The small La Ronda Hotel opens onto Parque Céspedes and offers a value-priced budget alternative to the deluxe Iberostar a stone's throw away, while having the advantage of a heart-of-affairs location compared to the similarly priced Hotel Horizontes Las Cuevas up the hill. The concept is fairly simple: take a 19th-century townhouse, fix up the plumbing and install modern bathrooms, give the rest of the building a sprucing and open up to foreign tourists.

Hotel Cubanacan (formerly Islazul) La Ronda is located in the centre of Trinidad which has been declared a world heritage site by the UNESCO. Nearby is the Romantic Museum, the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), the Santa Ana Church the Cantero Palace and much more.

The 17 air-conditioned bedrooms are on two levels opening to an atrium patio with palms and potted plants. Furnishings are somewhat meager, and the mattresses and pillows are second rate. Nonetheless, the rooms are the equal of most private room rentals (the most popular options in Trinidad) in town. The high ceilings and colonial tile floors help keep rooms cool, and those facing south have tall French doors opening to balconies overlooking the lively plaza. Satellite TVs, telephones, small refrigerators, and in-room safes are standard.

The small restaurant and bar here are charming, albeit simple. Continental and criolla meals are served. For a splurge, the ritzy restaurants and bars of the Iberostar Gran Hotel Trinidad are literally a 50-pace stroll away.

**Hotel La Ronda is currently closed for upgrade/refurbishment.**

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