Cubanacan dominates Varadero Gourmet 2025 with awards for cocktails, service and entertainment

A collaboration by Rachell Cowan Canino

With a haul of awards that confirm the excellence of its human capital, the Cubanacan hotel group emerged as one of the big winners of the 15th edition of the Varadero Gourmet International Festival, which concluded at the Plaza América Convention Center after intense days of competition.

The hotel chain demonstrated its superiority in multiple disciplines, securing awards in the flair and classic cocktail, sommelier, food service and entertainment competitions, demonstrating its comprehensive training to ensure the best tourism experience in Cuba.

The highlight for delegation saw Jeovanis Céspedes Pompa, bartender at the Gran Muthu Almirante Beach hotel in Holguín, take first place in the Flair Cocktails category. Céspedes dazzled the judges with a routine full of skill, spectacle and adrenaline. From the same hotel, Ariel Álvarez Hernández took second place in Classic Cocktails.

The group’s strength was not limited to the eastern part of the country. From the capital, professionals from the Hotel Parque Central also took the podium: Amílcar Sarduy took third place in Gastronomic Service, while Luis Camilo demonstrated his expertise to take home the award in the Sommelier competition.

The Animation team, led by Dariana Valdés Palazón and the head of animation at the Meliá Varadero, provided the grand finale, proving that “The Cubanacán Group’s animation is the best in the country,” as the latter stated. The show, a vibrant fusion of Cuban and Mexican traditions, took the top award in the category.

Beyond the trophies: Learning and exchanges

According to Liset García Rabilero, senior specialist in the group’s Operations Department, the festival’s importance goes beyond the medals. In conversation with TTC, she highlighted the event’s educational impact: “These are positive experiences that provide concrete lessons. Beyond the logistical difficulties, the event allows for invaluable interaction with colleagues from other chains and even the non-state sector.”

García Rabilero emphasized that cutting-edge techniques, such as the flair cocktails seen at the festival, are not just for show: “They are tools that we then implement daily in our bars to enrich the customer experience.”

With a delegation that combined established talents and promising newcomers, the Cubanacán Group reaffirms its active participation in each edition of Varadero Gourmet, committed to the ongoing development of its professionals, the true architects of excellence in tourism service.