Sandals Hicacos Resort & Spa had a soft opening on October 19, and is the second resort to be operated by the Sandals Group in Cuba. Beaches Varadero, a 350 room, all suite resort, opened in March 1999. Both hotels are being operated under the terms of an agreement signed between Sandals and Cubanacan; one of Cuba’s largest hotel groups, in March 1998.
Sandals Hicacos Resort & Spa brings to twenty the number of ultra luxurious all-inclusive resorts now operating under the Sandals/ Beaches umbrella.
According to Sandals Director Dr. Jeffrey Pyne, ” Sandals’ expansion in Cuba ushers in a new dimension to Caribbean tourism”. Given Cuba’s price attractiveness, history and mystique, “the entry of the Sandals brand to that market will be a catalyst for accelerated tourism growth in the Northern Caribbean” he added.
Sandals Hicacos is set on one of the finest locations on Varadero Beach in the province of Matanzas. The resort is ninety (90) minutes away from Havana’s International Airport and ten (10) minutes from downtown Varadero. It offers top of-the-line facilities and activities. Among these is a comprehensive array of land and water sports including: tennis, lawn chess, basketball, pool, squash, water skiing, scuba diving, kayaks, snorkeling, sailboats and windsurfing. A complete fitness center with weight training and exercise equipment, sauna and steam room, a full service European Spa, three freshwater pools and four whirlpools are among the other facilities that are available to guests.
Complimentary dive courses for beginners, night dives and certificate courses are also available for a minimum charge.
Guests have a choice of dining options with buffet style and a-la-carte meals in five specialty restaurants. Guests also have access to unlimited premium brand drinks and anytime snacks.
Sandals Hicacos offers 404 suites including one Presidential and Two Royal suites. The resort’s suites feature Garden View, Premium and Concierge categories. Concierge guests will enjoy private airport pickup, special cocktail parties, special express check in and check out facilities, preferential reservations in specialty restaurants and a 15 percent discount on all spa services. In addition to the concierge suite inclusions, the Presidential Suite and the two Royal Suites offer full Butler service and free Spa services.
Sandals is the largest operator of luxury ultra all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. Sandals has a total of 12 couples only resorts including six in Jamaica, three in St. Lucia, one in Antigua and one in Nassau, Bahamas. Beaches Resorts, the newest addition to the Sandals family, welcomes singles, couples, families and friends. The newest addition Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club, is located in Boscobel St. Mary. The first Beaches Resort opened in 1997 welcoming singles, couples and families of all ages. Royal Plantation Golf Resort & Spa by Beaches and Beaches Grand Sport are the signature properties in the ‘adults-only’ Beaches Resort collection. ” Adults-only” Beaches Resorts welcome guests age 16-and-over, allowing families with older children to enjoy the ultra all-inclusive vacations for which all Sandals and Beaches Resorts are known. Beaches Resorts offer seven locations: two in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Two in Negril, Jamaica, one in St. Mary, Jamaica, one in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos and one in Varadero, Cuba. Sandals has consistently won all the major industry awards, including the prestigious World’s number one Ultra All Inclusive Resort, nine years in a row.
