Awesome resort

Loved it...our second time there and we will definitely go back. We were there from April 8 for 5 days. When we arrived on Saturday, they had the Cuban Day...lots of lovely food, music, dancing and overall a good vibe and lots of fun. The room was lovely; it was cleaned very well every day and the bar fridge was filled every day. Loved the coffee maker in the room. The food was excellent - we just ate at the buffet; the service there was also very good....quick service which made for no line ups [... read more]. The water stations they have on the way to the beach and on the beach is something new from last time, but really appreciated. The freshly squeezed sugar cane juice was also a nice treat as well as the ice cream at the ice cream shop. The service from everyone we encountered was excellent - people are friendly and very helpful. The lobby bar was frequented....service was awesome there too. The beach is wide and clean; there were enough loungers ..lots of shade if needed. Overall an excellent experience.

What a great resort

was a great resort, the best we have been to yet.and will be back.great people as usual and food and grounds just amazing. everything was so clean and to have butlers was amazing too.entertainment people were so talented.

Amazing vacation

Our room was spotless everyday. Everything worked in the room and there was no previous damage. Well maintained. The grounds keepers were on top of everything all the time. Beautiful grounds. The food was excellent. Always hot and an amazing selection at every meal. The wait staff was excellent. They were always willing to make your dining experience great. (Topping up your water, coffee, taking away dirty dishes, etc) Always cheerful and friendly. The entertainment was excellent. A  [... read more]wide variety of local acts and presenters . The "Butler" was willing to do most anything to make your vacation care free. He was there if you needed him and he always asked if everything was o.k. Management was visible and interested in making your stay the best in Cuba. The bar staff were ALWAYS friendly and cheerful. The beach was clean and litter free. The beach attendant made sure he found a lounger for you in the shade. EVERYONE was super friendly . They really made an effort to make sure you feel special. Connecting to internet was easy.

Beautiful resort/fantastic service/I would return

This was our first trip to Cuba. The Royalton was a pleasant surprise after you hear so many poor things about Cuba. The service top notch. Everyone extremely pleasant and attentive. The food was much better than expected. The pool was chilly (not heated) and so in March, too cool for swimming.. although a few brave souls got in. Our room on the ground floor was large however there was a musty/damp smell which got better during our stay (or we got used to it). The shower/bathroom is in need of a [... read more] renovation. Rusty bath fittings. We purchased Diamond Club and would do it again in a flash. It's worth the extra. You get advance reservations for the a la carte restaurants and special seating on the beach with tons of umbrellas/covered sun beds.

Wonderful Week!

The hotel showed signs of age (we were there when it was a sandals nine years ago) but the grounds were beautiful and the rooms and bathrooms very clean. The food at the main buffet was SO good with lots of healthy options. The only let down was the butler service - it was non existent. especially when you've experienced it at other Royaltons.

Terrific Resort,Amazing Staff!!

The grounds are beautifully maintained, the food in all restaurants & buffets as great and all the staff are excellent especially Marion in the Italian restaurant and Marcello that is at the door to greet you when you get off the bus!

Fine Resort

My wife and I spent a wonderful week at this adult only resort in early 2017. The room was spacious and very clean. The grounds are beautiful and the food was good. The staff is hard working, very friendly and attentive to guest needs. In our view the hotel has the best beach in the area. We have been to other resorts in Varadero but this one is the best. The resort has a five star rating. In comparison to ratings in Canada I would give the resort a 4 plus rating. We will be returning. George f [... read more]rom Canada

Great Service

The service was top notch. The butlers (Eilyn and Robert) were very attentive to our needs and assisted in booking car trip to Havana. The food was good, especially in the buffet. The rooms could use some updating (lights, hooks etc.) but the bed was big and comfortable. Would recommend this resort for a trip to Varadero.

5 Plus Stars at this luxury Varadero Resort

This was our 5th visit to this resort. We were here in 2015 and it was JUST AWFUL! Well 2 years later (and a new General Manager) has made all the difference. We were well received at check in and our butler took us to our room (1201) in the Diamond Club section of the resort. Later that night we met the new General Manager named Paulina. She asked us what room we were in and I told her, she replied with oh, I know who you are, my reservations manager said that was your favourite room so th [... read more]ey held it just for us! What a great way to start a holiday. Facility was fantastic...all new public washrooms, all public places/gardens/bars cleaned up and beautiful! The food here has improved a lot! For the first time in 10 years I could actually order the beef cooked to order and it was GREAT. Paulina is a wonderful G.M. and it shows everywhere. Good leadership can also be clearly seen by the happiness of the staff. Clearly this lady is doing everything she can to make this THE ONLY resort to stay in while in Varadero. All a la carte restaurants where excellent, but the Seafood and Italian ones took home our top honours. The day before we left a bottle of 7 year old rum appeared in our room with a lovely note thanking us for coming "back home" to vacation. I also received some chocolates and the G.M.'s personal business card where she extended to me an open invitation to contact her at any time! Now this is service. I don't mind paying extra so I'd recommend the Diamond Club if you want the all in experience of a luxury resort.

EXCELLENT RESORT AND STAFF - THANK YOU TO ALL!

My partner and I just arrived from this resort; first time at this resort. I researched for 2 months before booking. A bit of background, i.e., what we were looking for in a resort: 1. Beautiful sandy beach, turquoise waters - beautiful beach - we love to swim in the ocean; 2. Adults only resort; 3. Not a large resort, cozy and intimate, i.e., quiet; and 4. great food, which we knew we would not get in Cuba, good but not great - we are both foodies. So, after looking at Dominican, Mexico ( [... read more]not our choice, but still looked into it), and some of the Caribbean islands. Finally, we landed on this resort as this had 3 out of 4 must-haves. With regards to food, we decided to take lots of snacks, my salt, pepper, lime and HOT sauce and, of course, one suitcase filled with gifts for the staff. Lastly, the option, after reviewing various reviews on TripAdvisor (thanks to the Canadian travellers), I reluctantly opted for the Diamond Club option vs. regular option. Also, again, thanks to some of the travellers here, I requested a room that was quiet, not too far from the main reception, facing the small pool. We arrived at noon on Monday and we were happy with what we saw. Upon arrival, we were served champagne and advised that our room will be ready at 4 p.m., which is their check-in; in the interim, the front reception staff advised to walk around, luggage was kept safe, have lunch, drinks, check out the beach, etc. Also, with our Diamond Club came a butler, who we were advised will arrive shortly to give us a quick tour of the resort. After approximately 35 minutes, our butler, David, arrived with a big smile and took us around the resort. He was pleasant, courteous and genuinely helpful, as I was teasing him about "not to disappear", as I read here on TripAdvisor. He promised me that he would never do that and will be at our disposal at all times - gave us the extension where we could contact him. At approximately 3:30 p.m., we got our room, exactly as per my request; at the back of the resort, away from the central bar and pool (where all the action was), the "Sunset" strip of buildings, room 2506 - junior suite, garden view. Yes, the room needed renovations, but was comfortable for us and yes, the bathroom could have been upgraded as well, but we were fine with it, as it was a functioning bathroom. We crashed that evening, as we were exhausted. Next day, beautiful day, 28 degrees and my partner went to the beach at 7 am to check out the beach and reserve our chairs at the beach. Upon arrival, she advised that we (Diamond members) had an exclusive and reserved area on the beach with beautiful beds, security guard and our own bartender, a few feet away from the regular guests. She was excited.. So, we went to the beach at 9 a.m. and I was mesmerized... BEAUTIFUL ATLANTIC OCEAN, TURQUOISE WATERS AND SOFT WHITE SAND... Above all, the beds were beautiful, i.e., once you got tired of the sun on the chairs, you could retire to the bed for the rest of the day.. in and out of the ocean, reading, snacking, etc.. After an hour, our bartender arrived and placed a bucket of ice and bottled water by our bed on the beach.. All the people walking the beach always stopped a minute or so, to check out our beds and area.. Someone here noted that security does not check if you are a diamond member or not.. WRONG! In our case, every day security walked around to "new" faces and asked them their room numbers, list in hand and, if they happen to be regular guests, they were politely asked to move over to the crowded beach area with the palapas and chairs only, NO BEDS and no luxuries.. We tipped Leony, our bartender, who was amazing... Dropped by every 20 minutes to serve us with drinks (great drinks with lots of alcohol) and even offered to get us fries, etc. for lunch by walking up to the regular area Mexican Restaurant on the beach, which by the way, was not his job to do so.. He just did that because we were generous tippers, gave him approximately 30 CUCs (convertible pesos) for the whole week.. DO NOT BE CHEAP! We always went to the room around 4 p.m., room was fully stocked daily, Havana Rum, cheap champagne, chilean white and red, pop and their local beers.. This was replenished daily by our maid. After a nap, we would walk over to the buffet restaurant.. Love tropical fruits, papayas, guavas, pineapples, veggies and salad was great and they had the seafood grill at the back, tiger shrimps, tuna, whitefish, salmon, etc.. one night was lobster tails.. We devoured this every day.. especially with our salt, pepper and hot sauce, it tasted great - no complaints! We always sat outside on the terrace enjoying the breeze and listening to the ocean waves in the evening... wine again.. and/or anything else you wanted.. Then, walked to the bar, which was 24/7 for a coffee, liquers, etc.. Bar was always hopping after dinner.. central meeting place to sit outside and enjoy the views.. No rowdies, older couples and 90% were beautifully dressed in the evening.. We did not try their 4 specialty restaurants, as we were content with the buffet... Every morning I ordered room service, large thermos of coffee, tropical fruits, toast and butter (imported from Germany) and jams and jellies (imported from Mexico and my fave jam, HERO, from Switzerland)... This again, was part of the all inclusive service.. Many guests were unaware of this service, as I noticed from the balcony, some people walking over to the cafe to get their coffees... NO extra charge for our breakfast.. After that we would relax a bit and head off at 9 am to the beach.. Never used the pool or participated in their activities.. Sounded like fun, but we wanted to rest and have a peaceful and quiet time.. reading and enjoying the beach and ocean! After 4 days of tanning, relaxing and catching up on our sleep, we were ready to go to Havana for a day. During this entire time, David, our butler, was always making contact with us to check up on us, ie. if we needed to reserve any specialty restaurants, laundry, and anything else we required. We were fine with all.. I did request David to book us a really classic American car with a chauffeur and female guide to take us to Havana on Saturday for the whole day. He advised us that it would be 140 CUCS (approximately 190 Cdn.). He made the arrangements and at 8:30 a.m. sharp, this beautiful Galaxie 1960's sporty car pulled in to the resort.. Our guide was Lauren and she was fabulous... well-spoken, knowledgeable and a very nice lady.. Driver could not speak English, but very courteous and nice.. Drive to Havana, 2 hours, then the entire walking through old Havana - beautiful.. She then took us to a local restaurant "Carmela's", about an hour from Havana, late lunch @ 3 p.m. and this restaurant was out of this world.. Fabulous food.. I had the swordfish and my partner had the salad and rice... WOW.. Many locals were lunching there.. It is tucked away in a residential area on one of the side streets... Amazing time again.. picked a perfect day, as it was cloudy (no beach time) and started drizzling on our way back to the resort.. Again, we were generous with the tips, as they were both amazing! Lastly, shout out to Jeanette and Dana at the resort, David, of course, and the rest of the amazing staff who went over and beyond the call of duty, even those we did not tip.. Always smiling and ready to serve in any way they can! We are going back to this resort in early December again... same room, same package and, hopefully, same staff! Surreal vacation.. everything was perfect for us.. Finally, we had a day maid and night maid every day for turn down service with chocolates on our bed... On the beach and everywhere, without our knowledge, lots of mosquitoes, so take repellant and afterbite(S), as upon arrival, all the bites started showing up... Stayed January 2017

Beautiful scenery and gracious staff

This resort is probably the best in Cuba. We enjoyed the fabulous long and beautiful beach. Our room was spacious and very clean. The staff were nonintrusive, friendly, and very helpful. One of our waiters/waitresses invited us to visit their home in Cardenas (a nearby city). We took a taxi there and our waiter/friend introduced us to their (humble) home, and their mother and nephews. Our new-found friend (who I choose not to name as it could cause her/him some trouble?) arranged for a horse [... read more] and carriage tour of the city. Touring the city was such an eye opener, re. how the Cubans really live. I would highly recommend that tourists check out some of the local surroundings - it enhanced our knowledge and awareness of how the Cuban people live. The live entertainment at the resort was really quite good, the Cubans are such musical and athletic people. We would definitely recommend this resort to folks who want to enjoy a holiday in Cuba.

Beautiful and peaceful resort

Lots of space for everyone even though resort was 90% full. Buffet was okay, Italian and Caribbean were best a la carte restaurant with good steak(from Canada). Best Piña Colada at Piano bar and beach bar. Room was very clean and good size, with soap, shampoo, body lotion. Do private tour recommended by butler, it is worth the extra few $$$. Shows were good, especially the rock show. Live music everywhere you go.

Beautiful Resort!

Resort felt very classy. Everything was very clean and well kept. Staff was very helpful and friendly. The beach was amazing! A good variety of food choices. They assign you a personal butler who helps you with all of your restaurant bookings and anything else you may need. Entertainment was great! It was a wonderful relaxing week. Would love to return!

Best Resort

Amazing staff the people make this resort the best place I have been to in Cuba. Food was better than expected with a lot of variety including an amazing salad bar Rooms were spacious and the beach was fantastic

Amazing Service and Staff

Service- butler staff, diamond club restaurant, beach jazz club all outstanding. Resort-beautiful gardens, the grounds staff take a lot of pride in what they do, the sunset side of the hotel gardens are stunning. Rooms- fridge stocked daily, clean sheets and towels daily. Rooms are good size, 2 person bath tub in the bathroom. Music-jazz club music-awesome. Beach-the best of the best, you can walk for miles. Diving-good, only available pending weather

Hands down the best resort!

Firstly, the service at this resort is top notch. From the moment we arrived we were amazed by the service we received from all of the employees. They were always making sure that we were having a good time and that we had everything we needed. Secondly, the food at this resort was fantastic. Everyone always complains about the food in Cuba, but the food was great. Always hot at the buffet, and always a nice variety to choose from. We went to two al la carte restaurants, the seafood grill and [... read more] the Italian. Both were great! Overall, this resort is by far the best resort I've been to out of 5 different resorts in both Cuba and Mexico. We will definitely be going back again next year!

Great Experience

This resort totally met everything we could have ever wanted in an all inclusive resort. Service was top notch, beautiful place. The nightly shows were all entertaining. The buffet was average, not bad, not great but they set out a variety of different items daily. We did a different a la cart 4 of the nights and they were all fantastic. The bistro was beautiful, we had our breakfast there a couple of the mornings, allowed us to sit outside to enjoy our breakfast without the hustle of everyone a [... read more]t the buffet. The WiFi wasn't the best, but made us leave our phones in the rooms, so even better. Would absolutely return.

The Staff and facilities were awesome!

This was our second time at this resort! Both times we were in the Diamond Class levels. The resort was great. The people were great! The restaurant food was better this time then the last, especially the Italian restaurant, mmmmmm! We could really see that they were making a huge effort in keeping the place a 5 star resort! We stayed mostly at the beach so I can't say much about the pools, but by the amount of people around there, it must have been good! A couple of down falls, was one night [... read more], there was a dinner for the Diamond members by the pool, and the chef ruined the beef completely. The top staff were well aware and were planning a do-over the next night to make up for it. We were leaving that day, but it showed that they cared enough to do something about it. For me, that enough to tell me that upper management really cares about taking responsibility for the quality of the service. The second issue was with the travel agent. They did not transfer our requests to Sun Wing or the resort. I will not be using the same agent again in any of future travels!

Fantastic Hotel

Amazing resort, great rooms, comfy beds. This was our 4th visit to this resort and it keeps getting better. The addition of the ice cream parlor was a fantastic idea and tasty. This resort just keeps getting better.

Great Resort

We have travelled to Cuba many times and this particular hotel 3 times, twice when it was still under Sandals Resorts. The food is the best we have ever had in Cuba, everything from the beach restaurant to the Seafood restaurant is great. The rooms however are in need of some TLC. The maid service was great, it was the little things, like the safe didn't work until we called the front desk to have someone come and fix it. The bedspread was torn in one corner, the shower curtain was half hanging  [... read more]off the rail, the small mirror was covered in rust. (All of the little things were taken care of by our butler Dainis, who was the best) Management needs to start paying attention to the little things because before you know it they will become major issues.