Reviews of Sandals Royal Hicacos Resort & Spa, Varadero, Cuba

Shambles not Sandals

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2008

Tour Operator:

Virgin

Submitted By:

BLIMMER

Comments:

I have just returned from two weeks at this resort and have never been so disappointed. A hairy, two and a half hour transfer, we arrived at our destination. The rooms were ok apart from the fact that we had no mosquito net so got bitten to hell, the windows were filthy with brown packing tape all over it. The TV broke down, the bath trim came loose exposing rusty screws, no bath plug, sink plug, door handle loose, intermittent lights and of course the table lamp shades kept on falling down, the phone wasn't connected to the handset as it was broken and the mattress protector was on upside down. Oh and the bottled water wasn't replenished daily and on occasion neither were the towels,A/C was useless and had to rely on the ceiling fan. The Lobby bar was being replenished while we were there and when it re opened, there was a leak all over the floor. Then we went for breakfast at the buffet bar, apart from the fact that at times they ran out of Eggs, Butter and Bacon.You know basic breakfast items. When the omelette was cooked it was raw inside. Then go for a lovely dip in the swimming pool, more like a paddling pool. It was so shallow in places that you could lie in it and not drown. The swim up bar was still being done, two weeks to do and still not finished. The Restaurants faired no better. We went to the best one, El Caribe, only to be served cold starters on a cold plate, the main course,also meant to be hot again served on a cold plate. No bread rolls as a starter. when offered Chicken and Shrimps in a curry sauce, you expect more than one shrimp and the sauce to taste of curry. We left almost immediately. The buffet restaurant was dangerous. I watched them cook chicken on the hot plate, then got some rice and added a curry vegetable sauce for flavour. The sauce was bland no taste and cold, vegetables that were undercooked and RAW chicken. I ended up with a cheese and tomato pizza with Ice Cream for afters. mmmmm. Bearing in mind this is an ultra all inclusive resort with the reputation of Sandals known the world over. I paid £4000.00 for this holiday and was woefully disappointed and short changed. Never again will I venture to Cuba, EVER.

Having read alot of these...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

The Holiday Place

Submitted By:

Mr A K  Smith

Comments:

Having read alot of these reviews before we set off, we had expected a number of things from...



1) Bad rooms

2) Bad food

3) Birds in the food halls

4) Mossie's eating you alive all night

5) Staff that stood waiting for tips (as they do in the USA, and you CAN NOT get rid of them)



BUT, we booked it, and went on the holiday...



On the first night, we eat at the BUFFET (some call it the canteen and say you need to book????, errr, no booking required here... it's an ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET, yep, you can have 5 or 8 cources, and still go back for more..!) as we turned up LATE (it's a 3.5 hour trip from Havana airport, and after checking in (the free champers was a nice touch) and having our bags taken to the room, unpacking etc, it was late) the food was a bit chilled, but there was a HUGE choice, I had the DUCK, but there was everything, from shrimps, steaks, chicken, and even veggie dishes available...



There was a sparrow in there, but hey, they eat off the floor, and if you get a flypast, just leave the plate and get some more, when you return to a table your water/beer etc, was refreshed and the old plates where removed... Now that's 5 star service in a buffet, what was the Al'a'carte going to be like? when the doors where left open (BY THE GUESTS) the birds would enter...! so rule of thumb, close the door behind you, it might be a 5 star complex, but there no reson to be LAZY or RUDE...



Room service is an optinal extra, BUT, they don't keep track of who does/doesn't have it, so simply call 420 and ask for whatever you want, it's usually delivered quickly and the staff don't hang around waiting for a tip... But if you tip them ONCE, your stay will be made MUCH more welcomming (i.e. the staff will try and remember your name, and what you eat/drink - saving valuable SUN time lol)



July is the LOW season...! RESULT..! less than 400 people staying in a 800+ COMPLEX, I say complex because unlike MOST resorts in the area, this one has BLOCKS of 5,7,9 ,12 or 15 rooms..!

Hmmm, long walks then? NOT AT ALL, the design of the resort means that everyone has everything close by, theres 3 pools (one was closed, but that end of the resport was like a ghost town, they only opened it during our 2nd weeks when a few more people turned up (UK school holidays had started :))



The 'booking required' resturants (that's a laugh too, you can just turn up and ask to be seated during the low season) of which there was 4, offered a small but 5 course menu (BUT, if you still hungry, you can ask for more of each or any of them). The service in each was 5 star, you where left to eat when you needed to, but your drinks where topped up by the staff (who always smiled) and after each course they asked if everything was to your liking, so anone saying the food was rubish, just had themselves to blame, simply saying it was a bit cold you would be asked if you wanted another..!



One of my reservations was the 'shirt, trouser and shoes rule', it's 32 with high humidity, and you need to dress for dinner..! well, this was a relaxed rule, some people went in shorts and sandals. It was fun to watch some couples, the woman dressed in evening wear, and the men in shorts and sandals (I however have more respect to the lady, so dressed to suit)



The main bar (Lobby bar) opened at 8am and closed at 1am...

The piano bar opend at 5pm and closed at 1am.

The nighclub (which has a bar) opened at around 9pm and closed at 3am (i never was around when they opened, so can't say for sure)



On our last night, as we had gotten to know Roberto in the Piano bar, we closed it at 2am with him...



The staff...

It's well worth CHATTING to them, even asking them about how they liked Cuba would aloow them to open up, doing this we got much better service... They are PEOPLE after all, and theres no need to be rude to them, how would you like it when your at work and a vistor came in and said something to you about your place of work, or during a meeting, they simply ignored you?



Remebering that your in a Spanish speaking country, the staff have learnt ALOT of English but might need a little help with some words. While we were there Maggie in the lobbie bar also spoke a little French and German, and the people she was learning from where the GUESTS...



So, why have I only given 8 outta 10?



Our air con.... It was an issue for the whole complex, but being on the top floor, we had to use cold showers to cool down, they did offer to move us, but, being British and liking the room we had, we stayed in it for 2 weeks without air con.. So the 2 points was basically our own fault, but, it did seem hit and miss with others we spoke too, so they need to get it sorted... But your in a country that's run by the Goverment, and if it was any other Goverment, it would be a living HELL...



Mossies, yer, one or two, have a total of about 12 bites, so less than 1 a night... The rooms have screens over the windows and patio door, so unless you sit out at night, your safe...



Staff 10/10

Food 9/10 (all inc, MEANS all you can eat)

Resort Activities 10/10 (all inc MEANS all inc, Even Skoba Diving...!)

Rooms 8/10 (air con)



I'm now saving to return next year :)

This is by far our best holiday...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Feb 2007

Tour Operator:

Club Class Concierge

Submitted By:

Mrs Fussy

Comments:

This is by far our best holiday through Club Class Concierge. The best hotel we have ever stayed in, even better than Vegas last year. Next year we are off to the Maldives

After reading all the negative...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Miss K Davis

Comments:

After reading all the negative reviews about this resort I was very apprehensive about staying here. Please do not wholly accept some of the negative reviews!



I and my partner have particularly high standards and have travelled to many international resorts. Due to the amount of negative reviews we were not expecting much other than nice weather and comfortable accommodation.



The customer service provided by the staff was exceptional. They provided constant welcoming attention without expecting tips. When tips were given they were greatly appreciated.



Whilst I can appreciate that some guests just want to be served by faceless waiters, if you took the time to speak to the staff you would find them unique and some of the most charming staff that you can encounter. Cuba is a relatively poor country and tourism is still developing. A five star in one country doesn't always meet the five star criteria elsewhere.

Everything was pleasantly surprising.



The room was very clean and well maintained by the daily visits from the hardworking maids.



The food was well cooked. The variety surprised me considering the negative comments. Remember the resort is in Cuba! Don't expect burger and chips. Be more adventurous. They had tried to cater for a wide variety of tastes. It was such a shame to see fellow UK tourists fighting over chips when freshly cooked Red Snapper lay wasted on the grills.



They tried with the entertainment and cabaret may not be to everyone’s taste, but twenty out of ten for the staff's enthusiasm.



The weather was fantastic. Even when it rained. As for mosquitoes, Cuba is in the Caribbean and they are expected. Take relevant precautions!



Although the Varadero region is manufactured for tourists just a short cheap taxi ride will show you real Cuban life and it is highly recommended that you leave the poolside for at least a day.



The only negativity I experienced was from inhibited UK tourists unwilling to make friends with staff or fellow guests. We spoke to many staff and made great friends who provided us with invaluable Cuban knowledge. (Without asking for tips!)



Please try resorts like this. It does what it says on the tin, but there are many opportunities to embrace all aspects of Cuba which is one of the most beautiful countries I have visited.

We were expecting a very...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Ms J Nice

Comments:

We were expecting a very relaxing, luxurious holiday (after all Sandals has an excellent reputation and we had chosen carefully). However, we were very disappointed with the standard of the hotel, it's a 5 star apparently, but we found it more like a 3 star.



The room was a good standard, decorated ok and was larger than average, although a little unclean.



The food options were dreadful, they boast of 5 international restaurants of which you have to book. The Fish Restaurant menu was very limited and the portions were very small, the beach restaurant (which was the beach cafe during lunch) was ok but you would get eaten alive by mosquitoes and the walk to the restaurant was via a dark and slippery path which many holidaymakers slipped on.



The Italian was probably the best out of the bunch maybe 3 out of 5, the buffet restaurant (which was fondly called 'The Canteen') was like a staff canteen you would find in a department store.



In general all of the restaurants served the same food only called something different or cooked slightly differently. We were served chicken from the grille that was undercooked, red, and bloody, fish that was not cooked through, how we did not receive food poisoning I don't know but many of the holidaymakers we spoke with all suffered with upset stomachs.



The availability of food between the restaurant opening times was poor to say the least, the beach bar served snacks of toasted sandwiches and chips. Apparently, you could get late night pizzas and burgers from somewhere (it changed location and nobody was informed) although we had to almost wake the 'chef' and ask nicely to be served! To be honest we did that once and the food was not worth going back a second time for. It's the first holiday I've been on that I actually lost weight!!



No Room Service which we thought was extremely poor for a 5 star.



The bars quite often closed early and even if you challenged the staff they were not bothered. The lounge staff were slow and indifferent to customer service. If you tipped then you would receive a certain amount of good service for the night but don't think they would remember you tomorrow! Tipping became a necessity to receive service and not always good service.



The availability of international brands depended on who served you, the draft beer was always warm, and bottled beer was only provided in your room if you upgraded, you couldn't even get it in the bars. In 2 weeks we came across 2 members of staff that provided service expected of a 5 star. The Reception staff were rude & unhelpful.



We had waiter service at the beach bar twice during our stay! The bottled water ran out by 11am at the beach bar. The hygiene of the Swim up bar was a lot to be desired and attracted many flies & mosquitoes.



The entertainment was shocking! After the 5th night we gave up even going along and that seemed the majority census.



We complained to the Thomas Cook rep, especially with regard to the undercooked food and although we received apologies from him and that he would take it up with the management, we received no feedback.



The last couple of days the service seemed to improve slightly, this we found out was that Hotel Inspectors were on site!! Says it all!



Many people during our two weeks complained about the food and the level of service.



We watched two couples getting married - all I would say is don't do it there. It wasn't special, you were not treated specially, and it was all over with no music, flowers within 10 minutes!



The good things - beach was clean, pure white sand and sea gorgeous and warm. Room was a good size. Cuba as a Country was as we were expecting but the Hotel completely let the holiday down.

Well don’t go to this Sandals...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs J EAGLESTONE

Comments:

Well don’t go to this Sandals resort if you are expecting luxury, this hotel is not 5* more like a 3*. We were very disappointed with this hotel. Having been to 3 other hotels in Cuba this came bottom of the list.



Hotel was half empty. Food was not very good and very little choice. The Italian restaurant was even worse, ordered a very well cooked steak and it came up so small and thick and nearly raw plonked on a bed of aunt bessies mash, couldn’t eat it. The only food we really had was pizza, burgers and chips that you could get from the snack bar at 11.30pm. Lovely when you think you would be eating a la carte.



The decor was really dark and dingy; the pool wasn’t bad but be careful of broken tiles and grating around pool. At the so called gym which was supposed to be well equipped had three exercise bikes and one running machine which was out of order the whole two weeks, when asked when it would be mended was told it hadn’t worked for a year, oh there was a few weights.



Well enough of my moaning, the weather and beach made up for it a bit, staff not bad but couldn’t really care less. My opinion don't go there you will be disappointed.

We stayed here at Sandals for 7...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

kennybest

Comments:

We stayed here at Sandals for 7 nights. Accommodation was excellent. Beach fantastic and pool areas all good. In general staff were cheery and helpful and although bars were often very busy, service was fast.



The one area we were very disappointed in was the food. There seemed to be a complete lack of fresh vegetables and salads mostly tinned or frozen were served at all mealtimes.



The a la carte restaurants had to be booked so we thought they would be better but in general not really food was often served cold. The Italian restaurant was so bad it was inedible so this was one area that scored very low.



Entertainment was not that enjoyable cheesy and not very professional. There was an excellent piano bar but sound system not the best and closed too early, could have done with some singers too.



Outside the hotels there is really not much to see or do, so makes it all the more important that the hotels are up to scratch, however overall enjoyed but would not rush back.

DO NOT BE FOOLED. This is not a...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2007

Tour Operator:

Virgin

Submitted By:

Mr D Vlok

Comments:

DO NOT BE FOOLED. This is not a 5 star resort. NO ROOM SERVICE, NO SERVICE, FOOD NOT THAT GREAT. (my wife even got food poisoning from one of the restaurants)



We have been to other Sandals resorts and were very happy. This one leaves a lot to be desired. Don't try relaxing by the pool - you have Cuban music blared at you at ear-bleeding decibels. I complained and was told - well go to the beach if you do not like the music. Like trying to relax in a 70's disco. The response to any requests from the staff was always 'NO'...we found the staff very unhelpful.



Mosquitos cannot be helped, but they are very unpleasant - and there are millions. The design of the hotel leaves you with great views of your neighbours balcony - close enough to have an intimate chat - NO PRIVACY. Strange that a beach resort does not have any rooms with a sea-view????



Advice - there are better,cheaper places to enjoy in this region.

I just want to point out some...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr K Smith

Comments:

I just want to point out some things. Basically this is definitely not a five star ultra all-inclusive hotel, for what you expect from Sandals, this does not live up to your expectations.



The Spa in the hotel was not working we where told it was struck by lightening and could not be fixed. The name of the hotel includes 'spa' in my opinion this should be taken off the title straight away.



There where birds flying around the buffet restaurant which was totally disgusting, eating from the food and landing on tables, not one member of staff even tried to get any of them out the restaurant.



When complaining about this the manager was totally rude and arrogant, just did not want to know.



Some of the staff could not speak a word of English and when ordering food just sort of guessed what you where asking for, it was like a surprise to yourself when the food came out, as you never knew if the waitress had put the order in right.



The Japanese restaurant was lovely and the Chinese was not too bad the French was nice, but the Italian was not so nice. Have not a clue why the restaurant is called an Italian never had so much as Spaghetti Bolognese on the menu.



Apparently room service did as one couple told us, which is another thing, supposedly a five star hotel there is no room service, only if you are in the Concierge Suites which is disappointing. Even though you pay a lot to go there no room service is really bad.



Not so sure if all Sandals hotels are like this, but I personally think this is very poor especially when there are only about 3 restaurants a night open, and they close at ten o’clock. If you want to eat after this you have to go down to the racket club, and eat the same food on the small menu and get eaten alive by the mosquitoes.



Also I do definitely advise to take plenty of Mosquito repellent as there are millions of them, which I know cannot be helped but just try and take precautions.



Everyone says oh well it is Cuba, but that really is not a great excuse because when you save up all year expecting, to go to a lovely Sandals five star hotel its not good enough.



Especially when the Manager does not want to know you unless you are a 'Concierge' guest - it’s just a Joke.



Everyone has there own opinion, if going to this hotel you might like it; I personally would definitely give it five stars.

My husband and I have just...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mrs J Garvey

Comments:

My husband and I have just returned from Cuba. What a wonderful place. The people are fantastic so polite and courteous.



Unfortunately our resort Sandals Hicacos was not the standard you would expect of a 5 star. We arrived to find that the main buffet restaurant area was under construction and this was to be a 4 month programme. The constant banging and grinding was horrendous, if you are looking for peace do not go here. There is also construction happening near the spa and tennis courts.



The beach bar grill is a restaurant to be avoided, the birds are in the salad bar helping themselves to the sweet corn and leave excrement all over the counter. Several of us were sick after eating here. The pool area was dirty from the dust from the construction.

Limited restaurant area means you need to book, so get in early or you eat very early or very late. Fish was the best.



The beaches are the best I have ever seen and the people are great. This resort will be OK but don’t go before October.

First time flying with Air...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

May 2006

Tour Operator:

Air Canada Vacations

Submitted By:

Martin

Comments:

First time flying with Air Canada and we were very happy with them. Previously traveled with Transat and Skyservice and the biggest difference was the amount of staff creating a quicker check-in process (especially important in Cuba – Transat check-in line was 10 times what ours was).



Arrival – Very efficient, we were all ushered into Nightclub and given the spiel regarding facilities while drinking some champagne and then given our toiletry package and allowed to go to our room if they were ready – most were available and it was around noon (3 hours before official check-in time).



Room – LOVE the bathroom!! As previously stated by others – hairdryer on wall, magnifying mirror, long full length mirror behind door, HUGE 2 person tub, great shower hot and plenty of water, also had robes for use while there. Other room features – nice sitting area, beds were fine for us, pillows were comfy and huge with 2 extras in the top of the closet. Bed was high enough that after you emptied your clothes into the 8 drawers provided you could put empty suitcases under it so as not to clutter your room. Lots of hangers – probably about 20, iron, board, room safe and umbrella also in closet. Patio was huge with 2 large chairs and a table, towel bars were outside for hanging wet suits to dry.



Beach – Magnificent! I am NOT an ocean kind of girl. I am scared of everything – even seaweed!! BUT, I LOVED it. I have been to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico twice and never thought I would find a nicer beach – I was so wrong! I became so brave in that water that before the week was over I even went on a snorkeling trip! That’s a HUGE step for me but the water is incredibly clean and clear. The sand was wonderful too, and the great thing about SRH is that you can walk out forever before it gets deep. Plenty of Palapas (we never arrived on the beach until 10/11 and always got one) and the guys will walk you down to one, pull out your chairs and drape your towel on them. We always tipped these guys and they loved it when we would bring them a beer, it’s so hot, they were so appreciative.



Pools – We saw the small pools but liked to spend our afternoon, after 3ish at the pool bar or at the pool. The waterfalls and greenery make everything so pretty. The water was perfect temperature, it was clean and the floating loungers are great! We hung out with friends at the pool a bit and our husbands never had a problem finding shade for them and sun for us. My favorite part of the pool – POOL BAR! My buddy, Rangel was a doll and is the best bartender there. I like sweet girly drinks and I tried out all the bars, he would “Surprise Me” and make the best drinks ever. My favorite is called “Sex Machine” and is his specialty and it is amazing. A lot of us were hooked once we tried them. So much so that they ran out of Blue Curacao while we were there – you have to remember to ask for this one.



Other Bars – Loved to hang out at the lobby bar, very comfy seats, great coffees and excellent service. The piano bar was smoky but the pianist is wonderful. The nightclub is dead but fast to get a drink due to the lack of people. Also, I was planning my trip concerned about nightlife as we are young and wanted to party a bit, although the nightclub is dead, the Mambo Club is next door – a 2 minute walk – if you get ambitious. We had great ambitions but days of beach, sun and drinking had us in bed by 11ish. There is a hall of pool tables, ping pong and table hockey for those that are interested.



Buffet – Loved the Omelets for breakfast. Lunch and dinner were o.k. but not exciting, it’s a buffet so I didn’t expect gourmet, just happy to have variety offered. Always a selection of beef/pork/chicken/fish as well as vegetable/pasta/potato/rice on the main table. Other tables included cold cuts, fruit, salad and soup, and dessert. LOVED the crepes after dinner in the buffet. Service was good for us every time



Restaurants – The Caribe was our favorite, the traditional Cuban soup is fabulous. All of the meals we ate at the A La Cartes were top notch as far as quality, selection and service. We loved the Pizza and the Beach Grill for lunches. The food and drink was so good, that I, a very picky eater, managed to gain 7 pounds while there! They were renovating the Italian restaurant while we were there but they offered the menu at the Caribe and it didn’t inconvenience us at all.



Adults/Couples Only – LOVED this! We love children, and have 3 of our own, but this experience was wonderful. We loved to hold hands and see everyone else holding hands or cuddling. The atmosphere is romantic and we had a fantastic vacation at SRH. We were there to celebrate our anniversary and they did the little things like send champagne to the room and put on satin sheets, that is what made it so special for us.



Tours – We took 2 tours, the Havana Day tour ($67CUC each) which was very educational, we had a great tour guide who used to be a Spanish literature professor who was open to answering all our questions and give us a new perspective on Cuban life. It was a very long day and we were glad we didn’t take the longer tours; our legs were killing us the next day. And we took the snorkeling tour ($20 CUC each) which was beautiful, we saw hundreds of fish and we were so glad we did that one, it’s only an hour.



Golf – Hubby broke 100 for the first time at the Varadero Beach Golf Club. He said it was long, open and had a stunning view of the beach as it runs along it and that the scenery was fabulous. It catches a nice breeze and he had a great time. He went with a guy he met on our plane and another he met at our resort, they were great guys and he had a blast!



We wanted a vacation where we could relax and enjoy in a casual atmosphere with fabulous service and we got just that. We had a fabulous time and met so many wonderful, fun new friends that helped make our trip even better. We loved Sandals Royal Hicacos and hope to return again!



Other notes: Bring your insulated mugs for certain as they are environmentally friendly and efficient. Also, everyone I spoke with said that toothpaste, soap, etc. are appreciated but not as needed as they used to be. They would prefer clothes (lightly used), shoes and sports magazines for the guys, toys are great for the kids and house linens were requested too.

Well, the centre was gorgeous...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

woodruffgray

Comments:

Well, the centre was gorgeous beyond belief. It was our honeymoon but unfortunately the centre as described in the brochure was not ala Carte and it was not all branded drinks as it displays in the brochure. To make up for this people are fantastic and the coastline is paradise.



8/10

The resort and hotel were...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2005

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs D M Hewitson

Comments:

The resort and hotel were absolutely fabulous and could not be faulted. However, Thomas Cook left a lot to be desired. The hotel was beautiful and situated right on Varadero beach. The staff were very friendly and helpful and made our stay very enjoyable.



We got married in the Hotel grounds and the entire day was planned perfectly by our wedding co-ordinator. Overall, an absolutely wonderful holiday, hotel and experience!

Considering Sandals advertise...

Overall Rating:

3/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2004

Tour Operator:

Virgin

Submitted By:

Mrs M.P. SMITH

Comments:

Considering Sandals advertise the ultra all inclusive adults only resort, You will all be pleased to know that staff children are allowed in this hotel in fact they live there !!



With the permission of Sandals, We complained to Sandals and they replied that " Holiday makers should not be bothered by the children as they are in school between 07.30 and 18.00, three cheers to the Cuban education authority seem to accept new borns to 18 years into schools? ( but we know better )


Avoid being disappointed at this hotel you can pay less and go elsewhere, and there are lots of perfectly good hotels in Cuba with less children.


We have travelled all over the Caribbean to all inclusive

Adult only resorts and never had reason to complain, dont be fooled by the brochure.

We chose Sandals Royal Hicacos...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2003

Tour Operator:

The Holiday Place

Submitted By:

Mrs S Evans

Comments:

We chose Sandals Royal Hicacos in Cuba as our Honeymoon destination. The resort is very nice, but it is not what we expected from a Sandals resort and was certainly not worth the price that we paid for it. We stayed for 2 weeks from 21st July 2003.



We booked through The Holiday Place (online) in the UK; we spent many weeks looking for offers for either an all-inclusive or a cruise for our honeymoon. We eventually chose a Sandals resort (this resort was the cheapest) as we thought it would be the most luxurious and pampering holiday from all those offered. From the advertising that Sandals gives on TV and in brochures, their resorts certainly look perfect for Honeymoon couples.



Our travel agent sent through our tickets in the wrong name (yes, we should have double-checked them, but like you don’t have enough to organise when you get married!) so we had 3 hours of intense stress at the airport finding a way for us to fly. Eventually we had to cough up £750 in cash to buy a new ticket (we got it back from the travel agent, but only after a lot of straight talking…)



We will talk about all the things we thought were great before mentioning the things that were not so great.



Good things



Food was fantastic mostly, with lots of choice. Favourite restaurant was the Italian with their great pizzas and king prawns at dinner. Seafood restaurant had immaculate service. Beach grill had great views of sunset at dinner and tasty lunches. Buffet was just wonderful, service very friendly and efficient and food amazing! We particularly liked the way you could choose your meat/fish and have it cooked right in front of you at the chef station. The desserts are very nice and beautifully done.



Rooms are large and clean. The bed is enormous so not exactly designed for cosy moments if you know what I mean! We found ourselves waking up every morning miles apart from each other.

Balcony is huge and a great place to sit during the day, the rail provided is a great addition for drying off your swimwear etc.

The bathroom is very spacious with a separate toilet room. We loved the huge bath, even if it did take absolutely ages to fill!



Piano bar was our favourite place to spend time in the evening. The pianists are not always brilliant, but they play with conviction and are very friendly. This bar is well air-conditioned so a welcome relief to the humidity.



We loved the floating loungers in the pool; they are foam with a raised section for your head. Everyone floats around on these for hours or mucks about with them, great fun! By the way, they also make a great umbrellas when the heavens open!



Pina Colada’s from the pool bar were delicious, they come from a machine rather than hand made, the hand made ones were not so good in all the other bars. Drink flows freely and the Champagne (although only cheap Spanish sekt) is very drinkable. The house wines, of which you have a small choice, are extremely nice and so there is no need to purchase the bottles they have for sale.

People have said that all the drinks are premium brands, but we didn’t find this to be the case. Coke and Sprite are their own local brand and the beer is Presidente. They are fine but would have preferred the brand names, especially in the beer.

Take insulated mugs with you, as the take-away plastic cups are very small. There were not many of us with insulated mugs but we got a lot of envious looks! The bar staff are happy to fill them.



Beach is lovely, turquoise clear water and silver-white sand. We have been to prettier beaches in the Caribbean as this one is straight and runs for miles, but it’s still lovely.



Watersports offered are very good. We spent quite a few hours on the paddleboats and took a catamaran ride. Free scuba diving for beginners is a good bonus.



Snorkellers should be happy. Lots of fish to look at, including sand coloured ones that swim in shoals right by the shoreline! If you don’t like fish then you won’t want to go into the water…

We saw 2 huge jellyfish right after we got back onto our paddleboat after swimming and a huge scary looking black fish (shark-like) only about 10 metres out from the beach - be careful out there!



Our maid was fantastic; she did a great job and left us notes and 'towel art' everyday. We chose to leave her tips.



Take a taxi to Varedero flea markets for your souvenirs and presents. Remember to bargain with the sellers! We bought lots of lovely wooden statues for great prices. A taxi from the resort cost us $7 there but they will charge you more to go back, about $12. Coco taxis are great and more fun, but they cost a little more. You can go jet skiing near the flea markets, not on the beach but on the other side where there is no sand. Ask your rep for details. We did 15 minutes for $15, not a bad price at all.



We enjoyed two tours that we took through our rep. The first was an overnight tour to Havana, we stayed in a four star hotel that was very nice and were had an escorted tour the first day and left to our own devices on the second. The lunch provided on the first day was really lovely in a local restaurant in the outskirts on Havana. We chose not to include the famous 'Tropicana' show in the evening, we went to a jazz club instead with another couple and had a fabulous time - we highly recommend that. Ask the tour guide to give you details of where to go, we went to ‘La Zorra Y El Cuervo’. The journey to and from Havana takes over 2 hours each way, if you did the day in Havana you would be exhausted to travel back that night, that is why we stayed overnight - we highly recommend it.



Swimming with dolphins was the best thing we did while we were there. It is a few minutes drive from the resort and a small minibus takes you - we paid $59 each to swim for 30 mins with them, this is about half the price you would pay to do this anywhere in the Caribbean. You swim in a group of about 10 and get to kiss them and they do some tricks with you. The dolphins seem very happy to interact with you and they are not forced to do anything. One of the two dolphins with us disappeared for about 10 minutes and it was no bother to the trainers. The water is not clear, it is in a salt-water lagoon - but you can still see then dolphins swim around you. Don’t be nervous about them, they are friendly and make you feel so at ease around them. The trainer recommends that you don’t wear a lifejacket, as the water is buoyant - don’t know why they say this, as you have to tread water for 30 minutes! Most people in our group found this very tiring, get a life jacket!

The pictures they take are worth the $10 you pay for them, but the video at $35 is not. If you can find someone to video it for you (you have to pay $10 I think for the pleasure) it would be much better. An absolutely wonderful experience that we will never forget.



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Bad Things



We flew with Air Jamaica from Heathrow to Havana. Service was not great, food was just about adequate and entertainment was terrible. Oh well, it’s only for 9 hours.

On arrival in Havana, we had a 2-hour wait in a queue to get through immigration, then we were shown to the Sandals transfer coach. We had to wait another hour or so for all Sandals customers to get through immigration and board the coach. At 11pm we set off for the resort, it takes approx. 2 and a half-hours to get there. At 1.30am, we arrived at the resort. We had read on this board that you are greeted with Champagne and a hot towel and shown by buggy to your rooms, this was not our experience. We were given our room card and a map and told to make our own way to our room and luggage would follow shortly, there were hot towels on the front desk but they were not offered to us, only the concierge guests. We sat in reception for about 10 mins while we sorted out some details with the staff, and we were eventually offered some Champagne.



We found our room and went to get a late night snack from the Italian restaurant; the toasted sandwiches were very welcome! Our bags had still not arrived an hour later and we called reception, they then turned up after 15 minutes.

Our room had a huge ice machine just outside the front door; this made a lot of noise and caused us to wake up during the night. There were no bathrobes in the room as expected (and advertised) and no welcome note or anything similar.

The next day we went to reception and asked to move rooms, which was possible as the resort was only half full. We checked to see if they knew we were Honeymooners, as we had specifically asked our travel agent to notify the resort - you get some upgrades if you are Honeymooners. They said they had not been notified of this and so because we were Honeymooners, offered us a stocked mini-bar (very useful addition, but for the price you pay everyone should have this), two T-shirts and a welcome bottle of Champagne. We also asked for bathrobes, which were delivered that afternoon.



We then went to make reservations for dinner for the next few days. As we were Honeymooners, we were invited to special romantic candlelit dinner especially for Honeymooners in the Caribbean restaurant that evening. When we arrived, we were quite shocked to find that everyone was on a table seating eight people! Not quite what we call romantic…We made the best of it and got chatting to a couple from Canada that were very nice - swapping wedding horror stories!

Our next evening dinner reservation didn’t exactly start well either, we arrived at the Italian restaurant to be told that they had no details of our reservation and that we would have to eat in the buffet restaurant. We were quite upset and after 5 minutes of checking, they revealed that they were only joking and of course, we had a reservation. Now this may be funny to some people but after everything else, this was not funny to us.



The design of the resort is very nice, the water moats that surround the resort are a great idea, but it’s a great shame that they have been designed badly. They have no drainage or filtration and so are full of muck and stagnant water. The moats closest to the main area are cleaned daily but many of the moats near accommodation are absolutely disgusting, they smell bad and are breeding ground for insects. Also the moats are painted a beige/yellow colour that makes the water look uninviting to start with - green/blue would have been a much better idea.





We found the raised seating area in the room quite redundant. The TV is on the other side of the bed so you cannot watch TV from here. There is no room service available for non-concierge guests; maybe you would use this area for eating if you have concierge service? On this subject, we must complain; we have been to four star resorts that offer room service at a supplement, why does Sandals not offer this? The resorts is set up for couples on romantic holidays, we would have loved to have had breakfast on our balcony or a quite dinner in our room on occasion, but there is absolutely no facility for this. Very bad in our view.

Concierge service costs about £44 per room per night extra, for this you get continental breakfast delivered to your room if you would like it, a stocked mini bar, someone to handle your dinner reservations for you, 15% discount on spa services, bathrobes to keep and an invitation to a concierge drinks party. We would definitely not recommend anyone paying to upgrade to this; it is not worth it in our book. Concierge rooms are the same as all the other, but have a view of other balconies instead of views of the road or the next door building site (great!) There are no sea-view rooms at all as there is greenery that is between the resort and the beach.



From internet travel forums we read reviews that said you could look at the night sky while you took a bath together - this is not possible at the resort anymore, as every room has bathroom shutters that do not work. The bathroom may as well be an inside room, as you cannot get any natural light in there. W called reception to ask if it could be fixed and the told us that every shutter in the resort is broken and can’t be fixed.



Public toilets are not kept in great condition. There are no locks on any of the doors and are often dirty with no paper. This is not what you expect from a 5 star resort.



The boat that takes you water-skiing and scuba diving leaks out loads of oil and petrol into the sea. This is terrible and Sandals really should do something about it. Water skiing is not great, as the boat does not go fast enough.



The Jacuzzi in the main pool did not work for the whole 2 weeks we were there. The whirlpool near the concierge block was often dirty and the air jets had been moved so it was not a 'whirlpool' anymore.



The resort was about half full when we were there, with maybe a few more people the second week. On 3 occasions, we could not get any towels as they had run out. We could not find any loungers by the pool or at the beach on a few occasions. This is big problem, what will people do when the resort is full?

There is no man-made shade by the pool, and very few trees that offer any shade for long. Why are there no sunshades with a small table for drinks?

The shades at the beach are large, but very closely spaced together - forget any privacy, you are basically lined up on the beach next top each other. There are not shelves or tables attached to the shades or loungers, so your drinks have to go on the sand, seems silly when they could have just made a small shelf for drinks.

There are no foot showers from the beach to the resort, that would have been a useful addition, most resorts we have been to have had this.



Service can occasionally be very bad. We were ignored for 15 minutes after being seated in the Caribbean restaurant and had to ask to get our candle lit and for a drink. We waited 1 hour for food after being ignored for 20 minutes in the beach grill; we left before the food arrived as we have far better things to be doing than wait 1 hour for a snack. We loved the Italian restaurant and the staff are very nice, but they do get orders wrong all the time! We had 2 meals there that were not what we had ordered from the menu and saw other couples having the same problem.



There is a photographer but we only saw them twice, they took our photo at the Honeymooners dinner and we saw them once at the beach at sunset. Every time we went to the beach at sunset to get a photo taken, they were not there. We had to ask a security guard instead. They should be out and about at dinner taking pictures of couples and also by the pool. Honeymooners want decent pictures of themselves together, we had to ask other people all the time to take a picture of us.



The resort is for adult couples only, but we saw quite a few children about and even in the restaurants. We think they were children of the staff.

We were amazed at how many couples seemed to not want to spend time with each other, but to join up with others and become a huge group of loud tourists. It is mostly the British that do this. The pool bar is full of them in the afternoon and it can be quite disruptive. We had to leave the piano bar one night as it was full of groups being loud and lairy - you couldn’t hear a note of what was being played.

The entertainment team seem to encourage this behaviour with party games etc. We didn’t expect this from the resort, we thought it would be classier than this.

The dance shows that were put on are not of the highest standard, but we were expecting that. The singers can be quite painful on the ear!



We were looking forward to getting dressed up for dinner and dancing together when the opportunity arose. Unfortunately this didn’t happen, there seems to be nowhere to dance except for the nightclub, which we didn’t visit properly. We stayed for 5 minutes and didn’t like it.

There is a dress code in every restaurant and public area but a lot of people ignore it. We saw lots of people in trainers and shorts at dinner and women in bikinis with no cover-up on at lunch. The staff should enforce the dress codes.

Many women go topless on the beach and by the pool, even sitting at the swim-up bar topless. We found that quite surprising.

We saw a few weddings taking place and we were not at all impressed. The gazebo that they use is very close to reception and rooms on the other side. You will be looking at dirty moats and other people’s balconies as you take your vows…

They decorate it nicely though and the cake looked very pretty.





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Basically, we were very disappointed in our trip. We had a nice holiday but we did not have the Honeymoon we dreamed of. We feel that Sandals have misled us, because they advertise one thing and deliver another.

There are no romantic, secluded spots for a couple to spend time in; the Jacuzzis that work are huge and not at all intimate. There is no opportunity to dance together; there is no room service. We did not feel at all pampered and the service was not always very good.

This is a nice all-inclusive resort with good food. It deserves 5 stars for the food and for the size and amenities in the room, and for the pool. However, for everything else, it is in our book a 4 star. We feel that their holidays here are over-priced already, and prices are due to go up.





We urge you to hesitate before booking here for your Honeymoon, we had an option to do a cruise for the same price and we wish that we had done that instead. We used to work on cruise ships and the standard is very high, much better than Sandals Royal Hicacos.



No doubt, many people will disagree with our comments about the resort. Most people we spoke to were having a great time and loved the resort. All we can say is that this was our personal experience and these are our feelings about it all.