From left to right: Roberto Diaz, Gaviota BDM Canada; Frank Oltuski, Marketing Vice; President Gaviota Group; Lessner Gomez, Director Cuba Tourist Board; Carlos Latuff, President Gaviota Group; Karen Puebla, Executive Assistant Cuba Tourist Board

By Kateryna Ivchenko

With so much news around Gaviota’s next steps, the company has made a trip to Canada to reveal what they have been working on and what Canadian travellers can expect this upcoming travel season!

Gaviota and the Cuba Tourist Board shared some exclusive insights on how the destination plans to attract 1 million Canadian travellers in 2024. As of July 2024, Cuba welcomed 600,000 Canadians (out of a total of 1 million tourists) and is more than ready to welcome more.

Here’s what you need to know:

New Hotels

Openings in Havana:

• End of 2024: Hotel Metropoli, 2nd Kempinski property in Old Havana
• End of 2024: 2nd section of Muthu Havana, called Muthu Tower
• End of 2024: Iberostar Selection La Habana
• Beginning of 2025: Hotel Corona (managed by the ATG, a Turkish hotel chain)
• Beginning of 2025: Real Aduana

Openings in Holguin:

• End of 2024: Muthu Ensenada

 Ramon de Antillas:

2 new Gaviota hotels will be opened in October 2024 and at the end of 2025; however, the brands and names are unknown for now.

Currently, the tourist development in Ramon de Antillas has one hotel, which WheelsUpNetwork visited back in 2022. For more information, please click here.

Expansive Renos

Gaviota has started a chain of major hotel renovations mainly in Havana, Varadero, Cayo Santa Maria, and Holguin. Hotels include Memories Miramar, Panorama, Grand Memories Varadero, Valentin El Patriarca, Memories Flamenco, Sol Río De Luna y Mares, and more!

Playa Hotels:

Gaviota has prepared a special plan for Playa Hotels, with major renovations set to begin at Playa Cayo Santa Maria. The focus is on creating a new product tailored for family travel and enhancing the luxury segment. Specifically, there will be a dedicated area for families and children, equipped with necessary amenities and offering a variety of activities. Additionally, a premium level will be introduced, featuring personalized services such as a butler, all-day a la carte dining, and specialized hotel sections. Following the successful launch at Playa Cayo Santa Maria, Gaviota plans to extend these enhancements to all Playa Hotels.

New Brand in Holguin:

Memories Varadero and Starfish Santa Maria are currently undergoing renovations to be rebranded under Blue Diamond Resorts' new brand, Resonance. The resorts will be divided into two distinct sections: one focused on vibrant music, entertainment, and lively activities, while the other will cater to relaxation, wellness activities, and spa services.

What’s New

Welcoming Foreign Investments

Gaviota is collaborating with 16 international hotel chains, including those from countries such as Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Indonesia, and India. Currently, a total of 65 foreign companies are partnering with Gaviota to offer diverse travel products and services. Additionally, Gaviota is in discussions with China, Singapore, France, Qatar, and Italy to introduce new hotel chains to Cuba. 

Foreign investment in Cuba can now be done through traditional hotel investments or a new leasing module. This leasing option extends beyond hotels to include restaurants of various cuisines, such as Cuban, Italian, or Chinese, aiming to enhance culinary offerings and quality across the island. Cuba's initiative to allow foreign restaurant investment is a significant step towards improving food quality, addressing concerns raised by Travel Agents.
Regarding other necessary items Canadian travellers are longing for during the vacation, Gaviota has been discussing the possibility of receiving various food items like Nutella, maple syrup, and spicy salsa to be delivered via Tour Operators who sell Cuba.

Pay in Cash

NEW: You can now pay with cash again! For a few years now, Cuba has been offering credit and debit card payments, but a lot of travellers are still not comfortable using cashless payment methods abroad and prefer to carry cash. Cuba has listened, and in the first few weeks of August, the entire island of Cuba will offer travellers the following payment options: credit/debit cards and cash (CAD, USD, Euro, and Pounds Sterling) for all products, starting from excursions and ending with bar drinks.

School

As Gaviota expands its hotel portfolio, the demand for staff training has increased significantly. In response to this need, new training schools will be launched in every destination in Cuba starting from October 1, 2024. These schools, located within hotels, aim to enhance the service quality provided by the staff. Additionally, there is a potential opportunity for Canadians to participate in an exchange program with special packages to stay and learn.

Gaviota Products

Currently, Gaviota Hotels has two gastronomic projects offered in every hotel they own:

1. Nativa – to promote Cuban gastronomy. In every Gaviota hotel, you will be able to see a section with traditional Cuban drinks and food offerings based on the region you are in!
2. Traditions – it is a restaurant chain that offers traditional gourmet Cuban food. It already exists in some hotels and towns. This project goes beyond Cuban borders, and Gaviota plans to open up Traditions restaurants abroad! 

Destinos Gaviota 2024

The 6th edition of the Destinos Gaviota Fair will be held in Holguin October 16-20, 2024. Gaviota will launch the Holguin destination with new and exciting updates. The fair will take place in Playa Pesquero and partially in Grand Memory Holguin. For more upcoming events, please visit gaviotahotels.com/en/events-in-cuba.

Attracting Young Travellers

Gaviota is actively seeking to attract a greater number of younger travellers to the island. Cayo Santa Maria, with its upcoming events such as the Coraland electronic music festival on August 1, the Back to the 90’s party in November 2024, and the New Year's show in December featuring Cuba's renowned artists, is positioned as the ideal destination for this demographic. Stay tuned for further updates and details.

Carlos Latuff, President of Gaviota Group, says that the main objective for Gaviota right now is to get the Canadian market number back to pre-covid times (1.5 million), and they will not stop improving the products and services until Canadian travellers return. With the updates Gaviota has provided above, within 3-4 years you will see the final results of all the work the company is doing behind the scenes. Gaviota will bring new quality standards via the work they do with foreign companies and partners.

“With the same love that Canadian tourists express to everyone on the island, Cubans are working with the same love to give the best service. We need Canadian tourists to come back to Cuba,” says Carlos Latuff.