Surprising resort, lots of room to improve.

The spaces are beautiful, and the accommodations for staying can be good. Room cleaning is personable and nice, but beware items going missing. Some rooms electronic locks are broken or out of service. Cooking staff is okay, but the food is very mediocre. Without heating lamps or tables, cold food is constant, so be vigilant. Some grill staff make food contamination errors, so beware those who cook raw chicken. Buffet is fine, but bland, bring your own spices. Internet connectivity is okay, [... read more] but not good. Disconnects constantly and only within building reach; needing to bother front desk constantly, but it's better than originally thought. Fun to have family events every day, and with such variety. The night "disco" is the only, but best club on location. When I went, about half of restaurants/locations were still closed (July 2022) which may explain prices. Beware tour-goers and persons on bus offering $-Peso exchange rates.

Happy to be back at the same Hotel

Hi just to say a few things about my state. I've been to this hotel four times and each time I stayed it was amazing. About the second day in on my trip we noticed roaches in the buffet room. I tried to put this in the back of my mind and carry on my vacation but it was hard. It will not stop me from going there again. But I hope as a travel company you might make a suggestion to the resort to spray. Other than that looks amazing thank you for making this trip so easy and pleasant we will deal i [... read more]n the future again.

Extremely Dissapointing

1. The room bed linen was never changed in the 7 days that we were there. We had to ask for towels, and were given clean bath towels only once. The bed sheets and pillows smelled like body odor from previous guests from the day we checked in, and were never changed in the 7 days that we were there. 2. We did not receive clean beach towels, and the pool side towel place was always closed. We receive a clean beach towel on the last day. 3. We had to ask for more toilet paper, and were given [... read more] some 2 days later. 4. We found 4 cockroaches in the bathroom on different days. 5. The safe in the room we were given was not working. 6. Upon check in and asking for rooms in Sanctuary, we were told there were none available. We found out on the last day that Sanctuary was in fact open and available. 7. The beach snack bar service was very poor. My boyfriend did not even receive his order of food. We were waiting for over an hour and we had to leave without it. 8. The beach bar ran out of beer, and was not replenished until the next day. 9. The food at the buffet was either cold or ran out and not replenished. 10. We attempted to go to the pool, but found the water murky and pool mouldy. We were told that we would be in the adult only section, and were looking for a peacful and pleasant experience. But clearly we were not in the adult section. There were loud unruly kids occupying all areas. 11. The hygiene and cleanliness were at an extreme low, and the service at the beach snack bar were very obviously catered to the large number of locals staying at the hotel, and who were being served piles of food, where as the rest of us were being served after them although we arrived before them. And we were then being told they could not serve us certain things, never returned with some food orders. This was not acceptable. The only saving grace was the beach and the ocean. We will not be staying at this resort again, and do not recommend. What would make this right for us is a refund, or a credit to a different resort, to make up for the disappointing experience at Grand Memories, Varadero.

Great people, rooms need lots of love!

The Grand Memories Varadero resort offered beautiful grounds and great staff. However, the rooms ( though relatively clean) were in rough repair. Holes in the drywall, cracks in the sink and tiles, etc. We were also welcomed to a toilet that wouldn’t flush. Plus our balcony featured a sliding glass door that was literally falling apart at the seams. We were very disappointed that one of the focal points of the resort (pool with the rock cave) was not operational. The we be pool was full of  [... read more]green algae…due to a broken pump. The pandemic has been tough on Cuba and this resort bears those scars. For adult only travelers, others raved about how lovely their food and accommodations were at the adjacent Sanctuary by Grand Memories. Food was hit and miss ( as it can be in Cuba) but we never went hungry. Beach was beautiful! Locals preferred tips in $CDN…so don’t exchange too much into the local currency. We exchanged $100, by still had lots leftover. Locals are paying upwards of 70 Cuban Pesos (CUP) for every dollar Canadian. Entertainment team worked hard and the shows were great! The best Mojito could be found in the lobby bar, but beware wine was only available in the a la cartes. Food supply chain was challenging on the island … but the restaurants all had amazing bread…and often you could even find condiments like Heinz ketchup, HP Sauce or mustard! Taking a big old-fashioned convertible cab into Varadero for dinner was so fun! Varadero 60 Restaurant was delicious!

Okay-ish resort

Was nice to get away, that being said resort ran out of many things such as :beer,wine, cola,hamburgers, beef, fries,toilet paper. Service was lackluster for the most part, a few bar tenders and servers were great others not so much. Resort was clean, but no toilet paper or toilet seats in the restrooms.

Very Nice

The hotel was nice. A little out dated but within the week we did see maintenance, painting and upgrades being done. The staff was very friendly. As far as Covid procedures the staff did Their beat to remind people to stay six feet apart and to wear their masks. They did a fantastic job

Run down

Food was not great, the snack bar had one item late night. Drinks were watered down. Was dehydrated most of the trip because they wouldn’t put water in the room unless I tipped. Not coming back, it will be the last time.

Big Resort with Restrictions

The resort was very big with limited activities presumably due to Covid restrictions. It was obvious that the resort was running well below capacity, which has some benefits as well as problems. The staff for the most part were friendly but midweek some were let go due to lack of business, resulting in some obvious morale challenges. Evening activities and dining options were limited due to closure of sections of the resort. The up side of few people was that both the beach and pool had open c [... read more]hairs for choices of seating. The room was clean but the bed spreads and blankets were removed, again presumably due to Covid restrictions. A bit cold to sleep under a bed sheet so I asked for and got a blanket. The room features were as expected for Cuba. The room did not look like the advertising.

Grand Memories

It was a nice hotel. The beach was awesome. However, there are a lot of hungry fleas. When I was there, there were a influx of Cubans staying there hoarding all the food, had plates full putting it in bags to take home. Long lineup for food meals and no quality, ran out of food.There were servers at the buffet but they gave the Cubans plate fulls.

Needs some TLC

This is my second vacation to Grand Memories within three years . We liked the resort better the first time. Even though this last visit we upgraded to Diamond Club , we found a lot missing and service has significantly deteriorated . On the whole people were friendly but too slow in responding to your requests . Had to beg for towels , there was no hot water in our building for two days . Customer service was not up to standard . There is a general feeling of neglect . The grounds however  [... read more]were very well kept , the pools were well maintained and the entertainment was very good . The medical clinic is a definite plus and very responsive . There was plenty to eat and drink and good variety. This resort has a lot of positives and could be turned around with better housekeeping and positive customer orientation

Not so Grand but definitely Memorable

My sister and I vacationed with another couple February 22 to February 29 2020. We selected the Superior Club Rooms, as that would include some perks - bigger room, a club member only lunch restaurant, waiter on the beach, separate seating area at the buffet. Our room wasn’t superior- the patio doors didn’t lock, there was no hot water for showers, no towels. They had coffee makers in the room yet they don’t provide coffee. Everyday they are supposed to clean room and replace towels. No n [... read more]ew towels. The special lunch restaurant had the same menu every day and it wasn’t exactly the best. I would have thought they would have switched it up a few times over the week. The bbq restaurant for lunch by the beach, ran out of food & alcohol. The other bars including the swim up bars, that were available, ran out of alcohol. We didn’t know what alcohol was available, until we walked up to get a drink. No vodka, no tequila and beer. I have never experienced that before at any resort - running out of alcohol. Plus, they were reusing already used plastic throw away cups. The cafe bar in the lobby, that made specialty coffee was good - they did run out of some spirits but made good substitutes The A la carte restaurants were mediocre at best. Italian restaurant was the best out of all. Each of us was sick there and/or afterwards - losing work on the return after vacation. I have to admit that I was very disappointed because the resort had been highly recommended and it had great reviews on trip advisor, before we went and that wasn’t the case at all. We spent a lot of money for the trip and it was a hell week. I am typically not one to complain, as it’s a different country and their standards are different. This week’s experience did manage to remind me just how fortunate we are in our own country. I wouldn’t recommend Grand Memories to a friend or foe.

Very rundown resort

I was recommended this resort and found it so disappointing. Spent way too much for my stay. The rooms weren't up kept. Patio door handle was falling off and wouldn't lock. The phone didn't work. The plugs were so over used that nothing would stay plugged in. We had to change rooms. You were lucky to get towels daily no face cloths and shower hook up was at your waste and falling apart.... They ran out of vodka, beer, tequila and ice at the bars ... you often had one choice... Rum. Had coffee ma [... read more]ker in room but no coffee unless you asked. Then 3 out of the 4 of us were sick at end of trip into next week. I was so disappointed. I have never been to a resort and felt so mistreated before. I've never put in a negative review. Wouldn't recommended this resort.

Terrible Resort

First time to Cuba, and will never go back. The resort was dirty and not maintained. The service was terrible, no one would acknowledge you or even say hello. The rooms were decently clean but there was no hot water & you couldn’t get fresh towels/ or sheets. The alcohol was limited & zero ice. The buffet food was disgusting, the served the same food everyday. The disco was only open from 11:00-1:00. 24HR snack bar was limited to 1 sandwich and it took more then 45 minutes to get served. Peo [... read more]ple expected tips, with poor service, everything was over priced and the taxi drivers were rude.

Below average

The grounds of the resort are well maintained and nice considering it is quite large. This is the first warning for elderly or people with young kids. Resort is huge. From standard room section to beach is roughly 15 minute walk. They have lots of trolleys but only guests checking in/ out get rides so you will be walking- a lot! Beach is beautiful with lots of chairs but whereas most resorts use the beach chairs with the blue fabric this resort uses the more standard wal mart style with the pla [... read more]stic slats. Not that other guests always respect this, I’d still recommend getting to the beach to reserve chairs around 0530/0600 as premium seating areas are full by 7am. The only beach bar is not on the beach but the pathway down to the beach and there are no close washrooms. Because of this seating near the path is at a premium and you could end up walking 15 minutes + for drinks or washroom. The pools are nice but again premium seating and unlike beach there are not enough chairs so a lot of people laid their towels on the grass. Rooms themselves are gross. Our group had rooms from each of the available options and basically all the same room. Patio doors are difficult to open at best. Furniture in our room was about five years past it’s life expectancy with broken doors, handles etc. sometimes lights were dim, sometimes bright. All five rooms we had had toilet seats, yet none were attached to toilet- try that after a day of booze! Broken tiles throughout the rooms, A/C is a joke. Once we were able to force open our closet doors we did find that the safe worked fined despite the broken handle and display on it. All rooms were dirty when we got them but if you tip the staff well they’ll at least mop and make the bed. Due to national shortages of soap our sheets were not changed for the week, toilets not scrubbed and clean towels only show up with tips. Mini fridges have similar issues. Shortages of beer mean without tipping the staff so they get to know you your fridge will likely only get one beer, one pop and one water per day. None of our group tried the al la cartes but from what we were told they are similar quality to the buffet, snack bar and bbq restaurant. I could go on and on about how trays of meat, cheese, shrimp, etc are left out on counters from breakfast to dinner then the same trays are topped up and put out again the next day (we marked them to verify this) or how the cooked and raw chicken breasts and wings are mixed together on the bbq leading to many people being served raw chicken but I think the best way to sum up the food is we made plates for the stray dogs and not one would eat the food. Overall it seems management are trying to bring this resort back to where it should be by having staff renovate rooms, paint buildings, repair/ replace broken everythings but they are dramatically understaff for the amount of work and are renovating rooms one at a time when they need to shut down a building at a time at the very least. A building next to us had guests (Staying in rooms above the construction rooms and crews worked from 6am to 10pm daily.) Overall thoughts- if we were give a free week to this resort we’d decline.

Great resort!

This resort is one of the largest I have visited. The grounds were beautiful. Rooms were comfortable and clean. Pool area clean. Dining area was busy (we visited over spring break!) but food was plentiful, there was something for everybody. Entertainment was great. Staff were friendly and helpful. The beach was absolutely beautiful, one of the best.

Sunshine in February

All in all a beautiful experience. The beach, pool and buffet were great. My complaints would be the distance from my room to the beach and buffet - about a 4 or 5 minute walk to each - hard on my feet. Big resort so there were long lines for service at bars, reception. Also, the beach area was separated for Diamond Club so we others were crowded together and further down the beach. Would not recommend.

Great service

What amenities that may be lacking at Grand Memories Varadero....the staff make up for with their service! Rooms are a little dated but clean. Beach is fantastic! Pools are clean. Could always find something we liked to eat at the buffets.

Great Resort

The beach was amazing, the grounds were well kept and the buildings were all getting a facelift when we were there. Rooms were just basic but nothing wrong with them. The food was good for Cuba. Overall a great trip.

Amazing resort

My hotel room was good, always cleaned , the bartenders were very busy but tried to get drinks out as quick as the could. Food was okay, I ate something that made me sick for two days . I would return. Flight delay and sunwing not updating pickup from hotel was by far the worst thing happened

Great experience

I was very leary of going to cuba in the first place because im a picky eater but all in all it was an amazing trip great food the people working at this resort were fantastic always happy and helpful they had alot to offer with activities so at the end of the day no complaints and would definately go back to cuba as well as the grand memories resort.