Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Best beach in Cuba

The Memories Flamenco is one of the best kept secrets on the island of Cuba. If relaxing on a magnificent newly constructed sand beach is your thing, Cayo Coco is the place. Comparable to the beaches of Varadero, only with much less traffic. There are only three resorts on this miles long beach. Marine life abound in the warm turquious waters of the Atlantic Carribean. Manta rays leap from the ocean less than 100 meters from the shoreline. Tropical fish swim around you as you enjoy walking in th [... read more]e shallow warm waters of the Atlantic. Three pools with a swim up bar will keep you cool during the long hot days. Ice cold Mojitos are hand delivered as you relax on your lounger beside the pool. Entertainment is provided continually by the professional staff and a spectacular evening show is the highlight of the day. The Memories staff are polite and efficient. The buffet serves an excellent choice of freshly prepared food three times a day. Three a la carte restaurants offer up a delectable choice, and a 24 hour snack bar includes poutine, calamari, and pizza. We were allowed to eat lunch at the exclusive Diamond Club beach hut. The fare included freshly barbecued chicken, pork, and fish.The room was spotless, and the air conditioning ran flawlessly. Our house keeper would lay out our towels and bedding like figurines, including fresh flowers daily. The Memories is rated as a 4 plus hotel and certainly lives up to that standard. We flew Sunwing airlines for the first time and were impressed with their courtesy. Unlike some other Canadian airlines we have flown to Cuba with, Sunwing was virtually on time and on schedule, with just a 15 minute delay coming home. Our 11 days in Cuba cost us only $2330 Canadian, all inclusive, booked through Tripcentral. This was our fifth trip in four years to Cuba. We have been to Cayo Santa Marie, Hoguin Guadalavaca, and Varadero twice, Cuba is in my opinion, the best "bang for your buck" Carribean vacation spot Canadians can find. As a footnote, Cayo Coco is an island, with the closest town of Moron a twenty minute drive away.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Beautiful Beach

Ok, first off check in was quick and our room was well appointed. If you can afford to upgrade to Diamond do so. Service was mediocre, found staff to be preoccupied with the Internet so it was frustrating sometimes. Food was ok, room service was ok Butler service was ok. Go for the beach!!!! If you get a deal

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Absolutely Beautiful with the best Pina Coloda!

This resort is stunning. One of the nicest grounds I have seen. The workers from gardens, bars, buffet, room cleaners and front desk could not have been nicer. The beach was wonderful. We walked barefoot on the beach in both directions for about an hour and the sand was soft and smooth. The ocean floor was also clean and soft. Much nicer that in front of the next two resorts on the right side which were full of broken sea shells. I would recommend this resort to everyone

Memories Paraiso: Excellent staff and resort!

Amazing experience, great staff, accomodations, beach, pools. Wide selection of food at the buffet. Would definitely go back to that resort!! I was told there were a lot of jellyfish there, but we didnt have a single issue and we were in the ocean for several hours a day!

Resonance Blu Varadero: Not worth the visit

This is a very old and run down hotel, there was mould in the room and everything was rusted out. The hotel is no was all inclusive, there were no beverages in the room in any way and we were informed you had to be a presidents club member. The staff were not really that friendly and was hard to get service. All of the drink machines were turned off, so unable to get blended drinks in any way anywhere. Memories left a bad taste in our mouth

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Simply Perfect

The first time vacationing for Nicki and I, this resort was absolutely amazing! Very friendly staff, short walk to the beach and great food, perfect swim up bar with courteous and quick bar staff. The beach was beautiful and we were able to walk all around without fear of stepping on corals or rocks. If you are looking to travel somewhere RELAXING with no kids (16+ only) then this is exactly where you need to be. We will visit again for sure! 100%!

Resonance Blu Varadero: BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS

THE GROUNDS ARE BEAUTIFUL. IT WAS A GREAT PLACE TO GO FOR A WALK. THE POOLS ARE NICE. THE BEACH IS EXCELLENT WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF LOUNGE CHAIRS AND SHELTERS. THE SHUTTLE SERVICE DID NOT EXIST AS THEY HAVE NO DESIGNATED STOPS AND NO REGULAR TIMES. IN A ONE WEEK STAY WE WERE OFFERED ONE RIDE ON A SHUTTLE THAT WAS FULL. FOOD WAS OK AS THERE WAS A VERY GOOD SELECTION BUT FOR QUALITY ON ALL ITEMS WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS CUBA. THE SUNWING REPS DID NOT GIVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE RES [... read more]ORT. NOT ALL BARS HAD A SUPPLY OF DIET COKE FOR MIX, IT WAS A SEARCH FOR THAT MIX. OVERALL WE WERE SATISFIED FOR THE PRICE.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Sanctuary is terrific !

We stayed in building 34 in the Sanctuary adult only side of the Grand Memories resort and it was terrific. Check-in was fast & efficient, butler was very friendly and gave us a mini-tour. All the staff at the Sanctuary as well as Grand Memories were very good. They really try their hardest to please and what Cuba doesn’t have in amenities they make up for in creativity. Food was quite good, especially at the Sanctuary restaurant and the Sanctuary section at the Ranchon for lunch. Itali [... read more]an and Asian restaurants also very good, as well as the theme nights (even had lobster once at the Wednesday Gala night and at the Cuban lunch at the pool). Wait staff were very friendly and helpful. Note: we did hear some people say they didn’t like the food but it may simply have been that it wasn’t to their taste. You can’t expect to get food exactly like in Canada or exactly as you are used to it being prepared. There were some items on the buffet or menus that I didn’t care for taste-wise, but they were well prepared and you just have to try other things until you find what you like. Our 2nd floor room was clean and well appointed. Cleaning staff very good, bar fridge replenished daily and towels/face cloths refreshed as needed. One of the two beds had a mattress that the springs could be felt, needed to be replaced, but overall ok. We had a problem with the toilet seat that was fixed within hours of our call to the front desk. Note that Cuba doesn't seem to have some luxury items like facial tissue. Pools were very nice, kept clean. We always found a lounger at the Sanctuary pool and the pool man would get us a lounge pad for comfort. The towel guy had a great sense of humour ! Lots of sun or shade for those who don’t like to sit in the sun. On our last day we discovered the south pool with a swim-up bar - very quiet and few people there but it was lovely. The bar staff were great at all the bars. We tipped all the staff from time to time and found they were terrific either way, but of course they do appreciate the odd tip. The main lobby at Grand Memories does get crowded and a few times the ladies washroom needed attention – no toilet paper or soap/hand towel paper. The Animation staff were great, daily activities well run. Loved the foam pool party and other pool activities. We didn’t care for the nightly entertainment, we found it was very amateurish and lacked good choreography. However there were other bands/music and activities we did enjoy at night. The Sanctuary Lounge Bar staff were great, as was the music and live entertainment there. The only thing we could suggest to improve the Sanctuary is that they need to create an outdoor lounge area with comfortable chairs in sun and shade so that people can sit outdoors to relax, talk, play cards or read (similar to what they have outside the main Grand Memories Lobby bar). There’s a spot outside the Lounge bar that might do, or an area in Ranchon that isn’t currently used that would be great with lounge chairs/settee’s. We ordered room service for the last day as we were leaving early for the airport and they arrived within 15 minutes of the requested time (order it a bit earlier than you need) and it was great. Terrific vacation all round, we highly recommend the Sanctuary !

Resonance Blu Varadero: not bad for Cuba

hotel was not bad for Cuba...took Diamond Club package which was a total waste of money...upon arrival we were told to walk to our building and had to carry our bags up three flights of stairs...not Diamond Club service.. had no towels for two days when I complained at Diamond club services was offered to go pick them up myself and take to room which I refused to do.Hot water was also lacking in our Diamond club room while other guests had both towels and hot water for a hundred dollars less ?? [... read more]??Dining room was no better as we stood in line behind regular paying guests at the same buffet...forget Diamond Club...staff was nice

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Good resort

When we where there Nov.14 to 22nd most of the beach was gone and water so dirty from pumping new sand to the beach. We had no access to the next resort.I hope everything is back to normal and I can recommend this resort to the another people.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Excellent.... one more time

We liked this hotel the first time (2 years ago) and we decided to go there once more. Because of Fidel's death the Christmas decoration were temporary removed and there was no music neither night shows. This did not bother us because we were there to relax and get some rest. The beach has been totally redone and expanded. No more corail... great! The foods were like the last time... excellent and the service perfect. This destination will be on our list again.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Way too good of a time!

Everything was amazing! The second we drove up I was blown away by how beautiful and welcoming the lobby was! Everyone was so eager to welcome and help! Our luggage was carefully escorted to our room, which was beautiful and clean! (it remained clean all week! the ladies did an excellent job in making sure you were comfortable) The staff was so polite and fun! The pools and the beach were just stunning! Oh and the food! I don't think there could ever be a complaint about this place! Overal [... read more]l I cant wait to go back, it was way too good of a time to ever want to leave!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: November 26-December 3 2016 trip

We just got back from our stay at the Sanctuary Grand memories hotel in Varadero Cuba. We arrived the day after Fidel Castro passed away, which changed our trip completely unfortunately. All of Varadero(and probably Cuba) had a 9 day mourning period. This started the day we arrived and ended the Sunday after we left. This meant, absolutely NO music or entertainment and there was a very somber mood for the first 2-4 days of our trip. Luckily we brought our own music player and iPods. There was no [... read more] daytime games, water games, drinking games, or day or night time entertainment. Besides this crappy part, the resort was beautiful, grounds were very well maintained, rooms were clean and always equipped with beer/alcohol and water/pop. The staff was very friendly and pools were decently clean. The food was pretty good, offering good variety at the buffet and the A la cartes were very tasty. The beach was nice, small, but nice and clean. Overall, if we had arrived a week later or even before, our stay would have been so much more enjoyable!

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Great resort

This is the best Memories I have been to. Staff is amazing. Beach is long wide and wonderful. Can not comment on entertainment as I was there during the mourning period. Hotel is a short ride from the airport. Only complaint is the gym does not open until 9.

Royalton Splash Punta Cana: Memories

The Mexican, Italian and under the sea restaurants were very good and the service was great. We enjoyed the entertainment groups around the pool and in the cafe area in the evening. Very friendly. We had very good service at the beach thanks to Eudes. He went out of his way for us. We took the VIP package, we had a concierge but after the first day, we didn't see him again. Rooms were ok but not very clean. Bed skort was dirty and washroom not very clean. The cleaning lady was ve [... read more]ry good at rearranging and adding towels. That service was good. Breakfast buffet wasn't good, not clean and no good service maybe because of the language barrier. Public washrooms were not clean. Resort needs to review quality assurance.

Memories Paraiso: Relaxing Trip

The hotel itself is a bit dated and the Azul side was 80% empty, there was nothing at the pool and the buffet looked like a ghost town. We spent all of our time on the Paraiso Side of the resort. Our room was kept clean and was sufficient for us for the 5 days we were there. We had a king bed, matress was a bit hard but that was ok, we didn't mind. We were switched from building 52 to 53 as soon as we got there, again not a big deal. The grounds were beautiful, much more mature from the las [... read more]t time we were there. The gardeners do a great job keeping it clean and beautiful. I cannot say enough about the people there. The first night we walked in the lobby bar Micheal (pardon the spelling) and Dany recognized us from a couple of years ago. So welcoming. We were treated well the entire time from them and Rolando at the main buffet, again who recognized us from before. All of the staff are very friendly and will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. The beach is absolutely stunning, we walked for miles every day. The pool is great, clean and cool, a nice break from the heat. The food is meh! We had 2 al la carts, they were ok, a nice break from the buffet. It was my husbands 50th birthday and they did a cake and sparkling wine for us for dinner which was nice. We didn't go hungry but it got a bit repetitive by the end of the week, and that is typical for Cuba, we expected it. The only complaint that I have is that we were there when Fidel Castro died. We had entertainment for the first day and theatre show for 1 night but then the country was in 9 days of mourning starting on Saturday Nov 26th. They discontinued the nightly shows at the theatre, no music was allowed to be played either at the pool or the beach and there was no activities at either. It was really quiet and sombre around the resort. People were trying to entertain themselves with their own little speakers but some were told to turn them down in respect for their president. You could definately feel that there was dissapointment with travellors because of this. The true experience of being in Cuba was not felt. We felt a little cheated. We managed to make the best of it, it was a very relaxing trip and that is what we went for.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Excellent Resort

Good value for your money! Beautiful grounds. Excellent staff. Good variety of food. The only disappointing thing was that it was too windy to go snorkeling. Also all bar staff should be aware that Diamond Club is the better alcohol. I don't think worth the extra money as the hotel wasn't very busy. There are a lot of stairs but that was fine with us as we liked the exercise.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Great Family Resort

Just returned from a week at the Memories on Grand Flamenco beach. Had a great time and the hotel met my expectations. It was my first visit to this hotel. The hotel was probably 35-40% full. There were always chairs at the pool with shade. Key Points: Staff is fantastic. Most bent over backwards to ensure we had a great trip! (the amazing Cuban people are why we return to Cuba) Our rooms were in bungalow 4 which is close to the pool, beach and buffets. My dad has some mobility issue [... read more]s and we had a wheel chair. He was glad as there was lots of walking, however, compared to other resorts, this one is not too large. The food was very good with lots of variety at every meal. The omelet cook was the best. Always a smile, joke and laugh in the morning. 4-5 kinds of fresh fish for the grill at lunch and dinner + 3-4 kinds of meat for the grill too. There was a carving station. Plus lots of prepared dishes too. Cuban food has improved so much. Line-ups in the buffet were very short for omelets, pasta, grilled fish or meat. I've been over 25 times and never been sick on the food. However, they only had rice and beans on the buffet one day and never served banana's flambe. (my favorite - apparently they only have this when there are lots of bananas) We had 2 birthdays in our group and the chef provided cakes for both dinners. Got a special table at the buffet with roses for the ladies. Most bars served limited brands - Lobby bar had best selection, but still a bit limited. I think the Diamond Class guests get a better selection, but it's not in plain view. Beach is being reclaimed, and will be fantastic soon. Didn't need water shoes to go swimming. it was really windy and the water was wavy, so not able to snorkel or go out on any Hobie cats. The only beach shade is near the trees in the back. They need to finish the reclamation work and get some beach shade umbrellas built fast. There was lots of painting going on. They are getting ready for high season. it's nice to see them improving, but it made our visit a bit smelly. The rooms were OK. We were in a ground floor room and had quite a few bugs (looked like roaches, but no spiders) The beds were hard and the pillows too. Our hotel room phone didn't work at all - they said they were working on it. So it you needed to speak to the PR team, you had to go in person and no wake up calls. All maintenance was done quickly (toilet leaked, light in bathroom blew). Entertainment was OK. Lots of live music in the lobby every night. No disco on site so if you want to go dancing you have to go down the road and it's going to cost you extra. Pools were cold. Good thing it was sunny and warm. The foam party on Thursday afternoon was lots of fun. I would consider a return trip to this hotel because the staff was so amazing.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Very Meh...

It would seem as though we arrived during maintenance week. The beach was closed for dredging for 5 of our 7 day stay, and when it was finally open, the sand was coarse and very "shelly". We could have gone for a 10 minute walk in either direction to sit on the beach if we really wanted to, but that was not my intention. The rooms were okay - mildewy, and a little grimey. Our curtains didn't open the full way so we had to use the coffee table to pin them to the walls to get more light in our [... read more] room. We also had a number of bugs in the room (little flying, crawly ones... and at least one small spider). The water pressure and temperature was lacking and the shower head sprayed in all different directions, including back at the wall when placed in the shower holder. Neither of our phones worked in the room. Staff were also in the process of repainting most of the surfaces around the pool during our stay. Drips of red paint/stain and the faint stink of fresh chemicals were always around. Crews were building a diamond club bar during the whole week we were forced to sit around the pool, which was FREEZING. The pool deck was littered with sticky mojito messes, lime wedges, and discarded cigarette butts. Your drink of choice was not always readily available as bars frequently ran out of certain beverages, including one night where the Snack Bar ran out of wine and my mother had to walk to the lobby bar to get another bottle because the staff refused to restock the bar for her. Needless to say, that wasn't the resorts most shining moment. That being said, the majority of the staff were wonderful and helpful. The food was good... lots of variety and tasty. While Cola and Fanta were hard to come by in the buffet, especially earlier in the day, and the coffee being coolish (never hot), the food was the hotels redeeming quality. There is no disco on site; you have to walk to one 10 minutes down the road which is MOSQUITO central at night. Night time entertainment was okay if you enjoy dancing. The magic act with the mannequin will blow your mind! *no spoilers* And there were lots of cats which is good if you like cats. Despite my complaints, the resort was okay... but I probably won't be back. #FirstWorldProblems

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Amazing staff

Amazing people, beautiful gardens and grounds, best food in Cuba we've had so far, beautiful beach area just upgraded new sand to cover coral. Resort not to big, all buildings surround pool area, so your close to everything!