Food waste in a Cuban hotel while the population faces shortages and blackouts

In the midst of the deep economic crisis affecting Cuba, with chronic shortages of food and daily power outages impacting millions of families, a foreign tourist described an abundance of food and unrestricted services at a hotel on the island, which has reignited the debate about the regime's priorities.

The user identified as Chris Harvey posted in the group Facebook Cuba Vacations & Resort Reviews a brief review accompanied by photos of his stay at the Sol Palmeras hotel in Varadero.

According to his testimony, during breakfast there was someone preparing eggs to order and plenty of butter for the bread. At lunch and dinner— which he described as similar to each other— they served beef, pork, and chicken cooked to order, French fries, and various types of pizza.

The visitor also noted that the rooms were clean, there were plenty of beach towels available that could be changed daily, and enough chairs on the beach for all guests, without the need to wake up early to claim a spot. “No complaints,” he summed up.

Contrast with the reality of the country

The images and the narrative strongly contrast with the situation faced by most Cubans, who are dealing with high prices, shortages of basic products, and prolonged power outages that impact both food preservation and daily life.

While in numerous neighborhoods citizens endure hours—sometimes even days—without electricity, the hotel sector aimed at international tourism tends to have a stable power supply and access to resources that are not available to the general population.

The Cuban economic model prioritizes the capture of foreign currency through tourism, one of the main sources of revenue for the State. However, critics point out that this strategy has exacerbated the inequality between those who have access to dollars and those who depend solely on salaries in national currency.

The contrast between the abundance of tourist facilities and the precariousness of Cuban households has become one of the most sensitive points of social discontent on the Island.