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Sandals Royal Hicacos 09/03/2003
Reviewers Rating:  Excellent
Stayed at the Sandals Royal Hicacos from August 17-24.
Overall the trip was extremely enjoyable! Getting through customs at the airport required a fair amount of patience, as it took much longer than it should have. Once through, we grabbed our bags and headed straight for the Sandals Rep. He was very pleasant and showed us to the small bus that would shuttle us and 4 other couples directly to the resort. Upon arrival, we were met by a Sandals employee who provided our room information and some details about the resort. While he was talking, we were offered champagne and cool towel. He then escorted us to our rooms, and our luggage soon followed.
I was a little disappointed initially, as I had requested a third floor room with a nice view and to be upgraded from a Gardenview room to Premium (includes alcohol and pop in the fridge); however, we had been given a first floor room with no real view and had not been upgraded. I went back to the front desk and gave them an e-mail from the Sandals Rep who had asked for the room upgrade on our behalf. Those working at the front desk were very accommodating, and upon reading the e-mail, said someone would be around to the room shortly to stock the fridge. A few hours later, we were fully loaded! I decided not to bother pushing for the third floor room, as our location seemed just fine.
The room itself was nice and large, with a separate seating area, sunken sleeping area and a nice balcony. The bathroom had a huge tub (too bad it wasnít a whirlpool tub) and separate toilet. The room could have used another coat of paint, as there was some writing on the walls that seemed to have seeped through the paint. Everything in the room worked well.
Once we were settled in, we decided to walk around and familiarize ourselves with the surroundings. The resort is almost underwhelming at first. It doesnít have the ìWOWî factor that many larger resorts have. That said, as the week progressed we became increasingly impressed with just how nice it really is. By the end of the week, we hated the thought of leaving.
We tried all four a la carte restaurants and, of course, the buffet (Hicacos). The beach grill (El Viejo y el Mar) at sunset is a must as is the seafood restaurant (Las Morlas); excellent service. The Caribbean restaurant (El Caribe, which did not require reservations) was our favourite; excellent live music in a very nice, quiet environment; not to mention the good food. The Italian restaurant (Don Pasquale) was pretty good as well. Overall, while the food may have been a little bland at times, the quality and selection were excellent.
The pool and swim up bar were great, but we spent the majority of our time on the beach, which was amazing! I would have liked some palm trees mixed in with the palapas (which were arranged in straight lines parallel to the water) to make it feel more tropical and to add more privacy, but the sand was soft, and the water was calm and warm. There were no rocky spots or seaweed to be seen anywhere on the beach or in the water! It was so easy to waste hours just floating in the calm surf!
The entertainment was okay, but we were more impressed with the house band that played during and after the nightly shows. The piano bar (Las Nubes) was very nice, but we preferred to be outside in the large open air bar (El Mirador). We didnít bother with the night club.
Service was first-rate. From the wait staff, to the maid, to front desk/reception, the service was efficient and friendly.
Overall, Sandals Royal Hicacos unquestionably deserves its 5 star rating. I certainly would not hesitate to recommend it!
Michael
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