We stayed at this Hotel for 4 days prior to moving on to Varadero. After a 3 hour delay at the airport and a 10 hour flight we arrived tired, grumpy and sceptical as to the state of our Hotel. The 2.5 hour journey from Varadero airport took us through many different landscapes from lush vegitation to almost slum housing conditions...we were very concerned to say the least. How wrong we were...this Hotel is great. It's centrally located for almost everything you need to see. Our room was large, airy and clean. Breakfast was fabulous, with everything you could want from eggs, different breads, fruit, cold meats etc. Too tired to venture out on the evening of our arrival, we ate in the Hotel bar and had 2 very good meals.
Havana has to be seen before it changes. Old 50's cars are everywhere and the atmosphere of the place is contageous. Locals are friendly and keen to speak to you...we never once felt intimidated or threatened. If you do take a taxi either modern or 50's, go for a blue number plate as these are government registered and easier to agree a price. Yellow number plates are privately owned and you'll need to negotiate a price before your journey begins. I'm so glad we decided to do Havana as part of our holiday. Those heading straight to the beach resorts from the airport are missing out on a piece of history that gets under your skin.

Stayed at the NH for 6 nights over a 2 week period and we used it as a base to travel around Cuba. Having read the reviews it was exactly what we expected: clean big rooms, international high quality standards, staff lack the vibrant Cuban character, but polite and helpful. Breakfast was really great - Carlos the omlette guy made great eggs, and enjoyed sparkly wine for breakfast. Great pool on the top floor which has great views too. Only two things we weren't happy about: 1. Full of airline staff who can be a little stuffy, and we asked for an iron and it seemed a big problem - they were trying to get us to use the hotel laundry service!

One thing we would have changed is to try one of the other cuban styled hotels for a night or two, like the National or Ambos Mundos.

For cheap good pizzas go to the hotel next door - I think it's call the Hotel Plaza.

Booked this hotel because of the reviews on here and stayed here for 3 nights, 13-15 April.

Our room was not ready when we arrived so we had a drink and a snack in the lobby. Yes, the service was a tiny bit slower than you'd expect but nothing to grumble about and we were on holiday and so were in no rush!

We were in Room 602 and it was much better than we expected. Really spacious, WORKING airconditioning, huge bathroom and a nice firm bed and a great view of Parque Central and the Capolito from the balcony. Many channels on the television too. We had asked for a quiet room and once the balcony door was shut, we heard barely a peep from outside or from the other rooms. The room was cleaned to a high standard daily and notes and chocolates were left on our pillows by the staff. We had taken some toilettries etc to leave behind when we checked out and I was glad that we had.

The location of the hotel is ideal, pretty much at the top of Obispo and just in front of Bar Monseratte which was my favourite bar that we visited. I could not drink as I am pregnant, but the barman gave me a can of "Malta" and told me all about how beneficial it would be for breastfeeding! There are also lots of taxis outside the hotel so finding one is never a problem. There is a shop opposite that sells small bottles of water that fit in the minibar for 0.85 pesos instead of the hotel's 3 peso price. There is parking right outside the hotel if needed.

Did not use the hotel pool but went up to have a look, and it was perfect, the view was amazing and the pool and bar areas seemed very popular. The pool was a good size and you could access it by a separate lift up to the 9th floor.

Special thanks fo the bellboy and the concierge (not Leonardo, but the one with the glasses on - although Leonardo was ok too) who were so helpful and friendly to us the whole time and arranged taxis and restaurant bookings and maps etc for us about 3 times a day!

Very rude woman in the hotel's tour/trip booking room at the back of the lobby, we didnt even want to speak to her, we wanted to speak to the car rental man behind her, but she was rude from the outset before we had even opened our mouths! Unneccessary - she was the only offish person we encountered in our whole stay in Havana.

Breakfast was a dream - we stayed in an NH Hoteles hotel in Bilbao and the breakfast there too was incredible. There was even red, white and rose wine on offer! Also a violinist who roved around the tables and chatted to you as he played, and an egg counter where you could have any type of egg cooked to order. There were also chips(!), pastries, cereals, cold meats and cheeses, a load of different types of bread, congri rice, a good selection of fresh fruit, hot and cold items etc. We did not need a bit lunch!

All in all a great stay, a much better hotel than the second port of call on our trip (Breezes Jibacoa) and excellent, friendly service, really central location - would definitely stay in this hotel again above any other in Havana!

The Hotel Parque Central is a good hotel for wheelchair users. There is level access into the hotel, no unnecessary steps, lifts to all of the floors, wide doors, spacious rooms, good access in the main restaurant and no shortage of staff who are able and willing to assist. There are a number of adapted rooms with roll-in showers, bath seats and grab-rails (although the hotel had no shower-chairs). The roof-top pool is fully accessible, although only 1 lift goes all the way to the pool area. There are no steps from the lift to the edge of the pool.

We would endorse most of the positive comments about the Hotel Parque Central. It is well located, within easy walking distance of most of the sites in the old town. Great breakfasts and a calm, pleasant atmosphere.

If you are thinking of bringing a powered wheelchair to Havana, think again. You'd have no problems in the Parque Central Hotel; some of the museums have good access (particularly the main Art Gallery, the Automobile Museum is ok); some restaurants would be accessible. But getting about is the main problem. The simple technological invention - the dropped kerb - is barely known in Havana, and even rarer to find two dropped kerbs that match up across a road. The kerbs are very high so that most wheelchair kerb-risers would struggle. Portable ramps would be essential and would be well-used. The roads have potholes and pavements are uneven with holes and broken slabs. There is no accessible transport (at least we didn't find any).

But with a manual wheelchair (and a helper(s) to get you up the frequent steps, avoid the potholes and get you in and out of taxis), pretty much everything is possible. And it is a fascinating city.