105 Best Hotels in Cuba

From the grand old Casa Granda, the best hotel in the Centro Histórico, you can see Parque Céspedes, with its wandering musicians and guayabera-clad men in conversation. The hotel's second-floor porch—adorned with plants, crimson-and-gray awnings, a black-and-white tile floor, and a large wooden bar—is a great people-watching spot. Author Graham Greene was a regular guest here during his visits to Cuba, and he penned portions of his novel Our Man in Havana during his stays. Even if you don't stay here, be sure to stop by for a mojito or a light meal (you can get good cubanos [roast pork and ham sandwiches served with pickles and a salad]).

The lobby of this 1927 hotel is a jewel, with ornate columns, a marble staircase, and a dark wooden bar and front desk. The patio in back—surrounded by painted columns and lighted by antique street lamps—is flanked by the main bar, restaurant, and some rooms. Most rooms are on the second floor, and though they're small, they have new furniture and tiled baths. (A 2001 refurbishing really spruced up the rooms here.) The two that face the street, with tiny balconies, are the biggest, though can be noisy.

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.

Inaugurated in 1875, this is Cuba's oldest hotel and there's much to admire here—photographs of old Havana, intricate Andalusian tiles, the shield of Spain's Catholic kings behind the bar. Rooms are gloomy, but they seem more "real" than those in the glass-and-steel high-rises; Graham Greene stayed here when he last visited Havana in 1958. The ground-floor Gran Café del Louvre is a great people-watching spot, the roof-terrace restaurant has unparalleled views, and all the sights of Centro and La Habana Vieja are a short walk away.

Located right across from the Capitolio and overlooking the Parque de la Fraternidad, this is easily the best international-class business hotel in Cuba. The owners of this independent hostelry have spared no expense in creating a first-class environment. The award-winning design elements, constant care, refurbishments, and the sheer quality of each element, from mattresses to fixtures, means accolades are well deserved. A pool, rooftop bar, and two fine restaurants further add to the appeal. Beyoncé and Jay-Z chose to make it their home while in Havana, so if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for most.

Located on a small island adjacent to Cayo Coco, this is the most upscale and private of the area's resorts. Lobby features Italian marble floors and original contemporary and classical paintings. The registration desk is a closed, air-conditioned portico; even the bar here is air-conditioned, a luxury that very few resorts offer. Harmless iguanas roam the property, and the winding landscape is beautifully manicured. The resort has four à la carte restaurants and one buffet. A full-service spa offers a host of massages, thermal pools, Turkish baths, and a hair salon. Service here is the key, and a staff member is assigned to each bungalow complex to answer to the personal needs of guests. The Royal Suite villas are set apart from the rest of the resort and have their own private fine-dining restaurant.

This centrally located hotel was (believe it or not) newly constructed in 2006, and was built in colonial style directly on Plaza Carrillo at the end of Parque Cespedes—a popular spot in this truly colonial city. The interior lobby is tastefully designed, with plants and a host of contemporary Cuban artworks. Unique tables and chairs are decorated with found objects including old pipes, opera glasses, and bijoux. Guest rooms are exceptionally tastefully appointed with dark-wood furniture and bright tropical colors.

This vast hotel, which is right on the park for which it's named, offers many modern creature comforts as well as a convenient location. It may not be as charming as other area hotels, but it has spacious, well-equipped rooms, and the suites are truly luxurious. The pool area, bars, and restaurants—of which there are several, including a steak house and an Italian restaurant—are lively. There's also an on-site cigar bar.

This top-of-the-line, rather grandiose resort has an impressive pool with dramatically eclectic design elements, including domed temples on islets, connected by Venetian bridges. Thatched palapas provide private shade on one of the smoothest stretches of beach, and there are calm waters on the peninsula. Other sophisticated features in this columned pleasure palace include Japanese and Mediterranean options among the five restaurants, an ultra-luxe spa, a nightclub, and sports ranging from archery to tennis. The elegant, spacious rooms and even larger junior suites are spread over 11 thatch-roofed, low buildings. Decorated in shades of peach, these rooms are among the most luxurious in Varadero. The large bathrooms are notable for their high-quality fixtures,walk-in showers, and decorative tile work. There are organized activities for kids 4 to 12, but this is mostly an upscale, adult environment.

One of the most attractive all-inclusive resorts in Cuba has a vibrant atmosphere and beautiful environs. The grounds are as pleasing as you'll find anywhere in the country, with numerous ponds, water fountains, gazebos, and sitting areas. The sprawling resort has 46 two-story room blocks. Its many bars and restaurants give you enough choices to be happy, and the staff at the restaurants and bars are particularly courteous. Rooms are beautifully appointed, and second-floor accommodations offer a great view of the ocean. The elegant and tastefully designed rooms have dark-wood furnishings, including solid bed boards and two comfortable cushioned chairs, an armoire with a stocked minibar, desk, mirror, and even an iron and ironing board, as well as a 22-inch TV; decorative white drapes are an added touch. Balconies are furnished with a table and chairs.

With the look of a tropical erector set, this red, white, and blue high-rise is either playfully appealing or pompously postmodern, depending on your point of view. However controversial the exterior might be, no one argues about whether this Spanish-run hotel's service and amenities are top-notch—they simply are. Rooms are large and modern, with great city views from the upper floors. The vast lobby, cast in green marble, includes two restaurants and a business center. The lobby leads outdoors to a palm-lined pool complex surrounded by bars and restaurants. The buffet breakfasts and dinners at the main restaurant are good.

One of the best of Varadero's all-inclusives, this resort stands out as an all-suites, adults-only luxury property with five lagoon pools swirling around lush gardens and handsome, three-story buildings with Spanish-colonial architectural flourishes. The impressive main lobby feels more like the entry hall to a European chateau, but painted in Caribbean colors. All activities and facilities are found just off the Plaza Viaja, with its Old Havana-inspired architecture. Rooms are spotless and furnished with Edwardian-style, dark-hardwood antique reproductions. Sea-view rooms are on the upper two floors and there are 12 ground-level suites for landlubbers. Bungalows A, C, and D have ocean views. With eight restaurants—two of them exclusively for ultra-luxe Royal Service guests—you won't have a chance to get bored with the buffet. One of the most enticing features here is that you can swim your way from some suites directly into the largest pool. It's at the farthest end of the peninsula, away from town, but close to the new marina and Las Morlas shopping center.

Located on the Bahía de Naranjo inlet 3 km (2 miles) west of Guardalavaca, this adults-only resort benefits from the luxurious sands of Playa Esmeralda. The setting and the many amenities are the real draws here, as is the five-star service that includes a spa and health center. Activities include a wide variety of nonmotorized sporting facilities and a scuba-diving facility 100 meters from the hotel.

Varadero's reigning luxury resort for adults creates an aura of castaway-island seclusion, amid swaying Royal palms, tropical gardens and an unequaled beachfront that's dotted with thatch-roofed shelters. Sparkling-blue waterways wind throughout the property and guests travel shaded, flower-edged paths to spacious, sophisticated, two-level rooms that have sitting areas overlooking bedrooms. Brand-new, contemporary bathrooms have separate tub, vanity, and toilet areas, and each room has a private, white-railed veranda with either a sunrise or sunset view. The modern, all-white, main lobby, with a 24-hour bar, is where guests meet their private concierge, who will look after all their needs throughout their stay. Along with excellent à la carte restaurants, the hotel features a mini-village of cafés, featuring French crepes, homemade ice cream and Italian coffee, which is all included. There's also an impressive, air-conditioned cigar emporium. Two night clubs—one a disco, the other, live jazz—complement the nightly entertainment on an outdoor stage beside the largest of the resort's two pools. Tennis courts and a serene spa offer other diversions. Many of the mostly Canadian, British, and German guests are repeat visitors, seduced by the service and attention to detail here, orchestrated by a Canadian-based management team.

Wooden buildings scattered along a coral bluff house this intimate resort's spacious rooms. Tiles, drapes, and cushions throughout are done in earth tones that evoke the surrounding landscape; abundant windows and balconies allow sun and sea breezes inside. All guest rooms have original art, wicker furniture, and satellite TV; most have ocean views. The thatch-roof restaurant ($–$$) has a panorama of beach and sea; the menu is short and dominated by seafood.

If an active beach vacation is what you're looking for, this centrally located, really big, all-inclusive resort combines two properties that share a plethora of pools, restaurants, and activities. The Arenas Blancas side has a striking interior courtyard adorned with hanging plants that fall for the length of the four-story construction, along with newer, more contemporary rooms than the older Solymar side. This is a busy complex, attracting families with kids of all ages, as well as younger crowds who mass at the property's main bar every night. Close to the center of town, it's also the ideal location if you want to get away from the crowd and explore on your own.

Ten bohíos, simple, traditional cabins with thatch roofs, ceiling fans and private bathrooms are scattered around a field with a few shade trees. Five of the cabins have hot water and there are also two small, single rooms in the main building with air-conditioning. Most guests are up early since this is a good base camp for early-morning bird-watching or fishing expeditions in the nearby Parque Nacional Ciénaga de Zapata. Guests can also rent bikes to explore the countryside. The Cuban home cooking in the on-site restaurant ($) is also a boon in these parts. The frituras de yuca (fried yucca), tasajo (shredded beef), and the mango sauce with cheese are classics.

If you seek a fun-loving, contemporary beach vacation, don't pass up this resort operated by the Canadian Blau chain. By day you can take a dip in one of several lovely swimming pools or follow the boardwalk past protected marshlands to the beach, with its gleaming white sand and clear, shallow waters that are good for snorkeling. At night you can sample daiquiris of any flavor at one of six bars or spend some time dancing at the disco before retiring to your spacious, modern guest quarters. All rooms have a balcony or terrace, with sea or garden views. Ample buffets are included in your rates; there are also two à la carte restaurants.

This towering, sloping structure has the boldest architecture in Varadero and an excellent reputation as a family-oriented resort. Inside the peninsula's highest building there's an impressive, 100-foot high atrium, draped with ivy that cascades down to a contemporary lobby. Sports facilities are abundant, with a huge quatrefoil-shape pool, tennis and basketball courts, and water-sports facilities. A walkway passes through a narrow band of trees to the wide beach. The brightly colored, contemporary rooms have two twins or a king-size bed. Suites have a separate living room and two terraces. The first child, age 2 to 12, stays free. Be sure to book a room facing the ocean rather than the road.

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.

High-quality food and service are among this resort's hallmarks. It sits on a bluff overlooking a beach 10 km (6 miles) east of Chivirico. Rooms have top-flight amenities, including air-conditioning and satellite TV. Open terraces and the pool deck overlook the beach and the mountains. In the off-season, discounts are as much as 50%. The resort is undergoing a modeling at this writing; try to snag one of the rooms that are completed.

Its many colonial-style arches, columns, Spanish tiles, and pastel colors give this all-inclusive resort a Disneyesque look. Rooms have tile floors, small balconies, and paintings of Trinidad street scenes on the walls. About half the rooms face the ocean, most of the rest have views of a pool that's surrounded by palm trees and lounge chairs. As is the case with many Cuban resorts, the main restaurant serves a mediocre buffet; the evening seafood beach grill is a better option (reservations are required).

If you're looking for a smaller Miramar hotel, this is one of the most viable options. Although the rooms have a somewhat dated decor, the place is so close to the Gulf of Mexico that sea spray reaches the windows; rooms on the gulf side have wonderful terraces overlooking the water. The reception area is less than impressive, but the poolside views are spectacular.

This massive beachfront complex has the appearance of two hotels, and you want to choose the right section. Rooms in the main building are unattractive little boxes, the best of which have tiny balconies overlooking the sea. Those in the Módulo Nuevo—the newer, two-story buildings next door—are spacious, tastefully furnished, and have large balconies.

All rooms cost the same, so request one (with an ocean view) in the Módulo Nuevo.

The beach is a long, narrow strip of white sand shaded by thatched parasols in a stunning location on the tip of the peninsula. The restaurants are on the ground floor of the main building, next to which are a large pool, tennis courts, and other facilities.

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.

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.