We had an amazing stay with Maria and Diego. The room is fantastic and comfortable, and Maria and Diego are incredibly lovely and welcoming. We visited while traveling on our honeymoon (which I mentioned in my email reserving the room) and one night of our stay was on my birthday (which they must have seen in my passport). As a result on arrival we were surprised with rose petals all over the bed (see the picture), a plate of fruit, drinks and a bottle of red wine. We had dinner the first night there (which was absolutely incredible, we had lobster) and were surprised with a full cake to celebrate the wedding and birthday. It was all so thoughtful. Over the course of our stay, they continued to bring out little plates of fruit and drinks, and we were not asked to pay for these at the end (although naturally - and not at all as a result of anything they did - we felt compelled to leave a tip in recognition of these). Maria and Diego do not speak much English and we shamefully do not speak much Spanish and this made communication difficult (which was a little awkward at times as they were often nearby and clearly were keen to speak with us but could not as a result of the language barrier - a shame because we have now taken a language course and are much improved). However thier children were also often nearby and spoke great English which was a real help for tips and translations. A tip for those traveling on a tight budget. Do lots of research before arriving in Cuba - you should be able to find the price that you should be paying for things like shuttles and tours, and do not pay any more. I highly recommend the cheap and concise Real Havana (https://www.amazon.com/Real-Havana-Explore-Local-Money-ebook/dp/B00K12I6XA) which saved us tons of money finding good places and avoiding scams, not that you will regret or get scammed with Maria and Diego who are amazing. I should note though that the website says that a light breakfast is included here, and you can request a full breakfast which will cost extra. However we were just served the full breakfast without being asked and the cost appeared on our final bill. This wasn't a problem - it was reasonably priced - but this is worth knowing if you are travelling on a tight budget. The food here is exceptionally good and likely better than most restaurants in the town, however it is also on the expensive side, and there are some cheap and decent places in town, so I would recommend venturing out for a few meals (I particularly recommend the Finca). Also, I highly recommend that you do the tour to the tobacco farm (we did this through the tourist centre in town as you get a proper guide and it is cheap), but do not feel pressured to buy the cigars. You can get similarly priced official Cuban brands in Havana at the government Cigar stores. That said, I brought them and have enjoyed them all.

I cannot recommend this homestay highly enough! It is incredibly comfortable with all of the modern amenities you would need, including a full kitchen and balcony overlooking the street. The breakfast that was included in the price was delicious - an omelette, fruits, bread, spreads, freshly squeezed juices and other treats on a daily basis. Ana Maria was not there when we stayed (although she sent a very helpful email with tips and things to do) but her aunt Marbelis was there and was absolutely amazing! She helped us with places to visit and booked taxis for a very reasonable price. She even brought me a bottle of wine for my birthday (she must have seen this on my passport). There are two rooms in the apartment so you may share with another traveler (we did for one night and they were great) but otherwise you will have the place to yourself. That is a massive advantage as other casa particulars can be slightly awkward with the host family constantly checking up on you. With this you have your own space. Staying here was one of the highlights of our trip to Cuba so a massive thank you to Ana Maria and her aunt Marbelis!