A delightfully small and intimate establishment in what was once the mansion of Claudio Martínez de Pinillos, Count of Villanueva, the leader of Cuban Creole society in the nineteenth century. A great favorite with cigar aficionados and useful for private weekend parties. One of Old Havana´s best cigar shops, with private humidors to rent, is tucked away in the old slave quarters on its mezzanine floor.

The Raquel opened in June 2003 following extensive renovation work in the heart of Old Havana. Located in a wonderfully idiosyncratic building with a neo—Churrigueresque façade and tendrils of Art Nouveau wrought iron decoration, the Hotel Raquel contains further delightful design eccentricities including a vast stained glass canopy roof and a watchtower from which one can look out over the streets and squares of Old Havana.

Up till recently, discerning visitors have bemoaned the lack of a really luxurious hotel in Havana. The Saratoga, which opened in November 2005, has rectified the situation. Standing on the western edge of the Historical Centre of the city, its elegant façade overlooks the other nineteenth—century architectural glories of the Prado and Parque Central.

For something entirely different to the all-inclusives at Varadero, consider this historic boutique hotel. A gem of early 1930s Spanish Renaissance architecture, it exudes character and has a sensational position atop a cliff beside the Varadero Golf Club and with a gorgeous beach a stone´s throw away (however, all the lounge chairs belong to the adjoining Meliá resort).

This charming and budget-priced little hotel on the main street, just steps from the main plaza, is housed in a recently restored colonial-era building dating from 1867. For better or worse, the original colonial tile-work has been replaced with rather soulless contemporary ceramics, but beautiful hardwood doors are a lovely touch.

This unique hotel is one of our favorite provincial hotels in Cuba. What was once a fairly simple villa rental on the beach, tucked into a small cove about 20 km west of Baracoa, was recently expanded and upgraded, metamorphosing into an atmospheric lodge on the sands. Backed by thickly forested mountains and edged by mangrove forest, it´s a perfect venue for nature lovers to escape the madding crowds.