Hotel Los Frailes

Hotel Los Frailes

Calle Teniente Rey No. 8 Entre Oficios Y Mercaderes, Havana 10100 Cuba
Hotel Interior
Traveler (337)
Panorama of the Junior Suite at the Hotel Los Frailes
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Room & Suite (162)

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About

#72 of 234 hotels in Havana
Location
4.6
Rooms
3.7
Value
3.6
Cleanliness
4.1
Service
3.6
Sleep Quality
3.7
As if it was a space for contemplation, the Hotel Los Frailes translates the visitor to the ambience of an abbey of the medieval era. Monks represented in copper sculptures, religious altarpieces, as well as other details, comprise the decoration of this site convenient for resting. A lobby bar with art-works and stained-glass windows and a peaceful inner patio with a fountain and a well, turns the hotel into one of the most beautiful of the Centro Histórico. The hotel employees, dressed in customs inspired in the clothes of the Franciscan monks, invite the guests to a singular ceremony.
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Property amenities
Free breakfast
Bar / lounge
Concierge
Non-smoking hotel
Laundry service
Room features
Air conditioning
Safe
Minibar
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Quirky Hotels
Quiet

Location

Calle Teniente Rey No. 8 Entre Oficios Y Mercaderes, Havana 10100 Cuba
Traveler rating
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Detailed Reviews
koolgal666 wrote a review Jul 2003
san francisco,ca
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Hostal los frailes is a wonderful, quiet and clean hotel in old havana.It used to be a monastery and was recently remodeled into a hotel. the staff dresses in monks gear...they do not have a restauraunt in the hotel ,so you have to walk down the street to eat at cafe taverna-its an extremely short walk.the rooms are pretty but on the smaller side ,not recommended for those who have claustrophobia.the other drawback is that it is not easily accessible to cars .so, carrying your luggage from your taxi to the hotel is about 2-3 blocks..but this turns out to be an advantage ,as the street is very clean and quiet.we had a great time!
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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.
erewon wrote a review Jun 2007
Toronto
4.0 of 5 bubbles
After a disappointing night in Ambos Mundos in their teensy tiny , expensive rooms, we cancelled our next two nights and checked in to Hostal Los Frailes. We enjoyed an exceptionally friendly greeting by both the bell staff and the desk staff--and offered a junior suite for less than what we had paid for a standard room at Ambos Mundos.

The dress of the staff, and the decor resembles that of a monastery. The dim lights add to the atmosphere. Tour groups regularly visit the lobby area and are always wowed at the reception, bar and main skylight area, featuring dripping ferns. It really is a sight to be seen.

But staying there was equally enjoyable. Lots of room, great view of the street from our balcony, quiet but very scenic neighbourhood; steps from Plaza Veija and tons of great restaurants, very friendly and helpful staff--all added up to one great stay at the hotel.

Breakfast was served in the lobby--fresh pastries from the bakery on Obispo, yummy coffee, and again, smiling friendly services.

I would highly recommend this hotel--and after spending two weeks in Cuba--from Pino del Rio to Santiago--and many hotels and resorts--this was the best!
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Date of stay: June 2007
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 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 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.
SallyESmith wrote a review Sep 2005
Nottingham, England
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We stayed at Los Frailes for three nights at the beginning of September 05. Our room was on the first floor and was lovely, very sympathetically decorated and spotlessly clean. Our only quibble was the fact that the room had no windows and it transpired that it's only the four mini-suites on the front of the hotel that have windows and a balcony.

This hotel is a major tourist attraction and you can see why it is quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever stayed in and suprisingly peaceful considering it is right in the middle of Old Havana. The staff at the hotel are very helpful and all speak very good English for those that don't speak Spanish.

The only downside to our stay was the breakfast which is provided at a Cafe at the end of the street. A mixture of stale bread, tired looking fruit and cold coffee! I would recommend that people stay at Los Frailes on a room only basis and seek out your breakfast in one of the many restaurants in Old Havana.
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Date of stay: September 2005
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 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.
SteveShovelhands wrote a review Dec 2014
Lyneham, United Kingdom
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Hotel Los Frailes

Final part of our Cuba trip was a couple of nights back in Havana staying at Los Frailes.

We had one expensive night at the start of our trip at the Nacional and were left quite disappointed with that experience (see my review of the Nacional). Given Los Frailes was much cheaper, our expectations were quite low.

To begin with, it's worth mentioning that it can be difficult to find upon arrival as it's in the old town and the taxi driver will drop you off on the outskirts. If you have a map, you'll be fine - we didn't and so it took some time for us to locate it!

Once found, the building looks very cool on the inside (and gets lots of tour parties coming in as a result). Despite not having any windows the room was actually quite nice, if a little dark. The furnishings in the room and the public areas of the hotel were unique, stylish and interesting and all areas were clean (and actually didn't smell of cigars like most other places we visited). The towels provided however are tiny and limited to one per person. Don't get me wrong; this isn't high class accommodation with exceptional customer service; but for the money it was safe, comfortable, quirkily stylish, relaxed and most importantly in a great location to explore Havana.

A simple breakfast is served at a restaurant on the corner, where you can make your own fresh sugar cane juice if you fancy it (for a small cost of course).

Also, just a few doors down from the hotel is a bar/restaurant where members of the Buena Vista Social Club perform. We happened across this after dinner one evening and had a great time watching the performance from the outside with a crowd of friendly locals, who had gathered to watch the show through the window.

Given the price and the location, we would definitely think about return here if visiting Havana again.
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Date of stay: October 2014Trip 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.
Gemma P wrote a review May 2014
Manchester, United Kingdom
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We booked this hotel for two nights immediately after arriving in Havana from the UK, and it was an absolute joy to stay in!

Locationwise, it is perfect - right in the middle of Habana Vieja, which is great for sightseeing. The hotel itself was incredibly interesting, with a fantastic open area filled with plants and vines right in the centre of it - and of course, lots of memorabilia from its former days as a monastery.

We had read plenty of reviews saying that the rooms are small, dark and claustrophobic, so with this in mind we booked a suite, rather than a normal room, as these come with windows (or at least, the one we stayed in did). There wasn't much of a difference in price between this and a normal room, and I think it was well worth the money.

The room itself was very large, with two beds and lovely high ceilings, gorgeous iron bed frames and really interesting, elaborate furnishing - all in-keeping with the monastic theme! The lighting was indeed very dim, and the room was very dark. However, we had two huge sets of double doors, both of which opened out onto lovely little balconies. As soon as we opened these, the room brightened up in no time! The balconies were also great for sitting on and watching the world go by.

We did find the room to be slightly noisy at night, with music from nearby bars floating up, and some chatter from outside. However, we actually quite enjoyed this - it was nice to actually feel like we were in Havana! Otherwise, the beds were comfy, the room was cool and we slept well.

The bathroom was nice and large - the only downside was that the shower never really seemed to heat up properly, so we had quite cool showers. We never complained about this though, so I'm not sure if it was a problem that could be fixed, or whether this was something that occurred throughout the whole of the hotel.

The staff were great - very friendly and helpful. We also really enjoyed the breakfast, despite reading negative reviews on here previously! Yes, it is at a little cafe across the road, but it's really not far to go, and there was plenty of fresh fruit, bread, cheese, meat and eggs, as well as fresh juice and amazing coffee.

We left this hotel after two days to stay in a casa in Centro Habana, as we were keen to stay in both areas (and Centro is well worth a look, we loved it!). But I would highly recommend this hotel, and would absolutely come back here (but I would definitely book a suite again!).
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Date of stay: May 2014
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
4.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
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.
Eledog wrote a review Apr 2005
Manchester
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We stayed at the hotel for a few days in April, 2005 and had a mini suite, with balcony. The room was excellent, although suffered from a 5am pump noise in the street outside every morning. The breakfasts are in a local cafe (50m away) and were very good - the best of our stay in CVuba. I was intrigued by the comment of an earlier poster to avoid the cereal. I have no idea why though, unless it was because of the non refrigerated milk (one lump or two?).
I would have said the stay was excellent, but for 2 scams. The first was not a problem for the visitor, as the receptionist appeared to keep the money for the safe key (no receipt and no credit card permitted), but the minibar scam on leaving was VERY irritating.
We checked the minibar was OK and went downstairs with our cases, locking the door. A maid was sent from reception and reported 2 bottles of water were missing and demanded $3. This was clearly untrue. After an argument with the management and the maid, I resolved the matter by taking my tip back from the maid and paying for the water out of her money. Rough justice but fair.
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Date of stay: April 2005
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
2.0 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.
Sarah822014 wrote a review Jan 2015
London, United Kingdom
4.0 of 5 bubbles
We did not stay at this hotel but we were introduced to it on a tour and went back to the bar on the recommendation that the mojitos were really good. Not only were they nice but also really cheap. The decor is cool too so worth a pop in.
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Date of stay: September 2014Trip 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.
lordktown wrote a review Jul 2014
kitchener
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Our trip was supposed to be 7 nights in Havana, I usually refer to it as "5 days in Hell".(my partner and I cut our losses and got the heck out of there 2 days early. The dent on my credit card may never go away, but it was worth EVERY penny) The staff in Los Frailes is so
outrageously rude and shady, it's a wonder they can stay in business.

We had cash stolen from our "safe" and when I inquired at the front desk who else had a key to the safe, I was met with "no english". The first day in Havana I was robbed sight seeing, in a taxi and then out of my hotel safe. The people harass you continually in the street, a one eyed cat licked it's genitals throughout our entire dinner in the middle one of the "fancier" restaurants, and the noise was a never ending cacophony of shouting, carts rattling,
and salsa music. When I went to sign out the reception staff tried to overcharge me, and if I hadn't already been ripped off in every restaraunt, market and taxi,I wouldn't have questioned the bill, but Havana jades you, so I fought the bill and won.

If you love getting taken advantage of, sketchy telephone and internet connections, rude people, and terrible customer service, then Los Frailes is for you!
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Date of stay: December 2013
1.0 of 5 bubblesValue
1.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
1.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
1.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
1.0 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.
Susan H wrote a review Jul 2014
Auckland Central, New Zealand
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I would definitely recommend this hotel, right in the heart of Habana Vieja. This is the part of town that you want to stay in, as it is where all the attractions and restaurants are, and is safe to walk around at night. The hotel staff were very helpful and gave me an upstairs room, which was nice and quiet. The bed was very comfortable and the shower was good. I enjoyed the monastery style of the hotel. Even the staff dress in robes! Internet access is of course restricted in Cuba, but you can buy a card from reception and gain access via the guest computer in the lobby. The only slightly disappointing part was the included breakfast; not very tasty and quite basic.
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Date of stay: February 2014
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
5.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip: Ask for a room upstairs, they are much quieter.
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.
alison186394 wrote a review Feb 2013
Paris, France
3.0 of 5 bubbles
When we first arrived I was really excited. This looks beautiful. The entrance from a quiet side street is charming and authentic. Its a converted monastry and the building is old,colonial dark and atmostpheric. The staff dressed as monks were charming and welcoming. We were offered a welcome mohito and sat admiring the central atrium feeling very pleased with ourselves. When we were shown to our room we realised that there was no window(truly a monastic cell) and 2 very hard single beds pushed together. The bed cover was thin acrylic and one of the lights didnt work. The bath room was adequate but the bathtub was chipped and the taps were rusty. We asked to be moved as we wanted a window and were told that this would only be possible the next day. The "monk " then asked for 8 dollars cash for the mohitos which were meant to be complimentary. When we asked for it to be added to our bill he said this wasnt possible. We were tired so paid up. We asked to be recommended to a restaurant as it was sunday night and a lot of places were shut. He made a reservation for us and gave directions. The place he sent us to was dreadful. It was down several dark, unlit dodgy looking streets and when we eventually found it they asked who had sent us as he got a commision. They had a ridiculously expensive menu especially for innocent tourists and the bill for inedible horrible food was worthy of a good restaurant in Paris. The only other diners who turned up were also fron Hotel los Frailles and were equally unimpressed they had been scammed. The next day they moved us to another room also without a window with 2 single beds but a more rusty bath and pretended not to understand when we queiried this.
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Date of stay: February 2013
2.0 of 5 bubblesValue
1.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
4.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
1.0 of 5 bubblesService
1.0 of 5 bubblesSleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: pay extra for a suite- they are the only 4 rooms with windows. At the moment Cuba is a...
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 frailescomercial, Public Relations Manager at Hotel Los Frailes
Responded Mar 11, 2013
Dear Alison, First at all, thanks for staying in our hotel and for write a report here about us. What a pity that you didn’t enjoy so much some parts of your stay here. About what you said of the scams: Our staff is prepared for giving you advices, that doesn’t mean that you have to take them, but the truth is that we don’t deceive people who come here, I’m so sorry if you saw it that well, I really hope you come back again so we have the opportunity of change your mind. Best regards Los Frailes Team.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Answer from Talkeetnaclem
Blackpool15 contributions7 helpful votes
Hello, If you go to the nearby Plaza Vieja, there are lots of streets going off it, with many restaurants; most with live music. Many eateries have menus with prices outside. We ate in one restaurant for around 8-10 Pesos. The next day we ate next door to that one and had half a chicken, rice and sweet potato fries for 6 Pesos and a large burger and fries for 4 Pesos. Just wander about and you will find plenty of good cheap eateries. As regards changing money, as luck would have it, the restaurant where you go for breakfast from the hotel is about 20 seconds away, and across from there is a bank, which is where we changed our money. You have to sit and wait until the guard ushers you to a teller. And there is a shop next door to the Hotel Los Frailes Hotel selling bottled water, and also cans of Heineken for 1.20. Have a great time
prettyvacant27 asked a question Dec 2016
Edmonton, Canada156 contributions21 helpful votes
Where can I book and how much per room for 2 adult/ one bed.
Answer from Olwyn O
North Berwick, United Kingdom10 contributions5 helpful votes
We booked our whole Cuba through The Holiday Place - 5 days in Havana and 10 in Varadero - so not sure how much this hotel cost, but the holiday overall was very good value (c £1300) and this hotel was one of their options. Hope this helps.
Answer from
London, United Kingdom
I would think so. The hotel concierges/receptionists all get a commission and your tip so are usually keen to book things up for you. Enjoy your trip.
Rhonda B asked a question Mar 2016
5 contributions1 helpful vote
Do you have a room available March 24-28, 2016?
gerriebu wrote a tip Feb 2018
Hong Kong, China16 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"Street facing rooms have windows, the rest don't."
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Ken P wrote a tip Oct 2017
Kemerton, United Kingdom1,147 contribution235 helpful votes
4.0 of 5 bubbles
"Get a room at the front...."
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CF1970 wrote a tip May 2017
Cardiff, United Kingdom164 contributions115 helpful votes
3.0 of 5 bubbles
"make sure you have a window"
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sheilagc wrote a tip Apr 2017
Leamington Spa UK6 contributions17 helpful votes
2.0 of 5 bubbles
"Ask for a room with windows"
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snapmarketing wrote a tip Mar 2017
Basingstoke, United Kingdom107 contributions83 helpful votes
4.0 of 5 bubbles
"with a balcony o window first floor"
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ALSO KNOWN AS
hostal los frailes havana, hostal los frailes hotel havana
LOCATION
CaribbeanCubaCiudad de la Habana ProvinceHavana
NUMBER OF ROOMS
22
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HOTEL LOS FRAILES

Frequently Asked Questions about Hotel Los Frailes
Which popular attractions are close to Hotel Los Frailes?
Nearby attractions include Old Square (Plaza Vieja) (0.04 miles), Camera Obscura (0.06 miles), and San Francisco de Asis Square (0.10 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Hotel Los Frailes?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a lounge, and laundry service.
What food & drink options are available at Hotel Los Frailes?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Hotel Los Frailes?
Conveniently located restaurants include Los Mercaderes, Mojito-Mojito, and La Calesa Real.
Are there any historical sites close to Hotel Los Frailes?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Old Square (Plaza Vieja) (0.04 miles), San Francisco de Asis Square (0.10 miles), and Palacio De Los Capitanes Generales (0.3 miles).
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