Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa

Hotel was amazing, and staff were super friendly, and overall everyone made you feel welcome and everyone knew our name. We were even mini celebrities after being pulled on stage for one of rhe shows! Brenda and Eileen were great butlers and if you get them, you will not be disappointed. They went above and beyond to assist us even though I was super annoying haha.

We have been to this resort before and they are working on upgrading it for all. We think this resort is terrific. Especially the staff. They are really amazing. We had a fantastic experience with the diamond club this last vacation. Lesly at the Caribbean restaurant is our all time favourite. She made our stay extra special and went above and beyond our expectations. A shout out to Ever (beach bar) Juan at the Caribbean restaurant. Actually all the staff at the Caribbean. At the buffet big papa black and his coworker, at the pasta pizza area, were so much fun. Big papa white appreciates you. Carlos our butler made our stay easy and took care of all our reservations and requests. Randy from the butler service was also fantastic. Hector and Alejandro from the beach great service. Appreciate you both. There was an older gentleman at the beach seemed like security personnel. I don’t remember his name but he really kept the beach walkers or sellers from bothering us. Didn’t get his name sorry. Ana, the cleaning lady we met 18 years ago. Her English has gotten so much better. She’s such a sweet lady. Barbara from the lobby bar, she has been at the resort a long time, she still provides great service. Ricardo the manager very approachable and striving to make the resort better. Love your fancy outfits Ricardo. Now the resort itself is older but upgrades are in process. One of the best beaches we have ever been to. Lots of things to do if you want to do them. We opted for relaxing. Please bring new crisp American bills for tipping. The bank in Cuba doesn’t accept them if they are torn or worn out. American money is the preferred payment in Cuba now. The government run stores at the resort. We found the staff very rude. But those are only the government run shops. The wifi is satellite wifi so the more people using it the slower and spotty it gets. I would recommend going into downtown Varadero. The double bus is $5 American for the day. Check out the market on 15th I think. Great deals all kinds of souvenirs. Bring some gum and hard candies to leave for the workers, toys for their children. Adult and children medicine. New backpacks to leave. Go mugs to leave as well. Your vacation is what you make of it. The people at the royalton made our great

Overall very good stay, the weather in January in Varadero can be a little chilly. Keeping in mind this is Cuba and things aren’t perfect, food shortages, lack of hot water, drink quality not always great but the staff do a great job and the Cuban people are amazing. I would go back.

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.