Grand Memories Varadero: ..

You get the same food everyday and it really sucks . The rooms have no cable and need to be updated a little but other wise the resorts a solid 4/5 with everything else . Would recommend to someone else

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Lots of shortages

Beach is awesome. Even the black market had shortages. Not only are there shortages of food, the food was meh at best. But you don't go for Cuba for the food. Staff was pleasant throughout and tried to the best with what they had. You have to remember they work up to 14 hours a day, 6 days a week. The stay was made difficult as members of our party got covid and were hospitalized. Hola Sun rep was good for the 1st week but then washed his hands of any responsibility as soon as the schedu [... read more]led vacation was over even though 2 were still in hospital. The hotel was no better and kept passing the buck to the rep. saying it's not their responsibility and offered no help whatsoever. This meant I had to coordinate, make arrangements, and advocate on my own which was extremely time consuming and frustrating to manage.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: very tired resort...

the staff was amazing..but thats where it ends...rooms are very tired..we had no water in our room for the first 2 days, no beers or soft drinks for the whole week in our room bar fridge.. there was no coke offered for 70% of the time we were at this resort.. they ran out of vodka for most of the time we were there, ran out of tonic water, no orange juice at bar or for breakfast, no cereal was offered at breakfast , toliet paper was used as napkins for most of the week, last 2 days we had real  [... read more]napkins.. our first room was terrible, we were moved on the 3rd day, better room, but again very tired..we notice the last day we were there they started painting, and sprucing up the grounds..

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great resort

The resort was very good. Shortages exist but they try to make the best out of what they have. Only issue was a defective toilet but luckily we were in a suite with 2 toilets. The repetitive music every day would make it impossible to stay longer than a week. Canada day outdoor meal was kind but I would prefer they didn’t bother

Resonance Blu Varadero: What a perfect family holiday

This whole vacation was a magical experience for myself my mom and my 2 boys who are 5 and 3 years old. we enjoyed restaurants and especially loved our sushi dinner at a la carte restaurant. There are always great food options.. come on the 24 hour bar and and staff are just sooo hospitable . Shout out to Jamie and Anette from main pool bar!!! Amaury from the lobby!!! All restaurant staff!! You were all so amazing. We will miss you. Beach is perfection!!

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Memories flamenco diamond club

Rooms need some TLC, well kept grounds, always running out of drinks cups and for some reason you always have to ask for a spoon at the buffet, mostly minor stuff, nice lobby with good service except for the older bartender at the diamond club bar that was only interested in serving and flirting with young ladies and didn't care about any one else waiting to be served, just trying to get laid I'm guessing, a total asshole, stayed on the third floor Jr. suit ocean view DC, second night there my [... read more] wife wakes up to water on floor on her side of the bed, it was coming from the celling, we were on the top floor and it rained a bit that night, went to the DC office seen an older dark haired lady and reported the water in the room to her, she was not interested in listening to us, just wanted to give answers before the questions were asked, told us not to worry about the water in the room because it doesn't rain in Cuba, we were shocked to hear that from her, overall a great beach and decent time at the resort but could of been a lot better

Grand Memories Varadero: Beaches, pools, and staff were amazing!

Our room had some issues which required attention. Some that could be fixed and were attended to right away once we made management aware. The food was tasty in the Ala carte restaurants and various dishes in the buffet were enjoyable. Service was great and the staff were so friendly!

Memories Trinidad Del Mar: A lots improvement

This is our 4th stay at this hotel We see a lots improvement since last time Food is much better too They need to invest more in renovating rooms Rooms are clean Stuff should speak more English They didn’t have napkins so they used toilet paper We like it because Trinidad is so close and so many things to see around Enjoyed lobsters at local restaurants

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Good times

Best cuban resort so far! Beats all the many 3-4* Varadero hotels I've visited. Beach is second to none Rooms are very good Resort is clean and friendly Service is adequate Food is typical cuba, but more limited options Bug bites for some, but most had none. I will definitely return, and go to Lenny's for $25 lobster more often...

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Cuba is Cuba

This being our third time there, the last 3 years ago pre covid we weren't expecting a lot. The grounds are well maintained. Being the rainy season everywhere was very green. Lots of bugs at the beach. People calling them sand fleas. I am not a bug expert but was bitten more than a hundred times the first week at the beach. My skin did not react but my wife really suffered. We were there for 2 weeks and after the first she just wanted to come home. Luckily we had Reactine & Benadryl whic [... read more]h helped her. The second week we adjusted our schedule and would only go to the beach to go in the water and then back to the pool. The pool area was very well maintained and clean. We kept away from the bushes and zero problems. We also kept in the windiest areas areas to put the chances of bugs on our side. We paid for an upgrade to a suite and really enjoyed it. The bathroom was redone and the main area was 2 levels with lots of room. The A/C worked perfectly with a large TV that pivoted from bed to sofa. As there are just 4 units in the suites we had zero problems with noise. The personnel were in general very friendly and helpful. Money! Don't change your money into Cuban pesos. They don't want it. Give regular tips in loonies & toonies. Still no good, because the Cuban banks don't accept them. But... Take 5,10,20 bills and change them for loonies and toonies to carry on giving tips. With the bills they can go to their bank and change it for US$. The US$ is then put on a debit card and then they can go buy things. With the abolishment of the CUC the US$ is now essentially the currency of the country. The resort workers who have access to us are the rich of the country. I asked a barman if I were a teacher in Cuba how much would I make in US$. He said about 30$. Per day I said. He laughed at my ignorance. No per month. The average Cuban is really suffering under inflation which has hit them hard. By comparison the resort workers are paid about 8-10 US$ per month. Because they have access to us. So essentially slave labour but they thay want the jobs because of us. As well Cayo Coco being an island all the workers go back and forth every day. Access is controlled by the military. Every bus of workers is taxed on its way out of the island. But enough is left for the barmen and waitresses to be the nouveau riche of Cuba. Food. So all this background to come to food. So no hamburgers at the snack bar for the 2 weeks we were there. No coffee for 3 days. Crisis for my wife but I drink tea so... No wine for 12 days and the last 2 they had but not drinkable. No Sprite/7 Up for drinks at all. No juice for drinks. A few days Gin but no tonic. Cuban lemonade syrup or powdered Pina Coladas with Vodka or Rum but the Vodka is pretty horrible. And beer but we are not beer drinkers. The buffet is essentially the movie Groundhog Day if you have ever seen it. The one exception being one day I smelt BBQ. Followed my nose and my wife and I each got a rib. Last 2 of the resort. 1 rib each. Checked around with other travelers and that was it. First come first served and everybody got 1 rib. Not a question of do you want a full or 1/2 rack. Went to the Asian restaurant one evening. Rolled up rice they called sushi and pork with mystery sauce same as in the buffet. But at least it was quieter. Funny/pathetic situation. They have sittings at 6 7 8 o'clock. We were at 6. Lots of empty seats. Client comes by and sees empty tables. Wants to come in and eat. Oh no. Have to have a reservation. He was upset. So as my title suggests Cuba is Cuba. I never go for the food or drinks. I am the cook of the house here and have never seen such a lack of effort with making things good. They have great potential with their lean meat but it needs to be simmered to soften it up. Anyway if you go to Cuba go for the sun and the beach. Even that isn't a guarantee. Perhaps in a year things will be better. We have been there 25 times and this was by far the worst. I am just sorry for the Cuban people. A place with so much potential!

Memories Trinidad Del Mar: Lovely holiday

Lovely grounds, beach rooms etc. Staff were all very accommodating. The buffet was acceptable, if a bit repetitive at times. Everything was very clean. Buffet staff were all wearing masks. The bus leaves for Trinidad 4 times daily, 5 euros per round trip. In Trinidad there is music, dancing and restaurants, although some had closed. There are signs everywhere of resurgence; a large new Melia hotel is being built nearby, and stores that were closed had renovations going on. I would definitely g [... read more]o again.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Fantastic beach & wonderful staff

Although the beach is the most beautiful in Cayo Coco and the staff is always so friendly and ready to help the best they can, they have so very little ressources available, especially now with all the shortages of goods of all types. They run out of food and drinks everyday and if things break, they try to fix them the best they can with what they have. The buildings desperately need a fresh coat of pain as mold shows everywhere and doors and furnitures in restaurants and at buffet are all so [... read more] dirty (black marks) and would really need to be deep-cleaned. Many air conditioning systems were poorly functionning... The plandemic has had a devastating impact on Cuba and it is not going to get better soon, unfortunately for them. I pray for a brighter future for them!

Memories Jibacoa: Very nice resort

Clean room, very tidy property. The beach was well looked after even after stormy weather. The staff was friendly and seemed well-trained. We enjoyed the ability to paraglide the local ridge and land at the beach near the resort. The entertainment in the evenings was professional level.

Memories Cayo Largo: Some good, some bad. Under $700, per week, go for it!

As always, let me start of by saying I am a seasoned Cuba traveler, and with that I have a lot to compare to...over 20, 3 and 4+ star hotels within the last few years. Since November of 2021 (pandemic times), 6 hotels in Cuba. I am comparing Cuba to Cuba. I’ve never been to Mexico or Dominican. If you’ve been to one of these, that’s what my comparison is based upon: Hotel Parasio (Pestana), Colonial in Cayo Coco, Memories Flamenco, Tryp Cayo Coco, Melia Jardines Del Ray, Occidental Var [... read more]adero, Roc Arenas, Grand Memories, Melia Varadero, Be Live Collection CSM, Play Cayo Santa Maria, Memories Parasio, Sol Varadero, Playa Costa Verde Holguin and Grand Sirenas CSM. Top faves would be Playa Cayo Santa Maria, Melia Jardines Del Ray, Grand Sirenas and Sol Varadero. These range from 3 to 4.5 stars. Some 30 years old, some 4. Tips about reviews: If at the top of the review you see “1 contribution”, that’s a red flag, perhaps management. Also, anyone posting a negative comment on the facebook groups will get banned, so people don’t want to say anything at all. Rooms: Sunwing pics are not accurate, they are what the prototype for the new rooms are GOING to be like. The resort is 20 years old. While NO, I don’t go to Cuba for the rooms, it’s not a pleasant vacation when the sheet/blankets smel, can’t shower cause the water is only cold, or like us, burned us cause out of no where went super hot! Super loud AC, can’t sleep. No fan in the room, and super dark. Rusty old lamps that are enough light of a candle, hard to find stuff in the dark. The electric sockets also came out of the wall when you tried to take a plug out. TV didn’t work (fuzzy screen), not a big deal but one night we just wanted to chill in the room. One lady had the sliding door fall on her, one lady claims she was electrocuted in the shower. I don’t care about the layers of paint, or stains in the tub, but safety stuff like that is pretty important. This was the biggest “Con” of the resort. Lack of sleep due to AC noise and smells. Entertainment: I wish they had an on site disco. The shows were great. Some of the staff were great, some bothered us (chasing us down the beach) about leaving “gifts” even though I hadn’t interacted with them all week. Buffet: Note that we went 1st opening week. Management puts out the best of the best so that word gets around how great it is, and more people book. I spoke with them about this, it won’t always be the same food. It was a good variety, good pastas, but again…I don’t want people booking in say Feb, and being disappointed that “They said the food was good!”. The 1st and 2nd day staff were pretty good, on it if we needed water/coffee/wine. We tipped. Then 3rd day on, we noticed service getting worse and worse…maybe because we weren’t dropping $20 per meal (which is what we saw some people were doing, that’s a months salary, no wonder now $5 bills get laughed at, what did some people create?!) they started ignoring us. Meat grill guy was nice the first day, then day 4 told us we need to pay for lobster $20 per piece or give him our clothes lol. Management said everything in the buffet was free. We got the lobster, and it was surprise….raw. Lobby: The 3 gentleman that work there are amazing, such hard workers! They made fabulous drinks, always quick. I wish there was more seating around the lobby bar as it got packed in there fast in the evening. Only about 10 tables with 2 chairs each inside, so when it rains, you can’t even move around. I would suggest adding more tables to the night show area, at the back, kind of extend the lobby area. Beach: Ah, the big question you read on the forums/fb pages: “Is there a beach?!” Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Day 1 the water was up to the rocks, no sand visible. By day 6, 20 ft of sand. It changes according to the moon/winds/tides. If there is no beach, you can take the train (it’s basically a tractor, painted to look like a train, there’s no railing) to Playa Sirena or Paraiso, however…we were told it won’t always be free. Same as with drinks, food and shade spots at Playa Sirena, won’t always be free! Just note, it’s about 20 minutes and goes over very bumpy sand roads. If you have back issues, are senior or what not, it’s not very comfortable. Taxi one way for 2 people was $8USD on credit card, and goes much faster. Pools: Great layout, I like a good pool vibe after the beach in the PM. Not a whole lot of shade, spots get taken. Somewhat clean, although some people mentioned the pool bar pool was a bit smelly. Snack Bar: Amazing service, had a few things on the menu each day. Note: I don’t go to Cuba to make friends with staff. I don’t go with rose colored glasses and ignore the bad because of the friendly people. I will still review the “negative”, people have a right to know before they spend their hard earned $ on vacation. I don’t bother reading reviews that state “I’ve been coming here since 1941, it’s the best! I never go any where else”, why? Because they don’t have anything to compare to. How do you know it’s the best when you’ve never been anywhere else?! Lol. Then you get comments like “If you want 5 star go to a 5 star!” Well, I went to Sol Varadero, 30 year old hotel that’s 3 star, (went in Feb 2022) and almost everything was much better, service, rooms, etc. I went to Cayo Largo to try it out. Overall, I had a great vacation either way! Would I go back? Sure, if the price is under $700 out of Toronto for a week, it’s worth it 😊

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Amazing beach, resort ok

This is my second time at this resort and was disappointed this time. Positives: Can't say enough about the beach, beautiful white sand, turquoise blue water and lots of beach to walk. Negatives: Did not get the room I paid for initially, thank goodness I had my hotel voucher. I had paid for an Al Fresco room with Diamond Club and they gave us the cheapest room with no Diamond Club. It was a shit show, and arguments to get the room I paid for. Room was beautiful but no hot water in the sho [... read more]wer all week. I don't know if you have ever tried to take a cold shower, it's quite unpleasant. Food: no change in menu all week. Usually we see some variety, not this time. One day there was no coffee at all. For 4 days no Cola to mix with drinks. Rum and sprit is not very good! I understand that Cuba has supply issues sometimes but I spoke to ppl from other resorts and they did not have this issue.

Grand Memories Varadero: A beautiful resort that has seen better days.

The staff were always courteous,polite and friendly.The grounds were groomed daily & all facilities were close walking distance. The food was not very desirable but I heard Cuba was know for this. Covid 19 affected everyone & this resort is showing it. For the price I paid I would go back just remember to pack more snacks.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Amazing Resort!

Beautifully maintained resort, friendly and hard working staff. Plenty of chairs at beach! Plenty of food choices at buffet, can always find something to eat. A la carte meals were excellent! Would recommend!

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Memories??? You mean Playa Coco!!!!

We never made it to Memories Caribe. We were greeted at the airport in Cuba by reps from Memories and were told that we would be going to another hotel because Memories was having issues with A/C and electricity. After two moves, we ended up at Playa Coco, which is right beside Memories. The people and staff were sooooo friendly there. We will definitely go back to Playa. Not one bit happy with what Memories did to us. Not good customer service at all. Looking forward to going back to Pl [... read more]aya Coco real soon. I have told all my friends and family about our experience. Started off bad, but ended up fantastic. Thank you to Playa Coco for everything. You were all amazing. I have seen a lot of complaints about Memories Caribe. Not good. I feel we should be compensated by Memories Caribe. Thankfully Playa Coco stepped up to the plate and totally welcomed us and made us feel like VIP all week long. Thank you soooo much Playa Coco. We really appreciate everything you did for us. The reviews below are for Playa Coco. Memories gets "Very Poor" all across the board. We won't be going back to Memories. Many of my friends won't either after hearing our experience.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Don’t understand the great reviews

I am not picky, and I understand cuba is different than the rest of the Caribbean, I have been many times understanding the food and hotel quality is usually lacking. However the stunning reviews really made me think I had found a hidden gem… I did NOT! Cuba is really struggling right now economically. The food was unsanitary. Raw meat and fish sat for hours next to the hot grills with no refrigeration at all. 2/3 of the hotels on the resort shut down right before we went with zero compensati [... read more]on. The buffet they set up was tiny and my kids play better a La carte service than the food we received. The hotel room was run down, cracked bathtub, terrible grout jobs etc. again, that’s expected in cuba - but don’t call it a 5* resort. Drinks were ok. I’ve had worse in cuba for sure. Beach was stunning and the reason to keep going back over and over. None of the workers seemed like they wanted to be there. They acted very inconvenienced by every question unless they saw cash in your hand. “Butler service” needs to be clarified. I pictured lying on the beach being offered a drink or towel. This was not the case at all. The butler was a person who sat in your hotel room building and offered to book a La carte dinners. The mini bar and stocked fridge didn’t exist. It was a bottle of water once a day. I blame Sunwing for not clarifying that when they list their inclusions. They know what is a shortage in cuba right now.

Grand Memories Varadero: Amazing Resort

It was my first time in Cuba I enjoyed very much people are very friendly and the resort is beautiful. I would try it again and again. I went for a trip to Havana and it was amazing and wonderful one day visit. I loved everything about Cuba and if you are not a complaining guy I will enjoy it food wasn’t very good but you will always find something to eat I enjoyed everyday show at the resort specially Marcelina she did a great job