Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great Resort

This resort is very nice, clean, amazing staff, food was ok except at the Italian restaurant, we're Italian and maybe we're too fussy about Italian food. Overall the resort was fine a little too big for us, the shuttle was not always available but by staying at the sanctuary we had all the amenities close to us. We will not go back just for the reason that it is too vast but we will sure recommend it to our friends.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Don't go There!

This is the worst hotel I have ever stayed in. I would give it a 1 star only because of the beautiful beach. The hotel is not maintained and needs a lot of upgrades. The a/c was not working in my first room. It took 2 days to fix a broken toilet. We found a cockroach in buffet area beside food and at the bathroom sink in the a la carte restaurant. The electrical outlets were hanging off the walls. The stair banisters were loose and safety bar in shower. There was lights out in some floor  [... read more]and it was very dark & a safety issue. The public bathrooms had no toilet paper &/or soap. The grounds smelled like a sewer after a rainfall. The sliding patio door had a broken lock and spaces at bottom where moths & mosquitos came in room at night - we had to put towels down to prevent this. Stained pillow cases and bedding in first room. We spent 5 days going back and forth to hotel lobby to get issues fixed. We were supposed to have 2 adjoining rooms and were given our 2 room numbers on tuesday and told to come back at 5pm for keys. We went back and 1 room was given to someone else. We were told we had to wait until thursday if we wanted the 2 side by side rooms until new people moved out. Buffet was not great. Tv in first room did not work. Tv in second room worked but no converter and started to sizzle and smelled like it was burning after 1/2 an hour. Phone did not work in 1st room - no phone in second room

Resonance Blu Varadero: Comfortable but serious issues for families

No complaints about the hotel itself. Comfortable, nice and clean except for the pools. Our family (and a few others we spoke with) could have done without floating condoms and plastic cups in the pool and menstrual pads in the waterslide steps and on the beach. Room (Superior Garden view) was clean and comfortable, air conditioning only failed once and was promptly fixed. Water bottles and toilet paper were replenished most days without having to ask for it. The food varied from very [... read more] good to great. However, with 99% of the clientele July 13-22 2019 being Cuban during the week we visited, even having paid extra to be upgraded to the Diamond Club we had to deal with very long queues to access the food itself. Sometimes as long as an hour in the queue for grilled fish. same for pasta, pizza, etc. For these same reason, cereal for the kids in the morning and ice cream for dessert was most often empty and unavailable for our own kids, with Cuban patrons filling entire bags and/or several plates with all that was available for all customers. Obvious luxuries in Cuba, but we pay for that... You might be standing in line, only to see a person get served the entire available fish from the grill and enough shrimp for 6 or 7 people, in 3 overflowing plates. Then have to wait for the cook to start a new batch. Then rinse/repeat several times before it eventually was your turn to get the 4 pieces of fish you were waiting for to feed your family. Be there before the buffet opens and have a plan for each family member. Eating 3 times a day this was a considerable inconvenient. Enough for us not to return to Memories Varadero. My other main issue with Memories Varadero is that during the week we visited, smiles were not "by default" but had to be purchased with considerable tipping. Initially all but a couple of employees would serve us without any greeting or smiles. If you tipped for the poor service, you might get a smile on subsequent orders. If you tipped a lot, then you got a greeting and fair to good service going forward. Again, not a major issue, but paying $4K for a vacation, I expect at least polite greetings and smiles without added fees. Diamond Club had no incidence on the quality of customer service, contrary to what we experienced at other hotels such as Grand Memories Cayo Santa Maria where we truly felt like VIPs. A few employees of the hotel stood out and provided great service, such as Karelia at the pool bar, and Maynelvis at the Diamond club dining room. Same for the camareras, all were very pleasant and agreeable whenever we met them. Entertainment was very good. The beach is great but not clean, cigarette butts are not picked up by staff nor smokers, so our kids played in the sand below the tide line. We picked several plastic cups out of the ocean, which didn't seem to bother the locals who left them in the water and in the sand. The double-decker bus which runs outside the hotel every 30 minutes compound will take you to Varadero in half an hour and is a nice trip for the kids. $5 pesos per head for all above 6 years of age. A bit pricey seeing how you can get a ride in an old classic convertible taxi (even nicer for the kids) for the same price and the driver will gladly wait for you at a few stops such as craft markets or rhum/cigar stores. The gym is very well equipped with weights & benches and the air conditioning is perfect. Be extra careful and look under the few small mats before stepping on them, as some of them cover holes that go right through the hard wood floor. Unfortunately they did not use any plywood under the hardwood strips. Simply move the mats so you can see the holes while you work out. Be advised, the bungalows nearer to the beach are a brisk 8-minute walk to the lobby/main buffet. Be prepared to walk. A lot. Through beautiful grounds though, especially when the flowers are blooming in the trees. We asked for a transport (maletero w/luggage carts) on our last day so we didn't have to walk all the way to the lobby on cobblestone with our luggage at 6 in the morning. The transport did not show, which came as no surprise. All in all, a good looking hotel with great food if you can beat the Cubans to it, and good entertainment but major issues regarding customer service as well as in some specific areas with regards to cleanliness.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Returned after 8 years

It has been 8 years since I had been at this property. The beach remains lovely and pristine. The a la carte restaurants are defiantly worth making reservations. Public relations made my stay even more comfortable and took care of all my needs quickly with resolutions. Room was always cleaned in a timely fashion and maid was amazingly friendly and courteous. Areas of improvement will be to create more awareness by staff of first come first serve. At times was ignored at bars and main buffet. Thi [... read more]s property is very large so walking is always expected. The bank being open 24 hours was a great feature. The spa was very well managed and maintained along with the fitness centre.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great resort!

Amazing staff, very friendly. Food was pretty good for Cuba and the shows were amazing. I would recommend staying in the sanctuary because you have more food options and a more reserved pool. Overall it was a fun time.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria: Amazing Beach!

The best part of this resort is the beach and pool! Location to and from rooms is close by and convenient. Unfortunately it is very close to the Grand Memories family resort which means it’s not as « Adults Only » as we expected. However, overall we really enjoyed our stay!

Sol Turquesa Beach: The best resort ever

First I just wanna thank monika for recommending this resort it was amazing the best the rooms where clean the drinks the water was fresh. I didn’t even have any problem with the flight every thing went smooth. It. Am planning on on booking a new one with tripcentral because they always give the best customer service

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Absolutely awesome resort!!!!

This hotel was fantastic - perfect for me, easy enough to get around, as I have mobility issues & need something where I know there won't be alot of walking to do. This was my 2nd visit to this resort, I stayed in 2017, before the hurricane - I can tell you - as a repeat guest this time .... was I ever treated special & I truly appreciated that!! My room was lovely, no complaints whatsoever - I was in the 22 block & not a single issue at all. I arrived late at night, so was unable to see the  [... read more]view from my balcony until morning, at which point - I almost cried - I overlooked the lake, it was just absolutely gorgeous - I enjoyed many sunsets from my balcony. The staff is amazing throughout the entire resort, 1 person in particular made my vacation!! Ely in the towel booth, he also provides some entertainment & activities throughout the day at the pool....make sure to say hi to Ely! He is THE BEST EVER!! He made me laugh all week, more than I have in a long time..we are best of friends now & I look forward to going back again soon. I would recommend this resort to anybody looking for a beautiful beach, excellent staff, rooms - this resort has it all....this is MY go to vacation spot for sure!!! Love Memories Caribe Cayo Coco!! See you again for sure!!

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Nice and very large resort

All staff were exceptionally nice and facilities relatively in working order. The beach was the main attraction for us and we weren't disappointed. I would comment on the cleanliness of the food areas as a few people including myself got quite sick as well as mold inside the rooms should be treated and removed.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: Girls’ Trip

I just returned from Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria. My stay was July 6 - July 13. This was my second trip to Cuba this year. My last trip was in March to Varadero. I had originally booked Grand Memories Santa Maria, but we were booked on the Sanctuary side. Since this was their low season, I wasn’t expecting my mind to be blown; however, there was much left to be desired. I’ll just separate this review in sections to make it easier to pick out what you’d like to know before booki [... read more]ng. TRANSPORTATION TO/FROM AIRPORT The drive is approximately 1 1/2 hours. I suffer from extreme nausea, but the bus was quite comfortable. Much more than the plane. Comfy seats and air conditioning. We arrived as the sun was going down, so not much to see out the windows. The tour guides do their best to educate and entertain. If you close your eyes for a bit, the ride doesn’t seem as long. CHECKING IN We arrived at night and waited our turn. My group was just 3 of us - 2 in one room and 1 in another. When I got to the counter, the person behind the counter advised me that my room was somewhere else. Confused, I asked more questions, but he didn’t quite understand. My friend who was staying alone got her key card and room number, but since I was empty-handed and confused, I enquired again. It might have been helpful to have received more information like where we should be going to check-in, etc. Just being told our room was somewhere else at a resort we had never been to didn’t tell us anything. Some bellboys flagged my other friend and I over, so we followed them in a cart to the Sanctuary side. Check-in was a breeze there. We exchanged some money, got some wi-fi time and we were brought to our room via cart where our luggage was waiting for us. My friend’s Toronto Raptors hat that she had just purchased at the Duty-Free shop and had affixed to her luggage went missing in the transition. She checked periodically with both Front Desks. Nothing. It seems as if the resort was not quite ready for the influx of arrivals because there were absolutely no lights turned on along the corridors. For women having to walk alone at night, it’s kind of scary. Also, the water pressure was as if the water had not been turned on for a while and hot water was lacking the first night. Aside from a mini-map of the resort wrapped around the key cards, there was absolutely no information provided - how to get a hold of front desk, how to call a buggy, hours of operation, if there was room service, nothing. We managed to flag down a cart to bring us back to the Grand Memories side to meet our friend who was left there on her own. We waited until our meeting with the Sunwing rep the next morning to sort out the booking snafu. It was eventually sorted out by the early evening the following day which was good because she would not have been able to come to the Sanctuary side at night which would have have defeated the purpose of booking a vacation together. ROOMS We were given room 5850 and our friend was in 5812. Rooms were a little dated, but cute. We still managed to get in some “photo shoots”. Lol. We had a wonderful view of the dumpster bin, but we didn’t care because we went there for sunshine and not to stay on our balcony. Our rooms had an elongated toilet bowl with a rounded seat. Interesting. Tub and shower combo was not anything interesting, but by the third day, the water pressure and hot water worked great. The toilet sometimes flushed. There was one morning when we woke up to absolutely no water. We asked about it and was informed that the issue was resort-wide, but it was being fixed. Luckily, it resolved itself after a few hours. The room also has basic amenities like an iron, ironing board, television that was snowy with a remote that didn’t work, a coffee maker that took an hour to fill, etc. The lobby bars made coffee, but we needed the hot water for the ramen noodles we brought for the days when we woke up late or had a bad dinner. Rooms were restocked every other day with a large bottle of water, a can of beer and orange soda. We only drank the water. Lighting in the room was horrible. Everything was so dim. Towels and linens were sometimes stained. The maid we had was excellent though. She was so kind and friendly. We learned that her husband was the bartender at the pool bar. He was equally as wonderful. I hope she liked the gifts we left along with our tips. RESTAURANTS AND BARS We did not have high expectations as we have been to Cuba before. However, we had gone to different resorts respectively in Varadero in March where the food was excellent. The food here was basic, but we didn’t starve. Well, we almost did our last night here, but luckily, we had more ramen. Since A La Cartes were unlimited, we booked the following: Seafood, Cuban, a mystery meal, Italian and Emporium. SEAFOOD Seafood was at our resort which was nice because we didn’t have to wait for a buggy to bring us to Grand Memories. I’m sure it’s walkable, but the paths were so dark, even while being illuminated by our phone flashlights, we did not feel safe walking over nor did we know how to get there. We got different apps and had the lobster with beef for our main. Caramel flan was our dessert. The meal was okay. If you’re a fan of red meat, you might want to stick to chicken for this trip. The beef was very tough. When the chicken was dark meat, it was very good. CUBAN The following night, we were told that the A La Carte was at the Mediterranean restaurant. We were told it was located at the Italian restaurant. Then we were told it was located at Memories Paraiso. Then we were told because it was low season, it was at the Italian restaurant again. Then when the cart picked us up, he dropped us off at the Italian restaurant because the driver said that’s where it was. The hostess at the Italian restaurant confirmed it was at the restaurant at Memories Paraiso. We had no clue how to get there and it was dark. By the time we got there, it was past our reservation time of 9pm, but not horribly late and not our fault as we left with ample time, but were misdirected by almost everyone. When we got there, the guy told us there was no more food. I asked if we had been 30 minutes earlier, would there have even been enough food for us as we were only 3 people because we were told by other people that they had gone to their dinners almost 1 hour late and it was never an issue. We left upset and needed to find our way back in the dark. We got to the Grand Memories buffet before it closed before going to our lobby snack bar and getting some pizza. While waiting at the fish grill in the Grand Memories buffet, the individuals before me had plates of maybe 15-20 fish and beef grilled up for them. When I asked for 3 pieces of fish for us, the lady cooking the fish and the person in line (who I assume was a local) started talking about my friends and I so openly in Spanish assuming we did not understand. I understood completely. They were so rude. This was not a good night for us here. ITALIAN The butler noticed that we had not booked anything and booked us at the Italian restaurant. The Italian was in the actual Italian restaurant. Surprise. The food was decent here. I got the lasagna as my main. I liked that it was a meat lasagna. My friends ordered the risotto and pork medallions. The pork is exactly the same as what you would get in the buffet. Risotto was good, but very rich and not as al dente as I’m used to. Caramel flan for dessert. MYSTERY DINNER After our previous experience, we did not want to book anymore A La Cartes. However, our butler insisted that we would love the mystery white party dinner at the restaurant located on our side. Since we could just walk over, we booked it. Our surprise dinner was seafood. Our server was enamoured by my one friend. At the end of the night, he brought us some ice cream and told my friend that he put a surprise in there for her. She hacked away at the ice cream searching for the surprise. He later advised her that the surprise was his love for her. Lol. EMPORIUM For our last dinner, we were just going to go to the buffet, but the butlers insisted on the A La Carte again, so we booked Emporium after having a choice between that and Asian. Being 3 Asians, we didn’t want to go there and we were told the food would be American - Fried chicken, french fries and stuff like that, so we chose to go there. There must have been a potato shortage because there wasn’t a french fry in sight, so we were looking forward to fries. Well....when we got there, we realized we were in the middle of nowhere. I guess the Memories Paraiso side was not being utilized, so there were barely any lights and this restaurant was completely off the path. When we got there, we figured that the place looked too fancy for fried chicken, and we were right. The starters were lack lustre - beef something and seafood soup. My friend ordered the pasta (which is exactly what you got in the buffet) and I got the salmon risotto. Our other friend was not feeling well and stayed in the room. We both wish we did the same thing. It tasted as if a box of salt was dumped into the risotto. I couldn’t eat more than a spoonful. We decided to cur dinner short and asked if a cart could be called to bring us back to our resort. We were told “no”, so the 2 of us pretty much had to follow the sounds to the theatre in the dark down an unfamiliar path to the theatre in the hopes of flagging down a cart. We finally made it back to our room and had ramen noodles for our last dinner in Cuba. We were advised that there was a Japanese restaurant at the market. It was not part of the all-inclusive. We weren’t in the mood to try the Cuban version of Japanese food. Some other tourists said they were able to get fries and chicken fingers at the market. They said it was the best they’ve ever had. It may be worth a try if your food experience was anything like ours. BUFFET We went to the Sanctuary buffet for breakfast every day. Not the hugest buffet, but it had the basics - eggs, bread, pancakes, sausages, bacon, cold cuts, fruit, etc. We just made it an Asian style breakfast with sunny-side up eggs, toast and the soy sauce we brought ourselves. In true Canadian form, I packed my own maple syrup for pancakes as well. We went to the buffet a couple times for lunch as well. It had a station for grilled fish and meat (beef, chicken, pork), cold cuts, cheese, bread and some other meat and starches. Not the best, but not the worst. The sriracha, soy and ketchup we packed saved our meals. We went to the buffet at the Grand Memories for lunch on our last day after we checked out. Same stuff plus a pasta station, bigger bread and grill section and someone slicing cheese and cold cuts. There were desserts, but we weren’t really feeling them, so I can’t really say how they tasted. The Grand Memories buffet for dinner was practically the same thing. Based on experience, I’d opt for the buffet over the A La Cartes; however, everything closes early. If you’re hungry after 10pm and don’t like pizza, I hope you packed some ramen. BEACH BARS & POOL BARS The beach bars on the Sanctuary side was far better in the food department. The Grand Memories side only had burger sliders and mini hot dogs. The Sanctuary side sometimes had ham, steak, pulled chicken and fish. The fish sandwiches were the best out of all of them. The bars at both locations were great because the staff were amazing. The friendliest and loveliest people you’d ever meet. They kept the ice water flowing for me since I’m not a drinker. 24-HOUR SNACK BAR Our first night there, everyone arrived late and was hungry. Since our friend was stuck on the Grand Memories side, we went to the snack bar on that side. I heard there was almost a fight that broke out over the wait time. People were ordering like 15-25 at a time. Ridiculous, but understandable as we landed late, there were no other food choices, and kids were hungry. I waited in line for over 2 hours. During that time, I saw the chef adjust himself several times and continue to knead dough without an attempt to hide that he was adjusting his sweaty balls and not washing his hands. We all saw it, but everyone was “hangry” so we all pretended it added extra flavour. In his defence, he was working alone in the sweltering heat trying to keep up. As my friend was sitting and waiting for me while the other one was at the bar, she was approached by a guy out of nowhere who told her she was a bitch and that she was going to die. When my other friend returned, they went to the front desk to call security. Security eventually came, but the guy was long gone by then. They told my friend to advise them if we saw the guy again. When we were headed back to our bungalow, we saw the guy chatting it up with some bellboys at the entrance of one of the bungalows. We were completely lost because it was our first night, so I was forced to ask how to get to our block as we were 2 women alone in the dark and there were 3 of them standing there. My friend hid while I asked so the guy wouldn’t see her and once I got my answer, the 2 of us ran so fast down the unlit corridors until we finally found our room. We both travel often and have never ever been so terrified. This was the first time we ever felt unsafe in Cuba. It was a horrible feeling. I assumed calling “0” was Front Desk, so I called about our balcony door not locking and about the guy security was already advised about. They said they’d send someone up. We waited for hours because we were scared, but nobody came. We finally managed to fix the issue ourselves without any tools. We learned our lesson for the following nights and discovered the snack bar on the Sanctuary side after our friend was moved over. Barely any wait time. It was great. LOBBY BARS We went to the bar at Grand Memories first. It was super slow because there were so many people there. Also, no air conditioning and it’s open, so the mosquitos are in full force. We had 2 types of bug spray, bug repellent lotion and all-natural bug repellent oil. It didn’t matter. We got eaten alive. The lobby bar at Sanctuary was air conditioned, so that was a bonus. Also, there was nice eye candy behind the bar. Since there wasn’t much to do late at night, my friends and I just chilled there, had drinks (alcohol-free for me) and sometimes snacks. It was nice to have something nice to look at while we were there. I called him my in-my-head Cuban boyfriend (jokingly), but this wasn’t Dirty Dancing and none of us had any thoughts of romance with any of the staff. Perhaps a tourist (if there were actually any attractive singles there...lol)...but not staff. Just think about how many tourists go through there and the number of people an attractive bartender could go through in a month alone. Safety first, people. Look, but don’t touch. I was taken aback one night when he was flipping through channels and porn came on the television. We were in shock that we just saw that, but it seemed as though he was trying to impress the floozies sitting to the side of the bar. It must have worked because they were almost caught in the act by my one friend as they were in the entrance of the washroom while my friend was turning the corner to use it. We all know stuff like this goes on, but perhaps the bartender can choose a less conspicuous place to have a quickie. Or maybe the tourist could have better standards than a smelly Cuban public washroom. Just saying. Eeew. THE POOL The pool was dated and could use some TLC, but it was good enough. It was somewhere to go after lunch when the waters started to get choppy at the beach. It was close to our rooms too. The Entertainment Team was excellent. I’m still amazed by how much energy they all had. I even participated in one of the activities. Probably one of the most embarrassing ones, but that’s just what happens when your drunk friends volunteer you to do stuff. It was still fun and they are very engaging with the tourists. We saw them on our last day and took some pics with them. Such a great group of people. THE BEACH The beach on the Sanctuary side wasn’t the greatest. It kind of dropped off because of the tide, it was a bit rocky and there was seaweed all over. The beach on the Grand Memories side was much better. The worker on the Diamond Club side was great. He always found us seats together with a nice view because he knew how much we liked to take pictures. On our last day, he picked up each one of us for a photo op at the beach. The beach water was crystal clear on a nice day. A little wavy on cloudier days, but still beautiful. If people would stop being pigs and throw out their plastic cups before getting into the water, that would be nice. The Entertainment Team on the beach were great too. My friends and I participated in the water aerobics one day from afar. When they tried to motion us to come closer, we told them we couldn’t afford their classes like the opening scene of Bridesmaids. Lol. WI-FI If you’ve never been to Cuba before, you’ll learn quickly that you need to buy wi-fi time. If you’re at Sanctuary, you get your first 3 hours free. After that, 1 CUC/hour. Don’t forget to turn off your wi-fi when you’re done. Wi-fi sucked at the Sanctuary lobby bar. It was good at the pool, by the Sanctuary beach bar, both buffets, A La Carte restaurants, and Grand Memories lobby. We only were able to connect to wi-fi in our rooms on the 3rd day. CURRENCY CONVERSION I was lazy and usually just exchanged money at the Front Desk. If it’s your first time in Cuba, try to exchange as much as you think you’ll need in small amounts as their CUC is worthless here and cannot be converted back. They started running out of $1CUC and $3CUC notes and only had 50 cent coins. The bank located around the corner from the Front Desk at Grand Memories had the same issue. You can exchange your larger CUCs with the bartenders. We got USD in return when we did that though. OUTLETS I read that they used 220v, so I brought an adapter. It was one of those convertible outlets, so my friend just plugged her 110v plug right into the wall with no issue. THE STAFF For the most part, the staff was excellent. Some of the friendliest people you’d ever meet. You could tell the difference between the ones who were genuinely nice and the ones who were being nice in the hopes of getting in your pants. We were 3 ladies travelling with no men, so some guys laid it on thick. We were cordial up until the point when the one bellboy who we all knew was trying to get with one of my friends was trying to convince us to go night swimming and saying the cute bartender would come too (even though he was working alone until the morning). Something my friends and I did not share with these guys is the fact that I am pretty proficient in Spanish. I just choose not to speak it on vacation as it’s not my mother tongue and I’m curious to see what the staff say about me in front of my face when they think I don’t understand. One night, we got an earful from Rolando and friends. I just have one thing to say to them - pendejos. Aside from them, everyone was great, genuine and helpful. ENTERTAINMENT The nightly shows at the theatre were posted. We didn’t make it to any of them as we’ve travelled often and the shows are all pretty much the same - dancing, singing, Michael Jackson impersonator, etc. Also, not being around children was a bonus since my 2 friends were on a “momcation” away from their kids. Aside from that, there was absolutely nothing to do. There was a disco located at the market on the Memories Paraiso side, but a cart drove us past it one night and there were maybe 5-10 people there. CHECK-OUT Being on the Sanctuary side, we got complimentary late check-out until 2pm. The guy at the front desk gave us his extension to call for a cart to pick us up and help us with our luggage. Nice and easy. Overall, the week was great because of the people I was with and some of the people who were there. We met some really fun people there. If you’re looking for luxury, this is not the place for you. You’ll be better off at the Royalton or Melia Buenavista. If you’re easy going, looking for a tan and a nice beach, you’ll love this place. If you’re single and looking to hook up with hot singles not on staff, go to Cancun.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: One of the best resorts in Cuba!

The Sanctuary was an adult resort inside Grand Memories family resort. It had the best of everything and you were allowed to access both resorts. The hotel was kept up and the beach was amazing! One of the better resorts for service and food in the area.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Amazing resort

The beach was amazing. The food was very good with a lot of variety. The room service was disappointing, they did not change the sheet for 5 days. The costumer service did not care for any complain, called them three times because the tv wasn't working, and they ignored me.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Birthday vacation

Huge resort multi level lots of stairs but accessible to everyone Many pathways and shortcuts to get around shuttle service to beach or room Beautiful lobby but in need for some tlc especially for those couches! bar service is great but hard to get the diamand shelf liquors they will offer you Mulata brand telling you that it’s the same !!Orlando makes good drinks ! We booked for 2 weeks diamand club room which was great for minibar refurbished daily ! maid was great alway clean towels,a [... read more]nd clean room to go back too. Buffet has some issues cats and birds and flies wich would get to cheese or food displayed on buffet before us wich made this reluctant to eat some! Food not too many selections and not handled properly aiming for bread and butter so many times. /> A la carte for us was really a disappointment booked romantico for my husband birthday and ask for a cake which was ordered but it never showed up but it’s ok ! Beach is lovely no need to stress for lounches or palapa there are many of them,diamant beach section was a little boring so we spend more time in the other side we’re it was lively with music people and food burger shak do something about it please! Snack bar always no food maybe if we were lucky a hotdog with no bun or French fries no ketchup but mustard only ! Still it was like you were asking too much ! Animation team I dint get to meet them in this vacation they spended more time at the pool during the day at night there was no sign of them ! Verry dull nights my goodness we need some music a band in courtyard we’re people can dance and mingle! Only 3showes a week a caraokee night and carnival which was out from the resort transportation provided still after 11 resort was already asleep beside younger crowd who got the disco untill 2 am! Overall we enjoyed the beach and made the best of it .

Memories Jibacoa: Great location to visit Havana

Well maintained rooms and grounds, beatifull beach with great coral reef for snorkling. Food choices limited and quality of food average. Service- hit and miss. Convenient location for beach vacation when you want to visit Havana.

Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero: Great Resort!!!!!!

The staff were all so friendly and helpful with any type of questions or requests. This was our first trip to Cuba and were prepared for the food to be more bland but was always able to find good food that was tasty and well prepared. Lobster and shrimp was wonderful! The grounds and pool were always kept clean with plants/flowers trimmed to perfection. We were steps away from poolside and the beach was a 1 minute stroll. The water (pool and ocean) was so warm and crystal clear. A couple [... read more] negatives (which is most likely everywhere in Cuba) was the gratuities are not included in the all-inclusive (had to tip everywhere) and if something in your room or a public washroom was broken (ie: door lock, fan, shower head), it didn't get fixed. We would definitely recommend this resort!!!

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Relaxing week!

The beach was the best part about this resort. The food was better than expected. The grounds were really nice. The service was lacking at times. Particularly from the front desk. At times they did not seem to do much when you had an issue with your room etc. Overall love Cuba and the people

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Great Resort

We visited Memories Caribe in June at the strong recommendation of my co-worker. So glad we listened! Our room was quite good, exactly what we requested, block 24, right beside the ocean. We didn’t mind the lack of bathroom door. It flowed with an open concept room. Bed was comfortable, that’s all we need. Staff was amazing from the entertainment crew including the dynamic Ely and Lazara to the lovely Yumilba afterwards at the snack bar. Nightly shows were well done. Our favourite was the  [... read more]water show. No shortages of food or drink while we were there. Buffet was pretty good. We usually headed to the grilling stations for fish or chicken. Always something delicious to try. We liked the Ala Carte restaurants. Our favourite was the Mediterranean. Waiters were so funny! Visited the piano bar daily for a yummy Spanish Coffee. So good. Pool was great. Beach was amazing. That’s one of the main reasons we go to Cuba. The other is the lovely people. We did one excursion to the city of Moron, which included stops to a coffee/cigar plantation, sugar mill, authentic Cuban lunch, and boat ride through a mangrove. Well worth the experience, but a long day. This adults only resort works very hard to provide a memorable vacation. I’ve already recommended it to another co-worker!

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Fantastic getaway

If you are looking for a place to relax, enjoy warm Cuban hospitality and a stunning beach, gentle waves and sea breeze, this is it. A short transfer to the resort from the airport means your holiday starts quickly after you arrive. Rooms are spacious and the AC works well, which is welcome after spending time in the brilliant Cuban sunshine. Food is adequate. You won’t go hungry but there is not a lot of variety. The a la carte restaurants offer attentive service and nicely presented dishes a [... read more]nd a visit to the buffet is always an option afterwards if the smaller portions did not satisfy your appetite. The shows we attended in the evening were really well done - the performers are very talented. We will be back!

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: We Won't Be Returning

* Resort Grounds - Good * Beach - Excellent * Water Activities (Snorkelling, Paddle Boats, Catamaran) - Excellent * Rooms - OK * Service - Terrible * Food - OK * Sunwing Travel Experience - Terrible * A La Carte Restaurant - Terrible * Bus Tour - Terrible *There are nicer resorts with better service - read reviews!

Sol Turquesa Beach: Will NOT be returning

I’ll try to keep it concise for you. The room had cockroaches 3 nights in a row. A/C broke down and it took a lot of complaining to get someone to fix. The hose for the shower broke twice. Small bathroom would be challenging for larger people and it was still tight for regular sized folks. Did not receive a la carte dinners until enough people complained (3 were advertised and received only 2). Food was bland and every day the same food was offered. The pool was un-swimmable for the first 3 da [... read more]ys (green with algae). Service was great from the staff if only you tip them each and every time. Mosquitos every night felt like we were on the menu. The resort overall was dated and starting to look run down. The one good thing was the beach but the ocean tide was bringing in a lot of seaweed. WE WILL NOT BE RETURNING TO MEMORIES HOLGUÍN.