Horizontes La Ermita

The views and location are the best things about this hotel. Rooms are OK, nothing fancy, and breakfast was the usual sort of meal, with some meat and eggs. We had good service, though communication took more effort because the staff didn't speak English very well.

The location is incredible, and the air conditioning worked well, but the hotel is poorly maintained and the staff seemed lazy. Our rooms were old and hadn't been cleaned when we arrived, with dust and dirty towels. The pool was often murky, with plastic glasses floating in it, and dogs sleep on the sunbeds at night. Skip breakfast and head to the village instead, where lots of restaurants and homestays serve freshly cooked eggs. Typical of many state-run hotels: a beautiful setting let down by the upkeep.

We ended up here because the hotel we'd planned to use had been damaged and still wasn't fully repaired. The view over the valley is brilliant, and most of the staff were friendly and pleasant, though I don't think they've quite got things figured out yet. Nearby, the Indian caves are well worth visiting, and there's also the park with the ancient mural story and a good place to eat and drink.

The pool could use more attention, though the grounds are kept up quite well. This is a small hotel with incredible views over Viñales and the valley. The rooms are rather small and old, and you might find a frog or lizard sharing yours. It's countryside, so some things are hard to control. The air conditioning works well and keeps the room cool.