Habana Vieja
There's nothing austere about Los Frailes (The Friars), despite the monastic theme (staff wear hooded robes), inspired by the nearby San Francisco de Asís…
Must-see hotels in Cuba
Holguín
Resembling a little piece of Florida, this smart, detached neocolonial with requisite palm tree dates from 1945. It sits in the shadow of the Loma de la…
Varadero
Twice as big as its sister hotel Meliá Las Américas, and happy to cater to families, the 490-room Meliá Varadero immediately impresses with its…
Vedado
An exceptionally striking private hotel inhabiting a dignified villa, the 5 & 8 effortlessly mixes the modernity of Miami with the indefinable magic of…
Varadero
Suspend your judgment on Varadero’s tallest and most architecturally unsubtle resort. Trying hard to imitate an Aztec pyramid from the outside (why?), the…
Havana
Two fully renovated, tastefully minimalist duplex apartments, one with two bedrooms, the other with three, are on offer here. Both apartments have…
Viñales
The son of the owners of this foliage-draped house on the edge of town is an expert on climbing, meaning there's a shed stacked with equipment – and the…
Viñales
La Ermita takes Viñales' top hotel honors for architecture, interior furnishings and all-round service. The views over town rooftops and haystack hills is…
Vedado
This casa particular, currently into its third owners, has had numerous incarnations, all of them good. It's located in the middle of Vedado's nightlife…
Varadero
The five-star Paradisus has recently carved a new campus out of what's left of Varadero's fallow land and renovated its original complex. They join a…
Santa Clara
Of the dozen or so new state-run boutique hotels that have opened over the last couple of years, this is one of the best, courtesy of its Parque Vidal…
Cienfuegos
Charismatic ex-teacher Pepe greets you with mucho gusto at his deceptively large colonial house, which incorporates five modern rooms set around two long,…
Cienfuegos
Run by Dr Victor and his wife, this is a gorgeous renovated colonial house with three ample rooms. There's a lot of TLC in the restoration, from the…
Habana Vieja
This outpost of Centro Habana's popular Hostal Peregrino is like a little hotel for independent travelers. Eight rooms, all with private bathroom,…
Havana
This bold royal-blue beauty at the northwestern corner of Parque Central juxtaposes old-style architectural features (the original building dates to 1888)…
Habana Vieja
One of several emerging private hotels in Habana Vieja, the Maestranza enjoys an excellent location practically opposite the cathedral. Five rooms and one…
Santa Clara
The name might hark back to another age, but this wonderful house has been restored to include modern comforts. The details are spectacular: an art deco…
Varadero
With a big asking price, you're going to have high expectations of this adults-only Meliá resort. Despite its size (630 rooms), it's certainly heavy on…
Cienfuegos
A palace posing as a hotel rather than a hotel posing as a palace, the Palacio Azul was one of the first big buildings to grace Punta Gorda on its…
Havana
Giving little away at street level, this new private accommodations is an island of tranquility amid the Centro Habana maelstrom. Seven delightful rooms,…
Cienfuegos
Right at the southern tip of Punta Gorda, Casa los Delfines (the dolphins) enjoys all of the benefits of this idyllic strip, backing directly onto the…
Havana
A boutique hotel on Havana’s semi-ruined sea drive, the Terral looks across the water at Florida and compares notes. Despite being built (and run) by the…
Holguín Province
Location, location, location. With boat access only, this small house is 900m from Playa Blanca, a comma of white sand blissfully free of development…
Varadero
The array of shady terraces at this leading private homestay option will have hotels hereabouts looking enviously over their shoulders – as will the three…
Villa Clara Province
Long-term renters with four rooms that include plenty of extras (hairdryers, soaps, umbrellas). The rooms open onto a lovely uncluttered patio (unless you…
Varadero
The smaller, more grown-up alternative to the Meliá Marina Varadero next door, Las Américas has a no-kids policy, a nice slice of palm-tree-embellished…
Pinar del Río Province
Classic Pinar house (Tuscan pillars holding up a shady front porch) with four rooms spread over a couple of floors, the Nonna (an Italian influence?) is…
Santa Clara
The Pérgola is set around an Alhambra-esque patio draped in greenery and crowned by a fountain, from where several large rooms lead off. Pretty much…
Cienfuegos
Well-appointed private homestay affiliated with a quiet cafe-restaurant that is more boutique hotel than casa particular. A lot of work has been put into…
Ciego de Ávila Province
It may not be the newest kid on the block by the time you read this, but the Gran Muthu Imperial is an attractive choice for adults only. While the…
Artemisa & Mayabeque Provinces
A bright family home a 15-minute walk from most of the Soroa sights, Maité's is a slice of rustic heaven with rocking chairs on the porch, a verdant…
Holguín
Cresting the Loma de Mayabe, 10km southeast of Holguín, this large hilltop compound includes adorable bungalows tucked into lush grounds. The views,…
Habana Vieja
A fabulous Old Town casa run by Eugenio and Fabio, who have added superb design features to their huge colonial home. Check out the terrace fountain and…
Playa Larga
OK, it's not abutting the beach, but the modernity, cleanliness and attention to detail at this bright orange house make up for the short walk. Three…
Villa Clara Province
The favorite of many on the cayos, the Royalton lays on the romantic theme pretty strong with lots of lace-curtain four-poster sunbeds around a terraced…
Cienfuegos
A classic, eclectic Cienfuegos building dating from the 1920s and stuffed with all the city's calling cards: columns, antique beds, tiled floors, vitrales…
Cienfuegos
Opened in the 2010s, Perla del Mar takes the ‘historical boutique’ hotel theme of the nearby Palacio Azul and updates it to the 1950s. The nine rooms have…
Matanzas
This lovely period hotel harks back to the early years of the Cuban Republic – the original 1902 fin-de-siècle style blends seamlessly with the horses,…
Cienfuegos
A once tiny house in a Cienfuegos backstreet that has been radically refurbished to include six super-modern rooms and a rooftop terrace bar that might…
Cienfuegos
Location, location, location. Ángel and Isabel's place is one of many architecturally accomplished abodes on the coveted mansion-studded final stretch of…
