Casas particulares

Casa particular (Spanish for "private house"; plural casas particulares) is a phrase meaning private accommodation or private homestays in Cuba, very similar to bed and breakfast, although it can also take the form of vacation rental. When the meaning is clear the term is often shortened to simply casa.

A casa particular is basically a private family establishment that provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis. In general this term also applies to full apartments and houses, rooms inside people's homes, mini-apartments or rooms with separate entrance (studio or efficiency type rooms).

It is 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 they are usually small, rarely with room for more than about 5–6 guests, it is advisable for anyone wanting to stay at a particular casa particular during high season to make advance reservations. However, outside the season there is no need because there are often many such casas, causing competition and opening opportunities to strike a deal. Prices can then drop to 15 euro or even less for longer stays. During high season they can rise to over 30 euro.

Many casas belong to associations and are described in various books and travel guides. Moreover, in spite of the lack of reliable and cost effective internet access on the Island, many casas have some sort of web presence. Some casa owners have built their own website. Others uploaded the description of their casa in small directories and websites that manage casas booking on the behalf of tourists. Very recently, following the new course in Cuba–US relations, big online players of the sharing economy and tourism business (such as Airbnb) have started including casas particulares in their offering (exclusively for US users at the moment). All this should make it easier for tourists to make reliable bookings, whereas in the past the typical go-to-market strategy of casa owners used to rely almost exclusively on the intermediation of local street hustlers, known as jineteros.

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Wikipedia