For long the least appealing of the three hotels on Playa Ancón, the Costa Sur reopened in early 2008 after being closed for three years for a much-needed overhaul. It´s clearly still focused on the budget traveler, and most guests arrive from Canada and Germany on low-end package vacations. This low-rise property with 131 rooms isn´t actually on Playa Ancón.

Launched as a hotel for the Cuban masses three decades ago, this austere concrete Bauhaus structure is of a joyless Soviet design seen throughout Cuba. It rises three stories over the east end of Playa Ancón, a lovely white sand beach that it shares with the neighboring and more appealing Hotel Brisas Trinidad del Mar.

Purpose-built for the packaged tour group trade, this all-inclusive resort at Playa Ancón opened in 2004. Designed in a quasi-colonial fashion (architectural elements imitate the nearby city of Trinidad´s famous landmarks), it is far superior to the lackluster Hotel Ancón next door, despite its garish color schemes. It makes a big play for families with its kid´s club, children´s swimming pool, and special programs for children.