Meet Luis
Sociable, Helpful, Friendly
Soy ingeniero civil y la mayor parte de mi vida trabajé en empresas constructoras. Mi vida se comparte hoy entre La Habana y México.
On a typical day...
I have a very open house. My house is your house.
When I host guests...
I’m helpful and hands on. I can show them where to go and help them get there.
Family Hobbies
Football, Cycling, Basketball, Car, bike racing, Diet and nutrition
Hosting guests since
2013
About the Homestay
- Welcomes
- Males
- Females
- Couples
- Families
- Students
We have an apartment, on first floor, surrounded by a wide garden and it is located in the center of High Vedado.
The apartment has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a shared living room, a kitchen, a dining room, a terrace, a Carpoche and a backyard.
Two of the three bedrooms are next one to the other, they are ideal for couples with children or for friends who want stay in the same space, these rooms share a big bathroom. The third room has a privte bathroom and a terrace having communication with the Carpoche and outside too.
Two of the bedrooms are double and the other one has two independent, personal beds. The three bedrooms are well equiped with fan and airconditioner.
The apartment is provided by the main facilities the guest needs: hot and cold water 24 hrs in the bathrooms, kitchen and backyard, 110 and 220 V energy service distributed all over the house and gas service 24 hrs. There is a TV set in the living room, and there are tv sets in two of the rooms too, a fridge in one of the rooms and another one in the kitchen. In the kitchen you can also find a gas cook with oven, a microwave, a water heater, a blender and the rest of the things of a well equiped kitchen. There is a 4kg wash machine in the backyard.
The apartment is located in a nice area, surrounded by woods and trees, it is ideal for people who love safety and quietness and prefer to be far from noisy places. You can find 26th Avenue just 100 meters, and 23rd Ave and Zapata Ave are very near too, just few blocks. You can easily move to Vedado, Miramar and Old Havana from these streets by local buses, by particular and domestic taxis and by using the Bus Tour.
Almendares River is very near and you can enjoy visiting the Metropolitan Park located under the bridge that joins Nuevo Vedado to Playa Municipality.
In our neighboourhood you can visit the Zoo, The Colon Cemetery, that is a jewel of our Architecture and The Revolution Square.
Very important aspects to be taking into account if you decide to visit us is that Via Azul Bus station is just 5 min from our apartment to move to other provinces with touristic attractions, and Jose Marti Airport is just 15 min from our flat.
CUSTOMER REVIEW !
"Great location & comfortable accommodation in Havana"
"I stayed here on a recent trip to Havana and really enjoyed my stay. The owners are lovely, I mostly only saw Patricia, who was a great host and great to sit and have a chat with her. She gave me lots of information and tips about the area and city. The room itself has everything you could need - fan, tv, AC, private bathroom/shower, and also separate independent entrance from the rest of the building. The location is great - it's in a quieter, less hectic area, but still close to other points of interest in Havana. 10min walk or one bus stop to the Via Azul bus station (for trips out of the city), 10-15min walk to the Colon Cemetary, if you like to walk you could probably make it to Plaza de la Revolucion too (I didn't try in the humidity and heat!), and only a quick taxi ride to Vedado and Havana Vieja. I'd definitely recommend staying here - especially for those who don't want to get stuck in the more 'tourist trap' parts of the city." CANADIAN TRAVELLER
"Aptofive was amazing"
My stay at Aptofive was amazing. The room was clean, tidy, air conditioned, had it's own bathroom and private entrance. The owners of Aptofive are incredible, amicable, hospitable people who will not only welcome you but teach you much about Cuba and can tell you where to go and how to get there. I give my highest recommendation to to Aptofive as a place to stay in Havana, Cuba!
The building where Aptofive is located is beautifully painted, and well kept, and much of the neighborhood is wonderful homes and apartment complexes with hostels as well. The neighborhood is safe, easy to walk, has a bakery, mini-mart, and several casa particulares to eat within blocks, plus it's a short walk to hip places like Fabrica de Arte (a nightclub with art and music) and el Cocinero, a fine fusion style rooftop restaurant where Obama ate. And it's only minutes away by taxi from Havana's city center. USA TRAVELLER
" The accommodation is lovely"
"My wife and I stayed at Hostal Aptofive on our trip last month. We had an amazing time thanks to help from Luis and Patricia. They really looked after, us even driving us around Havana to help us fix a problem. The accommodation is lovely and comfortable with everything we needed and close to the centre and the bus station. The breakfast food was perfect and there was a much needed fridge always full of bottles of cold water. I would recommend staying here for either 1 night or 1 month". ENGLISH COUPLES TRAVELLER
"That is KUBA"
"You want to feel real Havanna? Want to live safely where the normal Kuban people live? You want a nice and clean Room and best service ? You want to live with very warmly, helpfull and loosely Kuban people? Nearly the Viazul Station you found it. Patricia and Luis are these wonderfull people who show us places inside havanna we never can found. And make this four days to a trip we never forget. Thank you.... That is KUBA". GERMANY TRAVELLER
“Clean and quiet place, ideal to relax”
“we stayed at Luis' and Patricia's place for three nights. The room is very clean and in a very good shape. The neighborhood in Nuevo Vedado is green and very calm with a Viazul bus stop not far away. We enjoyed to have a rest on the verandah coming back from the lively city center in the evenings or to go for a cocktail in one of the nearby restaurants. The famous cemetry is in walking distance. Luis and Patricia were very helpful, giving plenty of good advice and also bringing us back to the airport.” GERMANY TRAVELLER
“The room was very clean. Good breakfast”
“The owners are very nice and friendly people. They helped me a lot. The room was very clean. Good breakfast. One of the owners speaks very good English.Location in a friendly neighborhood, closed to Cristobal, Colon, Cementario and Fabrica de Arte Cubano (FAC) in walking distance”. GERMANY TRAVELLER
My Pets
Dog, Cat
House Facilities
- Garden
- Parking
- TV
- Air Conditioning
Bedrooms available for booking
About the Area
El Nuevo Vedado is a residential area built mainly in the 50s of last century. It is notable for its beautiful family houses and apartment buildings mostly designed by some of the best architects of the time in Cuba. The distribution is located in south of the western portion of Vedado.
Local Area Facilities
- Park
- Shopping Centre
- Bus Stop
- Train station
- Hospital
Meals
Hosts can offer a complimentary light breakfast at their discretion. All other meals, including a full breakfast, might incur an additional cost, if offered. Meals and any additional payment should be arranged directly with your host.
Included in the stay
- Complimentary Light Breakfast
- Use of Kitchen
House Rules
Smoking Rules
Your host is a non-smoker.
Smoking is allowed outdoors only.
23 Reviews
March 2018
accueil et convivialité extraordinaire.
disponibilité de luis et de patricia à toute heure.
propreté impeccable.
équipement bon pour cuba ( pas du luxe mais tout fonctionne)February 2018
Very nice family, they came to pick us up to viazul bus station and drove my friend to the airport then I stayed 1 night with them before went to Vinales. Very nice and clean room. Also there are buses nearby to go to central or also have other sightseeing points around. Had a good breakfast, then one of the family friend also drove me to viazul bus which is very near - was a nice gesture:) Also got me a 3peso coin with Che on it, for which you will pay 1 cuc...hahhaha elsewhere. We had some time to chat too which I enjoyed and could practice my Spanish, but Patricia speak very good English also. Absolutely can recommend to stay with them. Thanks a lot for everything!
Host reply
Estimada Klara le agradecemos mucho su opinión nos encantaría que usted la publique en Tripadvisor a continuación le dejo el enlace. www.tripadvisor.es/Hotel_Review-d8040557
February 2018
Very friendly host.. He come and pick me up at the airport waiting fore more then 2 hours and drive me to the viazul bus station in the morning..
And made us a good breakfast before we go to Varadero ..
December 2017
Very nice house in a cool neighbourhood. Breakfast is extra 5 CUC i think - we didnt have it. Everything was clean and the bathroom was fine.
Host reply
I would like to thank Marex and his girlfriend for the nice review. They we're excellent guests Indeed!! But I want to clarify something about the Breakfast we offer. It costs 5.00 cuc but it's complete and abundant. It includes: three fruits at least, a sandwich or a Hamberguer, yogurt of diferent flavours, sweets and a cuban coffee or tea. That's the reason of it's price, most of our guests usually say they don't need to have lunch when they asked for Breakfast in our place, they feel satisfied enough.
November 2017
Merci à Patricia et Luis pour leur accueil. Belle chambre. Quartier agréable et vert tout près de la station Viazul.
November 2017
Bon accueil, confort un peu sommaire. Petits déjeuner un peu cher.
October 2017
Creo que justamente que el Dr. Émile Coué (1857-1926 / psicólogo y farmacólogo francés) sí hipotéticamente, hace casi 100 años hubiera sido huésped de esta casa en el Nuevo Vedado, habría calificado a Don Luis así: "Todos los días, en todos los sentidos, me sentí cada vez mejor, mejor y mejor", el hostal está rodeado de parques, vías y calles arboladas, muchos puntos de referencia habaneros y...principalmente de amables vecinos cubanos; además, personalmente creo que para nuestros anfitriones habaneros su divisa debería ser "Ninguna cualidad nos proporciona más amigos que una sincera admiración por las cualidades de los otros" GRACIAS
July 2017
I use to travel to Cuba for professional matters and I am sick of staying in hotel rooms without the possibility of establishing warm relationships with the local people, so some friends recommended me to book a room in a casa particular, in this case in Patricia and Luis´ house. I wrote an email to book there, and Patricia quickly replied in English, confirming the availability of the days I needed and she also offered herself in helping me in the organization of my trips through the island with the promise of saving money and time. This couple works in an excellent way: they offered me to be picked at the airport, to buy the Via Azul Bus tickets for the different destinations I wanted to go: Havana-Viñales, Viñales-Trinidad,Trinidad-Varadero and Varadero- Havana. I made two excursions with them. to Guama-Giron in Zapata Wetland and to Soroa and las Terrazas in Pinar del Rio. When I arrived at Jose Marti Airport, Patricia and Luis were waiting for me there, it took half an hour to get to their house in Nuevo Vedado, a quiet and safe area, surrounded by trees and near the main places of the city: Old Havana, the Wall sea, Havana University, Revolution Square, 23 Ave, among others. The room I stayed, is very comfortable, it is fresh, independent from the house, with a small terrace in which you can seat to rest or to smoke a cigarette. It has a private bathroom with hot and cold water, a minibar, air conditioner, a TV set and a fan. I felt like I was at home, I had in the room all I needed. Patricia, deals with the guests in an excellent way. She showed me where to get the 27th Bus to go to Old Havana as a cheap way of traveling and where to get the old cars too, called Almendrones, I loved their colors and shapes. I visited Cemetery Colon and Revolution Square by walking, both places were interesting and I enjoyed going there. I also visited Fabrica de Arte Cubano, a cultural institution, very well known and visited by tourists, in my opinion one of the best cultural options in Havana, I think its slogan sounds great: All the arts converging in the same place. I also made panoramic travels from Marina Hemingway to Playas del Este through the Bus Tour, a way to get a general idea of the city. The experience in Cuba this time was great. Patricia and Luis are kind, talkative and warm persons. In their house you can see reproductions and serigraphs of Cuban painters, meaning they love their culture and their country.I have to say that the relationship quality-Price of this Hostel is excellent, they kindly offer services for guests who want to know more about Cuba and make new Friends. I'd definitely recommend staying here, especially for those who don't want to get stuck in the more 'tourist trap' parts of the city.
July 2017
My stay in Hostal Aptofive was probably not the best start to my journey through Cuba. The room was nice, everything was functioning, clean and they even had a plug against mosquito for the power outlet which was great and you even have your own entrance. The Homestay is also within a 10 min walking distance of the Viazul station which was important for me. But when it came the payment the disappointment started. The host charged me with an additional 10% because he argued that the price is in USD on the Homestay website and therefore there would be a 10% tax (the tax you only pay if you exchange USD to CUC, not for paying in CUC!). According to every other Homestay host in Cuba and my own experience with them, this is utter nonsense and the casa just tried to make more money that way. If you want more money for your room, raise the prices on the website, don't do what you did. This is just dishonest and should not happen!
In a nutshell, if you want something close to the Viazul station, stay here, you will get a nice room with your private entrance but be prepared to pay more than expected.Host reply
I like to reply, claryfing an opinion given by a guest who stayed in our Hostel. His name is Cristoph and I never thought this person will treat us in the way he did, I gave all my assistance to this young person before his coming to Havana so we won't accept to be called dishonest. I appreciate all the details he wrote about our room: clean, comfortable and independent but in the matter about money I completely disagree with him:
First, he never ask about payment, he wrote about many other things but nothing else. Many guests ask if we prefer to be paid in the currency stayed on the page and we usually accept this variant, indeed if they pay in USD or in euros, for example, don't lose money, and I ask to myself, if they change at the Airport Office (CADECA) what happens?, they have to follow the regulations for the currency money change from USD or euros to CUC, so I can't understand that this guest couldn't understand that and if in any case, he felt upset about this matter doesn't mean that he can call us unappropiately in the way he did. He doesn't know us and even less know our work, we have received excellent reviews from other guests during these four years!!
For avoiding future troubles with payment, We are changing payment from USD into CUC on Homestay, guests who come with USD will lose their money because the 10% gravamen exists!!
this is not an invention from us.
In a nutshell, we are also dissapointed with this incident, hoping this won't influence other guests who want to stay with us. Thanks.June 2017
We had a good time in Aptofive. Patricia and Luis are very kind and helpful. I would recommend them if you are looking for a casa in new Havana. As they prefer receiving US dollars, it would save you a lot if you pay in dollars instead of CUC.
Host reply
Our accomodation payment in Homestay is published in USD, the internacional currency. Daniel Wong decided by himself to pay in Cuc instead of paying in American dollars, so we had to apply the money rate exchange( it's updated from Nacional Cuban Bank, everyday, all the persons, included the tourists, can check it).
Our guests can pay in the currency they prefer: Euros, USD, pounds, and of course in ours, the CUC but taking into account the actual rate exchange.
How do I book?
Contact the host to check their availability and ask them any questions you have about staying with them. Once the host confirms they’re available for your dates, you can complete your booking.
When do I pay?
Once a host confirms they're available, you can go ahead and pay the 15% booking fee (maximum of 250 $£€ for longer term bookings) using a choice of payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB & PayPal (not available in certain countries). You then pay your host on arrival or as stated by your host on their profile and agreed by you on booking. Please be cautious if a host requests advance payment if its not included on their profile. Our hosts have been advised that if they wish to request advance payment they must make this explicit in their profile. We do not recommend the use of Money gram or Western Union.
When can I share my contact details?
Host and Guest email address, phone number and home address will be exchanged in a confirmation email sent to both immediately after a booking is completed. It's against our policy for Guests and Hosts to exchange direct contact details via our messaging system.