Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Nice Resort

The hotel is nice and the staff very friendly but the the restaurant buffets and ala carte is bad totally unorganized they always out of bread first we booked for two restaurants and both evenings out of shrimp

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Best resort in Cayo Coco

What a fabulous resort, All the staff are friendly, not one sand flea bite. Went March 4 for one week. Resort was fully booked, pool was packed, I recommend you get up early and reserve a chair, not with their beach towel (someone could walk away with it, and a 25.00 charge for not returning the towel) but use an old shirt and a book. Specialty restaurants were great, lots of food, and wine. Cuba has now changed their currency, any old bills and coins you have will no longer be accepted. Go to t [... read more]he exchange booth and get your money converted, no stores will accept the old currency. Do not take US dollars with you, or Canadian coins they have a hard time cashing them in. This was my second time there and will be back. What gifts to buy, I take toothpaste, wrapped candy I stocked piled candy canes when they were on sale after Christmas, sewing supplies, M&M's chocolate it does not melt in the heat, work gloves for the gardeners,T towels with a design, small stuffed animals from the dollar store, crayons and colouring books, shaving cream and razors, pencils and erasers. Enjoy your trip

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Beautiful beach resort

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort is a three and a half star at most. It has the potential for a five star rating with a little work. The septic system is from the stone age and causes many problems in the bathrooms with toilets backing up and terrible smells at times. The staff at the hotel work very hard with what they have to make your stay a good one. Thank you to them all.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Super nice resort...

Everything is subjective but we love this resort with a lot of vegetation. It has some very nice pools (cascading pools on different levels). A downside it could be that is relatively large and if you don't have rooms starting with 4** or 5** you are pretty far from everything. Our maid (Ileana) made a very good job in cleaning the room and changing the towels every day. The beach is very nice, clean and with a lot of shade from mangrove trees, but the water it was a little too shallow (and wi [... read more]th sea-grass ) for my taste. On the beach (free) pedalo, kayaking, wind-surfing and catamaran as activities options. The food was a little repetitive and the chicken was not too much (I never seen chicken breast for example). The stuff was super friendly. I recommend the short (free) trip offered by the hotel at the bat cave (Yunior as animator made a nice job).

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Sadly worn resort

This resort is well past the point of needing some tlc. the pool is sub standard and does not have a swim up bar. The paint in general looks like the painters were blindfolded, the walkways are in bad shape and mostly unlit. The rooms are antiquated and the beds are thin, hard and full of springs that ruin any chance of a good nights sleep. In our building there were no lights working in the hallways. No coffee maker and all the drawers were inoperative. Every room that we saw including ours h [... read more]ad a ceiling fan that had hanging blades that resembled a flower and never did work. In general it was the worst hotel we have ever stayed at. The only redeeming quality was the staff.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Great employees but resort has issues.

We have mixed remarks about this resort. Good, Bad and Ugly. Most of the shortages locals are blaming on Trump and his blockage of fuel leaving Venezuela for other countries including Cuba. Good: food was great for Cuba but missing common items such as bananas, pineapple for the 1st week, and assord booze.... how do u run out of Rum, Coffee and Cocoa Liquor in Cuba? And Vodka? (the Russians were not impressed) They say they have not had tomato juice since November 2019. On on Wendseday n [... read more]ite they did have all the lobster you can eat.... AMAZING! Great breakfast, lunch and dinner! We went to 3 specialty resturants and nothing very impressive. A few people became sick from the "Seafood" including myself and the common entree seemded to be the "Seafood Casserole", all the rice and veggies were cold! The 1st week there we complained we had no coffee maker and the TV did not work properly.... took till the second week to get those problems fixed. Front door and patio doors did not lock properly, front door was fixed a few times but never fixed the patio door ... there is a room safe tho! There are 4 pools including the swim up bar pool which everyone referred to as the "Pee Pee" pool, Could be because there is no washrooms near the pool area! The 1st week was at 30% capacity but after 120+ Russians came in you had to start playing the "towel" game to save a chair in the pool area. The beach had the hard plastic chairs unless you paid extra for "Diamond Club" (I dragged the nice blue fabric chairs to the beach from the pool area). Lots of steps here so if u have issues with that stay away.... we enjoyed the extra effort to get around. The beach is not the greatest but was ok, not good for snorkeling. The french fries and pizza was good from the beach bar. The ugly about this resort is the "No See Em's".... everyone was getting bites, this is the worst i have ever seen in Cuba in 30 + visits. The price was good at $1130 for a 2 weeks stay otherwise i would not have taken this resort having been here 10 years ago and not impressed then for a higher price. We heard the place is closing for updates, my suggestion would be for added washrooms near the pools and beach, better mattresses, beach showers to wash off salt and sand and a pre-check on the rooms to make sure all is in working order. And get rid of the hard plastic chairs at the beach. With these improvements i would say it is a 4* resort but not at this time only maybe a 3.5* But again have to say the food is a 4* even with the shortages.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Solid Value, Excellent Staff, Unbeatable Beach

Just back from 19 days at the Sanctuary. Had a wonderful time. This was our second visit to this resort, 7th visit to Cuba. As always, the staff make all the difference. They are nothing short of fantastic. Friendly, courteous, helpful, warm people. Food was very good and we noticed the use of more spices this year as compared to last year. Quantities of food were very good as well. Bar drinks were very good as well. The lobby bar did run out of my favourite rum, but made up for t [... read more]hat shortfall by ensuring my glass was never empty. We had a couple of days of cooler weather, a little too cool in the morning to be either on the beach or by the pool. The Entertainment staff did a terrific job of breaking out the board games, cards etc, turning a not-so-great day into one filled with laughter. We noticed a distinct reduction in the number of electric shuttle carts available this year. Several were seen in various states of being scavenged for parts to keep the rest of the fleet in operation. The state of the resort is a "plus and minus" story... The hand rail around the main lobby patio is just about to fall completely off and is badly in need of replacement. Meanwhile, the much-sought-after additional shade on the beach is on its way with 9 new palapas being built - these will cover at least 4 chaise lounges each, representing nearly a doubling of available sun shade. We witnessed the frames being erected and thatching of the roofs was just about to get underway when we left. The beach is as spectacular as ever, definitely a rare gem, making any shortcoming of the resort fade into a distant memory as soon as one's toes touch the sand. All in all, the Sanctuary is on our "we will visit again" list; in fact, it's at the top of the list of places to stay in Cuba. Travel arrangements made by Janet Merrill at tripcentral were excellent - Janet is a true professional, courteous, efficient and a pleasure to deal with. Janet merits 5 stars for her handling of our booking (wish there were a place on this form where we could rate our agent & tripcentral experience).

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Really great family vacation

This was my own 20th trip to Cuba and 6th with my 2 daughters (aged 15&16) This hotel, beach and staff are amazing. The food selection was one of the most consistent and well stocked in all my visits. The dinning room staff (especially Merly's & Daimaris, Dairom and Annie) are fabulous and extremely helpful. The rooms and grounds were always clean and well maintained. The beach was clean and white fabulous sand everywhere We will return to this resort and I recommend it to anyone with  [... read more]a family

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Avoid it

I’m just going to start off by saying, if you read my review, I’m not a fussy traveler. I love Cuba, I try to vacation there once a year. The Cuban people are very nice. The beach at this resort was absolutely stunning. However, my experience wasn’t the most pleasant. I booked this trip because the majority of the reviews were positive, while there were a handful of negative reviews, that’s to be expected. Unfortunately, after my own personal experience at this resort, the negative re [... read more]views are actually correct. It’s a bit concerning, the number of positive reviews there are. We arrived at 12:30 pm. We were meant to get a room by 4:00 pm, but had to wait until 6:30 pm. Got Building 9, first room on the ground floor. Some of the lights weren’t working, there was a moldy scent, the closet door wasn’t attached to anything and required me to actually carry it to the next wall. I went to the front desk and spoke to the manager, and got another room. I got my second room at 8:30 pm, ground floor of Building 6. This was an accessible room. There wasn’t a solid wall separating the beds and the washroom—there was this odd shutter window, you can hear everything happening in the toilet. The fridge, lights and safe weren’t working. The next day I spoke to the Sunwing Rep (Tony) and he had said that we should speak to the Resort Rep. I asked the Sunwing Rep why Sunwing advertised this hotel as 4.5 stars and he had said Sunwing has nothing to do with the resort. The Sunwing Rep walked with me to the Resort Rep and just left without helping. I told the Resort Rep that I came here to enjoy my vacation, and it had been far from enjoyable up until that point. The Resort Rep told me she’d contact me. The next day, I moved to my third and final room—Building 1, second floor ocean view. Surprisingly, this room was great. As much as I wanted to spend some time around the pool, there were no working toilets. Which was a cause for concern because you have people drinking all day around the pool and no functioning toilet. Moreover, there were not enough chairs. Overall, I didn’t realize I should’ve travelled with a handyman on this trip. It was quite an experience, and I definitely don’t see myself returning to this hotel. It requires a much needed facelift.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Sanctuary - March 2020

We just got home from a great week. Food was tasty and the beach is lovely. You’ll have to get up early (6:30) to save a shady spot. Most staff are wonderful, but like anywhere else, some are not. Our room was somewhat run down with visible black mold on all the lampshades and our door wouldn’t lock for a couple days until they fixed it properly. The shower door hinge was broken and water leaked out onto the floor, but we always had hot water. The chairs on the patio are just cheap plastic.  [... read more]Beds are firm but comfortable. There are no unobscured views of the ocean. We were a on the third floor, facing the beach but could barely see the water. The maids did a great job cleaning. Air con was nice. We saw a huge cockroach in a drawer on our last morning, but that could happen anywhere. We enjoyed having Cava (Spanish champagne) at every meal. They also serve real Baileys but you have to ask for it as they keep it hidden. They were out of sparkling water for most of the week, so mojitoes weren’t available. Breakfast in the “Paraiso” restaurant is the best. Great coffee and cappuccino, Smoked salmon, European meats and cheeses, pastries, eggs made to order. They run out of some items so be patient. We ordered room service once (included) and it was quite good. Matthew delivered it to us with cheer! The a la carte meals were hit and miss. Stick with chicken and pork if you are picky and avoid the buffet at Grand Memories (it’s a zoo there). On Cuba day (Wednesday) Sanctuary puts out a huge lunch buffet outside by the pool. It was delicious! We had to wait in line for quite a while as we didn’t time it well. The Asian/Japanese restaurant was one of our favourites. We got our 3 hours of free wifi which is supposed to be offered to all guests staying at least 7 days but you have to specifically ask for it. Worked fine in the cigar bar and reception area. Entertainment was top notch. Look for “Chino” by the pool or on the beach. He is an awesome guy and gives a great massage for a tip. Remember to offer gifts and tips to staff that don’t normally get them (towel exchange, gardeners, beach staff). We were told that the maids sell a lot of their gifts on the black market, but at least there is a bit more of a supply for the locals. They have a major shortage on personal care and household supplies. Toilet paper was always supplied in the room, but elsewhere on the resort, there was none. No soap or paper towels either. The ladies bathroom by the main restaurant was closed so we just used the men’s. Butlers offer the convenience of booking reservations for meals and services and answering questions. Ours was pleasant and efficient but not overly friendly. We heard that others had better experiences with theirs. We did like the small, quaint feel of the resort. The grounds are well kept with lots of foliage and flowers. The average age of guests was maybe around 50. It’s quiet and relaxed with many of Canadian and European guests. I’m not sure this resort deserves to be Varadero’s highest ranked on Trip Advisor. Having said that, we would most likely stay there again. Word of advice...just don’t set your expectations too high.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: amazing resort

we have to remember we are in Cuba the food is Cuban not Canadian alot conplained about the food, resort, the people were great I found every body very friendly, rooms was clean daily , fresh towels daily pool and beach were super I go back again 3.5 star

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: What a beach!!!

The hotel was very nice. It’s Cuba so it’s older then other countries and they don’t have the resources we have in Canada. The beds were good, the rooms very clean, the shower water was hot. The food was very good, especially the homemade bread and cheese. The staff was always cleaning and replacing items at the buffet. Entertainment was great, better then anywhere else we seen in Cuba (modern dancing instead of 1950 style). The beach was fantastic, water super clear and you could walk ou [... read more]t about 1/2 a block before it gets above the waist on an adult. The sand was soft and went on for miles so it was fantastic for walking or building sandcastles. Wished we went for two weeks.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Awesome resort

Most of the satff were friendly. Amazing beach..white sand can not ask for any better fo beach lovers. Snack bar needs revisiting for service...wait time is way too long and need to be seated to order. Nightly entertainment

Memories Paraiso: Amazing resort

Great resort for family Best beach, many pool for kids.buffet was ok for the price Animation cool for kids. My second time for this resort. Sure I m come back next year. Thanks to agency and staff

Memories Trinidad Del Mar: Perfect Location!

Memories Trinidad del mar is a lovely resort. Yes it's a 3 hour drive from the airport but there are so many sights to see along the way. And its location is ideal touring the surrounding country, especially the 500 yr old city of Trinidad. The resort architecture is built to mimic the colonial days of Cuba. Rooms are clean, staff is lovely and there is always room to sit at the beach or pool..in the shade or sun! You can walk for miles on the beach. This resort is not too big and never felt cr [... read more]owded.

Grand Memories Varadero: 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.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Very good resort.

This resort is very nice. Grounds are clean and well kept. Staff is awesome. Rooms were clean and well kept. Our tv did not work, however this did not bother us. I was given a different room to accommodate my mobility issues without hesitation. Food was good for Cuba.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Beautiful

Dining was very good for Cuba. Good choice of a la Carte restaurants. Beautiful pool and amazing beach! Rooms spacious, clean, secure. Service was very good and staff very friendly. Bathroom by snack bar was out of commission while we were there, so bathroom facilities were limited to our room or the one by dining rooms.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: So/so

Like many others have said the staff are wonderful people. The landscaping/pool/beach are very nice. They don’t keep the ac on when no ones in the room and also turn it down or off after cleaning, so the bedrooms have a very musky smell. Linens are washed but never really all that clean, with stains and smells of Cologne and perfume still present. The rooms themselves were very comfortable including the bed, wasn’t hard as a rook but also not to soft. Had one pillowcase that had mold on it  [... read more]but was changed as soon as we spotted it. As soon as you get close to any washrooms near restaurants/pool/lobby your meet with a very strong sewage stench, depending on the day from quite a distance as well. We never experienced it but others had said the 3 days before we arrived there was no beer or certain alcohols and our last two days you could tell they were runny short on pop as it was not available at certain bars/restaurants. The wifi worked just fine in our room, was good enough to FaceTime without lagging. We never used more then the 3 hours included but you can buy more time for 1cuc/hour. The food was ok especially for Cuba, but if you wanted variety your best to go to the buffet at grand memories. All in all we enjoyed our stay. Not enough to go back but enough to leave with good memories.

Grand Memories Varadero: 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.