Royal Hideaway Ensenachos in Cayo Ensenachos, CUBA April 28 - May 6, 2011
by Travelchick

My husband and I, in our 60's, have enjoyed travelling south for many years. We usually go away at least twice a year and find it is even more easily done now that we are both retired. :-) A smaller resort in the bungalow style is usually our preference. Cuba seems to draw us back, but we would like to venture to other places in the years to come.

We flew Club Class with Air Transat and were very pleased with the service. Hard-pressed to use up all the generous weight allowance for luggage, I still had trouble taking much more than 40 pounds per suitcase! However, having that "priority" sticker attached to our bags made for quick pick-ups at both airports. The drinks, meals, and service were very good and I would recommend flying C.C. to anyone. We arrived a little bit ahead of time in Santa Clara and, unbelieveably, were almost one hour early arriving back in Toronto. Now, that's service!

I should start off this review with two words: Low Season. We booked our holiday for after Easter, not really thinking about when High Season ended. We learned fast. Employees were saying goodbye to each other and guests since for many of them, Saturday was their last day at work until next winter. Services and staff were noticeably cut back on Monday. However, it didn't impact us too negatively. Fortunately, we had lunch at the Hideaway Pool snack bar on Sunday. It was very good but after that, we found the Spa Pool snack bar just didn't seem up to an equal comparison. I joked that they let the wrong chef "go." The ala cartes were open on staggered evenings; the buffet was the only restaurant open at all one night. If you hadn't booked your dinners through your concierge, you might not have found a place to dine on a particular evening! The turn-down service at night we only received one evening; a room service snack took over an hour to arrive one night. Only two bell-boys were working during the day and one had to suffice for the evening hours. These were minor inconveniences from Low Season that did not dampen our enthusiasm for the resort.

Room: We were in Bungalow 42, in upstairs room #4221. It was a prime location right next to the boardwalk to Megano Beach. The room was one of the smaller ones but was more than adequate. There was both a king-size bed and a chaise lounge. A night table with lamp and two drawers flanked one side of the bed and a glass table with phone and lamp, the other side. A huge armoire housed the flat-screen t.v., bar fridge, and ice bucket with glasses. (The bar was stocked each day with replacement of whatever had been taken out the previous day. Water was never a problem in being stocked. My dh received his Cristal.) Beneath these were four drawers. There was also a table in one corner with two padded chairs. A tall mirror and luggage rack were just inside the bedroom. Across from the bathroom was a large closet with too few hangers, two duvets, two beach towels and a free safety-deposit box. Two drawers in working condition were under this. The bathroom was a nice size with the toilet being in a room by itself. A large glass shower stall gave us all the hot water we needed. The tub was pretty but was left unused. There were two sinks along with a wall hair-dryer and magnifying glass. The lighting in the bathroom was poor. Towels were changed any day one desired. The air-conditioning worked well but would stop when the sliding glass door to the balcony was open. We rarely sat on the balcony but it was very private and had two comfortable padded wrought-iron chairs and a glass table. One neat thing about the room was that there was a small 'ante' room just inside the front door. A ledge was on the wall and we used it to deposit our keys there upon entering. The concierge also used it to put our dinner reservations on it the day before our dinner out. In addition, we kept our shoes/sandals and one suitcase in this little room, which gave us more space in the bedroom. There were double louvred doors that could be shut closing off this foyer from the rest of the room.

Restaurants: Our favourite ala carte was the Seafood one. It is located a bit of a walk from the main part of the resort and many people took golf carts there and/or back to their room or lobby. If you are lucky enough, you can see the sunset as you dine. We enjoyed two fabulous meals there (2 lobster tails one night; surf and turf the other) in a lovely room with a view both nights of the sunset. In lieu of the seafood soup, the chef created a lobster salad that was lovely. The Asian ala carte was a disappointment for us. We wanted to sit at the hibachi table but you had to have a 6:30 or 8:30 p.m. dinner reservation for it. (No one told us this.) My sushi was okay but the vegetarian rice dish was so blah I had to order room service that night. My husband didn't enjoy his dinner either. On the other hand, we had a delicious dinner in elegant surroundings at the Italian ala carte. The young man who was the host was well suited to his job! The pumpkin soup and steak were done to perfection. We had quite a chuckle over the tiny mashed potatoes, though. I called it a "dollop of potatoes." :-) Dessert was special at both the Seafood and Italian. The buffet was typical of a resort. A fabulous aspect of the Hideaway is that Mimosas are available every morning as is smoked salmon! These are two treats for us while on holiday. The food declined in quality and quantity when Low Season hit and this was most noticeable in the buffet. It was a bit depressing seeing the previous offerings disappear from Sunday onwards. Service was slow, which we have come to expect in Latin America. However, there were many pleasant and friendly waiters who made dining enjoyable.

Beach: We have seen many beautiful beaches, but Megano Beach is one of the best! It is clean, with no debris or seaweed washed up on shore. Our walks to the end of the beach (to a red flag) were a "must" each morning before 9:30 a.m. What a great way to start the day! And as it was low season, there were so many empty palapas that there were no towel wars at all. The sun loungers are those blue cloth ones which are quite comfortable. The water is shallow for quite a way out and has gorgeous shades of green. We took the catamaran ride three times with a staff member. What a delight as we came within a foot of a coral island while gliding silently by. The water was rarely rough but the wind seemed to blow steadily. When the tide was out one day, we walked to the sunken barge. It was great to see many fish and starfish there. It took us about an hour for the whole excursion. There is a small bar and a snack bar midway along the beach, with restrooms. A waitress will come take your drink (and/or snack) order but the service is so slow you might as well get your own.

Bars: I really should say "bar" since the only one of note was the lobby bar. And boy, it was often dead! Talk about low season. It is a lovely room with a piano, which was played valiantly by two young women. It seriously needs to be tuned but the women did the best they could with what they had to work with. The capuchinos (sp?) we had in the mornings were good and we actually had the real Baileys after dinner on two nights! The Cuban version of it just doesn't cut it. :-) The bartenders, for the most part, were talkative and friendly and guests who did not seem to tip received decent service anyway.

Miscellaneous: I have made only a cursory summary of our trip. There is so much I could include but I can't write forever. We did enjoy our stay but won't return, mostly because it is too large a resort for us. We had heard so many positive things about the RHE, we had to experience for ourselves! We are glad we did, but have to look further for a resort we can call "our own". I hope that Iberostar will bring the RHE back to its original elegance which has been left to fade. It is sad to know that this was once a glorious resort worthy of a true 5* rating. Now it has slipped to 4.5 or even a 4 star.

If you have any questions that I haven't addressed, please feel free to contact me here at 7Days!

We spent a glorious week (January 7th to the 14th) stay at the Occidental Royal Hideaway Ensenachos Resort. We were extremely pleased with the: resort, food, drink, service etc.

The Service
The hotel was at 1/2 capacity (49.3% - 487 guests) while we were there and the service was incredible, grounds were clean and manicured, dishes removed from table (sometimes before you were finished), short lines at the bars, check-in and out were painless. The service was very good and always done with a smile. Tipping did not seem to effect service as some times I would have money in my pocket and other times not.

Food
Food is an individual and subjective thing but as for myself, I found the food superior to any of the dozen Caribbean resorts we have visited. After eating at all four a-la-carte restaurants we found the Italian to be our preferred restaurant. The buffet food is also very good but lack the presentation and having it served to you. The snack bar at the pool was like none we had ever seen before, linen tablecloths, metal cutlery, china plates and a menu which included items such as: calamari, lasagna, Caesar salad, chicken strips along with pizza and hotdogs. Dress code is adhered to at the a-la-cart and buffet restaurants, gentlemen bring along long pants.

Mosquitoes & Bugs
During the seven day stay we noticed very few mosquitoes 6 or 7. It might be wise to ensure your shots are up to-date. The rooms were completely free of bugs. The warm weather brought out a large number of houseflies that were just bothersome. One gentleman we spoke to had gotten bitten on the beach by what he thinks were sand fleas. He said it was terribly itchy but after taking an antihistamine he was fine after about an hour.

Handicap Access
The resort is very accessible for those who are physically challenged. There are ramps in most places and an elevator in the main building.

Pools
The pools were gorgeous and kept very clean. They were very quiet, calm and relaxing except when the “Animation Team” arrived around 3:30-4:00PM and played loud music.

Beach
The beaches, both Megano and Ensenachos, are as beautiful as described by others. The east end of Ensenachos beach is an “International Beach” where true naturalists were reported seen strolling the beach. On both beaches numerous jelly fish can be seen but I did not hear of anyone being strung by one.

Clientele
The guests there were predominantly Canadian with perhaps 10% to 15% European. I was told that the reason for the small percentage of Europeans is that the Abel Santamaria airport is not long enough for the larger planes and they have to land in Havana and transfer over to Santa Clara. The average age of clientele was grey to balding.

Nightly Entertainment
The theatre/auditorium was very well equipped with lighting, sound, effects (smoke) etc. The seating is very comfortable. The Cuban show (song & dance) was very professional and entertaining. I heard others talk about orchestras, 2 different ones on 2 separate evenings, which were also very good.

Excursions
Catamaran: Two snorkeling opportunities, lobster lunch and open bar on the boat.
Dolphins/ Cienfuegos: Swim with the dolphins at the Cienfuegos delfinarium followed by a show.
Santa Clara: A guided tour through the city and its central plaza. Stop at the Che Guevara museum and memorial center. Also tour Remedios.
Cuban Night: A night in Caibarien including lobster dinner. Then, visit Remedios.
Jeep Safari: Driving your own jeep through thru Cuban countryside and go horseback riding.
Trinidad: A guided tour through Trinidad
Forest Adventure: Hike through the National Park of "Guanayara".
Sunset Cruise: Lobster diner on board a catamaran while the sun sets.
Aqua Bikes: Ride your own sea-doos/jet-ski.
Deep Sea Fishing: Charter your own fishing boat.
2 days in Havana: Discover the Cuban Capital. Visit the fortress --El Morro--, the Capitol and Old Havana.

Beach Vendors
There are no beach vendors that you find at most Caribbean resorts.

Cleanliness of Resort
I have to agree with so many before, it was spotless. Rooms were cleaned and mopped each day.

Lounges & Umbrellas – Lounges & Beach Huts
There was never any problem finding a lounge at the pool or a place on the beach under or near a palapa (thatched-roof umbrella). Keep in mind they were at 50% capacity and I could foresee problems when it is full-up.

Liquor Drinks
The drinks are very good and very plentiful. As a result of another Trip Advisor review I tried a chocolate martini (on numerous occasions) and they are well worth a try. Another of my favorites was the “Blue Hawaiian”. The Crystal cerveza always went down well. Practice the phrase “Dos cerveza por favor! (translation two beers please). Of note is that they have a wide selection of international liquors (e.g. Gordon’s Gin, Beefeater Gin, Canadian Club etc.) at no extra charge. Note: Limit your intake of Pina Cholladas or as my wife coined them Pina-poop-a-lottas … they are a natural laxative.

The Rooms
Many before me have described the rooms and I can only agree they are spacious, well equipped and very comfortable. As for thin walls, I did hear complaints about the noise, we however had no problems, we had room 3625 where there was a storage area on the left and on the right our bathroom and the bathroom of the adjoining room buffered any noise.

Exercise Room
From the outside :) it looked very modern, spacious and clean.

Diabetics
Should you be diabetic, you can always find sweetener in the buffet and you can ask your concierge to arrange for sugar-free soft drinks in your bar fridge.

General Layout
The resort is big, very big … so be prepared to walk a lot. It was explained that the reason they designed it with all the space intentionally to give the clients the feeling of relaxation away from the crowds.

The Cons
I had to search long and hard to find the down side. The thing that irritated me most was the “Animation Team” that arrived at the “Hideaway Pool” around 3:30 PM each day and blared loud music in order to try to interest the guests in taking Salsa lessons. I can only assume that it was for Salsa lessons as they never announced what they were there for but one guy would dance by himself and bounce a volley ball for an hour and then pack-up and leave. A nice way to ruin a quiet day at the pool.

Things You Might Consider Bringing
Large thermal mugs: cups and glasses are small and the mugs can be used for coffee in the morning, beer in the afternoon and drinks in the evening. My Tim Horton’s mug holds three of their cups and the bartenders think nothing of filling it with beer or Banana Mammas. Cord for a clothes line: In the humidity you are always looking for somewhere to hang clothes to dry, a “Dollar Store” ¼ cotton line comes in handy

Summary
I was more than pleased with the accommodations at the Royal Hideaway Ensenachos. I certainly think it is one of the better resorts and ranks right up there with most in the better Caribbean resorts. Would I stay there again? I would not have any concerns about staying there but if history holds true, this is our twelfth all-inclusive in the Caribbean and each time we have stayed at different resorts just for change sake. I would however recommend this resort to any one that is considering a trip south, it was one of the better resorts that we have stayed at and we only stay at 4+ star resorts.

If you are looking for info regarding excursions, room service menu etc. visit: http://ca.geocities.com/mytravels@rogers.com/Ensenachos

To view pictures of our trip visit: http://community.webshots.com/album/562189420XhaOJt

WE flew Air Transat at 6.30am and arrived early 9.30am. The airport is a bit of a Zoo but we got throug and arrived at RHE after a 1 1/2 hour bus ride at noon.

Arrival
We were greeted in the hotel lobby with drinks then led into the office and received our room keys. We took the buggy to our room where we were met by our concierge Maikel. He explained everything about the room,the safe, air condition,etc. he said he would take care of all our needs and would make reservations at the a la carte restaurants.What we did is let him make the reservations at his decision and put the reservation slip in our room everyday, we were not disappointed.

Room
The room was great, a king size bed,walk in closet,bathroom with a shower and a seperate bathtub.Terrycloth bath robes,all kinds of towels.If you have not visited Cuba they do not supply face cloths,we brought our own.TV with 27 channels and a balcony whereyou can see the ocean. We requested room 4125 and were happy to get it. It was a beautiful room.

Beach
It was one of the nicest beaches I have been in Cuba, white fine sand,plenty of chaises and palapalas,not to windy the beach is coved shaped and is protected on both sides

Service
The service was spectacular.My wife said it was so good that she was overwhelmed with it.My view was that at times on our trips that service was at times indifferent so lets be pampered.

Food
We are not picky eaters , there is something here for everbody.We ate in the buffet for breakfast and the snack bar at the pool for most lunches.We ate at buffet for dinner twice and were lucky enough to have lobster both nights, some people ate all there dinners at the buffet.

Asian
We ordered from the Sushi and the Thai menus and they were both excellent, my favorite was sole curry style, the Thai soup was terrific.

Italian
We ate at the Italian twice, both my wife and myself thought the filet mignon with gorgonzola cheese was the best meal of the trip.

Seafood
We read a lot of negative comments about this restaurant and were interested to see how it would turn out.Some other guests told us when ordering the lobster and chicken dish was to ask for the lobster not to be served with the tomatoe sauce and to ask for it with garlic, that was the answer it was delicious.Overall this was our least favorite but it seems that they have improved it a lot over the last month.

Entertainment
There was something on in the lobby and auditorium every night.We liked the concert band they brought in and the Cuban band was terrific. The show they put on one night in the Auditorium was bit lame but I am really not in to the Vegas type revues.

Guests
There was about 250 to 300 guests made up of about 60% from Montreal and the rest from Ontario.I found most of both groups very friendly.It is defintely not a party resort but a place to rest and relax

Excursions
There are a number of excursions offered we took the Santa Clara excursio, leaving at 8am and getting back at 6.30pm.I thought it was great offering a train ride into Remidios,touring a church there from the 1500`s , shopping at a crafts store. We then went to a cigar factory, lunch and on to Santa Clara which I loved.All of the people on this tour were impressed with our guide Juan Carlos.

Mosquitos
It seems we were at the end of the Cuban rainy season June to November so we had no mosquitos, however they were some noseeum which seem to like the ladies. I think men are to stupid to be bitten. The noseeums were not bad though as it was quite breezy while we were there.

Return
You must check out by noon, but if you are swimming in the afternoon reserve at the front desk a hospitality room to shower.They gave us one at a close bungalow.

Overall view
I would highly recommend this resort, it has been open for just a year but seems to be improving every week.I can see prices in this resort moving up sharply beacuse it is a beautiful hotel with top notch service.If you see a good price grab it.

People
The best to the last,as always a holiday is made by the people. The Cuban people here were even friendlier than PRDO , which in my view is hard to match. They treated us as if we were the only people there, they could not enough for us.