I stayed at this hotel for two nights after Christmas. I asked the agent for a good location, as I wanted to explore Havana on foot, and this hotel is certainly good for getting around old & central Havana. The room was adequate, but had an unpleasant smell, that I could only liken to cat's pee! No hot water for the two days I was there. With the exception of two members of (male) staff, the staff were either rude or disinterested. The food in the buffet rooftop restaurant was basic. Breakfast was included but dinner was extra - don't bother with the dinner, you can get better and cheaper elsewhere. The staff in the ground floor restaurants need a lesson in customer service, but the Pizza was the best (and cheapest) I've had outside of Italy! I don't think anyone would be particularly impressed with anthing this hotel has to offer other than it's location. Next door is the Parque Central, probably more expensive but may be worth the extra! If you don't have high expectations, this hotel might be enough for you, on the basis that you don't spend much time in your room when in Havana! Tip: if you go to Club Tropicana, keep your amera in your bag otherwise a nasty little man comes round and demands money for using it, despite the expensive entrance fee!

I have been to many hotels in Cuba over the years and this is by far the worst. This hotel has a great history and was probably a beautiful hotel during its prime (albert Einstein stayed here), but now it is old and has been obviously mismanaged. The room I stayed in smelled of old mold and did not have hot water. In fact, on my last day, the hot water tap did not even have pressure. The price at the front desk was approx $160 USD!!! The breakfast buffet was bland and cold, but did have a nice view of havana from the top floor. The best part of this hotel was that it was located next to a fairly nice hotel so that I walk over and get a decent cup of coffee and service. I highly discourage anyone from going to this hotel.

On my last night in Havana after a few days in Trinidad I had trouble finding a room and ended up staying at the Hotel Plaza and was disappointed.

The hotel is located across the street from the NH Parque Central Hotel and in a great old building. But the building has not been well maintained and it shows.

I had to switch rooms several times due to various problems (no running water, no a/c, window missing glass, electricity constantly shorted, etc.) but finally found a room that was very comfortable. It had a window a/c unit and two twin beds. The room was very clean and comfortable.

Breakfast is served on the roofdeck with a view of the Parque Central and Capital as well as the water. The breakfast buffett was good!

There was no internet service, business or fitness center, and the hotel seemed to attract a lot of smokers who smoked everywhere.

If possible, request a room on the inside of the hotel to avoid much of the street noise that comes from the outside of the hotel.

I found the front desk staff very helpful (especially given my multiple room changes!) although the check-out process was outrageously slow.

I've read some of the other reviews of this hotel on Tripadvisor and agree with many of them. I have traveled to several developing countries and by no means is this the worst hotel I've seen. However, it was the worst that I experienced in Havana.

I would suggest you look at the Hotel Telegrafo as an alternative. It is about the same price as the Hotel Plaza, and I found it to be a much cleaner and nicer property with much larger and more comfortable rooms. And it is located on the other corner of the Parque Central.

I stayed at this hotel 2 times 11/05 and 6/06 so please forgive me for blending my experience into one review. I'm an American nurse so I'm able to travel to Cuba under strict guidelines. 11/05 was not as hot so the mold/mildew was not as noticable. 11/05 was my 1st trip to Cuba so I could only compare with other caribbean destinations. By the next trip I quickly realized that Cuba was in a league all it's own. Was able to get a hot shower on both trips consistently. I enjoyed the breakfast ritual on the rooftop. Fresh food items are the best and the cafe con leche was good. Overall, the staff was friendly and helpful, you're always going to find 1 or 2 that don't meet your expectations.
On the 6/06 trip, of course it was much hotter so the mold/mildew was everywhere. I asked to change rooms it was so bad. The 2nd room was worse and I could hardly sleep. The rooms on the 2nd floor were really bad. The beds were small and hard, sank in the middle. Did not have the priviledge of seeing any bugs. Doors were hard to open/close because the wood expands/contracts with the heat.
Overall, the 6/06 trip was not as good as the 11/05 trip. Just watch the checkout bill but you should do that anywhere you stay. We would buy water/snacks at the local store to avoid using too much of the hotel stuff. Bring snacks with you. and toilet paper. Location is excellent of course.