Amazing Resort

Right from when you are greeted to your departure, the entire staff have your happyness and comfort on their minds. We ate at all restaurant's except The Caribbean. The service and food were great, especially the Italian. The grounds and pool areas were kept very clean and and nice. What a great beach. We walked the beaches every day and without a doubt ours was the nicest. We paid more in order to have The Diamond Club experiance. I would deffinately recommend this for everyone. It allows yo [... read more]u to eat at a different restaurant for lunch plus your pin seating area at the buffet and the beach plus a few other amenities. Include is the butler service. All the staff were very happy and helpful, especiall Rene. Funny and helpful. Makes your stay very relaxing.

Overall very nice resort

Great service; staff is very friendly and helpful. Resort itself is beautiful and well maintained and kept clean. Dining options are not great - food is very bland but that's expected, and although the restaurants requiring reservations are better than the buffet, it can be difficult to get a reservation (2/5 days we were unable to get one at any). WiFi is not free; you have to pay 1 peso for access for 1 hour, and access is only given in certain areas/locations (for e.g. there was no wifi signa [... read more]l or access available in our room). Demographic of guests is majority seniors and older couples.

Great resort, amazing service, and NO AMAERICANS!!

This hotel is well maintained, with no children and great service for the most part .. I’d go again in a heartbeat. Beach is amazing, pools are well kept and everything is clean. Being Cuba ... the food is better than expected, especially at the reservation restaurants. Enjoy

Great resort, love the open concept.

This was a lovely place. Everything was great. Enjoyed the beach, the pool, all the surrounding areas and the restaurants. The buffet was very good although a little too varied. The bar staff could be a little more attentive to people sitting at the bar, but other than that everyone was very friendly and helpful. Thank you to Raul for all your help with check in and check out.

Beautiful Resort

Beautiful grounds, upgraded beds and umbrellas. Because of the way the resort is laid out it never seems crowded and there was never a problem getting a bed at the beach or pool. Love the bar area with indoor and outdoor seating. Very clean. Friendly staff. Food is just okay but you expect that in Cuba. We loved the fresh pasta and pizza bar. Delicious sandwiches and wraps on the BBQ near the bar. Buffet becomes a little boring by the end of the week.

Fabulous resort!

I thoroughly enjoyed my wonderful 9 nights at the Royalton Varadero. The grounds were sumptuous , beautiful landscaping, fabulous pools......especially loved the white tents around the pool, providing comfort, and shade .......the staff were attentive and friendly , giving a warm ambiance to the overall experience. I was thrilled with the food options, especially watching the chef grill fresh fish, and such choices! Mahi Mahi, tuna, salmon, perch, and more! The live music and entertainment were [... read more] excellent.........I look forward to my next visit.

A 5 star resort

Highly recommend. This was our 6th visit and the place continues to show improvements. Did Diamond Club upgrade and glad we did. Rooms are very clean, and grounds are well taken care of. Staff is uber friendly with no request too large or too small. A tad expensive, but worth it if you want to treat yourself. Food is excellent. All rooms are mini suites with refridge, large balcony, fully stocked bar (diamond club) beer, red & white wine, rum and sparkling wine. If you want something el [... read more]se just ask. Beach is wonderful. You won't be disappointed by anything except the price tag (we stayed 2 weeks from Jan 24 to Feb. 7 and paid just over $8,000..

Lovely Resort

Just have to say resort was lovely and entertainment was outstanding. The entertainment group should be applauded not pushy but let you get involved if you wished. Smiles everywhere, great holiday. Room was good and everywhere was clean. I was impressed how well the staff were presented as well. Only improvement that could be made was the dinning restaurants, buffet was best and food good and plentiful, many choices. Bistro open 24/7 good food too! And the ice cream shop a nice touch.

Fabulous Resort!

This is our second time to this resort and again..not disappointed one bit! Rooms a little outdated but large and clean. Housekeeping is amazing. Beach gorgeous sand, ample chairs and umbrellas. Able to talk long walks. Pool fantastic. One recommendation is somehow join the main pool up with the pool bar. Main bar fun! Lots of entertainment at this resort. Loved the jazz bar! Food, I would say good. You have to remember where you are. I didn't starve. Alcohol and wine selection excellent. Highly [... read more] recommend. This time the weather didn't agree. It was quite cold. Not much you can do about that.

Beautiful resort, amazing staff

We went to Royalton, Royal Hicacos last week. It was our eighth time at this resort. We love the staff there. They go out of their way to make your stay more enjoyable!! Unfortunately, the weather was horrible and we didn’t see more than a few hours of sun the whole week. It was very unusual for Cuba. The bugs were horrible and I had many red welts all over my body. I got sick the last day there and had some unpleasant reactions. The staff cannot control the weather or the bugs. They [... read more] had many activities that we could enjoy in the lobby bar and wherever they could fit a game of golf or bingo etc I love the staff. Hats off to the amazing entertainment staff and restaurant staff. Veronica, Arianna, Ari, Dennis, Jean, Jacques, Anita, Stella selling clothes to all the gift shop staff and others. (incorrect spelling of some)They remember us year after year as Mama and Papa Bear. (A long story for another time) Betty in the restaurant was amazing. She even sent special tea to my room when I wasn’t feeling well. The others were all attentive as well. Too many names to mention. All the staff were awesome in every area from the front to the gardeners. We keep going back because we love these people! It’s a beautiful resort with beautiful people. I would not choose to go back at this time of year again though. We have usually gone on March Break and the weather has always been much better and I have never been bothered by bugs like this time. It’s sad because the weather and bugs ruined our holiday. Thankfully we met some awesome people from England and played a lot of card games together. We had fun even without sunshine. Another time of year with sunshine and no bugs, I would definitely recommend this resort to my friends. This year unfortunately, I could not say I had an awesome time like previous years. This was no fault of the hotel or staff, but weather and bugs which cannot be controlled by these wonderful people!!

Great Beach

Overall the resort was clean and the food was average. The rooms where a bit outdated. The staff was friendly, and helpful when something was needed.Walk to the beach was a bit out of the way and there where no ocean front rooms. The resort was still under some reno's from the hurricane.

Great Beach

Resort and service are top notch,food is good always find something to eat.Beach is the best , butler service was wonderful helped plan events and booked dinner. Bar service was great drinks were tasty and not watered down would go back

Honest review

My wife and I stayed in room 0103 Nov 23rd to Nov 30th 2017. Upon arriving at this resort you feel you have just walked into a tropical, çolonial village that is partially built over waterways. It is a beautiful setting and you can tell that the design concept was to awe you. Check in was smooth and quick, very professional and classy. The cool towels and sparkling wine were nice. Our bags were brought to our room very quickly. I've read complaints from other reviewers about poor air conditi [... read more]oning: Not in our room, it worked great and the mattress was fine, bedding very clean. The room itself was clean and our room maid tidied it and made our bed everyday and left us towel art to admire. Our Butler George was there for us if we needed anything which for us was not much. We are very independent but he had to book the Al'carte restaurants. Pros of the Resort: #1 is the staff. Unbelievable service and friendliness. Everyone from the cleaning staff to cooks, entertainment team to store clerks were the same; top notch. Special mention to all bartenders who work their asses off for very very long hours. Rufolfo in the main bar; I pray your dreams comes true, you have more ambition and charactor than any North American young man of your age, you deserve what you are working to achieve. # 2 is the beach. OMG! Beautiful, clean and inviting. Its the Caribbean. #3: The pools. Although they are not heated, they were refreshing free form that you could spend all day enjoying. #4: Activities and theme days. Each day has a theme. Cuba Day, Canada Day, Fright Night (like Halloween), and a few others. The decorating and entertainment teams do a great job at this as well as this provides guests with a change up of different styles of food in the Buffet. This is a great idea. 👍 #5 is the Cuban Sandwich.🍔 #6 is the Ice Cream. 🍦 #7: I hope you like strong drinks...🍹 #8: Although the food is hit and miss, it's generally really good. Though don't expect a juicy tender Lobster or Crab. Cubans over cook and a lot of the food in the Buffet sits on warmers for long periods. There was no shortage of anything except some fresh vegetables such as peas and beans were substituted for canned. Post Irma some items are rare. Tomatoes and Onions for example. Not the Resort's fault. Resort Cons: This is tough because the resort has very limited resources in construction material and fittings. It's not the fault of any one who works there. #1 is poor condition of plumbing fixtures, in suite lighting, and appliances. Many towel racks and faucets really need changing. Our mirror was pretty corroded as well. The fridge worked but the shelf was broken and the bottom of the fridge was pretty rusty. #2: I question food safety: ie: The cooking station chefs load raw meats onto the grill and then with the same tongs will pick up your cooked meat and place on your plate. YIKES! MANAGEMENT: PLEASE HAVE YOUR COOKS USE SEPARATE TONGS FOR RAW AND COOKED MEATS!!! My wife and I both had the runs for several days. 💩 Would we go back? Yes. Mainly to support the hard working staff and enjoy the beach and pools. Would we recommend this resort? Yes, this is the best Cuba has to offer.

Fantastic Resort

We just got back last week from the Royalton and the whole trip was great! The people were so very nice and personable. The food was fabulous, I have no idea why people would say the food is bland. We did not have not have even one meal that was disappointing. The service and the people are top notch. We would definitely go back.

A wonderful holiday

We really enjoyed our stay at the Royalton Hicaros Resort. Beautiful grounds, nice facilities and what makes this stay so special is the staff. They cannot do enough for you. Food in all the restaurants was the best. The beach is the nicest I have ever seen. We so hope all their staff and families were safe from the hurricane that was happening as we left. We would go back to this resort anytime with exception maybe not in prime hurricane season. A great place to go.

Best vacation!

The hotel is very clean. I went in not knowing what to expect and was surprised. Staff are very friendly. The food options are good. Only issues I faced were being a vegetarian. One restaurant accidently mixed meat with my entrée. The water is amazing. They have good wifi connection when using the card. Unfortunately, night live is not there. There is a nice club lounge inside the resort but as most the tourists were elders, the club was not really being used. Keep in mind that this is an only  [... read more]adults resort which might not always be what you think. It's a good place to go with husband and wife or older family members and just relax.

Fantastic resort

Stayed at the Royalton Hicacos Resort for a week from June 16th to June 23rd. The resort is outstanding with the amenities, food and exceptional staff being top notch. We would recommend this resort to anyone and are counting the days until we return next year for a family wedding. Well done Royalton Hicanos.

Amazing resort

The grounds are fantastic, all activities (yoga, aqua gym etc) are great as well. Sandals use to have better perks such as room service and breakfast wish list. Sandals appreciated the return quests and this is not the case with Royalton, you guys don't care if we were there 8 times. We used to get a free upgrade to the concierge package after only 3 times of being at this resort.

Royalton Hicacos Resort and Spa ..... falling behind 'Sandals' friendly service and perks

Royalton, as the resort goes under now, from Sandals, has lost it's friendlier service and perks for those who have been loyal to the resort over the years, including under the Sandals brand. The service under Sandals was much better. Many former staff are no longer with the resort. Royalton has severed the 'conceige service' that used to be under Sandals, and decided to take advantage of this for revenue reasons, and renamed it 'Diamond Club'. There is no value under 'Diamond Club' sub-brand. I [... read more]t's nothing more than smoke and mirrors to get more money from the uninformed customer. Royalton has also instituted a service called 'butler service' which is nothing more than having someone 'book' your a-la-carte restaurants - which was not a inconvenience under the Sandals brand - as a matter of fact, it was a lot easier - now you end up going back and forth with butler staff - which is a waste of time. Also, your butler is always 'hanging' around where your room is located asking you 'is everything ok'. Then when you ask them to do something for you, you have to follow up. This 'butler service' is for the birds. Don't get me wrong, those who are residing as 'butlers', for the majority of them, are kind and nice people. But what resort has a 'butler service' in a country where no butler service even exists. I don't have a 'butler' at home, so I'm more than capable of not having one for 1 or 2 weeks on vacation. Sandals needs to come back to Cuba.

Beyond Expectations!!

Royalton Hicacos is an exceptional resorts. The grounds are very nice and well maintained. Although the rooms are a bit dated they are very clean and have everything you need (Iron, Blow Dryer, safe, bathrobes, umbrella, TV, etc.). We had an issue with our safe and it was repaired within 15 minutes. The buffet restaurant had something for everyone and the food was of very good quality. The Entertainment Staff do a fabulous job both during the day and in the evening....you can participate i [... read more]n as much or as little as you want. The evening shows are some of the best I have seen at an all inclusive. The beach is just beautiful....clear water where you can walk out quite far before it gets deep. As well there is a long stretch of beach for walking. I could go on and on...this was my first time in Cuba and this resort totally surpassed my expectations. I hope to go back in the not too distant future !!