Need Help in Holguin | Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews Forums

Sorry admin – I posted this in the wrong section first.
I recently helped my cousin and her boyfriend book their first trip to Cuba. They arrived in Holguin on Friday. Today she called her mother in tears because their room was broken into from their 2nd floor balcony while they were sleeping. They yelled and screamed until the intruder left through the door.Now security is treating them like they made it up. I really wanted them to enjoy Cuba like we have. Any advice on how they should handle this?

I would imagine that would have been fairly traumatic for them. They could contact their tour operator rep at the resort and ask him/her to intercede on their behalf if they have security issues – maybe ask to be moved to a more secure room/area.

Their Canjet rep has been less than helpful apparently. Asking for a more secure room makes sense though. I would have thought 2nd floor would be OK… She’s pretty shaken up.

If they are with CanJet Vacations and their rep is being “less than helpful”, you could perhaps contact Canjet Vacations on their behalf. (905) 282-0359You will need their full names and the name of the resort that they are staying at. This is the first year that CanJet Vacations is operating, so some of their staff might not yet be as skilled at dealing with challenges as one would wish. Explain the situation calmly, saying that your cousin needs some assistance from the rep in Cuba. Try not to lay any blame – focus on their safety concerns, not on their perception of the rep at the resort.

Let us know how you get along.

Is there some Canadian Embassy help needed here? Do the cousins need help?
I’m not sure but think I’ve heard this story before. Do we have friends in that area?

I agree with Mad on this.

I will add that ……. While traumatic it might have been a wrong room the intruder entered and not intentionally your cousin’s room at all. Still there SHOULD be some more care and concern on the part of the rep for the incident. Also depending on the resort they are staying with if a Spanish resort then ask to chat with the GM and share with them the request to be moved to a 2nd story room. You also have the Canadian consulate rep in Guadalavaca as a last resort. But it sounds like nothing was taken so other than the scare…. there is no crime.

Thanks for the replies. They were on the 2nd floor when it happened. They are not hurt, but shaken up by the experience and still have 4 more days to go. I’ve given her mother the Canjet number to call on their behalf. Hopefully they can manage to enjoy the rest of the trip despite this. As far as a crime, I would think breaking and entry is criminal, no?

There is a Canadian Consulate in Guardalavaca … used to be located at Hotel Atlantico (anyone know if it is still there?). BUT … unless there is urgent assistance required (serious illness, accident, lost passport, etc), please don’t contact the Consulate. Their role isn’t to intervene in challenges that tourists have with their resort, but to provide emergency services.But … if anyone ever needs to contact the Canadian Consul in Guardalavaca, the phone number is (53) (24) 430 320. Tuck that away for your next vacation.

The women have to go, now.

Sorry Spunky, but that is going right over my head. One (or both) of us has shoveled too much today.

If there is a light on the balcony, perhaps they could leave that on at night as well?

Yes, break & enter is a crime. But as Canucks & eeeefarm wrote … maybe it was an unfortunate incident, and not at all intentional.For example, it is currently “Reading Week” for a lot of Canadian university students, and thousands of them are in Cuba. Maybe one of those students accidentally locked himself out of his room, and figured that he could hoist himself up to the second story balcony to gain entrance. Alas, he miscalculates which room is his, and ends up in someone else’s room. The occupants wake up at the intrusion and the guy races out the door when they start screaming. Some university student might soon be telling the story of the night that he accidentally went in the wrong room and was lucky that he escaped alive.As startling as the incident probably was … try to give the people involved some reassurance so that they can enjoy their remaining vacation.

Exactly Mad……… yes B&E is criminal.. but we had someone get into our room …….. they mixed up their room # lost or forgot their key and the front desk (it was late) gave then a new key (without confirming their room # )…. to our room. The mix-up was corrected and only a bit of sleep was lost……. and new procedures were put in place for new key access at the hotel so it would not happen again.

What a scary situation. Sure hope the remainder of their holiday is pleasant and uneventful. Which resort are they at?

They are at the Blau Costa Verde

That I’m not sure about eeeefarm

Too bad that they have experienced that and that this is their first trip to Cuba. I hope the rest of their vacation will be better. Would they be able to recognize person that entered their room if they see him/her during the day in the resort? Maybe they should look around and report if they see!