Accommodation in Cuba: the boom of Private Houses

If you decide to spend your holidays in the authentic Cuba and you are mulling over the issue of accommodation and lodging, one of our best tips for traveling would be, without a doubt, staying in a private house for rent. We share all the details with you.

What are Private Houses in Cuba and what advantages do they have?

The private houses for rent are private business where owners rent their homes in various ways:

• Full rental: independent apartments, houses and villas with total autonomy for the traveler
• Room rental on a hotel basis: the traveler lives with other tourists, and sometimes also with Cuban families, as in any small family hotel that we are used to in Europe, with total comfort and privacy.

In our customized trips Travel Agency to Cuba we offer all types of hotels and private accommodation, according to the client's preferences, but we love to recommend Private Houses on a hotel basis. They have all the attractions of small charming hotels, with a much closer treatment, where you would have the opportunity to speak with local families who will strive to make your stay more pleasant and help you with any need you may have.
It is also a way of contributing directly to improving the economy of Cubans, especially in these moments after the impact of Covid-19 in Cuba which, although being under control within the island, has kept them closed to tourism.

Many private rental houses are so neat that they are offered as even Boutique Hotels, with higher standards than many Public hotels. At CubaUnique we constantly search to update our selection of private houses (or private inns) throughout the island where we can guarantee you not only comfort, but total security from owner families of our total trust.

When was the boom of Private Houses in Cuba?

A private rental house in Cuba in the 90s, was a family home in which its owners, who lived in the house, allocated one or two rooms to rent to tourists or officials of foreign companies. This activity was not illegal, as many think, but the landlords did not really have legal protection.
Starting in 2011, in which there was a major reform of the Cuban economic and social system, legal coverage was given to the activity of rental private businesses, so the owner now pays a license and a monthly fee. From that moment, accommodation businesses in Cuba, such as the rental of private houses, began to grow, to expand internationally and make their proposals more attractive to the world market.
Many entrepreneurs throughout the island, opted to rent their own houses, reforming their spaces, while others bought new and independent properties to put them entirely at the service of tourism and upgrade them to international standards.
This new possibility, together with increase in North American tourists on the island during the Obama era in the years 2014-2016 (together with the ban, by his government, of staying in hotels run by the Revolutionary Armed Forces 'FAR') promoted the ensemble of private inns in Cuba.
For a better understanding of what we are talking about, and based on the experience of our travel agency in Cuba, we have made four categories in the private houses we offer:

1 BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN CUBA

We begin with the highest grade on our scale. If you choose to stay at Private Boutique Inns, you will witness good taste, luxury, elegance, neatness, personalized service and comfort.
These accommodations are located in the city center, and offer high architectural value: houses in which their original architecture, be it colonial, republican or modernist, has been preserved, and in which decoration plays a primary role.
Some of them mix classic details , with modern elements, while others are actual art galleries in which you can delight yourself with sensational sculptures, furniture or fine arts.
In these houses you will feel completely at ease, although in most of them you will not meet the owners, since they are houses that have been designed exclusively to accommodate tourists. However, there is always staff in charge of making you feel like VIP clients, providing personalized service and attention, preparing breakfasts or luxury meals, offering bar service, laundry and 24-hour security.

They can have two to 6 rooms, so it is possible that you share common spaces with other families, couples or groups of friends, but the likely meetings are much more warm and familiar than in a large hotel.
At CubaUnique we make the best recommendations for the boutique hotels where you can stay, either for travel with a group of friends, spend a honey moon  or enjoy a travel with your family. And if you are traveling as a couple, do not miss this post where we have made a selection of some exclusive accommodations we love!

2 Charming private houses in Cuba

This kind of charming inns does not get to be a boutique hotel, but their comfort, beauty, strategic location, decoration, friendly and warm service, in combination with their good prices, make them charming accommodations.
The charm of theses houses lies in their architecture. In colonial cities like Havana, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, we have selected many charming houses, where you can enjoy an incredible breakfast in its central patio, or where you can sleep in a bed from the 19th century, although of course on a mattress from the 21st century !!

 

Another source of charm lies in their location, as they are very well located near the centers of historical and cultural interest in the different Cuban cities or in privileged natural settings. Its decoration is not so luxurious, but in these houses details and cleanliness are really important, as well as security.

In most of these accommodations you will have the possibility of talk with the family that lives there, or with their owners; warm, simple and friendly people who will tell you their life stories, will give you good advice and with whom you can learn closely about the Cuban reality and daily life. Do not miss the Cubans chitchatting art ('dar muela') and the opportunity to sit down to enjoy a good coffee and a good conversation.

Many charming houses also function as restaurants or bars. Its patios or terraces have been transformed to become cozy and beautiful spaces where you can taste good Creole food or refreshing Cuban cocktails. We also know a lot about restoration and gastronomy in our agency, and we can make interesting recommendations about where to eat in the restaurants with the best rooftops in Havana, or where to eat good, nice and cheap also in Havana.

3 SIMPLE Private Houses in Cuba

At CubaUnique, we like to recommend simple private houses when travel budgets are tighter. Although its simplicity implies less luxuries, and, therefore, lower costs, you will also receive excellent attention and warmth by its lessors.
This we can guarantee 100% from our agency, all our trips and organized tours to Cuba have the best possible selection of accommodations in relation to their value for money.
Simple houses, as their name indicates, show their value and charm through the simple details in the decoration of their spaces and rooms, in their cleanliness, and in the good treatment of family members who normally share the house with their clients. In Cuba you can find a multitude of simple private houses in unique locations, either in historic centers or on beaches facing the sea.
Many of them have been redesigned and renovated for rental, adding one or two rooms to the original architecture, to improve the family economy. The rooms are not usually very spacious or elegant, but they are very comfortable and well equipped with everything necessary and essential for customers. Most of them have a small terrace, balcony or garden where you can enjoy breakfast or dinner.
As it is very complicated through a website to check if these houses meet all quality standards, follow our recommendations before making a bad choice of accommodation. You can really be disappointed with houses that do not meet quality standards, but that will not happen to you if you consult your trip with us, because we thrive to get all the details right, and we also know the hosts, who are hospitable and trustworthy people who will make you feel almost part of the family.

3 APARTMENTS, HOUSES AND VILLAS FOR RENT in Cuba

Another option that many travelers look for when they travel to Cuba is to stay in independent apartments, houses and villas with total autonomy. We also have our selection of favorite full rental accommodations all around the Island.
Theses houses are very well preserved, with all the necessary comfort, whose owners provide all the necessary services available to guests; it is usual that they have a housekeeper who takes care of the house, preparation of breakfasts, as well as any other food throughout the day that travelers need.
We work with houses in all the provinces of Cuba and with different price and category standards, for example, if you are in Havana, you can choose between:

• Small apartments, located in very central areas such as Old Havana and Vedado
• Penthouses with sea views around the Malecón area
• Houses with up to 6 rooms with colonial or modernist architecture from the American 50's in somewhat quieter areas such as Vedado and Miramar.
• If you are looking for an exclusive villa with pool, the neighborhoods of Playa, Miramar and Siboney are the best locations.

So, if you are thinking about organizing a trip to Cuba, either at your pace or in one of our tailor-made trips that we organize with great detail and care in our Travel Agency to Cuba, don't miss any of our recommendations to choose properly.
We recommend that you consult a specialist in the destination before choosing your accommodation and, if possible, that you spend at least 10 days in Cuba to enjoy this magical island and not miss its nature unique spots., its colonial treasures, such as Havana, and of course, its paradisiacal beaches. We wait for you!!!

Article written by Gabriela Rodríguez, independent Cuban guide.

Video produced and edited by Javier Ernesto Hernández-López.

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