Gran Muthu Cayo Santa María

The beach was the only positive. Everything else, from the room to the bar, buffet and sunbeds, was filthy. When I arrived, the sheets were dirty, so I asked the waitress to change them. She brought three pairs of cheap sheets and put them on the luggage furniture, which wasn't very hygienic. Worse, every set was stained and none was clean. There were insects and ants everywhere. One night I found a large cockroach in the room and panicked. The phone didn't work, so I couldn't call reception for help. Food was awful, poor and disgusting. There was nothing sweet at breakfast, lunch was the same every day and often there wasn't enough for everyone. One night they had grilled fish, but by the time I asked for a portion, it was gone. Service was poor. We got only two towels for two days, and when they “cleaned” the room they didn't change them. We had just one bottle of water for two people. Music played loudly all day until midnight, which didn't fit the peaceful beach at all.

Don't go. We arrived by Taxi Collectivo with my pregnant wife, four hours early, and weren't allowed into the hotel or grounds. We had to wait at the entrance unless we paid 70 dollars. The manager confirmed that was the rule. We booked somewhere else at Melia Dunes, where they welcomed us right away and let us have food and drinks.

The hotel has great facilities and wonderful staff. I stayed three weeks ago, and can already see so many changes happening. I'm excited to see the place keep improving, and I'll be back soon to see the staff again.

Please contact me. I've hired a lawyer and want others to join my fight to sue Sunwing for lies and thievery. The resort shouldn't have opened. I expected food around 5/10, as usual in Cuba, but this was 2/10 at best. If you're looking for a week of fasting, this is the place. Lower your expectations a lot. There were very few vacationers, and while the staff were nice, service was slow. A few people were on the ball, but not many. There are simply too many better options. Do yourself a favour and go elsewhere. The beach was very good, though not as clean as it should have been. Pools need repair and rooms need renovation. There was no entertainment, almost no food and limited drinks. If you like steamed carrots for breakfast, this may be for you. There was no buffet, just a la carte restaurants. On Italian night we got tomato soup, then pasta tossed with the same soup and a dry, tasteless, overcooked piece of chicken. The photos are of the breakfast they served. My family left the resort daily to eat at restaurants and went to Grand Memories, where the service was much better and the food a solid 6/10, which is good for Cuba. Even with fewer than 200 guests, bar service was poor. I watched new arrivals wait ten minutes for a drink, and forget about a second one. No Crystal beer, a very poor selection of spirits, and they mixed up how to make cafe latte and cappuccino. The front desk was useless, and the customer service agent didn't know anything or help. Staff lacked leadership, and too many people didn't seem interested in working. It's all about service and meeting expectations, and this hotel failed at everything. My kids had little to eat too: three French fries and a sandwich with one slice of ham and one slice of cheese. Count on sand fleas, bed bugs and mosquitoes. I was covered in bites from head to toe. We couldn't eat, sleep or drink comfortably. This was supposed to be a great vacation we looked forward to, and it was terrible. It was my fifth Cuba trip and the worst by far. I've been four times before and paid more for this one than any other, over $1,700 per person, while the same vacation now costs $950. I go for the beach, which was great, but I'll never return. Don't tip before you see the service; tips didn't improve it. Save your money. This was a complete waste and terrible value at any price. Even a free week wouldn't make it worth staying. Sunwing delayed our flight to Cuba by more than four hours, costing us half a day, then delayed the flight home too. After a delay over three hours, we were supposed to be compensated, but weren't. On the return flight they ran out of snacks and could serve only half the passengers, while charging for them, and they weren't cheap. Nobody took responsibility. Sunwing took our money and forgot about us. Don't buy anything at Cuba duty free in the airport, it costs more than in Canada. They had no Cohiba cigars, only monte Christo number 2 at 475.00 US, so there was no deal. The hotel Facebook page wouldn't post my wife's comments. You can apparently only say positive things to get a post approved. A true dictatorship, lol.