Great place Sanctuary

This is our second visit to Grand Memories Sanctuary. The pool, restaurants, bars and beach are all nice and close. We enjoy being able to eat in the restaurants for all meals. The staff is very helpful and courteous. We enjoyed our stay immensely. We plan to go again.

Still a good Resort

This was my second visit to the Sanctuary Grand Memories this year and unfortunately there has been a change in management which was very noticeable. The Sanctuary and the Gourmet restaurants are not the same in service and quality of the food as it was in March. Hopefully the management changes are corrected as this resort was amazing just a few months ago. We had two butlers, Noel and Gretchen. Gretchen was very friendly and always found us in the morning and asked what she could do for us th [... read more]at day. Noel on the other hand would avoid us and only asked once during our stay if there was anything he could do for us and that was at 4:30 pm. The rooms, beach, pool and the grounds are still spotless. The beach area at this resort is well maintained and beautiful. The gardener does a great job maintain the grounds and is often seen making little handmade gifts for the guests. All the snack bar staff were efficient and Roxana was very friendly and would always offer to bring your drink or food over to you. This is still a good resort and hopefully they will work out the management issues, overall it was still a relaxing vacation but defiantly not the same resort as it was in March

A VERY MEMORABLE VACATION

Where does one start. From our elite seating to the reception and departure from Grand Memories Sanctuary it was a very memorable vacation. Our suite on the second floor pool side was beautiful. We were in close proximity to a pristine beach as well. The weather was perfect. On September 7, a very special birthday, we went deep sea fishing and caught 7 Barracuda! The crew was knowledgeable and served us well. The staff at Sanctuary were polite and engaged. We had Champagne almost every day [... read more] as well as al a’ la carte restaurants that served lobster! Very memorable Grand Memories Sanctuary! We will definitely be back. See you soon! Thank you, Dottie and Sig

Grand Memories

Resort was huge and physically looks great. Food was above average. Guests were allowed to drink, smoke & eat IN THE POOL was negative aspect. Some guests very loud, rude vulgar language not acceptable. Staff was great except for not enforcing rules around pool area. Entertainment was average.

Beach Dust Between Your Toes

We had the pleasure of meeting the new Sanctuary restuarant Manager Carlos on his first day at the resort. As repeat guests, we mentioned to him the staff are very attentive, friendly and smile all the time serving us breakfast. They would have our cappuccino with Bailey’s and mimosas as soon as we walk into the restaurant ready for us. Chef Vincenzo makes delicious, beautifully presented food and we looked forward to our evening meals prepared by him. All the staff in the restuarant are great [... read more] with our favourites Yurialys, Yessica and Natali. We had so much fun in the evening at the lounge bar after spending all day at the beach. Bartenders Jesus and Yuniel exchanged stories with my husband’s love of baseball. The nightly bands in the lounge were great especially the rock n roll band, Cuban bands and duos. The tap dancer is very loud for the lounge area & thevdancing seems repetitive and was not a favourite entertainer for us. Bartenders Jesus, Yuniel, Meylin & Leodan handle the busy bar with ease, keeping guests happy and being friendly. They all have super bartending skills. Our housekeeper Jeny looked after our room and kept it spotless. Her special touch arranging the towels in different shapes. Jeny is a hard working, sweet woman. We had happy times and conversation with our very favourite shuttle driver Hanoy a real gentlemen and very courteous. Tony who is his colleague makes us laugh with his enthusiasm and being so lively. It truly shows Hanoy and Tony enjoy their job and the guests they meet. Would just like to say although the resort is all inclusive, we noticed many guests do not tip the staff. The staff work extremely hard while always cheerful and helpful. This is our personal observation and know a cuc currency goes a long way for them. Hoping the new beach bar will be opened when we return. Alexander (Alex) is busy on the beach. We are thankful he puts out our beach chairs and provides bar service on the beach. It’s not easy delivering drinks in the heat. Alexander & Raoul try hard to monitor tourist who do not have wrist bands for the Sanctuary who try and sit in our designated area. We appreciate the Diamond Club/Sanctuary have their own section on the beach. It’s one of the reasons we want to stay at the resort! The best restaurants to have dinner is the Sancutary restuarant and Gourmet. The Director of the Sancutary Luz is amazing and looks after her staff with respect. We love the staff at the Sanctuary and consider them family. We can hardly wait to return for our 8th time to the resort. As they say in Cuba, see you soon, not goodbye....

Amazing resort!!

Everything was even better than expected!! Amazing grounds, beach, pools, restaurants, entertainment, and service was fantastic! I would definitely recommend this hotel for an excellent vacation!! Gracias Sanctuary Grand Memories!:)

Dissapointed

Musty rooms empty pool and jacuzzi. Riped off by wifi card salesperson.. Barely any entertainment on rainy days. Filthy smelly blankets, bed spreads and pillows. Dusty surfaces. Spilled food and broken dishes left on steps and hallways for over 24 hrs.i do not recommend this hotel.

Sun, Beach, Food, Drinks & Amazing Staff & Resort

This was our 6th visit to the Grand Memories Sanctuary adults only resort, Varadero Cuba....When we think our experience at the hotel can’t get better it does..... We can't say enough about this resort, the staff are amazing along with the Director Luz Hernández and Gustavo Dominguez. From the time we arrived we are greeted by our fav shuttle drivers Hanoy and Tony....big smiles. Hanoy was always there asking if we need anything.... The Sancutary restaurant staff with Manager Gustav [... read more]o, hostess Yurilays, servers Yessica and Natali you received warm greetings and outstanding service every morning for breakfast. We ordered poached eggs and omelette with double order of bacon every morning and chose smaller items from the vast arrangement of cheese,, fruits, cold cuts and sweets while waiting for our eggs. As soon as we walked in, they had our cappuccinos with Baileys and mimosas waiting for us....nice touch they knew what we enjoyed for breakfast - hey it’s 5:00 pm somewhere right! Their new Chef Vincenzo from Italy has amazing meals prepared at dinner time...Chef Vincenzo has made a difference in the quality of the meals and taste....he is an asset to the Sancutary restuarant staff! We are beach people so it was enjoyable to have Alex on the beach serving your favourite drinks and Cervaza ... Beach has clean, white sand and easy to walk into the ocean....very short walk from our room to the beach... Hoping the new beach bar is open now and is closer to washrooms .... After the beach we sornt an hour at the pool and had fried calamari or fries or hamburgers....all are great but the service is slower so just sit back and enjoy the pool and they will bring your order to you....the staff at the pool snack bar are a happy bunch. Our room was so clean thanks to our maid Jenny, she is a gem. Always smiling with big hugs. We ask for Jenny on all our trips. There has been no issues with our room, it is spotless ... Only suggestion would be to bring your own facecloths which are not always provided. The bathtub takes forever to fill so would avoid and use ithe shower. Our fav restuarant on the Grand Memories side is the Gourmet and true to its name. I would suggest the tender steak, it was mouthwatering... The Asian restaurant is another place that has good food. As others have mentioned in their reviews, we would have to agree, avoid the Italian restuarant on the Grand Memories side. We gave this restuarant three tries on our various visits to the resort and it never was a good food experience. I’m so sorry to say the food is terrible. We would like to acknowledge the outstanding service we received from the Sancutary staff:- Jenny /maid, Hanoy butler/shuttle cart, Tony/shuttle cart, Yurilays/hostess at Sancutary restuarant, Yessica & Natali waitress, Militza/reception. Special shout out to our fav Sanctuary bartenders Yuneil, Jesus, Alex, Amaury & Leo and staff at the pool snack bar... They make us feel like family, especially our favs Jenny, Hanoy, bartenders Yuniel, Jesus & Alex... We look forward to seeing everyone very soon June 2018.....

Decent resort

Sadly, The Dining was mediocre , we had huge problems with room service also, it was either really bad, the wrong order, or not delivered at all. Having said that the grounds were decent , the beach was amazing, the water was so clear.

Great get away

This was my first time ever to a resort. The grounds of the resort were well maintained and the bungalows were well spaced out. Very nice the way they were color coded. Our Maid, Lisette ,was terrific and our butler, Jorge was amazing. Both very delightful people ! The food was so so. the seafood over cooked and vegetables water logged. The pork was very good. You should not allow cigar smoking around the pool area. It's a very strong odor and I would not escape it , no matter wher [... read more]e I relocated myself at the pool.

Great first trip to Cuba

Good food, good service, beautiful beach. Hotel grounds could use some TLC, but minor details. Would return but like to try different places. Overall was impressed with this resort and would recommend

The good, the bad, and the wonderful.

A $50 US cab ride gets you to the resort. Furthest resort from the airport. We booked Sanctuary, which is adults only. Upgraded our room from a double to a junior suite, as we were past guests, and had our vacation cut short in September. Our butler recognized us from our previous visit, and was extremely kind. Both Jorge and Ernesto went out of their way to make our stay fantastic. We were booked in to room 32303, which put us on the third floor, facing the pool. If you don't like constantly go [... read more]ing up and down stairs, a ground floor might be more to your liking. Room was fabulous, except that the balcony has a solid safety wall, so you can't see much when sitting, whereas the second floor has glass. The balcony door was in desperate need of WD-40, and was a chore to get open, and the hair dryer did not work. 2 Bathrooms, main with tub, and shower, with excellent water pressure. King size bed with a fairly firm mattress, and a frame that could use a few turns with a ratchet ;) Ordered room service for breakfast, and usually got a lot more than ordered, and the order was correct half the time. Omelets were less oily from room service, than from the buffet. Best restaurant was the one adjacent to the bar, closest to the pool, at Sanctuary. There were a couple of themed lunches while we were there for 10 days, which were quite entertaining. Beach was fabulous, as always. Unfortunately, there are people who still reserve "their" chairs at the pool, and they could do with a few more shaded spots. Will be booking again for September.

Great resort. I recommend

We really enjoyed this Resort. They treat you very well , the food was excellent, the pool was beautiful and clean; they provided a lot of activities at the pool. The cleaning staff were excellent as was all the staff. The rooms are close to the beach. The sanctuary lounge was exceptional. Great premium drinks and great live music. I recommend Sanctuary. It's worth the additional cost, hands down.

Truely Disappointed!

I would like to start by telling you this is our 15th time in Cuba and probably our last because of this resort! We were really shocked but more so very disappointed on how poorly this resort deals with issues. As soon as we arrived we had an issue with the room, we asked Colleen for a higher floor due to my environmental allergies but unfortunately the request was never sent. Maria at the reception desk did not try to accommodate the error but instead insisted she could not change the ro [... read more]om until Monday. She was very rude and never once looked at her computer to see what was available all she kept on saying was that the resort was over booked. I asked to speak to a manager but apparently no one was available, which I find hard to believe because people arrive 24 hours a day. She told us we could take up our grievance with Luz who is the director in the morning. So we had no chose but to sleep in the room on lower floor that was damp and had a musky odour. The following morning we went to speak to Luz but she had gone to Havana! But when we went to the reception desk again the new person there said that they were moving us to a higher floor even though Maria was a adamant there wasn’t an other room available until Monday. The next day we had lunch at the a la carte restaurant at the Sanctuary. We ordered chicken and grilled fish, but an 1 1/2 hours later our meals hadn’t arrived so I asked to speak to the manager. Gonzales came over and I asked why it was taking so long and he said it was really busy but he will personally take care of your orders. 15 minuets later still no food but people who had arrived 20 minutes prior were receiving their orders! I asked to speak to him again and when he came over he said he could do anything about the delay so we got up and left and went straight to Luz’s office (who we have meet by this time and had told us to come and see her if we needed anything). Luz had also instructed Maria to apologize to us about the room mixup and that they were going to change our room the next day. We explained to her what just occurred and the three of us walked over to speak to manager. She spoke to the manager who she also told to apologize which he never did, if anything during the vacation he never spoke to us or even say good morning good morning all he would do is avoid us. At that point the Italian chef as well as the food and beverage manager Yonnis came out to apologize and asked if we wanted lobster for the delay with the orders. I still wanted my fish but my wife wanted the lobster. The meals finally came out a 1/2 hour later my fish fine but my wife’s lobster was raw in the middle so she never ate. Yonnis apologized again but at that point my wife was so upset with the situation we just left. The next day we planned to go Havana. So we went to the a la carte early and ordered our food by 7:05. There were 2 other couples there before us but again we still did not receive our food until 30 minutes later. Seriously 30 minutes for 2 omelettes, that the server (Roxanna) got wrong but that’s because she was too busy socializing and taking yogourt and hiding it in the cupboard! So we asked to speak the manager and chef came out as well, but again nothing was done. My wife had a terrible experience with the washroom that was located just before the path to the beach it shared the same building as the towel exchange. She went to use the washroom at 9:15 but the doors were locked. She spoke to one of the butlers at the building nearby but he said they had to look for the chambermaid who had the key. 10 minutes later no one showed up so my wife spoke to another butler (Gretchal) who told her it was not her job. At this point my wife was so annoyed she asked why the washrooms weren’t open in the first place? These washrooms are meant for people on the beach who are wet and sandy in our case on the beach by 8am but all she did was argue with my wife instead of trying to find the key to open the doors. She finally came back with key and when wife went to use washroom there wasn’t an toilet paper or paper towel in the woman’s or the man’s washroom. My wife went back out to find Gretchal (of course socializing) and asked why there wasn’t toilet paper in any of the stalls or paper towel but her response was that she didn’t know and it wasn’t her job. So my wife lost it on her told she needs to do her her job and that this was going to be another conversation with Luz but she said didn’t care! On the positive side of things... The food was very good we were pleasantly surprised! We were in building 31, we had 2 butters Jorge who was fantastic! But Danyelle was terrible and just didn’t care! Jorge went out of his way to try to resolve any issues and to make sure our stay there was pleasant and uneventful. Our chambermaid Jenny was the best! The room so clean and always made sure we had everything we needed. All staff at the grill were fantastic! Always smiling and polite and making sure you had everything you needed. The greeter at a la carte (I can’t remember her name) was amazing she alway greeted you with a hand shake and a smile and came around the tables to make sure you had everything you needed. Now thats probably because of what occurred a few days ago. I believe Luz read everyone the rights which made the service so much better. Over all 80% of the staff were very nice but unfortunately the 20% of the ones that weren’t leave the bad impression. And even though Luz has the making of a good manager she still has a long road ahead of her to have this resort operate and present itself as 4.5 star resort.

Fantastic Adults only resort

Our room was very nice and clean. Our butler, Gretchen, was available for any issues we had or to book restaurants. Very close to the beach, which was beautiful. The only draw back, not enough shade at the beach and the pool. The food was the best I've had in Cuba. All our meals were a la carte, which was a nice change from buffet style restaurants. We had the use of the big resort too, and the entertainment at the theatre was very good.

Was ok...

We recently visited the Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero. We were booked with Diamond Club privileges that was included in the package we booked. In my opinion, it's not worth paying the extra money on the Diamond Club upgrade. And here's why: Butler service just means that when you arrive at the hotel the butler greats you and takes your luggage to your room. Although the butter is very nice, accommodating and welcomes you to the hotel, they tell you that anything you need to let them  [... read more]know. We asked everyday for extra "in-room" towels and they never came. If you use your "in-room" towels, the maids will only change them if you put them on the floor. It's advertised that "Diamond Club guests receive exclusive beach area with dedicated bar and waiter service. That's somewhat truthful. There is a designated area for all guests of Sanctuary. There was a bar, however there was one bar on the beach for all guests of Sanctuary and Grand Memories resort to share. They never looked at your bracelet to see if you were a sanctuary diamond club member. You had to ask for the premium liquors or else they would give you the lower end liquors. The Beach bar was never stocked with ice. All mixed drinks were always warm. There was definitely NO waiters on the beach taking any drink orders. No, nightly Turndown Service and they indicate that you have premium amenities in room, every room was the same in the Sanctuary section. What I will tell you is that the guest rooms and the resort is not fumigated often enough for cockroaches. We seen many cockroaches around the property (in the Gourmet restaurant, in the theater and in the Cubana Bar). We also found a cockroach at the start of our trip in our room and we kept our luggage closed at all times. In chatting with various guests, this is very common to see because of the tropical climate Cuba has, but we felt that that the resort could be doing a better job fumigating these bugs. Our room, was an average room nothing to rave about. The workers (butlers, waiters, chefs, and grounds men) at the resort were super nice, with the exception of the lobby desk staff. They were very rude and not very accommodating. The resort itself needs a lot of cosmetic work and a lot more upkeep, but from what I understand this is very normal for resorts in Cuba. The grounds of the resort were maintained and clean. As for the food, it was decent and tasty when it was served to you hot. The comment I would say is the food is hit or miss in being served hot. At the large buffet there is a microwave located at the end of the line to heat up your food. There are no heat lamps keeping the food hot at any of the restaurants on the property. Knowing and seeing the cockroaches around the property always stuck with us when eating anywhere on the property. At the end of our vacation we asked if we could extend our room past the check-out time and we were told no. We were very much willing and offered to pay extra money to keep our room they still said no. We were offered a courtesy room, and we decided to take it as it was our only option - well my advise to everyone is to NEVER take this option. The courtesy room was absolutely disgustingly filthy. The courtesy room had not been cleaned from the previous guests that used it before us. No shower towels available - I had to hunt down a maid for towels and she gave me 2 face cloths. When I called the Sanctuary service desk they said they would send some - no one showed up with towels. We were only able to use the room for 30 minutes or else we would have been charged for the extra time. The room was so filthy that I was shocked that they would offer such room to Sanctuary guests. The only reason we took this option was because our check-out was at 2:00 pm and our departure from the resort was at 6:15 pm. We wanted to enjoy the last few hours at the beach and just wanted to take a shower after having been at the beach. When I called the for a trolley to take us to the main hotel lobby with our luggage to catch our bus to the airport, the sanctuary service desk said yes no problem. We waited a full 10 minutes, no trolley showed up and we had to walk with all our luggage across half of the resort in the heat. I was very surprised by all the trip advisor reviews on the resort and questioned why this resort was rated # 1. We booked this resort based on the wonderful reviews we had seen prior to booking. However, based on having stayed at this resort I would not give this resort more then a 3 star rating. For the lack of bug fumigation and the way we were treated on our last day, we unfortunately will not be returning to this hotel again!!! I will say that for our first time traveling to Cuba we can say we loved the town of Varadero (Especially 62nd street - very fun to visit at night!) and the gorgeous beach, City of Maltanza and the City of Havana are all beautiful places and a MUST see when your in this part of Cuba. We booked the Jeep Safari with the Sunwing Rep on the resort and it truly was an awesome experience, so much fun and it was an amazing excursion! We booked a taxi with Manuel (Cell #:01052814540) to Havana and he was extremely knowledgeable and gave us all the history about Havana, Cuba. He took us to the very best lookout points and hot spots around (amazing photo's taken), as well as answered any questions we had. He is fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish. I strongly recommend him for a great tour of Havana. As for this hotel, we would not recommend it and if and when we visit Cuba again we will be trying another resort property and will book an extended Havana tour, as 1 day visiting this city wasn't enough time to see all of it's beauty and history.

Paradise!

This was my fourth time at sanctuary and it only seems to be getting better! The staff are what make this resort so amazing. The pool bar staff were outstanding and incredibly friendly. The restaurant and lounge bar staff are welcoming and are quick to find a solution to any concerns we might have had. The entertainment staff are amazing! They really bring the beach and pool to life and are really fun to be around. Remember that everything is on Cuba time, be patient and polite and you will find [... read more] that this resort is truly paradise ❤️

The Best of Cuba

All 17 of us enjoyed our stay at Scantuary Grand Memories and can’t wait to return back next year. The food was the best we ever had in Cuba. We were very surprised with the presentation of our dinners nightly. Every night there was a different menue based on a country! We had a variety of live entertainment every night in our bar lounge and by the pool side. I would differently rate this a 5 star for Adults. The Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Our butler arrange for a priiv [... read more]ate tour to Havana in a 1963 vintage Oldsmobile. What a day seeing such beautiful lush valleys and beaches, This was a very clean resort and the rooms had comfortable beds! Till next year or maybe Dec 2018 Sandra

Beautiful resort

The hotel was beautiful, and very clean. we were part of the diamond club which I highly recommend. Well worth it! i really enjoyed this resort because it was adult only so the beach and pools were more quiet and relaxing. The staff were all amazing! they made our stay so much more memorable. My only negative comment would be that there's no hot water. Their water's heated by solar panels so if its not sunny(which it wasn't when we went) there's no hot water. It's not a deal breaker for me I lov [... read more]e cuba and i'd go back tomorrow if I could but it was kinda disappointing

Amazing vacation

Just returned from this hotel and loved it. I have been to Cuba 7 times and this was my favourite resort I have been to. The food was very good. The staff was amazing and made us feel very welcome and that our needs and concerns were valuable - our butler Jorge was amazing! Highly recommend this resort. We stayed mostly on our side of the resort which I read a number of times from others as well. I didn't find much before I went on how the wine was so I should add that the white was pretty [... read more] good and the red was not.