Hotel Playa Cayo Santa Maria: Full Resort Review! (Everything you need to know before you go) | Cuba
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2024
- I celebrated my 40th birthday at the beautiful Hotel Playa Cayo Santa Maria in the beautiful Cuban keys. Located 90 minutes from the historic city of Santa Clara, this small offshore key is home to a myriad of resorts, including this popular 4.5 star property.
So what's the resort really like? In this vlog, I review all facets of the resort, from its spartan rooms to its paltry buffet to its stunning turqouise beaches. Though it might not be luxurious, it does offer an exceptional tropical beach vacation, and at $469 (including flights!) it's probably the best vacation that money can buy.
00:00 Intro
00:34 Arriving in Cuba
01:28 Check-in
02:27 The Room
05:30 The Beach
09:33 The Buffet
12:11 The Snacks
12:54 The Coffee
13:19 The Grounds
14:20 The Pools
15:42 The Bars
16:46 Final Suggestions
19:50 Outro
Vlog Number 156 | #NorthAmerica #Cuba | #CayoSantaMaria | Filmed September 2022
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We will bring coin to Cuba and what we do is tip with the coin and in the evening we keep a ten and twenty with us so we can exchange there loonies and toonies for then and they can take the bills to the bank it works out well for both us and them
That’s a great approach 👍
So, you bring loonies there to only bring them back. Great logic!
I am looking at all the different resorts in Cuba for an upcoming vacation and it’s so overwhelming but this was an amazing video. The best review I have watched on CZcams! Honest with no sugar coating. Thank you!!
I’m glad you found it useful! Thanks for the kind words 😎
This is the best review on youtube! Thanks so much for this! I’m going at the end of April and I’m so excited to go relax for a bit. People can say whatever they want about Cuba but it looks like a great time regardless of its cons.
Thanks for the kind words! I totally agree - for the price, it's a great holiday.
Excited for the upcoming vlogs!
Three more Cuba vlogs to come! 🇨🇺🌴
Thank you for creating this video. I will be heading here in a couple of months and you showed me everything I needed to see! Great content!
Thanks for the kind words - very glad to help out! 😎
Coming here in August 2nd-9th very excited, thank you!
Have a great trip!
The best review I have witnessed by miles , your 6th sense to capture things that others don't can't be described by words
Thank you for the kind words! I'm glad you found the review useful!
Thanks for sharing vital information with us. I am planning to go there this month.
Have fun! It's a pretty decent place
Beautiful beach tour, thanks for the advice
You’re more than welcome! 🇨🇺
I presented from September 17 to 23 for a 4th visit. it was incredibly peaceful! the beach was much more beautiful. no algae and we missed nothing. very good summary!
Wonderful! I'm glad you had a great experience!
Great review and tips ! I am going to Varadero next week and will be bringing US dollar bills for tips. Can’t wait to go back and enjoy the beautiful beach and Cuban hospitality ! 🏖️😎
Have fun! Varadero is amazing - check out my video from there as well, if you're interested. It's in my Mexico & Caribbean playlist! Enjoy your trip!
I am from the town of caibarien, left to the USA in 1980, I used to take a boat on weekends and go fishing on that spot, there were no hotels built yet, it was paradise on earth, greetings from Boston USA
Amazing! You are from a very beautiful part of Cuba, and should be proud!
Hi Dave - thanks for the review. I have stayed at 10+ hotels in Cayo Santa Maria over the years. This hotel was probably the least favourable. For the first time in 20 years I experienced towel theft. I think the food was a bit above, and the beautiful cigar bar (best kept secret) made my stay a little special. Another perk is the independent walk up grill restaurant by the pools, which you do have to reserve at the restaurant itself in advance for lunch, and there may be a line up, but it’s worth the wait. You can get lobster (when available) priced at market. I’m not sure why booking agents rate it so highly, 4 star maybe, but not 4.5 IMO. I highly recommend Melia hotels on this Cayo.
I will definitely check out the Melia next time - though, I had a few fellow travellers share with me that they were also hugely impacted by the shortages in Cuba. Some of the folks on my tour reported that the Melia ran out of beer, that the buffet was scarce, and that it was a disappointment. I hope that it improves (and that it improves for all resorts). I would definitely visit the Playa Cayo Santa Maria again as it wasn't a terrible experience, but as you said, by no means "4.5 stars". Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice as well!
Oh darn I just went & got $30 in toonies because my sister in law travels to Cuba ALOT & said it’s not a problem & recommended I do that. Enjoyed your videos.
Definitely don’t bring them - it causes them a ton of hardship, as convenient as it may be. You’re better off getting American $1 bills if you’re looking for money for occasional tips. But having seen the drama and frustration the coins create, I’d advise against it! I brought back almost $200 in coins that I exchanged for cash, just to help them out.
We went there 2 years ago it was an amazing experience we are going to Varadero Cuba on august1 I’m so excited
Have a great time! 🇨🇺🥳
@@DrifterDave thank you 😊
Hi Dave, Great video I am looking at this resort for a week in April. How did you find such a great price?
Shoulder season & not-yet-lifted Covid travel restrictions!
Nice! Did you experience any shortages? I have already lowered expectations for Cuba lol 🇨🇺
Lol - yes, they were definitely out of a lot of things at any given time. You definitely have to roll with the punches in Cuba.
I bring both American and Canadian money for tips. Just make sure the bills are nice and crisp so the banks don't reject them. It won't be hard to find coins once you arrive on the resort. August and September is the low season because it's so hot, even for the locals .. January is busy and the resort is lively with over 1000 people on site. Don't miss Raul in the mojito bar or the great bartenders in the cigar lounge..
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Thank you for a great video. How’s the mosquitoes? I’ve heard they’re very bad.
They were fine when I was there in late September, but I can't speak about other months. I didn't have to use any insect repellant during my visit, and didn't notice any flying around.
Thank you so much for your reply We will be travelling to sanctuary Grand memories, Santa maria at the end of October. Hope the weather will be on our side. You have a wonderful day and again thank you
Hello
Thank you for the video
How are the rooms and food?
Thank you
Did you watch the video? it’s all in there
Were you allowed to fly your drone or did you just do it when no one was around? I ask because I have drone myself.
I used stock footage, as drones are not permitted to enter Cuba. Whoever took the footage smuggled their drone inside, evidently.
May I ask who you booked this vacation through? Those prices are amazing.
I booked my trip through Air Canada Vacations via RedTag.ca 👍😎
Thank you so much!
@@joannastjacques5692 Anytime!!
Hi, thinking of bringing my DJI mini drone (the one that's the exact amount of grams to bring on the plane or whatever) to Cuba. Do you think it's a good idea or could it get confiscated??
Drones are not allowed into Cuba under any circumstances. You’re welcome to bring it and it will be stored at the airport for the duration of your stay, so not much point, unless you’re on a longer trip and need it for other countries. The drone footage you see in this video is stock footage that was filmed by a local, not my drone 👍
@@DrifterDave thank you so much!!
@@natalynapaea2711 No problem at all!
How much should I be tipping for the week approximately?
$1 USD banknote to whoever you feel gave exceptional service. I don’t tip if they’re rude or ambivalent. It really depends - I’d suggest taking $50 USD in ones. But whatever you do, don’t give loonies / toonies as they are useless to them in Cuba and can’t be exchanged for local currency.
How would you say it would be for a group of guys in our 30s. Is it a family resort?
Not at all - barely any kids when I went (near zero). Mostly people having a good time, if you catch my drift.
Drifter Dave - Traveling so you don’t have too.
😂😂
Thanks for the video but the disconnected microphone really killed it for me and brought the video down to a 7
Totally fair. Part of being a content creator is wrestling with unexpected technical errors that are realized long after you've left the resort. I made the decision to include the poor audio because the information itself was too valuable to not include. But, in retrospect, I probably should have done a voiceover. Live and learn. Thanks for watching 😎
I think the comment was sarcastic.
You stole it !!!!!🇨🇦🇨🇺
????
Just came back from this same resort and I agreed with your assessment with the resort and the food.
Although it's rated 4.5/5, I would give it a solid 3/5.
Beach was definitely scenic, but I did find it a little too rocky for our liking. Staff were friendly enough and the shows in the evening were excellent.
The entertainment in the lobby was also quite good and the local performers put on a great show!
Food was a hit or miss... Breakfast was quite good with the omelettes and other items, but there seemed to be an overall lack of fruit. Dinner was ok, although their pizza was decent.
Resort can use a facelift and some overall maintenance. Our first room was definitely not up to specs and had a strong mouldy smell and the hotel allowed us to switch rooms the very next day. In the regards, the service was excellent.
Pools were excellent, although we spent most of our time by the beach.
Thanks for sharing your experiences as well! I hope you enjoyed your stay - Cuban resorts are definitely lacking, but I’m glad you enjoyed your time nevertheless 😎
3.5 star max...
Agreed - probably only 3 stars, given the food issues.
You can’t even go for two nights to Toronto for that price
They had the exact same deal just last month. Keep your eye on Redtag.ca for packages from Toronto. 7 day package vacations can easily be found for $400-600 per person on select dates.
Used furniture lol
😂
Paople say : How much money is how much music. For $469 CAN you can NOT ask for more , however I can not understand that some 4.5 stars resorts in Cuba asking for Cristmass Holydays of 2023 (7 days) , $ 3800 or even more for two people . That is apsolutly crazy . I didn't pay that much for Dominican 2 years ago.
I definitely got my money's worth for the $469 CAD ($350 USD) that I paid. That also included airfare, but it would have been worth paying for the resort on its own. The quality really wasn't that bad, and the service was pretty amazing. I just returned from an all-inclusive stay in the Dominican Republic and I found it to be better in some days (food) but worse in others (service).