From our Bureau of Cuban Dream Holidays with some assistance from our Annals of Apartheid Tourism Bureau
Watch out Canadians! You are at high risk of being displaced by Russians. Brits face the same danger, too. After two decades of hogging tabloid headlines about ruined dream holidays in Castrogonia, both nationalities have a serious contender for the title of “Most Highly Offended Tourist of the Week.”
Yeah, Russians are now experiencing the many wonders of Castro, Inc.’s apartheid luxury hotels and resorts, and, as any idiot could expect, complaints are surfacing online and in news outlets.
Unlike “nice” Canadians and “stiff-upper-lip” Brits, Russians don’t mince words when they don’t like something. Today’s dissatisfied Russian customer calls Cuban hotel employees “savages” . . . uh, oh . . . and he loathes how they expect to be tipped constantly, and how they steal guests’ belongings. Get ready for more fireworks. Unlike Canadians and Brits, Russians apparently refuse to hide what they really think about the inferior beings who work at Castro, Inc.’s apartheid hotels.
The title of her blog post is “How to survive in a five-star hotel in Cuba (but it will be difficult)” Her warning to all potential Russian tourists is stark: “Without a tip you are nothing.” Go HERE to see her complaints for yourself, in Russian, along with her photos. Use Google Translate. It’s very reliable.
Loosely translated from Periodico Cubano
A Russian tourist and blogger reported “savage” treatment during her stay at the five-star Iberostar Laguna Azul hotel in Varadero during her 16-day vacation in Cuba.
According to an article published on her blog “Traveling with a Camera” there is a wild cult of tips by workers, who demand gifts or dollars in exchange for the attention they normally have to give you after having paid the high price of the service. reservation.
The blogger mentioned that to get better rum in cocktails or service in the restaurant, it is almost essential to pay with dollars. Despite finding some employees helpful and friendly, she noted that not all hotel workers follow this standard of courtesy. The tourist expressed her discontent, as she warned that even with these gestures (leaving gifts or tips), good service is not always guaranteed.
“I don’t mind thanking the person for a job well done. I always leave tips in cafes, restaurants, even gas station employees and taxi drivers. But in Cuba, the cult of tipping has grown to a savage level. Therefore, tourists bring chocolates, cosmetics, socks and other things for the staff, hoping to get something at least remotely similar to normal service. But even with a mountain of ‘gratitude’ it doesn’t always work,” the visitor explained.
On the other hand, the blogger noted that she did not feel safe leaving valuable personal items in the rooms when the cleaning service was performed. In that sense, she commented that any item left on the bed is considered a gift for the cleaning staff and she shared anecdotes of other tourists who lost clothes and valuables in similar circumstances.
No matter how justified the complaints may be, the basic question remains why would tourists with many clearly better options still choose to go to a third-world shithole that’s falling apart? It’s irrational.