I’m Cuban so i know a little bit about hotels in Havana, also my mom when she used to live there she was a tourist guide for more than 25 years and I used to go and travel with her all over the country and enjoy of hotels and excursions. Unfortunately Cuba has changed a lot! things are getting tougher, specially in Havana. Right now the country is having big problems with the water because it hasn’t been raining, i stayed 11 days in Cuba this summer and it didn’t rain one day that we were in Havana(we went to Varadero too). So this affected some hotels in center of Havana and old Havana, even the 5 stars hotel next to ours was without water.
Room Number:
319
Arrival: When we got there check in was very fast, our room was on the second floor, elevator worked but always took forever. The lobby was ok but they turn the ac off at night, so don’t go downstairs and try to eat a sandwich at the cafeteria like we did, go to the restaurant or somewhere else. The hotel doesn’t look very nice or very clean in the outside and there’s quite people outside that area that are always offering taxis, tobacco, or just asking you for money, if you already book for this hotel or Parque Central that is next door you will have this problem. Ignore everybody!! if you want a taxi ask the receptionist to request one for you, if you want I also know an excellent driver with all his licenses and requirements available 24 hours with very affordable rates,I payed him per day and he took me everywhere.
Rooms: The room was pretty bad, the worse part of it was that smelled like dust and it was because the construction, they are repairing the hotel. Avoid rooms on the second floor they are not very clean. I went to the reception and told them that i was allergic to dust and i wasn’t going to be able to sleep in that room not really expecting any changes because is Cuba, it doesn’t matter how much you complain. They didn’t give me any answer,a little bit after my husband went downstairs to ask why the phone didn’t work and came back asking me since when i was allergic, I’m not really, lol i just couldn’t stand the smell and they did give us a better room on the third floor with no additional charges , a suit, it was ok but better than the other room and the smell was gone.
The ac at the room was good, you can keep it on all day if you want, the noise in the mornings will wake you up, the busiest street in Old Havana is right in front this hotel.
Restaurants and Bars:
If you have breakfast included you have to take the elevator to the the fifth floor, there’s kind of a "buffet table" that after 9:30am is pretty empty, so wake up early if you want to have breakfast. I never ate at any of the restaurants there, but i know they have like two. Bars are all good in Cuba! I always say if you want a real Mojito you have to drink a Cuban one! 🙂
Other Comments: There’s no Wi-Fi at the hotel so don’t bother taking your own computer with you, if you want internet you have to pay 6 CUC per hour and used their computers with really slow internet. No phone service in the room and if you want to make a call at the reception is 40 cents per minute, very expensive! In general i wouldn’t recommend this hotel until they finish repairing it at least , there’s so many good houses "casas particulares" that you can stay with a small budget and the service is great. If you have any questions you can email me, I can give you a lot more info and details, jes21ca@yahoo.es The water problem was never solved, they brought a water source for two hours in the afternoon, we shower that day the next day we left dirty and shower at the other hotel we went. They didn’t charge us for any of the cans and bottles of soda and water we have at the mini fridge, because i went downstairs and complain with the manager 😉