9 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.