We spent two months in Cuba - 7 nights in hotels and the rest were spent in casa particulares. We were in Santa Clara for 3 weeks and found the people in this city to be among the most friendly, sincere and caring on the island (and that is saying a huge amount). It was my favourite place because it is off the major tourist route but has great music, restaurants with very good food and the people are a real tribute to the legacy of Che Guevera.
We stayed at Las Granjitas for two nights shortly before we left the island so we could indulge in the pool before returning to winter. The best part was during the day when all the tours were gone and the place was almost deserted. It is surrounded but farms and has a nice park like feel with many bird species (includes the awakening sounds of a rooster and many other birds). Otherwise, if you want to go to Santa Clara, it is a 5CUC/each way taxi ride. Compared to other hotels we stayed/ate at the buffet was above average in flavor but had the same repetitive nature. However, the value was incredible. We booked through a tour agency in Santa Clara and paid 21CUC/person per night with breakfast and dinner included!
Recommendation - stay at casa particulares (B&Bs/homestays) if you want great food in Cuba.

Mixed views on this hotel, where we stayed for 2 nights as part of a Voyages Jules Verne two weeks tour of Cuba. Rather far out of town, so unless one took a taxi, one had to remain within the hotel grounds. The rooms look nice from the outside, almost like rondavel Zulu huts with thatched tops. However although most of our 16 strong group were well satisfied with their rooms, ourselves and one other couple were not. We seem to have drawn the short straw.
Our room. Tiny; only one weak light in bedroom; no bedside lights; lights in cupboard and above basin not working; no plug in basin; one small stool, no chairs; no cupboards/shelves; no carpets/rugs; safe not working ('the master key is broken'); no balcony/chairs. Add to that when my wife was sitting on the loo, a frog jumped from the shower curtain onto her head! Pandemonium! On the other hand, the AC and shower worked and a request for extra pillows was dealt with within minutes.
Beyond the room, the hotel shop was firmly shut all day Monday (the main day we were there). Not very satisfactory. A quite nice pool area, but a lot of the people around it seemed to be locals and not hotel guests. Perhaps families of staff members. However well behaved and no problem.
Restaurant and food quite OK and with attentive staff. Also a suprising good song and dance show at the poolside in the evening.

Rooms are thatched and dotted around a site with trees, etc. a little way out of town. Reasonable but not extensive pool area. Food better than average and staff much more efficient than the Cuban norm.

We stayed at Hotel Granjita, a few miles outside Santa Clara, a town known for little other than a connection with Che Guevara. It was just a one night stop en route back to Havana. The hotel is used mainly by tour groups, and is really only suitable for groups as the organisation revolves round their needs.

The idea is good, thatched chalets in a holiday camp style, but does not come off. The thatch has long since disappeared from most of the hexagonal concrete chalets, leaving them looking like concrete pillboxes. Inside our room felt like a pillbox too. It was freezing cold inside. Outside the exterior lights did not work, which made going out at night a bit of an adventure.

The reception area was planned to be opposite the dining room, but has been abandoned many years ago, and that building fended in corrugated iron.

We went to the pool bar for a drink, but were put off by a dozen local youths drinking, making a lot of noise and all jumping in fully clothed. They were round the pool for nearly three hours which effectively put it off limits to us.

As it was a long way from town we decided to eat in - however as the hotel does not appear to cater for independent guests, they only offer a buffet, and refused to serve us anything a la carte - after our stay at an AI the days before arriving here, we had no inclination for a buffet again. So, as they did not want to cook a meal for us, we retired to our "room" and had a banana.

My overall feeling is hat there must be better in the area for a one night stop, and if you are part of a group staying longer, then my condolences