Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Nice resort but food and drink shortages

Is a nice, well-kept resort but there are major food and drink shortages, including toilet paper. Our neighbours were at this resort for 2 weeks in Feb 2025 and they raved about it - no shortages. But when we were there last week, they were running out of everything. One day they wouldn’t have fries or burgers at the snack bar, the next no coffee after dinner at the buffet. The restaurants were not worth going to - no soy sauce at the Asian one. The mosquitoes were brutal - could not sit [... read more] outside early in the day or after dinner. You had to make a run for your room. They did start spraying with a crop duster mid week which helped a little. We will not be returning to Cuba.

Grand Memories Holguin: Good Memories .

Cuba is always rewarding trip for me...starting with affordability,safety is very important too ! This resort is modern , clean, convenient . Spacious rooms with nice views . Food in Cuba was never an issue for me and this time was very good too. Unfortunately I am not planning to come back because very shockingly I didn't like the beach!

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Had a great stay!

We had a great time here. There's 7 of us in total (5 adults, 2 kids). We travelled in the middle of June so there weren't many people at the hotel. The beach is amazing and it is very close to the hotel (100m from our room). I found the food was better than my past visits to Cuba. There was always something I liked. My parents are vegetarian and they always found something to eat. There was a lot of Cuban food (rice, beans, chickpeas, a lot of sweet potato). I also really liked the fried rice s [... read more]tation and the omlettes and crepe station in the mornings. There was a lot of choice in drinks. Mojitos were amazing as was the pina colada. Entertainment was really good even though there wasn't much, especially the Michael Jackson performance. It was truly as if Michael Jackson had come back from the dead and performed for us. Remember to bring an insulated cup with you, and also bring mosquito repellent especially if you're travelling during the rainy season. Also, reach out to Not Just Tourists to take medical supplies with you (you can book a private transfer on the way back to the airport so you can drop off the supplies at a clinic in Remedios or Santa Clara). We also gave them a suitcase of other things at the clinic (an old laptop, band aids, flash lights, baby clothes, a lot of stationary I wasn't using at home etc.). It's important that we all do our part to help. Try to give help to Cubans outside of the hotels in the cities if you can.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: great stay, BUT...

I would love to write a glowing review about Sanctuary at Grand Memories, but one problem stands in my way. Before I address that problem, I wish to say that I am a friend of Cuba, and I do not like to complain. I am in solidarity with the Cuban people. Unlike unhappy tourists, I did not find cockroaches, stained sheets, or faulty AC. My room was beautiful, clean, spacious, and comfortable. The AC was modern. A bottle of Rum was provided as a gift. All of this, at a price that could not even [... read more] purchase airfare anywhere else. I ate at the Ave del Paraiso restuarant daily. The chef, Eduard, was creative and often made something out of nothing.. Every evening, at least one course would have made any top restaurant proud. TIP# 1: Do not tip in Canadian coins. They are not legal currency in Cuba. Since a Canadian $5 bill is a large tip, buy US $ and leave a 1-2$ tip. It will be greatly appreciated. Please do this, so that Good Samaritans like me, don't have to undo your damage by buying up coins with bills. The staff at Sanctuary were most helpful. I would include Rosana and Lia, but especially Jenny. She is a problem solver. When I explained my predicament, she came up with a plan, where the beach, the pool, the restaurant, a bar, and the small Sanctuary lobby were all a short walk. I had everything I needed, but not everyting I wanted. So, what was the problem? The property had advertised shuttle transport for mobility challenged guests like myself. I counted on this. I cannot walk the distance to the main resort at Grand Memories. I only passed through the main resort on the first and last days. I questioned several staff to make sure I had the story right. It would seem that the two shuttle carts have been needing new batteries for 2-3 months. No solution is in sight. I know how many repairs compete for the government dollar, but you cannot afford to lose valuable customers. TIP # 2: If you wish to conplain, go to Dubai and pay for the priviledge. If you have any empathy for the Cuban people, share their hardships. BUT... to the management I would say, tourism has already fallen by 30% this year. Do not alienate your best supporters.

Memories Jibacoa: We were not dissapointed , impressive

The service is top knotch , the reef snorkeling and diving was better than we hoped for , the meals were good , the beach was great , no complaints , loved having the dogs and cats around , the premium cafe and a la carts were very good , the le gourmet was our favorite , we will be back next year in February

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Fantastic resort

Great staff. Beautiful beaches. Clean pools. Staff go above for guests. Terrific excursions, and activities. Good variety and music shows/entertainers. Varied guest age range, with something for everyone. Good for groups or single Travellers. Good food and services. Hotel and common areas cleaned daily.

Grand Memories Varadero: Good after first day

4th time to Cuba and 1st time at Grand Memories Varadero. First night was bumpy as had to move rooms due to cockroach, but staff was empathetic and understanding. Had everything worked out by the 2nd day. Resort is nice, but dated. Food was plentiful and overall good - again having been in Cuba before, we knew what we were getting. Beach was nice, but a bit more rocky than our other resort. Staff was great the whole time. Still friendly, helpful, and do their best to may your stay great. O [... read more]verall, a good trip for a family.

Grand Memories Holguin: 2nd visit and even better than remembered!!!

This was our second visit to Grand Memories Holguin. We did not stay on the Sanctuary side only because it was off season and we didn't expect that there would be many children at the resort. We were right but you may want to consider Sanctuary Grand Memories if you need adults only. One of the advantages of Sanctuary is that you have access to the entire resort. This hotel is relatively new and in great condition, as you would expect. That gardens are maturing nicely, and the facilities  [... read more]are very modern. The design is very contemporary and while it's a large resort it is very easy to find your way around. The rooms are equipped with modern furniture, great beds, beautiful walk-in showers and large balconies. We had no issues with hot water and our A/C worked well. This was our 10th trip to Cuba and the second time to the island this year. The food selection at Grand Memories was very good. Cuba always seems to have a primary protein on any given week and this trip we experienced plenty of delicious salmon. Having said that, we enjoyed pasta, chicken, pork, rice, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of bread, pastries and deserts along with burgers, sandwiches and fries at the snack bar. We had plenty of selection at the various bars including white and red wine. We had the upgrade to Premium Class which was MORE THAN WORTH IT. We had a-la carte breakfast and lunch at the premium class restaurant (which was nicely air conditioned) and an a-la-carte dinner every night, including a return guest dinner and a premium club dinner. The service was really good at each of our sittings. We also had access to the premium class bar, which was just off of the main lobby and it was nicely enclosed with air conditioning for those hot afternoons. The bar offered a great coffee assortment in the morning with pastries and a great drink selection throughout the days and nights. You need to meet Jose at this bar. He was amazing. Also included in Premium Class was two butlers. We had a daytime butler from 7am to 3pm and a night butler from 3pm to 11pm. Yosbel and Raciel were amazing and took such good care of us!! They were constantly checking with us to make sure all of our needs were met and they did a great job communicating with us and booking all of our dinner reservations. A big thank you to both of these men. Great job! The pools at Grand Memories are plentiful and beautiful. They are clean and very well kept. There are plenty of shade structures although they are in need of replacing the loungers. Many of them were quite beat up and in need of repair. The beach is amazing and the landscape in this area is very beautiful with rolling hills and mountains. The sand is beautiful, although arguably not as soft as Cayo Coco or Cayo Santa Maria. I would encourage you to take water shoes since the entry to the ocean is a bit rocky with scattered seashells but nothing to deter you from enjoying the beautiful beach and ocean. The water depth does drop off much quicker than we have experienced in the Cayos but it is more than safe for children and those who like to wade. There's plenty of beach to get your daily walk on and the beach is very deep with plenty of room for all of the guests to enjoy. The beach bars are well positioned with seating areas attached to the bars. Say hello to the best bartender, Ilianet, when you swing by the beach bar. You may also find her at one of the swimming pool swim up bars. She's the best! The beach has plenty of trees on it with a ton of shade to enjoy if you're looking to get out of the sun. The loungers were plentiful and in good condition. We have zero complaints from our trip to Grand Memories and look forward to returning for the third time, maybe even this November.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: Beautiful resort

The resort was modern, spaces room. Service was ok. Need improvement on the entertainment, I been to most part of Cuba and this resort entertainment was not what I think. The schedule and location was confusing. Beach party is very night. It just a mini disco. No foam party unless I misread the entertainment schedule. The entertainment team seem inexperienced and new. I think in the future they will improve. Most of the guest go there they stay in the resort so entertainment is the only t [... read more]hing they look forward too. Beach is not like other part of Cuba beach. Lots of algae and rocks. Beside that the love the design of the resort. At the lobby you can always catch a good breeze so there hardly any mosquitoes, which is a major BONUS for me. Dining and food can be improve. As for drinks I normally don’t get what I requested but it’s not a big deal. I can have wine or rum and coke. I would rate this a 4 stars

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Great value!

Stayed for 7 days in the end of sept of 2024. Sunny weather, rai at night almost every day, warm ocean. Food: Nice pastries, mango often, avocado, salmon once, chicken, turkey, local fish almost same every day. There is ac in the buffet which was very useful during hot days! Room: mold smell in room, ac worked but not good enough. Service: waiters are attentive. Each time eating ice cream had to ask for the spoon like those were treasures. Entertainment: every night new show at the theatre [... read more]. I liked it.

Grand Memories Holguin: It is worth it to go there, but fight for your AC.

2025 May 10-24. WestJet flight. Tightness at its worst. Transfer to the hotel took almost 2 hours. Weather was sunny, but strong East wind blew almost all the time. 22/30C growed to 24/32C. It is a new big hotel and many things are done in the best contemporary way. Five floors, but elevators. Galleries and widely open stairwells. Shadows and draft winds make it cooler. But my favorites were doors and windows with excellent soundproofing. They withstand the hellish noise of usual "entertain [... read more]ment". There are three huge pools between building's wings. And one of them is always quiet. Bedding is good. Rooms are clean. Unfortunately, the AC system is horrible. I changed rooms because of that. It poisoned my visit. Water, electricity, TV and the internet were just normal, like everywhere in the world. No usual Cuban exotic, except AC of course. Staff is managed properly. They work as they have to. But a good thank-you will never hurt. Food was good enough. And restaurant-buffet is very roomy with a lot of tables. I am mostly interested in the beach. It is a good sandy beach with enough shadows from trees and umbrellas. Water was clean and warm. 400 meters away from the beach you can reach a pretty rich coral reef. Most corrals are dead like everywhere, but there are many new ones. The surrounding area is a bush with small secondary roads and wild sandy beaches. It is worth it to go there, but fight for your AC.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Good resort

We were put in a premium room in building 2 I believe, room was right at the end closest to the 24hr snack bar. Room was nice, king bed was very comfortable. Cleaning staff were very good. Food at the buffet was decent. Had eggs and bacon 5 out of 7 days. Bread and pastries ran out frequently. Didn’t offer a huge amount of variety but always found something to eat. 24 hr snack bar ran out of buns/bread and French fries frequently. The pizza station would be “sold out” within a 1/2 hr of opening. [... read more] Alcohol was hit or miss all around the resort. Rum was plentiful. A la cart restaurants were ok but seemed like the same stuff at the buffet. The exception was the Asian restaurant Nagano, which was quite good. The pool area was really good, newer shaded cabana beds all around. The beach was fantastic although getting into the water was painful, lots of shells and old coral for the first 5 feet or so then soft white sand. No good snorkelling close to shore. No-see-ums were minimal as well as mosquitoes. The staff were very friendly and seemed happy.

Memories Jibacoa: Perfect holiday

The hotel was clean, friendlly staffand has a most beautiful beach with great snorkeling. There was so much food and it all tasted great. We will be back next year for sure. Also tennis and pickleball courts .

Grand Memories Varadero: Beautiful pool & beach, run-down quarters

I stayed seven days in May of 2025 and I had a great time. The best parts of the resort are 1) the beach and ocean and 2) pools. The ocean water was clean and warm. There is a bar on the beach as well. Fantastic. There are two large pools. They're called the noisy and quiet pools. They're both fantastic. We found ourselves most days at the quiet pool which we had almost entirely to ourselves. :) The negative points about Grand Memories Varadero are the accommodations. The rooms are  [... read more]clean, beds are comfortable, and the air conditioning works great. However, the doors are rundown and falling apart. My wife could not open the patio door as it required so much effort that I had to do it. The food at the resort left something to be desired. Some days there was no bread, for example.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Amazing Resort

Service - excellent and friendly staff Beach - the most beautiful - bring water shoes Rooms/Cleanliness - amazing, daily replenished towels and TP as needed - room perfectly cleaned Food/Meals - plentiful and great taste Pool - looked great but enjoyed the beach daily Restaurants/Entertainment/Bar - friendly workers Excursions - did 2 and highly recommend Cuba Car Taxis - excellent service Checkin at Hotel - Premium guest check in and out was fast and efficient

Grand Memories Varadero: Nice place

The resort itself has good amenities, but unfortunately, the rooms haven't been maintained very well. And the maids don't actually clean your room while you're out during the day. They come in, make your bed, and then leave. They averaged about 1 minute or less in our room. Otherwise, it's a nice resort, overall. The pools are excellent. The staff are nice (although not as friendly as other places we've stayed). The lobby is wonderful in the evenings. They have a musical entertainer each [... read more] night, and they are highly talented musicians. They really elevate the mood perfectly. The food was as good as any other Cuban resort we've experienced. The gift shop on sight was nicer and bigger than our last resort. They have cigars, daily toiletry products, snacks, and other nice things. The beach was stunning. As nice a beach as I've ever seen. We always found a spot in the shade, and the water is breathtaking.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Very nice resort

Really like the air conditioning in my room Food was very good and the service at the restaurant was excellent The pool was very clean Improvement: is my fan in my room was not working Need new lamps! And the chairs at the bar are really not comfortable Staffs are very nice ??

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Holguin: Amazing Resort !

This was my first trip to Cuba and I will definitely be back ! So many mixed reviews but my experience was unforgettable. The staff were all so gracious and catered to whatever we asked for and if they could not accomodate , were extremely empathic. The hotel was clean, our room was always stocked with water , and refreshments. Food was great and we could not have asked for better weather. Love this hotel !

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Amazing beach

I stayed there with my mom for 7 nights. After the initial mixup with getting a room with one king bed instead of 2 beds as requested everything was pretty good. Beach is wonderful. Food was a bit repetitive but a lots of options to choose from. No shortages of food or electricity during our stay.Stuff was helpful and very friendly. Tips can get you more than you’ve bargained for. We were provided with a complimentary room to take a shower on the last day before leaving for the airport and we we [... read more]re free to use all amenities and eat even after checking out at noon. All in all very good experience and would definitely recommend and go back.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Good resort

Good resort. Grounds are well maintained. Food was OK, always something to eat. I didn't like the open buffet due to food being exposed to flies. Beach was very beautiful. Staff not very friendly. Long bus ride. I did get sick, so remember to bring gravol and imodium.