2 Best Hotels in Playa Santa Lucia, Central Cuba

The architecture here is a mix of Cuban and Spanish, with arches, marble floors, barrel-tile and thatched roofs, and murals by Camagüey artists. Rooms are in two-story buildings scattered around vast, luxuriant grounds. They have white tile floors, hardwood furniture, large baths with tubs, and sliding glass doors that open either onto balconies or porches with views of the gardens, pool, or sea.

Buffet meals are included in rates, as are drinks at the main bar; but you must pay your own way at the beach grill and discotheque.

Although this resort lines a wide swath of sugary sand shaded by palms and thatched parasols, few of its rooms have ocean views. The Coral Suites—spacious, beachfront bungalows with large balconies—are the best rooms by far. Junior suites are big but are set back from the beach in two-story buildings; standard rooms are so far from the sea that most have views only of the road. The bar, two restaurants, and amphitheater surround a large, blue-tile pool with a rocky waterfall at one end.

Though billed as all-inclusive, you have to pay for meals in two of the five restaurants (the one that serves seafood and the pizzeria) and to enter the dance club.