I am not experienced when it comes to choosing Guest Houses in Cuba. But I was lucky enough to have someone in Holguin to book this one for me. You can book straight with them or drop in, but it is advised to contact them first to ensure a room is free :-P

'Aricochea' is not far from Holguin Town Centre. It has 2 rooms, one being more of an appartment (bathroom/ bedroom/ diner/ kitchen) the other a double room and seperate bathroom.

Rooms: I stayed in the appartment room and it was really nice to have a small flat feel rather than a straight room. We had a kitchen with new hob fitting, sink, work surfaces, cupboard space and fridge/ freezer. The diner area had a table and chairs looking out onto the terrace, and the bedroom had a double bed, wardrobe space, draws large mirror and TV. The bathroom had storage, sink, toilet and shower ( didn't want to leave out the important details :-)
Throughout the rooms there were power points and an air conditioning unit. All were clean and a linen was changed every other day and towels were also supplied.

The room came with use of the downstairs terrace (sun beds etc) which is secure from the roof as well as clothes drying line on the roof with an excellent view of the park, band stand and the church.
The main access is through the main house, we were given our own key :-) They do have a telephone, but I did take my mobile so I did not need to use it. I would expect they would need paying for any calls as it is particularly expensive and you may be better off using a pay phone near the front door.

DETAILS: It worked out around £9 GBP per night and we registered on the first day and paid when it suited us during our stay which was nice. It is run by a family who live in the main house and they make you feel like an additional member!

LOCATION: The main square is about 5 minutes from this Guest House as well as the market square/ park/ stadium/ fantastic view points/ theatres etc. There is always something happening in the summer months either in the park outside the front door or in one of the other squares nearby. We were lucky to experience musical performances from vocal groups to hip hop/ reggae groups of all ages. There is a real sense of community. A bank can be located about a 10 min walk away and there is pharmacy in the next square.

There are taxis/ bike taxis available from across the road as well as a range of different shops 3 mins away. Do not expect big dept stores or souvenir shops, there are a few but mostly they are for the every day items needed by the locals. There is a local bus which stops nearby to Guardalavaca as well as the airport.

There are a few bars scattered around only minutes away, all will do 'take out' bottles of rum if wanted which work out about £4 GBP per bottle BARGIN!!!! Locally rum is drunk straight but if you are a little bit scared like me introduce it to your system with a dash of coke :-)

This was a great base for a wonderful interactive time in Holguin. I did have a local friend which was lucky as I did travel alone but people are really friendly. Do be aware the nearest beach is over an hour away so you are outside of the tourist bubble, but if you are like me you enjoy seeing the 'real' cuba not from inside a tourist coach, this is perfect.

A lovely house for an enjoyable time!