DESTINATIONS HAVANA CARIBBEAN
do a good job of explaining how rum is made and how making it has formed a massive part of Cuba’s past. Oh, and there are free samples at the end. But Havana’s real charm
comes out at night. And that can mean either bar-hopping through Habana Vieja, taking a sundowner cocktail at La Torre on top of the city’s second-highest building in Vedado, or going to see a cabaret at the Tropicana Club.
w WHERE TO STAY A common theme of Havana’s more famous hotels is grand, opulent lobbies with rooms that are decent enough but don’t quite live up to the lavish displays downstairs. The Iberostar Parque Central is spread over a spectacular colonial building and a newer modern building. Crucially, both have a pool on top, and the property is just on the edge of Habana Vieja, making it ideal for people who prefer to explore on foot. Rooms are solid rather than spectacular,
Some of the famous hotels have opulent lobbies, with rooms that are decent but not quite as lavish
but they’re sizeable. Doubles cost from £106.
Inside Habana Vieja, the options tend to be either fairly rough-and-ready casas particulares (effectively private guesthouses) or boutique-leaning properties inside gorgeous old mansions. The Hotel Santa Isabel is a fine example of the latter, and it’s smack bang on Plaza de Armas. Expect plenty of period touches, air conditioning and a sense of old world grace – but no pool to cool off in when it gets hot. Doubles cost from £77. Many of the other most
interesting hotels are in the Vedado district, a 10-minute cab
ride away from Habana Vieja. The 1930s art deco-style Hotel Nacional was once an infamous mob hangout, and the downstairs terrace bar is brimming with period charm. The room next to it featuring photos of Hollywood greats and world leaders who have stayed there is fabulous too. Doubles cost from £112. The nearby Melia Cohiba
comes closest to stylish modernity, and it borders on high-rise resort territory. The
22-floor hotel has a pool that’s double the size of most in Havana, plus five restaurants on site that offer much-needed variety from the Cuban classics found elsewhere in the city. Half-board prices start at £168.
w MOVING ON Caribbean regulars expecting to be able to take day trips to everywhere of interest from Havana are in for a surprise – Cuba is the biggest Caribbean island
ABOVE: Meliá Cohiba LEFT AND BELOW: Music and vintage cars are key to Cuban culture
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travelweekly.co.uk 10 September 2015
PICTURE: WESTERN & ORIENTAL; INTREPID TRAVEL
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