August 2009 Royal Hideaway Review
Finally our Summer Review 2009. I have to apologize, it has taken me a while but life happened in between. I could not figure out how to do the Vacation and the Renewal review together, so I am going to do them one at a time.
If I had to choose one word to describe this week I would have to say 'Magical'. I really don't think that even if the staff at RHE tried really hard that they could replicate or out do the exceptional service and treatment we received on our vacation. I want to thank everyone there for a truly Unforgettable Holiday again.
We went the first week of August and before we were even airborne out of Toronto we met some RHE Alumni, Deb and Gord, it was their fifth trip there, and what a lovely couple they are. They go to RHE twice a year, for New Year's Eve, which they say is spectacular, and in the summer when everything is so leisurely. In the summer there is no getting up early because the sun is not going anywhere, there is no rush for the beach because it is not busy and you don't have to stake out your favorite real estate (Palapa). Now that we have experienced the Hideaway in the summer we may have to accompany them there on their annual summer exodus. The resort is beautiful in the winter but you should see the array of vibrantly colored foliage in the summer.
We arrived late at night and were welcomed back by Lisardo. He is such a great guy, he is always extremely polite and very charming, I am so glad that we were able to meet him and have gotten to know him. Before our arrival he had tried so hard to convey to me, when discussing our upcoming visit, how hot it was in Cuba and I could never have imagined it until I felt it. I had the last laugh though on my friends who did not want to go because it would be "Hot in Toronto" at that time of year, well it wasn't and while they were home not enjoying a cold summer , we were soaking up the tropical heat in Cuba. :-)
This was our first stay in the Royal Spa section. I had never really wanted to be so close to the main building but the logistics of everything over there is fantastic. We stayed in Bungalow 21 so when leaving the room, straight ahead is the Spa, to the right the main building and to the left the swimming pool with its inviting water. We were in unit 2109, which is a Duplex suite. It was beautiful and the air conditioning was a cool welcome. Everything was meticulously clean. The layout is exceptionally spacious in this unit. Thoughtfully there was a basket and plates of fruits and sandwiches to greet us on arrival. The first level of the suite has a rather spacious two-piece guest bathroom, a patio, dining room and living area for evening drinks before dinner. There is also a door that is locked in case you are traveling with family, they could be in the adjoining suite and you could share the Living Area. There is a mahogany staircase to the well appointed bedroom upstairs. The full marble bathroom has a separate shower and bathtub. Upstairs there is also a terrace/patio balcony which is so peaceful in the early morning when you sit outside with that cup of coffee you can listen to the sounds of tropical fauna as they awake to a new day. Every morning we were awoken by little brightly colored birds tapping on the bedroom window.
Osmani was our concierge, he was extremely helpful, very polite and very well spoken. He was efficient and made every attempt to make sure that all our needs were met. I think we must have drove him nuts though with all our Spa appointments and our bad time keeping.
When we arrived at breakfast the first morning we were greeted warmly by Gabriel and his truly beautiful family. His Weather Mechanics were now definitely working overtime on the heat. I want to thank him for making me feel so special. My Spinach Croquettes appeared courtesy of Gabriel's request and they were delicious. The finding of the Spinach Croquettes at the breakfast buffet has become a highlight of my mornings at RHE. I was like a little squirrel this time, sneaking some extra out for a mid-morning snack. They have a new Head Chef from Spain, Juan, and the food was excellent, of course as usual we tried to eat as many meals with lobster as we could. Sweet delicious mangos were in season and plentiful at the resort. As well there was a variety of seasonal foods available that were exceptional. I have to quickly note, because I forgot to say this in previous reviews, in the evening when I have my cappuccino with Kahlua or Café liquor I also add two packages of sugar so it is like a sweet warm liquid dessert.
We spent our first day seeking out all our friends and saying hello to all we call "our Cuban family". We made sure to find the handsome Maikel in the front office and I promised him that the next time we visit my Spanish will be better, I hadn't really practiced before we went this time. We were so surprised to see Oreste without the jacket he wears in the winter, I would never have thought he was so slim, he was still as sweet and as busy as ever. And I got to meet Pedro, the Wedding Planner. Ladies, I would do a review on his voice but I will probably get in trouble from my husband, anyways he is a really great guy and made our special day so perfect. I will write more about his Wedding Planner skills and the Spa in my Renewal Review.
We spent the Perfect week leading up to and after our Renewals. Yoniel planned a Work Out for me at the Spa which we did most mornings in the melting heat. I thought I was going to pass out the first day, but I survived and he was so patient. Yandy and Yoniel as usual did a fantastic job making sure that all the guests were entertained from the time they arrived at the Resort in the morning to the end of the day at the Disco at night. We were also very pleased when we saw Mario, he ran the little bar on Megano Beach with Rogelio. He was working at the buffet restaurant, we had said how much we missed him down at the beach, so we were elated to see him at the buffet. They had also opened some more bungalows as that week was busy so, which was great for us because we were able to see the Lovely Katia, the concierge at bungalow 41 and Julito (the Maintenance Man at 41) who always gave me flowers when I went by on my daily walk.
This week was a week to remember, everything was just so perfect. We will probably be seeing Deb and Gord there in the Summer if we can coordinate our vacations. Everything was just so enchanting that I just can't describe it in words, the resort and the people. We decided to take a taxi back to the airport so we could eke out every last minute, my beautiful new friend Angie made us sandwiches from the buffet for the flight, they were absolutely delicious. As usual it was hard to leave and now we think that RHE will be our official summer cottage getaway. Maybe we will see you
there but for now as our Cuban friends taught us...
Hasta Pronto... See you soon.
Danielle & Rafal
>> Click here to read
our 2009 Renewal of Vows ceremony review <<
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