Take a tiny coral isle fringed by a talcum-white beach that shelves into bathtub-warm turquoise waters. Add palm trees for shade. Build 35 simple cabins. Service the cay with twice daily ferry service. And, voila! You have the ingredients for a perfect tropical paradise. So how does Cayo Levisa, off the north coast of Pinar del Río, shape up?

This long-awaited newcomer, which opened in 2008, is tucked into a cove at Playa Las Tumbas, at the very westernmost tip of Cuba. The all-timber single-story hotel is intended to serve as an eco-resort granting access to the Península de Guanahacabibes Biosphere Reserve, preserving a rare swatch of tropical dry forest inhabited by endemic species such as solenodon and jutía.

An unsung hotel about a 30-minute drive from downtown Holguín, this is one of our favorite regional hotels. It combines many of the qualities you could hope for: great atmosphere, modern comforts, and killer views--the latter courtesy of the hotel's clifftop position overlooking the Mayabe valley. It's part of a faux-finca (farmstead) made famous by Panchito, the beer-swigging burro (donkey).

At Chivírico, about one hour drive west of Santiago de Cuba, this all-inclusive hotel comprises two very distinct entities about one mile apart. Both are cliff-top, with sensational views down over the Caribbean Sea and towards the Sierra Maestra mountains. The main complex—Brisas Sierra Mar—has the lion´s share of facilities, plus 200 rooms; the 34-room Los Galeones is an entirely more intimate experience.

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.