This week’s news from Cuba brings no press release, or notifications, other than to Cuban Casa Particular owners and Airbnb experience providers, being informed by Airbnb message that unless they provide an alternative source to receive payments than their current MLC accounts their Airbnb listing is being removed, or hidden from search results immediately. This also applies to Airbnb experiences in Cuba. Here’s what this all means to you, your casa owner, and what you can do to help avoid issues with your visits to Cuba.
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With immediate effect, Airbnb has suspended property listings for those Casa owners who receive payments via Cuban MLC accounts. Cuban Casa owners have been receiving this notification through Airbnb messages directly to them. Their Airbnb listings have disappeared from the Airbnb site unless they provide an alternative (foreign) account into which they can be paid. Airbnb experiences are also disappearing from Airbnb unless a foreign account is provided.
At this point, I want to give a big shout-out to Fanny Acosta. She’s helped me put together this content. Fanny has a casa particular in Habana Centro. I would love it if you stayed with her. You can check out that Homestay profile and connect with her.
What’s happened with Airbnb and Cuba?
It means that Cuban Casa owners have to set up a 3rd party account OUTSIDE OF CUBA to receive payment for their Casa Particular reservations. This will cost them extra money and add to the fees that they must pay to list their properties on Airbnb.
This also means that those listing Airbnb experiences in Cuba can’t anymore, unless they have the foreign payment option set up. If you want to pre-book an experience in Cuba, then I recommend using Civitatis – they are a booking platform for experiences and transfers around the world and also operate in Cuba.
The message states that “due to new US regulations, Airbnb can no longer send payments to MLC cards in Cuba”. The message continues that reservations already made will be respected, but until a new payment method (for the casa owners) is made, then advertisements for properties will remain hidden.
How does this affect a traveler to Cuba?
- If you’ve got an existing booking on Airbnb it doesn’t affect you. It doesn’t affect how you want to pay. What it does mean is that
- You will see a lot fewer listings available on Airbnb until Cuban casa owners find a foreign account that they can get paid into.
- It means that you’ll likely have to pay cash for your casa if you use alternative accommodation sites.
If you’re wondering if you should visit Cuba now – then read my pros and cons for visiting Cuba guide now.
How does this affect Cuban casa owners?
Listings on Airbnb are being removed until a foreign (i.e. outside of Cuba) payment site is provided. This will cost Cuban casa owners more. (don’t even get me started on those trying to make a quick profit by offering to provide a foreign bank account with strings attached).
Many Cuban casa particular owners do NOT have the ability or connections to do this. If they don’t have residence in another country or family outside Cuba, they’ll struggle to do this. Neither do they have the scope, time, or know-how to go off and create their own websites to promote their properties.
In a Cuban world where tourism is already well down on predictions, it makes it harder for Cuban Casa Particular owners to fill their rooms.
Only 2.2 million international visitors arrived in 2024, the WORST figure since 2007 and 10% less than the numbers in 2023. These reduced numbers are due in part to US Government policy adding Cuba to the list of “state-sponsored terrorism” – which means that those of us who rely on the ESTA to visit the USA can no longer (I wrote more about this here).
What can be done?
This is (just) another bump in the road for Cuba. Albeit, a big one, for the individual Casa Particular owner. But some things can be done. Both by the Cuban Casa Particular Owner and by YOU the visitor to Cuba.
What Visitors to Cuba can do?
If you want to see a great variety of properties that you can stay at, than those who have managed to get a foreign source of payment, then you’ll need to look at sites other than Airbnb.
You can use Homestay.
If you’ve been on this website before, or are on my email list you’ll see that I’ve always recommended Homestay. The site isn’t as flashy as Airbnb. But, you know, somehow that makes it much more like Cuba. There’s an easy search, there are reviews from previous travelers. And the rate that you see on there? That’s what the Casa Particular owner gets paid. They don’t have to pay fees like they do on Airbnb.
How Homestay works:
- Casa owner lists the property for free on Homestay.com. The rate they list is the rate they will receive for the booking. They can set nightly, weekly, and monthly rates.
- Traveler books property, and pays a 15% booking fee to Homestay to confirm their booking online, which is essentially the fees for using Homestay.
- Traveler pays the remainder of the accommodation costs in cash on arrival or in advance as agreed between the Traveler and the Casa owner.
You can search on Google.
Search for Casa Particula Havana Vieja and so on. But honestly, you’ll get a whole lot of AI mess.
You can use other accommodation sites.
And no I don’t mean booking.com or VRBO as they are forbidden from operating in Cuba (by the US Government sanctions). I mean sites like
- Cuba Junky – it’s clunky and is run by volunteers, but doesn’t charge a fee. I tried to use this site on one visit to Cuba but gave up in the end, each Casa I asked about “wasn’t available”, but I was offered others at significantly higher prices than advertised. It may have changed since then.
- BBInnVinales – another kinda clunky site.
Of the alternative sites, the two I’ve mentioned above are very 1990s – very much backward and forward communications, Homestay offers you a confirmed booking immediately after you pay your deposit.
You can use Facebook.
Use the search on Facebook for Casa Particular – Santiago de Cuba for instance and see what it brings up. But again you’re going to have to wade through a lot of stuff to find listings.
You’ll also find a lot of tour guides contacting you directly offering to help. Some will be good, some not so good. It’s the same the world over. In the real world, they’ll meet you at the bus station and offer their help, or try to get you to go to a particular casa. Now they’ll be helping you on Facebook.
There are several Facebook Groups for Cuba Travelers. I’ve listed them below. You can find recommendations for Casa’s and how to book them. You’ll be booking based on trust – on both sides. You’ll be relying on the Casa Owner keeping the room for you – so stay in communication with them. And they’ll be relying on you to turn up and pay. They won’t have the money you’ll be paying in advance unless you pay them in advance, and so there’s also the potential that they’ll be waiting until you arrive to buy provisions for your stay. Their cash flow is going to take a hit with this.
- Cuba Travel Tips (originally started by the folks who used to help me get you Viazul Bus Tickets back in the days of 2018-2019 when their online purchases were only about 10% of inventory!)
- Cuba Expats – more of a long-term travelers, living in Cuba group, but still useful connections.
- Travel to Cuba – I’m new to this group, so reserve the right to remove this from this post!
And yes I’m aware that there are a bunch of other groups about Cuba. I’m sharing the ones that I find have genuine connections and helpful members.
You can use Tripadvisor listings and forums.
But honestly, Tripadvisor these days is hard work. Finding a listing is tough because the platform pops so many ads for SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THAN WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR. (sorry middle-aged rant there). And the forum on Cuba, while it can be useful, also is hard work some days trying to cut through the noise and find the real information.
So here’s the link for the Tripadvisor Cuba forum. Say hello when you see me in there.
What Cuban Casa Owners Can Do
Cuban Casa owners will need to turn to alternative sites to promote their properties and services. There are other sites, but they have been dwarfed by the marketing power of Airbnb.
Find alternative places to promote their properties
There are a lot of different sites (but Google algo changes in recent years have made search difficult, to say the least. So you can use sides like Cuba Junky (which has a seriously clunky interface), or you can use Facebook to search for Casas. Or you can use Homestay. I recommend – and have ALWAYS recommended – Homestay.
How Homestay works:
- Casa owner lists the property for free on Homestay.com. The rate they list is the rate they will receive for the booking. They can set nightly, weekly, and monthly rates. (Casa owners can sign up here, there is NO CHARGE)
- Traveler books property, pays a 15% booking fee to Homestay to confirm their booking online, which is essentially the fees for using Homestay.
- Traveler pays the remainder of the accommodation costs in cash on arrival or in advance as agreed between the Traveler and the Casa owner.
If you’re a Casa particular owner and you sign up to Homestay as a result of reading this, please let them know that Sarah from Cuba’s Best sent you.
Engage your existing visitors to promote your casa
The BEST promotion for your Casa is a happy customer. Or ten. Ask them to tell their friends, to tell other travelers about your place. Tell them to email me ([email protected]) and I will include their comments in my weekly email to more than 2700 Cuban travelers.
ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR EXPLORING CUBA INDEPENDENTLY
These are the resources and booking sites that we use when traveling to Cuba.
!NEW! – Our 130 page ebook – Cuba by Bus – provides 5 detailed itineraries, includes specific buses to book, and full step by step guides to visiting Cuba. Buy it here.
Get a Cuba Travel and Medical Insurance Quote from Visitors Coverage here –
Read about the Cuba eVisa, and buy your Cuban eVisa here.
Flying via the USA and relying on entry with an ESTA? Read this.
Book your Viazul Bus tickets here
Use Daytrip to book transport between cities AND to sightsee along the way
Pre-book and prepay shared & private shuttles here
Book the best FREE Walking Tours in Cuba
Reserve attractions, day trips, and activities in Cuba here
Get online in Cuba EASILY with a Cuba eSIM Card here, or read my guide to Cuba physical SIMs here.
Download and install a VPN BEFORE you travel to Cuba > discount coupon here
Book Accommodation in Cuba’s Casa Particular here
Final Words on Managing after Airbnb Hides Cuba Listings
I’m sure as soon as I’ve written this it’s likely out of date and something else has changed. But I’ll endeavor as with all content here on Cuba’s Best to get it updated with the most current content. If you’re experiencing problems as either a casa owner, or a visitor, or having a great time, then drop me a line ([email protected]) or drop a note in the comments and I’ll do my best to help.
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