About the only game in town between Manzanillo and Marea del Portillo, this hotel in the fly-blown port town of Niquero makes a good base for exploring the extreme west of Granma province. The town is intriguing for its wooden buildings in a uniquely Cuban vernacular. Not too many tourists pass through Niquero, which was battered about by Hurricane Dennis. Those that discover this hotel are usually pleased, and we liked it from the minute it opened in 2002 after being purpose built (the modern architecture is less than inspired, but so what).

The staff have always been welcoming during our visits, and we've enjoyed quite a few beers and mojitos (when mint is available) at the simple bar. The modern, air-conditioned restaurant here, albeit very restricted in its menu, is about the best game in town. There's a rooftop terrace with belvedere.

It has 26 air-conditioned rooms, all with satellite TV, radio, phones, mini-refrigerators, and bathrooms refitted in 2002 with modern fixtures. Being an Islazul property, rooms here are fairly simply. Still, they're spacious and have modern tile floors, twin beds, and pink-and-green color schemes. Some have tiny balconies – late sleepers should take a room to the rear, as cacophanous street noise here kicks in around dawn.