We were put here because the hotel booked for the start of our tour - The Telegrafo - was double booked. The Lido was very basic and we had an interesting group of insects in our bathroom. They had made their home in the rotten wood of the door frame, so at least they were happy. The room was small and no frills at all. It was fortunate that we stayed there on our first night in Cuba - we were so exhausted that we would have slept through virtually anything. As there was no glass in one of the openings in the room, we would have been kept awake by the sound of dogs, babies and various other inner-city noises. The shower would not stop after being turned on. Despite repeated requests for the hotel staff to fix it, it was still going when we left the next day. Maybe it was because this happened on a Sunday.

Breakfast could be a highlight if you are not keen on eating much in the morning, as it is taken on the 'roof terrace' overlooking Havana. However, the view is not the best in the city.

The Lido is not too far from the centre of Havana and could be a viable option for those not looking for too much from a hotel.

Personally, we were extremely glad to be leaving, but this may have been because we had been expecting a 4-star hotel and ended up in a budget one!

If you stay here be sure to ask for a room with balcony facing outward. Arrived and put into dungeon style room that smelt like a sewer. Asked to be moved and after paying extra got a room with a balcony facing onto the street which was much better. Although left by mistake a wash bag with medicine behind and went back a couple of hours later after housekeeping - It had vanished into thin air. A row between the front desk and housekeeping ensued, I don't speak Spanish but got the impression it was not the first time something of this nature happened... Staff not overly friendly generally. Cheap but definately no FRILLS

the lido is basic with a capital B, but its cheap and cheerful. if you want big rooms, hot water and air conditioning that makes no noise dont book this hotel. its on a very noisy side street off the prado, you can walk past it without noticing and have i mentioned it has no hot water..but if you want cheap, safe and friendly staff..if you can get them off the phone to their mates, then this is for you. its a budget option and is a bit of a bargain...there are beer machines on the streets just round the corner, as there is no fridge, the girl opposite can really play that sax, and you can view the pigeons kept by the guys on the roof across the street. if you want all comforts and expect american or european standards, then dont book this. if you want a bit of an adventure on a shoestring then go for it. its good for the price and the staff are great. i love the lido, but if you can afford something a bit better then its probabably worth paying more. i didnt care when i was younger...but now i like a bit more luxury..

The hotel is worse than other budget hotels I have stayed in -- For US$40/night in Havana we expected something more than what we got --

1) The sheets and blankets were stained and they were not changed at all during our 4-night stay. (We hope the sheets were fresh when we checked in -- fingers crossed.)
2) Hot water was not available for 2 of the 4 nights we spent there but thankfully Havana was warm enough at that time for cold showers.
3) There was no water for 2 mornings.
4) The room smells like sewage.