Relaxed and Awesome Vacation

This hotel exceeded my expectations, I have been to Cuba - Cayo Coco, Holguin, Santa Maria around 11 times, however have never experienced a hassle free vacation like this one at the Royalton. Services by maid, butler, waitress and front desk was efficient and friendly. Food is very good for Cuba, very tasty. Beach is amazing. we stayed at the beach all day. The gardens and surrounding areas of the hotel was immaculately kept, clean and very lovely. Cant express how friendly, caring, efficien [... read more]t and helpful the hotel staff are, even the manager. This gets a 5 thumbs up from me and would definitely be heading back

Great value

Royalton is the best hotel I’m Cayo Santa Maria, we have stayed at several and this is top shelf. The food was a little inconsistent and not a lot a variance in menu selection but by far this is outweighed by all of the positives that make up a very special resort. The staff were the very best I’ve experienced . We were indeed treated like royalty and always with a smile.

Excellent beach, resort is very nice

The hotel was modest in size, lovely main pool if that's your thing. Beach is soft white sand, shallow water and very clean. Lots of chairs available, beach bar service. Quesadillas offered at the beach lunch station are delicious! Grounds are very well kept, tip the gardeners, they're out there every day to make sure your views are as beautiful as possible. The butler service was very good, not too pushy and they were very good at anticipating the need to have your dinners booked; our firs [... read more]t introduction was to Ketia who was very helpful, kind and genuine. She took care of everything for us, so when Mario came the next day ( as they alternate) there wasn't much to do. The main bar is very well stocked. Nice Spanish wines were served in both dining rooms. Service staff were very good, hardworking and always busy cleaning or clearing tables to ensure no guest had to wait for a table. The bed was comfortable and the room very large. We were situated in room 0106; perfect location for us. The resort is aging, but still in decent condition. With the gap of tourism over the last few years it is understandable that repairs will take a while to get done, not only because of supply but money needed to undertake them. The reception desk staff were helpful and courteous. The general Manager, I think his name was Francesco...was so kind and always present. It was refreshing to see someone in his position so very much committed to his guests and their experience. The Spa was very nice, clean and the massage therapists there were good. The only criticisms I can point out, is the food at the 24 hour snack bar is "typical Cuban", not so good. Fries were not prepared freshly, but seemed to be reheated. Best thing at the snack bar was the ice cream...and the grilled lunch service. The wait staff there are good but not as efficient as the main dining staff. Also, getting fresh beach towels, especially on the last 3 days of our stay, was impossible as not enough on hand. The loungers on the beach will need updating over the next year so the guests don't all destroy their backs. Thank you so much to Anna , our chambermaid, she was so happy and pleasant. She did a great job and our room was always clean and towels positiioned in new towel art daily. My husband and I have visited Cuba since 83, and would definitely return to this particular resort without hesitation, but not in May. Mango was plentiful but with the rains the mosquitos were as well. Woudl have been a perfect vacation , if only we didn't experience a 2 hour delay on the way there and a 7 hour delay on the way home. With Cayo Santa Maria being a 90 minute bus ride away from the airport, it makes for a long "travel" day.

Good to finally travel

Hotel is rated 5 star and has many many great reviews, I think mostly from return guests who seem to love the place. This was our 9th trip to Cuba and will be are last, we did say that after 8th. Things that stand out that make us not want to return. NO shade at the quiet pool, both pools were missing many of the shade cabanas, they were never replaced as you can see the footings. NO vodka for most days, NO clean towels in room or beach towels for many days and worst was the 630pm truck dri [... read more]ving around resort spraying a cloud of insectiside as guests tried to run and hide from the poison cloud. The building all have butlers, sadly ours were invisible and not very helpful. Lester just looked disinterested, Diana at least was friendly. The staff continually ask guests to post good reviews which we found desperate, clearly the Cuba people are just trying to survive. They are always friendly and doing their best with what they have been given from resort. The Managers walk around constantly asking for feedback, they are the appeasers, really dont fix anything but make promises. The staff seem afraid of them. The lobby and dining rooms are tired and have very uncomfroatble chairs, needs a make over. Most connecting resorts are closed and just collecting dust, very misleading to say you can use the other close resorts when they are closed down. The mosquitoes were butal most nights and prevented any outdoor dining. We traveled with another couple , their first time in Cuba, they were disappointed as they had been in Mexico last December at another resort. There were very little in the way of special at this resort. The bus drive is 2 hours and this resort was the 5th drop off, made for a long drive in and out. The beach is amazing, the cuba people are special. It was good to get away after 2 years, this resort is small and try to make the guests feel special. We enjoyed the Iberostar resort down the ocean much better. We dont want the token response from hotel managers, just advocate that the owners of resort fix some things to ensure the fine workers continue to have a job.

Great place!!! Great team!

Just few days ago I and my wife come back from Royalton Cayo Santa Maria. I was really impressed not only by the place but also by the team, by people. They are doing everything what is possible to make us feel good, to enjoy this place, to relax, to have fun but also to have peace for reading and “meditation”, if that’s what you like. I believe here the cleanliness is high priority. Place is spotless. Alejanrdo and Michaela are taking care about team and about clients (directors?). [... read more] They are talking to us asking for our opinion and feedback. High class approach without being annoying – always pleasant conversation. Very professional people! They are fluent in many languages so there is no problem with communication. Our angel, person who is helping us in case of any question was Katia. She was sweetheart and she was very nice (her helper – too). There is a gardener, with characteristic dark hat, a titan of work, always - always busy, making “his” garden looking beautiful. So, we spend a beautiful week and we strongly recommend this place.

Awesome time

We had an incredible time at the Royalton. The resort is small, clean, and beautiful. It never felt crowded, and was always relaxing. We spent most of our time at the quiet pool, which was usually almost empty and had lots of shaded space (which was important since my husband and I are both incredibly pale). The beach is also stunning—even on “rough” days it was totally swimmable, and the sand was super soft. Our room was great too. It was large, with a peek of the ocean from the balcony,  [... read more]a bathtub, and standup shower. The food was surprisingly good. We never had a bad meal, and the lunchtime grill was a standout with excellent pork, seafood, and local specialities. We had the best calamari we’d ever had from the grill. For drinks, all the bars were good, but our pre- and post-dinner hangout was always the lobby bar, which was by far the best. We also felt super safe in regards to covid. I’m recovering from cancer treatment so was slightly paranoid, but the staff was consistently masked, all meals were a-la-carte so never over crowded, almost everyone wore masks on the buses, and we were outside for pretty much everything else. I felt totally comfortable the whole time. But what really makes the Royalton so awesome were the people. Absolutely everyone was so friendly, saying hello and stopping to chat if they could, from the GM and AGM to the gardeners (special shoutout to Luis). Our butlers were Michel and Omar. Both were excellent, surprising us with chilled champagne and a drawn bath, or helping us out with any questions we had. Omar especially stood out as absolutely top-notch—just a super nice, funny guy and always there if we needed him. He almost instantly made us feel right at home, and it felt like we’d known him for years. Andy, the community manager, was also great, stopping to chat with us poolside. Our servers and bartenders were fantastic too, remembering us and any special requests we had made previously. Really great service all around. We’ll definitely return to the Royalton and recommend it to all our friends. It was a wonderful time! The only (relatively) negative experiences we had (and like, how bad can it be when you’re sitting on a beach for a week in Cuba, right?) were: the catamaran sea tour, where we were inexplicably left on an abandoned, garbage-covered beach for an hour (it was weird), and Sunwing delays and confusion (which seems par for the course with Sunwing). These had nothing to do with the Royalton though, so we’ll be back!

Highly Recommend The Royalton, Cayo Santa Maria

The Royalton is a beautiful and clean resort. We loved all the staff and the food was great. The beach is the best EVER!! Clear, turquoise water with sandy bottom and you can walk for miles. The bar staff on the beach did a lot of running for everyone and they had the drinks all organized with your own cups. Loved it. The little snack bar on the beach was so yummy - quesadillas, grilled sandwiches and hot dogs. The staff there were also amazing and worked so hard. The staff at the restau [... read more]rants were all so nice and efficient. Our room was spotless every day and the cleaning staff were great.. The entertainment staff were lots of fun and the shows in the evening were great. Loved the aqua show!! I would highly recommend this resort. The staff are so happy to be back to work - bring your tip money in Canadian or US. Make sure your bills are crisp with no tears or they cannot use them. The Cubans are beautiful people. Lets help them get back on their feet.

Beautiful Beach

The hotel was very nice and well kept. The service was tremendous and the staff were exceptionally friendly. All wore masks inside and out. The entertainment staff work very hard to keep you entertained.

Fantastic vacation

We stayed at the Royalton Cayo Santa Maria after not being to Cuba for 13 years. The reason we had not returned to Cuba was primarily lack of comfortable accommodation and good food. I must say the Royalton was a lovely surprise from every aspect: ROOMS: spacious, clean and comfortable beds FOOD: varied and plentiful (they do experience shortages, but they cope very well with what they have); we always ate all our plates and there was a good variety GROUNDS: stunning! well kept gardens, no [... read more]t too big of a property BEACH: spectacular! STAFF: beyond compare! each and every one of them special in their own way Would not hesitate to go back again.

Royalton

This hotel was absolutely beautiful. Staff members are exceptional. The grounds are well kept. The beach is stunning with many palapas available. The main pool was also quite lovely and very clean. Food was very good with many choices to suit everyone. Management was also great and remained visible and available to help out if necessary. We were very pleased with our stay here. Definitely would return.

Wonderful people and service

This was definitely the best resort we have stayed in in Cuba. The food was served hot and tasty. The pool and grounds were well maintained and the beach was lovely. Since most resorts still haven’t opened yet in Cayo Santa Maria we had the long beach to our selves. We felt very safe at this smaller resort with 122 rooms. All staff wore masks indoors and out. Our butler Alexis was so personable. The manager and assist manager spoke with everyone daily and chef Jesus did his rounds as well. Th [... read more]e most touching was as we left the butlers, management staff and entertainment people all waved as we left. So many resorts offer you no help on home day but this was the opposite!! We will be back maybe earlier in the year to hopefully miss the pesky little not-see bugs, we are still feeling their love. Really only down fall is the 90-120 minute bus ride. At least the bus had a bathroom

A Royal vacation!

We received a royal welcome when we arrived at the Royalton with a glass of champagne and plenty of smiles. The service, atmosphere and friendly atmosphere at this cozy resort made it a pleasure to get up every morning! From the gardener, the room maid, the butler, the waiters and even the resort manager Alejandro and assistant manager Mikaela! The beaches are the most beautiful we have seen at any resort! We would return in a heartbeat!

Lovely spot on THE best Caribbean beach

This hotel has many of the features that I really enjoy. First of all, the beach is very wide and has soft, flour-like sand and you can walk out in the water for what seems like forever. The resort is smaller, and boasts pretty, two storey bungalows. The property is well laid-out and well-maintained. Service is excellent and you will be greeted in the morning by one of your bungalow's butlers; ours, Lester and Diana, were both right on top of any requests we had and seemed sincere in their inter [... read more]est in ensuring we enjoyed our stay. The food was good and the best we have had in Cuba. Meals were a la carte, with a couple of small buffet sections. I don't know if that has always been their approach or whether it is a Covid response. It was a small frustration to go without hard copy menus (a Covid measure, I assume), but the servers were good to explain the choices. It is not a wild, party place although, one day, things got rowdy at one of the pools; I feel as though the majority of the guests, like myself, were annoyed by this so if you want to party hard, this is probably not your destination. We changed rooms after the first night because our first, ground floor room (0701?) backed very closely onto dense shrubbery and trees, which I found, made the room dark and claustrophobic. The room they moved us to was perfect. While visually appealing, the hotel is on a bit of a hill, which might present a challenge for anyone with mobility issues. In terms of Covid-related practices, during our stay (March 9-16, 2022) all staff, from gardeners to bar tenders, wore masks at all times. Guests were required to wear masks indoors unless eating or drinking, which I believe, only involved two restaurants and one bar. The buffet-selection for breakfast add-ons (fruit, baked goods, etc.) was staffed by servers who place your choices on your plate while you stand behind the taped line on the floor (which most people seemed not to notice). There were always house-keeping staff outside washrooms and I saw frequent cleaning of the facilities. On the day before our departure we were shuttled to a neighbouring resort to have our Covid tests done; it is my understanding that this will no longer be necessary after April 1st. If you like Cuba, you will love this resort!

Amazing Beach

This hotel is small and perfect for those looking for a quiet intimate getaway. The food was delicious the staff was very helpful and the beach was just incredible you can get around the hotel easily and all the meals are à la cart. I was impressed by the food as I’ve been to Cuba many times and this was the best place by far

Absolutely perfect

The General Manager Alexandro.is there and interacting with guests and there to help when you need it. They also have a 'butler" for each set of rooms..Mine were Liam and Alexis and they were amazing. Their English is great so they can help with anything you need. The rooms are excellent. They're huge, clean, with comfy beds. The bathrooms have a walk in shower with a separate soaker tub and I was staying in the lowest.price room - the garden view room. The food was incredible. I was pleas [... read more]antly surprised given the pandemic and all. They didn't have massive buffets but they did have a la carte with some buffet options. Some highlights was the tuna steak, potatoe soup, tortillas by the beach, caramel icecream, and all the chicken dishes. A girl I met there had severe food allergies and they catered to her every need. The beach is second to none. I've traveled all over the world (Thailand, Greece, throughout the Caribbean, etc) and there is nothing like the beaches in Cuba in my opinion. Finally the atmosphere was just soooo chill. It was like everyone there was on the same wave length. There were party areas and quiet areas so it there was a place for whatever your mood. It's a smaller more intimate resort but not too small by any means There were a lot of solo travelers but it didn't matter if you were solo or not everyone socialized and mixed a mingled and got a long It was all Canadians so it was just a great vibe. As far as covid. There are no entry requirements except to fill out an online form..So super easy to get in. All staff where masks everywhere whether inside or.outside. No one had tested positive on the resort since Dec. They check your to.when you get off the plane and they do.the PCR test.at.the resort for $30 USD. All.and all just what the Dr ordered. Absolutely perfect vacation.

Absolutely Beautiful Resort!!!

This resort was a definite a 5/5! The Staff, beach and food were amazing! Unfortunately getting there and returning was stressful! Sunwing was absolutely horrible! We will definitely be going back to this resort only with a different airline! Ana our chamberlady was so sweet and hard working. Noelvis and Diana, our butlers, went above and beyond the call of duty. Dialys and the kitchen staff were excellent! Bravo Felix for running a top notch resort!

Great Resort

We stayed at Royalton, Cayo Santa Maria, first week of December 2021. From the get go, this place worked hard to make sure our stay was perfect. This is a smaller adults only resort. Check-in was quick and hassle free. Welcome, give us your passport, here's some champagne. No paperwork. 10 minutes later we were being led to our room. The person doing this is called a butler. They will look after your needs and issues throughout your stay. Staying in the background, but there when needed. Every  [... read more]morning you are greeted by your butler, outside near your room. How was your night, any issues, have a great day. All employees at this resort were extremely polite and helpful. The resort was just open for 2 weeks when we arrived. It was very clean and very well looked after. Everyone from the gardener, cleaners, wait staff, and management, all wore masks properly, without exception. Beach, long, walkable, powder white sand. Note that as the winter season starts there is an abundance of seaweed washed up daily for the first couple of weeks in December. It is cleaned up daily. Turquoise waters and shallow sandbar. You can walk out quite a ways and still only be 3-4 feet deep. Resort has 2 pools, an upper quiet pool and lower busier pool, but remember no kids. Pools were not heated so were a bit cool. However given some time and warm weather, they should not be an issue. Bars at both pools, beach and lobby, all well served. Some inconsistencies in recipes, but totally palatable. Maid service was excellent. They cleaned up very well, making sure we had lots of everything we needed. Rooms cleaned early in the day, fridge filled, and of course a great display of characters and flowers on the bed, curtains, tub and sink area. We had swans, scorpions, teddy bears, frogs to name a few. They paid attention to the details. We had 2 issues with our room that were corrected immediately. There was a squeal in the air condition fan and we had no face cloths the first night. A quick mention to our Butler and all was looked after immediately. A quick shout out to our butlers Mario and Lester. The manager, who introduced himself our first night Alejandro, was constantly seen around the resort making sure all was running well. He introduced himself individually to all new arrivals at either dinner or breakfast. He put in very long days There at 7am when we went for breakfast and still there when we finished our last drink at 11pm. The next person who influenced our stay very much was head chef Jesus. He was also there the same long hours. He took personal interest in all meals being cooked and served. I am a fussy traveler when it comes to food. When we go to all inclusive resorts, one of the saving graces for me is the buffet. I do not do well with all prepared meals. With Covid, there was no buffet. Meal selection, while it would do most any normal person well, did not always agree with what I was able to eat. Jesus came out and we discussed what I could handle and he had the chefs prepare me a special meal. He was present at all my other meals and made sure I was looked after. In a busy place like this at mealtime the last thing they needed was to go out of their way for an individual, but they did. Give them full marks for everything they did. We would definitely do this resort again.

Much anticipated...totally worth it!

Arriving in Santa Clara airport, everyone received a Covid PCR test. Very little delay in getting through. At the hotel we received the results within 18hrs. Required to wear the face masks until getting the results. We took a private transfer to the hotel and upon arrival, my wife and I commented that here must be some VIP's coming, as there was all of the hotel staff 100+ waiting to greet us! We were quite literally the first guests in the hotel since they shutdown 9 months ago! The staff w [... read more]ere all amazing and attentive from the GM Alex to the Butlers, who had alternating days of work. In the hotel and throughout Cuba it is mandatory for all to wear the masks. Staff was constantly topping up sanitizing dispensers, restaurant and lobby areas were sanitized after each use. The main washrooms by each the restaurants/pool had full time attendants sanitizing after use. Social distancing markers were placed in areas were lineups may occur. QR codes are on each table with the menu of the day for each restaurant. We really...really enjoyed this hotel and were 100% comfortable and very impressed with how The Royalton/staff are dealing with the guests and handling the constant cleaning and sanitizing through these crazy times!

So great!

Such a beautiful property. From the grounds to the beach. The beach is UNREAL! The service was AMAZING! Our butler Jazier was the most friendly, amazing person ever! Because it is Cuba , they run out of things here and there but no big deal, we just found something else. The beach grill was SO good! Thank you to everyone at the Royalton for making our vacation so memorable!

Cuba at its Finest!

We spent a glorious week at The Royalton in Cayo Santa Maria. This is an all adult boutique resort with the best beach we have seen. The sand is like icing sugar, and you can walk for miles. Our room was very spacious and clean. The grounds were like a tropical paradise with lots of vegetation and all of the buildings were within a reasonable walking distance. There were 2 pools to enjoy and lots of chairs available at each location. There was plenty to eat at the a la carte restaurants.  [... read more]However, there is NO buffet. We had access to 2 nearby resorts, so there was lots of food choices. We had an amazing butler named Noelvis, who treated us royally. Shout out to Liz in Eggsellence restaurant for her excellent service. It was an amazing vacation and we would recommend this resort to adults wishing a quiet, relaxing holiday. We will be back!