The yin to the Kurhotel´s yang, this hotel lies literally in the latter´s shadow and offers a much smaller, intimate and—at first sight—more appealing alternative. Surrounded by woodland at Topes de Collantes, in the heart of the Sierra del Escambray, it´s a perfect base for exploring the mountains. Several hiking trails begin within a stone´s throw of the hotel.

Part of the Complejo de Turismo Topes de Collantes (Topes de Collantes Tourist Complex), on the east side of the Sierra del Escambray, this group of 29 self-contained villas set amid sloping lawns surrounded by forest is a good bet for travelers into hiking and nature activities.

Run by Cuba´s Gaviota hotel chain, this monstrosity is totally at odds with its surrounds. The forested mountain setting at 800 meters elevation, deep in the Sierra del Escambray, is lovely. And therein lies the problem: this great concrete hulk rising seven-stories above the treetops is a carbuncle on the landscape. To call this Soviet-scale ziggurat austere is an understatement.