Heaven on a Beach

This hotel has it all. Well manicured beaches,ample lounge chairs,friendly staff members,and amazing food. Even if you want a special evening for a quiet dinner ,there are two beautiful restaurants on site to temp your taste buds.If you want excitement on the ocean how about scuba diving,sailing,or snorkeling in an ocean that offers a whole new world.Entertainment in your wish book? The evening shows are outside by the pool and are a must see...every night! Something more intimate? How about the [... read more] piano bar upstairs! it would rival any professional entertainment anywhere in the world of hotels!! Looking for more of a challenge during the day. Then be sure to sign up for free tennis lessons, or book a trip into the old city of Havana and see Cuba as it was and will be once again.The days at the hotel are an endless array of possibilities and entertainment and if you want a quiet day be sure to seek out the spa. A womens paradise! Yes , go to Memmories in Jibacoa.

Disappointing

Unfortunately we will not return to Memories Jibacoa. There were many returnees there while we were there and they were disappointed as well.It was very hot and there are not enough fans in the buffet area There are fans in the main buffet area, but not in the surrounding buffet area. The 2 restaurants are air conditioned, but we were only able to eat there twice for a week's visit. Food was average, better than the buffet gor sure.Our room was air conditioned... Thank God, but on the last day i [... read more]t seemed to be wearing out. There was a huge influx of flies, they were everywhere, extremely annoying and could be a potential health risk. They said they were spraying, but to no avail. The lobby bar was out of glasses almost every night,( around dinner time). There were using cheap plastic glasses that are used at the pool bar.If you squeezed too hard, your drink spilt out. The food was not palatable. Fish and meat out in the heat. It was on ice, most of the time, but it melted very quickly. And the flies were all over the food.,The good part of the buffet was the omelet maker every am and the pasta bar every pm.The 2 chefs did a fabulous job, despite the awful heat. The staff are the best and the only positive comment we can make. They are wonderful. They work extremely hard. One waitress started at 6:30 am and worked until 1130 pm!! She said it was OK and that is what is done as they change shifts the next day. I do not know if this was her choice, but a very unsafe situation.I believe Sunwing is part owner of this resort and if true, they should be taken to task in a big way!! The impression among the guests is that mgmt appears to be cutting corners. This was relayed to us by guests who had visited the resort in the past. Changes for the worst. The pool is clean and nice but tiles are missing. If this continues it won't be so nice. The beach and grounds are lovely. The grounds appear to be well looked after. Some guests arriving for dinner had no place to sit, so there was a scramble to assemble tables. Apparently there were more tables with the previous owners. We had a trip to Havana for a day and that made the trip worthwhile. We will not recommend this resort to anyone.

It is a very nice place.

I wasn't impressed that there was no one to take our bags to the room or when we checked out. The staff were very friendly and accommodating and the rooms were very nice. There was a good selection of food at the buffet.

Tropical Setting

Located between the mountain and the sea gives this resort a very lush tropical feel. It is very different than the outer cays.Every thing is done to make sure you have an enjoyable time, just ask and they will try to accomadate you.There are a few wrinkles, the buffet food is mediocre, but the grills are good. The beach is rocky so take beach shoes as this is a snorkellers paradise.No air in the dining area will bother some in 30 degree weather.Over all it is a lovely resort, with great staff.

Beautiful resort with some room for improvements

The hotel is gorgeous! Very well maintained. Great layout (building 7 was in the perfect central location). Nice rooms. Very friendly and helpful staff. Food is very good. A la cartel restaurants are amazing. Delicious food! The beach is nice but be aware there is a huge reef just off shore. Great for snorkelling/scuba but makes it hard to walk out. And people walking all over the reef is killing it. It's gorgeous and should be being protected. Wifi is still not available (but it's being hooke [... read more]d in now) and my Roam like Home didn't work there. You have to use the hotel computers. Not ideal. My biggest complaint was the beds. I found them unbelievably hard. I've heard they are getting new beds but that didn't help me. I would return to this resort in a heartbeat. My few issues are on their to do list. This resort could easily make itself a 5 star with a few small changes. Thankfully the people, location and scenery well outweigh the few issues.

Great resort and lovely people

We all 7 of us ladies had a great time there at the Memories Jibacoa resort. Just got home today. It was our first time there and we all can honestly say we had a good time meeting the staff who make our stay relaxing and pleasant.

Fifth time and still good

Repeat customer, five times and counting. New management still finding it's feet but if they just relax and let the Cuban staff do what they do it will still be excellent. Location perfect. Don't change!

Beautiful People & Location

The people and the location stood out above all. All of the staff really made you feel welcome and went well above and beyond to accommodate. The farms and mountain behind as well as the ocean and reef in front made for ample opportunities to enjoy nature. Closeness to Havana allowed for a city adventure. We would definitely go back!

Great resort

We had a great time at Memories Jibacoa. The shows were very good and entertaining and they animation team had lots of games and things available to do during the day. All the staff were great and very accomodating. The food was good but too repetitive. There were no lettuce or tomatoes but they said they were out of season. The a LA cares were amazing. Lots of shade with the new canopies and new chairs. Would recommend this resort very highly to those seeking an adult vacation. I would also sug [... read more]gest horseback riding with Mario and lobster dinner at the Tower restaurant.

Great Memories at this resort!

Our stay at Memories Jibacoa was great. This was our first trip there and we do have great memories! The food was good and varied and always fresh – the only complaints – no mangos but the season was near the end (even though, we often go to Cuba in September and have always had mangos at the buffets – Cuban mangos are the best!). Also, the coffee at the buffet was very weak and watered down – surprising as Cuba is known for good coffee. The staff was very attentive and the best !We trav [... read more]elled with another couple and needed rooms side by side. The location of our rooms was a bit isolated with not the greatest view but the best locations near the pool seem to be given to repeat guests. We had reserved two months before but were told the resort was full and we had no choice. The snorkeling off the beach there is great. The reef is amazing and the main reason we went to Jibacoa. We were not disappointed. We snorkel a lot and this is definitely one of the best reefs we’ve seen. The beach itself is very rocky though, especially entering or exiting the water. Bring water shoes – not the best beach if you do not snorkel. The beach grill food was limited – hamburgers, hot dogs, sometimes chicken, french fries and terrible salads (no lettuce – shredded cabbage and no salad dressing). The entertainment at the piano-bar was really fun most nights. We really enjoyed George the piano player. The other one was not so entertaining – he seemed to want to impress with some obscure classical music rather than play music that was popular with the guests. It is a sing- along bar with music – books and it was impossible to follow his music. The shows at night were good but they need air-conditioning in the indoor party room. It was unbearably hot in there. All in all though, this is a great resort and we will probably go back! (and now that we are repeat guests, maybe we’ll get a better room!)

Great holiday

Very good value at this resort. Lots to do especially if you enjoy snorkeling. Good location for a visit to Havana. Rooms clean, friendly staff are the main strength, food good for Cuba, very safe outside of Hotel. Would return again.

Very nice holiday!

Very Nice holiday! Our oceanview room(suite) was excellent. The grounds are beautifully maintained. The food was good but lacked diversity. The beach is very nice but water shoes are necesary as there are a lot of rocks.

Our honeymoon

We arrived on Tues. Sept 1st and the beginning of our time at the resort was good. The resort is small and beautiful and the beach is incredible! The rooms were quaint and clean. The food wasn't amazing and there wasn't a huge variety but you certainly wouldn't go hungry. Most of the staff there were happy and friendly. My biggest complaint is the food handling safety. Different raw meats are all cooked on the same grill using the same flipper. I was served my cooked chicken with a slipper cover [... read more]ed in raw hamburger that was just added to the grill. I did notice a few times that my chicken wasn't fully cooked. I'd push it to the side and just thoroughly inspect each piece. Stupidly, I continued to order it. My husband got really sick on the Friday night (throwing up & diarhea) and was sick in bed all day Saturday. Sunday morning he was feeling better and we went for a swim in the pool. Sunday after lunch I became really ill. I threw up violently and had terrible diarhea until Monday night. I slept on a beach towel on the bathroom floor Sunday night. We flew home on Tuesday and I wasn't sure they'd let me on the plane I was so sick and weak. We will have been home a week tomorrow and I'm just now starting to feel better. Our honeymoon was ruined. :( I would definitely recommend that this resort be inspected for food safety!

Great Resort

My brother and I spent 5 days at Memories Jibacoa in August. It was our first trip to Cuba and this property/location was chosen so that we would be relatively close to Havana. We did not go with real high expectations of Cuba but we were pleasantly surprised. Our trips to Havana and to Varadero were excellent - thanks to Eric who was our guide. My brother was able to play a round of golf in Varadero (very nice golf course) while I went to the markets and did some sighseeing. Our room was on the [... read more] 2nd level, oceanview in building 3. Very nice room, great location (close to a reasonably well equipped gym). Beach area was very nice (not too crowded). Well planned entertainment on the beach with teams participating in different games and beach volleyball. After hearing very bad reviews regarding food from family and friends, we were pleasantly surprised with the food at this resort. We were happy with all our meals (especially the omelette and the fish). I took a small bottle of hot sauce which helped. I was not crazy about the white wine they served in the dining hall and the fact that since Mojito is supposed to be Cuba's famous cocktail we couldn't get that at the bar because they didn't have the mint leaves. A couple of times when we did get that drink they had put just a sprig of mint leaf - not crushed. This was disappointing. On the whole we had a great experience and since we were not expecting much because of the reviews from friends and family we were pleasantly surprised. I would go back to Memories Jibacoa with my friends. Five days was long enough and I really liked the resort and our oceanview room.

Very Limitted Resort

The facilities are well maintained and the resort overall is what anybody can expect from a 2 stars resort, their staff is full of unhappy people, they don't greet you when you arrive, and the bartenders and waitresses they don't say Hi, Hello or Thanks in English or Spanish, they make you feel unwelcome. Currency exchange, Spa, Gym, gift shops and towel exchange are available only from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm

Beautiful Grounds - TERRIBLE FOOD

Hotel - Really nice Beach - Very nice - beautiful Coral reefs and Fish right at your access Pool - Very Nice Groove - VERY QUIET Staff - Very helpful and friendly Food - REALLY TERRIBLE!!!! Really too bad- thats the major reason that I would not return

Memories

Nice, small and silent resort, with acceptable accommodation, friendly staff, good sport activities – even for “crocodiles” and nice entertainments. For us food and service were excellent. Beach is sandy and shadowed by trees with stones in entrance in water but with nice spots for snorkeling, no motor boat activities. Summary, excellent place for snorkeling and relax, only care when you exchange money.

Lovein'it as always!

This is our 4th time visit Jibacoa. The BEST thing about Jibacoa, aside from the 4.5 stars facility and environment (best snorkeling location), is friendly staff. Friendly and warm smiles are the main reasons that attract me to keep returning this little paradise, Jabacoa. I sincerely look forward for my next visit in 2016.

Excellent Resort

The resort is currently in transition from one owner to another. However every effort is being made to maintain the high standards that customers have come to expect. Those high standards are still being maintained.I will be back next year.

Great Resort and Beach!

This was a great resort! The rooms are very nice and the grounds were kept immaculate. They had very nice entertainment and poolside activities like salsa dancing lessons, etc. It tends to be mostly couples although there was a small percentage of singles.The staff are friendly and pleasant. I found it to be a great value and had a wonderful time.