A brief guide to Cuba hotel room upgrades.
As all our holidays are entirely tailor made, clients can create itineraries and accommodation to suit their own particular requirements, taste and budget.
When it comes to accommodation, many clients think of this purely in terms of selecting a specific hotel or casa particular (B&B) for a particular destination.
Often however, hotels will have a number of different room categories to choose from and selecting the right room category can have a major impact on one’s holiday experience.
Here are just a few hints and pointers, both general and specific, that we have picked up over many years of arranging holidays to Cuba.
The Level at Melia
In a previous feature, we wrote about the Level at Melia and the perks obtainable by booking an upgrade, ie upgrading to a Level room comes with added benefits such as exclusive restaurants and even swimming pools.
Melia operates a number of hotels across Cuba (many more than are featured on our website but all available to book through us) although not all of their hotels feature the Level.
Of those that do, our number one recommendation for an upgrade is the Melia Las Americas (pictured below) in Varadero. While the hotel is our number one choice in Cuba’s largest resort, it must be said that the entry level, Classic rooms, are slightly underwhelming.
Memories Diamond Club Rooms
Memories is a mid-range hotel brand with a number of good value All Inclusive beach hotels dotted across Cuba.
Two of their properties – Memories Jibacoa (pictured below, an hour east of Havana) and Memories Trinidad (on Playa Ancon, just outside Trinidad) are two of our most popular beach hotels in Cuba and, in both instances, we strongly recommend that clients upgrade to a Diamond Club room.
As with the Level at Melia, upgrading to a Diamond Club room (and there are further sub-categories) provides guests with more than just a nicer room.
Internal Facing Rooms
Two of the most luxurious hotels in Havana are the Kempinski Manzana La Habana and Iberostar Packard, located within a few hundred metres of each other in Old Havana.
Both hotels feature a number of room categories and, in both instances, their entry level rooms have windows that face inwards (Kempinski standard room pictured below) onto central atriums, rather than out over the street. Accordingly, in both cases, we always recommend upgrading by at least one room category.
Price Differentials & Special Offers
On the subject of the Kempinski Manzana & Iberostar Packard, while the former is definitely a step up in both overall standards and character, if room size is more important to you than a hotel’s facilities, it might be worth bearing in mind that a suite at the Iberostar Packard is often priced at a similar level to a standard room at the Kempinski.
This is especially the case when special offers are released by hotels, something that is far more frequent at the Iberostar Packard than the Kempinski Manzana.
Seaview rooms
The majority of our clients elect to end their holiday with time at the beach and, not surprisingly, the possibility of being able to gaze out over the sea from one’s room is a popular request.
Not all beach hotels in Cuba offer seaview rooms (generally because the hotel is set back from the beach) but those that do include Memories Jibacoa (pictured below), Melia Las Americas, Blau Varadero (both in Varadero), Melia Trinidad (in Trinidad) and Melia Buenavista (in Cayo Santa Maria).
Other Recommendations
Aside from the aforementioned, general guide to room upgrades, there are a number of specific, simple examples that we recommend such as those detailed below.
Iberostar Parque Central, Old Havana – We suggest upgrading to a Standard Colonial room in the original (circa 2000!) building, as opposed to a Standard Modern in the new extension.
Hotel Sevilla, Havana – This historic room in Old Havana is well located and features a swimming pool although standard rooms are small. We recommend upgrading to a Superior room.
Balcones Muralla, Havana – This charming casa particular in Old Havana features a substantial suite at very attractive rates (pictured below)
Mystique La Popa, Trinidad – While entry level rooms are fine, we strongly recommend upgrading to a Superior Deluxe room, most of which come with a view.
Iberostar Grand, Trinidad – This popular, internationally managed hotel is ideally located in town but lacks any outside space, hence it may be worth considering upgrading to a room with a terrace.
To discuss your plans for a Cuba holiday, including discussing the most suitable accommodation for your preferences and budget, simply give us a call during the day on 01580 764796 or drop us an email on travel@beyondtheordinary.co.uk
