Directions to Havana Oceanfront Condo
Address: Avenida primera, No. 1410 esquina 16, Apto 2, Miramar, Havana (First Avenue, No. 1410, corner 16th St, Apt 2, Miramar, Havana) Land Line +53 7 209 0679.
All taxi cab and transportation providers will know this address and have no trouble dropping you off at the correct address. The building is on the corner of Avenida Primera (1st Ave) and Calle 16 (16th Street) in Miramar. The building is pink in color, surrounded by palm trees and is right on the ocean (see picture below). The condo occupies the entire first floor facing the ocean with panoramic views of the Caribbean from the living room and bedrooms.
VIEW OF THE APARTMENT BUILDING FROM THE CORNER OF 1ST AVE & 16TH ST
Travel Guides & Maps
You will find up-to-date Cuba/Havana travel guides in the condo. Please feel free to use them during your stay. We respectfully request that you do not write in them and please leave them in the condo after you check-out for use by our future guests. We highly recommend you visit the website: http://maps.me/en/home where you will find an excellent GPS downloadable map of Havana and surrounds.
Airport Transfers
As of this writing, only licensed government taxis are allowed to pick-up at the airport. There will be a line of taxis at the Taxi Stand when you exit the Arrivals Hall and the drivers will know the address to the condo when you give it to them. The transfer will take about 20 min. and the cost will be between CUC25-30 per taxi.
Security Deposit
At this time, we do not charge a security deposit. As such we respectfully request that our guests pay for all incidental expenses expenses such as cell phone usage, meals, beverages etc. on a daily basis. Maria will discuss this with you when you arrive.
House Rules
We respectfully request that our guests treat our home with care.
The apartment has a maximum capacity of six adults & one child, is a smoke-free environment and is maintained in a clean and orderly condition.
Smoking in the apartment is NOT permitted.
You are welcome to have friends visit you during the day. Only the registered guests can stay at the apartment. There are no exceptions.
Underage (17 and under) guests must be accompanied by their parents
Prostitution, pornography and illegal drugs are crimes that are taken very seriously in Cuba. Anyone participating in such activities will be reported to the police and will immediately be removed from the apartment and will forfeit all payment.
Parties and loud music after 11:00 p.m. are NOT permitted.
Place all valuables in the safe provided as Management and owners are not responsible for the loss of any personal possessions.
Please use the beach towels for all outside use.
Bath towels are solely to be used indoors.
Please feel free to use the Guide Books of Cuba and Havana that are in the condo.
Please do not write in the books and don't forget to leave them in the condo for the use by our next guests.
Food
Maria will discuss the options for breakfast with you. Please review these choices with her if you desire to have her cook for you. Breakfast of eggs, toast, juice, fruit, ham & cheese, coffee, milk, sugar, butter is offered from 8am - 10am daily.. Sometimes it is difficult to find a wide variety of ingredients in Cuba, but Maria is an excellent cook and she will do her best to please you. If there is anything in particular that you cannot live without, please let us know ahead of time so that we can inform you if it is likely to be available in Cuba during your stay. If not, you should bring those special items with you.
Kitchen
In general, Maria is in charge of all activities in the kitchen. She is there to assist you in any way so please feel free to utilize her services. If however you prefer to not utilize her services or she is not present for one reason or another, please take care in operating the appliances and sink. Oven & Gas Stove: Please review the operation of the oven, gas stove and extractor fan with Maria. Sink: Please note garbage disposals are not available in Cuba. Please do not use the drain of the sink for any food that can be scraped into the garbage. If misused, the sink will back up & clog our septic system. The following products should absolutely not be placed down the sink: meat or grease products. fibrous vegetables, i.e., celery, greens, lettuce, banana peels, meat products, bones etc., non-food items.
Trash, Water & Sewer
Maria will be responsible for removing and attending to all trash. The building is on a city water for the water supply, and a septic tank for waste handling. The tap water is not for consumption, please drink only bottled or boiled water. The sewer system has very real limitations that we request be respected. Specifically we would respectfully like to offer the following for clarity, with apologies for the graphic description of unsafe items: Please do not flush any foreign objects down the toilets such as: Feminine hygiene products, Condoms, Kleenex or facial tissues etc., Toilets can handle human waste & a small amount of toilet paper; that is all.
Access to the Condo
Check-in time is 3:00p.m. If your flight arrives early, you may drop off your luggage at the condo after 11:00a.m. then return for check-in at 3:00 pm. This provides the time necessary for Marilyng’s aunt Maria and her husband Cesar to clean and prepare the condo for your arrival. When you arrive for check-in, Maria or Cesar will be waiting for you at the entrance gate to provide access into the parking area below the building. They will also show you into the entrance, up one flight of stairs and into unit No. 2. Once in the unit, Maria will provide you keys and show you around while explaining all the nuances of the home. She will also inquire as to your interest to have breakfast in the condo and if so, what time would be convenient for you.
Transportation/Drivers/Tours/Excursions
Taxis or fully restored antique cars like the one pictured below are easily accessible from the residence and we are happy to assist in arranging them as well as tours and excursions in and around Havana. Please advise us with as much notice as possible before you arrive so that we can ensure you will have the best possible experience.
Fully restored 1957 chevy available for tours
Check-in
Check-in time is 3:00 PM, unless other prior arrangements have been made.
Please read through this Welcome Booklet, which explains most of the systems in the house, and will likely answer any questions. Upon arrival, please provide Maria your passports in order to register the names of all guests. Only guests named in the reservations will be permitted to stay in the home as the cuban authorities have strict rules regarding the registration of guests as well as the occupancy limits of the home. Please feel to ask Maria any questions during your tour of the home to familiarize yourself with the layout, exits, use of showers, etc. This is also a good time to review with Maria the breakfast service during your stay. Towels and linens have been provided, along with sink hand-soap, a hair dryer, and general supplies.
Check-out
Check out time is 11:00 AM. Maria is responsible for cleaning the home and preparing for the next guests, so your cooperation is immensely appreciated. Maria may arrive as early as 11:01 AM to begin cleaning & prep for our next guests, unless prior late checkout arrangements have been made. We will do our best to accommodate any late check-out requests depending upon the arrival of our next guests.
When you check out, please turn off all air conditioners and lights. Do not worry about the linens; Maria will take care of them! Please leave towels and washcloths in the bathroom and all linens on the beds. Upon departure, make one last check around the home for personal belongings and make sure all windows and doors are closed. Thank you.
Television, Telephone, & Internet
Internet service is provided in the condo and while traveling around Cuba via a local cell phone supplied to all guests.
The electrical supply to the condo is 110 volts, the same as the USA. The condo is not equipped with a television set at this time as the cuban government has not approved the use of satellite television for non-diplomatic personnel. They have recently started a local cable-type service that works with roof-top antennas and provides a limited number of international channels. We plan to install this system as soon as it is available for our use.
You will have use of a local cell phone that comes with a credit of Cuc 10.00 and provides access to the internet via the local telephone company - ETECSA. The phone number is +53 5 535 5273 and you are welcome to give that number out to your friends and loved-ones. Please make sure you top up the value to Cuc 10.00 when you turn the phone back over to Maria. There is a landline phone in the home: +53 7 209 0679 and you are free to use it to make local calls. It is not set up to make long distance calls. For this you will have to either use your international cell phone or any of the hotels will provide you access to long distance calls.
Conservation
We want your stay to be the best, and most enjoyable imaginable, but that takes your help and cooperation too. Cuba’s water system & power grid are antiquated and very inefficient. Consequently, many cubans have their water and power rationed. As we are fortunate to have the condo in an area that is not subject to either water nor power rationing, we like to assist fellow cubans by doing our part in conserving water and power. Therefore we ask that you assist us by being conscious of water use, turning off air conditioning units and lights when not in use, and being cognizant of opening/closing doors & windows accordingly.
Air Conditioners
There is at least one air conditioner for each room in the house. Please review the usage of the air conditioners and their remotes with Maria and please make sure you turn off the air conditioners when you leave the room or condo
Laundry
You will have access to a washing machine and dryer. Please be sure to bring your own detergent as the soap in Cuba is of poor quality, often not available and is very expensive.
In Case of Emergency:
In case of Emergency, please make contact with Maria so that she can assist you to call the necessary professionals to attend to your emergency. If you cannot reach Maria, please do not hesitate to give us a call. This information is intended to help make your stay as carefree as possible. Please remember, if you have any questions or run into problems or issues, please do not hesitate to call Marilyng or Charles at +1 (941) 287 5870
