Idaisys and her family were a treasure! She & husband Alex spoke perfect English, and were very informative about the natural, political, and cultural history of the area and of Cuba. We were warmly welcomed by the whole extended family, and included in the evening games of dominoes and tile rummy. Idaisys arranged a private tour with a Viñales Park guide for us, which was wonderful. She also arranged a car & driver to take us to the airport in Veradero. Alex answered our hundreds of questions, and helped us a lot with our Spanish! Our shower was always hot, the air conditioner worked well, and the room was cleaned daily. The mattresses were firm, and a little lumpy, but we slept well. There were plenty of hangers for our clothes. Typically for Cuba, the lighting in the room was too dim to read by in the evenings. The family dog, a beautiful Chow Chow, was very nice. The area was quiet, with no vehicular traffic near the casa, and was a 10 minute walk to the central plaza. We had wonderful breakfasts and suppers, cooked mainly by Idaisys's mom. There were many, many dishes at each meal, with lots of variety and large quantities. We were treated very, very well.

The casa was recently built & very clean; the room was cleaned daily. The bed was large & comfortable. There was a safe in the room, and the casa very secure at night, with an alarm system. The large windows in the room could not be open at night, because of the security system. They also could not be open during the day, as the wind might catch them and break the glass. So the air conditioning was useful. There were lovely plants around the outdoor dining area, visited daily by a humming bird. Three dogs live there, so there is some barking and running about, but they don't come to the table. We were provided with 2 large fluffy bath towels, but there was only 1 towel hook, no towel bar, and no hand towel provided. (Just as well, as there was no place to hang a hand towel to dry.) There were many lovely built-in hardwood storage cabinets & drawers, but they were not all practical. There were no storage areas large enough to fit our big suitcases, and some cabinets were too high to reach. There were only 5 hangers in the closet, not really enough for guests staying a week. For reading in the evening, we had either stand in the bathroom, which had good lighting, or use the LED flashlight we fortunately brought with us! Host Elpidio spoke perfect English, and was very helpful with directions and suggestions, and arranging transportation. Just make sure the communal taxi is not a small hatchback to serve 4 adult passengers with their 4 large and 4 smaller pieces of luggage! Elpidio's sister did a great job on our laundry - she got out some longstanding stains! We ate breakfasts and suppers there. The food was rather plain, but the presentation was exquisite, and the service by Ron was sublime! He wore black tie for the supper service! His English, attentiveness, and personality were awesome.

The casa was very clean and the room was very nice, but there was no "bedside locker", which is listed in room details. The casa was safe & secure, though, so a safe or locker was not really necessary. The view of the street from the tiny balcony was very interesting at all times of day & night! The room's lighting was good for reading in the evenings, which was not the case in other casas we stayed in. The double bed mattress was very good, the air conditioner worked well, and the breakfasts were standard fare. The TV had one channel - music videos. The hot water in the shower was cold on one occasion. There were only 3 hangars in the wardrobe, not really enough for guests staying 5 nights. Occasionally there was a sewer smell coming from the shower drain, possibly due to the unusually torrential rains the city was experiencing. The french doors to the balcony did not seal, so one day rain came in and formed a large puddle on the floor. The casa is located at a very busy, noisy intersection. Vedado drivers love to honk their horns till late at night! The streets in the area were quite dirty, with overflowing garbage bins, etc. Orialis, her family, & staff were very pleasant. When we had to unexpectedly stay an extra night in Vedado, Orialis graciously found us another casa to stay in. We could have used instructions on how to get to Casa Orialis from the bus station, rather than just the address. We also could have used advice such as: ViAzul bus tickets sell out, so buy them a few days in advance of your travel day. Fortunately Orialis's brother was visiting; he helped us with internet, and patiently answered our many questions.