Sol Cayo Santa María

Leslie Woods, CA, 2006-03-19  
Yes...absolutely forward it on! In fact, we had meant to grab a suggestion or comment card before leaving and completely forgot to...a shame considering the entire resort deserves positive comment. I had driven myself (and Joe) crazy with brochures, reviews, trying to find the perfect location and resort for our wedding and one suitable for our guests...all ages. It was confirmed while there with the words "your hard work paid off...excellent choice of resort" from one parent of our party just before leaving. >From our 4 teenagers to my 70 year old mother who is still 40 in spirit...we all had an absolute blast. We took part in none of the excursions, only half of the activities made available as part of the all-inclusive and it was a true vacation. We all just hung out together, doing what we wanted when we wanted and at our own pace, and our teens were absolutely safe on the resort so that they too were able to do their own thing. The family travelling with us had put out quite an amount of $$ for a once in a lifetime family vacation and they were thrilled with everything. The staff was wonderful and eager to please, the food excellent...especially the food and service at the Italian restaurant...loved Wilfredo there and his huge smile...they even surprised us with a flambeed wedding cake the evening after our wedding...totally unexpected! The second week when Joe and I were alone and there for dinner, we had hoped to get Wilfredo again and did...his service is excellent and made dining there such a treat...he just has this way of making everyone feel so special and welcomed. Yesmani, Yohanis and Galy at the pool bar...we LOVED gathering there and chatting and laughing with them...luckily Joe is fluent in Spanish...again, excellent service and really good people. Elsa at the beach snack bar...a woman for all women! She's an older woman who works full time, has 3 children whom she is so proud of, 5 grandchildren she adores, cares for her 97 year old father...everytime I saw her, she would step out from behind the bar in the middle of what she was doing and give me a huge hug...I just loved her. And little Yanni the bellboy. What a bright and well-adjusted kid...always polite and courteous...excellent English skills!! He had really hit it off with our 18 yr old boy and the 15 yr old boy from the LeTourneau's as in music and interests in common...all the while doing his job, and making himself available in conversation in the lobby. I think Yanni in a small way, made the vacation more meaningful for them. They got a little insight into a Cuban teenagers life and it showed them that although with differences, just how parallel the two can also be. Joe and I looked for him to give him a gift before leaving, but he was running an errand and didn't make it back before our bus left...truly a special kid. I wish great things for him...he's sure to do well given the opportunities! Renaldo...the guy who delivered champagne to our door upon arrival....also a warm, respectful and genuinely kind hearted person...we grew to love him too throughout our two weeks there. It's actually amazing how quickly we had grown so fond of some of the staff...sure cynics can argue that every customer is a potential tipper, but I would like to think that I can spot sincerity where it exists. What we did hope for was an awesome vacation...what we didn't expect was to fall in love with the people there. We were told by one "you were more than just customers...you became our friends" with a handshake and hugs...being the sap that I am, well...the tears flowed when having to say good-bye....in spite of having been without my working flat iron or hot rollers for two weeks! Like in anything else, I believe that people are your greatest resource and they can more than make up for any shortcomings...Sol Cayo SM was no different...except that there were no shortcomings. We had not one complaint...from the whole 10 of us...about anything!

Thanks again and have a great day!!
Leslie

Anónimo, CA, 2005-04-28
Just came back from the Sol Cayo Santa Maria Hotel (March 7-14th 2005). My travel agent warned me prior to my departure that I would be disappointed by the windy cool weather, the isolation of the resort & the constant high waves of the Atlantic. To the contrary, there were no really windy days, only 1 rainy morning, only 1 day where swimming in the ocean was prohibited and every other day it was super hot & the water was very warm - I usually get cold easily, but most days I didn't want to leave the water as it was so enjoyable.

As others have pointed out, the drive to the resort it almost an hour & 1/2 - it goes by quickly but too bad on the way there its late at night so you miss all the sites of Cuba & the beautiful views of the water from the causeway. I have been to Cuba 4 times prior and I would honestly say that the beach at this resort is the most beautiful, unspoiled I have ever seen. The resort is made up of cottage like rooms spread on beautifully tended, landscaped grounds. Yes it is isolated but there are various 1 or 2 day tours offered to neighboring cities. I rented a car for $95 convertible pesos with one of the locals and drove to Santa Clara - I would recommend leaving the resort for a day to get a real feel for Cuban life. I wanted to take the trip to Trinidad but it was cancelled as not enough people had signed up - I was in Trinidad 10 years ago and it was really beautiful (more so than the city of Santa Clara) but the bus-ride from the resort is about 3 hours.

The food - I don't consider myself a picky eater but I was disappointed by the food - the selection was there, but for some reason, the buffet at other Cuban resorts (some even less than 4 stars) tasted a lot better. I definately did not starve but I never ate to the point where I was fully satisfied.

Entertainment - they try really hard to make the most of each show (presented nightly) but a lot of people rudely tended to get up and leave mid-way. Its not Broadway & I think people expect too much when there. I will admit the shows weren't too interesting (I went to Hotel Tryp last year in Cayo Coco where they were more vibrant and inviting) but because I saw the dancers & the entire entertainment staff really making an effort to please the crowd, I would never leave without watching the whole production.

I do recommend trying a cappuccino at the 24hr bar - 1st time I tried one in my life & I almost missed my bus back to the airport as I couldn't get enough from sipping it while sitting by the pool. Delicious!

I would also recommend exchanging your money at the airport (not sure if this is an option for those arriving) as the exchange rate is a lot better than at the hotel. Note: most places outside of the resort do not accept the convertible pesos that are used at the hotel. As well, 24hr internet is advertised yet not once when I was there did it work - very disappointing but it made the vacation feel that much real. If you are going to purchase souvenirs, wait until the mini-market is set up by the store every few days - very good selection & a lot cheaper than at the hotel shop where everything tended to be over-priced. Cuban rum & cigars are a lot cheaper at the airport than at the hotel as well. The resort is definately tailored to families & couples - I'm 25yrs old and went with older family friends - had I not gotten to know some of the entertainers at the resort, I would have felt a little lonely, if not bored.

Overall, I really can't wait to go back as aside from having a really relaxing vacation (away from all the craziness of a busy city), I had an opportunity to really enjoy myself too once outside the resort and in Santa Clara where I made a lot of new friends - perfect mix.

Anónimo, CA, 2005-04-19
We stayed at Sol Cayo Santa Maria the week of March 14, 2005 -- myself, my husband and our two children aged 16 and 20. We had the most amazing time! We had so much fun! The beach is absolutely prestine -- white sand and blue water. We did not want to leave. There is so much choice for food and drinks. The restaurant on the beach makes the best cheeseburgers and rum punch. The pool bar is a great place to go after a day at the beach. The people that work at the resort are so friendly and helpful all of the time. For instance, I wanted to get my water bottle filled up at the patio bar before we boarded the bus back to the airport. It was kind of busy, and the bus was about to leave so I couldn't wait for the water. As I was waiting in line to board the bus, the bartender tapped my on the shoulder and had a big water bottle for me. Is that service of what! Please remember you are in Cuba and you are there for a vacation and to relax! Take your time and enjoy the people and the resort. This resort has a lot to offer. I also highly recommend taking the snorkling day trip.
A family of Four!

Anónimo, CA, 2005-04-17
This January (2005) will be my third time that I go to Sol Cayo Santa Maria. The food is good, the place is great and the atmosphere is fantastic.

I have been to other places and I cannot wait to go back to the Sol Cayo Santa Maria each time. Do not expect to be served quickly because it is not in their values to be rushed and to rush. You are on Holidays, just relax...

No you cannot expect bacon and you know what, it's fine. The most important thing is the Human Resources. The staff is very very friendly and nice and they try very hard. So, yes it is a 4-Star.

Please enjoy your Holidays in another country as it should be : a change of scenery and a change in your way of life !!!

Anónimo, CA, 2005-01-12
Just got back from Sol Cayo Santa Maria and can't wait to go back again.

we arrived at the resort late due to a flight delay, they had kept the buffet restaurant open for us. Our keys were handed out on the transfer bus so we knew where our rooms were but had to find them in semi-darkness by ourselves. Our bags came to the room at 2:30am, should have just gone to the bar like some of the others.

The rooms were clean and spacious, took me a couple of days to figure out I could plug in my flat iron for my hair in the bedroom over the dressing table, but watch it because they have 220 volts and my iron melted because I left it plugged in too long. So use a low setting and watch the heat. There is a dryer in the bathroom but it's not very good.

The big window in the bathroom's a hoot but you can pull down the shade for privacy, we had lots of shrubbery outside our window but others were clear for all to see (not that anyone was showing anything!).

The staff were fantastic, everyone from the restaurant staff to the activity and entertainment people were friendly and helpful and all the guests I spoke said it was one of the best places they had been. Many of the people from the 5 star next door seemed to prefer to hang out at our place. There was always something going on from yoga to water gym, Spanish lessons, water volleyball, cocktail contests. You could be really active or just laze by the pool and watch all the activity.

The food was very good in my opinion, I am a non-meating person and there was always fish and shrimp and lots of good veggies and salads. the pasta bar was very popular and one day they had roast turkey. The steak dish in the Italian restaurant got good reports and people enjoyed the hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza at the Cuban restaurant and the beach bars. We got into the habit of having a sundowner in the lobby to catch the last rays of the sun. Also try the Spanish Coffee from the patio bar outside the piano bar, it's pretty good inside the piano bar too.

It was quite windy and the beach was not always the best place to be because of the wind, no-one was using the water craft because the sea was too choppy. But people were in the sea but not out very far.

There were Canadians (English & French), Italians, Spanish and a couple of German, English and Portuguese there. The staff had no trouble communicating with everyone.

There were lots of families with young children but they didn't interfere if you were there for a more adult holiday and the kids didn't seem to mind when we parked our loungers in the middle of the shallow pool.

can't wait to go back next year, everyone said they would like to spend 2 or 3 weeks next time. We rented a moped one day and rode out along the causeway (59km) and into the nearby towns. Not too much there but you can see typical Cuban lives. Another couple rented a car, they got 100km free mileage then I think it was about 35 pesos per kilometre, well 100k only gets you to the end of the causeway and back. We only paid 25 pesos for the whole day for the bike.

The resort is clean, safe, friendly and fun. So go and say "Ola" from me.