A Russian tourist and blogger recounted her 16-day stay at the five-star hotel in Varadero, Iberostar Laguna Azul, an experience that he described as “difficult”, and that he decided to accompany with some advice for those who are willing to face a similar adventure.
“Without a tip you are nothing”, was the first of a long list of recommendations that the blog author "Travel with a camera" slipped his readers.
The blogger assured that in Cuba "the cult of tipping has risen to a kind of savage level", and that is why he invited people to leave "dollars or gifts" everywhere as the only way to receive a minimally decent service.
So that they change the towels, clean your room better, serve you better rum in your cocktail, so that a waitress does not ignore your request if you ask for a glass of water, for everything the same solution: tips or gifts.
“No, I don't mind thanking someone for a job well done. I always leave tips in cafes, restaurants, even gas stations and taxi drivers. But in Cuba the cult of tipping has risen to a kind of savage level. Thus, tourists bring chocolates, cosmetics, socks and other things for the staff in the hope of receiving something remotely resembling normal service. But even with a mountain of 'gratitude', this doesn't always work," he noted.
Another important tip is Do not leave belongings visible inside the room or on sun loungers on the beach: they disappear.
"Anything on the bed is considered a gift [...] Therefore when leaving the room I advise you to check if there are any clothes left that you are not yet ready to part with. Yes, some tourists complained that a t-shirt or swimsuit left on the bed 'disappeared,'" he said.
He took the opportunity to draw special attention to towels that disappear from hammocks and sun loungers.
"Here's the thing: a $35 fine is imposed for the loss of a towel; "But an elderly Cuban who is dedicated to the distribution of these, offers to solve the problem for only 15 dollars.", he explained.
He said he had also witnessed the loss of several objects left on the sun loungers: from toys to books.
"The staff just shrugged their shoulders and said, 'We didn't see anything.' It seems like a small thing, but it's even more offensive," he said.
Another important tip is to bring to Cuba everything you need for personal hygiene: "Shampoo, dental accessories, shower gel, sun cream, mosquito repellent, batteries, all medications: if you don't bring them with you, you won't have them."
"At the Iberostar Laguna Azul we didn't even have shampoo in the room, much less shower gel and toothpaste. But thank you because at least there was hot water. Not all neighboring hotels are so lucky," he said.
Another good tip is to get to the buffet lines early to eat, and not just because the food itself runs out, but because even the dishes may be scarce.
"For breakfast, lunch and dinner, try to get to the beginning [...] We had another problem at the hotel: the lack of dishes. You arrive a little late and suddenly you're wandering down the hallway looking for a plate. And all the tables are full", noted the blogger.
"By the way, if you expected to see beautiful dishes from the services of a five-star hotel, I will disappoint you. The dishes are all different, some are chipped, others have stains...", he detailed.
Another drama is the fhigh number of water bottles, a recurring complaint among tourists who visit the island. In the room every day they put a glass bottle with water, but there were no glasses and they had to drink directly from the container.
"As for food, I am not going to advise anything. Cuba is definitely not gastronomic tourism. Usually when you ask about hotel food in a Cuban chat, the answer is: 'Well, you can find something to eat, you won't starve', but it's not exactly what you'd expect from a hotel holiday. paradise on a tropical island," he said.
He says that one day there were several types of ham, Spanish cheeses, meats and red fish that were quite good, and the next the only thing that could be eaten was cucumbers and rice.
"The only thing with which there is no problem is cigarettes and rum. The rest may all end and never appear again. And here it is impossible to guess", he warned.
"This is probably the most important tip. Even if a beautiful travel brochure talks about complete relaxation on an ideal beach on the shores of the gentle blue ocean, Don't forget that this is Cuba. After all, it's not in vain that all lovers of this country always respond in the same way to the complaints of those who didn't like it: 'Well, you should have studied where you were going, this is Cuba,' the author of the book concluded resignedly. post, whose text has dozens of comments from other compatriots recounting their own experiences.
Russian tourism has become the great hope of the battered Cuban tourism industry, which in 2023 failed to reach the expectation set by the government, which was 3.5 million visitors.
However, Russian tourism to the island did increase significantly in the last year. In November, the Association of Russian Tour Operators (ATOR) assured that between January and October there was an increase in tourist trips from that country to the island.
According to ATOR data, in the first ten months of the year, 146,300 Russian tourists traveled to Cuba, a figure that represents a 3.5-fold increase in relation to the same period last year.
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