US/Cuba Travel

[Roy Munson]

I am in the early stages of planning a trip to Havana from the US. Any suggestions from forum members who have made this trip or have traveled from outside the US to Havana would be greatly appreciated.

Nobody that I know has traveled to Cuba so I have little knowledge of lodging, dining or cultural options.

[Inthacup]

Cigar Aficionado writes occasional articles on this topic. I didn't look too hard, but I found this info from 2001:

BY AIR

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Yes, there are direct flights between the United States and Cuba. To take one, you must first obtain a license from the Treasury Department. You also need a visa from the Cubans, which you can get at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C. Bring a letter stating your purpose for traveling to Cuba, and a photocopy of your passport.

If you meet all the criteria, the easiest thing to do is contact a travel agent approved by the OFAC. Caribbean Family & Travel Services is the largest agency organizing flights between Miami and Cuba, representing about half of all flights through its charter company, C&T. The company has eight offices throughout South Florida, with its main branch in Coral Gables (305-445-8799). It also works with close to 50 other agencies in Florida organizing charters and daily flights to Havana and Camaguey.

Another authorized travel service provider is Tico Travel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (www.destinationcuba.com). As of mid-March, daily flights from Miami to Havana cost $329 round trip. (All fares are as of press time and subject to change.) Weekly flights from LAX in Los Angeles and from New York's JFK airport run about $670 round trip. Airlines running flights originating from Miami require a five-day stay.

Flying to Cuba might seem to take a little longer if you don't go directly from the United States, but the process may be easier, even if you won't be able to make your arrangements (booking, purchasing, etc.) in the United States. Keep in mind you also won't be able to use a U.S. bank-issued credit card to pay any Cuban-owned company.

Generally, if you fly from somewhere in North America, you can get your visa from a travel agent or the airline itself. Such is the case with flying from Cancún, Mexico, to Havana. The benefit of leaving from Cancún is that it's a nice place to visit in its own right and the flight takes only an hour. Mexicana Airlines operates AeroCaribe from Cancún and charges about $312 round trip. There are two trips per day.

But the biggest bonus of flying from Cancún might be that you can fly an airline other than Cubana de Aviacion, the Cuban national carrier. Flights on Cubana are about $100 less than on Mexicana, but Cubana flies aged Russian Ilyushin aircraft and has one of the worst airline safety records in the world.

Cubana also flies from Canada. The Havana-Montreal (Dorval airport) flight runs on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays for about $540 in coach and $935 for "tropical" or business class. You can fly from Toronto (Pearson airport) four times a week for about the same prices. A tourist card will cost you about $20 Canadian (about US$13). Flights take about four hours.

Tourist cards enable American visitors to Cuba to avoid having their passports stamped when they arrive at José Mart" airport in Havana. The Cubans will stamp your tourist card rather than your passport, keeping the red-flag Cuban stamp off your documents, a big plus when passing through U.S. Customs.

Other popular routes include via Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Air Jamaica flies from Montego Bay daily except Tuesdays for about $269 round trip. Flights from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, go to Havana via Panama City for about $500 round trip in coach. Flights from the Bahamas are so convoluted (Nassau to Miami to Cancún to Havana) that they're not worth the trip.

Travelers from Europe can fly to Cuba in style, leaving from most major European airports and flying on jumbo jets. British Airways flies to Havana from London Gatwick. There are Wednesday and Saturday flights, but at about $1,069 in coach, they're no bargain.

You'd do better flying Air France from Paris on Monday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday for $610 in coach. The return flights are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Iberia will fly you daily from Madrid to Havana and back for $702 in coach, $2,493 in business class and $4,067 in first class. From Rome and Milan, you can take daily flights on Lauda Air Italia to Havana, Varadero and Cayo Largo for about $900.

Americans can also fly private planes to Cuba, but the process is more complicated than with commercial flights. Flying to Cuba in a private American airplane requires a temporary sojourn license from the U.S. Bureau of Export Administration, and clearance to land from Cuba's Institute of Civil Aviation (IACC). "Rarely is any flight denied" by the IACC, says Kavulich. (Just don't buy any gas when you get there.) He adds, however, that "it's not the norm. Most people go down on the charter flights or regularly scheduled flights from other countries."

As with the boat trip, if you're hoping to stuff your bags with Cuban cigars, the private plane ride probably isn't for you. What happens when Customs agents find the Bolivars stashed next to your boxers?

"Customs could fine the owner of the aircraft, the pilot in command and/or the flight crew members, even if they knew nothing about it," says Adam Johnson, manager for the international flight department of Jeppesen Data Plan Inc., a company that provides flight-planning services for companies such as Executive Jet. "In reality, Customs would bring the pilot and crew members in and interview them separately. But they could fine everyone on board the airplane and the owner of the aircraft." Johnson adds that such an event has never occurred with any of his company's aircraft.

We never said that getting to Cuba was going to be easy. But the difficulty in getting there is part of its appeal.



HOTELS:

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Here are the best hotels Cuba has to offer, listed in my order of preference. Prices are for double rooms or suites. Outside Cuba, phone and fax numbers need to be preceded by 53-7, the codes for Cuba and Havana, respectively (the code for Cayo Largo is 5).



Hotel Meliá Cohiba

Calle Paseo e/1 y 3

Vedado, Municipio Plaza

Tel: 33 36 36

Fax: 33 45 55

E-mail: melia.cohiba@solmelia.com

342 double rooms, 120 suites

Rates: $165 to $650

This is the business hotel in Havana, although it's equally comfortable for those on holiday. If you want to know what big deals are coming together on the island, just spend some time in one of the hotel's bars or restaurants, not to mention the pretty swimming pool and health club. The executive floor, Servicio Real, is the best in Havana, with quick, friendly and efficient service; it even has a private bar for breakfast and snacks during the day, as well as meeting rooms. Bedrooms are clean, modern and quiet, with excellent views of the city. Some say the Meliá has the best buffet breakfast and lunch in town, although its Spanish restaurant, Abanico de Cristal, is also very good, as is the pizzeria next door. Don't miss a night in the Habana Café, with some of the best bands on the island. Plans are in the works for a large cigar bar with top-of-the-line smokes as well as mixed drinks, a library and Internet access. The hotel is located on the Malecón, about a 10-minute taxi ride from Old Havana, and despite its rather dull high-rise look, it remains the best hotel on the island.



Hotel Parque Central

Neptuno e/Prado y Zulueta

La Habana Vieja

Tel: 60 66 27 or 60 66 28 or 60 66 29

Fax: 60 66 30

E-mail: reservations@gtpc.cha.cyt.cu

278 rooms

Rates: $140 to $225

This is the best deluxe hotel in Old Havana. Located a stone's throw from the National Theater and the Capitol building, it has the best location of all of Havana's fine hotels. Parque Central is a slightly strange mix of old and new, built from the ruins of a seventeenth-century hotel in the same location. The lobby is bright and airy with various bars, and the second floor houses a very good cigar shop and smoker's bar. The hotel resembles a colonial courtyard in one of the many palaces in Old Havana, but in a modern style. The rooms are well equipped and extremely comfortable in a neo-Regency style. Service is friendly but slightly forgetful. The rooftop swimming pool on the ninth floor is fabulous, with great views of the city. The bar and small grill on the same floor offers good simple food and delicious drinks. There's even a small gym and massage salon for those feeling inclined.



Sol Club Cayo Largo

Cayo Largo del Sur

Archipiélago de Los Canarreos

Isla de la Juventud

Tel: (5) 48 260

Fax: (5) 48 265

E-mail: sol.club.cayo.largo@solmelia.com

296 rooms

Rates: $175 to $225

The Sol Club Cayo Largo is setting the standard for seaside resorts in Cuba. Opened last December, this all-inclusive hotel is stunning, with bright, comfortable bungalows, a selection of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, two swimming pools, two tennis courts and health clubs. Almost everything is included in the price -- accommodation, food and drinks, the use of the clubs and gyms, and windsurfing, sailing and other aquatic sports. Diving is extra. The hotel also organizes sportfishing outings (the area has some of the best bonefishing in the Caribbean) as well as boat trips to isolated beaches. Sitting in front of the hotel on one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, it's almost hard to believe you're in Cuba. Don't miss staying here.



Hotel Santa Isabel

Calle Baratilloe No. 9, e/Obispo y Narciso Lopez

Plaza de Armas

La Habana Vieja

Tel: 60 82 01 or 60 96 19

Fax: 60 83 91

27 rooms

Rates: $115 to $210 with breakfast

Relaxing with a cocktail and a cigar on one of this hotel's room balconies, facing the Plaza de Armas, is one of the greatest but least-known pleasures of Havana. You can almost picture the horse-drawn carriages and elegantly dressed aristocracy who centuries ago strolled through this area of Old Havana. Formerly a nineteenth-century palace, the Santa Isabel is the most romantic hotel in Havana, with a secluded lobby and patio bar and large bedrooms -- two with poster beds -- and reproduction antiques. It's right in the center of La Habana Vieja, offering easy access to just about everything. The only drawback is that it does not have a swimming pool.



Meliá Habana

Calle 3, e/76 y 80

Miramar

Tel: 24 85 00

Fax: 24 85 05

E-mail: melia.habana@solmelia.com

409 rooms

Rates: $165 to $500

Whether traveling for business or pleasure, guests appreciate the quiet, out-of-the-way atmosphere of this hotel. Built in 1997, the Meliá Habana has just about all the features and services of its sister hotel, the Meliá Cohiba, but it is located away from the hustle and bustle of the city on the rocky coastline of Havana's smart neighborhood, Miramar. The pool is exceptionally nice and is nearly always unused. Rooms are well appointed, clean and attractive. The executive floor is larger than the Cohiba's, with more private meeting rooms. The only drawback here are the mediocre restaurants.



Hostal Conde de Villanueva

202 Mercaderes, esq. Lamparilla

La Habana Vieja

Tel: 62 92 93 or 62 92 94

Fax: 62 96 82

E-mail: hconde@Villanueva.ohch.cu

9 rooms

Rates: $95 to $175

Staying here is like renting your own colonial manor house in the center of Old Havana. The building was originally the property of a wealthy Spanish merchant family who built it in the late eighteenth century. Many of the original features are still maintained, including a gorgeous, leafy courtyard and an interior terrace that runs around the center of the building. It's wonderful relaxing in one of the wicker chairs on the terrace, smoking a cigar or drinking a cocktail. Rooms can be slightly dark and noisy, although they certainly give you the feel of being in Havana compared to the modern international hotels. There's even one of the best cigar shops in-house, so finding a good cigar isn't a problem. Unfortunately, there is no swimming pool.

Habana Libre

Ave. 23, Calle L

Vedado

Tel: 33 40 11 or 55 40 11

Fax: 33 31 41

E-mail: dtor@rllibre.tryp.cma.net

574 rooms

Rates: $150 to $230

Formerly the Havana Hilton, this late-1950s hotel could one day be the hippest, most happening hotel in Cuba if Spain's Sol Meliá group renovates it properly after taking over the management of the property last November. It is a complete gem of Miami Art Deco architecture, with loads of glass, stainless steel and wood paneling, not to mention the sculpture and paintings in many of the communal areas and suites designed by some of the biggest names of the period. The large swimming pool is a dream, with its glassed-in bar and tiled sunbathing area. You almost expect to see the Rat Pack sipping mojitos with their feet dangling in the pool. This is also where CNN has its offices in Cuba. The only place worth staying in the hotel at the moment, however, is on the executive floor, since rooms on the other floors resemble a cheap motel on any interstate. The Castellana suite is phenomenal (at about $1,350 a night, it ought to be), with four bedrooms, a living room, dining room, office and private kitchen. It's furnished with 1950s furniture and paintings, including a number from Rene Portocarrero and Cundo Bermudas. This is where Fidel Castro stayed in the early 1960s while organizing his revolutionary government, and it seems to have remained unchanged since.



Hotel Nacional

Calle O, esq. 21

Vedado

Tel: 33 35 62 or 33 35 64

Fax: 33 50 54

E-mail: reservas@gcnacio.gca.cma.net

477 rooms

Rates: $97 to $450

No other hotel in Cuba is more beautiful than the Spanish colonial-styled Hotel Nacional. Built in the 1930s, it is a twin to the Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. The Nacional is located on a small point on the coastal road of the Malecón, with magnificent views of the ocean. With two swimming pools, gardens and patios, the grounds are gorgeous for taking strolls in the early morning and late afternoon. Or just relax and have a drink in one of the bars or lounges. Rooms were renovated in the mid-'90s and still offer all the amenities. The presidential suite, with two bedrooms, a dining room, sitting room, office and private kitchen, as well as housekeeping and food service, is $1,000 a night. The views are superb from the huge private terrace. Service continues to be a problem here, from not receiving telephone calls or messages, to breakfast and room service never arriving on time. The restaurants are mediocre. The situation is better on the 69-room executive floor, which has its own reception area, bar and private meeting rooms.