Cuba

I had not been to Cuba in over 10 years, the people are still as friendly as I remembered at the hotel and everywhere else as a matter of fact, the beach at Sol Varadero was beautiful, the hotel was very clean, the energy was great, now we had a room right in front of the main pool, that was a big mistake on some nights impossible to sleep early, knowing that the hotel was not a full capacity, they could of given us a better room. The food was fair, we did not get a chance try any of the a la carte restaurants, even if a couple did open during the week we only find out when we saw people eating there, it was the buffet all week, the fruits were very dull and unsweet for the most part, the juices also, the meats were ok. Room was clean, but not sure if it was the AIR\AC ventilation system that seems connected in between the rooms, but I think some people smoke in their room, so the air gets distributed in other rooms, so we had to open our patio door regularly to get rid of the smell. Drinks at the bar were very redundant, but overall we had a very good time, we're not picky people, people were friendly for the most part and the entertainers were great, bartenders at the outside bar were very nice, reception was very slow most times for no reasons.

Waited close to 40 mins for a golf cart to take us to our room upon arrival and we were the first family to be checked in. We had adjoining suites with our children (17, 16, 12 yrs old) Only 1 of the 2 keys worked that we were given, so everyday back at the front desk to get the key reset for one of the suites and it wasn't always the same suite the key didn't work for. The bathroom door knob on the kids side wasn't working properly and the kids got “locked” in or stuck on the inside many times before maintenance FINALLY came to fix the door but only after one of the kids was stuck behind the door for 30mins. Adult side of the suite, our bathroom was leaking through the lights every time the people above us had a shower. Water leaked out into the hallway and had a major fall on the way to the bathroom in a huge puddle. Called the front desk and it took someone 45mins to come to the room with towels for clean up and to “assess” the situation. Went to see the doctor twice but wasn't available due to COVID swabs and testing and giving out results. When I finally was able to see the doctor, she didn't do a physical exam, just a visual and advised me to take NSAID's, raise my ankle and use ice, home now and my ankle is in fact fractured.Not a pleasant experience and it seemed like it only got worse as time progressed. I hate to be that person but it just seemed like when things couldn't get worse they did. Found the front desk to be less friendly after the fall in the water. Another couple we travelled with, also had water leaking from the room above them in their bathroom. Will not be recommending this hotel in the future.

Among the best features were the beach (really beautiful, clean, safe), the staff (helpful and pleasant), the pool and the nightly entertainment (among the best we have experienced, both in the theatre and the live music at the bar). We were less positive about the food - the buffet and the Italian restaurant were OK, the Caribbean, the Bistro and the Tex Mex restaurants much better, the International and the seafood ones much worse. We liked walking around the resort and the bungalow style buildings are very attractive. The rooms themselves and the restaurants are somewhat dated and need major upgrading but everything worked and was clean. Having stayed at a few all inclusive resorts elsewhere in the Caribbean, we were surprised at having to tip nonstop all day long (if the staff needs some income supplement, maybe a collective tip surcharge when booking would be less tiresome). We would definitely go back.

As usual, we were not disappointment at Playa Pesquero. It's ALWAYS a pleasure to stay at this resort.

I had the chance to stay at this wonderful resort for a second time, this time I stayed in the Level Adult section. This trip was also amazing, great hotel, great food and all the personal is very friendly. Arrival: upon arrival I was greeted by the management which was a great way to start the trip. Lisset, the Level Adult manager, made sure to make me feel welcome and helped me to get organised. Concierge service: Andy and the rest of the team was just amazing, every time I needed something he would get on it right away, great service! Food: The food was unreal, sooooo good! The service I received at the restaurent was very professional, efficient and the staff always had a big smile. They even taught me Spanish during my vacation. Julio and Ernesto were amazing and very nice, I developed a strong friendship with them, fell like I knew them for years. Cigar: The cigar lounge is very nice, they offer great cigars and rhum. The staff is very knowledgeable, it was very nice to discuss cigars and rhum with Yaniris, she's an expert in cigar and rhum! Animation: Bébé is sooooo good at her job at animation, she's very funny and very nice. Her catch phrase is Ciao Ciao Mickey Mouse and it cracks me up everything I hear it. Entertainment: The entertainment at the Melia is perfect. The shows are very classy and fun. The talent displayed by the entertainment artist was simply amazing. You would pay money to go see artists of that caliber in Canada. Rooms: the rooms are very modern and nice, if fact they are perfect! To conclude, I would like to thank the Melia staff for a wonderful vacation. Thank you, Stef

A little bit about ourselves, we are a family of 4 that have traveled almost 40 times to Cuba, with another 20 times across the Caribbean. Hotels ranged from between 3 to 5 stars. Since 2012 we have visited Cayo Santa Maria 15 times and this was our 7th time to Playa Cayo Santa Maria. My wife and I stayed for 3 weeks while my adult sons stayed for 12 days. We traveled Dec 21, 2021- Jan 11, 2022. For 14 of the 21 days, we had summer-like weather, truly fantastic! Clear blue sky with no clouds and crystal blue ocean with no waves averaged 80 degrees. This definitely helped us have an even better vacation. Beach 5* Water was crystal blue and clear, and not at all murky. It was warm for a large portion of our stay. For the rest of the days, it was wavy but we still managed to enjoy splashing around the waves. Check In 5* As repeat guests, it was a breeze! We asked and received the exact rooms we wanted. Room 5* The room was perfect! We had a top-floor room with a wonderful view. They offered a free in-room safe and a min-bar that was stocked daily with soda, and water. The room-servers were polite and efficient, they left the room spotless and always made towel art that we got a kick out of. Grounds 5* The hotel is medium size so be prepared to walk, which we enjoy. The grounds are perfectly kept, the gardeners start early and finish mid-afternoon to ensure everything is perfect. The gardener on our section was Julio, a true delight to deal with. Our morning conversation was a treat! He helped us practice our Spanish and is a wonderful person. He made our stay much more welcoming. Bars 5* The bartenders are some of the most pleasant around. Always smiling as they serve you. The quality of the drink is better than average. A couple of them had slushy machines with pre-made strawberry and lemon granitas or pina coladas which may not be authentic but you can't beat a cold drink in a warm climate. Restaurants The main buffet 4*- thanks to the staff, Ariel, Yandy and Yuliet! Great breakfast with made-to-order egg, omelet, waffle, or pancake section. Some fresh fruits mostly papayas, pineapples, guava, or starfruit. Fresh (sweet) bread, many kinds of cheese, and other cold cuts. The coffee was solid at the buffet but the juices were not very good. Lunch was solid. Once again the had made to order meat section with beef, very limited chicken and even less pork. A made-to-order fish section and a made-to-order pizza section. Lots of ice cream, cheeses, salads, cold cuts, and the rest of the trimmings, They would also have pre-made meals like stews and so on. Dinner- pretty much exactly like the lunch menu except they had more specialty pre-made meals, lamb, roasted turkey, and so on. We always found something to eat and never left hungry. I'm a big fan of made-to-order stations, never have gone wrong with grilled chicken or pork. My only complaint is the buffet would get busy as PCSM was the busiest hotel in the whole strip. Many Canadians and locals filled the place especially during the holiday period. This was a good thing as all the amenities were opened but involved waiting in line a bit. Snack bar 3* Served pressed sandwiches, hamburgers, fries, hotdogs, calamari, pizza and chicken fingers. It was fantastic the first 2 days when they had everything, but after that, they started running out of items, no calamari or chicken fingers for most of the trip. Some days they would have burgers and then for 2-3 days they did not have them. Specialty restaurant 4 to 5* The Romantic restaurant was our favourite! The beef sirloin, chicken with cheese or seafood medley were delicious. The Cuban soup and salads were also wonderful. What made it even more special was the staff. Thanks to Claudia Maria, Claudia, Dagebrto and the hostess Mildrey. We ate there often and they made it special every time. The Italian was hit or miss depending on what you ordered. The lasagna was good. The Cuban was good, especially the chips, soup, and chicken. Lobby morning coffee- quick service. always served us with a smile. Emily and Jaydi were always pleasant. Pools - were cleaned daily. Entertainment - During the holidays they had foam parties on multiple days, it was crazy. Hundreds of people celebrating. It was nice being away from the lockdown in Quebec. There was also a beach party one night. Lisdania did a phenomenal job getting the party going. Next to the beer garden, there was a saxophone or singing group every night before the night entertainment. There is no volleyball at the resort; we asked the entertainment manager to look into purchasing a ball. If you are going bring one! The court is behind the sandwich place at the beach, small but if we had a ball there were enough players to get a game going. Internet- worked well and they gave you as much as you needed when you ran out. Worked well all around the resort and the rooms but not at the beach. Staff- 5* What makes PCSM our favourite is the staff. It starts off with the Yailedis the customer service manager. She does everything to ensure you enjoy your trip. She is extremely competent and is a delight to deal with. She was the main reason why our stay was so perfect. Nora is the restaurant reservation person. Her commitment to ensuring the guests enjoy their stay is outstanding. She did everything to make sure we had a great trip.

Just came back from one week vacation at this resort in mid December. The beautiful view of infinity pool caught my attention when booking for the hotel. Upon check-in, we upgraded to the oceanfront room above the lobby. The views from the room were breathtaking, which was the best part of our stay. Very impressed with the hotel covid safety protocols! Every single staff was wearing masks in and outdoors. Hand sanitizers everywhere throughout the resort. Bathrooms were kept super clean in all public areas with abundant tissue papers and soaps! Customer service throughout the resort was professional and friendly, special thanks to the super kind and caring lady at the reception and customer service relations (sorry I forgot their names), Yadami at the buffet restaurant, and the most helpful, friendly and generous electrician Barbaro, for lending his electronic convertor to me so I could use my own hair curler and hair blow dryer! Thank you so much!! The room was clean and well maintained. The cleaning service lady Donalis was not only very friendly kind helpful and hard working, but also a great artist in making creative towel artworks! Very impressive! Probably the best one I had seen so far! The restaurants. Had tried 3 ala carte restaurants - the Cuban, Italian and international. My favorite was the Cuban restaurant. Everything was super delicious! For the buffet, thumbs up for keeping the customer safe! Instead of self-serve, there was a server at every food counter to offer what customer wanted. The foo variety and quality were reasonably fine considering it's Cuba. To me, breakfast and lunch were better. There was always a long line up for the omelets and grills. So I only had a chance to try it once. No hot tea serving at all restaurants, which I wish the management can improve. The entertainment. One of the most important reason for me to choose Cuba as my vacation destination was the live entertainments with talented musician and dancers. Had been to many other Cuban resorts in the past before Covid, I'm sorry to say that this resort was at the bottom list that I had seen so far. This is the only reason that I took one star off the five star review, and probably will be the only reason that I will not come back to this resort. To me, there was lack of activities throughout the day. Occasionally some live music playing in the lobby, but no customer participation anywhere such as dancing! The nightly shows at the theater was fine. But everything was quiet and dead after the show. Not sure if it was the Covid, but I'm sure the management can do something to make customers smile by letting them participate in dance and other activities, and still keeping some social distance. WiFi is now provided free and can be connected at almost everywhere in the resort including guest rooms. This is a great improvement in Cuba! We were given 7 hours when we checked in, but needed to call or go to the lobby reception to renew every 3 hours. Sometimes there were long lineups. After 11:00 p.m., we tried to call but no one answered to renew Wi-Fi, which was a bit disappointment. Overall, it was a present experience at this resort! Appreciate all the friendly supports from the staff! Would definitely recommend!

Dhawa is one of the nicest, most beautiful resorts we have ever visited in Cuba! The grounds were spectacular with gardeners constantly watering and looking after the upkeep. We can not comment on the pool area as we are beach people. The beach was awesome - deep with a sandy bottom - great for swimming. Grill house/ Bar right on the beach which was wonderful. Public washrooms always had toilet paper and soap as well were very clean. The staff very pleasant and helpful. Food for most part, best we've had in Cuba ( as long as you take into consideration the constant shortage of supplies. Except for the day our usual maid was off, our room cleaned nicely daily ( her day off nothing was cleaned) My biggest complaint was the lack of mix ( especially coke ) and the shortage of wine in the LOBBY BAR which was the main bar on the resort - we have NEVER experienced this before in any resort They had absolutely no White Wine / Rose Wine for most of our 2 week stay and the last 4 days no Red Wine either All that being said, we heard later that ANYTHING was available for a fee or large tip if you approached the “right” person - that did NOT go over well!!

Second time visiting this resort. Very relaxing....no vendors walking the beach trying to get you to purchase excursions or merchandise. Secure feeling walking about the property. Little souvenir market across the street. Other than the couple weak points, one can muddle along quite well. All in all a wonderful comfortable resort!

We had an absolutely fantastic time at the Playa Parisio in Cayo Coco. The beach is beautiful, lots of food... no one goes hungry, loved the pool and pool games. But the people are what made are stay so amazing ❤