A couple of Cuban tourists was denied entry to the Hotel Gran Muthu Almirante Beach in Holguín because of a 20-year age difference between them. The unusual incident was reported by the 31-year-old woman, who recorded a video at the hotel’s reception, outraged by the violation of her rights. The video was sent to independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada, who shared it on his social media platforms.
“A young woman from Santiago de Cuba sent this video, in which she complains that she was not admitted to the Hotel Gran Muthu Almirante Beach because her partner of eight years is older than her,” the journalist explained in his post. In the recording, the woman can be heard protesting in the hotel lobby. “Here I am at the Hotel Gran Muthu Almirante Beach, supposedly 5 stars. They haven’t let me stay with my partner of eight years because, according to them, he is 20 years older than me, and we are not married. It’s a lack of respect,” she stated.
At the time of writing, the identities of the Cubans denied entry by the management of the Indian hotel chain MGM Muthu Hotels, which has a significant presence in Cuba, remain unknown. The reason cited by the staff at Gran Muthu Almirante Beach constitutes a violation of the rights of both individuals and harks back to the times when the discrimination of Cubans in international tourist accommodations was common, following an official policy of the Cuban regime.
With 514 rooms spread across six buildings arranged in a horseshoe shape overlooking Guardalavaca beach, the five-star Gran Muthu Almirante Beach hotel opened to the public in July 2021, with prices up to 7,827 CUP per night. The hotel was the first of the Cubanacán group in eastern Cuba and the seventh in the country for the Muthu Group. The corporate director of MGM Resorts International on the island is Rafael López.
Expanding Hotel Operations
“We are opening some hotels in Havana. The Holguín hotel, Gran Muthu Almirante Beach, has already opened with very good results; we are also going to open another hotel in Holguín with the Gaviota group. We are really very satisfied and want to continue expanding. We started with two hotels and now we practically have 10 hotels in Cuba,” López declared in 2022 to Excelencias Cuba.
In 2019, the Indian tourist group inaugurated the Hotel Gran Muthu Rainbow in Cayo Guillermo, the first hotel exclusively for the LGBTQ+ community in Cuba. The resort is managed by MGM Muthu Hotels but belongs to the Gaviota Group S.A. of the state monopoly GAESA, with business management by the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR).
In February 2023, the Indian group and Gaviota inaugurated the Hotel Gran Muthu Habana, located at the intersection of 3rd Avenue and 70th Street in the Miramar district of Playa municipality. Situated in a prime area of the Cuban capital, the hotel is categorized as five stars and features 27 floors with 494 standard rooms, 16 junior suites, and five suites.
After years of bans on national tourism and the impossibility for Cuban residents on the island to stay in hotels, the Cuban regime decided to encourage national tourism due to the decline in foreign visitors and uncertainty in the tourism sector caused by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In a 2021 meeting to analyze the priorities of the tourism industry in Cuba, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz insisted on "redesigning a strategy to boost national tourism."
In August 2023, dozens of Cubans reported being scammed at the Santa María Music Fest when they arrived in Cayo Santamaría with their reservations only to find that there had been an overbooking of rooms, and the management of the Hotel Gran Muthu Cayo Santa María did not offer solutions to the problem. The chaos at the Gran Muthu hotel also occurred at the Grand Aston Cayo Las Brujas Beach Resort & Spa, where scammed clients protested. The packages offered for the stay included the hotels The One Gallery, Grand Sirenis, and Angsana, the latter embroiled in controversy after a letter from a hotel administrator circulated, requesting not to accommodate Cubans.
Several hotels of the MGM Muthu Hotels group are on the "blacklist" of Cuban companies that U.S. businesspeople are prohibited from dealing with, a measure adopted by the Trump administration that includes more than 200 facilities "under the control or acting on behalf" of Cuban military, intelligence, and security services, according to the State Department.
FAQs on Tourist Discrimination in Cuban Hotels
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding the recent incident of discrimination faced by a tourist couple in a Cuban hotel. These questions aim to provide more insights into the situation and the wider implications for tourism in Cuba.
Why were the Cuban tourists denied entry to the hotel?
The Cuban tourists were denied entry to the Hotel Gran Muthu Almirante Beach due to a 20-year age difference between them, which the hotel staff cited as the reason for their refusal.
Is age difference a valid reason for denying hotel accommodation?
No, age difference is not a valid reason for denying hotel accommodation. Such actions are considered discriminatory and violate the rights of individuals.
What has been the response from the hotel management?
As of now, the management of the MGM Muthu Hotels has not provided any public response regarding the incident.
How has the Cuban government responded to such incidents?
The Cuban government has previously encouraged national tourism due to a decline in foreign visitors, but specific responses to incidents like this have not been publicized.