I started looking at B&Bs 5 days before our departure date and many were booked, I talked to a travel agent and she found a few rooms in the big hotels that were in Vedado, far from where we wanted to be, and the cost varied from $800 to $1200 for 4 nights for one room triple occupancy. 3 days before our intended departure date on our standby flight I decided to use my 8 words of Spanish and call the B&Bs as I wanted a cultural experience not some sterile hotel and of course if we can save some money that means we can eat better and oh did we eat! I called Casa Colonial La Terraza and talked to Nora and she spoke some English but our conversation was clumsy. It sounded like she had space but she wanted me to email her so I did so. I fired off an email and got a response the next morning, her B&B had room. I had heard back from other B&Bs and now had a choice where to stay. After spending a lot of time on Trip Advisor I loved the comments about Nora and her family and although it was not as close as others I chose it. The fact she speaks English was what sealed the deal. I made a list of 10 places that had vacancies just in case we showed up and the place was not ideal. You never know with B&B as there is no rating system like hotels.

We got to the Casa Colonial in Central Havana and it was a moderately rough area but then again that is Havana. We buzzed the little button and Spanish words came flying out of the speaker and they let us in after telling them my name. As we wound our way up to the second floor of this venerable building we were like hmmmm but we opened the door to a smiling faces and an amazing house. The outside of the place is certainly no reflection of the place and people inside. From the moment we arrived they treated us like family, she sat us down and spent 90 minutes briefing us on safety, being careful with our cameras, how to get around, and how not to get screwed with the dual currency. My room was a suite so I had a nice sized living room and kitchen with fridge which was super handy, the best part was the terrace was right outside my door so I was bartender for our evenings of chatting and sipping beautiful 7 year old Havana Club rum. The place was fairly clean, again this is not North America so we can’t expect it to be spotless. I came with the thought in mind that I camp outside in the dirt so if the B&B is not spotless why should I really care and it did exceed my expectations. We asked her where a store was where we could get some beer and bottled water and she said don’t worry she would take care of it and BOOM 20 minutes later we have a bunch of beer and water in our fridge. We really enjoyed our mornings and evenings there, we would get up anywhere between 5am and 9am and they would prepare a fresh breakfast that was the same but we never got tired of it. We could have asked for eggs or other items but we just really enjoyed our simple and healthy breakfast to start the day. Fresh bananas, guava, pineapple, toast, amazing coffee and guava juice and all that for $2 each…what a steal! They offer dinners at the Casa but we were pretty busy so we just ate out. Nora’s lovely sister makes the breakfast and her daughter cooks the dinners. Overall for the 4 nights for the three of us with home made breakfast each day our total bill was 224 CUC so about $240 Canadian so split 3 ways was a mere $80 or $20 a night each! Keep in mind that this is not 5 star luxury, the towels are not the best and they do not match…deal with it. The water system rarely functions in Central Havana so the residents have to rely upon recycling rainwater and truck delivery of water so you cannot have 20 minute showers, it is a get wet, turn the water off, soap up, wash, then turn the water back on and rinse. We totally scored with this place and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to visit Havana. I would not have stayed anywhere else.

Nora and family are great honest people!

We stayed here for 5 nights in February 2011.

The room and bathroom were clean:

- double and single beds. I was on the single and had a better sleep than I do at home.
- private en suite bathroom.
- fan.
- air con (we didn't use it as the fan was sufficient).
- fridge (we didn't use it).
- TV (we didn't use it).

Breakfasts were 3 CUC and included: fresh fruit juice, fruit, eggs, and bread. There was too much food for me to finish so I asked for less.

We had dinner once: Fried fish with onions and a tangy rub/marinade, rice and beans with a chili spice in them, baked sweet potato wedges, and onion, beet, tomato salad. It was also huge and cost 7 CUC. It was really good.

Nora can help you plan your trip around cuba if necessary.

Location was great for us as it is half way between vedado and havana vieja where we were spending our time.

Remember you're staying in a home that was built around 1900 so don't expect a 5 star hotel.

You can book directly through their website: casalaterraza.com

I would recommend staying here and would go back myself.

Nora is a great host. She is a very helpful, sincere, and warm person who tries her best to make the traveler feel comfortable in her country. She got us taxis and arranged it so that we could go to the airport early in the morning and not being ripped off. When we left for Trinidad, Cuba, and also to Cancun, Mexico, our flight was really early in the morning, but she also got up early to see us off. It was very touching and moving and I felt like she was my big sister. The breakfast made by Nora's sister Hermana, consisting of tropical fruits and egg tortilla, for 3 convertible pesos, is memorable too. You can feel that Nora truly feels pride in accommodating tourists, without commercial motive being the priority (in contrast to the casa we stayed in Trinidad). We had a whole annex to ourselves, with a kitchenette with fridge and a small hob, living space and the room. It would help bringing mosquito net because mosquitoes may be a nuisance to sleep. Thank you Nora and the family.

The casa from Nora (the lady who 'owns') is the perfect place to stay when you just arrived in Habana. As we are talking about a casa particulare don't expect 5 star luxury. You will get a good room with a new badroom for the general Cuban Casa price (25cuc).
Nora is very kind and makes you feel very welcome. She will explain you the necessary things you need to no before exploring Cuba and Habana. Good points are that she speaks English and that you can book through email/website (casaterraza.com).
For everybody who reads about the location: It is located in Centre Habana. This is not Habana vieja (the place where you walk around most). Walking towards there is 15 minutes (3 cuc (= about 3 USD) by official taxi, 1 by 'Cuban taxi'). Advantage is that you are closer to Habana Vedado, which you also have to see.
She also offers breakfast and dinner for a reasonable price.
For me the most welcome place I have seen in Habana.