Famous Cuban hotel recovers thousands of dollars of stolen kitchen equipment
A popular Cuban hotel recovered a coffee machine and other items after a theft that official sources called “unprecedented.”
According to a report by Radio Varadero, state-run media outlet, posted on Wednesday, the items stolen “in mid-March” from Hotel Iberostar Varadero had a combined value of nearly three million Cuban pesos (about $6,000 according to the official exchange rate).
In a brief social media post, Radio Varadero highlighted “the swift action of the Policía Nacional Revolucionaria, the Technical Investigation Department and citizen cooperation.”
A heist at a hotel
According to the post, the investigation concluded that an employee from the kitchen together with two former hotel employees were allegedly involved in the theft.
“Taking advantage of their knowledge of the premises, they wrongfully appropriated several pieces of equipment,” the report said, then listed the stolen items: a slicer for cheese and cold cuts, a vegetable cutter, a meat grinder, a microwave oven, a coffee grinder and a coffee machine.
“Hotel management reported that, following the incident, internal security measures have been strengthened and the commitment to transparency and customer trust remains. Authorities continue the investigations and say there will be no impunity for those responsible,” the report said.
The tourist face of Cuba amid the crisis
The incident comes amid a deepening tourism crisis on the island that has driven hotel occupancy sharply down, while the Cuban government tries to boost tourism with promotional campaigns and deals.
In January, official figures showed that Cuba received 184,833 international visitors that month,— 11,512 fewer than in the same period the previous year. The decrease in visitors from Canada, Russia and the so-called “Cuban community abroad,” which make up much of Cuba’s tourism market, has been stark.
Varadero is a key destination for the archipelago’s tourism market, mainly because of its popular seaside resort. The hotel Iberostar Selection Varadero is considered a “jewel in the portfolio” of that Spanish company in the country, according to Cuban officials.
The property operates as a five-star hotel and offers an “all-inclusive” option that fits package-tour formats.
Iberostar Cuba Hotels & Resorts is a leading hotel chain in Cuba, with nearly 20 four- and five-star hotels located in the island’s main tourist destinations, including Havana, Varadero, Cayo Cruz, Cayo Ensenachos, Cayo Guillermo, Holguín and Trinidad.
