Due to the unavailability of the nearby Hotel Vedado I tried the Colina, now part of the Islazul chain, for a one night stay in the Cuban capital.. It is a basic 2* hotel in the Vedado area of the city, not far from the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, the Havana Libre and Calle 23 shopping district.

Check in was swift and efficient,took less than 5 minutes, and no problems were encountered with the voucher I had printed off the Cuban internet hotel booking site I used.

My single room was small, but clean and tidy, with an adequate bathroom. The room had a superb view over Havana towards Havana Vieja. Only soap was provided, and there was a working colour TV in the room. Water was hot, in due course, and the shower supplied adequate pressure. I enjoyed a good night's sleep.

Breakfast was waitress service in the dimly lit restaurant. It consisted of a plate of fresh fruit,a plate of cheese and cold meats, two fried eggs and bacon, fried bread, two rolls with butter, some cake and unlimited fruit juice, either apple, orange or mango.I do not drink tea or coffee, but I am sure it was available.

The cost of this bed and breakfast accommodation was a mere £14.50 or US$25.20. For sheer value for money accommodation I think it is hard to beat in a city such as Havana; it is less expensive than a "casa particular" in many cases.

I stayed here for two weeks while studying Spanish at the University of Havana (across the street from the hotel). Having been to Cuba many times before, I realized not to expect anything from a two-star hotel -- and my expectations were realized. The hotel, while well-located (near the university and close to La Rampa), was dismal. The staff tried valiantly to make things work, but the hotel was simply too run-down to be revived through their personal efforts. The room was like a prison cell -- tiny, narrow and dim. The window had no glass, but simple wooden shutters -- so in order to have the air-conditioning on (at least there was some), you had to sit in total darkness even at mid-day or turn the lights on.

The food was deplorable, but at least the outdoor sidewalk cafe was decent for people-watching and meeting friends for beers. After many beers, the hotel didn't seem quite so bad ("seem" is the operative word).

Money was stolen from my luggage (unwisely, I had kept my Canadian money buried inside my luggage and only put my American money in the lobby safe). I recognized my own stupidity and wrote it off. Needless to say, the maid didn't get a tip that day.

After Spanish class, I would skip my own hotel and lounge around the pool at the nearby Havana Libre Hotel (the old Havana Hilton) -- none of the staff seemed to care that I wasn't a guest.

Poverty or the desire for a third-world experience should be the only things dictating a stay at the Hotel Colima.

I actually stayed here in October of 1996 for an official visit with the University of Havana. Since U.S. Tresaury Department rules stated that you cannot spend more than $100 a day total for authorized travel to Cuba, I didn't have all that much in the way of choices for lodging. For me, the great part was that it was directly across the street from the University of Havana, with a near breathtaling view of the stairway and entrance to the University's Atrium, complete with the Ala Mata at the top of the stairs. If you can handle somewhat excedingly old and bare basic rooms, you might be okay, but I suggest that you enter not expecting too much, lest you be disappointed in what you get for the price. In those days, the staff was quite friendly and helpful to the extent that they could be. I was not all that impressed with the food, but it was palitable and convenient. There are MUCH better hotels in the area, but at the time, they would have drove my daily expense line over the $100 limit. If you're a felexible traveler who's not in need of more than the bare basics, short on cash, and just need to be very near the University, this is your place. Otherwise, you might want to think twice about staying here. Granted, this report is going back nearly nine years, but I don't get the impression that it has changed all that much over the years. Buena Suerte!

Colina is drab dirty and not a place to saty for more than a night the rooms are dirty the plae is not properly lept and it has a smell