Not recommended

The hotel needed some upgrading. No coffee makers in the room. If you had a coffee maker, you were told you needed to bring your own coffee. ran out of stuff all the time. One of the pools was half closed for over 3 days. The wait staff were unpleasant and you had to wait for any kind of service in the restaurants. The bar staff were pretty pleasant most of the time. Beach was beautiful.

Not the Cleanest !!!

Was at this resort when it was the RIU it was great, not so much now. Did the upgrade to Diamond Club which I was very disappointed in and don't feel like we received much for the extra $. Our first room had a very Septic type odor it was gross especially where we paid to have SUPERIOR ROOMS HAHA. 2 rooms later and half the day wasted we got a room that didn't smell too bad. Our friends that we met there paid for Superior Room only no Diamond Club and their room was fine. TV didn't work no c [... read more]offee maker (which is a huge thing for me), toilet didn't flush half the time, hair dryer didn't work, phone didn't work, took a few more days to get everything fixed. Food was normal CUBA food, buffet was cold most of the time. The grounds were pretty good, but the Pool however was not cleaned, I specifically watched all week as our room overlooked the pool. Drinks were still sitting in the same place from the day before not cleaned up. One night the Resort had a Beach Party that could be heard in a large portion of the resort where the rooms were went well past midnight no sleep that night. The beach was nice, and the Al A Cartes were not bad. We made the best of it but was very disappointed in the quality of the Grand Memories, and especially where we paid for Diamond Club was a complete waste of $. A lot of the people we spoke with all felt the same way were very disappointed.

Needs a lot of work

It wasn't the cleanest The pool area wasn't swept there were cigarett butts everywhere We really weren't happy with the resort at all I won't go back to that one The maid we had was very good The coffee maker didn't work she brought us another one

Resort is run down

13 of us went to his resort last week, we had all been there 5 years ago but noticed a big difference this time. It was much dirtier this time around, the pools and decks were really dirty. You never saw anyone cleaning the pools aside from picking up garbage which by the end of the day was terrible(which is also the fault of vacationers). I really liked the staff but you could tell the entire place was suffering. The kids section had a little pool but it was always covered with empty cups a [... read more]nd garbage, our room was dirty, the pool with the water fall was really disgusting we only went once and that was it. I didn't have any trouble with the food, I can always find something in a buffet and their omelets were delicious. My kids each either had a run in with diarrhea or throwing up towards the end of the vacation, I suspect it was from drinking too much of the pool water. I really did like the staff but I won't be returning. I would rank this as more like a 2.5-3 star. I hope this helps some potential vacationers.

Not what it used to be

This Resort is a 3* at most. Food was mundane. Pools were DISGUSTING! Beach Awesome. Grounds were ok. Rooms were clean but towels smelled like wet dog. Bedsheets hung out on railing. Service was AWFUL

Awesome resort!

After many trips to Cuba over the years, Grand Memories was the best resort I have been to. The resort is well maintained, clean, staff were committed to ensure guests had a good time and the food was very good, lots of fresh fruit, many items prepared as you order ie eggs, omelettes, fresh fish, pastas, there were lots of delicious options. The beach at Grand Memories was always clean with plenty of plastic (I'd prefer canvas) chairs and many cabanas for shelter and beach staff were very atte [... read more]ntive.

Grand Memories Varadero,Cuba

Amazing resort.Grounds were beautiful,public areas very clean,washrooms very clean and always had toilet paper.Dining was awesome.White lounge chairs were uncomfortable, bring a cushion. We stayed in building 24 and we're close to the beach.Got up early (6:30 am) to reserve a cabana. Beach is beautiful.Staff are wonderful and very helpful and willing to make your stay a good one. Would go back in a heartbeat.

Not nearly as good as when it was the Riu Varadero

The grounds have not been kept as well as before and many of the washrooms on site were out of service. It's a bigger resort and people need those washrooms. The resort is pretty run down. Many staff members asking for things from you. I've been all over Cuba and I've never experienced this kind of boldness before. The beach is great although it's tough to get a chair. Lots of music playing which is great.

Great Family Destination

I brought my mother and son(9) it was a perfect destination. Yes the rooms were a little dated but they were clean and the service was great. The beaches are breathtaking, the 2 different pools were perfect and I could not get my son away from the water slide. over all great place to take the family!

Challenging Resort

This is a very large resort. It needs some remodeling and updating. Everyone has his/her own expectations so I can only share my experience. No hot water 3 out of seven days. Warm water one day and cold water the rest of the time. I personally prefer to shower with hot water.The food was certainly acceptable although repetitious. It was very well presented and staff obviously did the best with what they had. Service all around was below par. Most staff seemed very unhappy and did not appear to w [... read more]ant to provide service. Tipping frequently will help. I saw very little in the way of pleasant exchanges between staff and guests, something that I am not used to in Cuba. There seemed to be a shortage of towels. Also, the practice of getting to the beach or pool early and clipping towels on beach chairs to reserve for the day needs to stop. Many times I witnessed families or seniors unable to find a beach chair while many sat empty for the better part of the day. Very disrespectful and selfish of those guests.

Good resort

Grand Memories was nice, the staff (waiters, servers, maids, cleaners) tried very hard to make your stay an enjoyable one. Lots of assortment of food, different varieties and the a la cartes were very nice. I'd highlight the seafood and the Asian (Ging Seng), their beef tenderloin was superb!! Also, great beach, nice and relaxing but need to be up early before 7 to get a chair. Recommend if you're looking at trips the katermaran boat cruise- the boats are big so not likely to get sea sick, bu [... read more]t a must is a trip to Havana. What an amazing City! And, recommend you go in style. we hired a car and driver, cheaper than the bus and the tour is tailored to what you want, we hire Elio Ramos, grandfather drove and grandson showed us the City. The woman at the a La carte booking can provide you the details. Downfalls, the washrooms, others said it but needed to see it. The washrooms in the restaurants and your rooms are great but not near the pools. Bring purell, wipes and toilet paper :( Also, checkout at airports. Not the problem of the resort but if you're flying Air Canada note that they had 1 check out where other providers had two or three, long wait to leave. overall, good price for a quick get away but realize that it's not a 5 star.

Too large resort huge line ups for buffet everyday

We upgraded room was really basic needstender loving care bed ok but covers need to be cleaned and blankets changed everytime the room changes over I hates the thought someone else has used the bedding so for this issue would not return just back on the 25 th March

Elite catering and Extra billing rules

Let me say upfront the absolute best service we received from trip central was out of this world. Our previous four trips were with a large box store travel section in their store and we were floored by the attention to detail, the ongoing emails and the super follow up. We will be customers for life. We have been going to Cuba for 5 years now, various resorts in Veredero and Santa Maria, all inclusive. Increasingly these resorts are segregating areas and services to maximize profits. We  [... read more]paid $ 80 to sit together on the plane; there's a Diamond club that had access to more dining rooms and areas at additional costs ( $ 25 per person per day) ; there's an "adult only" area accessible only at additional cost with plenty of chairs,they have their own beach; the rest of the guests are forced into common areas with limited seating, as most guests put towels on both the chairs at the beach as well as the pool -- in effect reserving both areas; there is a VIP lounge at the airport available for a mere 30 CUCs each that will give you a sandwich, a beer and an air conditioned lounge. Problem is to get to it, you need to line up for 3 hours at the check in as well as the customs, so you are lucky to get an hour in it for this price; finally if you need to use the airport washroom (assuming you did not opt for the VIP) the attendants will greet you with their hands out for access. Ironically, the people who pay the biggest price is the hotel workers that are super friendly and hard working but do not get the tips they deserve because, in part, of the extra fees. Love Cuba but with all the add ins probably will explore other destinations, through trip central.

Quite enjoyable

Overall, our experience at this location was quite enjoyable. Rooms: -Our room was in Building building 24, 3rd floor- with first impressions in mind, efforts could have been placed to make it cleaner upon entrance. -The new lock boxes in each room are amazing! The digital platform means that we did not have to worry about keeping keys on us. - At times, only warm water was available ( getting hot water was sometimes difficult) Overall facility: - Beautiful large property - I f [... read more]ound the food decent and offered great variety. - Overall, the staff and entertainment provided a great atmosphere Entertainment: - In terms of the evening shows, they were very good but too short I found - The entertainers on site, those playing music, were very nice - The disco was never open which was a definite disappointment Side note: The Sunwing tour was very well organized!

Super busy resort

Extra bed for my 10 year old was very uncomfortable, food was ok, there was no water in resort for an entire day, overall ok resort, I will not recommended this my friends . This is really a three star resort.

Awesome Trip

Just returned from Grand Memories, Varadero, week of March 6 2017. Been to Cuba many times so I know what to expect. This resort was very nice but it was way too big for my liking. You almost need shuttle service to get around and yes sometimes we'd hail down the help to shuttle us around. Our unit was at least a 20 minute walk to the beach so if you like the beach I would recommend upgrading to a unit that is much closer. We were in block 15 and the rooms were very nice for Cuba standard.  [... read more] Clean, hot water, nothing was broken....we were quite comfortable. The shows were good, food was what I expected but I don't travel to Cuba for the food so I wont be one of those who complains. The only pitfall for me was the beach and location. I've been to Cuba many times and I usually stay at the top end of the strip closer to downtown as I like to go off the resort at night. Grand Memories is at least 20 minutes to downtown which would have been fine except the beach was much smaller than I was use to compared to the top end. It had no depth so everyone was crowded together and due to the size of the resort there were a lot of people. Not kidding when they say reserve your chairs early. Usually I would stay at the Barceló Solymar and Grand Memories would be a slight upgrade due to size, # of pools. I only chose this resort as a friend insisted on the swim up pool bar which they had in every pool. If distance and size of beach are not important then yes I would recommend this resort.

Horrible Resort

We paid extra for early flight and had to change rooms 3 times, one of the buildings did not have hot water and only noticed when our friends asked us if we were showering before dinner , they said "no hot water", Glad I was not in the shower. Staff was aware of this because the solar panel was down and knew we would complain. 2 days , no maid service. Towels always came between 430 and 600pm. Some food at the buffet was luke warm. Bars kept running out of things, orange juice, can't make rum pu [... read more]nch with orange pop, or no Grenadine. Our card did not work in the lock and have had to go down 4 times in 1week , maintenance person told us lock was defective and customer service kept blaming us saying it was in my cell phone case (specially for credit cars) or I must have it too close to my monies. My husband had his in his shorts not close to his money and it did not work. The teller/bank would only give me $10 pesos max when changing money, most time it was only $5, was a waste of time having to go down on a daily basis and wait in line, each of our party of 5 were sick at least one day. I saw the pool bar using tap water to mix the pinacaloda mix. The restaurant at the pool bar was shut down and so was the women's washroom, had to go all the way close to the buffet to go to the bathroom. The change towel place near the quiet pool was shut down and had to go all the way to the noisy pool. Staff spent too much time on personal cell phones than ensuring you had a good vacation. Complained many times to the customer service area (closed room with all glass) don't know if it was sound Proof as many unhappy patrins . Gave us 2 bottles of rum after arguing with them for our troubles, 2 cheap bottles of rum will never replace the money spend on our so called vacation. Best time was going on the catamaran . well worth the price. 10th time in Veradero and 3rd time at this hotel, 2 timers under RIU and will never go back my husband stayed 5 extra days because he is retired. Tried to contact him 16 times when I got back and reception only picked up the phone 2 time of which one of the calls was disconnected while I was taking to him,. Managed to get an email address for the manager at Grand Memories and it took 2 days to get the message to my husbands room. I would hate to think what would happen if there was an actual emergency.. Our friends had to wait 5 days for a remote control for their TV and our phone in the first room did not work.6 out of 10 people we spoke to would never come back again. I wish I can re-do my vacation all over again.

Disappointed resort

The resort was run down a little. The cafeteria cleaningness was disappointed. Beach was fantastic other than having to fight for a long chair. Bars were great and service overall was good. Didn t qualify as a 4.5 stars.

Nice place

the grounds are well kempt. The pools(2)are beautiful though only 4 ft deep at the deepest. finding loungers was no problem , finding a shady spot a bit difficult at times. My room was nicely located about a minutes walk from the pool , over looking adjacent hotel buildind across, the pool to my far left and tennis courts to my right. I am pleased with my room, although I really don't have much experience with hotel rooms. Climate control, I think , was exceptional: the room adjusted temp very q [... read more]uickly. Very nice bathroom, lots of very hot water in a huge tub with supplied bubble bath. Nice towels, a bar of soap that lasted my entire stay(no waste),and nice sink on large counter. they had a 120 volt plug in for the hair dryer - suitable for charging devices vrs a 240 volt adapter.The washroom was kept clean as was the room -my maid was quite attentive although having my fridge and bar stocked was most easily done by myself relatively cheaply at the resort store eg: $3 for a bottle of rum, $1 for a can of beer. The food was better than expected , wide variety, well cooked, no unpleasantries after. The coffee was quite good to.A good practice is to stay near a washroom for an hour after eating or coffee. Sit down, relax, enjoy Service was spotty:very good and not so good. Tipping helped, tho not always The excursions were quite remarkable ( coming from a novice) and were also very good value before the exchange rate. People are friendly and mostly sociable. Tour Guides and Vacation Reps are well suited to their jobs and are very helpful and pleasant. The resort beach was very nice, tho I heard loungers and shade were hard to find earlier in the day- mid morning. I would arrive about 3pm and be able to use 2 loungers -1 in the sun, 1 in the shade. Be careful and be sure the lounger you select is not broken and will hold you weight. Entertainment nightly and thruout the resort although I mostly did not participate as I would be in bed early due to an eventful day or a venue the next.I guess you could say I enjoyed a quiet stay.

Save your money go elsewhere

Beach was good, however the rest needs improvement. Been to Cuba three times and Varadero before, however building we stayed at had no hot water whole week. Had to corner the cleaner on fifth day to get clean towels ( only hand towels available). Washrooms almost never have toilet paper, seats, and only one of five sinks works, and no paper to wipe hands (hand dryer never works) Much open wiring everywhere you look, as things break, they don't get fixed. Bar service good, reception service at n [... read more]ight rude after flight was cancelled had to stay extra night. Given card keys that wouldn't work, had to keep walking back in rain 3 times to reception to tell them cards not working, finally they called maintenance guy who got us into the temporary room around 3:00am, spent next hour trying to sleep with all the mosquitos in the room. Left next day, only to find that the bed was infested with Bed Bugs, now trying to exterminate them from the house, probably have to call a professional as they are extremely difficult to get rid of. Beach was nice. Food the usual Cuban food that has little flavour, wine is acidic - don't bother drinking it. Stay at a different resort, this one is too big and has too many problems that are not getting fixed, just like Havana which is literally crumbling to the ground - too bad. Don't normally complain, but it was just one thing after another at this resort.