Havana, the tourist destination par excellence in Cuba, comprises a large portfolio of leisure options that meets the needs of thousands of visitors.
Tourist options in the country’s capital city include alternatives that range from big hotels, operated by outstanding tourist chains, to small lodging facilities located in Havana’s historic heart.
It is precisely in this area, declared as World Heritage by UNESCO and also known as Old Havana, where visitors can enjoy most of the city’s museums, churches, cultural institutions and buildings which date back to colonial times, including about 33,000 that were built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The company Habaguanex S.A., attached to the Office of the City’s Historian, manages small hotels of Spanish style, that perfectly complement the tourist industry in the island by adding a touch of intimacy and unsophistication that is highly appreciated by visitors.
The emergence of this type of facility, next to hotel giants with hundreds of rooms, aims at rescuing an ancient tradition from times when this type of hotel met the lodging needs in big cities.
Those seeking adventures through the webs of streets and alleys in Old Havana can find a network of small hotels where, behind a façade that seems to have stopped in time, visitors can enjoy all the comforts of modern tourism.
In general, visitors are attracted by the conditions created for a comfortable rest, supported by the peaceful environment in small and cozy halls, next to inner patios filled with plants and a fountain of crystal-clear waters.
Cigar lovers may enjoy their tastes at the Conde de Villanueva, an excellent place in the mansion that belonged to the illustrious nobleman, while El Mesón de la Flota is a reminder of the Cuban position as the key to the gulf during colonial times, with an allegorical marine environment from those times.
In this sense, the Terral hotel, located on the Malecón Avenue, is the newest option which is gaining more customers thanks to the service quality and the cruise-ship effect that guests can enjoy from their rooms.
The 14 rooms at the Terral hotel have a sea view, thus from the bed, visitors can have the sensation of being sailing on a cruise ship; a unique element that contributes a special attraction to the hotel.
Also, outdoor terraces facing the Malecón (seafront) can be used to sunbathe and provide a splendid view, especially during sunset.
The abovementioned options are complemented by the first floor decoration, a design made by the Espacio group whose skilful artisans created light box images of mangrove reflecting on water that resemble the environment of a floating aquarium surrounded by a warm intimate atmosphere.