This should help Cuban Tourism

[El Presidente]

At the moment. it feels like I could put up three of these stories each day.

 

Canadian Tourist Slams Varadero Hotel Conditions: "Worst Experience of My Life"

Monday, June 24, 2024 by Alex Smith

A Canadian tourist showed the deplorable state of a hotel in Varadero. - Image © Collage Facebook / Joe Eastcott

A Canadian tourist who spent two weeks at the Barceló Solymar - Occidental Arenas Blancas resort in Varadero described his stay as “the worst experience of his life.” Joe Eastcott, a resident of Surrey, Canada, shared his ordeal in the Facebook group “Barceló Solymar — Occidental Arenas Blancas” along with photos showcasing the severe deterioration of the facilities and the poor quality of the food.

“The food was barely edible, and most of the time it wasn't,” said Eastcott, who added that this situation forced him to eat outside the resort for most of his stay.

The disgruntled tourist noted that he couldn't understand why the food had been enjoyable at other hotels during his previous visits to Varadero, but this time it was different. To make matters worse, according to Eastcott, “the staff seemed more concerned with helping than anything else.”

Additionally, he found it incomprehensible that he was constantly required to switch bars when he wanted a drink and had to change locations for meals. The snacks consisted of “day-old dry rolls, raw hot dogs, or a single slice of meat,” Eastcott pointed out. “No ketchup or mustard,” he added.

“I was served raw chicken and rice with stones in it,” the Canadian tourist complained, showing photos of one of the "finds" hidden in his food. He also noted that the resort was in a deplorable state: “Broken or damaged items everywhere.”

“I never received the minibar that was supposed to be in my room,” added Eastcott, pointing out that he was only given one bottle of water per day, something he found absurd and indicative of the crisis facing the Cuban hotel industry. “I suggest a different resort for your vacation,” the tourist concluded.

Complaints about Cuban hotels have become frequent, particularly regarding the food and recreational facilities. “Scarce food and lines of up to two hours to get a piece of meat,” described some tourists last May about the situation at the Meliá Las Dunas hotel in Cayo Santa María, located in the northern part of the Cuban province of Villa Clara.

A customer who visited the facility reported to CiberCuba that the situation there is “shameful.” In February, a relative of Russian tourists stranded at the Cayo Coco Airport in Ciego de Ávila complained about the mistreatment suffered by their relatives due to an 18-hour flight delay from this location to Moscow. “They were not given water for a long time and were not informed about what was happening,” explained Dmitry to the Russian portal Belgorod No. 1, whose family was among those affected by the flight delay.

[NSXCIGAR]

Cuba is the wife beater of the world. No matter how badly they treat people they inexplicably keep coming back. 

[teamrandr]

12 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Cuba is the wife beater of the world. No matter how badly they treat people they inexplicably keep coming back. 

Well they have good cigars. 

[chris12381]

Few thoughts scare me more than an emergency dental visit in Cuba. Rice with stones in it? Sheesh. 

[puromaniac]

37 minutes ago, chris12381 said:

Few thoughts scare me more than an emergency dental visit in Cuba. Rice with stones in it? Sheesh. 

Yeah, good luck finding any lidocaine in Cuba. Or a lot of other meds. You have to feel for the people.

[NSXCIGAR]

21 minutes ago, teamrandr said:

Well they have good cigars. 

People going to the all-inclusives aren't going for cigars aside from picking up a box of fakes on the beach for their uncle. Besides, there are so few cigars in Cuba now it's not worth going even if you are looking for cigars. 

[jazzboypro]

I was in Varadero in last October. We spent 9 days at the Blau Varadero resort. We had a very pleasant stay. Planty of food everyday and the installations were clean and in working order. The mini bar was filled everyday with beer. Maybe it was because it was not the high season for tourists. There was no waiting line anywhere. I guess things have changed a lot since then.

[teamrandr]

10 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

People going to the all-inclusives aren't going for cigars aside from picking up a box of fakes on the beach for their uncle. Besides, there are so few cigars in Cuba now it's not worth going even if you are looking for cigars. 

True, I think many have a romantic notion about how dilapidated Cuba is. I personally would still visit just to see the tobacco and hopefully get to hang with a farmer or two.  

[ha_banos]

42 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

People going to the all-inclusives aren't going for cigars aside from picking up a box of fakes on the beach for their uncle. Besides, there are so few cigars in Cuba now it's not worth going even if you are looking for cigars. 

Not even the farm rolls?

[NSXCIGAR]

4 hours ago, ha_banos said:

Not even the farm rolls?

Traveling 300 miles from Varadero or 500 miles from Cayo Coco out to Pinar isn't really why people are going to the all-inclusives. I'm sure they assume there'd be cigars in the resorts. 

4 hours ago, teamrandr said:

True, I think many have a romantic notion about how dilapidated Cuba is.  I personally would still visit just to see the tobacco and hopefully get to hang with a farmer or two.  

I'm there quite a bit and enjoy it but I'd never in a million years recommend it as a vacation destination. I think everyone should go once to experience its uniqueness but for a vacation try the DR or Mexico. 

[avitus]

I just don't get these people who pay $580 USD per person for one week of all inclusive, flight and transfers included, and then complaining about food and facility.

Show me better place for the money please, I really really would love to go there.

Oh and by the way, you can always go to the brand new Melia International where you'll get nice food and service, but it will cost you $1055 USD, so you just get what you pay for, that's it!

[Chitmo]

16 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

People going to the all-inclusives aren't going for cigars aside from picking up a box of fakes on the beach for their uncle. Besides, there are so few cigars in Cuba now it's not worth going even if you are looking for cigars. 

There’s actually a pretty healthy supply in the duty free at the airport. A friend of mine was just down there. 

[amberleaf]

23 hours ago, jazzboypro said:

I was in Varadero in last October. We spent 9 days at the Blau Varadero resort. We had a very pleasant stay. Planty of food everyday and the installations were clean and in working order. The mini bar was filled everyday with beer. Maybe it was because it was not the high season for tourists. There was no waiting line anywhere. I guess things have changed a lot since then.

I've heard good things about the Blau, shame that it looks like a nuclear power plant.

[jazzboypro]

7 hours ago, amberleaf said:

I've heard good things about the Blau, shame that it looks like a nuclear power plant.

The interior is very nice.

[SUP8333]

9 hours ago, avitus said:

I just don't get these people who pay $580 USD per person for one week of all inclusive, flight and transfers included, and then complaining about food and facility.

Show me better place for the money please, I really really would love to go there.

Oh and by the way, you can always go to the brand new Melia International where you'll get nice food and service, but it will cost you $1055 USD, so you just get what you pay for, that's it!

Is 1055 for a weeks stay? 

[GerardMichaelTX]

Damn, 580 all inclusive is a good deal as long as they keep the alcohol flowing and there aren't any rats/roaches. I wouldn't want to eat at a hotel anyway most of the food tastes like gravel at hotels.

[avitus]

16 hours ago, SUP8333 said:

Is 1055 for a weeks stay? 

Yep, per person per week. I see even a bit cheaper prices depends on the date. With 4.6 rating on Google its probably the best place to go for your buck. Also they have pretty nice cigar lounge on-site and LCDH Varadero is just around the corner

[Salomones]

I am happy with Guardalavaca. Varadero is less Cuba for us.

[NSXCIGAR]

On 6/26/2024 at 6:28 AM, Chitmo said:

There’s actually a pretty healthy supply in the duty free at the airport. A friend of mine was just down there. 

The Varadero airport duty free? Havana is pretty bad. 

On 6/26/2024 at 6:01 AM, avitus said:

I just don't get these people who pay $580 USD per person for one week of all inclusive, flight and transfers included, and then complaining about food and facility

Just from a cursory search there are plenty of all-inclusives in that general price range in the DR and Mexico. They may not be quite as nice on the inside as the ones in Varadero but the food will be much better if that's what's important to you. I just can't grasp how anyone that does any research whatsoever would choose Cuba. Not to mention the fact that if anyone has a serious medical condition Cuba is just about the last place I'd want to be. 

[vladdraq]

I just came back from Cayo Largo and it was OK. Plenty of food and drinks. Big invasion of mosquitos though, apparently never been seen such, but beside that it was awesome experience.

Cigars wise, my jaw dropped when I saw fake Cohibas at the Cienfuegos Airport. Not sure how they got there, but to buy them you have to use your credit card, so I assume it's the government's money. Esplendidos around 650$/ 25. And Ay Cayo Largo del Sur airport the worst fakes ever with Cohiba Robustos for 7$/ cigar. At the Hotel's store there were fake Robustos 25$. 

Everywhere, to get them you have to use your CC.

[El Presidente]

6 hours ago, vladdraq said:

I just came back from Cayo Largo and it was OK. Plenty of food and drinks. Big invasion of mosquitos though, apparently never been seen such, but beside that it was awesome experience.

Cigars wise, my jaw dropped when I saw fake Cohibas at the Cienfuegos Airport. Not sure how they got there, but to buy them you have to use your credit card, so I assume it's the government's money. Esplendidos around 650$/ 25. And Ay Cayo Largo del Sur airport the worst fakes ever with Cohiba Robustos for 7$/ cigar. At the Hotel's store there were fake Robustos 25$. 

Everywhere, to get them you have to use your CC.

That is immensely disturbing. 

[vladdraq]

At the Hotel's "tienda" they had Monte Cristo's all sizes, Romeo's, some Upmann tins, small Partagas. The centerpiece though was the fake box of Robustos, no holograms at all, no barcodes either, but some weird factory code on the box and the Tabacuba label.. I should've taken some pics. 

[avitus]

16 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Just from a cursory search there are plenty of all-inclusives in that general price range in the DR and Mexico. They may not be quite as nice on the inside as the ones in Varadero but the food will be much better if that's what's important to you. I just can't grasp how anyone that does any research whatsoever would choose Cuba. Not to mention the fact that if anyone has a serious medical condition Cuba is just about the last place I'd want to be. 

That might be the case for San Diego, but for the flights from Toronto, Dominican Republic's all-inclusive starts from $760USD, Mexico's from $800USD.

Cuban prices are simply unbeatable, the cheapest one week all-inclusive with flight and transfers starts from $400USD/$555CAD per person right now.