Aptofive度假屋租赁

Very nice family, they came to pick us up to viazul bus station and drove my friend to the airport then I stayed 1 night with them before went to Vinales. Very nice and clean room. Also there are buses nearby to go to central or also have other sightseeing points around. Had a good breakfast, then one of the family friend also drove me to viazul bus which is very near - was a nice gesture:) Also got me a 3peso coin with Che on it, for which you will pay 1 cuc...hahhaha elsewhere. We had some time to chat too which I enjoyed and could practice my Spanish, but Patricia speak very good English also. Absolutely can recommend to stay with them. Thanks a lot for everything!

Creo que justamente que el Dr. Émile Coué (1857-1926 / psicólogo y farmacólogo francés) sí hipotéticamente, hace casi 100 años hubiera sido huésped de esta casa en el Nuevo Vedado, habría calificado a Don Luis así: "Todos los días, en todos los sentidos, me sentí cada vez mejor, mejor y mejor", el hostal está rodeado de parques, vías y calles arboladas, muchos puntos de referencia habaneros y...principalmente de amables vecinos cubanos; además, personalmente creo que para nuestros anfitriones habaneros su divisa debería ser "Ninguna cualidad nos proporciona más amigos que una sincera admiración por las cualidades de los otros" GRACIAS

I use to travel to Cuba for professional matters and I am sick of staying in hotel rooms without the possibility of establishing warm relationships with the local people, so some friends recommended me to book a room in a casa particular, in this case in Patricia and Luis´ house. I wrote an email to book there, and Patricia quickly replied in English, confirming the availability of the days I needed and she also offered herself in helping me in the organization of my trips through the island with the promise of saving money and time. This couple works in an excellent way: they offered me to be picked at the airport, to buy the Via Azul Bus tickets for the different destinations I wanted to go: Havana-Viñales, Viñales-Trinidad,Trinidad-Varadero and Varadero- Havana. I made two excursions with them. to Guama-Giron in Zapata Wetland and to Soroa and las Terrazas in Pinar del Rio. When I arrived at Jose Marti Airport, Patricia and Luis were waiting for me there, it took half an hour to get to their house in Nuevo Vedado, a quiet and safe area, surrounded by trees and near the main places of the city: Old Havana, the Wall sea, Havana University, Revolution Square, 23 Ave, among others. The room I stayed, is very comfortable, it is fresh, independent from the house, with a small terrace in which you can seat to rest or to smoke a cigarette. It has a private bathroom with hot and cold water, a minibar, air conditioner, a TV set and a fan. I felt like I was at home, I had in the room all I needed. Patricia, deals with the guests in an excellent way. She showed me where to get the 27th Bus to go to Old Havana as a cheap way of traveling and where to get the old cars too, called Almendrones, I loved their colors and shapes. I visited Cemetery Colon and Revolution Square by walking, both places were interesting and I enjoyed going there. I also visited Fabrica de Arte Cubano, a cultural institution, very well known and visited by tourists, in my opinion one of the best cultural options in Havana, I think its slogan sounds great: All the arts converging in the same place. I also made panoramic travels from Marina Hemingway to Playas del Este through the Bus Tour, a way to get a general idea of the city. The experience in Cuba this time was great. Patricia and Luis are kind, talkative and warm persons. In their house you can see reproductions and serigraphs of Cuban painters, meaning they love their culture and their country.I have to say that the relationship quality-Price of this Hostel is excellent, they kindly offer services for guests who want to know more about Cuba and make new Friends. I'd definitely recommend staying here, especially for those who don't want to get stuck in the more 'tourist trap' parts of the city.

My stay in Hostal Aptofive was probably not the best start to my journey through Cuba. The room was nice, everything was functioning, clean and they even had a plug against mosquito for the power outlet which was great and you even have your own entrance. The Homestay is also within a 10 min walking distance of the Viazul station which was important for me. But when it came the payment the disappointment started. The host charged me with an additional 10% because he argued that the price is in USD on the Homestay website and therefore there would be a 10% tax (the tax you only pay if you exchange USD to CUC, not for paying in CUC!). According to every other Homestay host in Cuba and my own experience with them, this is utter nonsense and the casa just tried to make more money that way. If you want more money for your room, raise the prices on the website, don't do what you did. This is just dishonest and should not happen!
In a nutshell, if you want something close to the Viazul station, stay here, you will get a nice room with your private entrance but be prepared to pay more than expected.