Accommodation Options in Cuba
Last Updated on November 21, 2023
There are a number of very good options if you are looking for somewhere to stay in Cuba, and the best choice will depend on where you plan to stay.
If you are, for example, planning to stay in one of the beach resorts such as Varadero, then you might find that the best option is to consider a package to stay in one of the resort hotels.
A stay in the centre of Havana on the other hand, suggests that a B&B, guest house or hotel might be a good choice. There are also plenty of options for the budget traveller. Below are the main options.
Holiday and Vacation Rentals
Although not such a big market in Cuba as it is in Europe or North America, there are still some vacation rentals options including in beach locations such as Varadero and Cayo Coco.
The Cuban holiday and vacation apartment and rentals market is a relatively new one for the industry, but this is an option and especially for those of you who prefer a more cultural experience, rather than being stuck on an all-inclusive resort, where you experience little of Cuban culture.
Certainly, over time and especially when tourism from America one day grows substantial, the holiday apartments market will be large.
Hotels in Cuba
There are some excellent hotels in all parts of the country including in the capital Havana and in coastal areas and on smaller islands.
There are a number of 3, 4 and 5-star hotels here despite the poverty one might sometimes associate with these islands.
Tourism is one sector that the Cuban government realise can be beneficial for the country and despite the U.S. trade restrictions, tourists have been coming here from other countries, such as from the UK, for years.
So there are some excellent hotels both in the heart of Havana, whilst others are located in all-inclusive resorts.
There are several very cheap and inexpensive hotels also, many of which offer quite basic facilities but which make Cuba a very good country for budgets travellers to enjoy.
Wherever you stay, two things tend to be constant. The food is always excellent and the hosts always seem to be incredibly friendly.
For a resort stay in a beach area, Varadero Beach is a particularly popular location for these types of hotels.
Find some of our favourite hotels in Cuba.
Youth Hostels and Backpacker accommodation
For the budget traveller, there are numerous youth hostels and backpacker accommodation options.
You can find these types of stays in Havana and on most of the small islands and this really for me is the most fun way to see Cuba, if you really have an interest in the culture and meeting other traveller’s.
This is also a cheaper way to see Cuba.
One point to make though is that a youth hosteller in the use of the term in North America or Europe when travelling is a little different here in Cuba.
Some people rent out a bed in their own home by adding in a bunch of bunk beds and calling it a hostel.
Large youth hostels and backpacker places are rare in Cuba, in the truest sense of a hostel.
AirBnB
As of 2015, Airbnb.com now offer a choice of over 1200 places to stay, staying with locals in different parts of the country including with a very wide range of choices in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Playa Larga, Varadero and many other areas.
