Breanna Peebles, a woman from Manitoba, experienced a traumatic incident during her solo trip to Cuba, which was originally intended to be a celebratory birthday vacation. The resort she stayed at, Grand Memories Varadero, had received mostly excellent reviews and held a high rating. However, her trip took a dark turn that left her shaken and traumatized.
On June 9, the first day of her trip, Peebles quickly made friends with another family. She enjoyed her birthday the following day by the ocean and the pool. However, after consuming two drinks from the bar and swimming briefly, she claims to have started feeling unusually drowsy. Unsure if it was just the alcohol, she struggled to make sense of her sudden fatigue, stating, “I’ve never been drugged before, so I didn’t know that this is what was happening.”
Peebles described being helped by a couple as she attempted to return to her room. To her confusion, security personnel then escorted her to a room that was not hers. The next thing she remembers is waking up alone, unclothed, and disoriented. She discovered that she was covered in bruises, had skinned knees, and was missing a fingernail. Baffled and frightened, she noticed three coffee cups and a note that read, “thanks,” which heightened her distress.
After regaining some clarity, Peebles went to request a new key for her room and inquired about her missing phone, which had not been returned. Her absence prompted her family to file a missing persons report, as they were unable to contact her. Subsequently, she began to notice peculiar behavior from the resort staff, with some looking at her as if they were aware of what had transpired.
In the days following the incident, Peebles struggled to come to terms with what happened, ultimately realizing the severity of the situation during her drive home from the airport. Upon landing in Winnipeg, she expressed a profound sense of relief, stating, “I was back in Canada. It was the worst experience of my life. I don’t think I’ll ever go back.”
“I stayed up all night. I was pretty shaken up about it. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t sit down. I was a mess.”
— Breanna Peebles
Blue Diamond Resorts, the company that owns Grand Memories Varadero, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the resort staff after being asked to provide a response via email. The travel agency, RedTag, through which Peebles booked her trip, communicated that they could only assist if the traveler contacted them directly, due to privacy policies.
Warning for Travellers
Peebles continues to explore her next steps in light of the traumatic experience. Meanwhile, she has issued a warning to others traveling abroad, emphasizing the importance of staying aware of one’s surroundings, even at resorts that may seem safe. “Be safe out there,” she cautioned. “In other countries, you don’t know what’s going through other people’s minds, even when they’re smiling at you and serving you drinks, you don’t know what they’re thinking. And it’s terrifying.”
Reflecting on her experience, Peebles expressed regret about traveling alone and emphasized the need for companions while traveling. “I wish I didn’t go alone,” she admitted, highlighting the critical role of family and friends in her healing process.
This incident follows a reported case from five years prior, involving a woman from the Greater Toronto Area who alleged she was sexually assaulted at Memories Varadero Beach Resort, located next to Grand Memories Varadero and also owned by Blue Diamond Resorts.
