3 Best Hotels in Cienfuegos, Central Cuba

This stately hotel in the heart of Ciengfuegos is Cuba's oldest, but the structure has been completely rebuilt and the retooling maintains a faithfulness to the style of its 19th-century heyday. The result is a pleasing blend of old and new with wide arches, painted columns, and quiet courtyards populated with potted plants. Rooms have high ceilings, white-tile floors, faux antiques, and modern amenities. The bright-blue restaurant serves an inventive selection of Cuban cuisine and fresh seafood.

Most of the rooms at this hotel just west of Playa Rancho Luna have ocean views, especially those in the two-story bungalows. Guest quarters are bright and spacious, with wicker furniture, colorful bedspreads, and large balconies. The main building has a small restaurant-bar that serves typical Cuban dishes and seafood. Next to it is a tiled pool surrounded by coconut palms.

This modern six-story structure dates from the 1950s and looks out of place among the palacios of Punta Gorda, but rooms sparkle and service is top-notch here. Rooms view the bay and the city—a more pleasant sight at night than by day thanks to an oil refinery and other industry. The decor is bright and modern, with white-tile floors and colorful bedspreads. The restaurant has buffets—serving Italian food one time, Cuban another—when there are groups and offers a Continental menu when it's quiet.