As international tourist arrivals to Cuba continue to surge, Homestay.com, the accommodation marketplace has witnessed 179% growth in the last year in hosted accommodation, with over 250 homestays now available in Cuba.  

Bustling Havana leads the top 10 most popular cities worldwide for UK travellers using Homestay.com and the artistic enclave of Trinidad is also proving popular, coming in seventh in the top 10 city listing. The picturesque town of Viñales and the UNESCO city of Cienfuegos on the Southern coast also fall into the top 20 most popular cities worldwide for UK travellers, at 11th and 19th place respectively.

Cuban homestays or 'Casas Particulares' have always been a popular accommodation choice for British visitors and Homestay.com offers an easy way to select accommodation (and hosts!) according to geographical area.  With homestays throughout the country and not just in the popular tourist areas, the site offers an invaluable opportunity for visitors to live like a local and experience the destination through their host's recommendations.

Accommodation can often be found in beautiful old colonial buildings, which have been renovated for comfort and boast stylish features such as cool tile floors and balconies. Breakfast is always included, and many hosts are happy to provide optional meals.  The host is always present at the accommodation and many will go out of their way to arrange airport transfers, tours, visits to attractions, bicycle rentals, restaurant reservations, transportation to other Cuban locales and more. Hosts usually speak several languages, including English.

Examples of Cuban Homestay include:

In the small inland town of Viñales, stay with Idaisys and her family who offer an air conditioned double room with separate entrance, two big beds and en-suite bathroom, starting at £15 per night.  Their home has beautiful gardens and a rooftop terrace offering views of the hills and is a firm favourite homestay. 

Maritza and her two daughters, all trained engineers, offer two double rooms in a fully renovated spacious apartment in Havana's Vedado district, the apartment  is  a 10-minute walk from the Malecón sea wall and costs just £19 per night for a double room with private bathroom.

Also in Havana, Pedro's Casa S is just a block from the sea. Pedro and his wife  offer  two double rooms with new air conditioning sleeping a total of six in a colonial-style building. Charges start at £19 per night and they consistently get rave reviews from their international guests.

High-res images of these and many other Cuban properties are available upon request. Interviews with these Homestay Heroes and others can also be arranged.

ENDS

Media enquiries:

Please contact Rachael Lindsay, Maggie McNulty or Helen Coop for further information on: 0203 697 4200

Email: Homestay@fourcommunications.com

About Homestay.com

Homestay.com is an accommodation marketplace dedicated to the homestay travel experience, where the host is present for every stay. With more than 50,000 hosts offering places to stay across some 150 countries, Homestay.com enables travellers to stay in the home of a local resident while they are there. Focused as much on people as it is on places, Homestay.com puts hosts at the heart of amazing travel experiences. The company was founded by Tom Kennedy, co-founder of HostelWorld.com, and Debbie Flynn, a veteran of the education travel industry. Homestay.com is funded by Delta Partners Ltd.