just had 4 nights in occidental lovely hotel, lovely room, staff very helpful only draw back hotel a little far out of havana centre and free shuttle bus was not very good only running 3 times a day but overall very good

Our stay at this hotel was absolutely great. We'd go back any time. Situated in the Miramar district of Havana, it was about 10-15 minutes by shuttlebus to Old Havana. It was a large hotel complex with pools, restaurants, a bar, entertainment and a good buffet (Cuban food). The room was super with an ocean view. Although it was a bit off the beaten track, there was a "business centre" that we could walk to to buy bottled water (cheaper than at the hotel) and we went to a first class restaurant for paella. We plan to stay at the Occidental Miramar again when we go to Havana.

Our agent recommend we stay out of town & we were glad we took her advice. Central Havana is awesome but spending all your time in traffic fumes and noise is not our idea of a holiday! Having spoken to others the standards are also better out of town. The hotel we chose was superb and the room was more like a suite with great views. Soft furnishings are a little tired but I mean poquito poquito tired. The place is spotless. The reception area was well-lit, spacious and had plenty of comfortable seating plus a water feature that was relaxing. Off to one side was the A La Carte restaurant which was beatiful. Food at the buffet was great and good value at 15CUC per person (about £12.50). Casillero Del Diable at £20 a bottle with dinner was reasonable. The bar area at the rear of the hotel was perfectly situated and we were entertained nightly by good Cuban musicians. Plenty of dancing and an upbeat tempo. You can still smoke at the bar here which I was glad of and my non-smoking husband did not find it to be a nuisance as the hotel is well-aired. Drinks at 4CUC were good and the mojitos were excellent. We went into a couple of other hotels in the area and ours seemed to be the best; one smelled damp, had mosquitos and was very tired. The pool area with a bar offering snacks could not be faulted. All of the staff were efficient and friendly. None were rude. We signed up for 3 organised activities; Tropicana Cabaret - DO NOT MISS IT. The Old Man & the City tour which was wonderful (food at the famous La Bodeguita Del Mar as the El Floridita had a power cut but we were not disappointed) and the Jazz Night when we went to La Zorra El Cuervo Club. More expensive than we expected at about 400CUC for 2 but well worth it. We also went to a paradero called Visa Del Mar but sadly there was no fresh fish that evening. Even so it was lovely and cost about £60 for 2 courses and a few drinks. Havana itself is amazing and a totally different Caribbean experience than offered by other islands. We had 4 nights at the Occidental which is in an area inhabited by dignitaries and is the location for most embassies. Architecturally the place is amazing; how it must have looked in its heyday! Tumble down buildings everywhere but what character. The cars are cool & many are 50 years old & falling apart but no matter. We experienced and heard of no tourist attacks/muggings. In fact we felt safe the whole time. The people are so friendly and we were not pestered at all. Horse & carriage owners in Old Havana do their best to persuade you to take a ride with them but a polite no thank you once or twice will suffice. Even then they are keen to chat, tell you about life in Cuba and recommend things to do! We had a wonderful time here and moving to the Blau Varadero for 10 nights was the cherry on the cake. We would definitely revisit Cuba. Tips: Do not come here to shop. Immerse yourself in the culture and get into the vibe of the place. Our best holiday for years & don't think we could have chosen a better hotel.

The hotel is a few miles from the center of Havana, so the free shuttle bus was a boon. We used this several times - though it only holds 20 so when more than this were in the queue the excess could not board, On one occasion the bus simply did not turn up for a return journey so the small group waiting in old Havana got a taxi. The reception staff were uninterested in our complaint.
This Miramar district is closer to the (Viazul) bus terminal and also Tropicana club.
The hotel is quite modern and had a large bright open foyer to lounge in. An adjacent area housed eating areas and pleasant singing group in the evenings.

In general the service was good throughout the hotel. Our rooms only had the bed made up most days rather than cleaning the room and bathroom. English understood in all areas of the hotel. Good concierge service.
Condition of bedroom :- Not particularly clean, but about average in our experience of Cuba. My wife bitten by bedbugs.

Power was cut for 6 hours one day - this exposed the poor situation of the emergency (battery?) corridor lighting only lasting for 20 mins or so. Thereafter pitch darkness in bedroom corridors. The stairway at least had windows for daylight to illuminate it.

The food was reasonably good with the buffet offering a good choice for breakfast and dinner. The hot food was only warm (eg soup) - probably due to no overhead heaters on the buffet food trays. However in most other places we stayed at this was the same or worse.

The swimming pool area was very pleasant and on the sunny side of the hotel. Shade was readily available.

In summary a good value for money hotel which provided a comfortable and pleasant stay.