The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is probably the most famous of Havana hotels and stands atop a small cliff, with spectacular views of the ocean and Havana. This 442 rooms and eight story hotel has been declared World Heritage by UNESCO and is a Cuban National Monument.
Placed in a centric junction of the Vedado neighborhood, this "grande dame" hotel was designed by the same architects (Mckim, Mead & White) who designed The Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, which it closely resembles.
The hotel is nestled into a Spanish style neoclassical building, sober and elegant, which has hosted a long list of celebrities since 1930, when it was opened, as it is witnessed in its Hall of Fame.
Luminaries from Winston Churchill and the Prince of Wales to Marlon Brando have laid their heads here.
From the palm-lined drive you access to a Palladian porch that opens to the lobby, sumptuously adorned with dark precious woods and Mudejar patterned tiles, and beyond it, the U shaped terrace surrounds the entry to the palm-shaded lawns of the garden toward the Malecon, inviting to take a Mojito break.
The "Comedor de Aguiar" restaurant is noteworthy, and the Cabaret Parisien is one of the hottest in town. The top-floor cocktail lounge offers a magical view of Havana and the lobby bar offers a yellowing collage of luminaries who have graced the hotel.
This is a unique hotel to capture the class of the past and present glamour and traditions of Havana.
