Grand Memories Varadero: Extremely expensive and low quality

The hotel area is average, big restaurants, the pool is good, the beach is clean and beautiful. I think is the only good thing that We can write about this hotel. About the rest we can't say the same. Food is poor and horrible compared to Barcelo Solymar, a 3 stars hotel, way more affordable. The NY dinner was a big joke, the kids left hungry and the adults upset about the quality and quantity of food offered in one of the restaurants. For a 5 starts hotel, Grand Memories was a huge deception [... read more] for us and our group. They don't have staffs enough to handle the quantity of people they receive every day. The line on the buffets were always long because they had 1/2 cooks to prepare omelets for example. The 24 hours snack bar had 1 front person to take orders from 25/30 people. Some of the staffs were rude and some were really nice but far from a good service. The room was ok, at least was clean, but we had to upgrade when we arrived because the one we suppose to stay were horrible, old and FAR from everything. It is an absurd you pay more for a 5 starts hotel and when you arrive you are obligated to pay more in order to have a decent/habitable room. We were also completely decitisfied about the towels for the pool. If you pay for one week stay, you have to be able to keep your towel until the moment you leave the hotel. They ask for a deposit in order to give you towels for the last day. Nobody will steal towels, we paid for 7 days all inclusive trip, what we assume the towels are on the package. Anyways, it wasn't our first trip to Cuba, we knew how the resorts work, food and all the issues Cuba has but our frustration in pay way more for a hotel that is classified as a 5 starts and had a service of a 2 starts was pretty disappointed.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: We had a good peaceful week which we were seeking.

We were seeking the SUN , SAND, and beautiful beach and this resort is very much that! The room service was ordinary and could be a notch better with provision of more varied liquid drinks. Cleanliness was great. The grounds of the areas we frequented were well kept and colorful. The food was at times bland and not available or limited.

Memories Paraiso: Grand Memories Cayo Santa Maria Trip Experience

As written to Jessica this morning: Good afternoon Jessica; happy Friday. With cordial salutations from Vancouver, we’d like to wish you first-off a very prosperous 2019 and beyond! Having just returned from our Cuba vacation, we thought it’d be prudent to share some comments about our vacation experience. ~ Rather than commenting on Trip Advisor, we prefer sharing our experience with you, but by all means please feel free to share this information with Sunwing and Memories Resorts [... read more]. Since nothing, other than the Spanish cheeses and cold-cuts was truly exceptional, we’re dividing our comments on what was good, not so good and bad… The good things: 1. The hotel property, consisting of Memories Paraiso, Grand Memories and Sanctuary is very beautiful, and we really enjoyed walking back and forth the entire resort. 2. The white sand beach is also very beautiful, though somewhat spoiled by fallen palapas and piled-up beach furniture. 3. The hotel staff was very courteous and helpful, though not as friendly as the staff at Memories Jibacoa (our previous Cuban vacation). 4. Sunwing representatives were present at the lobby most of the day, which gave us a comfort feeling. 5. The food, amazingly enough, was pretty good, particularly the cheese and cold-cuts selection from Spain. 6. The ambiance at the Grand Memories lobby was quite relaxed (beautiful live music all evening), and the cappuccino coffee was simply delicious!! 7. The entertainment at the Parranda Theatre was quite enjoyable, notwithstanding the terrible sound system. The not-so-good: • Our “4-star” bedroom looked more like a “2-star”, though we were not surprised about this (same at Jibacoa’s resort). ~ The closet was missing one door, the mini-fridge was rusted and old, there was a strong mildew smell from humidity, and the toilet seat was quite wobbly (reported twice to room maintenance). • The pools were very cold (even for Canadian standards), and the pool entertainment was “way too loud and repetitive” for our taste. • Our room faced the Sanctuary Pool, so needless to say we had to listen to loud and overly repetitive music every night. The music by itself was OK (party-time after all), but the DJ’s interaction was quite annoying at times. • The electric shuttle-carts were a bit of a nuisance, though we appreciate that for such a large property they’re a welcomed addition to some folks. The bad:  - The one and only 110v receptacle (on the hair dryer) was out of order, even though we reported this problem the third day of our stay (and two more times during the week) when our electric tooth brush ran out of battery. ~ We were expecting to have a 110v converter (same as in Jibacoa), and even the Sunwing’s room description stated there was one on each room.  - The balcony door was very hard to open and close, and it even fell of its track in one occasion. ~ Putting it back on its track was the only problem that was fixed (after reporting it) the very same day.  - We found this vacation overprized overall, definitely not what we expected for the price …and one more good thing (quite exceptional actually), was dealing with Trip Central  There you have it Jessica, we trust you’ll find our review honest and helpful. Cheers, Maripi & Victor Fe

Memories Paraiso: Good hotel for families

I like this hotel. I traveled with 3 kids.It’s a bery clean place Food is basic, I think they need to change the chef. However, we were never hungry. Amazing beautiful clean white beach! Just amazing!

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Good value

Great family resort. The beach was fantastic and plenty of seating both at beach and the pool. The entertainment staff worked hard and there was plenty to do. The buffet food was what you would expect in Cuba but we did not go hungry..the 24 hour snack shack was great for the kids with fries, burgers and pizza. The grounds and buildings could use some TLC. Nice and close to airport.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Good resort, great people!

This was our seventh trip to Cuba, but only the first one to Cayo Coco, we were really looking forward to it as winter has started early in Ontario this year. Hotel is located close to the Jardines Del Ray airport, the transfer was quite painless as it took only 15-20 minutes to get to the resort. On our arrival, check-in was smooth and quick, but the rooms we were assigned in block 8 were not what we expected: one of the rooms was infested with mosquitoes, we asked for it to be changed and w [... read more]hile initially we were told that change was not possible, in the end resort agreed to switch it to block 2 which was much, much better. We kept the second room in block 8 for the first night, but the next day we found out that the whole building was out of hot water, so we asked for the second room to be changed as well - and have managed to get the resort to move us to block 2 again. Fawlty Towers part of our vacation was hence over, and we were able to fully enjoy both the resort and the beach to the fullest. Only later we found out that apparently half of the resort is renovated (blocks 1-5) to 4+ Cuban stars level while the rest of the resort (6-10) is pretty much a 3 star. My rating reflects the rooms in block 2 in which we stayed most of our vacation. Food was tasty, although variety was somewhat lower than in other resorts we've been to in Cuba. We visited two of the four themed restaurants (Creole and Italian), and those were good as well. Entertainment was excellent, great shows, and a great Christmas beach party organized with two other resorts (Pestana and Melia) along the beach, with a great stage and sound system that was set up just for the occasion, with what we were told were some of the best Cuban bands performing. In conclusion, great beach, good resort, friendly people and reasonably competent staff. We did not feel pressured to tip, but did it for most of the services we received and it was appreciated whatever the amount.

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Food the biggest downfall!

This is a review based on the 24 hours we stayed at the Memories Caribe. The overall impression on arrival was good, but it didn't last. The grounds are very well kept and the common areas were reasonably clean. The room was nice and the view from the room was good (facing the lagoon block 20). The quirky part of the room was, not only was there no bathroom door, but not even a door separating the toilet, hope you don't mind hearing your spouse have a bowl movement! The lobby is a giant waste [... read more] of space. The "lobby bar" isn't even in the lobby but down a hallway and is so small that it only has room for about 30 people. There is an outside area but there is no access directly from the bar, you have to leave the bar, walk back towards the lobby, around the corner to get to it. I can only assume that that is why no glasses are allowed out there, bit of a strange layout. The food. This was the deal breaker for us. The buffet restaurant was sad. There is obviously a lack of talent leading the kitchen. The lunch and dinner were almost identical in selections. The biggest let down was the meat and seafood. The only prepared meat dishes were simply hacked up chicken or pork, still on the bone, roasted. The sea food was sad. Tiny clams and crab with no meat in them and a very limited supply of fish or meat at the tiny fresh cooked stations. I wondered why everyone was lining up for fresh cooked stuff, but soon found out that is the only way to get anything other than rice and veg or something you had to fight to get off a bone. The final straw was the breakfast. I was greeted at the hot table by a pan of bacon that was not just under cooked but actually RAW. The kicker was I saw one of the chefs come out and look at it, someone must have said something, and he turned around and walked away leaving it in there. That was it, I couldn't eat there for nine days knowing this was what was on offer, it was illness waiting to happen. It kind of explained why the snack bar guy was doing so many burgers and fries all the time. I should have known when we sat down at dinner and there was only 1 knife and 1 fork on the table, no spoons, no dessert forks, no extra utensils like at every other resort buffet I have ever been to. So by 2 pm the second day we were moved to another resort thanks to the very hard working and understanding Sunwing Rep Betty, we can't thank her enough and the staff of the Melia Cayo Coco who were able to find us a room on such short notice. Betty and Sunwing saved our holiday. Bottom line, until they do something about the food situation I would never go back or recommend this resort to anyone and I think Sunwing should reconsider what they are selling to people when it comes to this resort.

Resonance Blu Varadero: Great week in cuba

Memories was a great hotel for us to stay at! Rooms, lobby, pools and restaurants were always very clean. Only small issues was there was often no toilet paper in the women’s washrooms. Also on cloudy days our shower wasn’t very warm so guessing maybe it was solar heated. Food was decent for the buffet and the à la cartes were great... snack bar near pool one was a great alternative to the buffet, especially for breakfast! Memories had a great quiet pool and a separate “activity” pool  [... read more]so it was nice to be able to chose where we wanted to be. Staff was ALWAYS great... beach was always clean too

Resonance Blu Varadero: We had a great time but food was horrible.

The hotel was beautiful, big but nice. We were in building 33 which was very far from the main lobby. We had to walk 1km in the morning just to get some coffee. I would recommend bringing your own coffee and ask for a coffee machine in the room. The beach and pools were awesome, lots of entertainment during the day. The staff was amazing (especially Jenny at the main lobby bar). Only downfall was the food, it was horrible, always the same food at the buffet (morning, lunch and dinner). My husban [... read more]d got sick on day 3 with chicken (from the beach BBQ buffet). He barely ate for the rest of our staying. They really need to improve their food quality and add more variety.

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: Great and family friendly.

I really enjoyed my stay here, the staff made us feel welcome and were very accommodating. This was my 2nd time staying there. The rooms and common areas were always clean. The staff is warm and friendly. The beach and the pool was the best part. Daily activities at both kept my family entertained at all times. The food was good and had many options to choose from. The nightly show was always nothing but sheer talent

Resonance Blu Varadero: Beautiful resort

The rooms need a few repairs but very clean.bath tub is high with a stool no problem. The grounds are well kept. Fantastic intertament. Dinning buffet needs the fans replaced badly.the food was either not cooked enough or to much was always cold.but you can see they try hard to please.beach was beautiful. The pools where beautiful. My big down fall was after 7 o'clock in the evening no toilet paper or paper towel to be had in any washroom you went too. And the snack bar was always running out  [... read more]of food.there is a menu but all was available was hotdogs or cheese sandwiches .this is a resort for young people and it is big so lots of walking. Did not find the people very friendly. Think it was a language problem with the other guests. No problem with the staff. Also bathrooms are very small. I think that they need to put signs up saying do not put toilet paper in tolilet

Memories Caribe Beach Resort: Good Resort

It is a good resort, nice landscape and a beautiful beach. Food in bar and and restaurants is OK. Beach used for Caribe is too crowded with customers, hard to find chairs and spot to put them on the beach. Our room was nice and clean. My cellphone was stolen and I think (90%) it was stolen by people from the hotel crew, most likely by one of the artists performing on stage. It happened during "White Party".

Grand Memories Punta Cana: Great resort!

The resort was a very well taken care of place. The rooms were clean, the pools and restaurants were very nice. The al e cartes are more or less the same as the buffet. The buffet was great, but would have liked the al e cartes to be a step above the buffet. Another bonus was the use of the royalton services. All their al e cartes are available to memories guests for $15 US a plate which is very reasonable. There is also a bar at the beach for use as well. All in all a very great resort!

Resonance Blu Varadero: Fantastic resort

The staff at this resort are so kind !! The food at the resort was very good (better than expected) ..the nightly entertainment was very good !... only real bad thing about the resort is it is very large and there is a wait for drinks

Sol Turquesa Beach: Green Oasis

We loved our week here just before Christmas 2018. The gounds are vast and beautiful - trees and flowers everywhere. The pool is spectacular and the beach very nice. Rooms are very big and attractive, with large balconies or patios. Everything worked as it should in the room. But, as many have said, the biggest plus of this hotel is undoubtedly the staff, who really are exceptional.

Sol Turquesa Beach: Wonderful Vacation!!

We came home on Sunday night after having a wonderful vacation. The hotel was perfect. The Cappuccino with chocolate liqueur was absolutely delicious! It was my first trip with my boyfriend and I am so glad we chose this destination and this hotel. We would definitely go back. Our room had lots of hot water, great service from the maid and in a great location. Lots of stairs at this hotel, so not so good for someone with mobility issues. We had no problem at all. Definitely a 4* hot [... read more]el!!

Memories Flamenco Beach Resort: WONDERFUL FAMILY VACAY!

What a GEM for a Family Resort! Stunning beach, great staff from gardeners to Bartenders. Lots of fun activities, good food and warm sun. Travelled with 3 boys aged 6,10 & 15 and they all had a BLAST! We would definitely go back to this resort! Say hi to Aris at the pool bar for us if you go - and ask him for a surprise!

Royalton Splash Punta Cana: Good Hotel Too Much Selling (Royalton)

We actually got upgraded to the Royalton and were very happy about that. In retrospect not sure I would have been happy at Memories so far from the beach. Here are my pro's and con's to help other travelers: Pro's -Everything was very clean and well maintained, even the bathrooms near the bar which sometimes can get messy -Room service was a nice option after a long day at the beach -Front desk staff were very accommodating and there wasn't the usual long waits to get service -Rooms large a [... read more]nd well cared for - clean and well cleaned -Beach and weather always good in Punta Cana, although we had a weird seaweed problem this time around -Really nice and clean pools -Water park was excellent! Fun, clean and no line ups. Con's -The selling of time shares never stopped. We met up with a family that thought they were getting breakfast at the Diamond club and were in for a 3 hour sales pitch. And no warning about the sales pitch. We got asked about the same thing and when I said no that was the end of the service from the concierge Marco. The family mentioned, the mother had to pretend to be single so Marco could get his points and when her mother said she had to ask her husband the manager was called in she showed her anger to the guest. -No lock on the doors i.e. deadbolt. So at night there was nothing between me and my young son and everyone who had a pass card. And every night they had a service when they came to our door to ask if we needed anything and a few times when I didn't answer they walked in with me in a towel just out of the shower. -The family mentioned above got charged 20.00 US when her 5 year old lost his wrist band because it was too loose. There was a big angry exchange. -My son sliced a big cut on his heel in the pool and the front desk staff didn't seem concerned. When later we were checking out I showed it to them and they were shocked how big it was. He was limping for 3-4 days. They didn't put anything into action to find the cause in the pool. I was also told glass was found in the ice cream and again nothing was don't about it. If they could fix a few of the issues listed above than I would recommend. Otherwise not sure I would go back. I detest being sold to once I paid for a vacation. To give context I've been going down south now every year for the last 36 years. Every resort has pro's and con's but I've never been sold after purchasing the package.

Grand Memories Santa Maria: nothing special

we had no hot water, tv .telephone ceiling fan first night.after a meeting the next day with our rep they fixed hot water .others had in our unit had no hot water for 3 day's.they said if tv wasnt fixed next day we would not have any for the week.it wasn't fixed next day so i made the repairs myself by pulling out desk and a makeshift connection to cable that had come apart.we never did have telephone service or ceiling fan .they ran out of beer twice in pool area in early afternoon. food wa [... read more]s better than expected .service was good.weather good.i had a visit to local clinic for reaction to bug bites.

Grand Memories Punta Cana: Beautiful Resort

This hotel is a must! The rooms are gorgeous, clean and comfy! The grounds are beautiful and well cared for. The restaurants are amazing the ala carte are like anything you would get at a 5 star at home! And the buffet, if you are picky you will be pleasantly surprised! The coffee bar is to die for! And the drinks top notch. And if you are daring!!!! Hit the water slides! I would love to go back.