TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Guests should be aware of our recent experience at the Sanctuary. We have been repeat guests 30 times in 9 years. Our room safe was vandalized and a large amount of money was stolen. Strangely, they only took some of the money, perhaps thinking we would not notice. Hotel Security was/is investigating with no results. We found the safe open, the plate that holds the batteries was inside the safe and the screw holding the unit together gone. Very upsetting to return to your room and discover your money missing. We’ve heard of others losing their valuables and now we know it’s very real. We definitely feel violated and discouraged. The hotel dropped the ball communication wise. We were told if we wanted to involve the police, we would have to drive to Santa Marta at our own expense. In the 2 weeks we were there, nothing has been resolved. You do not get a copy of the report and there is no case number to refer to. Please be careful with your valuables, it appears the safes are not secure and have easy access. We would suggest to involve the police.

We were at the Sanctuary at Grand Memories from Nov 11-18 and had a fantastic time! I read a lot of reviews and I was a bit worried about the food situation but I was very impressed with how good the food was! There was always a few protein options and the plating was quite nice, especially considering the shortages they face. I ate salmon everyday (my choice, as there was always beef and pork too). The one thing we didn’t see all week, until the last day, was chicken (maybe the next week had chicken everyday…who knows!) We had eggs every morning, and there was always lots of salads, bread, cheese, etc to choose. We never went hungry and loved the Sanctuary restaurant. We also ate at the Italian restaurant one night and it was good. We only ate at the buffet on the Grand Memories side once, the night we arrived. They would run out of one mix, but then I would just switch to another mix (lemonade, pineapple juice, orange juice, sprite) so there was always something to drink! We were in Building 35. Yes, the rooms are very dated. But they were cleaned everyday. There was always hot water and good water pressure in the shower. I didn’t see any bugs in the room at all. Our balcony door wouldn’t lock after the first time, but we didn’t really care because we were on the 3rd floor. We didn’t get our beach towel changed the whole week, but we didn’t actually ask for it either, so maybe we could have. So, was it perfect? No. But I don’t go to Cuba for a modern hotel experience. We don’t spend time in the room, except to sleep so as long as it is clean, I’m good! We enjoyed the almost nightly entertainment in the 24/7 bar. The beach is amazing and you can walk forever on it. One thing that stuck out to us was how uninviting the Sanctuary reception area is. The reception staff was not friendly and welcoming, and the design of the space is not inviting to engage with staff. We took the Hop on Hop Off bus into Varadero one day and had fun just walking around. We had a delicious lobster lunch at El Aljibe on the Main Street. With 2 pina coladas, it cost only $10USD each. There was also really good, but small, pina coladas near the Varadero sign in town, and they cost less than $1USD each. A few shoutouts for staff who we thoroughly enjoyed interacting with and made our week even more memorable: 1. Victor in the 24/7 bar was fantastic and he knew exactly what we wanted to drink every night, and kept us hydrated! The bartenders worked hard and always had a smile for us. 2. Marle, Roxane and Ailed in the snack bar greeted us in the morning for our breakfast outside by the pool and always had a smile. 3. Mileydi in the Sanctuary restaurant and the 24/7 bar was always friendly. 4. Yoan at the beach bar made yummy drinks and always did it with a smile! 5. Marisel was super sweet and always made sure the bathrooms were kept tidy, both near the restaurant and the washroom heading to the beach. 6. Rosanna, our butler, was very attentive and always answered us quickly when we had a question via WhatsApp. She booked all our dinner reservations for us on the second day we were there. 7. Emilio made us laugh everyday and would find us at the beach to get us to play the games….even when we tried to get out of it….the motorcycle ride was just the beginning…..lol 8. Carlos on the beach is amazing. I have the utmost respect for him as he works very hard and seems like a genuinely great guy who loves his job! How does he remember all the drinks people wanted and deliver them so quickly!? Thank you for a great week! I would recommend the Sanctuary and am already dreaming of going again!

We chose Sanctuary at Grand Memories Varadero for our first visit to Cuba and very much enjoyed our stay. I can not say enough about the staff at this resort very friendly, always smiling and always willing to go the extra mile to help with all your needs. I have read alot of negative comments about Cuba but I did not encounter any problems at this resort. Everything worked in our room, there were no mosquitoes, no power outages, and no real shortages except of french fries the resort even had Coke and Pepsi. The only reason I didn't give Sanctuary a 5 star rating was due to the fact that the rooms are really dated. I would like to give a special thanks to our front of house butler "Adriel" our beach butler "Carlos" our maid "Susanna" in Block 31, "Roxy" at the snack bar and Mily at the 24hr bar.

From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed and well cared for by the incredible staff who truly made our vacation special. A massive thank you to.... - Our butlers Jose Mario and Norvi for their hard work, dedication, and attentiveness! - Rainer and Emilio for the energetic and fun entertainment! - Carlos who was always smiling and sparking up friendly conversations! - Yoan for AMAZING drinks. He is always friendly, polite, and smiling! - Victor, who was always on top of everything. He made sure service ran smoothly and made guests feel valued! - Lassandra who kept our rooms clean and stocked while welcoming us with warm greetings! - Adrian who kept the pool clean and looking great!

Great animation team-Emilio , Rainer and Naomi . Great seafood. Drinks great too. Viva Cuba!!! Great place for solos travellers !