For many years now (ever since 1997 when the law was passed allowing Cuban citizens to rent out their rooms to foreigners really) a stay in a casa particular, or private lodging house, has been the only real way for discerning travellers to experience Havana. The reasons are manifold, but suffice it to say that paying real Cubans for a night's accommodation is infinitely more satisfying and worthwhile than letting your money help fund the Cuban regime, which is all paying for a hotel achieves.
These days, Havana is awash with casa particulares, which in many ways equate to the bed and breakfast concept of Britain and the U.S. But when these are narrowed down to those with exemplary service and great locations, there are not nearly so many to choose from. Arrange what's left according to any merit system you choose, and Centro Havana's Casa 1932 will come up on top.
Centro Havana Accommodation
In a country where groaning fifty year-old Cadillacs and glam but crumbling architecture is the defining feature, redevelopment is a big deal, and that is exactly what the quirky Centro Havana barrio (neighbourhood) of the capital city is seeing by the bucket-load. Once rough round the edges, the district has seen crime drop to almost zero since CCTV hit the district, yet the authentic flavour often missing in Havana Viejo or Vedado remains here: think peeling Art Deco facades, baseball matches in the streets, classic Cuban parties and old colourfully-dressed women leaning from balconies sporting billowing clothes lines and chickens.
Ambience aside, this is the district which hosts all the decently-priced accommodations in a city where rooms are far from cheap. It's also right next to the famous Malecon, Havana's grandiose sea wall, and a ten-minute walk from the Capitolio, which marks the city's centre (at least as far as tourists are concerned). Centro Havana is also the setting for the city's best casa (and it should be noted the author makes this claim having visited many for the most recent edition of Lonely Planet Cuba), Casa 1932.
What Makes Casa 1932 Special
From a humble side-street entrance, visitors to Casa 1932 are wowed into a lavish Art Deco interior replete with pre-Revolution antiques. Interior designer and owner Luis Miguel knows a thing or two about style, and has arranged the house to look exactly as if time had stopped in the early thirties. Wind-up gramophones, ancient porcelain and - perhaps the highlight - gaming chips from Havana's last casino, before the Revolutionary government outlawed gambling grace the walls of the front room (where delicious breakfasts and (if desired) evening meals are served by the incomparable Gilbert and Javi).
A flower-bedecked patio then leads through to the bedrooms - antique furniture and haughty elegance are the order of the day here and, away from the hectic Havana streets, Casa 1932 is incredibly an oasis of calm.
Live Life Like a Local
What sets Casa 1932 apart however is the wealth of knowledge the owner has. Whatever the question about Havana's history, Luis Miguel will have the answer. He also knows most of the population of Centro Havana, and can put guests in touch with a host of fascinating experiences, from Art Deco tours of Havana to encounters with artists and musicians: the sort of seminal moments every visitor to Havana wants but seldom gets.
For ubication (location) and ambiente (ambience) Casa 1932 really is in a different class and, indeed, a different age. 1932, to be precise.
Luke Waterson - Author Luke Waterson writes, or has written, for various publications including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Moon Guidebooks and The ...
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