When I started to think about this I realised that I hadn't actually stayed in that many hotels! This is mainly because I've tended to go SC and/or in my younger days of mountain walking holidays staying in hostels and mountain huts or even camping. So most of the hotels I've stayed in were either your standard city chain ones when travelling for work or largely unremarkable tourist hotels booked as a last minute bargain break when I felt the need for a quick bit of winter sun.

So in the end it came down two hotels in Cuba that I really can't decide between - El Moka in Las Terrazas and El Castillo in Baracoa. Both are relatively simple, small and similar in design, though the Moka is purpose built and the Castillo is a converted colonial fort, with all the rooms in both opening off open verandahs/walkways and both have small swimming pools. And that's it apart from a small bar/dining area. What makes both of them special is their location.

El Moka is on the highest point of a small eco village in the San Rosario mountains where there is a re-forestation project of what was a coffee plantation. There are fantastic walks to be had in the area etc but even if you never step out of the hotel the views are amazing in every direction. And the associated small vegetarian restaurant (a rarity in Cuba!) in the village itself served up the only really palatable veggie meal I've had in Cuba.

El Castillo on the otherhand is located on the highest point of the small town of Baracoa, again with fantastic views yet it is very central - walk down the long flight of steps and you are right in the heart of the town surrounded by all the main music venues and at the very heart of things. I love Baracoa and I would much prefer to stay at El Castillo then any of the better appointed tourists hotels on the outskirts of the town.

So I guess that what makes a hotel special to me is most definitely location, location, location!

We don't stay in many hotels either as we prefer the independence of self catering. We usually choose private s/c as we aren't keen on complexes.

Ideally, if we stayed in a hotel it would be a small one. We aren't particularly people people when on holiday, so the less people the better 😁.

We like to be in walking distance of bars, restaurants & shops & top of my list is a nice view, preferably of the sea. Sunny balcony & clean ✔️

https://www.kingstork.com
This is my favourite one. £40 a night. Nice breakfast. 2 mins walk from beach. Husband and wife owners are friendly and interested in you. He was the one who forced me to go to hospital with a mess of a finger when I had managed to catch it in a large floor fan in Jaipur. He had someine drive me there and back and then hunt down the medication I needed round all the chemists.
We are going back for a 5th time in April.

Looks nice Fiona 👍

It is. Not fancy by any means.
It's quite funny but we go from there to taj Mahal palace in Mumbai, which costs about 8 times as much! Chalk and cheese.

With us ,its a toss up between the Gran Bahia Principe Cayo Levantado (in the DR) and the Baobab on Diani Beach in Kenya. The view,ambience and food was excellent at CL but the beach in Kenya was out of this world -and we got to go on safari!!