A nice resort

It is a nice resort We enjoyed our stay there. The service was very good, the staff tried thier best to make is a pleasant stay for us. The resort is an old one the building is old , didn't like the public washrooms the doors were broken, they are in fixing mode all the time and they are doing the best to make you comfortable. Room service is good they it could be better. Food is very good but there are not much for those who are vegetarian. Beautiful beech and more beautiful pool area overall I [... read more] give it 3.5 to 4 stars.

Would not go back

This resort was nice but some flaws would make us not return, unfortunately. The adults only side of the Grand Memories - the Santuary was quiet and certainly very relaxing. The pool and beach areas were definitely the best part of this resort. Absolutely gorgeous. The pool was not busy and you could always find a shade or sun spot. The poolside bar was great. Santa Maria itself is remote in that there is not a lot in the immediate area (town to go to for example) but you go here to get away and [... read more] enjoy less hustle and bustle. Varadero 2 hours away; Havana 4 hours. The staff overall were friendly but the general understanding of English was poor for many of the staff even in the concierge service. As a result the communication for instructions, directions was hard. The Sun Wing-Nexus staff however were very helpful and communicated well. The butler service in this side of the resort was convenient to have but again communication not great. The food was average, bland at best but many a la carte restaurants gave some variety. The rooms and grounds were neat and tidy. I would give a 3 star rating in Canadian standards. The main reason we would not recommend this hotel is that they have a history of water issues. Although not sure the real reason, whether it's pipes breaking or other problems, the resort will shut the water off during the day. We had 2 days when they did this and they will not tell you when or for how long. We talked to other people staying the week before us and they had 4 of 7 days without water for most of the day. Apparently there have been times when guests had to go to the pool with their garbage buckets to get water in order to flush the toilets. This also related to unclean poolside bathrooms (with reports of toilets overflowing) and more serious questions of how restaurant staff were washing their hands and kitchen areas to cook and prepare our food! It's unfortunate but we would not return to this part of Cuba. We are of the understanding that the water issue involves most of the resorts in this area. Other than that it would be good value for what you pay as the beach and pool were beautiful.

Very nice.

It was calm and friendly, like we wanted. The staff/workers try very hard to keep visitors happy. Grounds were beautiful, lots of flowers and shrubs. Different music by the pool daily. The food is ok which is normal for Cuba. The two other connecting Resorts were noisier with children and more people. This was perfect for us. The Beach was fantastic. Aqua blue water and blue skies. The sand was white and deep - awesome.

Good resort

Great service with check in, nice lobby area with bar, rooms are nice, some updated and on one of 3 floors which is a nice height. Great beach, pool is really nice with lots of lounge chairs and shade

Just the right resort for a restful holiday

My husband and I felt we needed one more trip to Cuba before the country becomes as popular with Americans as Canadians. This resort did not disappoint. It has the best beach we've been to in Cuba and really does feel like a sanctuary - peaceful, uncrowded, with rooms very close to the beach and the pool. There are several 'minor' issues that need to be addressed, for example, very poor wifi service, public washrooms in poor condition, and unclear/questionable role played by butlers. But ove [... read more]rall we enjoyed our stay and would gladly return.

Sanctuary

Staff were extremely helpful, friendly, fun and always available. Beautiful location, resort was well kept and clean. Amazing, never ending, well maintained beach. Food was good, although disappointed in the selection of fruit available, but only because I don’t like papaya and mango. The room was clean, the bed and pillows were very comfortable. Lobby and pool washrooms were an issue only because several of the stalls were not working and those that were did not have working locks.  [... read more] Several days there were not enough of clean beach towels. Wish someone would have told me about the bugs and recommended wearing bug spray during the day as well as night. Disappointed the on-site banker did not have smaller Cuban pesos available to exchange money.

Bed Bugs

The grounds around the garden were lovely. The pool and beach are lovely. The Sanctuary where we stayed was not cleaned regularly other then the around the pool. It would be nice if the numerous showers around the pools worked but not one of them worked. Only one shower as you were exiting the beach worked to rinse off the sand. It would be nice if the showers worked around the pool, because many people would rinse off the sand in the pool. The 24 hour bar needed the floor cleaned daily  [... read more]but it was not. You had to be careful of broken glass. The washrooms were very unsanitary and in the memories and grand memories, some toilets had no seats and make sure you have kleenex because toilet paper was unavailable many times. Our room had two super single beds which we were not impressed when we paid for the Diamond package. One bed had bed bugs so the the first few days were horrible and then when we noticed stool from bed bugs all around the seem we informed the manager which he said they did not have any. So I slept in the other super single with my husband for a week until another manager Paula asked me if everything is good with our room. I told her the situation and she wanted me to show her and the head maid and maid how I know their are bed bugs. After that they gave me a new bed and finally we slept well with no bites. Sad to say we were not the only ones bitten by bed bugs. Some booked a flight early to go home due to the bites. We asked our maid to clean the tub and if at all possible she can wash the floor. Which she did after we expressed our concerns. The food was of low quality for a 4 star in Cuba. Although if you went to the Grand memories buffet where children were it was a lot better and more variety. Just make sure you get their early. The ala cart menu's did not serve what was on the menu and many times they did not have the meals available. But the weather, beach and pool were wonderful. They aim to please but the staff needs to quit arguing in front of people. I am sure once they get rid of bed bugs and spray the compound daily their vacationers will want to come back.

Relaxation and Amazing Beach

I just returned from Sanctuary Grand Memories on the 16th of February. This was a short visit with a friend. The beautiful resort is so new, that they are still painting in the hallways of the buildings. Pros - butler service to look after you and book your meal reservations. Elvis was fantastic! Our deadbolt was not working on our first evening and when we mentioned it in the the morning, to the butler, by time we returned to our room, it was fixed. * beautiful sand beach, to walk f [... read more]or miles * air conditioning works really well, ( we shut it off, as it was too cool), beds - firm, but okay * lots of lounge chairs by pool with the option of adding a soft cushion to it and quite a few shade structures by the pool * beach towels in the room upon check in, which were exchanged by an employee walking around each day. Music was played by a DJ by the pool, with a nice mix of music * Pool bartenders were friendly, always smiling. With the resort being nearly empty, there was never a line up to get drinks. *The lobby bar had a wall full of different alcohol to choose from, but no "special of the day" or drink menu to inspire you * Your bar fridge in the room was filled daily with beer, soda and bottled water. * Room had safe, umbrella, 2 robes, coffee maker, iron, television (never turned it on) and telephones (which did not work) * Evening shows were by the pool and near the lobby bar. You could also walk or take shuttle to sister resort to watch shows, in a bigger building. * Maids did good job and left towel art everyday, with a written note * We had purchased the upgrade to Diamond, which allowed us a late checkout of 3 pm. At the Sanctuary, I don't believe the upgrade was necessary, but would recommend it for other 2 resorts. * A short walk thru the resort brought you to an open market, open daily * You could stroll or take the shuttle to the Italian, Mexican or Mediterranean, note this is at the Grand Memories, so children were at the restaurants *Roses were given to women on Valentines Day, with a poem and Cupid walked around the pool all day (with wings) * Fresh pizza, burgers and sandwiches available after evening meal. Cons * 2 hour bus ride from the hotel - $5 for 2 cold beer on the bus * 2 towels in room for a double occupancy, no washcloths (Don't forget to take your towel from the towel art, or you will jump out of shower with no towel to use. lol) * If you arrive for breakfast much later than 9 am, it was difficult to get a coffee or glass of water * Lunch menu, was good, but the same every day. One of the stations repeated identical items. So, not a huge selection. I hope when it gets busier, they will add additional choices. Burgers, only were available by the beach, daily, as well as a bar. * Our robes disappeared day before we left. On leaving, hotel maid came chasing our shuttle saying they weren't in our room and we had to wait for them to verify. A sad blip to a great trip. *When you get off the bus, you are at Grand Memories and need to take a very short shuttle to Sanctuary. Had a bit of an aerobic moment, after 2 hour bus ride to think you were at wrong resort. * We exchanged money for tips, but only large bills available - 20/10. Every day we went and could not get any small bills/coins to leave as tips.

A quiet getaway with all the perks!

We booked this resort on a Monday and left on a Wednesday. We went on the price, adult only, and the area of Cuba. We arrived after a direct flight with Sun Wing and a 90 minute bus ride from the airport in Santa Clara to the Santa Maria resort area. We had two personal butlers with a champagne greeting and a cart to the bungalow. This part of the Grand Memories is under restoration and only 2 bungalows were completed. This did not detour us from booking, as we knew this beforehand. It [... read more] was very private and very quiet and all the employees looked after our every need! There is a restaurant called the International that serves a breakfast buffet, omelettes and pancakes cooked for your request. There is fresh orange juice, fruit and pastries. The coffee is Americano or you can request a Cappuccino or coffee of your choice from the bar outside of the restaurant through your server. The beach is absolutely beautiful with crystal blue water with 7 shades of blue. There will be someone who will get you your chair under a requested palapa where there is sufficient shade or sun. There is also a grill and bar on the beach where someone will come and take your order. You can also go to the buffet or pool bar for food and drink. The closest washrooms are near the restaurant or pool. You can walk for miles on the beach. There are catamarans, paddleboats and kayaks for you use at the next resort, Grand Memories at your access. The International restaurant on the resort is very private and only for the Sanctuary guests where they serve steak and chicken one night and fish, lobster the next night. The servers are very good and willing to get anything that is within their reach in the kitchen. Wine is Chilean and very good. They serve pizza and other items after 10 p.m. The entertainment is good with live music in the restaurant until 9:30 with the live show near the pool beginning shortly after until 10 p.m. You can go to the next resort if you want a bigger or longer show at the Grand Memories. There are also bars and other restaurants in that area, too. Your butler can make your reservations at those restaurants, Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean. Money can be exchanged at the bank at the Grand Memories resort at their bank, but employees will accept Canadian and American money for tips. They do expect a tip, but it is always appreciated and their money in CUC is good to have. There were a few minor issues, but all were resolved quickly and efficiently. A great value for all those perks! Where else can you go where you get your own personal butler on a daily basis who look after all your needs? I would highly recommend this resort for anyone who wants a quiet getaway for a week, who loves the beach and an appreciation for a week without a cell and a good book!