28 Best Hotels in Central Cuba, Cuba

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cayo Coco's original resort, the Tryp is a miniature city, with several pools, more than 20 bars and restaurants, and nearly a thousand rooms spread along a mile of pale beach. The hotel consists of two compounds, each with its own reception: the original complex, to the west, has more charm, with large rooms in Spanish-style structures surrounded by gardens; the newer wing has a modern, open-air lobby that overlooks a vast pool area with sculptures, fountains, and a sunken bar. Rooms throughout are done in earth tones and have tile floors, balconies, and large baths with tubs.

On a 5-hectare (12-acre) farm—the name means "little farm"—near Santa Clara's airport, this tranquil resort has plenty of fresh air and birdsong. Rooms are in two-story octagonal duplexes, with bright tile floors, hardwood furniture, and lots of windows overlooking shady lawns. You can follow trails through patches of forest, orchards, and pastures on foot or on horseback. A kidney-shape pool lies next to the reception area, and a large restaurant nearby offers buffets as well as a menu of Cuban dishes.

Here dozens of two-story, cement bungalows spread around verdant grounds have spacious rooms with white-tile floors, queen-size beds, and lots of windows. The main building houses the reception, a tiny bar, and the restaurant ($), which serves such Cuban classics as pierna asada (roast pork) and ternero guisado (stewed veal), as well as a few Continental dishes. On weekends, light sleepers should request a room at the back of the property, since the discotheque next to the reception area stays open late.