With Martha Chapman
25OCT07
Nieves Ricardo of the Cuba Tourist
Board with Joanne Bratton of
Fettes Travel
Laureano Cardoso, ambassador and
consul general of Cuba with
Rose MacDonald of Hola Sun and
Carlos Zambrano of the Cuba
Tourist Board
Enthusiastic (and energetic!) Cuban entertainers Dailyn Martinez and
Rafael Steyners
Cuba Goes Classy At Sassafras
Barceló Hotels and Resorts – and their partner the Cuban Tourist Board – were quite the dance team at their joint event in Toronto’s tony Yorkville. The venue was the re-born but still trendy Sassafras Resto.
To the enthusiastic response of the travel industry glitterati, Rick McCauley, Barcelo’s senior director of sales and marketing for Canada, outlined details of Cuba’s new “jewel in the crown”: the Barceló Cayo Santa Maria Resort. Slated to open next summer, this resort will be in four separate “villages”, each reflecting a cultural theme from a different region in Cuba.
“We don’t build anything small,” commented McCauley – and he was right. With 2,700 rooms it will be the largest hotel in Cuba. Ay Caramba!
Meanwhile, guests were happy on the intimate second floor of Sassafras. Nummy nibblies, marvelous mojitos (“Man! I’ve never made so many mojitos in my life!” marveled the bartender) and the always fascinating presence of a cigar roller kept the room buzzing.
And showing dance floor moves which had most of the women in the room planning to sign up for Cuban dance classes (and I suspect most of the men grateful that their wives weren’t there), Rafael Steyners and Dailyn Martinez reminded us that what’s important in Cuba is music, connecting, and the joys of life. Oh, and a mojito or two!
© Open Jaw