Hostal Valencia
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

View prices for your travel dates

Did you already book this hotel?
Tell us so we can help you plan.

About

#17 of 94 small hotels in Havana
Location
4.7
Rooms
3.8
Value
3.6
Cleanliness
3.9
Service
3.7
Sleep Quality
3.7

Everyone needs a place to lay their weary head. For travelers visiting Havana, Hostal Valencia is an excellent choice for rest and rejuvenation. Well-known for its romantic environment and proximity to great restaurants and attractions, Hostal Valencia makes it easy to enjoy the best of Havana.

Rooms at Hostal Valencia offer a flat screen TV, air conditioning, and a refrigerator providing exceptional comfort and convenience.

Free breakfast will also help to make your stay even more special.

While staying at Hostal Valencia Hotel, visitors can check out Plaza de Armas (0.1 mi) and Camera Obscura (0.2 mi), some of Havana's top attractions.

Havana has plenty of cafes. So when you’re here, be sure to check out popular spots like El Café, Cafe Solás - Cafe De Los Artistas-, and El Dandy, which are serving up some great dishes.

If you are interested in exploring Havana, check out some of the nearby attractions, such as Museo Hemingway Finca Vigia (0.3 mi) and Old Square (Plaza Vieja) (0.2 mi), all of which are within walking distance of Hostal Valencia.

Hostal Valencia Hotel is sure to make your visit to Havana one worth remembering.

Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free breakfast
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Outdoor dining area
Wine / champagne
Convenience store
Room features
Air conditioning
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Landmark view
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
2.5 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Classic
Quiet
Traveler rating
  • 47
  • 151
  • 51
  • 27
  • 8
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
Selected filters
  • Filter
  • English
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
YanaCuba wrote a review Aug 2024
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
+1
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Hotel Valencia is very nice! Located in the old town of Havana, on walking distance of El Capitolio among others, the staff is very nice and welcoming. The rooms are spacious and clean. The entire property is well maintained. Don't miss breakfast with lots of fresh fruit and fresh cuban coffee.
Read more
Automatically translated
Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip: Maak een praatje met het personeel. Zij geven veel nuttige tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Torontogirl wrote a review Jan 2005
Toronto, ON
4.0 of 5 bubbles
My fiance and I stayed at the Hostal Valencia in June of 2003 for one night. Actually, we stayed at the Comendador but the two hotels are connected and use the exact same lobby, restaurant, etc. Apparently, the only difference is that in a newer room, we had the luxery of air conditioning.

The hotel is lovely. The rooms are accessed via two beautiful internal courtyards. Our room consisted of an old wrought iron bed (queen size), a dark wood wardrobe, an old wooden writing desk, and an antique vanity with sink. The bathroom was dark (no windows and bad lighting!) with an old pulley toilet and a lovely claw footed tub with an European shower. The room had a large patio door/window with blue wooden shutters that overlooked a quiet sidestreet. It's not the Ritz but it made me feel like I was in Havana in the 30's rather than 2003 - very romantic.

The restaurant was exceptionally good. I understand the Hostal is operated by a Spanish family hence the fantastic paella. I lived in Spain and I know that good paella is rare. Havana was the last place I expected to find it! Of course, it IS Havana so when we ordered the cheese, they didn't have any. When we chose our wine, they didn't have any. Never mind though, it was a great meal. By the way, the Meson de la Flota (also Spanish operated) also has fantastic Spanish cuisine.

The area surrounding this hotel bustles with tourists throughout the day. At 5:00pm, all the tourists go home and everything slows down. We unwinded with a few cold beers at a sidewalk cafe. We watched kids play in the street and enjoyed the lively conversation around us. Once it gets dark, the old city goes silent. We decided to treck up calle Obrapia to Av. de las misonaires to have a traditional drink at La Floridita. Two drinks and $20.00 USD later, we moved on to the Monserrate Bar for cheaper drinks and some live music. Walking back to the hotel was interesting. There are no street lights so the crumbling sidewalks can be harzardous. Of course, God favours fools and drunks. Being a bit of both, we made it back safely!

This is a great hotel for an authentic experience. Romantic rooms than transport you to a differnt time, a quality restaurant that doesn't break the bank, and easy access Havana's exciting nightlife.

Would we stay there again? Absolutely.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2005
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
3.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
3.0 of 5 bubblesService
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AEF_9 wrote a review May 2006
Sydney, Australia
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We stayed in Hostal Valencia twice, when we arrived in Cuba and when we left a few weeks later. We had different rooms each time, but on both occaisons the rooms were huge, very clean and very comfortable. The hotel is in a prime location, right in Habana Vieja, which is a great area to stay and close to restaurants and bars.
The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful (which we found very unusual in Cuba), the night porter even walking with us for about an hour before dawn through the empty streets of Havana trying to find a taxi for us to get to the airport when phoning one didn't work.
The only reservation I had about this hotel is that the bathrooms are only seperated from the bedroom by short louvred wooden doors. It didn't bother us, but for some it might be an issue. If total bathroom privacy isn't a problem for you then this is a fanatastic hotel at a really good price.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2006
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rilla2 wrote a review Mar 2003
Vancouver, Canada
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Ah, the Hostal Valencia. What a mixture of emotions and memories assail me as I recall my two weeks there in November, 1996. I found myself in Old Havana with a project to write and I chose this charming, architecturally beautiful hotel with its enormous rooms and its friendly, accomodating staff as the perfect base for this task. Nothing was quite as expected. The food, for example, like most hotels off the more frequented tourist route, was sparse and, well, terrible. It was not for lack of effort on the part of the staff - just lack of variety and quantity. Nonetheless, one can grow accustomed to a steady diet of "christians and moors" (rice and beans) with a bit of watery chicken when served with such solitious concern (especially when augmented with a secret after-dinner trip up the street to the cafe on the corner to order dessert or even dinner all over again.) The incredible din of the streets outside also takes a bit of getting used to - until one stops mentally "fighting" the racket and realizes that this endless noise is, in fact, only the sound of singing, children playing, and always, the irresiistable rhythms of the streets for, at the Valencia, one quickly realizes that it is impossible to block out the overwhelming presence and nearness of music. It's simply everywhere, inside and out. It starts at the crack of dawn when the hotel "trio" arrives to launch into the morning's first spirited version of "Guantanamera" and does not stop 'til midnight or after. They're wonderful. A little wearing after the fiftyth rendition perhaps, but wonderful nonetheless. They play for breakfast and lunch. They play when the tour buses filled with German tourists arrive to mob the hotel cigar shoppe. They play for supper and on into the evening. When I arrived, I brought with me some sort of odd affliction picked up in Europe. An itch rash on my ankles that was increasingly pre-occupying. The Hostal Valencia, I soon discovered, has an in-house doctor obviously well versed in this and any affliction, for Cuban doctors are excellent. She immediately cured the inflammation that had been driving me crazy for a week and supplied me with antibotics free of charge. (An odd thing that - knowing how difficult it is for Cuban doctors to have access to needed medications and to find oneself - a gringo tourist with an itch, tapping into this precious supply.) The Hostal Valencia appeals to a curious clientele - quite unlike that of other tourist establishments. It is, shall we say, Hemingwayesque. When I was there, there were a couple of square-jawed Marxist women, travelling companions, seeking to embrace the fundamental Communist idealogy of the people. They found little to go on (except some hilarious sly jokes about Russians.) There were a couple of equally square-jawed Baptists from the US seeking to find instances of the overriding oppression of this fearsome dictatorship. Like the Marxists, they were pretty much out of luck in their quest. There was a "famous" photographer from Denmark whose fame seemed somewhat elusive but he was hopeful it might be sufficient to induce, or seduce, pretty Cuban girls to shed their clothes for his camera. I chatted with him over dinner one evening. He was much chagrined because the only girl he could find willing to pose for him insisted that she be paid two chickens and he was having absolutely no luck buying poulty in Havana. There was a jilted boyfriend who had a fight with his girl at the Toronto airport and, in a drunken rage changed his ticket to Cuba at the last minute. How he ended up at the Hostal Vallencia is anybody's guess. He certainly had no idea other than some notion that this was a place where one could buy cheap cigars - something which was evidently, for him, an acceptable substitute for a girlfriend. My fellow travellers at the Valencia were, every one, an odd and interesting pack of misfits and charlatans - each with some clearly preconceived idea of what Havana, and the Hostal Vallencia held in store. Among these I must of course, include myself. I too, had closely defined notions in advance. I thought there would be military everywhere. There wasn't, unless you count the old guard cronies at a concert in the Square one night, and the young soldier at Morrow Castle who sidled up - oops, here's trouble - but he was only bumming a cigarette. Because the Hostal Vallencia does notses our daily contact and interaction with people helped us quickly discover that our expectations about the country, whatever they may have been, were fully inaccurate. Instead we learned that Cuba is best described as Newfoundland with palm trees, a fun loving, generous and very proud people, as complex and interesting as islanders everywhere. The heat and humidity of Havana, at least in November, was just exhausting, yet it was possible, through a clever arrangement of the window shutters to allow any zephyrs of breeze to be caught. My room was huge, with marble floors that probably helped keep things cool and a large ensuite bathroom with shower. The spotty access to reliably hot water didn't really matter. A couple of ice water showers a day would have been just fine. Anyway, air conditioning would probably not have helped much, in such a huge, open room, even if it was available. Similarly, a telephone in the room might have been nice, but the phone system is so poor in Cuba, that even that convenience is somewhat irrelevant in the overview. Because, as you might imagine from this description, the writing was not progressing as quickly as anticipated, I arranged to have my visit extended by one week. On what was previously scheduled to have been my last night in Havana, the gathering storm of the afternoon had evolved into wild and crashing wind and driving rain. I'd had dinner in the hotel dining room and then, as had become my habit, I grabbed my camera from my room safe, hoping for some terrific evening shots, and headed out into the storm, to the little cafe at the corner of the Square to have dessert and coffee. When I returned to my vast room around 7 pm, the shutters were smashing about in an alarming manner again and I wrestled to secure them. Everything was dark and cold but, as usual, I intended to work 'til about midnight. The little bar downstairs was still open, so I managed to convince them to let me take a cup of coffee to my room. I turned on the lights and fired up my computreasingly fierce, so I turned on the TV to see if this might, indeed, be a serious weather system. It was about 8 pm. Nothing on the tube except a documentary featuring a Greek singer. And that is absolutely the last thing I remember until quarter to five the following morning. Now, let me say that I have travelled alone to many parts of the world, even places where unaccomanied women are advised to be especially careful. There have been some minor incidents, of course. A smashed window in a rental car. An attempted purse snatching. Overcharges and so on. The sorts of things to which any savvy traveller's sixth sense quickly becomes sensitized. But generally, this guard is let down in the privacy of one's own hotel room. Which is why when I suddenly awakened at quarter to five that Monday morning at the Hostal Valencia, I was at first bewildered and confused. The shutters that I'd struggled to secure, were again smashing about. Every light in the room was on - surely the only night lights in the whole of Havana. The TV was still buzzing static from its grey screen. My cigs. Where did I put them? My purse? In my purse? But where was it? In the closet? But the closet is utterly empty. No cigs. No purse. No wallet. No clothes other than the ones I'd fallen asleep in. No suitcases. No toiletries or makeup - not even a hairbrush. No camera. I had literally been robbed blind while I slept in what must, of course, been a drugged sleep of many hours. The crooks had simply packed my suitcases with every single thing I had (except airline ticket and passport) and taken off. We'll never know how it happened. Did someone at one of the several places I'd dined slipped something in food or drink? Did someone scale the outside of the hotel and gain entry to the room via the balcony? - an easy enough thing to do. The police were sympathetic but not particularly determined, I felt, though in Cuba robbery is an extremely serious offence. Breaking and entering is punishable by many years in the sserious of all. I think the problem was mostly a language difficulty. My poor Spanish evaporated in the utter vulnerability of the circumstance. Nevertheless, my money, credit cards, clothes, identification, manuscripts everything was gone!Yet, it was then that the staff of the extraordinary Hostal Valencia really jumped into service. From the manager to the young desk clerk they were simply amazing. The night clerk's wife arrived with lipstick and eyeshadow - rare and expensive commodities for ordinary Cuban girls. The clerk himself accompanied me to the MasterCard establishment, though he was nearly asleep, poor kid. It was there that I discovered the next shocking reality. While Eurpoean travellers who may lose or misplace their credit cards in Cuba have no difficulty, once proving their identity, in having cash and a replacement card immediately transferred to them in Cuba, the same is not true for Canadians. Our MasterCard lost and stolen reports are delivered to head offices in the United States. I begged and pleaded - through tears at that point - but US policy absolutely forbids their sending cash or a replacement card to Cuba. I was, in short, sunk. My total net worth was exactly 72 cents at that point, found in the pocket of my skirt and nothing was going to change that. My poor young clerk then drove me off to the Canadian Embassy where I was greet with great disinterest and told that there had been a few purse snatchings that year on Varadero beaches. I was, however, able to make a phone call home (collect) from the embassy and have my family arrange to transfer some cash to the hotel. Back at the hotel, the manager insisted that there would be no charge for my stay there and another young Cuban acquaintance whom I had earlier interviewed was so ashamed by what had happened that he arrived to take me to his home where his wife insisted that I should chose from among her clothes for replacements and, moreover, these two amazing young people, worrying about my expenses for the rest of my stay in Cuba and to travel home, also insisted that I take $200 US from them. They had no expectation that this would be repaid. Now, in Cuba, where even a professional's salary is under $10 per month, this amount truly represented their lifsity and that of everyone who rallied around hoping against hope, that I would not judge them or their great city of Havana, harshly. In some important way, while the thieves stole nearly everything I'd brought with me to the island, they gave me something of priceless value. They tore down the bars of caution and suspicion and they introduced me to the goodness of a sweetly naive and gentle people. (I was very happy to have the opportunity on leaving Cuba, to slip envelopes into the hands of my rescuers. Full payment to the Valencia. $100. to the night clerk and his wife. $400 (double the gift) to the professor and his wife.) But this is a review of the Hostal Vallencia. Would I stay there again? If I were going for a short holiday, the European and Canadian resorts of Veradero with their homogonized Carribean packages would probably be a good bet - though they have nothing particularly Cuban to distinguish them. The food would certainly be better and the accomodations relaxing. For a closer contact with the city of Havana, there are excellent (and much more expensive) hotels with amazing facilities, air conditioning, a swimming pool, shopping and other such creature comforts as are usually expected by western travellers. But there's an important difference. These establishemts afford little, if any opportunity to interact with ordinary Cuban people - and it is ordinary Cuban people who are, as I've said, the greatest resource of this wonderful island. To leave Cuba without having made fast friends there, is not to have visited Cuba at all. So, would I stay at the Hostal Valencia again? In a heartbeat - but only for a few days. I wouldn't tell anybody when I was planning to leave. I'd use the safe. Always. And, in the evening, I would not drink the coffee - if you know what I mean.
Read more
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hitchcockblonde wrote a review Dec 2005
paris france
5.0 of 5 bubbles
After a dismal stay at the Santa Isabel,when we returned to Havana, we decided to try the Hostal Valencia,an excellent choice!It's about a third of the price of the Santa Isabel,it has a great location,huge, clean rooms-great shower,a lovely courtyard with plants overhanging and lovely staff,genuinely smiley and helpful especially at the bar.There's a small cigar shop attached, with a good selection and the paella restaurant-I've had a lot of paella and I thought it was great, I would recommend it when you're bored with beans!very good chicken with pork paella and an ok wine list-lots of Chilean and Spanish wine.We only stayed one night, I only wished we had cancelled the rest of our time at the Santa isabel and moved here earlier.I think it's great value, and you're seconds away from bars,restaurants and all the tourist attractions,and NONE of the staff tried to add on items to the bill and stiff us for money,or hassle us to buy cigars or anything else,after our time at the Santa Isabel - it was very refreshing!
Read more
Date of stay: December 2005
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
the_curl wrote a review Aug 2006
Chester, UK
+1
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Just got back from two weeks in Cuba. We stayed all inclusive in Cayo Coco but couldn't resist the temptation to hire a car for a look round. Spent three days in Havana and stayed two nights in the Hostal Valencia as it was recommended in our Lonely Planet guidebook. The guidebook was two years old and the hotel had since joined the next door Hotel Comendador (and increased it's prices considerably!). Apart from that, it was even better than the guidebook said.

When we enquired about rooms, we were shown two huge double rooms, one with bath & one with shower, both for 120 pesos per night. We chose the one with shower that was on the front corner and had an "L" shaped balcony over two streets. It had a partition between the bed and the lounge area and really felt like being in Havana in the thirties (apart from the TV & aircon). I used to work for Hilton Hotels and have stayed in numerous Hiltons (and other hotels) around the world and this is now my favorite hotel room!

The hotel is set around a wonderful courtyard that has open air eating and drinking for guests. The staff were all really friendly and it is amazingly convenient for all of the sights.

We tried the paella and it was really good and, despite what our guidebook had said, big portions.

The bar is nice (but small) with glazed tiles signed by everyone famous whos stayed in the last 10 years and there's also a small picture gallery there.

I would REALLY recommend this hotel for anyone visiting Havana!

All of the staff
Read more
Date of stay: July 2006
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
4.0 of 5 bubblesCheck in / front desk
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ms_Mullings wrote a review Oct 2006
UK
+1
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Being an avid reader of Trip Advisor I was overwhelmingly happy to discover that I had made the right informed decision. Hostal Valencia is majestically beautiful, and its staff - from the gardener to the maid to the reception staff - were courteous, efficient, and best of all after we became a little more familiar, downright fun!

I think the mistake that some reviewers have made here has been to compare the food to the British and American tourist food available in many parts of the world. In fact the westernised Cuban food available at Hostal Valencia is much better quality than even the average Cuban could expect to find in their local restaurant.

The hotel made the perfect base for us as we checked out Havana Vieja's incredible sites, and the perfect refuge after nights out at its crazy bars and clubs!

And if this is budget I need never upgrade.

If I had any criticism at all its that the new lifelong friends we made in Cuba - who were neither criminals nor jinteros - were not allowed to join us in the hotel. We thought this was the case for all visitors, however, an Australian friend of ours who coincidentally was travelling through Cuba at the same time we were there was permitted to join us on several occasions. Cubans are used to this kind of tourist apartheid but I must admit the Brit in me feels quite adamant that the only person that should be allowed to discriminate between these friends is me.

Anyway, the smallest of gripes outweighed by a memorable experience - I will never forget my stay in this beautiful hotel.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2006
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesCheck in / front desk
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LondonTraveller1978 wrote a review Sep 2007
London
2.0 of 5 bubbles
My girlfriend and I stayed at Hostal Valencia (HV)for a week at the start of September 2007. Luckily we arrived knowing that the staff were in the habit of pushing guests into the lesser hotel next door (Hostal El Comendador) so we objected when they tried this on us. I'm not sure the rooms are significantly worse than at HV, but it should not be asking too much to have a room in the hotel you booked. They didn't even tell us they were doing it, just quietly led us through a convenient passageway connecting the two hotels and hoped we wouldn't notice. Our objection was met by the man at the desk with the claim that there were no rooms available in HV. After some wrangling we were then shown a room in HV with no window. Presumably this was meant to make us glad to have been offered the room in the hotel next door. We then made it clear that we weren't happy and spent 20 minutes in the (very pretty) lobby consulting our Lonely Planet. Eventually we resolved to take the room in El Comendador and look for a new hotel the next day. We told the man this and he gave us the room key. Lo and behold we were then led to a third room, a perfectly acceptable room in HV. So in fact there had been at least two rooms in HV available all the time.

The room was clean, it had a window, and it was large. It was also attractively decorated with ceramic vases and well air-conditioned. I suspect it represented an upgrade for us (from an ordinary double to what they referred to as a 'suite'), but I would probably have been disappointed with it if I had specifically booked a suite - it was one (large) room plus bathroom but no more. The only real complaint about the room was that the shower tended to feel like quite brutal acupuncture given how hard and focused the jets of water were. I think the room name was Suega, if you particularly like to enjoy your showers and want to avoid it. The rooms on the top floor looked like they had balconies and even bigger windows. We were too exhausted to find out.

Apart from the man at reception, the rest of the staff were very nice, particularly the maid who cleaned the room and the bell hops. You should be aware that payment of the balance of the room price is payable in cash to a guy who sits at a desk in the lobby from time to time. In case you are suspicious of handing over a large amount of cash to someone in casual clothes, he looks a bit like Hank Azaria and seems like a nice and helpful guy.

I'm not sure that I would stay in Habana Vieja again. It is very touristy and full of mostly very uninspiring shops. Still, it is quite busy and central and for the first time visitor probably best unless you are prepared to shell out for the Hotel Nacional in Vedado and the necessary taxis to and fro (the posh hotels in Park Central which we did actually look at one day to get an idea mostly looked overpriced - the sort of luxury they would have had to provide to justify their prices just doesn't really exist in Cuba on any kind of general basis).

For that reason, despite the above, I would probably still recommend HV to first time visitors on a budget. But be prepared.

Nearby, the best places to eat were La Dominica, an Italian restaurant which did good pizza and La Lluvia which also did some reasonable pizza and good live music. By and large we found the state-controlled restaurants (especially El Patio in Plaza Catedral – have a drink in the evening for the ambience of the plaza, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend eating when La Dominica is around the corner) hugely disappointing. The only way to go in Cuba is paladars - the privately-run restaurants. The difference between them and the state restaurants is like night and day and I would hardly eat anywhere else if I went back. La Guardia in centro is unmissable - the seafood paella was particularly memorable. La Cocina de Lilliam in Miramar was also excellent. Its best to make reservations, but its not always essential. Taking a taxi to a decent paladar, wherever it may be, is the only way to eat well in Havana.

Given our experience with the private restaurants, I would abandon state-controlled hotels entirely next time and book a room in a private residence. If the difference is as great as with restaurants, it would be better than Hostal Valencia. Plus it would probably provide breakfast, which we found very difficult to come by. We were always too late for the HV breakfast (ends at 10 ish), so can’t really comment on it – we saw the tail end on one day and it looked a bit fly-infested, but I can’t say what it would have been like at the beginning. The best breakfast we found consisted of pastries from Francesca’s near Hotel Telegrafo in centro. It’s mediocre at best, but that was a good result in the circumstances.

We also went to the beach at Santa Maria del Mar - its a bit touristy but we found it easy enough to escape the crowd and find beautiful empty stretches of beach. Swimming in the warm blue sea was great and if I stayed in Havana again I would make a short beach trip part of most days. Particularly during daylight, Havana does not have so much to do/see that this would be over-indulgent. A taxi to Santa Maria costs max CUC15 each way.

One thing that’s worth knowing is that there is a small supermarket in a block on the south-east corner of the junction of Neptuno and Agramonte (to the north east of park central) which sells genuine Coke, Sprite, Fanta and Nestle chocolate biscuits as well as bottled water. We stocked up well a few times – we found that comfort foods and drinks were quite important in Cuba, particularly when breakfast was hard to find. Best to bring a plastic bag because they sometimes run out and the walk from there to HV with a heavy cardboard box in midday heat is not pleasant.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Passport11656 wrote a review Feb 2004
Berlin, Germany
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We spent the last night here before returning to Europe yesterday....
The rate went up to $ 110 but it was worth it. The room #14 was spacy, quiet, very clean, the breakfast very good and the staff very friendly and helpful. The location is absolutey great in Havana vieja. The next time we will certainly start there. It was hard (unfortunately impossible!) to rent a room directly via internet) but when we went to the desk at the beginning of our exciting trip (Havana - Bay of pigs - Playa Giron - Cienfuegos - Trinidad - Sancti Spiritus - Santa Clara - Havana) we had no problem to get a room for our last night in Havana.
Hasta luego!
Read more
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TalesFromLoz wrote a review Aug 2014
London, United Kingdom
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We booked this hotel for the first two nights we arrived in Cuba so that we could have a jumping off point to then use casa particulares throughout our trip. We booked online and arrival was fine. Rooms are big and air conditioned, drinks are available 24hrs from the bar but the rooms have fridges and great old ornate baths. Breakfast, which was included, was also very good. They helped us organise a private transfer to our next location. If I came back to cuba I would probably use this as a starting point again.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2014Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from ciudadhabanasilvio, Gerente at Hostal Valencia
Responded Sep 3, 2014
Gracias por brindar sus criterios sobre nuestros servicios el equipo de trabajo del Hostal Valencia le agradece y ademas le quiere transmitir que sera un placer volver a recibirlo. Muchas gracias
Read more
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
proyle wrote a tip Nov 2016
Wymondham, United Kingdom194 contributions89 helpful votes
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"Stay away from the rooms at the front, very noisy at night."
Read full review
ElleandSid wrote a tip Sep 2016
15 contributions9 helpful votes
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"Go to another hotel instead."
Read full review
bigjoelittlejoe wrote a tip Jul 2016
London, United Kingdom686 contributions90 helpful votes
4.0 of 5 bubbles
"All room are old and quant, our was called Alzira, can highly recommend."
Read full review
wrightt25 wrote a tip Jun 2016
Sydney, Australia6 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"Review rooms before paying anything!! There are many good cases available for a much cheaper price"
Read full review
Tim S wrote a tip May 2016
Bath, United Kingdom104 contributions25 helpful votes
4.0 of 5 bubbles
"If you want full length window ask for a street room, check if it has leaked when there is heavy rain."
Read full review
Not the right property for you?
There are more places to choose from in the Havana area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
hostal valencia hotel havana
LOCATION
CaribbeanCubaCiudad de la Habana ProvinceHavana
NUMBER OF ROOMS
11
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

Claim Your Listing

HOSTAL VALENCIA

Frequently Asked Questions about Hostal Valencia
Which popular attractions are close to Hostal Valencia?
Nearby attractions include Old Square (Plaza Vieja) (0.2 miles), Plaza de la Catedral (0.2 miles), and Camera Obscura (0.2 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Hostal Valencia?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at Hostal Valencia?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a flat screen TV, and a refrigerator.
What food & drink options are available at Hostal Valencia?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Hostal Valencia?
Conveniently located restaurants include Mojito-Mojito, Los Mercaderes, and La Esquina de Cuba.
Are there any historical sites close to Hostal Valencia?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Old Square (Plaza Vieja) (0.2 miles), San Francisco de Asis Square (0.09 miles), and Palacio De Los Capitanes Generales (0.1 miles).
All Havana HotelsHavana Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in HavanaHotels near Hostal Valencia
Things to DoRestaurantsFlightsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars