Casa particular Attractions & Activities - The Best Holiday Destinations for 2020
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This article is a travel topic.
A casa particular is a Spanish term that usually means "private home" but the term is recognized worldwide as private accommodation or private homestays in Cuba The plural of casa particular is casas particulares and not casa particulars as it sometimes quoted.
A casa particular is basically a private family establishment that provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. This type of establishment would more usually be called a bed and breakfast or vacation rental in other countries. In general under this term you could find full apartment and houses, rooms inside people homes, mini-apartments or rooms with separate entrance (studio or efficiency-type rooms).
It's also considered a type of boarding house typically operated out of a single family residence where guests can be accommodated at night in private bedrooms (which may or may not be equipped with private baths) and where breakfast, sometimes continental and sometimes the full English variety, is served in the morning. The business may be operated either as a primary occupation or as a secondary source of income, and the staff often consists of the house's owner(s) and members of their family who live there.
Because most casas particulares are small, rarely with room for more than about 5-6 guests, it is advisable for anyone wanting to stay at a bed and breakfast to make reservations well in advance of their travel date. Many casas particulares belong to associations, have a web presence, and are described in various books and travel guides.
In some Cuban cities and tourist resorts, like Varadero, Playa Santa Lucia and Guardalavaca, local authorities determined that casas particulares would represent a threat to the hotel industry, and passed some legislation placing regulations and limits on the industry forbidding the operation of these establishments.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Casa particular