Very large hotel and very inviting
Don't drink the water, the food could have been a little better ..your choice to party hard or relaxed you can do both.frendly people. Are also very nice. I think over all very good
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Larry murray -
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Ok resort
The front desk were helpful in getting us a phone the safe fixed the TV fixed and we finally got some warm water.
I would not go back due to the difference in treatment, if you spoke Spanish.
The tourists would line up for food or braverages , and would mostly tip.
But then someone speaking Spanish would start there own line on the other side of the server ,and be served first.
The only place I did not see this was in the main building.
And I never seen any of them tip.
Why would I go ba[... read more]ck to be treat as 2nd class.
I will go back to a country that respects their guests
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Canoli9 -
Verified Purchaser
Absolutely disgusting!
Everything from the food to the cleanliness of the pool at this resort is subpar. Honestly this trip was more of a punishment then a vacation. This will be our last time in Cuba and anyone planning a trip here should do more research.
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Private -
Verified Purchaser
Ok resort
Resort was ok, 3 stars. Our room in building 39 was great - really comfortable bed and pillows, air con worked great! Beach was beautiful and plenty of sun beds available. Food was repetitive and bland but you don't go to Cuba for the food. The grounds were ok, not much to look at. The entertainment was just ok, nothing special. We went there to relax in the sun so mission accomplished but we will not return.
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Vanessa -
Verified Purchaser
Great staff amd booking agent Nicole
A but dated but in good condition. There were a few food shortages amd creative substitutes, but it is more respective of the Islands challenge he's at this time. Beautiful beach, clean rooms. Nice shower.
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Madihans17 -
Verified Purchaser
Great staff for the most part, beautiful beach
I travelled from Toronto to Memories Varadero Beach with 3 friends in February for a week-long stay. Here’s the short of it:
The pros:
- WONDERFUL staff, for the most part
- Beautiful beach
- Fun atmosphere
The cons:
- Staff stealing from our room
- Horrible buffet
- Dirty bathrooms
- Lack of night-time activities
- Few choices for alcoholic beverages
Overall we had a pretty nice time, mind you we are a group of 4 in our early 20s, ie. we weren’t expecting a 5-star exper[... read more]ience. The best part of our experience was by far the friends we made at the resort - we got lucky and met a group of young Canadian travellers like ourselves - and the staff. The worst part of our experience was by far the food and the fact that our maid stole from our rooms and then accused us of lying and refused to clean for the rest of our stay (details below).
The staff - the good: The staff at this resort - for the most part - are amazing. Special shoutout to Laura Maria, the sweetest girl you’ll ever meet who works at the lobby bar, and Steve, the most charismatic guy on the resort who works in ‘animation’ at the main pool. Other amazing staff members were Yudy and Mairobys, two women who worked at the Italian a-la-carte who always showed us the best time, and Alex and Robert the two main bartenders at the pool bar. These people were unbelievably kind, fun, helpful and totally made our stay
The staff - the bad: a few staff members at Memories were not so great. On the first full day of our stay we had multiple items stolen from BOTH of our rooms. A Ralph Loren t-shirt, a pair of earrings and two bottles of perfume. At first, we didn’t want to assume, so we did a thorough inspection of our things to make sure, and confirmed that they had been taken. Keep in mind since this was the first day we arrived, all of these items were still packed away in our bags, so whoever took them would have actually had to rummage through our things. Within 1 day of us notifying the front desk of the situation, we were approached by our maid and told that in an attempt to avoid any more “accusations†she would no longer be cleaning our room. So we spent the rest of the week with no water bottles, clean towels or clean sheets.
The beach: the beach at this resort is beautiful and generally well-kept aside from a few broken beach chairs. We spent pretty much every morning here!
The pool: the main pool is such a great time. They have activities there every day at 12pm and great music & vibes. They also have a slide which we frequented, haha. The pool bar was also really fun, it’s inside a little cave and the bartenders are the best (shoutout Alex and Robert)
The bars: be prepared to drink rum and beer for your entire stay. The bars were lacklustre as the resort was pretty much out of EVERY type of alcohol besides rum. No vodka, gin, whisky, tequila. They also rarely had any red, white OR sparkling wine unless it was at one of the restaurants, only beer. As someone who pretty much only drinks vodka, this was a huge bummer.
The rooms: the rooms were fine, bedding seemed clean when we got there, we had hot water, our A/C worked. They definitely aren’t beautiful but we weren’t expecting anything grand. One major disappointment was that the fridge was never stocked. We weren’t Diamond Club so we didn’t expect to be given anything fancy, but some water, pop and beer would have been nice.
The buffet: I’ll be honest, the food at the buffet was absolutely horrible. I’ve been to Cuba 4 times and I usually expect it to be less than enjoyable, but this food was really bad. We pretty much ate beans and rice for the entirety of the trip. The selection at the buffet was really lacking so you really had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find something edible for each meal. I’m not sure if it was because of import issues due to Covid, but be prepared to come home hungry.
The a-la-cartes: we went to the Italian and Japanese restaurants, each one twice. The Italian was our favourite. The Japanese one was also decent, but you mostly go to that one for the “show†since it’s hibachi-style. In short, both restaurants were good - I think partially because we were desperate, but hey, at least they had better selection than the buffet.
The entertainment: other than the nightly shows (which were pretty good) the entertainment was lacking, no club, or night-time activities. Luckily Steve usually brings his speaker to the lobby and gets the party going which was a nice surprise, but other than that it’s pretty quiet at night.
Overall, decent stay but we likely would not return - mostly because of the food and overall cleanliness. I’d probably be more likely to pay a little bit more for a 5 star elsewhere. But if you’re looking for something quick and dirty and to come back with a tan, Memories isn’t a bad choice. Special thanks again to Laura Maria, Steve, Mairobys, Yudy, Robert and Alex - they absolutely made our stay!!
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Rape blocker -
Verified Purchaser
Security didnt give a shit
We were approached and harrassed on the beach to buy drugs for several days in a row by a worker from the resort. It finally escalated into almost a physical confrontation when said employee tried to take our belongs because we weren't willing to buy his drugs. We then went to speak with the resorts security guards and complained about what had been going on right in front of them and to our dismay the drug dealer came up laughing in our face , shaking hands with the security guards and mocki[... read more]ng us because they were friends and would do nothing to stop the harrassment. Also while on vacation i caught a Male security guard trying to watch my girlfriend and an 8 year old girl going to the bathroom and when I called him out on it he didn't care and said that he was security so i physically removed him along with the help of the 8 year old girls father.
Besides these events the rooms, food, pools, beach were all nice. Just sucks we had to deal with this frightening ordeals while on the resort and our vacation
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Asiajaher -
Verified Purchaser
Amazing resort
It's been over a year since I took my vacation to Cuba and stayed at Memories Varadaro Beach Resort. I was hoping to take another trip to Cuba but with the global pandemic, unfortunately that was not an option. However, my experience at this beautiful resort was unforgettable. The entire staff was superb. The amenities, amazing, the food delicious. I couldn't have asked for a better vacation. I absolutely recommend this resort 10x over. Can't wait for this global pandemic to be over so I can ret[... read more]urn to Cuba and relish in its beauty. â¤â˜€ï¸ðŸðŸ¥¥
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Tatstep -
Verified Purchaser
Awesome time!
I had a lovely time at this resort with my friends! Beach was beautiful, 2 pools and swim up bars, nice selection of drinks. A good nightlife disco and entertainment. Go to the Italian al carte for good pizza. Rooms had some small issues but nothing major (friends tv didn’t work) but who watches tv on vacation anyways! Would go back!
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Vanessagm -
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Memories to be made, but not in the rooms!
Overall had a great time and made some wonderful memories with friends! I did come across many issues with the resort itself though. When we checked in as a group in 9, they had my group on the opposite end of the resort with ocean views while they put me away from them with no view. I was disappointed to have to go to the front and fight to be close to my friends. When I got into my new room the sheets were discusting! Blood stains, hair and dirt stains! The housekeeper insisted they were clean[... read more] but they were definitely not! The rooms were very old and each one of our rooms had something broken: The toilet, the mirror, tv, door locks or bed in each of the rooms. Not a very clean resort I would say. I would recommend diamond club if going! If you aren’t there are massive lines for the buffet. I found the food to be as expected for cuba, not amazing but edible. Our server Jamie was fantastic! The sweetest and most attentive server full of energy and joy. As for the rest of the servers they were terrible! Completely unnatentive and took 20 minutes just for water. We got up half the time to get coffees since they were no where to be found. I expected high quality and friendly service from the rest of the staff. I found the memories in Santa Maria, Cuba to be much friendlier and very clean. The washrooms were half the time clean and always out of toilet paper so be sure to bring a roll. The beaches were incredible and stunning! Very good entertainment and fun activities at the resort. Overall had a excellent time and a nice vacation with my group, but the resort itself I won’t return to.
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Dave -
Verified Purchaser
Ok at best
Rooms were a good size, bed was too hard. Food was ok but not a lot of options. Bathrooms were hit and miss, some had toilet seats some didn't as well with the toilet paper. My fiance also had her phone case stolen out of our safe with her credit card, id's and bank card in it. Other than that weather was great, most staff was friendly people were good. Beach was amazing.
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Private -
Verified Purchaser
Memories Varadero
The buildings are getting a face-lift and a nice coat of paint. Some of the buildings are even renovated. The rooms were clean, but clean towels are like gold. If there is one in your room...keep it and don't let the maid take it unless you are getting a clean one. My sister had her room clean and the maid didn't leave clean towels. She called the front desk and they told her to ask the maid. She was nowhere to be found. We had to share ours with her. The hotel was nice (a 3.5 star). The grounds[... read more] clean. The pool was nice, but there were cups and wet napkins on the ground and around the chairs at the pool. We never got a pool towel. There are not enough. The beach is okay, but rocky. I've been to much more beautiful beaches in Cuba (Cayo Coco and Santa Maria). The food... you don't go to Cuba for the food, but the buffet was a 2 star. The buffet tables and chairs need an update. The benches need to be recovered, they are all worn and broken. The snack bar was a 3.5 star. The Cuban restaurant was a 3.5 star. The people at this resort were friendly enough, but they don't interact with the guests. I've been to other resorts in Santa Maria and Cayo Coco where they are very friendly and talk with the guests. All in all, I would not go back to this resort.
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Private -
Verified Purchaser
Great tesort
Great resort, super friendly staff! Only issue was washrooms were not always cleaned could have used more staff for drinks and service. Excellent pools, pool staff were great and the beach was amazing!
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Private -
Verified Purchaser
Great place!
My husband and I loved our stay at the Memories resort in Varadero. The staff was helpful and kind. The resort was clean and had many amenities, like pools, activities for young and older, massages, lounge, wifi, restaurants, excursions. We loved every minute of our stay.
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RoxanneD -
Verified Purchaser
Amazing family resort
The resort was huge and staff were amazing! The kids had a wonderful time at the kids club. The upgrade to diamond club was certainly worth every penny! Private beach area was great.
Our favorite meal was at the Japanese restaurant and the buffet on the Wednesday night was just amazing!
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Bes11 -
Verified Purchaser
Great resort and easy on the bank account
For the price this is a great resort! The second we got out of the airport we all the staff were extremely friendly and helpful, especially the resort staff, always have a smile. The bar service is generally pretty good. Waited a couple times but that’s to be expected when only 2 servers are on the bar and half the resort is there. The Buffett food isn’t anything special but plenty of it!! The excursions are a touch expensive but worth it to experience Cuba. Rooms were clean but unfortunatel[... read more]y ours had bed bugs and we walked away with a few bites. The snack shack was hit and miss. Most of our stay they only had a hot dog and chicken on the menu. Overall we enjoyed our stay and was very stress free, would we go again? ABSOLUTELY
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Graney5 -
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Superior choice
the resort was a superb the room was clean the room was fully stocked. The butler and all the staff were very accommodating.The resort was easy to navigate to all the pools and eating areas and the food was good for what they have to work .My husband and I would go back in a heart beat. Totally enjoyed our trip
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Gaga -
Verified Purchaser
Best resort yet
We stayed at Memories Varadero and have had amazing time. Here is my and my families experience with this resort for the week that we stayed in Jan.2020.
Resort: Overall it is a bit older resort, but everything in it was functional and good and clean. If you are expecting a 5 star Hollywood royalty kind of resort, then you shouldn’t come to Cuba, as they are not that rich. They do the best that they can with little that they have. My family and I absolutely loved our time and in Cuba and in M[... read more]emories Varadero Resort and would gladly go back any day.
Rooms: As I mentioned above, it is an older resort, and it is humid climate, so the rooms are a bit older, but very comfortable and the housekeeping staff does amazing job at keeping it clean. Our housekeeper Sandra was absolutely priceless. She cleaned our room daily, and had changed our towels and always left something fun made out of towels or covers as a surprise for our 7 year old son.
Food: The food was amazing. You had every meat and fish imaginable. Had over 15 different types of deserts. Ala Cart was super delicious. People say that it lacks taste and seasoning. Well, you always have additional salt and pepper on the table so have at it. If you are a picky eater at home you will for sure be picky here too. My compliments to the chef’s at this resort as they sure do out do them self every day and every meal. My family and I enjoyed the food very much.
Staff: There is no words just how amazing the staff at this resort are. Starting with the check in counter. The ladies there are amazing and are willing to, and have for my family as well as other guests, go above and beyond to make your stay unforgettable one. Then the Sunwing ladies Martha and Evelyn. You have a friend in my son Aidin for life. Then the buffet staff especially Rani and Juan Carlos. You two have made our family feel special, and like a million bucks. You are by far the best wait staff I have ever had the pleasure of being served by. Then the housekeepers. Sandra you are our queen of cleaning and towel puppets. Then the massage therapy guys, Andres and his staff. You guys have no idea how magical your hands are. Best massage I have ever had in my life, and I am speaking for my husband and his mum too. Then the grounds keepers. You guys work so hard every day no matter the temperature outside to make the resort look amazing. They made a cricket out of palm leaf and gave it to my son who couldn’t wait to get it home to show off at his class show and tell. And all the other staff that are for entertainment, and snack bar and kids club, and so many more. You guys and ladies are true customer service professionals. I can’t thank you enough for making our family vacation the best one yet.
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Family M -
Verified Purchaser
10 star resport in my books
We stayed at Memories Varadero and have had amazing time. Here is my and my families experience with this resort for the week that we stayed in Jan.2020.
Resort: Overall it is a bit older resort, but everything in it was functional and good and clean. If you are expecting a 5 star Hollywood royalty kind of resort, then you shouldn’t come to Cuba, as they are not that rich. They do the best that they can with little that they have. My family and I absolutely loved our time and in Cuba and in M[... read more]emories Varadero Resort and would gladly go back any day.
Rooms: As I mentioned above, it is an older resort, and it is humid climate, so the rooms are a bit older, but very comfortable and the housekeeping staff does amazing job at keeping it clean. Our housekeeper Sandra was absolutely priceless. She cleaned our room daily, and had changed our towels and always left something fun made out of towels or covers as a surprise for our 7 year old son.
Food: The food was amazing. You had every meat and fish imaginable. Had over 15 different types of deserts. Ala Cart was super delicious. People say that it lacks taste and seasoning. Well, you always have additional salt and pepper on the table so have at it. If you are a picky eater at home you will for sure be picky here too. My compliments to the chef’s at this resort as they sure do out do them self every day and every meal. My family and I enjoyed the food very much.
Staff: There is no words just how amazing the staff at this resort are. Starting with the check in counter. The ladies there are amazing and are willing to, and have for my family as well as other guests, go above and beyond to make your stay unforgettable one. Then the Sunwing ladies Martha and Evelyn. You have a friend in my son Aidin for life. Then the buffet staff especially Rani and Juan Carlos. You two have made our family feel special, and like a million bucks. You are by far the best wait staff I have ever had the pleasure of being served by. Then the housekeepers. Sandra you are our queen of cleaning and towel puppets. Then the massage therapy guys, Andres and his staff. You guys have no idea how magical your hands are. Best massage I have ever had in my life, and I am speaking for my husband and his mum too. Then the grounds keepers. You guys work so hard every day no matter the temperature outside to make the resort look amazing. They made a cricket out of palm leaf and gave it to my son who couldn’t wait to get it home to show off at his class show and tell. And all the other staff that are for entertainment, and snack bar and kids club, and so many more. You guys and ladies are true customer service professionals. I can’t thank you enough for making our family vacation the best one yet.
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Trillium Family -
Verified Purchaser
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
If you're read other reviews, you've noticed that they range from one end of the spectrum to the other. Everything from terrible to fantastic. Here's what our thoughts were on Memories Varadero Beach.
If you go there with the mindset that you're going to have a great time, enjoy the sun, the people, the drinks, the entertainment, then you'll definitely have a good time! If you go there looking for all the little things that are lacking, then you'll have no trouble finding them.
We'd heard [... read more]and seen that some of the rooms are atrocious -- dirty, moldy, in disrepair. We lucked out and had a decent room, very clean, no issues, but we met others who had to request a different room because of issues. Once moved, they were satisfied.
Most of the staff we very friendly, the entertainment was quite good (especially the Michael Jackson show and the Aqua-Dance)! Food was typical for Cuba -- it was good, but you got tired of it after a week. We never experienced any shortages of food, dishes or utensils, etc., and didn't need to use the extra condiments we brought with us.
As you've likely read elsewhere, bring toilet paper with you, both for your room and with you when using the public washrooms. We were ok in our room, but needed our own TP occasionally when by the pools or buffet.
Other thoughts:
- the beach is FANTASTIC! Huge, clean, good activities.
- tourists are almost evenly split between Canadians and Russians. No issues, everyone gets along and it's neat to meet people from your home country as well as halfway around the world.
- landscaping and grounds were nice!
Finally, bring gifts and tips for everyone. Cuba is a very poor country (just take a tour to Havana or any other town/city, and you'll see just HOW poor!), so anything you can bring them helps! It's also customary in Cuba, so don't break custom.
Enjoy! We did!