105 Best Hotels in Cuba

Named for a mesón (tavern) frequented by Spanish sailors in colonial times, this hotel in the heart of the Old City has five rooms with every modern amenity and spotless bathrooms. The bar's nightly flamenco performances are worth a look, and the restaurant's Spanish cooking offers respite from Antillean fare.

It won't take your breath away, but this modern, all-inclusive hotel has acceptably furnished and equipped bungalows. It also has sports facilities, water-sport equipment for rent, a swimming pool, and kids' play area. Plus, it's on a beach less than 20 minutes from the city.

This stately, five-story lodging in Camagüey's historic center has served guests in style since 1939. Its bright lobby has chandeliers hung from high ceilings and various other antiques, the elevator being one of them. Rooms are small and a little on the dark side and have high ceilings and old tile floors; those facing the street are the biggest, but they can be noisy at night. Although the fifth-floor restaurant is lovely (it's furnished with antiques and surrounded by windows and glass doors that open onto a wraparound balcony); you come here for the atmosphere more so than the food. Even if you stay elsewhere, stopping in for a sunset drink at the rooftop bar is one of those when-in-Camagüey must-dos.

A vast complex overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the hotel is close to the National Aquarium and is a few hundred meters from the Miramar Trade Center. A lively colorful entryway leads to the reception area, which is lighted from above where hanging plants dangle. The property has three main restaurants and two pools. Rooms are pretty standard here but have lovely views. Book one of the Privilege Suites for the best vistas.

Although it's large, impersonal, and inefficient, the Riviera provides fantastic sea views and a large swimming pool. Rooms here look tired and in need of renewal. If you end up staying here, take comfort in the fact that Esther Williams and Ginger Rogers once splashed about in the pool and the notion that you're not far from some of the city's best music venues and paladares.

Sunrises and sunsets viewed from this elegant hotel's hilltop setting are unequaled. Overlooking the valley and the town, you're not likely to miss the sunrise once roosters down in the valley start crowing at first light. The hotel's 62 rooms are arranged in two-story wings, each with shuttered French doors leading out to a small private terrace. Columns, arched transom windows, and red-tile roofs add a Spanish flavor to the yellow-brick buildings. The rooms are on the small size, as are the bathrooms, but they have quiet air-conditioning, safes, minibars, and satellite TV. The rooms with the best views are Nos. 57 to 64, but everyone has a spectacular sunset view from the restaurant at dinner. A good-size swimming pool is in the center of carefully groomed lawns. There are well-kept tennis courts, as well as riding and hiking excursions around the valley. The restaurant ($) serves passable fare (breakfast is excellent), and the staff is attentive.

Be sure to take an early-morning walk along the dirt roads between La Ermita and the center of Viñales to see how the locals really live.

Once a Castro bass-fishing refuge (Bohío 33 was El Comandante's), this odd hideaway is perched on 12 little islands in the Laguna del Tesoro. Scattered throughout the islands are circular cabins with good screens, air-conditioning, and adequate comforts—though the mosquitoes can be fierce. It's a 15-minute boat ride (CUC$15 round-trip per person) to headquarters, which is on stilts, as are all the cabins, connected by wood walkways over the lagoon. The lake is stocked with largemouth bass. This is an interesting place, but definitely only for fishermen or the adventurous.

Although the bougainvillea-draped central patio is more reminiscent of Seville and Andalusia, the theme at this restored 18th-century mansion is really Valencia. Each room is named after a Valencian village or town—such as Jijona, Silia, or Alzira.

Request the Morella Room, which has a private rooftop patio.

Filled with beautiful colonial-style furniture and original ceramic tiles, the hotel makes quite an impression. Following the eastern Spain theme, the on-site restaurant is known (and named) for its paella.

Hemingway stayed here in 1928 on his first trip to Havana; he went on to make it his hideaway before moving to Finca Vigía in 1939. The piano bar overshadows the small reception area, behind which you find a small pond. Room 511 is kept as it was in 1938, when Hemingway lived here while writing For Whom the Bell Tolls. In one of the magazine articles collected here, you can read Hemingway's description of the sun rising over eastern Havana "to wake you up fresh, no matter where you've been the night before." The tasteful rooftop restaurant is a must-see, offering beautiful vistas. Avoid rooms with inside views in favor of the 27-odd units with a view of Plaza de Armas.

On a coastal cliff a few minutes' walk from Castillo del Morro, this hotel has spectacular views. Grab one of the cliff-side cabaña rooms for the best vistas; they're not much more than the standard room rates. No matter which room you get, all guest quarters have satellite TV; some have minibars. You'll need a car to reach Santiago, but the drive is splendid.

Easy access to a white-sand beach, wide-open public spaces, and elegant swimming pools make this resort a solid choice for a relaxing vacation. Rooms—in the original five-story building or in the newer, breezier villas—have tile work and fairly new furnishings. Older rooms in the main building are undergoing renovation at this writing. Nonguests can pay a day charge to use the facilities.

Although it's no Shangri-la, this budget option is ideally located on the border of La Habana Vieja and Centro. Now part of the Islazul brand, guest rooms have air-conditioning, TVs, and private baths, which isn't half bad for something in this price range. Top-floor rooms are the best.

This quiet, castaway-island resort is devoted to diving and snorkeling. Rooms, in wooden bungalows facing the beach, are modest and decorated motel-style, with air-conditioning and ceiling fans. More important, every room has a veranda with ocean views and breezes. The restaurant ($) serves passable Cuban specialties, fresh-caught lobster and pargo (red snapper) foremost among them. The bar is a lively spot after hours, and in the true castaway spirit you'll meet all of your fellow guests; Spain and Italy are especially well represented in summer. This is a good place if what you're seeking is sun, sea, diving, and snorkeling.

Set on and named for the famous hill occupied by the Universidad de la Habana, the Colina has a down-at-the-heel 1950s-era charm and a drop or two of student (read: revolutionary) chic that seems to attract a predominately French clientele. Rooms are small and humbly furnished, but you can't beat the value for the money and convenient location. There's also a pretty outdoor terrace where you can sit and enjoy a cool drink under the colorful awning.

The colonial era is also ever-present at this resort, with pastel-color colonial-style buildings and walkways. The central lobby is in a lush tropical enclosure filled with plants and a central water fountain. Rooms are decorated with dark-wood furniture and lots of wrought iron. The hotel has three à la carte restaurants, including a main buffet and an Italian and a criollo restaurant. There are sports facilities galore here, as well as activities from pool games and entertainment to aerobics and nonmotorized water sports like windsurfing, snorkeling, volleyball, and sailing.

Although popular with package tours, the Comodoro isn't as impersonal as you might expect from a hotel that routinely houses hundreds of guests. Quarters here are in modern rooms or condominium bungalows, and there are swimming pools, as well as four buffet restaurants. Like many hotels in Havana though, the facilities are tired and have certainly seen better days.

In a 19th-century house that once belonged to a Spanish financier, this is a far cry from your typical cookie-cutter-style hotel. It was designed as the private enclave for cigar aficionados, so there's an on-site smoke shop and cigar club with leather chairs and cigar-related memorabilia, as well as lockers for important guests. The theme throughout is a nod to the Vuelta Abajo, the Western Cuba region where the world's finest leaves grow. The restaurant, Vuelta Abajo, specializes in country cooking from Pinar del Río and Viñales. Rooms are impeccable, comfortable, and spacious.

Just a block from the harbor, a few steps from the cathedral, and very near Plaza de la Catedral, this hotel is made up of three houses from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Located on the site of an old religious college, rooms are equipped with many modern amenities. Decorative details include Spanish ceramic tiles, wrought-iron grates, and lathed-wood trim.

Though it caters mostly to Cubans, some of the rooms in this older hotel several blocks east of the historic center have been fixed up for visitors from abroad, which means there are now such modern amenities as satellite TV and mini-refrigerators. Guest rooms are a bit on the dark side, but public areas are pleasant, especially the rooftop and the central patio bars.

The historic Hotel Plaza, which overlooks the Plaza Serafín Sánchez, has airy, charming public spaces with arches, wicker furniture, and potted plants. Guest rooms are a mixed bag, however. Those in the old wing have high ceilings, and evoke the history of the place, but newer rooms in back are small and dark; opt for one in front (Room 201, 202, 210, or 211), as they have small balconies and park views. There's a verdant patio bar next to the lobby. The requisite hotel restaurant is okay, but you can do better dining elsewhere.

Baracoa's Seboruco Castle was renovated and transformed into this charming hotel with views of the town—from its quaint Historic Center to its Malecón—El Yunque, and the sea. Even the pool and its terrace offer panoramic vistas, though a 3rd-floor bar provides some of the best perspectives. Rooms mix comfortable, classic antiques with modern conveniences, and the attentive staff provides top-notch service.

Before becoming the home of Don Pedro Regalado Pedroso y Zayas in 1801, this building—one of the earliest in the original town of San Cristóbal de La Habana—served as a cabildo, a jailhouse, a butcher shop, and then a fish market. It's now an intimate hotel overlooking Havana's harbor. Rooms are tastefully restored and have the full complement of modern amenities, such as the next door Bodegón Onda tapas bar. The hotel shares its reception area with Hostal Valencia around the corner.

Today a light, elegant reception area leads onto a colonial archway that gives the hotel an old-world atmosphere, making it one of the top choices in Habana Vieja. Originally built by Joaquín Gómez, a wealthy merchant, in 1836, it functioned as a hotel from 1885 to 1950, reopening in 1999 after a complete restoration. Its simple room design, lovely architecture, and quality fixtures give it an edge over many of the district hotel picks, although some rooms are far superior to others, and some need to be painted. Rooms facing the colorful Calle Obispo are your best bet. The hotel also has a lively piano bar featuring live Cuban music every night from 7 pm to 1 am.

On a bluff overlooking the bay, this modest, Soviet-era hotel offers the best accommodations, amenities (including satellite TV), and food you're likely to find in the area. All rooms have bay views and small balconies. Decor is plain with bright floral-print drapes and spreads and blue walls.

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.

On a grassy hill at the northern edge of town, this collection of cement duplexes enjoys a sweeping panorama of Trinidad's red-tile roofs, the Península de Ancón, and the blue Caribbean beyond. The name means "the caves," and caverns riddle the ground beneath the hotel; one of them is a museum, another holds the discotheque. Rooms are above and below the modern reception area; next door is the main restaurant, which usually serves buffets; a smaller café overlooks the pool atop the hill.

Try to get a room away from the restaurant if you don't want to hear the nightly folklore show.

One of the best values in Varadero, this cheerfully retro property is right in the center of town, though it nevertheless has a great beachfront. The round pool is small but well designed, reminiscent of Cuba's glamorous, 1940s heyday. Rooms are simple but decorated in a riot of tropical colors. Along with the usual resort activities, this friendly place offers dancing and Spanish-language lessons.

Western Cuba's grande dame of hotels is painted rosy pink and is highlighted by arcs of stained glass windows over shuttered French doors that open onto balconies with spectacular, panoramic views of the valley and its limestone mogotes (steep-sided hills). All the hotel's rooms have air-conditioning, satellite TV, and safes. The 14 original rooms on the main building's top three floors have fresh, contemporary white-tile bathrooms with tubs and are tastefully decorated in subdued shades of yellow. There are no elevators, so if stairs are a problem, the next best rooms are the 14 large tropical bungalow suites on a slight slope below the main building, with verandas overlooking the valley. Newer, smaller rooms are arranged in a two-story 1990s addition that faces the huge pool, which is in need of some paint and repair. Comfortable poolside lounges are perfect perches for enjoying the view. The restaurant ($) is better than average, and the bar is gorgeous, with a carved-wood ceiling and more stained glass. There's Wi-Fi in the public areas of the main building.

This 18th-century town house is a more private and tranquil property than others in the area—the inner courtyard's hanging tropical plants make it feel like a real private hideaway from the busy, crowded surrounding streets. The decor here is rustic and the rooms small, but they still have a quality finish. The hotel's signature restaurant is the Taberna El Molino, serving Spanish and Cuban favorites.

Although such alterations as gleaming white-tile floors detract from its historic atmosphere, this late-19th-century inn, the only real game in town, is still charming. The thick square columns, high arches, and abundant potted plants in the public areas will enchant you. Guest rooms have tile floors and modern wooden furniture. The five front rooms have high ceilings and small balconies overlooking Plaza Martí. The restaurant ($–$$) serves quality Cuban cuisine; try the bistec en cazuela (in a red sauce) or a seafood dish.