I had an extremely disappointing stay at this hotel. From the moment I arrived, it was obvious that cleanliness and basic maintenance are not priorities here. The rooms are dirty and outdated, and housekeeping barely does anything. Changing the bed sheets seems to be the extent of their cleaning. The staff were consistently rude and unhelpful, which made every issue even more frustrating. When my door broke, I was repeatedly told maintenance would arrive in five minutes. That turned into nearly two hours of waiting. There was no apology, no urgency, and no accountability. Because of constant problems, I was forced to switch rooms multiple times, which was exhausting and completely unacceptable. Instead of relaxing, I spent my stay dealing with one issue after another. Overall, this hotel is old, poorly maintained, and badly managed. Between the lack of cleanliness, misleading wait times, rude staff, and nonstop room changes, I would not recommend staying here. Save yourself the stress and book somewhere else.

The hotel was horrible, had no hot water for the entire duration of our stay! The room smelled like mold and the outside smelled like the sewage was going to back up at any moment. The toilets didn't flush right and coming from a northern ontario county I know all about septic damage! This hotel was not a 4.5 Star like the rating gives it.....more like a 0.5 Star! We arrived and my husband and kids walked into their room on the first night to it looking like there was a massive orgy that just happened! The room was not clean, the beds were slept in , there was viagara on the counter and condoms between the beds!!! Like what kind of Smile Kids Resort is this!?????? If this isn't enough to read it gets better m the bathroom had piss in it and my teens shared a room that the lock and door pad was broken and falling off. Keys never work and you walk over a mile to the front desk to get another one (IF Someone is there you are lucky)! The pool was half empty and when they finally filled it on the 3rd day it was sub-zero temps! Don't forget to pack lots of snacks and make sure you bring condiments that you would enjoy! But its CUBA, the beach is a beauty and the water is clear! Mosquitoes are hungry so don't stay by the sand after 6 pm! I really feel like if Sunwing and TripCentral don't think my family deserve another holiday then thats a shame.....no hot water.....staff even complaining and agreeing with how we were all staying is not right. To think, we brought over 20 people to this resort at an average of $1300 per person!!! Great Memory for sure!

Hi Natalie I just wanted to reach out and take a second to tell you about probably the worst trip of my life. My uncle and I landed in varadero December 26 arrived to the hotel and checked in got our room like every other time (everything was normal) got to the room and noticed it was very dated and dirty (room #21322) I went to get in the shower and was surprised by no hot water.my uncle pulled back the sheets and what looked like body fluids.so he paid the cleaner $50 American to clean the room. I went to the customer desk and talked to the lady’s at the front desk and told them about no hot water and how the room was a mess. They told me to come back at 9:30am tomorrow morning and we will change your room. I got back to the room with new sheet on my uncles bed and we went to 24 hour snack bar for a snack(probably the worst excuse for a hotdog ever seen ). Work up at 3:00am freezing cold and couldn’t turn off the a/c the thermostat wasn’t working so I turned off the breaker. And the door key never worked and had to get the cleaning lady to let us in or get the keys programmed daily. Wake up in the morning go to the front desk and they said come back at 4:30 pm so we went to buffet. It was so dirty and smelled so bad I couldn’t eat. My uncle had some omelette and I went to get some toast but couldn’t find any butter. After a 4 days we finally got a new room with hot water which was amazing but the room was also dated and dirty and the door key actually worked but the a/c didn’t(no big deal ) after 4 days of trying to find something to eat and wishing for a little bit of butter they wheel into the buffet and sculpted crocodile and what I think could be a deer out of butter(I was like that’s where the butter has been?) cockroaches running around the buffet and smells terrible wasn’t in the mood for food anyway. Needless to say I been to varadero 36 times in the last 4 years I’m sure I have a file with you guys I normally stay at the occidental arenas Blanca’s for cheap $540-$900 or I stay at Melia internacional for $1400-$2400 per person. I payed $2250 per person for the worst Cuban experience I have ever had in my life and paid the most money for it. I’m incredibly disappointed to say the least hopefully something can be done about this. Thanks Rob

The people of Cuba make up for the lack of luxury that one might expect. The resort was functional for the most part, the rooms require renovations, the showers are luke warm, the food was better than expected, but set your expectations! The beach was lovely and the pool was good too! If you know what to expect for Cuba, I recommend this ressort, it was a wonderful trip!

There was no toilet paper, bottled water or clean towels on arrival. It was a challenge to get toilet paper or clean towels most of my stay. I never got any beach towels even after requesting them. I had been to this resort once before and the food was okay that time. The quality of the food has gone done considerably. My toilet seat was hanging by a thread. My room was not made up when I arrived. The nightly shows were considerably worse than my previous visit. Management seemed to not care at all about guests. I fell on my third day there on a water covered floor. Had to get 11 stitches on my head. No one at the resort seemed to care. STAY AWAY.

The hotel pretends to be five star.On arrival they asked us to pay extra money to upgrade the room.The upgraded room was just good enough.It had cockroaches.When we complained,they refunded us the money.

Music too loud at pool and beach. TV didn't work. I told 2 desk clerks, the maid and main person responsible for resort. Nothing done. Won't go back there. I'm alone and don't sleep much so a TV is good to have

The pool area, beach were amazing. Coffee was garbage, snack bar coffee machine never worked the whole time we were there. Lobby bar was serving coffee in plastic cups. No butter and other supplies at the resort. Towels only on some days.

I booked this vacation to travel with my toddler to Varadero mid November 2025. In general, I go to Cuba with realistic expectations given the circumstances surrounding Cuba.I don’t go to Cuba for the hotel or food but for the people and the beautiful beaches. However, I was disappointed overall with this trip for numerous reasons due to my experience and the hotel. Hotel - overall the hotel was nice, the hotel rooms/buildings, beaches and pool area were decently laid out and pretty. The beach was beautiful with soft sand and enough beach chairs for everyone. Same goes for the pool area. The hotel itself is run down and needs maintenance and upgrades. Cleanliness - the hotel is dirty and grimy, cleanliness doesn’t seem to be a high priority for the management or employees. From the main common areas to the rooms, there was a certain level of dirtiness that I was not expecting. Our housekeeper did not really clean our room on a daily basis, not sure what she was doing in our room given the floors still seemed unswept, except for taking a small blanket and turning it into a swan. The room was dusty, had cockroaches (which fair I know is a tropical country), and the tables/floors /surfaces were sticky. Staff - I met some friendly and nice staff, however, I was approached by many female employees asking for kids clothing and even my stroller since they could see I was a mom travelling on her own with her toddler girl. I felt uncomfortable being asked for things on a daily basis. I realize the circumstances are different and there’s a level of need by the people of Cuba, but to be asked for my daughters things multiple times a day by multiple people started to become exhausting. Especially our housekeeper who acted like the was entitled to my belongings. She was aggressive and pushy and kept asking for my stroller. At one point I complained about the hot water in our room and she stood by my door while I was coming up the stairs, grabbed my key card and asked multiple times if I’m changing rooms. She went into my room and turned on the sink and bath tub water to prove the water is hot and kept demanding if I’ll change rooms, and went as far as to say you shouldn’t have a problem with the room water since I see you in the pool which is colder. It was just an odd and uncomfortable experience having this person as our room housekeeper. Another couple in the same building complained that this housekeeper and another one who were going through their things and demanded their stuff like their daughters clothes and beach toys, etc. They wouldn’t leave and the hotel guest felt obliged to give them each $20 for them to leave. I did give away some of my things to some nice staff I met but this shouldn’t be expected or requested by the staff. Hygiene - I saw many female staff members going into the washroom and not washing their hands. This was just gross to see, especially for the staff who work in the kitchen and handle our food and cutlery. Overall service - two things to note about overall service of hotel. The first night that we got to the hotel, I got no help. It was midnight, I had an exhausted toddler on my hands and luggage. There was no porter or guest services to help, except for the one for Sanctuary (adults only side) who herded his guests and left. I had to move my child and luggage’s to the check in on my own. Once I checked if, I waited 20 minutes to get assistance with luggage once I requested it. The worse part is that they put me in a room on the third floor. Why would you put someone with a toddler and stroller in room with multiple stairs? We made do since they had no other rooms but my booking was clear I was a single mom with a toddler and would have expected some common sense when assigning rooms. They also put my friend on the third floor who also had toddler. My only saving grace was the last day, as I was lugging my stuff and kid to the front desk, a kind porter from the Sanctuary side saw me and grabbed everything and helped without saying a thing. Gave that kind gentleman a big fat tip because he could see I was struggling and this was a service I was hoping for and expecting throughout the trip. Again, I want to reiterate I don’t expect the first class service or food or new hotels when I go to Cuba. But I do expect cleanliness, decent service and feeling comfortable and I didn’t get much of that on this trip. I’m also not a cheap guest, I leave a decent tip to the housekeeper and tip everyone that get service from, but by the end of the trip was I felt like I was some cash cow for them and couldn’t wait to leave.

The check-in process was efficient and help getting to my room was ample. The staff were all very friendly, especially Mayren Jimenez who was particularly helpful with my a la carte bookings and getting me help to get into my room safe. I had a beautiful view of the ocean from my room and it was very clean and quiet. I can't wait to come back here.

Check-In Experience: Arrived at 9:30pm, waited an hour with only one staff member at the desk to check in newly arrived guests. Many of us were tired and hungry from the trip but due to understaffed check-in, we missed the buffet. It was disappointing because this could have been prevented especially during off-peak hours. Room Conditions: Room wasn’t in great shape, but the AC worked well on 2 out of 3 rooms. It was dated with occasional maintenance issues, though cleanliness and air conditioning are usually acceptable. The resort needs a major overhaul. Wi-Fi & Connectivity: Terrible Wi-Fi. It is unreliable and slow, especially in rooms and even in the main lobby. Wifi at Snack Bar was better. Dining & Service: Buffet closes at 10pm, snack bar mishandled your order with a 30-minute delay due to poor communication. Service can be inconsistent, with some staff being very attentive and others less so. Food is repetitive but sufficient, and delays in service are not uncommon. Overall Vibe: Underwhelming service despite low guest volume. The resort has a lively atmosphere and great beach access, but service quality varies, and maintenance issues persist. We had a terrible experience with customer service during our stay. Upon arrival, we were assigned a room on the third floor, despite having a mobility issue and requesting a ground-floor room. There is no elevator, and we were told to return the next morning to request a change. The process was chaotic. Staff gave us conflicting times for when the new room would be ready (3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm). They blamed shift changes and linen delays, none of which should have been our concern. When we spoke directly to housekeeping, they confirmed that two rooms were ready. Upon returning to customer service, staff were angry and questioned how we knew about the rooms—they were saving them for new guests, even though four other room change requests were pending (we saw the sheet). Eventually, we were given a ground-floor room, but the entire process was unnecessarily stressful and poorly handled. Customer service was dismissive, disorganized, and unprofessional. Staff were more concerned with internal logistics than guest comfort. We are a family of 7 and we booked 3 superior rooms (Bldg #23). We do NOT recommend this resort based on our experience (July 21-25).

We recently stayed at this resort and unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing from the moment we arrived. We arrived very late at night with our 18-month-old child. The check-in process took over an hour due to an apparent lack of staff. We stood in line for more than an hour while a separate issue was being escalated in front of us. Despite clearly seeing that our child was becoming increasingly fussy, the receptionist made no effort to prioritize our check-in or ask a colleague to assist. The lobby was hot, not air-conditioned, and filled with mosquitoes, which made the wait even more uncomfortable. There was no consideration shown for families with small children. Once we finally reached the front desk, we were told that the two rooms we originally booked were far from the beach and pool. We were offered an upgrade to side-by-side rooms closer to the beach and pool for an additional \$240, which we accepted. When we arrived at our rooms, however, one was not ready. It was dirty, with unclean bathrooms, no towels or toilet paper, and unmade beds. It was already past 1:00 a.m. when two maids arrived to make the beds, but the room remained unclean and felt uncomfortable to sleep in. This led to us effectively losing our first night due to poor organization on the resort's part. The issues did not stop there. The phones in our rooms were not working, so any time we needed assistance, we had to walk all the way to the lobby—only to have most of our concerns ignored. The following day, we were given premium bracelets as a courtesy for the previous night’s issues, which only gave us access to the premium restaurant. We were told this did not include minibar refills, which felt like an insincere gesture given the inconvenience we experienced. Towels were also a persistent issue. We were never able to exchange our beach towels throughout the entire stay, despite multiple complaints. The room itself was in poor condition—doors were misaligned, the balcony door was extremely difficult to open and had no lock, and the room felt consistently damp, making the beds and overall environment very uncomfortable. My elderly mother had a particularly difficult time as the bathtubs and showers were installed so high up that getting in and out was unsafe. As for the dining experience, the premium restaurant offered very small portions and mediocre food, while the buffet was nearly inedible. There were flies landing on the food, plates, and cutlery, creating serious hygiene concerns. Although I have visited Cuba many times and understand the limitations around food, this experience was by far the worst I’ve had. Even the currency exchange machine was consistently out of order, adding to our frustrations. In summary, our stay was marked by disorganization, lack of professionalism, and poor customer service. The upgraded rooms we paid extra for did not reflect the quality we were promised, and based on that, we can’t imagine what the standard rooms must be like. I would not return to this resort nor recommend it to anyone. This was a waste of money and an unfortunate experience for our family.

4th time to Cuba and 1st time at Grand Memories Varadero. First night was bumpy as had to move rooms due to cockroach, but staff was empathetic and understanding. Had everything worked out by the 2nd day. Resort is nice, but dated. Food was plentiful and overall good - again having been in Cuba before, we knew what we were getting. Beach was nice, but a bit more rocky than our other resort. Staff was great the whole time. Still friendly, helpful, and do their best to may your stay great. Overall, a good trip for a family.

I stayed seven days in May of 2025 and I had a great time. The best parts of the resort are 1) the beach and ocean and 2) pools. The ocean water was clean and warm. There is a bar on the beach as well. Fantastic. There are two large pools. They're called the noisy and quiet pools. They're both fantastic. We found ourselves most days at the quiet pool which we had almost entirely to ourselves. :) The negative points about Grand Memories Varadero are the accommodations. The rooms are clean, beds are comfortable, and the air conditioning works great. However, the doors are rundown and falling apart. My wife could not open the patio door as it required so much effort that I had to do it. The food at the resort left something to be desired. Some days there was no bread, for example.

The resort itself has good amenities, but unfortunately, the rooms haven't been maintained very well. And the maids don't actually clean your room while you're out during the day. They come in, make your bed, and then leave. They averaged about 1 minute or less in our room. Otherwise, it's a nice resort, overall. The pools are excellent. The staff are nice (although not as friendly as other places we've stayed). The lobby is wonderful in the evenings. They have a musical entertainer each night, and they are highly talented musicians. They really elevate the mood perfectly. The food was as good as any other Cuban resort we've experienced. The gift shop on sight was nicer and bigger than our last resort. They have cigars, daily toiletry products, snacks, and other nice things. The beach was stunning. As nice a beach as I've ever seen. We always found a spot in the shade, and the water is breathtaking.

Grounds are kept very clean. Rooms need a lot of work as they are very dated and run down. Staff for the most part were very friendly. Food in the alacarts was good for the most part. The buffet was lacking especially the fact there was no bread most days. Toilet paper was in short supply.

Overall, enjoyed stay Wifi spotty and unpredictable Room keys had to be reset 8-10 times Food variety greatly reduced post Covid. Fresh grilled fish amazing Rooms starting to look dirty and shabby. Sheets and towels were not changed during stay Staff helpful and pleasant A trip to Cuba is worth the few minor concerns

Hotel is run down. Washrooms are terrible. No toilet paper. No napkins. Room very dirty. No hot water. Phone in the room not working. It was a very nad experience. No spoons. Food was terrible. Bed sheets dirty.

Everything was clean. Service was good. No complaints. The grounds were well keep. They went out of their way to serve you. The beaches were amazing. I highly recommend going here. I’m gonna be coming back very soon for the money. You can’t beat it. The people were very friendly. The problem is is a really like American money.

Towels was a BIG problem , We had family there and 3 teens shared a room with only 2 towels , they never changed the towels all week despite constant complaints for more . Food was plentiful but was always just warm not hot . Weather was perfect all week ,along with the beautiful beaches . Seeing so many classic cars was wonderful but outside the resort poverty was prevalent . Didn't see any entertainment other than something going on in the lounge area each night . I never saw anybody cleaning the pools or around the pool area as it appeared most people smoked , butts were everywhere . You get what you pay for in Cuba , as long as your expectations are low , you could enjoy it .

We knew that we would have some issues with something there so we were prepared. Power outage once for only 4 hours, internet was spotty, air conditioning broke the second last day so they switched our room. Other than those issues the trip was great. The weather was perfect, the ocean was beautiful, pool was great and even the food was decent. All in all a great affordable family vacation

A good 3 star resort value. The food was good the first two days, but it was the same menu for 14 days. Staff was good. Pools and bars were good. Some guests/cultures are not familiar with buffet conduct... and parenting isn't what it used to be. A good value for a 7 day experience... maybe not 14 days of the same menu.

Just got back from here last night. Honestly, very mixed feelings.A long review for people considering coming here, make your own choice if this is the resort for you! Would we return? To Cuba? YES, 100%. To this resort, no. (Been to Cuba 8 or 9 times, well aware of the issues the country and its people face. We're not picky people and can go with the flow on almost anything) Yes, 99% of the the staff and beach are amazing and the pool is pretty good except when it's filled with garbage from guests. Grounds are beautiful until the guests litter them with garbage and cigarette butts (despite their being ashtrays about every 10 feet). The staff should be commended for all of their hard work attempting to keep up with the pace of destruction from the guests. This was only an issue on the weekend Beach: Beautiful. Clean in the morning and during the week. Water entry is gradual and mostly sandy, but there are a few bigger rocks. The sand is HOT during the afternoon so if you've got tender tootsies, bring beach shoes. The pathway to the beach gets SUPER hot so don't let your kids go on it barefoot. The vendors along the water are persistent but okay with a "no thank you". The "beach security" at this resort doesn't really move them along and without any exaggeration at all... The braid lady and the crochet lady stood in one spot for at least an hour on Friday right in front of the never updated "beach flag". The chants of "Hey lady you want braids" and "Crochet Crochet" are now etched in my brain. Sure, do your thing and earn some money... but an hour at a time with no bites is a bit much. Rooms: We upgraded to "Superior Rooms" (started in building 22, moved to 20 to be closer to our kids that they foolishly placed two buildings away... more to come on that). Definitely dated, and yes, there are open vents in the patio door frames that let mosquitos and midges into your room. Our patio door didn't close all the way anyways and it didn't lock so it really made no difference. Just slept with bug spray on... shouldn't have to, but we did. Mattresses were like rocks, not enough bathroom towels (1 for 3 people), one safe didn't work and it was never addressed even though we asked, no place for the shower head to hang so it was handheld only... but the staff kept it clean! Beach towels in room on arrival, but never changed out. Small issues never seem to get addressed whether you report them to reception or go see the maintenance guys in the room to the left of reception unless you make yourself a pain in the butt repeatedly. You have to keep asking and keep asking. Our maid was AWESOME. Every time we passed her in the hallways, she handed us a bottle of water and reminded us it was hot so stay hydrated, She did a great job on our rooms and was very sweet. Room assignments: Despite it being noted on our reservation from the agent we used and me emailing ahead of time, they still placed our room and our kids room in separate buildings. Two groups in front of us (unknown to each other) got rooms side by side in building 22, so this just affirms they're not thinking or planning for groups to arrive. When we asked to change it, it was "come back tomorrow morning" and when we came back, it was "come back at 4". At 4:00, I had to be quite assertive to get it fixed. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be a lot of organization or planning... which shouldn't be hard during low season. Had to hang around and make the walk to the lobby far more times than we should have to get this addressed and it could have been prevented entirely. Buffet: Doors are always open and the flys and birds are annoying. Yes, there are bugs and birds in Cuba... but when the doors are propped open for 12 hours a day, turns out the food attracts bugs and birds. Who knew? I feel like the person standing at the door greeting patrons could have opened and closed the doors as guests arrived... especially when it wasn't overly busy. Food: Two scenarios... breakfast and Lunch/Dinner. Lunch and Dinner were virtually identical every single day with the exception of sometimes the pork would be cubed, sometimes it would be sliced. Sides were almost identical every meal. No shortages that we noticed though other than bacon (2 days only). You definitely won't starve. Ala Cartes/ Snack bar: We only did the Italian and it was decent. They had Pizza ( the buffet didn't) but the pasta was exactly the same as the buffet, just very nicely plated. Snackbar was good, variety of sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, fries a couple times... Sometimes it was order at the table, sometimes order at the bar...depended who was working. Lobby: quite nice, could definitely use more seating... can't imagine how congested it would be in high season. It's completely open so hot and full of mosquitoes in the evening. Even though you're dressed up, remember your bug spray. Bars: No problem getting what we wanted although the mix and formulation varied widely from bar to bar. No shortages we noticed, and "top shelf brand name" booze was Diamond club only. Not worth it for us, but so you're aware. Service was good, but be prepared to kick the "budgers in line" to the back, especially on weekend. Biggest Issue: Yes, I saw someone already posted this... and yes I see the post got taken down (either by the poster or group, who knows) and the poster got inappropriately roasted... But they were right and the weekend was a bit much. From Friday to Sunday, the resort was jumping! Lots of people and many locals, which was cool to see. So great to see them actually enjoying a vacation and cutting loose a bit on their time off. The issues come when the locals do things like empty entire steamer trays of chicken legs or hotdogs onto their plates, then into a plastic bag and then into their purse and then go get their food for the actual meal... it causes issues for everyone. When they push their way into the line ahead of people who are afraid to call them out on it and then all of the sudden there's no chicken, thats an issue. When they toss their plastic or paper drink cups into the pool when their done, that's an issue (that the staff have to clean up). At one point on Saturday, I bet there were 100 paper cups in the pool, soaked and deteriorating into little pieces. When the "Cheese General" as we named her is there to distribute cold cuts and cheese to prevent people taking it all at once, and the locals push their way between the people waiting, use their bare hand to clean ALL of the ham and salami off the plate and plop it on their plate... that's an issue. When the staff SEE IT and don't say or do anything because they're Cuban... That's a BIG issue. I've seen other resorts actually deal with these kind of issues, but even after speaking with the buffet manager about it, he just shook his head apologetically. How do we know they were locals you ask? Well, other than Friday afternoon-Sunday evening... there were maybe 6 cars in the parking lot. On the weekend it was jam packed with cars double parked... pretty sure the Canadians, Russians or Europeans didn't drive there... Again, yes... they have every right to be there the same as anyone else. Yes, they're paying guests and deserve to have a good time. Yes, they may not have much in their day to day lives (which is hard to rationalize when the lady putting 30 hotdogs into her purse was wearing designer clothes, 300 dollar sunglasses and more jewellery than most New York socialites). BUT... their behaviour was awful. Tourists also pay to be there and without tourists, what happens then? Either the resort needs to start enforcing some sense of order, or the locals need to learn how to vacation respectfully. Yes, some tourists are like this too... but none of the "bad guets" we saw were speaking english, french, russian, german, italian, dutch or anything other than spanish.

The Hotel rooms are totally outdated and need repair. When we arrived the lights weren’t working in the washroom, one of the light bulb was missing in the lamp by the bed. It was like walking in to a cheap motel room. My wife looked at me like why this? I was so embarrassed. But, next day the lighting issue was fixed and we started getting used to the place. Thank God for the Beach which was amazing! Grand Memories would have been a great place at some point. It is quite evident when I see the architecture but totally outdated. The workers there were vey helpful and respectful. Our maid was super nice! The food of course wasn’t great but that that is to be expected. Overall it was an enjoyable vacation but the experience could have been better. It is certainly not a 4 star Resort. I would place it somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. Look for places that are renovated and more modern. That’s what I am planning to do next time.

We found the resort old and not so well maintained. Some of the Food at the buffet was distributed by restaurant personnel following long line ups - not free to serve ourselves. Food was repetitive (Day after day). The 2 “a la carte” restaurants served the same food as in the buffet but no variety. Overall quite disappointing except for the special night dinner we were given ( diamond club). It was a lobster night with champagne. Very satisfying.

Been to Cuba many times. Extremely outdated. Needs a fresh coat of paint e where and updated bedding, curtains and mirrors. The hotel room was very musty. Clearly the AC wasn’t on in the room for quite some time and only turned on the day of. It rained the day we got there it rained and there were puddles of water all in the hallways and stairs. Dont bother calling the front lobby…. Nobody picks up. Food: you don’t go to Cuba for the food. I paid a bit extra for Diamond Club. We ended up with a bottle of rum in the room. Separate beach area (better lounge chairs), separate area for food at the buffer with cushioned seating. Invited to a restaurant but didn’t go. (Kids didn’t want to go but a nice gesture). Wouldn’t go back to this resort. As for the beach, waves were pretty big but kids actually enjoyed it as did I.

This was my second time coming to this resort. Overall great experience , rooms are nice and spacious. Pools are clean and big. Ocean is just a walk away. Staff are awesome, lots of activities to do even if you want to stay on the resort. Only thing was the food, not many fish options or even vegetarian options.

This will be our 5th trip to Cuba. We have travelled many different times and in different months. Being slow season I would expect it would be bad but this was extreme. Only one buffet open and only one al cart open per night. We have travelled at the same time before. And the full resort was open. For a highly rated resort and a top pick not impressed. Will probably be our last trip to Cuba.

This was a nice resort. It was bigger than we were used to. There’s two pools, one quiet and one filled with more excitement. Both of them have swim up, which was nice to choose where you wanted to go during the day. The food was ok. Cuba is going through a hard time right now, so I took that in consideration. Always something to eat just might not have been as fancy as we like. Everything was clean. We always saw maids cleaning the hallways in the bathrooms. On that note public bathrooms sometimes had no toilet paper or no toilet seats. You learn to deal with it. The one downfall was that they were tons of mosquitoes in the lobby in the Cuban bar and on the beach. So bring bug spray, we upgraded to the diamond club and thought it was worth it. We had our own little breakfast and lunch restaurant that they served you and it was fast no lineups. Got a nice ocean view room, but it is furthest from everything we had one specialty dinner that serve lobster, chicken And smoked salmon salad.

I was very pleased with my trip overall. It was difficult as the main pool was closed down for a full+ day. But we enjoyed the quiet pool and the beach during those times. Staff were amazingly friendly and helpful. We had cold water in the shower, but hey!.

Grand Memories exceeded my expectations. The food was decent. We always had fresh eggs in the morning and grilled chicken at night. The staff were so kind and even permitted me a late checkout due to my evening flight. The quiet pool is gorgeous. It’s decorated with faux rock, very beautiful. The activity pool wasn’t for me although many people seemed to enjoy it. The beach was great. I always managed to get a spot in the shade. Varadero beaches do not disappoint. The drinks were a little small. You definitely need to bring your own cup which I did. Otherwise you’d be back at the bar 4-5 times to get the equivalent of 2 beer in the tiny cups they provide. Room was as expected, very basic and the tv was broken which I also saw on one video review so I think that’s common. The room phone didn’t work but the air conditioning was great and we had a fridge, overall after the short adjustment and lowering my expectations on the room I was very pleased. The magic show in the theatre was great and so were the Michael Jackson dancers. Norge (Nor-Hay) the bartender was extremely kind to both myself and my son. Alfredo at the front desk too. There was a young server in the dining hall who told me she had a 5 year old son, she was so sweet and I regret not getting her name. I would absolutely return to this resort for the gorgeous beach, serene quiet pool and wonderful staff. Many other tourists on the resort had been to it multiple times so that says a lot! See you again soon Grand Memories!

The check- in was late, definitely past 4 pm. We were booking our trip together with our friends and we paid the same price, 1035$ per adult. Nevertheless, the reception guy gave us a room that was 1 km away from the ocean. At the same time our friends were given a place at the other side of the resort. The receptionist explained us, that we booked a standard room, when our friends ordered a premium one. ( for the same 1035 $ per adult). The receptionist recommended us to contact our agent what we did. And what was the agent's response? She messaged -" Talk to receptionist". Good start. Finally, we gave a receptionist 140$ CAN cash under the table and got a "premium" room next door to our friends. There were no blankets on the beds, and only 2 pillows for 2 adults and 2 kids. The bar fridge had only 2 bottles of plain water in it. The balcony door lock was broken, and when I attempted to open a wardrobe sliding door - it just fell on the floor. They had troubles with supplies all the week - no sugar for tea and coffee, one or two days they didn't supply disposable cups. Towel service doesn't exist there - we used the same towels all the week, same for pool towels. The floor in the room was so dirty - they don't clean it properly. If you leave the balcony door open - the room is full of biting mosquitoes. A/C was working the first day ok, but when we tried to shut it off - it didn't start again. After fixing the thermostat on/off button never worked again - so we stayed with working a/c till the end. All the room equipment was old and devastated, but there was a shower with hot and cold water and the pressure was good. There was no pressure in the toilet flush - so we borrowed a kid's toy bucket to flush the toilet. Our friend's safe and entrance door locks were broken every other day, they couldn't open the door with the card. Food was OK, no one had any stomach problems, guava and papaya were good. No shrimps, no potatoes, no eggs. Egg powder compound is not a good replacement for the omelet. The menu was the same all days, no varieties - but it is normal for Cuba. The pool was OK, the entrance to the ocean beach is not fit for a baby stroller. Overall it is not worth 1035$. Varadero is a good place to stay for those who want to visit Havana. The hotel is not 4 stars , even not 3. If you find a deal there for 700 - 750$ - book it. I hope the agent will refund me my 140$, spent for "premium" upgrade.

what I remembered most was the lactation wasat one end of beach(which I knew). Took a $29 USD taxi ride to go to VARADERO. The double decker bus option($5USD) was okay,but took bout 45 minutes to arrive downtownafter all hotel stops. Grounds were in great shape, big resort, lots of action, butreally missed the option of walking out door of resort and downtown across the street. Room...minor complaint, TV didn,t work all week, and phone to call front desk out of service for months what I was told.

Grand Memories Sanctuary! It was wonderful. We were very fortunate to receive an upgrade to the Sanctuary! A few people who made our time wonderful!!! Hilda, the manager of the Sanctuary, she Checkin on us and always made sure we were happy and well looked after. Juan, manager of the restaurant/food, excellent service & good food! Ronald our butler, very attentive! Yeny, our room maid, super kind and does a great job! The Italian restaurant’s manager Yurialis, she was over the top! Hospitality, food, service and just a very special lady

I enjoyed my stay at Grand Memories resort. It was very clean and the staff are very friendly and eager to please. The pool is great as is the beach . The grounds are well maintained and look great. I'll return.

Very clean cleaning people everywhere,room was very nice and clean,beach was beautiful and water was warm. If your looking for a brand new resort this is not it. Its a bit dated but like I say kept very clean.Well as for the food it was as good as could be expected considering the circumstances.Overall its a very nice resort.

We stayed at Grand Memories Veradero Dec 31 to Jan 7 2024 and overall our experience was great. We read many negative reviews so had low expectations upon arrival and packed absolutely anything we would need. Arrival was bad and Check in was horrible and so slow. We arrived at midnight and everything was chaos and when we finally got to our room it was bad! We immediately went back to reception and was told we can change in the morning. We moved to a new room the next day and it was perfect. We were 4 travellers and had 1 king and 1 double bed, fresh towels, stocked waters in the fridge, tv and clean. From there everything else was great. Beautiful beach, large pools, friendly staff and family friendly activities. Food was not the best but we were able to find something plus we packed a lot of snacks from home. Overall great experience especially for the price. We will be going back to Veradero and open to going to Grand Memories again although we typically like to try new places.

The grounds, pools and restaurants were all well maintained. The buffets were your typical random Cuban food (think hot dogs in tomato sauce), but there was always something you could find to fill your belly. Most of the food and soup in the buffet was cold which was strange. Interestingly it was brought out cold (cold, not room temp) and didn't get cold at the buffet. Do people really want to eat cold fish from the buffet? Plates and bowls were always dirty (old food, dirt, grease) so be careful when selecting your vessels. Breakfast was the toughest meal of the day to find good food (unless you can sustain off fruit and bread). 3 out of our 7 days, there were omelets available at the grill, and everyday there were pancakes. Given the struggles at the buffet, the lines for omelets and pancakes were ungodly as people just wanted some warm tasty food. To make matters worse, the person making the pancakes was essentially incompetent, and she was on that station everyday. You'd figure any one of the other people on the resort could have done a better job if given an opportunity, but it didn't happen. Do NOT order coffee at the buffet. Trust me. The coffee at the bars is better, but not great. The rooms are a mixed bag. Everything worked in our room except for the hair dryer, tv and phone. Our travel mate's first room did not have a toilet seat or working A/C and was full of mold. Her second room had working AC and toilet seat, but the door lock was finnicky and the safe did not work. The water in either room was not hot, but at least slightly warmer than room temperature so you could have a quick shower. The drinks are very hit and miss. There's about 5 different bars on the resort, and if you order a rum punch at all of them, you would get 5 vastly different tasting and coloured drinks. The juices are watered down probably to extend them and save some costs. The only thing you can count on being consistent is a glass of rum or beer. The beer is always cold and refreshing. The snack bar and lobby bar have coffee machines there, but the coffee is still not GREAT. I think it's a problem with the milk being too watery. We went to Santa Marta one day and had AMAZING coffee, so it's certainly an issue with the resort specifically. The pool is great and the beach is wonderful. The pool bar is good too and always has slushy drinks. Lots of shallow areas in the pool for younger kids to play in. Note: the kids club is NOT supervised so you cannot drop your kids off and leave them. Tipping in Pesos or CAD is okay. A number of times we exchanged canadian coins for canadian bills from bartenders since Cubans cannot bring them to the bank. You can buy cuban pesos to tip which is what we did. The resort gives you about 88 Pesos for CAD, but in Santa Marta we were able to get 155 Pesos for CAD so we stocked up there. If you are bringing rum home, buy it in Pesos. We bought a 1L 7 year Havana club for 2000 pesos (about $14.50 CAD). At the store the same bottle was $28 USD. In Varadero we saw the same bottle for 2500 pesos which is still much cheaper (not at the stores, you need to go to the small stands selling food/drinks). Overall the trip was great, despite the deficiencies of the resort. We are not fancy or complaining type of people and have been to Cuba about 10 times, staying at resorts between 3 and 4 stars. Unfortunately, this was the worst resort experience we have had in Cuba and we will not return to Grand Memories in the future.

The grounds are very well kept. Hotel could use some updating in the rooms. They need more lounge chairs around the party pool, but everything is great! There were lots of food options and a variety so you won’t starve. Entertainment team needs work and there should be music at the party pool to eliminate people playing speakers around the pool with varying music. Staff are amazing and kind. They go out of their way to ensure you have everything you need.

We did not receive what we asked/paid for. No hot water for 3 days. Food is the same everyday. awful!! Would NEVER RETURN here again!!!! Service is awful! Always lies!! The resort should be torn down.

First off, I never criticize any resorts in Cuba. I've been there over 20 times and understand the situations they face in that country. That being said, I was very disappointed in the service and lack of variety in the food. I stayed at a different resort in April, 2022 and had a much better experience(food, staff and everything in general). The covid excuse has warn it's welcome with me and feel the resorts should be more prepared than this one was. Calling it "Grand" Memories is a overstatement. Staff was not friendly, cleaning ladies arguing while cleaning the rooms (literally yelling at each other across the hallways), and then still not cleaning the room until 4 or 5 o'clock. Now the food, things are always a little scarce in Cuba but this is the first time I never had one piece of chicken and only had a omelet once for breakfast, was told no eggs only pancakes. And we paid extra for the Diamond Club!!! I stayed at Club Tropical right in the town of Varadero and never had these issues. Needless to say I won't be going back and won't recommend it to anyone. Oh yeah, we found huge cockroaches in our room on the last day...nasty!!

Hotel was nice beautiful beach friendly service food could be a little better.I enjoyed my vacation there .My service from trip central was excellent I will use them again next time hopefully soon I will be able to get away again

The staff, the entertainment and even the food was great during our stay! Yes the rooms a little dated, but other than sleeping, we weren't in the rooms. Our family had a blast the entire stay! Julio (the show man) was our favourite! We never knew from day to day how he would dress up and we have many pictures with him! We definitely will return to this resort!!

A complete Place for Vacations relaxing. Every Single point of view is simply amazing. Every Single worker is doing their job so incredibly. Every kind of service is highly admirable. All kinds of facilities have so much value of admiration. Every single penny is accountability so worthful. 24/7 services are so impressive. All kind of food taste is mouth-watering. GOD BLESS MORE GRAND MEMORIES RESORT. Mirza Baig

We arrived at the resort around 10PM on September 6, 2023. Having read previous reviews before we arrived, we were hopeful that we could get a room in building 10 as it had been recommended by previous guests at the resort. We spoke politely to the lady at the hotel reception desk but noticed that this woman, Nauta, was neither friendly nor welcoming. She coldly told us that there were no rooms available in building 10, and our third-floor room had been prepared for us in building 23. We asked if this room was close to most hotel amenities like restaurants, pools, and the beach, and she said yes. We mentioned that both of my wife and I had problems walking long distances and climbing stairs, and Nauta claimed that there was nothing else available at the time. She even mentioned that there were resort vehicles that could pick us up from our room and take us where we wanted to go (this turned out to be false, as we later discovered). Let me mention here that I had paid extra to have a Diamond Club Superior Room for myself, my wife, and our son. While making our bookings, we were informed that we would have a personalized check in/check out, and that turned out to be false too because we had to stand in line with everyone else to wait for our turn to be served. We were looking forward to our “Superior” room but what we got was a horror show. The king-size bed had springs coming through the mattress and the spare bed meant for our son sank to the floor when you sat on it; the fridge was rusted and its door was broken; the television was one of those outdated tube ones with a remote control that did not work; the washroom had ants crawling about; the shower area looked mouldy, and there was moisture coming through the ceiling and walls of the whole washroom. On top of that, the cupboard and balcony doors were badly jammed and hard to move. The whole room was run down, dirty, and smelt really stale. We could not imagine spending even a single night in this place. Since the phone in the room (or in any of the other rooms we later occupied) was not operational, it meant us having to walk the terribly long distance to the hotel lobby to ask for a better room. We were already exhausted from our journey, but Nauta was not very sympathetic or even helpful. She first gave us a key card to look at an even worse potential room in building 20. We noticed how there were neither any lights in the stairs, nor in the corridors of the buildings we had been in (the lights are either kept switched off, or the light bulbs just don’t work). All the extra walking and climbing of stairs was really taking a toll on us. The service of two bell boys who had initially driven us to building 23 in a resort golf cart was not offered to us while we wore ourselves out trying to find an acceptable room to sleep in for the night. The third time that we had to go back to the lobby, we humbly requested for any decent second-floor room (because climbing the stairs repeatedly, especially to the third floor, was brutal on our knees). Nauta finally gave us a key card for a second-floor room in the same building 23 where our original room was. It was marginally less dilapidated than the first room that we had gotten. We were told that there may be a room free in Building 10 the next day, and we could try to come and see the concierge people after 4PM. We made our way back to our first room so that we could collect our son who was waiting there with our luggage, only to discover that its key card no longer worked (we had issues with the room key cards every single day of our stay and sometimes had to go to the hotel reception as many as three to four times a day to get the key cards reactivated and/or replaced). Luckily, because our son was already inside the room and still awake, we managed to get into our original room, gather our belongings, and bring everything down one floor into the room that was now assigned to us. After more than two hours of running back and forth, we were finally in a position to go and eat something from the 24-hour snack bar. The next day, we kept our luggage packed and ready in case we were fortunate enough to be able to move out of the shabby room that we were being forced to stay in. We had breakfast and decided to go to the lobby to make sure that the concierge staff was informed about our possible room change. Fortunately, there was another woman at the reception desk (she had a much better personality than Nauta), and she kindly asked us to talk to the customer service people. We met Bleysis who introduced herself as our butler! She was new at the job, but she took the time to listen to the issues we had faced the night before. She ensured that we got a room on the second floor of building 10 after 4PM that same day. We were much more satisfied with the next room that was assigned to us (Room 10201). At this point, I wish we could say that our stay was great after the room change but our problems were far from over. The maid in charge of our room’s upkeep (Maria was her name) was rude and had a hostile manner whenever we encountered her. My wife gave her money and gifts every single day (which she took and kept as if she was owed these), but even those things did not sweeten her temperament at all. The extra bed that our son was sleeping on was already made up with a single blanket and sheet. However, there were two blankets that were kept in the cupboard for the king-size bed that my wife and I had to share. The first night in the new room, my wife was setting up these two blankets for our bed when she discovered that they stunk of concentrated urine. Both blankets smelled like someone had repeatedly urinated on them, allowed them to dry, and then just folded them and placed them in the cupboard. To say that we were disgusted is an understatement. Not even in the cheapest hotel that we have ever stayed at have we experienced such filth and unsanitary conditions. We discarded the soiled blankets immediately and tried to keep warm by using the three beach towels that were provided in our room. We spoke to Bleysis about this experience the next day and requested that she get the two foul blankets changed for us. We also asked for another spare blanket for our son because the room got really cold at night. Maria reluctantly took the disgusting blankets but claimed that she had only a thin white king-size duvet and a thick bedsheet that she could give us. She was clever enough to make my wife smell this duvet for unpleasant odours while it was still folded. My wife really should have taken the time to open the whole thing up and look at the whole duvet properly because there were several urine stains and odours hidden inside (which we later discovered)! Maria said that she had no other blankets to give us, so we had to manage somehow with the duvet and thick bedsheet instead. Then she told us that we should be okay to clean our room ourselves that day. We were taken aback that a maid can talk to you like that after just receiving yet another tip for not even delivering what was requested of her. My wife told her that she only needed to take care of the washroom for that day, and we would tidy up our room ourselves. My wife was making our bed later that evening when all the awful, filthy patches of stinking urine inside the duvet were revealed to us. We needed to be warm at night so my wife emptied a whole bottle of fragrance spraying the duvet and used the thick bedsheet that Maria had provided to form an extra layer of protection for us (away from all the soiled areas). Maria did not change this dirty duvet for us even after we hesitatingly told Bleysis about it and she asked her to do so. Besides having Bleysis as our “butler”, there were not many other benefits that we gained by paying extra for our Diamond Club Superior Room. According to the website and our tickets, we were supposed to get a single bottle of rum, a bottle of water, two cans of beers, and two colas – everything besides the bottle of rum was supposed to be replenished daily! Needless to say, we got none of these when we arrived, and upon enquiring, were told that they would get the maid to bring us the bottle of rum, but they would only be providing one bottle of water and a single can of beer daily. It was naturally Maria’s job to put the water and can of beer in our fridge, and she had to be asked to do so most of the time - she only provided the single can of beer on some days. Three nights in our second room, and we were woken up by a continuous loud, banging noise around 7AM in the morning. We reported the problem immediately, and someone came two and a half hours later to check and see where the noise was coming from. We were told that our air conditioning unit was broken, but their very competent resort mechanic would be able to fix it. We waited all day for the hotel mechanic, but he did not make it to our room until after 5PM. It was a lucky chance that my wife heard some noises of people talking in the room next door to ours and saw someone was working on the AC unit there – she asked the repairman if that AC unit was also broken. It turned out that the hotel mechanic had gone to the wrong room! The handyman advised us that due to recession, he did not have the parts to repair our AC unit. That meant another room change! Quick communication with Bleysis through WhatsApp helped us secure another room four doors down from our current one. Unfortunately, because it was on the same floor, Maria would still be our maid. We had to pack up our belongings yet again and set ourselves up in a new room but at least we did not have to move to another building. Bleysis actually came to make sure that the room change went smoothly. The same extra bed that my son was sleeping on had to be moved to the other room (the maid, Maria, was not happy about having to do this). Maria told us that we would have to use the same old soiled duvet in the new room because the bed there did not have a duvet, and she had the nerve to take our three beach towels away, claiming that we had already had three of them in the new room (we did not, and my wife had to ask her to return them). She had previously removed two out of the three glasses that we had in our other room. We were not allowed to have the clean bath towels in the new room and had to bring our used towels from our former room. After behaving so terribly, Maria still had the guts to tell my wife to leave our beach bag for her when we left! We continued to give Maria tips just for providing the bottle of water for our room, but every day after this room change, we told her not to clean our room – we just did not want her negative presence around us anymore. Besides the one time she tidied our washroom, this woman only cleaned our room once the whole time we stayed at the resort. She got much more than she deserved from us, but I made sure we did not reward her further by also giving her the beach bag she wanted. We found that building 10 was a little too far from the beach but closer to the quiet swimming pool, hotel lobby, and restaurants. Besides Nauta and Maria, the rest of the hotel staff was more pleasant. We had come prepared so we would not run out of any essential toiletries and toilet paper during our seven days stay. We even had spices, lemon juice, hot sauces, and ketchup to season the mostly flavourless food at the resort. Everything that people write about certain food shortages in Cuba is true, and that is true about the resort too. You just have to keep your expectations low and make the most of things that the resort is actually be able to provide for you. Something that they really need to work on is the filthy state of most of the public washrooms in the resort. My wife and I are going to miss Ernesto and Niurys from the 24 hours snack bar for their positive and ready to serve attitudes. We were not always impressed with what was being offered at the 24 hours snack bar, but their happy and welcoming smiles made us glad to be there. The entertainment shows and discos were not bad. The staff in the Diamond Club section of the buffet restaurant was much nicer than in other areas. Even though the Diamond Club daily lunch a la carte restaurant had repetitive menus, the servers were really friendly. The food at the Japanese and Italian dinner a la carte restaurants was pretty decent. We understand that Cuba is going through tough times, but so is the rest of the world. We are not rich and have had to struggle to save up the money to even be able to afford a vacation after all this time. We expected better standards and some level of comfort and care when we picked a resort that claims to be among the top ones in Varadero. They did not deliver on this front. We cannot recommend a place that we have no intention of ever going back to. Date of stay: September 2023 Trip type: Travelled with family Room Tip: Carry toiletries and condiments. Also, towels and blankets if you can.

This resort is older with aged furniture, it’s a mixed bag of quality for beds, tvs, AC’s. You won’t know until you get your room. I stayed in the Diamond section and my room was good but I was with a group of 5 and there were several different issues with the room. Although there were issues, I praise the hotel staff for dealing with these issues quickly and correctly. The hotel staff were tremendous, their priority was our comfort. I have nothing but praise for the hotel staff. Many of the tourists Canadian and Russian had high expectations and weren’t always very friendly, through it all the staff continue to do what they could with what they had. I’m sorry to say that I will not be returning to Cuba any time soon. The system can not recuperate from COVID, from loosing their trading partners. There was always something to eat but it wasn’t great, we had eggs two mornings, local beer was non existing, there were 2 mornings with no coffee and other days when the coffee would run out, I went 2 days without bottled water and had to call for it even though it was part of my Diamond package.including soft drinks and beer which we didn’t get. There is very little gas for the vehicles outside of the tourist industries, classic cars, taxis, tour bud and airport shuttles will always be available but very little left over for the Cuban population (15 litres per month). Overall I have to say that Cuba has lost so much over the last few years and is in no way able to accommodate tourism and is not worth the rate the airlines are charging. I have been travelling to Cuba for 20 years but the situation is no longer tolerable and the effects on the infrastructure is to great, until this situation is resolved it pains me to say that I will not be returning to this beautiful island.

Very tired feeling resort. We were suppose to be allowed to check in at 4pm, our rooms weren't ready until 6ish. Rooms were falling apart and 2 out of the 3 rooms we had, had a bad mold smell. None of the safes even worked. We also lost power in one of our rooms. Many little things were out of order. (Waterfalls etc) The buffet was pretty bad, all the alacarte restaurants served the same things prepared differently. Seemed like they had a shortage of food. The BBQ lunch wasn't even really BBQ. Bring your own ketchup packets As long as you Temper your expectations you will be ok, it's advertised as a 4.5 star but it's a 2.5.

Visited in august. Rooms very dirty. The house keeper was not listening to my request to simply sweep the floors. Absolutely disgusting finding dirty qutips in my bathroom on the day of arrival. Door frame was broken to the point that my doors wouldn’t lock, and if they did close i was not able to open it and most of the time had to use my patio doors to get back inside. Beach area is beautiful and the beach stuff was amazing. Inside the buffet had hard time finding a seat also service was terrible. Servers would pass by me and not offer any drinks or coffee at the breakfast. Just overall its not worth the money they are charging.

Our family vacation at Grand Memories Varadero was truly amazingly! The entertainment crew specially Liliana and Eliecer were such great hosts. Very friendly and helpful. The beach was gorgeous. Couldn't have asked for anything more. We had great memories to bring back to Canada!

The buffet staff Arelys and Rigoberto provided great service throughout our stay. Liliana the guest hostess at the front is excellent. Friendly and helpful. The beach is amazing. This is the place to stay with your family!!!

This Hotel is listed as a 4*, for me its a 2* The rooms were terrible, i changed rooms 4 times. Toilet seepage, other room water always on the floor, another water falling from above. My last room water coming in from somewhere and unto the floor. The manager asked me if i wanted another room, i said no. My family was frustrated and fed-up of packing and moving. The manager tried his best, not his fault the resort is poorly maintained. I get my daughter for 2 weeks in July and 2 weeks in august. Always take her on a vacation, this was wasted time, time i could not get back. Twice my towels were not changed. I have been to Cuba 9 times prior, never had this experience. the food was the worst i ever had, some days no butter or eggs, July 11 the food was ok, but coudn't enjoy the dinner, had to rush to get the bus. My worst vacation, i don't think i will visit Cuba again in the near future. i am now looking at how to get a refund, after-all it was listed as a 4* and it was overrated. False and Misleading Advertisement

The hotel room was very outdated and needed repairs. There was a severe musty smell and the door lock was not working and our third floor flooded the second day we were there. Not very impressed it was stressful the first two days, after complaining with customer service we were upgraded to the diamond service. We struggled to have clean towels every day and we had to use the same beach towel for three straight days which was not acceptable. When attended the pool towel station we were told no clean towels keep the one you have. We were upgraded to diamond service on the second day, we were able to order mojito drinks and we were allowed to eat at the gourmet restaurant which was decent. Overall we made the best out of our vacation but will not go there again. I do not recommend this hotel.

This was the most unsanitary place on earth.. we tried to get flights outta there but Sunwing wouldn’t… I will be fighting for my money back.. there were so many things wrong and unsanitary! No running water for 12 hours in the whole resort including the rooms.. people were just pooing until the toilets were over flowing.. no place to wash your hands or the STAFF HANDS.. The septic over flowed from one of the buildings and the poo was everywhere on the lawns and the pool had to be closed for 2 days.. THIS PLACE SHOULD BE CONDEMNED!! My husband and I are very sick after coming home and I’m going to see my dr about mold testing.. the place was covered in mold.. all of the rooms..I can’t believe Sunwing would not help us when it was such an unhealthy environment!! I’m getting my money back if I have to get a lawyer..

Well the trip overall would be a 3 star group we’re good minus the sewage issue and backpacking ng up around the main pool bar not into the the pool. The better pool for us was the one by the disco or bungalow 10. The food shortage was so so buffet was weak but there were 2 days was ok. Pro tip breakfast skip the buffet goto snack bar for omelets or bacon and egg had all days except 1. Last day the water was shut off for repairs but was back up that night. Room were hot and miss we lucked out with pretty good room needed some tlc which most do but some were awful. Seemed like a lot on bottom floor were musty and more isssues Lobby bar only had 2 staff so took awhile for drinks. I wouldn’t upgrade to support room again or do the diamond club no difference and the same service and they gave you top shelf alcohol suvh as absolute vodka and Jamisons. Again ground were great no bugs at all. Service was so so but to be expected with a bigger resort. Shows sound was too loud and tried hard but I seen much better.

I have few negative comments to make. It was my second stay here. One was before Covid and I must say that little has changed except it's four years older. There is quite a lot of staff . Grounds keepers, house keeping staff etc. My room was kept very clean, fresh towels everyday, bottled water in the fridge as well as beer and a bottle of rum. This was of little interest to me but some people found it great. The only thing which needs to be updated is the bathroom. It is old and looks the same as four years ago. One problem I had was with the wifi reception. Often I could not log on but the hotel had a young lady installed in the lobby to help with that. This needs some attention. All the buildings in the resort are freshly painted and the grounds and pools well maintained. Receptionists were friendly and very helpful especially when the found out that this was my first trip alone. My check out time was extended giving me plenty time to rest and get ready for the flight home because of the very late arriving time in Ottawa. I have to commend the concierge staff for their way they treated me and arranged reservations at the various restaurants in the resort. Food was plentiful, well presented and although some items were not available every day, there was absolutely no shortage of food. Beautiful fruit and salad trays. I am not a great eater but there was always something I liked. All in all I Had a very Pleasant stay. As a foot note. I would like to thank Sandra for the help she gave me arranging this trip and the information she provided helped a lot to make things easier.

Beautiful and clean beach and pool, food was good but not so much variety which is understandable because of all the global shortages. The only thing that needs to be changed is the Mattresses in the bedrooms. They are extremely old and uncomfortable to the point that I was better off sleeping on the floor

We came home on march 25 2023 from Grand Memories Varadero. 1. There are no toilet seats, not in the room and not in public washrooms. 2. There is no hot water. 3. For 7 days they cleaned the room about 4 times and bathroom is about 2 times. 4. In the public women washroom there are no toilet paper, toilet seats either and doors have broken locks, so you can not close the door. 5. Eggs and milk were available about 3-4 days, no butter and beef. 6. There is no hot tub in the pool and not enough chars on the beach. All the rest is ok.

If you go to this resort with zero expectations, then you won’t be disappointed. We have been to several resorts in Cuba and by far this was the worst experience we have ever had there. And it will be our last time going to Cuba.

Even though food was okay and didn’t rise to a 4 star standard as well as the room booked, the ease of booking and induction available both online and at the resort was good. Transportation was provided with the price of the booking.

Beaches & pools great, resort layout good. Food is challenge, poor quality and shortage of staples (pasta, eggs). Have to request clean towels multiple times. Would return though bc cheap & great beach.

This resort is easily a two star. It should never be considered a five-star resort. The Buffay had cockroaches. Rooms have leaking, ACs, bedbugs, and no toilet seats. The staff are not friendly, and the grounds are not well capped. The hotel needs an entire renovation. There were a lot of unhappy guests during the week that we stayed. We had to be moved twice, and our room door would not lock. The beach is beautiful but other than that there is nothing nice about this resort. I would recommend going somewhere else as the photos are very misleading.

I was at this exact hotel 12 years ago and it was nice. Unfortunately we were Mislead by whoever was paid to give good reviews. I am not a high maintenance person, I have travelled 7 countries all across south east Asia with a back pack and stayed at Hostels for 8 dollars a night Canadian. This hotel was disgusting, bugs, cockroaches, at the buffet people were using one small server for 8 different items, causing cross contamination of food. The tables lacked napkins, forks, knifes and mostly spoons, as I was there 11 days and never saw a spoon. They served ice cream for the kids who had to use a fork. The buffet was always dirty and lots of flies, and we had to wait for plates numerous times. Water was served warm, no ice, the coffee, drinks and wine were all watered down. The maids were lazy, rude and not helpful, three days it took to get a clean towel, and rarely came to make bed or clean as they claim they could get into the rooms, locks were not functioning. I heard about the toilet paper , but some guest had problems getting that, so I brought my own. All areas had at least a mens or womens bathroom screwed shut and not able to use. I arrived 1st day and noticed debris and dirt and a unique broken piece of plastic on the floor of the hall leading to our room. It was still there 11 days later. I had a massage and was told that I could pay at check out in Canadian funds. Because of the lack of communication from sunwing, our flight was delayed and we stayed in our room until instructions from sunwing. Nobody from Sunwing advised or told us what was going on, at 6 pm we attended at Lobby to pay for the massage and were told we owed for late checkout 120.00 American. I was very disappointed and agreed to pay for massage only, however things escalated and I was forciblely confined to a private area, and was not allowed to leave, and a security guard prevented me by standing inches away from me to go to lobby to get my partner and wait for manager. They tried to intimidate me and threaten to call immigration.I then told them to call police and they refused to call them. The manager ended up coming and he agreed that there was no communication and we were allowed to pay for the massage only. There were not enough lounge chairs at pool or beach. The beach was full of cigarette butts and plastic cups! Trust me this is not over, I am contemplating getting a hold of the media to let Canadians know what has happened since Covid.. every Canadian at the hotel was complaining as well. This hotel was a 4.5 .. es at fa…..rip-off ! It was a 2 at best! The rooms have mould and heavy smell of mildew and caused my breathing and throat to go horse! The Sunwing rep confidentiality stated he would never go to that hotel, they also had nerve to charged American money at the money exchange and gave us it in peso equivalent to Canadian funds. You may see a lot of complaints! My sister and her husband had a flight just before us and her rum, perfume, cologne, and nail clippers were stolen from her bag. I will never fly too Cuba again, sad as I have been there almost 15 times.

This resort from the entrance looks beautiful, once you check-in is where you start to see how poorly maintained, understaffed, and dilapidated the hotel is...Rooms; musky smell, missing toilet seats, mold, vents poorly maintained and moldy, ac units dripping water, safes not working, no water or toilet paper in-room upon check in, bath tubs so high, I can only imagine how difficult it is for the seniors that were there. Overall rooms were not good at all... Grounds; need to be better maintained, as you can see the age and deterioration on the grounds, tiles broken by pool areas, wood on bridges broken or severe tripping hazards, and very poor lighting throughout the resort, some areas that should have water, were empty and disgusting... Beach; beautiful, however, not enough chairs to facilitate the amount of guests at the hotel...waking up at 6am to bring ur towels to get a chair is not my idea of being on vacation... Entertainment at beach was amazing....better bar facilities also needed. Alcohol was literally beer and rum only...no other options avail. Food: I understand the supply issue, but alot of other hotels were not experiencing the issues this hotel was.. Food in buffet was horrible, and ridiculous line up for anything grilled... Al la cart: this was problematic bc again, alot of space was not being utilized because of lack of staff, therefore getting a time slot for the days you were there was frustrating. This hotel should never be rated as a 4 or 4.5 star. This hotel is nothing more than 2.5. Entertainment was mediocre. Management with the exception of one, were absolutely useless... It appears staff is overworked and exhausted at this hotel.

I found the grounds to be so beautiful. The staff is beyond helpful and friendly The pools and beach were perfect and easily accessed. The nightly sows were also very entertaining. Rooms were very clean and everything worked perfectly. I would have liked regular schedules for the carts but there were alot of benches for resting

I stayed at this resort about 10 years ago when it was a Rui Resort and loved it. I'm sure many of the issues are due to COVID, but it was a bit disappointing. The first room was a bit run down (building 14) (balcony door wouldn't open, no towels, etc.) and it is located a long way from the beach so I paid to upgrade to building 22 which is closer to the beach. The room was much better, but the safe didn't work. It took 4 days of going to the front desk twice a day to get this fixed - a bit frustrating since I had to carry all of our important stuff with us (passports, cash). The front desk staff didn't seem very interested in getting this fixed. The service was lacking, but I'm sure that that the employees are under a lot of stress since so many people seemed so angry and unhappy. I've been to Cuba many times, so I was very prepared for the food, but supplies seem to be in short supply so the options at the buffet were less than the last time, but still able to find something to eat. I was there with my daughter and being a teenager, she is much pickier than I am so she struggled with the food issues more than I did. There seemed to be other shortages as well - pina colada mix, daiquiri mix, towels, napkins. I hope with time, the supply issues get better and with that, hopefully the service along with it. The beach and the pool were amazing and we couldn't have asked for better weather.

The rooms at this resort were very dirty and old. We had the same towels for 7 days and not even enough towels for the people in the room. Poor food, long line ups for food that wasn’t even very good. Pictures make the resort look way better.

The grounds, pools are excellent. It's the rooms. We had a 3 ft wall around the tub to climb over to get in tub. No safety bars in tub. Totally unsafe. Two towels for the week. No face cloths. Did not change sheets for the 7 days we were there. At the buffet they'd run out of coffee, orange juice by 830 am. Also no glasses for water or juice. No butter. To go to theater you climb about 12 marble steps No railing on either side. Just a nightmare. Very disappointed as this was rated 4.5 stars. I'd only give it a 1 star.

Grand Memories was probably gorgeous when new -The gardens and palm trees are beautiful , the beach is amazing -white sand and turquoise water - although a fair hike from our room in building 14 . The hotel is very run down ,our room had a horrible moldy smell that we couldn't get rid of - We had one sorta white towel in the room - and never got a clean one for our 10 day stay -the hard bed was made twice - we had to beg to get our 2 blue beach towels -that they charge you for if you don't have them when you leave .the sink didn't run well -the toilet ran all the time and you had to open the tank to pull the flush- the shower was nice and hot although the side of the tub was a real climb to get into .the balcony door didn't lock and the front door after the first 7 days wouldn't lock either -open all the time -at least our safe worked -many didn't . The buffet was clean and pretty and the made to order omelet in the morning was great - the other food was very bland -no beef or seafood at all , only pork and chicken in various stewed things - rice beans and mashed potatoes ,there was always olives and fresh watermelon and pineapple ,sliced spam and salami etc. very poor , and even the 3 al-la carte restaurants served just dressed up buffet fare with nice linen LOL The two pools were really nice and the swim up bars were nice - all you could get was rum -no other liquor available The 3 other bars served pina-coladas in the morning till they ran out -then only rum and coke or punch The bathrooms in the common areas -had broken seats, if they had seats at all - all the door locks were missing or broken and they were always out of toilet paper -I brought my own and carried it with me .there was hardly ever soap -no paper towels and no disinfectant anywhere My partner and I both came home with horrible colds - took tests -we are both positive for COVID. The service staff in the restaurant were very nice , the others we encountered -the maids etc.not so much . we went on a couple excursions which were affordable and fun -including a day in Havana with the TROPICANA show - amazing !! this was my 1st trip to Cuba and my partners' 3rd not sure we'll ever go back

This resort is definitely past its prime. When we checked in, we were given a room that had no A/C or hot water. Fortunately, the next day, we were switched to a different room. The housekeeping staff kept the room really clean, but getting clean towels seemed to be an issue. Also, the food was the same stuff every day, and there was no variety.

This resort is one of the very best i have ever been to! I have visited this resort many times and will definitely return! Although cuba is having a very hard time getting past the pandemic, the staff bends over backward to make sure we are well cared for! The restaurants are amazing, the pools are clean, pool towels are always available (unlike other resorts i’ve been to)! The staff are sincere and caring( Yamaysis, Leddy, Norvi, Darlay, Odette,…just to name a few) I will cherish the memories i’ve made here forever! I brought my family including my two grandsons 3 yrs and 5 months to this resort because i feel very safe here and i know from experience if they got sick Dr. Ruth would take care of us like we were family! Thanx for a wonderful and full-filled vacation! See you again soon!

Hotel was dated and in need of repairs. Rooms are old and musty. Our first room did not have hot water and very little water pressure. The rooms were clean.The beach was nice and the food was good. They had fresh fish and chicken cooked on the grill each day. Food quality good. Ride on and off bus comes to the front gate. $5 cost so that was good.

1. Grand memories - Property is very big. They have a 10 seater gold cart that pick you up and drop you off on the resort depending on the block you stay in. We were block 15 close to the quiet pool but far from the beach and halfway to the party pool. 2. The locks on the balconies did not lock. they remained open the entire trip. They closed but the manual chain locks were broken in a good portion of the resort. Ground floor not recommended for this reason unless your sliding door locks. 3. Toilet paper and water were scarce on the resort. We paid our cleaning services to leave us enough toilet paper and water daily. We found that we were hiding toilet paper in our luggage and safe so we would have enough each day and to be able to carry it with us at night going to the main lobby bar and disco. Trust me there was none at night in these 2 spots and this is where the entire resort hung out in the evening. so rather than trekking back to your room carry it with you so you don't have a problem. The water they were only leaving 1 for 2 in a room. So we spoke with them tipped them well and we had enough for the week. *IMPORTANT FOR THOSE WHO WANT BLENDER AND SPECIAL DRINKS* Beside the disco and the italian al la carte is a lobby bar. The drinks are amazing and the bartender is Awesome. Tip her well. (Mel)She will make you some pina colada s that you will crave daily. 4. Food not fussy trust me i can get by. NO WINE, FRIES, BURGERS, on this resort. NO WINE!!! purchased for 15.00 off the resort in the cigar smoke shop downtown varadero walk to the back. Resort did have wine for sale only Red sold out of white. BUY BUY BUY BUY your wine at duty free the cartons its your best bet if your a wine lover. The food was the same daily however if they had bread they had no butter if they had coffee they had no milk, bacon no eggs (oh get your coffee every morning in main lobby bar it was the BEST but there is a time limit cut off. 5. Party pool had some plumbing issues at the swim up bar. Not in the actual water but the bar itself was closed for 3 days so they made a pop up bar station under a palm tree where the selection was slim which means you had to walk to the 24 hour snack bar to get tap beer. 6. Block 15 is across from anyone that paid the extra to have premium room. Don't do it not worth it as the rooms are just as far from the beach and alcohol wasn't stalked daily in the room. you might have to push to get it. BLOCK 10 or 20 central.. 7. 24 hour snack bar is quite the walk at the end of the night specially if your in block 15 and surrounding area, so flag down your cart he will drop you right at the door. 8. I am sure you all know to be up early to grab your beach chair. The entertainment on the beach is so fun and you should participate. breathing exercises and stretching in the morning, zumba, dance lessons it was so fun.... get it on the fun don't be shy. ENTERTAINMENT was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. remember at 3pm they move from the beach to the main pool. 9. Beach bbq daily was the same every day. Bring your toilet paper as the washrooms here had nothing. You ask and they didn't have so carry it with you. The bbq daily was good but patience is key as they only put so much on at time. so your waiting and the smell is making you even more hungry. 10. Wasnt planning on watching TV but they didn't work on those days i needed a knapp. 11. Towel Exchange was at the main pool. you could do this daily. 12. Take a walk on the beach after midnight to check out the glowing specks in the sand its quite cool. 13. Wifi was ok. you get a small slip that once activated lasts for 4 hours of use. Once expired just go to the main lobby and get a new one. They did say a few times that the systems were down but persistency always wins and we were able to get new passwords. 14. Cuba is definitely a safe space. 15. Hour bus ride from the airport. Maybe 45 mins with a few drop offs. I want you to know i had a great trip however these are the things that stuck out., therefore if i can make your trip and safer, sanitary,enjoyable and comfortable these are the things that i would want to know. was with 4 of my friends and after ironing out the problems with the rooms we had a good time made lots of memories at Grand Memories. The people on this resort from all over were super friendly and now have friends. Room Quality - same as most - somewhere to change and sleep so lower the expectation. Cleanliness - they cleaned it every day. Upon arrival though the tub wasn't clean and we had no towels. Once addressed the towel issue was fixed and tub cleaned. Affordable with a gorgeous beach and good entertainment at the beach, party pool and shows. Somewhere to lay your head and shower at the end of the day and you can spend your money on other things like dolphin swim, catamaran horse back riding any excursion just remember to negotiate price. They always come down. ** whatever floats your boat** Cuba is affordable with the best beaches ever. So if your not picky you'll enjoy it. As long as the hotel is clean your good to go. Fancy and elegant you should travel somewhere else. Good company, clean hotel, food to eat and drinks your all set. Nice public areas on the resort. you wont be board and I truly had a great time. Don't rate your hotel on 5 star rating some 3 star hotels are nicer than the 5 star rated ones. HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to other resorts while your out and about and asking if you can have a quick look around to decide if that's somewhere you will want to stay. Totally worth your time and they welcomed it no problem or hassle. Travelled from Nov 28 to Dec 3 2022. Sincere and honest review from Rica I enjoyed my trip and so will you!!!!!

Coordinated a Girl's Trip and stayed at Grand Memories for the week of November 26, 2022. We enjoyed our stay and made the best of some of the limitations at this resort. The beach was beautiful as expected and the staff was lovely and accommodating. There was a lot of walking as we were situated at block 15 but nonetheless, we were next door to a nice pool and a great bar where the drinks were on point. Some things that I did not like...... it is a given to tip your maid and write notes to ensure you get everything you need in your room like multiple waters, towels, and toilet paper. If you're coming to Cuba, pack a towel and a couple of rolls of toilet paper. If you like premium alcohol, buy it at duty-free and bring it along. They did not have tequila and vodka was very limited. Wine on the resort was very limited as well. The only place that I could get a glass was at the a la carte restaurants. Otherwise, you need to travel to a liquor store on the strip and buy a couple of bottles for your room. The food was okay but the variety was very limited. Some days there were no eggs but there was bacon. If I came back an hour later, there would be eggs but no bacon. They picked and choose when they would serve items that you expected to be at the buffet. Some days I just ate fish and vegetables. The entertainment was good. The majority of the time we stayed in the lobby and mingled with other guests in the evening. All in all, we met a lot of great fellow Canadians at the resort and had a lovely time. I would definitely come back to Varadero but would probably stay somewhere else.

Well I didn’t have hot water and my television didn’t work at all; and my balcony door was broken and couldn’t close properly or lock. Overall it was ok but I didn’t like the room and food ; service was good

You get the same food everyday and it really sucks . The rooms have no cable and need to be updated a little but other wise the resorts a solid 4/5 with everything else . Would recommend to someone else

Our room had some issues which required attention. Some that could be fixed and were attended to right away once we made management aware. The food was tasty in the Ala carte restaurants and various dishes in the buffet were enjoyable. Service was great and the staff were so friendly!

The staff were always courteous,polite and friendly.The grounds were groomed daily & all facilities were close walking distance. The food was not very desirable but I heard Cuba was know for this. Covid 19 affected everyone & this resort is showing it. For the price I paid I would go back just remember to pack more snacks.

It was my first time in Cuba I enjoyed very much people are very friendly and the resort is beautiful. I would try it again and again. I went for a trip to Havana and it was amazing and wonderful one day visit. I loved everything about Cuba and if you are not a complaining guy I will enjoy it food wasn’t very good but you will always find something to eat I enjoyed everyday show at the resort specially Marcelina she did a great job

We had a great stay at Grand Memories resort with all the comforts of home. Really friendly and helpful staff.We spent every day at the pool and enjoyed the short distance to the beach. I only wished we had stayed a little longer. We will definitely be back!

Hi just to say a few things about my stay. I've been to this hotel four times and each time I stayed it was amazing. About the second day in on my trip we noticed roaches in the buffet room. I tried to put this in the back of my mind and carry on my vacation but it was hard. It will not stop me from going there again. But I hope as a travel company you might make a suggestion to the resort to spray. Other than that looks amazing thank you for making this trip so easy and pleasant we will deal in the future again.

The spaces are beautiful, and the accommodations for staying can be good. Room cleaning is personable and nice, but beware items going missing. Some rooms electronic locks are broken or out of service. Cooking staff is okay, but the food is very mediocre. Without heating lamps or tables, cold food is constant, so be vigilant. Some grill staff make food contamination errors, so beware those who cook raw chicken. Buffet is fine, but bland, bring your own spices. Internet connectivity is okay, but not good. Disconnects constantly and only within building reach; needing to bother front desk constantly, but it's better than originally thought. Fun to have family events every day, and with such variety. The night "disco" is the only, but best club on location. When I went, about half of restaurants/locations were still closed (July 2022) which may explain prices. Beware tour-goers and persons on bus offering $-Peso exchange rates.

Hi just to say a few things about my state. I've been to this hotel four times and each time I stayed it was amazing. About the second day in on my trip we noticed roaches in the buffet room. I tried to put this in the back of my mind and carry on my vacation but it was hard. It will not stop me from going there again. But I hope as a travel company you might make a suggestion to the resort to spray. Other than that looks amazing thank you for making this trip so easy and pleasant we will deal in the future again.

1. The room bed linen was never changed in the 7 days that we were there. We had to ask for towels, and were given clean bath towels only once. The bed sheets and pillows smelled like body odor from previous guests from the day we checked in, and were never changed in the 7 days that we were there. 2. We did not receive clean beach towels, and the pool side towel place was always closed. We receive a clean beach towel on the last day. 3. We had to ask for more toilet paper, and were given some 2 days later. 4. We found 4 cockroaches in the bathroom on different days. 5. The safe in the room we were given was not working. 6. Upon check in and asking for rooms in Sanctuary, we were told there were none available. We found out on the last day that Sanctuary was in fact open and available. 7. The beach snack bar service was very poor. My boyfriend did not even receive his order of food. We were waiting for over an hour and we had to leave without it. 8. The beach bar ran out of beer, and was not replenished until the next day. 9. The food at the buffet was either cold or ran out and not replenished. 10. We attempted to go to the pool, but found the water murky and pool mouldy. We were told that we would be in the adult only section, and were looking for a peacful and pleasant experience. But clearly we were not in the adult section. There were loud unruly kids occupying all areas. 11. The hygiene and cleanliness were at an extreme low, and the service at the beach snack bar were very obviously catered to the large number of locals staying at the hotel, and who were being served piles of food, where as the rest of us were being served after them although we arrived before them. And we were then being told they could not serve us certain things, never returned with some food orders. This was not acceptable. The only saving grace was the beach and the ocean. We will not be staying at this resort again, and do not recommend. What would make this right for us is a refund, or a credit to a different resort, to make up for the disappointing experience at Grand Memories, Varadero.

The Grand Memories Varadero resort offered beautiful grounds and great staff. However, the rooms ( though relatively clean) were in rough repair. Holes in the drywall, cracks in the sink and tiles, etc. We were also welcomed to a toilet that wouldn’t flush. Plus our balcony featured a sliding glass door that was literally falling apart at the seams. We were very disappointed that one of the focal points of the resort (pool with the rock cave) was not operational. The we be pool was full of green algae…due to a broken pump. The pandemic has been tough on Cuba and this resort bears those scars. For adult only travelers, others raved about how lovely their food and accommodations were at the adjacent Sanctuary by Grand Memories. Food was hit and miss ( as it can be in Cuba) but we never went hungry. Beach was beautiful! Locals preferred tips in $CDN…so don’t exchange too much into the local currency. We exchanged $100, by still had lots leftover. Locals are paying upwards of 70 Cuban Pesos (CUP) for every dollar Canadian. Entertainment team worked hard and the shows were great! The best Mojito could be found in the lobby bar, but beware wine was only available in the a la cartes. Food supply chain was challenging on the island … but the restaurants all had amazing bread…and often you could even find condiments like Heinz ketchup, HP Sauce or mustard! Taking a big old-fashioned convertible cab into Varadero for dinner was so fun! Varadero 60 Restaurant was delicious!

Was nice to get away, that being said resort ran out of many things such as :beer,wine, cola,hamburgers, beef, fries,toilet paper. Service was lackluster for the most part, a few bar tenders and servers were great others not so much. Resort was clean, but no toilet paper or toilet seats in the restrooms.

The hotel was nice. A little out dated but within the week we did see maintenance, painting and upgrades being done. The staff was very friendly. As far as Covid procedures the staff did Their beat to remind people to stay six feet apart and to wear their masks. They did a fantastic job

Food was not great, the snack bar had one item late night. Drinks were watered down. Was dehydrated most of the trip because they wouldn’t put water in the room unless I tipped. Not coming back, it will be the last time.

The resort was very big with limited activities presumably due to Covid restrictions. It was obvious that the resort was running well below capacity, which has some benefits as well as problems. The staff for the most part were friendly but midweek some were let go due to lack of business, resulting in some obvious morale challenges. Evening activities and dining options were limited due to closure of sections of the resort. The up side of few people was that both the beach and pool had open chairs for choices of seating. The room was clean but the bed spreads and blankets were removed, again presumably due to Covid restrictions. A bit cold to sleep under a bed sheet so I asked for and got a blanket. The room features were as expected for Cuba. The room did not look like the advertising.

It was a nice hotel. The beach was awesome. However, there are a lot of hungry fleas. When I was there, there were a influx of Cubans staying there hoarding all the food, had plates full putting it in bags to take home. Long lineup for food meals and no quality, ran out of food.There were servers at the buffet but they gave the Cubans plate fulls.

This is my second vacation to Grand Memories within three years . We liked the resort better the first time. Even though this last visit we upgraded to Diamond Club , we found a lot missing and service has significantly deteriorated . On the whole people were friendly but too slow in responding to your requests . Had to beg for towels , there was no hot water in our building for two days . Customer service was not up to standard . There is a general feeling of neglect . The grounds however were very well kept , the pools were well maintained and the entertainment was very good . The medical clinic is a definite plus and very responsive . There was plenty to eat and drink and good variety. This resort has a lot of positives and could be turned around with better housekeeping and positive customer orientation

My sister and I vacationed with another couple February 22 to February 29 2020. We selected the Superior Club Rooms, as that would include some perks - bigger room, a club member only lunch restaurant, waiter on the beach, separate seating area at the buffet. Our room wasn’t superior- the patio doors didn’t lock, there was no hot water for showers, no towels. They had coffee makers in the room yet they don’t provide coffee. Everyday they are supposed to clean room and replace towels. No new towels. The special lunch restaurant had the same menu every day and it wasn’t exactly the best. I would have thought they would have switched it up a few times over the week. The bbq restaurant for lunch by the beach, ran out of food & alcohol. The other bars including the swim up bars, that were available, ran out of alcohol. We didn’t know what alcohol was available, until we walked up to get a drink. No vodka, no tequila and beer. I have never experienced that before at any resort - running out of alcohol. Plus, they were reusing already used plastic throw away cups. The cafe bar in the lobby, that made specialty coffee was good - they did run out of some spirits but made good substitutes The A la carte restaurants were mediocre at best. Italian restaurant was the best out of all. Each of us was sick there and/or afterwards - losing work on the return after vacation. I have to admit that I was very disappointed because the resort had been highly recommended and it had great reviews on trip advisor, before we went and that wasn’t the case at all. We spent a lot of money for the trip and it was a hell week. I am typically not one to complain, as it’s a different country and their standards are different. This week’s experience did manage to remind me just how fortunate we are in our own country. I wouldn’t recommend Grand Memories to a friend or foe.

I was recommended this resort and found it so disappointing. Spent way too much for my stay. The rooms weren't up kept. Patio door handle was falling off and wouldn't lock. The phone didn't work. The plugs were so over used that nothing would stay plugged in. We had to change rooms. You were lucky to get towels daily no face cloths and shower hook up was at your waste and falling apart.... They ran out of vodka, beer, tequila and ice at the bars ... you often had one choice... Rum. Had coffee maker in room but no coffee unless you asked. Then 3 out of the 4 of us were sick at end of trip into next week. I was so disappointed. I have never been to a resort and felt so mistreated before. I've never put in a negative review. Wouldn't recommended this resort.

First time to Cuba, and will never go back. The resort was dirty and not maintained. The service was terrible, no one would acknowledge you or even say hello. The rooms were decently clean but there was no hot water & you couldn’t get fresh towels/ or sheets. The alcohol was limited & zero ice. The buffet food was disgusting, the served the same food everyday. The disco was only open from 11:00-1:00. 24HR snack bar was limited to 1 sandwich and it took more then 45 minutes to get served. People expected tips, with poor service, everything was over priced and the taxi drivers were rude.

The grounds of the resort are well maintained and nice considering it is quite large. This is the first warning for elderly or people with young kids. Resort is huge. From standard room section to beach is roughly 15 minute walk. They have lots of trolleys but only guests checking in/ out get rides so you will be walking- a lot! Beach is beautiful with lots of chairs but whereas most resorts use the beach chairs with the blue fabric this resort uses the more standard wal mart style with the plastic slats. Not that other guests always respect this, I’d still recommend getting to the beach to reserve chairs around 0530/0600 as premium seating areas are full by 7am. The only beach bar is not on the beach but the pathway down to the beach and there are no close washrooms. Because of this seating near the path is at a premium and you could end up walking 15 minutes + for drinks or washroom. The pools are nice but again premium seating and unlike beach there are not enough chairs so a lot of people laid their towels on the grass. Rooms themselves are gross. Our group had rooms from each of the available options and basically all the same room. Patio doors are difficult to open at best. Furniture in our room was about five years past it’s life expectancy with broken doors, handles etc. sometimes lights were dim, sometimes bright. All five rooms we had had toilet seats, yet none were attached to toilet- try that after a day of booze! Broken tiles throughout the rooms, A/C is a joke. Once we were able to force open our closet doors we did find that the safe worked fined despite the broken handle and display on it. All rooms were dirty when we got them but if you tip the staff well they’ll at least mop and make the bed. Due to national shortages of soap our sheets were not changed for the week, toilets not scrubbed and clean towels only show up with tips. Mini fridges have similar issues. Shortages of beer mean without tipping the staff so they get to know you your fridge will likely only get one beer, one pop and one water per day. None of our group tried the al la cartes but from what we were told they are similar quality to the buffet, snack bar and bbq restaurant. I could go on and on about how trays of meat, cheese, shrimp, etc are left out on counters from breakfast to dinner then the same trays are topped up and put out again the next day (we marked them to verify this) or how the cooked and raw chicken breasts and wings are mixed together on the bbq leading to many people being served raw chicken but I think the best way to sum up the food is we made plates for the stray dogs and not one would eat the food. Overall it seems management are trying to bring this resort back to where it should be by having staff renovate rooms, paint buildings, repair/ replace broken everythings but they are dramatically understaff for the amount of work and are renovating rooms one at a time when they need to shut down a building at a time at the very least. A building next to us had guests (Staying in rooms above the construction rooms and crews worked from 6am to 10pm daily.) Overall thoughts- if we were give a free week to this resort we’d decline.

This resort is one of the largest I have visited. The grounds were beautiful. Rooms were comfortable and clean. Pool area clean. Dining area was busy (we visited over spring break!) but food was plentiful, there was something for everybody. Entertainment was great. Staff were friendly and helpful. The beach was absolutely beautiful, one of the best.

All in all a beautiful experience. The beach, pool and buffet were great. My complaints would be the distance from my room to the beach and buffet - about a 4 or 5 minute walk to each - hard on my feet. Big resort so there were long lines for service at bars, reception. Also, the beach area was separated for Diamond Club so we others were crowded together and further down the beach. Would not recommend.

What amenities that may be lacking at Grand Memories Varadero....the staff make up for with their service! Rooms are a little dated but clean. Beach is fantastic! Pools are clean. Could always find something we liked to eat at the buffets.

The beach was amazing, the grounds were well kept and the buildings were all getting a facelift when we were there. Rooms were just basic but nothing wrong with them. The food was good for Cuba. Overall a great trip.

My hotel room was good, always cleaned , the bartenders were very busy but tried to get drinks out as quick as the could. Food was okay, I ate something that made me sick for two days . I would return. Flight delay and sunwing not updating pickup from hotel was by far the worst thing happened

I was very leary of going to cuba in the first place because im a picky eater but all in all it was an amazing trip great food the people working at this resort were fantastic always happy and helpful they had alot to offer with activities so at the end of the day no complaints and would definately go back to cuba as well as the grand memories resort.