After seeing all of the great reviews for the Casa de Ana online, my wife and I really wanted to stay here. We originally wanted to stay for a week, but my schedule and Ana's availability only gave us 3 nights of overlap. (I found Ana's site by Googling for the name of her property.) Eventually, we booked a week-long stay in Varadero and skipped out on it for a few nights to stay with Ana. It turned out to be cheaper to do that (from Canada) than to book just airfare to Havana! If you're planning to visit Havana, make sure to check the prices for all-inclusives in Varadero, and consider bussing from there to Havana.

After sunning ourselves for a few days, we took a Viazul bus from Varadero to Havana. It was quite inexpensive and very comfortable: this is probably the best way to make this trip. Once we arrived in Havana, we took a cab (very easy to find) to Ana's place. Upon arrival, we were made to feel very welcome (by Ana, Pepe, and everyone there), offered coffee and a chair, and... told that just that morning, the plumbing had burst in our room! But with the manner of the best hotel owners, Ana had arranged for us to stay one block away, in the beautiful home of a retired lawyer. Pepe even took our bag over for us! We were welcomed by Arcelis, the lawyer, who made us feel very welcome in her home for two nights. We had a great breakfast each day, and the rate was the same as if we had stayed at Ana's.

We took a tour with Pepe on our first full day in Havana (there is a separate charge, but the tour is available to everyone, even those not staying with Ana). We saw a lot of the downtown area, both the touristy parts and some less touristy areas. Pepe's great knowledge of the city made for a great tour, and it was a far more personal experience (just the two of us!) than the 30-person group tours.

As the first item on our tour, we also asked for Pepe to accompany us to the bus station to purchase our return tickets to Varadero (to catch our flight)... this turned out to be a good move, as there was an unscheduled bus (we called it the "secret bus") which matched our schedule better than others, but which was normally not advertised to tourists. It was a big help having someone there who knew the customs and the language.

Pepe and Ana were also able to recommend a delicious eatery within walking distance of their Casa.

Though we had a great time at Arcelis' place, we really wanted to stay with Ana for one night (since she had gone to such lengths to make our stay seamlessly comfortable). Fortunately, the plumbing had been fixed for the last day, so we were able to spend our last night with her. We had dinner there as well, with (as another reviewer put it) a United Nations of guests, including some Americans (not too many of them in Cuba!). The food was fantastic (thanks Yuri!) and the conversation was great too. The next morning, we had to leave early to catch our bus back to Varadero, and there was a delicious breakfast already waiting for us.

Ana's home is decorated in a beautiful, modern, European style with many modern works of art throughout. There is a computer with internet available for use, and breakfast and dinner can be prepared (for a small charge) if you mention it in advance. People come from other B&Bs to dine at Ana's, and if you are unable to stay with Ana, I recommend that you dine with her at least once during your trip. Also, Pepe's Mojitos are fantastic.

I cannot begin to describe how comforting it is to know that, in a foreign country where we did not really speak much of the language, Ana was able to take care of us despite what went wrong. Ana, Pepe and the others at Casa de Ana were our "knowns" in a sea of "unknowns", and we knew that we could count on her. It is easy to run a business when everything goes right, but the best businesses excel even when things are not 100%. For this, and for a great stay in Havana, Ana deserves top marks.