Sopping towel 18-2-20
We are now in a holiday complex in Varadero, Northern Cuba. This is a spit of land and there are a string of hotels all along the length of this piece of the coast. We were dropped yesterday and it seemed in retrospect that the tour manager was particularly keen to get going back to Havana. We arrived just after lunchtime as I recall but as were after the appointed hour the restaurant had closed and there was nothing available for some hours – which is always wearing. I seem to remember there was something unattractive on a barbecue – but hardly looked edible.
In fairness the restaurant when it was open in the evening was actually not that bad but it was worth getting in early to ensure that first choice did not run out before eating.
Less attractive was the failure of the air conditioning unit initially spewing significant amounts of water and this was followed by the emergence of innumerable bugs which had no doubt been jamming the innards of the equipment for some considerable period – particularly as they ran around the room.
I attempted to obtain some recognition of the problem by the front desk who suddenly denied speaking English, having any spare rooms and no contacts to whom to refer the problem as they were all off duty. Despite having common branding with other hotels we had passed they were unable to contact them to obtain a spare room or arrange any form of relocation. This left an almighty bad taste in the mouth and various bites on various bits of anatomies. However it had to be grinned and born (or something like that).
On a more positive note there was a specialist restaurant within the complex – Japanese if my memory serves correctly – which did deliver a better meal so this did improve matters.
Having had a largely enjoyable holiday and been well treated these last few days were a total let down. At the time we could not work out why – but I suspect the hotel company was just unable to stay on top of maintenance and the facilities were lacking to ensure they could be sustained long term. It meant we were actually keen to get on the plane home which is often not the case.
A slight disclaimer, this has been written over 6 years after the journey concerned so is very much based around the photographs taken on the day.