The location is great, but do not expect a standard of a room as you would somewhere else for the same price. The interior is quite ran down and it seems, that no maintenance is not considered important. Their is lack of service and the management seems to be doing just the minimal to keep the hotel functioning, no amenities are supplied, the towel service is minimal, and the credit card terminal is not functioning and the front desk people have not much interest in offering information services. But what to except from a system, where no initiative or personal effort is honored...Overall, this is the standard one has to accept in governmental managed hotels in Cuba..

stayed here for one night and it was lovely.

Not the best for all the extras- swimming pools etc but we only wanted somewhere to stay for the night and then explore cuba and this was great.

Rooms were lovely and huge.

There was a paino bar downstairs which went on till one in the morning and was great to expereince some cuban dancing. Although they didn't seem to welcome tourists dancing.

Breakfast was not good but again we went out afterwards and ate in town.

For havana- try the little side places to eat- some of the more popular ones were charging £10 for a burger!

For cigars- apart for the tour- the concierge offered us some which were great! this is much more common than we thought. some people bought them of the our tour guide and the factory.
so ask around before buying them from the shop- just be aware that if you take more than 23 each- they might ask to see a receipt.

Have fun.

Great big hotel with great staff. Breakfast not so great and had spillages everywhere and even hair of plates. Just one thing to watch out for is make sure you take a taxi to the hotel or be prepared to walk like we did as our coach could not enter the narrow streets. The currency exchange place is just across the road and it's a lovely central location. Enjoy...!

August 2006. After reading previous reviews, I’m apt to think the writers stayed in another hotel. Flies in the butter? Nonsense! If this ever happened I’m sure it was one of those occasions that you find in the best of hotels. The Florida is a charming intimate place with just 25 rooms. Despite that, it is of gigantic proportions. We stayed in a suite which was enormous, the balcony was at least 20 feet long (we were on the corner). The ceiling height must have been 20 odd feet (see the photo). If you want to be churlish you could say that the suites are a little sparse as regards furniture and equipment (but you do get 2 T.V.s and terrific, quiet air conditioning). This is Cuba- the friendly people try very hard and willingly give you what they have. During our stay there was a towel shortage, so we had just one towel each- big deal! Reception staff were charming and obliging at all times. Thank-you again Ariel for your attention. The in-house tour rep was also charming and extremely helpful.

If you’re going to Cuba for gourmet food you might be disappointed. However, the Florida does boast a very good restaurant. Breakfast (7.30 till 10) was buffet style (hot and cold) with ham, cheese, egg, lots of tropical fruit, slightly toasted bread and rolls, small sandwiches, cakes and pastries and much more. If you want an omelette or ham n’ eggs, etc., ask- they’ll cook it for you in a trice at no extra cost. Sometimes the cabinets were a little bare and one had to wait a few minutes for items to be refreshed- big deal (again). Go early for the best result. To drink were teas, coffee, milk (hot or cold) and a selection of juices. The whole presentation was spotlessly clean- we saw the waiter even cleaning the surfaces in the evening in a spare moment. We didn’t try the 24hr room service but looking at the price list, it appears to be a bargain (though mini bar prices were a little dear).

We found the restaurant to be perfectly fine and not worth the walk to try and find better; prices are very reasonable and there is a lovely ambiance. A piano player turns up 7 pm or so some evenings (ask him to play some ‘Lecuona’ instead of the usual Abba and his eyes will light up), service was fine- some waiters were more helpful than others. We had a great beefsteak, the chicken was a little undercooked so 9 and a half out of 10. If you ask for non local vegetables (e.g. green beans) you’ll likely get tinned ones- think tropical. I’d say we ate very well for £12 a head or so including a well iced French Chardonney (local wine is an acquired taste!). We skipped starter & sweet. Prices outside Havana Old Town (e.g. Miramar) are far less, so the adventurous might eat for half the prices stated.

The hotel locality may be regarded by some to be a little decrepit, especially if (like us) you turn up after midnight when you won’t see Old Havana (the clue is in the name) at its best. But with a policeman literally on every corner you won’t ever be insecure. The streets by day buzz with activity- you can peep into open windows and see Cuban Life or maybe see tiny businesses selling little sweets, ice creams, small titbits to eat or maybe little nick nack souvenirs. Have some National Currency (CUP) handy (no more than 50 CUP in 5s and 10s will be fine- less than £1) to buy these very Cuban things. At the moment 24 Peso CUP = 1 Peso CUC (Convertible Peso) You don’t have to bother- CUC is accepted everywhere, but it is fun!

Hotel Florida is inaccessible to coaches. MAKE SURE OF YOUR TRANSFERS, do not accept transfer to/ from another hotel if offered. When we arrived in Havana we were transferred to the Hotel Parque Centrale and had to get a taxi the last 1km or so. We had no problems claiming back the 2 Pesos fare from the holiday Co., but it should have been better organised. Outward bound a nice minibus was provided to take us direct to the airport (it pays to complain). In conclusion, super hotel highly recommended, I rate it 4.5 stars.