The few Cubans who have entered the Gran Muthu Habana hotel, the recently inaugurated tourist colossus in the Miramar neighborhood, compare it to a ghost ship. Neither the absence of clients nor the fact that the building is still under construction were obstacles for the official press announced in style the premiere of the new hotel jewel of the Gaviota group, managed by the Indian company MGM Muthu Hotels.
This newspaper also verified that the gastronomic offer of the Gran Muthu can only be paid in freely convertible currency (MLC) or in foreign currencies, a characteristic that differentiates it from other hotel establishments in the capital, where payment is accepted in pesos.
repeating the information reservation portal from the hotel, the official press describes it as an 11-story, 488-room establishment with an “advantageous location: next to the sea and close to Fifth Avenue”, the embassies and the Miramar Business Center. However, he avoids pointing out to Cuban readers that MGM will also open a large shopping center with products from “all the major international brands.”
At the moment, the promises have no one to enjoy them. 14ymedio He witnessed how the army of employees of the Great Muthu walked nervously, this weekend, through the facilities, with no one to attend to and argued about the incompatibility of the prices on the menu in the cafeteria and what the offer really cost.
What most intrigues Cubans is not the hotel but the shopping center, which bears the same name as the dilapidated market on 3rd and 70, located in the vicinity of Gran Muthu
Despite the announcements and although the hotel, in theory, is now ready to accept clients, both the shopping center – which bears the name Supermercado 3ra y 70 in large letters – as well as an entire sector of the building, are closed to the public. A kind of boulevard is also blocked, within the construction complex, called Marea Alta.
A week in the most basic room at the Gran Muthu costs around $2,000, but MGM is offering a 35% discount through October, which will make the facilities accessible to foreigners for about $1,300, a relatively cheap price compared to other establishments.
What most intrigues Cubans is not the hotel but the shopping center, which bears the same name as the dilapidated market on 3rd and 70, located in the vicinity of Gran Muthu. None of the employees of that establishment, questioned by this newspaper, know if there is an intention to transfer the premises of the shopping center to the hotel complex. The builders of the work, less optimistic than the press, warn this newspaper that the opening of the premises “takes a long time”.
Comments from readers of cubadebate They were not lenient with Gaviota, a company belonging to the Cuban military monopoly Gaesa. Some openly stated that, with the official tourism statistics in 2022 – barely 1.6 million visitors – it is counterproductive to continue opening hotels on the Island. “The tourist explosion of decades ago has not yet arrived,” explained one user, but the Government continues to design and build luxury hotels.
Other readers were ironic about the situation of the Havana streets, including those that surround the hotel, full of potholes and collapsing buildings. One of the questions, addressed to the Cuban authorities, was repeated over and over again: “When will the profit be seen reflected in the economy of ordinary Cubans?”
What is clear with the opening of Gran Muthu in Miramar is the commitment of the Cuban Government to two epicenters of tourism in the capital: Old Havana, where the most recent luxury hotels have been inaugurated, and Miramar. Two points of intense construction activity that avoid all contact with poorer areas –Centro Habana, Diez de Octubre, El Cerro– that the government prefers to hide from tourists.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
