Beautiful resort, amazing staff!

My husband, 5 month old daughter and I visited this resort May 20-27, and we loved every moment! The resort is beautiful, and the grounds are very well kept. There was constantly people out working on the lawns, trimming hedges and working on gardens. The beach is beautiful, perfectly white sands, and crystal clear waters. Once you're in the water, there is a rocky area, but we brought water shoes and we had no issue maneuvering it. The pools aren't too busy so we spent most of our time there. T [... read more]hey have lots of shaded seating, if you don't want too much sun. Theres a kids wading pool, and there was rarely anyone there, so if you have very young children and want to take a relaxing dip, head there! The food was really the only part that we had an issue with...if you even want to call it an "issue"! I thought the food was great! My husband didn't enjoy it as much, but he found enough to eat. If you have a chance, take the panoramic bus to Playa Pilar. The bus is 5 pesos/person, and you have to pay a couple pesos for a beach chair at the beach, but it is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in my life! This was our first family vacation with our baby, and we were worried that it was going to be a hassle. it wasn't at all! the resort makes everything so easy. They provided us with a crib next to our bed, and extra bottled water for her formula. They also provide a baby watching service during the day. the hours are limited to two time blocks during the day (8am-11am and 2pm-5pm if I remember correctly) and they'll only take babies if the Kids Club isn't too busy. But they do offer babysitting services for 5 pesos/hour if you want to do an excursion or just have some time sans baby. The resort is massive, and you do tons of walking, so if you are traveling with small children, BRING A STROLLER! Everything is accessible, so maneuvering with a stroller isn't an issue. I would definitely recommend this resort for families, couples or individuals. Theres lots to do, and everyone is so friendly! We are planning on returning next year!

Relaxing retreat with refreshing ocean breezes

Well kept facilities with excellent staff. Food was acceptable but not noteworthy. Menu changed frequently at grill based on availability. Needed to contact room services for missing pillows, bar refill and towels. Would recommend having the food preparation staff get trained on "Canadian" versions of none Cuban food items.

Great resort

We really enjoyed this place. It's not the Ritz but it's the Ritz of Cuba. Staff were very nice, rooms very nice, food was acceptable with lots of choice. The staff were very attentive and went out of their way to put on a lot of entertainment and games. The coral on the beach, about 2-3 metres between beach and ocean, extended the length of the beach except for a small space about 10 feet wide. Not ideal but it didn't hinder us from enjoying beach or ocean. Would repeat.

So much fun with the girls!

I had an amazing time in Cayo Coco, Flamenco resort with my sister and bestie! The resort had alot of activities throughout the day, so it made it impossible to be bored. The sunwing rep was always available, so we could actually pay for the extra activities at any time of the day. The resort staff was so funny and friendly, and made us tip like crazy. The hotel room was great and we couldn't ask for anything more since they even gave us an extra bed so we could all sleep comfortably. It was bla [... read more]st!

Bahama Mama

My friend and I left on May 13, 2015 and returned May 20, 2015. We had excellent weather and no hiccups on our trip to or from the resort. Location: We were located in building 5, floor 2. We were about a 1 minute walk from the beach and 3-5 minutes from any restaurants, the pool, the spa and the lobby. Food: There are several restaurants to choose from ranging from Mediterranean, Asian, Italian and a snack bar with burgers, fries and pizza, etc. The buffet offers an assortment of food choices [... read more] for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I commonly had their pancakes and maple syrup which taste pretty much the same. They also offer eggs done in any style, and sausages, bacon, etc. Didn't eat lunch at the buffet, mostly went to the snack bar since we were by the pool or on an excursion. Dinner at the buffet could be salads, pasta, pizza, potatoes, chicken, etc. NOTE: If you get pasta at the buffet, go to the Pasta station, not the pre-made stuff. Huge difference in taste and texture of noodles. ALSO: Cuban food is not very exciting. I love my food and found I was never looking forward to any meals. But, their pizza, fresh pasta, fries (we brought our own Ketchup to dip), pancakes, bacon and eggs are just fine. Excursion meals I found to be tasty. Entertainment: Every night there was a show put on - the best one we saw was Michael Jackson. Phenomenal! Highly recommend seeing all their shows! During the day there are bunch of activities to be involved in if you are staying at the resort. Examples: volleyball, soccer, yoga. There is also a foam party once a week at the pool during the day. The resort has a club but it is closed, and I believe it will be remaining closed for the foreseeable future. Reasons weren't clear. However, they have a bus to take you to Memories Caribe, 5 minute bus ride, and you can go to their club. We never did. Room: We had 2 double beds in our room, a balcony, a huge wash room, a safe, and a TV (good English channels too). Our maid came every day to clean our room and left cute towel designs on our beds. Excursions: Horseback riding: We walked along the road for about 25 minutes, went on the beach for about 10 and stopped to take a picture. And then went back the same way along the road for 25 minutes. Lots and lots of mosquitoes, bring bug spray. We did this on our first day and got eaten alive. Lots of bites. And your butt hurts if you can't post. Catamaran Cruise: Day trip. During the day we went snorkelling in 2 different locations, they provide snorkelling gear. Amazing coral. So awesome! We had a lobster lunch (other choices were available) and we went to a private beach for a swim and to check out the beach. Pillar Beach: GORGEOUS! MUST GO! We went for the day and got the package that includes a lunch and a long chair, versus just taking the bus. In my opinion, take the package, cause you get there before other buses and get shade. Otherwise, you likely don't get shade and are exposed and at the sun's mercy. We had a great lunch, I got chicken! And spent a lot of time in the water cause it is so beautiful! Spa: We booked two massages and a facial. One halfway through and at the end of our trip. Both were great and very relaxing. Recommended. Age Group: We saw a lot of couples (young and older), families and some groups of friends. Overall, we had a great trip! I'd recommend this resort to anyone!

Very memorable experience

The hotel was facilities are well-kept, grounds are green and flowers everywhere, the beach very nice and water is crystal blue. Food was great and of course last but not least service was excellent. Kudos to the management and staff of the hotel. They went an extra mile in terms of service and pleasing their guests

Nice relaxing vacation!

My husband and I booked a quick four day stay at this resort. It was just enough for us to decompress and relax! It was our first time to Cuba , and upon talking to other travellers, we were told that the beach at this resort was not as nice as other areas in Cuba. We thought the beach was fantastic! Yes there is a coral reef but there is an open spot to walk into the water avoiding the reef. The water is clear, warm and beautiful white sand bottom. We are beach people and although it was hot (3 [... read more]0. Plus!) there was shade and a beautiful breeze off the ocean. It was much to hot for us to sit by the pool. The food was ok. My husband enjoyed all the seafood and is not afraid to try most things. I am more cautious, but was always able to find something to eat. The staff were very accomadating, and couldn't do enough for you. The entertainment was excellent....shows nightly and lots of activities throughout the day too. Our room was clean. We never had an issue with hot water or the water pressure like others stated. Air conditioner was nice and cool! The resort had a mix of families with youngsters , couples, singles and even some solo travellers. It was not a hugh "party resort" although they did take groups into town at night for the disco. I would caution single women of any age. The Cuban men will be hitting on you. You should have fun, they will show you a good time. But some of them will try to win your heart to find a way to come to Canada and then desert you. It's TRUE!! Saw it with own eyes and heard it from heatbroken women. Google it!

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort - Great Vacation!!!

We had a great family vacation at Memories Flamenco Beach Resort. The resort is clean, the staff are very accommodating, service is excellent. The beach is gorgeous (water is crystal clear), the view is exhilarating. The swimming pool is fun for my kids with lots of activities everyday. The night shows are enjoyable as well. Food is super. Can't ask for a better vacation. My family will surely go back to Cayo Coco, Memories Flamenco Beach Resort.

A Snorkelling Haven for Beginners!

A family of 8 plus 5 friends, ages 11 through 51 had a fabulous 1 week stay at the Memories Flamenco, Cayo Coco, Cuba. My husband, our 11 yr. old and I were in an Oceanview Suite in Building 3, 3rd floor. The rest were in Building 1, 2nd and 1st floor in Oceanview and Gardenview Junior Suite. Everyone was very satisfied with their accommodations. There were a few minor issues with room keys, curtain rods and water pressure however all got resolved promptly. Snorkelling is the one attraction that [... read more] determines our destination. The abundance of fish in the shallow waters at the point on the left side of the beach as well as under the pier, kept us entertained for hours every single day. In addition to seeing thousands of juveniles, we saw many schools of barracuda and grunts, a couple of trunkfish, various needlefish, a very timid squirrel fish, a couple of very shy high hat spotted drums as well as 2 very invasive into-pacific lion fish. Unfortunately we did not see any of my favourite, the toothy parrot fish. The coral structures were not as well established as in the waters of Playa Esmeralda at the Sol Rio de Luna y Mares in Holguin where we vacationed last year. Nevertheless, they were healthy with beautiful colours of green and purple. We found numerous starfish, a very large conch and three sea cucumbers. We also had the joy of shell hunting and were very fortunate to come upon 5 graceful pink flamingos. We enjoyed fabulous cappuccinos at the snack bar. We mostly ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at the buffet and found food fresh and of great variety. Guava, a personal favorite, was plentiful. We also ate lunch once at the paella beach grill. Out of the 3 a-la-cartes, the Creole 'Calalu' was the favourite followed closely by the Mediterranean 'Florencia' and lastly, the Italian 'Le Redonda' restaurant behind the 24hr. snack bar. We didn't get to try the Asian but heard great things. None of our party opted for the diamond club however perhaps I would upgrade to it the next time just to enjoy a greater selection of spirits. Overall, all were satisfied with the drink menu. I especially enjoyed one of the 2 house spanish red wines and did not find the need to buy a bottle of other brands available. We enjoyed the pool volleyball, poolside and beach salsa dancing and poolside games but hands down the Foam Party was the most laughs. It would have been great to get to experience it on a daily basis. The greatest disappointment came when upon our arrival we found out that the hotel disco was permanently closed as of a few weeks before we got there. For 10 members of our party, ages 22 to 30, this was a serious bone of contention. If they wanted to get some nighttime dancing they had to go off resort. This excursion came at an extra cost. The nightly entertainment shows in the theatre were brilliant. The staff was superb everywhere you went, from the top to the bottom. Smiles were abundant and service was second to none. Noelia has a great team. Bravo!

Amazing vacation!!

I would like to start off by saying thank you to all the kind and caring staff at the Memories Flamenco. They always went out of their way to make sure you had everything. We first arrived at the airport and it was a breeze. We were then handed our room keys and resort bracelets. We arrived at the resort within 15 minutes and we were greeted by some staff as well as welcome drinks. The room was very clean and spacious. We usually spent most of our time at the swim up pool bar and the beach. Th [... read more]e beach sand was beautiful as well as the water. Once you walked around the coral it was perfection. There is a boardwalk where you can walk into the water without there being any coral. The buffet was delicious especially breakfast. I had a fresh omelette every morning, and you must try the cappuccinos. I also enjoyed the a la carte restaurants. I want to especially thank our maid Maidell. She is the sweetest lady and took very good care of us every day! I want to thank Hector at the lobby bar for always serving us the best drinks and being such a sweetheart. I also want to thank Juliette at the swim up bar for always greeting us and taking care of us everyday. She is so sweet and always has a smile on her face. All of the entertainers deserve a lot of credit for the shows. Every night was an amazing production! I am already planning on returning to this resort later in the fall! I also loved seeing the general manager walking the resort and asking us if we needed anything and how our stay was. Everyone is very hard working on this resort from the entertainers, waiters and groundskeepers. Thank you for making it an amazing experience! I can't wait to return!

Best Resort !!

The cleanliness of this resort was amazing. there were no bugs, no structural issues and no fly in my food. The staff was amazing. There were so many people around for you when ever you needed someone and all were helpful. The bartenders were great and knew your drink order after the firs day. The maid and room service was also very good. We did not do any excursions because there was do much around the resort to keep you entertained.

Beautiful resort, beautiful people.

First and foremost, you have to understand that Cuba must be compared to and reviewed with itself only. That being said, this resort is easily the most beautiful and friendly resort I have ever been to in Cuba (been 5 times to various places and resorts). Food: the à la carte restaurants had the best food - definitely have to go to all of them. There's a nice variety and the food was very tasty. The buffet had a decent amount of variety and all the food was properly cooked and well seasoned. T [... read more]here isn't much I can say about the food except that for Cuba, it was the best I've ever had. Rooms: when we got there, our room smelled like mold. Once we aired it out, it was fine. For Cuba standards, hotel rooms are clean, well-kept, well located, and service was excellent (we stayed on the first floor of Bungalow 5). We had very close access to the beach and had we wanted to change rooms it would have been an option. Service: the best I've ever had. Staff was beyond inviting and friendly. Never had to wait for food, drinks, or help. From the moment we got there, everything was taken care of for us. Our luggage was taken to our room within 15 minutes. Welcome cocktails when we arrived. Our mini-fridge was restocked daily. The waiters and waitresses were always available. We even had a waitress bring us 2 drinks at a time so that we would never be waiting. There's a 24 hour customer service desk that you can call or visit at any time to take care of any questions or concerns you might have. We were greeted by the hotel's assistant manager who gave us a welcoming speech on our first day. The general manager and assistant manager were always seen walking around the hotel and were available to speak to whenever needed. The animation staff and dancers were phenomenal. Beach: if you love the idea of miles of white, soft sandy beaches, then this might not be the place for you. There is about 5-8 feet of coral you have to walk over in order to reach the white, sandy beach and you do have to be careful not to slip or scrape your feet. If you can get over those 5 second of misery then you're fine. I didn't bring any beach shoes and just toughed it out and it didn't bother me. On the plus side, the amount of coral offers excellent opportunities for snorkeling. I went almost ever ydayd and was blown away by the amount of fish and sea life in the area, so for me I have no complaints about the coral. But it depends what you're looking for. There are areas you can walk in which have no coral but those spaces are limited. The beach offers a lot of shade (no palapass but there are a lot of trees to take shelter under). Amazing beach waiters to bring you drinks whenever you need. A lot of different activities offered on the beach as well such as beach volleyball, zoomba, dance lessons etc... Pool: very clean and well maintained. Many activities to do throughout the staff. The pool bar had amazing staff and wasn't ever too crowded. A lot of comfortable chairs and shade if you can get there early. Snack bad located close by which had great food and service. Grounds: absolutely beautiful. You can tell that they take a lot of time to maintain the plants and trees and it's always spotless. What the resort may lack in certain areas (beach if the coral annoys you or food if you're picky), it makes up for in service, cleanliness, and friendliness. What an amazing vacation at the Memories Flamenco in Cayo Coco.

It was a decent family vacation

One line summary: Good value for the money, but maybe once is enough for us. Pros: Good food, good service, beautiful beach Cons: Room was too cold - A/C seemed to be over-working, had some bug bites from the room, not enough shade, beach had many many coral reefs, towards to the end of the vacation, the resort was more for young adults who wants to party, lunch buffet starts at 1PM, which was very late for us. Baby club was boring and had no good children's program. It was too hot for my 15  [... read more]months old and when I talked to other parents, most of the babies that were young (like 2.5 yrs or younger) got sick.

Wondeful resort

Forth time in Cuba and so far our favorite place! Food really good, well kept, very clean, excellent service, beach beautiful, but you do need water shoes. You can walk for hours and hours on the beach and especially at low tide. Negative point... People reserve chairs it seems for the entire week. Beach area you can always find shade and a chair. No entertainment in the lobby, but theatre has good shows.

Good family vacation but slightly overrated

I went on this trip at the beginning of May with my family of 12 adults and one pre-teen. It was a very family friendly place for kids. I will probably try to go to an adults only resort next time or a smaller resort. It was very hot and muggy and there were not enough umbrellas/huts for people to get shade by the pool or the beach, which left us one day having to hang out under huts by the kids pool. I loved the beach. The water was like bath water and the sand was white and beautiful. There wa [... read more]sn't as many number and diversity of fish as I would have liked to see while snorkelling. However, once we walked 5minutes to the left (facing the water) down the beach to the point there was more coral and more schools of fish and many barracudas. My siblings went on the catamaran excursion and loved it. The buffet had good food and a decent amount of choices. The staff and chefs were very good and friendly. Make sure to bring Canadian salt & pepper, Heinz ketchup and hot sauce because theirs is much different. The a la carte times were booked for us ahead of time which I didn't like. I rather make my own reservation. The first a la carte meal wasn't very good it was essentially left over buffet food but the other 2 a la cartes were delicious and great service. I felt that the staff were overworked and some not job satisfied. I think it's probably a management issue and I felt bad for many of the employees. The nights shows were good. However, afterwards there was no nightlife as there was no place to dance on the resort. The Cuban government apparently made it mandatory for their disco to be closed and they want people to pay to go to a disco off the resort which is shared with other resorts. Room service and cleaning was excellent! Our room was very clean and we got fresh towels daily and they changed our bed sheets daily. At night the Mosquitos were terrible. Make sure to bring insect repellent. I recommend going in April if possible and DO NOT fly at night. Leaving the resort at night, the airplane had tons of Mosquitos and everyone was waving their arms and hitting themselves to try to kill the Mosquitos. With all that said, I would recommend this resort for a family with kids. Cayo Coco and Jardines Del Rey certainly is beautiful and worth visiting. Next time I would try the Melia resort which is close by.

Amazing resort with amazing staff!

My girlfriend and I went to this resort from may 5th to may 12th. It was amazing. Pros : Diner, restaurant, beach, pool bar, STAFF!!! Cons : No more discoteque, breakfast choice at the buffet I will certainly return there. I work in an hotel in QC and i can tell you that they have one of the best service I'Ve seen. Everybody is smiling, have great attitude and are not too much.

Second visit was even better than the first!

Visited from May 6th to May 13th. The grounds were exquisite. Rooms were clean and spacious. Food was good - especially the Asian a la carte! The staff truly make the experience worth while. Everyone is exceptionally friendly and helpful. Will return for a third time in 2016!

THE BEST VACATION OF ALL TIME

The staff and the whole resort was absolutely amazing. Not a friendlier group. This is first time away from North America and had 7 days and nights of fantastic times. My favourite part is coming to the room after breakfast to see what amazing things the girls of room service came up with our blankets. One word describes everything there. FANTASTIC. I have recommended this resort to all my friends and even changed our wedding plans to have it there next april.

Fantastic time!

We traveled Apr 15-29th, 2015 and enjoyed fabulous weather and found the resort to be 5* , Cuban style. Admittedly, we are not picky people. I look for a clean room and an awesome beach, and this place delivered that, and more. The rooms are somewhat dated but clean and efficient. The maid service was great: hard working and very friendly. As a couple who do not like schedules when on holiday, we opted out of our a'la carte meals. The buffet always had something even the pickiest of eaters would [... read more] like. Topped off with a vast array of fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, cheeses, bread stick, pate, not to mention the dessert bar. Oh and Sushi Bar every other night at the buffet was a draw for my husband. He enjoyed it at least 4 times over the 2 weeks. Delish, apparently, and made to order at the bar. The beach was amazing. I am not a water person, but so enjoyed this beach. The water was beautiful and you could go quite a way out before it got deep. I likely spent more time in the water this trip than all others combined. The 24 hour makes a mean fried chicken and fries, should the mood hit. These were the only places we actually went to and we never went hungry. I saw a few people with their own salad dressing but in fact, there was a good number of choices. But a good idea if you have a favourite, just in case. Make sure you have lots of sun screen as it is quite pricey to buy in the store. We had exceptionally good weather bordering on too hot a couple of days so we used quite a bit. But no complaints there either after a cold winter. All in all, I would recommend this resort for families and couples alike. We traveled as a couple alone and met some of the nicest people. And Lucy and Raul from the management team, among others, check in on guests periodically to see how their stay is going. I always enjoy Cuba as the people are so friendly and such hard workers. A great vacation and we will go back. Even if only for Gustoffa's (sp) Choc Martini.

Disappointing

The following outlines our experience at this resort. We did not receive a paper showing our pre-booked speciality restaurants. We didn't realize we were supposed to have received this until 3 or 4 days into our trip. When we asked the Sunwing rep about this he was dismissive and just told us to go book them but when we tried everything was booked up. We did manage to get into the Asian restaurant which we found to be very good but we never got to use the other 3 restaurants. We stayed at this  [... read more]resort for 2 weeks and we should have been able to get into each of the restaurants twice but because of Sunwings neglect we feel that we were short changed. We found that the resort was not vegetarian friendly. The foods at the buffet were not usually labeled and it was always a guessing game trying to figure out what the individual dishes contained. A lot of the salads and cooked rice contained meat items (bacon with brussell sprouts? Ham with chickpeas?) There was usually 3 or 4 pasta dishes in the buffett but whether they contained meat or not was always a mystery. The resort was big...too big. There was not enough seating or room in the common areas. When it was raining people crowded into the lobby and lobby bar...finding a seat was impossible. At times we had no choice but to return to our room. The pools were large but not enough shade was provided. All the shaded spots were “reserved” with towels by 7am. The resort catered to children and as a result there were a large number of kids. The resort was really meant for families and not couples. This was not stressed in the online broucher or by our travel agent. There were 2 (I think) children's pools but there were large numbers of children in the main pool. The nightly entertainment was good but finding a seat was a nightmare. You had to arrive 1 1/2 hours early to find a seat. Many people had to stand up or sit on a concrete wall. A resort this size needs a much larger theater. After the kids nightly entertainment a notice went up on the screen saying that the kids events were now finished for the day but the children (and their strollers) remained taking up valuable seating. The beach in front of the resort had a great deal of coral for the first 30 feet upon entering the water making it very difficult to enter. We often had to go to the resort next door (Pestana) to get into the water. On two days we went to Pilar Beach (a one hour bus ride). Pilar Beach is a beautiful beach with fine almost powder like sand. The bus ride is 5 pesos each return. The bus schedule is posted in the lobby. . You can rent a lounge chair with shade for 2 pesos each. There is a bar and small restaurant on site. The first day at the beach we had lunch in the restaurant. On our 2nd day at Pilar beach we were dismayed to find the restaurant closed to us for a large group of travel agents. Tourists (who pay the way of these travel agents) were locked out. A little advance notice of this closure would have been greatly appreciated. The staff at the resort were very friendly and we found the resort and rooms to be very clean. All the indoor common areas were posted “No Smoking” and seemed to be respected by everyone. We feel that this resort is not suitable for vegetarians or couples and because of the reasons outlined above we feel this resort does not justify a 4.5 star rating as is advertised.