Disappointed in my honeymoon stay

My wife and I chose this resort for our honeymoon, expecting it to be one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the most disappointing hotel experiences we’ve had. Having stayed at other Royalton resorts in the past, I expected a similar level of service and hospitality. Sadly, that was not our experience here. From the room assignment to the overall service, we often felt overlooked and undervalued. As honeymooners, we hoped for a special e [... read more]xperience, but instead we left feeling disappointed. One of the biggest letdowns was the room itself. It was not what we expected based on what was advertised and what we had hoped for when booking such an important trip. The beach and water conditions were also very different from what we anticipated. What troubled me most was observing service differences throughout our stay. While I cannot speak to anyone’s intentions, there were moments where it appeared that some guests received noticeably faster and more attentive service than others. It created an uncomfortable impression that left us feeling unwelcome. I rarely leave negative reviews, but I believe honest feedback is important. This was our honeymoon, a trip we invested significant time, money, and emotion into, and unfortunately the experience did not live up to the standards we expected from the Royalton brand. I hope management takes guest feedback seriously and works to ensure all guests receive the same level of service, respect, and hospitality regardless of who they are. No couple should leave their honeymoon feeling disappointed and unheard.

Diamond Club and Oceanview cost premium isn't worth it

This review is about our recent large group stay at the Royalton St. Lucia Hideaway (Diamond Club) In April. Overall, our experience at the resort was generally positive; however, there were some service gaps regarding the Diamond Club/Hideaway experience. First, there were multiple occasions when activities scheduled at the hideaway pool or bar did not occur as indicated. Secondly, after our arrival, we discovered that the Hideaway beachfront Dorado restaurant and washroom were closed for re [... read more]novations. This required us to travel from the beach to the pool area for access to facilities or use a non-oceanfront restaurant. We were not informed of these closures in advance, considering we were paying for a luxury premium experience I would have expected a heads up. The most frustrating issue involved room categorization and pricing. Our group consisted of seven couples, all booked under the Diamond Club Hideaway category. Among us, four couples (including myself) paid an additional $800 for “oceanview” rooms, while three couples booked “non-oceanview” rooms. All seven couples were assigned rooms in the same building (Building 1). The only difference between the room type was the floor level: the non-oceanview rooms were on the first floor (above the swim-up area), while the oceanview rooms were assigned to floors 2–4. While I understand that this classification may apply to other buildings on the resort, it does not accurately reflect the situation in Building 1, as there was no difference in view among the floors. In fact, one guest on the first floor had a better ocean view than another guest who paid the premium. I cannot understand or justify why we paid $800 more than the other guests so I hope you take this into consideration when booking. That being said, the resort is nestled in a beautiful cove. The ocean is lovely. The food was ok, not spectacular by any means. Mostly, I would like to express my appreciation for the quality of the butler service; all of the Diamond Club staff were friendly and attentive. But in my opinion, I don't think it was paying a premium the diamond club oceanview at this resort.

I wouldn't go back

Very poor service ,we were there for 4 nights and had a very large dirty spot on the couch ,nothjng was done about it ,it was my daughterbed. , reported Thursday, asked for pillows (we were 3 only had 4 pillows) only git 2 more on Saturday, beach never get cleaned from seaweed until midday, no one arranges the seats or take care of the beach,this was Royalton St.lucia

Wonderful Resort

Beautiful grounds, scenic views , clean comfortable rooms, well maintained pool areas with swim- up bars, variety of restaurants, friendly knowledgeable staff catering to your needs, many amenities, lovely beachfront property Some elevators were not working requiring walk-up 3-4 flights of stairs to our room

We had a wonderful time at the Royalton Hideaway

Had a beautiful venue for celebrating birthdays, retirements and family time. Lots of good restaurants, lovely sparkling pools and warm sandy beach. The sunsets were gorgeous as we had a beach front room. The biggest detraction was the two hour bus ride from the airport.

Royalton st. lucia

Excellent property, great staff, location is far from the airport about 90 minutes using the back roads. Rooms are cleaned and so is the resort, Food is good both at the buffet and a la carte restaurant, room service was also delicious for breakfast. Beach is nice, cleaned never a problem getting lounge chairs. We’re beach people and this was a really small one compared to other islands we have visited before. But overall it was an amazing vacation

We loved the Hideaway

I am not sure why we saw so many negative reviews of this place…we loved it! We had a lovely room, a great view of the ocean, and the people who worked there were very friendly. We have travelled a lot and have never have had such a great room. The food was really good—there were plenty of options and we were delighted with most of the food we got. We thought that the Nexus trips were amazing—we did the party sunset catamaran trip and loved it even though we are in our late 60’s! We took the he [... read more]licopter trip back to the airport to avoid the long drive and it was so much fun! Our only complaint was that they want you to download an app to make dinner reservations and it didn’t work properly. However, we were able to walk in to most restaurants without reservations. We highly recommend the Hideaway at Royalton.

Letter that has been sent to Royalton. Barely worth 3 stars let alone 5

Dear Royalton St. Lucia Management, I recently stayed at your resort, and while I greatly appreciated the warm and friendly demeanor of your staff, my experience was overshadowed by significant operational shortcomings that severely impacted our vacation. Given the premium cost of this trip, I believe it is fair to request compensation for the loss of use of our room and the many inconveniences we endured. Key Issues Encountered Prolonged Room Access Issues For over a day and a half, we were [... read more] unable to lock or unlock our room safely without locking ourselves out entirely. This was a major inconvenience and forced us to leave the room unlocked after cramming as many valuables as possible into the safe, just so we could enjoy some time outdoors. This unacceptable situation compromised both our security and peace of mind. Housekeeping Challenges Upon check-in, the room was inadequately stocked, containing only two face cloths and a floor mat. We discovered this on our first morning and called housekeeping. Over two hours later, with no response, I located a cleaner in the hallway, who was shocked at the oversight and kindly provided us with two towels. Additionally, there were no beach towels available on multiple occasions. This appeared to be exacerbated by guests using them to reserve chairs, a practice that was not managed effectively by staff. Food and Beverage Service The inefficiency of the food truck was astounding. It seemed overwhelmed despite relatively moderate demand, due largely to poor organization and undertrained staff. A streamlined system could resolve these issues, as the food itself was fine but not worth the excessive wait. Room service failed to deliver drinks we ordered, which was another frustrating lapse in service. Facilities Issues The Italian restaurant lacked basic hand-drying options in the bathroom (no paper towels or dryers), which detracted from an otherwise enjoyable dining experience. A broken ATM left guests stranded without access to cash, with no alternatives available at the front desk. Impact on Our Stay The most significant impact was the room access issue. The inability to secure our room or easily access it for over 36 hours created unnecessary stress, disrupted our plans, and diminished our enjoyment of the trip. This was compounded by delays in service and inadequate amenities, leaving us with the impression that the resort was unprepared to meet the standards expected at this price point. Request for Compensation Given the disruption and the inability to fully enjoy the core aspect of our stay—our room—I kindly request compensation for this loss. While I appreciate the friendliness of your staff, the numerous operational flaws detracted significantly from the experience and failed to align with the premium cost of the trip. I hope this feedback is taken constructively, as the Royalton St. Lucia has immense potential to offer an exceptional guest experience. With improved training, operational planning, and guest support, future stays could be far more enjoyable. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter. Please feel free to reach out if you require further details about our experience. Sincerely,

Nice resort but many disappointments as well

Stayed for 10 days in Apr/24. Overall, we enjoyed our time on this beautiful island. I'm giving a detailed list of pros/cons. Lots of cons compared to other resorts we have been to, but we tried not to let them bring us down. I do think hotel management needs to address some of these issues - we heard similar complaints from other guests. Pros: - good food, including buffet. Minor issue of overcooked steak once but otherwise we enjoyed most meals. As with most Caribbean resorts, if y [... read more]ou are a chocoholic, you may be disappointed with the desserts! - no reservations necessary for a la carte restaurants, except the Japanese one. Usually wait was not that long - they gave you a buzzer to go and have a drink and get notified when table was ready - lots of pools - bracelet with key is great - no need to keep track of a key card - beach/pool towels - take as needed, no need to sign them in/out or being limited to 1 per person - room was nice - no charge for canvas-covered cabanas, just first come first served (although you'll need to get up early, likely before 6am to snag one) - separate check-in lobby for Hideaway guests was nice, but our room wasn't ready even though we didn't arrive until after 3 - shout out to room attendant Maxilina - she left a few handwritten notes for us welcoming us and showing appreciation. Also, Hideaway beach bartender Brian was great! Had a lovely waitress at the Italian restaurant - sorry, can't recall her name. - country singer, Shervon Sealy was great - an amazing voice - snorkeling off the beach was really good. Tons of small fish. We brought a bun from the buffet and broke off pieces and were swarmed by lots of fish. Cons: - most wait staff and bartenders (with the exception of those noted above) were not friendly and seemed annoyed/bothered whenever you ordered something. The restaurant greeters were friendly and welcomed you but after that, staff did not engage. We've been to other resorts where all staff members smiled and greeted you whenever you encountered them, including maintenance staff passing you on the sidewalk. Not so here, they don't engage and do not seem to be enjoying their job in the service industry. - even though the resort did not seem full, there were never enough bartenders at the swim up bars. Very slow service as a result. - bars were constantly running out of ingredients to make standard cocktails or the special cocktails on their menu. Also ran out of beer one day! - other shortages: napkins and spoons at buffet were often missing, facecloths in rooms. Witnessed someone asking housekeeping for a bar of soap only to be told they were out. - nightly entertainment was pretty lame for the most part and somewhat repetitive. 'Live music' was usually just a karaoke-type performance. Also, most shows end at 10 and then a big gap until a vibe party at 11. We never bothered hanging around for that - I think they hope this is the case so they save money on alcohol if everyone turns in early. Silent headphone party was particularly disappointing. There were only 2 channels of music to choose from. One was not our style but the other initially appealed to us and several other guests who were up dancing and singing to Abba, Shania Twain etc. But then I guess we were having too much fun because the songs soon changed to a style similar to the other channel and then no one was dancing and people were handing back their headphones. I guess the dj's were more interested in playing the songs they liked instead of being aware of what was appealing to the guests. - the foot washing/shower stations between the beach and the pool didn't work, so no way to rinse off the sand other than in the pool. So the sand collected in the pool and was never vacuumed out. - separate toilet area in our room had a barn-door which didn't latch and wouldn't stay shut. We requested it be fixed the first day and no one ever showed up to fix it. - the swim up pool bars had chunks of the bar ledge missing. Some upkeep is definitely needed. - just a heads-up that the canvas umbrellas and canvas cabana covers do not protect from the sun as you would expect. We burn easily so were very careful to move our loungers around as the day went on to be sure we were always in the shade. However, we still got sunburned. The beach has wood umbrellas which served the purpose much better. Excursions: - helicopter transfer from the airport was amazing. Got us there very quickly and the views were amazing - walked to Pigeon island - about 25 minute walk taking the shortcut (talk to the security guard at the edge of the property near the Diamond Club for directions). Park opens at 9:30. Cost to enter is $10 each. We climbed both peaks. Taller peak was more demanding and you will want proper footwear for this - flip flops will not work well! - catamaran/sulpher mud bath/waterfall/lunch/snorkelling - this was fun. Great way to see the island from the water. Mud bath was kind of neat but overrated. Staff seemed to really rush you through the whole process with so many other guests. Waterfall was cold and powerful but fun. Staff take pictures of you on your phone which is great. Lunch buffet was nothing special, but the view was amazing - we were up high in the mountains and looking over at the Pitons and ocean. Snorkelling - lackluster, not many fish and not that colourful. -ATV adventure - was very fun going on trail through rainforest. Stopped for a few picturesque views. Tour guide was very quiet/low energy but still had a great time. - 30 minute jetski ride for $80 from beach vendor was a lot of fun.

Wonderful Vacation

Stayed at Hideaway by Royalton April 13-20, 2024. Absolutely wonderful vacation. Booked Diamond Club and the upgrade was worth the extra money. Butlers Fabian and Gillian were responsive, attentive and made our stay that much more enjoyable. Food was very good at all restaurants. Private transfer with Island Taxi highly recommended. We look forward to visiting again!

Good Week in Saint Lucia

Group of four stayed at the Hideaway Royalton at the end of April. Overall, the resort is very nice and I have no complaints. Is there room for improvement? Yes….but generally speaking, this was a good holiday. We chose this resort fairly last minute, so not many options were available. Mostly we wanted to avoid the Sargassum problems in the DR and Mexico so we needed an island that was not being as affected by it. The check in experience at the Hideaway Lobby gives a terrible first impre [... read more]ssion. Because the resort is two hours from the airport, you will arrive tired and hungry. The employees in the underwhelming Hideaway lobby make a bad situation even worse. They were abrupt, snarky and not at their best, which makes their guests not at their best either. There were snacks that looked like they had been sitting out all day and the welcome drink was a watered down luke-warm cocktail. They need to improve this area of the resort. Surely there is an area in the main lobby (which is a much more attractive area) to give hideaway guests a better welcome experience. I have stayed in the “club/exclusive” areas of other resorts and the check in experience is always special. I will say that the key card on your resort bracelet is a handy thing….much better than a card. After finding our room all on our own (correct—- no one offered to show us to our room) we were relieved to see a nice clean room with a beautiful ocean view. Things were looking up. Our room was kept immaculate for the rest of our trip. Housekeeping knows what they are doing. The restaurants and bars are all very good. We ate at all the restaurants, the buffet, the food truck and the sports bar. Food was good everywhere. I preferred Dorado for breakfast over the buffet. Service at all the restaurants was also very good. My travelling companions got a lot of bug bites sitting on the patios for dinner, but the bugs didn’t bother me. Just lucky I guess as they were really bitten up and bug spray didn’t seem to help. You do not need reservations at restaurants except for the Teppanaki. For all other restaurants, you check in and they give you a buzzer which will go off when your table is ready. If you don’t want to wait for a table, be sure to go at 6:30 or earlier. None of us became I’ll or had tummy trouble as others have been complaining about this month. We also did not speak to any other guests who were ill. Obviously getting sick can happen to anyone, anywhere. Cleanliness and hygiene at this resort is top notch and their food practices were also good from all we saw. The beach was a bit of a disappointment for me, but I am a beach girl so my expectations are pretty high. This beach is very small, does not have a nice sand bottom after the first ten feet, and the loungers are just jam packed together side by side. I only spent one day there, but I did go down to swim/float in the sea everyday. I just didn’t sit there. The pools were fantastic. They all have beautiful views and lots of chairs. I participated in aqua aerobics and hung out at the Hideaway Pool most days. The drinks at all the bars were well made and there are pool servers who will bring you drinks if you don’t want to get up. I am not a big frozen cocktail person so I mostly stuck to vodka, cranberry, soda or Rum and Diet Coke. I was very happy that the pools were so nice since the beach was not the greatest. I was unable to stay awake for all the shows, but I can say they are all pretty typical of resort shows. The theatre is very short on chairs though—- more seating is required. I headed off to bed early most nights. There is no turn down service which is something an adults only experience needs to compete with other adults only resorts like Secrets and Excellence. There is also no liquor or snacks in your room, which again is something other “club” level areas have at other resorts. Not a big deal this time, but the Royalton should really add these services to the Adults Only side if they want to compete. There were very few kids at the resort because of the time of year, but I would never pay extra for the Hideaway Adults Only section if it was Christmas or March Break… it wouldn’t be worth it as kids can go everywhere on the resort except for the Hideaway pool and Dorado. We did take a private tour from one of the beach tour guys that was great. I had been to the island previously and didn’t want the mud baths offered on all the other tours, so the private tour was better for us as we were able to choose our own activities. I spoke to many who loved all the excursions so you can not go wrong with any of them. Coffee shop is great for your morning coffee or a mid day snack. Check out was as bad as check in, sadly. They make you go to the Hideaway “lobby” to check out but then you have to head all the way up to the main lobby to grab your transfer! So ridiculous. If you are going to charge extra for the Hideaway Adult only experience, don’t ruin it by herding you together with families and kids on a two hour van ride. Airport check in was a breeze. So, overall the resort is nice. We had a good time and service was as expected except for the areas I mentioned earlier. Would I return to this resort? I would not, but only because I am still searching for that perfect beach and there are so many other islands to see.

Needs some work

Room and staff were great. Food sucked. Restaurants were very disappointing. Resort was not near capacity which was even more disappointing. Pool bar on Adult side had nothing but sad ‘80’s music. Buffet was extremely disappointing.

A wonderful holiday!

Excellent staff who were more than accomodating Most restaurants good except Tex/Mex Major issue: These resorts need to be more mindful of people with physical challenges - no bars in showers; no rubber mats for shower floor; few rooms with raised toilet seats

Amazing resort!

The staff was so amazing- always helpful and happy. It was a wonderful 2 weeks. As a person with mobility issues, I have a few suggestions: 1. Install high-rise toilets in the rooms- they were available in all of the common washrooms. It made a remarkable difference to my comfort and movement. 2. Install bars in the shower. The floor becomes slippery with the soap and I did slip a few times even though I tried to be very careful. 3. I would have loved to get in the hot tubs outside but witho [... read more]ut a railing to get up the steps, I was unable to make use of that. I observed many other older visitors who had mobility problems as well as me so I am sure they experienced the same problems. You have a beautiful resort that I have already recommended to several friends who travel in the winter, but those few improvements would make a world of difference. Thanks for allowing me to relay my concerns and praise.

Amazing resort

The resort was very well laid out and beautiful to look at. Our room was huge and luxurious. We had a swim out room overlooking the ocean, could not have been more beautiful. Restaurants were good, lots of variety. Food was good though not outstanding. Staff were friendly and courteous.

Beautiful

We stayed in Diamond Club Hideaway. Great resort. Great food and drinks. Always able to get towels and a chair. We had wonderful Butler service. The only thing is that it is almost 2 hrs from airport and the roads are hilly and curvy.

Beautiful Resort, ok food.

Very clean, friendly and beautiful resort. Great location and view. Food was a bit of a let down, lots of recycled food. Wait staff was very very hit or miss, either on the ball and great or taking an hour to get you out your food and missing half of your order. Wish there was more to do on resort. Kind of smaller than i am used to. Staff was friendly.

Nice resort!

Beautiful property but felt there were some issues! The room was beautiful but had a musty damp smell to it as if it had been flooded and not dried out. The staff were very friendly but customer service wasn’t great! We had to call 3 and 4 times a day to get our fridge stocked, it was very frustrating! It was my birthday while we were there and my husband requested decorations for the room, ut it never happened. We had a swim out which was lovely except someone above us was throwing cigaret [... read more]te butts into it and also in to our patio, we reported this but nothing was done about it! The restaurants were very good! For the amount we paid to be there we were a bit disappointed!

Hideway at Royalton Suites St. Lucia

Own Pool and a walkout Balcony too. What a place for a week or even longer. Food was excellent the staff friendly and very helpful. All guests save one were respective of everyone's rights. I wished I could stay longer.

Great resort but very far from airport.

Great resort, beach is small but nice with white sand, some place has sand bottom some has rock. Beach reserved to Hideway guests is tiny. Beach chairs are so close to each other. Not very comfortable. Food in restaurants à la carte is average, buffet has a lot of choices. Service is great , very fast to react and even follow up . People in service are amazing. Hotel should relax a bit about sales pitch re time share and future holidays. Some sale people are pushy and try too hard to be ni [... read more]ce. We would go back because of room location and people.