Royalton Hicacos Varadero Resort & Spa

We returned to the Royalton Hicacos in Varadero in November and were not disappointed. It was another amazing vacation starting the moment we stepped out of the cab until we boarded the bus to go to the airport two weeks later! The staff are all absolutely amazing people that go above and beyond to make your stay the best it can possibly be. We can’t say enough about the staff helping with your bags at the front, the butlers- especially Roberto and Randy, the entire lobby bar staff both day and evening, pool bar staff, jazz bar staff, everyone in the a la cartes as well as the management and front desk staff. Our only slight disappointment was around having so many staff positional changes/shifts like for example having all the staff from the diamond club beach bar moved to different areas, some night time lobby staff now being daytime lobby staff, Alex moving from diamond club butler to front desk etc…. but it did not hamper our holiday and we are definitely planning to return again.

Review of Royalton Hicacos, Varadero Travel dates: 21–28 November Package: Diamond Club, Superior Room Overall impression: We loved it. --- Beach The beach was beautiful and clean. Drink service was fine, though maybe slow if you’re someone who drinks a lot. I actually preferred the “regular” side over the Diamond Club section because the DC side had more rocks. It wasn’t “rocky” exactly, but enough to make me uneasy in the water. I’m already afraid of fish (working on it), so adding rocks into the mix just gave me more reasons to be uncomfortable. --- Food and Dining I liked the food overall. At home I’m gluten-free and vegetarian (I include eggs and cheese), and I managed fine here. Luckily, I don’t get sick from gluten because being both gluten-free and vegetarian in Cuba would have been very difficult. I grew up poor, so I don’t care if my vegetables are canned or frozen—just give me vegetables and I’m happy. My husband eats meat and enjoyed himself. No bacon all week, but he had sausages, ham, chicken, beef, and more. The bistro served a grilled cheese with some sort of meat mixture (chicken, I think). Thank goodness he bit into his first, because I would have been horrified if I’d discovered it myself late at night. He ate both, so no food wasted. We ate plenty of pastries, the egg station was great, the crepe lady was fantastic, and the pasta guys were lovely. Cross-contamination prevention wasn’t perfect, but staff did try to correct guests who used tongs in the wrong trays or grabbed food with their hands. Restaurants: we tried the Cuban (twice), Tex-Mex, Italian, and beach grill. All were fine, but Cuban and Tex-Mex were easiest for me as a vegetarian. The Cuban restaurant had slightly different dishes each time, though one fritta I loved the first time wasn’t available the second. My husband said this was the first trip (our fourth) where he didn’t get stomach issues. He had problems in the Dominican Republic and Mexico, but not here. --- Room and Facilities The room was beautiful. The first night I was literally shaking from the cold air conditioning, but I figured out the thermostat and used the throw blanket from the closet to make evenings more tolerable. My husband was perfectly comfortable in the cold. The bathroom had a rainfall shower, handheld shower, and a separate tub with its own handheld. We used the tub the first night but couldn’t unplug it, so maintenance had to help the next day. The shower didn’t seem to heat up quickly, so we used the handheld from the tub instead. We didn’t complain because we didn’t care—we had hot water most of the time. One evening it ran cold, but it was peak usage, so we just adjusted our timing after that. Occasionally the taps slowed or stopped, again during prime time. The bed was hard. My husband slept fine, but I have body issues and it was tough on me. On the last night I used two of the four pillows to sleep on, which helped. Housekeeping service was consistent, though we never actually saw them. --- Butler Service Adrian and Hayde (spelling may be off) were kind and helpful whenever we saw them. We’re not very needy guests, so aside from arranging the Cayo Blanco excursion and booking à la cartes at check-in, we didn’t use them much. --- Music and Entertainment Music was everywhere. Almost every meal had live performers, and the lobby bar had live music too. Everyone was very talented. Entertainment wasn’t the same style as in the Dominican Republic or Mexico. There was less dancing and interaction with guests from the entertainment crew. We went to the foam party and had a blast, but they didn’t do a great job of informing people about pool activities. Evening shows were excellent. We saw the Cuban show, magic show, opera, and aqua ballet. All were very well done. --- Staff and Maintenance Staff were wonderful. Twice I received flowers with handmade hummingbirds. Cleaners, gardeners, maintenance workers, bellhops, servers—everyone smiled and greeted us with “hola” or “good morning.” They worked hard to keep the resort beautiful. Renovations were ongoing: two buildings under major renovation work, painting, landscaping, pool maintenance, bridge walkways was repainted. The resort was clearly being cared for. --- Diamond Club Experience We wouldn’t book Diamond Club again. We mainly used the DC buffet section, and while we got reservations upon arrival, we had no trouble eating at restaurants without them (we’re early eaters). The DC beach section was nice, but we preferred the regular side. We don’t drink enough to care about premium alcohol, and we didn’t use the à la carte breakfast because we liked the buffet. The main reason we booked DC was for the catamaran excursion, and that was the only poor experience of the trip. The Excursion Disaster When we arrived Friday, we were waitlisted. The boat goes out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with space for 22 people. It was already full for the week. Apparently there were over 100 DC guests at the time. Staff said if enough people were waitlisted, they might add another day. By Sunday, we were told to show up at 9am Monday in the lobby to see if there were no-shows. Honestly, this felt unreasonable and embarrassing. Monday came, and the excursion was full. We met other couples who said they had to ask daily to get on. We tried again Monday and Tuesday, and finally got on Wednesday. The organisation was poor from the start. Pick-up was supposed to be 9am. The bus arrived before 9, but they didn’t start gathering people until 9:20. We didn’t leave until after 9:30. I understand “island time,” but this was unnecessary. The real disappointment was the snorkelling. We were supposed to get 45+ minutes, but we had barely 10 minutes in the water. No exaggeration. Then we went to the island, where there was no snorkelling to make up for it. When we tried Monday, we watched the same thing happened: boarding started late, the bus was too full, and they had to order another. Again, the bus had been sitting there the whole time. Overall, the excursion was disorganised, rushed, and not worth the Diamond Club upgrade. The Better Option The snorkelling trip right off the resort was amazing. USD $20 per person, 15 minutes sailing, 45 minutes snorkelling, 15 minutes back. Exactly what was promised, and worth every cent. --- Bugs and Wildlife We brought bug spray and used it on the beach. I got a couple of bites early on (i think on the beach), but no mosquito problems. Animals around the resort included friendly cats (about four, fed by staff), three or four visiting dogs, lots of lizards, crabs (small and large), and birds. Birds sometimes sneaked into the buffet, but staff distracted them with food. We didn’t mind—it was amusing. On the last day, I was touched three times by what we think was a needlefish. I clung to my husband until he walked me closer to shore. I didn’t appreciate it, but others might enjoy knowing there are some fish offshore. --- Pools The pools were nice, though some tiles were missing. Given all the maintenance we saw, I’m sure they’ll be fixed. I wish the deeper pool connected better to the pool bar, but we spent most of our time at the beach anyway. --- Final Thoughts Royalton Hicacos is a beautiful resort with excellent staff, great food, and talented musicians. The Diamond Club package wasn’t worth it for us, especially given the catamaran excursion fiasco, but the overall trip was wonderful. We’d happily return—just not with the DC upgrade.

I enjoyed my stay so much that I’ve already booked another week starting December 8th. After many trips to Cuba (this was my 6th), I think I may have finally found my favourite resort. This was also my first time in Varadero after usually vacationing in Cayo Coco. While Cuba is going through difficult shortages right now and life is very tough for locals (please tip when you can), the resort does an incredible job ensuring guests are comfortable. If we hadn’t left the property, we would barely have noticed anything was missing — very different from some other Cuban destinations. Check-In & First Impressions: Check-in was smooth and friendly, and the staff made the arrival process relaxed and welcoming. It set a great tone for the week, and I’m looking forward to that same warm welcome on my return. Diamond Club: We stayed Diamond Club and I highly recommend it — the added perks and exclusive areas made the experience even better. Rooms: The only real downside of the trip was the older non-renovated room. They’re worn and lacking maintenance. If your budget allows, definitely book a renovated/superior room — the difference is significant. We toured one before leaving and it was modern, fresh, and absolutely worth the upgrade. A helpful tip from returning guests: there’s no separate category for room views, so politely request one in advance. Food: People usually say you don’t go to Cuba for the food — but the food here genuinely exceeded expectations. Everything we had was included, and I’ve attached photos. The à la cartes were very good, and even the buffet was consistently solid. Bacon and eggs every morning — which tells you this resort is well stocked and organized. Mosquitos: A lot of reviews mention mosquitos, but I barely noticed any. I’m from Northern Ontario and didn’t even bother using the bug spray I packed. It looks like the resort aerial sprays in the mornings, and whether it’s luck or good management, it was nowhere near as bad as some older reviews suggested. Pools & Beach: I didn’t spend time at the main pool because the beach was too perfect. The two quiet pools on either side of the property looked peaceful and never crowded. The beach is truly the star here — clean, calm, and plenty of shaded loungers. The Diamond Club beach section has great perks, including a daily charcoal BBQ lunch. The beach staff are attentive and happy to help, and it was easy to find a good spot any time of day. Entertainment: There’s entertainment nightly and a posted schedule, which I appreciated. It’s there if you want it but not overwhelming — a perfect balance. Wi-Fi: The Wi-Fi here was much better than expected. Speeds were consistently 10–22 Mbps, low latency, and it worked all over the resort — even on the beach. I could've done online work or a video call if I needed to, no problem. Staff: As with most of Cuba, the staff are the heart of the resort. Every interaction felt friendly and genuine, never forced or tip-driven. A special shoutout to Joe at the beach — he clearly takes pride in what he does and made an already excellent experience even better. I wish I had written down more names, because many staff deserve recognition. --- Overall: An excellent resort — well maintained, beautifully renovated common areas, and run like a well-oiled machine. The experience reminded me of Mexico, but with kinder staff, a more relaxed atmosphere, and absolutely no Americans — the best of both worlds. I’m returning in December and would love to experience one of the renovated ocean-view rooms if available. It would make an already great stay even better. Highly recommend Royalton Hicacos if you're considering Cuba. Gracias y hasta luego, Mike

Not going to lie, travelled Nov 11-25, 2025 and it got off to a rocky start. 14th trip to Cuba and 4th to this resort. 1st room no AC, second room no hot water. 3rd room perfect. Always check AC, hot water and safe in working order before accepting room. We have not been to a more beautiful resort in Cuba, Hicacos with its bridges and moats is second to none. Rooms are spacious and beds very comfortable. The white sands beach that seems to go on forever, great for long walks and collecting shells. Servers are amazing and our Butler “Betty” was by far the best we have ever had, she was great to quickly resolve our arriving bumps and scheduled our a la carte restaurants without a hitch. Waitress “Yanari” (beautiful grey hair with purple accent) made buffet and lunch meals great, lots to choose from. Bar staff were always at our table or beach/pool chairs for refills. We plan on returning in the near future for sure.

We stayed in late November 2025. The room was fine — king bed, small TV with poor cable, and a shower with low water pressure but hot water. The hotel amenities were good and the property was clean. The à-la-carte restaurant was disappointing, with mediocre food and service, so we switched to the buffet. The buffet was much better: good service, tasty lamb, beef, and fried fish, and excellent bread and butter. The coffee, however, was terrible — greyish, bitter, and undrinkable. Special thanks to Yudelkys and David, who made our stay much nicer. The bar had a nice atmosphere and good service, but the cocktails were inconsistent. Sometimes they ran out of Piña Coladas or Mojitos, and the amount of rum varied widely — some drinks were extremely strong while others had barely any. Many staff were young with limited English, but this didn’t affect us. The beach was excellent with plenty of loungers and beautiful sand and water, though some beach towels were old and should be replaced. Overall we had a good trip, but the hotel is not truly 5 stars. We wouldn’t return.