General Cuba Tourist Information - Real Havana: Explore Cuba Like a Local and Save Money - page 41

Standard Hotels
Standard hotels can be found in all cities and towns in Cuba. These are mostly,
but not exclusively, frequented by foreigners. They are all state-run, and usually
offer quality accommodations at a reasonable price.
The best place to look for and reserve a hotel in Cuba is online. You will be able
to find photos and detailed reviews of almost every hotel in Cuba. In a large city
like Havana, basic hotel rooms can be reserved for about 25 CUC per person, per
night. Fancier hotels can be much more expensive, easily reaching 100 CUC per
night or more. In Cuba, it is always cheaper to reserve hotel rooms online, rather
than just showing up at the front desk. The savings will often amount to over 50%.
While hotels can be a good option for some tourists, there are some clear draw-
backs. In terms of price, while a standard Cuban hotel is relatively cheap by west-
ern standards, it is still rather expensive. Furthermore, in a hotel setting you will
always be surrounded by foreigners and your opportunities to interact with locals
will be reduced. Most importantly, hotels will not permit visitors onto the premises
unless they are paid guests at the hotel. If, for example, you make some local
friends and want to host a small gathering in your hotel room, you will either have
to sneak your guests into the room, or pay a full nightly fare for each visitor. This
is a strict policy at all Cuban hotels.
If you are looking to save a lot of money and eager to completely immerse your-
self in the local lifestyle and culture, there is a much better Cuban accommodation
option, and it will be discussed in the next section.
Important Note: Contrary to common misconceptions, Cuban citizens are allowed
to stay at all hotels on the island, provided they have a valid reservation and have
paid the nightly fare. The hotel fare for a Cuban is exactly the same as that for a
foreigner.
Casas Particulares