By: Sheyla Paz - Cuba Travel Expert Whatever you decide to call it, you will feel very welcome and at home when staying at a Casa in Cuba. The owners are mostly women and they all vary in styles. Most people live in their homes and rent one room or two. Others, live elsewhere and rent the whole apartment.
Back in January when I went to Cuba with a tour for two weeks, I had the privilege to stay at a 3 bedroom apartment on the fifteen floor in el Vedado with an ocean view. The apartment was luxurious and spacious. Had an enclosed balcony and a living room / diningroom area.
I could use the kitchen if I wanted but there weren’t that many utensils or pots to cook with. The building was very secure and six keys were needed to enter the apartment. Four keys for each door at the apartment and one for the main door to enter the building. The owner happens to be the husband of a friend of mine which I found out after I did the booking. He didn’t offer breakfast and the cost in high season is $60 CUC per night. You can have a delicious breakfast in Cuba while staying at your Casa. Usually, the owner will prepared you a homemade breakfast for $5 CUC per person. They will offer seasonal fruits, eggs (any style), bread, natural fruit juice, cheese, butter, milk and coffee. You can also go to a nearby Paladar (private restaurant) and have breakfast as well.
Most buildings don’t have elevators unless the building is taller than five floors. Get ready to go up those stairs if you book an apartment in one of those buildings. Booking a room at a casa is very affordable compared with the hotel prices in Cuba that can range from $250 to $7,000 a night depending on what hotel you pick to stay. Although, there is a list of 300 hotels that American Citizens cannot stay in while visiting Cuba according to the new rules and regulations imposed back in June, 2017 by the president. You can visit the Q&A section to learn more about this subject. Prices also vary according to the season and the location of the casa but it’ll range between $40 and $120 USD a night.
I have found a luxury house at El Bosque de la Habana with seven rooms, each with its own bathroom. A living room, diningroom, swimming pool, terrace, tennis court, and hammocks all around the patio to relax with breakfast included, wifi, and an old classic car available to take you for a ride at any time. It’s surprising to find this kind of commodity in Cuba but you can enjoy all that for the price of $2,000 CUC per night. Of course, you can’t rent only one room, the owners only rent the whole house to a group of people. So, if you can afford this kind of luxury in Cuba, let us know and we get your group of happy travelers to this beautiful home in Havana.
While staying at a casa, you may want to visit Hotel Nacional, the most outstanding hotel in Cuba. Hotel Nacional is known for being run by the mafia in the 1950s and Hollywood celebrities guests. Enjoy the breeze of the Caribbean by the Malecon while listening to a Son Cubano in the gardens of Hotel Nacional accompanied by a Cafecito or a Mojito!