(Meant to post this one a while back, but got busy… At least I’m squeaking it in before year-end ;)

As noted previously, I took a family vacation to Cuba. We had such high hopes, and we were in dire need of some R&R. Sadly, we were hugely disappointed. So, disgusted with things that we flew back early - our happiest moment being when we got on the flight to come home.

Here’s the (slightly edited) complainted I sent to Air Canada Vacations:

Hi,

I am sad to say that my family and I had a horrible vacation experience at the El Senador resort in Cayo Coca, Cuba. So bad, that we opted to fly back home two days early, on another airline.

Originally, we were scheduled to go to the Sucscape Beach resort in Punta Cana. However, due to a malaria “scare” in Dominican Republic, Air Canada Vacations (ACV) kindly phoned us to suggest rebooking/rescheduling our vacation. This was on December 1st. Our vacations was scheduled for a December 5th departure!

Since we were all ready and prepared to be on vacation that week, we worked with the ACV rep on the phone to rebook us. One of the few options during the same dates was Cayo, Coca. The ACV rep highly recommended the El Senador and the ratings in the “Reves Soleil” catalog appeared to confirm it as a very good place to go. We were very excited about avoiding the malaria scare in Dominican Republic and still getting to go on vacation the same week.

Sadly, once we arrived at the El Senador, all was not well. To say the least, the resort was in shambles. Here are some of my criticisms:

  • half the resort was shut down, apparently it was still off-season (which we were not warned about)
  • as a result of 1, only half the pools were open, many of the restaurants were closed, the game room was shut down, the roller rink was closed, etc, etc
  • fountains and other decorative/aesthetic elements were shut off our simply not functional (see photo)
  • the lights/lamps along the walkways were off, finding our room when we got there was a real challenge and impeded our ability to enjoy the grounds at night
  • the majority of the windows had X-style markings taped on them, making buildings look abandoned and unwelcoming (see photo)
  • there was a 3 foot trench and piles of dirt/rocks/debris just outside our room’s terrace (see photo)
  • the overall quality of food was extremely poor, further there was no “real” milk (only evaporated) for our young son to drink, for a Caribbean island the fruit selection was pitiful, the steak was like rubber, etc, etc

Overall, the entire complex was in disrepair, in need of maintenance and simply not inviting or enjoyable.

Now, on to our room specifically:

  • there were ants/bugs on the floor (see photo). we had to request that they spray our room three times
  • the shower hand mold (see photo)
  • the shower water-flow knob was broken and made taking a shower a challenge (see photo), nevermind the fact that the water pressure and temperature was spotty
  • the room smelled bad (and obviously got worse as each day passed), no attempt was made to scent/deodorize the room
  • the mattress was back-breaking, essentially nothing more than springs under a sheet, it would collapse as soon as you sat/lied on the bed (see photo). I developed a very sore back and my wife had a stiff neck throughout.
  • only two small shower towels were provided (often with holes in them), and no face/wash cloths were ever provided
  • the sheets were not changed every day, and I question if they were ever changed
  • overall the room was not well cleaned (ie, the toilet, mirrors, floors, etc) were all pretty messy throughout our stay

Well, I think that’s all I can recall. On the plus side the staff was friendly and the beach was nice…

By Friday, we simply could not take it any more. We booked a flight back to Montreal on Air Transat the morning of the 10th. When we complained to the supervisor, she had a reason for everything (some certainly valid (eg, the trenches were to protect against flooding during the rainy season)). However, when you take a vacation you expect to arrive in paradise and enjoy a week of pampering and fun - not a resort in shambles and a wholly unpleasant experience. I cannot express more how awful it truly was.

As a result, I demand:

  • a refund of monetary expense of the trip (approx. $400)
  • a “refund” of the 170,000 Aeroplan miles that were redeemed
  • a refund of the cost of the Air Transat return flight (600 Cuban pesos or approx. $750)
  • an additional $200 to cover the cost of professional massages, for myself and my wife to recover from the horrible bed

Further, I request that you immediately notify me of your receipt of this complaint and that you respond to my above demands before the end of the week (ie, December 17th).

I have been a loyal Air Canada traveller/customer for the past decade (being of Elite status for probably the last 5). But this was an unacceptable experience and a waste of our time and resources.

Regards,
Jason

It was pretty bad and we were just so pissed/dissappointed. They were kind enought to acknoledge receipt of the complaint the next day. But, I’ve yet to hear back in terms of a formal response or reaction to my “demands”.

And, after doing some research on the web, we discovered that we’re not the only ones who were let down (eg, “Will Not Return”, “Get me out of here!”).