What is the Cuba Prohibited Accommodations List (CPAL)?

The CPAL is a list maintained by the U.S. State Department under §515.210 of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations identifying specific hotels, hostales, casas, and resorts in Cuba at which U.S. persons are prohibited from lodging or paying for related accommodations expenses, regardless of whether the booking is made through a U.S. or third-country travel agent or platform. Inclusion is based on the property being owned or controlled by a Cuban government entity, party official, or prohibited party.

Is the CPAL the same as the Cuba Restricted List (CRL)?

No. They are separate lists, both maintained by the State Department but published under different sections of the CACR. The CRL (§515.209) lists Cuban entities U.S. persons may not engage in direct financial transactions with (e.g. GAESA, CIMEX, Gaviota, Habaguanex). The CPAL (§515.210) lists specific lodging properties. A property may be on CPAL because its operator is on the CRL, but the lists are structurally distinct and you must check both. Neither overlaps fully with the OFAC SDN list.

What if I book through Booking.com, Airbnb, or a non-U.S. agent?

The §515.210 prohibition follows the U.S. person, not the booking channel. A U.S. citizen lodging at a CPAL-listed property is prohibited even when the reservation, payment, or platform is foreign. Airbnb and similar platforms operate under separate authorisations (§515.578 telecoms / general internet services) but the underlying lodging prohibition still applies.

What about casas particulares?

Genuine independently-owned casas particulares are generally permissible under §515.574 (“support for the Cuban people”) and are the canonical U.S.-traveller compliance pattern. However, the State Department flags two subcategories on the CPAL: properties marketed as casas but actually state-owned (* marker), and genuine private casas that nevertheless meet CPAL inclusion criteria (^ marker). Both are prohibited.

Compliance tool · Live check against 431 prohibited properties · CACR §515.210

Cuba Prohibited Hotels & Accommodations Checker (CPAL)

Check any Cuban hotel, casa, or resort against the State Department’s prohibited list (CPAL). U.S. persons can’t lawfully stay at properties on this list — even via a third-country booking.

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How to read the list:

Plain entry: a state-owned hotel, hostal, or resort — categorically prohibited for U.S. lodging.
State-controlled “casa” (* marker): property marketed as a casa particular but actually owned or controlled by the Cuban government, so it does not qualify as an independent casa.
Genuine casa particular (^ marker): a real privately-owned casa that nevertheless meets CPAL inclusion criteria (e.g. linked to a prohibited entity).

Important: Cached snapshot of state.gov — CPAL (last refreshed 2026-04-20). The State Department updates the list between our refreshes — verify with the official source for high-stakes bookings. Not legal advice.

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