January 2008. Stayed at Parque Central for the last few days of a trip to Havana and Varadero. This is an excellent hotel, with discreet service, well mannered and helpful staff. The food was good, the room was nice, good bathroom with everything you needed. Bonus was the roof top pool; very nice to get a swim at the end of a sightseeing day. Totally satisfied.

We couldn't get into the Parque Central for the four nights of our Havana stay, so booked the Hotel Ingleterra for the first night then moved to PC.

I was very happy about that!

The PC is a true 4/5 star by western standards, large modern rooms and bathrooms, bathrobes, safe, toiletries, TV with plenty of (american and spanish) channels and good air-con.

The breakfast in particular was excellent with a range of hot and cold buffet - pretty much everything you could think of - and eggs cooked to order - it could keep you going all day. My only tip here is if you drink tea to BYO tea bags as they only do camomile/fruit teas.

The rooftop pool is lovely and a I had great massage - at 25CUC for an hour how could you say no?

We had a fifth floor room which overlooked the park. I had requested a 5th or higher room with balcony when booking on the internet (following a suggestion by another reviewer), and so presume that my request was granted. This is definitely a worthwhile request as there are a lot of inwards facing rooms (facing into a large courtyard), and the streets outside are pretty busy and noisy (though the soundproofing is excellent).

We paid EUR119 for a double (king/super king bed) including breakfast.

By contrast, the Ingleterra rooms were more like 2/3 stars by western standards, and the breakfast was very 'local'. We paid EUR79 for a double with breakfast.

If you're happy to spend the extra cash, I'd take the Parque Central any day.

Great location, easy walk around Habana Vieja and loads of transport options (taxis, cocotaxis (like an auto-rickshaw/tuk tuk), horse and cart, bicycle rickshaw) close by to get everywhere else.

My Havana tip is to grab a cocotaxi to Vedado, have a drink in the beautiful lawns of the Hotel Nacionale, then another drink/snack or lunch on the top floor of Edificio FOCSA - fantastic views from the 39th floor!

Stayed at Parque Central as a three day prelude to a beach holiday. Through business and leisure I have stayed at some wonderful hotels, this is up there with the best. In view of the rest of the city and ir's culture probably ranks as the best. It has all been said before but a couple of pointers to asist travellers.
Ask for a high floor seven or above the views are spectacular. The food in the hotel(both restaraunt and bar meals) are far superior to the so called best restaraunts in the city. If you have opportunity take an hour out and relax by the pool. Compared to the touristy places no more expensive for drinks. Avoid the taxis carts and offers of tours stroll everywhere city is safe and friendly by day and evening. Try the nearby local bars in the streets called O'Rielly and Obispo that have local bands, they're cheap friendly and great fun. Bring your own currency there is a 11 per cent surcharge on travellers cheques and credit cards even if not connected to USA. Exchange cash at the banks better rate than Hotels, enough banks as you stroll around.

My daughter and I stayed at the Parque Central January 2 to January 6. We were delighted with our rooms: large, clean, nicely furnished, and the hotel compared favourably in all respects with any we have stayed at in the U.S. and Canada.

The location was perfect for walking around the Old City. Minutes from the Capitolio and the National Theatre, where we lucked into tickets for the world-renowned Ballet Nacional. Around the corner to the Prado where, on a Saturday afternoon, we looked at dozens of outdoor art exhibits on our way to the Malecon, the market and the Cathedral Square. Across the park to Obispo, where we did the 'Hemingway thing' at La Floridita. (A 6 peso daquiri, but worth the visit to say we were there and get one's photo taken with an arm around Ernie's bronze shoulders). What you can't see by walking around the area you can see on a City bus tour, which picks up at the hotel.

The only advice I would provide to others is to change some money at the airport when you arrive. You can change money at the hotel but it seems that a flood of people arrives early afternoon, many of them without any CUCs, which can mean long waits at the exchange office, which isn't open continuously through the day (or wasn't when we went there).

All in all, the Parque Central was the right choice for us. We would recommend it to others.