Every week since February 19, when Fidel Castro stepped down as Cuba’s president, news outlets have been filled with accounts of products and services coming back into the lives of the Cuban people.

Two weeks ago, Cubans were allowed to buy cell phones. Last week, microwave ovens, DVDs, electric bicycles, and pressure cookers became available. Many of the restrictions that Fidel Castro had spent a lifetime imposing on the people of Cuba have already fallen away in the few short months since his brother, Raul Castro, took office as Cuba’s president.

While most Cubans do not yet have the money to afford these luxury items, that too is changing as the government begins to provide better support for its farmers and lift some of the restrictions on manufacturing.

Are New Hotel and Timeshare Resorts on the Horizon for Cuba?

This week, the ban that prohibited Cuban citizens from staying in hotels was lifted. Cuban nationals, as of April 1, are permitted to stay in hotels or use hotel services like exercise rooms. These changes are long overdue and in time, should help springboard other, equally positive developments. But as the free world shares in welcoming the return of these basic rights to Cubans, what do these changes really mean for Cuba as a tourist destination?

Despite the removal of many restrictions, the economy of Cuba will have to heal considerably before most residents can afford to enjoy hotel stays at luxury resorts. It will take even longer before the country’s economic infrastructure will be able to support the development of timeshare resorts or vacation ownership property.

In the 1990’s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba made tentative steps toward developing tourism, by building or revamping hotels to attract visitors primarily from Europe and Canada. Currently Cuba has both hotels and all-inclusive resorts; some offering beachside relaxation while others showcase Cuba’s rich history. Several Canadian developers have tried in recent years to fund and build timeshare resorts in Cuba and with the recent change in government there, it is logical to expect that such projects could soon become reality.

Canadian Tourists, But Not Americans to Vacation in Cuba…Yet

Most US citizens find traveling to Cuba challenging because of the Trading with the Enemy Act that forbids US citizens from spending money in Cuba. Exemptions apply to journalists, government officials, researchers, and people attending conferences. Other US citizens, including those who have relatives in Cuba or professionals such as doctors, nurses, or educators, may also be able to obtain the documents necessary to travel between the US and Cuba. Click here to read the US Department of State’s full disclosure on who may travel to Cuba.

Some US citizens visit Cuba by first flying to other countries, and booking their travel, directly from that country to Cuba. Once there, Cuba imposes no restrictions on US spending; quite the opposite, as they are all too eager to receive tourist dollars from any part of the world.

Yes, timeshare resorts and new hotels may definitely be in Cuba’s future. But until US law changes, Americans may find that the closest they get to Cuban vacation ownership is a Key West timeshare where the signage at the water’s edge reads: “90 miles to Cuba.”

• Hyatt Windward Pointe Resort II
• Hyatt Windward Pointe Resort
• Hyatt Sunset Harbor Resort
• Hyatt Beach House Resort
• Galleon Resort and Marina
• Coconut Mallory Marina and Resort
• Banyan Resort

Say the word, “Hemingway”, and author Ernest Hemingway, a man as colorful as he was talented, quickly comes to mind. But did you know that the word “Hemingway””also refers to any six-toed domestic cat?

It seems that Ernest Hemingway acquired a six-toed cat from a sailor he met in Key West. Hemingway was quite fond of the polydactyl (the proper term for felines with more than five toes) and as a result, was delighted when many of its descendants were polydactyl’s too.

Now, I might have already known this interesting bit of trivia, if I had ever taken advantage of the opportunities in Key West timeshares. Key West is not only a great place to soak up some sun and just relax, it is also home to “Papa” Hemingway’s museum and it is just the type of picturesque locale that many visitors to the Keys include in an afternoon of sightseeing.

The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is a tribute to the author’s life, especially the years he spent as a resident of Key West. Winner of both the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize, Hemingway lived in Key West for approximately ten years, between 1929 and 1939.

Today the museum is known for providing a glimpse into Hemingway’s life, an archive for some of his memorabilia and a home to the multi-generations of multi-toed felines that are descendants from Snowball, Hemingway’s original six-toed cat.

The Hemingway cats have been in the news lately because they are entangled in some government red tape. Last year, the US Department of Agriculture cited The Hemingway Museum for exhibiting cats without the proper credentials, namely an Animal Welfare License issued by the USDA. The position of the USDA is that the museum is exhibiting the cats (there are approximately 50 at last count) and like a zoo, must therefore keep the cats in cages. Other new articles suggest that the neighbors may simply be tired of living next door to such a large and growing cat population.

This blog posting includes several good links, so you can read more about the battle between the museum and government officials. But I’ve also included links to some wonderful Key West timeshare locations.

If you have been to Florida, but never been to the Keys, you have really missed a unique experience. And timeshare resales and timeshare rentals make an excellent way to enjoy the island lifestyle of Key Largo, Marathon and Key West.

Here’s a fun You Tube video of The Hemingway Home and Museum, that may make you want to book that Key West timeshare now and spend some time off the beaten path.