PAX joins Cuba Tourist Board for reopening of Cayos

In any other scenario, it might seem slightly out of character to see hotel executives donning sneakers, shorts and t-shirts, kneeling amongst the mud, downed palm trees and debris alongside their staff. But throughout the Cayo Coco regions of Cuba, this was a reoccurring visual.

After Hurricane Irma made landfall in Cuba on Sept. 9, thousands of employees at some of Cayo Coco’s most popular resorts have been working around the clock to restore the properties, juggling responsibilities not normally related to their job titles, in order to make sure that Cayo Coco’s beloved, sugar-white beaches are ready to welcome back the tourists who flock to them each year.

On Oct. 29, PAX boarded a flight with Sunwing Airlines and 162 travel agents from Toronto and Montreal, alongside Eloy Govea, director, Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto, and headed down to Cayo Coco, Cuba, to inspect a series of hotels and resorts that were damaged by Hurricane Irma as she tore into the Caribbean.

The Jardines del Rey airport, which was severely damaged by Irma, showed no traces of the hurricane’s wrath. Freshly painted walls in bright colours and newly reconstructed customs offices greeted the team upon arrival.

Leaving the airport behind and heading towards the beach, signs of Irma were evident, but scarce enough that any traveller not aware of the recent hurricane might associate them with natural weather patterns. Driving through the mangroves is where Irma’s destruction was most evident — the trees were scorched black almost as if a forest fire taken place, which was attributed to the sheer strength of the storm’s wind, which severely dehydrated the plants, rendering them dark and shabby.

Several street lamps were bent in half on the ground, and small floods on the roadside were still common. Despite this, one aspect of landscape remained unchanged. All along the side of the road, Cubans could be seen working tirelessly in the hot sun, doing whatever needed to be done — laying down bricks, chopping fallen palm trees, transporting equipment — to make the island beautiful once more.

“You only take care of something you love and understand,” said Eloy Govea, director, Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto. “Even in hard times, you’ll see bigger smiles in Cayo Coco than any other country in the world.”

In total, PAX visited seven properties in Cayo Coco, Cuba. For some, Hurricane Irma caused minor structural damage, like broken glass and uprooted gardens. For others, the hurricane showed no mercy, tearing entire roofs off, wrecking pools, and tossing furniture like toys. Of all the hotels PAX visited, one thing was consistent - even in the face of adversity, the resiliency, determination and dedication of the Cuban people was more powerful than the hurricane itself.

Here are the seven properties PAX visited:

Hotel Sol Cayo Coco

Despite officially opening today, Nov. 1, Sol Cayo Coco has already welcomed five guests so far, meaning the hotel employed all of the staff necessary and set up all services promised by an all-inclusive property to ensure that those visitors had an incredible experience. The hotel has 271 rooms, of which 61 are ocean-view and four are suites. This four-star, family-friendly hotel celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and though the hurricane affected the property, it also left a nice surprise — prior to Hurricane Irma, Sol Cayo Coco had 14 kilometres of white sand, but now, there are 18 kilometres! Sol Cayo Coco is one property making the most of the hurricane, by conducting a series of renovations during the time it’s been closed to the public. The beach bar and theatre are opening, and a series of new structures went up right after the hurricane hit.

Pullman Hotels and Resorts

Pullman was the strongest hit by Hurricane Irma, and prior to the storm, the five-star luxury had much success with the Canadian market. More than 350 employees have been working relentlessly to piece the property back together. After a brief tour, it was evident that despite a few broken umbrellas, the views to the beach were unobstructed, and the overall structures on the resort are safe and sound. The beaches are even whiter than before, as the hurricane essentially expelled debris from the beaches and brought more sand over. The hotel has taken the time to complete additional renovations.

“Canadians are our most important repeat guests, and they’re waiting on us to be sure it is safe to come back,” said Jean-Christophe Martinez, general manager, Pullman Cayo Coco. “Once they’re back, the tourism boom will be fast. We take the opportunity to make a very good change from something very bad, and I’m hoping many tourists will come back quickly.”

Memories Flamenco

Only five years old, Memories Flamenco Beach Resort was already conducting renovations when Hurricane Irma arrived in Cayo Coco. According to Mohamad Fawzi Gonzalez, director of operations, Blue Diamond Resorts, there were a few minor hiccups with the renovations, so in a sense, the hurricane was almost a blessing in disguise. Several new restaurants and renovations to the 624 rooms, 12 of which are suites, to those visitors who return to Memories Flamenco this Nov. 4, which is earlier than the estimated opening of Nov. 15. The new rooms feature flat-screen TVs with cable, a king-sized bed, air conditioning, and other exciting updates. Despite the hurricane, Memories Flamenco says business is booming.

“Our most popular market is Canada, making up 75 per cent,” said Diego Bilarda, general manager, Memories Flamenco. “More than 35,000 Canadians came last year, and even when the hurricane was on its way, most of our guests wanted to stay anyways.”

Iberostar Playa Pilar

Cayo Guillermo - celebrated as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and renowed for its cultural association with Ernest Hemingway - also houses Iberostar Playa Pilar. Roughly 40 kilometres from Cayo Coco, as a seaside town, Cayo Guillermo was hit even worse than Cayo Coco during Hurricane Irma’s visit to the island. Most of the damage was evident in the gardens. Prior to Hurricane Irma’s arrival, Iberostar had 900 lush palm trees, and the hurricane tore every single one of them up! Since the storm, workers on the resort have re-planted more than 900 new palm trees, and added an additional series of flowers and plants through the gardens. There are 482 rooms at Iberostar, and despite remnants of the hurricane on the grounds (some water and mud are visible), there is no structural damage to be found, and all operations are in full swing. Cayo Guillermo’s beaches are shallower, and the north-eastern winds make it a popular spot for kite surfing.

Melia Cayo Guillermo

Hurricane Irma spared the majority of Melia Cayo Guillermo’s 300 rooms, and the main reception area took the brunt of her blows. Capitalizing on the recent events, the hotel channelled recovery efforts towards renovations, which include modifying the cigar bar into a regular bar, and re-decorating the lobby. A popular boardwalk that jets out into the ocean is also currently being repaired, and floating gardens, ponds, and pools are being cleaned and restored. The five-star property re-opens today, as does its brand new restaurant expansion.

Melia Jardines del Rey

“It’s very emotional for us to have our guests back,” said Marcos Diaz Trujillo, general manager, Melia Jardins del Rey.

Of the 1,076 rooms available at the hotel 700 were available when PAX visited, and all will be ready by Nov. 15. All of the hotel’s facilities are fully operational for the guests who choose to visit earlier in November. When Hurricane Irma hit, the biggest cause of damage was a large hole in the theatre, but as Trujillo pointed out, it was not necessarily one major point of damage, but a series of minor damages across the resort. At Melia Jardines del Rey, balconies that were shattered only a month ago have been fully replaced, and the pools are full, the lounge chairs are set up, and the entire resort looks virtually untouched. As with several other properties, Irma dumped more of Cayo Coco’s infamous white sand behind at the property, making it even more attractive for repeat guests, or those who have never visited.

“Cayo Coco is more beautiful than yesterday, and less than tomorrow,” added Lessner Gomez, deputy delegate, Jardines del Rey Delegation of MINTUR.

Pestana

This four-star property re-opens today, and by the looks of the resort grounds when PAX visited, Pestana is more than ready. Visitors can enjoy renovations throughout the hotel’s four themed restaurants —Portuguese, Indian, Cuban, and Italian — as well as all of the amenities associated with this all-inclusive property. From the oceanview rooms, the waters of Cayo Guillermo were turquoise and the spacious lobby is clean and bright. A series of photos from before and after show no trace of the wrath of Hurricane Irma.