~ Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada |
April 2009
Arrival: Mar 15 to Mar 29
We arrived at the resort at 3 am on the 16th of Mar. The check in was quick and well organized
Rooms
We had requested a specific building and floor level and we received it. The room was clean and spacious with the average amenites.
Restaurants and Bars
The restaurants were not to a 4 1/2 or 5 star standard . The main buffet was badly organized with long line up serving the worst food we ever had in Cuba .
The food was mostly cold and in short supply. The a la carte restaurants were not much better. The bars were much better but average for Cuba
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach is beautiful but windy most of the time. As in most resorts you have to be early to get a chair and most of them are in very poor condition. The pools are beautiful and clean.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The activities on the resort were very limited. I use the gym and the equipment was satisfactory, we did not go on any tours.
Other Comments
It was our 9th trip to Cuba and we have been to most Caribbean Islands over the last 30 years and I would rate this resort as a 3 to 3 1/2 star at best. This resort could be a paradise with some major renovations and better management.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Brian & Debbie ~ Waterloo, Ontario |
April 2009
Arrival: March 27 to April 3
Both the wife and I flew with Skyservice/though we were booked with Transat Holidays, both Skyservice and Air Transat were sharing flights till the end of March,we were the last shared flight.We pre-selected Exit seats,since Skyservice didn`t offer any other seat upgrades,we normally try to get the Club class when travelling with Air Transat,but no such option with Skyservice ,but in all,our Exit seats were very good for comfort and more leg room was enjoyed.Good flight and service on board and a speedy customs check at the Santa Clara Airport.This airport is small,and if multiple flights are leaving close together ,you will spend much more time in line ups, as many did ,,but the VIP lounge option at departure that was offered with Transat Holidays at the hotel for our departure was well worth the $20 CUC/ each. Separate check-in,food, open bar and washrooms will make our departure and 3 hour wait to leave much more enjoyable.
Rooms
We booked 7 weeks prior to going on our holiday and we reserved the Oceanview room,we didn`t see that room until the 2nd night,as the hotel overbooked and put us in another room,close to the pool,but not overlooking it.We did make them know that we would be back the next morning and check on our OV room and it was ready after 12 noon along with a 40 oz. bottle of rum.Both rooms were very roomy,brightly colored,with a King size bed. We did have water pressure problems for the morning shower and hot water ,but getting up early or taking one the night before helping the shock of cold water. Very clean with iron board/iron,tv,safe,balcony,overlooking the beach.The sliding door was a challenge to open ,as if off the door track. The door must be closed tightly ,for the A/C to work and it does work,but not as fast as you would like to have it at times.Room stocked fridge was there ,but regular cola was no where to be had, after many requests,but lots of diet cola sprite,beer and water was everywhere.
Restaurants and Bars
We ate mostly at the main buffet,but lunch and snacks were good at the pool rest. and the beach rest. Pizza,burgers,fries,and club sandwiches were all for the asking.As others have said in other reviews ,this is Cuba and not Canada ,so be prepared to seek out food available at the restaurants we did not go hungry and always found something to eat.Beef,chicken,fish,and pork was at every meal.Deserts were cakes,ricepudding,icecream and lots to try of each.Breakfast had eggs,anyway you wanted then, breads, buns, french toast,pancakes weiners and bacon. Juices,coffee just ask and you will get it. The bars have all the drinks you`ll ever want and more ,but NO ! list of drinks available at the bars to choice from or view.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Two pools with lots of loungers around the pools ,but get up early to find the spot for you ,as they go fast and the seating with shade at the beach is even more of a challenge to get ,unless you enjoy getting up at 4:30 AM to be down there to secure a shaded area. How fast can you run ? Clean grounds as the workers were busy everywhere. Don`t forget your pool/beach mug,as the plastic ones they give you,are not nearly enough at times to quench that thirst.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
We didn`t get to any off resort activities,but other guests raved about the boat/snorkel trip and lobster meal.
Other Comments
This resort compared to others we have been too ,doesn`t measure up to a 4.5 star resort it has been given in our eyes,a 3 to 3.5 yes.We enjoy smaller resorts and this one fit that nicely,but it is the little things that make the resort a resort you want to come back to . Building face lifts and repairs ,due to weather has been left untouched. Water pressure and hot water is something guests want and expect on holidays,as we see there our money goes to. These little things that want us to come back to there Hotel. Weather is always a crap game.How lucky are you at picking that special week or two ? My wife and I have been lucky. Reviews like ours and others have all tried to help us in making that pick easier.We also get that help from co-workers/friends that have gone and experienced from others info ,so to help us all in picking the perfect resort for our holiday. We enjoy any and all info from all travellers that are willing to share there take on resorts ,so help out
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Sterling ~ Vancouver, BC |
March 2009
Arrival: March 18 - 25
We left Vancouver at 5am, so arrival was warm and pleasent. All of the women at the airport seemed to wear the same ultra 'sexy' pantyhose. Kinda interesting. Anyways, we got our $$ changed and we were on our way without any issues.
Rooms
Room was spacious and tidy. Neat layout too. Our room had two twin beds pushed together. Beds were hard. Woke up with a sore back every day, but I managed to loosen up within a couple hours ;). We found 2 little cockroaches in the room during our 1 week stay, and they both got snuffed. There seemed to be a 3/4 inch gap under our door, so I imagine that's how they got in. Whatever. My G/F was a little squeemish about it, but really, c'mon...your in the tropics for christ sakes. I'm surprised there wasn't more.
Restaurants and Bars
All pretty decent. You can eat breaky at the 24 hour place and the buffet, but I'd stick to the buffet; it's got MUCH more selection. See Frank on the left, he'll sort you out with some tasty eggs done anyway you want. Buffet is open from 7am to 10am. If you don't like the line up, come from 7 till 8, or just sleep in (you're on vacation after all) and come at 9. The place will be empty.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
All very clean and extremely well kept. Pools are open all day and all night, though most people won't swim in them at night because they get cold when the sun's not out. Hot tub however, wasn't hot once during the entire stay for some reason.
Other Comments
Was about 70% french canadian and people from ontario so...yeah. A lot of older fat ladies with too much gold and short hair cuts, walking around in their flip-flops with coffee mugs full of white wine, whining loudly about the heat.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Sandra ~ Ottawa, ON |
March 2009
Vacation Photos
Arrival
We arrived at the hotel at 3:00 am and were checked in within minutes. A hotel staff member stopped by with a try full of tropical drinks - they were delicious! We were told how to get to our room and that our luggage would be delivered within a half an hour. We stopped on the way to our room at the 24 hour bar in the lobby and had a drink - by the time we found our room the bellhop was just arriving with our bags.
Rooms
The room was clean and nicely decorated. There is a bar fridge in it that contains a big bottle of water, a few soft drinks and two beer. They supposedly fill in daily but we had to phone the front desk a few times to remind them.
Restaurants and Bars
The restaurant and bars are what we've come to expect in Cuba - this is our fifth visit to Cuba. Two times to Varadero, once to Cayo Coca and once to Santa Lucia. You won't go hungry in Cuba but the food is very repetitious and not very spicy. They didn't even have any bacon until the fifth day we were there. Also the tea is very weak, so if you're a tea drinker I suggest you bring your own tea.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
The beach was absolutley beautiful. Turquoise water and white powdery sand. Two problems the week that we were there though - it was VERY windy and the water was too wavy to go snorkelling in and there were lots of jelly fish.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
Not too many tours available in Santa Maria as it is situated at the end of a long causeway. It takes 4 1/2 hours to get to Havana from there and there isn't much else of interest around.
Other Comments
The people at this resort are very friendly and accomodating. I would rate this hotel as a solid 3* but not more. There are several cats here so if you're a cat-lover please bring some dry cat food for them - I did and they absolutely loved it!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Eskimos in the Sun ~ Northern Ontario, Canada |
March 2009
We stayed at Melia Cayo Santa Maria from February 20-27, 2009. Received hotel information and room keys at airport, which was a bonus since you could go straight to your room upon arrival at the resort. 90 minute bus ride from airport to resort. Very nice tour of the area and towns. Long causeway with no guardrails on either side and currently being repaired in sections. Beach towels were in the room and can be exchanged at Activity Centre by the pool area. Resort is quiet and laid back and very relaxing. Very windy during our stay and cool at times. Lots of lounge chairs available at the beach and very difficult to find at the pool. Beach is beautiful and if you walk past the nude beach area beyond the sea weed and coral area to the next point you will discover a beautiful section of beach that is clean and pure with no garbage - worth the long walk.
Room Service: Room service not great - not kept clean during our stay. Ants in room. Bedding was never changed. Towels were changed each day (but not consistent on exchange) EXCEPT for last day prior to departure and we had to place two phone calls to request clean towels. We were out of the room at the time the towels were exchanged and when we returned to the room we discovered that our belongings which were laid out on the bed had been removed and placed elsewhere in the room and we also discovered that a few chocolate bars had been removed from our snack food bag. When we unpacked our luggage at home, we also discovered that a shirt was missing from the luggage bag and has not been located to date. We were quite aware of our personal belongings that afternoon prior to the incident since we prepared our luggage for departure the next morning. In the future, we will continue to lock all of our personal belongings in the luggage bags. We have forwarded an email to the resort, travel agent, and Sol Melia with this complaint. Although the items stolen had no great monetary value but is not an acceptable behaviour by any staff member/employee and the resort should deal with this forthwith.
Mini Bar: Mini bar was stocked everyday and if you talked to staff members you could get additional items. The timing seemed to vary from day to day on delivery. Coffee is also provided by the mini bar staff not the maid service for the coffee maker in the room. Ensure that you bring your thermal mugs since this resort will not allow any glass items outside the restaurants/bars for hot beverages, etc.
Staff: Some are very friendly and cooperative and willing to serve you and others could really care less. Most staff members would say Hola and others would ignore us along the walkways. Some staff members could speak fluent English and French. Most of the bartenders were great to deal with. If you decide to bring your own water jug/mug/thermos, the bartenders are more than happy to fill them for you with your choice of beverage. The cleaning staff appear to be very lax and never cleaned our bath tub during our stay. We also had a couple of baths during our stay and we got the idea that the staff were not pleased since a card appeared in the bathroom area indicating that all guests are encouraged to shower to conserve water since the water is scarce. The bath tub stopper which was on the tub earlier in the week had disappeared, so we had to improvise to keep the water in the tub.
Maintenance and Safety Concerns: We had maintenance issues with regards to our room and the resort. Room: Patio door was difficult to open and close, clothesline not functional in bathroom, window blind broken, front door deadbolt difficult to release, toilet lever would periodically stick and continually run water, and closet door in need of maintenance. Resort: Soffit, facia and pieces of siding were removed from the buildings, walkways to the beach are in dire need of maintenance since the boards are rotten and down to the ground in certain areas, lights need to be repaired or replaced, washrooms need to be repaired. The Lobby/Piano Bar could use a few more washrooms since there always seemed to be a long line up in the women's washroom. They had four stalls but only two were functional and in use. Some women went to the men's washroom due to the long line ups. One of the outside water taps from beach walkway is continually running water since the tap will not turn off completely. Poor lighting on walkways and in the theatre - BE CAREFUL. Be on the look out for golf carts and scooters along the walkways that seem to run day and night and some of the carts are without lights and they appear to drive them relatively fast.
Gym: Very primitive and very little selection of equipment and some equipment is in need of maintenance. Weights are limited and there should be more variety made available.
Food: Terrible. We both had difficulties determining what we could eat that we would like or agree with us. Calamari, pasta, pizza, fries, french toast, bread and ice cream were great. Not a large variety of fruits and vegetables made available. We ate the odd hamburger which seemed okay but on one occasion it was rare and had pieces of bone within the meat. We ate mainly at the buffet since we could pick the food items of choice easier and it seemed to be a lot faster than going to the Beach Restaurant and the Pool Restaurant. A few house flies in all the restaurants and we discovered one fly in a bowl of jello. House flies are constantly on the bread in the Beach Restaurant.
Waiters and Waitresses: Some were extremely great in providing us service and others were not very interested. On the last morning before departure, we ate breakfast and was totally ignored for the majority of our meal. We eventually received service once we obtained our own orange juice and ate a bowl of cereal and then we received a cup of coffee.
Clothing: Ensure to bring some warm clothing - cool days and evenings and very windy.
Conclusion: Overall, we had a good time at the resort and found it to be a more relaxing setting in comparison to other resorts that we have stayed at. I would definitely recommend this resort but be cautious of certain items and concerns as mentioned above. We were a little disappointed with the staff invading our luggage and stealing items which do not belong to them. It provided us with a sour taste regarding staff conduct at this resort and our overall stay at this resort. Management at this resort should evaluate the status quo and make some improvements which it would not take much to improve the resort atmosphere and provide better service for the future guests. This resort has the potential to be so much more with very little effort but it has to start at the top - MANAGEMENT.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Bob ~ Canada |
March 2009
Arrival
Arrival was great.Lack of security at airport makes it a breeze.Having your room pre-assigned at airport a nice touch.
Rooms
Rooms are quite nice and musty odour eaves after air conditioner is on for awhile.
Restaurants and Bars
Bars were great.Staff very good.Waiter Oresta at pool bar was excellent.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
Very nice but pool lounging was ruined by people getting up at 5am putting towels on loungers then going to the beach only returning at 5pm to retrieve towels from unused lounges!
Other Comments
Second time to Cuba.First time was last year was to the Royal Hideaway.Probably expectations were elevated due to reading reviews prior to going.The resort was fine but can not get my head around paying $1.40can for a worthless convertable peso!Met very nice people from all over Canada and from Cuba.Star rating in my opinion for this hotel is grossly over rated.Due to this as stated before this was our second Cuban vacation and LAST.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
buznbro ~ Toronto |
February 2009
We'll Just returned from this resort (Feb 7-14) and overall, we had a very relaxing, battery re-charging experience. This is the 7th time my wife and I have had the pleasure and honour of visiting this wonderful country and it's hospitable people.(1st time to Santa Maria) I will apologize in advance if this ends up being a long review so here goes...
On this trip we were primarily looking to sit on the beach, enjoy the ocean views/sounds and self indulge into a few good books! This was our 1st experience with an "adults only" resort and loved it for just that.
Flight
There were several flight changes announced prior to our trip taking place and it caused quite a stir with other travellers (see T.A. Forums prior to Feb.7th) In the end, all was well and we ended up flying down with Canjet.(our 1st with them) In our opinion, no problems...sure we left a little later than scheduled but we still got there on time so no worries.
While at the resort, we overheard several people talking about how they didn't like the plane ride down...I mean, they fed us, flight crew were pleasant, plane worked like it was suppose to, not a lot of turbulence and above all else, we made it there safe and sound...I don't get it! One person remarked that she was "certain" that the pilot was a "rookie"??? I don't know, I'm still shaking my head over that one...
Transfer
Santa Clara airport is quite nice, don't know what it looked like before the renos but it was very nice. Immigration and baggage claim went well and we were soon on our way...with a few ice cold travellers in hand of course!! Yeah, you can change your money to CUC's at the airport...all is good with that. The pre arrival check in on the bus was a great idea and should be incorporated by other resorts...it saved so much time, particularly because we had a night flight and arrived late at the resort.
Scenery was probably very nice, unfortunately we were travelling at night so the views were limited, nevertheless, the taste of the cold beer, along with the excited chit chat of the other travellers...well, the 1.5 hour ride goes by quite fast.
Room
Once there, the idea is to find your room and remind yourself that your holiday has really started. The bell boys delivered the bags shortly thereafter and all was good or so we thought...more on this matter further down...
At first glance the room looked great...probably the biggest we've ever had at a resort in Cuba...the set up and design was quite cool actually. Bar fridge had all the goodies as noted in other reviews..no complaints there. Nice king size bed too...who could ask for more right???
Overall grounds
The place is well maintained and the staff do a great job keeping it that way. This resort is 5 years old (adults only since 2007) it was almost strange for us NOT seeing the little ones running around...believe me it was a nice change though...very peaceful. This resort was very easy to navigate and you can get anywhere in no time.
Amenities
They had alot of activities to do if you felt so inclined, however, other than a trip to the gym (very nice and well equipped) and a few good morning runs around the resort, we didn't plan on partaking in much. This was also nice because you got the feeling you could do as much or as little as you wanted, without feeling pressured by anyone.
Beach
One word.....STUNNING!!! This alone was so worth the plane ride. Grabbing 2 nice loungers (the good ones too with the mesh, not the standard plastic, hurt you a$$ ones that most resorts have), positioning yourself in just the right manner toward the sun and chilling with a good book with the sound of the surf a mere stones throw away was awesome!!!
It's true folks...the beach is 12km and powdery white...excellent for that "long walk" on the beach thing...many people took advantage of this too. It's also true that if you walk to the left far enough, you will indeed find yourself in the wonderful world of the "naturalist". My wife has always enjoyed going topless on vacation (well, me too) and it was nice to see people enjoying the full monty in a very "not in everyones face kind of way...we even had a full blown conversation with one women about why there so many jelly fish. You almost forgot she wasn't wearing anything...well I'm a man so realistically I didn't forget, but the conversation was that casual...very pleasant woman too!
We took a few strolls the other way too, toward the Las Dunas and Barcelo. The walk was awesome and we were glad to be on the portion of beach at the MCSM because the latter two, looked very crowded...AND they had those nice hard white plastic chairs as well!!( Sorry, still excited about having nice beach loungers for a change)
Food
Aaah, always a hot topic while in Cuba...well, again this was our 7th time in Cuba and we've had great, good and not so good food on our past visits. This time, we thought the food was very good for the most part...buffet had many choices, lots of meats, pastas, stir-fry, etc. There are only 2 food comforts from home that we bring for our trips to Cuba...peanut butter for my wife (which we leave most of it when we leave) and hot sauce for me...yeah they have Tabasco, but that doesn't quite cut it for me...I like to have something with a little more kick (anything with lots of Habaneros in it).
Overall, we enjoyed the food and always found something...oh, also I should mention, this was the 1st resort we have been to where they served you OJ at your table in the morning...very nice! None of this jockeying for position at the self serve juice stations! I remember one resort we were at, there was almost a full blown riot over the mango juice and who got there first!!
Ok, I have to mention the toaster situation...it's true...there's only one and you would have to toast your bread twice to get any kind of colour...all in all it was a gong show and funny to watch people lose their minds over this!! I always wonder why these resorts don't find it in there service plans to invest in 2 or 3 toasters...I mean, breakfast is a very popular meal at most resorts right? People often rave about the omelette's, etc. but the whole breakfast momentum seems to halt at the dreaded toaster. We have yet to vacation at resort where this was NOT an issue. Just a thought...oh and no I didn't have any toast all week.
Staff
This was our most NON participation in the resort activities thus far while travelling, not because there was a lack of it, just because that's what we wanted this time around. We heard the shows were good and the activities were plentiful. My wife made a good point one day, I mentioned "Hey do you wanna check out one of the shows before the trips over"? Her response was "Sure if you want, but I'm pretty sure we've seen them all by now!"
I'm thinking she's right (if your a married man reading this you better be thinking the same thing boys!!) She made a good point...all of the shows people would talk about, Michael Jackson, acrobatic, BMX bike, International Dancing, etc. we have seen at one time or another at different resorts in Cuba. Also, who were we kidding...we'd hit the lobby bar for a bevi or two after dinner and be back in the room by 9pm. (I know, what a couple of loser's!)
Sorry all of that relaxing at the beach all day really wore us out!! Overall, the staff were very friendly and hardworking. We have always admired the charm of the Cuban people and that is one of the main reasons we like to return on a consistent basis. We are often quick to try and use our limited Spanish, which for the most part, they appreciate.
On this trip, we encountered 3 individuals who didn't appear to be very professional. The 1st two were at the small bar across from the swim up bar. There two males (don't know their names) seemed more interested in talking to each other then assisting guests. I found it rude when, even after being treated like I was bothering them for a drink, I proceed to tip him anyway and he takes the money without so much as a thank you and carries on talking to his buddy.
Never experienced that one before! I watched from a distance, the way they interacted with other guests and it appeared to be the norm for them. Truly unfortunate for the resort...they need to punt the two of them right through the uprights and put two other people there who don't mind interacting with guests.
The other was a very petite girl, working in the 24 hour pool grill/bar area. She took an eternity to engage us (even though the place wasn't that busy)...you could tell she was talking to another worker about something completely unrelated to work. Nevertheless, she comes over, we ask her in SPANISH (as we often do with all the staff when we mingle with them) how she's doing, how's you day going and NOTHING!! She looks at us like she can't comprehend what we're saying??? At one point she actually rolled her eyes...nice! Sorry, we did nothing to warrant that type of behaviour...it was very clear she didn't want to be there, but don't take it out on the guests. Suffice to say, we didn't stay long...
Weather
So, we had heard that the weather a week or so prior to us arriving was not so pleasant. That's unfortunate...while we had some windy days, we had sun or sun/cloud for the entire trip. It did rain twice at night and did not effect us during the daytime. It had warmed enough that we could actually go in the ocean the last few days which was great...yes, lot's of jelly fish but no stings...apparently it's their mating season so that's why they were all over the place. (at least that's what the nude women told us earlier)
Believe me, everybody got lots of colour compliments of Mr Sun....
Room (conclusion)
Ok, as noted above we're back to this I mentioned that the room appeared "great" at first glance...well not the case, at least in our room (#1814) While it was spacious, if you looked a little closer, the obvious soon came to light. There were cobwebs everywhere...I mean everywhere, underneath the bed (don't get me started on that one) not a few strands, I mean so many you would have thought it was decorated for Halloween. It was OBVIOUS the webs had been there for quite some time...surely past guests had to have noticed them???
Sure, there were the usual ants and a couple of juicy spiders which made an appearance but that's normal for the tropics right? No, the cobwebs was something new which we had NEVER experienced before...it was so there in your face...how could the maids have not seen them? Oh they were nice...we even had an issues with the a/c switch on the wall which liked to turn on and off when IT felt like it...we eventually told the front desk about it and they were very fast at repairing it.
Now we made a call about the cobwebs as well but this was never addressed. Of all the trips I have taken in my entire life (quite a few) I can honestly say I could not get a good nights sleep for the entire week. We both felt the heebee jeebies(spl?) because of the way it looked. There was even a piece of paper underneath the day bed...we decided to not say anything and see if it would be noticed by the maid...you guessed it, there it stayed the whole week we were there...if you go and happen to get room #1814 check under the day bed and see if it's still there.
Furthermore, there was quite a lot of mold in the bathroom area, again, enough that when you walked in it was quite obvious. All it needed was a good wipe down...even the faucets were never wiped down the whole week we were there. Sure, you can make all the cute animal arrangements on the bed, however, I'd rather they didn't and use the extra time to address some of these issues. I have stayed in some "dated" rooms in the past and I'm fine with that, just as long as it's clean. I hope the management take these issues seriously and address the problems or the rooms will be out of control very soon!! (at least the one we stayed in)
Other Guests
We interacted with other guests and for the most part had good experiences. I would say about 75% were French Canadians, which I found more of a language barrier than when speaking with the Cubans. Again, most were respectful and nice...
Conclusion
Over all, we had a great time at this resort and would definitly go back, just for the beach and food alone. It was very disappointing that the room issues were such a horror show, considering how everything else was kick a$$. Yeah, you have the pool lounge vultures who get up before the sun to get their "spot" by the pool...and then don't even sit there for most of the day...unbelievable! We didn't care...the beach is where it's at anyway. They ask you to fill out a questionaire before you leave which I did. I actually hope "someone" reads them and doesn't just file them under "G" if you know what I mean...
Other Stuff
Sorry, we didn't do any of the al le cartes...don't get me wrong, we never had an issue with lining up, however, the buffett seemed to suit us just fine so we stuck with that. Disco, nightshows, day trips, spa treatements...never did any of that...the sound of the waves at the beach was more than enough spa treatment for us! Stirckly and R and R trip this time around!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Bernie and June ~ Napanee, Ontario |
February 2009
Arrival: Jan 24 - Jan 31
We were a group of 8 people from Napanee and Picton Ontario. Our arrival at the airport was smooth and flawless. The Air Transat rep was there to meet everyone with all the check-in paperwork, room numbers and report map. The 90 minute bus ride to the resort was much more comfortable than the Canjet plane ride. George Gonzales, the bus tour guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable.
Rooms:
We had emailed the resort a few weeks before arrival and had asked for rooms close together for our group. We stayed in building 7 and 8 (oceanview) top floor and we couldn't have asked for better. We were right beside the boardwalk to the beach and in my opinion the view from our balcony was the best on the resort. Towels and sheet are changed daily if you want them to be. Fridge is stocked daily with beer, soft drinks, juice and water. Although not necessary, it's a good idea to tip a few pesos to the re-stockers when they come around. They will definitely show their appreciation. We also tipped the maids and left small gifts on the pillow which was well received.
One of the couple we were with did have some problems with their room. It seems that there was a malfunction in the locking mechanism and for the first three days they kept getting locked out of their room. The management very good about sending a maintenance person after each complaint but the problem persisted and they getting locked out of their room constantly. Finally after 3 frustrating days, they finally fixed it right.
Restaurants and Bars:
This being our 6th time in Cuba in the last 20 years I can tell you that there has been a mountain of improvements in regards to food. There was no sign of shortages and the quality and variety of food was excellent. The main buffet was by far the most popular and Frank the omelette and pasta guy was great. Daniel the grill guy was also very good and entertaining. One thing that they could invest in would be another toaster. There was only one and usually a long lineup for toast because it had to be run through twice to get any colour. I must say that they did their best to improve the effectiveness by having an electrician tweak it in the middle of the week to a point where it then burnt the toast (not a serious thing).
The poolside snack bar was a great alternative, serving excellent burgers, hot dogs, pizzas and fries.
There are 4 a la carte restaurants and if you are as lucky as we were you will get three dinner during your week's stay. We had the Seafood restaurant first (Spiny Lobster)EXCELLENT! The Grill restaurant (try the ribs) and the Italian restaurant (only so-so)!
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The beach is one of the best we have ever seen. Very clean with fine sand and lots of chairs and palapas. Carlos, one of the beach bartenders will come to your beach chair, wherever it is and take your drink order. The first two days on the beach for us were a little windy and cool but we still couldn't resist going in the water and playing in the waves. The Hobbie Cats were very popular in those windy days. By Tuesday the water calmed down and the sea and sun were perfect. When the sea is calm, there are a number of jellyfish but that shouldn't stop anyone from going in the water. You can brush against them and they won't harm you. My brother-in-law even picked one up in the water.
The pool was a little cool to swim in most days but on really hot day it was quite refreshing. They might consider heating the pool a bit for some of those those wimpy Canadians. If you're that cold you can always hop in the hot tub.
The grounds are very nice with flowers everywhere you look and beautifully maintained. Those grounds keepers works very hard for long hours and you will get the greatest appreciation and biggest smile if you stop to talk to them and maybe give them a small gift.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
On this trip we didn't take advantage of any activities off the resort but 4 of our group did go on the jeep safari which they enjoyed. My wife and I found that because of the distance from the mainland, the long bus ride was a bit much to go on any excursions so we were satisfied to stay and enjoy the resort.
Other Comments:
I must say that this resort is one of the best in this region of Cuba. There were not very many negatives (other than the key/lock problem) and I would recommend it to anyone wanting a quiet relaxing holiday. The fact that out of the 8 people we were with, CANJET managed to lose the luggage of 6 of us on the way home. It had been left in Cuba and arrived in Toronto the next day. It was finally delivered to our home in Napanee a day later at 4 o'clock in the morning no less.
This is by no means a reflection on the Melia Cayo Santa Maria Resort which we thoroughly enjoyed but ask me if we'll fly CANJET again!!!!!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Kelly ~ Ontario |
February 2009
Arrival: Jan 25 - Feb 1
very quick. room keys at the airport. no check in necessary. bags were sent directly from our room. we were able to get off the bus and start our vacation.
Rooms:
very nicely decorated. lots of room. Some of the rooms have two twins put together for king or plain king beds. still very nicely decorated.
Restaurants and Bars:
lots to choose from. two snack bars at lunch including the buffet. the pool snack bar had hamburgers hot dogs pizza and fries and sandwiches between buffets. It was open 24 hours. the snack bar by the beach had the best calamari around. This was by best the best resort for food. Variety was excellent the tast was excellent. There was turkey, fish, chicken, beef, stir frys, breads were fresh and not rock hard. fruit was plentiful. Lots of fresh veggies, carrots, beans, brussel sprouts, fresh romaine lettuce (which I'vew never seen at other cuban resorts.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Pool was great. always clean. The beach was wonderful. There were tons of jelly fish and are safe to pick up and hang onto.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Catamarn was excellent. iT IS ONLY 10 minute bus ride to the place. Dolphins swam beside the catamaran. We also rented a car for the day and drove it past the country side. It was nice to stop in a city and get out and walk around and see the people and how they live. It certainly is an eye opener. It was nice the people did not bug you or ask for money or anything.
Other Comments:
We did't tip other than with stuff. We still got really good service. Around the bars they had waitresses going around taking drink orders and delivering them to you. The only bad thing was skyservice. I really wish travel people would stop booking flights with skyservice. The bus was way more confortable than the can of sardines we flew in on. We got delayed going there and our story was there was a tropical storm delaying everything. When we got there the other side of the story was that there was a snow storm in Toronto that they couldn't get out of cuba. when you are packing make sure you are under 20kg. there is a scale in your room to check it. your carry ons must be 5 kg. If you go over 1 it is 20 per 1kg. if you think you are going to go over buy the VIP package 20 which at the airport gives you free food and drinks while you wait in the airport. VIP people can have 40kg per person. It is really silly because as soon as youfinish weighing in you go into the secure area and you can go to duty free and buy stuff and brings your weight up. We got a free hydration spot at the spa which was quite relaxing and enjoyable. What I find with travel trips away it is what you make of it. If you're going to find complaints in everything you do then you will have a horrible trip. If you go with the attutide at least I don't have to clean and cook myself then you will have an awesome trip.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Brenda and Theresa ~ GTA and Toronto |
February 2009
Arrival: January 24 - January 31
First time to Cuba for a girlfirend getaway. Very smooth getting into Cuba. Immigration took no time, reps from the resort met us and provided us with a key to our rooms. The following morning at 10 am there was a presentation about the resort that was most helpful. Departure was smooth as well. I recommend purchasing the VIP voucher for your stay at the airport while waitng to return home.Cost $20 pesos. You can exchange your Canadian money for convertible pesos at the airport or hotel.
Rooms:
Our suite in the bungalow was colourful and not quite ready upon arrival. There was only one king size bed. We brought it to the attention of the houskeeping staff and requested a second bed. We returned 45 minutes later and a single bed was added to the room. We had the option to move but were already settled in the room.The room at times had a musty odour, we were close to the ocean. Others at the resort shared they had no musty odour, we got used to the smell. The room was cleaned with fresh towels every day, toilets worked. Occasionally water pressure for the shower was slow. One night, I could not open the safe and called room service. A technician was there in minutes to corrrect the problem.
Restaurants and Bars:
We loved the food and the variety at the buffet. The cheeses and cold cuts were great. The buffet had a grilling station(omelette, fried eggs in the mornign) and pasta station. Loved the fruits and desserts. For a la carte dining you need reservations and are allowed to make 2 reservations---SLOW PROCESS. You have a choice of eating in 4 locations-Italian, Mediterranean, Seafood or BBQ. We requested more than 2 a la carte dining meals. Enjoyed the seafood by the ocean restaurant, the BBQ and Mediterranean meals. Bars and drinks were good!Earlier reviews complained of houseflies on the food. It's true but everything is mostly outdoors. On a windier day, there were less flies.
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
The pool area was always clean, lots of chairs and huts for shade. The beach was sandy and beautiful. Lots of moon jellyfish on a couple of days in the water. My friend got stung by one and developed an allergic reaction, she was able to get cortisone cream at the medic station. Went on a Hobie Cat sailing, very peaceful on the water. The ocean waves were very high and rough on windier days.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
There were a variety of activities in the day put on by the entertainment staff. We got a lot of fun out of the activities. The dance shows were great, the comedy skits were not. After the perfrmance shows, we would go to the disco and mingle and dance with the entertainment staff and other resortees. The spa services are not included but the "water package" is. Check it out! We did have the serenity massage, it was very relaxing approx $55 pesos. If you see the gardener, ask him for a coconut. We became addicted to the coconut water and ate the fresh coconut. You can also purchase an excursion. We chose to see Santa Clara ($50 pesos) to get a feel of the colonial town and local Cuban life. Our tour guide was kind and knowledgeable but offered way too much details during the excursion,the guide talked almost non-stop for the entire trip.We left at 8am and returned at 6pm.
Other Comments:
The staff were very friendly and accomodating. It is a good idea to learn some Spanish but not necessary. We tipped with convertible pesos to staff. We also provided small gifts of appreciation. We met several people from Quebec, Ontario even Nanavut. What surprised us the most was the smoking,people were lighting up everywhere at the resort, no smoking in the buffet area though. It was 5 star by Cuban rating. Good value for the dollar.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Pam ~ Kelowna, BC |
January 2009
Arrival: Dec 31 - Jan 7
Arrival was smooth with good service at the front desk,
Rooms:
A little disappointing, cheap decor, stains on walls, ants in bathroom, frig not restocked regularly,
Restaurants and Bars:
Most of the food very bland, lack of fresh veggies and fruit, frustrating finding available food when hungry, (between openings). Lobster and prawns were very good, also crepes in the buffet
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Lovely, although the beach was a little dirty
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
Catamaran was fantastic
Other Comments:
Our biggest complaint is that family members called the resort numerous times but no one could speak English, if tourism is their biggest resource perhaps they should speak English?
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Larry & Lori ~ Windsor |
January 2009
Arrival: December 05/2008 - December19/2008
The Air Transat captain alerts the flight attendants to take their seats to prepare for landing. The brown and green Cuban countryside appears below and all the previous visits to this island fortress come flooding back. We have been to Cuba at least 10 times and have stayed at a different resort each time all over this island of approximately 11 million inhabitants.
The first visit was nearly 25 years ago when Russian soldiers still walked the compound next door to one of only a handful of resorts dotting the Varadero peninsula. As soon as I came onto the beach and saw the sand and surf I ran and dove into the crashing, humongous waves only to be made aware on my exit that the red flag was up. Oh well, I was just one wild and crazy guy-not. This was before the harsh Cuban "special period" of the 1990's after the Soviet economy crumbled and the economic support of Cuba was withdrawn. Food was scarce among many other resources.
I still have vivid and fond memories of that vacation and the people I met and was later to see back home at an arranged reunuion at a Toronto home.
That's the thing about vacations, they are an escape and often an intense and highly emotional experience contrary to most people's daily lives.
The airplane door opens and the heat embraces your entire body. Ccuban Customs is no longer the scary experience it once held. I have found that a friendly demeanour, a relaxed approach which involves speaking softly and politely, and a few words of Spanish ease your entrance into the country. Also, don't forget to smile alot afterall you are just beginning your vacation.
Grab your luggage from the baggage carrousel and proceed out the door as if you don't have a care in the world and nothing to hide and hopefully you don't. Practice your acting skills beforehand if you haven't brushed up on the craft anytime recent. Head for your bus after being so informed and take your room envelope, stash your bags under the bus and all aboard. Select your favourite seats if you're one of the early birds and sit back and take a deep breath or two because everything from now onwards is pure gravy.
As the bus winds its way past Cuba's ubiquitous agricultural farmland and Royal Palms, through its dusty towns engraved with tan coloured dirt roads and the bustling street-life of people going about the daily business of life I wonder what it would be like to live in Cuba for awhile-another Hemingway perhaps, drinking my daquiries, fishing, carrousing, getting in a scrap or two after one too many alcoholic libations. Wait, I'm married. Suddenly, a humongous bump in the roadway shakes me violently from my reverie and I realize I know too much, have read too many books on Cuban history, politics, Fidel etc. I am older and learned enough to know better. I see behind the curtain. I see the puppet-master pulling the strings and orchestrating everything down to the minute.
Life is extremely difficult for most Cubans and I would be better off to lest not forget it. Note to self, I know some of the trials and tribulations of the Cubans I meet at the resorts and and have seen them coming and going on the worker buses back to where they have come from. One day at this resort I asked a very nice Cuban waitress at the hotel who is from Santa Clara,(a good one and one-half hour drive to and from each day) what she is going to do on her day off. Her reply, "I am going to work at my home."
The bus ride continues and I must say that I was a little disappointed with the causeway portion of the travel as the view of the magnificent ocean and beyond was partly obstructed by mangrove formations and the like. Ah, but imagination very seldom lines up evenly with reality.
By the way, don't let your mind begin to conjure up the bus veering off the causeway into the ocean on the side. If you don't know what I mean and you go you soon will. How the heck do I get out of this bus?
Alas, we arrive at the front entrance sign to the Melia Cayo Santa Maria. Made it. Past the security hut we go and the female security guard who later in the week will give me a tiny, traced portrait of Che Guevara, see him in Santa Clara statue size or visit his remains if that is your desire. Che is Cuba's most commercially marketed icon and symbol of the revolution. Fidel didn' mind as Che was dead. Liberty or death. Che got death. There is a saying in Cuba to rally the people, "Be strong like Che." Motivates some to withstand the deprivations. Anyways, I returned the security guard's kindness with a gentle kiss on the cheek (not the French way)though I am sure a Cuban convertible peso would have been more to her liking. Cuban people have very little to give, but that is what makes what they do give so rewarding. It brings to mind the day on the beach when I gave the young Cuban bartender a baseball I brought from home, Cubans are fantastic baseball players as our maid, Zailyn, informed me one day as though I didn't know, and the waiter/bartender asked me if there was anything he could do for me. I replied no, but thought what a wonderful reply that was. Sometimes the offer of friendship is just that with nothing else implied or expected, but perhaps the possibility of friendship in return. Though it gets more complex between the sexes.
So here we are disembarking off the bus with huge smiles we can't hide or prevent splattered across our faces.
We have arrived. I bet you were wondering if this guy is ever going to get there. Side roads are what makes life surprising.
Let the drinks start flowing, the music start thumping, and let the dancing begin. AAAAAAAHHHHH vacationnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!
Rooms:
Very happy with room and maid service in our building which I will keep to myself as it is a preferred location and it wouldn't be right if everyone knew about it would it?
Only problem was the sliding glass door wouldn't lock. That was a deal breaker. On the telephone to the front desk and an hour later still no repair man. Get the maid. If all else fails get the maid. Zailyn uses our phone and talks some trash to the front desk and one-half hour later the door is fixed.
If you don't get your mini-bar filled call the front desk. Be persistent but firm and polite.
Hot water to spare. Safe worked like a charm. Room cleaned and made up to our satisfaction.
If you want to move go directly to the front desk and be nice.
Restaurants and Bars:
Snack bar tried everything-no complaints-ask for Luis-give him a chance you will like him.
Mediterranean restaurant-as everyone says get the filet mignon Italian restaurant-good gnocci, ravioli (can't think of what it was called), teramisu, thimble size chocolate dessert, cappochio (sp.?)-newly introduced to me, and a bottle of Santa Margherita pinot grigio shared with us by two very special ladies from Montreal Bars-you name it they had it-sangria, canadian club, zambuca etc. and cold, cold delicious crystal beer alongside some very nice Spanish wine-bar service around pool, laying at the beach, and lobby bar is excellent I recollect a time at a Varadero hotel bar when the raspy voiced female bartender asked me "What do you prefer?"
Buffet Santa Maria-alot of variety and always found something delicious and plenty to eat-scrumpuous brownies for dessert among many others-service was always good even at busy times-especially liked married waitress and waiter who gave us miniature grasshopper and necklace-think we made a friend of one waiter in particular-Luis-now working in the Snack Bar-speaks English better than most of us and knows all the hip and slang terminology of North American happening culture-also has a vocabulary to rival your own-oenophile for example-loves music and rock and roll-bring him something if you go-magazine, book,cd, etc. about rock music (any Rolling Stone Magazines, Neil Young etc.)-tell him Larry from Windsor says hi and will be writing to him-he made me laugh every day-sometimes you just hit it off with a person-you make a connection-you can't wait until the next time to converse some more and get to know each other a little better.
champagne whenever you wanted if that is to your liking
Beach/Pools/Grounds:
Pool and beach are magnificent. A little breezy most days at the beach and the weather a little colder than normal for December, but it didn't stop us from having a great time.
Check out the nude beach past the Sol Melia to your left on the beach if that's your thing.
Discovered two chairs all alone on a deserted section of the beach. Doesn't get much better than that. Just you, the sand, the water, and a couple of pelicans and they aren't talking. What happens in Cuba stays in Cuba.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel:
No tours. Have seen plenty of Cuba in past trips and this was just about R and R. Though Remedios or Caibarien or Camalujauani )sp.?)or Santa Clara would be worth the visit. The catamaran trip also sounds like a very good time and memorable excursion. Try the Hobie Cats on the beach on a windy day for an experience I am sure you will not soon forget.
Other Comments:
Having the option of visiting and being able to drink at the Sol Melia next door was a welcome reprieve sometimes in the afternoon for an hour or two to relax by one of their pools as the hotel was very quiet and you could enjoy reading to replenish your soul and recharge your mental faculties. If you like reading. The Sol's beach bar/snack bar is also very enjoyable and has a friendly atmosphere.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the names of some of the people we met from Ontario and Quebec who made our vacation what it was- the time of our lives-Mike and Yo, Denise and Kevin, the two Ricks, Fast Eddy and friend(s),Michelle from Montreal staying at the Sol, and of course Nathalie and Laurie also from the Montreal area.
Vacations begin and vacations end. Memories linger. Some forever. Life is made up of various comings and goings, multitudes of arrivals and departures. We have people in our lives who seem to have always been and always will until life ends. And then we have what I like to call brief encounters with people who are just passing through our lives for a short period of time and whom we may never see or hear from again. A vacation and the people you meet can touch you and move you.
Goodbyes can often be the hardest words for some people to say while others have no difficulty.
Vacations are like life, you only get out of it what you put into it.
Go to the Melia Cayo Santa Maria and have the time of your life while you still can. If you can go now-go, don't wait.
The following is not something I wrote but read and I would like to share it with you. I find it to be apropro when related to vacations and life in general.
Never postpone life nor living. Tomorrow is unpredictable. Find joy in the small victories and take time to cherish the good moments. Treasure life. Know how precious life is and how quickly it may change. Keep turning corners.
Keep taking vacations.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
eeeefarm ~ Ontario |
December 2008
Tour Operator: Air Transat Holidays
General: My third trip to this resort, and seventh to this location. (four times to Sol next door).
Flight & Arrival: Upgraded to Club Class and had a very enjoyable flight. A quick trip through Customs, and not long to wait for my bags. Transat Holidays rep was very organized, and handed out your package with room key, map of resort, and information, as well as the registration form to fill out. Baggage was marked with your room number before being placed on the bus. This is such a good system.....no delays on arrival, and your bag is taken directly to your room. You are free to enjoy your vacation as soon as you get off the bus!
Room: I received a second floor room in building seven, just the location I had requested. Perfect for me, close to the walkways to the beach and to Sol resort next door. All the Melia rooms are wonderfully appointed and comfortable. The mini fridge is kept stocked daily with water, beer and soft drinks. There are extra pillows in the closet and the king sized bed was comfortable, if a bit firm for me. A desk, day bed, chairs and tables make the room comfortable and functional. There is a coffee maker in the room, also a CD player. My balcony caught the sun all day long, so was generally too hot to sit on. However, it was great for drying my bathing suit! Water for showers was fine, although it takes a minute or two to warm up. Maid service was very good. I had no complaints.
Beach: The beach is in great shape this year, very wide in front of Melia, and lacking the sand "cliff" that was prominent last December. Of course, beach conditions can change quickly with wind and tide. Cayo Santa Maria has a wonderful beach for walking, especially to the east of the resort, as it becomes firmer and easier to walk on. Going west the sand is more coarse and you sink in, making walking more difficult (but a great workout!)
Grounds: Beautiful, as always. Gardens are well tended and foliage is mature.
Restaurants: Very good service and decent food. A bit less variety this year, possibly because of the season of hurricanes and their affect on the growing of produce. I was disappointed that the a la cartes lacked entertainment. Last year that was one of the highlights of eating at them. The snack bar by the pool still serves excellent pizza, and they seem to have realized that it should be cut before being served! Wonderful not to have to "do it yourself". The beach restaurant is great for lunch. Perfectly cooked fish fillet, not to be missed. (I'm vegetarian, but the fish was worth cheating for)
Bars: Good service at the lobby bar, although I don't do mixed drinks much so I can't comment on that. I also don't use the swim up bar, although it did seem popular.
Activities: Sailing was wonderful, as we had a windy week. Fabulous, fast, wet, sails on the Hobie Cats almost every day. When the last day turned out to be calm, I took advantage of conditions to go snorkelling and was able to observe and photograph quite a few fish. Lots to be seen just off shore anywhere there are rocks, but the best place (if you are up for a hike) is in front of the island at the west end of the beach. Lots of Barracuda everywhere, plus quite a few other varietals. I saw a Porcupine fish in the rocks about 15 feet off the beach. I don't participate in many other activities, but there is lots to do if you are interested.
Internet: A huge improvement over last year. It worked well and quite quickly every day. I was able to send emails reliably with no problems.
Sol: Guests of Melia can use the facilities of Sol (excluding food). Sol has a wonderful quiet pool fringed with palm trees, which is a very relaxing place to sit in the shade and read a book.
Pool: The pool at Melia is deep enough in places to dive into, which is enjoyable for those of us who hate wading in. It's a good depth for swimming. I avoid the pool with the swim up bar (although the temperature is likely warmer!)
Tours: There are quite a few on offer, but I prefer to spend my days on the beach.
Entertainment: I love the piano bar in the evening. At Melia, there is no longer a separate room for this, but it is incorporated into the lobby bar. I like to visit the Sol piano bar at night....wonderful ambiance, attentive staff. As soon as you sit down someone comes to your table to light the candle and take your drink order. The Spanish Coffee is particularly good. I enjoy the pianists at both resorts, so I tend to shuttle back and forth at night. There is also a trio (piano, drums and guitar) at Melia several nights a week.
Weather: I had a wonderful week. Some people might not have appreciated the windy days, but it was perfect for sailing and for walking the beach, so I have no complaints. Evenings could be a touch cool, nothing a sweater couldn't handle.
Staff: Some of the best staff around. I have absolutely no complaints. From the front desk, to the bell boys, to the maids, the wait staff, the bartenders and the sailors, all are excellent. Friendly, helpful and lots of fun to be around. This resort has first class people all the way!
Conclusion: I will be returning to Melia, and also to Sol, whenever I can. Simply one of the best resorts in Cuba. I highly recommend it. Enjoy this wonderful location before it becomes too crowded. Barcelo will soon be opening a large resort down the beach to the east, and a new hotel is planned west of Sol. Right now it is still possible to walk on an almost deserted beach. Unfortunately this will not be the case in the future!
Pictures: http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a179/eeeefarm/Melia%20Cayo%20Santa%20Maria%2008/
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Travelgirls |
August 2008
Just got back from Cuba, traveled with two girl friends and had a wonderful time met many wonderful and kind people. Many women travel in groups or on their own, this hotel is a very safe and accommodating to its guests.
We took alot of items to give away to the staff and well as tipping, both were appreciated by all.
The staff went beyond any service you would receive in Canada..or on many of the other island- we were totally spoiled.
Clean resort. Great place for honey mooners.
The staff taking care of the boats, waiters, cleaning and yard staff were very kind and attentive to ensure fun was had by all. And also answered the many questions we had on Cuba and the history of the Island.
The dance troop when we were there was wonderful and entertaining.
Internet on island was slow for me but facebook was fast.
We were treated like Queens and will be returning in the near future for a reunion.
Special thanks to the staff at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Mark ~ Montreal |
July 2008
We stayed a MCSM last September, we fell in love with the place. returned for the last week of May 2008. Everything that was mentioned in Stevenbev's review is pretty darned dead on.
The Beach is AMAZING, The food is ok, and the 2 a la carte meals were excellent (more on this later). The pool is beautiful, entertainment ok.
DEBBIE!!!!! please let people know, although this is an all inclusive resort, in which you do not have to tip, if you do not want to? Should you be looking for Great Service, TIP!!@ And if you really want service, as the french would say, la politesse (politeness) will go a long way in getting you that service. The maids went out of their way for us, the barmen and waitresses as well. There was a Gardner working outside our building in the stifiling heat, i brought him some water and one of our cokes, he returned the favour by cutting a fresh coconut and slicing the top with his Machete, and putting some straws into it for us.
Now, if you are having dinner in the a la carte restaurant, and the food is excellent, and the service impeccable, why get up and walk out without saying a word, or thank you, or a tip. My wife and i were looking at the faces of the waitresses and the musicians, and you could see a slight look as if to say, what was wrong?
Nuff sa
id!!
Hopefully, We will be returning very soon for MORE of that GREAT BEACH, and Cuban Hospitality. Word to the wise, get there before the new Barcelo hotel is built!! that deserted, endless stretch of sand will be a memory once the 2500 guest hotel is completed.
Oh and if you don't like cats, beware there are cats here, gekos as well, salmanders, ect ect.
The only downside or comment, was the outdoor restaurant near the pool,the food has to be better protected, from the birds that swoop in to try and pluck stuff,not to sanitary.
Hi to all our Brit friends, fellow Canucks, and all mes Amis Quebecois!!!
Ciao Debbie, you rock!!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Stevenbev (The Bev half) |
June 2008
A little late but better then never…
About us:
We are a professional couple in our mid 30’s with multiple trips to the Caribbean “under our belt” Cuba by far being our favorite Island destination.
We have stayed in accommodations rated anywhere from a 2* through to 5* and always adjust our expectations accordingly. When choosing our vacations we typically try to decide on exactly the “type” of holiday we are after first then research our options accordingly.
On this particular vacation we were looking for a resort where we could relax, decompress and reconnect as a couple (the children stayed with grandparents this trip).
All and all the Melia Cayo Santa Maria came up trumps and we were very pleased with our experience…
Instead of my usual diatribe when creating reviews I have decided to be brief and to the point regarding this resort, I hope my review will assist others trying to decide whether this resort is for them.
The first thing that should be mentioned about the MCSM is its relative isolation, with an approximate 90-minute drive from the Santa Clara airport, at least 40 of which will be on a causeway built over the ocean. If possible I would suggest choosing a day flight as the scenery both through the small towns and across this man made causeway is stunning, you certainly want to be able to see this!
Check-in was swift and efficient as you receive your room information, bracelet and room key when you check in with the Transat rep at the airport. You may also exchange your Canadian funds to CUC and purchase a few drinks for the road while you wait for others to fill the bus!
When arriving at the resort we were greeted by the dancing and singing entertainers/animation staff whom were there to welcome us to the MCSM. We were also offered a rum punch asked to leave our luggage with the porter, and directed to our room so we could drop off our carry-on.
Finding our room was actually quite easy as the resort map was quite clear and the paths were all clearly marked and well lit.
Our luggage appeared approximately 30 minutes after we arrived which meant we were able to unpack quite quickly and settle in with very little fuss!
The Rooms:
Okay, I have to admit the rooms at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria were the BEST accommodations we have had in Cuba!
Absolutely Beautiful!
These accommodations were enormous, more in keeping of a suite I would say!
Clean, no mold what so ever and even the expected “musty smell” was not noticeable here. Everything was in good working order, including the water pressure which; was always quite strong, I will also include that we never had an issue with water temperature during our stay!
Yes, having stayed at what I would consider a 5* in Cuba (the PRDO) the quality of the rooms at the MCSM far surpass the PRDO and any other place we have stayed previously.
The Grounds:
The foliage is quite lush for a Cayo and the resort quite nicely landscaped. Stunning gardens, coconut and many other tropical trees. I did notice a huge difference in the landscaping between the Meila and the Sol (the sister resort connected to the Melia), the later being almost “wild” and “over-grown”. The care and attention to detail was quite evident at the Melia, and noticed even more so after “touring” the Sol!
The Beach:
Words can not accurately describe this beach, but I will try…
STUNNING!!!
I have never in my travels seen a more exquisite white sand beach. I would absolutely match this beach against such popular American favorites as Magen’s Bay (St. Thomas) or Orient Beach (St. Martin).
I honestly have to say our American friends to the south would be “green with envy” if they only knew that this little piece of virgin beach paradise existed right at their doorstep.
This incredible stretch of beach seemed to go on forever, however, as the sand is so thick and deep we really couldn’t take advantage of this, even walking close to the water line was exhausting as the deep sand made it seem as though we were walking through partially set cement!
I should tell you that if you do decide to walk along the beach to the left of the Sol Cayo Santa Maria you will come across a nude beach, not “in your face” nudity though. The guests with enough courage to “bare it all” did so quietly and were fully clothed by the time they reached the resort area…
I believe except for a few childish “clothed guests” everybody respected each other’s privacy and space!
The resort did have plenty of water toys (hobie cats, kayaks) which all appeared to be in good repair although we did not utilize them. I should mention you are not permitted to take out the equipment on your own…
Pools:
2 main pools with and a Jacuzzi which is in front of the snack bar. The pool area had some of the best landscaping, very quiet almost serene like. Having the pool view from our balcony was absolutely fabulous. The resort had plenty of lounge chairs around the pool and nobody had a problem finding chairs, although shade was definitely at a premium.
Spa:
If you have made the decision or are in the process of deciding to come to the MCSM, PLEASE make sure you reserve a little money in your trip budget to partake in the “spa experience”. As we chose not to go on any organized excursion we decided to put the money we would normally spend towards Spa Treatments…
Steve and I chose the Couple Massages and Hydro Therapy sessions twice during our stay. I believe the cost was 120 CUC per couple each time, and you can decide which type of massage you like, in our case we decided on the 90-minute “stone massage”.
Well worth every single CUC!
Pure unadulterated luxury, which, in my opinion comes only second to the PRDO Spa in quality and tranquility!
Bars:
There is the 24-hour piano bar, next to lobby which Steve and I spent most of our drinking time. We absolutely loved the atmosphere of peace and quite. GREAT mojitos (never ran out of mint), and the best staff… The lobby bar also housed the resort’s only pool table for which Steve and I did manage to waste away a good couple of hours!
Three more bars “round out” the offerings, a 24 hour snack bar, “swim up bar” and of course the beach bar. For a resort as small as this one, you were never too far away from your favorite libation!
I do recommend a thermos mug to take with you to the beach (Not the embarrassing crude, obscene Bubba kegs); you only need something to keep your libation cold! The flimsy plastic cups on the beach are not only useless but are a hazard to the environment, especially when you notice how many lazy guests just leave their cups lying on the ground when empty!
Staff:
I was surprised to see quite a few negative reviews regarding the staff at this resort.. We did not run across one member of the staff at the Melia, which we felt, was not 100% professional, educated, and truly concerned about your enjoyment…
Absolute top team of employees!
Unfortunately I can’t say I felt the same kind of love for a few guests at this resort…
Steve and I were shocked at how rude, obnoxious or uneducated/unaware some guests were of their surrounding.
Do people not do a diminutive amount of research prior to booking their vacations?
Repulsively, I witnessed guests treating the staff here as second class citizens, why this resort in particular I have no idea but definitely the worst class of guests that I have unfortunately been on vacation with. Instead of behaving as a “guest” at a resort in a Communist County, I noticed some vacationers behaving as though the owned the resort!
Personally if once and awhile a staff member did become frustrating to deal with or less then helpful I wouldn’t be surprised when I consider how badly some of the staff were being treated by my fellow guests!
Entertainment:
Well, I don’t know if it was just us, but I didn’t see a lot of activities during the day provided by the animation team, maybe with a stellar beach stealing the show the animation team didn’t need to do a lot of work.
However,
We really, really did enjoy the evening program…
Something funny we have noticed throughout our travels, and yes, we do tend to try and stick with the Melia chain, almost all their resorts in Cuba perform the same shows…
Different people performing but yep, I have seen the “Around the world with Melia” at least in five (5) different resorts now!
Even though we have sat through these same shows we still go every night… The lobby was the place to hang out and chat with other guest and in my opinion the best bar! Besides that I believe the people who put these shows on work very, very hard and deserve the respect of our patronage, I mean the shows are only an hour and varied so something should be bound to interest you!
After the show if you really were not interested in heading back to the room the only other thing to do was head over the disco at the Sol…
Uhmmm, we only went twice… The disco was pretty dead, in really rough condition and the toilets next door didn’t work…
Okay, so I left the worst for last…
The food!
Okay, I am going to try and be gracious here!
I have to admit in my entire travels south, I have only had food issues twice, once at the Brisas Guardalavaca and now here at the MCSM!
I did become quite ill for about 2 days and I am almost certain the issue was the fish from the poolside restaurant. However, even prior to my “digestive upset” I have to admit the food was lacking in both quantity and quality…
I will say the BEST dish by far had to be the fried Calamari at the beach restaurant!
I honestly could have (probably should have) eaten Calamari all week… Delicious!
Due to my stomach upset we never did make it to our “A la carte” reservations, however the buffet was pleasant enough (air conditioned) and had at least enough of a selection for us.. Caveat here is that we are NOT picky eaters…
Most nights (if you arrive early enough) you should be able to have something from the carvery (usually pork), rice, fish and/or chicken cooked for you, paella and a few pasta dishes…
For dessert I had the fried bananas most nights (minus the crepes) and the one night they ran out of bananas they fried up the mango… Now that was amazing, just wished they had those darn crepes!!!
Please note that you need to leave all illusions of fresh fruit and vegetables at home…
I believe the only fresh vegetables we had all week was shredded carrot, shredded beets, cabbage and cucumber slices! (I believe we found tomatoes slices at the beach restaurant a few times at lunch)…
We didn’t starve and I should say compared to what the people of Cuba have access to we ate like kings and queens and I abhor even having to write how unsatisfied we were with the food offerings, but for the sake of the Average Canadian traveler and their expectations I need to warn others that the food here could certainly disappoint!
In summary…
The Melia Cayo Santa Maria is one resort where I do believe the star rating is accurate.
We have been to 9 different resorts in Cuba and I would definitely rate the MCSM as being at least a 4* resort if not a 4.5* (providing they can somehow manage to bring the quality of food up to par)…
I would say this though…
The Melia Cayo Santa Maria is NOT for everybody!
You are extremely isolated here and far away from the “real Cuba”, you could literally be anywhere in the world as you don’t get that “Cuba feel” that you would have if you stayed somewhere on the mainland.
There is no rollicking nightlife, no off site restaurants or clubs, no shopping and the majority of excursions are “full day” events, as it takes hours to get anywhere!
I found the resort absolutely perfect for relaxation and a little “soul time”… Great place to rekindle the romance and to wile away the hours on the most stunning beach I have ever laid my eyes on…
Happy Cuba travels!
http://community.webshots.com/user/StevenbevMCSM
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Angela |
April 2008
We just got back on the 24th of April. Amazing vacation. Everything was awesome. The only recommendation I would make is to bring an adaptor for your electrical appliances.Couldn't use my hair straightner. Yikes!!! But apparently you need a European adaptor. Look into it before you go. Thermal cups are a great idea. We brought ours and people were jealous. Probably could have sold some while we were there.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Schmengees ~ Ontario |
April 2008
We vacationed at Melia Cayo Santa Maria from March 27 to April 3, 2008. The ages of guests ranged from 30's to 70's, the majority being 40-60. It is definitely a beautiful resort. We have vacationed in Cayo Coco and Veradero and liked this better. If you want a place to find R & R then this is the place because sightseeing and side trips/tours necessitate a 1 1/2 hr trip back to the mainland. I researched Debbie's reviews and found information to be helpful. There is no need to reiterate the positives since they have been said in most reviews. Any negative comments should be taken lightly (ie. cats in the open restaurants. We are not cat persons but they didn't bother us. If you don't feed them they move on). The Mediterranean is the best a la carte restaurant. We would definitely go back again. The
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Marilou |
March 2008
We visited the Melia Cayo Santa Maria Hotel from February 9th to 16th 2008. There were 29 of us there for a wedding and most of us were aged in our mid to late twenties. We did have a few people in their 40s and 50s with us. I am a fairly well traveled person, having traveled several other all inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela. The purpose of this trip was to attend a friend’s wedding and to get some rest and of course, have a little bit of fun.
Airport
The airport was very clean and efficient. The luggage was there almost immediately and we were through customs and all in about 25 minutes. We exchanged some money at the airport. The bus ride was 1 hour ½ and we were fortunate enough to have the ride during the day. We saw 3 cities and enjoyed the view of the fields and the ocean off the causeway.
Arrival and room
Arrival was highly efficient. They had set up a table with envelopes, rooms having been pre-assigned. We had ours in about 3 minutes, gave our room number to the luggage porters and headed off to the room. Our room number was 1513, 1st floor with 2 ¾ beds. Building 15 is quite a central location, if that is what you are looking for. Not much of a view, especially on the first floor, but few rooms do at this hotel. Room was spacious and clean. Standard Caribbean décor. Our luggage was delivered in about 20 minutes.
The hotel is quite big but very compact. Everything is very close by, which made it easy for a group as large as ours to find each other. The hotel in general is very clean. The vegetation is very lush.
Food
The food is pretty good for Cuba. We loved that at the main buffet, they had a grill with a selection of beef, pork, chicken and a few kinds of fish. They cooked that right in front of you, and to your liking. They had a really nice salad bar, fruit bar, nice selection of cheeses, fried rice, pasta bar… There were also some pre-cooked dishes but really, I didn’t dare touch those. Breakfast was great with all kinds of breads, pastries, fresh crêpes, French toast, omelettes, fruit… Be sure to visit Daniel, the guy cooking the crêpes at breakfast and fried rice at lunch. Really nice guy. On the day of the wedding, he even located a tray for me and arranged things so I could bring breakfast in bed to the bride (she has big time allergies, so I wanted to hand pick what she ate). There is also a restaurant by the pool that is open 24 hours and a ranchon at the beach which is open for lunch and turns in to an a la carte at night. There are a few a la carte restaurants but we only tried 2. The seafood one (had lobster, was great) and the Mediterranean for the wedding (steak, was awesome).
Bars and entertainment
There is a bar by the beach and waiters who come and take your order on your chairs. There are 2 bars by the pool, one of them being an in the pool bar. There is a lobby bar and a bar in the discothèque. Drinks are free pour and to the inspiration of the bartender. Argel at the lobby bar was my favorite bartender. He was really sweet and made the best mojitos, in my opinion. We often got behind the bar and made our own drinks. The night of the wedding, the bartender gave up on us at the disco and basically let us mix our own drinks when we asked, which was really great! There was a show each night. They were the standard Caribbean shows. Dance show and audience participation shows. I find them to be dreadfully boring but some people enjoy them. It really depends on your entertainment exposure and experience, I guess. The disco opened at 11 after the show. The DJ Tony is great and plays a good blend of traditional Cuban music, popular salsa and merenge and more modern pop and eighties hits. He was pretty good at gaging the crowd and gladly took special requests.
This resort caters to honeymooners and older people. I would say that the age average was 45. That being said, it was a good thing there was a group of us or we would have been really bored. Definitely not for singles and youngsters looking to party.
Taking the windsurfers, paddle boats, kayaks and such out was really easy and fun. There were daily volleyball games. There is a spa, which I did not go to. Some friends went and said it wasn’t all that great. The gym was really nice and air conditioned.
Beach
Beach is gorgeous. White powdery sand. The water drops pretty quickly. We had a mix of quiet water days and wavy days; it really depends on the wind. No snorkeling to be had right in front of the hotel. Plenty of chairs to go around. As with all all-inclusive resorts, shade comes at a premium on the beach.
Pool
Gorgeous big pool. Technically, there are two but they are right next to eachother. There are several foam floaty mattresses which was absolutely awesome! Plenty of chairs and a fair amount of shade.
Staff
The staff was wonderful. I was actually pretty impressed with the amount of English spoken by staff at all levels. I never had any problems making myself understood, despite the poor state of my Spanish abilities. The Cuban people, in general, were all very kind, welcoming and joyous.
Catamaran Excursion
We went on the catamaran excursion on the Tuesday and this was the highlight of the trip for most of us. There were 23 people in our group who participated so we had our own boat. Juan and Guillermo were our captain/entertainment staff/cook/barman… Both of them were absolutely fantastic and very friendly. We left the hotel at 9AM and boarded the boat and were off around 9:45. We were on the water until 4PM. We went snorkeling twice, visited a deserted island and sailed around. The snorkeling is average. Great for those who have never been before. I could be disappointing to those used to more lavish coral reefs like those of the Mayan Riviera. The meal consisted of lobster tail, rice, vegetables and shrimp. (lobster could be substituted by chicken) It was the best meal we had all week! And to think it was cooked on a boat! We really had a wonderful time and all was perfect. Did I mention it was open bar? 80 CUCs for the trip and every penny well spent!
Wedding
The wedding was gorgeous. They had it on the beach around 4:30PM and it was really nice. The ceremony was quick and the staff was very helpful in setting up things as we asked and keeping the half naked sunbathers out of the pictures! The reception was held between 6-8PM in the discotheque where there were hors d’oeuvres to eat, a barman and a DJ. Dinner was in the Mediterranean restaurant at 8PM and was great. Around 10PM, when we got out of the restaurant, we headed out to the pool Gazebo where the bride and groom did their first dance. They had purchased a boom box on which we could plug our i-pods which was really handy. We then partied the night away at the disco and lobby bar where all guests and staff were very friendly and congratulating towards our entire group.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. This hotel has all the necessary elements for a great vacation: great beach, good food, great service and warm weather. I would definitely recommend it to people on honeymoon, for a wedding and for r&r. I would not recommend it for party seekers or for those who would like to see the “real” Cuba.
My pictures are posted here:
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562520043leNkKB
Keep in mind they are my personal pics so some may not be all that interesting to you
Feel free to e-mail me at marilouemard@hotmail.com if you have any questions or would like any precision on any of my comments.
Happy travels!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Ken & Jopie ~ Port Hope, Ontario |
January 2008
Rooms
Great rooms, I had emailed ahead and asked for ground floor and to be place with the couple we were travelling with. We got exactly that!
The cleaning staff were great and if something was overlooked, 1 phone call and it was taken care of.
Restaurants
The buffet was good for Cuba, what can I say. The Mediterranean was fabulous, as was the Italian and the Seafood was great! I strongly recommend getting in line early to make the reservations to these restaurants, they book up fast!
Bars
Plenty of bars with the piano bar and the snack bar remaining open 24 hrs. We screwed up and didn't take the large mugs......next time for sure!!!!!!!!! Bartenders and waiter would do everything to accommodate your requests
Beach and Pools
One of the nicest beaches we've been to. Great for snorkeling or for sunbathing. The pools are great, clean and plenty of poolside lounges, the bar service at the pool is great, look for Alberto at the poolside bar, he will look after you!!!
Grounds
Well kept, maintained daily.
Activities
Plenty of daily activities, the nightly entertainment was great
Tours
We did the Santa Clara tour, the best part was I got to drive the steam train and the tour of the Cigar Factory as for the rest of the trip, not so good but that was do too some pushy tourist on the bus that wanted everything their way, Wouldn't take this tour again, you can buy the cigars and rum cheaper at the airport duty free.
Conclusion
We highly recommend this resort, we had a couple days with rain and still found the resort and it's staff great.....Will be going back.The one thing I would recommend is the VIP lounge at the Santa Clara airport, worth every penny!!!!!!!!1
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Kevin |
January 2008
This was our third vacation to Cuba, and we very much enjoyed our trip to Melia Cayo Santa Maria.
Beach
In a word, gorgeous! We walked east along the beach each day right to the end (about an hour each way). If you plan to do the same, make sure you bring a hat and a bottle of water with you. The sand becomes more firmly packed the further you get away from the resort. Along the way you’ll pass Las Dunas and what we understand to be a Barcelo (under construction). There’s not a lot of coral from a snorkelling perspective, but there are several species of fish to be spotted, including starfish. We also stumbled across several live conchs, which we took pictures of then returned to the water. If you walk westwards along the beach (much more difficult walking as the sand is loosely packed), be aware that there’s a clothes-optional section just past the Sol. The water along the entire length of the beach is stunning; crystal clear (when calm) and the epitome of Caribbean blue.
Watch out for the jellyfish, as they’re the clear, almost invisible variety, not the blue Man-O-War that’s seen in several other parts of Cuba. The calmer days seem to be the days when there’s a greater concentration of them.
Grounds
Lots of lush vegetation everywhere. The grounds are beautiful.
Room
One of the largest “standard rooms” we’ve ever had. Comfy beds, nice furnishings, balcony with ocean view, and a warm tropical colour scheme. Our only complaint is that our room was visited several nights by numerous red ants. Don’t know if any of the other rooms near ours (#1721) encountered the same.
Food
The food at the buffet was plentiful and varied, there’s something for everyone. We went to the beach restaurant most afternoons for a nibble (great calamari) and to the snack bar once (decent pizzas). There are four a la carte restaurants (you can go to three of them) – Italian, Mediterranean, Steak House & Seafood. We went to all but the Italian, and had good food and service everywhere but at the Steak House (mint sauce on the steak?). We heard several other people voice their disappointment with it also, so I’d suggest avoiding it. Truth be told, the “Steak House” isn’t in a building at all, it’s a poolside palapa with tables and chairs set up underneath it (during inclement weather, they use the snack bar).
Drinks
Good. Bring your thermal mugs with you so that you don’t have to make so many trips to the bar. Those who think it appropriate to bring massively oversized thermal mugs with them should think again; it’s nothing but embarrassing.
Service
Hit and miss. We had some very good servers, and some horrible ones. Good service didn’t seem to be dependant on tip.
Shows
The best we’ve seen, absolutely excellent. The best was the Cuban show, on Tuesday night. Shows start at 9:45, and run about an hour.
General Comments
-We missed having the option of sitting outside at the buffet; only indoor seating is available.
- The resort could do with another bar near the front of the resort (we never saw the “Piano Bar” open once; I believe it functions only as a disco now). The main bar can become quite congested in the evenings.
-There are numerous cats around the resort. The only restaurants they can get into are the Beach Restaurant and the Snack Bar, and they don’t bother you unless you begin feeding them from the table. If you want to give them a nibble, do so outside the restaurant.
-Very few Europeans at this resort, the crowd is mostly Canadian, with roughly half the crowd being French-Canadian.
- Transat Vacations is currently the only Canadian tour operator offering this resort. They rate it as a 4-1/2* property, which we felt was accurate.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
anonymous |
January 2008
Many basic things are covered by other reviews, so I will mention a few things as side note. This is my second trip to Cayo Santa Maria. I was at Melia Las Dunas last year. The Melia Cayo Santa Maria, in comparison is smaller and cosier, The staff are very seasoned and know what they are doing – English is widely spoken. This resort is older and showing some signs of age. However, the beach is spectacular – it has the best stretch of beach in the whole place. The resort is compact and very easy to navigate. Another plus is the abundance of pool and beach loungers. Hardly any towel reserving goes on and it’s not even necessary. The pool has foam floaties… which was nice. Some people take them to the beach but there are always plenty to go around. The food was fine… typical ok Cuban resort food. Vegetarians need to be wary: even though a dish may be labelled as vegetables, it is often dressed and decorated with pieces of ham, fish, etc. We only went to one a la carte restaurant: the steak house. It was a lovely, romantic evening. The food was really nice. We enjoyed every meal and never missed one! I am sure we had EXTRA meals! The beer is cold and plentiful at the bars. The mixed drinks are awesome… they free pour as much rum as you want. The coffee was the best… We sometimes had cappuccinos in the afternoon with shots of Cubay coffee liquor: so good! And the mojitos… wonderful.
A few issues: our shower head (which was of the hand held variety) could not be mounted high up, so in effect we had no shower (unless you wanted to hold it up the whole time, or have someone hold it up for you). The piece that mounts the shower was broken. We asked about it three times. Finally someone at the desk was kind enough to admit that the part wasn’t available and it would never be fixed. We then fixed it ourselves using hair elastics. We had a few cockroach incidents in our room (a ground level room). A few burned out light bulbs. A few times when there was no hot water. Our safe was broken upon arrival – they replaced it right away. A few times they didn’t fill the fridge and told us point blank there were not enough beverages to go around (fair enough). There was some garbage out behind our room: beer cans, paint cans. The thing I was most concerned about though was a serious sewage leak behind the beach grill / Seafood restaurant that was very close to our building (Building 11 - Pelicano): there was raw sewage bubbled up to the north side of our path. I spoke to the desk about it… nothing was done, no work people ever attended to it that we could see – it was there day after day. There were workmen there everyday however replacing the little lamps on the adjacent path. It was just an unpleasant sight and smell to walk past several times a day.
There was something wrong with the phone in our room, as it rang several times in the night every night (and a recorded voice on the other end). Finally, we unplugged it. Occasionally though, we did plug it back in, in anticiaption of two requested wake up calls. Unfortunately one wake up call never happened and the other was half an hour late. We had to rely on ourselves to get up in time for one excursion and on our departure day. There was no clock radio nor clock of any kind in the room. My advice is to bring a travel clock with alarm.
Do you like feral cats? There are plenty around. You can feed them, they are quite friendly.
The spa is spectacular and has every imaginable treatment. The tennis courts are new, amazing and always available.
We did two excursions: Catamaran day trip (a lovely day, loads of fun) and the Santa Clara city tour (very interesting and enjoyable day!).
In summary, YES I would return. The resort is a wonderful, warm, pleasant place, just the right size, extremely comfortable and lots of fun.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Kim and Peter ~ Georgetown, Ontario, Canada |
January 2008
Arrival -
Our flight down was with Air Transat and no problems. Once off the plane we collected our luggage and went through Cuban customs. Although it is a small airport, it was quite efficient. Out in the parking lot the tour agent greeted us and we were checked into the hotel right there- given our room card keys, resort maps and excursion info. Then onto the bus to head to the resort. Our luggage was tagged with our room number and we were told it would be taken to our room for us on arrival. The drive to the resort is quite enjoyable- a warning though- there are no bathrooms so go at the airport- it is a 90 min drive- think twice about that cervezas to drink on the drive! If you can arrange it, arrive during daylight hours as the drive is very enjoyable. Lots of villages to pass though and country side views. The caseway connecting the mainland to Cayo Santa maria is amazing and an enjoyable drive. On arrival at the resort we were greeted with welcome drinks and dancers. We had our room keys so no waiting at reception, just headed straight for our room which was easy to find with the map provided. Our only negative comment was that our luggage was not available for 3 hours so it is wise to take a change of clothes (something for the beach!) in your carry on so you can change without waiting for your luggage.
Rooms -
The rooms were very nice. We had emailed ahead after looking at the resort map on this web site!! We requested a second floor room, king sized bed and gave several building options. We were very pleased to find that our request was accomadated! The rooms are set up as a suite whis is so nice. There is a small foyer as you first enter then a sitting area with a chair, coffee table and day bed. The bed takes up the remainder of the room attractively decorated with sheer material (mosquito netting which was not necessary-just decorative). Off the bed area is a dressing area that has a sink, lots of room with a vanity and mirrors, a closet which had hanging area and drawers. The safe is located in the closet. Off the dressing area is the bathroom which had a shower/tub , toilet and bidet. There were plenty of towels provided including a beach towel each- if lost had to be paid for-could be changed as need at the animation centre. We did not have any problems with hot water but found we often had to run the water for up to 3 minutes or so before it became hot. There is also a writing desk/chair, entertainment centre with TV and minibar. There is also a small boom box in the room which had a CD player, so you could bring some if you wanted to, but who wants to spend that much time in the room, even if it is nice! Each room has a balcony with white wicker table and chairs which is nice. A second floor is preferred as many of the first floor rooms have trees right up to the balcony which would make the rooms dark and not much of a view. We could see the ocean from our balcony although we did not have an oceanview room.
Restaurants -
There was a good variety of restaurants. The main buffet always had something we liked. The food has a strong italian influence being owned by the Melia chain. We did find it to be quite repetitive but with the pasta bar and the meat grill you could customize your order and enjoy more variety. Be sure to check out the stewed rum bananas for desert- they are amazing! We found the a la carte restaurants to be a nice break from the buffet but the quality inconsistant. We really liked the Italian, the Seafood was average and the Steak House OK but it is outdoors and not the most practical setting-however, all of the meat is grilled on an outdoor grill. Overall we found the roast pork to be very good, the beef and seafood not bad and the chicken too fatty. We were there for a week and had 3 a al carte restaurant choices. We did not choose the Mediterranean which we heard was quite nice. One piece of advice, we booked our a la carte sittings as soon as we arrived- before we even got to our room. We got the times and places we wanted and did not stand in line. It seemed there was a line up every time we passed later and the rest of our stay.
For snacks and lunches there is the 24 hr pool snack bar which had good wood oven baked pizzas and beach restaurant with the amazing calamari. There are also small buffets at each with salads etc.
We have been to only one other resort in Cuba- Breezes Jibacoa- and found the food to be superior but you still had to remind yourself you were in Cuba and not to be too critical.
Bars -
Lobby bar (great cappuccinos), pool bar (swim up) with pool snack bar (walk up), another pool bar (other side and only open until 3pm!), beach restaurant and beach bar.I found the service to be very inconsistant at the bars and generally if you tipped, it did not make a difference how you were served. Some servers were definitely better than others and some more engaging. English was often a barrier and most servers were more fluent in French.
Beach and Pools -
The beach is the real selling point for this resort (we also chose it as it was adults only). We would head to the beach around 10-11am and never had a problem finding chairs and a palapa. By 11 am there would be no palapas left but there was only one day when it seemed there were very few beach chairs available. 4/7 days were calm and sunny with temps around 30C- we had great weather. One of those days there were alot of jelly fish and we could not swim. The other 3/7 days were quite windy which made for fun body surfing- partly cloudy with temps around 25C. We had one rain shower which lasted maybe 20 min and we did not even get off of our lounge chaise!
The pools were very nice- 2 main ones right beside one another. We would go there after lunch for a change of scenery and enjoy floating on the foam floaties. There is a hot tub but we never used it- I did stick my foot in it on passing and thought it might not be hot enough. Later in the afternoon the swim up pool bar got qutie rowdy but was good entertainment- their seemed to be an awful lot of drunk people from Quebec the week we were there! Almost 90% of the resort was filled with Canadians.
Grounds -
The grounds were very beautiful but we did find that in some of the outlying areas that there were areas that needed manicuring and weeding but that is being very picky. We did not find the resort too big and enjoyed walking around. We were allowed to go next door to the Sol and we thought our resort to be nicer:). We were not permitted to go to the Las Dunas resort so cannot comment on it.
Activities -
The animation team had lots on the go-things to do every half hour or so. The usual stuff- dancing, spanish lessons, plus yoga, tai chi, archery etc. They did not seem to be really well atended but there were always people there.
There is also a gym which looked nice (though the window!) and a spa. Heard alot of people say the spa was nice (lots of girls had their hair braided there) but we did not attend.
Tours -
Heard alot of people say the catamaran snorkeling tour was amazing. If we had been there longer we would have gone. We took in the Swim with the Dolphins tour (125 pesos each). Despite the long dirve (2 1/2 hrs) it was so worth it. If you have ever wanted to experience swimming with the dolphins, this is the place to do it. You take in a 20 minute show then get to swim with the dolphins. You can get some great photos getting dolphin kisses and being pushed thought the water on their noses (it is truly amazing). They have a professional photographer there who will take pictures if you want (10 pesos each) but it is worth it- nice photos. You have a nice lunch after (get the prawns) and then head to Cienfuegos for some touring around and shopping. A really fun day!
Conclusion -
We had a great time at this resort and found it to be a really good value for the price. We would definitely go again but will likely try to see some other areas of Cuba first. Highlights-Beautiful beach, food not too bad (good for Cuba), and the dolphin excursion.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Sun Bather |
January 2008
Dear Potential Vacationers,
I don't really know where to begin. I have just arrived from an amazing week long vacation at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria in Santa Clara Cuba. My boyfriend and I were there from January 10th-17th. Not long enough that’s for sure.
Airport Check in:
I guess it all depends on how many planes are arriving. It was extremely busy. At one point we almost thought that our bags were lost because they were not coming around and other flights were arriving. Thankfully we found them!!! The currency exchange booths took forever. You are better off doing it at your hotel. All in all, not a bad arrival.
Bus Ride:
I loved it. Even though it was an hour and half ride it was great. The scenery was beautiful. Going through the various little towns was interesting. The drive was kind of scary, they all drive like maniacs. Driving through Santa Clara was nice. The streets look like little narrow alley ways. It was such a tight fit. If the windows were open on the bus I would be able to touch the buildings along the streets. The best part of the drive is the final stretch, driving along the causeway to the secluded island of Santa Maria. That was defiantly memorable. You’re driving on a 10km road built on the water, actually the ocean, it was stunning!!!
Hotel Check In:
We received an envelope as soon as we boarded the bus at the airport. The envelope included a map of the resort with all the restaurant times, excursions included as well. We also received our room key!!! Therefore we did not have to go to the front desk and check in... We didn’t even have to wait for our bags; they would be at our rooms... I would suggest packing a few beach wear in your carry on as to not wait for your luggage. We were instantly greeted by dancers and singers at arrival and a cocktail as well!!! We didn’t know if we had to directly go to our room, so we roamed around a bit until we eventually reached our room, the front desk called to tell us that our bags were coming.
Hotel Room:
No complaints. Very nice, clean and roomy. We had a nice big king size bed, with a day bed too. I had emailed the resort the day before to make a request to have a room within the center of the resort, close to bars, restaurants and pools. I was surprised that the building I had asked for specifically was actually given. Building 27, room 2722, located directly behind the Italian a la carte, 24 hour snack bar and the pools. Even though we did not have a view of the ocean, it was still nice, besides you’re not going to waste any time on your balcony anyways. The bathroom was very nice and clean. The toilet, shower and badee (probably not spelled right) were in a separate room from the sink. I liked that, while one showers, the other can get ready. Bed was super comfy, sheets were cleaned, tons of pillows for a comfy sleep. We didn’t bring a watch, so we never wanted to sleep in too late, so we got a wakeup call every morning. But we eventually got used to it and realized what time it really was throughout the day.
Food:
To be honest what do you really expect... It’s not intended to be a gourmet place. Buffet has variety, not everyday though. Pretty much same food every day. I will say the omelettes were amazing and so were the pancakes, try the strawberry sauce, delicious!!! You can reserve 3 a la carte restaurants a week.
Mediteraian (next to the buffet restaurant):
That was great!!! I don’t remember the appetizer I had, but dinner my boyfriend and I had the beef mignon. His was cooked a little rare for my liking but mine was GOOD. Since I was celebrating my birthday that particular night, they came out with a sponge cake (I think that’s what it was), with alcohol on it, and poured on our plates. They dimmed the lights, lit our plates on fire and the cake and sang to me. It was so nice. Therefore the food was good there and the service was oh so pleasant.
Seafood (restaurant on the beach, serve lunches there as well):
I had the shrimp cocktail for an appetizer. It was really good, served in martini glass, 4 shrimps on a bed of lettuce with I think it was mayo. It was really good. Them I had the calamari in tomato sauce. It wasn’t amazing, but it was pretty good. The best was the fried ice cream. LOVED IT!!! I do recommend you visit this same restaurant for lunch. Why??? Their fired calamari. It is absolutely amazing. We had it every day for lunch. The last day was the best, we savoured every bite. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have it, for us at least....yummmmmy!!!!
Steakhouse (Directly across from pool)
This is a brand new restaurant. We kind of cancelled our reservation. We heard from other people that it was not good at all. Apparently the ribs were fatty, the chicken was bloody and the rest was just as bad. So we decided to skip it last minute. It was our last night anyways, so we partied instead of eating.
Bars:
Defiantly enough for every one!! There’s the 24 hour piano bar, next to lobby. Pool bar in the 24 hour snack area, swim up bar on one side of the pool and the other small bar (didn’t notice till last day) and lastly the beach bar. Bring something to have your drinks poured into. Unless you are actually sitting at the bar, they will serve it tiny plastic cups by the pool and the beach. We used BUBBA Kegs that we bought at Canadian Tire. Mine wasn’t as big as mu boyfriend’s. Mine was only 20oz...um...his was like 55oz!!!
Service Staff:
To be honest, some were not as nice as others. Some spoke English, a lot didn’t. At the buffet and a la carte, very fast and efficient. As soon as you sit, they serve whatever you want to drink (their white wine for dinner is good). Our bed was made and sheets changed if needed. Our shoes were even placed neatly against the wall, floors mopped, fridge stock (if needed), and fresh towels every day. They would leave those cute towel sculptures on our bed every day. The best was the elephant; they used a baseball cap and put sunglasses on it....haha...
Beach:
BEAUTIFUL!!! I have never seen such a wonderful, white sandy beach in my life. This was my 3rd time in Cuba and by far the most outstanding beach ever!!! The stretch of beach seemed as though it went on forever. On the right, they were building the new huge hotel (apparently 2800 rooms...wow) and if you walk along to the left, past the neighbouring resort, is the nude beach. If you dare to bare you sure can there!!! I won’t lie there were jellyfish. Most were just dried up on shore. I think I saw 2 in the water actually moving. I also saw a lot of people swimming and none were stung, so I think it’s safe.
Pools:
2 main pools, 1 little pool at the club house, Jacuzzi in front of the snack bar. I will let you in on a little secret. Wake up in the morning before 9am and find a spot by the pool area to reserve for the day. There are a lot of lounge chairs surrounded everywhere, no problem finding chairs. The secret is the location of the spot. Right in front of the 24 hour snack, directly in front of the 2nd pool, is a Jacuzzi area with lounges including shaded areas. The secret is that first thing in the morning is covered in shade. But as soon as you are done breakfast is sunny. It the best spot guaranteed. You got the pool a few steps down to cool down a lot, right beside you a Jacuzzi for a bit warmer cool down, bathrooms around the corner, swim up bar a few feet away and food as well. We had that spot all week. It was perfect!!!
Entertainment:
Various activities throughout the day. Water aerobics was fun (even though I only did it once..hehe). good way to burn off breakfast. The entertainment staff was great. Ricardo very nice!! There was a fashion show twice that week, and then at the end you were able to purchase it. Some of the stuff was beautiful and not as inexpensive as you would expect. A few afternoons there were these 2 guys on those little sport bikes doing flips and spins and all these cool tricks right in between the 2 pools. That space is not that big so it made their tricks look even better. As for the nightly entertainment, nothing too great. It’s all the same at every resort pretty much. Except for one particular night. There was an amazing Michael Jackson impersonator. He was amazing!!!! Looked like him and danced exactly like him (first rows are needed to sit at to experience this show). Amazing performance of Thriller and Billy Jean. It was AWESOME!!! Then there was the disco, which started right after the show. It’s a reasonable size space, pool table on the left, lots of couches to sit on, and of course a bar. Load music and a lot of fog. This was a little over done!!! A few drinks later it gets tolerable.
Spa:
Ahhhhh the spa!!!! Make sure you reserve it asap. Already with your hotel package is the HydroTherapy (I think). This means is that you get to use their spa facility for a whole hour. First you use the sauna, then take cold shower, then steam room, another cold shower, hot bath and lastly Jacuzzi and then bathe in the sun. It’s very private and a bit away from the resort, so really quite and accessible from all the neighbouring resorts. This spa is one of the best in Cuba. My boyfriend and I scheduled a Couples Massage. It was 116 pesos altogether for an hour of relaxing massage. Worth every single penny. It was a perfect day, because we had the HydroTherapy first for an hour then the message for the next. I highly recommend it!!!
All in all, I feel this was the most wonderful resort we have ever stayed at. I would defiantly go back next year. The week started off really quite, a day in to it a bunch of rowdy young Quebecers arrived and the noise began. They grew on you in the end and were a lot of fun. My boyfriend believes he made lifelong friends!!!! Defiantly a resort made for couples, singles and those who really just want to relax and truly vacation.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Venus & Eddie ~ London, Ontario, Canada |
December 2007
It is our 4th time to visit Cuba, and second time to this resort. We have traveled , cruised and have visited different resorts, but we have not experienced the same satisfaction that we had in Melia Santa Maria, Santa Clara.
The staff is the number one asset of the resort, so warm yet professional, and always willing to please clients. They are almost like family. Whether you give them tip or not the service is the same. (not that you will not give tip, they deserve it). Talking of staff the first one we have to mention is Rusbel Santiago Gonzales.He's one of the Customer Service Representative. Very fluent in English, little of French, and some other language. Not only is he top notch professional in his line of job but very warm. He use to be an English teacher I believe. So for clients who needs customer service assistance, do not forget his name. Everyone is great but it is nice to talk to someone who can really help with the language barrier. And kudos to Yaima & Yosbel. They're one couple who we meet in 2004 and is still in the resort. They made our stay much more homey this second time around. There is George (part Chinese), he's excellent too and Humberto. Thank you all for making our stay a memorable one the second time around. Thank you to the kitchen staff, the cooks they are very good.
Added attraction, is the Spa. Ladies or gentlemen, try it. Ask for Roberto if you must. We met him in 2004 and I can't believe our luck, he's still there. I must say management knows how to keep their good staff. View the spa on line, you'll know what I mean.
The food, my husband and I can't complain. There are so much selection, it is just a matter of trying what you are comfortable with. There is no way someone will get hungry in this place, we had a feast every night. From tuna, red snapper, calamari (you have to try it), shrimps,crabs, . You guess it right I love see food and I know if it is fresh. They even had pork roast 3 times during our stay. How can somebody complain. Filet mignon at the Mediterranean Restaurant is excellent (per my husband). Had the seafood k-bob. It is good...... Desserts are ok, found only at the main restaurants. But with the fresh tropical fruit selection I was set. They had guava,papaya,pineapple, and so much more. Oh and for hot coffee, how about cappuccino for breakfast,lunch and dinner. Bailey's by the piano bar while waiting for the nightly show is just heaven. Do not forget to watch the nightly shows, you won't regret it.
The rooms are very comfortable, we had bungalow 12, lucky spot. My husband has a back problem this time so we requested the one that is more central. It is near the restaurant,swimming pools and the Med. restaurant. We are surrounded by garden well manicured and blooming with flowers. Room is well kept, Lili the one assigned to our room is excellent. We've taken pictures of what she made out of our towel's, it is an art. Hopefully I can copy it.
The beach is just beautiful, one of the best beach we've been to. It is so clean, no sea grass like other beaches. You can walk on the sand without beach sandals.
The resort is being converted to adults only in November. I hope they'll change there mind, we have 2 grandchildren and is planning to bring them with the whole family, sort of Christmas reunion. But if it will be an adult resort, it is too bad..
We have brought lots of gifts and manage to distribute it to almost everyone. From the waiters,cook,gardener , bell boys and even to our tour guide Isabella.. You can't help but give them, they are so thankful for anything you can share with the. We brought candies, hair accessories, crayons, clothes, sandals, make up, eye make up, flavored cookies, and mix nuts (no wonder our luggage is so heavy) . My they ever appreciate it.
Do not forget your bug repellant, flashlight, it comes handy at night. I don't know what it was for some other clients, but we had a great time walking at night, strong breeze but still lovely, you can smell the flowers . Had a feast too with coconut water and coconut meat called MASA in Cuba. Thanks to Guilberto and other gardeners who made it possible for me to have it. Try it, not too many knows how to eat young coconut, it is excellent and it taste so sweet.
One comment to the management, with the washrooms, comes with age are mildew. I know it is petty but very important to most people. Try to maintain it to the standard, I know your pool guys always make sure the mildew in the pools are cleaned, so do it too with the washroom walls. It is beautiful and comfortable with even added bidets, but if you see a mildew , let's say I am kind of squeamish.
I can go on and on, in short I highly recommend this place. Oh by the way last but not least, thanks to Eduardo the general manager. He's always visible to all and so easy to talk too. Very friendly and approachable.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Stuart ~ Vancouver, Canada |
November 2007
Arrival -
We are a recently retired couple and this is our third trip to Cuba, having stayed at Sol Melia in Cayo Largo & Breezes, Playa Pesquero near Holguin. We travelled on an AirTransat package staying two weeks in mid November. Cuban immigration /customs clearance was very quick and our luggage was already waiting for us. The transfer to the reosrt was smoothly organized with the bus trip from Santa Clara and easy check in as described in other reviews.
Rooms -
Our room ( a "Junior Suite") was pleasantly decorated and as others have stated just a large room not a real suite. It was on the ground floor of building 21. This is a very quiet location but a long way from the lobby and buffet but quite close to the beach (building 19 is closer). Very few of the rooms at htis resort haave sea views and most of the "garden views" are straight out on to the mangrove forest. In some rooms the mangroves are only a metre away from the balcony, which some people may find claustrophobic. The room was reasonably clean on arrival but the light switches, doors and door handles were really grubby and sticky. Perhaps the previous guests didn't wash their hands. We left a note in bad Spanish (with back-up drawings) asking the maids to please wash these areas, the next day and from then on everything was fine. (The doors on the publlic washrooms all seemed to have dirty handles too. )
Restaurants -
As previous reviews have said, the food in the buffet is very good, with lots of variety. The 24 hour snack bar and the ranchon also serve good quality food. The waiters in all the restaurants are very accomodating and extremely quick. There were lots of student / trainee waiters during our stay and they were rotated every few days making it hard to get to know them. The non-trainee waiters did not rotate.
Bars -
Service at the bars was very prompt but most mixed drinks had very little alcohol in them.
Beach and Pools -
It was very windy during our stay (two days of red flags) and only one day when the sea was relatively calm. The beach is excellent for walking (be aware of the clothing optional section at the west end past "Las Dunas") and we enjoyed long walks. We did not snorkel due to the high waves but there is a rocky section past the "clothing optional " beach. Judging by the pelicans regularly diving in this area, there should be fish .
The pools are very shallow and are ok for a dip to cool off but not much use to swim in.
The resort was about half full when we stayed and we had no problems getting a palapa either at the beach or pool (even at 10:00 in the morning).
Grounds -
The gardens were quite dry when we were there with only a few flowers blooming. The area around our building (Number 21) had an air of neglect, plants were dying from lack of water and the grass had not been cut nor had leaves been raked up. A contrast to the areas around the lobby/buffet which were manicured beautifully.
As previous reviewers have said the grounds are quite dark at night. There were a lot of burnt out bulbs in the fixtures, bring a flashlight. I suggested to the management that they use "LED rope lights" along the edge of the paths. This could save them some electricity and last a lot longer than the bulbs they are currently using.
Conclusion -
We took a lot of gifts for the staff and found that some are not as weel appreciated as others. The suggestions for gifts that we received from the cuban staff were: clothing (especially for children), baby powder, baby formula . The one item that would be really prized are your old cell phones. The staff have no way of being contacted at work (They often leave home at 4:00 am and don't get back until after 12:00 midnight). We were told that to buy a used cell phone is over $300 CUC . Canadian phones apparently work in Cuba. (Not so useful to the staff are soap, shampoos, pens, as they are allowed to take the used ones from the resort).
We would rate this resort as 7 out of 10 , mainly for the generous and helpful staff. The rest of the resort is sort of average, not as beautiful grounds as Breezes, Playa Pesquero and not as scenic as Cayo Largo.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Mark and Angelika |
November 2007
Hi Debbie,
2nd time visiting Cuba, last year Varadero, this year for our 25th, Santa Clara. What can we say, rooms were clean, maid service excellent, property was well maintained, pool was beautiful, (only used it late at night) Bar service and entertainment was good.
Food at the buffets was ok as well, the 2 suppers at the restaurants provided to us with the all inclusive packages, turned out to be a pleasant suprise.
The staff really works hard, they are very pleasant and do their best for you.
Now as for the beach, it was great!!! The water amazing, stretched for what seemed like miles, it was really quiet(slow season), i walked down to where the new hotel was being built, not a soul anywhere, took the oppertunity to do some skinny dipping.
Aside from one heavy thunder storm on our last day(1hr) the weather was incredible.
Didn't have a problem with mosquitos, some people got bitten badly, some didn't, go figure?
This place is not PARTY CENTRAL, anyways not in September. So if that is what your looking for, go elsewhere.
Took the Catmaran Sunset Cruise, was Awesome!!
Debbie, it's not would we go back, but a question of when?
Like tomorrow if i could!!!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Bev and Wayne ~ Pickering Ontario |
November 2007
As you can see, we have really liked this resort. We have been to Cuba 18 times and this is the only resort that we did repeat visits.
We have travelled to Mexico, DR, Jamaica, Panama, Barbados so it is not that this is our only tropical experience.
The rooms are very comfortable, The beach is lovely and clean. The staff are like family and I must say they have fabulous memories as they can remember you even if it has been a year between visits and greet you with a wonderfully warm welcome back. They even can recall gifts you have given them for themselves or their children... pretty amazing and heart warming.
There have been changes since we started coming in 2004. The buffet has improved, The towel service has changed and become more convenient. The new airport has opened in Santa Clara and arrival and departing is much less complicated than it was in the tiny airport they had.
One thing I would also comment on is that the staff are constantly being trained and their command of different languages of guests visiting from all over the world is amazing. As well, Eduardo, the hotel director is a wonderful person and is always more than willing to listen to a visitors comments and suggestions. He is extremely hands on, as is his wife, Rosie who teaches the staff English, French and cooking. They are loved and respected by the staff and any visitor who gets to know them.
The resort is being converted to adults only in November. We never found it to be overrun with children as it was but it will be interesting to see how it evolves.
With regard to tipping, you will receive excellent service whether or not you tip. We not only tip the "visible" service staff but my husband makes a point to go back into the kitchens to ensure everyone behind the scenes gets a peso.
We also give out gifts of crayons, hair jewellery, stockings, socks (childrens and adult), toothpaste and brushes, toiletries, bandaids, tylenol (for adults and children), colouring books, razors (ladies and men's), exercise notebooks, pencils, pens... these items are of great value to these people as if they have to purchase them, they have to do so in convertible pesos and not cuban pesos and are terribly expensive for them or just plainly unaffordable. In view of how immaculately clean these people are when they come to work and how hard they work, and are always cheerful and ready to give you a gift for just being kind to them, it makes our hearts happy to brighten their days. If you check with your airline (Westjet allows a 45 lb suitcase containing humanitarian gifts without charge so long as you have no person items in it) you too can pack a few items to pass along to these wonderful people. As well, the customer relations staff, animation team and the front desk staff would welcome tips and gifts as well as they do not earn higher salaries than say a bar man.
One warning concerning bugs. If you travel there in the spring or summer, take along your strongest repellant. We were there in early June this year and we could have saddled some of the mossies! In September, there was much much much less bugs to deal with.
We look forward to returning again to enjoy this fabulous resort and all our wonderful Cuban "family".
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Terri and Jim ~ Brantford, Ontario |
September 2007
Dear Debbie, This is the second time I have sent you a review. I always try to check all our vacation destinations out prior to booking on your site before we go. My husband and I (both in our late 40's) were at this property in July for my birthday. As Canadians we had never gone south in the Summer, but this year we really needed a break, and we do not have the luxury of owning a pool or cottage! We will definately reccomend it to any poor Canadians starved for beach and palm trees! Everything was great, the weather was Humid, but no different than here in Ontario in July, at least there you had the wonderful blue ocean and breezes that you just don't have at home.The only drawback at first was Yes it is rainy season, so the bigs are crazy! We brought bug spray , but for the first few days we were eaten alive! Our Canadian version of Deet apparently does not work at all. I ended up buying whatever it is the Cubans use in the gift shop and mixing it with mine, and finally they left us alone! Another tip, I sprayed my bug spray in my room and as I always travel with small candles for my room, I never had a problem in my room, as other people complained about. Anyway, the food was great, the rooms were clean and comfortable, the beach was awseome! My husband and I went on many long walks as you could walk forever on the beach.Our favorite place to eat was the grill up from the beach, and although we had reservations for the al La carts, we only went to the Italian, which was okay, but we preferred the Buffet. You will never starve at this place! In closing, go with a free mind, bring good bug spray, After bite, and candles, and enjoy! We would definately recomend this property! This was our fifth time in Cuba, and can't wait to go back! Happy Travels, Terri and Jim ~ Brantford, Ontario
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Leslie |
June 2007
I stay at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria from June 23-30th 2007. 5th time to Cuba.
Flight: Normally never comment on the flight but this was the 1st time flying with WestJet and I must say I was impressed. Very friendly staff, cushy seats and Satelite TV. You must pay $5 for pay per view but didn’t’ need it.
Airport ; Painelss. Heard so much about the airport being so slow and crammed. Perhaps it was the time of year. Bus ride to MCSM is 1 ½ hours. . Went through a few small villages & towns, then across the causeway. There is talk about building an international airport in Santa Maria but I was told they are hesitant because they have learnt from Cayo Coco airport that the extra traffic can harm the bird migration. I don’t mind the scenic tour. Let’s leave nature alone.
Hotel Check-in; Received a envelope with your room keys and registration cards that could be filled in later. They kept the buffet upon longer for the new arrivals while the bell boy took your luggage to your room
Room; Love the room. I had 2nd floor ocean view building #11 which was convenient to the beach & pools. Great location. King size bed & day bed, mini bar, iron, lots of closet space, CD player , separate bathing & vanity area, NO musty smell. My room smelled sweet. Don’t know what they did but for the whole week there was some type of freshener. The décor was nice too.
Resort : There are around 2 storey bungalows. There is a Spa you share with Las Dunas. Gym. Very nice grounds. Beautiful floral arrangements in the lobby that smell so sweet.
Beach; STUNNING!!! Have seen many photos of the beach but until you get there you don’t realize how beautiful it is. No rocks nor seaweed in the water. White sand. There were papalas & chairs available.
Food; Good. I just got back from Paradisus in Holguin 6 weeks prior where the food is excellent so I was a bit spoiled. Tried the Mediterranean al la carte – ok . Lunches are the best. Buffet not open for lunch do to low season. 24 snack bar near the pool had pizzas & sandwiches. The beach restaurant had a small buffet and sandwiches & hamburgers from the grill.
Staff: Very friendly. They have a lot of student staff due to the up & coming hotels to this area.. Next door to the new Las Dunas is going to be a 2000 room Barcello resort. They are getting prepared for this. The staff were great. Ariel & William at the beach bar were great. Xiomara & Junier at the beach restaurant were so sweet. Can’t say I met any unfriendly staff. All were very pleasant. Service was great.
Excursions:
#1- Catamaran $72 CUC– 2 snorkel stops with lobster lunch. These are always nice. Marina is about 15 minutes away.
#2 – Trinidad $72CUC – I so wanted to do this trip knowing it’s far. Pick-up 7:30, was back by 7:15. Love the scenery. Made a couple of stops on the way. One stop was at a potter shop where you can get great clay pots & things. Another was a tower & souvenir shop.
Trinidad is very different than other cities in Cuba that I have seen. Very unique. I loved it. Once we got there we did a walking tour around. Went to the Romantic Museum and had lunch. You had time to buy souvenirs from the vendors at the market. You can barter there (which I hate) .
There was more begging then I was used to. I spent 4 days in Havana alone & never experienced it as I did in Trinidad. Four or five kids would surround you asking for anything they could get. They had a “hustlish” attitude. In Cuba it is mandatory to go to school so this is their choice. They will be the future hustlers of Cuba for sure. They did not intimidate you it was just annoying.
Summary : Melia Cayo Santa Maria is a great resort. It will be adults only starting November. Take your kiddies to either Melia ‘s next door , Las Dunas or Sol Cayo Santa Maria. Beautiful beach , nightly shows ok – Tues Micheal Jackson is a hit.
One thing I will say if you don’t like cats…… felines……DON”T GO!!!! There are organized cat gangs there. Beware. 2 beautiful small tabbys will greet you with an Hola once you leave the buffet. If you feed them, another orange tabby will jump out of a vase. Morning & night there were there.
The black cat family works the beach restaurant. They get the smallest one to meow to you … once you feed them the other 2 come out. Then Miss Priss shows up … I called her that because she was more fussy and had good table manners.
There is another family that works the 24 hour snack bar. There you’ll see a cat with really slanted eyes that will jump up on your lap. Of course you excuse the cat because it’s strange slanted eyes & you will feed it. The others come out & you end up feeding them all.
I had 2 cats work my bungalow. Saw them every morning & night.
I did see a pregnant cat at the edge of the Sol & Melia boundary so not sure what area that cat will work.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Pat and Paul ~ Fredericton |
April 2007
We stayed at the beautiful Melia Cayo Santa Maria from March 30 - April 13 2007.
We enjoy the resort reviews & have decided to post ours.
We arrived at the Santa Clara airport late on March 30 we were in & out in good time. No problems were encountered at the airport and soon we were on board a comfortable bus heading to our resort.
Although we arrived late at night check in was very smooth, the best we have experienced thus far. We were given an envelope containing our room keys and a registration form which we were told to complete and drop off at the front desk at our convenience. We had no problem locating our room and our luggage arrived shortly. We found cold salad plates and beverages awaiting us in our room.
The rooms were spacious and very clean, we had no problems receiving towels and face cloths. The mini bar, we soon learned, was restocked in the afternoon, we sometimes missed it but if we called there was no problem receiving the requested beverages.
Staff are very helpful and the maids did an excellent job keeping the room clean and making towel creatures as well as providing fresh flowers. We tipped and also provided small gifts. Overall we found the staff to be helpful and friendly; some really enjoyed practicing their English and would carry on conversations in the dining rooms if it wasn't terribly busy.
The grounds were beautiful and very well maintained. Although we had heard the lighting was not great we had no problem and although we did bring flashlights as suggested, we only used them once and that was due to a power outage in the entrance way of our building.
We took advantage of the excursion the resort offered to Havana from April 5 - 7. It seems they had over booked and made the offer to anyone staying 2 weeks we had thought about taking the Havana trip anyway. However, the Resort offered an extended trip (from that normally offered) and at no charge. This was certainly an unexpected bonus! We had an excellent guide (Carlos) and a very clean comfortable bus. The driver was very good and did all he could to accommodate each and every one of us. Thanks guys! We toured many points in Havana, witnessed the Cannon ceremony at the old fort, shopped at at open market and ate at some traditional restaurants. While in Havana we stayed at the Melia Habana, a beautiful hotel. Having to move out of our original rooms was a minor inconvenience and we were provided with similar accommodations upon our return. Any problems that came up upon our return were quickly remedied.
We also took the Catamaran snorkeling excursion, we had so much fun! Well worth the price, the food was excellent. Drinks were plentiful and the music was awesome. The beach we visited was so beautiful.
We noted prior to leaving their were some complaints about the food. We especially enjoyed the Italian and Pizzeria a la cartes. The buffet had a good variety and we could always find something to our liking. We were not especially fond of the meat as we found some of it tended to be very tough! The breads were the best! Kudos to the bakers! Calamari at the Beach restaurant was good, in fact we ate most of our lunch time meals at the beach restaurant. Sadly, we only discovered how good the pool snack bar was at lunch time toward the end of our stay. Even the ketchup was so much better, can't figure why they wouldn't use the same kind at the beach as well!
Lots of cats we don't dislike cats but prefer they not be around the tables at the open restaurants. Hard to prevent that I guess.
We love the beach and this resort had the best we have visited. You could walk for long distances on either side. However walking to the right past Las Dunas afforded you an opportunity to enjoy an absolutely beautiful beach with sand like fine powder packed hard which made walking so easy. This area was practically deserted; WARNING a resort is being built and this beach will in all likelihood be inundated with tourists in no time! Swimming here was great as well. You do have to get up early in the a.m. to reserve palapas at the beach. But the bonus was you got to see the beautiful sunrises...not a bad trade!
Although we came armed with lots of bug repellant and after bite remedies we never had to use it.
We were disappointed in the nightly entertainment it was not anywhere near to what we have enjoyed at other Carribean resorts!
The resort was impressive and we very much enjoyed our stay,definitely I would go again. The beautiful beach and calm relaxing atmosphere are things I look for that is why I prefer the smaller size resorts.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Ray & Deb ~ Calgary, Canada |
April 2007
My wife and I stayed at this resort from Mar30 - Apr13/07. What can we say we'd go back in a heartbeat. It was wonderful. Here's our impressions;
Flight: As some of you know we had to fly out of Toronto due to the fact that AirTransat does not fly from Western Canada to this resort. Having said that Melia was well worth the extra time it took. Flight was OK. Had no issues with them. We did however pre=book our seats so we were not jammed in. Left on time, arrived Cuba early.
Airport and Transfer; The Santa Clara airport must be experienced to be believed. Its very small. It does have about 6 - 8 passport control stations, but only 1 security screener,and1 luggage carosel. It was to say the least slow. Bus ride to MCSM was nice. Went through a few small cities and then across the causeway. Total trip time from Airport to MCSM was about 90 mins.
Check-in; Fastest we've ever had in our 4 trips down. Dancing girls met the bus along with a very welcome rum punch. Recieved a envelope with your room keys and resort registration cards inside and was told " fill them out at your leisure and return to the front desk" Quick and smooth. You can take your own luggage or have the bellboys deliver for you. We took ours.
Room; We were in bldg #8 next to the path to the beach. Great room. Very large, bright, and spacious. Room was very clean. 1 bug was found the entire 2 weeks. First day on curtain, after that none. Asked for a kingsize bed and recieved it. It was very comfortable. Plenty of towels and face clothes daily. Air-conditioner worked great all 2 weeks. It ran pretty much all the time. Plenty of hot water all day every day. Maids did an exceptional job in keeping the rooms clean and fresh.
Food; You will not go hungry at the Melia. There is 1 buffet and no less than 4 al a cartes. The only glitch here is that as the resort gets busy so does the buffet and some times it very hard to get a table. There is an abundance of dishes every night including turkey, pork, fish, shrimp, salads, fresh fruit, and desserts. If you can't find something to eat at this resort, maybe this resort's not for you. The al a cartes are reservation only and the staff pretty much stick to that. No reservation, you don't get in. Al a Cartes are Italian, Meditaranean, Creole, and Pizzaria. All of them are good.
Resort; The property is wonderful. Very lush and green. The staff work very hard at keeping the grounds clean. There are flowers and flowering shrubs everywhere. Coconut trees are in abundance, as are other fruit trees. The resort has 2 pools separated by the walkway to the swimup bar. They also have a separate kids pool at the kids club. The are never enough palapas around the pool to keep everyone cool, but there are certainly enough chairs. When you're staying at Melia you have access to its sister resort the Sol. You can use there gift shop and bars as well as the disco. You can't however use their food facilities. The resort offers a number of excursions in and around the island as well as further away. For example Havana, Trinadad. Scooters, cars are available for rent. Resort also offers bikes to its guests.
Beach; What can we say. It is simply stunning. The turqoise color of the water, the white sand, its a postcard. The beach does have a bit of a drop to get down to the water due to the erosion, but remember you're on a island so erosion does occur. You can walk miles in either direction if your so inclined, we did numerous times. Its an adventure every time. Palapa, again are hard to come by when the resort is busy, but again there are certainly enough chairs. If you have mobility issues its quite a stroll to get to the beach.
Staff; What can you say about the staff. They truly are the ones that make the Melia the resort it is. They are so friendly. I don't think we passed a staff member that didn't offer a friendly smile or Hola the entire time we were there. There are far to many to mention, however you must introduce yourself to Henry at the pool bar, Ozzie and Elvis at the Swimup bar, and all the rest who made our stay most enjoyable. As far as the entertainment or shows go they were disappointing.
The Melia CSM is a beautiful resort for all. Families, singles, young and old will certainly enjoy this gem of a resort in our opinion.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Frank & Barb ~ Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
April 2007
Preface:
A long time ago, while attending my second alma mater, I wrote a very pro-Castro article in The Dalhousie University Gazette, (Halifax, Nova Scotia) which was decidedly anti-Batista - (the puppet leader supported by both the US and the US Mafia, when the latter usurped 95% of the Cuban sugar crops, 100% of all the gambling casinos, 85% of the power, and on and on). I have a great love and respect for the Cubans, their Leader, (Castro- I cried when he came to Pierre Trudeau's funeral), and their trials & tribulations brought on by the efforts of the US and the Cuba extremists in Miami, to do them harm - hey remember the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and other attempts, and the fact that Cuba cannot trade a single thing with the US?
I am now 66 years old, and my better half (wife) being some 16 years my juinior, almost guarantees us to have a divergence of opinions. This was our second trip to Cuba, and our third resort to have stayed at - 4 star Beeches and 5 star Paradisus Princesa Del Mar at Varadero at Varadero last year, and this past year, Melia Cayo Santa Maria, Mar. 16 - 23.
Our Findings and Opinions:
Right off the mark, the mostly young Cuban Staff working here are just the most genuinely friendly people one could ever hope to meet!! The rooms are very clean, bright and spacious. The maid service excellent, the mini-bar service (once you find the truck which only comes in the afternoon) needs a little work. The buildings are situated very close to the beach and/or pool, which is great as well. Almost everyone you encounter speaks fairly good English (French as well). The layout of the resort is excellent, the grounds stunning. There is no problem in getting a beach palmeto as long as you tie your towel to one early in the morning. So what are we complaining about?
Well, the wind blew gale-force every day except one that we were there. This simply meant that one could not swim in the Ocean as it was too rough, even for quite advanced swimmers/sailors such as ourselves. So one is forced to do the "pool thing or eat and here is where the problem of management at this resort definitely comes into question. The food offered is simply in very short supply, totally devoid of any taste (not even garlic), and guaranteed to be served cold, regardless of what "hot" dish you are eating. You couldn't find any warm rice at all, and no microwave. Don't waste your time looking for beef, there isn't any worth looking for, including at the two a la carte restaurants which are simply horrible, and a disgrace to the resort, and there were never line-ups to get in, now I realize why. All the wine is Spanish of low quality, both reds and whites. (One can purchase a nice bottle of Chilean Merlot in the gift shop for 4.50 pesos, and worth the purchase.) Even the soups are horrible! How can one screw up a soup? To be fair, the omelette's are great and they always have eggs. The buffet bacon is available with 1/2" of liquid fat lying on top of it. Replenishment of food in the Buffet was seriously wanting and if you didn't get there early, you had much less choice. There was no lobster at anytime except on the Catamaran trip - the best meal we had by far!!! All this is the fault of management. They don't want to serve anything decent and in quantity, because it will be gobbled up, and that means more costs for them, it's that simple! The Calamari was good, the pizza's fair.
Conclusion: Next February stand out on your snow-laden patio deck, and light $1,000 bills and toss them away or go to a 5 star resort somewhere, preferably not run by the same chain. fwmosher@yahoo.com
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Jeff and Rhonda ~ P.E.I. |
April 2007
Stayed at the Melia Cayo Santa Maria March 16-23. This was our third trip to Cuba, other two stays were in Cayo Guillermo. We really enjoyed our week. It is a beautiful resort and a nice relaxing atmosphere. The rooms are large and well cleaned. The beach is absolutely amazing, as was the pool area. The size of the resort was perfect. We were in building 15 which had a nice pool view and was close to everything. The yellow buildings are certainly the most convenient. We found you could always find something to eat at the buffet, but it was certainly better if you went shortly after it opened as they did not replenish regularly. We went to the Mediterranean and Italian a la cartes. Both were good. The service was excellent and the musicians at the Italian Restaurant were wonderful. We also enjoyed the snack bar by the pool. As for the airport in Santa Clara, a lot of people have complained but we didn’t feel it was bad at all. It was air conditioned and very clean and the people were friendly. It is a little crowded getting your luggage because the area is quite small but you’re on vacation so just relax. Once you get your luggage you can head outside and grab some cold beer at the stand outside. Enjoy, we certainly did.
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Sue ~ Halifax, NS |
April 2007
Just got back from Melia Cayo Santa Maria on March 31. Cannot say enough great things about this spot! This was my third trip to Cuba, my first traveling alone. I had stayed at Melia Cayo Guillermo two years ago so chose this resort due to the small size and basic similarity.
Flight out of Halifax was uneventful. Small airport, took a bit of time to unload baggage but well organized and we were on our way fairly quickly. Bus trip was long but time passed quickly. Even at night it was an interesting trip. We passed through several small towns with the guide telling stories and noting points of interest.
Check in was awesome, though it was after midnight when we arrived. They had envelopes for each of us containing registration card to be completed the next day and room keys. Bellboys took room numbers and our bags arrived in our rooms shortly. Friends I had made on the trip and I were in the bar having a few drinks before settling in.
The only downside to the weather was high wind. No rain, some clouds first few days but sand blasted on the beach. We still managed to spend long hours on the beach each day though.
The facilities were beautiful and as always the staff was accommodating and friendly. The rooms were very large and quite lovely. The buffet was decent though we ate in the a la carte restaurants most evenings. Note: though they indicated two a la carte meals, we just kept booking them and no one seemed to mind. The pizza was great at the Italian Snack Bar (open late for a la carte) Feta cheese salad was wonderful at the Mediterranean, and the Creole/Cuban was nice as well. The Ranchon by the beach served good lunches and the Italian was happy to pack pizza to go. People seem to complain about the food ant any resort. I am not terribly fussy and can usually find something to keep me satisfied. Bottom line, I did not go away for the food, remember where you are, relax and enjoy!
The night life is limited which was fine with me but may make this a poor choice for those looking for more excitement. There is the option of going to the disco at the Sol next resort over but I heard some mixed reviews and did not bother.
We did the snorkeling Catamaran excursion at about $80 US. This was a great day, even being from Halifax, had some of the best lobster of my life. I had scheduled a massage at the spa at Las Dunas beside us. Beautiful facility. Cost was $28 for 25 mins or $58 for 50 mins. I cancelled as I ended up pretty sunburned and did not think a massage would be all that enjoyable, but my friend went, raved about it, best massage of her life...ask for Roberto!
The shop at the resort had a very limited supply of alcohol to bring back. I waited for the airport, hoping the selection would be better but it wasn't much better.
A note on traveling alone. I was somewhat nervous, ok lets say terrified at the idea. Any reservations I had soon passed. I met wonderful people quickly, never felt vulnerable in any way, was completely comfortable at all times. So, if you are considering it, just do it!!
Unfortunately the area is building very quickly. There will apparently be another 5000 rooms there by 2010. I think that would deter me from going again. Part of the appeal was that it was small and relatively un crowded. I cannot imagine that many more people.
So, overall, this resort was all I could hope for. I have found the Melia chain to be consistently beautiful. I would not hesitate to recommend it
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Gerry |
April 2007
My wife and I visited Melia Cayo Santa Maria in March Break for our Honeymoon. We were looking for a laid back, relaxing trip in a tropical paradise, and that is exactly what we found! It was the first time either of us had been anywhere South of Canada, and we were absolutely amazed with Cuba and with the resort.
We had e-mailed earlier for a room upgrade, and although we did not have an upgrade upon our initial check-in, we were moved to an upstairs oceanside condo within 10 minutes of our request to the front desk. The view of the resort was spectacular, the room service-both the maids and the in-room bar- was first class. Our privacy was respected and the maids did a wonderful job of cleaning and leaving towel art.
We marveled at earlier complaints about the food, because we always found something to our liking at the buffet, except perhaps when we showed up with 20 minutes left and the fresh food was running out.....We wish we had discovered earlier on that fresh omelettes, crepes, fish, and meat are cooked to your specifications in front of your eyes(in the buffet) at various meal times; be sure you take advantage of this service! The fruit especially was better than any product we can get at our local grocery stores.
The Catamaran/snorkeling trip is a must-do, even if you don't snorkel.
The scenery is amazing, the fish are plentiful, the beach where you stop for lobster lunch is gorgeous, and the booze flows nonstop if you wish it. We quickly made friends with many of our other shipmates, which made the trip even better.
The Santa Clara day trip excursion was also fantastic. The sugarcane plant, cigar factory, Church in Remedios and Che Guevera Monument were all worth seeing. If you are going expecting to shop-don't. If you are going to see the Cuban countryside and immerse yourselves in a small bit of real Cuban culture-do. We took a bottle of rum along to pass the time, but we also stopped at a bar or two. However, clean toilets were scarce, as was toilet paper.....so take your own! Our bus driver and tour guide, Luis and Simon were great!
The beach was simply amazing. The waves were great fun to play in and swim. Do take advantage of the Hobie-cats-they are a blast, especially when the wind is up.
The nightly entertainment was excellent- beautiful costumes and a very well-trained dance troupe. The four vocalists were also first class.
It is evident that the staff works very hard to provide a varied and entertaining concert for each night we were there.
The ?water journey? at the spa was really relaxing, though the steam bath was extremely hot! Apparently I was the lucky person who received a foot massage as part of my journey; no one else I spoke to received this treatment. The gymnasium staff are helpful and friendly as well.
I made use of the gym on occasion. There is a decent selection of weight training equipment, as well as a room with bikes, treadmills and rowers. The gym use was free with our all-inclusive package.
The aqua bar (and Elvis the bartender) was definitely a favorite spot to hang out for a few hours when we had spare time. Nothing was more relaxing than laying on one of the floating cushions with a cold Cuba Libra!
The staff at all levels are very polite and helpful. They are also quite poor, and sometimes lack daily necessities that we in Canada take for granted. If you have room in your suitcase, pack extras like toothpaste, soap, etc., and good used clothes, sneakers, ball gloves your kids have outgrown, etc.- if your maid or bell boy can?t use them, I guarantee they know someone who will be able to!
Perhaps the best part of our trip was the new and hopefully lifelong acquaintances we made. Finding a group of people to relax and have fun with was really rewarding and made our vacation even more spectacular.
Having them live within hours of our home in Nova Scotia will certainly make this a distinct possibility!
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| Melia Cayo Santa Maria |
Yvon |
March 2007
wife and I were there in febuary 2007. Place is unclean,especially public washrooms, service is "fair" at best. Food selection limited. The place is ""crawling"" with cats. Resort is no more than a 3 star--at best--
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Last updated: August 13, 2009
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