105 Best Hotels in Cuba

This mammoth glass-and-steel hotel looms over the western end of the Malecón and has very little to do with the Havana of Baroque churches and colonial palaces, but it also rates among Cuba's best. It does a superb job of providing efficient service and support for executives on the move. The staff—from the bellhops and busboys to the receptionists and concierges—are highly professional, and everything in the place functions impeccably. Rooms are modern and stylish, offering stunning city or sea views, as well as all the mod cons you need—coffeemakers, minibars, and satellite TV and air-conditioning. Hotel facilities are a cut above the rest, and include everything from an international clinic and pharmacy to a sports and fitness center and a lagoon-like swimming pool with hydromassage. All the hotel's four restaurants are top-notch.

Located in a distant corner of Havana, this is one of the city's stellar, modern properties frequented by business and leisure travelers. The reception area looks like a film set, with a large Venus-like sculpture watching over a series of small ponds. Several gourmet restaurants offer a wide variety of cuisine. The property hosts Havana's most spacious pool, tennis courts, massage, sauna, and manicure and pedicure facilities.

This adults-only resort, now owned by the Memories hotel group, is one of Cuba's best. Located between the mountains and the sea, and just steps from the beach, there are activities aplenty offered including diving, snorkeling, volleyball, and basketball. Dining options include three specialty restaurants and one international buffet. The staff members are helpful, intelligent, and cheerful; the rooms are clean, and the beaches are impeccable.

On the highest forested part of Las Terrazas Biosphere Reserve, this "ecologically" designed hotel makes its point with a huge carob tree growing in the lobby, its branches escaping through skylights. The red-tile roof, green wood railings, and white walls echo the colors of the Cuban flag. The 21 original rooms on two levels have floor-to-ceiling windows looking on to private terraces, and come equipped with minibar, safe, and flat-screen TV. Modern bathrooms have tub/showers with leafy views. Sixteen newer rooms have higher, slanted ceilings and are a little more spacious. There are also five self-contained, modern rooms attached to community houses nearby. There's Wi-Fi in the lobby (extra charge) and in the restaurant, which has tables on two terraces suspended over the valley's edge, as well as a cozy inside dining room. Try the roasted Moka chicken bathed in a coffee liqueur sauce ($). This singular spot in the middle of a forest is still less than an hour from Havana. Activities include an 11-platform zip line (CUC$20) or a three-hour scenic walk. There's also a smallish pool in a forest setting.

Officially the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, this elegant establishment recalls another era, as it's filled with memorabilia of such famous (and infamous) guests as Winston Churchill, Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra, and Meyer Lansky—the Nacional still buzzes. Although rooms are disappointing and the service is only fair, the historic Galería bar is a great place for a mojito, as is the clifftop garden, with its magnificent views of the Malecón and the Straits of Florida beyond. A peacock strolls graciously as you sip lemonade at the bar under the shade of a majestic palm tree. Invariably there's a hot trio playing son, a genre of Cuban music and the perfect accompaniment to the movements of visitors from all over the world as they wander in and out of this national monument.

Partially paid for by the Bulgarian government (it's named for a town in Bulgaria), this Soviet-inspired hotel has more than 200 rooms and plenty of amenities, and, quite frankly, looks better from the inside than outside. Rooms are bright and sparkly, but plainly decorated. For a lively atmosphere, head to the pool. For better-than-average Cuban specialties and frequent live-music performances, make a beeline for the main restaurant, Sofia—named after the Bulgarian capital, of course.

There's something charming about the entrance way of the Plaza, despite its cavernous, tourist-packed hallways. Although the rooms aren't very distinguished and facilities have definitely seen better days, the early-20th-century Spanish architecture has inspiring overtones of pre–civil war Madrid. This hotel is no Madrid Ritz, but it does have all the facilities you need for a comfortable stay. It boasts no less than three restaurants and three bars, so you're never too far away from a decent meal or a mojito. Albert Einstein and Babe Ruth were both once guests of this grand hotel.

If the shady lobby bar and a refreshing beverage don't soothe your weary traveler's soul, then head immediately to your comfortable room overlooking the pool and the Straits of Florida beyond. The artwork in the traditionally appointed rooms is a nice touch, but we would hope for better quality furnishings in a hotel of this class and style. Step back in time at the hotel's restaurant, Chez Merito, which has a good wine list and serves delicious pizzas and pastas cooked by an Italian chef. The breakfast room next to the pool is bright and cheery, and breakfast is generous, enough to get you through to a late dinner in a nearby paladar.

The setting is bucolic: you're at the foot of San Juan Hill and surrounded by trees and fields. Rooms here are styled like small villas. All are decorated in blue and have balcony and satellite TV. You can spend time by the rectangular pool, in the gym, on the pleasant terrace, or in the bar, which is open 24 hours and has live music in the evening.

Carrara-marble floors, intricate plaster carvings, and rich woodwork make this one of Habaguanex's best La Habana Vieja restoration projects; the discreet reception area is an architectural jewel. Built in the mid-19th century, the house was bought in 1923 by Antonio San Miguel, a well-to-do journalist who financed some of the building's eclectic architectural details. The Belle Epoque decor, creature comforts, and modern facilities guarantee your stay here will be pleasant.

Roof terrace offers a panoramic view of El Morro fortress and sweeping seascapes.

This 17th-century building is so stately that the Counts of Santovenia made it their home until 1867, when it became one of Habana Vieja's most elegant hotels; today, it's one of the neighborhood's most modern lodging options. Rooms have Spanish-colonial furniture and contemporary works by Cuban artists like Zaida del Río. Most overlook the Plaza de Armas, though some have port views. Best views here are to be had in rooms and junior suites that overlook the popular Plaza de Armas, with its many booksellers, artists, and restaurants. There's also a lovely lounge-bar area for cocktails and a decent on-site restaurant.

Although it looks unkempt and institutional from the outside, this hotel is well maintained inside . The lobby is a little noisy (music blasts from speakers), but the rooms are bright and comfortable, decorated in anything from bland tans to stark chartreuses. All have satellite TV. The restaurant serves meals that are filling, if uninspired.

A few blocks from the Malecón, this Gran Caribe hotel may be modest, but it has much to recommend it. One of Vedado's few intimate establishments, rooms are small but well equipped, the restaurant is passable, and you can't help but make a new friend or two at the pocket-size swimming pool. The Victoria's clientele tends to return faithfully, so reserve well in advance.

Set in an ecological park, this scenic resort—host to fauna and flora and adjacent to a spectacular coral reef—has numerous one-story villas, standard rooms in three-story blocks, as well as nice rooms that overlook the lagoon itself. It manages to have wide appeal, attracting families, couples, and seniors. The property includes five dining areas, a mix of à la carte and the one buffet restaurant (La Pergola) included in your rate. Two of the restaurants overlook the waters of the lagoon. For night owls, the disco is open until 2 am.

Second only to its white beach, which extends into blue-green shallows, is this hotel's airy lobby, which stretches beneath a soaring wooden roof and is adorned with shiny marble floors, painted columns, tinted glass, and a small bar surrounded by tropical greenery. Restaurants and three-story buildings with guest quarters surround the circular pool, which has a sunken bar beneath a thatched roof. Rooms have beige-tile floors, wood furniture, original art, and small balconies; about half have ocean views.

Built by the duPont family, this grand, three-story 1920s mansion is Varadero's only true boutique hotel; with only a half-dozen rooms, it often sells out. Dark-wood paneling, a grand staircase, and heavy furniture give the place a slightly somber air. A little worn around the edges, it's more shabby genteel these days, but the historical ambience is intact. Winston Churchill—and more recently Vladimir Putin and members of the Kennedy family—are just some notable guests who have stayed here. It's also a bargain when you consider the room rate includes breakfast, dinner, and 18 holes of golf at the Varadero Golf Club. The upstairs restaurant ($$–$$$, reservations essential) is one of the peninsula's prettiest places to dine, even if the food is overpriced and below par. If you just want to lap up the ambience for an evening, head to the third-floor bar at sunset to enjoy the views and the experience of living it up like a duPont. Sunday is often quieter, and there's less chance of sharing the mansion with noisy tour groups.

This property has a beautiful layout and is dotted with ponds with lily pads and numerous palm-tree lined colonnades. Accommodations stretch from the main building to three other room complexes and six one-story bungalows. The setting is romantic although the beaches are not as pristine as those of the nearby Cayo Coco. The property attracts families with young children and groups. The pool is long and winding, with a separate children's pool area. Sports are plentiful here, and for an extra fee you can even take scuba-diving lessons. Rooms are plush but not as large as those in other competing hotels in the area.

This resort on Cayo Santa María, set among lush vegetation, offers a bit more privacy and exclusivity than other properties here in the Cayos. The main reception is an open-air construction built of wood and featuring classical columns, interior murals, and ornamental designs. A large tree trunk stands tall in the center. This adults-only property is pleasantly lit, and features a series of walkways and oceanfront terraces. Rooms include comfortable wrought-iron beds, lounge chairs, coffee tables, and antique-reproduction furniture. Only the second-floor rooms offer ocean views, but all rooms have balconies or terraces. The hotel shares its luxuriant spa with neighboring Meliá hotels.

Strictly a resort for grown-ups, Las Americas overlooks the Varadero golf course with its small lakes on one side, and a postcard-perfect beach on the other. Built in 1994, its "modern" architecture is already a little dated, but the rooms are spacious and impeccably maintained, decorated in flattering shades of peach. Rooms on the third and fourth floors have the best views. The bungalows have recently been redone and offer separate living rooms with large flat-screen TVs. If stairs are a problem, choose a ground-floor bungalow instead of a second-story one. The hotel's air-conditioned, marble-floor lobby has lots of comfortable, plush seating. Outside, you can cool off in two large and two smaller pools, or head to the 250-meter-wide beach, which is simply gorgeous and serene, minus any children under 18. Guests can dine at four à la carte restaurants—Japanese, Caribbean, International, and Italian—once each during a week-long stay. The golf course is one of the biggest attractions here, with special, all-inclusive rates for guests and free golf clinics by visiting pros.

This upscale, family-focused resort has a village-like feel, with avenues of palm trees leading to white-clapboard, Key West-style buildings. The open-design entryway is pleasing, with classical columns, contemporary furniture, and naturally lighted interior gardens that offer a pleasant welcome. Classic rooms occupy the two- and three-story buildings; Grande Suites are close to the beach and have two bathrooms. Premium rooms are in an adults-only area, while the 10 family-friendly junior suites are close to the kids' pool and have two bedrooms, one with a single bed plus a bunk bed. All rooms, decorated in a peach-and-watermelon "Caribbean" style have walk-in closets. On the waterside, there are picturesque lagoons and three pools—two of them for kids—plus a baby paddling pool. The 400-meter-wide beach edges calm, shallow water. There are nine restaurants and snack bars to choose from, plus nightly entertainment and programs for both kids and teenagers.

Varadero's first luxury hotel remains in the top tier of area resorts with six wings that fan out like flower petals from a lush circular atrium; the quality of the rooms and five à la carte restaurants don't disappoint. Paella is the lunch specialty at the casual, beachfront Ranchón restaurant. There are two pools and the requisite white beach. Although there is no kids' club, there are lots of child-focused, programmed activities. Rooms are sleek and modern and each has a balcony, with garden, pool, or ocean views (extra). Level Two rooms are close to the beach and have concierge service; premium ocean-view rooms have corner terraces with double the view. For golfers, there is a free shuttle service to the nearby Varadero Golf Club plus discounted rates.

The setting for several episodes in Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana, this hotel is technically in Centro Habana but right on the edge of La Habana Vieja. Although it has a pleasant, club-like atmosphere and an appealing garden surrounding its swimming pool, the rooms are small and disappointing. Famous guests that once have stayed here include dancer Josephine Baker, gangster Al Capone, and the Spanish flamenco dancer Lola Flores, as well as Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Adjacent to Havana Bay and Cathedral Square, this hotel was once the house of Don Ricardo O'Farrill, descendant of an Irish man who made his fortune in the sugar trade. The entrance courtyard is impressive, if not as snazzy as that in some of the older buildings in the heart of the old city. Each floor of the hotel is dedicated to a different era, either the 18th, 19th, or 20th centuries, and rooms are decorated accordingly. Try to ask for one with a private balcony. The hotel has a signature restaurant, Don Ricardo, serving Cuban and international cuisine. The Chico O'Farrill snack bar features Latin jazz.