A Cuban identified as Thalía Soler published a video this Friday in which she recounts her frustrating experience during a day trip to the Gran Hotel in Camagüey, a facility operated by the state chain Islazul that promised a pool, lunch, and entertainment, but delivered exactly the opposite.
"I spent two months constantly trying to reserve a spot to be able to swim in the pool. And in the end, when I arrived, everything turned out to be a mess," recounted the author in the clip.
Upon arriving at the hotel, the group discovered that they could not bring outside drinks and that the establishment had no dining options available at that time, so they had to go out in search of food after having taken a dip in the pool.
The supposedly included lunch was no better. Soler described the serving of spaghetti as something "for five people," and compared the pizza to something that leaves no room for doubt: "it was like the old flip-flop that people used to wear before going to Carnival."
Additionally, the pool water was, in their words, "boiling hot," and the service plates arrived "greasy."
Despite the disaster, the author acknowledged that she had a good time thanks to her friends, although she was resolute in concluding her account: "if I go back there, never again."
In the video description, Soler was even more direct: "To the Gran Hotel? I'm not going anymore. I wanted to go because I have fond memories of my childhood there with my family, but I guess I forgot that this country is regressing every day."
The comments on the video reflected a similar collective experience. Several users agreed that the facility has been in decline for years, that the pool is rarely in acceptable condition, and that the food service is a constant disappointment.
Others lamented that one of the few available recreational spaces in Camagüey is in that condition, and some pointed out that the province's overall situation does not leave room for expecting anything different.
The Gran Hotel de Camagüey, inaugurated on May 22, 1938, and located in the Historic Center of the city, is one of the most iconic establishments in the province.
It has 72 rooms, a swimming pool for adults and children, a restaurant, a café, and four bars. Its ratings on TripAdvisor are mixed: one listing shows a score of 4.1 out of 5 with 118 reviews, while another has a score of 3.2 out of 5 with 70 reviews, featuring recurring complaints about the pool, food, and maintenance.
Soler's case is not isolated. Throughout this summer, testimonies from Cubans disappointed with the island's hotels have multiplied.
A visitor rated the Neptuno Hotel in Havana as "the worst experience on a day trip," citing power outages and murky water; in Varadero, a doctor paid 315 dollars and returned more exhausted than before; and another Cuban documented power outages and lack of water at a four-star hotel in that same area.
The deterioration is due to an unprecedented structural crisis. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz acknowledged before the National Assembly at the end of July that 73% of the country's hotel facilities remain closed and that around 25,000 workers are in a state of availability.
Between January and June, Cuba received only 387,591 international visitors, a drop of 60.7% compared to the same period the previous year, with hotel occupancy plummeting to 21.5%.
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