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Colonial

*****

Boutique Hotel Santa Isabel

Hotel Saratoga

The Santa Isabel is the grandest of Old Havana’s hotels, and its location is perfect: it stands on the eastern side of the Plaza de Armas, the city’s earliest and most beautiful colonial square.

Hotel Santa Isabel is located in a privileged city life environment, just in the heart of the historical center of the city of San Cristobal de la Habana, at 9 Baratillo Street Shambles, in the corners de Obispo and Narciso Lopez Streets.

The Hotel Santa Isabel has 27 rooms, 17 are standard rooms, 9 are junior suites. The Santovenia Suite is one of the finest rooms of the hotel, with a splendid colonial comfortable furniture.  

Keeping the typical colonial mansion style, the Hotel Santa Isabel is provided of wide rooms beautifully decorated with iron beds, there are small terraces in the rooms located on the third floor.

Hotel Saratoga, a relatively new addition to Old Havana’s hotel scene, is a stylish and luxurious establishment, which combines charming early 19th century elements with an inventive and tasteful modern décor and excellent facilities. Though the interiors were completely rebuilt and refashioned (3 floors were added to the property’s original 4), the eclectic, chiefly neo-classical façade has been restored and recalls the days, during the 1930s, when artists and other cultural luminaries gathered here and the spot was enlivened by the Anacaona all-girl orchestra.

Inside the hotel, guests are greeted by a daring and sophisticated interior design that sets a new tone for hotels in the area, evoking the kind of cosmopolitan spirit one might come across in New York and other major cities. The mezzanine bar, under an atrium skylight, epitomizes this feeling with its mixed furnishings, tall palms and large mural depicting a Cuban landscape. Just as inviting are the Anacaona Restaurant, its intimate adjoining bar and the rooftop restaurant, which offers great views of Prado and places of interest such as the Partagas cigar factory.

Address:Calle Baratillo No. 9 e/ Obispo y Narciso López

Address:Paseo del Prado No.603, esq. a Dragones

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Palacio del Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejuca

Iberostar Parque Central Hotel

Palacio del Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal is a 5-star hotel overlooking San Francisco de Asis square. Its advantageous location in the most beautiful district of old Havana allows guests to easily reach all major tourist attractions.

The building that now houses hotel Palacio del Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal dates back to the late 18th century, when it belonged to Don Sebastián de Peñalver. At the beginning of the 19th century the property changed hands to the successors of the IV the Marquees of San Felipe and Santiago after who the hotel was named.

Tastefully decorated guest rooms all offer satellite TV, a safety deposit box, hair dryer, minibar, private bathroom, cold & hot water, amenity kit, telephone and a desk. The suites offer an additional Jacuzzi and DVD player.

The Iberostar Parque Central Hotel oozes the charm of the most attractive Havana. In an unmistakable Spanish colonial style, this magnificent hotel offers travellers an evocative atmosphere complete with modern facilities and services.

The Iberostar Parque Central makes a perfect base to explore Havana. Colonial or revolutionary, the city boasts the most wonderful sights within easy access.

Back from a long walk across Havana, you can have more pleasures at the hotel. Imagine yourself swimming in the rooftop swimming pool with Havana at your feet, or drinking a mojito in the Jacuzzi tub. The Iberostar Parque Central guarantees irresistible moments.

Stylish, fascinating, centrally located, the Iberostar Parque Central is considered to be the best hotel in Havana. And it is not just a cliché. It is what TripAdvisor users say.

Address:Calle de los Oficios No. 152 esquina a Mercaderes

Address: Neptuno, esquina Prado y Zulueta

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.iberostar.com

****

Palacio O’Farrill Hotel

Hotel Conde de Villanueva

Palacio O’Farrill Hotel, located near the picturesque Bay of Havana and Cathedral Square in Old Havana, is a perfect example of neoclassical architecture, in vogue at the dawn of the 19th Century. This hotel that used to serve as a Palace prides itself on the level of personal service offered to all guests.

All of the guestrooms at the Palacio O'Farrill are very well equipped. Each room is climate controlled and offers Internet access. Private bathrooms are offered in all of the hotel’s guestrooms.

Guests of the Palacio O'Farrill will find a large number of shopping, dining, and leisure options throughout the area. The hotel offers an onsite cafe as well as a restaurant. There is a bar located onsite in addition to a courtyard, a cloakroom, a safe, and a large reception area.

Hotel Conde de Villanueva sits on the corner of Mercaderes and Lamparilla streets in Old Havana, about a 2-minute walk from all the major sights of the historical centre.

Located in what used to be the former 18th-century mansion of Claudio Martínez de Pinillos, the Villanueva Count, this hotel has been designed for travelers who are looking for a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, especially cigar aficionados who will agree that Hotel Conde de Villanueva is a cigar lover’s paradise.

Even if you don’t smoke cigars, you will be charmed by the authentic colonial beauty and cozy atmosphere that is perfectly matched by the most modern comfort. The breezy inner courtyard full of flowers and mahogany rocking chairs, spacious corridors and Hotel Conde de Villanueva’s beautiful stained-glass windows create the perfect ambiance for a relaxed and quiet stay.

Address:Calle Cuba No. 102-108 esq. a Chacón

Address:Calle Mercaderes No. 202 e/ Lamparilla y Amargura

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Hotel Armadores de Santander

A stunning example of art Nouveau inspired architecture dating back to 1908, hotel Raquel located near one of old Havana’s most attractive squares, Plaza Vieja, offers guest a beautiful and romantic ambience.

Hotel Raquel is also known for its references to Jewish tradition and faith, which consist of various decorative items including a stone engraving of a Star of David at the reception and various symbolic artifacts like mezuzahs affixed to the some of the doorposts of the guestrooms. Raquel’s elegant restaurant serves typical Jewish cuisine.

Other amenities include a great lobby bar, a fitness room, sauna and spa/massage services.

The rooftop solarium of Hotel Raquel is a great spot to enjoy a drink or just to look over the city and adds to the hotel’s attraction as a venue for (wedding) celebrations.

Facing the broad expanse of the Bay of Havana, the Armadores de Santander stands where the city's colonial past meets its present-day life and attractions.

The colossal wooden doors, arcade and wrought-iron hanging lamps that greet you at the entrance recall a time of horse-driven carriages and cobbled avenues, and the restored, 19th-century interior and furniture - though bordering on the sombre at places - has class and charm. The long and elegant lobby bar is nestled pleasantly between the avenue and this sober setting.

The terrace and port-facing rooms have amazing, panoramic views of the bay, where the glistening waters are traversed by ships the day through. Tempered by a generous sea-breeze, these are magnificent places to take your breakfast, enjoy a quiet read or let your mind wander out to sea, past the glitter of port-lights at night.

Address:Calle Amargura, No. 103 esq. a San Ignacio

Address:Calle Luz No. 4 esq. a San Pedro

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Hotel Telégrafo

Hotel Ambos Mundos'

Hotel Telégrafo, Cuba’s oldest hotel first opened its doors to the public around 1860, some years after the first telegraph station was established in the country. The hotel moved to its present location in 1888. Circa 1914 the hotel rooms and restaurant boasted telephones that afforded guests both national and international telephone services, at a time when even public restrooms were a rare and novel luxury.

Standing at the intersection of Prado and Neptuno, the hotel is a short walk away from the seawall, close to several and renowned places of interest in Old Havana – the Capitolio is practically next door – and well located for the exploration of the colonial part of the city.

Inside, only the high ceilings and supporting arches offer an inkling of the establishment’s past: the lobby, re-done in a colorful, eclectic style and tastefully appointed with modern furnishings, has the feel of modern art gallery. The style carries over to the large snack bar, where the remains of the original structure contrast artfully with the contemporary décor.

The spacious and well appointed rooms; the hotel’s privileged location and great facilities (including a classy restaurant) will satisfy even the most demanding guests.

Though the figure of Ernest Hemingway is immediately and almost invariably invoked in any description of the hotel, the Ambos Mundos' most attractive attribute is doubtless its magnificent location: steps away from the Plaza de Armas, the restored, 1920s establishment stands at one of the liveliest intersections in the Old Town, close to just about all of the most interesting sites of Havana's colonial centre.

A spacious and tastefully decorated lobby opens to Obispo and Mercaderes, main arteries of the sightseeing circuit often crowded with tourists. The lobby, decorated with an attractive and modern-looking corner fountain, housing art exhibits and featuring a piano bar where jazz and other musicians occasionally perform, is itself often crowded with visitors and is a lively stopover in its own right. The old, 1930s elevator, though said to demand some patience, is a charming detail

Not all of the Ambos Mundos' rooms have views, but those that do overlook the cobbled and picturesque expanse of Obispo and Mercaderes, which benefit from their proximity to the Plaza de Armas: costumed performers, including mulatta florists in colonial attire, old fortune tellers, a squad of soldiers in period English uniforms and a carnivalesque troupe of actors on stilts, are sure to enliven these vistas during your stay at the hotel.

Address:Prado 408 esq Neptuno

Address:Calle Obispo No. 153 esq. a Mercaderes

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Hotel Florida

Hotel San Miguel

Located on Obispo, one of the main, pedestrian arteries of the Old Town, the Hotel Florida affords a feeling of being close to the throbbing life of the city (though the narrow and crowded thoroughfare may prove too busy for some). Well-positioned between Parque Central and the Plaza de Armas, it is one of the best points of departure for an exploration of the Old Town that you can ask for.

The elegance of the property, common to all restored mansions in the Old Town now operating as hotels, carries over to the restaurant, equipped with a well-stocked bar. A less formal and livelier option is the hotel piano bar, where Cuban music and jazz are performed live every night.

Accommodations, designed to recall the colonial era, have a kind of austere simplicity to them which contrasts with the hotel's public spaces. All are agreeably spacious and well-appointed. Guests arriving or departing by car can avail themselves of a lot just across the street. The narrow and busy grid of surrounding streets, however, makes walking a less stressful alternative. With more than enough taste to satisfy the discerning tourist, the Hotel Florida is also ideally located for those who wish to explore and be close to the city's cultural life.

A stay at the San Miguel Hotel will probably feel like a privileged sojourn at someone’s private mansion, a treat for those who prefer small, intimate settings.

As in many of the Old Town’s properties now operating as hotels, restoration efforts here have been guided by taste and fidelity to historical fact: most of the San Miguel’s furniture and décor is original, and the discrete, modern-day fittings blend imperceptibly with these. Some furnishings, such as the upholstered arm-chairs and sofa in the seating-area-turned-lobby-bar next to the reception show worn, faded patterns, signs of use which add to the feeling of authenticity and intimacy.

With only 10 rooms, the San Miguel is the kind of cozy establishment where you can reasonably expect to make friends with the staff and be on a first-name basis with them. Despite the aristocratic elegance of the interiors, there’s no stuffy etiquette or protocol here: guests will find hotel spaces welcoming and feel at home as they to take their meals in the sunny 2nd-floor restaurant and hall, the adjacent Sevillana terrace or the roof terrace, which has a killer view of the harbour and the Morro complex lighthouse, across the bay.

Address:Calle Obispo esq. a Cuba

Address:Calle Cuba No 2, esquina Pena Pobre

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Hotel Marques de Prado Ameno

Hotel Inglaterra

Very close to both Cathedral Square and Armas Square, the old mansion of Marquises of Prado Ameno appears again, showing its splendour as in the old times.

Properly located, just few meters from Obispo Street, the main artery of the historical centre, the large house with its colonial style, recreates the typical Cuban aristocratic house of beginning of XIX century.

The intimacy, peacefulness and the well preservation of the original arches and frescos, combined with the privacy and the freshness of the patio as well as the sobriety of its decoration, invites to rest in a cosy atmosphere.

Hotel Inglaterra, of 4 stars category, is the oldest hotel in Cuba and one of the most classic hotels in Havana. Founded in 1875, Hotel Inglaterra has a neoclassic style, with elements that give it a touch of originality like the mosaics from Alicante in Spain and grilles brought especially from Seville, Spain.

Nowadays the emblematic Hotel Inglaterra puts at the service of its invited guests comfortable rooms equipped with the service and all that is necessary to guarantee your pleasant stay on it, within a classical colonial atmosphere.

Hotel Inglaterra has 83 rooms. These one are located in a single building, they are distributed in three floors with access from 2 elevators.

Rooms at the Hotel Inglaterra are cosy than sleek, but given the age of the building it would be rude to expect a dazzling sophistication. The rooms come in all shapes and sizes and those facing the street are more spacious than those facing into the building’s courtyards.

Address:Calle O'Reilly esq. a Cuba

Address:Paseo del Prado No. 416 e/ San Rafael y San Miguel

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.gran-caribe.com

Once home to a wealthy Cuban family, later the head office of an influential local newspaper (which, in the late 19th century, was the stage of a violent attack by a pro-Spanish mob), the Hotel Plaza will soon celebrate 100 years of operations and, like other properties in Old Havana, it has no shortage of stories to tell.

Rooms at the Plaza are spacious and sober and a number of them are graced by a private balcony. If you’re looking for a view, however, the rooftop Bar Solarium is the place to go at this hotel, especially if you would like a privileged look at the impressive Bacardi Building. A more intimate setting is found at the 2nd floor inner patio, ideal for savoring an afternoon tea.

A charmingly old hotel, the Plaza will doubtless please those who seek history-rich properties and more practical types in search of a comfortable, well-located establishment.

One of Havana’s Oldest hotels (the establishment turned 100 in March of 2008), the Sevilla has many stories to tell and is privileged in more ways than one.

Inside, the large, spacious lobby combines elegance with a welcoming, cosmopolitan atmosphere which is altogether refreshing. Unlike other establishments in the area, the appeal of this spot is not exclusively visual or historic: in addition to the traditional Cuban music performed by a trio (a nearly ubiquitous offer), the hotel organizes salsa and campesino music days (when a grille is set up in the patio), and a professional troupe stages flamenco performances twice a week. Once a month, original silent films are projected on a screen assembled in the lobby area, to an amusing piano accompaniment that tries to set the mood, attesting to the establishment’s inventive commitment to culture.

Address:Calle Ignacio Agramonte No. 267

Address:Calle Trocadero No. 55 e/ Prado y Zulueta

Website:http://www.gran-caribe.com

Website:http://www.hotelsevilla-cuba.com

***

Hotel Beltrán de Santa Cruz

Hotel Comendador

An elegant big house from the 18th century, located very closely to the Old Square, opens as a cozy hotel, where the combination of modern and old architectural elements stresses the originality of its attractive design. The Beltran de Santa Cruz hotel, an exquisite place that is reborn in the old city, will leave indelible memories on you.

This beautiful 18th century house belonged in the 19th century to the family of Don Pedro Regalado Pedroso y Zayas, "Regent of the Order of Isabel the Catholic".

The Hotel Comendador, unique for the intimacy and silence of its inner spaces, is the ideal spot for seclusion and meditation. Its architecture resembles the city’s older Spanish-Muslim houses, with a bent entrance on one of its sides. The house, in a privileged spot thanks to its proximity to Arms Square and San Francisco Square, receives the sea breeze blowing in from the port, visible from the balconies of its comfortable rooms.

The Hotel Comendador has a tavern called Onda, named after a region in Spain, that evoques a countryside tavern and serves many different variations of the typical Spanish tapas and exquisite wines.

Address:San Ignacio 411 entre Muralla y Sol

Address:Calle Obrapía No55, Esq a Baratillo

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Hotel Los Frailes

Hotel Park View

Hotel Los Frailes now is the ideal place for guests who are looking for a quiet, peaceful place in the heart of old Havana. The former mansion of the fourth Marquis and Captain of the French Navy, Don Pedro Claudio Duquesne never served as a monastery as suggested by the copper sculpture of a monk at the entrance of the hotel. Instead, the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, which stands just around the corner, provided the main source of inspiration for the hotel. The roomy air-conditioned standard rooms with satellite TV and mini-bars are so comfortable that you forget they do not have any windows. Even more attractive are the 4 mini suites that all have balconies overlooking Teniente Rey Street. Los Frailes hotel has a cozy lobby bar, a quiet courtyard and is decorated with outstanding works of art. Step out of the door and within a minute or two you can find out all about the process of making rum at the Museum of Rum or sit down on one of the terraces of Plaza Vieja from where it is great to watch daily life pass by while enjoying a coffee or a micro-brew

Less appealing in terms of history than most hotels in this part of town, the Park View is a good, practical option for tourists wanting to explore Old Havana and spend a bit less on accommodations.

On a narrow street facing the less than picturesque façade of an old building, the hotel is just off Prado (a broad, tree-lined promenade) and around the corner from both the seawall and several places of historical and cultural interest (including the splendid Cuban art building of the Fine Arts Museum).

The lobby is narrow and its furnishings somewhat plain. Still, there is a cozy, welcoming feel to it that is not without its charm.

A better view of the city is afforded by the Prado, a modestly appointed restaurant on the top floor.

Discrete and comfortable, the Park View continues to profit from what has always been one of its chief privileges: a great location near the old and modern parts of Havana.

Address:Calle Teniente Rey No. 8 e/ Mercaderes y Oficios

Address:Calle Colón esq. a Morro

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

The splendid location and welcoming interiors are the Tejadillo’s most evident charms. At the intersection of narrow and cobbled streets, the hotel enjoys an intimate and relatively quiet setting in the colonial heart of the Old Town, around the corner from the Cathedral and many - as well as diverse - sites of interest.

Inside, space and comfort take precedence over genuineness and “old-world feeling”, which only suggest themselves in an unusual layout and mix of styles that will probably arouse the curiosity of attentive guests. History, we learn, had a significant say in this: the property is actually a fusion of three mansions from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Most rooms are arranged around a small, pleasant courtyard adorned with a central fountain and pierced dramatically by a tall, tropical tree. Though a number of these lack windows, all are spacious and favoured by the quiet and cosy surroundings.

Address:Tejadillo, No. 12 esquina a San Ignacio

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

**

El Meson de la Flota

El Meson de la Flota opens its doors to visitors, bringing back the image of the old 18th and 19th century inns; those that serves as a meting place for sailors from the legendary galleon fleet during their stay in Havana.

The inn has five comfortable rooms and a restaurant that resembles a Spanish tavern that serves delicious tapas and select wines. The decoration of the inn features sea motifs with scale model replicas of old vessels, complemented by the charm and emotional call of a flamenco “tablao” that undoubtedly invites us to drop in and enjoy a night out.

The Valencia Inn, located in a privileged corner just 200 meters from the Plaza de Armas (Arms Square) and a few steps from the Minor Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, is a place where Valencian traditions are worshipped.

The old house of Alderman Sotolongo, originally built as a private house in the late 18th century, lodges today the Valencia Inn.

Its car ved roof, balustrades and iron works of its balconies give its rooms light and freshness.

Besides, it offers the best Cuban cigars on the first floor at La Casa del Tabaco (House of Tobacco).

Address:Calle Mercaderes No. 257 e/ Amargura y Teniente

Address:Calle Oficios No. 53 esq. a Obrapía

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com

Website:http://www.habaguanexhotels.com