This was my first trip to Cuba and I was very pleased at first glance when we pulled into the Melia Buenavista, as it was took my breathe away and exceeded our expectations. We were greeted, by our butler, Lucas. This resort assigns a butler to you & they look after most of your needs during your stay. They work approximately 12-14 hours and rotate every other day. Like everyone else, we were shocked with how large, the rooms were - just like in the pictures. A guest, who we met, said to us that for a first visit, we were going to find this hotel hard to top. In the past, we had a tendency to pick, large resorts but I must say I loved the warmth, friendliness and atmosphere of this lovely resort. It is an adults’ only, couples resort and seems to be for those that want to get away - chillax and be pampered. There are outside excursions that the hotel offers which are fun as well. If you are looking for a "college cancun type" of vacation then let me be clear that this is not the resort for you. Our butler, took care of all our needs. He booked our dinner reservations at our hotel and another Melia that was a 5 minute shuttle ride away. It’s nice that you are permitted to visit the other Melia hotels (one is huge with 7 restaurants) but those of us that ventured off were glad to come back to the Buenavista. He also arranged for a private dinner in our room, the night before, we left and we took a stroll to what they refer to as the Sunset Beach, where a saxophonist played as the sun set. Champagne and beer were served along with one of the most beautiful sunsets, I have seen. After our dinner was served, Lucas surprised us by having a group of three musicians stop by our suite and sing for us. I know this sounds a bit much..... but in checking with friends we met, they had a similiar experience!!! Then the Pool Bar. You will find two totally charismatic, high energy bartenders who keep everyone happy and laughing while they mix drinks and chat with the guests. One is named Oreste (Mario Lemieux's twin)and the best smile I have seen is Noe. Both speak English well and are very entertaining. You can tell that they loved interacting with the guests. I had to ask Oreste, how they worked such long days (12-14 hours) with one day off while we were there and he said that they loved their jobs and liked their boss. We also noticed the hard working, hands on manager, oversee the planting of new trees and flowers and lift heavy wooden cabanas with his workers. You will recognize him, as he reminded us of a very tall, Jason Statham, look alike. The resort also had to my delight a few sweet, cute and friendly dogs that I loved to see. If you are not a dog person, they will leave you alone; however if you love dogs as much I do, please take along some treats or dental sticks, as these angels are enduring and always have a friendly wag of the tail for those guests that walk by or talk to them. (I wanted to sneak take one of them home - ha ha) I also wanted to add as I read before that Cubans ask for tips or beg. At no time was it asked or suggested, that we tip. We read what they had a hard time getting and brough with us gum, ball caps with Canada on them, sunglasses and some goodies and we tipped what we wanted when we wanted, with absolutely no pressure. On our last day, I said goodbye to my favorite dog and then Oreste our bartender, refused to say the word goodbye and he said, “I will say,see you again,next year. I haven’t ever felt the need to write a review on a vacation; however this was truly an exceptional vacation that I felt the need to share with others. I absolutely recommend this resort and if you choose the Melia Buenavista, a 5 star resort, as your travel destination, I assure you, you will not be disappointed.

The hotel did not have basic daily amenities. Room towels were not changed until left in a pile at the front door. Night service maid put a towel that I had placed on the floor back on the hanger. When I went to use it it was drenched and full of ants. There was no soap in public bathroom sometimes and there were bathroom doors that did not shut. Beach towels were not available for half of our stay. This is not acceptable seeing they only give you two towels for exchange for old used towels. In this case there should not be a shortage for days. The main beach area does not get cleaned ever. There are broken chairs up the beach and it looks like a dump. The food was not good. This hotel is a 3 * at most. I will not return.

This was our second time in the area but our first visit to MB. As advertised it was an impeccable property with exceptional service.The commitment to detail is echoed from top management down and it shows! The location is stunning with 3 eco diverse beaches to enjoy and one of the best sunset locations we've experienced. The service was what made our trip! We literally didn't have to do a thing while we were there. Each day we were pampered by staff with the smile never leaving their face. We will return and encourage all to visit this resort at least once.

Thank-you to the staff at MB for making a memorable vacation!

Andy & Karen

Très Bel endroit

cet hôtel n' est pas à la hauteur d' un 5 étoiles. Tout est dans l' apparence mais en réalité il n' y a rien de si spécial . L' aspect est joli et zen , les plages sont intéressantes et c' est très tranquille .
'' Service Royal '' pas vraiment . Le service de conciergerie est très inégal .
Le plus décevant est la nourriture . Peu ou pas de choix sur le menu à la carte et souvent ils n' ont pas ce qui écrit sur le menu . J' ai mieux mangé dans des 3.5 étoiles à Cuba .

C'était la 6ième fois que nous allions à Cuba et franchement la meilleur jusqu'ici.
La chambre était absolument splendide. Elle était grande, confortable, bien décoré et surtout, dans notre cas, bien situé. Nous étions à 2 pas de tout.
La propreté de celle-ci et des lieux environnants était irréprochable.
Le personnel toujours courtois et très polis, tendaient la main continuellement pour combler nos besoins.
La nourriture était de grande qualité et toujours fraîche. Surtout pour les bananes qui nous provenaient directement du bananier et qui nous étaient offertes par le sympathique jardinier.
Les plages étaient propres et diversifiés.

A lovely location with super service and lovely rooms. Beaches were pretty but not good for walking as sand too soft - the swimming was great. Food could be improved - not a lot of choice at the a la carte restaurants or at lunch time. The breakfast buffet was good. Towels in very short supply both in your room and for the beach - we managed to have our beach towels changed once thanks to our butler, but did not bother again as we did not want to go through the hassle.

Endroit de rêve pour tous les aspects: Chambres, installations, propreté, service de majordome, qualité de nourriture et de boisson, le repos assuré...sauf qu'à 22:30 tout le monde dors, pas pour faire le party

AWESOME Resort, definitely for couples of all ages, will definitely be back. Thanks to Danny and Gerardo our butlers during our stay. If you want a relaxing , restful, pampered resort, this is it.

A notre arrivée à l'hôtel, on nous a reçu avec une serviette pour se rafraichir et un verre de mousseux. On nous a présenté notre majordome (Lucas). Un chasseur nous a tous racompagné à nos chambre avec nos valises. Lucas nous a expliqué le fonctionnement de l'hôtel et tous les sevices disponibles. Il s'est occupé de toutes nos réservations pour les soupers, s'informant tous les jours de notre degré de satisfaction. Il nous a fait une surprise en préparant le jacuzzi avec bulles et fleurs, très romantique. Nous avons été impressionné par la qualité des repas servis aux trois restaurants. Le personnel est serviable et souriant. Endroit rêvé pour la détente et la relaxation. L'activité principale est la lecture à la plage ou à la piscine. Tranquilité garantie. Possibilité d'aller aux 2 autres Melia pour les activités ou restauration. Mais quel bonheur de retourner au Buenavista après! Notre prochain voyage à Cuba se fera assurément au même hôtel.

22 Jan au 29 Jan 2012 - Chambre 512 à la gauche du resort - L'ARRIVÉE: Nous étions seulement 4 à débarquer de l'autobus donc aucune course vers la réception pour tenter de dénicher la chambre de rêve. Environ 4 personnes vous acceuillent, verre de Champagne à la main. C'est à ce moment que l'on rencontre le butler (majordome) qui sera le point de contact principal pour tous vos questions/problèmes durant le séjour (ex: réservations au resto, problèmes dans la chambre, faire couler un bain dans la chambre avec pétales de roses bouteille de champagne pour la conjointe :-)). Concept intéressant ce butler mais certains pourraient avoir de la misère. Nous avions Ernesto (7/10) et Edel (9/10). Nos amis avaient Jarvier (8/10) et Michael qui parle francais (10/10). L'inégalité dans le service offert par le butler peut causer certaines frustrations. CHAMBRE - spacieuse, très bien décorée, confort, aucune humidité, parfait, l'excellence. Petit bémol, la douche est à l'extérieure entourée de planches avec certaines ouvertures donc les demoiselles pourraient être quelque peu intimidées. RESTAURANTS - 2 restos à la carte et 1 buffet (déjeuner/diner). Les restos sont excellents, meilleure bouffe depuis que je vais dans le Sud...Mexique et République Dominicaine y compris. Tres bon staff malgré les problèmes de communication lorsque vient le temps de commander. Rien de très grave. PLAGES - 3 plages bien différentes, la premières a la gauche du resoirt est la moins venteuse, on ne peut pas vraiment se baigner mais lorsque la marée est basse, il est très agréable d'aller marcher vers la gauche et découvrir une plage vierge où l'on pourra voir les étoiles de mer, oursin et autres éléments de la faune. La plage centrale est prise entre les roches et 2 embouchures y permettent d'aller explorer les fonds marins (snorkling)...ne payer pas pour faire du snorkling dans une excursion, cet endroit est paradisiaque pour les amateurs de snorkling/pêches. Difficile de s'y baigner par exemple. La dernière plage, à droite, est celle plus standard pour se baigner mais par journée de grands vents ce n'est pas très agréable. Vous pouvez marcher sur cette plage pendant environ 30 minites avant d'atteindre le prochain resort, Sol Cayo Santa Maria qui est le 1er hotel à avoir été construit. Finalement, les BARS ou le BAR principal, il y a un bar proche de la piscine principales où se trouve également l'équipe d'animation. Le staff à ce bar vaut le détour, ORESTES, NORGE et NOE vous servent à votre chaise longue avec efficacité, avec un sourire et une joie de vivre malgré leur horaire très chargé. L'autre bar est sur la plage la plus à droite mais nous n'y sommes pas allés souvent. L'autre piscine c'est pour relaxer, pas un bruit, pas de bar. Le spa est petit mais très jolie avec tous les services, ma conjointe a eu une pédicure et le service était excellent (35 pesos). Un court de tennis mais il fait chaud donc peut-être jouer tôt ou le soir. Nous avons rencontrés des gens très intéressants, Henri/Christine de Oka et Francois/Anita de Nantes. Nous avons passés un voyage fantastique avec nos fidèles compagnons de voyage Martin et Marie-Josée.

Very quite and very friendly staff.

Clean, relaxing, service was outstanding. Take bug spray for the no see ums.

Come here if you want to relax and kick back. Food is better than most reviews but not spectacular. Cab and bus service is quite spotty and one day we could not get a cab in the morning. I ended up being quite sick in Cuba ( nothing to do with the hotel) so that put quite a downside on our trip. It is good to know that there is an international doctor's clinic $4 cab ride away and doctor could speak good English and was quite professional.

Beautiful location - very secluded. Accommodation was comfortable, spacious and very clean. Service was excellent - all staff were friendly, attentive and helpful. Food was good and nicely served.

Spectacular hotel with beautiful grounds, well maintained common areas, a serene spa, unbelievable rooms (complete with brilliant outdoor showers!) and impecable service. We will most definitely return.

Quiet and relaxing, not for the loud party animals, which works out just fine for us ;)

The Westjet Vacations description of this resort is very misleading to the point of false advertising. The resort does NOT have any activities, NO water sports, NO nightly entertainment other than an hour or less of entertainment in the piano bar, no "mini buffet" at the international restaurant, & no vegetarian options. Of the three "a-la-carte" restaurants, 2 have the same menu every night. The rooms however are large and very clean. The shower is outside which is a challenge on cool windy days which we experienced during most of our week. The grounds are nicely groomed. The dining room staff work hard but could use some additional training for a "Royal Service" resort but the bartenders are very pleasant and very hardworking. If you are looking for a resort to lay around and do nothing, and you are not picky about food, this would be a good place to vacation.

we booked this trip through an on line booking company and were called at 6:15pm the night before departure advising us that the hotel was overbooked. The representative from the On line booking company told us that our only option was to move to another resort, a lesser resort in my opinion. I chose MBV because it is an adults only facility and we were to be moved to a family resort. i would like to stay at MBV in the future, will believe it when I have my room key in my hand.

Loved the hotel, just left a huge long review on Tripadvisor so not wanting to write it all again.

Excellent endroit pour se reposer et profiter des plages de cuba. 3 différentes plages magnifiques. Pas beaucoup d'activité ou de marina pour catamarans. Par contre, possibilité d'aller dans autre resort proches en autobus pour danser et plus de party.
Le service était excellent et les gens très agréable. Service de butler sans aucun frais supplémentaire afin de s'assurer que nous sommes satisfaits. Massages au spas pas terrible par contre

I would love to keep this resort my secret retreat,however,I must encourage others to visit here.What a gem!best beaches,best room,best staff,caring manager,fab food,intimate setting.I have travelled all throu out the caribean and this is the best.My rule:I never go back to the same place twice,while I am going back in May!!

Buenavista est un endroit parfait pour un getaway en couple.

What I did I like best about the Meliã Buenavista? It’s an adults-only resort that provides excellent service. I went there for rest and relaxation and that’s just what I got.

The downside about Cayo Santa Maria is the tiny black mites that give you itchy bites like you wouldn’t believe. The best the Meliã Buenavista could do was spraying the resort twice a day.

Every room has an outdoor shower and a Jacuzzi bathtub. The fridge is well-stocked and the resort provided both thin and bulky pillows for sleeping.

The two pools are shallow, just right for lying on a water mat while sunbathing. The main pool has a walk-up bar run by very friendly staff.

I didn’t use the spa but did sit in the hot tub in the Japanese-style inner court yard. I felt refreshed after getting out.

A la carte meals are the standard for all three restaurants. I don’t care what anyone else says, the food was good and the service excellent. This is from someone who is going back to Cuba for the third time this year, and at another Meliã resort.

The Ranchon Los Marinos served both breakfast and lunch, and you can choose between selections from the buffet tables or its menu. I had lunch in the Los Caribes but preferred the Ranchon, especially because it overlooked the ocean.

The Los Caribes and Los Navigantes were the places to go for dinner. You make reservations with your building’s butler and can also reserve dinner at the nearby Meliã Las Dunas, which was popular for its Japanese restaurant.

The Piano Bar La Notte in the lobby area was great for a before-dinner cocktail and as an after-dinner meeting place. You have got to try the La Notte cappuccino.

Many guests preferred to sit outside but there weren’t enough tables in front of the La Notte. The resort was still building a large patio when I left. Good move.

Of the three sandy beaches, only the one on the east side was the best for wading, swimming or snorkelling. There is no water sport equipment available, so bring a snorkel and face mask because there are lots of friendly fish. This beach also has a beach bar that also served snacks.

Bottom line: definitely a five-star resort.

Long ride from the airport but we knew that. Very nice clean hotel. Very good A/C in rooms and resturants. Food was as expected for Cuba, but dinners were even worse, very disappointing. Beaches need to be cleaned up. The Hotel is now under new management that is hopefully going to work on some of the downfalls. Staff is great, always willing to help and very friendly.

What a fabulous vacation we had at the Melia Buenavista. We really enjoyed our stay and being pampered and well looked after by the excellent staff at this hotel. The rooms are stunning and include an outdoor shower and beautiful jacuzzi tub. Plush is the best was to describe the accommodation. Beaches are beautiful, as are the two swimming pools - one that we could walk out of our suite to enjoy! When first arrived, we weren't happy with the smell of our room (cigarettes) so they moved us. After three days, the air conditioning in our room stopped working and we were moved again. The staff were apologetic, and worked to make things right for us. Our butler, Javier, was super, as was the Activities person Lily. Who can say anything more about Norge, Orestes and Yaromil at the pool bar! They made the vacation! Also, Yani, a waitstaff in Los Caribos, and Eduardo in Los Marinos were excellent. The catamaran excursion was excellent as well. The food, well, all I can say is that they tried! It is hard to get all that is needed in Cuba to make 5-star meals, but there was always plenty of food. We didn't go hungry. Best mojitos I've ever had! In all, we had a fabulous time and would definitely return to this hotel. Thanks Melia Buenavista for an excellent vacation.

Very nice & new hotel with lack of consistency. Facilities were nice but food left much to be desired. Breakfast was by far the worst meal. Hotel would randomly run out of food items like toast in the morning. You can't expect to get the same thing two days in a row but you learn to get used to it. We had constant problems with ants in both of our rooms. One day they were in our bed. We used our bug repellent to get rid of them everyday.

Déception, trop cher pour le service que nous avons eut. Le service au chambre très lent(environ 1h30 et plus d'attente). WI-FI gratuit, mais non fonctionnel. Nourriture immangeable et froid. Manque de personnel.

This was our 2nd time on Cayo Santa Maria. The food here was not very good, but please realize this is a new resort and they have alot of "kinks" to iron out. The staff here was amazing and we really made a connection to the Cubans who worked here. There were rolling power outages that lasted a few minutes each, so the power needs to be worked on a bit. I can never complain about my trips to Cuba, I believe that Melia Buenavista will eventually get it all together. I would go back to this resort dispite the minor issues.

VERY FAR FROM THE AIRPORT 2hrs