Royalton Hicacos Resort & Spa

Varadero, Cuba

FAVOURITES HOTEL
These hotels provide exceptionally good value, are in great locations and offer exclusive benefits to Virgin Holidays’ customers.
Buffet Restaurant
Piano Bar Las Nubes
Gran Plaza Hicacos
Presidential Suite
Presidential Suite
Lobby Bar
Dips Pool Bar
Royal Suite
Buffet Restaurant
Piano Bar Las Nubes
Gran Plaza Hicacos
Presidential Suite
Presidential Suite
Lobby Bar
Dips Pool Bar
Royal Suite

The hotel

Only opening its doors to adult guests, this exclusive oceanfront retreat has maximised on its tropical island setting. And that’s not just down to its boast-worthy spot on Varadero’s finest white sands, which come scattered with palapa parasols and backed by lush gardens. Its lagoon pools have been designed to meander around the resort, only interrupted by thatch-roofed structures, little caves for private swims or sunbathing, water features, and bridges – all adding to the natural tropical vibe. Royalton Hicacos Resort & Spa doesn’t just feature the expected (think à la carte dining, non-motorised water sports and entertainment), it also throws in treats like snacks from pizza to pastries, a gelato station, a cool jazz bar and night club and sports like tennis and squash.

Amenities

  • Bar
  • Romantic
  • Spa
  • Wedding
  • Honeymoon
  • Night Club
  • Room Service
  • Safety Deposit Box
  • Evening Entertainment
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Games Room
  • Internet Access

Where is it

On a wide stretch of beautiful Varadero Beach, perfect for sunsets. Transfer time from Havana Airport: 3 hours.

Hotel information

404 rooms including 401 Junior Suites, 1 Presidential Suite and 2 Royal Suites. Suites all have 1 king-size bed, balcony/patio, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, satellite TV, mini-fridge, safe, amenity kit, iron and board, full-size bath, beach towels, bathrobes and hairdryer. Junior Suites have a balcony or patio and 1 king-size bed sleeping maximum 2 adults.

All Inclusive of: breakfast, lunch and dinner. IUnlimited local-brand drinks. Huge range of sports facilities and entertainment. Guests are entitled to one visit per week to each of the à la carte restaurants.

Junior Suites Diamond Club are as per Junior Suites, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Royal Suites feature a more luxurious bedroom sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Presidential Suites have two separate bedrooms sleeping maximum 4 adults.

Diamond Club Benefits are available in the Junior Suite Diamond Club, Royal Suites or Presidential Suites and include:

  • Exclusive Diamond Club Lounge access (selected premium drinks menu available)
  • Preferred room locations
  • Butler service
  • Daily à la carte breakfast service and special lunch in one à la carte restaurant
  • Exclusive bar and beach area with waiter service
  • Personalised check-in and check-out
  • Early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability)
  • Evening hors d'oeuvres and afternoon snacks, including decadent desserts, in the lounge
  • Upgraded room service menu
  • Pillow menu
  • Luxury amenities in-room
  • Mini-bar (replenished daily)
  • Robes and slippers in-room
  • Diving Plustour (subject to availability)
  • Snorkeling in Cayo Piedra (subject to availability)
  • 15% discount on International scuba-diving courses

  • 2020 honeymoon offer: honeymooners receive express check-in, welcome cocktail, small bottle of sparkling wine in the room on arrival, housekeeping (between 11:00am-3:00pm), a romantic dinner (booking required) and 10% discount on spa services.

    A marriage certificate with a minimum validity of 6 months must be presented.

Why is this a Virgin Holidays Favourite?

Fantastic beachfront location on the powder-soft sands of Varadero

Relaxing and romantic resort with a good choice of bars and restaurants

Upgrade to the Diamond Club for butler service and exclusive benefits

Exclusive Virgin Holidays benefits:

  • Fruit platter in-room upon arrival
  • Bottle of rum on arrival
    • Please note: to be eligible for favourites benefits, a minimum of 10 nights stay is required.

5 dining options: Gourmet Marche (buffet, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner), El Caribe (traditional Caribbean, open for à la carte dinner), The Pearl (International and seafood, open for à la carte dinner), Grill Beach Club Restaurant (grill and seafood, open for à la carte dinner) and Café Bistrot (grill selection, pizzas and 24-hour snacks). Lobby bar, Dips pool bar, Scoops ice cream and Jazz bar.

Daily and nightly entertainment. Weekly manager's cocktail party. Fashion shows, dance and Spanish lessons. Resident band and piano players. Outdoor theatre and nightclub.

3 swimming pools, 4 whirlpools. The Royal Spa*. Fitness centre with steam room and sauna. 3 floodlit tennis courts. Table tennis. Squash. Pool table, lawn chess and games room. Paddle boats. Sailboats. Kayaks. Windsurfing and snorkelling.

WiFi access* in designated areas of the resort. Beauty salon*.

Good general access for guests who are able to walk short distances and can manage up to six steps. For more information and contact details please check out our Special Assistance page

3 nights.

* Denotes local charge.

Dress code: smart casual for dinner – trousers and collared shirts for gentlemen.

Please note: this hotel is an adults-only property for guests over the age of 18.

 

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (4592)
  • Very good (1775)
  • Average (568)
  • Poor (137)
  • Terrible (68)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Lovely relaxing couples holiday

Sep 16, 2020 HolidayWorshipper03

It's not a particularly lively adults-only resort, and we would have preferred a bit more going on in the day time - however, that's just personal preference. The pool area is very peaceful as is the beach. We had some lovely lunches at the pool bar in between sunbathing and couldn't quite believe how huge the sandwiches were! The evening… Read more
It's not a particularly lively adults-only resort, and we would have preferred a bit more going on in the day time - however, that's just personal preference. The pool area is very peaceful as is the beach. We had some lovely lunches at the pool bar in between sunbathing and couldn't quite believe how huge the sandwiches were! The evening entertainment was ok, the nightclub was always quite empty though so we preferred to have a drink around the pool. One evening we got a traditional Cuban convertible taxi and went into Varadero town to the Beatles Bar. This was fantastic - lots of live music and a brilliant atmosphere. A day out in Havana is also a must! The staff are fantastic and couldn't do enough for you. Plenty of food choice too. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating And A Good Time Was Had By All!

Sep 9, 2020 BethK1547

Our group of four traveled to the Royalton Hicacos at the beginning of February 2020 for two weeks. This resort was chosen because of the amazing beach, and because it was adult only. Every day was just wonderful -- lounge attendants at the beach were attentive and friendly, staff in the buffet were super friendly (shout out to Hermes who never… Read more
Our group of four traveled to the Royalton Hicacos at the beginning of February 2020 for two weeks. This resort was chosen because of the amazing beach, and because it was adult only. Every day was just wonderful -- lounge attendants at the beach were attentive and friendly, staff in the buffet were super friendly (shout out to Hermes who never failed to greet us like long lost friends), bartenders were friendly and made the best mojitos. The management and staff of the main bar could do with some training on managing staffing levels and breaking the room into sections for wait staff to cover. Some have remarked that the food was not up to par, but we were impressed with how flexible and able to make do without in a country that can experience food supply issues. We really enjoyed Pearl a couple times for dinner. The buffet spread prepared for Valentine's Day dinner was delicious! We had the good fortune of experiencing two outdoor bbq's during our stay, will all sorts of traditional food and entertainment. The evening entertainment on the stage was the best of any resort I've ever been to. We took a day long excursion into Havana (~20 hours long!) that culminated in a memorable evening at the Tropicana. Another excursion we took went to Bay of Pigs; on the way back, we stopped at a roadside stand and bought the best bananas I've ever had in my life! The rooms were very large, with a sleeping area and a sitting area, and the bathroom was the size of another bedroom. The one day where we had a bit of rain, the four of us played cards on our deck, so even those were roomy. Two of us had need to visit the doctor on site (eye infections), and were very comfortable with the level of care we received. We didn't upgrade to Diamond Club, and aside from a separate sitting area in the buffet and around the pool, didn't see what advantages it offered. We certainly didn't feel our experience lacked from not upgrading. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay, and will definitely return one day! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating It’s not normally like this in March

May 12, 2020 BeejayBerkshire Berkshire

With Covid-19 gaining a foothold in the UK, we weren’t sure if we’d be allowed to travel, but we did. After four nights in Havana, we were pleased to get to the Royalton and relax. Havana was already suffering badly as the tourist trade was drying up, but the Royalton seemed alive and well. We soon discovered it too had been affected as they only… Read more
With Covid-19 gaining a foothold in the UK, we weren’t sure if we’d be allowed to travel, but we did. After four nights in Havana, we were pleased to get to the Royalton and relax. Havana was already suffering badly as the tourist trade was drying up, but the Royalton seemed alive and well. We soon discovered it too had been affected as they only had around 25% of their 800 capacity. A few hours after we left 7 days later it closed down completely. What we experienced was hardly the norm. What we can say is that we would recommend the Diamond Club for the access to the better beach and the butler service. The Diamond lounge is two small rooms - primarily the place to find a butler, not to hang out for any length of time. Towards the end, we found the “exclusive premium spirits” were also available in other bars, if you asked – that may not usually be the case. The first night’s evening entertainment of “Songs from the musicals” was excellent. Unfortunately over the next few nights, the audience dropped to single figures and the shows stopped. Our room was clean and spacious, looking out over the garden to the wooded area and the sea. If we ever went back, I’d want the same room – 2911. The food was wonderful; we loved the sea swimming. Unfortunately, our snorkelling excursion was cancelled – lack of numbers I guess. Also closed were the array of booths that normally served snacks all day. What it’s like in the normal peak season on March was hard to imagine. I’m sure we’d have enjoyed it. We’d stopped taking in the detail of the effect Covid-19 was having back home. We knew we’d be going back into lockdown. The departure plans kept changing. The reduced number of staff kept the great level of service going. We finally left grateful to know there was a plane coming to the airport to take us home and wondering what the Royalton Hicacos was really like in March. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Best Vacation!!

May 3, 2020 Brittany M Grimsby, Canada

We were hesitant to visit Cuba, however after our stay at the Royalton we cannot imagine visiting anywhere else in the Caribbean. We have been on many all-inclusives vacations (Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica) and nothing compares to the hospitality in Cuba. The Royalton exceeded are expectations, no complaints about the food, the drinks were very… Read more
We were hesitant to visit Cuba, however after our stay at the Royalton we cannot imagine visiting anywhere else in the Caribbean. We have been on many all-inclusives vacations (Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica) and nothing compares to the hospitality in Cuba. The Royalton exceeded are expectations, no complaints about the food, the drinks were very good, and the coffee amazing! Angel our butler went above and beyond to make our trip very special. Big shout out to him and Annie at the front desk. We will definitely be returning!! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating meeting up with old friends

Apr 21, 2020 zandor93

This was our second visit --as last year we promised the staff we would return 'next year'-- and we were not disappointed. It was like getting together with old friends and so easy to meet and make new ones. The staff was amazing and went above and beyond to fulfil any requests despite obvious shortages due to circumstances out of their control.… Read more
This was our second visit --as last year we promised the staff we would return 'next year'-- and we were not disappointed. It was like getting together with old friends and so easy to meet and make new ones. The staff was amazing and went above and beyond to fulfil any requests despite obvious shortages due to circumstances out of their control. The weather was sunny and hot every day and the beach was fantastic. Well worth taking a day trip out to Cayo Blanco, too. I even tried snorkelling for the first time. It was such an awesome experience. Save us a spot again next year, Luis Miguel! Read less