SANTA CLARA, Cuba. – A few weeks ago, the alley where the Islazul agency’s Reservation Bureau is located in Santa Clara was packed. The reservations for the facilities belonging to this hotel group were sold there. Just a few days after sales started, the capacities for the summer houses sold out quickly due to the high demand for more affordable options and those priced in the national currency, such as family excursions.
In July and August, many Cubans try to take advantage of Islazul hotel offers, which usually include accommodation with breakfast. At the entrance of the establishment visited by CubaNet, two signs specify that the only two vacant options at the moment are Hanabanilla, in Manicaragua, and Elguea, in Corralillo. The information also details, “Lunches and dinners will be paid for at the hotel, according to the customer’s consumption.”
While waiting to be attended to, one woman advises another to bring a “multi-purpose pot” to cook “something quick” in the room itself to avoid spending on meals, just as if she were going to a campsite. “I went to the [hotel] Hanabanilla last month and the buffet table would have cost us 1,500 pesos each,” she specifies. “Bring lots of bread, sausages, and Zuco soda; with that, you can stave off your family’s hunger.”
Near Vidal Park, other state agencies offer supposedly more economical summer options, but the lowest-priced hotel available for the Varadero resort exceeds 11,000 pesos per person per night, not including transportation. “I don’t know where people get the money, but a lot is sold here,” one of the attendants commented discreetly. “I imagine it’s not from their salaries,” she quickly adds.
For decades, Cubans had to settle for the option of popular campsites for family vacations; it wasn’t until 2008 that the prohibition on nationals staying in all-inclusive resorts was lifted. However, in recent times, there have been no shortage of criticisms from tourists about these facilities, due to the state of the buildings, the services, and the scarcity and variety of food.
In the reviews on Tripadvisor, customers who have recently visited all-inclusive hotels in Varadero through these “economical” excursions report having had “bitter experiences” due to the limited variety at the buffet, the lack of recreational activities, and the minimal availability of beer or liquor.
On the sidewalk next to the Hotel América in Santa Clara, a group of more than 20 people waits to be attended to by the staff of the Gaviota tourism group reservation bureau, which operates in this establishment. Four printed flyers displayed on a mobile board inform about the offers for all-inclusive hotels in Varadero and the northern keys of Villa Clara and Ciego de Ávila, specifying that payments must be made exclusively by magnetic card.
“I’m not booking for Varadero again,” Liset Pérez tells CubaNet while in line to purchase her reservation, which includes several family members and totals over 150,000 pesos. “We went to the [hotel] Palma Real, and it looked like a campsite; I felt like I was ripped off. Some hotels should lose their stars.”
Despite the high prices, the line for the Gaviota agency continues to grow with people interested in buying reservations with a mandatory minimum stay of three nights. The least expensive option is the Hotel Grand Memories, costing more than 12,000 pesos per person per day, not including the price of transportation, which must be paid separately. In the same line, a confused person realizes that the amount shown on the sign is the daily rate per person, not the total for the three-night package, and leaves indignantly after understanding the mistake: “This is not for ordinary mortals,” he exclaims and leaves through the same route he arrived.
Another woman publicly shares that her brother from Miami sent her the money for the “all-inclusive” to give their elderly mother a treat. “He works in a supermarket cutting meat and earns more than I do with my 30 years of experience as a graduate,” she argues. “This is the first time I’m going to one of those hotels, and I plan to take even the glasses I find out of place,” she says.
The majority of those present in the line agree that they have received help from relatives abroad to be able to disburse such a large amount of money.
These travel agencies controlled by the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) are the only ones authorized to handle activities such as designing and marketing tour packages, informing and advising travelers, or offering any promotions of this kind, according to the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba (number 46 of June 7, 2021). However, in the last two years, private travel managers have proliferated, largely meeting the recreational needs of families with fewer resources.
These are mainly tour guides who usually rent a means of transportation and organize trips on their own across the Island, charging a percentage to cover the driver’s payment, the fuel used, and an additional amount for the person handling the necessary procedures.
In Santa Clara, for example, there is a WhatsApp and Facebook group called “Rico Turismo” that also promotes somewhat more affordable tours and day trips, designed for families who do not receive help from abroad. Meanwhile, those who cannot access either option will try to “activate their summer mode” by getting up early to stand in line and attempt to access the two or three public swimming pools available in the city.
ARTÍCULO DE OPINIÓN Las opiniones expresadas en este artículo son de exclusiva responsabilidad de quien las emite y no necesariamente representan la opinión de CubaNet.
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