Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa

My wife and I stayed from Jan 21-28. Check-in was relatively smooth, and we were able to have our room an hour before check-in time. We did not pay for an upgraded room, and were not surprised that the room was outdated and showing lots of wear. Sheets/pillows were in rough shape, walls needed paint, and the room had a strong musty smell. Nonetheless the room was functional, water was hot, and everything worked as expected. Having been to Cuba a few times, we did not have high food expectations, but we were a little surprised by the lack of selection and quality. Same can be said about the drink selection - even though we are not regular drinkers, the selection and quality were poor. It appears to me that the country is really struggling with availability of goods and food, and infrastructure conditions. However, the things they can control, they do an excellent job of. The grounds were meticulously maintained, the beach is phenomenal and raked daily, and the nightly shows are well planned and professional. The beach is absolutely outstanding - beautiful white sand, warm shallow turquoise water easy to swim in. The staff are very pleasant and courteous, and provide good service whether you tip them or not. I notice that many of the negative reviews compare this resort to other resorts in the Caribbean, or to previous experiences in Cuba. In my opinion, things have gone a little downhill, but when you only pay $3500CAD for a couple compared to $8k or $9k or higher elsewhere, this a good value. If you’re looking for perfection, pay a lot more and go elsewhere.

As a businesswoman who travels frequently, in September I had the opportunity to stay at Royalton Hicacos in Cuba, and honestly, I didn’t leave a review at the time because the experience was simply flawless. Everything they promote is exactly what they deliver: the service, the food, attention to detail, and the comfort of the facilities make every penny spent feel completely worth it. The professionalism of the staff and the quality of the hotel ensure a relaxing stay with no unpleasant surprises. I am grateful that a hotel like Royalton exists, consistently keeping its promises. In January, I returned to Cuba and decided to stay at Starfish Jibacoa. Unfortunately, my experience there was very different. I felt out of place and genuinely concerned about the service: meals that did not match what was advertised, set menus imposed without notice, and certain oversights that made the stay less enjoyable than expected. The difference in organization and pressure is noticeable compared to Royalton, and while some staff members were kind, it does not make up for the inconsistency and the feeling of being sold something that was not delivered. Even with the clear difference in quality and attention, I can say that the experience with Royalton fully justifies the cost. It’s a comfort to know that in Cuba there is a hotel that delivers on its promises, where one can truly relax without worries.

I have been Cuba 4 times,Varadaro 3times. It’s best experience at this resort. Food is excellent,service is great and staff are friendly and well trained and professional. Nothing is bad to say. I love stay at this resort .This resort completely changed my mind about the food of Cuba . The food is amazing good.

I went here with my mom as a sort of mini family vacation and we had an amazing time! They were accommodating and able to bring a 2nd bed into the suite so we each had our own, they also helped set up a private tour of Havana in a classic car which was super cool (and cheaper than the excursions our package offered). The food on the resort was amazing, including lobster on several occasions, (though maybe some instances were only for Diamond Club guests - which I totally recommend getting) and all very well seasoned and prepared. I would likely recommend sticking to the buffet as the food there was even better than our times at the a la carte restaurants. The beach was the best one I've had at Varadero with clear waters and soft white sandy beaches. Being an adult resort it was more quiet at night and allowed for peaceful sleep. It is an older resort and while it is slightly showing its age in architecture, the amenities and cleanliness were up to date with other more recently build resorts (all of the lights were controlled via modern touchscreen panels for example, quite high tech). It has nightly shows of course, and even a nightclub/disco on site! This is by far the best resort I've been at in Cuba (and even possibly the whole Caribbean) and is worth the price even for the Diamond Club upgrade. Our stay was made all the more better by our butlers Roberto and Randy, a special thanks to them! Of course the rest of the staff was super friendly and warm as well. When I go back to Cuba again I'll likely stick with this resort for most if not all future all-inclusive trips.

The experience was amazing, we enjoyed everything: pool, beach, room and the best thing was the beach. Thanks to the staff mainly our butlers Haydee and Adrian that were always very helpful