Havana, the Cuban capital and the country's major tourist destination, is gaining ground in the leisure industry, thanks to the varied options it offers to thousands of foreign vacationers who visit the city every year.

The development strategy includes the remodeling of emblematic facilities to improve accommodation and recreation.

In that regard, the Capri Hotel, in the Havana neighborhood of El Vedado, has undergone thorough restoration works to improve its facilities and services.

The famous 19-story, 250-room hotel and its former casino (the Salon Rojo today) were designed by Cuban architect José Cánaves in 1956.

The Capri Hotel is located near the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, which is considered a key element in Cuba's hotel elite and was declared Humankind's Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1982.

The Hotel Nacional de Cuba also ranks among the world's top ten Palace Hotels and was the only five-star hotel in the Caribbean region from the 1930s to the 1950s.

Located on the coastal salient of Punta Brava, on the hill of Taganana, nearly at the end of the San Lazaro cove, the hotel was built on the place where the Santa Clara Battery, a part of the Cuban capital's defensive system, was located and of which some vestiges are still visible.

The hotel's 457 rooms, including 15 suites and a presidential suite, accommodated world-famous Mexican artists such as Mario Moreno (Cantinflas), Pedro Vargas, Tin Tan and María Félix.

In addition, the streets of Havana's historic heart treasure several exponents of Spanish-colonial architecture, which have become major attractions to visitors.

Cultural and historic facilities, businesses and hotels are part of an offer that those who choose Havana to spend their vacations will never forget.

In that background, there are unique lodging facilities such as the Conde de Villanueva Hotel, run by the company Habaguanex S.A., and devoted to the cult of Havana cigars, one of Cuba's most famous products worldwide.

At the Hotel del Tejadillo, 17 of its 32 rooms (including two suites) have their own kitchen, so guests can prepare their food.

Another unique facility is the Hotel Los Frailes, which was designed as a Medieval monastery and offers 22 air-conditioned rooms, including four minisuites, and a small bar-cafeteria that resembles a tavern from that period.

Another major facility in Old Havana is the Telegrafo Hotel, which was inaugurated in 1885 and has become a singular attraction for visitors since the 19th century, as it is located across from prestigious establishments from that period and was one of the best 11 hotels in Latin America.