Casa Particular lodging in Cuba

The rental of rooms in private homes to lodge tourists and foreign visitors was authorized and came under state regulations in the summer of 1997. The National Institute of Dwelling (Instituto Nacional de la Vivienda) is the leading Cuban organization for registering, licensing and inspecting rental homes. Licensed homeowners are authorized to rent no more than two rooms at a time, their renting quarters are subjected to monthly inspections, and their incomes are annually taxed.

Private lodgings are available all around Cuba. The only exceptions are Varadero Beach and the Keys, where you need to book yourself in a hotel room for housing there.

Hostel-lodging prices vary depending on the city and the neighbourhood, or whether the hostel or house is located near the seafront or in the beach, or if there’s a pool and the rooms have an independent entrance. In Havana the minimum lodging price is usually $25 CUC per night per room, but you can find hostels or houses whose lodging prices are over $150 CUC per night. Luxurious lodgings offer the best facilities, by means of services, architecture, pools, furnishings, views, etc.

» Tips for travellers to Cuba

» Booking your Casa Particular lodging in Cuba

» Cuban Convertible Peso explained

A Cuban idiom

“Casa Particular” is the Cuban phrase for a home stay accommodation. The exact translation is “Private Home”. You can find Cuban private rooms for rental on Internet through keywords such as homestay, guest house, hostels, bed & breakfast, among others, but to Cubans all these terms will mean the same: one or two rooms to be rented in a Cuban private home or “Casa Particular”.

Only licensed home owners

Havana Homestay guarantees that all the properties listed in this web site are approved and licensed by the Instituto Nacional de la Vivienda (National Institute of Dwelling) to be rented to foreigners and tourists. The listed properties fully comply with all domestic regulations.

Licensed home owners must show this official stamp at their front door. Beware of offerings from non-licensed owners who will put you on the line of disregarding the law and will become a risk for you.

• Private bedrooms & bathrooms.
• Accommodation up to two adults and one child per bedroom.
• Air-conditioner and/or fan in the bedrooms.
• Hot & cold water in bathrooms.
• Towels, linen, soap, and toilet paper included.
• Daily cleaning services & towels and linen changed regularly.
• Free use of house common areas.
• 24-hour check-in & 24-hour reception.
• Access to phone, refrigerator & some facilities as radio, TV, CD/DVD-player
• Luggage storage.
• Additional information & friendly hospitality
• Home-cooked meals & laundry services offered at an additional cost.
• For house with no garage, parking available for a small fee.

Price

• The lodging price is fixed per room and per night, not per person, in CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso).
• The price only includes accommodation.

Sharing with family or independent

• Sharing-home stay lodging in Cuba is accommodating into a home and sharing common areas with the family members.
• Independent-home stay is accommodating in a separate annexe, sometimes available.