Hotels in Siguanea Beach, Isle of Youth

Hotel El Colony

Located in the southwest extreme of Isla de la Juventud, this beachfront hotel dates back to 1958, when it began life as a Hilton, with a casino. It had barely opened its doors when it was confiscated by the Castro government. Today it functions primarily as a base for scuba divers, although it still draws snowbirding package vacationers from cold climes. The coral-colored beach of fine sand is modestly attractive, although sea grasses push up in the shallow and spiny sea urchins are an even greater disincentive to wading or swimming. Fortunately, the hotel has a large pool in the unkempt grounds.

The spacious and sun-lit, but sparsely furnished lobby is enlivened by lime-green lounge chairs and has a small general store. Still, there's no escaping the fact that this two-story hotel is a tad run-down, despite a recent refurbishing of soft goods.