Had a great time, but some things could improve

All in all, it was a great trip that we made the most of. I was a little bit worried though, as I had never been to Cuba and I had heard they didn't have the best food. There were certain things that they didn't have (chips, peanut butter, jams, nachos and cheese), but there was always a huge buffet with lots of variety. I always had something to eat . They made some great homemade personal pizzas, great homemade burgers up at the grill by the pool (I didn't like the pre made burgers) , and thei [... read more]r chicken, pork and beef were pretty good too, and they would cook them in a variety of ways. When it wasn't windy, the ocean was beautiful and so calm (there was only 1 day out of 7 where there was no wind). You could see everything on the ocean floor because the water was crystal clear. The pool was nice too. And the entertainment staff were very nice and a pleasure to watch perform. I enjoyed watching the shows. They are all really good dancers - the only thing we didn't see were any acrobatic type shows. There were shows 6 out of the 7 days we were there, and of the 6 shows, two were the same show (Michael Jackson), and one night was only people from the audience. The shows are one of my favorite parts and I only got to see 4 shows essentially, so I was a bit disappointed about that. I wish there was a different show with the entertainment staff entertaining me every night. The disco was not bad - there were times were there was alot of cuban/salsa type music, but they did play some songs that are popular, so that helped and people responded and danced more to the "hit songs". They really should open the windows or have some air conditioning running in the disco, because it was always so hot and stuffy in there it was very hard to dance because you were sweating so much and couldn't breath. With no air flow in the disco, it also had an odour to it all the time, that was not pleasant. And at the disco, there was no security monitoring it. I know there is drinking everywhere, but who brings their kids out to the disco at midnight?? And why is there no one monitoring that? The one and only time the adults can actually get away from the kids, at the disco bar, and the parents bring their kids. Again, I know there is drinking around the kids all day, but there is a time and place for the kids, and at the disco at midnight is not the place. Someone from the resort should be monitoring this and intervening . The resort was really big and there was a lot of walking. And the beach wasn't right next to the pool, it was quite a walk away, so the only thing it would have been nicer if it was just steps away. We were in building 9, which was pretty far away of a walk from everything, especially the beach. We paid extra in hopes of getting a closer room (in buildings 1-4), but that didn't happen. I am not sure what would have needed to be done in order to make sure to get those rooms. We had a group of 14 of us, and we were split up in buildings 6 and 9, which again, was disappointing. When we arrived at 2:45pm to check in, they said the room was ready. They would not let us take our luggage to our rooms, they said they bell boys would deliver it, so we asked it be delivered as our room was ready. We waited until 5:00pm, 2 hours for our luggage!!!!!! That was too long to wait, especially because my luggage was there in plain view in the lobby for me to grab (next time I will insist I bring it myself). And we had to be in the room to accept it, so there was 2 hours, in my room, without my luggage or anything, so I lost out on some precious time. The balcony door did not lock, our tub was plugged and we had no hot water. We asked at the front desk to have those issues fixed. The next day the tub and water was fixed, but they never fixed our door (9215). I was happy they fixed the hot water situation though. We tried to book our a la cartes on the 3rd day,but they were all full and booked for the rest of the week, so that was disappointing for sure. And I do not like the way you have to book the a la cartes (between 3-5 at the entrance to one of the a la cartes). On our welcome info card, it said the a la cartes could be booked at the front desk between 9am-5pm (I think having to break and come back in from the beach or whereever, which is a super long walk, just to wait in a ridiculous line to book a dinner, is a bit crazy). The one lady (only the one lady out of the two of them) booking the dinner was not as friendly as I would have liked. While waiting in line, waiting to be greeted, she did not even acknowledge us and proceeded to take other people who just arrived, and didn't go in order of the line. I was very upset with the whole booking system of the a la cartes, it DOES NOT WORK WELL. I think it should be like what it says on the card, 9-5 book in the main lobby. There were a lot more kids then I expected. I have never been to an adults only resort, so there have always been kids everywhere I go, but this resort had probably more kids then adults. It was a lot more then I expected and would have liked. They did have their own kiddie pool, but it was small, and for the amount of kids, it would never be sufficient, so they moved up to the swim up bar pool. A lot of the adults I found did not supervise their kids, and there was never anyone around reinforcing the adults to watch their kids. Some of the kids were very disrespectful (and others were just great). I think a lot of the negative experience is due to the adults not watching or caring what their kids were doing. If the kids are misbehaving and splashing or whatever, its up to the adults to intervene, so a lot of this is due to poor parenting, but again, someone needs to be supervising this too because their drunk parents don't care. The first couple days were pretty windy, and when the clouds would roll in and the suns heat wasn't beating down in you, I found it a bit cooler (and those couple of evenings I found it cooler....a lot of people were walking around with sweaters). The weather the last 3-4 days was amazingly hot and there weren't many clouds in the sky at all, so finally managed to get the sun I wanted. All in all, the rooms, food, drinks, entertainment and weather were pretty good (considering it was my first time and I was a bit worried about the food and accommodations).

Friendly Atmosphere

Great staff.Grounds beautiful. Beach was great. Pool cold.Rooms are large and comfy. Food at Main buffet was always cold even when brought out fresh. Lunch buffer behind snack bar w as great. The best Pina Colandas. Would recommend only if the the temp. Of the food improved.

It was okay........

Hotel was clean, needed updating and we had many issues with the room. The bed broke in half, patio door fell off. etc. Maids worked the hardest and were lovely. Service was terrible. Completely understaffed. Too much management that did nothing. Gardner's always popping out of the bushes to sell you things. Was not at all what I expected. ok for quiet older folks as long as they are ok with stairs and young babies toddlers. not ok for active folks with teens. Lots of activities listed on websit [... read more]e were not available,Diamond club not worth it at all, secluded area on beach for diamond club only members had just a hand painted sign nailed to a tree. bartender kept beer in a used jug. Lots of staff seen filling vodka into their water bottles. food/drink hygiene was very sketchy. No snacks anywhere even at store in lobby.

Great stay! Great Staff!

Just spent a week at Memories Flamenco Resort in Cayo Coco, Cuba with my sisters , mom and mother in law. We enjoyed our week at this resort. We were greeted at the airport and given our wrist bands, hotel rooms and loaded on our "diamond club" bus for a short 15 minute ride to the resort. We were given the rooms that we had asked for which was really nice. The rooms were clean, had a musky smell upon entering but that was because the AC was not on, and as soon as we turned it on the smell was g [... read more]one. The beds were a bit hard but that was ok, asked for extra pillows and blankets and were given them right away. The resort grounds are beautiful and clean. The washrooms in all buildings were exceptionally clean from other resorts that I have visited in Cuba. The cleaning ladies were there all day and night cleaning up after everyone. The pools were nice but a little cold, was ok after you were in it. Lots of chairs around the pools, we only had 1 day that we could not find any but that was at 2 in the afternoon when the beach was windy and a little cooler. The beach does have coral around the diamond club area, but a short walk on either side you could find sandy entry to the beautiful waters. Bring water shoes. Again the water was a little chilly but warmer than the pool some days. Make it a point to walk to the left of the Diamond Club in the evening around the point to view the beautiful sunset. The weather was around 24, which was nice considering we were travelling with seniors. The food was better than other resorts in cuba. We visited 3 a la carts which weren't bad, seemed that the apps were better than the main coarse. The managers reception was nice until the lobster, it was cut pcs of lobster mixed in a cream sauce that wasn't that great and then put in the shell. We left there and went to the buffet. The buffet at dinner time was also good with fresh pasta, fish, seafood stations and the lineups were not too long. The beach grill had good food as did the pool grill - burgers were great. The people on the resort really make your trip! They are always checking up with you asking if everything is ok and if there is anything that you need they will get it. Felix at the pool was very friendly and the entertainment staff were great!. The waiters and bartenders at the lobby bar were superb! Get to know the staff, they will make your trip that much better. We did one excursion to the city of Moron (half day) which was great, I recommend doing this trip. The boat ride in itself was worth the $. Lunch was good as well with traditional pork and rice and beans, finished with a nice bowl of ice cream. The kids club looked wonderful, I did not visit there but was very spacious with a nice big waiting pool area for the little ones. All in all we had a great trip and I would definitely return to this resort! Love love love the people that work so hard to make your stay the best it can be! Thank you Memories Flamenco for a wonderful week!!

Best Resort for the money!

We had the pleasure of staying at memories flamenco from January 18-25. Check-in was amazing, they gave our wristbands and hotel keys in the bus on the way to the resort, as well as a map of the resort. We got off the bus took our bags and walked them to our rooms. Everything was in walking distance. The weather was beautiful and we never had a problem getting chairs by the pool or by the ocean. Beach towels were in our room upon arrival and you could exchange them daily. The food was fantastic, [... read more] if picky, you could always find something that you would really enjoy. The hamburgers with nachos & salsa up by the pool are incredible. We visited playa pillar beach, a must-see as well as Lenny's crab shack...there we had a lobster meal for $15 and it was incredible. It was a clean resort with great staff. We will definitely go again!

Great Place to Stay

We just returned Jan 27/15 from staying at the Memories Flamenco Beach Resort. We were very happy with this resort, definitely our moneys worth. The staff are all very friendly and always smiling. We enjoyed sitting outside the lobby in the mornings drinking our cappacino coffee. The buffet has a good assortment of food, the pasta bar was our favourite. The burgers made at the outside bbq pit , by the upper pool were AMAZING. Disappointed at the Italian restaurant, however the Manager told me th [... read more]at there are plans in the making to improve it. The flowers and shrubs around the resort are plentiful and beautiful. The beach was beautiful . You can walk out far before it gets deep. Our building #3 was very clean and quiet. We will be going back to to this resort

Awesome

The beach was horrible for swimming but I am sure the snorkeling was amazing! The resort itself was soooooo clean and just fantastic!!!! The workers were amazing and I would love to take them all home!! Great pizza, amazing pork everyday at the pool!!! Enjoyed our trip

Very good week at Flamenco Beach Resort!

The Resort was great! The room was always clean. The "A la carte" restaurants were very nice and the food great! The people working at the resort were always polite and ready and accommodate us. The only thing I missed from the other places we visited was that there was not a market attached to the resort.

Decent value

Stayed week of January 22 . Winter season. Very windy every day and cooler temperatures now. Decent clean rooms but very hard mattresses. Food was standard for Cuba but not bad. Buffet food better than a la carte so don't waste time lining up for reservations. No apparent advantages to diamond club so save your money. Family oriented with lots of kids activities for 7 and under. Could definitely use boogie boards at the watersport centre and bring your own basketball or Tennis gear as they only  [... read more]have one ball I never saw and 2 racquets with one bald tennis ball. Apparently gifts from guests left behind. Sad but true. Beach is coming along nicely. We didn't need water shoes at all. Staff is very friendly especially in buffet at omelette station and smoothie bar. Front desk Giovanni was great and took care of any issues immediately. Water pressure in rooms extremely low unless you shower early before everyone else decides to. Lots of improvements to be made but mostly management issues. Nightly entertainment was amazing as in most Cuban resorts but definitely not much for active people during the day. Good resort for old people and young kids but very busy overall. As always the tourists are the only major issues. Smokers and the ignorant people who leave their towels at the pool all day. Lots of chairs at the beach and decent snorkeling. Dolphin and horseback tours cheap and a must do. No good markets nearby but you can take a $5 bus ride to see it if you want. No shirts or shot glasses even. Nothing like veradero. Overall a decent resort but too busy for me and one week of the same food was enough. Too bad they couldn't give their Staff a better resort to work on. They were all great people.

Best in Cuba

This is my 5th time to Cuba and I have stayed in a different resort every time . I must say that I was very impressed with how clean everything is floors, public bathrooms , guests rooms. The resort is very well run, you can see the management team all over the resort ensuring everything is running smoothly and pitching in to help where needed. They asked us to complete a survey and followed up the next day with any concerns we had. They called the room twice to make sure everything was going as [... read more] expected.The beach is a little rough on your feet but if you bring water shoes you should not have any problems. The food was okay and there was never any really long lines ups for the fresh food as I have found in other resorts. Overall I would suggest this is the best resort of the 5 I have stayed in.

Enjoyable vacation!

We had an ocean view room and found that all the other accommodations were also conveniently located to everything. The buffet was delicious with many tasty options available. The restaurants were appreciated as well. Daily entertainment was presented by talented young dancers. Especially enjoyed the water ballet performance in the afternoon! Staff was very friendly and courteous. They were willing to help at all times. The rooms were clean and fresh supplies were provided on a daily basis. Dire [... read more]ctly on the beach were areas of coral. Recommend water shoes. A short walk had you on a beautiful beach and two lovely points that you could walk to. Value at this resort is excellent. Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a break from cold Canadian winter temperatures.

Great resort for the value.

Little disappointed in the beach this year. Very friendly staff . Food was good (we never staved) Spiderman was a highlite. Alin in the buffet area was a great server. Loved her personality,always had pleasant smile.

Has gone down hill since last January 2013.

Rooms and room service excellent. Grounds, pool and lawn chairs kept in excellent condition. Entertainment in the evenings-very enjoyable. Beach towel exchange -non existent-once in 8 days! Customer Care line rep rude to request for additional pillows and Spanish translation. Spent 1 hour going to Al-a carte restaurants to book suppers- should be done by 1 person on line in 15 min. or less! Last year we experienced a real family feeling with lots of opportunity to voice our opinions to the manag [... read more]er who was visible on a daily basis. Our rooms where booked and we received our keys as we entered the bus from the airport. Also we did not have to waste time booking al-a-cartes as that was done for us and the list placed in our key envelope. The atmosphere has definitely changed. Some staff lied to us when they didn't want to get us specialty coffees-said machine was broken-when we went to bar ourselves- machine was working. Bar service was excellent.

Jan 7-14, Cayo Coco Cuba trip

Food was tasty with large variety at both buffet/alacarte. Grounds were beautiful well kept. Service was great if asked for. Except for 1 rude customer service rep. Diamond club package was misleading

Paradise :)

Beautiful location, amazing staff and management, standard rooms, big selection of food. Love the excursions, tons of activities during the day and the night shows are great. Great value for your $$. Quick tip, building 1 is close to everything but you will hear all the night activities well into the morning.

Beautiful staff and rooms, awful beach

I was at this hotel from Jan 11-18th 2015. I go to Cuba for the beach and when I saw this beach I almost cried. it is rocky, seaweed and the water was cloudy. You cant walk out with water shoes as the rocks are so sharp. They have a peer however the steps are broken and slippery.. I only got down it once so I swam in the ocean once. The pool was nice, people nice, ala carts excellent. So if your going for white walk out sandy beaches don't go here but if you have kids and like the pool its ok.

Will go again!

I will start off by saying that usually my husband and I like to try new resorts, but we both agreed that we would return to Memories Flamenco again. Check In: as easy as it gets; its done at the bus when you get off the plane..keys in hand. I didn't get my bungalow request as they were at full capacity, but they did fulfill the extra bed request. We were happy with being in bungalow 8 as it was further away from the noise (for our kids to nap during the day). I wanted a terrace, so we could eas [... read more]ily go back and forth from the room without using the door to the hallway...some bungalows have actual terraces and others have balconies that are a foot off the ground...fyi. Beds are firm, which I love, and the pillows thin, I brought the neck support so I had to use that. Food: was good enough. Buffet was great! Croelle alacarte was the best food there; don't miss on trying the creole soup, fantastic!! Asian, was good, not great. We ended up passing on the Mediterranian as my kids do better at the buffet. Snack bar food was kinda brutal actually..besides the fish, it was great. There are 2 additional food stations set up at noon and 1..one at the pool (up top), and it was different everyday, burgers there were really good...food at beach was ok too. Book your alacartes upon arrival after 3pm at the restaurant; they fill fast, as they were at full capacity; booking 4-5 days in advance. I would have brought more snacks, like granola bars, as they don't have much at the store. $5 for a can of Pringles and they were out for several days. Pool: great..kids pool, large. Water was not that cold at all, was just right when the sun is out. Go early and save your sunbeds by 8am for poolside...you have more time at the beach. Kayaks are free to use, but they only have adult size life jackets, so bring your own for kids. Beach: now here is were peoples opinions differ...we didn't really mind the coral, I wore water shoes..and was fine, there is one entry point to the left of the pier that has the best access, (least amount of coral to walk over)..once you do the sand is really nice..water is clear. Lots of sea life to discover. We went to the pier early 730am and could see lots of fish, a ray, a huge crab..later we found a starfish and mollusks, huge hermit crabs etc... the coral was something interesting for us.. kids loved finding shells and anemones. Kids Club: we took full advantage of this, and I talked to alot of parents who had been before, and got names of the staff members..all the ladies here were fantastic and love their jobs. My kids asked to go there everyday..so it became habit: breakfast at 730, and then they went at 9 when they opened..for an hour. Gave me an hour to myself and my husband went to the gym. Nena is the primary lady there..she is very good and has everything under control...so don't worry! LOL. She will babysit in the room for $5 per hour too. Entertainment: We saw the Jackson show, and was great..and a few minutes of the Retro show.. Poolside games through the day too, looked like fun, if you are into that. Grounds: are beautiful, very well maintained.. Rooms: simple but very clean and a good size. Air conditioning worked very well. Bring an adapter if you want to use your own hairdryer, and all the outlets are 220V. There is one 110V on the hairdryer there you can use to charge cell phones but it doesn't accommodate the large prongs on flat irons..I had bad hair the whole trip. :( Staff: All very very nice, sincere people... I fell in love with Cubans...and made some friends. I brought some small gifts and they are very grateful. (lotions, deodarant, hair elastics for girls, gently used clothing, sippy cups, old toys)... things are very expensive for them so they are so grateful. WIFI: is spotty, first 2 days it was down completely, and I was able to connect near the lobby bar with no problem. I didn't pay anything either..used it for texting np, but couldn't access internet. Bank: bring cash. They do accept visa but the phone lines often go down, and that means visa machine is down as well...I was lucky that I had the cash for departure taxes already because it was down at the airport too..so plan ahead!! Excursions: only went to Pilar Beach, and you do not want to miss it.. had we gone earlier, we would have made 2 trips, was most incredible beach I have ever seen. Its an hour by bus but soooooo worth it. You can rent the loungers for $2 or the shaded beds for $10, but you get 3 drinks included... must try the Pina colada on the beach, YUM!! The restaurant was excellent; we had the shrimp and lobster lunch for $18

It was ok!!

The rooms were clean and not fancy but all you need when you are away. Laundry is out sourced and unfortunately didn't deliver for days which meant using the same beach towel for 4 days. Towels in our room were changed daily. You will have difficulty staying connected as they sell cards for internet & they didn't have cards to sell for our 1st 3 days there. Buffet restaurant had a great omlett bar for breakfast. I recommend making reservations in the specialty restaurants as they were the best m [... read more]eals that we had. Staff were friendly. I wouldn't recommend the spa for manicure/pedicure. Very unprofessional, numerous interruptions & they added water to the nail polish. The breach has coral at the shore which makes for difficulty walking in the water.

Beautiful resort

We loved the resort, 10* staff,entertainment and food. To bad it's not maintained well, lots of things broken, the management is not keeping up with the maintenance needed and it's very unfortunate because it's a beautiful resort. We love the beach and this resort doesn't have a clean beach, lots of coral and it's very hard to go in the water. So for beach lovers this resort is not a good choice. We had a few things not working in the bathroom and the curtains wouldn't close but the resort was f [... read more]ull and no room was available until the 3rd day of our vacation. They compensated us by upgrading us to a ocean view room and even offered staff to move all our stuff. As for the service this resort is amazing and will go out of their way to make everyone happy.

Average resort, 3 stars

Grounds nice and clean, beach not so clean, hard to get to water through rocks, no exchange for towels, telephone service overcharging, food, lots of choice but also reused, smelling at times, stuff very friendly, Hotel room not as expected for high rated hotel, drapes, bed covering, humidity smell....