Canadian Tourist Warns Against Visiting Unsafe Cuban Hotel

A Canadian traveler named Kristina Avey shared a detailed account on the Facebook group Cuba Vacations & Resort Reviews, cautioning fellow Canadians about the "unsafe" conditions at a hotel in Cuba.

Avey, who mentioned she has visited the island multiple times, chose not to disclose the hotel's name or the specific date of her stay. However, she emphasized that it was the worst experience she has ever had in Cuba.

She began her account with a stark warning: “Do. Not. Go. Here. […] This place is NOT SAFE FOR TOURISTS,” and proceeded to detail her ordeal.

Hostile Reception and Alleged Theft

Upon arrival, Avey's family did not receive the customary welcome drink, and according to her, the receptionist was "dismissive and extremely rude."

The situation worsened when her traveling companions realized their duty-free alcohol had vanished from the storage area where the hotel kept their luggage.

Avey noted that staff initially denied knowing about the missing bottles until another employee pointed them out behind the counter. “We suspect the other employee intended to steal them,” she wrote.

Upon receiving their room, they discovered moldy walls that had merely been painted over, leading to congestion throughout their stay.

Altercation at the Bar: "To Hell with You"

Avey's husband's first attempt to have a glass of wine before dinner resulted in a confrontation. At what was supposed to be an all-inclusive resort, the bartender insisted on purchasing the entire bottle in cash, sparking an argument.

“The staff said they were going to call security,” Avey recounted.

Later, at the buffet, the same employee approached their table and told her husband to "go to hell," a comment Avey found completely unacceptable and which made her feel “unsafe in the resort.”

Limited Services and Food Scarcity

Avey reported that there were no shows, the disco never opened, and the snack bar closed early.

Food options were limited to “ham and cheese sandwiches and fried plantains,” except for one afternoon where they managed to find some French fries.

Although the hotel advertised itself as family-friendly, dinner began at 7:00 p.m., and “we were the only ones there with kids.”

None of the à la carte restaurants opened during their stay.

Unmotivated Staff and Money Exchange Issues

Avey noted that much of the staff appeared "miserable" and frequently asked them to exchange Canadian money, claiming Cuban banks wouldn’t accept torn or Canadian bills.

“Literally every staff member who approached me asked to exchange money,” she remarked, describing the process as bewildering and distrust-inducing.

Additionally, they were only offered 50% of what they originally paid when attempting to convert Cuban pesos back to Canadian dollars. “Once again, stealing our money,” she asserted.

Serious Incident: Collapse, Black Vomiting, and Missing Money

The most alarming incident, according to Avey, took place one night when her husband went out for drinks with a friend. Around 11:00 p.m., she found him unconscious on the floor outside their room.

He later began vomiting “black,” unable to speak or stand. Two men had to help carry him to the room.

“My husband thought he was dying. […] He insisted he had been poisoned,” she explained.

The next day, he slept the entire day, which was completely out of character, as per his wife.

They later discovered he was missing 270 Canadian dollars. A friend traveling with them experienced a similar episode and also lost 300 dollars.

Avey pointed to a bartender at the lobby bar: “I believe my husband was drugged by a bartender.”

On their last day, her friend’s husband ordered a beer and claimed the bartender took the glass to a back room and returned it without foam or carbonation.

“This is terrifying,” Avey stated, noting it was the same employee involved in previous incidents.

Her post ends with a direct warning to other potential Canadian tourists in Cuba: “Do not go here. It is not safe for Canadians.”

This testimony adds to the mounting dissatisfaction among foreign tourists regarding the declining hotel sector in Cuba, an area severely impacted by the economic crisis and lack of government oversight, leading to abuses, shortages, and hazardous situations for visitors.

Compounded Issues: Stranded Canadian Tourists in Cuba

The energy crisis and aviation fuel shortages in Cuba have left thousands of Canadian tourists stranded on the island, with flights canceled and increasing uncertainty about their return journey.

Airlines like Air Canada, Air Transat, and WestJet have halted regular operations and are only conducting return flights to repatriate their customers after Cuban authorities warned that kerosene for international flights would be unavailable for at least a month, causing what some have described as “total chaos” among affected travelers.

Airlines have announced plans to bring back tourists, but the lack of fuel, power outages, and route cancellations have turned vacations into a constant source of stress.

Meanwhile, the Canadian government is urging its citizens to confirm their flight details and avoid extending their stay amid a situation deemed “unpredictable.”