Airbnb offers authenticity and a few challenges in Havana

Airbnb offers authenticity and a few challenges in Havana
BY BETH J. HARPAZ
AP Travel Editor

In the two months since Airbnb started doing business in Cuba, listings
have ballooned to about 2,000. The website makes it relatively easy to
find lodging in a country that's largely been cut off from the online
booking systems most travelers take for granted.

But while Airbnb offers authentic local experiences and cheap options in
Cuba, just like it does elsewhere, several things make listings here a
little different.


This May 13, 2015 photo shows the interior of a newly renovated Airbnb
listing, by owner Majel Reyes, in Old Havana, Cuba. While Airbnb
accommodations vary everywhere, itís especially hard for Cuban hosts to
get quality materials and skilled labor to spiff things up, and many
neighborhoods suffer from decades of neglect. | BETH J. HARPAZ AP PHOTO
›‹
For one thing, most Cubans don't have easy email access. So it can take
days to get booking confirmation.

For another, while Airbnb accommodations vary everywhere, it's
especially hard for Cuban hosts to get quality materials and skilled
labor to spiff things up, and many neighborhoods suffer from decades of
neglect. You might end up in a luxurious villa that looks like a
magazine cover, or a rundown building reminiscent of the Lower East Side
of Manhattan circa 1980.

On the plus side: Airbnb is a great way to connect with locals and see
daily life up close.

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DINGY BUT SPOTLESS

My $42-a-night Airbnb was in Old Havana, where many buildings just off
the tourist track are mere shells with crumbling facades and no roof.
The mailboxes were ripped out of the hallway. It wasn't dangerous — just
dingy. It was walking distance to many tourist sites, and cabs were easy
to find, but I needed four keys to reach my bedroom.

The apartment was spotless, with decor that reminded me of the
working-class tenements of my 1960s childhood in New York City: lace
doilies, plastic flowers, slipcovered sofas. Through open windows, dogs
barked, babies cried, roosters crowed. My air conditioner was rumbly but
worked. Nearby terraces and rooftops had caged songbirds and hanging
laundry. One roof had caged rabbits — for food, I was told.

My hostess, Lisette Sobrino, lived next door. She was warm and caring,
like the Cuban grandma I never had. And the $4 breakfast was fabulous:
eggs, a plate overflowing with mango and pineapple, delicious espresso
with warm milk.

I was curious about another Airbnb listing I'd tried but failed to book.
Owner Majel Reyes agreed to show it to me. It was nicer than mine —
newly renovated, modern and airy like a boutique hotel, on a nicer
street. But no grandmotherly neighbor.

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BOOKING ONLINE IN AN OFFLINE CULTURE

I first tried to book my Airbnb on a Friday. Twenty-four hours later, an
automated message apologized because the host hadn't responded.

On Saturday night, the host — Reyes — emailed that she had an inquiry
from another guest and needed another day to confirm. On Sunday, I was
told the apartment was unavailable.

Monday, I tried another listing and got immediate confirmation. I then
heard back from Reyes, saying her apartment was available after all —
the first guest fell through. Too late for me.

Many property owners hire middlemen like Vienna Garcia to manage online
inquiries. "I'm the bridge between the owners who don't have Internet
connections and the guests," explained Garcia.

But tracking reservations is complicated. Many Airbnb properties are
also rented out through other sources, but there's no central database.
These accommodations, called "casas particulares," get guests through
word of mouth, travel agents, street signs, TripAdvisor and even taxi
drivers paid to steer visitors their way.

Jonathan Ashton, who lists two Airbnb properties in Central Havana,
checks "email every day so we can communicate effectively. But I have to
go to an Internet center at a hotel and pay $4.50 an hour" to get online.

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COMPLICATIONS AND CHARACTER

Airbnb hosts say renovating properties is not easy. "It's complicated to
do it here," said Ashton. "It's difficult to source products."

There's no Home Depot in Cuba. Some items can be purchased locally in
hardware stores, some bought on the black market, some brought in from
abroad.

Other travelers who used Airbnb in Cuba had experiences like mine,
reflecting both online and material challenges.

"Shower worked, A/C did not," said Parag Raja, CEO of the flash travel
site http://travelmore.co/, describing one of two Cuban Airbnbs he
stayed in. Overall, his accommodations were "a little dated but had a
lot of character." It was also "challenging to communicate with the
hosts before our stay because Internet is lacking but you just have to
be patient."

On balance, though, he "was very happy with my Airbnb Cuba experience
because it allowed me to get a local Cuban perspective instead of being
just another tourist."

Source: Airbnb offers authenticity and a few challenges in Havana |
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