The staff are great because they are very welcoming! The facilities were great...the rooms were large and always cleaned daily and thoroughly! The food was also really good!

terrible, wouldn't go back. brochure offered many things that would group paid to upgrade that were not offered. Everyone we spoke to at the airport had the same experience and wouldn't return. food was down right dangerous!

The area and beach is incredible. The hotel staff and management seem very disorganized, bar fridge in room was never stocked properly, if at all. This problem was never resolved after speaking with the front desk a number of times, and even after tipping the staff well. Had to buy bottled water from the gift shop a number of times as there was none in our room.

Get a prescription for antibiotics before you travel.

The food handling standards are extremely poor and there are constantly a disturbing number of flies in the buffet area and on the buffet food at all times.

Will not return to this hotel and would not recommend.

First and formost I would like to say that the negative comments are not true.I was worried before leaving for my trip.The Diamond Club is well worth the extra cost.All the extras they mentionned we received.I would recommend spending the extra money.The hotel was super clean. They changed our bedsheets and washed our floor daily. Since we had service before bedtime, they also used to make up our bed again and also wash the bathroom.The buffet is typical Cuba food. There was alot of variety. If you can't find something you like you should just stay home.The a la carte restaurants were very good. We had the Italian,Lobster,Asian and since we were Diamond Club we had the Steakhouse, which surprisingly was amazing meat cooked medium rare. The beach is gorgeous. It's the fifth time going to Cayo Santa Maria.We adore the beach.The only thing negative is the mosquitos. We are used to it so at night I spray Muskrol over my body. It is a must. I highly recommend this hotel for first timers on this island.

This was my first trip to Cuba and I was not disappointed by the beautiful beaches. The food was much better than I thought- although I didn't have high expectations at all. The freshly cooked items are the best way to go and worth the extra wait in the buffet line. I didn't find the staff to be so friendly and amazing as I've heard most people rave about when they travel to Cuba. We didn't get clean towels in our rooms most days and when we called for some it would take hours or they just wouldn't come. The front desk staff was rude when we complained of the fire alarm that went off for nearly 3 hours straight in the middle of the night in our building. And overall we just found a lot of the staff wasn't friendly or wouldn't look and you and say hello or hola! But I heard that this resort brought in all new staff just 6 months ago and at that time no one knew what to do. So it does sound like it has improved. The pool area is very large and clean- the drinks are pretty good and they are liberal with the alcohol. I would say it's a great budget vacation. If you want luxury then you have to be prepared to spend close to 3 times the price.

Ce n'est pas un 5 étoiles. Il est évalué trop haut par Sunwing. Un 4 étoiles, sans plus. Le site est magnifique, mais vraiment il manque de personnel pour toutes les tâches à faire. La propreté laisse à désirer à certains endroits. Le personnel est sympathique. La plage magnifique avec beaucoup de palapas et de chaises. Pour 12 jours à 945$, c'était un bon rapport qualité prix.

Nous avons payé beaucoup trop cher pour ce forfait, qui a baissé de 500 $ deux mois avant la date de départ. C'est une énorme déception et Sunwing ne nous y reprendra plus. Le site est très vaste et divisé en deux sections dont l'une est réservée aux membres Élite, ce qui est ridicule. La plage est divisée en deux... ce qui est ridicule aussi selon moi. Il vente terriblement à Cayo Santa Maria, ce qui fait qu'il est difficile de rester longtemps sur la plage. Il y a très peu d'ombre à la piscine et les gens réservent leur place sour les palapas dès 7 heures le matin... Le buffet est répétitif et les restaurants à la carte manquent d'originalité. Ce n'est pas un 5 étoiles selon moi.

The hotel is excellent, the service is flawless. I recommend it strongly

Cette Hotel n'est pas un 5* tout au plus un 3* Très belle plage,la chambre bien,mais la bouffe pas très bonne mëme les restaurants a la carte.Cette hotel a besoin d'améliorer sa nouriture.Le Service assez bien.

très beau grand site,propre,personnels serviables ,resto bon pour(cuba),idéal pour la famille et se reposer. Points négatifs: manque d'ombre pour les journées ensoleillée....nous avons eu une semaine très venteuse ! ne pas se fier a tout les commentaires négatifs des voyageurs trop difficiles et prendre en considération que cet hotel n'est pas un vrai 5 étoiles !!!mais un bon 4 !! tout de même une belle semaine !

This resort and hotel is definitely not what some of the negative reviews make it out to be, before going i had read all of them and to say the least i went there expecting the absolute worst from bad rooms to bad service to bad food.. However, this resort is amazing in everyway, our room was prepared so nicely and very clean, the food was delicious, didnt get sick once, the pools and of course the drinks were awesome... I tried to understand where all the negative reviews came from but i could not at all. 4 of us travelled and both rooms were clean, and on the ground floor and surprisingly enough there was no bug infestation or anything like that, in some cases it is definitely what you paid for but we definitely paid less then we should have. The entertainment staff was great, the shows a must see, and all of the a-la-cartes are worth trying as well. Diamond club or not this resort had something for everyone and everyone was extremely friendly, tip or no tip. Overall, I 10000% recommend this resort there was nothing that i could honestly say could have been better for a resort in Cuba. A vacation is what you make it, no point in going anywhere if all you're looking for is the negatives.

We paid extra for the Diamond Club however, we did not receive anything extra for this. Other than Carlos (bartender at Sports Bar), Vivian (Night Maid) and Reinaldo (Buffet Waiter) the staff were unfriendly and not accomodating. The buffet breakfast ran out of food and took 30 minutes to restock (5 days in a row). The 'bell boys' that supposedly transport people around this huge resort were unavaiable 2 nights that it was pouring rain and on our day of check-out (we had to check out by 4:55am). And to top it all off, I contracted a bladder infection due to high amounts of e-coli while we were there. Other than an absolutely breathtaking ocean front, this resort has nothing special to offer and I would not return (we have been to Cuba 5 times in the past 6 years and this resort was by far the worst yet).

This was our 20th All Inclusive vacation since 1999 and I have to say this is the only resort that I would never return to unless major improvements are made. The resort itself as well as the beach are both beautiful. We had no problems with our room, very clean and lots of hot water and water pressure etc. Our problem and a very big one it is, was with the food. Everything was cold and tasteless. However, even if the food had been good, I still would not have been able to eat it. I was sickened by the infestation of flies at the buffets as well as the bars and the one a la carte that we went to. There were flies on all the food in the buffet and at the table, constantly on the utensils, glasses etc, and it was a constant battle of waving your hands to keep them off of your food while eating. I usually come back from an all inclusive gaining weight but this time I lost 2 pounds as I simply could not eat the food. Also we went to the a la carte (Asian) which was open air. As well as the flies and mosquitoes ruining our dinner, there was a terrible sewer smell, so bad that we just got up and left. We found out the next day by talking to others who told us that behind this restaurant is actually an open sewer line. I had already decided to lodge a formal complaint but wasn't sure if it should be done with Sell Off Vacations or Sunwing. I would definitely not refer this resort to anyone and I will not be returning for sure. I have used Sell off Vacations/Sunwing before but will not use either again if this is what to expect. The fly situation was disgusting and I can't see how anyone would return to this resort unless something is done to correct this!!!! I'm very unhappy, I consider this past vacation was a waste of our hard earned money. I lived on toast, cold french fries and the snacks I brought from home for a whole week. One night in the lobby we hadn't been sitting down 5 minutes with our drink when a fly fell in my drink, so very disgusting. The odd fly would be a normal occurrence by this was indescribable really, it was that bad!!!!!!!!

food and people were amazing.. the buffet had a incredible selection of every type of food. i would go back in a heartbeat.

Just got back from Memories Azul. My wife and I had a great time. It is true that a Cuban 5 star resort is not the same as other 5 star resorts but pretty close. As for the complaints that most seem to have about the food I have one tip. Try to avoid the trays at the buffets. Wait in line for a fresh made item and you will be good. It is worth the 5-10 minutes that it takes. Split up so that each of you wait in a seperate line and then share when you get to your table. That strategy worked well for us. The food could be better but IMHO it is not "terrible" or "disgusting" (so long as you follow my advice). The a la carte dining ranks very good to excellent. At least the 4 that we tried. I suggest that you book one for each night if possible. The staff are very friendly and hard working. The beach and ocean are awesome. The pools were nice, not too crowded. We rented scooters and ran around the island for one morning which was fun. Took them to the daulphinarium which was also neat to visit. Take lots of sunscreen as they only have cheap stuff at the resort and it costs $15 per tube.

We booked this vacation thinking it would just be an okay resort with an amazing beach, not only was the beach to die for, but the whole resort was amazing! No one on our trip got sick, the food was amazing, the service and cleaning staff was phenominal!! Yes, there was a lot of mosquitos at night, but use bug spray and they leave you alone. Definitely hit the market on the west side of the Paraiso Resort. I would recommend walking thru the full market before purchasing anything as the difference in prices were quite noticable (but all still crazy cheap!) If your into partying, the resort didn't offer too much (more of a low key in the 24 hr Grill or lobby Bar), but make sure you hit up the disco in the market, it was a crazy party scene with people of all ages! I loved this resort so much, I would for sure go back!!! OH! and the Catamaran tour is a MUST!!!!

Points positifs :
• Magnifique plage.
• Très bel hôtel.
Points négatifs :
• Notre mini bar n’a jamais été renouvelé. 3 jours sans bouteille d’eau, on appelle au service et l’on nous fait attendre sur la ligne 15 minutes sans nous répondre. On se rend au lobby et l’on nous dit qu’on va apporter la bouteille immédiatement, mais ils ne viennent pas. Il a fallu se plaindre à notre représentant pour que les choses bougent.
• File d’attente à la banque qui ferme quand il veut. Refuse les billets canadiens qui ont un minuscule chiffre écrit au plomb et un autre qui a une ligne de saleté. Pourtant il nous remet des billets dégradés.
• Ménage sans décoration sur le lit, bain et comptoir pas lavé. Serviettes de bain remplacées par des serviettes à main.
• Manque de personnel à tous les niveaux, donc service déficient.
• Le dépanneur ouvre quand il veut et non pas aux heures prévues.
• Il manque toujours de serviette de plage propre. On a réussi à changer nos serviettes 3 fois.
• Au buffet, on avait l’impression de manger les restes de la veille, de l’avant-veille et de l’avant-avant-veille. Malgré un hôtel bondé, la moitié du buffet était en service. Manque de cuisinier, donc file interminable.
• Trop cordé sur la plage. Les étrangers sont à 6 pouces de nous.
• Pas un 5 étoiles. C’est notre sixième voyage à Cuba, nous avons toujours pris des hôtels 4 et 4 1/2 étoiles et nous n’avons jamais été déçu sur le service et la nourriture. Nous sommes allé 2 fois au Barcelo à côté et c’était beaucoup mieux. Plusieurs services qui étaient offerts au Barcelo sont réservés pour le club Diamond au Memories.
• Il y a beaucoup plus de barracudas de ce côté de plage. Par ailleurs, une dame qui portait un bracelet de pied s’est fait attaquer. Elle a été hospitalisée et doit finir son séjour de deux semaines dans le plâtre et en fauteuil roulant. Si vous ne portez pas de bijou, il n’y a pas de problème. P.-S. Les gens du club Diamond portent des bracelets très attractifs pour les prédateurs marins.
• S.V.P., cessez de donner des pourboires en argent canadien ou américain. On se fait constamment harceler pour faire l’échange.

Nous avons fait notre voyage du 16 au 23 avril. En général, tout était parfait. Ce qui me désole le plus, c'est de voir à quel point les gens s'attendent à être servis comme des pachas en ayant payé un voyage à $800.00 ou $900.00. Pour ceux qui n'ont que des commentaires désagréables, vous devriez payer plus cher... Tout au long du voyage, les employés ont tous été agréables avec nous, aucune bibite dans notre chambre, elle était très propre, la nourriture... ok. C'était notre 5e voyage à Cuba. À voir les conditions dans lesquelles vivent les cubains, je considère qu'ils travaillent très fort pour nous, feriez-vous la même chose qu'eux ? Donc, pour ceux qui s'attendent à ce que tout soit parfait et impeccable, allez ailleurs, mais vous devrez payer plus cher... Nous avons beaucoup apprécié notre voyage, nous ne nous sommes pas arrêtés à des niaiseries qui n'en valent pas la peine. Bien sûr, nous ne nous attendions pas à ce que ce soit comme un 5* à Riviera Maya, mais nos vacances ont quand même été beaucoup appréciées.

nous avons été chanceux nous avons eu nos 3 request contrairement a mes 2 soeurs qui eux avaient payés le surplus ils n'ont pas eu la chambre ou types de chambres qu'ils avait demandés. puis il ya eu le service qui était excécrable et je ne suis pas plaignard d'habitude.mon beaux-frère et moi nous sommes fait "niaiser" par les cubains chargé de nous ramenés à la chambre suite à un problème avec sa chambre à lui bref ils disaient avoir perdu les clés du véhicules en riant très fort donc service zéro. pour la nourriture on aurait dit un 3 étoiles au turquesa à holguin c'était 100 fois meilleur. sans compter les bibites partout sur le plancher de la chambre et aussi dans le lit .plage merveilleuse mais puce de sable... ma soeur a été a la clinique pour se faire prescrire un crème.ah! oui il n'y a pas de clinique médicale sur le site ... pauvre

We actually had a good time, but after reading this review you may wonder about my sanity.
FYI, we are well travelled in the Caribbean and have stayed at all the top resorts from Sandals to Bahia Principe, Riu etc.

Keep in mind this resort is advertized as 5 Stars.

On the plane down, one of our new suitcases was damaged beyond repair.

When we checked in at the Memories Azul, the room we had paid for and was confirmed was not that room. It was supposed to be ocean view and a king size bed. It was niether.

We complained to the front desk and were given a second room that was supposed to be an ocean view and no king size bed. The view in this room was the consruction site of a new resort being built.

I took a picture of that view if you would care to see it.
The beds were two single beds. They were not proper beds the were temporary beds with no box springs under them.
Again we complained to the front desk and were told that they may have a room for us the next morning.

The next morning we went to the front desk and they gave us a third room.
This room had a great view on the 3rd floor over looking the pool and the ocean. But no king size bed, just 2 temporary type single beds. Happy with the rooms view, we figured we could now unpack our clothes and put them in the closet.

The closet had 2 large solid sliding doors.As I slid one of the closet doors open, it fell off the trac and narrowly missed crushing my toes. We called but nobody showed up until 9.30pm

Around 9pm that second night I sat down on one of the beds and the middle leg on that bed promptly broke, putting me on the floor. This bed was now on a 30 degree angle and could not be slept on.

We called the front desk. At 9.30pm, 2 maintenance workers showed up to our room (one carrying a toilet plunger?????). They looked at the bed and told us the bed needed to be replaced and they would return in one half hour with a new single bed.

After 2 hours of waiting we called the front desk and asked where our bed was and were told it would be there soon. At 12.30am we called again and were told it was coming

That bed did not show up that night and my wife and I were forced to sleep together on a single bed.
Just so you know, Im 245 lbs. It was a terrible nights sleep thanks to this resort.

The king size bed we have in our home was choosen by us as a result of a resort we stayed in, in the Caribbean.

The new bed showed up on day 3 of our 7 day vacation. They fixed the closet sliding door and it prompty fell off again, so we kept hanging it ourselves each time it fell off.

If you are getting bored with this story, I dont blame you one bit, but wait, it doesnt stop here.

The bar fridge is supposed to be "stocked". This resorts definition of "stocked" is 2 cans of beer, 2 cans of pop, and a bottle of water.On day 2 when we got this room, the bar fridge was empty.

On day 4 the bar fridge was still empty and at 9pm that night I called room service and asked for a can of cola so I could make a drink. After three more calls to room service over 2 hours, the can of cola never showed up, so we went to bed in those wonderful single beds.

Around 12.15 am room service knocked on our door, woke us up and delivered the cola??????? Over 3 hours it took them to deliver 1 can of cola.

On the morning of day 5 of our 7 day vacation I jumped into the shower and began to shampoo my hair. As I was doing this I could feel water spraying againgst my lower leg and no water hitting my hair. When I looked down I could see that the hose connection from the bottom of the tub spout had broken off and water was spraying everywhere.

At this point I really believed that my next shower would be at home in 2 more days, because of how slowly these people work.

We called customer service and to our surprise the shower was fixed in 3 hours.

Other little things we noticed. They have an in ground sprinkler system thoughout the resort, but they don't turn it on. The grounds look dry and the landscaping does not have that lush tropical look the you see in Antigua, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic or the Mayan.You probably won't realize this until you are walking in the resort. Even my own photos do not show this.

The problem with this resort is not the staff, it's the management!!They cut corners, mislead customers (the lack of king size beds was a common complaint by other vacationers we were with). Thier staff is not properly trained in "customer service" They talk about "Cuban Time" jokingly, but it is not a joke to seasoned travellers who know what good customer service is and plan thier next trip to one of those resorts rather then this one. You might want to pass this commentary on to the CEO "Eduarto" who says he has over 30 years experience in Resort Management.

This resort has great potential but is definetely not up to the 5 Star standard they say they are. That problem belongs to the management of this resort.

Short of all the above. The staff were friendly, the food selection was excellent and the beach was gorgeous sugar sand unlike the course sand you find in Vera Dero.

Just one last kick at the can, another piece of our luggage was damaged on the trip back. Both pieces are throw aways

This is the first and only time I have ever typed a review of a resort I have visited. This is not sour grapes, this is simply the reality of what we experienced on this resort.

Belle expérience en général!

Hotel was ok. A LOT of work to be completed in rooms such as toilet seat broken, rusted and green mold on toilet paper holder, cleaning staff did not sweep or mop hotel room floors during our stay and was very dusty and dirty. We tried to communicate but no one could understand.
We found that to be a common theme for the resort- as ignorant as it makes me sound, no one understood even basics of english. Seems like noone in resort wants to work. The resort staff just say 'ya ya' upon any request than you never see them again.
HUGE problem with flies in every eating area we dined in. Flies on our food, heads, tables, plates, buffet, walls, floors.
I am not by any stretch of the imagination a picky eater, by my GOD, the food buffet was awful. Little to no variety; rarely any signs to state what you are eating. Most of the buffet hot items appeared inedible. A buffet display is not supposed to make you lose your appetite before you fill your plate.
The bread stations were so messy. So unkempt. Tourist staying there walk around aimlessly as there is no direction in the dining areas OR resort areas OR beach areas.

A few of the family members travelling with us vomited all day and night after eating items from the buffet. Cross contamination at the frying or baking stations is sensless. No common sense. Made our large group of travellers so uneasy about putting anything in our mouths.

This resort could be great. I read that before going, and i believe that after staying there. Management of the resort is very very very poor to non existent. Most, and i mean most of the staff look so stressed and frustrated most of the time that you feel bad asking for anything (like coffee to your table suring breakfast)in the main dining room).

Some good- great points: The kids house was great. It was run by some great women who genuinely seemed to care for the kids who were left in their care by tourists. We did not leave our yound child there for not other reason than we had plans to be together every day, and travelled with 3 other families.

The beach was absolutely amazing. My family and i have travelled to many caribean destination, US locations and European and Asian country destinations. The best beach ever right at Memories Azul, Cayo Santa Maria.

But having the staff all looking miserable, overworked (which i do not think they would be) and food AWFUL, unlabeled, flies everywhere, VERY POOR MANAGEMENT (or inexperienced) of the resort- we would not return to that resort. Nor would we recommend it.

visited Memories Azul on April 13-20
this resort does NOT qualify as a five star... food is average, service is almost non existant and they dont even offer Cristal beer !!!
the resort is HUGE, excursions are expensive ... bring your own spices ketchup salad dressing peanut butter and jam
THERE IS NO 24 SNACKS.... on average 15-20 hours
Beach and pools are marvelous

Very friendly staff, exceptionally clean rooms! The beaches have amazing white sand, water is crystal clear. The beaches in Cayo Santa Maria are second to none! Memories Azul rooms had 220v outlets that supported our camera charges, straightening iron ect... No electrical converter was required. The food was ok at the buffet. The best food was the fresh food that was prepared for you while you waited. Servers and maids did not expect tips, but were very gracious when they were tipped. Maids loved lotions, gum, nail polish and small items for children like crayons and coloring books. This resort is very family friendly, but also fun for couples:) WE enjoyed the day trip to Trinidad, lots of historic sites to see! The market in the square at the resort had lots of shopping and vendors weren't pushy at all. Memories is a great resort for a relaxing, low-key vacation. WE would definately go back!!!

I have travelled to Cuba several times and I know what to expect. The food was the worst I have every experienced.
In our room -the phone did not work, the lamps were broken and the lighting in bathroom was awful.
I did love the beach and most of the staff were friendly and tried really hard to please.

Il est certain que je ne vais jamais y retourné!!!'

This hotel was very impressive. The grounds and rooms were really clean. Some of the staff were not so helpful and seemed really impatient. Others were great, however, tips do tend to help with the type of service you receive. The beach was beautiful. The food was not good at all. The Asian a la carte restaurant was horrible. Within the last few days, the food tended to taste a little better, but that seemed to be coincidental with the fact that management had visitors walking around. If you're not going for the food, it's a great place to visit.

The facilities were clean.
Staff was amazingly friendly.
Food was better than average for Cuba (Mexico would have had better food). However it was better than just OK. However not catered for vegetarians - everything had some meat or fish.
I wish they had more vegetables.
Fruit was very good with seasonal availability (Guavas, papaya, pineapple, melons, cantaloupe)

Rooms are ok but bathroom had ants everywhere. after calling the front desk many times and being told that it will be dealt with right away which it never was. Food was ok but always covered with flies. dishes, glasses and utensils are not clean. be careful! the worst is the grills ladies bathroom. none the bathroom doors lock. when i asked the cleaning staff why the doors don't lock she said she didn't know why and she doesn't speak English. This really upset me and i went to the front desk to speak to the manager Juan. i told him about the ants in my room and the locks not working in the ladies bathroom. he informed me that he would take care of it right away. ants were somewhat cleaned in the room but after a 7 day stay the door locks still were not fixed.

I would class this resort as a 3 . I personally preferred the RIU in Varadero