Royalton ResortsReviews of royaltonresorts.com

Beware of all-inclusive deals offered by the Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort & Casino. There are long food lines at the only restaurant on the property included in the package. Other restaurants are available only to Diamond upgrades. Food runs out, and some "chefs" at the live cooking stations have never cooked before. Bar tenders are curt unless tipped generously. The Diamond upgrade includes a butler with a very, very limited role in day-to-day needs. Room service orders are forgotten unless you call and follow up. They also do not honor late checkouts, which is advertised as a Diamond upgrade feature. Ocean views are either very partial or nonexistent. If your return flight is cancelled or delayed, the "Nexus" tour folks don't care and won't change the pickup time. But they will list you as a no-show if you didn't take the airport bus at the original time, even if you give them advance notice. They say that same-day changes are not allowed. That is their policy. In what world do flights not get cancelled or delayed without warning? Also, they do not honor the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, even though they are listed as a Marriott property.

We booked a 7-night luxury all-inclusive vacation to Royalton Saint Lucia through JetBlue Vacations, paying over $5,100 for a Diamond Club package. During our stay, the resort experienced a multi-day air-conditioning failure that made our room uninhabitable for sleeping in a tropical climate. This issue was acknowledged by both the hotel and JetBlue Vacations. Where JetBlue Vacations fell short was accountability and resolution. Although JetBlue contacted the hotel, they deferred responsibility entirely when the hotel declined compensation. JetBlue Vacations then issued a $400 future-use credit, rather than compensation tied to the trip we already paid for. As the seller and payer of the vacation package, JetBlue Vacations should stand behind the product it sells. A future credit does not reasonably compensate for loss of use, lost sleep, and essential amenities not provided during this trip. JetBlue Vacations may be convenient for booking, but travelers should be aware that when serious problems occur, resolution may be limited and responsibility shifted back to the hotel — even when JetBlue sold and collected payment for the package.

I'd like to point out that our successful stay at this hotel was made possible by Luis, the lobby staff member. He helped us with literally everything; he was very discreet and professional. The room we were assigned was conveniently located for getting around. Overall, all the hotel staff were very friendly and professional. I also want to say a special thanks to the hotel staff for ensuring we didn't encounter a single mosquito. Believe me, it's incredibly rewarding to not be bitten even once during your entire vacation, especially the kids :).

We just got back from Royalton chic, Dominican Republic. I’ve stayed in a lot of all inclusive hotels, all 5 star and worth it but this was rated a 5 star, which from experience certainly wasnt! The place is nice but needs revamping, the food is awful and I suffered from food poisoning the whole week. That’s the buffet, and the restaurants. Very poor. The cleaners did a great job cleaning the rooms and staff are friendly, but overall 2/5. Disappointing.

We booked Royalton Antigua through British Airways Holidays for our 2nd trip abroad with our 10-week-old daughter. Having both travelled extensively across the Caribbean—and visited Antigua previously—we chose this resort because we trusted the Autograph Collection brand. Unfortunately, the reality fell well short of expectations. What the Resort Gets Right To be fair, there are positives. The bracelet room keys were a clever and convenient touch, sparing us the hassle of misplacing key cards—though guests should note the steep US$150 PER DAY fee if it gets lost. Most frontline service staff were warm and friendly, even if it was often difficult to get anyone’s attention. We also genuinely enjoyed the coffee shop: bright, airy, and overlooking the lagoon, with great staff and a good selection of coffees, pastries, paninis, and gelato. The three à la carte restaurants were decent, and once the booking system settled after the first couple of days, it was possible to reserve tables with some advance planning. The Caribbean restaurant became our favourite, though on our second visit we were unexpectedly told there was “no room” for our stroller—forcing us to place our 10-week-old on a pillow beside us. Not exactly what we’d expect from a family-friendly resort. Where the Resort Fails—Consistently The buffet was a major disappointment: limited variety, mediocre quality, and poorly cooked dishes. We’re realistic about Caribbean resort buffets, but this was by far the weakest we’ve experienced. Basic supplies ran out repeatedly, even during our first few days—water, orange juice, butter, yoghurt, straws, even certain main dishes. Rather than showing urgency or accountability, the hotel’s attitude towards these shortages was indifferent at best. Other practical issues compounded the frustration. The onsite ATM was broken; a cash advance was available, but with an inexplicable 10% fee. One of the two lifts in our accommodation block was out of service, leaving a single, small lift to serve nine floors. With a pushchair, using the stairs wasn’t an option. We even learned to ride the lift upward first just to have space to come down. Our polite request for a ground-floor room was simply ignored. A Widespread Problem, Not an Isolated Experience Throughout our stay, we met an entire community of guests dealing with the very same issues—some even more severe. Many told us they felt ignored, dismissed, or outright insulted by senior management when they tried to raise concerns. Hearing these stories made it painfully clear that our experience was not an unfortunate one-off, but part of a broader pattern of neglect and poor leadership at the resort. Customer Service—Where Things Went From Disappointing to Unacceptable By day two, we contacted British Airways Holidays to see if we could relocate. By day three, we involved hotel Guest Services directly. This is when our experience deteriorated sharply. The interactions with the Guest Experience Manager were particularly troubling. Rather than helping to resolve issues, the tone was dismissive, defensive, and at times openly rude. Conversations were contradicted or later denied entirely, creating an atmosphere that felt more adversarial than service-oriented. It was surreal, unprofessional, and far below the standard guests should be able to expect from an Autograph Collection property. Despite our repeated attempts to find a solution, neither BA Holidays nor the hotel seemed able—or willing—to intervene meaningfully. Instead, we were offered 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement. We declined. Final Thoughts The frontline staff do their best, but the resort is plainly mismanaged. The guest services department—particularly under the leadership of the Guest Experience Manager—requires urgent and comprehensive customer service training. Meeting so many guests experiencing the same issues only reinforced that these failures are systemic, not isolated. There is potential at Royalton Antigua. But until the leadership addresses the deep-rooted operational and service shortcomings, guests—especially families—should approach with caution.

Royalton Hotel St Lucia. Right deserves its reputation as the worst hotel in St Lucia. Location great but hotel standards very poor. Staff don’t give a damn (must be paid peanuts). But worst of all …. The noisey entertainment. So loud every night, bong, bong drums, awful singers. Clearly failing to entertain so their answer is “turn up the volume.” Can’t escape the noise. DONT GO!

My experience at Royalton Saint Lucia compels me to warn future guests. This resort markets itself as five star, yet fails to meet even basic expectations—let alone luxury standards. 🛎️ Communication and Service Failures - It took three weeks to get a reply to my emails before arrival—unacceptable for any hotel. - When my queries were finally addressed, they were handled by one staff member. Once off duty, the matter was dropped. - My in-laws waited two hours at check-in with no apology. - I requested a late checkout on departure and was told I’d get a call back. Over an hour later, still nothing. Perhaps the message needs to be sent to the moon and back. 🧼 Room and Facility Issues - Our room was cleaned twice in seven days. The minibar was restocked twice, though it should be daily. Toilet paper was inconsistently replenished, and shower gel was missing from day one. - Air conditioning was poor—not just in our room but across common areas. The heat was relentless. - The resort promotes its app for reservations and service requests. It’s unreliable. A beach staff member (Eric) admitted it “doesn’t work most of the time.” - Requests for shower gel and AC maintenance were marked “resolved” but never addressed. A chat via the app promised a reply in 15 minutes—it took two days. - No iron or ironing board in the room—basic amenities you’d expect even in a roadside motel. 🤷 Staff Attitude and Hospitality - With very few exceptions, staff were rude, dismissive, and condescending. This was unanimously felt across our party of nine guests in four rooms. - No one helped with luggage on arrival. - Asking for tea or coffee felt like asking for gold. - Plates were removed while guests were still eating. - One staff member even “steupsed”—a gesture of contempt that speaks volumes. - When I raised issues at checkout, I was met with a flat “okay.” - While waiting endlessly at the poolside bar, another guest approached me and shared that his group had experienced the same problems. This is not isolated—it’s systemic. ⚠️ Physical Condition and Safety - The resort is rundown: marked walls, dirty windows, cracked tiles, broken elevators. - I tripped on a raised tile and injured my foot. I have photo evidence of both the hazard and the injury. My foot remains sore, and I will be seeking compensation. No staff member asked if I was okay. - Several in our group became ill after eating fish at the buffet. - We encountered cockroaches, stale bread, and pastries that seemed days old. - Broken glass and trip hazards were visible in the foyer. 🍽️ Dining Experience - The dinner policy is baffling. Guests cannot be seated or order until the entire party is present. What policy is that? I’ve dined at Michelin starred restaurants and never seen such nonsense. It’s as if the resort is trying to mimic five star rules but applying them in all the wrong places. - We were told to remove hats at the buffet, yet other guests wore theirs freely. - Our party was turned away from restaurants for not wearing long trousers, while a man in board shorts was allowed in. The double standards are glaring. - The food is appalling. I ordered udon noodles at Zen and was served spaghetti. I have photographic proof of this culinary insult. 🚫 False Advertising - The hotel’s five star rating is self-awarded. It is not certified by any recognised body like AAA or Forbes. Based on our experience, this is a three star property at best—and that’s generous. 📝 Final Thoughts Do not come here expecting luxury. What’s most disheartening is knowing this review may be buried and ignored. I’ve escalated my concerns to Blue Diamond Resorts, but expect nothing more than a generic reply expressing “concern” and promising to “address” the issues. I raised a complaint while still on site, and not once was I offered any form of appeasement when speaking directly to staff. I will be compiling a portfolio of evidence—photos, videos, and testimonials—and sharing it publicly via social media and directly with Blue Diamond Resorts.

Have just got back from a 2 week holiday at splash, punta Cana, unfortunately very disappointed, the holiday was booked at the beginning of the year, but decided to upgrade to diamond club, just a few weeks before the holiday, we was in block 29, absolutely grim, mould on the walls, leaking air con, bed bugs. Buffet restaurant was dirty, staff unhelpful. We decided to use next doors buffet, which was much nicer as were staff. Hard to book into restaurants, closed more than open. Butler met us first day, after that showed no interest, until last day. Room cleaners were very good, but would be random what was topped up in the fridge. 5 out of the 7 of us, went down with a sickness bug, apparently people have been having this for several months at both hotels. I went to Senegal last year for a lot cheaper, and the standards were much better.