A Cuban doctor residing on the island shared on TikTok this Wednesday how her anticipated vacation in Varadero, costing 315 dollars, turned into an experience that left her more exhausted than before she left.
"The worst vacation of my life cost me three hundred fifteen dollars, and I ended up returning more stressed than when I left," started the woman, identified on the platform as @unadoctoracubana, in a video that garnered 25,000 views, 779 likes, and 128 comments in just a few hours.
The doctor explained that she traveled with her husband, her daughter, and her six-month-old baby after a whole year of work, seeking a well-deserved break. "We arrived feeling hopeful but with low expectations due to the situation in the country, but we never imagined that this would be the beginning of a horror movie," she described.
The all-inclusive hotel they arrived at after six hours of travel did not meet even the most modest expectations. They were assigned a room on the sixth floor with central air conditioning that "hardly cooled" and with no hot water. The overall conditions of the rooms were rated as disastrous.
The all-inclusive beverage service was equally disappointing: beer and wine were only available once a day during the evening show. The food, in her words, was of poor quality. "I had never struggled so much in my life, not even when I was on a scholarship," she said.
The only aspect that stood out was the humane treatment from the staff. "The only positive thing I can highlight was the attention from the workers; they did everything within their power, but good service cannot solve issues related to infrastructure and organization," he noted.
The doctor clarified that she did not post the video with the intention of harming anyone, but rather to put into perspective what that expense means for a Cuban family: "When one pays three hundred fifteen dollars for a vacation, it was to relax, not to return more exhausted."
The amount paid takes on an even greater significance when considering that, according to the salaries of healthcare personnel in Cuba established by Resolution 17/2026 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, a newly graduated doctor receives 7,045 Cuban pesos per month, while a second-degree specialist earns up to 8,880 pesos. The 315 dollars of the vacation package equate to between 35 and 45 monthly salaries of a Cuban doctor.
This is not the first time this same doctor has featured in a viral video from Varadero. On Tuesday, she showed that she spent 9,990 Cuban pesos —more than a full monthly salary— on a simple snack at the candy shop in the Los Icacos shopping center: five sweets, three soft drinks, and two espresso coffees.
The testimony comes at a critical moment for Cuban tourism. The government acknowledged on July 30 that 73% of the country's hotel facilities remain closed and that around 25,000 workers in the sector are "on standby." International arrivals fell by 55.8% between January and April 2026, and Cuba ended 2025 with a hotel occupancy rate of 18.9%, the lowest level since 2002, excluding the pandemic.
Varadero, with over 57 hotels and 23,000 rooms, is not exempt from this reality: reports of blackouts, water shortages, scarce food, and deteriorated rooms have become common on social media, where more and more Cubans share experiences similar to that of this doctor.
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