Hotel Armadores de Santander Location: The Old Town of Havana Rating: 4-star The Hotel Armadores de Santander (which means ‘Shipowners of Santander’) overlooks the port of Havana. The building’s façade, with its stone reliefs of the coat of arms of Santander surrounded by maritime motifs, is wonderfully evocative of the city’s seagoing past. The Hotel Armadores de Santander was restored and is run by the Office of the City Historian of Havana, so all its profits are reinvested in the restoration of the city’s historical centre. [CLICK on photo for more information]

Hotel Los Jazmines Location: Viñales Valley, Cuba Rating: 3-star Most of the rooms are housed in two three-story buildings set on a hillside overlooking the Viñales Valley. All are air-conditioned, clean and comfortable, and feature French doors opening on to a little balcony from where you can soak in the sights. Touches of gingerbread wrought-iron work and stained glass give the place a sense of elegance. Facilities: 2 restaurants, 2 bars, outdoor pool, laundry service. [CLICK on photo for more information]