A guide to accommodation options in Santiago de Cuba

Despite being Cuba’s second largest city, and an important tourism destination in its own right, accommodation options are still somewhat limited in Santiago de Cuba, certainly compared to Havana.

Fortunately, although the number of hotels in Santiago has barely changed, quality has, thanks to Spanish hotel group Iberostar taking over three of the city’s most central hotels, the Casa Granda, Iberostar Imperial & Iberostar Felix. All three hotels are ideally positioned when it comes to character, comfort, reliability and location with the Casa Granda being the pick of the bunch.

Before Iberostar moved into town, Santiago’s best hotel was the Melia Santiago, again Spanish operated. It’s still a well-run hotel with the best rooms in the city and a lovely pool, but it is also a short taxi ride from the city centre and lacks any semblance of character…..unless you like glass.

Casa particulars are plentiful in Santiago de Cuba and a great option for those wanting to experience something of the city’s unique culture on a more personal level although quality is slightly lacking, certainly when compared to the likes of Havana & Trinidad.

To both the east and west of the city are a number of beach hotels but the beaches themselves aren’t the best in Cuba and the hotels are little better. It makes more sense to combine Santiago de Cuba with the beach hotels of Guardalavaca or even Playa Maguana near Baracoa.