My husband and I have just returned from a fabulous holiday in Havana, Cuba. We stayed at the Hotel Saratoga which is an exquisite boutique hotel in Old Havana. There is a great pool area on the roof with excellent Mojitos and amazing views of the city. The architecture is fantastic and though much of the old city is very run down, it is reasuring to see a lot of restoration of these grand buildings is underway.
The biggest gem of the hotel is,however, the charming concierge Raul Hernandez Cano, who is perhaps the best concierge we have ever dealt with. My husband and I travel a great deal and are seasoned travellers, yet we were highly impressed with Raul's warm and professional service. It is refreshing to find hotel staff who knock themselves out to make sure visitors have the most up-to-date information and great insider tips so that we could have the best stay possible. Raul even stayed late to help us out when our dinner reservation fell through. It was just like having the advantages of staying with a friend who is a local.
The rest of the staff were friendly and pleasant with the exception of one incredibly grumpy front desk woman who has no business being in the hospitality industry and actually implied that I had lied about the room rate I had paid. Everyone else was just fine.
The restaurant is not bad, but is a bit overpriced. Be prepared to be regularly approached to buy black market cigars, even by the restaurant staff. This is part of any stay in Havana.
Be sure to check out the fabulous old 50's cars as well as the Cocotaxis which are fun to try.
For people who love trying new places for holidays, my husband and I are planning a repeat visit - that's how much we loved it, and the people.