A very beautiful resort with very friendly staff. Everyone is so genuine, kind, caring and helpful. I would definitely recommend Santa Maria Grand Memories and Sanctuary to my close friends and family and would come back again.

We upgraded to an oceanview room, it was very run down. Shower barely worked, door frame kept falling apart and a lot of bugs (ants and cockroaches). We booked this hotel because it was for families because we brought our 11 year old. There was no activities for kids his age. Normally there is soccer of volleyball but there was nothing. We have traveled to Cuba many times and know what to expect but this resort fell very short. We went to memories holguin last year, it was much better for families. This resort seems to really cater to adults. Also there is no access to the other memories, I believe it is closed. Beautiful beach.

Very disappointed in this hotel. I understand cheap price, but still, lots of issues that don’t take much money to fix. Dirty bedsheets, not changed towels for the whole week, luck of entertainment, stolen flip flops, dirty room, old building.

Hotel it's self is run down and rooms need to be upgraded.The grants are maintained on a daily bases.Public bathrooms need to be stock with toilet paper and soap on a daily bases. Food need to be keep hot and have a variety to choose from

.Very poor service from waiters in the restaurant, always expecting tips. Very poor preparation of rooms for living - ventilation and plumbing don't work, lots of breakdowns upon move-in.Service is not well.

Thanks for everything,every staff service is good or they tried best to satisfy with guests in the hotel group(we want quiet room ,they change two rooms with quiet and beautiful view second day).the location is in paradise on earth,the food is perfect,the garden is scenic,the weather is beautiful warm,the beath is excellent,the room is good as there is in Cuba. Thanks again!

We had a great time here. There's 7 of us in total (5 adults, 2 kids). We travelled in the middle of June so there weren't many people at the hotel. The beach is amazing and it is very close to the hotel (100m from our room). I found the food was better than my past visits to Cuba. There was always something I liked. My parents are vegetarian and they always found something to eat. There was a lot of Cuban food (rice, beans, chickpeas, a lot of sweet potato). I also really liked the fried rice station and the omlettes and crepe station in the mornings. There was a lot of choice in drinks. Mojitos were amazing as was the pina colada. Entertainment was really good even though there wasn't much, especially the Michael Jackson performance. It was truly as if Michael Jackson had come back from the dead and performed for us. Remember to bring an insulated cup with you, and also bring mosquito repellent especially if you're travelling during the rainy season. Also, reach out to Not Just Tourists to take medical supplies with you (you can book a private transfer on the way back to the airport so you can drop off the supplies at a clinic in Remedios or Santa Clara). We also gave them a suitcase of other things at the clinic (an old laptop, band aids, flash lights, baby clothes, a lot of stationary I wasn't using at home etc.). It's important that we all do our part to help. Try to give help to Cubans outside of the hotels in the cities if you can.

Stayed for 7 days in the end of sept of 2024. Sunny weather, rai at night almost every day, warm ocean. Food: Nice pastries, mango often, avocado, salmon once, chicken, turkey, local fish almost same every day. There is ac in the buffet which was very useful during hot days! Room: mold smell in room, ac worked but not good enough. Service: waiters are attentive. Each time eating ice cream had to ask for the spoon like those were treasures. Entertainment: every night new show at the theatre. I liked it.

This was out first time at Grand Memories and second time time in this area. There were five in our party, grandparents, parents and teenagers. We had a very positive experience. Our flight and check in went very smoothly. The entertainment staff, especially Jason and Yonky, were amazing and their people skills were exceptional. The food, grounds and rooms were great! We were very happy with our adjoining room. Loved the carts that shuttled guests around. The beach at this property was outstanding. Probably one of the best we have experienced in Cuba! We would definitely return to this resort without hesitation.

The only good thing about this location is the beach. The beach is 10/10, everything else need improvements, some buildings needs to be shut down. Hotel needs an overhaul. Staff said that the resort opened 14 yrs ago, but seems like it was 60's or 70's operation. The details and descriptions on the website are all lies. This is the only vacation I've been that I was excited to come back home because of how bad it was. I have seen previous review, citing how locals are treated better than tourist, 100% true. Locals doesn't have to wait for their turn to get food from the buffet. They take bread by basket not by piece, take food in the buffet with their hands. If you are 20 minutes late from the opening of the buffet, don't expect to get any food. NO EGGS for breakfast. One ala carte open on our 7 days stay. Served food was all Cuban, same soup for 7 dinners. Severe shortage of food. Coffee machines are available in the room but no coffee to brew, bring your own I guess. Pool is filthy. No towels and no room service. No freaking telephone in the room, all concerns you will need to go to the reception. We are a family traveller, we were given a moldy, musty, not suitable room at 2AM. The staff said we do not have any other option but to take the room and that we will be given a new one next morning. We had to stay in the lobby, to protect our asthmatic son from getting sick from the room they gave us. They said that managers are not available to solve the problem. It was an awful experience. We will never come back in this place. Restaurant outside the resort selling lobsters, it was advertise as lobster not lobster tail, for $25 USD, salty and overcooked. Liquors are stolen by staff and being sold to guest. Look elsewhere, Santa Maria is a beautiful place, but avoid this hotel. Save yourself from headaches. If you chose this hotel, prepare to starve, prepare for headaches. Bring OTC meds, clinic in the hotel is a quack.

This hotel needs an upgrade Immediately...it's run down and dirty. The website is showing better pictures of the resort....it's a lie.Big shortage on food....locals get treated better than anyone. The bartenders were stealing the better bottles of liquor and selling them.. The pool was dirty and filthy, I know the resort's not. I've fault for this but there are flies everywhere... Cockroaches in the room.

After all the "horror" stories I was reading about this hotel and Cuba in general-I was pleasantly surprised that it is very good -nice spacious rooms lots of food and wines -even sparkling wine! Canadians will never be tired of talking about amazing Cuban people and the hotel staff is perfect ! Beach is dreamy !!! Grounds are clean and green of course lots of mosquitoes and flies...so what?! All you need -bring your low expectations ,lots of gifts and US $ dollars -I am recommending this hotel to my friends and this is the first hotel in Cuba I will return and back .Thank you to all the hard working staff !

I would like to send extended thank you to hard working diamond club stuff Nordelys, Malvia and Agustin for their services. They always made sure that our stay was plesent. We reserved beautiful service from Raul Pino Martinez and his beautiful wife Deily Romero and Reinier Molina. They always having smile on their face, and always their services goes above and beyond. The entertainment team is making so much activities you can join. Dance lessons of salsa, bachata and meringue are the best. Giselle, Andy, Jason and everyone on the team is working so hard to keep the guest busy. Keep up the good work. We are definitely recommending this resort. Can't wait to go back to see my Cuban family. Thank you everyone for the beautiful week full off attraction

Most people are nice, great beach and view. Food is decent given the situation i still liked it. However there were some issues like the moisture in room and unclean sheets and pillows. Overall still good for the price but there are salubrity and amenities concerns.

If you love the beach this is a great place. Price is very affordable but you get what you pay for. Hotel is run down. Travels in May and a lot of resort was closed. Diamond club offered pretty much nothing. Food was not kept hot on buffet and only one a la carte open and taking only 10 reservations per night. Saying all of this, we did have a great time. Went for relaxation and we did. Alway able to get white wine. Toilet paper was empty in public bathrooms a lot. Enjoyed a fishing trip booked at the resort. Weather and beach were out of this world but would not recommend hotel

The grounds were always dirty, washrooms were filthy, they didn’t have any toilet paper in the washrooms or napkins in the buffet restaurant. The service in the pool bar , beach bar and beach restaurant was terrible. The blankets were smelly, the phones in the rooms didn’t work and the diamond club was a waste of money. The diamond club manager did nothing to fix any of the problems instead just made excuses. The beach is the most beautiful place but it’s too bad the hotel badly managed

I was at Sanctuary grand memories. The beach was amazing pool was good , staff are friendly & helpful. The hotel is in need of work , rooms are very outdated , run down clean as can be …..except the pillow case came off one of my pillows & it was so dirty & black with mold . Staff did well with food with the supplies they had same as the drinks

This is definitely not a 4.5 star resort. Pros beds were comfortable, beach is amazing Staff are wonderful Cons, pool is falling apart, rooms definitely need an upgrade, Wooden stairs leading to a spot to eat actually broke while someone was walking up them, food was scarce, mold on pillows, not much of a selection for drinks Overall I would give this maybe a 2.5

Since I found that Cuba was given alot of poor reviews, I thought the stay at Grand Memories was good for the price. I would go back again if I had a lean budget. The service was very good, the housekeeping was very good, the people were very helpful, and courteous. The entertainment was good. I would of liked to have the opportunity to dance more. Overall I would rank it good.

i had a nice time , got to relax enjoy the beach . Resort is a bit on the older side but still charming . The rooms were outdated. Food as you could expect was nothing to write about , but it was ok . Service was good , kind and smily staff . Overall , it was good value for the money . If you want a quick getaway, just relax , listen to music and enjoy the beach it’s perfect , I strongly recommend bringing some snacks and such from home with .

Holes in bedsheets, stains on all towels and bedsheets... When asked to replace, I was given fresh ones with the same problem. Definitely a mood killer. Grounds kept clean. Food is below mediocre. Main reason to go is the beach and ocean.stilk had a good time unwinding..

The hotel was a bit of a disappointment. We arrived at approximately 1:30 pm after a nearly 2 hour bus ride from Santa Clara Airport, and was told that our room would not be available until 4:00 pm. Once we finally got access to our room we found that there were no hand towels or facecloths but only large bath towels. There was no drain stopper in the bathroom sink or in the bathtub. There was no clock in the room, and the hot water was not functioning. One day the main water pipe broke, and there was no water. As a result we couldn't flush the toilet or get water to wash etc. Fortunately this dilemma only lasted 1 day. The main concern was the lack of toilet rolls and paper towels in all the washrooms. A situation that should never happen in hotels. These are basic necessities to clean living. Dining was another problem. On our first full day we visited the buffet for breakfast and fortunately was able to get eggs. That was the only time in our 10 day stay that eggs were available. Bacon seemed to be rationed in that it was not available every day. Cold cereal was available, however there was a lack of spoons, which necessitated us to seek them out from from the waiters and waitresses. We visited the Italian restaurant twice, and on both occasions the food was presented cold. At the main bar and at poolside bars, certain types of alcohol and soft drinks were sometimes not available - very inconsistent. The grounds were nicely kept, and the workers were very friendly

The grounds were immaculate. The staff members pleasant and easy to talk to. Our room was just as you would want it to be, clean, equipped, The food was better than expected. The pools awesome and the beach better than awesome. The buildings could use a coat of paint, that is the only thing they could do to improve the place. We'd go back in a heart beat.

Definitely had the best needed solo vacation. I met the most incredible group of people that we shared a week of fun in the sun and it was just such fun! I was in the diamond club which isn’t needed as the food shortage and time I went, was slower. Be kind tip everyone and remember they are not in control of the shortages. Lots to eat and drink! Great beach music and best of all. It’s all included… remember that. Have fun meet new people. Definitely try the fresh made ? donuts! Worth the few min line. Best vacation

Food was so bad, we got sick while there. Even though we had done the DUKORAL treatment beforehand, we still got very sick. Mornings only ate fresh eggs made on the grill. French toast was OK DON'T EAT THE OMLETTES, THEY ARE MIXED WITH SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE YOU SICK. Also, be careful at the lunch grills by the pool and beach. Some made us sick. It is best to go to the buffet for lunch because you can choose what to eat. Suppers we had in the SELECTION restaurant were good, and if they weren't they replaced them with something. We stayed with the freshly grilled meat and fish as we knew it was real. WHITE RICE is always a safe bet. I stuck mostly with ice cream and fresh fruit for desserts. We were lucky as our room was great. Our butlers RUDY and JAVIER were wonderful! They met our every need and were always honest with us. We went to the GRAND MEMORIES a couple of times, (mainly for the PIZZERIA, which again is something fresh), but stayed mostly at the SANCTUARY because the pool, rooms, buffet, main hall and beach are all so close. One big complaint we have is in each buffet, they have these carts that carry all the dishes and utensils and as they roll them on the floor, they make SO MUCH NOISE, YOU CAN'T EVEN HEAR YOURSELF BREATH!! It is impossible to just sit and take in the view with so much NOISE IN THE BACKGROUND!! This is easily fixed by changing the wheels to those DAM CARTS!! All in All, I think we are done with Cuba, unless something changes drastically with the food. We have always loved Cuba and we are sad that it has come to this.

Diamond, some issues on our room door card to enter all time, bed mattress uncomfortable, food not good. Drinks service good. Customer Service excellent, good landscape. The hotel needs improvement to keep happy visitor for next trip.

We went on this trip as a couple and enjoyed a wonderful two weeks at Grand Memories! First things first, the beach was beautiful, one of the loveliest beaches I have been to. There were a few windy or rainy days during our stay, but the experience was lovely regardless. Most of the time was warm weather and sunshine, without being too scorching hot. The water was quite clear and no need for water shoes or crocs since the sand was free of any rocks. Great sand, beautiful water for swimming, and wonderful views. Although neither was on the water directly, the sunrise and sunset were beautiful to see... specifically the one time we managed to wake up in time to see the sunrise haha. The staff on the beach was always very friendly -- including the bartenders, snack bar staff, lifeguards etc. Same with the rest of the resort, all of the bartenders, servers, chefs, customer service and front desk workers were all wonderful. While we typically preferred to go to the beach, the pool was nice as well. The pool at Grand Memories was typically busier, so we would go to the pools in the Memories section which was larger and less busy. Our room was spacious and clean and had a king-size bed, seating area, bathroom, mini fridge, closet with hangers, a handful of mirrors and a safe. All that you could need for your stay. Our beach towels were on our bed ready for us when we arrived. Our cleaning lady was very sweet and made sure our room had fresh towels, sheets and toilet paper each day as needed. She often left pretty swans or other designs on our bed with the towels or blankets. The bottled water in the mini-fridge was replenished each day. For the most part, our room was great. We had a couple of problems with the lock on our door and dripping water from the air conditioning, but the front desk and mechanics tended to the issues promptly. I found the buffet to be good. I know some people complain about the food in Cuba, but I thought it was good. I'm not a picky eater, but I did bring some hot sauce for us to use sometimes. The fresh fruit was the best. There was lots of juicy pineapple and papaya that you'll never have as fresh and tasting as good when you are back at home. The a la carte restaurants were alright. With two a la carte reservations allowed per week, we went to the Mediterranean, "Chinese", and the Italian twice throughout our stay. My only tip is don't expect Chinese food for the Chinese a la carte because it's not Chinese at all LOL. The bad thing about the a la carte reservations was that you had to wait at least an hour in line to reserve the a la carte and you could only reserve one a la carte and only for that specific day. So you end up waiting around in line for at least a solid 4 hours during your vacation. Not the brightest idea for how to reserve the restaurants. As for some late-night snacks, the Pizzeria by the lobby was perfect to grab a little bite to eat. They often had limited toppings available based on the availability of ingredients and how busy they had been, but once again the chefs were very friendly and a pleasure to chat to.. especially if you know a bit of Spanish. I highly recommend visiting the nearby market to visit the shops, buy souvenirs, and rum, or simply do a tiny bit of sightseeing. There are so many talented artisans and many beautiful pieces they are selling as souvenirs. There are also a handful of restaurants at the market. My boyfriend really wanted to try some lobster and the meal we had at "La Goleta - Restaurante Marinero" was great! Just note: the prices are in USD. We typically walked, but there were golf carts that you could hop on to go throughout the resort, to the other sections of the Memories hotels, or even to get to and from the market. PSA #1: For anyone travelling to Cuba, don't exchange your money for Cuban pesos since it is not used, specifically for tourists. We heard some people had exchanged a bunch of money at the airport and were stuck with a ton of pesos that were useless to them when making purchases at the hotel shop or the market. You can use USD, CAD, or even your credit card in most places (as long as it's not an American card). PSA #2: Don't bring coins like loonies and toonies! A lot of people were tipping with Canadian coins, but these are useless to the staff. Tourists may mean well by giving these coins as tips, but they aren't aware that the Cubans can't use foreign coin currency. Only bills are worth something to them and can be used. Countless times there were bartenders, chefs, or servers who were asking to exchange Canadian coins, dollar for dollar, for bills since they were stuck with so many coins that were useless to them. Very sad. Instead, bring bills or even toiletries or small gifts to give as tips to the staff. They will appreciate it very much!

This is my hubbys first time in Cuba and my 3rd, but 1st time going to Santa Maria. With Cuba, you just can’t expect A LOT. And that’s exactly what we did and we were not disappointed. The only thing that kind of disappointed me was waiting for our room to be ready. A bunch of us had to sit and wait almost 5 hours in order to get keys to our rooms. I think that was a little ridiculous. But , the rooms were spacious and clean and I never had issues. You’re in there to sleep, of course it’s not going to be a 5 star luxury experience. The pool was small and cold but if you walked down the path to memories, they have a much bigger pool there. The beach, beautiful. Cubas beaches are always beautiful. Food; now I am a VERY picky eater and I ALWAYS found something to eat and I was full every night . Sure ya, we didn’t have eggs the entire time and hardly any desserts, but it is what it is. My life wasn’t going to end because of it. I was full and content daily and I’m ok with that. We had one good show where they brought them in from outside the resort, other than that, the shows kinda sucked and we ended up skipping most of them. We didn’t find out till the last day that about 5 min walk down past memories, there was a big plaza with restaurants ($) and tons of vendors for souvenirs. Thank goodness we ended up finding it ! Lastly, the hour and a half bus ride sounds gruelling, especially after just coming off a flight, but it was well worth it. Sit back and take in the scenery. Only the hotel workers are allowed through into Santa Maria and it was nice not being bugged on the beach or asked to buy something every now and than. All in all, I would for sure go back! The Cuban people are always the absolute best and the hotel was just a bonus !

Beaches and ocean water incredible. Staff very friendly and attentive especially our diamond club concierge Agustin who solved any minor problems and shared information about the history and economy of Cuba. Music by the pool was very loud as well as at the evening theatre. The two hour bus ride was long and the late night flight was very tiring. Would definitely return.

The beach is the best bring Deet for sand fleas aw. Tired, worn but clean resort. 1st room had a rain storm coming from the ceiling, it was exchanged immediately. Facing the beach, the 2nd tired and worn room was 2 single beds. The main ceiling light/fan had been removed so it was quite dark with just the bedside table light. The shower head was sprayed from broken washers. Yet there was a nice strong hot water spray with clean white towels. The 3rd room was with a king-size bed and was perfect!! 3 English-speaking TV channels White pilly bed sheets were clean and the bed was comfortable. The staff spoke English very fluently and was attentive and helpful. Breakfast confirmed that we have not come in their growing season. The eggs are powdered. I was happy with the sliced white toast, white cheese, and hot black coffee. Nice to have cabbage and cucumbers to round it off. Lots of cold buttermilk. Grilled meats every meal with fresh bread and ice cream for dessert. No milk, just margarine but, there is fresh pineapple, oranges, and cooked squash. Best to upgrade to Sanctuary for food only. Costs $12 US per week per person. The best rooms are garden facing 53 bldg. Please bring US$ one for tipping. Along with medicine cabinet items, toothpaste, pads, toys, and shoes for staff and the people you see on the Jeep excursion. This excursion offers the best real Cuban food. Sad that there were no authentic Cuban bands or Spanish classes and dancing to learn. If it was my design I would change the nightly shows out to movie nights with popcorn. I would use unused restaurant space for dance lessons from the entertainment team during the afternoon and evenings. I would use a conference room for Spanish lessons.

From beginning to end I had the best experience at this resort. The staff were incredible and needs were met always. Even the food was delicious. There was a group of 8 of us girls and we were not disappointed. I will definitely be returning next year. Beach bar by the way has some of the best food

I have been in this resort for few times already, just love it!!!! Specially Sanctuary, it's adult only. Everything is wonderful there, the food, the atmosphere, the beach is magical. The personal in a resort are so nice and welcoming, room service is very good. I really liked that they have some food service on the beach, so you don't have to go for a lunch somewhere else, if you don't wanna leave. One thing thou was bothering me, it's sandfly, but it's not up to the hotel right, it's nature. Ppl you have to be prepared for these insects, do not take your towel after the beach to your room, change for new ones, if you couldn't do so, leave those towels outside in a balcony, cuz those sandfly jumping in your bed and continue biting you!. Also I would like to suggest something to the ppl who brings canadian loonies. It's amazing that you wanna tip ppl there, bit Cuban banks do not accept loonies, and ppl have to struggle to run around and exchange them , so please if you won't mind , it's not a big deal to go to the bank before your trip and buy American dollars by 1 dollar . You will help them a lot. Cuz imagine you got money, which you really need, but you can't use it. I guess that all what I was a about to comment. Again place is just magical in all ways, highly recommend!!!!

It was my first time in Cuba after 6 years. I was surprised that there was no noticeable difference in food in spite of food shortages in the country. I had to change the room x3 because the AC kept breaking and they couldn't fix it. But the reception staff were extremely helpful and nice. Building 55 was quiet and close to the beach. Room service staff helpful and professional. Because it's on the island away from the town I didn't see Canadian sex tourists which was great. Beach and ocean amazing. Lots of pelicans and other birds if you like nature. Low season so it was quiet away from the pool and bar. I would recommend to people who know and like Cuba. Nature lovers in low season would like it too. BTW I think that nobody needs our old clothes. Looks that there is a supply of some goods since the boarders have been open . But tips in US dollars and Canadian bills are appreciated. Loonies and toonies are useless. Pesos less valued because of high inflation.

The service we received at Grand Memories was excellent! All of the staff were kind and helpful. The beach is spectacular and the real showstopper! The resort is somewhat run down and many areas need updating and repairs. I heard they’re planning on having this done by the next high season. We requested to move out of building 52 due to black mould throughout the room. Thankfully they accommodated our request right away. The food was not so great, as I imagine resources are limited. Mostly the same foods (ingredients), at every buffet and the a la carts. The fresh fruit, breads and cheeses were delicious though. The resort is located almost 2 hrs from the airport, which means a lot of time is spent in transit during the trip. Just something worth considering if you’re anxious to get there quickly. Overall, a great trip! The company we keep makes the trip worthwhile! The beach, the Cuban people (staff), the coffee, the drinks, the market, were all amazing and we’re grateful that we were able to experience all these things.

I’ve never traveled to a resort in the off season. I will definitely do it again. Didn’t have to fight for a lounge chair or stay in a huge line at the buffet. But I don’t think I’ll be going to this resort again. There was nothing to do except go to the beach or pool. No games room or air conditioned cafe/lounge. Nowhere to escape the heat. Most resorts I’ve been to have pool tables or ping pong tables. The food was exactly the same for EVERY MEAL. Zero variation. There was very little fresh fruit or vegetables. BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER. I’m not kidding, none of the public area washrooms had any. I had to bring a roll of toilet paper with me from the room.

Very thing about it was disappointing didn’t have a good time wouldn’t go there again 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎the worst vacation and resort ever 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎

HOTEL IS VERY GOOD BUT RS WERE LITTLE UNACEPTABE TOO MUCH OF MOSQUITO IN SIDE THE ROOMS. POOL WERE VRY CLEAN .BEACH WAS AMAZING.NOT ENOUGH ENTERTAINMENT.BARS WERE VERY GOOD FOOD WAS GOOD NO SHORTAGE ANYMORE .AT LAST WE HAD GREAT TRIP AT GRAND MEMORIES SANTA MARIA.

Positive: grounds are mostly beautiful and well maintained. The beach is perfect and exactly what I was hoping to see. Negative: FOOD is horrible. 70% of the menu is cabbage, potatoes and sausage for breakfast lunch and dinner. Buffet is always cold, dirty plates, no option for drinks or juice. Completely disappointing! HOTEL is old and dirty. Mold in our sink, furniture is dirty, drink and bar areas are grimy and dirty. Overall: we only stayed for 1 day and left for another resort because we could not take it anymore. Our toddler had nothing to eat or drink except for the food we brought her

Designed for 5 stars resort, the gardens are beautiful, with tall imperial palms and plenty of flowering bushes. It is easy to move around with the electric carts. Rooms are clean, with no bugs, but may need some TLC. We had a pool view room with two beds, quite large. The CORALAND Music Festival happened during our stay. Nicely organized, in the evenings on the beach, with food and drinks, and also pool parties during the day. We had the Diamond Club bracelets with free access to the festival. No one talks about Covid 19, pool is clean, and we drank water only from the bars or restaurants. We did not get sick or anything. On the weekend the resort was full of people, probably locals.

The resort has negatives. But with a positive attitude one sees a beautiful well kept beach. Well kept grounds. The workers at the resort were always helpful to do their job. I would definitely return to this resort.

My family and I had a fabulous time at Santa Clara-Grand Memories resort. The staff were outstanding. Alessandro from the Diamond Club was very attentive. Lisandra, our house keeper, was especially kind and helpful. Although, this was our first time in Cuba and we were for warned by many people that the food would be okay. We unfortunately, still had issues with finding adequate meals. But all told this is an amazing resort and we will return.

My daughter and I had an awesome week at Grand Memories. The staff are so gracious and helpful. The room was kept spotless. We were part of the Diamond Club which afforded us a la cart dinners for Mexican, Mediterranean, Cuban and Italian. The regular buffet had lots of food all the time. You have to realize the food choices are basic given what they can import in. We brought peanut butter, jam and syrup. Their bread is to die for. The biggest attraction was the beach, it is so beautiful, clear water and white sand. This was our second time going to the same resort and we will go again. Tammie and Cassielle

just returned from Grand Memories Santa Maria cuba. The resort is huge if walking is not your thing this will not be your place. carts were available if you waited. The pools are very nice and big. music and descent entertainment was provided at night time in the lounge and in the stadium. rooms were nice however our first night my wife stripped the sheets as they were dirty.food was descent but there was no fish which was a dissapointment. The beach and water are by far the main attraction blue water and white sands. covid precautions are not really enforced there. social distancing, disinfection hand sanitizer dispensers were not seen. all in all was a good trip too big of a place for us

We arrived at Grand Memories on March 6, 2023. After spending two nights we decided to switch to Memories Sanctuary. Our room and another person who traveled with us and had a separate room decided to leave because the rooms were not clean. Blood on the sheets in our room and the other room. Drawers were full of dirt and shelves in closet dirty. Once changing to Sanctuary we were very satisfied. Nice rooms, beautiful landscaping, excellent buffet. We stayed in Bungalow #60. Our Butler was Mercedes. Wonderful person who was always cheerful and made sure our stay was wonderful.

We love the benches but hotel rooms rhar one of room' s mini fridge didn't work for 6 days, one of rooms air condition was making noises when it is running. We did notify customers service but no luck. Our second Ala carte restaurant' s reservations was canceled in last minute due to shortage of staff but didn't give us to book another reservation.The food was Ok and staff were Good.

Simply love the 3 hotels that make up Memories Cayo Santa Maria. Best staff ever. Armando, Pablo, Delvis, Jorje, Yordanis, Wandy, Jenny, Ena, Laine, Ulysses, Leche & Rosa to name a few. They are the true reason these hotels people keep coming back (like myself) time and again!

The resort is not well kept. Many things not working like lights, tv, outlets, etc. Basic room was not very good, the upgraded rooms looked nicer. Cuban people were amazing as always. Still enjoyed the weather and found a way to have a good time, even though the resort had several food and drink shortages throughout the week. Toilet paper napkins at every meal were an extra nice surprise. Cuba is always a place where you need to lower your expectations but post-covid Cuba will turn many away.

We had a very nice time at the Grand Memories hotel. Everyone was working so hard to make the stay enjoyable for everyone. We learned that the hotel was operational this year after 2 years of closing during covid but all in all it was a nice experience and definitely worth the Diamond Club. Andy and the Diamond Club team took care of our needs which were few but being able to book the A La Carte every night was worth it alone. We really really lucked out with an Ocean view as well. The view and location of the building (55) was just amazing. The water was calm on several days and anyone who has been to several Carribean islands knows Cuba boasts some of the best beaches and the Grand did not disappoint with the white sand and crystal clear waters. You can see 40 feet down easily. Watersports were free and taking the Hobie 15 with the beach was free as well..just tips :) The snack buildings on the beach were great (burgers and great pizza) and the coffee and drinks were fantastic. As we were leaving, new dining locations were opening up as well. Most surprising is that the food was not what I was expecting. It was pretty darn good and has come a long long way from what it was before. Cuba has a rustic beauty which I always loved and I return to Canada with a great sense of appreciation for what I have. I recommend the resort, booking through Trip Central and Sunwing as well. Communications were great and the air travel was enjoyable as well.

Impeccable landscape , for the most part friendly staff , we all know the food tradition , large welcoming rooms , issues with sink and toilet , unable to exchange beach towel for 4 days … hand sanitation and soap dispensers in public washrooms for the most part empty … makes you wander about the staff cleanliness … also met people that had paid a lot less for their vacation .

Hi Heather, We need to bring a disconcerting experience to your attention. We were encouraged by Sunwing to book by a given date in order to be upgraded to Memories Sanctuary at no additional cost. However, upon arrival in Cuba, we discovered that of the three Memories Resorts, the Sanctuary was the only one opened. We were grossly misled into booking early and manipulated into thinking that we were getting a deal. Furthermore, we missed out on subsequent promotions by Sunwing’s competitors. It was brought to our attention numerous times in Cuba that we EACH paid approximately $350.00 more for the same all-inclusive vacation! We think it pertinent that you bring this matter to the attention of those in charge. Sincerely, On Oct 30, 2022, at 7:00 PM, Email sent on behalf of Heather Felice wrote:

This may definitely sound like a fake review, but it really isn't. We traveled with zero expectations of what we will find there. We wanted a clean room, not to starve, and a good swimming spot! the experience blew us out of the water! Grand Memories hotel was closed for renos and we got upgraded to Sanctuary, adults-only side. The room was clean and the shower had great pressure and scolding hot water if you needed it. The cleaning ladies were super nice! You get assigned a butler to help with the a la carte restaurants, questions about the resort, or room service. The staff is super friendly and always willing to help and make your stay memorable! The food was great too -- you do have to realize it is Cuba and if you're a picky eater, maybe that is not for you. They had a vast variety of items to satisfy everyone, both hot and cold, and made to order. They had lots of fruits, salads and cold drinks. There were also 2 spots on the beach to get lunch "off the grill" if you wanted to (burgers, hot dogs, seafood and rice dish). I've been told Cuba has good coffee and I totally agree!! they even had ice coffee from the slushy machine. The lattes, ice caps and guava juice were our go-to drinks... The bartenders could spin some very delicious alcoholic drinks as well! You feel appreciated and taken care of on a personal level, even though they cater to so many other guests as well.

Amazing place to relax! I enjoyed my days with my family. Especially with my 93 years old mom. The facilities are great, the staff were very kind and helpful. I appreciate very much their good essence in delivering their services to all of us. The Animation Team is spectacular...great work!!

Muy buena atención, excelente su gente. Nos sentimos muy acogida sobre todo con mi madre de 93 años la atención para ella fue muy agradable y acogedora. Muy agradecidas de Claudia Mena y de todo el personal que estuvo cerca nuestro Y un reconocimiento muy especial para el equipo de animación que nos hizo pasar unas noches muy agradables con sus entretenidos y animados show. Saludos y cariños especiales a Emilio.

I stayed in building 60 at the grand memories sanctuary area. Well worth going back to Cuba. It’s been a long two years of going nowhere. I was very hesitant to go to Cuba quite frankly because of the COVID situation, but I couldn’t pass up the deal. The Wi-Fi was a bit spotty better in the room and by the pool but quite frankly I loved the break. Also something that’s very new most things were paid by credit card. They excepted Canadian American or Cuban money. The resort could probably be updated but everything was kept clean by the staff who was very friendly. It should be noted that this resort offers a three-story walk up buildings for the rooms. They also offer trollies or golf carts around the resort. The food is Cuban. You were offered pork chicken beef or fish, soup, salad and dessert for supper. The food was delicious regardless. My philosophy when eating in Cuba has always been eat what they make in front of you. There was a hut on the beach that severed alcohol hot dogs or hamburgers. For breakfast and lunch there is a buffets. As well as a chef, late at night that would make something. They also made cappuccinos. I did tip throughout the vacation. The staff was very appreciate of of the tips. But if you didn’t tip they still treated you the same there was no difference that I noticed. I stayed at the beach in the morning until two. The loungers in the palapas were well taken care of. There was always somebody to set it up for you clean it and place your towel. I felt very safe leaving my stuff on my seat. If you walk down to the end of where the hotels were there was a place where you could snorkel. Also, the hotel offered a complementary catamaran ride into the ocean and back. There is a place on entering the beach where you can tell what the water was like because there was always a flag red or yellow. In the pool area there was a swim up bar there was a lot of music and entertainment at the pool. Shade or sun areas on the pool deck. The rooms were kept immaculately clean, staff is always around to help you. The entertainment staff with exceedingly busy it made everybody felt welcomed. Thank you very much Mercedes, Joel, George, Rafeal, Eduardo, Elena, Dayanes and anyone I forgot. I did get a really nice massage. There was a safe in the room I did have a converter but I don’t think I really needed it for the electricity. There was a mini fridge that was always stocked with water. There was always fresh towels and you had 2 beach towels. There was entertainment there with dance troupe. After the show at night time the staff was always around to have fun with. There is a doctor on this resort who was very professional and understanding. Also, I would like to mention the Sunwing representative was very clear very precise and friendly and helpful. Which I can’t always say about other the travel reps I’ve dealt with. As well as the bus drivers and tour guide from and to the resort. This resort was very safe for ladies travelling on there own

Grand Memories was a very enjoyable resort to stay at. The proximity to all areas was the best feature for me since walking long distances was an issue. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The meals were decent. Lots of variety at the buffet area. My room was large and kept very clean each day by Rosa our housekeeper for the week.The balcony faced the pool area which was steps away. I enjoyed the layout of the pool area suitable for kids and adults. Although I did not swim in the ocean I walked on the sand and was amazed at the beautiful colour of the water. It was nice to be able to use the facilities at the resort next to Grand Memories also. The nightly entertainment was so amazing at the theatre. Always went early to get a good seat. This was my best trip of the three times going to Cuba and would go back again to Grand Memories. Before leaving I had the opportunity to speak with the manager Ricardo who was very interested in hearing about our stay. 9/10 !!!!!

This resort is well past the point of needing some tlc. the pool is sub standard and does not have a swim up bar. The paint in general looks like the painters were blindfolded, the walkways are in bad shape and mostly unlit. The rooms are antiquated and the beds are thin, hard and full of springs that ruin any chance of a good nights sleep. In our building there were no lights working in the hallways. No coffee maker and all the drawers were inoperative. Every room that we saw including ours had a ceiling fan that had hanging blades that resembled a flower and never did work. In general it was the worst hotel we have ever stayed at. The only redeeming quality was the staff.

This resort is very nice. Grounds are clean and well kept. Staff is awesome. Rooms were clean and well kept. Our tv did not work, however this did not bother us. I was given a different room to accommodate my mobility issues without hesitation. Food was good for Cuba.

The resort needs some TLC in some of the rooms but the beaches and views are beautiful. Food is not the greatest but you won’t starve that’s for sure. The entertainment is good and their is lots to do. Pools are great! The staff was amazing and I made great memories.

The hotel was a little run down. But they were renovating the floor I stayed on. Which hopefully will improve the hotel. It took me half of my vacation to get a blanket. And there were roaches in my room and my friends room. The same utensils were used on raw hamburger that was sitting out in the heat with no ice etc, as the utensils used to serve the hamburgers. The cheese on the pizza was rancid and gave me the worst food poisoning. I was violently ill for a day. I will say the beach is gorgeous and the staff is delightful. The a la Carte restaurants are a saving grace.

We arrived at the resort Jan 31/20. Check in was quick and bell boy promptly brought us to our room. We were starving and didn't have much time to get dinner.. We left our luggage on the beds and headed to the buffet. We might have been gone for 1.5 hrs. When we returned and started to unpack we noticed 350 dollars was missing from our suit case where wallet was kept.. The bell boy was the only person that seen the wallet in the suitcase while he waited for his tip.. This was a girls trip that I highly recommended as I've been to this resort 3 times already,with no issues whatsoe ver. The following morning I spoke to Andy from customer relations and also sunwing rep onsite.. Told them about the missing money from our room and I was asked if I wanted them to call the police which could take days if not weeks for them to investigate or let the hotel do their own investigation... We were fine with the hotel checking things out as they seems quite concerned. The resort requested a report on our door to see how many times a card was swiped as we had just went to eat and right back.. A card was swiped 3 times but only twice from us... :( Every morning I would talk to Andy and ask him if there were any updates... Never was. Then on Thursday (day before we were vimjnv back home) he told us there was nothing to update us with as we didn't want the police called.. WOW!!! He more or less made us feel like it would be a waste of time, that's why we didn't. He asked us if the bell boy showed us the safe and explained his it worked, he didn't.. On the Saturday my friend took 100 dollars out of the bank in the resort on her debit card.. On Monday the bank took it out again!! Confronted the teller and Sunwing rep and was told it happens and you should get a refund in a few weeks... Excuse me but this is theft.. Sunwing should be telling travelers this happens often in Cuba, as we were told. We had a dinner booked at the Italian restaurant and just after we ordered we saw a cockroach on the wall... Our meal was brought quite quickly and just when we began to eat another cockroach scurried across the table. That was enough to turn off all of our appetites. Another evening in the buffet we saw more cock roaches near the hot plates... I actually let a gentleman in a suit working at the buffet know... He was aware of bugs and said they have been having a problem lately with cock roaches and haven't been able to spray inside the buffet.. I really felt bad planning this girls trip to a resort in Cuba I personally recommended... From the time we got there till we left it was an incident after an incident. 2 of the girls swear they will never go back to Cuba... I go there twice a year and Mexico twice a year... I enjoy Cuba as usually I feel safe and the people are wonderful.. I'm seriously reconsidering my travel choices.

Rooms: outdated, dirty and dusty walls, smelly bathroom, no new sheets for 10 days, we never received the crib for our baby, TV wasn't working. Buffet: Cockroaches all around. Even though meals were tastier than other resorts we 've been, they offered the same lunch and dinner during our stay. Many people got sick. They try hard though. Public washrooms: veeeeeeeeery smelly. At least they had paper and soap. Pool: dirty and small Beach: the only amazing place During our stay, we ended up scratching our legs because of insect/mosquito bites. Lobby and bar was updated and nice. The waitresses try hard to offer a good service. People who worked there were very nice and friendly. Overall, i would not recommend going to that resort.

The food was so good for Cuba! Fresh meat grill and rice stations. Beach was a 10! Rooms were clean and comfortable. Beer and pop and water restocked daily. The grounds were beautiful! The drive there was great. 90 mins of driving through little Cubans towns. We will go back again Foresure.

The first night there, we were hungry as it was past 9pm. We settled our stuff in the 2 rooms and went for supper. Upon return, our travel companions had their suitcase broken I to and $350 was stolen. Even though the resort acknowledged that the room had clearly been entered by an unknown key, they had no insurance to cover the loss. Our room was full of mold, I coughed all the first night. They did give us another room. This room had a little less mold. On the Sat I went to the resort bank to withdraw some money. When checking my bank account on the Tuesday; there was another withdrawl for the same amount. They took out 2 payments. I tried to have it corrected but noone from the resort could get through to anyone in the bank. The food was not the best, but the people were doing their best. The wifi I paid for worked for 20min. I paid for 3hrs. The lobby by the little store was overwhelmingly putrid from the smell of garbage. I will ot be going back their.

I have a limited review as only 2 of our 10 days were spent at Grand Memories. After arriving at the hotel at 1:00, our room was still not ready so we strolled the pizza hut, the grounds and checked out the beach - all looked very good and clean. By 5:00 our room was still not ready so we checked with our Sunwing Rep and she went to the front desk and got our key. The room was 'tired' and the door to the room looked to have been broken sometime in the past. Our linens were damp and we put that down to them having been recently washed and maybe not quite dry. We tried it for the night and in the morning they were still damp and our clothes began to get damp. Then we discovered some mould on the wall, ceiling and bedskirt. We asked to be moved to a new room but the hotel was full. We told Sunwing and they asked if we'd like to go to the Ocean Casa Del Mar, 5 minutes away. We'd stayed there twice before and agreed to go there. We enjoyed our third trip to the Ocean Casa Del Mar and as a result, my ratings of the service and facilities at the Grand Memories is very limited. My rating is based on 1 day and limited exposure to the resort. /bc

Spent a week here with my cousin and my biggest critique was that the place is slightly outdated and could use just a bit of renovating. They also need to keep their alcohol fully stocked. That's the worst I can say about this place. Other than that, we had a very relaxing week, that staff are phenomenal, some of the best food I've had in Cuba (In the past I've found the food to be flavourless and bland). I wasn't looking to party so this resort was perfect for that. There are shows every night that are entertaining, a lot of quiet spots to just relax and enjoy a beverage or read. If you aren't picky about appearance, you'll enjoy it here! Also bring bug spray, I was covered in mosquito bites!

This resort was by far one of the best I have stayed at so far in Cuba. I have been to Cuba three times and this resort was hands down my favourite. The staff were exceptional and very attentive at every meal. The pools and surrounding areas were well maintained and the cleaning staff were very wonderful, they gave us extra towels and changed the sheets upon request. I would definitely recommend this resort. I stayed at the Grand memories as there are three attached (Memories Paraiso, Grand Memories and Sanctuary). Something I would say was that we could not locate one of the restaurants.

Great time loved the pool beach! The pizza and bbq food areas were delicious! Good shows and entertainment, little extras! Staff was lovely and very kind- the service all around was great. Loved the little pop up stands with cherrios and cotton candy!

I took my wife and 5 year old away for our first all inclusive family week long vacation. The main reason was their free kids promotion and it was very affordable. I’ve been to Cuba before so knew what to expect and I was mostly happy with the trip. Room was ok, resort was very nice and the staff was fantastic. I would consider going back again next year.

Hotel was great for families. Pool: was clean and lots of chairs. Kids club: was always open and kids enjoyed it. Food: We are not picky eaters and thought the food was great. We heard it was a lot better than other Cuban resorts from talking with people at the airport at the end of the week. They had an unlimited lobster dinner one night and turkey dinner another. Always had fruit, salad bar and rice or mashed potatoes that were so good and creamy. A station cooking steak, fish or pork chops each night to order. A pasta station and stir fry station as well. Lunch we usually had shredded beef and rice, hotdogs, hamburgers or chicken sandwiches by the pool but the buffet was very similar to dinner. Breakfast they had Omelette bar bacon, hash browns and fruit, plus a toaster to toast bread. Beach: the most beautiful white sand and turquoise water ever. Not very crowded, and a special “diamond club” adults only section if you want to get away from the kids. Rooms: older bed that was a touch on the firm side but the showers had super strong water pressure, the room had ice cold A/C, a mini fridge and balcony overlooking pool side or beach side. Entertainment was very good as well. Kids show at 8-8:30 daily and adults show from 9:30-10:30. Hotel in general: it is a very large hotel and if your building is on the outer edge you will do a lot of walking. At night the paths aren’t lit up very well, but never felt unsafe or got lost. Hotel borders on a market that has restaurants, craft tables, clothing, jewelry, ice cream, popcorn, and other touristy Knick-knacks for sale. Only downside was that we got lots of mosquito bites on the first night Bc we weren’t wearing bug spray. You couldn’t ever see or hear the bugs, but they def got us while watching the entertainment and walking around at night. Wore bug spray on lower legs after that at night, and never got any more bites.

The resort was a good experience! The entertainment and the accessibility of the cays help make up for any thing that may seem off! Enjoy the beach and make sure to befriend plenty of staff. Don’t go for the food or you’ll find yourself eating mashed potatoes and bread for 7 days. Tip 1: walk on the beach not on the sidewalks-take the bus! Tip 2: mosquitoes aren’t the only thing biting so remember to bring deet spray and after-bite! All in all, we had a good time!

We arrived New Year's Eve just before midnight. Check-in was decent. Dropped our bags and headed to the theatre for the countdown festivities. It was a great start. The villa we were staying in seemed abandoned with only a few rooms to rent. The first and second level were not lit up and it seemed a bit sketchy and dark in the stairwell. We asked to be changed to a different villa to feel safer with our kids. The second room seemed very run down with AC not working. The Manager Ricardo was quick to upgrade to a suite, which we were pleased. We had a villa between pool and beach and it was very convenient. Food was boring and lacking flavor. I survived on omelets and hash browns and bananas. Staff is quite friendly. Biggest problem was lack of beach chairs at beach and pool. It seemed it was deliberate so as to upgrade to diamond club for beach chairs. Great weather hotel needs much TLC.

My husband and I visited this hotel for the first time in 2012. We fell in love with resort and it really set the bar high for all of our Cuba vacations and so we decided to go there again with our kids 8 years later. I call this the trip from hell for several reasons. The first being there is a major safety issue at this hotel. If you chose to visit this hotel, I recommend you pack a flash light or two as the stairway and hallways are not always lit up in the evening. The pathways on the resort grounds are also very dark. The second safety issue is the septic tanks and manholes. You will find some of the septic tanks and manholes do not always have their covers on. In fact, some of the covers are removed and placed right next to a big open hole. My son had the misfortune of falling into a septic sewage due to the manhole cover being removed. His curiosity with the lizards got the best of him and he wasn’t paying attention to his steps, one step backward and he fell right into raw sewage! When I addressed the manager, he took it quite seriously but I’m still not happy with this as it could have been prevented had they used proper procedures. Another issue I have with the hotel is the cross contamination of foods. When I went to the buffet and the pizza making station, the cooks would often use the same plate and spoon to pick up and place your toppings for fresh pasta or pizza. Being a vegetarian, I would get disgusted with having my food come into contact with meat. The hotel guests also use the same serving spoons to pick up cheese and cold cuts or rice and beef stew.. I had to tell a hotel guest that a vegan or vegetarian person doesn’t like this practice. I would also like to mention that there are a lot of cockroaches in the buffet. You will see them crawling on the walls behind the meat and pasta stations, crawling on the buffet area where your food is.. I was disgusted and didn’t eat much for a week. We paid for an ocean suite and when we got there, it was a standard suite and very dirty. Once we complained and got the ocean view, there was a huge difference. These rooms are updated and more clean. Getting a hot shower at peek times won’t happen so be sure to shower before 4pm if you want hot water. The only thing this hotel has going for them in nice staff and a gorgeous beach.

It's difficult to have a Fun Vacation when it becomes a Sick Vacation! My wife and I , and possibly 40 percent of the remaining guests were violently ill and spent two and a half days in the loo.The causes after discussions with other sick guests were many: tainted food,contaminated ice at the bars,contaminated glasses,improperly and unhygienic public bathrooms,questionable water etc. etc.

We stayed at the grand memories for 2 weeks, the weather was amazing!! I’ve been to cuba over 40 times and this resort was not what I expected at all. They let the other two resorts come to this buffet which made it total chaos, we pretty much waited till it was closed and went in and got some scraps! We never complained because we just couldn’t be bothered. The room was ok, pretty musty but I had fabreeze. Some staff was ok but not near as friendly as other resorts I’ve been to in cuba. The snack bar is impossible to get pizza if it’s busy because it’s 1 guy working his ass off so we didn’t bother with that either. I felt bad for people with kids because there really were no snacks that were convenient for them......I love Cuba and will be back but not to this resort unless it’s a super deal.

The hotel is not for 4stars. We were missed of drinking water - we asked three times the reception and reception manager. We spent a lot of pesos to buy water. We gave tips every times for every occasion before to be served and even for asking water. The keys did not worked when we entered. We gave 20 can dol to the gay with electric car because it was night and no pesos for change. The driver wanted tip an then get the money and leaves us to resolve the issus with keys. It was dark and we needed to go to the reception to ask new instead to offer us To help. The meals were ok the nature and beach amazing. .

My stay at the Grand Memories will be a memory that I won't forget. For starters the hotel is not a 4 and half star more like a three and a half. The service was alright ,no problems there. The beach was impeccable but could of have more shading . The grounds were nice but too forest look type, the mosquitoes bites reminded you that. They need to up their maintenance such as replace the light bulbs on the paths to and from your room, very dark at night. The food wasn't the best but reasonable and the drinks lacked flavour. All in all I would go back only if they resolve the small problems.

Good hotel on grate location and good service. People are very friendly and shows happiness when are you satisfied. Staying in this resorts was good out of season. I will recommend this for people that can take vacation at this time as price is very good.

We had a lovely time in Cuba although I would not recommend Grand Memories to others. The location was amazing and the staff were friendly; however, the accommodations and amenities are in a severe state of dilapidation. We did not voice our concerns while there (though we came very close) as we were spending the majority of our time off the resort. In our room: the toilet seat was broken and not secured, the fan didn't work, there were odd stains all over the ceiling, the light on the balcony was broken and hanging by loose electrical wires, there was only one bath towel for three people (even though I kept asking for more), there were always ants in the water glasses and we were itchy and waking up with bites or rashes every day we slept in the beds until I finally asked them to change the sheets -- the problem was resolved after that. On the resort: the buildings were tired looking, the floors and furniture appeared dirty, the dishes and glassware were always greasy even though they were "clean" and we saw many cockroaches in the restaurants. At one point during breakfast a glass was dropped and smashed on the floor and no one cleaned it up or sectioned the area off -- we were there for another 30-minutes and it was still all over the floor when we left. Lastly, on the morning of our departure the buffet failed to open even 30-minutes early so guests could eat before travelling close to 2-hours to the airport. As adults we dealt with it but most (including ourselves) were travelling with small children who were obviously very hungry until food service began on our flight to Toronto over 4 hours later. I do wish they would rate this resort as a 3-star at best as it's very misleading as a 4-star. Many guests did complain and some were moved to alternate resorts as a result. I've travelled to Cuba a few times and have stayed in 3-star resorts that were in better condition and offered better service than this one. I would return to Cuba as it really is a special place but never to this resort again.

I can honestly say this wasn’t our best vacation. The Diamond Club package is so not worth it. Do not waste your money!!! We waited 3 hours before being able to go to our room. This already rubbed me the wrong way because we had our 16 month old and a 9 year old with us. There was some sort of mix up and our room las given to someone else. We were then placed in a room that did not have a phone. Again mom with two kids and no phone in the room. I went to the concierge to ask for a phone to be placed in the room. I was told that the building where they put the Diamond Club guests has a faulty phone line and that not all rooms have a working phone. I ended up complaining because we had also bought the superior package with ocean view, and we were put right beside the pool where there was music on all day. Getting my little guy to nap was a nightmare. They moved us to another building farther away and they told us the phones worked. Yes there was a phone in the room but not working. I gave up! The next 3 days water was an issue. I spoke to 5 different people requesting and extra bottle of water in the room and I was told don’t worry it will get done. It never did. I needed the extra bottle for the formulas for the baby. Finally I had to pay a worker to help me get water and from then on every day we had extra water in the room. It was very frustrating. I have been to Cuba 7 times before this. I have never ever had an issue with food because we aren’t picky eaters. But this time around... they had the extract same thing every single day for lunch and dinner. We got tired of it real quick. By the third day this became an issue. The only time when we really enjoyed the food was in the a la cart restaurants. The hotel was pretty badly damaged because of the hurricane and you could see it. The iron in the rooms is all rusted, windows are cracked or broken, pieces missing from the walls, the shutters in the buildings has mold on them. Yes they are slowly trying to fix it but it still looked really bad. The only good thing about this resort was the beach. The beach is just beautiful. Otherwise I honestly do not recommend this hotel. I was way too frustrated trying to get the basics for the kids and I like to relaxed on vacation not be frustrated and feel like no one is listening.

This was my first time to cuba with my 4 year old and 2 year old and this resort supposibly a 4.5 star resort but it in reality I would rate it a 3 star. Our first day we got to the resort at 12:30am didnt get to our room till 1:30am, as check in was the longest wait. They didnt give us the 2 double bed rooms we booked instead they gave us 1 king and cot. After getting to the room then we saw the room wasnt what we booked. Went back to the lobby and was told our room wasnt available, they promised it would be available the next day. The next day they said the same, I never got the room I booked for my entire stay. By the way dont bother with the reports they make. The food was horrible didnt have much for the kids as there play ground was all broken up. Someone even stole our stroller. The only thing good about this resort is the beach. Before I travelled I did my research on this resort saw all the bad reviews and honestly thought it couldn't be that bad. But the reviews were all right. I will never go back to this resort.

Our stay on this trip was a complete disaster. This our first one that we’ve ever had, when booking these packages. 1) The last incident was the check-in rep, at the airport did not sit our daughter with us, when seating. Ava is 6 years old??? Does Sunwing not have basic policies about this? The check-in rep was unresponsive and just an absolutely horrid and rude person. Furthermore, when we paid extra for Elite Plus on our return leg, they did not have right configuration of the plane! And we were not sitting Plus seats that we paid $50 per person for. Why are we paying money, for not receiving the extra legroom? Trevor is well over 6 feet, and he was extremely uncomfortable for his entire flight home. 2) Lost luggage. On way down, our friend Trevor Smith had his baggage still in Toronto until Monday. Sunwing did pay $50CUC for this. We are following up with Sunwing about a missing piece of carry-on luggage. 3) We moved 3 times during our stay at Grand Memories: Rooms 5579 to 3309 to 5207!!! 4) On the last night we finally did receive our Diamond Club Superior Junior Suite. They screwed us out of our rooms, for almost the entire stay. Our initial room on the 1st night was in the worst building with filthy room conditions with sand all over the floors, sand in the bed, faucets were faulty. Our next few days were okay in 3309, until the entire plumbing started coming up through both of the bathtubs, showers, and toilets. Had to follow up with the staff multiple times, for them to even check about the faulty plumbing. Their response time was neglectful and extremely slow. There are too many other details about our stay at Grand Memories that it would take several more paragraph. But we would definitely not recommend this hotel! I would say, this the worst hotel that we have ever been to and our overall experience was absolutely terrible.

Over all I think the resort (Grand Memories) is an excellent example of Cuban culture and Tourism. There were a few hiccups the first day but nothing major. Our stay started with our room not being ready until 5:00pm that was a bit disappointing but staff accommodated us with a locked storage room for our belongings. Our toilet would not flush the second day and it took several hours to get it repaired. Staff were very apologetic and did try to assist us. The servers on the main bar and the hotel buffet were very apprised on how to treat guests and they really made our vacation so enjoyable. We enjoyed the nightly shows so much we stayed and joined in on the late night dance party.Staff would remember our names after being told one time and also were happy to assist when we had questions to do with the resort.

Hotel is definitely not luxurious. Pool area had moldy, smelly puddles that were not being cleaned properly. People smoked in the pool regardless of whether babies were there or not. Food is ok. Staff is amazing

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

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

Our stay was fantastic. The resort was very clean, the staff was very friendly and helpful. Only advice to future go hours, is to bring bug spray as the mosquitoes can get pretty bad at night but that was our only complaint

We have been down 3x now and love the people love the service. We stay at the sanctuary grand memories. The hotel itself is getting tired . Need a refresh ,but the food is great for cuba ! The beach is like no other. the people are amazing! Wifi is available, the Butler's and bartenders are great the entertainment team is amazing. The Bartenders in the lobby Yordany and Yohandy are amazing and so sweet we will be going again next year

everything was good, beautiful beach,staff are very friendly, improvement can be made for the buffet................................................................................................................................................................................................

Good people, good service, everything just wonderful!!!!! The kids loved it also us adults. I would go there any time in heart beat! Good shows every night for kids and adults. You won't be disappointed!!!!! Cheers

This has been one of the best all-inclusive resorts we have ever stayed at! The food was delicious! We stayed in a gorgeous traditional style bungalow # 56 with generous comfy beds. No words can describe the beauty of the beach! !!!!!! Entertainment amazing! Some People Will Complain No Matter What but it was Excellent stay experience for price of 900

No hygiene, room was dirty, no Internet service for three days, had to switch room 3 times due faulty rooms, old TV, no beach towels for three days, food were cold, had to complain to get water bottle to the room and the sheet change in the room, this is not a 4+ hotel. It should be 2 star hotel.

My week here was amazing! I don’t have one complaint; from the kind staff team, the cleanliness of the room, to the delicious food, and especially beautiful beach, I would definitely recommend this resort. I will be back!

My two girlfriends and I just returned from a 7 day vacation to grand memories. We went without toilet paper(used baby wipes) and water bottles for about 3 days. The only way we were able to get a bottle of water was because I had to BUY it at the gift shop. The food is decent but you're basically dreaming of something that has taste or flavour. The only thing that saved this resort from getting a 1 star was the beach. Staff were greedy and expected tips constantly. Staff also harassed my friends and I as we are young girls. Good thing we focused on the good not the bad. But we won’t be back.

Hi there. I am responding on behalf of my Husband James William and myself. we just returned from two weeks in beautiful Cayo Santa Maria Cuba. We stayed at Grand Memories as we have been for the last eight years. One of the main reasons we stay is because of the staff! They are beautiful people! We love this resort. The food for Cuban Resorts is pretty good! The grounds are always being primped and looked after very well! The pool area is very clean and the beach is absolutely amazing! We will definitely be booking with you again in the near future! Thank you for the wonderful service! Tracy Mannett and James Scott.

It used to be better last summer. Moisture in rooms smells bad, dated furniture and television set; for sure it wouldn't make it for 3 stars, let alone the 5 that they are claiming. We booked 2 rooms in the same place, we got there 2 rooms in different buildings, 5 blocs distance from kids. We moved twice, because the second room was with no functioning air conditioning. Food was not very good. No sliced bread, if for salads, you have one day, the other day forget about it. Variety of drinks decreased considerably (no ingredients for some of their basic ones) the beach though, is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, white sand, turquoise water, food access and drinks on the beach. People should respect more this beauty of nature, because I’ve spent time cleaning the cigarettes buts and plastic cups on the beach.

The beach was perfect! Well kept with ample lounge chairs and shady umbrellas. All of the staff were always kind courteous and friendly. The buffet had plenty of variety whether it was breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had a wonderful stay and would be more than happy to return!

This private resort is a diamond in the rough with lots of potential but be prepared for 1:45 bus ride with no washrooms. The beach is outstanding, the food was very good and the service was good. A few shortages like bread one morning & white wine. Reserve the restaurants early. Skip the Mexican restaurant that did not serve the basic staple of Tortilla chips. The cleanliness & building maintenance needs improvement as well as the evening entertainment.

Grounds were beautiful. Resort and rooms were lovely. Way too much difficulty getting the toilet paper replaced in our room more than a few times. Was even left empty several times after room was made up for day. Buffet food was ok. Nothing fabulous. A la carte meals were great. Alexander and the entertainment team at Sanctuary were wonderful.

This was our 2nd time retuning to this property we had such a great time last time , we decided to bring down all our family . We love the beach and the people . Especially the entertainment team .Alexander from the entertainment team is very deserving of this recognition as he made us feel very special as I know it's his job, but he is very genuine and I feel like he is family. His English gets better every year as we help him on line when we get home too. The way he treats his guests are amazing and very attentive . My heart is so full with the memories we have made and plan to return again in May . But one thing that needs a bit of attention is the rooms , we were missing toilet paper for days and had to get some from the lobby and there were no face cloths and we never got clean towels all week in the room . We had to chase our Maid man and he didn't speak any English either. I know these are smaller things but these things matter . Thanks again to Carlo and Ray at the Bar in sanctuary and to Alexander , Osmany ,Lainey and Lizz. Also to our favourite golf cart driver Aleski we love you guys and keep up the great work ! Love Barb , Chris , Austin, and Ashley Blue

I had a great time in Cuba and grand memories it it was very beautiful with beautiful beach. The hotel was nice but could have had better service by the maids. The food was quite good I would totally recommend this resort to anyone