News for tourism in Cuba from Destinos Gaviota

By Daily Pérez Guillén

“Gaviota does not stop,” assured the Vice President of Marketing of the tourism group, Frank País Oltuski, at the professional meeting of the 6th edition of Destinos Gaviota, an important event in the Cuban leisure industry, held at the Hotel Playa Pesquero in Holguín.

“Not only hotels and beaches, but experiences including excursions, tours, visits, are developed in our territory. Gaviota Tour, Marinas Gaviotas, the extra-hotel facilities that include restaurants, parks, trails, dolphinariums, aquariums; we have everything here for the full satisfaction of our clients,” he commented, referring to the Holguin tourist resort, of “a bright future full of opportunities.”

Ramón de Antilla is the project under development by the Gaviota Tourism Group in this territory, a new destination where the Grand Memories Holguín and Sierra Cristal hotels, managed by Blue Diamond, the Polimita Plaza and nearby attractions are already receiving visitors. “We think it is going to become an iconic destination in our country,” he predicted.

Oltusky also drew attention to two new products, presented in this edition of Destinos Gaviota: Playa Kids, focused on the family and children’s segment; and Playa Luxury, for luxury experiences beyond comfort and which will see a new hotel in Cayo Guillermo.

Welcoming tour operators, travel agents and specialized press, the group’s vice president asked for a round of applause for “the humble and hospitable people” who work to ensure the quality services in Holguín and who become a hallmark of this destination.

He also informed that Gaviota has continued to make progress in other areas of the archipelago. New openings in Havana, the northern keys and Holguín are expected before the end of 2024 and next year.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS AT THE 6th GAVIOTA DESTINOS TOURISM EXHIBITION

As Havana is a city of movies, it will have a hotel to match it, according to Iberostar’s Commercial Director in Cuba, Alexeis Torres, as he showed off the chain’s new facility in the country’s capital. The Iberostar Selection La Habana, a hotel that forms the tallest building in the city, has been presented by the Majorcan company as a “gift to the city on its 505th anniversary.”

Meanwhile, Eduardo Rivera, general manager of The One Gallery hotel, said that entertainment will continue to be at the core of the offers of this fácility, which hosts the Music Fest festival.  The manager described this facility as a “cultural icon in Cayo Santa María,” where entertainment and gastronomy are the two main lines of work, securing a customer repeat rate of 4 times in a year.

MGM Muthu Hotels will start managing three new properties in Cuba: the Hotel Segundo Frente, a product associated with nature, a modality it did not previously have among its portfolio; Hotel Ensenada in Holguín, and the luxury Habana Tower in the capital city, aimed at specialized events, as informed Sales Director, Alejandro de la Garza. Relaxation, culture, luxury and fun define the company’s facilities in its more than 50 hotels around the world. In the Caribbean, the company is present in Havana, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa María, Varadero and Holguín.

Margherite Sgroi, ROC’s commercial director in Cuba, presented its new campaign. With images of the experiences offered in its facilities and the slogans: “This is joy,” “This is fun,” “This is unique,” and “This is life,” the director stressed “ROC’s commitment since its arrival in Cuba more than a decade ago.” Through a video filmed at the Hotel Roc Casa del Mar in Cayo Santa María, one of the chain’s top facilities, participants had an insight into the vibrant energy at this installation, where families and children in particular can enjoy themselves.

Blue Diamond confirmed that it is the fastest-growing chain in the Caribbean, driven largely by the 58 hotels it manages in Cuba, with more than 13,000 rooms. International awards based on the opinion of travelers atest to its development. For the start of the high season on November 1, the chain announced the launch of its new brand Resonance Hotels, opening a new horizon for tourism in the Caribbean. This option will be available in the beach resorts of Varadero, Santa Lucia, Marea del Portillo and Cayo Santa Maria.

Kempinski, the world’s oldest luxury chain, will continue to manage two hotels in Havana.

Sirenis, a family-owned company based in Ibiza and with hotels in destinations such as the Mayan Riviera; San Andres, Colombia; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Ibiza, will continue to manage some 1,000 rooms in three hotels in Cuba: Sirenis Tropical Varadero, Grand Sirenis Cayo Santa Maria and Park View in Havana.

Meliá invited guests to enjoy the soul of Cuba in the destinations where it is present. With 14,800 rooms in more than 35 hotels, it is one of the international chains with the largest investment in Cuba and a service of excellence and exclusivity.

Selectum Family Resort, of Turkish origin, announces a new opening in 2025. The City Habana Corona, associated with the Havana cigar circuit, will include the prospect of offering guests a combined stay in the capital and the Varadero beach resort, where the chain already successfully manages a hotel.

Banyan Tree Group, in Cayo Santa María, proposes to “disconnect to reconnect.” The Angsana and the Dhawa, two small but ecologically sensitive hotels, are the setting for their proposal to experience Cuba.

Meanwhile, Vila Galé, the largest all-inclusive resort chain in Brazil, with hotels also in Portugal and Spain, will continue its bid for the Caribbean from Cuba. In Cayo Paredón Grande, a hotel of the same name shows the professionalism and comfort of its services.

Axel Hotels’ Director in Cuba, Poncio Da Silva Estanga, referred to the upcoming opening in Cayo Coco of a new hotel under this brand.  Focused on the LGBT public, which generates more than three billion dollars in revenue for the tourism sector per year, Axel is committed to increasing its presence in Cuba, and also includes as a novelty the Beach Club, a beach resort on Santa María beach in eastern Havana, about 30 minutes away from the Hotel Telégrafo it manages in the capital.

The Valentin chain, which originated in Majorca, reiterated its commitment to Cuba, its first incursion in the Caribbean. Its accomodation is still open for stays in Havana, Cayo Santa María and the new resort of Cayo Cruz, in northern Camagüey province.

The Indonesian company Archipelago International closed the day of presentations by showing its expansion in Cuba with properties in the country’s main tourist areas (Havana, Varadero, Cayo Santa María, Cayo Paredón and Holguín), in addition to the more than 350 properties under its management around the world. Archipelago is committed to Latin America and Cuba has been its first step in the region.