Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa

Pros: - Food is delicious by Cuban standards. - On the whole, service was excellent - Rooms are in good shape with plenty hot water. - Night time entertainment was fun. A nice variety of shows. Cons: - Daytime activities feel low-energy, especially during bad weather, with fewer organized options compared to other Cuban resorts. - The advertised scuba diving was a major disappointment due to the apparent absence of dive staff and missed opportunities despite good conditions. We stayed at the hotel Jan 31 2026 to Feb 6 2026, and never once saw a member of the dive staff. Bottom Line: This is a great resort for those looking to relax, eat and drink. If you are looking for more action and activities, this might not be your resort. 7/10

We spent 2 weeks at the Royalton Hicacos, Varadero. The weather was unusually cool but the staff were warm and welcoming. We were fortunate to have 2 very good Butlers, Diana and Natalia. They were both helpful and made our stay extra special.

We stayed at the Royalton in Varadero from Jan. 29 - Feb. 5, 2026. Here's the highlights: 1) Staff- This was our fifth time to Cuba since 2005 and we have always experienced fantastic service at every resort we've stayed at and the Royalton is certainly no exception! All the staff we met were warm, friendly, and went above and beyond as part of their norm. Special shout out to our housekeeper Soley (pardon the spelling) and butlers Betty and Leo! 2) Facility/Cleanliness - We stayed on the upper floor of Building 29 and couldn't have been happier with our accommodations! Although the rooms are maybe on the older side, our room was EXTREMELY clean as was the entire facility! In fact, probably the cleanest hotel room we've ever stayed in which is saying something as we've travelled extensively in North America and abroad. 3) Food/Drink - You have to bear in mind that you are staying in a country which is facing severe food and fuel shortages. During our stay, we had plenty to eat and the selection was wide and varied...and there was never a shortage of rum in the cocktails! Bring your own condiments (ketchup, hot sauce, peanut butter, jam, etc.) because they are very scarce there. **As many others have indicated, the a la carte restaurants are "OK" but nothing special. For us, the main buffet restaurant was the route to go for both food quality and personal service.** 4) Beach - Unfortunately, the weather was a tad cool and very windy during our week so time at the beach was limited. This being said, the beach is fantastic and very walkable! You can venture a ways out into the ocean as the floor is all sand and offers a very gentle and predictable slope. All in all, a wonderful stay at Royalton Varadero and we hope to return one day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Cuban people. It is our sincere hope that they can persevere and experience better days ahead...they certainly deserve to catch a break!

Wonderful expefience. People are very friendly and welcoming, food is very good. I especially liked the scrambled eggs at breakfast and grilled porc for lunch. Massage was a reasonable price and was amazing. Rooms are very clean and the live entertainment was professionally done including rock concert, jazz bar and Cuban signers at the main bar. Best I experienced yet (better than Mexico and Dominican Republic). Our butlers Betty and Leo were very welcoming and there for us.

The rooms were very nice we were treated very nice, Brian was helpful and kind. It was very clean and pleasing. Definitely worth it.