We had a tight budget for a short trip to Cuba so this hotel seemed like our only option from the choice on offer from our travel agent. Reading the other reviews on this site made me not too keen, but the person who mentioned that she'd stayed there with Explore reassured me slightly. I've travelled with them before and while they never choose the best hotels, you do get a reasonable standard with, as she mentions, an authentic local flavour, and a level of safety. We still arrived with some trepidation but had a wonderful surprise when the cab swung into the driveway. It's more modern than I thought it would be, with a gym, pool, handy shops, massage and spa area, lovely greenery and shady areas with palm trees. The bedroom was spacious, the bathroom was fine, apart from damp patches near, respectively, the aircon unit and the shower, but nothing too hideous. Staff were friendly and helpful at all times. The only downside was the breakfast, which although there was plenty of choice they weren't necessarily things you would want to choose from! Eggs, meat, croquettes, little cakes (a bit stale) and sad, weak coffee and tea. But all the more reason to go out and sample other eateries. We had no time to plan and research such things so relied on cab drivers to take us to places they knew. We expected to get ripped off but instead were taken to fabulous little restaurants we'd never have discovered ourselves, with wonderful staff and good food. 'Aries' was one such place, not even sure where it was but a good taxi driver should be able to get you there.The hotel is a bit away from the centre of things so you do need to get cabs a lot but they're cheap and, as we discovered, it's all part of the adventure. You get a lot of hotel for your money, and overall we were really pleased and surprised by this place. We would have no hesitation in staying at Hotel Kohly and El Bosque again.



