Apartamento no coração de Havana

We had a good stay in the casa of Leydiana. The location is great, in the middle of Habana Vieja, close to a view lovely restaurants. Leydiana was very helpful, she helped us change some euros and arranged a taxi at the airport. Yessica, who made our breakfast every morning is so nice and her breakfast was great! But after two weeks staying in different casa’s all over Cuba, I think the price you pay for this one is a bit too much. We stayed in other ones and those were much cleaner, bigger and had a terrace. Also, the hot water wasn’t working a few times and the room is very (!!!) noisy. Only between 2 and 5 in the night it was peaceful. We used the earplugs every night.

The apartment is located very centrally in Old Havana. The bedrooms had air conditioning while the living room had a comfortable ceiling fan. The bathrooms were generally fine but on two occasions there was either no water or no hot water (but that seemed to be happening across the whole of Old Havana on the days we were there, not specific to this house). The hosts were very helpful and offered advice on things to do and places to go. The young lady who looked after us wonderfully and prepared our fantastic breakfasts was Marbeli - so obliging, kind and helpful, nothing was too much trouble for her.

We had a great experience staying with Magaly. The location in old Havana is excellent. We staying in "bedroom 2" which has a small balcony with a charming view of the street – Capitolio at one end and Plaza Vieja at the other. The bathroom, while exclusive/private, is accessed from a shared hall just outside the bedroom. We arrived at night (our first time in Cuba) and were a little unsure about the building from the outside, but Magaly quickly made us feel right at home – she is super friendly and the place is very bright and comfortable. The breakfast was huge and delicious also. Highly recommended.

This was the perfect location for us, in the heart of historic Havana, walking distance to beautiful plazas, museums, and cafes. Our hostess for five nights, Magaly Lopez, was charmingly gracious, eager to meet all our needs and help us understand her Cuban life. Don't pre-judge her hospitality by the stark, unmarked apartment entrance and row of rusty mail boxes. Once past three locked doors, you enter her bright, spotless dwelling which includes a small kitchen, cheerful living room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Wrought iron balconies perch above the narrow street below where children bustle to school, bicycle taxis dodge food carts and wandering dogs, tourists from around the world saunter to Plaza Vieja for a classic mojito and live music. Each morning, we enjoyed a lovingly prepared breakfast starting with freshly brewed Cuban coffee and guava juice, an overflowing bowl of chopped fruit, crepes or French toast, thin eggplant slices topped with shredded vegetables and melted cheese, plus a wrapped sandwich for later in the day. When we returned from a day of exploring, we found our bedroom beautifully tidied, and even clean sheets after only a couple nights. We didn't have anything with which to compare this "Casa Particular" (private home), but another couple renting the second bedroom raved that her beds were, by far, the best they'd had in their Cuban travels including silk-like sheets. The day we arrived, two German college students were tearfully saying goodbye to Magaly, wishing they could stay longer with their new, dear friend. They had only been there one night. By the time we left, we, too, felt our heartstrings pulled by this wonderful woman. We hope to see her again someday.