Recently stayed at this grand old lady. At first we had a large room with two twin beds and a roll-away double......we asked to be moved and were shown to a room overlooking the ocean on the front side of the hotel with a queen size bed. While the hotel is perhaps not five star, it certainly is very clean and comfortable with a lovely old world feel, the breakfast buffet was good and catered to the mainly European market, but plenty to choose from. We had three days there and were fortunate to see a group performance with several members of the Bona Vista Social Club. Also the show at the Parisian Cabaret was fabulous, can definitely recommend the meal and show package, we loved our Cuban experience and the Hotel was definitely part of it.

I stayed in this hotel for 3nights from 16th March 2008. Check in was appalling - it took over 1 hr - stadning in long queues after a long flight is no joke. The reception staff were unhelpful and disorganised. There appeared to be only one on duty with one to supervise. The cashiers were surly and unhelpful sending me from one counter to another.

The bedroom was shabby.

That aside this is a lovely old hotel. Do not expect English 5* but accept it for what it is - an elegant old lady.

The dinner served in the main dining room was excellent - and inexpensive. The Churchill Bar serves delicious cocktails. The shops are well run and the staff there pleasant.

Cuba has a special currency for tourists - which can only be exchanged for cash - they take Euros and Stirling. Hotel rates were good - the Nacional's being better than the Airport. You pay a 11.5% surcharge for using credit cards and very few places are prepared to accept them.

Items that we take for granted are luxuries for the Cubans. They appreciate soap, shampoo, lipstick and the schools need pencils and biros - you can wander into the schools in Havana Old Town and hand them to the teachers.

Firstly the good bits:

Good location, 5 mins from Malecon.
Good sized rooms, mostly with great view over ocean. Very big beds.
Looks great from outside and quite nice in lobby area. Dark wood beams and tiled floor.
Pleasant external drinking patio and armchairs.
Staff generally pleasant.
Drinks prices are reasonable


Not so good bits:
Very slow check in and check out. You cannot leave until you get a check out slip.
Breakfast is very poor and dining area shabby. There is no organisation. Cutlery is grimey and I had a knife that must have been used to remove wheel hubs.
Ground floor Dining Restaurant was also very cold to the point that guests wore coats and food was again quite poor in delivery.
Bedrooms are very tired and bathrooms are very dated with tiny shower heads and dripping taps. Be careful of the electrical appliances, they often only just hang on to the wall.
All public areas around bedrooms are very dated and worn.


Summary:
You can easily read old and dated as "charm" but if this is the best hotel in Havana, god help the rest.

You are only paying for the privilage of staying at what was once a grand hotel, it isn't that any longer. The Parque Central looked much better than this although I suspect most hotel food in Havana is quite basic & poor.

This is average in all honesty but you can say you stayed there.

Tip: most people around the city are very friendly but you will be hassled a bit if they know you speak English. They will want to take you on their own tour of the backstreets to see the real Cuba (they are often prohibited from going into the tourist areas themselves). We did wander with a local and had no real problems, but do expect to be taken to a bar for a drink and to leave a tip for your guide. You will learn a lot in the hour or so you spend with them. You will get to see the real markets and cultures of the system by venturing a few streets off the beaten track. We did go in daylight.

Be polite but firm with hasslers.

We found that being Welsh was a great advantage as no one knew where Wales is or how we spoke so they left us alone when we rambled in a non descript language. Be prepared to be assessed by the design of your trainers and the brand of your watch. You will be asked the time quite a lot.

If you are staying in Havana the Nacional Hotel is a really good choice. Located just out of the centre on the waterfront ( The Malecon).
History oozes from every corner. Rooms are very comfortable. We had an executive room on the 6th floor which was quiet and spacious and had a partial waterfront view. Bathroom was a bit dated and quite small but the rest of the room was large enough and tastefully decorated.

Not sure how our room differed from other floors, but we had our own check in on the 6th floor and breakfast was also served on the 6th floor (far from the madding crowd) which suited us.

One day we came back to our room at 4pm and our room hadn't been cleaned but was done once requested.

Bars were great, make sure you go to the bar with the photos of famous guests on the ground floor. This bar was a quiet haven from the outdoor bar. The mojitos were excellent and if you are after a non alcoholic drink the natural lemonade was superb.

Top tip don't take a taxi from the front of the hotel. Walk to the end of the hotel drive way and use the taxis there as they are much cheaper.
We didn't visit the tunnels as we didn't know about them until we were leaving, but other guests were impressed so if you have time try to do this.

Safety deposit box costs 3 CUC per day however this applies even in the presidential suite.

Overall a great hotel, good location and would stay there again.