Amazing stay at the Royalton

Not our first trip to Cuba but certainly the best. Resort was great. Small, great staff, clean, beautiful beach. Greatest surprise was the food was amazing. Quesadilla grill on the beach was a daily must. Definitely going back.

An absolutely amazing vacation!!! (February 23-March 2, 2023)

Our stay at the Royalton, exceeded our expectations! This was our 6th time in Cayo Santa Maria, but our 1st time staying at the Royalton. We were very happy with our hotel room. We received 5 STAR customer service, from check in-to check-out (from all of the employees). The food was the best that we have had in Cuba. We had a nice variety, each day. We were a group of 4 (age ranging from 23-57). We all enjoyed this resort, to the fullest. We are already planning our next vacati [... read more]on, at the Royalton. Thanks for the amazing week!

Fantastic resort

My girlfriend and I stayed at the Royalton Cayo Santa Maria Feb/Mar 2023. All in all a wonderful stay and it deserves the 5 star review. Just a couple things for future guests. As a Canadian our smallest bill denomination is 5 dollars. We have one and two dollar coins which you can use for a tip, but it's harder for staff to exchange. We did not bring coins and they did not have a money exchange. So when we tipped it was 5 dollars minimum. That added up quick so we tipped every few drinks or so. [... read more] It appeared that the service was worse when we did that so in order to get the "best" service from staff we had to tip 5 dollars for everything pretty much every time. We saw people using American one dollar bills and moving forward that's what we would do. We spoke to the check in staff and there was no money exchange at the resort. According to her. It is an adults only resort and from front lobby to the beach was a two minute walk. Very small which we loved. All in all we loved our stay. I had been to Cayo Santa Maria previously and was able to exchange my Canadian money to Convertible Pesos on the resort but again that is NOT an option. So my suggestion would be to bring lots of Canadian 5s and American ones. Use the American cash for drink tips and 5s for meals and maid service. Other than that we loved our stay. Food and service was 5 star. Facility was 5 star. Beach was beautiful and I would give it 6 out of 5 stars. So beautiful.

Okay

Pros: amazing beach and the best staff. Cons: resort needs some repairs, the rooms need to be cleaned and found many bugs in the bathroom, the resort sprays pesticides every morning and evening at 6. Not sure what it is, but smells like burnt diesel fuel. As far as the food, you should know there is not a buffet and choices are limited. I went because of the beach and staff

Amazing resort

First time in Royalton Cayo Santa Maria resort and definitely not last. Relaxing,smaller resort, very clean. The beautiful beach,white sand, turquoise water(no loud music on the beach),lots of palapas. Me and my husband walk for miles every day, enjoy the one of the best beaches in the Caribbean. Food was very good,you can order a la carte or go to BBQ station for lunch. Supper; elegant, like fine dining ( with excellent Spanish wine). All meals well prepared and testy. Thanks to the Chef and hi [... read more]s team. Lobby entertainment was amazing. Very talented people, all of them; musicians, dancers. Great entertainment team, we enjoyed every moment. General Manager Alejandro is welcoming and spoke to guests daily, he is like all his Team; friendly, always smiling, make sure you are happy with the service. To Manager Mark; Mr.&Mrs Google is saying thank you for your hospitality and care. Thank you all the staff for making the best Valentine’s Day for us. From the morning breakfast with amazing music, beautiful decorations, to the lobster supper with the classy service. And…to our maid Janet and our butler Omar; not only you are really fantastic team, great workers, sweet and caring; the Valentines decorations in the room and washroom was the really beautiful surprise. Wish we stayed longer!!! ❤️

Outstanding from start to finish

Royalton Cayo Santa Maria Absolutely stellar service from start to finish. Our butlers Michel and Omar went out of their way to accommodate our group of seven. Food was great with lots of options. Beachside quesadillas and burgers were a big hit and attendants and servers were abundant with cold drinks and loungers. One of the best beaches in the world, in my opinion. People need to understand that they are in Cuba and not everything we take for granted is available there. That being said, [... read more] I had lobster dishes four days out of seven and the food was outstanding. I have to give a big shout out to the unbelievably hard working staff from the groundskeepers and maintenance staff to the servers, chefs and bartenders who keep the party going The entertainment was excellent with a variety of extremely talented musicians and performers who delighted everyone in attendance. Excellent resort and I highly recommended it.

Exceeded expectations

Very clean resort; pools, beach and grounds were cleaned constantly. Rooms were dated; they really need to be upgraded (there was noticeable rust on bathroom fixtures, for example). However, they were kept pretty clean, and any small issues with the room were addressed quickly. The beautiful beach was the star of the show; pure white sand, turquoise water, lots of palapas, bar service on the beach (a server would come by to take your drink orders and return with them). Service throughout was  [... read more]outstanding. Despite signs by the hotel indicating that "reserving" bali beds and loungers was not permitted, and that items would be removed, there was strong evidence of "towel wars" at this resort. However, guests are getting fed up with this practice, and I witnessed several people reclaiming "reserved" beds/loungers after they hadn't been occupied for hours. I'm glad to see there is starting to be some push-back on that. RE: Covid. We had completed our Cuban government health form on-line prior to departure (which included information about our our vaccination status). Upon arrival at the airport, our phone with the QR code we were sent was scanned and we breezed through customs. Travelers who had not completed the form online had to complete the form in hard copy at the airport before they could leave customs. We had been advised in advance that there was random Covid testing at the airport (both RAT and PCR), but we did not see anyone get tested. Staff at the airport were, for the most part, wearing masks. Although we wore masks on the plane, in the airport and on the transfer bus, we were in the distinct minority. Most travelers were not masked. At the resort, guests were not masked and neither were most of the staff. Staff who were masked were noticeably sick (with a cough), but there were not many. Guests had the option to eat outside at both a la carte restaurants. Both restaurants inside had high ceilings, good ventilation, and tables not set too closely together. This was much appreciated.

Fantastic!

The Royalton was an incredible place for some relaxing R&R. My wife and I went for our anniversary and we absolutely enjoyed every minute of our stay. The Royalton is a smaller and quieter resort, which was exactly what we were looking for. The service was exceptional, and the beach/pool is to die for.

Go to place!

Our second time visiting this resort. Still enjoyed it immensely. The staff are amazing. They are very attentive, and engage guests on a personal level. The gardens are well manicured by very hard working men who give a smile and wave to all. The food is great. Well presented with options for everyone. The rooms are spacious and cleaned meticulously daily by very cheerful people. Sliding doors could use some maintenance as difficult to open and close and main door needed new weather stripping.  [... read more]The pools and areas were clean. The beach was well maintained as well. Loved the service at the beach. The staff that help arrange chairs and the bartenders who served us right at our seats. What more could you ask for? Ask your butler. Javier and Alexis were so helpful and friendly. The people really make the difference here.

Wonderful resort and holiday

By Cuba standards I would definitely say this is a 5 star. Please remember where you have come to visit. Food was very good, especially the soups and quesadilla's. Resort is extremely clean and grounds are exceptionally well kept. Staff are very attentive and friendly. The assistant manager and manager were always visible and checking in to ensure your needs were taken care of. There are some staff that went out of their way to make you feel like you truly matter. A shout out to Omar and Michele [... read more] our butlers. Dialya (not sure if I have her name correct) from the lobby bar was the sweetest, as was Natalie our server at the Sunset. The negatives would be lack of hot water and clean beach towels available to trade in. We enjoyed our stay here immensely and look forward to returning.

Lovely resort

This was our second time at the Royalton, Cayo Santa Mari (Adults only) resort. We enjoyed it so much the first time we decided to gift our adult children the vacation for Christmas. We were 8 and were well served by all. Received a nice beverage when we rolled in Michel our butler took care of it all. It was great from day 1 to day 7, convenient late check-out and everything in between. Omer was our second butler and they were attentive to our needs and assisted with any questions, dinner  [... read more]reservations and transportation to adjacent resorts. Thank you, gentlemen. Our room was wonderful, clean, and fresh towels everyday (p.s. they do not have face cloths) This is a charming (small) resort, with well kept grounds due to the hardworking gardeners but my favorite was Luis he would bring me flowers and say hello every day. This site is lovely, has two pools, one for relaxing and the other were you will meet the entertainment team, Lis is the best and has a contagious smile, loves music . But it all gets more breathtaking when you see the white sanded beach and crystal-clear water. Every day José was at the beach, he set us up with a beach chairs, swept off the sand, placed my towel and table under a palapas. Another, service I didn’t expect. He ran back and forth, providing as many guests as possible with the same A+ treatment and yet again, another employee with a contagious smile. The food is very good. The beach bar and grill made great quesadillas, Enrique/Norge served up fantastic drinks, the sunset grill was our breakfast spot (open 24 hrs), with the sweetest waitresses Beatrice and Marysol. The cuban grill spagetti bolognaise and the fish and chips were my fav. There are two other a la carte restaurants that we visited for our supper which had equally great food, with tasty soups and mains. Overall, we had a great group experience , its an excellent small, clean and perfect to celebrate a quiet, relaxing family vacation. The staff at the Royalton are all great and the General Manager Alejandro is very present, welcoming and ensuring that he spoke to guests daily.

Rest and Relaxation

The Royalton is a small resort perfect for R & R. Variety of Food that is excellent and plentiful with lots of variety. No buffet, however, you could always ask for seconds or even thirds. The drinks at the main bar where outstanding. Loved the 24-hour snack bar and drinks. Clean and well-kept grounds and rooms. Butlers, maids, waiters, bar tenders, gardeners and Manger go above and beyond to service you. Beach is beautiful with white sand and crystal-clear water. We loved that the beach was qu [... read more]iet and if you wanted music you could go to the main pool in the afternoon. Finding a sun bed/chair was never an issue. Very safe resort and the lifeguards saved a man from drowning in the ocean when the ocean was very rough one day. They were always on the lookout. Entertainment was good. Suggestions and Cons: They should have dancing music after the entertainment finishes. There are limited beach towels, and you need to go early to replace the one you have. There is no Ocean View and the ground floor rooms sliding doors open to bushes. There should be signs to tell you want the entertainment is every night. I would definitely return to the Royalton in Santa Maria mainly for the Service, Food, Beach and a perfect resort to rest and relax.

Terrific vay-cay

Cuba’s beaches on the Cayos (islands), in this case Cayo Santa Maria, are beautiful - sand like light beige icing sugar and the smallest amount of seaweed (not like the Mayan Riviera at all). This small, adults only resort is very quiet, relaxing and laidback with entertainment every night and a staff that can’t do enough for you. Will return.

Great place for vacation

Great place to stay, make you feel wanted, warm reception, food is good for Cuba, very nice beach, from the moment you book in your looked after and in style. Can’t say enough about our personal attendants Javier and wife Marie Rosa. They went out of their way to look after us both, because of our age we had a couple of difficult moments but they took care of everything can’t thank them enough.

A great stay.

Had a great week at the Royalton Cayo Santa Maria a couple of weeks ago. A hidden gem. The resort is lovely as is the beach. It's smaller, adults only with lots of shady palapas. All meals are a la carte (no buffet). There's not a lot of choice but all meals are well prepared, presented, and tasty. Definitely one of the best in the 12 visits to Cuba all inclusives that I've had over the years. And a review would not be complete without mentioning how welcoming the staff are: from the gar [... read more]deners and security personnel to the concierge/butler, maid and wait staff. Director Alejandro was always out and about, talking to and checking on his guests. A shout out to Alina, the maid, butlers Diana and Lester who looked after reservations and special requests/concerns, and waitress Marisol who you would be sure to meet. We have booked an encore: another week in November!

Awesome Resort

Like all the Royalton there's a certain reputation to live up too. There was no difference with the Royalton at Cayo Santa Maria. The room was very generous in size, bed linens were excellent. The sunken bathtub and stand up shower added to the ambience of the room. AC worked great and all over cleanliness was impeccable. The staff at this resort were amazing. They were always willing to please and never stopped at good always excellent. The grounds were impeccable and clean. The beach is one  [... read more]of the best I have been too in the Caribbean. The food was more than mediocre and the drinks on point.

MooMoo & MeeMee love The Royalton!

This is a very long but thorough review! This was our experience at The Royalton! Depending on what time of day you read this review of our recent stay at The Royalton, you'll need to put aside some time.....hopefully it'll convince you to give serious consideration to booking your next holiday at The Royalton in Cayo Santa Maria! So grab a coffee, or some popcorn or a glass of wine! Because you don't want to miss this! This posting is going to include our review, as well as some important [... read more] information regarding the use of different currencies, and what you might consider bringing as Thank You gifts to the employees while on vacation in Cuba. This will be helpful to both you and be greatly appreciated by the exceptional staff who work at The Royalton. As you read this, read it with an open heart and an open mind. If you are fortunate enough to visit The Royalton, be sure to treat the staff as if they were your family....because that is exactly how they will treat you. Like family! Here we go! In the middle of September 2022 we booked a last minute 7 day vacation to The Royalton. This was our second time visiting this resort. We did look at other Cayo Santa Maria resorts to do a comparison before booking. Our decision was very easy to ONLY select The Royalton. Nothing compares! We went back to The Royalton because we knew we would have 7 days of relaxation in paradise. We came back to The Royalton for both the scenic beauty and the most amazing hospitality! The Beach You won't find a more stunning beach anywhere in Cuba! And dare I say in any other part of the world! The sand is so white! The beach is kept clean every single day! And this gorgeous beach leads into some of the most spectacular Blue colors in the world! The ocean waters are calm most of the time. Plenty of beach chairs, all under palapas. When you arrive at the beach, one of the beach staff may follow you to make sure your chairs are well cleaned off from sand and they'll place your beach towels on your chairs. There's a Bar & Grill at the entrance to the beach. You can take your drinks and food "To Go", grab a seat to eat lunch, or a stool at the bar. Pools There are 2 pools at The Royalton. One just outside the lobby and the larger Party Pool is down the central pathway. Both of them are so blue and beautiful! Always clean and a perfect temperature. They both have bars! The larger Party Pool closer to the beach has a few more Pool Beds, providing more shade from the Sun. The way the resort is positioned on the island provides you with gorgeous sunshine....from morning to late afternoon! When I describe the larger pool as the "Party Pool", I mean that around 4:00PM music starts and then there's some entertainment, to get you exercising. Some games and great DJ music! Start to finish is about 1 hour plus. Accommodations We stayed in a room on the second floor of Block 6! Rooms are spacious, comfortable and very clean! Everything you need is in these rooms! Comfortable bed, closet and storage space, a bench to place your luggage, TV, fridge, safe and living room area. And yes....the AC works very well! If you are fortunate enough to be placed in a second floor room...you will have access to a balcony that overlooks the ocean, where you can see the gorgeous horizon! I may be a little biased but I think Blocks 5 and 6 (Second Floor) are the very best in accommodations! Blocks 5 and 6 are so incredibly close to the large pool. A direct line to the main path which leads to the Main building, and the path that leads straight to the beach. The Food (Keep an open mind - this is Cuba.) The food at The Royalton is really quite delicious. As you're reading this from your home or office in Canada, keep in mind that Cuba is restricted to many things, especially after Covid. With what they have on hand, you'll enjoy pastas, pork, fish, chicken, beef and quite a bit more. The Chef and his team put together tasty meals every evening! You will not be hungry! Eggcellence & Senses The Royalton has several places where you can eat. Near the lobby are their 2 main restaurants: Eggcellence and Senses. Eggcellence is the restaurant that serves breakfast from I believe 7AM to 10:30AM, as well as lunch. The pastries and fresh breads are so delicious! There's a small buffet with a variety of meats, cheeses, different fruits and other selections! I had omelettes made to order. They were perfect for me. They didn't have Orange Juice, but they do have Mango Juice and Grapefruit Juice?! Eggcellence and Senses are also the 2 main restaurants where your Butler will make reservations for your dinners. You have the options to eat inside the restaurant or outside on a patio. Both restaurants serve tasty, A la Carte meals. Your waiter/waitress will offer you a selection of about 5 different options each night. The Sunset The Sunset is the Restaurant right beside the larger pool. We enjoyed their pasta as well as their cheeseburgers. They'll make it as you like it! There's also a BBQ Station beside The Sunset, open from 1:00PM to 3:00PM daily. Different meats, fish with rice and a variety of vegetables! The Sunset is open 24 hours so if you need something to eat outside restaurant hours, you can always head to the The Sunset or Room Service will bring you whatever you'd like to have. The Lobby Bar has coffees, teas, pastries in the mornings and of course a full bar! If you find it too hot outside, you can always cool off with a drink in the Cool Lounge! The Grounds & Gardens The property is simply stunning. Gardeners are constantly working to maintain gorgeous grounds and gardens. Beautiful flowers and palm trees. You'll admire the dedication that these gardeners demonstrate while you walk throughout the property. The Staff As I mentioned, we stayed in Block 6. We were taken care of by our butlers, Alexis and Ketia. They work tirelessly and enthusiastically to make sure that you are well taken care of. Always with a smile and making sure that you are enjoying your room, activities, and arrangements for dinner reservations and special requests. Alexis and Ketia take great pride in their work and making sure that you are truly enjoying your vacation at The Royalton. "Alexis & Ketia, thank you so much for everything you did for us while we were on vacation! You are so kind, wonderful and remarkable at your jobs. Our vacation was not only spectacular because we were in paradise....but because you went beyond expectations to make sure we were delighted with everything that we could ever need or want. We consider you friends and we thank you very much!" While we stayed in Block 6, our room was always lovingly cleaned and maintained by our room attendant Jenilet. She was always smiling, caring and understanding if we needed something additional, were missing something or needed a little privacy, so we could sleep in! "Jenilet, thank you very much for taking care of our room, while we enjoyed the Royalton. It was truly appreciated how hard you worked to make sure our room was comfortable, clean and stocked with what we needed." The staff at the reception are always available. There's always someone at the front desk to assist with resetting your access for the WI-FI, exchanging currency and answering any and all questions! Always polite, friendly and willing to help with whatever you need. As soon as you arrive at the resort you are greeted by welcoming staff and those friendly faces are there to greet you throughout your entire visit at The Royalton! A very special thank you to Dania, Denis and Daisoris at the Front Desk! "You guys are amazing and so friendly and helpful! Thank you so much for welcoming us and always available to answer our questions and assist us with little requests!" As I mentioned earlier, there is entertainment at the larger pool for about an hour every afternoon. There are 3 women and a DJ named Anibal who keep the party going for some fun and exercise in the pool! DJ Anibal plays some great Dance Music, some that you may not have heard of! He's always willing to share with you the names of the music artists and names of the songs...PLUS if you have any favorites that you'd like to hear, Anibal will try his best to find and play your favorite song, as he did for us! "Anibal, thank you for playing great music every day! You made the afternoons so much fun at the pool! And to the 3 women whose names I don't know (Sorry!), except one that addressed the losers of the Pool Games with 'Ciao Ciao Mickey Mow!'...you know who you are....you made the afternoons at the pool a lot of fun! Thank you very much for making us smile and laugh every afternoon!" Lobby entertainment offers a different performance every evening! There was one night where there was an acoustic guitarist, playing modern, current songs! He was AMAZING! Really talented! For the first time ever in our travels to a resort, we saw daily, the Director of the resort! The Royalton is under the careful care and watch of Alejandro. You will see him daily, either when you're having dinner, or in the lobby. Alejandro has an 'Old World' charm about him. It shows in how he interacts with the Royalton guests, and his staff. He will approach you personally to ask about your day at the resort, "Do you have everything?", "Are you enjoying your stay?", "What can we do to improve?!" We've never seen this before. Anywhere! He takes your enjoyment personally. "Alejandro, thank you so much for your kindness, attention to detail and taking great pride in The Royalton.... as if you're welcoming us to your personal home. The resort is stunning and beautiful! But what truly draws us back to Cuba, Cayo Santa Maria and The Royalton, is your friendly, dedicated staff! It really shows in their interactions with the guests. Although we don't know or remember the names of every single staff member that we interacted with, we truly appreciated every thing the Royalton staff did for us! Will you please thank everyone for us?! Congratulations Alejandro on providing a magnificent paradise at The Royalton! Once more Alejandro, the service that you and your staff provide are exceptional!" Thank You Gifts Canadians are always treasured by Cuban people for their generosity and thoughtfulness. Clothing items, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sunscreen, bug spray, even over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Antihistamines, DOVE Soap, Body Wash, Deodorant and school supplies are just some of the things you might bring down to leave for the Royalton staff. Just like everywhere else in the world, Cuba has been affected greatly by shortages. Money/Currency 1) Before you leave Canada, prepare to go to the bank and exchange money for your trip for such things as tipping and "Thank-Yous" 2) There are two currencies that the staff appreciate and that you can exchange at the Lobby for Cuban Pesos....US Dollars and Canadian Dollars. 3) At the Lobby/Front Desk you can only exchange Canadian or US Dollars for Cuban Pesos. Dollar bills only. Please don't bring Loonies or Toonies. Cuban citizens aren't able to use Loonies or Toonies in their personal lives when they make purchases. Bring with you dollar bills in US or Canadian currencies. 4) At the Lobby you will get a better exchange rate when you convert US Dollars into Cuban Pesos. At the time of our vacation, we received 100 pesos for 1 US Dollar. When we converted Canadian currency we received 92 pesos for 1 Canadian Dollar. 5) The Lobby doesn't have a Credit Card terminal for you to purchase Cuban Pesos. So, you can only convert paper money for Cuban pesos. 6) There's a Bank at the Market next door to the resort. They are open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. Bring your passport. You can use your credit card to exchange to Cuban pesos. 7) During Covid, Cuba stopped issuing and using the Cuban Convertible Pesos that tourists were issued during transactions. If you have them...you can no longer use them. Don't bring them with you as the currency no longer exists. Important Note If I can offer some humble recommendations regarding tipping, tip graciously whenever possible, preferably in US or Canadian currency. Before leaving Canada, consider estimating the dollar amount that you would like to bring for tips and "Thank-Yous", go to the bank and prepare your money. With US currency you can tip with $1 dollar bills....the smallest Canadian denomination is a $5 dollar bill. While you can still tip in Cuban Pesos, it is much more appreciated and useful to tip in Canadian and US currencies, as the Royalton staff can shop in their personal lives, at local, Cuban town stores where they can buy what they need, using US or Canadian money. Please remember that as you prepare your currencies for tipping to the Royalton staff. That's it! Hope it helps with your decision to visit and love The Royalton! Thank you!

Marvellous

This is our first time in Royalton but not last time for sure! Everything is spotless clean in and out in this resort. Service quality was excellent, personnel works tirelessly from top to down. Especially Hotel Manager Alejandro take cares of everyone personally, makes sure all the guests feels welcomed liked their own place. Javier, Maria, Maruis, Tony, Lilien and many others - can’t remember names of all - greets everyone with genius smile and greetings every morning. I have been in Cuba mo [... read more]re than times including Royal services in similar resort, Royalton is the best one so far. I highly recommend everyone this friendly place.

Amazing resort

Loved the rooms very clean pool was amazing service on the restaurant was great enjoyed working out daily in the fitness room ocean was spectacular the grounds were well kept the butler service was great the visitors were enjoying the place also

Cuba Lover - Fabulous Resort

Thank you to Rachel & Heather for booking our fabulous vacation. I just arrived home from the Royalton, Cayo Santa Mario a few days back.  I was there in March 2022 with my husband, and we had an amazing 10 days.  I was lucky to return last week.  We were the Mother Daughter Duo and once again had 7 fabulous days!!  I want to thank all the staff, kindest most hard-working people I have met! They all go above and beyond to provide you with any request as much as they are able, zero to compl [... read more]ain about!!  Our room was perfect, we lacked for nothing.  We enjoyed pool days with music and fun, we enjoyed the most beautiful beach playing in the waves and tanning and we did the all-day catamaran excursion, we love snorkeling, amazing lobster lunch and a swim of the boat at a beach.  It was all really just a great trip that this Momma got to enjoy her kiddo for a full week of fun in the sun together.  Until I see you all again my Cuban friends, Thank you!!