Matanzas/In Varaderopaying for an “all-inclusive” hotel is no longer a guarantee of eating comfortably. It is discovered, sometimes with bewilderment and other times with resignation, by those who arrive at the Hicacos peninsula looking for a few days without domestic problems. At the Barceló Solymar, one of the best-known hotels in the area, the price – $62 per night – does not always translate into full plates.
On the trays of the buffet restaurant, garnishes abound; The meat products, on the other hand, look like museum pieces, guarded by clerks who react with surgical precision. “When I walked past the roast pork, the employee gave me bangs so small that they were barely visible on the empty plate,” says Iván, a Cuban living in Miami who returned to the island to give his family a carefree New Year’s Eve.
Learning was fast. “With a 500 peso bill the clerk serves whatever you want. You don’t have to hide to give him the money. It’s like an advance tip to eat without misery,” explains Iván, who had not come to Cuba for seven years and had never been to this hotel. The clash with reality was twofold: neither paying the room in dollars is one safe from shortages, nor does the concept of “all inclusive” escape the logic of the informal market that permeates the country’s daily life today.
Before eating the first course, some diners hold a bill in their hand to give them the impression of being
The scene repeats itself table after table. Before eating the first course, some diners hold a bill in their hand that gives them the impression of being, at least for a while, in front of a buffet. “My food here has been more expensive than if I had gone to a restaurant on the street,” says Eddy, with unsatisfied desires to find varied desserts. “The only thing you can consume as much as you want without paying extra is congrí. Everything else is rationed or runs out quickly, like the chocolate ice cream that ran out and was not replenished. To eat without so much fuss you have to come as soon as the restaurant opens. Anyone who arrives late, with or without money, eats little.”
The Cuban accent predominates among the guests. Families residing on the Island and emigrants who returned to share vacations occupy most of the tables; a few Canadian tourists complete the landscape. Emma, one of them, is not willing to pay more. “For a four-star hotel, the buffet service is very limited,” he says. “In main dishes there is only pork, minced beef and fried chicken. It is a pittance for what is expected from a place like this.” He also can’t find variety in salads or seasonal foods, and is already considering leaving earlier than planned. “I spent two nights eating tomatoes and boiled bananas. It’s not what I expected.”
Breakfast offers no respite. “In front of me, they made a Russian tourist an omelet with a single egg. I gave the cook 200 pesos and even then I had to demand that he make it with ham,” says Eddy. It came with the illusion of yogurts of various flavors; Lacking them, he ended up drinking milk. “It’s the same story about lunch and dinner. To consume the best you have to pay for it. If I had known that I would be eating bread and butter here, I would have stayed at home.”
During meals, some vacationers also pay to ensure cold beer on the table. Tipping stops being a voluntary gesture and becomes a requirement to avoid watching other dishes pass you by. “My two children were very excited, I had never been able to bring them to a hotel like this,” says Eddy. “Thanks to my father-in-law, who made the reservation from abroad, we were able to come. He paid $496 for the four of us to spend two and a half days consuming whatever we wanted, not to be restricted in this way.”
The contradiction becomes evident when a public relations person approaches with a survey about the hotel’s operation. While the form asks about customer satisfaction, the table waits for the waiter to return with another round of drinks, previously “managed.” In Varadero, even under the all-inclusive label, scarcity has found its way to sneak between the trays, reminding visitors that, today, in Cuba, eating well continues to have a disproportionate price, even on vacation.
