“Only guests in the hotel, legions of workers.....”
We were the only guests staying at the hotel but there were an army of workers which they housed in the hotel. This ruined our stay because they were noisy, rude and ate everything in site before we even got to the buffet. The rooms were dirty, need repair and are unsafe because the balcony wouldn't close at all.Hanabanilla is a beautifull place to visitr but just take the daytrip by boat to Restaurant Rio Negro from the Hotel and then LEAVE the hotel.

“Nice hotel by the lake! ”
We stayed here for a night on a tour. Really is set idyllically on Lake Hanabanilla, was a great sight at sunset & sunrise. Food was solid (for Cuba) & the bar staff were fantastic. The only drawback was that the walls are paper-thin (you can hear people snoring in the next room) & currently the pool & discotheque is being renovated & is out of action (this would be AMAZING if they were done when we were there!). Would be happy to stay again once fully renovated!

“Spent one night ”
Very nice hotel too stay at , for a night or two .. just to get away ! Rooms were big and clean and staff were very friendly ! Pool was under renovations, so no comment on it !Very quiet and the only attraction is the lake ! But if you are a fishing person or hiker , you will love it !

“Beautiful Fresh Water Lake ”
We have stayed there several times and been very pleased each time with opportunities to hike to a summit of one of the rounded hills nearby and once by boat to a waterfall, where we could swim also ahhhh! Very reasonable rooms - I think 30 or 35 cuc per night. yes, food is limited, but good nonetheless - I seem to remember the fish is excellent (it's a fishing reservoir) - and extremely reasonable. Very few guest when we were there. Distractions are the loud music played around the pool and communicating with friendly local folk, who want to take you out on the lake in their boats. No beach really though. On the whole, delighted with our stay there.

“Hotel Islazul Hanabanilla. ”
As far as I know, this is the only legal place for foreigners to stay between Villa Clara and the south coast. The architecture is typical of the Russian hotels operated by Islazul...lots of concrete. The rooms and bathrooms are basic but clean and functional. The beds are typically firm. The public spaces gleam with polished concrete floors to which the dining rooms add shiney metal ceilings. The staff are friendly and professional. When we were at the hotel there were only 2 other guests. Boat tours of the lake and fishing or a visit to the waterfalls can be arranged at the front desk. If you are driving, the nearby towns of Manicaragua to the north or Cumanayagua to the south are nice little towns unspoiled by tourism. If you are on your way to Ciefuegos, turn right in Guaos to see a number of rusty old steam trains.

“Cuban style hotel ”
we stayed in this hotel on our way from Santa Clara to Trinidad (very beautifull road trough the mountains). The hotel was almost empty and the only other guests were the noisy Cubans next door. The pool did not seem very clean, but the rooms were more than ok with a tremendous view on the lake. When we arrived in the afternoon, all bars and the small store were closed, so we could not have the little snack we planned. We enjoyed the dinner in the restaurant of the hotel. Not because of the quality of thr food, but for the Fawlty Towers kind of services (we got a menu with ca. 20 plates, but when we wanted to order see said see had only 4 dishes, different from te menu. We ordered and after while see came back that they not have the same meat and whether it was a problem to have something else.... another meal that was not on the menu and she had not mentioned...). However, for US$ 4.50, you just laugh and have another story to tell your friends & family (and TripAvisor)

“A wonderful stay for our group of 27 people! ”
27 of us travelled by car and by rented bus to this gorgeous spot. The hotel was very clean, the rooms perfect and the air conditioning a welcome relief! The restaurant served a variety of very good food and excellent prices. Lunch was 4.5 cucs and breakfast was included. Espresso coffee 25 cents and delicious! There is a well stocked store open daily with imported snack foods, toiletries and clothing. We were able to pay with Visa, but sometimes that is difficult with phone service etc. The staff were polite, friendly and professional. The hotel is updated and modern in appearance. One of our party arrived feeling unwell and when she did not improve, the hotel immediately provided a qualified nurse. We also had the services of a qualified doctor at the local clinic 5 minutes away. We were very happy with the treatment provided. The natural unspoilt beauty cannot be captured in a photograph, it must be seen with your own eyes. We travelled by boat throughout the lake and visited waterfalls. The hotel is 3 hours from Cayo Santa Maria and 1 and 15 minutes from Santa Clara. We rented a 19 seater bus from Caibairien and it only cost 90 cuc each way. All 7 couples and 13 children had a wonderful time and the fish were biting too!!

“Nice place”
I liked the place. The attention of the customers are good. The bar don't have a good provissioning but it's ok. The food is fine and the beer cheap! From that place you can see an extraordinary view from all the sites of the hotel but the best place for to see the river is the pool. I did spend a good time there.

“Cuban Style Motel ”
We stayed here for one night as part of a cycling tour in Cuba in January 2012, here's a few observations; -Its in the middle of nowhere, but fantastic for the great outdoors; fishing (particularly) cycling and walking. -The Hotel is very popular with Cubans and I believe good value. -Rooms are of a Motel style, basic but clean and all overlook the man made lake (fabulous view). -There is a pool, but it was empty of water and being re-filled! -Food was basic but Cuban! -We had an electricity cut for about 15mins in the pitch black, but it was restored -I thought the staff were miserable! -It was cooler at night (January and in the mountains). In summary, the place looks bleak, but a good base if travelling and as said before a great location for fishing and walking.

“excellent place to visit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ”
Nice view, very clean, and good service. The tour for the lake was incredible.

“For the price, we could not have expected more, and could have easily expected a lot less ”
We stayed at Royal Hideaway Ensenachos for 1 week in May and planned a 1-night excursion to Lake Hanabanilla for bass fishing. Our attempts to book the tour and hotel reservations in advance were not successful ? we were unable to find an email address for the hotel, and did not receive email responses from tour companies. Attempts to coordinate through our hotel?s tour operator representative (Air Canada Vacations) in advance were also unsuccessful, even after a brief phone call and follow-up by email. Email/Internet access for most Cuban residents is not permitted, and very limited for a few. Excursion coordinators at our hotel were able to organize the custom excursion once we met them in person. The taxi ride was $110 round-trip from Cayo Ensenachos, the hotel was $47/night including breakfast and dinner for two, and our two half-day guided fishing tours (2 ppl + guide in a 16 ft aluminum boat) was $100. Upon arrival, all hotel staff was courteous and helpful, although communication in English is very limited. We booked our fishing excursion upon arrival where there was one guide available on short notice. We also asked about the lakeside restaurant (mentioned in other Trip Advisor forums on Hanabanilla), and were advised that lunch reservations needed to be made in advance ? from what we understood, it was because it was low season, and the hotel had to call in advance to ensure that the restaurant would be open at the time of our planned lunch. Our room, and the hotel in general, was very basic, but clean and pleasant. The overall feel was like a roadside motel, but with views of the palm-tree lined fresh water lake and tall green hillsides. The condition of the room was not ideal ? broken glass on our sliding balcony door, ants in the bathroom, very hard bed and very old bed linens. However at $47/night including breakfast and dinner for two, we really could not expect more, and could have easily expected less. Our fishing guide, Ignatio, was friendly and knowledgeable. For more information on our fishing experience, see related TripAdvisor forums on Hanabanilla fishing. More information will also be posted within forums on http://AnglingAuthority.com After a day of fishing in the full sun, I would have loved to take a swim - unfortunately, the pool water was cloudy and greenish, so I opted not to risk a skin irritation or worse. In the evening, we headed to the dining room for dinner and found banquet style tables in a cafeteria-like ambiance. Staff was courteous, but service was very slow. The menu options were limited to one or two dishes, with different options for starters and accompanying beverages. Our meals consisted of starter salad (made with cabbage instead of lettuce), chicken with dry/bland Cuban rice, French fries and local beer. It was edible, but it was not good ? kind of like free plane food. Again, at the price we paid, we could not have expected more. There were no other dining options in the area. A large group of guests in the neighbouring rooms were rowdy well-into the night and sound travelled well throughout the hotel, making for an uncomfortable sleep. There are limited options for staying in this area - knowing this we had realistic expectations for the hotel, jokingly describing it to ourselves as ?adventure?. Overall, we did not regret making this trip ? the natural beauty of the lake and surrounding area made it a positive experience. It was much better than taking another touristy organized bus-tour through our hotel. Although we are unlikely to return to Hanabanilla (been there, done that, no need to do it again), we may try similar-type hotels in other fishing areas in Cuba.

“a very cuban hotel ”
we had a lovely stay at this hotel. driving up we wondered where we had come to - imposing Russian style hotel looked unwelcoming - but the experience turned out to be quite the opposite. We were here on the second leg of our Cuban holiday and we had arranged to walk in the national park with a nature guide and have lunch at the Rio Negro restaurant. It was a fab walk - after our boat ride we walked for 7km and saw lots of colourful birds, snakes and great flora and fauna - our giude was very funny and obviosly had problems with his mother in law!! The hotel was full of local Cubans enjoying their weekend away - very few foreign tourists - a great experience.

“fantastic place. the view to the lake is something to die for!!! ”
surprisingly great place. the hotel is nothing special, though very very clean and the staff service is one of the best you can find in Cuba. The view to the lake: a dream!!!!

Nice, amazing very good
Situated on the shores of Lake Hanabanilla, in the Sierra del Escambray mountain range, the tallest mountains in central Cuba, this is the perfect hotel to leave city stress behind. Nestled between foothills and high mountains, this is an area where microphyllous semi-deciduous, gallery and vegetation on carst prevail; while the fauna features important species of birds, reptiles and mammals. From the hotel, you can enjoy boating on the lake, which is the habitat of bigmouth black bass. There are also tours to small local villages near the hotel, trekking and a visit to the Hanabanilla waterfall, including lunch in the Río Negro mountain restaurant, from where you will enjoy a beautiful view of the lake.