Myself and my girlfriend have just returned from Cuba and our last night was spent at this hotel. Having stayed in a number of state run hotels over the previous week the sevilla was certainly a breath of fresh air or rather a breath of exhaust air as for some strange reason our room collected all the smells of the smoggy street outside over the course of the night!! Resulting in a rather groggy and disorientated awakening the following morning. I noticed another reviewer also found this so be warned! The rooftop restaurant is out of this world however, with a sumptious surrounding to rival any restaurant in which you're ever likely to dine! The food was adequate but couldn't live up to the surroundings but the real problems started when I presented my visa card for payment, the hotel connection was down and I ended up having to hang around for over an hour while the hapless maitre'd repeatedly tried swiping the card while labouring under the impression that the more he did it the more likely the connection would suddenly right itself!! I would have preferred him to take an imprint of my card in order that he could deal with the situation without requiring my personal attendance!! Take cash, patience and a gasmask to get the most out of the sevilla. It has flawed charm in abundance.

A nine day stay early March 2005 convinced that this is the worst Sofitel hotel I have ever been to.
Together with hords of other clients I spent a considerable amount of time there trying to get on the elevator. There are only a few, and half of them did not work most of the time. Our section of the building had around 150 rooms, with only one or two elevators working on average!
It was quite a scene to see day in and day out so many frustrated guests infuriated, and cursing in their respective language!
Sofitel is part of French-owned Accord, and it has a chain of lovely hotels around the world. I have been lucky enough to be able to sample quite a number, and they are all of stop standard! But this is the worst of the lot.

Havana has a government-owned chain of top hotels (Havaguabanex). I have been in several, and they are not without problems, but nothing compares to the elevator situation in Sofitel-Sevilla. My advice is: when in Havana, go Cuban not French!

I didn't actually stayed in this hotel but I have been there a couple of times

I had dinner on the top floor (wow that view!!!!!)

gorgeous!!!

and the food was good too

I've been in the cocktail car and liked it very much that there was a band and nice atmosphere

and I met two girls there so after going out to the casa da musica (GO THERE!!!)
we ended up in the cocktailbar of the sevilla again and there we met other people again and it was just a great evening with a lot of fun also with the staff( the bar-lady and the security-guys)

so if I ever go back to havanna I think I'll stay in the sevilla

the location is good (perfect!! in the middle of everything)
and it looks very pretty

and reading the other reviews the rooms are great and it's not too expensive

so can't wait to go back!!!!!!!

Irene Dirks,24 ,The Netherlands

The Hotel Sevilla is an almost elegantly restored Havana hotel in the Sofitel Group and not at all 'over-priced'. Unlike a number of earlier reviewers, I found the hotel most welcoming and attractive, with no 'musty' odours at all! I arrived very late and found not only a plate of fresh fruit-salad in my room but also a 'courtesy' bottle of rum. I had asked for a 'very quiet' room and not only did I get a peaceful 'double' upgrade [I have an ACCOR group loyalty-card] but also one with a view of the sea, on the 7th floor, overlooking the National Cuban Ballet School. I therefore slept very well. Some other rooms are on the raucous street-side, I heard. The pool-area is fine with a decent cafe but also very noisy. The breakfast/dinner space on the 9th floor, with its panoramic view of the city, was one of most handsomely preserved examples of its architectural genre I have seen. The breakfast was 'almost' 4-star and more than adequate; I did not take dinner there, however, as I was told it was only 'middling' ; there was a charming cool jazz guitarist however even in the early morning and in the evenings. The staff, including the receptionists and waiters, were mostly both chatty and friendly, if sometimes erratic. The helpful chambermaids sent little handwritten notes of 'welcome' and made 'sculptures' out of bath-towels on the bedcovers to amuse us each evening. The bar in its old Sevillan tiled-setting had a revolving sequence of Cuban bands and excellent rum-mujitos. There is also internet access in the lobby. A little more attention to detail in the restoration, re-painting and dusting, as well as better service, might raise standards further. Yes, I would gladly return to the Sevilla any time.