Cuba accommodation advice

homer1982

We are going to Cuba in November, 3 nights in Havana and 7 night in Varadero. Can anyone recommend hotels in both places and the do's and don'ts for both places? Any tips are welcome.

Eponymous

Another thread reads like you're sorted for Havana. The hotel we stayed in there was the Habana Panorama and it was only OK so I wouldn't be recommending it anyway, although it does seem to have been taken over by the H10 group since I was there.

In Varadero we stayed in Royal Hicacos resort. We had a concierge suite so we were pretty well looked after. Certainly it was one of the nicer hotels on the beach and it's good in that it's for couples so there are no kids milling about.

Fagashlil

We stayed here http://www.hotelparquecentral.com last May for 3 nights, only went B&B, great breakfast! We stayed in the new part, had requested a room in the old part, but it books up quick, however you have use of the whole hotel no matter which part you're staying.

Stayed here http://www.paradisuscuba.com/varadero-luxury-resort/paradisus-princesadelmar in Varadero, it's a gorgeous resort, but just missing something to make it a great place. It's adults only, unless you're the family of the Argentinian president, and they make an exception and allow your entire family with all the kids!

Was talking to another couple who usually stay here http://www.iberostar.com/en/hotels/varadero/iberostar-varadero and have been 8 or 9 times and highly reccomend it. It's also where 2 different T/As reccomended to us, really regret not listening to them!

rtw

Stayed in the iberostar varadero and would recommend it!

frozenbanana

homer1982 wrote: »

We are going to Cuba in November, 3 nights in Havana and 7 night in Varadero. Can anyone recommend hotels in both places and the do's and don'ts for both places? Any tips are welcome.

Bring a lot of stomach medicine, mosquito repellent and Sun screen. It can be suprisingly hard to get here and when you do find it it can be really expensive, particularly in varadero. Same goes for feminine hygiene products, any essential a really.

Beware of overly friendly people trying to get you to go for a drink with them - they will rip you off.

If you are buying art in Havana (very popular market here, seriously good prices on oil painting, do a bit of research on how not to get ripped off by customs when you're leaving.

Bring a small torch, there is hardly any lighting on the streets. Because of that, Havana will seem intimidating at first, but it's actually quite safe.

Rent one of them old taxis for two hours. It's cheap enough and it's a great way to see Havanas different neighborhoods.

People will ask you for stuff, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, clothes, school supplies for kids. Either bring some things to give away or be prepared to say no. It can be hard.

I'm sure you heard how bad the food is - it's actually even worse. Make sure you have something for your stomach for when (not if) you get sick.

Rent mopeds in varadero, great places to go around there, including empty pristine beaches and a brilliant bat cave.

Service is really bad, 30 min wait for simple drink order, for food you're talking an hour and a half. Also a lot of food is inedible. You really need to find some places you like quickly and plan your meals. This goes more for Havana than varadero.


It sounds really negative, but those are just little points really. Cuba is a great place, particularly countryside, we really enjoyed our time there.

xalot

Only went to Havana. We stayed at the Parque Central and the Saratoga. The Saratoga is fancier and much more polished.

The Parque Central has a gorgeous lounge/reception area and the location is very handy. Style wise it's very unique I preferred the Saratoga but definitely stop into the Parque Central for a drink.

Prepare to be hounded by people offering to sell you things or simply demanding that you buy stuff for them! I found it very off putting but didn't feel unsafe.

bluejelly

We stayed in Hotel Parque Central also.......very nice.........has rooftop pool which was well needed in June. Nicest food we had in Cuba too. Stayed in the sandals resort in varadero, everything was great here too..........plenty to choose from in the buffet.

FTA69

I'm sure you heard how bad the food is - it's actually even worse. Make sure you have something for your stomach for when (not if) you get sick.

This is nonsense. The food in Cuba is only terrible if you're eating out of the hotels or state-run restaurants. If you stay at a Casa Particular or eat from a paladar there can be plenty decent grub to be had at reasonably low prices. It isn't haute cuisine but it's perfectly edible. I never got remotely sick out there and I was eating out of peso restaurants and tiendas half of the time as well.

whisky_galore

If staying in a casa particular, and moving on to your next town, the people will invariably know other casas and will phone them for you to have someone waiting for you at the bus station with a sign so you get to avoid the hoards of touts and taxi drivers.

If you're hiring a car, drive during daylight only don't drive at night. There are monster potholes, bad lighting, no lines on the road and crap/drunk drivers all over the shop.

Food is grand in casas and you will not go hungry, the portions are huge. Better than lukewarm buffets in hotels and as cheap as chips and you get more of an idea what the country and people are about.
Was told (by a Cuban) to stay away from things like chicken cooked on the street at carnivals...they recycle the cooking oil...a lot.

Expect to get kissy noises made at you if a single female on the street (their version of a wolf-whistle) and expect to get propositioned by ladies of the night if a single male in a bar, they don't seem to annoy couples quite as much. Try not to get offended/annoyed by touts and taxi drivers, just making a joke and moving on is the way to go.

Having a reasonable grasp of Spanish is a great advantage.

Keep lots of small change for tipping, esp for using toilets.

Anyone coming up to you out of the blue calling you 'amigo' on the street is invariably a tout trying to sell you something, dodgy cigers/rum/chicas...etc. Another is the milk scam, usually women tourists are approached with a sob story about a baby needing milk, then they buy milk at tourist rate and the profits split between shop owner and scammer and the scam artist goes to find another gullible tourist.
Another one pulled on me (didn't work btw) was a museum worker spinning some yarn about donating money to orphans, the 'orphan' was herself!

Trying NOT to look like a tourist works wonders, avoid the shorts/t shirt combo and displaying cameras and other forms of wealth and you'll fly under the touts' radar on the streets. You'll find a lot of begging, little old ladies and kids, don't encourage it.

Change all your CUCs (Convertable Pesos) before getting on the plane at the airport going home, they're pretty much useless elsewhere unless you want them for souvenirs.