Memories Flamenco Beach Resort

We stayed at the Memories Flamenco from December 24 to January 31. Our expectations were low given the reviews, and we thought we could only be pleasantly surprised. What a disappointment. This is the first time I've written a review about a vacation, but I feel so cheated that I had to share my experience.

Diamond Club/Premium:
My first comment specifically concerns the Diamond Club/Premium, which is a complete scam. I am genuinely shocked to have paid $100 per day for literally nothing. Here's why:

We had access to a private buffet, which in reality had the same food as the main buffet but with 10 times fewer options.
We were supposed to get early check-in but only received our room at 3:00 PM instead of 4:00 PM, despite arriving in the morning.
We never got a welcome cocktail.
The exclusive beach is tiny and eroded, so we didn't use it.
The exclusive bar didn't offer any drinks different from the other bars (if anything, there were fewer options). Since there was no wait anywhere, there was no benefit to using it.
We didn't receive premium drinks.
We never got to dine at the à la carte restaurant because it was closed.
The minibar was never restocked and remained empty.
We didn't receive "premium in-room amenities," as there was no difference between our room and those of our friends who weren't premium, except that our toilet worked properly.
We weren't entitled to more specialized restaurants than other guests.
In the end, we paid $700 per person for this: access to the room one hour earlier than others, a fiew private tables at the buffet (which was never full anyway), and one special meal at the premium restaurant.
The concierge desk for premium guests isn't worth it because there's hardly ever a wait at reception. To top it off, any hotel guest (premium or not) could sit in our beach area, order drinks from our bar, and eat at our private restaurant because there was NO monitoring. Please, save your money!

Room:
The rooms are outdated in appearance. That's not a big deal for us, as we only cared about cleanliness. Unfortunately, the room was not clean:

The walls were particularly dirty.
The floor was mopped with dirty rags, leaving hair everywhere.
The pillows, towels, and sheets were completely stained.
There's definitely mold in the walls.
Some people traveling with us felt sick as soon as they entered their rooms, and so did we. Water in the shower was sometimes burning (like hell), sometimes very cold (no hot water), sometimes there were no water at all. On the bright side, the rooms are spacious, and the beds were reasonably comfortable.

Food:
It's Cuba. Food quality depends on your taste. I consider myself someone who isn't picky at all and eats just about anything. The food ranged from okay to bad. The only places we ate well were the specialized restaurants. If you expect excellent food, I suggest going somewhere other than Cuba. Otherwise, it might suffice.

Drinks:
The drinks were okay. Some bars are better than others, so it's worth trying them out. The drinks aren't stingy on alcohol, which is good. However, there were no glasses available during the last two days, so we couldn't get any drinks. The menu is not very diverse (mostly rum-based drinks).

Internet: well, it never worked on my iphone, except in the lobby.

Service:
Service was 50/50: 50% of the staff were friendly, and the other 50% seemed bothered by our presence. Most staff were on their phones and would finish their calls before assisting you. That said, I understand it's probably not a pleasant work environment, and they work long hours.

Beach:
The beach is very beautiful!

Bring with you:
Canadian and US dollars (as you can pay for a fiew things in CAD)
Toilet paper
Bottles for the drinks

In Conclusion:
Honestly, if you choose to go to Cuba, try to budget for a better experience. I don't think this hotel is worth more than $600 CAD in a vacation package with a flight included. Giving it 4 stars is extremely exaggerated—maybe 2.5 at best. [Details]

You can't possibly wish for a better beach. Soft sand, clear water, very little seaweed, gentle waves that never grow too high because the main reef is out there far from the beach, what else can you wish for?

We have observed a notable improvement in the hotel facilities since the last time we were there, about 18 months ago. WiFi is now available everywhere, in all public places and even in the hotel rooms. The main buffet restaurant is currently under renovation, which is also a good sign. Overall... great place to visit. [Details]

We went to memories flamingo as a little get away. We were in building two it was clean and the house keeper was amazing always friendly. The diamond club was great the pumpkin soup delicious . The beaches I would have to say are the best we have ever seen. We had a great time people are so humble and friendly. We will go back. [Details]

Very good get away… relaxing
Room was very nice
Food selection was not huge but can always find something to eat [Details]

Overall, this was a great first time Cuba vacation for my wife and a good time for me as well. [Details]

What an awesome resort and staff. I would 100% return and recommend [Details]

Overall, this resort is very good value for the money paid. Staff treated me well and I have no complaints. Katherine, the representative was friendly and keen to help when asked. Kathy has great customer service skills and dealt with several issues during my stay. I can see she works very hard to keep guests happy. [Details]

Beautiful resort and friendly staff [Details]

Clean room, friendly staff, great ocean view. [Details]

We had a great week at Memories Flamenco!
We were well prepared by many as to how Cuba is in terms of shortages and things to bring with us so we weren't as put out as other people due to not having certain items. I can't say enough good things about the staff there. Truly incredible people who will bend over backwards to help you. Made many new friends and chatted with many locals (they are struggling pretty bad there and need the tourists). Don't exchange any money to pesos, they prefer the CDN or USD money. Great pool and beach area! Entertainment staff does a great job each day with activities and shows.
We would go back again! [Details]

The trip was horrible from the start. Check in was supposed to be at 4 local. We waited in line at 4 to find out our room was not ready and to try again later. At 6 we were finally able to check in. When we did we discovered we were not in an ocean front room (that we had paid extra for). When I went to the front desk to inquire, I was told they could possibly move us in 2 days, to come check again then. After we finally got settled we were not moving all of our luggage again, so did not inquire about switching rooms again. When we got to our room we discovered we had no blankets. We went back to the lobby and were told they would bring them right up. They did not. We slept with towels the first night, until we finally received blankets the second night. During our stay we were rationed 1 L of water per day (for three people, one infant included). When I said this would not be enough and inquired where I could purchase additional bottled water, we were told this was not possible. On day 2 of our trip, the sewer backed up between our building and the one beside us. This led to literally sewage (shit and toilet paper included) being all over the walkway between the two buildings. See attached picture. This is absolutely not acceptable. This problem persisted for the duration of our trip (5 more days). We also did not receive toilet paper one day and had to go to the lobby to request some.

To say this was the worst trip ever, would be the biggest understatement in the world. [Details]

We come back mainly because of the staff. We have been to other places in Cuba, the shortages are the same everywhere and change daily. In Cuba, it is what it is. We love this resort for it's small size and how convenient it is to access the restaurants, pools and other amenities. We always chose Diamond Club mainly for the Restaurant. The Staff everywhere are amazing.
Since hurricane Irma in 2017 they have completely rebuilt the grounds/gardens and it now looks awesome. They have had some issues in the past year or so with water pressure but have been rebuilding that infrastructure building by building. We had no issues on this trip. The wifi on this trip was now available in buildings 1 through 7. Prior to that it was only in the lobby. [Details]

Hotel is starting too decline in alot of areas. Food is really not very good
Our son was sick for half the trip.
We figure for the most part if they're pouring you water it's out of the tap, you can taste it. [Details]

Hotels are dated but was liveable for a week. [Details]

There were not enough supplies to satisfy a sanitary resort. On our last day there was not one bathroom with toliet paper. When we asked at the front bathrooms (where they had about 20 rolls) they gave my wife rations. In the bathrooms there were flowers on the sinks but there was no soap and it was not even remotely clean. 2 bathroom stall were over flowing with "stuff", 1 did not have a seat.

We expected food issues - and we figured it out. But the day we went to the diamond Club dinner - high level management sat behind us - eating pasta , calamari and what looked to be some beef. Don't do it in front of customers that are eating pork chops we could not cut through.

The front desk customer service, never took my complaints / requests seriously - gave them my room number and never wrote it down.

The chairs were broken and very uncomfortable by the pool.

Not enough chairs - only to find one of the staff was saving chairs to get tips. (Did not realize that until after I gave him a tip.)

Shady characters were around the beach and pool - selling cigars, "coke" etc.

What an awful experience. [Details]

Stunning Views of beaches and really its out of the world. Pools/Bars were exceptional really. Restaurants are nice and food was good. Above all People of Cuba are so nice/cordial/hospitable that I will go back again. [Details]

Run down hotel buildings and terrible food options - ran out of most food except pork, rice and pumpkin and mix for drinks. Most definitely my worst experience ever at an all exclusive resort. [Details]

We don't blame the Cuban people but there are a lot of shortages. The place needs a lot of work. [Details]

We had paid for Diamond Club. At our arrival at 1 pm we waited to get our room until 4pm to finally not only get a room without 3 beds like asked but with no running water and toilet broken and none fonctionnel. (Building 3) We went then to the lobby to wait 4 hours to get told they had no new room for us until the following day and gave us a temporary room to just shower and use a toilet but that was not cleaned at all! The beach is eroded on the Diamond club side which makes it difficult to go in the water. Bring water shoes! We are alright but lacked eggs for a couple days and had no pop at all for our drinks. My in-laws also went with us and went without water in their room for 2 days for the shower and toilet also. The personnel could not change their room until 2 days later! They were also in building 3. I find this place to have poor management in their priorities. We will not be back. We do know the workers do their best but the front desk is not very helpful. [Details]

I have been going to Memories Flamenco for 11 yrs now. This recent stay has broken my heart as to how rundown the rooms, buildings exterior, public washrooms, main buffet, the servers stations are in much needed repairs. My room #3217, had a musty smell and definitely was in need of updates. I always bring candles and room spray, this helped rid of the smell. I had 2 twin beds and a cot. The view from the 2nd floor was amazing overlooking the grounds and kids club pool. The water pressure in the sink was great, toilet flushed, no issues, the shower had little pressure and luke warm water. The gardeners have done an exceptional job, as the grounds look amazing. The public washrooms need repairs, especially the ones by the lobby bar. There is a disgusting odour in that back area. The phones in the rooms didn't work, to me this is a safety issue as in case of emergency no way to contact the front desk. Wifi is being installed which is a nice feature, however in my opinion other areas need attention first. [Details]

It was our second visit to Memories Flamenco.
Although our previous vacation was a bit disappointing (careless cleaning lady, empty mini bar, lots of flies in the buffet, poor menu...), we decided to return to Memories primarily because of the stunning beach!!!
We booked the Diamond Club package again, but next time no such mistake.
Let me be more clear.
1) « Early check in » service may not work for you.
Upon arrival unfortunately, our room was not ready till 4pm, so we had no choice but to change our clothes right in the dirty washrooms that are next to the lobby.
2) The Diamond Club restaurant has some issues. Beside its limited menu, the waiting time for ordering omelette is quite long ((
The coffee quality is not as good as coffee from the lobby bar.
The lunch time frame is also too narrow, only from 1 to 2pm.
3) The shortage of the supply also affects the mini bar filling with beer and soft drinks.
Indeed, we did not find a single drink (except the bottle of water) in our mini bar for the whole week.
Thanks to the manager Anna, who generously offered us two cans of beer on our first day.
Question for the hotel management.
If for some reason you temporarily can not provide some services (ex. daily filling mini bars with drinks…), so why wouldn't you lower a bit of price for the Diamond Club package? Or maybe be find another solution to compensate missing service? Why should the clients pay for something that is not being provided???
As for the rest.
The food in the main Buffet in general, was ok, the cooking staff do their best, special thanks to them!
Another disappointment is the absence of our favorite Mojito and Pinacolada (
The situation with flies this time was not that critical as before.
Animation program in the hotel is always on top, Bravo!
Finally, from the bottom our heart we would like to thank our manager, Anna for taking care of us! We also would like to thank our cleaning lady, two adorable ladies from the medical office and all hardworking people who on every day basis try to to make our vacation as pleasant as they could!☀️ [Details]

Overall - it's time for the Memories Flamenco to have some serious fixing up work done. I'm a 10 time returning guest. Maintenance and repairs are not being done, and the loyalty of returning guests is keeping this resort popular BUT our patience is being sorely tested. Food and drink shortages are common in Cuba, those of us who have visited in the past know this. Currently the shortages are among the worst I've ever seen. For non-drinkers the options are severely limited: cola and Fanta were available 3 days out of 7 (I personally brought cans of ginger ale and spoke with numerous other guests who has brought their own soft drinks as well). Pineapple and orange “juice” are concentrate mixes with artificial flavours and highly sweetened. No blender drinks, or slushy drinks except for one day at the lobby bar.
Water issues persist - many rooms were without water for several hours on a daily basis. I was able to shower daily, lots of hot water, but very little water pressure. Sometimes no more than a trickle. Some guests were filling their ice buckets from the pool to “flush” their toilets.
Pool: needs a deep cleaning! Water appears clear but tile is grungy in numerous areas. Also many tiles are broken/missing and have not been replaced for MONTHS (my last visit was in May, and tile damage noted then remains unrepaired as of October).
Food handling is a concern. Same utensils/plates are used for handling different raw meats (chicken, pork, beef) and also used for turning meats during cooking and serving to guest plates. At the made to order station there was one set of tongs used by the cook for all meats, at all stages of cooking and serving. Huge concern for health & contamination.
Friendly and pleasant staff as always, many guests return largely for the experience of the caring resort staff.
Beach is beautiful, some erosion, rocks and shells - water shoes recommended.
Music at the upper pool is repetitive and often far too loud (one day there was “happy birthday” song replayed in different languages for half an hour, high volume, while nobody was at the DJ hut). Sometimes it's necessary to shout to be heard, taking to someone right beside you. Other times it's background volume and very pleasant. VERY inconsistent. Entertainment staff are pleasant but should be advised that shouting into the microphone cause distortion and sounds awful. Turn it down, stop yelling and people will be able to understand what you're saying. This is particularly an issue at the “Orange Party” which is basically a shouting booze fest.
So long story short: food isn't good, DC restaurant is slightly better than buffet (Omar is so kind). Italian a La carte was the best meal I had all week. DC lounge has great air conditioning and is a comfortable place to rest.
Beds super hard. Very limited drink options. Maintenance is VERY badly needed in rooms, pool, public washrooms.
Food handling should be addressed ASAP. I spoke with numerous people who were experiencing stomach problems & lots of folks were sharing their immodium and pepto.
Memories Flamenco needs to be brought up to its former quality levels.
At this point I would assess the resort at a 2.5 or possible 3 star level, by Cuban standards. [Details]

We decided to not pay for the diamond club, so here is our experience. It was a very hot week, at least 41 every day. There was never any ice for drinks in the buffet restaurant, constantly ran out of Pepsi for soda drinks. The hydro went out one day for over 4 hours. So that meant no plumbing or water. The flies were dreadful. Everywhere in all the restaurants. The tables, placemats or chairs never got cleaned at all between people eating! It made eating meals dreadful with all the flies sitting on each table from the food being stuck. The open snack bar was dreadful as the tables never were cleaned, and any food left on the tables, the birds were sure to get the left overs!! The staff keep the doors open in the restaurant but diamond club staff kept their doors closed during meals. They ran out of eggs for breakfast for 2 of the days, so we ate French fries . We were in building 3, and the water pressure was low. Two of the nights there was a massive downpour, and hotel does not provide umbrellas! The store doesn't sell them either. Food was terrible!! No variety and nothing was properly labelled , so you didn't know what was in the buffet. You get treated a lot better if you purchase Diamond club. Wifi is only in the lobby. [Details]

I went for 4 days and the resort is very clean and has a great layout. I only had one Ala cart since I was there for 4 days. [Details]

Hotel was busy with lots of travellers and had good music at the pools. There were no balls on site to play any type of sports. Unfortunately we did not have hot water, toilets would not flush in the room, toilet paper was very hard to get, there were no tripical drinks eg. pina colada, margarita and the sanitation in the dining hall was below expectations. Extreme amounts of cross contanimation in the buffet and chefs eating the food with bare hands then serving the food (on the line).
My son had an anaphalaxis to all nuts. We were assured by the head chef and resort that there were no nuts on site. They were wrong and there were nuts in the ice cream. The manager and resort did not believe me even after I showed them the nuts. [Details]

Been to Cuba several times and set my expectations accordingly. I go for the beach and to relax.

We are quite easy going, low maintenance, go with the flow people. That said, with very few exceptions, the service at this hotel was horrendous.

I won't talk about the grounds, the rooms, the food, as we all know what to expect, but I have never experienced staff like the ones here (again with a few exceptions). When we arrived, I thought maybe they had a bad staff meeting, maybe they had a fight with their partner, maybe their kid is sick, maybe this, maybe that... but the bad service continued. It's as if we were an inconvenience anytime we ordered a drink or asked for anything at all for that matter. I understand life for folks there may be more difficult than for where I live and it may be difficult to put on a smile all the times, but I think they should still remember that they are in the hospitality business. I was so disappointed with the service that this was likely our last trip to Cuba, which is quite a shame, as my husband and I both love it there.

This is the first time I'm leaving a not so good review. I don't like to mess with peoples livelihoods, but I'm leaving this review in hopes that they're able to address these issues and make it better for others that visit. [Details]

Hotel was okay. Large room with a fridge. [Details]

We were pleasantly surprised at the variety of food available! We had the Diamond Club upgrade which I highly recommend! The beach is breathtaking, the staff is superb! Great amenities. Also, the best coffee ever! Make sure you get the coffee at the bars as the restaurants are made different. [Details]

Overall, the hotel is good. It doesn't have many food or drinks options, some days we didn't even have eggs for breakfast. Even though the hotel is well maintained and cleaned there are too many flies and mosquitos everywhere. Most of the times, the AC at the buffet was off so it was really uncomfortable due to the heat and many flies on the food.
A must to Hugo (entertainment) and Pedro (at the beach)! Loved these guys! [Details]

We have recently returned from our 10th visit to this hotel. And it won't be our last. In all honesty, last April we weren't sure if we'd be back. Many shortages in all areas, and I understand they were all across Cuba, but we decided to give it another try last September, and it was so much better.....and then again in April, and it was fabulous!!

The food was fantastic.....so many choices, and the tacos on the beach, which was a new addition to previous visits, were delicious. Jorge Nolasco, who is the Food and Beveridge Manager, has worked so hard to restore the quality and options to the guests. His presence is noticed, as he is there morning, noon and night, whether it's at the buffet, the restaurants, or on the beach. He and his staff (chefs/servers/bartenders) are one of the main reasons we will keep coming back to this hotel. Oh, and the Ambassador's Dinner is a truly amazing experience.

The grounds are beautiful.....the resort is not too big, and not too small. The gardeners work so hard maintaining everything, and always pleasant. Shout out to Osmany, one of our favourites, who went over and above to help us out.

The rooms are clean, and we had no issues with the AC (building 2). Slight problem with our safe, but maintenance was there very quickly to resolve it (ended up just needing a new battery).

The beach is stunning.....a few shells as you enter the water, but not bad, and within a foot or two, nothing but beautiful sand. I would recommend water shoes if you have tender tootsies, but it's not really an issue. The beach seemed to have less shells on the non-Diamond Club side I noticed, and easier to gain access to the water.

We were Diamond Club, and the DC restaurant was so nice for breakfast and lunch, but we also enjoyed the buffet too. Divan, one of the chefs, makes the best omelettes in the morning, always with a smile on his face and kind words for everyone.

We are now starting to look at booking this hotel again, even though we've only been home for a month. The staff make us feel as though we're family, and we love that about them. Some of our favourites, as previously mentioned, are:
Jorge Nolasco,
Mabel Mendoza Armas (Customer Service Manager),
Divan Concepcion,
Yoyo at the pool bar (so incredibly kind),
Marcos Gonzalez at the pool,
Jose Ramon Martell (incredible server in the buffet),
Janet Tellez in the Route 66 bar (for making fantastic drinks and being so entertaining while doing it),
Zoe Yarisbey Pardo (wonderful server in the lobby bar).

And the entertainment staff are the absolute best!! Landy, Diana, Luis (Black Shark), Hugo....and the entire team......so incredibly talented.....always something going on to keep everyone happy.

Love this place, and will not hesitate to come back again. Yes, not perfect, in light of the issues that Cuba is going through right now, but the incredible staff do their very best to accommodate you on your holiday with whatever resources they have. [Details]