Grand Memories Cayo Largo

The food was good and the staff were friendly, but several times during our stay there was no running water. We had to use the public washroom in the lobby, so be prepared for that. As a beach holiday, this hotel was a poor fit for us. Its website calls it beachfront, but there’s no beach there. The island does have two lovely beaches, though reaching them meant a 20-minute train ride followed by a 20-minute boat ride, or roughly 45-60 minutes of transport each way. We only found out on our second-to-last day that taxis could take us there directly. We didn’t feel we got good value and will look elsewhere for warm winter trips.

The island itself is nice, but there isn’t much to do, and the other resorts we saw looked just as run down. Our room had bugs, and everyone we met seemed to be getting bitten all over. In the first room we were given, the air conditioning didn’t work, it was damp, and it stank. It took three days of convincing before we got moved. The food and staff were terrible. Even the 24-hour snack bar only had ham and cheese sandwiches, and then they ran out of ham. Nice staff were hard to find. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

We’re already looking forward to seeing everyone again. This was our third visit, and we really love the place. It’s comfortable enough, as long as you don’t come expecting luxury or amazing food. The people are what make it special, from the cleaning lady to the gardener. A special thank you to Carlos, who’s always ready to help with luggage, taxis, or whatever else you need. Thanks to the bartenders, servers, front desk, and the amazing entertainment staff too.

When the beach got too small, they’d take us by cart to a nearby one if we asked. Everyone was so accommodating, and the entertainment was fantastic. We had a spectacular time at the resort, and the staff made us feel like family.