We stayed at the Parque Central on two occasions during our trip to Cuba. Our hotel room was excellent. The hotel is very well located and we would not hesitate to recommend it to others. We found all the staff were helpful. Both concierges helped us with several queries in a friendly and efficient manner (Thank you both), bar staff pleasant - some better than others. The hotel felt safe and secure. Breakfast buffet excellent however, slightly disappointed with the evening restaurants.
When we hopefully return to Havana in the future the Parque Central will definitely be our pit stop!

I'll start with my background as everone is individual, traveling from diferent locations and with different expectations. I did my research and new what to expect. However, I went to the Parque Central as a woman in my early 30's traveling by myself- which as I found out was not the best thing to be doing in Havana. I live in Grand Cayman, BWI and work in the tourism industry in a hotel.

The Parque Central itself was very good. EXCELLENT location, beautiful lobby, bars, exceptional pool on the roof (if extremely cold!) and a jaccuzi which would have been nice if the water had been warm with all of the jets working! Rooftop views are spectacular overlooking the Capitol building and the sea. Yes the sunbeds are a little tired- but this is Cuba and not the USA! Eveything takes time as any Carribean country knows..

Rooms are very good with beautiful bathrooms, TV and mini bar (watch out for the prices!) The lobby bar was good (barstaff not realy talkative, except Michael who was by far the most outstanding and helpful bartender), but under renavation when I was there, having the floor re-sanded and varnished. It was not a good place to meet people to talk! Most occupants turned out to be couples, small groups, and airline empoyees. I felt quite lonely.
But yes, I did meet some lovely people, and and as a result, found that there actually are some very good resteraunts in Havana- the food is generally exellent and no way near as bad as everone says. If you want burger and chips, stay at home (although the Parque Central does do them..!)

When I arrived, I was given a room overlooking a noisy building site with a crane, but reception quickly swapped me for a park view. Very nice, but my only (very) minor complaint was that the room was musty and the carpet was in need of a good clean! Maids and room service was very good though, appart from one night my dinner took 2 1/4 hours to arrive! I'm sure this was a one off... I travelled with a company called Habanatour. You will see them around. Not good at all. I was supposed to be staying with breakfast and dinner included, and due to their error (rectified 3 hours before departure)I I missed out on several evening meals. This was no great loss however, as I found some much cheeper, good food elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, the Parque Central food is excellent, but I would not pre-book dinner there every night again. There is too much to explore!
Don't miss the market near the cathedral (BEAUTIFUL part of town) with some good bargins. I was looking at a 120 paso painting and got it for 70!
I also took the trip to the Cigar factory, mountains and a boat trip in the caves which was a very long day but excellent! Loved the caves!
Yes, you will get hassled. Not as badly as Turkey or Egypt, but you will be- especially if you are a woman on your own. But no, I never felt threatened. Expect to tip, and tip A LOT! Yes, it is a poor county, but I spent a lot and I wasn't being extravagent.
Working in the tourism industry myself, I found that most of the people were excellent here in the hotel, but some of them were quite rude at times if you have a problem- maybe it was just the language barrier?
By the way, three pointers. Don't drink the tap water (get large bottles from over the road from the hotel), and everyone says take snacks. You don't need to! Especially if you have the FABULOUS Parque central breakfast with EVERYTHING included- including champagne! And thirdly, DON'T buy cigars on the street. You need a receipt to bring them back.
Would I return to the Parque Central itself? Yes- I think it is probabaly the best hotel in Havana. Cuba? I don't know. Polluted and poor, with collapsing buildings. But it was what I expected and it was deffinately a change for me! Please feel free to email me with any questions at TanithRobson@aol.com.

We stayed at the NH Parque Central for 3 nights in mid-March, as part of our Havana/Varadero package holiday.

Our room was large and soundproof, overlooking the Parque and Capitolio. The little balcony was a great place to watch the city come to life in the mornings.

Excellent location - in the heart of Central Havana and on the edge of Old Havana.

Buffet breakfasts very good. Service in the lobby bar was not lacking - so has improved since earlier posts on this topic.

After a long day treking in the city, the rooftop bar was a great place to cool off with a nightcap.

If you are thinking about spending a few days in Havana as part of your Cuban vacation, we highly recommend it! What an amazing city. We'd trade a couple of our beach days for 2 more days in Havana for sure.

Any questions, feel free to e-mail.

The Parque Central Hotel has been renovated to beyond what I would have thought Cuba hotels could be! The room was large, clean and bathrooms are very modern. The rooms have sound proof windows that block the noise of the busy streets below. Bring a clock for the room though! You may end up sleeping past the day! The food at the hotel was reasonably priced, excellent quality and the service wonderful. A matter of fact service was top notch! The pool and bar on the roof top has a spectacular view of the city. A spa and Gym is located on the top also. Enjoyed a wonderful message. The location was in walking distance of the National, International and Revolution Museum. El Floridita -Hemingway bar and restaurant was a block away...and many more wonderful sites. I will definately be returning to this hotel.