Want to take a Cuban vacation? Airbnb, the online lodging rental site, just announced that it has 1,000 homes and rooms in homes available for rent to U.S. travelers, for bargain prices.

However, don't run to the airport just yet — travel, Internet and payment restrictions still make visiting the Caribbean island a daunting task, Wired notes.

Airbnb's represented properties range from single rooms in Havana to luxury villas ready to rent to U.S. travelers at an average cost of just $43 per night, National Public Radio (NPR) notes.

The company is using the long-standing Cuban tradition of casas particulares, or home stays, on the island, to take early advantage of President Barack Obama's December announcement of an easing of restrictions on travel and trade with Cuba.

Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk said in a statement reported on Wired, "For over 50 years, Cuba has been out of reach for most Americans. We couldn’t be more excited that, starting today, licensed U.S. travelers will now be able to experience the unique culture and warm hospitality that makes the island so special through our new Cuban community."

However, to be a "licensed" U.S. traveler, you have to fit into one of the 12 categories approved by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which include such listings as official government travelers, those going to Cuba for research or educational activities or to provide "support for the Cuban people." Regular tourism for U.S. residents is still taboo, Bloomberg News reports.

Get around those restrictions and other problems pop up. Travel writer Simon Calder told the BBC, "While Airbnb is a valuable alternative for millions of travelers, in the context of Cuba, because of the high margins it takes from every transaction, it won't necessarily meet with great success.

"Anybody who has used the internet in Cuba will know that a prospective host is unlikely to be able to respond immediately given the shockingly slow internet there, which reminds me of what you used to find across the developing world in the early 1990s."

And many of the rentals have no hot water, Bloomberg notes.

Only about four percent of Cuban homes have access to the notoriously slow island Internet, Bloomberg reports, which makes direct booking very difficult.

Airbnb gets around payment restrictions in Cuba by contracting with VaCuba in Florida to receive booking money and make payments on its behalf, Bloomberg notes.

However, if U.S. tourism restrictions ease, Airbnb is positioned to take immediate advantage. Airlines such as Delta, JetBlue and United already have expressed interest in flying to Havana from U.S. airports when that happens, according to CNN, and American Express and Mastercard are allowing customers to use their credit cards in Cuba.

Blecharczyk told CNN, "Cuba is within that sweet spot where Americans would like to venture."

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