Grand Memories Santa Maria

Let's begin with arriving at resort, no guidance from ANY staff member, we were taken to our rooms but then left to fend for ourselves. The room was fine, the wait and bar staff are very rude and loved speaking with each other, laughing and looking at the guests. My towels were stained, no milk for coffee and last day there, no butter for bread and God forbid you ask for anything here because they make you feel like a burden... I wouldn't recommend this place to my enemies. [Details]

We had low/moderate expectations going to Cuba. This resort had mixed reviews already. But we found the accommodations were comfortable, some food was palatable, and the beach was beautiful. The beer was cold and the rum was plentiful. [Details]

We stayed at the Sanctuary resort for an anniversary getaway. We had our anniversary the day we left and upon arrival our butler congratulated us with a bottle of Champagne!
For 2 weeks we relaxed in the sun and 27 degrees. The resort was clean, food was good, and the staff were amazing. Hard working and so pleasant! As with anything there are a few things that could be improved but overall it was amazing. No regrets at all with our stay and we will look to visit the resort and it's workers again soon enough. [Details]

I almost do not know where to start. The beach is amazing and the people are fantastic. There is a lot of down sides.
1- There is very little in alcohol. Beer, wine and rum. No pina-coladas, martinis, no baileys for your coffee or cream rum, nothing close, so the drinks are nothing special believe me!
2- food- yes it is Cuba I agree, but many times no butter, no bread. Food was very limited. The A la carte restaurants are one a night, so if you are lucky you might get to go. ( Only one restaurant open a night) If you want to pay for Japanees you can do that, I must say it was good.
3- The resort is very dated and run down. I made the mistake of hanging my towels on the balcony and forgot that the rails 100% rusted and ruined my towels.
4- Sand Fleas or No-See-ums are really bad. Bring bug spray.
5- Internet is only in the Lobby, no beach or room access. You need to get a new code every 5 hours.

Bottom line, if you are looking for any Kind of luxury this is not the place. If all you care about is a nice beach, you are in the right spot. [Details]

The food is just ok but the people were very friendly and the beach is beautiful. If I could get the promo price again I would definitely go back [Details]

We actually up graded to the sanctuary adult only side upon arrival. We were told it would be a extra $385 CAD. when I checked my credit card I was charged in USD and it cost us $520. Then to top it off my card was compromised and I was charged numerous times for various amounts, I had to call and freeze my card which left me without a credit card for rest of our trip. Our room was old and dated but fine, however our sheets and towels were not changed all week. Just bed made and towels folded up and yes we tipped well every day. Service and staff were wonderful and we meet lots of amazing people. [Details]

Front staff were horrible and when they didn't want to help u acted like they couldn't speak English. 0 out of 5.
Our rooms were not what we asked for, the security latches on our 2 different rooms had to be fixed multiple times no hot water for showers, toilet only worked sometimes, had to go to another resort to eat.
Had switched rooms 3 different times!
Only one pool in service.
No butler service or perks even though we were DIAMOND CLUB.
A wonderful bellman helped us out with everything ❤️.
The entertainment was great though. [Details]

Have been to Cuba many times this was the worst trip we ever had food was terrible cook ony did one omelet at a time long line-up no names on food paid for diamond club no service no beer water pop in fridge for three days got locked out of bathroom picked lock to get in every time we went out had to get new keys we were a long way from buffet an main lobby had to take a bus finally had enough and talk to guests service and got upgraded to the sanctuary was like we died an went to heaven only downfall was we didn't get service from either one [Details]

very poor.
no good. [Details]

26 times in Cuba. The Sanctuary and Grand memories are the worse. It is very terrifying and so frightening to stay in these two resorts. I was treated worse than a hog. I could have died on the spot had I stayed there for more. I thanked my God for being able to make it back or go back to Canada alive. [Details]

Overall, it was a positive experience, beaches were nice, entertainment and staff were great. The resort however was quite rundown, especially for only being built in 2017. Not comparable to 4.5 stars elsewhere in terms of aesthetics, however, it was a cheap price. 1.5 hour drive from the airport, but the bus that takes you to the resort offers beer ($10 for 4 beers) and staff was great. [Details]

Generally, very good. Just small annoyances. Cart drivers come from behind and zing by without stopping. (Wife has trouble walking). Excellent buffet, but needs a little organizing. Nice to have a good path to the market. I went several times. All in all, we enjoyed our 2 weeks there very much. [Details]

The rating is a 3 1/2 to 4 star I gave it a 1 1/2. Everyone we talked to said like myself said "The beach is the only good thing about this resort". True!
My Complaints.
No water in bar fridge.
Had to go get it ourselves.
No light in room only entrance way. How long does it take to change one burnt out bulb. We never had it changed the whole entire time yet told them 4 times. Complaint to Front desk CS and the maid herself made a call to front desk. Still wasn't changed
The building 54 many rooms were under renovations.
Our safe was not working for 3 days. Paid for Wi-Fi very poor connection if any. CS was kind enough to get us a connection on our last day so we could connect with family back in Canada. Thank you for this.
The bathroom smelled so bad we had to keep the door closed. The beds were hard as a rock.
We had four flights of stairs at night no lights in common areas of buildings, had to use our phone flashlights.
Mold in bathroom,
Lights and fixtures broken off walls and along walkways. The pools... never could get a lounge chair. Many lying on concrete as not enough chairs unless you find a broken one.
These are little things make the resort rating much less then what they put out. Lots of food but repeatedly rotated between lunch and dinner. And the food Well this is Cuba right
Had 3 la-acarte. Emporium was horrible and you are dinning in A freezer. Yes wear a jacket you will freeze and eat fast or your food gets cold before you even begin to eat it.
Most staff are lazy and don't want to do their job. We tipped over and above as we always do but it wasn't well deserved. I won't be returning to this resort It's a shame it's going down as many others have said because the beach is beautiful But in Cayo all beaches are just as beautiful. [Details]

We enjoyed 14 days staying in Grand Memories. No complains at all. We will
definitely come back! [Details]

One of our favorite resorts. Santa Maria is probably the nicest area in Cuba. [Details]

I have been to this resort before. The reason I returned was for the beach and the excellent service the staff offers. This time I had an the most amazing representative/concierge with diamond Club named Nordelys. She took very good care of me and my wife. Any questions or issues I had she always addressed them immediately. Every time she saw us, she would approach us with a big, friendly smile and ask us if everything was fine. Often offering suggestions for meals, restaurants and other amenities. She is great and I would return to this resort again if I had her as our concierge. [Details]

The resort itself is typical for Cuba....lacking in some minor repairs but quite functional. We arrived late due to airline issues, and found issues in one of the 2 rooms we had booked. I reported this first thing the next morning, but nothing was done by supper the next day. I asked to speak with the manager, let him know of my displeasure, he was genuinely upset, talked with his staff, and came back to tell me he was upgrading us to a suite and another separate room for the balance of our stay!! [Details]

It was our first time in Cuba, we loved the people, the staff were very helpful and friendly. The resort needs to be upgraded. The food was mediocre but we knew that it was going to be as we did our research. Beaches are pristine. The resort lacks cleanliness, the hallway in the lobby where the washroom is had a stench that turned my stomach. More late night snack options would have been nice but the pizza was great. Not a 4.5 star resort at all. [Details]

Good overall. The beach makes up for any shortcomings at the resort. Rooms need repairs. Drinks could be more exotic instead of just sweet sugary drinks. Good cappuccino.
Public bathrooms were very dirty and no supplies. Buffet had something you could find to eat but there wasn't the variety that I have gas before. [Details]

The resort has greatly deteriorated since my last stay two years ago. The rooms and resort are dirty. The toilet in the room is beyond stained and disgusting . The entire washroom area smells of urine . The shower floods every time used and we had no hot water for most of our stay . The entire sink in our room fell out on my husbands foot cutting him .

Our first day an entire branch of coconuts fell off a tree and came within inches of crushing my 6 year old . It landed instead on my husbands neck and several landed on my 6 year old leaving them both sore , scratched and bruised . The resort should have been maintaining these to prevent injury and removing them since they were on a tree on a main path . My husband spoke with the manager Ricardo and feels he did handle the situation to the best of his ability but ultimately the resort is in such poor repair.

If you do not arrive to the buffet right when it opens many of the food containers are empty , even bread . Flies are on food and everywhere .

One evening we were seated (Diamond Club)and our drink orders placed and we arrived back to our table from the buffet and another family was seated at our table and the response from the server was that I should have left my purse at the table !

I finally gave up on the buffet when I ordered fresh pasta from the pasta station and found a bug in it. I ordered many hot waters at the buffet for tea that I had brought with me and cup after cup came out dirty with particles floating in it. The only place to have a chance at a clean cup was the lobby bar and even then it was hit or miss. I eventually stopped going to the buffet and lived on almonds I brought from home .

We encountered rude staff trying to enter our room to check the mini bar and had a bad interaction with one when my husband refused because I was sleeping .

We visit with very low expectations but this visit has been too much and not worth the amazing beach at the cost of everything else .

We paid cash to upgrade our room on arrival and that was credited back to us after the coconut incident (which we appreciated) however I would not personally feel comfortable recommending this resort to anyone or ever returning . We had a horrible week and wish we had stayed home in the cold and snow. I do not recommend this resort to anyone looking for an enjoyable vacation. [Details]

The hotel is very well kept inside and out. The beach is outstanding. Going for long walks is easy. The food was good and plentiful. The staff are very friendly and helpful. [Details]

Had a wonderful time, met many other Canadians. The service was fantastic, the beach was amazing and the 3 la carte restaurants where absolutely delicious. The Cuban people are amazingly hard workers and dedicated to there responsibilities. [Details]

The hotel is old and while the rooms are clean, it has a very strong musty odour. Nothing dries due to the heat .. it's a bit overwhelming to breathe it in while sleeping ..When I got home and opened my suitcase, all my clothes wreaked of musty smell.. had to immediately throw them in the wash Food extremely tasteless .. staff good in the larger hotel Grand Memories but staff at the dining room at Sanctuary not friendly at all .. All inclusive drinks but no soda water or tonic on the island .. all drinks too sweet beer best option
Cuba is a cheap destination if all you want to do is lay on the beach , not sure how some people go year after year .. I have travelled to many destinations so this by far is at the bottom [Details]

This was my second time in the past 6 months to Grand Memories Santa Maria and we had a wonderful time and experience, we will definitely visit again and again! [Details]

THis was my first time away and Grand memories exceeded my expectations [Details]

Just got back from this hotel, It was our third time visiting on vacation over the past 10 years .The exterior is beautifully maintained.. but the rooms need to be updated... but they are very clean.. housekeeping does a great job!:)The staff working on the resort are fantastic! They really do everything possible to make you happy and comfortable. [Details]

Great Staff but Improvements Needed For Me to Return

Grand Memories Sanctuary fell flat with the negatives outweighing the positives, making for a disappointing vacation esp. when compared to Sunwing's advertising video.

Among the positives, we liked our large cheerfully decorated suite with superb air con, a great mini-fridge, living room area, large closet with lotd of hangers, excellent dresser drawer storage, free safe, umbrella, amplified shaving mirror, and nice sized balcony with table and chairs. So, although we didn't get the 2nd floor room we requested nor a good view but a 1st floor, lousy view overlooking scrub bushes and litter (often with bad odour), the room itself was 4 star quality.

Here then, is the other good and not-so-good summary.

* Nice property with mature trees, flowery bushes, all wonderfully landscaped by gardeners who suffer in the hot sun but who cherish their labour of love;

* 24 hour lobby bar and snack food incl the great pizza when they don't run out (even if the bugs kept us away and off the outdoor patios, the only place we could smoke);

* Air conditioned lobby bar & restaurant (read on);

* Large swimming pool with plenty of chairs, pool bar and energetic entertainment team albeit I've never had so much trouble getting them to play music. Told they need to "clear it with Head Office" after offering to give them a "Best of Elvis Presley" & "Earth, Wind and Fire" CDs. Seems the guy hasn't heard of Elvis!

* Great "butler service" ensuring everyone has an la carte reservation each day since there's NO buffet dinner option (special thanks to Lester, Jorgie and Mercedes but read on);

* Yunier (Junior) the beach area snack bar chef who makes the "best sandwiches" in Cuba (he even rotates his mayonnaise condiment every 15 mins. so it never goes bad, a first for me in Cuba);

* Reinelle the mini-fridge delivery guy who breaks serious sweat ensuring everyone has what they want;

* Diallyis the a la carte restaurant waitress and Evelyn the breakfast/lunch waitress who stand out amongst everyone else!

* George the hard pressed yet composed hotel check-in clerk/front desk attendant with a sense of humor and great English;

* William and Thomas the golf cart drivers/room porters who drive you between resorts and luge heavy suitcases up & down stairs wearing out their vertebrae (tip these guys and your airport bus drivers - they deserve it!)

The Not So Good:

* Only 11 tables in the lobby bar with 8 of 11 with just 2 chairs and 2 bar stools for a 30 Person seating capacity at a 3 hotel resort with a potential of hundreds of people, if not way more, so people have nowhere to sit during the GREAT nightly entertainment;

* Terribly underutilizedl covered outdoor patio areas off the lobby bar without lighting or atmosphere. Take a lesson from Sol Sirenis Coral resort (Varadero) that has candlelite tables and waiter service!

* Air conditioned restaurant compromised by OPEN DOORS allowing the heat, humidity and biting bugs in! Nothing worse at dinner knowing you're the main course! Tell me, they have 3-4 people daytime opening doors at bkft/lunch, why not at night when they can serve a much more useful purpose?

* About the biting black flies, problems also incl. infested bathrooms, hotel rooms that "welcome you with dozens of bugs" on arrival that take 3-5 -days to eradicate! It was so bad, my partner wanted to leave 1 week into our 2 week vacation!

* Satellite TV. We were 3/4s thru a movie and in the 9th inning of a baseball game when the connection cut out! Seems the resort pirates the stations resulting in sudden blackouts, how awful.

* Disconnected walkway lamplights making late night walking a chore and a lost opportunity to add a romantic atmosphere to your holiday experience;

* Poor a la carte dining at the Grand Memories where they book you every night (just say, no thanks). Plus, the worst ever lobster dinner I had in 15 years of visiting Cuba! Walked out, as it was black in several spots and risky, this after originally being denied a small spoon in anticipation of eating it by a "miserable male waiter;"

* The "exclusive Diamond Club Sanctuary guests, Adults- Only beach" on the leftside at Grand Memories that isn't advertised, and worse yet, NOT policed! Non-Sanctuary guests, kids, and Cubans there when they have their own area and didn't pay the premium price! No worries at Sanctuary though, it is policed;

* Watered down juice for cocktails and bartenders who don't stir the juice jugs before making a drink plus Pina Coladas often nothing more than milk and rum. Head over to Grand Memories for the best drinks, if you don't mind the 15 minute walk or waiting on a golf cart ride;

* Screwy showerhead and no bottle openers in room despite beer bottle deliveries (bring your own);

There you go, the good, the bad.

Shame about the management of this potentially great resort with wonderful staff who you want to come see again but unfortunately, you think you won't cause of everything else.

Hopefully, they improve things and I return again! [Details]

---Room service very good.
---Entertainments were (1) poor; (2) not understandable because of being in Spanish; (3) not international.
---The management of the buffet was incredibly very poor. The quality and variety of cooking were very low. The buffet restaurant was very old and the windows glasses dirty. The flow of people and things in the buffet restaurant were very chaotic and noisy. The meat was uneatable. The main dish was boiled corn and very low-quality sausages. Fruits and fruit juices were at a minimum. Sweets and cookies were unbelievably poor and at a minimum; to the extent, always there was a line of people for the desired donut in syrup.
---Mosquitos were everywhere and 24 hours a day. [Details]

Had a great time. Staff are friendly, professional, outstanding. The lobby bar staff are the greatest! Room clean and comfortable.
Beach is awesome. Marlon went out of his way everyday to greet us at the beach, finding us loungers, cleaning them and is professional, funny , Great job Marlon. [Details]

I have trouble walking. A week before arriving, I emailed the resort requesting a room in a building close to the pool and main buildings. Upon arriving, they had given me a room that was furthest from the pool and all of the restaurants. I had to walk back (2am) to request a new one.
The room I was given had mold all along the bathtub and an awful smell, but I was exhausted. At least it was near the pool.
Food was repetitive. Mornings choices were fish, omelettes, cereal, fish, toast, cheese and fish. (lots of fish and shrimp every meal). There was not much fruit or Veggies.
Lunch was similar except that instead of omelettes, it was Stirfry.
Supper was the same
Every. Single. Day.
I tried the a la cartes. Food was not better. Service was slow. The food was cold at 2 of them. My steak was almost blue rare. I did end up eating it as it tasted good.
Do not get the lasagna!!
Entertainment team showed promise as they were talented. I wouldn't take kids to the shows as they are pretty inappropriate. Girls are not dressed in much clothing and dressing sexually. In the few sites I went to, I saw many people walk out and there was always one guy who video taped it for later.
Music at the pool was so loud it became difficult to have a conversation with anyone without yelling.
Pizza station was good, snack area (ham sandwich, hotdogs, chicken) was also good in the afternoon.
Watch out for bugs.
They fogged for mosquitoes at night which Sent them all inside around supper time. I brought bug spray (strong deet and did not work) I have over 30 bites. It's a shame, but ended up going inside our room after eating supper on the last few nights.
The pool itself was nice, the ocean was amazing!! I'd go back to it or neighboring resort just for the beach. Teal water. White sand.
They had great, friendly bartenders. Raul in main lobby was great as we're a few others.
The entertainment team was friendly. I've made a few friends among them.
I'd suggest learning Spanish before going. There is not much English spoken by many of the staff. [Details]