HAVANA (AP) — For Sonia Pérez, stepping into Havana’s Doña Alicia restaurant felt like entering a movie. Even as Cuba struggles with power outages and technological scarcity, this eatery has leaped into the 21st century with digital menus, Alexa-enabled assistance, touchless bathrooms and even a food-delivering robot.
“I thought I was in a cartoon movie!” said the 64-year-old government employee, marvelling at the contrast with the technological realities outside. “I wish there were more of these in Cuba... We are really very behind in technology.”
While commonplace globally, such automation is a complex feat in Cuba due to the island’s frequent power cuts and a lack of modern technology.
Opened seven years ago, the restaurant gradually embraced technology, starting with tablets at tables, followed by Alexa services and culminating in the arrival of Doña Alicia — a food-delivering robot named after the owner’s grandmother — who now assists human waiters in the dining room.
Guests are greeted with digital menus on screens at their tables, allowing them to browse and order traditional Cuban dishes such as savory pork steak, pasta and sweet desserts. The bar further enhances the experience offering drinks such as mojitos or freshly made daiquiris. Human servers are on hand for those less tech-savvy.
The prices align with those of other private restaurants, making them unaffordable for the average Cuban and reflecting the island's inflation.
Despite the challenges of limited and often unreliable internet access in Cuba (mobile internet only became widespread in 2018, and outages are frequent due to the energy crisis), Doña Alicia appears to be navigating these obstacles.
Manager Yadiel Hernández believes the technological advancements help attract customers by creating a unique and appealing dining experience in Havana.
“We’ve noticed a change,” said Hernández. “Both children and adults find it interesting to have a robotic assistant bring food to the table...it's a novel experience.”
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Customers watch as a robot arrives with their food at Dona Alicia restaurant in Havana, Wednesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
MADRID (AP) — Spain's airport authority will start to limit access to Madrid's airport during some parts of the day as a preventive measure to stop more homeless people from sleeping in its terminals.
Only travelers with boarding passes, airport employees and those accompanying someone with a ticket will be allowed to enter the airport during hours with few departing and arriving flights, Spain's airport authority AENA said late Wednesday night.
AENA said the limits would be implemented sometime in the the next few days, but did not specify exactly when or during what hours of the day.
For months, the Spanish capital's airport has seen homeless encampments in some of its terminals with individuals in sleeping bags occupying space near walls and bathrooms. Local media described the number of homeless people to be in the hundreds.
This week, AENA said it had asked Madrid city officials for help in addressing the problem months ago, but so far has received insufficient help.
“Airports are not places designed for living in, but rather are infrastructure solely for transit, which in no case offers adequate conditions for overnight stays,” AENA said in a statement Wednesday.
A political blame game between authorities at different levels of government has left the issue largely unaddressed before the peak summer travel season.
Spain received a record 94 million international tourists in 2024.
People sleep on the floor of Terminal 4 at Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
People sleep on the floor of Terminal 4 at Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
People sleep on the floor of Terminal 4 at Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
People sleep on the floor of Terminal 4 at Adolfo Suarez-Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
FILE - Iberia jets are seen in a parking zone as police walk through the airport during a Iberia airline workers strike at Barajas international airport in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)
A person sleeps on the floor of Terminal 4 at Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, Monday, May 12, 2025. (Diego Radames/Europa Press via AP)
