Grand Memories Varadero: Very nice resort

Very clean cleaning people everywhere,room was very nice and clean,beach was beautiful and water was warm. If your looking for a brand new resort this is not it. Its a bit dated but like I say kept very clean.Well as for the food it was as good as could be expected considering the circumstances.Overall its a very nice resort.

Memories Trinidad Del Mar: A nice week

We spent a week in this resort. It was an inexpensive holiday and we did not have high expectations. This is a small, quiet resort with very nice gardens and a shallow pool (max 3ft deep) located right on the beach on the Alcon peninsula. The beach is beautiful and the water warm although not as clear as the North shore. And the sunsets on the ocean are magnificent. It takes 2.5 hours to get from the airport to the resort and there is no stop, so be warned. The ride is quite nice through the l [... read more]ush mountains of Cuba. We booked a Superior Room, Diamond Club (Sunwing). We are not sure it was worth it as the rooms were very dated, some had mould, none had hot water pressure, many did not have working bed side lighting... It seems that there might be renovated rooms but they were not offered to us, although we were relocated to a room where the toilet flushed after asking Guest Services for a functioning room. Not their fault, Cuba is in crisis and it is difficult to get anything there. The staff cannot go to the hardware store, the shelves are bare everywhere. There are not many activities and entertainment at the resort, but the local band called Son Horizontes is absolutely charming. There was a little beach party at sunset one evening and paella on the beach once at lunch time. We were provided fresh bottled water everyday and there was always plenty of food, although very monotonous after a few days as there were shortages of items. Be warned that there are no cereals and no yogourt at all. The staff was always very accommodating and welcoming. The beach had a lot of sand fleas which was a real problem for me. American 1$ bills for tips seem to be preferred over many other currencies. We visited beautiful Trinidad that is a bus ride away from the resort. I recommend bringing the people some goodies such as Summer clothes, sunglasses, OTC medication, sunscreen, granola bars, candies, etc... They are quite poor, cannot get many of these items and they are very happy when they receive gifts. Reminder, you should bring the following for yourself: - all medication you require including OTC meds, as you might not be able to find it there. - bug repellent, allergy med, anti-itch cream...because of the nasty sand fleas and some mosquitoes - some toilet paper as it might be lacking in some public places, including the airport - Hand sanitizer as it is not provided anywhere we went All in all, we had a good week, it was quite inexpensive, but we would not go back.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Amazing Beach!

The beach was simply stunning, with walkable sand and warm, calm water on most days. Aside from the occasional "shark warning" that required a quick exit from the water, it was a perfect beach experience. The hotel pool was also great, with a fun and lively afternoon atmosphere. While the hotel could benefit from some upgrades, it was generally acceptable. The food was decent unless you are a picky eater. There were occasional shortages, but they were not significant. However, the public bathroo [... read more]ms were often in poor condition, with the women's bathrooms frequently being "out of order" and lacking toilet paper. This 7-day all-inclusive vacation is priced at under $1000 and offers great value, especially for those just wanting to relax on the beach.

Memories Jibacoa: Amazing place

This is the first time I have not had bathroom issues in 20 years of going to cuba that says a lot about the food Great service, great food and entertainment Some rooms could undergo renos but you will not be disappointed staying here:)

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Great place to stay

The grounds and pool area are lovely. The beaches are gorgeous - bring bug spray with DEET. The room was incredibly clean and the room attendant (Heidi) was friendly and helpful. We opted for the butler service as well and Glendy Vidal, our butler, was extremely efficient and took care of our needs.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: ok resort

it as my first time at this resort, apparantly we are of the fews who had the less problems....we just had to fill the toilet water tank with the showerhead. Except of that the personal was great. I don't know what my expectation should be...but by the end of our trip...there was so much flies at the buffet...i was glad to leave

Memories Trinidad Del Mar: Nice resort

Stayed at the resort from January 7 to January 14. 2023. Paid $ 800.a person. Memories Trinidad, formally Brisas Trinidad is a really nice resort with a beautiful Ancon beach, with a good food, the two ala carte restaurants and the buffet Good all over service. Only negative thing were outdated bathrooms, problems with water pressure as well as problems with warm water.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Grave disappointment!

Going down I was aware of the shortages in Cuba but I guess I was surprised at just how far they went to make things stretch. Everything was watered down. The drinks, the sauces. There was no pop in the whole resort and mostly no milk and only 1 kind of juice a day. The buffet served the same thing all week and the al a carte restaurants are closed. A lot of the washrooms had no toilet paper and some had no toilet seats. Some people had no air conditioning, others had doors that wouldn't w [... read more]ork. Remotes had no batteries. One guy was told that his TV didn't work because it was TOO NEW! I was with a group of 24 people who had no room phone service because the building had been hit by lightening before we got there, { who knows how long before } and they still put them all in that building with no way to contact the front desk about problems. To walk from our rooms to the reception and back was 1 km. I realize that Covid hit them hard and they are also switching ownership but I was blindsided by a hotel that is still advertised as a 4 when it struggles to be a 2.5 at best. Given 3 to 5 years, I hope it is able to achieve a 4 star rating again but, I won't be going. Sincerely, MKB P.S. This was my second time at this resort. I have also stayed at Grand Memories twice.

Memories Jibacoa: Disgusted and extremely disappointed

Was extremely disappointed. I was severely ill with food poisoning. Cheeses and cold cuts were not kept at the proper temperature. I suspect the food in the buffet was not stored properly. Lots of people were ill. We will never go back to that hotel or to Cuba. A total waste of money and time. Would not recommend. Boring hotel with a lack of activities. Not a 4 star perhaps 2 stars. The entire party of 4 were ill. Varadero disgusting, no toilet seats. Havana dirty, faeces all over the streets

Resonance Blu Varadero: Memories Varadero Resort - Our Experience

This resort is gorgeous and extremely well maintained, the beach is beautiful and the staff is wonderful. Special staff I had met were Annabel at the egg station and the other women, Lisbety at the beach bar and Adrian of the diamond club who helped me with any issues I may have had. The resort during our stay was experiencing major supply issues with food and alcohol which was not the fault of the resort. The only negative things I can say about the resort is that the 24hr snack bar was n [... read more]ot open 24hr as it was not opened from 9:00pm to 9:00am daily and the al a cart restaurants were not always available. This could be because the resort occupancy rate was less then 50% during the holiday season during our stay. I would highly recommend this resort if food and alcohol choices are not your priority.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: DO NOT STAY AT THIS RESORT!!!

Let me start by saying this is definitely not a 4.5 star resort. I have been to 3 star resorts in Cuba that were far more superior than the Sanctuary. I chose this resort to celebrate my wife’s 60th birthday based on the reviews and pictures on the website. I wonder if these reviewers stayed at the same resort! The rooms were in a very sad state. Nothing worked in the rooms. Sliding door would not close properly and lock. Toilette did not flush properly. Hardly any water pressure for showers. So [... read more]ap dish in shower falling off wall. Mirror hanging by a thread. I’ve seen better furniture in a homeless shelter. Towels were all stained and smelled terrible. Bed sheets were also stained. Even pillow cover was stained. I called front desk to ask for new pillow cover 4 times!!! Nobody came. Hallways and stairs were never cleaned while we were there. Sewage odour seemed to be present throughout the resort. Near our building and beside buffet. Workers constantly expecting tips. What most tourists don’t know is that the staff you are tipping does not get that money. The government collects all the tips. So think about that next time you tip. Food was typical Cuban fare. They really need to do something about the unsanitary and unsafe conditions in the buffet. All the food is outdoors and flies all over all the food. Plates, cutlery and glasses filthy. They should invest in dishwashers or train staff how to properly wash these items. Uncooked meats sitting in the heat at the two grills for too long. This buffet would fail an inspection on all fronts. . Building exteriors look like they have been through a war. They are so run down it makes the resort look sad. We were also surprised at the lack of good Cuban coffee like we have experienced in other resorts. Cappuccinos tastes like weak regular coffee. Espresso tasted like watered down coffee. I am second generation Italian and can honestly say the coffees we had at the Sanctuary were horrible. I was very disappointed. The beach is this resorts only positive it has going for it. This resort needs a lot of work before they can claim to be a 4.5 star hotel. I would never return to this resort and would not recommend it to anyone considering coming here for their next vacation. I hope you take my advice and stay away from this resort.

Grand Memories Varadero: 4 star hotel — 5 star experience

We stayed at Grand Memories Veradero Dec 31 to Jan 7 2024 and overall our experience was great. We read many negative reviews so had low expectations upon arrival and packed absolutely anything we would need. Arrival was bad and Check in was horrible and so slow. We arrived at midnight and everything was chaos and when we finally got to our room it was bad! We immediately went back to reception and was told we can change in the morning. We moved to a new room the next day and it was perfect. We  [... read more]were 4 travellers and had 1 king and 1 double bed, fresh towels, stocked waters in the fridge, tv and clean. From there everything else was great. Beautiful beach, large pools, friendly staff and family friendly activities. Food was not the best but we were able to find something plus we packed a lot of snacks from home. Overall great experience especially for the price. We will be going back to Veradero and open to going to Grand Memories again although we typically like to try new places.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Relaxing Winter Getaway

We went on this trip as a couple and enjoyed a wonderful two weeks at Grand Memories! First things first, the beach was beautiful, one of the loveliest beaches I have been to. There were a few windy or rainy days during our stay, but the experience was lovely regardless. Most of the time was warm weather and sunshine, without being too scorching hot. The water was quite clear and no need for water shoes or crocs since the sand was free of any rocks. Great sand, beautiful water for swimming, and  [... read more]wonderful views. Although neither was on the water directly, the sunrise and sunset were beautiful to see... specifically the one time we managed to wake up in time to see the sunrise haha. The staff on the beach was always very friendly -- including the bartenders, snack bar staff, lifeguards etc. Same with the rest of the resort, all of the bartenders, servers, chefs, customer service and front desk workers were all wonderful. While we typically preferred to go to the beach, the pool was nice as well. The pool at Grand Memories was typically busier, so we would go to the pools in the Memories section which was larger and less busy. Our room was spacious and clean and had a king-size bed, seating area, bathroom, mini fridge, closet with hangers, a handful of mirrors and a safe. All that you could need for your stay. Our beach towels were on our bed ready for us when we arrived. Our cleaning lady was very sweet and made sure our room had fresh towels, sheets and toilet paper each day as needed. She often left pretty swans or other designs on our bed with the towels or blankets. The bottled water in the mini-fridge was replenished each day. For the most part, our room was great. We had a couple of problems with the lock on our door and dripping water from the air conditioning, but the front desk and mechanics tended to the issues promptly. I found the buffet to be good. I know some people complain about the food in Cuba, but I thought it was good. I'm not a picky eater, but I did bring some hot sauce for us to use sometimes. The fresh fruit was the best. There was lots of juicy pineapple and papaya that you'll never have as fresh and tasting as good when you are back at home. The a la carte restaurants were alright. With two a la carte reservations allowed per week, we went to the Mediterranean, "Chinese", and the Italian twice throughout our stay. My only tip is don't expect Chinese food for the Chinese a la carte because it's not Chinese at all LOL. The bad thing about the a la carte reservations was that you had to wait at least an hour in line to reserve the a la carte and you could only reserve one a la carte and only for that specific day. So you end up waiting around in line for at least a solid 4 hours during your vacation. Not the brightest idea for how to reserve the restaurants. As for some late-night snacks, the Pizzeria by the lobby was perfect to grab a little bite to eat. They often had limited toppings available based on the availability of ingredients and how busy they had been, but once again the chefs were very friendly and a pleasure to chat to.. especially if you know a bit of Spanish. I highly recommend visiting the nearby market to visit the shops, buy souvenirs, and rum, or simply do a tiny bit of sightseeing. There are so many talented artisans and many beautiful pieces they are selling as souvenirs. There are also a handful of restaurants at the market. My boyfriend really wanted to try some lobster and the meal we had at "La Goleta - Restaurante Marinero" was great! Just note: the prices are in USD. We typically walked, but there were golf carts that you could hop on to go throughout the resort, to the other sections of the Memories hotels, or even to get to and from the market. PSA #1: For anyone travelling to Cuba, don't exchange your money for Cuban pesos since it is not used, specifically for tourists. We heard some people had exchanged a bunch of money at the airport and were stuck with a ton of pesos that were useless to them when making purchases at the hotel shop or the market. You can use USD, CAD, or even your credit card in most places (as long as it's not an American card). PSA #2: Don't bring coins like loonies and toonies! A lot of people were tipping with Canadian coins, but these are useless to the staff. Tourists may mean well by giving these coins as tips, but they aren't aware that the Cubans can't use foreign coin currency. Only bills are worth something to them and can be used. Countless times there were bartenders, chefs, or servers who were asking to exchange Canadian coins, dollar for dollar, for bills since they were stuck with so many coins that were useless to them. Very sad. Instead, bring bills or even toiletries or small gifts to give as tips to the staff. They will appreciate it very much!

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Good resort for 2 stars

So many problems with the rooms... First room had problem with a electricity, can kill you... Second room has waterfall, but not so big. And it's superior deluxe rooms! So many problems with the rooms... First room had problem with a electricity, can kill you... Second room has waterfall, but not so big. And it's superior deluxe rooms!

Grand Memories Varadero: Good staff, poor management.

The grounds, pools and restaurants were all well maintained. The buffets were your typical random Cuban food (think hot dogs in tomato sauce), but there was always something you could find to fill your belly. Most of the food and soup in the buffet was cold which was strange. Interestingly it was brought out cold (cold, not room temp) and didn't get cold at the buffet. Do people really want to eat cold fish from the buffet? Plates and bowls were always dirty (old food, dirt, grease) so be carefu [... read more]l when selecting your vessels. Breakfast was the toughest meal of the day to find good food (unless you can sustain off fruit and bread). 3 out of our 7 days, there were omelets available at the grill, and everyday there were pancakes. Given the struggles at the buffet, the lines for omelets and pancakes were ungodly as people just wanted some warm tasty food. To make matters worse, the person making the pancakes was essentially incompetent, and she was on that station everyday. You'd figure any one of the other people on the resort could have done a better job if given an opportunity, but it didn't happen. Do NOT order coffee at the buffet. Trust me. The coffee at the bars is better, but not great. The rooms are a mixed bag. Everything worked in our room except for the hair dryer, tv and phone. Our travel mate's first room did not have a toilet seat or working A/C and was full of mold. Her second room had working AC and toilet seat, but the door lock was finnicky and the safe did not work. The water in either room was not hot, but at least slightly warmer than room temperature so you could have a quick shower. The drinks are very hit and miss. There's about 5 different bars on the resort, and if you order a rum punch at all of them, you would get 5 vastly different tasting and coloured drinks. The juices are watered down probably to extend them and save some costs. The only thing you can count on being consistent is a glass of rum or beer. The beer is always cold and refreshing. The snack bar and lobby bar have coffee machines there, but the coffee is still not GREAT. I think it's a problem with the milk being too watery. We went to Santa Marta one day and had AMAZING coffee, so it's certainly an issue with the resort specifically. The pool is great and the beach is wonderful. The pool bar is good too and always has slushy drinks. Lots of shallow areas in the pool for younger kids to play in. Note: the kids club is NOT supervised so you cannot drop your kids off and leave them. Tipping in Pesos or CAD is okay. A number of times we exchanged canadian coins for canadian bills from bartenders since Cubans cannot bring them to the bank. You can buy cuban pesos to tip which is what we did. The resort gives you about 88 Pesos for CAD, but in Santa Marta we were able to get 155 Pesos for CAD so we stocked up there. If you are bringing rum home, buy it in Pesos. We bought a 1L 7 year Havana club for 2000 pesos (about $14.50 CAD). At the store the same bottle was $28 USD. In Varadero we saw the same bottle for 2500 pesos which is still much cheaper (not at the stores, you need to go to the small stands selling food/drinks). Overall the trip was great, despite the deficiencies of the resort. We are not fancy or complaining type of people and have been to Cuba about 10 times, staying at resorts between 3 and 4 stars. Unfortunately, this was the worst resort experience we have had in Cuba and we will not return to Grand Memories in the future.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: All I can say it’s Cuba

We did not get the room we paid for. Food is the same everyday, never had butter, not one soda on resort, no toilet paper in bathrooms on resort except in our room. You only go to this resort for the beach, not for the food or drinks.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Beautiful beach!

The staff is absolutely amazing! Always so happy to serve you. Every morning, we enjoyed the delicious Spanish coffees at the piano bar, or the pizza / fries at the beach for lunch. The resort is ok. Needs abit of an update but very clean grounds. The staff work hard at keeping it nice and clean. The beach is beautiful! The food at the buffet was ok, we had something to eat everyday even though it was repetitive, it's Cuba so to be expected. We liked the pasta bar or rice or meat option cooke [... read more]d directly in front of you at the grill. We would definitely go back. The staff did an amazing job organizing our wedding on the beach. They went out of their way to ensure everything went smoothly. Thank you all so much!

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Could have been better

Our room was building 2300 and did not have cable, air conditioning or hot water. We were on the 1st floor and also had cockroaches. The pillows and top blanket smelled old and musky and the top blanket had holes in it. We complained at the lobby on arrival. They assured us that someone would be to our room to fix the issues. On day 3 after making daily complaints at the lobby we went to the customer complaint office and they had us moved to another building and that room was better, brighter an [... read more]d cleaner and had all the amenities. I also had a severe reaction to multiple bites from sand fleas after spending the day on the beach and had to access the medical services, onsite MD which was expensive. I recommend assessing the beach for pests and bring some cortisone cream and insect repellant. I needed to use the lobby phone to call my health insurance provider but the lobby told me a could not use their phone because it could not do outgoing calls even though I would be using a 1-800 number. There were no liquors so the drink selection was boring. They served the same food breakfast, lunch and supper the entire week. The staff did the best they could. I do wish the lobby had told us on day one to go to customer complaints and I wish I had been warned about the beach because it ended up ruining my vacation.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Returning guest

Returned because we enjoyed last years vacation. Beach is beautiful. Bar staff in the Diamond Club area are excellent. I found the food acceptable. There are shortages of some products but that is expected with the political situation in our world. We did have issues with the hot water in our room. Not pleasant when you are there for 2 weeks. Most times it was barely tepid. Also there were a lot of flies everywhere but after speaking with others, it seems it was much worse earlier in the year. W [... read more]ould still go again.

Memories Cayo Largo: Average Resort - Decent Price

Not what I expected from a Memories resort in Cayo Largo during the Xmas break with my family. We had met quite of few people who were returning to the resort as I think it was much better in past years. The shows next to the main bar were great and the bar staff were awesome. The beaches in Cuba are amazing but this one was very small and had to use the beach next to us at Starfish resort. There seems to be a food shortage as well, no fruit or vegetables and not much change to the selection f [... read more]rom day to day at the buffet. Breakfast was decent as soon as something was out like Pineapple on the rare day it was gone in an hour. Our Oceanview room had a nice view but the room itself needed lots of attention, older with very little upkeep. What made the trip was the staff and the people we had met. The airport was less than 10 min away which was really good and the Turtle Sanctuary at the Marina was also nice to visit. Jenn Black at Trip Central was amazing to deal with and was very helpful with the booking.