Varadero

This is exactly what I was looking for! I was very happy with the quality of the services, the beach, the rooms, the restaurants and the bars. But most of all, I was impressed by the very professional and attentive staff.

We enjoyed a 7 day visit to Royalton Hicacos during the first week of November 2025. The resort definitely has a Caribbean feel with lots of trees, gardens and waterways. The resort is beautiful, with welcoming, friendly staff. We bought Diamond Club for this trip, so this review is mostly based on that experience. All beaches are amazing with soft white sand. No need for water shoes. The Diamond Club beach lunch stand had lots of BBQ selections (even lobster one day). There were plenty of sun loungers, and an attendant was happy to drag chairs where you wished to set up. Waiter service was good at the Diamond Club beach area. One day we went to non-diamond Grill bar and nobody seemed interested in serving us even after making eye contact. We waited 15 minutes and left without a beverage and never went back. There isn't a very good selection of drinks at the Diamond Club beach area- no premium drinks at all. A la Cartes had excellent food (5 out of 7 nights), although the Italian restaurant was extremely salty and no AC. The buffet was good quality with lots of variety and fresh cook stations. Our server was always attentive and friendly. The buffet is on the second floor, and the elevator was out of service so I suspect some guests found this challenging. Diamond Club has a private restaurant (Caribe) that offers an excellent breakfast (lunch and supper too). This was a big plus for joining Diamond Club for us. The main lounge area was good; servers were attentive, although there was a lack of servers during shift change, which put a high demand on the bartenders (this should be improved). The website says you have unlimited a la Cartes for Diamond Club and the butler will book them for you. In reality, they will only book 6:30 or 8:30 sittings and say “I will see if I can get you in" and you may or may not get a booking. If you just show up at the a la Carte they will get you a seat without a reservation. If you want a premium drink, you need to self-serve at the Diamond Club building. There are no premium drinks anywhere else- not even the lounge! This was disappointing since Diamond Club closes at 8:30- so no premium drink night caps. I disliked this self-serve for Premium Diamond Club quite a bit and has deterred me from Diamond Club in the future. The Diamond Club building (2 rooms) itself is always full of new guests getting booked in, so it really wasn't a lounge at all. Our room was excellent and cleaned daily. The AC worked well. There was hot water every day and the bar fridge was stocked with beer and water daily. There is quite an elaborate complex of buildings at the resort with stairs and walkways between them. Ask for a ground floor if you find stairs challenging. There isn't a coffee maker, coffee, tea or kettle (we brought our own portable kettle and coffee maker). They use 220v outlets (round socket, round 2 prong possibly type S-9). You will need an adapter for 120v devices (our adapter worked fine). Diamond Club can loan adapters if yours don't fit. If you like nature hiking, visit Varahicacos Ecological Reserve and Cueva de Ambrosio which are within walking distance along the main highway. The Hop On bus does hourly rounds for $5 per person for a full day. Diamond Club offered a free boat trip with snorkelling to Cayos Blancos which was lots of fun. We had a fresh lobster on the boat ($20) which was excellent. They do charge for alcoholic drinks on the boat ($2 each) which was unexpected. The entertainment shows were top-notch. All-in-all we had a good time and would return. I'd have to think about doing the diamond club though because of the lack of premium drinks at bars and the a la Carte booking times.

Had a great time, beach was excellent and close to a bar.

The resort has potential and some positives, especially the staff and convenience of transport. However, serious issues with cleanliness, outdated rooms, poor Wi-Fi, and limited food options—especially for young children—made our stay disappointing. We expected a higher standard from a resort of this rating.

It was so clean and had a BEAUTIFUL view. Lots of food for Cuba. Will always find something to eat. The beach was an issue. To many rocks and was not nice. Besides that the pool and the service was AMAZING

The hotel was clean with friendly staff, it does show some wear and could use a bit more TLC. The rooms have a comfy bed and very clean towels are are a bit short but no deal breaker. The beach was definitely the star of this resort along with the staff can't say enough. Pool is nice not heated and could be cleaned more often. Then there is the food, it's cuba so we weren't expecting much but feel it still fell short.

We recently had the pleasure of staying at the Princess Del Mar resort in Varadero, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience. The resort itself is beautiful, with stunning views and topnotch amenities. A special thank you to Ana, for her delicious meals that made every dining experience memorable. Carlos, the MC, brought so much energy and fun to our evenings. I also want to extend my gratitude to all the hardworking and lovely staff, including the maids, waitresses, towel lady, gardeners, and everyone else who made our stay so enjoyable. Your dedication and hard work did not go unnoticed, and I highly recommend Princess Del Mar to anyone looking for a fantastic vacation spot.

The main hotel lobby and grounds are lovely. Beaches and pools are great as well as the staff are friendly. no toilet paper in main hotel bathrooms most of the time. The rooms are showing age and need some updating. Air conditioner in roof was leaking on floor, wet towel soaking up water on floor not changed by staff. Patio door very hard to move, wheels worn out, towel hanger loose on wall, dirty towels changed only once the whole week. Couldn't get clean pool towels all week. Bathroom mirror needs replacing as all rusty, shower drain clogged as almost overflowed. Phone not working in room, so couldn't call for ride to buffet, long walk for those with issues. but ok for us. Ocean views are great, though we thought we were staying in main hotel, but put in smaller building quite far away on grounds, so don't know how the main hotel rooms were. Food was very nicely prepared, but very repetitive (no beef) and lacking flavour. The drinks were mostly less than good, artificial flavours, not fresh lemons or limes, they put in artificial juices like tang or something similiar. I personally would not go back, heard from others that other hotels had better food an drink, but somehow I doubt it, as Cuba doesn't have access to a lot of things we enjoy normally in Canada. I was told not to expect much, and enjoyed the time there inspite of what I mentioned.

TWELTH STAY, JUST GETS BETTER October 2025 Hola Readers I will be grief. This was our 12th stay at Iberostar Bella Vista. We travel from Moncton from October 6th to 13th 2025 Everything went smoothly. This was 35 plus times to Varadero, so we do know what to expect. The airport transfer and check-in went smooth. The resort was running around 30% so not busy. Securing a chair on the beach or around the pool area was not an issue. The beach is coming back, the ocean is replacing the sand it took away in June. The food if anything has improved. Breakfast in the Panoramic restaurant is the best. Real egg omelet, bacon ( maybe thin sliced ham but good ) and toast. As good as home, only thing missing the trip was jam for your toast. Evening dinners at Panoramic, Japanese, Cuban and Italian was good. Toss up between Panoramic and Italian this time for us. The food was good, deserts really good. Our last evening I had a tart that I would go back to Bella Vista to get another. Delicious. Our Suite on the 10th floor was super good. Our maid was very friendly and kept our room spotless every day. We saw many improvements either done or being done in the resort or on the grounds. We did notice new furniture or reupholstered furniture in the lobby. Looks real good. The furniture in the resorts get a lot of use, so wear and tear is expected. The staff, we can't say enough about these beautiful people. They work hard and are so happy to see you. They are genuine and just want you to enjoy your stay. I won't use names so I don't miss anyone. Evening entertainment was slow in the lobby. We didn't go to the theater, hot and stuffy. At 30% occupancy we feel they could do somethin in the lobby and use the beautiful deck off the lobby. Just our thought. A couple pointers for visitors- If the Life Guards ask you not to go too deep or go in the water during high waves, respect them. They are only trying to prevent something from happening and they understand the water in Cuba much better than we do. Book Star Prestige, its worth it. We want to say thanks again for a great trip. We do plan to return in 2026.

The staff was very nice and helpful. Loved the pools. Beach was no to far to walk. Food-buffet was ok. Lots of activities.