Memories Jibacoa

Thanks to Memories Jibacoa for a wonderful week at Christmas time. As soon as we arrived we felt welcomed. The staff work very hard to make it an awesome experience. The pool is great, the food is good (I loved the meringues - I even had some for breakfast), entertainment is great, pina coladas very tasty. There are restaurants close by if you are interested. Everyone is very helpful and happy. Great week. Read less

My wife and I visited Memories Jibacoa in January 2020. The resort is awesome! The drinks were great and well prepared. The food at the buffet and a La Carte’s was very good. There was a good selection and the servers were very attentive. Be polite and friendly- they work hard and are very friendly in return. Line-ups for the fresh-cooked buffet stations were usually less than four people. The beach restaurant was also good- try a Cuban sandwich. Oraylis is a great bartender and don’t be surprised if she whistles at you! Order a Pina Colada, she will make you smile. We enjoyed two weeks without any Tourista (sickness) at the restaurants. All of the entertainment was great. The lobby has live music nightly followed by the main show at the stage at 9:15. We really enjoyed the in-house musicians and performers. They sure can play, sing and dance. Check out the Piano Bar upstairs after the show. That was always a blast as we tried to sing along with the piano player or guitarist. The entertainment staff is very helpful and makes every effort to assist you. If you want to book a taxi or a tour just ask one of them to help you with that. I recommend taking a tour with a driver and guide, as they will give you lots of information about your surroundings and answer any questions you may have. You are also supporting local business by doing this. I can personally recommend Awesome Cuba Tours (check Facebook and say the Medieval people suggested you). There are lots of places to visit such at Varadero, Matanzas and Havana. Cuba is very safe for travelers, so set any worries aside. I’d suggest taking the two walking tours offered at 9am by the resort. Sneakers or good walking sandals are needed for the climb up the mountain. If you like bird watching, ask for Julio at the tourist shop outside the hotel. The rooms are clean and comfortable. It is an older Cuban resort (recently renovated), so expect a slightly dated room that might have some minor deficiencies. If you have any problems let the lobby know. Our room was cleaned very well every day, the amenities were restocked, and we always had hot water. That’s a five star rating for a room in a Cuban resort in my opinion. I think there were even some Canadian channels on the TV but we never turned that on. The Wi-Fi is what you would expect- a bit slow and hard to log into at prime times. I wish people would turn off their Wi-Fi when not using it so they don’t use up all the DHCP addresses and give other guests a chance. The general feel of the resort is laid-back. You don’t have music blasting all day long at the pool. The activities are on time and fun for those who want to participate. Cuba day is Friday at noon and something you will want to attend. The beach is good, we always found a lounger. You can go for a long walk from one end to the other. We did have red flag days due to strong winds and/or Portuguese Man-O-Wars. I respect the resort for posting flags appropriately and having attentive life guards. Despite red flags we still enjoyed walks along the beach and the ocean view from beach chairs so this wasn’t a big deal. The snorkeling we did get to do was good. There are lots of fish and coral out there. You may want water shoes if you have tender feet. Fins/flippers are strongly suggested for snorkeling. Expect to see some pelicans if you are a photographer. The staff was very friendly at the resort and communication between Spanish and English was never a problem. This is more of a go to the bar for your drinks rather than wait to be served resort. You may get table service, but don’t sit there expecting to get served right away. Wait-time at the bar was pretty short with four people in line. Take some time to say Hola, shake some hands and be friendly with the bartenders and servers. You may be surprised how much more fun the experience becomes. Don’t be one of those jerks who don’t understand what it means to wait your turn! Thankfully the bar staff keep track of that and there were very few guests that did that. David (and the other manager whose name I have forgotten) seemed to be everywhere making sure things were running smoothly. It is a very well run resort. Looking forward to returning again next year. Read less

Buffet: we really liked it even if we are vegetarians. Food was tasty and really well presented. (shrimps, sushi, variety of fish, grill station for meats fish-beef-pork-poultry, pasta sation, breakfast station, dessert were tasty to our suprise! Decor was changed accordingly to the theme of the day. What we really liked is that we could eat outside on the covered deck. If your party as more than 2 individuals dining outside is NOT an option. Dining inside is ok, no smoke from cooking oils and no bad smell, just a bit noisy to our taste. Resort: Beautiful and clean! Natural and green scenery. The staff is very nice and helpful. We appreciated the fact that it is a small resort, less people. The guests were all polite and curteous. (compared to another resort we stayed). Beach: We were there for snorkling....unfortunatly mother nature had other plans for us, red flags 6 days out of 7. We did snorkel once, it was fun and interesting. You have to be careful because the water level is low, when swimming, most of the time between you and the coral there is 2-3 feet. So if there's waves for sure you will scrape yourself and brake corals. The sand on the beach is not the prestine beaches of Santa Maria, because of the corals there is alot of debris so bring water shoes to walk on the beach. Doctor and nurse services: Excellent service! ( It does cost money) Unfortunalty for the second year in a row I had to consult in Cuba for a bronchitis infection and got some antibiotics. We did not visit the "À la carte retaurant", the pool, the evening shows, the spa, Room: We choose an "ocean view" room. We were on the first level. Bloc 5 room 1123. We really liked it. The matress was comfortable (to our taste) firm. The only negative comment that we have is: the damp smell, in the matress, pillows, curtains, all fabrics! I used essential oils of mint/lemon and tea tree to help I also packed a air sponge (air cleaner oder eliminator) Read less

just come back from 2 weeks here. At first,when we were tired after a lomg flight,we were disappointed,but the next day we began to explore the grounds,and boy,what beautiful grounds they are. The reef is fab, actually hand fed the fish. Walked out and met the locals,so so friendly you can expierence the true cuba at this resort. All the staff are so friendly and jolly considering what they are up against. Food is difficult for them to get regularly so sometimes this reflects in the buffet!the guy who does the omlettes is fab.Anna and her partner who own the big yellow vintage car parked outside give you a tour of Havana which you will never better,approx 80 c.u.d. for a full day travellling in style. Yes there are some pool tiles missing and bits and bobs are tired but they try their best under the circumstances and boy did we hear some horror stories about people who have gone to the more cosmopolitan vallareo. Give me this resort any day,btw, we didnt tip until the last 2 days,have heard other resorts wont even serve you until you tip, not at this resort,genuine people long may it stay that way. Beautiful scenery,beautiful people Read less

It is only because of the staff I give this resort such a high rating.The pool is a mess(missing and loose tiles)the roof on the main dining hall leaks,the conveyor belt toaster is a joke,no orange juice served the two weeks I was there,the games room is tired and in need of a revamp,as does the rest of the complex.The grounds were well maintained and nearly all the staff were wonderful.Would I go there again....no. Read less