Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Casa Particular?
Deciding where to stay in Havana is limited to hotels or Casa Particulars. A Casa Particular literally translates to 'Private House' and can be thought of as a bed and breakfast. Generally local Cuban’s have a room in their personal homes in which they rent out to tourists. Some locals have made businesses out of this arrangement and rent several rooms out in various buildings throughout Havana. Casa Obispo 307 is an up market Havana accomodation where all rooms are dedicated to tourists. Your hosts, Leo and Milagro work full time at the Casa.
What is the best way to get to Casa Obispo 307 from the Havana airport?
The easiest way to get to our Casa from the Havana airport is by taxi. If you show your Welcome Letter with our address on it, to the driver he will know how to get there. Taxi’s are safe and reasonable. The costs as of Jan 2016 is 30-35 CUC and the ride will take approximately 45 minutes. The driver should drop you off at the corner of Obispo and Habana streets. Obispo is closed off to cars and bicycle taxi’s so this corner is the closest drop off point. We offer an airport pick up and drop off service (up to four persons) if you prefer. The cost for this service is $85 USD.
Where can I exchange money?
You can exchange money for CUC (Cuban convertible pesos) at the Havana airport upon arrival or at the CADECA money exchange on Obispo Street one block away from our Casa. Generally line ups at the airport are shorter since it is limited to recently arrived passengers. Remember that Cuba is the only place in the world where you can purchase CUC!
Do you have connecting rooms?
Yes! We think we have the only connecting rooms in all of Havana! Our connecting rooms are upstairs on our second floor and are great for larger families. Each room has a double bed and a single bed meaning that both rooms together can accommodate up to 6 adults. These rooms also feature a large terrace overlooking Obispo Street.
Do you have laundry services?
Yes, we provide a wash and fold service and charge per load. Clothes are machine washed and air dried in the Cuban sun! Please make sure Milagro has your laundry by 10 AM and she will do her best to get it back to you by the end of the day.
What time is check in/out?
Check in time is 3 PM. Should you arrive earlier than that we will gladly give you access to your room if it is available and prepared. Check out time is 12 PM. If you need a later check out time, we can provide a late check out time of 5 PM depending on availability. A check out time after 5pm will incur a half day charge.
Can I use my cell phone in Cuba?
Yes, you can use your cell phone in Cuba but it is generally very expensive to roam on the CubaCell network. Depending on your carrier, you may be able to purchase a roaming package for Cuba but it will still be expensive. Alternatively you can purchase a local SIM card for your unlocked phone but this requires a fair amount of time and paperwork and in the end is still quite costly.
Where are you located?
We are located in Old Havana on the walking-only street of Calle Obispo between Habana and Aguiar.
What time is breakfast?
Breakfast is generally served between 8:30 AM and 11 AM at our main eating area on the main floor. If you prefer breakfast outside of these hours you can make special arrangements with Milagro.
What does Milagro serve for breakfast?
Breakfast is served in our dining area and includes fresh fruit, bread, fruit juice, milk, coffee, tea and eggs prepared to your liking or a ham and cheese sandwich. Cost per person is 5.00 CUC. You can pay your hosts directly for any meals or other services.
Can I smoke?
For the comfort of other and future guests, we respectfully ask that you don’t smoke anywhere in the Casa.
Do you have a safe box?
Yes, each room has a metal safe box that is permanently attached to the wall.
Is there WiFi access in Havana?
We do not have WiFi in the Casa but it is available for a fee at nearby Havana hotels such as Hotel Parc Central, Hotel Plaza and Hotel Ambos Mundos and others. It has been rumoured that Havana will create several areas of WiFi coverage throughout the city. In fact Parque Fe del Valle is one of the latest areas where you can access WiFi. If you see lots of locals and/or tourists gathering in an area near a hotel or restaurant all glued to their screens, there is very likely a hotspot there. Remember, however, that WiFi in Cuba is not free and is relatively expensive. You will need to buy a card ranging from 2-6 CUC for one hour of access. You can purchase these cards from hotels (expensive) or purchase them from the government store on Obispo Street (2 CUC but long lines)
Do bedrooms have air conditioning?
Each room has a quiet air conditioner and fan each controlled via remote control. Our common area is not air conditioned but has 4 large fans which help cool down the space during the hotter summer months.
Are there stairs?
Yes, we are located one floor up from street level. Within the Casa, we have 2 rooms on the second level which require going up some steep and narrow stairs.
Are towels provided?
We provide clean towels which are changed every 2 or 3 days.
Do Leo and Milagro speak English?
Yes, Leo and Milagro speak English. Naturally, Spanish is their first language so you may need to speak a little slower and clearly with them. They will also teach you a few Spanish words if you wish!
Is the casa suitable for children, elderly or people with disabilities?
Our Casa is located about 50 steps up from street level. Once inside the Casa, there are two balcony rooms upstairs which are accessed by relatively steep stairs. Access to our Casa may be difficult for people with disabilities.
What size beds are in the rooms?
Our balcony rooms have one double bed and one twin bed while our non-balcony room has one double bed.
Are your posted rates per person?
Our rates are per room per night based on 1 or 2 people sharing. We charge an extra $10 per night for an additional person in the room. Our balcony rooms can accommodate a maximum of 3 people.
Do you accept credit cards?
Yes we accept credit cards. You can book your stay with us online here: www.CasaObispo307.com. For incidentals such as meals, laundry services or tours you pay your hosts directly in CUC. If you prefer to pay with for these with credit card, please make arrangements with Leo or Milagro.
What is your cancellation policy?
A cancellation fee of $35 per reservation applies to all bookings. We honor refunds if the cancellation is made up to 72 hours before your check in date (up to 11:59pm of your check in date). We will refund the full amount of your reservation less the cancellation fee. Cancellations must be made by email at Info@CasaObispo307.com. The time of cancellation is defined as the timestamp of the cancellation email. All references to time are to local, Havana time. In the event that cancellation is made less than 72 hours before your check in date, we cannot honor refunds.
Our cancellation policy applies to early departures. We offer refunds if the notice of early departure is given up to 72 hours before your check out date.
Refunds can only be applied to the same credit card that was used to make the original reservation.
What is the rate if stay longer?
Please make special arrangements with us for stays longer than 30 days.
Can we store our luggage here?
We can store luggage for a few hours if you have a late flight out of Havana. Please make arrangements with Leo or Milagro if you need to store luggage for more than 1 day.
Electricity: Do I need an adapter or converter?
In Cuba it is common to see 220 volts and 110 volts. In our Casa, however, all of our accessible plugs are the North American standard of 110 volts. Our outlets physically accept European and North American plugs although you will need a converter if your device requires 220 volt.
What amenities do you have?
For your comfort, we supply soap, shampoo and a hair dryer in each room. If you forgot your power adapter to charge your devices, we have cables and chargers in our living room.
What do I have to pack?
Light, comfortable summer type clothes are best for Cuba. A very light rain jacket is handy during the rainy season (between May and October) where brief downpours can happen daily. We recommend a good pair of shoes for walking since most of the interesting things to see are within easy walking distance from our Casa. We also recommend sunscreen and insect repellent.
What is the weather like?
Cuba enjoys tropical weather generally throughout the year. Rainy season is between May and October while dry season is from November to April. During the rainy season expect more overcast skies and a brief thundershower or two each day. It usually does not rain the entire day. The summer months are warm and humid where temperatures can reach 35C. Probably the most pleasant time to visit is between mid February to about mid May. The evenings can be 13C in February but during the day when the sun is shining it is very comfortable. Towards the end of April to May it is starting to get hot but not as hot as June which is usually the hottest time of the year.