The hotel is great. Everything that you would expect from a 5 star hotel. That doesn't sound anything special but cuban hotels are generally a little more "lived in" than you would expect from their star rating.

The Parque Central has great facilities, the bedrooms at the front of the hotel have fantastic views over Havana (particularly from the higher floors (they go up to 8).

The pool is amazing and has an incredble view of Havana.

The hotel does isolate you a bit from really being in Cuba (as with most 5 star hotels, you could be in any city in the world) and it charges twice what any other hotel charges (eg 12 pesos for the internet rather than the standard 6) but you do get the service as a result. There is a doctors surgery on site which is handy as I picked up a stomach bug and needed some quick, efficient and clean medical care.

The breakfast buffet is incredible (including sparkling wine !!). The dinner restaurant is fine but over priced. The 2004 lonely planet raves about it but we didn't think it is anything special (and at the prices it needed to be).

The Parque Central has possibly the best location in Havana. It is minutes from Calle del Obispo, the Capitolio building and several other decent bars and restaurants including La Bodeguita del Medio, Hotel Ambos Mundos and The Floridita (all made famous by Ernest Hemingway).

We booked this for our honeymoon as part of a Cuba twin centre through Virgin, as we wanted to experience Havana before relaxing on the beach in Varadero. The highest recommendation I can give is that Virgin and several other airlines use this hotel for their flight crews to rest on stopovers while they are out of hours.

Although the journey from Jose Marti airport was interesting, given that Havana looked to be awash after a recent tropical storm, the clouds soon cleared from the sky and our hearts as we checked in at the Parque Central. We were awarded a room upgrade for being on our honeymoon through Virgin and I must say room 747 was lovely. Clean, spacious, a tremendous view of the park and old Havana, plus a large, clean, bathroom with separate shower cubicle.

The rooftop is out of this world and has amazing 360 degree panoramic views of Havana plus a lovely rooftop cafe and terrace to eat lunch. Speaking of eating, in Havana it is a little hit and miss. I hate to complain, especially as I know the problems and poverty the Cubans suffer in trying to get decent fresh food, but the best meals we had were in the Parque Central and they were nice enough but not knockout.

Havana is an amazing city, the contrasts of western tourists walking around sightseeing and poor locals crammed onto buses and queuing for medical treatment is there for all to see. The glorious architecture, yet crumbling buildings are heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure. I only hope UNESCO can save many more of these wonderful buildings. Although I wouldn’t say Havana suffers from traffic smog, you will notice the pollution in the air and do keep your eyes peeled for animal mess.

My wife and I never felt in danger here, there is a heavy police presence and all the staff in the hotel were welcoming, polite and provided great service. By all means go to the tourist traps to sample cocktails recommended by Hemingway but use local bars where the prices aren't so inflated. I found the Parque Central’s lobby bar to be quite reasonable.

We would definitely recommend a trip to the Tropicana nightclub and show. It does seem expensive but the middle priced seats are very good, plus you get a half bottle of Havana Club rum (with 2 cans of mixers), a cigar, a rose and 2 glasses of champagne per couple. Also, if you book to eat there you get a 3 course traditional Cuban meal for only 10 CUC’s extra. Book a taxi from your hotel and arrange to pay him after he picks you up from the Tropicana, that way you don’t have a problem getting one when the place empties, and avoid weekends, it gets booked solid by cruise ships.

Lastly keep your I.D on you (passport with tourist visa in). I was stopped for some reason and thankfully my pigeon Spanish plus look of bewilderment seemed to persuade the local police officer not to question me further. In summary I would highly recommend Havana, especially while Castro is still in power. It does seem to be in some amazing time warp, I only hope if the Cuban people experience freedom, they don’t ruin their city by succumbing to the over-development that maybe offered by capitalist countries waiting in the wings.

Such a fantastic, 5 star hotel. Beautiful room, great and friendly staff, efficient money changing facility at a good rate, lovely food, particularly the amazing breakfast buffet, a nice lobby vibe-people on business but mainly lots of rum drinking tourists.

Also in the heart of old Havana and walking distance to the main sights.
I cant credit it enough, one of the best hotels Ive ever stayed in and as for the rooftop pool/bar /view...WOW!

Stay nowhere else in the city.

My girlfriend and I had a very enjoyable week at the Parque Central in Havana at the end of October '06.
The location of the hotel is spot on and the staff are very friendly and helpful.
This isn't the prettiest of hotels from the outside, and inside, you could be anywhere (if that is important, would suggest the Raquel or the Sevilla). However, inside, the rooms are spacious and the bathrooms are really well appointed. If you have a room with a balcony on the front as we did, the views over the square and of the Capitolio and Museo de Belle Artes are fantastic (although the square is busy and the band at the Inglaterra are audible on most nights, so beware if you're a light sleeper).
The bar on the roof is a nice touch and a great place for a mojito as the sun goes down. The pool is not the biggest (it's bigger at the Sevilla), but what a great place to unwind in the afternoon after a morning's sightseeing (provided the Virgin cabin crews who use the hotel haven't bagged the best seats).
Breakfast is a real tour de force - the choice and quality is excellent fruit, cereal, cooked meats, cheeses, cakes- Cava if you want it, eggs/omelettes cooked according to taste. You really could eat enough to last the whole day!
The bar near the foyer is also OK (service in Havana on the whole isn't great). They certainly mix great cocktails,and it seems to open later than anywhere else we came across in Havana (don't expect a late night city). Drinks in the hotel bar aren't cheap (they are half the price in the Telegafo over the road, but it doesn't have the quality feel that the Parque Central has).
Couple of minor niggles - had to ask twice for extra pillows and the shower gel/shampoo only replaced once, tissue box not replaced and at the end of the week the loo roll ran out - it is a 5 star hotel, so these things shouldn't be rationed.
Minor niggles aside, if your looking for a well located, well appointed hotel with lots of facilities, then this place is hard to beat.