We have been to BSM before the korona and can tell the resort is struggling. The drive from Holguin airport took 3:07 hrs. with one stop for WC/drink about 1:15 hrs. from the airport. It's actually a nice drive in a new (AC) chinese van. The route is through Santiago de Cuba but without a stop there. The lobby of the resort is new and very nice. Throughout our one week stay the lobby bar and the beach bar were the only bars opened. The one in the lobby is opened 24/7 apparently. They serve Cuban alc (beer, rum, vodka, whiskey). No orange juice, no tonic/gin, only Cuban cola and fantastic guava juice. Coffee was good most of the time from a proper espresso machine. Milk was not always available but honey & brown sugar was. The restaurant food: breakfast was really only missing cheese, jam, cereal, tea from the usual "necessities". Lunch and dinner were for the most part the same: pork, chicken, rice, batatas, potatoes, fresh shredded cabbage, sautéed veggies. No beans really which was a surprise. Desert was a variety of spong cakes mostly. Resort itself is .... slowly falling apart. Out of the 3 elevators only one worked and not always. Seems like only a number of rooms in lower section of the resort are operational. We walked through all the sections and especially the upper one seems abandoned. The rooms that are used are old but clean with a fantastic view. We had however no hot water despite communicating it to the staff. Not exactly a big problem when the weather is warm and sunny.
The beach has an open bar; only beer and Cuba libre was available for the most part. Sandra did however managed to make us couple of mochitos.
The beach is small and very nice (no white sands if that is a problem ...). Water bikes and one Hobie 16 catamaran were available.
The ride back to the Holguin airport took 4:5 hrs as we were picking up others from 3 Santago hotels. Again the ride was actually quite comfortable.
Overall we had a fantastic time thanks to the enduring Cuban people. If a bit of "hardship" is acceptable than Sierra Mar is still a great place for a nice reset.
Having said that we really hope that the Los Galeones finally opens soon and opens for good + the Santago de Cuba airport opens to Can flights.

We had a great vacation at the Brisas Sierra Mar. The hotel is showing age and needs some repairs and a refresh but when you look out your balcony window you see the most beautiful mountains, ocean and tropical resort. The rooms were clean and we had hot showers and the chamber maid Marlene was very helpful. We got the VIP package and every day she brought us beer and water and pop. We also had massages and a bottle of rum. And a delicious special dinner with lobster. The rooms were very quiet which was nice and the balconies were private . We don’t smoke so it was a bit of a challenge in the lobby and during entertainment shows. Fortunately for us it was very quiet at the resort we were able to find a few areas where we could enjoy without inhaling smoke. I know this is Cuba but perhaps the hotel could look into designating some non smoking areas as many Canadians do not smoke and are used to clean air in public spaces and lobbies. We saw the most beautiful sunsets every night. The restaurant had a lot of food shortages but thanks to the wait staff we were accommodated as my husband does not eat pork or beef. Basically the food was mostly Cuban food. Breakfast was good with fresh eggs and omelettes. Thank you to Gladys who brought us chicken from her house when the hotel did not have any. The staff at this resort really do care about their guests and we really appreciated their hospitality. The entertainment here was the best we have experienced in Cuba, many amazing dancers and professional bands. Thank you to Italo and Leo for arranging the entertainment, the morning walks and helping us find a school to donate to. All the reception staff were very professional and Ode was especially helpful with our inquiries. In many areas we experienced 5 star service and entertainment but overall I would say 3.5 stars. Also if you walk towards the end of the beach you may find Andy who gives amazing massages. The beach was good and there were lots of umbrellas and chairs and the beach bar was great. We will hopefully be back again, ❤️

We arrived in Cuba to find that we were not booked into our regular Los Galeanos, as it was closed for repairs. We were to stay at the much larger, sister resort Sierra Mar. This was a disappointment at first but in typical Cuban style, the people, the landscape and the culture carried us away to a wonderful vacation.
We are not loungers, we like to move and explore on our vacations. We let the entertainment coordinators, Leo and Italo, know this. they organized interesting morning walks, a snorkelling guide, a trip up into the mountains for a hike, a meal and a swim in a mountain stream.....
It is true that food is scarce right now in Cuba, there is a gas ration, there are fewer tourists so activities have been pared back.... But like any vacation, the people that you meet make all the difference to your experience. Leo and Italo, along with the rest of the dedicated staff at this resort served us up typical Cuban hospitality. We had a wonderful time at this resort.