Hotel Nacional De Cuba
Prestige, Elegance And Style

This magnificent 5-star hotel is both distinguished and stylish. The Nacional is as remarkable for its history as it is for the superb location that it resides on.

The eight-floor Spanish style property rises on a hill top overlooking the Malecon (Havana's waterfront boulevard) affording its guests and visitors panoramic vistas of both the old town and the Vedado district. Once a site for pirate landings and a Cuban stronghold during Havana’s one-year siege by the British, the majestic gardens that surround the hotel are a formidable and welcoming spot to relax after a day of sightseeing and a perfect place to enjoy a drink while taking in the breathtaking view of the Caribbean.

Situated in the heart of Havana’s Vedado district (view map), the Nacional’s hill-top setting amongst regal gardens overlooking the broad expanse of the Malecon is without a doubt one of its most attractive features. Old Havana is a short taxi ride away and the Gato Tuerto and La Zorra y el Cuervo Bolero and Jazz club respectively are virtually right next door. The Habana Libre hotel with its abundant entertainment including the famous Turquino Nightclub are a few blocks away, as is the Hotel Capri’s Salon Rojo Cabaret. A first class restaurant (The Monsignor) is across the street.

A well-dressed porter welcomes guests at the entrance of a long soaring lobby where the hotel’s luxurious and aristocratic ambience immediately strikes the eye (the eclectic combination of Moorish tile work, Elizabethan chandeliers and ceiling beams, recalling a medieval church, may help explain why world-renowned Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier once referred to the edifice as an “enchanted castle”).

The lobby, often teeming with visitors and tour groups, coupled with the busy bar that lies just beyond the doors that open onto the gardens, gives one the feeling of a hotel that never sleeps. With its six bars and a well-known cabaret, the hotel is also a setting for live Son performances, aquatic spectacles and even occasional fashion shows. Not to mention that it's the venue for the Havana International Film Festival in December when one is likely to spot renowned figures of Cuba’s culture and art scene and even the occasional Hollywood star.

The Nacional, however, is not aimed exclusively at night owls or entertainment seekers. A well-equipped business centre, a currency exchange service, nine meeting rooms (including the spacious Taganana Hall used for press conferences), translation services and an entire executive floor with express check-in and cyber cafe accommodate the business traveler or the congress participant alike.

Boasting a guest list crammed with such personalities as Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Keaton and illustrious figures like Winston Churchill and the Duke of Windsor, the Hotel Nacional’s restored and welcoming accommodations are a window to a bygone era of class and distinction.

Click here or on any of the images on this page to see a photo gallery of this magnificent hotel.

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