We had spent 3 weeks driving around Cuba, originally staying in Hotel Florida and thought we would spend the last two nights in style at Hotel Nacional.

Arrived by car, no one opens the main door to the Hotel or helps you with luggage unless you are suited and booted. Reception staff exceptional, building is competely sriking but as soon as you leave the lobby and get to your room, disappointing, filthy stained carpets, very standard bathrooms and comletely characterless. Room service pathetic, 50 minutes to wait for a club sandwich, as apparently they take much longer to make than normal sandwiches!!!!! Buffet breakfast appauling, like eating with Vultures, Tiny area servicing huge capaicty of clients. Pool by buffet filthy and depressing looking. Main pool nice and great sauna/steam rooms. Parisien Cabaret is ok but not as flambouyant as Tropicana. The hotel is in an area full of nothing, only good thing is location for car hire depots, otherwise go to Nacional to visit for tea or coffee on the patio but not worth the money to stay here

David, Stalin, Annie and Philippe

A Hotel with a fantastic architecture and gardens and lobby. It is a good hotel for 2 nights in the maximum. The environment is pleasant but the employees are bad and always á waits of money. The rooms are reasonable but a little old and dirty. The restaurant is bad in European food, but good Cuban food. The swimming pool is good and clean. To pass 2 nights I recommend this hotel, It's a little moved away from the center but not very

The hotel is gorgeous. A bit of a commute to Old Havana (where all the action is) but still a very nice location, lots of facilities, nice selection of restaurants (best one is overlooking the Malecon where you get the most amazing spit pork). However, the rooms are very dated and worn and you don't get a good flavour for the city from the hotel. I would recommend this place for a meal/drink but you are better of staying in Old Havana and be closer to everything.

Yes the prices on the property are high and sometimes the air-conditioning leaves something to be desired, the staff expect tips and other complaints I read in some reviews. But make no mistake about the Nacional; it is the historic destination of choice, business deals are made and you may not know it but a percentage of those in the building are a whose who of the performing artist in Cuba. The rooms on the inside facing the courtyard are by far the best and the 4th and 7th floor have the best Air Conditioning. This hotel is the pride of the people and I attribute its somewhat failing infrastructures to the U.S. embargo. Most every hotel in Havana suffers from this malady. Say what you may but there is only one hotel in Havana - The Hotel Nacional!
JA Ensminger