So from Havana we had a transfer booked to Varedero - what was meant to be a 2-3 hour journey. What Holiday Place failed to let us know was that the different hotel pick ups in Havana would take an hour and a half, on top of the two hour journey, and that was from just when we got picked up (some people had already been on the coach for half and hour already).
The Journey
The journey itself was good, the seat on the coach were comfy and the roads weren’t crazy bumpy, so I managed to sleep a lot of the way. We also got a 20 min stop over about an hour after we left Havana. Something which was much needed for the people that had been on the coach from the first pick up! Luckily for us the stopping cafe had an incredible view point on the border of Matanzas and Santa Cruz Del Norte:
About an hour after we left the view point we arrived in Varadero. It is meant to be a town but I would say it is the size of a large village, consisting of approx. 3 streets of 64 blocks. I reckon you could walk from one side to the other in less than 30 mins. The real main attraction of this town though, is the strip of about 50 (maybe more) all inclusive hotels, ranging from between 3 and 5 stars! I have honestly never seen anything like it.
The Hotel Nightmare
So we finally arrived at our hotel about 4 and a half hours later. Tired. Ready to eat. This is when we get the news that in fact the room we were meant to be staying in was actually ruined by the hurricane and they have moved our booking to different hotel. Like, WHAT?!
The hotel said they would take us all to the next hotel in the tranfer cars. While we waited for our transfer cars to arrive, we did what any 21st century family would do and, we took to Google to find reviews on this hotel we are actually stay. Luckily for us, it actually had better reviews than the hotel we were meant to stay at, PHEW.
Next thing we know our tranfer has rocked up, it is a small 5 seater car, definitely not enough space for all of us (there are 5 of us and a driver) and definitely not enough space for our luggage. So back to the front desk we go to explain, that the car cannot fit us all. Their response was priceless:
“You can take two trips in this car, and if you do not want to do this, then you will have to pay for your own cab.”
How can you talk to a customer in that tone? First, they should have informed us of this change of hotel in the first place and second, how can you tell us we have to pay for the mistake they have made. We decided to not argue with this as we are tired and we just wanted to get to the next hotel, so the driver took two trips.
The Second Hotel Saviour
When I entered this second hotel, I immediately fell in love with it. It had a large, open reception area, a friendly vibe and music. Also I liked the way the hotel staff had created a ‘swan scene’:
Even though the day was a nightmare, the end result was worth it!
Stay safe out there.
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