Where To Stay in Cienfuegos, Cuba | Accommodation Guide [2024]
It’s one of the most consistently overlooked destinations in Cuba on most traveler’s itineraries: Cienfuegos, a central Cuban city with a one-of-a-kind architectural history and beautiful bayside location that we can’t get enough of.
As locals, we think Cienfuegos is well worth a visit – and more than just as a day trip from Trinidad! These are the Cienfuegos hotels and casa particular guesthouses that we always choose from when we visit this stunning destination in Cuba and the ones we always recommend for travelers looking for a memorable trip.
This post contains affiliate links that may reward me monetarily or otherwise when you use them to make qualifying purchases – at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, please read our disclosure policy.
Where To Stay in Cienfuegos
When choosing where to stay in Cienfuegos, Cuba, there are only two real areas of town to consider staying in: the Old Town of Cienfuegos and the bayside Punta Gorda area.
- Old Town: Centered around Parque José Martí, Old Town has most of the major monuments and beautiful architecture of Cienfuegos, Old Town is walkable, quaint, and mostly laid back, especially when compared to Cuba’s other historic areas like Old Havana.
- Punta Gorda: Extending off of the malecón promenade in Cienfuegos and into the bay, Punta Gorda’s waterside location provides beautiful views and a relaxed environment, and has a mix of affordable guesthouses and larger hotels.
Cienfuegos is mostly home to smaller casa particular guesthouses and just a few boutique hotels and larger hotel properties. While there’s not a lot of variety here, there are plenty of places to stay. These are our top recommendations for the best places to stay in Cienfuegos:
- Best Casa Particular Guest House in Cienfuegos: Casa Buenavista
- Best Boutique Hotel in Cienfuegos: Hotel Palacio Barón y Balbín
Keep reading below for an in-depth breakdown of these best places to stay in Cienfuegos and several other Cienfuegos hotels that we recommend for travelers. We’ve stayed in many of these ourselves and always recommend them to friends and family visiting Cienfuegos.
Read More: Ultimate Guide to Casas Particulares in Cuba
Best Places To Stay in Cienfuegos
Casa Buenavista ($$)
Best Casa Particular Guest House in Cienfuegos
Our pick for the best casa particular guesthouse in Cienfuegos is Casa Buenavista, cool, casual, and welcoming casa particular located in the historic part of the city. Clean, well-kept rooms and delicious food – including breakfast and meals throughout the day – are highlights of a stay.
Located on a central street in the heart of Cienfuegos, Casa Buenavista has rooms that face the historic building’s interior courtyard, which itself is a quiet escape from the city. This means that most rooms don’t get tons of natural light, but they’re plenty quiet throughout the day and night.
Reviews and Bookings: Casa Buenavista
Plan a Trip to Cienfuegos
Hotel Palacio Barón y Balbín ($$)
Best Boutique Hotel in Cienfuegos
The historic Hotel Palacio Barón y Balbín isn’t just our top pick for the best boutique hotel in Cienfuegos – it’s our top pick for one of the best hotels in all of Cuba! If you’re looking to enjoy all of the rich history and beauty of Cienfuegos without even leaving your room, this is the place for it.
Highlights of Hotel Palacio Barón y Balbín also include a rooftop terrace with water views and a delicious restaurant. Located just two blocks from the central Plaza José Martí, this beautiful and locally-owned boutique Cuban hotel puts you among the most beautiful parts of Cienfuegos.
Reviews and Bookings: Hotel Palacio Barón y Balbín
Cuba Accommodation Guides
Cadena Hostal Roberto Carlos ($)
Budget travelers passing through Cienfuegos will love Cadena Hostal Roberto Carlos, our pick for the best affordable place to stay in Cienfuegos. Hosts Roberto and Daniel make this budget-friendly spot something truly special and always have the scoop on the best things to see and do in Cienfuegos.
This tiny casa particular guesthouse – Cadena Hostal Roberto Carlos is really more of a guesthouse than a hostel, as its name implies – has just three rooms, each with its own bathroom and air conditioning. Basic but nice furnishings and spotlessly clean rooms feel comfortable even for a longer stay.
Reviews and Bookings: Cadena Hostal Roberto Carlos
Hostal Sunrise ($ – $$)
In the heart of historic Cienfuegos, Hostal Sunrise is a welcoming, friendly casa particular guesthouse through and through, with just a few well-equipped rooms providing an intimate retreat for visitors in a highly walkable part of town.
The building that houses Hostal Sunrise was built in 1940 and shows off thoughtful, original details like multi-colored tiles and high ceilings with dramatic archways. Not only is this historic house a beauty in itself, but it boasts incredible views from its terraces and rooftop, which offers spectacular vistas across the Old Town Cienfuegos and the bay.
Reviews and Bookings: Hostal Sunrise
Casa Los Delfines ($$)
If you’re looking for a dreamy place to stay in Cienfuegos with views of the bay, look no further than Casa Los Delfines. Located near the very tip of Punta Gorda, this small waterfront bed and breakfast feels friendly and laidback and will have you wondering why so many travelers pay a hefty price for waterfront rooms by Cuba’s best beaches when places like this exist.
The terrace overlooking the bay is the star of the show at Casa Los Delfines – it is outfitted for breakfast and on-request meals all day. However, the incredible hosts and spacious, comfortable rooms prove there is much more to love.
Reviews and Bookings: Casa Los Delfines
Travel Essential
Don’t think about traveling to Cuba without a good VPN (Virtual Private Network). Using a VPN while connecting to the internet is an easy way to keep your personal information safe from hackers and trackers. We’ve used NordVPN for years and couldn’t recommend it more – it’s a must for safety online, especially in Cuba.
Camila’s ($ – $$)
Another one of the most popular spots in the waterfront Punta Gorda area, Camila’s is best known as a restaurant, though its three private rooms with air conditioning and private bathrooms also make it a great place to stay in Cienfuegos. The staff are incredibly friendly, the spaces are comfortable and clean, and having the restaurant on sight is a convenient bonus. Plus, the views overlooking the bay can’t be beaten.
We recommend making a stop at Camila’s for lunch or dinner even if you stay elsewhere in Cienfuegos. Great food and a laidback space on the water make it one of the best places to enjoy a sunset in the city.
Reviews and Bookings: Camila’s
Casa Carlos y Ana Maria ($)
A more affordable option for travelers looking to stay in the Punta Gorda waterfront area of Cienfuegos is Casa Carlos y Ana Maria. While the property itself isn’t waterfront, it’s just a block away from the bay and within steps of some of this upscale neighborhood’s best places to eat, drink, dance, and enjoy.
Hosts at the family-run Casa Carlos y Ana Maria are incredibly friendly, and the rooms, while basic, are comfortable. You’ll be most impressed with the home’s gigantic garden, which has plenty of space for enjoying breakfast or happy hour drinks in the shade of palm trees.
Reviews and Bookings: Casa Carlos y Ana Maria
Travel Insurance
Cuba requires that all travelers have proof of a comprehensive travel insurance policy in order to enter the country. Check out our guide to travel insurance for Cuba for more details. We recommend these brands for Cuba travel insurance:
- Visitors Coverage: Coverage for Cuba travel available to citizens of all countries, though not currently available to residents of New York and Maryland in the United States.
- Insubuy: Coverage for Cuba travel available to citizens of all countries and states of the United States.
Cienfuegos Hotels
Hotel Melia San Carlos ($$$)
Cienfuegos has very few large hotels – and even fewer we’d really consider worth staying at – but Hotel Melia San Carlos is our number one pick for a larger, almost city-resort property in the heart of the city. Relatively recently renovated rooms and common spaces make it one of the nicer hotels in Cienfuegos.
The rooftop at Hotel Melia San Carlos has long been considered one of the best places to relax and take in the view over the city – it is worth visiting even if you stay elsewhere.
Reviews and Bookings: Hotel Melia San Carlos
Carley Rojas Avila is a bilingual travel writer, editor, content marketer, and the founder of the digital travel publications Home to Havana and Explorers Away. She is a serial expat and traveler, having visited 40+ countries and counting. Carley has written for publications like Travel + Leisure, MSN, Associated Press, Weather Channel, Wealth of Geeks, and more. Find her front row at a Bad Bunny concert, befriending street cats, and taste-testing every pizza in Havana.