Amazing Vacation

This resort has it all, a very large resort with friendly staff that is willing to take care of your every need. Stating at the resort lobby you will find a very open space where you will often find entertainment going on at the two cocktail bars. The lobby opens up and takes you on to the beautiful grounds of the resorts with many palm trees and different tropical vegetation surrounding the many walkways, pools and restaurants. The pools are large and beautiful with lots of lounges for catching [... read more] the suns rays and working on your tan. If the pools are not your thing than the sandy beach will definitely will be. The room seem to be recently renovated with a bathroom with lots of hot water and pressure. The resort provides entertainment every night and is worth going to. The resort does need some work in some areas but they are working at it as staff is seem painting, trimming vegetation and mowing. The board walk on one of the paths to the beach is in need of repair and you will need to be careful using it. There is a large eating area with lots of choices to pick from only problem it that often the food is only warm and far from hot, Try get there when it opens to get hot food.

Memories Varadero

We just went to Memories Varadero and had a blast, what a nice resort, very clean, very nice people, the food was very good, lots to choose from. We would go back in a heart beat!! They love Canada, the Cubans treated us like gold!

Good Resort!

Overall, this is a good resort. I liked the food, dinning room and lobby area of this hotel. The rooms were nice but the maids didn't mop the floor often enough. The shuttle is not frequent enough to take you to and from the lobby and your bungalow. The shuttle should be running more often especially during the night. The shuttle driver should also provide you with some 'tips' or info on the hotel (e.g., Where is the 24 hour snack bar?).

Not bad for the price

In brief, Memories Varadero has pretty decent food, fantastic staff, beautiful grounds and lots to keep the kids busy. It had tons of potential, too, but is a large resort that struggles to keep up with the demands of its guests. It's not always perfectly spotless, nor is the food of the "gourmet" variety, but they're trying so very hard. The "cons" are pretty standard, with beds on the hard side, lack of new towels in the room and nonexistent wifi (if you care about that). The one thin [... read more]g that nearly ruined my 6-day stay was the unbelievable rudeness of some of the other guests. It was difficult to turn a blind eye to their entitled shenanigans, but I managed (with the help of some Cuban rum). If you just want to chill with a tasty Mojito at the stunning beach, then you should go. If you're a diva who needs to have everything perfect, then spare the rest of us your foolishness and go somewhere else.

Very Nice Resort!

The beach at this resort is beautiful, rooms are kept very clean, staff is so friendly, the food could be a bit better, I was there in 2016 also and the food was very good then so was a bit surprised this time, but still had a fabulous time!

Memorable trip - thanks!

Only concern was lobby and dining room were so far from the rooms. Bus service was inadequate - I.e. not enough of them and no schedule for planning. Staff response time was excellent when room problems occurred

Good for teenagers

It was fine for people who are not concerned with service. The hotel was a little older but clean and simple....beds could be a little more comfortable. Food was same everyday. Beach was beautiful, Entertainment geared to ages 14-25 no really good dance shows for adults. I was surprised at the staff, ive been to cuba 3 times and the staff seemed very overworked and unhappy. it was my sons and husbands first time in cuba and they did not see the local people as pleasant, helpful or happy [... read more]. The hotel was more of a party hotel and be prepared to walk because trollies were non existent. It was okay because cuba is beautiful but wouldn't go back to this resort.

Terrible experience

I left this resort after only 2 of my 7 day intended stay. I admit some of it may have been my fault for having higher expectations of a 3.5 star resort in Cuba but I was not prepared for the matress on the floor for a bed and the mold spots on my sheets. I was also disgusted by the cleanliness of the washroom facilities in the common areas and the in-room washrooms had their own set of issues - loudly running toilets that wouldn't stop, showers with no water pressure, bugs, etc. Food at the buf [... read more]fet seemed okay but never stayed hot and I'm fairly certain I ate rocks in my rice but the lunch place and the "24 hour" snack bar only offered disgusting hamburgers and hotdogs that I couldn't stomach. I also didn't find the staff very friendly or very fluent in English at all. The lawns and trees/shrubs seemed well kept but every fountain on the resort was broken and lots of things were in disrepair EXCEPT the pools - they looked fantastic. Very disappointed in the availability of water. We only got one large bottle in our room upon arrival and we didn't get a new one the second day (I think because my first one wasn't completely empty). You can't even get water from the front desk - they have to pass your request on to a maid to leave it in your room, and the likelihood of that communication system working seemed unlikely to me based on the rest of my experiences with staff. Definitely won't be returning to any Memories resorts as, since I've returned, I've heard they have a bad rep in many places. Also not impressed with Sunwing due to delays and being no help in trying to get home. Will thank my tripcentral travel agent though for trying her best to get us home when I was DONE with this resort.

Dirty and unsafe retreat

There was vituslly no visible security at this resort. On our first evening there, I was almost sexually assaulted by another guest. He approached me drunk, attempted to apprehend me by forcefully grabbing me and hanging onto me. I tried to run away and escape his groping arms. I finally freed myself whilst running screaming for help and the " policia". I ran into a group of women ( literally) and explained my horror over what had just happened. They were aghast as it had just happened to their [... read more] Mother moments earlier. We all went to the front desk to report this and were told they would dispatch security. No ther action or consolation was offered. It was a traumatic experience that my 7 and 11 year old sons witnessed. Apparently, this predator ( pig from Russia) who tried to assault me was evicted from the resort several days later because he had also solicited several maids to have sex for money. I will never stay there again and will share my experience at Memories with all who ask . It was life altering.

Met our expectations

Memories Varadero is a large resort, very typical of any 3-4 star Cuban all-inclusive. Staff were friendly, and any issues we had were dealt with quickly. For such a large resort, the variety of food was lacking - the one large buffet restaurant served virtually the identical menu every night. Pools were nicely laid out, with one lounder "party" pool with water slide and spring break activities and one quieter pool, both with swim up bars. Beach was fantastic, as is usually the case with Cub [... read more]a. No complaints, we basically got exactly what we were expecting. One thing to note is that this is a large resort, on a very large grounds, so a lot of walking is involved - probably a 10 minute walk from lobby to beach.

Good value and family friendly

The grounds are beautiful and well kept with kind groundskeepers who give origami gifts made of flowers and leaves to children which is beautiful. The buffet is a little bland and generic - not enough flavourful carribean food for my tastes. Bathrooms need serious upgrades and the pool floors need refinishing as well, but overall for the price and kind staff and family friendly nature

Great time

The grounds were beautiful. The beach was amazing, and surprisingly the food was really good. The only complaint is the wait staff in the buffet are not to eager to wait on you for drinks. But all in all it was a beautiful resort and I would return

Nice resort but not worth what we paid.

As expected the beach was beautiful. Never had any issues finding a decent spot. The beach bar however closed down at 4pm and started running out of stock fairly early. The pools were decent but like the beach bar it also closed early, around 6:00. We found it strange that the adult outdoor entertainment(live music and dancing) began at 7-8 followed by kids entertainment 8-9. Shouldn't it be the other way around. Theater entertainment was average and nothing much going on after that. Food was b [... read more]etter than expected with good variety. Overall it was a relaxing resort but if you're looking for night life entertainment you may want to look elsewhere. This place seems to aim more towards younger families.

Extremely run down resort!

This was obviously a beautiful resort at some point in time. The grounds are still well maintained. The rooms were in need of freshening, broken grab bars in the bathroom, rusty fixtures, many paint scuffs, etc. only one towel a day allocated to guests. no facecloths. No hot water in an entire building. some guests we spoke to had no shower curtains. Food was sub-par, barely warm. many times there were no plates at the buffet. Power interruptions every day we were there. Only every thi [... read more]rd or fourth light on at night along the pathways, making for pitch black walking. Many of the small golf cart/transport buses had no lights, therefore no warning of one approaching in the darkness (electric so almost noiseless). No wifi. A lot of extreme drunkenness that was not policed in any way. One dip in the pool left my brother with itchy skin all over. Beds were very uncomfortable, and set on wooden platforms with pipes holding them up. Pillows could hardly be classified as pillows, do not know what they were stuffed with! Huge line ups for customer complaints and many unsatisfied people. Staff were friendly and as accommodating as they could be under the circumstances. I would never return.

Disappointing

Went to Cuba with an open mind....knowing it wouldn't be the same as DR.(Dominican Republic). Memories Varadero Resort was basic, and should now be a 3 star rated Resort not a 4.5. The new owners have let things slide, there is a ton of maintenance work to be completed. Food was good but certainly not great. No salad bar, never saw a tossed salad the whole week and no smoothies at breakfast. This is a large resort, so be warned you will be doing lots of walking from place to place. At nig [... read more]ht, there is very little lighting so extremely dark when walking around. Funny to see some of the "regulars" using flashlights when walking in the evening !! Staff not nearly as friendly as those in Dominican however they were generous with the rum. Rooms were old and dated. Plumbing was inadequate. General maintenance was very poor. We had to change rooms the second day because there was literally no hot water in our room. The plumbing was awful, toilets don't flush well at all, most items in bathroom were rusty and dirty looking plus the sink tap was not installed properly and leaked all over our sink. They gave us a new room fairly quickly however , although an improvement to the first room, it certainly wasn't much better. Beach is beautiful , lots of white sand and hardly any vendors at all. The pool wasn't as clean as it should have been but with so many folks swimming with sun tan lotion on etc, no wonder the pool water seemed greasy. Just be prepared for some things such as power going out everyday around lunch (if this happens when you are eating lunch it means no hot food, no coffee etc). Many times they ran out of bottled water which is a big disappointment as well. The font desk also gave my husband the wrong passport when we checked in.....so do check your own passport when given back to you. This was a huge issue to resolve as most of the staff do not speak good English so the language barrier was a huge obstacle in this particular case. Please change the rating for this resort to advise travellers of what to expect.

Very disappointing to say the least....

The hotel badly needs repair. The grab bar in the tub came off in my hand. The tub was very old and the taps and shower curtain bar were moldy and dark.The bed had springs in the mattress that stuck in my side. The one pillow had two lumps on either end with nothing in the middle. The TV worked occasionally but the sound would blast you out of the room but to try to turn it down and it would turn off. No face cloths at all. No plug for electric hair grooming. The food....just not up to any kin [... read more]d of standard, very hit and miss, with so much salt, hot dogs, some kind of sausage meats?? If we didn't have the Diamond Club Room I would have left. Overwhelming noise in the central lobby with voices echoing and magnified off the stone archways. So, so, many young drunks roaming unchecked. The people, maids, waitresses were very good, professional, kind and hard workers. The grounds were well maintained and the flowers, hedges, palm trees were lovely. The mobile buses that carry luggage, passengers, and supplies...most did not have headlights or horn or bell to notify you that you were about to be run over on the pathways. The bottom line....it was not at all what was advertized.

Good Resort!

Huge resort, meaning lots of walking to get from place to place. Rooms were very clean although it's not the most comfortable bed. Food is pretty good. Lots of different bars all over the resort. It's nice having the quiet pool and the activity pool so there's a spot for everyone. Variety of younger people and older people. Lots of activities going on daily and staff were very friendly and inviting. Overall nice resort!

Best overall resort

The resort was perfect. Drinks were great, rooms were good, and the food was good. They know what they're doing, I didn't get a hangover once. Rooms had air conditiong, a mini fridge, and two spacious beds. Room service was done every morning and we were not afraid at all with leaving our belongings. The lady that tidied our room up was very nice and we had complete trust in her. The food was great in Cuban standards. I had the fish almost daily, freshly cooked right in front of my eyes. We als [... read more]o checked out the restaurants; Japanese and Cuban. They were both delicious and the Portion in the Cuban restaurant is enough to feed a family. The staff were very friendly, the boss is very genuine. We were very outgoing, we made friends with almost everyone in every age bracket. The staff was amazing, really took care of us and we talked to them like we were Cubans. We made friends from the upper management all the way to the nightly security guards. Honestly great people, treat them with respect. Their jokes make you have an ab workout. The people you meet down there is from every part of the globe; Russian, France, UK, Canada, US. Great people all around. However we outdrinked all of them. Genuine fun loving people! Overall the resort is great! It's big, tons of stuff to do, snack bar is open 24/7 with selected choices. The beach is just captivating, you can see the stars in clear view anywhere. I will make a trip back soon PS: make sure to leave the resort and enjoy Cuba to its fullest extent. I went during a university break and it's not overcrowded.

Better than expected

This resort is pretty large so be prepared to walk quite a bit. The beach is beautiful and there are lots of chairs and palapas available. The staff are pretty good except a few seem unhappy and surely. The food is OK for Cuba. Not gourmet but you won't starve. Generally I would recommend this resort for a budget friendly vacation.

Huge Resort!

We just got back from Memories Varadero: We asked for a room with balcony & central to restaurants & common areas. First room was ground floor, backing onto a jungle no lock on door, second- king size bed for 2 senior ladies. The next morning all was well & the desk clerk found us the perfect room. We have no complaints about the food (a little bland) but there is something for everyone. All common areas are clean & taken care of. The people are fantastic. Bars are fun. Beach is lovely bu [... read more]t watch out for sand fleas! If you are allergic spray on Deet. Pools are gorgeous. 1 is noisy & fun the other serene. Both great. What makes this resort is the people. They are wonderful. Thanks Memories! Finally -we booked the excursion to Havanna. It was wonderful. Manny was our guide -he's efficient & full of info. The night ended with dinner & show at the Tropicana. Wow it was fantastic. THANKS MANNY! All in all a great vaca.!