Family Arrives At Hotel In Cuba Only To See It Looks Nothing Like The Brochure
Most of us tend to daydream about escaping our hectic day-to-day lives by hopping on the next flight to a tropical paradise. We’re sure just about everyone would love to get away from their worries and relax for a while on a white beach with clear blue water, or by a pool.
Well, the Evans family decided to save up money to have their dream vacation in a popular beach resort in Cuba. They were sure it would be the trip of a lifetime. In the weeks leading up to it, they couldn’t help but picture themselves lazing around the gorgeous pool and enjoying all the amenities the four-star hotel promised they would get in their brochure.
However, things turned out rather differently than they expected. When they arrived at their vacation spot, they realized the hotel looked nothing like the pictures they had seen.
Vacation Time
All Gayle Evans wanted for her 50th birthday was some quality time with her family. She thought the best way to spend some time with her kids was planning a great family vacation. Gayle spent weeks looking up potential destinations and finally decided on the four-star Brisas del Caribe resort in the tropical Varadero, Cuba. The tourist town is known for its luxurious all-inclusive hotels and wonderful beaches.
Vacation Time
They booked the trip, and the family couldn’t think of anything else. Gayle and her family couldn’t wait to have a nice break from their work and school and be able to simply relax by the ocean.
Memorable Trip
Gayle said, “We spent weeks dreaming about it, of lying on the gorgeous beach and paddling in the sea, splashing in the pools, sipping cocktails in the piano bar – we thought it was going to be wonderful.” Naturally, a trip like this wouldn’t come cheap. It ended up costing the Evans family more than $13,000.
Memorable Trip
Despite the fact that they knew the vacation would cost them a serious amount of money, the family knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime getaway which would be worth every penny. It was going to be something they would remember for the rest of their lives. It’s safe to say that the trip had really turned out to be an unforgettable one, only not for the reasons they expected.
The Travel
When Gayle, her husband Steve, and their children Gabby, Ayla, Jaz, and Jaz’s girlfriend finally got to Varadero after a long and exhausting flight, they were ecstatic to arrive at the resort and relax by the pool.
The Travel
On their way to the resort, the family fantasized about the gorgeous pictures they saw on the website and in the brochure. For weeks, they drooled over the photos of a glittering pool surrounded by palm trees, impatient to see it all in person. Sadly, when they finally arrived at the Brisas del Caribe resort, they were horrified by the sight that greeted them.
Nightmare
Confused and disgusted, the Evans family approached the resort and couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Gayle said the resort was “in a state of decay,” and saying that “it looked like it was not really open. It was high season but there was nothing to say things would be closed.”
Nightmare
They hoped it was all just a big misunderstanding, that they had somehow arrived at the wrong hotel. However, they soon found out that they were in the right place, only it wasn’t the ‘dream’ resort that had been promised to them. The resort looked nothing like the images on the site. Gayle said it looked like “the stuff of nightmares.”
Check-In
While they were checking in, the family desperately hoped that their room – that appeared designed perfectly in the brochure – was in good enough condition. Unfortunately, as soon as they opened the door, they saw the room and were horrified. The room was dirty and looked nothing like the room they thought they were getting.
Check-In
Gayle said, “In our room, there were exposed electrics; one of the ‘clean’ towels had a dirty brown mark across it.” She recalled that at the time she had “burst into tears”, saying how truly “awful” it was. The family had no intention of spending any more time in that room, so they decided to hang onto their last hope: the pool.
Misleading
As the family walked out to the pool, they realized that this would be another huge disappointment. The tropical pool they had been promised turned out to be unkempt and grimy. Yet again, they got something completely different than what they were supposed to.
Misleading
“There was litter everywhere,” Gayle recalled, “The pools had green scum on the surface and there were broken furniture and beach beds.” By that point, the family was certain they had to do something on the matter.
Complaints
Naturally, the family got in touch with the company that they booked the resort through, The Holiday Place. They emailed them a long list of complaints to the company representative and requested to be placed in another hotel immediately.
Complaints
Sadly, the travel agency said they weren’t able to do anything. They said there was no available hotel nearby for them to go to. However, they did give each member of the family a $130 coupon to use on any future trip with the agency.
Low Standards
The agency referred Gayle and her family to the terms and conditions written on their site. They explained that tourists shouldn’t expect the star ratings in other countries as they were “the relative norm for the area.”
Low Standards
However, Gayle, who spent $13,000 on the trip, said she expected “a decent standard” at the very least. “Even allowing for different standards in poorer countries, this was not what we paid for.”
No Amenities
Since there were no other hotel options and the trip was already paid for, the family tried to make the most of their situation. The adults set out to check out some of the ‘amenities’ that were offered by the resort.
No Amenities
Unsurprisingly, the choices were limited. “None of the bars served cocktails, and the piano bar and other parts of the complex were closed the whole time we were there,” Gayle said. Even the ‘entertainment programs’ in the brochure were non-existent.
Broken
To top it off, it seemed to be that just about everything in the hotel was broken or falling apart. The furniture outside and inside the hotel was outdated and unusable, and even the elevator was shut down for ‘repairs’.
Broken
The outside of the resort was unkempt. Many of the stone pathways were crumbled and destroyed. The worst, however, had to be the poolside bathrooms. Gayle described them as having seemingly never been cleaned.
Safety First
Aside from just looking bad, the hotel had serious safety hazards. One example is the pavement: not only was it crumbled, but it also seemed to have been torn up and destroyed.
Safety First1
Someone walking around at night could get hurt – they might not see the damage. Not to mention kids would be running around and could trip easily.
Definitely Unhealthy
We all know that the bathroom is the most unsanitary area of the house. So, imagine walking into your hotel bathroom and seeing this. Not very reassuring, right?
Definitely Unhealthy
There’s no way this is healthy to be near. The most disturbing part is that hotel management thought this wasn’t a problem. In any case, no bathroom should ever look this way.
Disappointment
It looked like Gayle, the birthday girl, was the most disappointed out of everyone in the Evans family. She wanted nothing more than to spend some quality time with her children, and instead, she just wished they could all get back home as soon as possible.
Disappointment
“We wanted a really special time away together,” Gayle said. “My children are growing up and I knew it was probably the last chance to be away as a family.”
Feeling Sick
Naturally, just when the family was sure their trip couldn’t get worse, it did. After spending a few days at the resort, the family started getting stomach pains. They assumed it would have been because of the uncleanliness of the resort, or even the food that they ate there.
Feeling Sick
“To top it off, everyone except me had upset stomachs during the holiday,” Gayle said. “And my youngest daughter was very ill on the flight home.”
Counting Down
Gayle and her family began “counting down the days to come home.” They felt as if the whole experience had become a “nightmare” and they couldn’t wait for it to be over. The dream vacation they had spent so much time and money on had turned out to be a total disaster.
Counting Down
Gayle said her husband and kids felt awful about the way her birthday turned out. “My husband Steve felt he’d let me down and felt really guilty – it really affected all of us,” she said.
Silver Lining
There was a good side to the situation, thankfully. The Evans family was able to enjoy the serene beach of Varadero which was just a few steps away from their hotel. In addition, the weather was perfect while they were there. They even got to spend some time in Havana before getting to the resort.
Silver Lining
Gayle felt the need to clarify, “I’m not knocking Cuba at all – we loved spending a couple of days in Havana before going to this hotel, and the beach was everything we wanted.”
Mixed Opinions
The resort they went to, Brisas del Caribe, actually had an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, after having gotten mixed reviews. Some previous guests described the hotel as a “great place” and even said it had an “accommodating” staff. On the other hand, many others spoke of the negative experience they had with the hotel, and the Evans family found it all very familiar.
Mixed Opinions
One comment said the room the guest stayed in had an “awful smell”. Another previous guest called the hotel “disgusting”, telling future travelers to “look for another place.”
Unimaginable Outcome
The $13,000 that the Evans’ spent on their vacation wasn’t the only thing they were upset about. That vacation was most likely the last chance they had to go on vacation as a family before the older kids went off to college. This vacation was meant to be a special one for them to remember.
Unimaginable Outcome
As it turns out, this vacation would be one they would remember, only for the wrong reasons. This vacation would be one they would never forget, no matter how hard they tried.
Insult To Injury
The company the Evans went through to book their vacation, The Holiday Place, took no responsibility for what the family endured. When the media reached out to them for a comment, they simply cited data protection regulations to decline comment.
Insult To Injury
To top it off, the offer of giving each family member a $130 coupon off their next vacation, which amounted to $780, was a fraction of the $13,000 they had spent. The coupons were nothing but a “goodwill gesture” as the company didn’t think any of this was their fault.
Standards Vary
The agency’s claim that standards are different in various countries was laughable in this case, but it does apply to some trips. Aside from Brisas del Caribe, people living in countries like the U.S. that travel abroad should keep in mind that standards at home are not necessarily the same as in other countries.
Standards Vary
The four-star hotel in your hometown might not be the same as the one in the Caribbean or South America. We aren’t saying you shouldn’t go, just that you should adjust your expectations beforehand.
What Is There To Do?
Unfortunately, even if the Evans family would take any action against The Holiday Place, they wouldn’t get very far. While there are certain ways to have an arbitrator between them and the travel agency, they would have to prove that they did whatever they could to solve the matter on their own first.
What Is There To Do?
Not just that, but they would need to spend a lot of time and money on getting all the information organized. As sad as it is, the family might just need to accept the experience as an educational one and move on.
Wasps And Upset Stomachs
Naturally, this doesn’t mean that the guests never get compensated for terrible vacation experiences. Back in 2016, a British travel agency had to shell out over $130,000 to compensate guests who stayed in a five-star Turkish resort.
Wasps And Upset Stomachs
Many guests suffered from a “food poisoning epidemic” and wasp infestation, came together to take action against the travel law firm. While the victory might not undo what they went through, it did offer some sense of justice.
Not A Bad Idea
Of course, while the Evans’ experience was awful, it doesn’t reflect the experience of others staying in all-inclusive hotels. As a matter of fact, there is a lot to be said about that kind of vacation.
Not A Bad Idea
If what you want is some fun in the sun and good food, all-inclusive is your best bet. These resorts and hotels tend to have all the amenities you would need, meaning you wouldn’t even have to leave while you’re there. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for the Evans family.
‘Caveat Emptor’
It’s easy to see that the Brisas del Caribe was neither here nor there when reading their TripAdvisor reviews. It makes us wonder just how much research the Evans family actually did before flying off to Cuba.
‘Caveat Emptor’
Doing the research before going on vacation is a must since there is always fine print that could change everything. “Buyer beware” isn’t a new thing. Since the 1500s, “Caveat emptor”, meaning “let the buyer beware” in Latin, has been around.
Word To Mouth
The fact that the Evans family could even read about their hotel on TripAdvisor is a revolutionary concept in itself. That option didn’t even exist until about two decades ago. Nowadays, checking the website and brochure of a hotel is not enough. It’s crucial to read the reviews.
Word To Mouth
Today, deciding on a destination or booking a hotel is never done before reading up about them online. It’s such a useful tool to have when planning a vacation. Just a few more minutes on TripAdvisor might have saved the Evans family so much heartache.
Moving On
It’s safe to say that this experience was pretty traumatizing and it will not be something the family will forget anytime soon. All the same, most people most likely have a somewhat similar experience to this one, in some way or another.
Moving On
Most people can relate to bad hotel experiences, from stained towels to dirty showers and stinky rooms. At the end of the day, all there really is to do is to move on with life. That, and, of course, leave an honest review.
No Two Are The Same
We do hope that this negative experience didn’t turn the family off from taking vacations in the future. Despite the fact that they don’t know when they will be able to go away as a family next, they are bound to at some point or another.
No Two Are The Same
Hopefully, they’ll be able to go on vacation in the future without a problem and actually enjoy themselves fully. Not every hotel is like the one they went to.
Life Lessons
Of course, this was a significant learning experience for the family. In the future, we have no doubt that they will be much more cautious when booking hotels. They’ll make sure not only to check the reviews but to check on multiple sites and read all the fine print.
Life Lessons
Even though the Evans family didn’t know any better this time, this disaster could have been prevented and can be kept from happening in the future.
