Accommodation in Cuba

Does anyone have any suggestions for accommodation in Havana and throughout Cuba? Looking at venere.com there do not seem to be many hotels that are people are remotely happy with. While I realise that Cuba is a different economically to Ireland, I wonder if B&B or hostales would be a better option? Any suggestions with these or how to book or find them? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks.

Hotel Telegrafo in the city centre is very good, great location, and massive rooms.

Also stayed in B&B's which was the highlight, move out to Vedado in the suburbs for this, beautiful out there, lots of nice hotels, easy to get back in with the walk along the Malecon (?). Have memories of smoking cigars with our host till 3 in the morning, looking at pictures of him and Fidel at Fidel's sisters wedding, and in combat during the revolution.

Veradero is the beach resort most famous in Cuba, full of Canadians (not saying thats a bad thing!). Breezes is an all-inclusive chain which is quiet nice although that is 2nd hand info, stayed in cheaper all-inclusive down the road and it was grand.

Stayed in all-inclusive at Bay of Pigs as well, nice down there but very quiet, did a couple of dives.

Highlight along with Havana was island off North Coast, Cayo Levisa (?), about 30-40 individual appartments on a small island, 2 miles long by 0.5 wide, just you, the coconut trees, and a bar serving mojitos...

I stayed in Hotel Caribbean and Hotel Lincoln. Avoid Hoitel Caribbean like the plague, it is a hole. Hotel Lincoln was reasonable. Both were centrally located near all the sights.

If you want a good hotel, you need to pay substanially more ($150/night at least and that was four years ago). However be aware that some cheaper upmarket hotels are actually well outside the city so it wouldn't be worth it.

When you get outside Havana, the cost of accommodation drops and the standard rises. However in Varadero, the cost is high again but you will not find many dodgy hotels there

SkippyOD said:

Stayed in all-inclusive at Bay of Pigs as well, nice down there .

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I stayed in this same resort, (Playa Giron); to be honest, I thought it was the worst accommodation we were in outside Havana; rooms were small, food was disgusting (altough you will find it difficult to get a decent meal in Cuba) and somebody broke into our rental car and took some clothes, trainers and about $200 in cash (inside the supposedly secure resort) and the hotel were not exactly very helpful when I reported it.

Area is nice though and there is a big museum beside the hotel with all sorts of memorabilia from the Bay of Pigs invasion

Now that you say it the hotel was pretty poor and the rooms were v.basic. Also can remember a couple we met who told us how they gave some people a lift up in their rental car and how they had robbed nearly everything out of their bags, while in the car with them!!

My memories were of the scuba diving,the museum, and having to bottle after bottle of rum across the road in the "nite-club" with the band from the hotel for about $5 a pop.