Memories Paraiso Resort, Cayo Santa Maria, CUBA

Just returned from this resort. Memories paraiso and Azul doesn't exist - Resort was divided into 3 sections, the low end is called 'Memories Paraiso Resort' (only). RESORT - Grounds/lobby/buffet area is clean - bungalows need minor repairs, rooms were clean, however, bathrooms need to be renovated and oval toilets installed (room and public washrooms had square toilets with oval seats) FOOD - not much of a selection, very similar choices lunch/dinner every, however, they did have freshly gri [... read more]lled fish, chicken and beef every day. Morning breakfast was good, omelets/eggs every morning. Tried the Mexican a-la-carte, very tasty except the tortilla was actually a crepe. - Pool grill - not worth going to ENTERTAINMENT - was poor, they didn't advertise is well, 2 nights was guest participation, 1 night there was nothing because the entertainment was at a market on the other side of the resort which they never advertised - poor entertainment was never advertised, we just happened to show up around 4pm and there was something, 3 days there was nothing and I never experienced the foam party, they showed a picture on their enterainment board but it never happened. Some servers were friendly and worked for their tip but most never smiled and only came around once - I tipped at the end not at the beginning. BARs - guys never smiled, they all seemed to hate their jobs or something or perhaps I needed to flirt and show them some pesos. BEACH - was nice, cabanas/beach walkway need serious repair. Water was fabulous. I had a good time, my kids and I made the best of it - but I won't be returning to this place, not worth the money, shouldn't cost no more then $900/person(high season) - I would rate this resort a 3.5*.

First time the buffet tables in a Cuban resort are actually hot!

Travelled Apr 26. All round good value for the money considering we got a reduced rate.I wouldn't pay full price for this place, the long bus ride is a drawback. Santa Maria is 1.75 to 2 hours from the airport . Sunwing should get a 2 for this part of the package.Out of 6 bus trips to Santa Maria we have not had one with a washroom. It should be a must for a long bus ride.Our group of 8 was split up on 2 buses and our luggage was going to stay on the first bus when we got moved to a second bus  [... read more]because of a lack of seats. NOT! If you have a large group traveling together make arrangements with the bus tour guide who is checking your names off a list to reserve enough seats for your group. Check in was OK , rooms were clean and things worked well except several rooms phones were not working. Resort was only one quarter full. That was great for most services as the Buffet was uncrowded and facilities were easily kept clean. I have to give them points for the buffet. It is the first resort I've seen for a lot of years that the hot tables in the buffet were turned on and all the food being served from them was hot.Food was a bit repetitive and not a lot of extras. Didn't see any lobster served.They did not have a crepes/pancake station for breakfast. Staff was very pleasant and helpful probably because there weren't as many guests so they could be more attentive and have less understaffed problems to deal with. Most complaints I read sounds like times when the place is full and staff can't keep up with cleaning and repairs.

Very nice resort but ugly rooms!

Amazing beach and very nice resort. Unfortunately, the rooms are dated and full of bed bugs. This is really unacceptable. Also, the maid would not pay attention to your room without a good tip. The resort is very neglected and need an upgrade ASAP.

Nice resort

Beach is gorgeous! Pools are very clean, accommodation in Paraiso is average, clean but dated. Wonderful friendly staff at this resort. Sunwing reps were very helpful. Food average but this is Cuba. Wifi almost non existent.

Beautiful Resort!

I just recently spent a week at the Memories Sanctuary Diamond Club in Cayo Santa Maria and it was spectacular!! Everything was perfect😁 All staff were amazing, very friendly and always waiting to assist in any way possible if needed! My room was kept very clean, and on my last evening there on returning to my room to get ready for the evening meal, my butler had drawn me a beautiful bubble bath filled with fresh flowers as a goodbye surprise!! Very touching. The food was great, I was pleas [... read more]antly surprised after reading some bad reviews. And the beach was the most amazing beach I have ever seen. The water was a beautiful turquoise and the sand was like baby powder!! The pool was also beautiful, and kept very clean. There were trolleys available to take you anywheres you chose to go, to the market, etc. The grounds were kept very clean and the flowers were beautiful. There were barbecue huts poolside and on the beach with amazing food! The resort also had poolside entertainment several times a day for the guests entertainment. The only downside to my whole vacation.... is that I had to leave❤️.

Resort great, Flight not so much

The resort was fantastic. The staff were always there wThen you needed something and very kind and helpful. Everything was very convenient. The grounds were beautiful and very well kept. I have never seen such a beautiful beach before. It was very well kept and there were employees that would get you anything from the bar. I would definitely go back. I just wish I didn't have to fly out of Toronto and I would not fly Air Canada Rouge but I would definitely go back to Memories Paraiso Azul [... read more].

A good resort, not the best one

I am a returning customer (have been 3 times in Memories Paraiso Azul). I would personally not go again with my child to this place. There is not much entertainment for the little one but the Kids club or the pool. I would say some slides or something else. . On the same topic- entertainment team is very weak, I remember in 2012 we were not able to sit for a minute: meringue class, games for children and after for the adults, aqua fitness in the water. Beach life was amazing. Now there is  [... read more]music only playing. the team comes for 30 min to full around and leaves. Kindda sad and boring.

Great Value For The Money

Stayed at this resort in March, 2017. The hotel, rooms, grounds and food were average. The service and staff were excellent- courteous and friendly. The greatest part of this property is the beach and ocean. I think it's the nicest section of beach in Santa Maria- truly a tropical paradise. Overall, great value for the money if you want a great beach and relaxation.

Good time!

The people are very friendly, and try their best to help with any problems. Our room was clean, the building showed its age... It is a large resort ! not a lot of signs to find your way around... pools were awesome... great for kids and adults .. Food wasn't to bad!

Resort was big

The hotel was quite rundown, the rooms were a bit disappointing, had issues with our toilets. There wasn't a lot to choose from regarding buffet style food. The resort was huge and hard to get around if you were older due to walking. The pools were nice and the beach was amazing though! The service was quite good as well

Not so good.

All of the food in the buffet for breakfast lunch and dinner we're mostly cold. The wait for fresh cooked food was extensive. I stood in line for 35 minutes to get an omelet in the morning. The service was not great. I noticed that if you did not tip the chambermaid extensively on a daily basis you did not get your towels changed or anything else cleaned in the room. We left five pesos for the chambermaid every night and still did not get the drinking glasses changed. I did meet up with a few [... read more] people who said they had been there six months before and the resort was beautiful and that it had gone downhill since their last trip

Amazing Resort

This place is fantastic for family vacations I went with my husband, daughter, son-in-law 3 yr old granddaughter and six month old grandson we had a great time loved the well kept grounds the food was good people friendly the only thing I can say is I found they were a little disorganized at the buffet it was a little long to get served at the stations they should add a few more staff members.

Good enough for us

The resort was lovely. We had a wonderful time. There were some water issues while we were there but overall during our stay we experienced water out at 3am then for 1 day until 4pm. Other than that it was not an issue for us. Tge staff was amazing and the hotel grounds are great to explore. This was our first vacation with kids and it was a great pick. Our flight was delayed on the way back and did create some problems but overall it was a lovely vacation and an excellent location. Honestly th [... read more]e best food we have seen in Cuba with this being our third trip. Thank you for lovely memories!

It's always what you make of it

Had a wonderful time soaking up the sun and playing in the ocean. As always I met wonderful people and made friends. The resort is struggling a bit to organize and find its footing it seems given the recent change of hands. The buffet needs more cleanliness and organization, my room had cockroaches but the imperfections are minor if you look at the big picture. STAYED IN 3850.

Amazing Resort

We just got back from Memories Paraiso Azul Beach Resort on March 23rd. We've vacationed in Cuba 8 times now and this resort was by far the greatest. The rooms were nice and clean each day,the grounds were nice and tidy. The pools and beach were beautiful also. Each day our fridge was restocked with Beer, Pop and Water. The food was the best we've ever eaten in Cuba and we had no problem finding something that we all liked to eat. There were all kinds of bars at this resort. Certain times of the [... read more] day they had portable bars set up on the sidewalks. One evening our light in the washroom kept flickering on and off so I went to report it to the front desk on our way to dinner and when we returned an hour later a maintenace man was fixing it. We always bring lots of trinkets to give out to the maids and waitresses and this also helps with service. When you go for a meal they don't forget you and they treat you like royalty. I would definatly recommend this resort.

Great Beach!

Good value for the price. Great staff and lots to do! Catamaran excursion one of the best I've been on. Ocean view room did not disappoint. Long drive from airport was made pleasant because of scenery and commentary.

Will not book again

Beautiful beach.... well worth the drive. Drinks are great and food ok but very repetitive. As for the resort, it needs some serious renovations. Plumbing is awful, public bathrooms are over flooded, some without toilet seats. Mostly only one or 2 stalls only working. Pool is great for kids, but entertainment during the day lacks. Definitely recommended the catamaran and dolphins excursion. I would return to cayo Santa Maria but would select a different resort.

The beach was perfect!

Except the canalization problem and because of that daily water regime, everything else was great! The food, the service the area everything was excellent.Probably i would recommend more musical events during the night!

Awesome!

The resort was perfect for us- 4 girls travelling to get away for a break. The beach was amazing. The pool was clean and the food and service was awesome. There were your typical Cuba mishaps- like times of day when water pressure was low or at one point no water, but this is Cuba and travellers need to keep that in mind. We didn't let anything ruin the trip! The buffet repeated but there was ALWAYS something to eat, the room service was early and excellent filling our fridge with whatever we re [... read more]quested and maid service was just as good. I think our favorite would have to be the staff! All of them provided excellent and most importantly genuine service. They didn't give extras for the tippers and didn't expect anything from anyone. It was a great place for no pressure and great memories!

Disappointing first trip with my daughters.

I've been to Cuba (Cayo Coco) in 2015 and had a wonderful stay at that time. This was my daughters first trip to Cuba and we were hoping to make wonderful memories. We were staying at the Memories Paraiso Resort. We had a few cloudy days with strong winds which made swimming unsafe. We still managed to explore and have fun at the beach. There was one day where the kayaks and catamarans were avaible for sailing. I was disappointed with the rooms. Our first room smelled like cigarette and t [... read more]he toilet wasn't functionning. We lost our afternoon at the resort waiting for another room. The staff was friendly but the wait was long. The buffet could not accommodate everyone and the food was mostly the same most days. Frequently, there was no water to flush or shower. The telephone lines weren't working and we were asked to go to the lobby desk for assistance. My daughter got very sick on food and without running water this was a horrible experience. It was difficult to find an extra roll of toilet paper and plastic bags. The maid gave us the ones that were in the Lobby bathrooms. The rooms and equipment need TLC (many broken lounge chairs, unrepaired signs, broken boards on the boardwark to the beach). We had mold on our bathroom walls where the towels a hung to dry. Only hot dogs and hamburger were available at the pool grill on most days. We did manage to make the best of what we had and make some memories but I will definitely not be returning to this resort.