Wonderful Trip!

Wife and I travelled in Nov 2019 - staying 7 days at Sanctuary. We occupied a room on the 3rd floor of building 59. Resort was great value, and the food was very tasty. Lots of great flavours and variety. Many options throughout all the different a la carte restaurants, and buffet. Beer was always ice-cold, rum was dark and the drinks a plenty. Often ran out of the disposable cups around the pool, so bring your own refillable mug. It's better for the environment anyways. The hehe or no-see-um's [... read more] sucked. We got bit a lot. It was not the first time this has happened in Cuba for us. We didn't bother with Bug spray, that may have helped? Lavender & coconut oil came to our rescue. Beach was lovely. Waves were fun, water was clear & sand was beautiful white. Pool at Sanctuary is amazing. Best in the Caribe. Book a trip here, you will not regret it.

Things have changed.

We came back this year because it was so peaceful and laid back when we visited last year at the same time. The staff were wonderful, and we were happy with the food and the beach again this time but.......our tranquil pool bar was taken over by rowdy, foul mouthed yahoos intent on forcing their disruptive noise on the rest of us. Perhaps the price reduction played a part. Hell....we were very happy to pay 200 bucks less this year too! We like to do a little day drinkin' and have a few laughs [... read more] with new friends, but it really got stupid when the sloppy drunks started writhing around on the bar we had our drinks on. Hopefully we just pulled the short straw time wise and Sanctuary is still the best bet in Cayo Santa Maria. We may give it another chance...but maybe not.

Great Beach and Grounds

Beach was beautiful and so were the grounds. Loved the entertainment , they were exceptionally great. Food was good and the rooms were nice enough.Pools were clean and the Cuban people were very nice and helpful. I liked the layout of the resort.

Paradise!

Loved my time at Sanctuary! The beach is absolutely amazing. The staff are very nice. The food is not amazing but I am not picky, I never went hungry. I loved the pizza at the snack bar. The pool is also paradise. The rooms weren’t the nicest however it was fine for sleeping and showering. I would return just for the beach.

Not bad

Resort is very nice but you don't get liquor in your room beer was not replenished every day as advertised in your room also resort had no pop at the bars until around 2pm every day staff are amazing I would recommend this resort if they can supply what you pay for

Good resort

On line the resort has a 4.5 to 5 star review, we have been three many memories resorts including this one, the location is beautiful and grounds are kept clean, beach and ocean very clean , shallow water by the the shore and calm water. We stayed in the Sanctuary section, the rooms are very dated and with some issues and our room had a bid of mold on some walls, bed was very comfortable. Our mini bar at times was not replenished but maids were friendly and did a descent job cleaning the room. F [... read more]ood was very good and service was hit and miss. My main concern was the lack of beach huts in the Sanctuary section, 28 huts for the entire section, this caused major problems as people would leave towels and personal items on chairs over night ( frowned upon ) , I'd would have to go to the beach at 5 30 am to try and get a spot then only find that other guest's would pay the beach person to remove other guest's items to get a spot, this happened to me twice. All around it is an decent resort, if the Memories would up date the rooms and add more beach huts I'd give it a 5 star in the condition it is now I'd give it a 3.5 at best

Very good resort

We just came from the vacation at Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria in Cuba. Overall the resort was very good, the beach was amazing, the weather was so good. The service was good, very nice people ready to help every time you asked. The food was good especially fish, lobster and other food they offer in the buffet.

It was not as advertised

The room was good. The sheets were stained and had holes. The bathroom needed upgrading. The water pressure and temperature was great. You get 2 1 litre bottles of water a day...or you're supposed to. We had this on the first day and the rest of the time it was a struggle to get any. Also this is delivered at the end of the day, if they deliver any. The food was good. A lot of seafood however there are a lot of sanitary issues. There's flies in the juices and naturally would also land on the f [... read more]ood and "snacks" they sometimes leave out for you. The food was repetitive. It tasted ok. Staff were ok. Don't be sold on getting a butler service here as though you're going to be extra special because you won't be, so paying extra isn't worth it. Most of the time we ate at the Grand memories buffet. More selection and we had a wonderful sincere server named Rawson who made our time there worthwhile. The butlers however all they do is book your a la carte reservations, get you a cart to go around the place. We should mention Yahniel..hes one of the butlers he's very nice and very helpful. The biggest frustration for us was that no one wants to take any ownership there when you have a request or an issue esp the front desk for sanctuary guests. The beach however was beautiful. Tonnes of jellyfish though and sardines right on the shoreline. We swam w sticks to help us navigate w the jelly fish around. There are a lot of sand fleas that hurt and bite you like crazy. Definitely bring some moskul. Overall, we wouldn't recommend this resort. Definitely nothing more than a 3* and don't pay more than. $800/pp. Use your money somewhere else.

Ok

The grounds were clean and well maintained. The rooms were exactly like the photos. Lots of hot water and pressure in the shower. Service was lacking. The bars and restaurants always running out of mix, pop and alcohol. No bar in the room. No pop in the room after multiply requests. Plenty of food but over cooked. Lack of entertainment. If you are looking to go on excursions cross your fingers. We tried to book 3 and all were cancelled. Our safe was broken into and $330. Was stolen Will never  [... read more]go back.

Not what we had in mind

This hotel offers a lot to be desired unfortunately it’s not able to hold its end of the deal...from rooms that aren’t clean, to food served room temperature, to hearing “no” when asking for a coffee. The beach and grounds are beautiful unfortunately there’s an inability to cater to people efficiently and to the standard they claim. We’ve never heard so many “no’s” to requests from asking for a coffee, asking for clean blanket to asking for a later check out.

Siblings bonding vacay

The beach is the same anywhere in Cuba. I only gave 4 star because the resort is so big that the beach area is not enough to accommodate the number of guests. We did not stay by the pool because we did not like the set up of the bar wherein the wet side is at the back of the bar. The service was top notch! From our butler Jose who made sure that our needs are met including extending a couple of hours before we check out. Our servers, Rabelo, from Memories buffet (don’t know if I got the  [... read more]name right) who brought his own hot sauce from home because the resort does not have any and sharing with us avocados from his garden. We were so touched by his effort. Raul from the Italian restaurant and Inubis from Santuary buffet who made sure that our table is well taken cared off all the time. Mr Armando the gardener (Mr. coco man), who supplied our daily coconuts and last but not the least Thomas, the driver, till we left he made sure that our luggages are on the right bus. These people are the highlight of our trip. They never expect anything from us, for a fact some of them does not want to get the tips we give them but the friendship we build in a week just casually talking to them about life or sometimes nonsense topics is very big to them. We will surely miss them. The food for me is the best among the resorts I’ve been in Cuba. My brother booked this resort because they serve seafood every day. Kudos to the cooks/chefs. Here is the downside why I don’t recommend this resort, the rooms smelled liked moulds, safe is broken, no umbrellas in 2 out of 3 rooms we booked. The rooms are not properly cleaned. The bed and pillows are good but it seems like something is biting you while you sleep. When I came home, all the clothes I hanged in my room smells like moulds. Even their towels smell like moulds. The bed linens are dirty. The entertainment at the lobby is not that great. You can’t enjoy the night because ithe Lobby is too small. There’s just no room to accommodate people. I have been to Valentin Perla Blanca and it is night and day with Sanctuary. If not for the great service of the people that worked there, I would have not enjoyed our stay. PS. Make sure to pack Off lotion and after bite. This is my 3rd time in Cuba and 2nd in Cayo Sta. Maria and I should say that this resort is swapped with mosquitoes and flies.

Sanctuary For Adults...Not So Much

Our bad but this resort I thought was adults only...low and behold it is a large resort with 3 sections. One of which they have labeled adults only. They loosely draw lines but we heard more than one child during our week. They should really not tout this as such but it was a lesson learned for us. Besides that we had a few other issues but we are the type to simply look at the positive.... the beach is absolutely fantastic!!! That's what we go for. Luckily the snack hut there had equally go [... read more]od food and the beach bar poured us all we ever needed. The staff at these locations were also a positive. We had a great vacation on the beach but will look at other options and scrutinize the adults only...

Great Vacation in Santa Maria

We had one of our best Cuban vacations ever at Sanctuary at Grand Memories Santa Maria. Staying at the sanctuary you could use all of the services of all the adjacent Grand Memories and Paradiso. The food was better than most Cuban resorts and the quality, service and presentation of the food in the a la carte restaurants was exceptional. Beaches are hard to beat and I find in Santa Maria they are the best along the North shore of Cuba. Although the private beach in front of the Sanctuary ha [... read more]s a coral shoreline, however once in the water the beach was very sandy. The beach is nicer at the Grand memories which is a mere 5 min walk along the beach. I appreciated the natural look of the private beach. As an "Adults only resort" at the Sanctuary I found it to be very laid back. Also, the pools were not unruly with screaming children. Very interesting perk was a butler service for the guests. Maron and Mercedes rotated the service throughout the week for the guests on the same floor of the bungalow we were staying. They would cater to booking reservations, managing the maintenance issues or responding to any questions we'd have. We ate dinner at the a la carte restaurants all week. A personalized touch that allowed us to maximize our time and eliminate the time lost in the lobby. The internet service could be reached in our room and on the pool. This service has come a long way I would return again any time.

A wonderful time

What a beautiful resort with well kept grounds, a lovely beach, ultra clean adults only pool, as well as helpful and friendly staff. We stayed in building 60 on the second floor which gave you partial views of the pool and ocean and beautiful views of the tropical landscape. We had two great butlers, Mercedes and Marlon who alternated days working and did whatever they could to make our stay more enjoyable. We stayed during an exceptionally hot and humid week but our butlers and staff always h [... read more]ad a smile, a hola and wanted to know if we needed anything. We would highly recommend the adults only Sanctuary of Grand Memories.

Amazing resort!

Outstanding service from time of arrival to time of departure. The food was great and plentiful. The resort was well maintained and our bungalow was only a few minutes away from the beach. The maids did a fabulous job every day and all the staff were very friendly.

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!

Great staff at Grand Memories Buffet

The vacation was a very difficult one at the end of it all. I am disabled with a walking aid and we were put on the second floor to include 2 flights of stairs. I had asked on our arrival and I was told no and 2 days later as they saw I was struggling with the stairs , they offered to move us to first floor which was still one flight of stairs. I declined as we had already unpacked and it would be too difficult for me to manage packing all over again. Other than that, the staff were very frie [... read more]ndly. We put in 3 wake up calls and the only one we recieved was the morning we left, as I told them if we did not make the plane, it would be at their expense, as there was no alarm clocks in the room. Also sometimes it took 3 times to have a pick up by their shuttle service. The sliding door in our room was very difficult to open (seemed like the wheels on the door were worn out) and I reported it with no one coming to repair. The cable to the TV was broken and our tv was very limited due to the with not being connected properly. The maid service was excellent and they were extremely grateful for the gifts we had brought for the staff daily with their tip. The only dining room that I could manage the food was the Grand Memories Buffet and the service was excellent! I kept to a very simple diet and my husband who sampled all of the food, became very ill on the 5th day. Once home he was diagnosed with ECOLI (very serious). Our waiter, Rubin was the best! He would go the extra mile to help us and made sure his service was the best! Entertainment was very good when they had it. Some nights were just cancelled, as well as some of the excursions. One excursion we were able to do was the Catermeran and it was excellent! The crew were the best and we had a wonderful time. I would highly recommend that excursion! The entertainment staff were second to none! They were the best! We found Cuban people very friendly and appreciative. We did make some friends from Cuba and other countries. Our trip home was not pleasant with my husband sick and then the took my walker away when we went through clearance. (any other trip to include our trip to Cuba I had my walker until I loaded the plane. ) This added to our struggles. Then lastly, we had paid for VIP on our return, but with everything going wrong during this vacation, I could not find my receipt. Instead of contacting Sunwing to verify our payment, we were kicked out of the VIP Lounge. We could not find a seat close by and had to walk to the very back of the waiting area to sit. (with my husband having to run to the washroom and my self with our my walking aid.) We can not say this was the best holiday with so many issues. We have place a large complaint with Sunwing. Thanks Margaret Williams-Oram

Beautiful Beach

I would like to start by saying THANK YOU to all the Sanctuary staff that were connected to us May 9th-16th, 2019 in building 60 and 59, with "The Twins", while we were at your resort, you know who you are. I apologize that I don't have all names, you were all very attentive, friendly, pleasant, helpful from the day we arrived to the day we left! Rudy, Anay, Daimys & wife, Lipi Lipi, just to name a few, this thank you is to All Butlers (including Head Butler), Chambermaids, Water/Fridge Staff, [... read more] Room Service, Servers, Lobby, Pool Staff, Cart Drivers, Grounds Staff (both hotels) at Sanctuary and our Server a couple of times at The Grand I believe his name was Orbu.....all of you friendly very helpful staff. If you are asking my honest opinion.....the day we arrived, our room was in Building 59 at the back near road, didn't really like the room back there and there was a gap in sliding door when you close it, so we asked for another room, our Butler was most helpful in changing our room promptly, on same floor but facing ocean, thank you so much! When we arrived while we were waiting for room, we noticed some wear and tear with patio furniture, pathways (later on), etc, I'm sure areas will be looked after by Management and repaired at both Sanctuary and The Grand! Food was good/fine, views from buffet, terrace and pool awesome, grounds lovely. Entertainment in Lobby during dinner and after dinner was awesome. We were not able to be there all the time but we could hear it from our room. Finally, our Sunwing Rep for this week was average! Again, Thank You.

Sanctuary resort

I was not happy with this resort, I thought it was like same has the one in Varadero. I was disappointed they didn't have any tonic water for gin and tonic and no champagne. that is the only thing that me and my husband drinks. the services was good room was OK. the beach was amazing best beach I've been to.

Great Beach!

Beach is amazing!! Pool area is well kept and great bartenders Carlos and Rey. Rooms could use freshening up but are kept nice and clean, the maids work hard. Decent enough food at buffets/beach&pool grills. But the a la carte is where's it's at for dinner! Overall had a good stay despite a few issues with smells around the resort and no bottles of alcohol in the room as advertised.