The Lido was among the cheapest hotels in Havana, which is why I went for it. And in its case you certainly get what you pay for. It was a bit grim. The bedroom looked grotty and the bathroom was the size of a closet. On the first night there was NO WATER and then it was cold for the next two days, but cold water's common for Cuban hotels. The reception staff were not very helpful generally and claimed that I had no booking for the third night, despite the fact that I had booked it online and had the print out with me. (Make sure you print out all your bookings before you get to Cuba because the hotels insist on seeing them, and NONE of the internet cafes allow you to print stuff out!!!) On the plus side, the Lido is within 5-10minute walk of most things you'd want to see in Havana, so if you're just looking for a place to sleep while you explore the city, it will do - but I think a casa particular would be a better bet. I stayed in a really nice one on my last night in Havana. It was half the price of one night at the Lido, and it was much more pleasant: bigger room, hot water, friendly hosts. So, if I had my time again in Havana, I wouldn't have bothered with the Lido. Wherever you stay, though, you'll love Havana. it's a really vibrant city and the people are very friendly - but they're always asking you to buy stuff from them or for them.

Choosing how many rating-circles to color above is kind of diffucult with this hotel. I gave it an above average rating but only because of the price. The thing is, that this is the cheapest hotel in Havana. I stayed there twice, and I like it, even though it is...um...not exactly a nice hotel. I paid $21 per night when I went alone and less that that when I went with a friend and we split the cost for a double with a balcony. The rooms with a balcony are worth the extra $$ as the room I had without a balcony felt a little prison like, not because of it's size but because of the lack of light. I am glad to hear that there is now hot water, as when I stayed there, there was not. I too, did not have a toilet seat, but this is common in Cuba and have since, become acostomed to it. The rooms are sparce but clean. They have a TV, phone and air conditioning. The front door to the hotel is locked at night but there is always someone right there to unlock it as soon as you get back from your night out. There is a small bar on the main level and as the other reviewer wrote, there is restaurant on the roof of the 6th floor. Well maybe restaurant isn't exactly the right word, but food is served. Also, I had an emergency situation where I had no money and needed to call home to the US and the woman at the front desk let me use the hotel phone to contact my family. It's not because they were worried about getting their money, as the room was already paid for, so I was very greatful for that. If I need a hotel in Havana again, I will definately stay here again. While in Cuba, don't worry about how nice your hotel room is, or is not, as you should be out experiencing all that Cuba has to offer and be spending as little time as possible in your hotel!

This hotel recently changed hands and you can tell. They are renovating the rooms one by one. I had a room with two single beds, a toilet with a toilet seat (!!) and toilet paper, AC, satellite TV with about 30 channels, cold water showers (they've never had hot water, despite what the other reviewer states), towels & mini-soap provided, breakfast included up on the 5th floor.

I kept the 'do not moleste me' sign up the whole time to avoid any problems or questions of theft, etc. They respected the sign the entire stay.

The staff was very friendly and English speaking. There is a security/doorman present at all times.

The location is perfect if you want to be in Old Havana. Just be sure you really want to be in Old Havana.

The only hiccups were on my last days when we had no water 1 day and the elevator stopped working my last 2 days. But my only real concern was the mold growing on the walls...not so sure that's the healthiest of situations.

We stayed two nights at the Lido on an excursion from Varadero. The price was $36 U.S. per night for a double room with 2 standard sized beds. A balcony room would have cost an extra $5. Instead, we had a window with a view of the wall of the building next door, about a foot away. The room was small but didn't feel crowded due to the high ceiling. It had a TV, phone, air conditioning that was noisy but effective, chair, closet, and a safety deposit box (extra cost). The pillows seemed to be filled with lumpy chunks of foam, but were usable.
The bathroom had a sink, mirror, toilet and shower. The toilet in our room did not have a seat, although the one in the room next door did.
Other reviews suggested this hotel had only cold water in the past but I am happy to report there was plenty of hot water. The shower stall was long, but was so narrow that it was easier to stand sideways facing the curtain. There were two small towels provided. The floor tiles in the bathroom were nice, but not in the bedroom. The floor never seemed clean, so we wore our shoes at all times.

The hotel is conveniently located between Old Havana and Central Havana, one block from the Prado and close to Central Park. It was easy to walk to all our destinations, even Vedado. It is one of the few hotels that is not facing a heavy traffic street. However, the neighborhood roosters begin crowing at 4:00 a.m. and continue until at least 8:00 a.m. Ear plugs are suggested for light sleepers. There is an elevator and a staircase for accessing your room. The lobby has a tour desk and a small bar. Behind the elevator is a door leading to a public bathroom, and to a storage tank of drinking water from which we filled the thermos jug that came with the room. The staff all seemed to speak some English, though some were better than others. Most of the customers seemed to be the young back-packer type. Although the front desk displayed the sign saying they accepted payment by Visa credit cards, their equipment wasn't working and we had to pay cash.

The restaurant is located on the roof and is outdoors. It is on the fifth floor, but it is really the sixth since the first floor is one level up from the lobby. Breakfast is included in the room price. It consists of either eggs or a sandwich, juice, fruit, a bun, and your choice of milk or tea. We also ate dinner there. The menu is only somewhat useful since many of the items we asked for were not available. In spanish they say "No hay" (pronounced No eye), which means there isn't any. The soup of the day was very good, and was only $1. Spaghetti with tomato sauce and cheese was $1.20. The vegetarian sandwich was $1. Meals with meat had higher prices. Pizza was around $2 and up. The most expensive items were in the $4 to $5 range. Everyone should eat here at least once just for the view. The panoramic view of old Havana is thrilling and upsetting at the same time. From the rooftops the city appears to have been the victim of a long wartime bombing campaign. Out of the ashes rises the occasional luxury hotel, such as the Sevilla and Park Central. Beside the hotel is an old building with some missing walls. The front door of one apartment opens up into open space. It is accessed by a ladder! Many of the top floor apartments have been abandoned because of missing roofs and walls. The Vedado area is a much nicer neighborhood to stay in for people who can't stand to see poverty.

We had arrived in Havana by Viazul bus for $10 each from Varadero. We got off at the first stop in Old Havana. We went to the central bus station for the return trip and discovered it is not the Viazul station. There is a travel agency there that tried to book the bus for us, but it was full. The pleasant and helpful man there arranged for us to take a shared taxi, waiting just outside the bus depot. It cost $15 per person for three people, and there was already one person ready, so off we went. The return trip took less than 2 hours compared to 3 hours for the bus, which makes several stops along the way.