Hotels Open in Cuba Right Now (2026 Update)

Two things about Cuba changed this year, and UK travellers are asking about both: the energy situation, and the hotel names. In July 2026 the Spanish groups that managed Cuba's hotels, Meliá, Iberostar and Barceló, all withdrew from the island. The hotels stayed open and kept their names, they simply dropped the brand in front. The Meliá Habana is now the Hotel Habana, the Sol Palmeras is the Hotel Palmeras. This page is our live answer to which hotels are actually open, listed under the new names with the old ones alongside, so you can plan with confidence rather than guesswork.

If you've landed here from our guide on whether Cuba is safe to visit in 2026, this is the practical companion: not "is it safe", but "where can I actually stay".

Is Cuba Open for Tourism in 2026?

Yes. Cuba is open to tourism and the hotels are operating normally. Flights are the one thing to plan around: there are no direct UK routes and options are limited in 2026, so we confirm live availability before quoting (see our flights to Cuba guide). The well-documented power shortages mainly affect residential neighbourhoods and the national grid, not the major resorts.

That is because the big resort hotels run their own backup generators, water systems and fuel reserves, and that did not change when the Spanish chains left. Guests at these properties typically experience normal air conditioning, hot water, lighting and kitchens throughout their stay. The hotels below are the ones running normally at the moment.

Why Cuba's Hotels Changed Their Names in 2026

The United States expanded its Cuba sanctions through 2026 and, on 13 July, designated Cuba's Ministry of Tourism itself. The Spanish groups that had managed most of the island's hotels for three decades decided the risk was no longer one they wanted to carry. Iberostar handed back its last six Cuban hotels on 20 July, Barceló confirmed its withdrawal on 22 July, and Meliá ended management of all its Cuban hotels on 24 July 2026. That leaves the island without any of the Spanish groups that had defined Cuban hotel-keeping for three decades.

For a guest, less changed than the headlines suggest. Same buildings, same rooms, largely the same staff. The hotels are run directly by their Cuban owners, Gran Caribe, Cubanacán and Gaviota, and the names lost only the brand in front. What is worth doing is checking standards property by property rather than assuming them, which is what we do before we quote you. If you are comparing a hotel you looked at last year, search the old name and the new one together.

Hotels Currently Open in Cuba

These are the hotels operating in Cuba as of August 2026, grouped by city, with the name each one carried before the rebrand alongside. All are running their own power and water. Treat this as a reference list of what is open. It is not a list of what we book, which is a separate question and answered further down.

Havana

• Hotel Cohiba (formerly Meliá Cohiba) ★★★★★

• Hotel Habana (formerly Meliá Habana) ★★★★★

• Hotel Habana Libre (formerly Tryp Habana Libre) ★★★★

• Hotel Parque Central (formerly Iberostar Parque Central) ★★★★★

• Hotel Marqués de la Torre (formerly Iberostar Marqués de la Torre) ★★★★

Varadero

• Hotel Palmeras (formerly Sol Palmeras) ★★★★

• Hotel Varadero (formerly Meliá Varadero) ★★★★★

• Hotel Las Américas (formerly Meliá Las Américas) ★★★★★ (adults only, 18+)

• Hotel Internacional (formerly Meliá Internacional) ★★★★★

• Selection Varadero (formerly Iberostar Selection Varadero) ★★★★★

Trinidad

• Hotel Trinidad Península (formerly Meliá Trinidad Península) ★★★★★

This is a working list, not the whole map of Cuba. If you have a specific resort or area in mind, tell us what you're looking for and we'll confirm current availability for your dates.

What We Are Booking in Cuba Right Now

Casas particulares and local transport. Nothing else, for the moment.

Why. The United States publishes a list of Cuban hotels its own citizens are not permitted to stay in. It is long, running to several hundred properties, and it covers most of the large state-run hotels, including some named above. It binds US persons, not British ones, so a UK traveller staying in one is not breaking any law. We have decided to stay clear of it anyway while the picture keeps moving.

What that means for you. We book you into casas particulares, the licensed private guesthouses that Cuban families run in their own homes, and we arrange your drivers and transfers locally. Plenty of travellers prefer them regardless. The rooms are comfortable, the breakfasts beat any buffet, and the money goes to the family rather than a state chain. Flights and your Cuban visa we handle as normal.

If you hold a US passport or a green card, tell us before we quote. The rules that apply to you are not the ones that apply to a British passport holder, and neither is the effect on your future travel to the United States.

Going to Cuba at all can affect your ESTA eligibility for the United States, whoever you stay with. If a US trip is in your plans, allow for applying for a US visa instead, and check the current US entry guidance before you travel.

Which Resort Area Is Right for You?

Cuba isn't one destination. The three areas above are very different places.

• Havana, the capital: classic cars, live music, colonial squares and rooftop bars. Best for a city break or the first leg of a multi-centre trip.

• Varadero, Cuba's flagship beach resort: 20km of white sand and the strongest concentration of all-inclusive hotels. Best for a relaxing beach holiday.

• Trinidad, a UNESCO-listed colonial town near the south coast, quieter and more characterful. Best paired with Havana or Varadero.

Many of our travellers combine two or three, typically a few nights in Havana followed by the beach in Varadero. See the full picture on our Cuba destination page.