Memories Varadero Hotel, Varadero Beach Cuba. 4 stars,

“Take your own Mattress... ”
First off let me say that the staff at the hotel overall was fairly pleasant. The food however was disgusting, now I knew going to Cuba not to expect great tasting food but come on. At least maybe some food that was cooked properly and pieces that you feed to Humans not animals would have been nice. The buffet was the worst I have been too. The Ala cartes were better but far from good. Horrible service at check in time, over 2 hrs. Received an Ear infection second last day ( from the pool no doubt ) there was dirt everywhere on the bottom, and it was quite cool. Likely the worst parts of the trip was the BED !! I would have been better off sleeping on the grass outside. After the first night by back was so sore that I was popping Tylenol like candy ( No kidding )... I could go on, but why bother if you don't get the idea from this then no sense. If you like to drink lots, don't like to eat or sleep then this is the resort for you. Cheers

“Don't Waste Your Money !! ”
We upgraded to the diamond club but don't waste your money. The site promotes a quick check in but we waited 2.5 hrs. The room was clean but the mattress is from the 1960's. Don't expect a pleasant rest while you are there. I requested a quiet location and they put us right next to the theatre. I was awake until 1 am every night with loud music and drunk people yelling. I went to relax and de-stress. I came home tired and wired! The front desk is completely useless and they should just disconnect the phone. The food was not eatable and I suggest that you stick to the white rice if you have stomach issues. My husband sufferred from food poisoning and sat on the toliet for many days. I also can not have a lot of sugar and do not drink any alcohol. They had no diet coke at any bars and I had to buy some from the store. So we didn't eat their food and I had to buy my own drinks. Many drunk Canadians that seem to have never had alcohol before and liked to party. Maybe this is what you are looking for...partying and booze. I went for the complete opposite. We also felt pressured to leave tips for everyone. They do not make much so we did leave some extra cash for the maid but she deserved it. The pool is not cleaned and is dirty but the beach is nice. I recommend the Riu in Costa Rica if you want peace and lots of rest. Good luck if you choose this resort!

“Great Entertainment for young kids, disappointed with over all Hotel ”
My family and I just returned from staying at this resort last Thursday. First off the hotel rooms are very clean and very well maintained. If you have any issues in the room (leaking etc.) reporting them and fast action was delivered. We had left our camera at the theater one night due to having to carry our son. When we discovered we had left it at the end of night, my husband went down and obviously it was gone and not returned. I didn't feel as though the staff really gave a crap. The last people that would have discovered it would have been the cleaners. I'm only telling you this because when you leave something expect not to get it back. The food is Cuba food however they did offer some Canadian choices such as bacon and hash browns which weren?t that bad. They also offered Gravy with fries also not bad, the ladies on the egg station were fantastic and made our morning, we wish all the staff was like them. We did notice that some of the waitresses would save seats for their regular people that hadn't even made it to breakfast yet. Once you tried to sit she would tell you it is taken by someone getting their food. We watched and no one came. So lesson, if you want seats in your desired area and yes people I'm talking about THE BUFFET you must tip or good luck. For dessert they offer Nestlé?s individual Ice cream tubs which were a huge hit with the kids, often they come around with ice cream bars for the kids, also fantastic. Breakfast bowls are hard to come by and you are better off bringing your own and washing it or you will be eating cereal in a plastic cup. The snack bar by the quiet pool is a joke out of 7 days they only had breaded chicken (which is on their menu) 2 days and that was after we threatened to complain to the manager. The breaded Chicken was sooooo good that is probably why they never had it, they were probably taking it home. The Mexican restaurant was a disaster if you order Quesada?s you are going to get fajitas, after they give you the kids menu they will tell you it is old and they don?t have anything on there. The Japanese was fantastic great food and entertainment a must see for sure. Kids entertainment and staff with the kids is great,I have been to several resorts and this one for me was the best for kids. Toopy and Binoo came for a visit, Mickey & Minnie Mouse also. There were free camel rides for the kids lots and lots for them to do. I did go to Riu last year and wanted to try a new place, but was disappointment with the amount of times I was told they don't have something we ordered, very frustrating. One more thing it is next to impossible to get clean towels so bring your own.

“You Can Do Better ”
We booked this location on the recommendation of others which is outside of our normal process. It was an incredible value and we booked 2 rooms. One for our family of 3 and one for my wife's parents. In the end it was bad decision for all. We are well versed with Cuba, Cuba culture and it's hotels. We typically stay at a 5 star recognizing 5 is more like a 3 in Cuba. Consider this 4 star to be more like a 2 start. Our rooms were very worn from the beds, to the tiles to the floors. They were as clean as one could make them, but the structural and furniture components were sub par compared to other resorts we'd been to previously in Cuba. Our room also had a strong musty smell. The grounds were "ok" and I felt by 11am onward the staff had a hard time keeping on top of things. The washrooms by the pools were horrible throughout the afternoon. Areas around the pool bar and pool restaurant were full of water and often unsafe and I rarely saw anyone trying to keep up withing cleaning this. Food was also below average from our previous visits to Cuba. Very standard buffet that below average quality. Variety was there, but after 3 days variety seemed to be limited and lacking as it was almost entirely the same each day. The slide from the pictures looked captivating, but was definitely not designed for younger kids. Pools were ok. The kids pool was sometimes full of water and other times empty with no reasoning why. The pools as well needed regular clean up which didn't seem to happen during the day. About 3 days in we all got horrible sick. So sick we could not leave our rooms for 2 days and my wife, who was in her 1st trimester of pregnancy, go so viciously ill that she had to be hospitalized in Varadero. They wanted to send her to Havana, but we declined as it was nearing the end of our trip and we didn't want to be around for any longer than we had to be. I'd be very cautious of going here. Ensure you have a strong stomach, lots of meds to battle potential food illness and keep your expectations at a level that resemble what this resort has to offer.

“Poor!! Run away!! ”
This is NOT a 4* it is not more than 2*. No hot water before noon, rooms are old dirty and smell like piss. Had to get moved 3 times. Food is horrible even for cuba. Drinks are all made from sirops. Service is good tho. I paid 625$ and i had better for less. Cant imagine people pays 1200$ for that. Go somwhere else!

“"Not too good" Memories ”
Sorry but this hotel was rubbish.The buffet was a complete free for all,you had to serve your food with broken serving tongs, how much rice salad can you actually pick up with half a set of tongs!!! The floor was greasy every day almost skating from one food station to another.Staff were dreadful not all staff granted,but I have never been to a hotel where we had to wait while the staff were served first,that happened at the beach barbecue.Most meal times we had to ask for water,juice or beer and seemed to miss out on the champagne too I don't expect anyone to bow and scrape to me but I do expect common courtesy.The sunbeds were dirty some even mouldy and covered in bird poo.The area around the pool was also dirty and needed jet washing.The chairs and tables in the pool snack bar were also covered in bird poo,some days they would serve you coffee some days you were sent to the lobby!!!!They were constantly running out of glasses and cups so we would then have to use little plastic cups,which I understand is safer outside but this was in the lobby bars and coffe bars. On the plus side our rooms were kept beautifully clean by our room lady Ary, and Leo was very good always rushing round very very busy.There are so many more points I could list no soap in the loo,no loo paper.Staff drinking cocktails on a very regular basis, ok no probs there but not when they were on duty.I could go on but think that I have given a good overview of Memories. Dear Manager please clean your hotel up and keep a better eye on what goes on !!!!!

“Will not go again!”
Four adults and a 2 year old just returned from Memories Varadero. We were very disappointed with the service at Memories. The hotel itself was well maintained as well as the grounds.The service was horrible. The kids club was not safe to take your children to. The equipment was broke for the week we were there. Service at the lobby bars and dining hall was poor. The majority of the waitresses just walked around but did not come to your table. Bathrooms near the dining hall were out of order the whole week. Guests were seen urinating out on the grass in plain view. We requested shuttle service the day we were leaving to help with all our suitcases and no one showed up. We have been to Cuba many many times and this is not the way most operate. We were at the Royalton in Santa Maria in Sept and we had full use of Memories and we were happy with the service there so we thought we would try the one in Varadero, there is no comparison. You can find a much better resort to go to for the same price don't waste your money on Memories Varadero.

“Memories is not a 4 star resort... barely a 3.5 star! ”
This is my second time to Cuba, first for Varadero. I'll speak about the tips first as my review will be long. Lots to say! Tips 1.Building that is dead Centre to everything is 38 ( nothing beyond or you will be too far from lobby) 2. Cleanest pool is the Quiet pool 3. Stay away from the snack pool restos 4. Best place to eat is the resto near the beach. Best Pina coladas on the resort. 5. Bring a flash light 6. Bring bug spray 7. If you can't walk much ask for rooms near the Lobby. The quiet pool is near by 8. Bring your own snacks, ketchup and seasonings. 9. Dine at the Japanese and Creole. Stay away from French. 10. DON'T BOTHER WITH DIAMOND CLUB. Only exception is we got late check out but to stay extended is 10 pesos more and diamond club is $50pp. 11. Bring a tumbler or drink mugs. Cups are so flimsy. 12. Must see Michael Jackson and water show!!! 13. There is no shopping vendors at th resort ( just 2 and same ones all week) . Best shopping is off resort take a tour or do the double decker bus and explore. Resort is near to many off resort gems. 14. If you like history or architecture, do the Havana Colonial. Better yet also do the Tropicana performance. 15. Lots of shells on the beach, bring water shoes. Location & Resort ?It's about 45 minute drive from the airport. ?It's about 1.5hr drive to Havana. ?I've read that it's a very larger resort, I agree it's big but to my hubby and I it was all within walking distance. We've been to much larger resorts [Gran Bahia Punta Cana is much bigger] ?The trolley buses are very slow to arrive, so we didn't mind walking around. ?We were situated in building 38, which was dead Centre from everything. Right across from the 'Action Pool' ( Waterside & the cave pool), also near the Theatre and 5 minutes from the Beach. Towards the other end was the 'Quiet Pool' and the Lobby. from what I've seen any other building beyond 38 may be more of a walk. I read reviews of the noise from the theatre but I didn't notice it. After a full day of fun in the sun and alcohol, I slept like a baby. Rooms & Facilities ? my room was fine, nothing fancy. Comfy bed and had a balcony. The water pressure was fine but the temperature frequently changed on us from hot to cold. ?Rooms do show some wear and tear. ?The building showed more wear and tear, hanging from ceiling was broken fire alarms, broken doors which held maintenance pipes. ? Safe in room. TV didn't work at all for us but we didn't bother with fixing it. Phone worked but never connected to lobby. For some reason dialing 7000 never went through but dialing 0 went to the operator and then you could be connected. ?The whole resort did not have functional lighting when you walked at night. It's only there for decor. Bring a flashlight. ?The grounds is not maintained. The walking paths are not kept up. Fountains are not functional. Pool showers are not operational. The hedges, plants, trees are dry or dying. Not too many photo ops. ?The bathrooms are usually closed for maintenance. Many toilets or stalls are.l non functional. the pools are never or at best rarely cleaned! Water temp if freezing. The stairs to the water slide is just filthy. The quiet pool is better maintained but we rarely went there. Beach is the best. Dining First off, I knew going in the food would be average at best! Also my husband and I are Vegans but had to revise our meal plans to Vegetarians only because we wouldn't of been able to eat anything. ?We were Diamond Club members and to be honest, it's not worth it. Many times we saw non Diamond club members get the perks which we paid for. The staff didn't really regulate it. ?As a Diamond club.member you get to dine in AC room, separate from the main lobby dining area. Several times I saw non diamond club members sit and eat in the AC dining room. ???? We noticed that many of the staff members and family members ate their meal in the AC room. It was more like the staff lunch room! ?The snack bars are terrible. Only had small selections (fries, cheese pizza, spaghetti and ham and cheese sandwich, which at many occasions they were always short of, thus you'd only get it fries ????Go to the Restaurant close to the beach. Better selections. Also served better Pina coladas. Stay away from the snack bars near the pools. A La Carte ? We went to the Creole, French, Japanese and a Diamond Club Dinner and show. ? Creole was in a restaurant, food was fine. Decor and service was good. ? French was in a room, resembled a banquet hall with terrible decor. Also the walls had mould, like water damage. Service was good but food not good. ? Japanese was the best. Had the meal cooked in front of you and service was nice. Decor was good, resembled a Japanese resto. Food was good, had seasoning! ? Diamond club dinner by the Quiet Pool was OK. Nice change to have out doors. Food was OK. The setting wasn't thought out as there was no evening lightening so it was like dining in the dark. You get a small poolside show where there was an aquatic show- Apparently it's nightly at 9pm ?Lobby main dining hall, most of the food stations was closed off and a small portion was open. I'm not sure why, maybe because it's the off season. It wasn't cleaned, the food stations weren't maintained. Flies and bugs everywhere all over the food. Food was not temperature well. Line ups for the fresh made stations ( pasta, grill ) were extremely long. ? a lot of repetitive meal selections from the night / meal before. We lived off of cheese pizza and fries and papaya. ????We also brought our own ketchup and seasonings and snacks. Bars ? Restaurant near the beach was the best. Served better Pina coladas. ? Lobby bar was good too. I liked the coffee. Cave bar at the action pool was nice too. ?Diamond club gets you butler service at the beach but service was so slow, you were better off just getting up and going for yourself. Also non members got access to the bar also. ? 2 out of the 7 days we received pool side bar service. Was nice but also was slow. ? Diamond club members have access to the top shelf at all bars but I frequently sale non members have access to the top self. Entertainment ? the nightly shows were very short. They always started late. 915pm and would last for about 30-45 minutes. ???? The best shows were the water aquatic show at the action pool (Wed) and Michael Jackson (Fri). Those were very entertaining. Most of the shows were audience participation. 2 other shows were performances by the dancers. Shows usually ended at 10pm ? There was no actual Disco/Nightclub but the at the theatre they would have nightly dancing. The MC would help amp up the crowd and get the night going with some salsa. The MC was very involved and entertaining. Tours & Shopping ? We did the Havana Colonial. Don't pretty buy the tours on the flight. It is not 10% less as they will advertise on the plane. It is actually cheaper if you buy at the resort. ????It's $59 if you do the Sunwing special which goes Tues and Sat. Also don't go Monday, that's the day they close everything. It's the day off for Cubans. The tour was nice, seeing the city. It's a but rushed but you get to see the Rum factory and a sore for cigars ( it's not really a factory) just discounted cigars. We bought a few( the one Che Queverra and Fidel Castro enjoyed ) Lunch was at a restaurant, was good. Flea market was short but grabbed a few good items. The views of Havana was amazing!! The Pina Colada at the beginning of the tour was so good. Worth the 5 pesos and you poured as much rum as you wanted. They give you the bottle to pour. We also went to the hotel where Hemingway stayed but the Mojitos weren't really to be desired. Our tour guide Ray was very good. ***Overall we wish it was better. We paid about $750 pp. It's much cheaper than going to DR but it felt like a 3.5 star so I may have as well paid to stay at Tuxpan. My friend went to Laguna Azul ( near Memories Varadero and was only $75 more and was well worth it. I wish we had listened to her advice.) I've been to Memories Azul in Santa Clara. Much better, bigger and better food and facilities. We will be going back there but not to Memories Varadero. -It is not managed well. -Some staff are rude. They speak English. -The driver who brought us to our room was upset when we tipped him ( guess he didn't appreciate a $5 CAD tip for driving us to our building) -the front desk hung up on us. -many times I saw staff eating over the food they were serving. I even saw someone take food right at the station and put in his hands and eat it -staff eating in diamond club area any time and all day. There is this family who is there for every meal. Mother, father and child. ( I may be a bit picky but at my work I'm not eat in front of clients, especially have my family eat with me). It's and old resort. I hope they pick up the management/maintenance in the high season. I hope this helps future travellers. I'm giving this resort a poor rating but not a terrible. I didn't get food poisoning atleast! I have many photos I'll put up at a later date.

“No Real Attention to Detail. ”
It was my first trip to Cuba and went with a group of 45-50 friends. Some of my friends had stayed in this resort one year ago. They had stated it was okay but we all chose this particular resort because it gave us the best price. I was given a little background about the resort and Cuba but I also have done my own research over the years. There is a lot of walking here and the shuttle service is so-so. If your room is near the beach expect to walk a lot. We had a room near the beach and I think I walked 10 kms per day just to go eat and have nightcap at the lobby or sports bar. In the morning the only pace to get a coffee is basically at the lobby. Do not get coffee at the buffet, Dish water! Sports bar really isn't worth it unless you enjoy watching a game on a yellow screen. All bars close by 6 if not sooner because they ran out of booze which happened many times for our Diamond club members. Some days by 3-4 in the afternoon. You are forced to go the sports bar or to the lobby basically or by booze from the gift store. Some of our Diamond club members and suite holders were not even getting their fridges restocked everyday as promised. First off the management photos are very misleading. I don't know when these photos were taken but I would have to say when it was brand new and under a previous ownership. The pool area where it shows 2 small islands in the middle with grass has been replaced with large concrete slabs and deck chairs accompanied by many cigarette butts and dirt. Not sure why people sat there it looked like it was never cleaned. Many of the photos picture this bright clean resort but it is the opposite. Many times we would see garbage lying around cig. butts constantly being overlooked by staff. My wife even saw an open hole and when she looked down it was an open sewer system. No cover, hazard in waiting. The grounds as a whole lack any real TLC. The buffet was okay most days but I would recommend that you only go to where food can be cooked directly in front of you. The cold chain of food management is nearly non-existent. Most of the food in the trays I would not recommend to most. Many dishes were non labeled so there was no idea of what was being served. The rooms are dated and in a serious need of a renovation. Having towel and soap racks falling out the walls in most rooms. The faucets and shower heads leaching out. The beds in most of our rooms were the equivalent of a park bench. I was more comfy in my bus seat on our tour of Havana. The maid we had for our room was great and she did a great job with the limited supplies she was given. Our friend had to change rooms because the shower did not work yet within 1 hour of her changing rooms the front desk filled the room with a another guest. No work done on the room to fix the shower. Many people had issues with no hot water. There were many friendly staff members at this resort but I would have to say that there were more inconsiderate ones. Many would not let a guest pass first but just cut in front. Having stayed in many resorts plus cruising this had to be the most inconsiderate staff we have come across. We spent a lot of time on in the ocean which was great. The white sand with the surf did make this holiday much better. My only beef about the beach is the lack of garbage pick up by staff. Witnessed staff cleaning up the beach chairs and just dumping any garbage on to the beach and walking away. A few of us wanted to go golfing only to be told that we were not eligible. The rep stated contracts change. I only tried to book it with my travel agent standing next to me telling the Sunwing rep she was wrong. The rep told us only 2 out of 47 were eligible for golf. We had many people in suites, Diamond club etc. I had looked just prior to leaving for the trip and after our trip and on the Sunwing site we were all allowed to play. Sunwing needs to have chat with these folks. Then the rep said if we pay her a $20 green fee we can go. Pass. Best meal of the week was the Japanese restaurant. Great meal and our chef was very entertaining and talkative. Also went to the Italian and French restaurants. The only thing served at the French that was even close to to being French were the crepes for dessert. The food was okay but when does a loud techno-beat music mean French restaurant. I thought it was going to be really nice when a young lady started playing the violin but that last one song and she left. We had booked the 3 a la cartes the day we arrived for our large group to be able to eat together. Only the Japanese restaurant was fully prepared for us. A little lack of communication some where. Out of group of 47 only about 20 of us got sick in one form or another. Some were for a day or two while some of us for most of the vacation. It has been a week since we have come back and there are few of us that are still dealing with issues related to the trip. Overall the resort is okay but only if you can get this for under $500 before taxes. The attention to detail at this resort is non-existent. I enjoyed my vacation because I was with my wife and friends and not because of the resort. If you live on the west coast of Canada don't bother. Many other nice places to go to.

“Diamond club is the way to go”
We stayed at Memories Veradero for 10 days in November. We had good company, good wine, excellent rum, cold beer and so-so food. The weather was perfect, the beach amazing and the service fantastic. I would suggest upgrading to the Diamond Club. You get your own concierge, beach bar service, a-la Carte's pre-booked and your own dining room at the main buffet. I'll break my review down into catagories. Transport: standard transport from airport to hotel, we grabbed a bunch of beers before boarding and enjoyed the hr long trip to the resort. No issues with transport. Check-in: easy, smooth and just had to wait for the bell-boy/golf cart guys, no problems, free cold beer always helps the wait. Room: Air Conditioning works wonderful. if you open your balcony door, you shut off the A/C. We were in block 25, room 312, 25312, we were about 5 min from the lobby, buffet, quiet pool and snack bar. not a bad location, long walk to the beach though :( Don't think we ever took the golf cart. The walking was good for us all. The bar fridge was faithfully restocked daily with 2 beers, 2 pops and 1 large bottle of water. Maid was wonderful, room was cleaned well. Towels, however, were another story. They use a laundry service and it was hit or miss, often we would have 2 hand towels and 1 regular towel. We used our beach towels as bath towels often, Always had toilet paper in the room though. Bed - well no matter where you are the bed is not home. Our bed wasn't bad. There is very little space for clothing to be unpacked. Dressers would be nice. Our view was of the tennis courts, and the back side of the resort beside us, not a nice view. Across the hall, they looked out onto the quiet pool. Nice view. That was room 25305. No bugs, no issues, walls are NOT sound proof. Only big issue I had was the bathroom. Toilet did not refill fast, like 45 minutes to the 2nd flush. The shower --- this is one of those reasons why it isn't a 4-star. The tub is elevated for some reason, like 2-1/2 feet off the floor, you step on a stool and still step up into the shower. Lots of pressure and hot water but you have to be very careful of the showerhead or else you flood the bathroom. We ended up using the shower head like an RV one, kept it low and took it off the holder to rinse. That cut down on the flooding. Most times. Pool: we are beach goers, we tend to stay away from the pools. Both were very cold. The quiet pool was clean, the party pool was not. Lots of loud drunks there, smoking and spilling drinks in the pool. Just turned me off the whole scene. There is a big slide there that seemed like fun, the cave bar was LOUD, very loud but good bartenders. Good food at the Pool Snack Bar though. Best lunch on the resort. Beach: Excellent - perfect - wonderful- lots of Palapa's for shade, lots of lounge chairs and great Diamond Club Bar service. Closest washoom was the beach buffet, hit or miss on whether the toilets worked, definately NO toilet paper. Always bring some with you, everywhere you go in Cuba. Beach Buffet was gross. Like really, awful food. i know it's Cuba but it wasn't worth eating at this buffet, at least not lunch. They do serve Breakfast at this spot though. Food: lots to eat if you get to the buffet's early. We had 5 a-la Carte meals. French not worth it, Mexican, no choice on the menu, you eat what they give you. Cuban was ok, Japanese was the best meal, we had a special Diamond club meal at the snack bar, it was ok, it was steak. Itlaian, I don't even recall what we had. We all had the feeling we were being rushed at the a-la cartes.. There was always enough to eat though and no one went hungry. It is true, they do run out if you come in late but that's only fair. spa: DO DO DO get a masage, We went twice, at 25 pesos for 25 minutes, less 20% for Diamond Club, worth every penny and then some. Golf: $89 pesos per person, PLUS transport to the golf course and Carts are extra. Cost to the golf course was $10-15 pesos each way. Book Early. Bartenders do free pour so be prepared. We took our own cups as they use very small plastic cups. Coffee is just not good cuban coffee. I don't understand why, but they don't make a good cup there and there are no coffee makers in the rooms. Exursions: we took the double decker bus to Veradero, 5 pesos each, was perfect. walked around town, did some shopping, stopped at a plaza, took the bus back. was great. We arranged for a private tour to Havana. We did this through the concierge. Well worth it. Havana is a 2 hr drive but it was so worth the trip. Make sure you visit the Colon Cemetary. It is the largest of it's kind and it's unbelievable. all in all this resort is beautiful, the grounds are well maintained, the people are always working at painting, planting, repairing. They offer Camel rides, tandem parachuting ($180 pesos per jump) lots of water activities, a very busy animation team, lots of management around checking on you......great customer service. we experienced all the little things, no wi-fi at times, no power at times, plumbing problems, mosquitoes - they fog at night for them, horrible smelling stuff - but never anything that made this a negative experience. A solid 3+ enjoy your stay, I'd recommend it.

“Great people but some repairs are desperately needed ”
This resort may have been a great place a few years back but it really needs a good round of maintenance & repairs now. What really threw me/us off was the extreme amount of mold present in a lot of the highly frequented areas... Big black moldy areas were visible on the ceilings in the lobby bathrooms & many of the a la carte restaurants. The money exchange "office/closet" wall is covered from ceiling to floor with it; how are those poor folks handling it from sun up to sun down is beyond me! I came back with a lung infection that lasted 1 month with inhalers... Food was good; a person will always find something edible and if you're good to the staff they will be good to you in every places you frequent. The close proximity to town was awesome; we went every second day... Overall, good people, decent place, just needs fixing up... Enjoyed Cuba!

“Nice resort but far from town...”
Stayed here recently. Was impressed by many features. The gym facilities are nice, as is the resort overall. The beach of course is fantastic. The food is pretty good, by Cuban standards. Its just that the resort itself was a 20 minutes drive from town. I went to enjoy the nightlife. But a cab into town is at least 20 peso's each way. And therefore too expensive. The resort itself tried to do it's best with the entertainment at night and they did a pretty good job. But the so called nightclub is held in the plaza in the center of the resort. So basically you're dancing on concrete. No thanks!

“Not good Not bad ”
Stayed in block 36 ( Close to ocean) between 25Oct-8 Nov ( 14nights). Room was large stayed on 2:nd floor. As you can read on many Reviews many complains of the distances on the hotel, it is a large area but for us it was not a problem. Took around 10-12 minutes from beach to lobby for us by foot not any problem at all. And food at buffet was pretty good better than many other places in the World, cant understand why many complains, but on the special restaurants like cuban, mexican, french the food was not good at all, worst was French, the japanese was good. But the problem in the buffet is that it is long lines Always have to wait, and they run out of food so you have to wait. Houskeeping in our block was not the best, she did almost nothing, changed towels 2 times in 2 weeks, okey we didnt need to change them everyday, somedays no toiletpaper, no soap Always have to ask for something in the reception. The best service was in the Puerto Carenas bar Close to the ocean everyone that works there are fantastic and the quiet pool bar, and the most of staff was wonderful. Pools are very Cold, Heard many people complaining, maybe because they are not heated and the weather was Cold. As we are from Sweden and are like many Europeans, tipping not our thing,, but alot of people give tip (Money), it is better to bring clothes ( even old ones) to give as a tip, because the Cuban people dont have so much to buy and they even asked us if we have clothes to give, its better than Money they say. If you want to know something more , just send as a message and ask,, dont want to write More , dont Think you wanna read whole a book here.

“This resort is too big! ”
I stayed at this resort in December 2011. Everything at this resort is great.... but it is just too large of a resort. Far too much walking and it is hard to get one of those golf carts when you need it. The lobby bar is the best bar at the resort. Beach is great, but be careful with your stuff. I had my backpack stolen in the middle of the day when I went for a swim. Rooms are nice. Food is good. Pools are nice. If you have kids, I would recommend this resort. No word of a lie.... it was almost 1km walking from my room near the beach to the main buffet and lobby area. I wasted alot of time walking while I was there! Don't get me wrong... I like walking.... but would rather walk along the beach.

“A huge resort on a vast expanse of real estate but lacking in basic amenities ”
Stayed at the Memories from Nov 8 to Nov 15 2014 in room #24102 along with friends in rooms 24110 & 24114. The issues I am writing were encountered in all rooms and by other guests that we got the privilege of getting to know. While the resort itself is huge by any standards and is a good work out after a good meal it certainly lacks a few of the basic amenities. We stayed in building 24 which is more or less in the centre of the resort so you are basically midway between the front lobby and the theatre where all the action is. The room cleaning service is fantastic and 5 CUD on the first day as a tip went a long way to getting us good service. Since I am a good tipper even at the Buffet restaurant after the first day I would get the servers coming over to greet me as soon as I entered the restaurant getting me a set in their section and they quickly learnt how I liked my coffee and so they would all serve it just the way. One server even got me some special Cuban fare for me to taste. Food is something in Cuba that you will either like or Hate. No in between, so please do not go expecting the world you will be let down. Believe me this is a tip from a traveller that has eaten all over the world and loves to experiment with his taste buds. This is certainly not a 5 star resort 4 and that is being generous. So let me start off with the Pros: 1. Resort if Huge 2. Staff super friendly (except at the massage and the fitness centre) 3. Evening entertainment is of the highest standard. 4. Drinks are not watered down. Also they are very liberal with their servings. They should be as water is more expensive then drinks even in the local stores ? 5. The French restaurant food was the best. Set menu and good portions. The Italian restaurant had the friendliest staff starting with Frank the Manager. The Japanese was the least favourite and entertaining. No Wasabi with sushi. Really, whoever heard of eating Sushi without wasabi? 6. Hope you never have to encounter this but the resident doctor is great and she was indeed very professional and calm. I had the misfortune of cracking my forehead while playing volleyball and it required stitches. The doctor was very clam and went about mending me up real quick and called me in everyday to check the healing process. All this for a very reasonable price which if I had to face in Canada would have ended paying atleast a 4 digit figure. This made me quiet famous in the 7 days we stayed as everyone got to recognize me and knew exactly who I was. The tips also helped :-) 7. The bank staff were AWESOME. Cons: 1. The staff at the massage and the fitness club are very unfriendly. I went there to a Tuesday to book for Friday and they said they were full until Saturday so I asked to book for Saturday and they said we only accept reservation 48 hours in advance. I educated them that today was Tuesday and if they did accept only 48 hrs in advance ho could they be full for Friday which is 72 hours away and at that point they started suddenly started speaking in Spanish informing me that they did not understand what I was saying in English, however until that point English was being understood and our communication had no issues. Fed up I walked away only to hear them saying something to each other in Spanish which I cannot say what it was. 2. The rooms did not have a paper and pencil, Alarm clock or even a clock for that matter and also no ?Do not disturb sign for the front door?. 3. The drinks at various bars were constantly over and once when we asked for 6 shot of Tequila the bar tender simply said I have enough for 1 shot. Seriously you are telling me that they had no more tequila bottles with them? 4. One afternoon we were waiting for some BBQ prawns and the person working at the station after around 15 mins walked away. When he returned he just told all the guest ?No more prawns? Sorry. 5. The golf carts that drive around picking up and dropping of guests is a welcome for those tired feet but be very careful as some of them do tend to creep up on you and they really drive fast on those small narrow paths. 6. No toilet paper in most women washrooms in the common areas 7. Variety of food was mediocre at best. Lots of repeats especially in the buffet restaurant.

“Just plain average ”
This was our second time to this resort. We had stayed here approx 6 years ago under a different name (serinas la Selina). At that time this place was fairly new, maybe 2 years old. It was spectacular! This time around, not so much. It's simply just average. Some things were great and some things were terrible. The negatives : no toilet paper in the common areas! Either they ran out or there wasn't anyone to replenish. Variety of food wasn't very good, quality either but can't expect too much from Cuba in general Maintenance was not up to par, building and pool areas needed several repairs ie: broken tiles, leaking ceilings Pools were not very clean Tons of ants in the rooms Positives: Service was almost always good! Staff are very friendly. Size of resort, a lot of people complain about the size, but we liked the separation, nice walks through all the gardens. It wasn't too busy or at least it didn't feel like it Coffee! Can't go wrong woth their coffee bar! We did not partake in any nighttime festivities (we have two young kiddies ) I would not reccommend this place to anyone who is looking for 4 or 5 star. Having said that, it is an okay place for the price. (Less than 800 pp)

“Another great week! ”
Been to Cuba almost twenty times....second time to this hotel! Have had better food but it was clean ans the service was great. Room 33305 was beach front but a long walk to the food. Yerance our room lady was incredible. On her days off it was very noticeable! Maria Theresa and Mona in the buffet were awesome. The Japanese restaurant was the best! Suzanne at customer relations is great! My only real complaint was the bed was really, really uncomfortable and the French restaurant really left something to be desired! Oh and you would think a hotel partially owned by another country would have real coffee and real cream. It was horrible! Beautiful beach made up for everything!

“Had a great time at Memories ”
Stayed at Memories Varadero Cuba just in October and it was a WONDERFUL trip, had no flight delays going there with sunwing however it took 10 hours getting home due to the plane need to refuel in Winnipeg. Longest flight ever!! The people are the most friendliest people and very helpful on and off the resort. The resort itself can do with some upgrades, as it is a huge resort. You always see people working nonstop at the resort on the grounds or on the buildings. And they smiled and me and my son every time. Our building was closest to the beach so the walk to the lobby/buffet was about 15 minute walk unless you can catch a trolley. They didn't come very often. And when they did they were usually full. The food is eatable for the first few days, its usually bland and no flavor. And there are line ups as well. A lot of variety. I would advise to go off the resort and to town to give your stomach a break and bring snacks and canned food which I did. I kinda stopped eating the food 3 days before I was to departed My son got special chicken fingers made for him by the chefs at every meal at every restaurant we ate at on the resort as he has Autism and they accommodated to his needs and were completely understanding. the chicken fingers were delicious (snuck a few bites), he even met the one of the managers and the Chefs. The whole time we were out there, our room was cleaned everyday, sheets were changed everyday and got fresh towels. I would advise to upgrade to diamond club. There are extra perks such as eat in a/c dining area refill of water and beer/orange soda in your fridge. Took 2 days to get them to refill as my room was changed when we checked in due to my sons stroller and we couldn't use the stairs. There are no elevators. So we were on the main floor. No problems with bugs however the room smelled damp and musty. I assumed it was because we were near the ocean. Bring a scented candle and it solves the problem. My t.v didn't work and they said they would get someone to fix it but no one came. Didn't bother me tho I didn't use it. The spare blanket in my room was disgusting and not washed. Smelled like wet dog and had hair all over it. So I would bring a extra blanket if you can. I asked for a new one and it never happened so I slept with a jacket on, you don't want to turn off a/c or it will get real humid and more damp in room, the t.v and mirrors fogged up and the bugs come in. My son had a extra blanket I brought with us. Bring bug spray as well such as raid and mosquito repellent to keep the bugs from attacking you at night. I sprayed a perimeter around our bed and on the wall for spiders. And my son needed repellent as the mosquitos attacked him at night and he had bad reaction to the bites. Our room was on the main floor. The pools definitely need to cleaned more often as people do drink and smoke in the pools since there are bars at every pool except the children pool which wasn't open when we were there. The beach was fantastic and clean, the life jackets definitely need to be upgraded as the one I tried to get for my son the straps didn't even clasp. Internet is $5 for a hour but always remember to log out by the code that is posted at the internet door or the card will run out even if you sign out of the internet. I wasted 2 cards doing that .And you can only access the wifi by the lobby. I went through a few cards. It cost $2 a minute to call back to canada in there phone room And sometimes you can't connect but they will still charge you. DO NOT USE YOUR ROOM PHONE it will cost more. The drinks and rum is absolutely delicious and the night life is bumping. Our room wasn't facing the Disco- which is outside in the middle of the resort and they have something happening every night. Bars are open til 1 a.m. So we had no noise at all. There is buses that go to all the tourist sights that cost $5 for the whole day. They try to take the ticket from you when you get off at your resort if you want to go back out later in the day on the bus you can refuse, however they will act like its mandatory -it is not!! They just don't want people giving to other people. Or you can take a cab. Don't let cabs rip you off. Bargain with them it cost me 10 pesos to go from Varadero to the Resort. The tourist peso's are expensive in Canadian Currency. I would advise to exchange currency at the airport which is outside then at the resort. Bring LOTS of Sunscreen as it is expensive there. Also don't believe that the country is poor because they are most definitely not poor. They are doing real good there especially with the tourist industry. Anyways hope you enjoy your trip because me and my son did and we would go back forsure!!

“Manage your expectations ”
This resort is a 4 star Cuban resort. As long as people understand that it is not a 4 star resort on the Bahamas, their expectations will be met. Here are the highlights: This resort is large, expect to walk a lot (the reception is 1 kilometre from the beach). There is electric car service, however it is not always available. The grounds are nice and fairly well maintained. The common area bathrooms are either out of service or out of toilet paper. (You might want to consider taking a few rolls of toilet paper with you.) We made the mistake of wearing goggles in the activity pool. It was beyond dirty. The rooms could use some upgrading including the mattresses. The sliding doors to the balconies are very hard to close. I managed to close it in our room and only fractured one finger in the process. On the upside the doctor onsite was very nice and took really good care of me. We paid for the Diamond Club upgrade and that was well worth it. You do not go to Cuba for the food, however at most of the specialty restaurants the food was better than expected. The Japanese, Cuban and Italian are worth trying the French was mediocre. They do have a tenancy to over cook the meat, we found that it was better to stick to the fishes and shrimp. The breakfast buffet was ok and most importantly none of us got sick. The beach is very nice, could use a few less cigarette butts, but nice nevertheless. The kids loved the Kids Club, and it appeared that kids of all ages were well entertained. My older (5) really enjoyed the water slide as well. The staff is friendly and in most cases truly try to make you feel welcomed.

“A paradise and the spot to go to get awsy frim it all. ”
The resort was amazing . Food (yesthe food was quite good ). I have been to other Cuban resorts where for a wjole week I eat only hard noiled eggs and.cucombers. The staff were (as of always so friendly and helpful. The resort is quite large and you can walk it from Lobby to beach but eventually you opt for the 10 seater golf carts that pick up people and drive u where u want to go The resort could use some little extra love and care at times . Toielt paper and hand soap in the public washrooms as well as some WD40 on the doors as they can be quite hard to close and open. Beds could also use some better matresses. But that is all . I loved it . You should try it if ypu decide to go to Cuba .

“Fantastic Vacation at Memories Varedero Beach Resort ”
Four of us just returned from a great week at Memories Beach Resort in Varedero. After the bus ride from the airport the check-in went very smooth and we received the room arrangements we requested ( adjoining rooms ), We stayed in building 37 quite close to the beach and right across from the activity pool. It was a bit of a walk to the lobby or buffet or you could choose to wait for a shuttle to come by. The rooms very clean, roomy and were equipped with a bar fridge and a room safe. We exchanged our money at the hotel which offered a good exchange rate. The beach was fantastic and we spent 2 full days just lounging around for 8 hours or so. Two teenagers ( 17 and 13 ) were hardly out of the water! The beach bar was only a few steps away and the lunch buffet or the beach grill ( hotdogs and hamburgers) were very close buy. We all found the buffet to be very good. If you took a few minutes to wait for your food; at breakfast they had a station to cook your eggs or make an omelette. Same at dinner, they had a couple of stations to grill your meat and there was a pasta station. Fresh baked bread was very good. The rest of the food on the buffet was quite good, of course there were something's that did not impress my palate but then again unless you try you don't know, There are places in Canada that don't either!, We did not spend a lot of time in the pools, other than the swim up bars,,LOL! ,,the beautiful beaches were only steps away !!! The kids did make use of the waterslides and the snack bar. We had booked our vacations on Sunwing Vacations and they had a representative at the hotel each day to assist you in any matters and to book tours through. We booked a couple of tours, one being the Catamaran tour where you got to swim with the dolphins, snorkel and enjoy a very nice lobster lunch. The other tour impressed all of us and it was the Jeep Safari tour. The bus picked us up at the hotel in the morning and the 4 of us piled into a Suzuki 4 x 4. We drove our own vehicle and traveled in a convoy with 8 other jeeps. First stop was to swim in a Cenote, then went across country on some pretty rough roads to the coral reef where we went snorkeling. Then off again to a river where we got to drive our own speed boat up and down the river, quite a treat for the teenagers to drive that. Then final stop was at a farm for a late lunch, where after eating you could go horse back riding. The real highlight though was just driving through the smaller towns and country side, seeing how the Cuban people live. It made us feel very fortunate to have what we have at home. One day we jumped on the hop on/ hop off bus, which for $5 CUC a person you could ride all day. It picked us up at the gate to the resort and took us right into downtown Varedero. We got off and ambled through some of the numerous shops. We did the touristy thing and grabbed a horse and buggy taxi and rode down Avenue 1. After the flea market we found a traditional Cuban restaurant where we stopped for lunch. 3 of us had the BBQ pork steak and 1 of us had 1/2 BBQ chicken, the portions were incredibly HUGE!!!, the steaks were served on portable BBQ's at your table to keep them warm, we enjoyed a couple of beverages and the meal and all for the cost of what a burger joint here in Canada would be. We are looking forward to our next trip already! Would definitely recommend the Memories Varedero Beach Resort to anyone looking for a great family vacation!! Thank you Sunwing Vacations and Memories Varedero Beach Resort!! PS, If you have any questions drop me a line and I will try my best to answer them.

“Good and bad”
Good with the bad. Found the buffet to be better food than the last resort I stayed in. The property is very large so you may end up doing lots of walking. The Japanese a la carte is very good. The entertainment is very well done. Beach is amazing! You can walk for a long time along the water. The bathrooms often are not stocked with toilet paper, soap or paper towel so I recommend bringing Kleenex and hand sanitizer just to be on the safe side. The 'quiet pool' is very clean, where the 'activity pool' has many pieces of things floating around. The staff was very friendly and were happy to help. All in all I personally enjoyed the stay. it's definitely a great resort for young people who want to party in the pool and then hit the disco in the night!

“Beautiful Resort ”
A short review of this enormous resort. Located right on the beach, this vast resort has two pools (quiet pool & activity pool), many many block style rooms, an assortment of a la carts, and great staff. We travel to Cuba many times a year, and are well traveled throughout the island, so we have a pretty good idea of the standards abroad. While the buffet quality was average with lots of selection, the Japanese restaurant was really the best. We found the menu at the Italian restaurant was't really to our liking. We tried the french and while the food was good, thought the Cuban music playing in the background entertaining! This resort is great for families. While we traveled as a couple, and could lay by the quiet pool with no issues, all the fun is at the activity pool where there is entertainment for kids big and small. For us this resort was great, but for anyone who may have mobility issues, or aren't fond of a lot of walking, this resort may not be for you.

“Memories Nov 2014 ”
We just returned from one week at Memories. After reading reviews, I was expecting the worst. Sure, plumbing can be less than ideal in Cuba, sometimes the toilets flush and sometimes there is no toilet paper. Internet is very unreliable but it is a vacation so who really needs it. The staff were all very friendly, the evening entertainment the best I have seen at an all-inclusive, the a la carte restaurants delicious. And readers, food in Varadero is never a great selection so go for fresh eggs in the morning and the fish for other meals and you will not complain. Huge property, we loved getting the long walk from the beach area we stayed (room 36 block) to the lobby. And the beach is by far the best in Varadero!!! For the $790 taxes in, this was a great deal.

“Memories in November!! ”
We have just returned from 2 weeks from Memories Varadero and we had a good time. Firstly the room was clean, we did have a problem when we arrived with the toilet but this was fixed within a couple of hours. We were in block 27 which was close to the lobby and a bit of a walk to the beach. The taps area bit grubby but overall the room was well maintained. Also we always had hot water. Food was ok, but we'll never go hungry. The a la cartes weren't great. The only one we went back to was the Japanese. A really good experience. We spent time at the quiet pool and the beach. The pool was clean, there were always sunbeds. Boris at the bar was great. We were upgraded to Diamond Club (I'll come back to this) so we had a separate part of the beach with bar service. This was very handy. The beach is ok, but the water is amazing. We did a day trip to Havana by private taxi, but didn't have a guide. This was a mistake really so if you're gonna go, then use a guide. We went to a stunning restaurant called The Terrace and had a superb mixed grill. It was close to the Hotel Ingleterre. We went to Varadero a few times. Once for lunch at the Waco Club. I would highly recommend this restaurant. The booking was done by Leo at the hotel, and because it was my girlfriends birthday they brought out a cake and the staff sang Happy Birthday. We went to the Beatles bar in the daytime and at night. Good night out and cheap beers. No problem getting a taxi back either. Drink service in the hotel was hit and miss. The lobby bar often ran out of tonic. Usually drinks were too strong, which ruins the taste. You have to be firm with the bar staff regarding amounts. We generally went to the Sports Bar after dinner. They had the best drinks service and never ran out of drinks or mixers. Also had the best Pina Colada in the hotel. The staff were super friendly. Were upgraded to Diamond Club for free. The main advantage for us was premium drinks, private part of the beach and separate dining area attached to the main buffet. We were greeted at the airport by Leo, the Diamond Club concierge. He was by far the best person who works for the hotel and made sure we had a great holiday. He came and chatted to us daily, arranged taxis and restaurants and by the end of the holiday we chatted about Cuban history, helped him with English phrases and he helped us with Spanish. He will do anything to help you and he makes upgrading to Diamond Club worth the money (if you have to pay for it). The guests at the hotel are multi national but Canadians massively outnumber everyone. The majority were loud, brash and behaved terribly. Not sure they understood the meaning of "quiet pool". I saw similar behavior from Americans in Cancun. All in all it was a good holiday, if we go back to Varadero then we'd stay at Memories again and would recommend it to friends.

“Don't believe the reviews on here!”
My friend and I stayed at memories oct 30-nov 8. Not going to lie I was not looking forward to going after I read all the reviews. We literally thought we were going to eat bread and fruit all week. But to our surprise, the food was GREAT, we actually skipped out a la cartes for the buffet and I even miss a few items being back home! Never once did they run out of food.... There was TONS of food! The drinks... They are STRONG, not sure where the watered down drinks came from, we couldn't order a single drink the entire trip, and my bathroom floor I slept on would tell you the alcohol is NOT watered down, lol! The grounds were very well kept, and we had zero issues in out room! I mean your not paying the luxury prices so don't expect a luxury holiday! I would go back again anyway! We very much enjoyed this resort, we couldn't believe when we got there how different it was from the reviews :)

“VERY NICE FAMILY RESORT ”
i just returned from Memories stayed Nov 7-14 in block 23. This was dead center of the resort. My room faced the back with lots of trees and looked more like a country setting. I was happy with this as it was very quiet and private. The room was comfortable and very clean but nothing special. It was more a 4 rating than a 5. I was surprised by the size of the resort which is very large however with the trollies there is no need to walk to any point. I did because I enjoyed the beauty of the grounds so walking allowed me time to see the resort fully. I am single and I found that due to the size of this resort it made it difficult to really get to know guests as everybody is always in scattered areas. There is no real nightlife other than the show which goes for 9 - 10 pm and is worth going to. They are very good especially the aquatic show on Wednesday. The food was better than I had expected and although there are many terrible dishes there was always something I found enjoyable and once you have been there a few days you get to know what you can have to keep you satisfied. The menu was very repetitive but that was OK. I was never hungry. As a single person I would not go back to Memories as this is definitely a family resort and very quiet in comparison to most resorts I have been to but I would highly recommend this resort for a family. Very good staff, nice grounds, great children activities and food is better than most by Cuban standards.

“The warm staff made my trip the most spectacular of them all ”
I was nervous to go to a resort alone and the manager himself called to check up on me and make sure I was comfortable. The dedication and friendliness of the staff is incredible. I am a flight attendant. I travel the world and practically live in hotels for a living. Never have I encountered such a clean, friendly place. My maid was an angel, she always let me sleep in and would leave flowers and swans in my room. The room has a digital safe for valuables, plus Cuba is a very safe place you don't have to worry. I was in building 33 steps away from the beach, it was gorgeous and convenient. There was also a buffet right beside the beach so I could have lunch without straying too far. I enjoyed the fresh grilled fish and meat at both buffets and had a good experience with the food. Never got sick and really enjoyed the make your own pasta bar and fresh tropical fruit. My favourite a la carte restaurants were the criollo,mexicain and Japanese. There is also a burger hut on the beach for convenience. There is a 24 hr snack bar by the lobby great for late night eats and preventing that hangover. The nightlife was great, the animator was so energetic. I'm sure I lost a few pounds that week from all the dancing. The micheal Jackson show was spectacular. The live band was so kind as to let me sing last minute. Veradero city is only a 10 cuc cab ride away maybe 15 min drive if you would like to explore other restaurants, beach strip and nightclubs such as Havana club and the pirates cave. I suggest you upgrade to diamond club you get access to exclusive liquors, dinners, early check in and check outs which are very convenient as others have to pack early and hand in bags last day, 20% discount off services such as massage facial beauty salon. Make sure you book those appointments when you arrive. I booked too late and couldn't get in. There is a small white cart that's drives around often to take you from place to place at resort if you get tired. They pass frequently and if you ask for pick up or drop off times they were always very co operative. There is a bank inside the lobby that is convenient for withdrawing from a credit card or visa debit and converting into cuc Cuban money. I suggest you ask for lots of dollar coins. Tipping well helps your experience a lot and the staff is quite honored that you think of them. There is also a small convenience store in lobby that sells drinks snacks and other things. I appreciated that they sold cigars and Cuban liqueur there for souvenirs. I later went to duty free and compared prices and saw that the hotel prices were very fair. If your a big kid like me you will love the water slide at the big pool with the cave bar inside the water. There is also the quiet pool I enjoyed for late night dips beside the snack bar. The customer service desk can be found in the lobby and are always available to hear any concerns you might have. My suggestions is not to keep any kind of disappointment of the resort to yourself and let that linger. Be polite, as the staff is so eager to fix your concerns immediately and ensure you have the experience you expected. I don't have kids but I noticed a child centre with a special pool and saw children dancing at kids club. I enjoyed memories as much as a single girl as a family would. I sent my parents who are in their 60's here last year and they were also very pleased with their experience. I had such a wonderful experience at memories veradero. I go south one week every month all winter since my career allows me to and I was looking for a place I could feel at home and I think I found it. It's surprisingly affordable. I Already booked my December vacation and hope to meet you all there :)

“Great Stay in Varadero ”
My fiance and I came here with another couple in October 2014. I'll break down the visit for you without boring you with TOO much detail. ROOMS: The rooms were nice and spacious. Each room comes with a balcony or terrace. The beds didn't look terribly comfortable, but I was surprised at how well I slept. The resort isn't brand new, so you may encounter some damages and such, but the staff seem to do a good job of taking care of anything that needs fixing. Overall, I was happy with the room. FOOD: This is the one thing that most people know about Cuba: the food leaves a lot to be desired. At this resort, I'd say it's a matter of figuring out what's good and what's not. By the end of the trip, all 4 of us had it figured out and it was actually quite tasty. If you like spice, make sure to ask the wait staff for their hot sauce. This makes a WORLD of difference with the taste. We all really enjoyed the fresh grill that they had at the buffet each evening. We also ate at the Italian restaurant and the Japanese restaurant. The Italian place makes delicious pizza (which is not on the menu, but they have several kinds). The Japanese place is great for the entertainment, but they seemed to go a little heavy on the salt. Overall, it was quite good, though. One tip for breakfast: if you want bacon, you'll have to fight for it. Sometimes, you can tip one of the staff members and they'll go get you some. Bottom line: don't expect gourmet fare in Cuba. DRINKS: There are a LOT of bars at this resort. Some of them are only open at certain times, but you'll always have a place to get a drink. The coffee bars in the lobby are actually quite delicious. My favorite coffee beverage was 4 shots of espresso topped with rum cream and steamed milk. Yes, it sounds crazy, but I love coffee. As for the alcoholic beverages...they left a lot to be desired, quite honestly. Again, it's a Caribbean resort, so don't expect all the amenities you get at home. If you're really dying for a Coke or other name brand soda, you can buy those at the gift shop. The main problem seems to be that they have slushy machines at pretty much every bar, but they only turn them on periodically. The result is a sugary, watery drink that doesn't do much for the palate. The lobby bar, again, seems to be the best bet because they actually have pretty good Pina Coladas there. I should also mention that, especially considering that Cuba is the birth place of mojitos, I didn't have a single one I enjoyed at this resort, quite honestly. This was very disappointing and led me to make a mojito as soon as I got back home. Bottom line: drink the beer and you'll be happy. PROPERTY: The grounds are absolutely beautiful! Palm trees, flowers and green, green grass everywhere made for a beautiful walk no matter where we went. The groundskeepers seem to work tirelessly to ensure that everything is maintained. POOLS & BEACH: There are 3 pools at this resort: the "loud" pool, the "quiet" pool and the "kiddie" pool. We only spent time at the "loud" pool, which has the water slide and the grotto bar. If you get there in the morning, you'll have no problem finding a chair, but it definitely gets progressively busier as the day wears on. The beach was also very beautiful. There are a lot of chairs and a good number of tiki umbrellas set up there. Depending on the weather, the water can be very, very clear (which is something Varadero is definitely famous for). My fiance and I went snorkeling, but there wasn't really anything to see. I'd recommend doing an excursion to a coral reef for more sea life. ENTERTAINMENT: There was definitely a lot of talent at this resort! The actual shows varied in how interesting they were, but that's a matter of opinion. I'm not a huge Michael Jackson fan, but our friends are, so they were extremely excited to see the Michael Jackson tribute show. I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining the show actually was! That was our favorite show of all. Regardless of how we felt about each individual show, we could tell that the staff worked really hard to entertain the audience and I have to give them a lot of credit for that. EXCURSIONS: We only did one excursion and it was on our last full day in Varadero. We went horseback riding, which cost 25 CUC (convertible pesos). The entire excursion lasted an hour and a half and it was a lot of fun! A taxi picked us up at the hotel and took us to the horse ranch. Then, we were taken out on the horses with an experienced guide. The actual horseback ride lasted about an hour. Then, the taxi took us back to the hotel. The one major tip I can give with this is to wear long pants and closed shoes. I'd never been horseback riding, so I wore shorts and flip-flops. This resulted in major chafing on both of my legs that took a couple weeks to fully heal. TIPPING: The one thing I'd recommend with tipping the staff is this: bring gifts such as feminine products and children's toys and hygiene products for the maids. They don't have the luxury of access to these products as readily as we do, so they appreciate that more than just money. The groundskeepers also really appreciated the gifts we brought. For the waitstaff and bar staff, money is great. Now that I ended up writing an essay after all, hopefully you'll find this review helpful and informative. The bottom line overall is to remember that this is a third world country, so don't expect all the luxuries that you're likely used to back home. The staff really seem to try very hard to make all the guests happy and this is a great resort to visit!

“Excellent Vacation ”
So I had read all the reviews and went with mixed feelings. Having travelled to Cuba before I knew to keep my expectations low. I travelled with my husband and two kids 3 & 5. That being said my overall experience was beyond our expectations. The resort is beautiful and despite some other reviews, the resort is beautifully maintained (landscape-wise). The rooms do need some upgrading and repairs but they were decent and clean. We had an issue with our toilet the first day and I went to the lobby right away and the room was changed right away and we were compensated with a bottle of rum and late check out. After that there were no other issues with the new room. The food at the buffet was decent, find what you like and you're good to go. We did the French, Cuban & Japanese restaurants and again were surprised that the food was pretty good and we would leave stuffed. The Japanese was excellent, surprised to actually have so many flavors. The wine was also quite good, better than other resorts. Beach was beautiful as expected. Pools were great, more or less clean. Great for kids because they have a lot of shallow areas that the kids could play freely in. Lots of kids entertainment as well. Overall I do think its a 4.5 hotel, great value for the money and great for kids!

“Solid stay in Varadero ”
We stayed here for 6 nights in early November and really enjoyed our stay overall. I have done a few trips to Cuba and think this is probably a four star resort by Cuban standards. The hotel rooms we very nice and clean. We stayed in the building block near the lobby with a room facing inwards towards the resort. I would highly recommend not doing this. All the inward facing rooms in the first section face the pool and 24 hour snack bar which attracts the low end obnoxious mass travellers that are common to Varadero. Unless you are one of them you wont get much sleep until about 5 am. Having said that, I don't have much else negative to say about this place. Everything there is better than average cuban hotel. We rented a scooter and got out often and had a few meals out of hotel so we never got sick of the food (although there was some repetition). The grounds are well maintained in general as well. Not perfect, but no where bad enough to actually ruin someone's vacation (as it seems to by the ratings of some people). Staff are generally pretty friendly too and helpful. The best bar by far was the one beside the buffet by the beach. The actual beach bar was tough to deal with since they had the most miserable employees working there. Thankfully I had a bubba cup so I didn't need to deal with them alot. There is a good mix of people here from couples, to families, to singles. If you are looking specifically for any one in particular, I am not sure I would recommend this place though. Enjoy.

“see you soon ”
My husband and I stayed the first week of December 2013. This was our fourth time to Cuba and first time at Memories. Well, for me it was fantastic vacation!!!!! For sure the best of all!! We stayed in a building 33. We have booked our stay at Memories arriving 2 December 2014. This time we bringing our friends with us. We need week full of Sun and our old room back....

“Upside down”
I will be doing this a little different this time. Having read the mixed reviews I will be doing my review back to front. My family and I after much deliberation have decided to travel to Memories Varadero Sunday November 9/2014. As always it seems such a gamble when travelling, reading positive and not so positive reviews so I want to put the management at the resort to the test. A common theme that resulted in poor comments was the pools not being clean, not enough alcohol, some rooms in disrepair, no toilet paper, washrooms not being cleaned, food at the buffet, the tired looking and size of the resort. Now as a seasoned traveller I know there are some things within the managements power but other things that are out of there hands. Pools and washrooms being cleaned, having enough toilet paper are basic requirements that should be easy to get right. Making sure there is enough alcohol food for guest should not be an ongoing issue at an all inclusive, you may not find what you like to eat but there should be enough. The size of the resort and esthetics of Memories Varadero are a little harder to control but for some this could be a deal breaker. The positives are the staff team (My family and I look forward to that warm Cuban charm) a big plus this can make or break a vacation, the beaches, the a la carte restaurants and the entertainment team. As an avid blogger I will right a fair non bias review of this resort and we will see if the management are listening. See you in 10 days.

“Fantastic week full of Sun, Food and Drinks ”
We were in a group of 6 with another 4 joining us three days later. We travel at least once a year as a large group and like to visit a different country each time. This is a country that we will return to for sure. First time to Cuba and heard all the things that sucked about Cuba. Well, for me, it was fantastic. Arrived before noon and because we took the Diamond Club Upgrade (well worth it during booking) had a seat and drink and no lines to stand in for check in. Leo was a great help all week helping with any of our needs. Room was clean and well layed out. Bed was a little firm but nothing I couldn't work thru. Grounds were immaculate and well cared for. Both pools were big and clean and for the couple of times we went there, we found loungers right away. Beach was beautiful and water nice and warm. With Diamond Club, you had your own bar and staff to bring you your drinks. Chairs appeared to be newer for the Diamond Club and more comfortable. Staff at the resort were all very helpful and friendly. I have no problem tipping if the service warrents it. And here it did. No one ever had their hand out but I made sure to tip when I should. I don't know what peoples expectations are when they go away when it comes to food, but I never had anything that I didn't like. I gained 6 lbs while I was away. We brought a jar of Frank's Redhot but never even opened it. All and all, I would go back here no problem.

“Mi vacation! ”
The first time I was at Cuba and am delighted !! Varadero is a beautiful site untouched nature! Momemories resort has a beautiful location, very close to the ocean, and if you are accommodated in bungalow 33 like me, the ocean is in your yard as well as a restaurant for lunch !.For the breakfast and dinner you need to go a little longer to Lobby, but it's just a little physical exercise,,,,! If it is for you to much, very often passing minibus,,,, .. The rooms are clean, you have room service every day! Also a small bar fridge. The equipment it was in the beginning probably great, but now wages for renovation! Mattress is not good, I heard the same opinion and from other guests.I beliieve as old as resort !!! Hot water and air conditioning are fine! Food is abundant and diverse, can be found for everyone I think. For the barbecue were probably practicants, so the grill was often burnt. There's plenty of sites with the offer of juices and cocktails, but often do not have a mint for Cuban Mojito! With Chinese restaurant a la carte, I'm disappointed ! There are two beautiful pools in the resort with the good equipment, especially for kids fun! Exchange office working 24h / only with covertibil pesos you can pay !! /. There is no night restaurant, sometimes in Lobby you can find some dessert! If you are traveling early /before 7 AM / , does not have breakfast No internet conekction outside the Lobby! WiFi is weak very often or interrupted .You must buy a card with pasword.Is not cheap, quickly spent, because the quality of the connection is weak. The staff is pleasant, the service is good, knows foreign languages??. ..but TIP works ! Unfortunately! For guests was organized varied entertainment every night, but also on the beach. Offered tour is not bad, I took the Havana tour and I'm satisfied! Finally, I was happy with and I'm going again!

“Beautiful ”
I stayed here september 30th to October 7th. This was a last minute vacation with my bestfriend and I wouldn't stay at a different resort in varadero. Everyone that worked on the resort was friendly and welcoming. Had no complaints only thing they need is more lil buses on the resort. If you're room is by the beach it's a fair walk to the main lobby. But everything was great, I'll defiantly be going back when I have the chance.

“Awesome Resort ”
This was my first time to memories resort and I am actually planning another trip for February 2015. The resort was perfect. The most friendliest safe ever. The entertainment was good during the day as it was at night. There was always a show on at night and after the show it was the disco. The staff works really hard here and they are really the best I have ever come across.

“4th trip awesome as always ”
As always the staff here is excellent from the time you get off the bus reception was great rooms already SIL room wasnt no problem she's right down the hall'(changed in our room) change and off to the quiet pool. Boris Xaviar and Jordanka welcomed us like no tomorrow again. Buffet was awesome this year for Fish Shrimp and Calamari. Japanese alacart was great aswell Had a great trip again I'll leave the management stuff up to the wife :O

“Fabulous Holiday ”
We recently stayed here for 2 weeks over my birthday and had a fabulous time. We had been to Cuba before this. The rooms were clean and always had hot water, we had an issue with our toilet on arrival but this was sorted quickly. Our block was opposite the pool and near to the lobby so we had a bit of a walk to the beach but didn't mind this at all. The hotel staff were all very friendly and the hotel itself was generally clean. There were issues regarding toilet paper in some of the public toilets round the lobby and pool areas at times but nothing major really. Food was ok - not fussed on most of the a la carte restaurants to be honest and the only one we went back to was the Japanese which was lovely. The buffet was good and fairly varied, it's worth queuing for someone to cook you fish or meat though. The buffet down near the beach was great in the daytime with bbq'd meat and fish. We mainly spent our days either at the quiet pool or the beach (I say the quiet pool, it is only this if you have no loud Canadians anywhere near you)!!! There were always sunbeds available and Boris at the swim up bar was lovely and really good. At the beach we had use of the Diamond Club area because we had been upgraded. I much preferred this part of the beach as we always had sunbeds and the drinks service was very good too. The ocean was gorgeous too and beautiful to look at. We chose to come to Varadero so we could visit Havana which we did one day. In hindsight we should have got a private guide to show us around as there were parts we missed although the open top bus tour is quite good for showing you some sights. We had lunch at an amazing place called The Terrace which was a rooftop bbq and enjoyed cocktails at the Hotel Ingleterre. Varadero was really good for a couple of trips out too - not too expensive via taxi or you can get the open top bus that runs frequently throughout the day. Parc Josene is lovely and peaceful and there was a bar that served the most amazing Pina Coladas. We went to Beatles Bar a few times and once for a night out too where the band were fabulous and the service (despite being very busy) was really good and quick. We had lunch at a restaurant called Waco Club which was fantastic. We went there for my birthday and the staff were amazing. Leo at the hotel had arranged the booking and I ended up with a lovely birthday cake and a great rendition of Happy Birthday!! We were upgraded free of charge to Diamond Club and this was a service we would have happily paid for. We had the use of a separate dining area when using the buffet restaurant, private section of the beach and branded spirits instead of locally produced stuff. Drinks were a bit hit and miss at the hotel though with them being made far too strong to enjoy and also they ran out of tonic water a lot!! The best service and drinks were down at the Sports Bar. You need to keep an eye on the level of spirits being poured, some were far too strong to be enjoyable. I found a lovely drink on the last day called a Mimosa (basically a Bucks Fizz) and wish I had found this sooner!! Our Diamond Club concierge Leo met us at the airport. He is by far the best member of staff at the hotel, always friendly and stopped for a chat. Arranged our taxis for us and also arranged for the restaurant booking for my birthday. Once he got used to the English sarcastic sense of humour we taught him some English phrases, he told us a bit about Cuban history and taught us a bit of Spanish. He was amazing and would do anything to make sure his guests were happy and looked after. This is a service worth paying for and we would have done if it hadn't been arranged for us. I would recommend the hotel to friends and family without a doubt and would stay there again if we went back to Varadero.

“Amazing holiday! ”
My girlfriend and I came over from England for two weeks, had always wanted to visit Cuba but did not know what to expect. Amazing. No regrets at all. We arrived to be greeted by Leo, the Diamond Club manager, at the airport, who immediately made us feel at home. Leo and his team were amazing, nothing was too much to ask, great service and they were a good laugh too. The Memories beach is like a picture from a postcard, and with the Diamond club staff bringing Mojitos to your sunbed all day long, there's nothing more to ask for. We went on a great excursion to Havana, and an amazing trip to Trinidad. Made some great friends at Memories who we ate with, drank with, travelled with and laughed with for the whole holiday, and we're lucky enough to still be in touch with; overall a great trip. 'Michael Jackson' was awesome too! Leo, you are a hero, thank you.

“Love this resort ”
We have been to Cuba 10 times and to Memories 4 times! We are planning another vacation shortly with the plan to go back to Memories! Tanya and Yeni are the best! They take excellent care of my kids, so I feel comfortable leaving them knowing they will have a great time, while I relax If you are traveling with kids, in my opinion, it is the best place to stay at in Varadero

“Brilliant Holiday ”
We have just returned from 2 weeks at Memories Varadero. After reading the reviews before we travelled we were a bit worried what the holiday would be like. Upon arrival we were greeted by Leo, who gave us Mojitos whilst he arranged a simple check in. We were in block 28 which was a great location, 1 minute walk to the Lobby and quiet pool. The room was of a good standard with satellte TV,air con, fridge which was stocked with a botle of water, 2 cans of cristal and pop everyday. it was a triple family room. It was kept spotless by our maid and who proved clean towels everyday and some really good towel art. We found the best al a cartes were the cuban and japanese, and the special meal at the quiet pool was really nice . The buffet was of a better standard than we expected, with lots of choice, pasta, meat, fish, vegetables, rice and salad.Breakfast had a good variety too, our 8 year son loved the pancakes and the lady who made them was lovely with him (he wanted to tip her everyday!) We loved the beach, it is beautiful and the diamond club section was great. Young Manuel and the girls always made sure you never went thirsty. The beach was kept spotless and you could get a bed whatever time of day you arrived. The bar on the beach closed at 5pm so we would then go to the quiet pool bar which was open until 6pm. We have to mention Boris at this bar, he was really friendly and attentive. The other pool was always busy and crowded we only went there twice as we prefer the beach. The evening entertainment was really good too, much more professional than I expected, Michael Jackson and the Circus were our favourites. "Michael Jackson" works at memories and taught my son how to do the moonwalk, he was really lovely and patient with him. We would definately return, the site is big and there is plenty to do, the staff are friendly and the atmosphere is very laid back. We would see Leo most days as he always wanted to make sure everything was ok. This was a really good value for money holiday. Overall Memories gave us a great holiday.