Best Kid-Friendly Hotels in Havana

One of the top hotels in Havana, the upscale Melia Habana has 397 spacious, clean rooms, many of them with sea views. The highlight at Melia Habana is undoubtedly its massive outdoor freeform pool with two swim-up bars, a fenced-off kiddy pool area, a hydromassage area, a long narrow stretch suitable for laps, and nice wicker loungers (a definite step up from the blue mesh and plastic variety found at most hotel pools). Multiple restaurants include a 24-hour cafeteria, Italian and Asian a la carte restaurants, and a big buffet restaurant serves breakfast (included), lunch, and dinner; half- and full-board packages are available. The hotel offers a free shuttle to Old Havana, which is a 15-minute drive away. 

The 283 rooms and bungalows at the mid-range El Comodoro suffer from dated furnishings, smoky smells, and maintenance issues (common in Cuba). But the hotel's main draw is its pool and small beach. Technically the freeform pool is split into seven bodies of water, four general pools and three kids' pools. Footbridges connect the sundeck, which is ringed with loungers and sun umbrellas. The Comodoro has three restaurants, one buffet and two a la carte serving Italian and Cuban fare, respectively. A free buffet breakfast is included in the room rate, and it’s often accompanied by live accordion music, a festive touch. There are also a poolside snack bar (open 24 hours) and a grill bar by the beach, plus 24-hour room service. Entertainment comes in the form of jazz music in the lobby in the evenings and two or three live bands that visit the restaurants nightly. Once a week the hotel holds a spectacle with musicians and salsa dancers. 

The 178-room Hotel Copacabana has a playful Brazilian theme and a storied past as a mid-century jazz club. Today it’s your typical mid-range seaside hotel with a buffet restaurant, a pool, and poolside bar. But one atypical feature is the hotel’s “natural pool,” a hemmed in portion of seawater that gives guests a calm, protected place to swim. Rooms here are basic, but not unpleasant, in beachy colors. The location, however, is a bit removed from Old Havana and most major attractions (though families appreciate that the hotel is a short five-minute walk to the local aquarium, where kids staying at the Copacabana receive free entry).