Resonance Blu Varadero: Don't go

I have never been so disgusted. This was suppose to be a trip in memory of my parents that have passed away, I used my inheritance to share a trip with my children and grandchildren, which was their grandchildren and great grandchildren. For a trip that cost almost $10,000.00 very very upset, a place that says its a 4-5 star what is told about resort not true, I would say it's a 1 star. To start off with there was over $400.00 price drop for each person which the price drop was included in our  [... read more]package, we are only getting $220.00 back each. Now this is what happened on our trip - when we 1st got there we got wrong room for My husband and I, we had diamond club and got a room with 3 beds in it, so we had to get a new room - diamond club what a joke wasn't treat any different - My son and his girlfriends 1st room was full of bugs, 2nd room bathroom full of mold, so on their way to 3rd room maid accused them of stealing a beach towel, their 3rd room bed springs coming threw - treated like shit when they went and and complained, would ask for bottled water and was told they never had any, she has IBS so she needed it - Daughter and her husbands bed was like a board, they only had towels for 2 people and there was 4 in their room, twice they never even got towels after they cleaned their rooms - My husband and I had 3 days of the maid only making our bed because there was still sand in between the sheets -food was beyond terrible, the hot food was ALL cold at all meals even the a la carts, only the Japanese was hot and that's only because they cook in front of you, the pancakes were so cold I put them in the toaster and would still come out cold - very rude staff in all, except at the a la carts -My husband and I never got any more special treatment in our rooms for being diamond club -Son and girlfriend had their room missed twice for cleaning - Toopy and Beno only their 1 day and that was scheduled, which was suppose to be twice that day, and that ended up up only being once, Bernstein bears not even there (they were to be there all the time on website) -luggage got oil on it from plane - my luggage the hard plastic for it on inside was all broken -lunch by 2pm was pretty much taken away if you could eat it -snack bar wouldn't serve us at 4:10pm, sign said 10:00am-4:30pm -resort ran out of beer on Sunday for a little while -everyone got the diarrhea, 3 of us got diarrhea and even took Dukoral -good thing we took lots of snacks cause that's pretty much what we ate, my poor grandchildren had to eat bread and bananas for a week -would be told no bananas go back up and there would be some -My son and his girlfriend was suppose to have something for their birthdays never got anything - toilet wouldn't flush out poop, not good when you have Diarrhea -My daughter and her husband had cigarette butts coming up their bathroom sink drain, they don't smoke -2 of the rooms never had fridge stocked Extremely Disappointed on this trip, and what a terrible experience for my son and his girlfriend this was their first ever trip. I will never return or recommend this resort.

Grand Memories Varadero: Grand Memories Varadero:

This resort is being promoted and sold to customers by travel agencies alike as being a 4.5 Star. Very untrue.These resorts should be inspected periodically for example."every 2 years" prior to travel agents selling them to the general public so they are priced based a true star ratings. This resort does not barely make a 3 star at best. This wasn't just my opinion. There were many patriots that also was at the same resort that shared the very same opinion. Large volume of dissatisfied customers [... read more]. Here are just a few examples: 1.No hot water for entire stay. 2.No face cloths for entire stay. 3.With out bath towels at times. 4.Septic odor continuously while A/C running in our room. 5.Room safe not anchored for theft. 6.Supposingly hot meals cold almost daily. 7.Main swimming pool had no water circulation for entire stay. 8.Main pool had buckets of crystal chlorine dumped in the pool by workers rather than put into proper chlorine dispensers for gradual dissolving. 9.Cats and dogs roaming inside and outside coffee shops etc.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: great resort

We really enjoyed the resort ...they had lots to do and the area was clean...food good for Cuba pool clean rooms clean especially if you leave little gifts for housekeeping. Recommend getting out to Lennies for a lobster meal ....short cab ride I would reccomend this resort..with or without kids.......need lots of Peso's lol

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: 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.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Exemplary Service

11 day stay with 8 people. The service was phenomenal; service staff tried to accommodate at every opportunity. Pros: beach was great, lots of chairs with staff to assist, bar on beach, wait staff, pizza bar, low tide you could walk to next Memories resort, majority of food was very good. Entertainment was good, daytime activities were low key, you could participate if you wished but were not harassed to do so, which we appreciated. Night shows were a good variety of resort staff and professio [... read more]nals troops. Beach towels were in rooms upon check in and safes were electronic and included. Cons: BUGS! Some of our 8 were eaten alive while others may have received a few bites.Buffet food not always hot (but good quality), to alleviate cold food you could get fresh cooked meat, fish pasta and stir-fry that were very hot and fresh. Ourselves and one other couple did not have hot water (lukewarm) but in resort's defence they tried to fix problem and offered to change our rooms which we declined. Friends all had hot water with good water pressure; we lived with warm water so we wouldn't have to pack up belongings again. Pool was little cool but manageable; near end of stay the walls were getting a bit green with sludge. Overall our stay was a pleasure with some of the best staff we've encountered in our travels. TIPS: Bring your bug spray.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Fantastic family vacation

Ok so let's start off by saying there are two things you can expect in Cuba. 1 the food is fairly bland, and the rooms are ok. 2 the people are AMAZING, the service is great and the resort is fantastic. If you are going there for the food, you have picked the wrong destination. But the rest of your vacation will be great. It didn't hurt that the weather was perfect. The people at the resort are very accommodating, for example, our toilet broke on day 4. We called the lobby and they had it f [... read more]ixed within 2-3 hours. Pretty good since it would take much longer even at home to have that done. The people on the grounds were so amazing to my young daughters. Always handing them a flower, or making a bird out of palm leaves to give to them, or even getting down a coconut and carving it up for them. The beach was spectacular and we snorkeled ever day right off the beach. We saw tons of different fish, sting rays and hermit crabs. There is also a catamaran (hobie cat) which for 20 cucs they will take you out to a reef that is unreal. There is plenty of activity around the pool if that is your speed, or you can go to the upper pool for a little quieter suntanning. The 24 hour bar is really great and the coffee is spectacular, we already miss it. Do not hesitate to go to this resort, but taper your expectations on the food. The place is very clean and no one on our trip got the least bit sick.

Grand Memories Varadero: Sun wing terrible

Vacation started like this payed for pee boarding seat section. .extra 60 dollars then at airport asked I'd we wanted elite seating payed another 30 each for exactly dame seating sunwing should be ashamed of them sells. .grand memories hotel well let's say not good fought to get clean towels 3 people in room with one bottle of water one can of sign and one beer for three people no service at pool can't find staff this is not my first trip to cuba maybe my 12 love the people food culture will go  [... read more]again but not with sunwing

Grand Memories Varadero: Grand Memories Vacation

My hubby and I just got back Feb 19th and I must say I was afraid to read all other reviews that where bad about this hotel. First thing first : this is Cuba! be thankful you have sun and nice people around you. everyone is really nice at this hotel and always greeting you as walk the paths. My room had running hot water and the air conditioner worked perfect. The intertainment team was fantastic with always something to do. The beaches are clean and very nice. This hotel is big with lo [... read more]ts of pools and bars to see and drink at. The food was "ok" but that is not why we went to cuba for..Bring Salt and pepper with you and you will be fine. The weather was fantastic and the grounds kept clean. I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a good time. age group is more 20-45 due to lots of walking to get to different destinations. Havana was fantastic to see as well. Thumbs up to the staff at this hotel for sure!! Cheers. MJ

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Love this place!!!

This place is amazing, people are awesome!!! All you have to do is go with open mind that you are in Cuba. Lovely grounds, lots of activities if you want to join in.I would go back in a second!! All in all was a great place to stay!!

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Worst vacation ever.

Hello: My husband and I returned home 5 days into a 10 day vacation to Grand Memories Santa Maria. (extra cost of $465 each for flight home). From the minute we arrived at the resort it was unsettling to us. I fell down one hour after arriving due to the bad lighting and injured my right elbow and right hip.The food was dreadful. Diarrhea started after the 1st full day and did not end until we came home. We left the resort to a nearby market to buy food to eat. We found it next to impossi [... read more]ble to obtain drinkable water. Black mold, blood on our door and hallway, caved in ceilings in the hallway with large amounts of rags on the floor, bad odor of human waste around the resort, broken tiles on stairwell, tub would not drain, toilet sometimes flushed or would not stop flushing, railing on our balcony rotted and unstable, no toilet seats and paper in lobby bathroom with urine on the floor, etc. etc. etc.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Never again!

Besides the beautiful beach and the hotel was very boring because the shows were not at the right time and we always had to go to the memories for any entertainment. The disco was far and we had to pay 25 pesos to get in, the animation was only at the beach, buffet food was repetitive it seemed like we were eating lunch time leftovers. The market was expensive for what they had. I find that the tourists there were very snobby and would either play cards or read books. The age range was eit [... read more]her very young families or elderly no in between. The staff was not bad but they wanted tips all the time for everything and not very social. Not for me, so I won't be visiting anytime soon or ever.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Nice Resort!

The resort was nice...need to work on the hot water...maybe had 2 warm showers! The Airport system needs updated bad!!! We did have a relaxing vacation ! The Cubans are awesome people!!! The food was great no problems at all!!It was a beauty resort...alot of stairs....

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: 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.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great Resort

I was pleasantly surprised with this resort. Perfect weather! The grounds were lovely, common areas were clean. Our room was above the pool with only a 2 minute walk to an AMAZING beach. The employees really went above and beyond what I would have ever expected. Our butler easily arranged all of our reservations for the week and booked a private trip to Havana as well. The food was pretty good, breakfast was my favorite meal, with al a carte and the ability to order an omelette everyday. The oth [... read more]er meals were decent, usually could find something I liked enough. Drinks were plentiful and the coffee was great as well. Matthew at Trip Central was very helpful and we had no issues with our flights, bags or transportation. Overall a great trip!

Memories Paraiso: Good family fun trip!

We enjoyed our trip immensely. We were warned before-hand about the food and were prepared for the adequate buffet meals. Never found the 24-hour snack bar advertised in the package. There were a few burger/hot dog spots throughout the resort for the first 2-3 days, then closed for the remainder of our 7-day stay. We enjoyed the 2 a la carte meals included in our package. The kids club was disappointing. They had a schedule in front of the building with all of the daily activities listed,  [... read more]but it wasn't followed. My girls had an enjoyable time there the first visit, face painting and a very nice couple of people running it. We went back the next day and they said they just watched tv-at least it got them out of the sun for a bit. The rooms were decent, but could have used a big clean up...bathrooms needed a major scrub. The entire staff there was amazing-everyone very friendly and service with a smile. Stunning beaches-just like the photographs. Pools were well maintained also.

Memories Paraiso: Amazing resort

We have gone to this resort the last three years in a row. We have enjoyed everything about this place.we have also recommended this place to friends and family, in the past two years we have went with friends & family. Every one who works there were always nice and willing to help with anything. We tried to go again this year but weather cut our vacation short so we cancelled. Would love to make it back to this beautiful beach again. We all were very disappointed missing our trip.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Pleasant stay

The hotel rooms and grounds were very well kept, pleasant staff and ready to accommodate us. The food was not too bad, but not a lot of a variety. Pretty windy down at the beach and water was cold, we are used to the warm water of the Dominican, but we thought we would give Cuba a try. Lots of mosquito bites on everyone there.

Grand Memories Varadero: Fantastic Place with Minor Room for Improvement

The resort in general is fantastic, the employees great as well. However, the public bathrooms were in poor maintenance. No soap, no towels, toilets out of service for the entire 7 days we were there.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Great Resort in Cuba

Very nice resort in Cayo Coco Cuba. Resort is very nice ,clean and very well kept. Staff very friendly and inviting. Day staff get you involved in activities or let you rest in the sun by the pool or beach.This is our second visit to this resort and would recommend it.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Great Resort

They accommodated very well. The grounds were nice, the staff was great, the drinks were good. The room and food was okay. The resort is very big. There were no major issues at this resort everything was satisfactory.