Post Irma - pleasantly surprised !

First of all, greetings to the friendly, outgoing poolside bar staff, to Julio and every server working days and evenings. Every morning, we picked up or got "hand-delivered from the pool counter to our breakfast table" fresh cappuccinos - artistically decorated with palm trees or hearts or cursive script! And our thanks to John and the front desk staff!! They were very friendly and professional in dealing with our request to change rooms. We moved from an older unit to a quiet, private, r [... read more]enovated "european-style" room with a great....no, the BEST view of the ocean (Bldg 24-16). The grounds and quite a of the unit buildings were evidently still undergoing work in the recovery process after the storms. The landscaping in parts was still very rough. But many beautiful palm trees on the property. Mosquitos....especially 4pm thru the evening. No-se'ems worse...many swollen welts! Thank heavens for salt water! Wear bug spray and keep re-applying after swimming....I had a strong reaction to the bites and they took forever to heal...and I live in northern bug country...different species - ouch! The food in the main building, the pasta bar and the grill to order had a nice variety! (waiting in line was tedious). The beach area, the sand bar stretching across the entire bay (wow - great water walks!) the free time on the hobie cats, beach grills, all very amenable! The service in the a la carte restaurants good, the food - not our favorite . The pool, not our favorite - cold...and shallow, so people who went in just stood around...If you are a swimmer, stick to the ocean. Recommendations to the Resort: FOOT SHOWERS on the walkways at the beach. BILLIARDS or PINGPONG TABLES or SHUFFLEBOARD...We don't all enjoy beach volleyball... Recommendation re: airport: Upstairs, main lounge :NO communication re: gates/flight numbers...announcements not audible, not understandable...when you have three planes, including two Sunwings waiting and two gates emptying, it is really funny(not so much) when you board and the flight crew immediately tells you where the plane is going and to GET OFF if you are on the plane. heading to the wrong destination. Please add electronic info boards upstairs and perhaps an informed attendant at the gate who knows what plane has been called... Loved Cayo Coco. Enjoyed a resort with NO children. Enjoyed the proximity of the resorts to the airport. Happy holidays!

Beautiful beach

This was our 4th time at this resort and we always come back for the beautiful, unspoiled beach. We love the white sand, turquoise water and being able to see living creatures of all sorts without being accosted by sales people. During our walks on the beach it was apparent that this is one of the best beaches in the area. It does not have the lava rock prevalent at other resorts. Hurricane Irma did quite a bit of damage to the foliage and grass around the resort but the landscaping crew is  [... read more]very busy replanting what was lost. The beach at the resort is much the same but area around is a bit different. Usually we are able to walk to a section where the big conch's and sea urchins reside but we were unable to find them this time. We did find three sea stars about 8 inches across but didn't see any of the small black ones usually found on the sand bar. We had no problems finding the flat sand dollars and the 4 inch domed shaped ones but didn't see the variety of fish we usually see or the stingray's. Our room was beautifully updated and the King size bed and bedding was very comfortable in addition to being fresh and clean. There were a lot of additional amenities in our room as well although ground coffee was not provided with the coffee machine this time. I want to give some attention to the food because so much bad has been said about Cuban food being bland. There have been some changes...some good, some not so good. I am a foodie-I love great tasting, authentic food including various fresh vegetables and meats. I am not really into fill-up food like battered meats, pasta and rice dishes with little else in them, fluffy white Wonder bread or processed meats. In the past, there wasn't really very much to offer unless you lined up for the freshly cooked fish or meat, and made a salad out of the pretty raw vegetable decorations. This time there was always a selection of raw vegetables including cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage and bok choy sliced thin as if it was lettuce. Their salad dressings left a lot to be desired but cold-pressed olive oil, balsamic vinegar and other condiments including hot sauce were always available. There was also a variety of hot peppers, olives, cheeses and cold cuts that could add zest to anything. In the morning you could line up for anemic looking, thin pancakes (quite yucky) or eggs-any way you liked, including an omelet. (Whatever happened to the waffles??? They really were good!) They used to have an amazing bread bar with authentic artisan breads but now it's mostly the baked, frozen bread products you find in supermarkets. The odd time they have authentic Calabrese or Italian bread. (On a positive note, the new toasters actually work!) If you need peanut butter you will have to bring your own. Mostly I avoided the actual hot buffet because the meat there was overcooked and dry, and the other selections seemed to be a way to use up leftovers. The exception was the fajitas dishes, anything containing potatoe pieces and whatever they were actually carving at the head of the buffet. (NOTE: The carver doesn't always know HOW to carve). When it was pork, it was quite delicious. Beef is ALWAYS tough. Fish will contain bones. Turkey is quite nice if you didn't get an overcooked portion-try for thigh. Summary: Scout the entire buffet first. Use your imagination to create yummy dishes with whatever is available. You will always be able to get some decent, great tasting food. We met some wonderful Cuban people who go out of their way to please whether tips are given or not. We missed Solomon (the flamingo others called Roberto), and the peacocks. Also, the weather wasn't the greatest this year..it was cold and windy and so we mostly hung out at the pool....but....WE WILL BE BACK!

A wonderful stay!

We had a wonderful time at this resort, and found the staff to be very attentive and friendly. We've heard many people complain about the food in Cuba, but quite honestly we love it. Five times in Cuba now, at different resorts, and have never been disappointed. The only exception this trip was one a la carte dinner where the food was over the top salty. No biggie, as all of the other meals were great. We upgraded to the Diamond Club and had a bungalow room. Some rough edges (to be expected in [... read more] Cuba), but no real complaints. The indoor shower was weak, but the outdoor shower was awesome... so, outdoor showers every day! The room was well kept by our maid and very spacious. The beach was fantastic, aside from a fair bit of wind and some cold water on the first couple days of our trip (the weather started a bit off, but got better). Beach service was excellent, and crews cleaned up washed up seaweed and debris early each morning. Bar services were good, although it was sometimes challenging to find a seat in the Piano Bar area. Night time entertainment was hit and miss, but overall enjoyable. It was tough leaving on our last day as we had met some great people (staff and guests) and were really enjoying ourselves there. I would be most happy to go back there one day.

Good resort

It still has some evidence of hurricane damage, but in pretty good shape. Staff was great, entertainment was great. The room was not that good. No door on bathroom. No locks on exterior doors. I can't see how this hotel has a 4 star rating.

Just ok

public areas were well kept it is a quiet resort, if all you want is to relax good place. If you want more suggest a busier resort. Staff is helpful and pleasant. Plenty of food to choose from with the buffet choices. Alacarte was minimal. Grounds were ok but need a lot of work, this could be due to the hurricane from passed summer.

LOVELY RESORT

This was our first visit to Memories Caribe. We have also been to two other resorts in Cayo Coco. We arrived January 1st at the resort about 5.00 pm. Our check-in was very efficient. The staff were happy and polite. We did not get the Lake-view superior room I had booked, instead they upgraded us to a Junior suite which was also Lake-view # 3901. It's not one of the renovated rooms but it was completely acceptable with a nice size patio. The bathroom had an indoor shower and an outdoor shower.  [... read more]There was also a door on the bathroom which I know many people have been inquiring about. I was completely amazed at how much work these people have completed in such a short period of time after such a devastating hurricane.The gardeners are working as hard as ever to make the grounds beautiful. There has been a lot of devastation to the trees and vegetation. The food was pretty good. Lots of variety. Great pasta bar and stir fry bar. Lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. There were a few different salad dressings and hot sauce too. The pool bar was very good with a great selection of snacks 24 hours a day. Fries, Pizza, Hamburgers, Ham and cheese. The pool itself is very well kept and looks great. We tried the Asian restaurant. It was very nice. We ordered Lobster in the morning at the wine tasting store and they brought it to the restaurant. It was excellent. 20 CUC per lobster. The piano bar in the Lobby is nice and they have good drinks. There was a very nice ambiance there with the pianist playing. There was also a Saxophone player and he was excellent. It was a busy place as the weather was not great the week we were there. The nightly entertainment was outstanding. The dancers work so hard rehearsing and put 100% effort into their shows. There was a Michael Jackson show which was fantastic. With the weather being bad, some of the shows were moved to the lobby. The dancers improvised so well and still performed amazingly. If you want to go to the disco, a bus picks you up at the resort and takes you to Memories Flamingo and returns at 1.00 am and 2.00 am. Drinks at the disco were 3.25 each.There are many day trips available if you want to do something different. Visiting the city of Moron is a nice day trip. Apart from the weather, which no one can control we had a great time and met many nice people. I would visit Memories Caribe again as everyone was so friendly and helpful. For the people who post negative comments about the resort: please remember the devastation this country has suffered and the rebuilding they are doing. If you want to eat the same food as you eat at home then don't go to a foreign country. Be open minded and embrace their culture and traditions. Thank you Memories Caribe and all of your staff for making our stay so enjoyable.

A trip we regret taking

This resort has nothing in place in the event of bad weather, which we had four/four days of last week. There was really nothing to do, nowhere to go, and everything is a walk to get around the resort. Not cool in 30km/h cold winds under grey skies. The lobby is open concept so there’s almost nowhere to go if the weather is bad except your room, but then you have no access to food or bar. The food was literally the same every single day and it was pretty bad - even for Cuba. And we have pr [... read more]etty low expectations that still this resort managed to fail to meet. Beans, olives, beets, potatoes, gerkins, cucumbers, same cut of pork, chicken and beef every day. Nothing in mini-fridge. Cups they give drinks in are so small that you can’t even bring drinks back to your room unless you remember to bring your own thermos or bubba cup. Not that you could drink a lot there... everything they served was so sweet with heaping tablespoons of sugar added to everything. Phone in room wasn’t hooked up; no batteries in remote. We honestly just wanted to go home!

Good resort - Stayed Dec 30 to Jan 6 2018

The resort itself was decent, some damage from the hurricane which the staff cleaned up and fixed fairly well. All staff was very nice and helpful. Not much variety at the buffet but the food was decent. Not the place to go if you're looking for a nightlife. One of the bars is basically hidden, no signs or anything...we didn't find it til day 4 of our vacation. The entertainment at night was good. The beach is beautiful but not for someone looking to snorkel offshore. Our room was  [... read more]kept clean, maids were good. The shower didn't work that great in our room and beer fridge was not filled so a bit of a bummer. We were able to exchange money at the front desk which was very useful for when the bank was closed. The snack bar is open 24/7 which is very handy. Takes about 30-60 mins from airport to resort depending if you're picking up other people at other resorts. Not really any villages nearby just resorts so if you're looking to visit a village/city then visiting Moron is your best bet. We didn't have good weather when we went, maybe 3 days of sun and the rest of the time it was cold, cloudy, rainy and very windy but I'm told it's just that time of year and bad luck. Overall decent resort! P.s. The churros and hot chocolate are the best !

Overall very nice, with some great highlights.

As with any Cuban vacation, having realistic expectations is key to having an enjoyable trip. There were a surprising number of highlights from our week, from the absolutely spectacular beach, to the unexpected variety at the buffets, to the very impressive wine cellar and wine tasting experience. Being at an adults-only resort over Christmas was fantastic - no screaming kids anywhere! Previously this resort was family-friendly, but it is definitely adults-only now. Having traveled to many [... read more] resorts in many countries, I think it is fair to say that Memories Caribe met or exceeded all of our expectations because we weren't comparing it to a 4-star Mayan Riviera resort (which we have been to numerous times). We wanted something clean, nice, quiet, and comfortable, and we got all that and much more. THE ROOMS We stayed in the renovated "Superior Deluxe" room category. The rooms are generally very nice. Sure, they aren't perfect...paintwork, tilework, etc. isn't up to "professional standards". But the rooms look nice, are kept clean by staff, and are more than adequate. Some of our resort friends staying in the same room category had minor plumbing and electrical issues - but no one had major complaints. It is worth noting the bathroom/shower area is not separated at all from the rest of the room. Privacy isn't really an option - but you can always turn up the TV. We didn't have hot water (I believe the whole resort experienced the same issue) for a couple of days, but for most of the week everything worked fine. The overall layout of the resort was very pleasant, with numerous two-storey buildings plus some bungalow suites. We saw a number of wheelchair users managing fine, as there are no stair requirements for ground-floor rooms or any facilities within the resort. Yes, as with many resorts, there is some walking required to get from the rooms to the beach/restaurants/etc. There are no resort shuttles, but this resort is much smaller than others we've traveled to. A little walking never hurt anyone. THE BEACH Wow. Spectacular. The finest of fine white sand, very clean, and enormous. There is only one neighbouring resort on the beach, and there is lots of space for everyone to enjoy. Palapas and lounge chairs are in good condition....occupancy was relatively low so we had no problem at all with people "reserving" lounge chairs. The water is very shallow (I snorkeled out almost two kilometres and it was only 12 feet deep), but great for sitting/wading/swimming (particularly when the tide is in). Sadly, the snorkeling is not very interesting, as there is no reef (the dark areas on satellite photos are sea grasses). Sand fleas (the practically microscopic flies with a nasty bite) were torturous for some people (as evidenced by the welts on their arms and legs), but oddly enough we had no problem with them at all (despite playing beach volleyball every day). Many brought insect repellent, and it is a good idea. THE POOL Very nicely laid out and beautifully clean. The pool bar wasn't really in use as the pool was a bit cool, and for most of the trip the pool was empty. Lots of lounge chairs and places to sit around the pool, with great sun exposure. THE FOOD Yes, the food was a bit lacking in "flavour", which was often made up for with salt. But the variety of food at the buffet restaurant was really impressive. Lamb, rabbit, beef, pork, chicken, fresh fish and calamari on the grill, great omelette station for breakfast, carved pork for dinner....I really don't understand how anyone could not be satisfied with the variety of offerings. There were a few "downsides" to the food: Although I don't eat sweets, my girlfriend commented that while there was lots of selection, they just weren't very tasty. Also, the a la carte restaurants were mediocre at best. Nice venues, pleasant service, but the food wasn't the highlight. No matter...the buffet was close by! This resort has a great little coffee and ice cream "shop" which (according to my girlfriend) served excellent coffee. A novel little afternoon break spot, and very nicely laid out. The resort also has a wine cellar - something I haven't seen at a resort before. And what a great experience their wine tasting is! Get a group of people together and spend a few hours sampling wines from Europe and South America - definitely a highlight of our week. The piano bar was another great spot, for evening cocktails and live music. All performers were very talented, and some were superb (sax player especially). THE BARS As noted above, the piano bar is one of the highlights of the resort. Great cocktails on their menu (and premium brands if you upgrade to the Diamond Club). The sports bar was very nicely appointed...we spent an evening there and really enjoyed it. The 24-hour snack bar is outdoors, and was often busy well into the early hours of the morning. Staff were always friendly. Definitely no lack of venues to get your money's worth. ENTERTAINMENT We found the evening shows very enjoyable and well put-together. The dancers are talented and well choreographed, and everyone seems to put a lot of effort into their roles. Resort staff running activities were also generally very pleasant and enthusiastic. The magician who opened a couple of shows doesn't get the credit he deserves - he's a great magician and hopefully more people will appreciate his talents. EXCURSIONS Normally we rent a car during our vacations and explore our surroundings, but there are no villages (or anything else) on the island of Cayo Coco. We opted to take the full day catamaran tour, and it was excellent. Beautiful scenery, great snorkeling, a nice lobster/chicken lunch, and overall a really fun and relaxing day. I took a scuba diving trip through the resort as well, and it was also very well organized. The reef has been damaged by the hurricane (lots of broken coral and siltation), but was quite interesting nonetheless. The catamaran and dive boat were very modern and well kept - much nicer than I expected. Everything from the dock facilities to the roads to the airport are modern and nice...my only previous experience of Cuba was 17 years ago and things have definitely changed (for the better) since then. Of interest, there is a very small "tourist flea market" close by where you can purchase souvenirs. Most people take the public bus, but the flea market is small and the bus schedule (while on time) isn't very frequent. A MUCH better option is to hire a taxi to take you to the market, and then to Lenny's Beachfront Grill. The scenery alone at Lenny's is work the drive (perhaps 15 minutes from the resort), and their seafood platter and fish filet were absolutely delicious. If you're interested, it cost us $35 to take a "modern" taxi from the resort to the flea market, Lenny's, and back. The taxi waited for us, and the driver was very friendly. Friends took a bus to the flea market, then hired a classic cab for the ride to Lenny's. Sadly, Cueva el Jabali (the Wild Boar Cave bar) was not open during our trip. We were really hoping to take advantage of this unique venue, and I highly recommend checking it out if you have the opportunity. It is very important to note that while hurricane Irma did extensive damage to the entire island of Cayo Coco the resort, the surrounding resorts, and all facilities/excursions are fully operational and in great shape. Please don't hesitate to select this resort (or any other in Cayo Coco) based on concerns about hurricane damage. The Cuban government has done a stupendous job of repairing infrastructure and getting facilities back online.

Very good

Stay between Dec 16 to 23. Very good experience. 4.5 out of 5. Some small things: first night the room is not good. Get new room next day and no problem. The food is beyond my expectations as ppl said it is Cuba. The restaurant is a little bit disappointed.

Great Resort

Everything was great except for the fact that the swim bar was not opened...that is very important when I book.The grounds were amazing even after Irma.The people are awesome.There were a lot of people that kept asking about the swim bar.The provider of the package should put on website before booking that the swim bar was not opened.It was an amazing holiday nonetheless.

ENJOYABLE TIME

We enjoyed our stay here. The staff was amazing!! There were still some things not done due to Hurricane Irma but all in all they are well on their way. We had a few issues with our room at first but everything was looked after.

Nice resort

Our experience was in general positive! It feels more like a 4 stars (Cuba) then a 4 1/2 The food was great, but we didn't try the restaurants a la carte...we liked the buffet :)!! They could improve the snack bar...the first time I wanted to try it, I asked for 2 different plates, and both were not available at that time! Don't take the veggie sandwich We also asked for 2 double beds, and we got 2 singles Pools could be a little bit more clean, the water was not 100% clear! Ants in t [... read more]he room The resort is nice, and nothing to complain about the buffet Beach is nice, long enough to take long walk We were at the Sanctuary, adult section We can recommend this hotel if the price is good!!!

Grand Riviera Princess, Playa del Carma, Mexico

I loved how tripcentral has informed me about cancelling and relocating our vacation. We were to go to Memories Caribe in Cayo Coco, Cuba..I am glad we were able to go to Mexico the sane time our trip was cancelled. The Resort has excellent Friendly people working at this resort I highly reccomend everyone to Grand Riviera Princess

Great Experience

The hotel was amazing right from check in to the very clean rooms to the impeccable grounds. The staff were very pleasant and polite. Everything at the resort was very well organized, with always something to do, the entertainment staff always kept the party going.

Lovely Resort

I had an amazing time. Staff very friendly and helpful The ambience was awesome. DO NOT forget to bring bug spray, I went in August and the mosquitos are very vicious that time of year. Weather was wonderful, the beach was superbe.

Fine Resort

The resort is well kept, rooms clean, activities interesting and enjoyable, the beach is above average, the staff is friendly and accommodating, the food is quite good with a lot of variety. I would recommend this resort.

Nice resort

Lot of mosquitoes due a swamp that is in the middle of the resort Gym opens too late 9am Beach is Amazing !! Service excellent ..........................................................................

Amazing Resort!!!

I spent a week at Memories Caribe Beach Resort and had a wonderful time. Great beach - water is shallow, clear and warm, good food and great staff- shout out to Jordan- gardener, Eiden Aquatics, Carlos Manager, Leodanys for great Omlettes, Barbara - souvenir shop and Ilen for entertainment and Alex front desk. They provide great service and always smiling.The property is well kept and flowers beautiful. I would definitely recommend the resort! Roberto the flamingo is friendly too. Too bad he  [... read more]was killed by a dog while I was there. RIP Roberto.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort

We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation, from the rooms to the dining and the facilities, snack bars it was great. The entertainment was superb, in addition to the theater which had great singers the resort also had activities and singers by the pool, the piano bar was great from the guitarist to the pianist to the sax player they sure had us occupied for the evening . The only thing I found bad was the WiFi, we were not able to contact family members for 2 days and other days it took a while to be c [... read more]onnected. Also a couple of days you had no pizza, as after 3 o'clock the dining area is closed. Overall the vacation was great and dining staff were always there in an instant to clear the tables and help you in any way.