Casas Particulares

The Hostal Las Américas (Carretera Central 157 Sur, tel. 041/32-2984, CUC25) wins hands down as best room rental in town and is close to the bus station. This well-kept 1950s modernist home has a large TV lounge plus dining room and garden patio. The two spacious, cross-ventilated bedrooms (the Blue Room and smaller Green Room) are delightful; bathrooms even have hair dryers. Nice!

In the north end of town, Hostal Los Espejos (Socorro #56, e/ Céspedes y Martí, tel. 041/32-6261, CUC15–20) is a beautifully kept colonial home that opens to a beautiful rear patio with rockers. Two rooms have private bathrooms. Secure parking.

Casa de María Teresa Lorenzo (Adolfo del Castillo #33 altos, e/ Av. de los Mártires y Valdina, tel. 041/32-4733, CUC15–20) offers two pleasing upstairs rooms with fans and modern hot-water bathrooms.

For a heart-of-affairs option, Casa de Ricardo Rodríguez (Independencia #28 altos, tel. 041/23029, CUC20) is a centenarian house on the northeast corner of the main plaza. It has a large lounge with a balcony. Two spacious upstairs rooms are simply furnished and have private bathrooms.

Nearby, Casa de Enrique Díaz (Martí #111, e/ Sobral y San Cristóbal, tel. 041/27553, CUC20–25) is a spacious colonial home, minimally furnished, but opening to a rear patio with secure parking. It has two pleasant, simply furnished rooms with small private bathrooms.

Hotels

An ugly duckling turned swan recently upgraded by Cubanacán, the Hotel E Plaza (tel. 041/32-7102, fax 41/32-8577, aloja [at] hostalesss [dot] co [dot] cu, CUC60 s/d year-round including breakfast), on the east side of Parque Central, is now one of Cuba’s better urban hotels, with 27 handsomely furnished rooms with modern bathrooms. The small lobby bar is a nice spot to tipple, and the once worthless restaurant is now the city’s most elegant.

There’s a reason Cubanacán’s Hotel E del Rijo (Calle Honorato del Castillo #12, tel. 041/32-8588, fax 041/32-8577, aloja [at] hostalesss [dot] co [dot] cu, CUC60 s/d year-round including breakfast) is usually booked solid. This 1818 neoclassical structure, entered through soaring carriage doors, combines heaps of yesteryear ambience. Its 16 large rooms (including a suite) surround a patio and boast beamed ceilings, wrought-iron lamps, period art, and modern marble bathrooms.

Islazul’s Villa Los Laureles (Carretera Central, Km 383, tel. 041/32-7016, fax 041/32-3913, recepcion [at] loslaureles [dot] co [dot] cu, CUC19 s, CUC28 d low season, CUC21 s, CUC32 d high season) on Bartolomé Masó, about four kilometers north of town, offers 78 modest cabinas in meagerly landscaped grounds. All have satellite TV and modern bathrooms. There’s a swimming pool, restaurant, and cabaret.

Slightly more upscale, nearby Villa Rancho Hatuey (Carretera Central, Km 382, tel. 041/32-8315, fax 041/32-8830, www.islazul.cu, CUC36 s, CUC48 d low season, CUC36 s, CUC53 d high season) has 74 rooms in two-story cabinas in contemporary Mediterranean style. There’s a squash court and swimming pool.

© Christopher P. Baker from Moon Cuba, 5th Edition