This is one of Cuba´s provincial gems. First, take the location just one block from the main plaza in the heart of downtown. Then there´s the thoughtful remodel of this three-story, neoclassical 19th-century hotel, which exudes elegant yesteryear airs thanks to its antiques and quality antique reproductions.

Text by Christopher Baker

This is one of Cuba´s provincial gems. First, take the location just one block from the main plaza in the heart of downtown. Then there´s the thoughtful remodel of this three-story, neoclassical 19th-century hotel, which exudes elegant yesteryear airs thanks to its antiques and quality antique reproductions.

All 39 rooms, 11 junior suites, and two suites are arrayed around an atrium courtyard with tinkling fountain. The period decor is a romantic throwback in time, and the new two-tone ceramic floors and modern bathrooms bring the hotel into the 21st century. The amenities are as to be expected, including air conditioning, satellite TVs, radios, telephones, small refrigerators, and in-room safes. And bathrooms here, clad floor to ceiling in modern tiles, even have bidets and travertine countertops.

The swimming pool comes as a pleasant surprise, especially on hot summer days. It´s built into a ground floor courtyard with faux-Romanesque elements such as classical statuary. And the hotel´s Restaurant 1869 is undisputably the city´s finest; the menu is unusually inventive for Cuba, although some dishes fall flat on their face. Bring a wrap or jacket, however, to fend off the Arctic air-conditioning. The bar here is cozier than most of Cuba´s provincial hotels. A gym has just enough equipment to guarantee an all-round work out. A small spa offers massage and beauty treatments. There´s a small business center with Internet access. Plus there´s secure parking across the road, adjoining a car rental office. And a foreigners-only pharmacy in the hotel could prove handy in case of a medical need.

All in all, this hotel represents true value.

This is one of those hotels that get your hopes up for from afar, or at least from the second you walk in the door. You´ll love it´s position at the south end of town, where it rises over the waters of Cienfuegos Bay—take a south-facing room for the panoramic vistas over the bay and the Mughal-style Palacio del Valle. Built in Modernist style in the 1950s, it was recently revamped in sophisticated contemporary style.

Text by Christopher Baker

This is one of those hotels that get your hopes up for from afar, or at least from the second you walk in the door. You´ll love it´s position at the south end of town, where it rises over the waters of Cienfuegos Bay—take a south-facing room for the panoramic vistas over the bay and the Mughal-style Palacio del Valle. Built in Modernist style in the 1950s, it was recently revamped in sophisticated contemporary style. Today the lobby, with its acres of glass walls on three sides, is both colorful and exciting, with its contemporary art and equally avant-garde furniture.

The guest rooms are a great bargain. They, too, benefitted from the recent remodel and today boast colorful (even stylish) contemporary furnishings. All rooms have a wall of glass with sliding glass doors onto private balconies. And the modern bathrooms even have hair-dryers.

A smaller and more intimate neighbor to the Hotel Club Amigo Rancho Luna, this sister property has similar furnishings. In all other regards, it´s a different kind of fish. With just 46 rooms, this quiet option might suit folks seeking a day or two at a reclusive hotel by the shore (the hotel stands atop a craggy bluff, and the beach is a five-minute walk away). Just don´t expect many amenities.

Text by Christopher Baker

A smaller and more intimate neighbor to the Hotel Club Amigo Rancho Luna, this sister property has similar furnishings. In all other regards, it´s a different kind of fish. With just 46 rooms, this quiet option might suit folks seeking a day or two at a reclusive hotel by the shore (the hotel stands atop a craggy bluff, and the beach is a five-minute walk away). Just don´t expect many amenities. There´s a delphinarium (dolphin and sea-lion shows) and a scuba diving outlet a stone´s throw away, but the little village here otherwise lacks all facilities. Car rental is offered, and you can sign up for a series of local excursions, including by horse-drawn carriage. There´s no Internet access here, so plan accordingly.

The hotel´s 46 air-conditioned rooms are in three buildings standing four-square behind the beach. All rooms have ocean views (the sunsets here can be spectacular), with those in the 200 block preferred. Each comes sparsely furnished with bamboo furniture and cheap mattresses that may be the cause of sore backs next day. They have satellite TVs and in-room safes, and some rooms have refrigerators, but the balconies and patios are shared with adjoining units.

The large pool here is probably this hotel´s chief asset. And you can rent lounge chairs etc. on the nearby beach, where Cuban families gather on weekends (a few Cubans also use the hotel, although most guests are budget-end tour groups passing through for one or two nights). Dining in the sole restaurant gets boring very quickly, with only a limited menu on offer, and the pool bar can usually conjure up nothing more than simple ham and cheese sandwiches. To spice things up, guests here can purchase a day or night pass to the nearby Hotel Club Amigo Rancho Luna. Service at Faro Luna is hit-and-miss (usually miss), although staff are courteous enough.

While Playa Rancho Luna may not be the most spectacular beach in Cuba, far from it, it´s attractive enough to draw budget vacationers on package tours, and this recently remodeled all-inclusive hotel fits the bill. Cienfuegos is less than 30 minutes´ drive away. The two-story Bauhaus-style edifice dates from the Soviet era but the purely functional architecture has been enlivened by fresh coats of paint.

Text by Christopher Baker

While Playa Rancho Luna may not be the most spectacular beach in Cuba, far from it, it´s attractive enough to draw budget vacationers on package tours, and this recently remodeled all-inclusive hotel fits the bill. Cienfuegos is less than 30 minutes´ drive away. The two-story Bauhaus-style edifice dates from the Soviet era but the purely functional architecture has been enlivened by fresh coats of paint. The hotel reopened in 2005 after lying fallow for several years, but already shows signs of aging anew. Billed as a three-star hotel, it barely makes the grade.

Dolled up with tropical color schemes and rattan furnishings, the 222 bedrooms are comfy enough, but not enough to make you wish to linger, despite international programming on the satellite TVs. Instead, you´ll want to spend your time by the gray-sand beach or the Olympic-size pool, both of which are palm-shaded. The two restaurants win no gourmet prizes, and the buffet and a la carte dishes here are limited in range. The cappuccino bar makes amends for coffee addicts.

Entertainment here is ho-hum; the nightclub is desultory. The staff perform cabarets, and work hard to keep guests amused day and night, but there´s simply not that much to do after sunset. By day, scuba diving a big draw; the hotel has introductory lessons, and the nearby dive operation has certification courses. And there are a modicum of non-motorized watersport and recreational activities, such as volleyball. However, if you want use the tennis court, bring your own racket and balls! A high point is the wide range of tour excursions to the Sierra Escambray, Trinidad, and further afield.

Within a 20-minute walk of the historic downtown, this waterfront hotel on the Malecón boulevard is also just one block from the Club Cienfuegos bar, restaurant, and nightclub. The neo-classical building began life in 1921 as a private mansion capped by a Mughal-style domed turret. In 2004 it reopened as a seven-room hotel operated by Cubanacón.

Text by Christopher Baker

Within a 20-minute walk of the historic downtown, this waterfront hotel on the Malecón boulevard is also just one block from the Club Cienfuegos bar, restaurant, and nightclub. The neo-classical building began life in 1921 as a private mansion capped by a Mughal-style domed turret. In 2004 it reopened as a seven-room hotel operated by Cubanacón.

The ambiance throughout clings to the hotel´s 1920s roots. A restoration has left the structure and its highlights, such as the colonial-style tile floors, intact. And the lofty ceilings lend a sense of airy spaciousness. The bedrooms are named for flowers, such as Orquídea, Dalia, and Margarita. The modest furnishings in subdued pastels are a tad bland, but the rooms are comfy enough and have both air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms with shower-tubs. Satellite TV, refrigerators, and in-room safes are standard. Rooms on the second floor are the best bargain, especially Dalia, which has fine views over the bay. Six of the rooms have balconies (Mariposa does not).

Facilities are limited to a small restaurant serving from a limited criolla and continental menu, and the nearby Club Cienfuegos offers variety plus options for a lively nightlife ranging from billiards to live music.

Here´s another example of the Islazul chain´s admirable upgrades to its previously lackluster hotels. Once a decidedly dumpy property, this Cinderella is now set to charm, despite its two-star status. It´s easy to imagine yourself at some Mediterranean coast resort thanks to its perch atop a rocky and woodsy headland at the mouth of the Yaguanabo river, mid-way between Cienfuegos and Trinidad.

Text by Christopher Baker

Here´s another example of the Islazul chain´s admirable upgrades to its previously lackluster hotels. Once a decidedly dumpy property, this Cinderella is now set to charm, despite its two-star status. It´s easy to imagine yourself at some Mediterranean coast resort thanks to its perch atop a rocky and woodsy headland at the mouth of the Yaguanabo river, mid-way between Cienfuegos and Trinidad. The headland cusps a sheltered cove framing a delightful white-sand beach, where thatched umbrellas provide shade for lounge chairs.

Upgraded in 2007, this previously lackluster hotel has been invigorated with aesthetically appealing contemporary furnishings and modern fittings. Still, it remains a two-star hotel, so don´t expect the Ritz. The 33 air-conditioned rooms are in 16 air-conditioned cabanas freshly spruced up with two-tone pink color schemes, modern tile floors and charming, albeit simple bamboo-and-wicker furnishings, plus small satellite TVs, a refrigerator, and modern bathrooms with hot water showers.

The open-air restaurant has a lovely setting overlooking the cove and river and now boasts stylish contemporary steel-and-wicker seating, replacing cheap and ugly plastic chairs of old. The hotel has a small clinic. Excursions offered include a boat tour on the river, as well as to nearby caves, Topes de Collantes, and the spectacular colonial city of Trinidad.

This hotel was being utilized exclusively for Operación Milagro (offering free medical service to indigents from Latin America) during our last visit, when it was closed to tourists. It has since reopened to travelers with appealing new furnishings after a thoughtful refurbishing. The five-story structure has been described accurately (by Christopher P. Baker, in Moon Cuba guidebook) as looking “like an enormous concrete block shipped in from Novosibirsk.”

Text by Christopher Baker

This hotel was being utilized exclusively for Operación Milagro (offering free medical service to indigents from Latin America) during our last visit, when it was closed to tourists. It has since reopened to travelers with appealing new furnishings after a thoughtful refurbishing. The five-story structure has been described accurately (by Christopher P. Baker, in Moon Cuba guidebook) as looking “like an enormous concrete block shipped in from Novosibirsk.” Inside things improve. And the setting overlooking Cienfuegos bay from the Pasacaballo headland, at the entrance to the harbor channel, is splendid for its views and cooling breezes.

The Soviet-era clifftop hotel has an inviting Modernist mezzanine lobby with a beautiful black marble staircase, lots of potted plants, and handsome contemporary artwork. A huge figure-eight swimming pool (spanned by a steeply arched bridge that is slippery and potentially lethal when wet) is inset in a spacious concrete sundeck with plastic lounge chairs and a sprinkling of thatched umbrellas. Choose from an a la carte and buffet restaurants (meals are merely average at best). There is also a small games rooms, a small shop, and a bar that doubles as a nightclub on weekend nights, drawing locals. Be warned, the blaring disco music can result in sleepless nights.

The main downside here is that the architects have failed to factor in the lovely views. Instead, the 188 modestly-sized air-conditioned rooms inexplicably face inland over the pool complex and the scrubland beyond. Still, accommodations are amply provided with modern albeit simple hardwood pieces, wicker headboards topped by wrought iron lamps, and eye-pleasing blue-and-yellow fabrics. Every room features satellite TV, in-room safe, and recently refitted bathrooms with modern fixtures. Most rooms have two double beds, but have queen beds.

About four km east of Cienfuegos, across the bay en route to Pasacaballo, this hotel in the Islazul chain attempts to present itself as a beach resort. The tiny beach barely deserves the moniker and if it´s sand that you´re seeking, you´ll be better rewarded by staying at the two hotels at nearby Rancho Luna, which are superior and have real sands.

Text by Christopher Baker

About four km east of Cienfuegos, across the bay en route to Pasacaballo, this hotel in the Islazul chain attempts to present itself as a beach resort. The tiny beach barely deserves the moniker and if it´s sand that you´re seeking, you´ll be better rewarded by staying at the two hotels at nearby Rancho Luna, which are superior and have real sands. That said, we find this two-star option appealing, although it´s hard to put our finger on why, as visually it´s no stunner: the hotel, which dates from the 1970s, is a low-slung Bauhaus affair of concrete with stone exterior highlights set amid palm-studded, unkempt lawns enlivened by bougainvillea.

Life here revolves around the large swimming pool, which gets noisy on weekends when Cuban families flock and the music is cranked up; otherwise the place is peaceful. You can join with locals in water volleyball. Thatched umbrellas shade the plastic lounge chairs, and a thatched bar serves the pool. The sunlit restaurant makes a stab at elegance, but the food is mediocre at best. At least you get lovely views.

It has 67 air-conditioned rooms fitted with satellite TV and functional furnishings, including wicker chairs. The rooms are small, however, and dim-lit, although most have views across the bay. Bathrooms feature marble tilework and functioning hot water. A nurse´s station and tiny boutique round out the facilities.