We stayed at the Saratoga for two nights on a two centre Havana/Beach holiday.

The Saratoga is an attractive hotel, recently refurbished, and in a great location. The rooms are large and comfortable, with a good ensuite bathroom (no shortage of toilet roll or toiletries like we had been lead to believe).

There is a rooftop pool and sun terrace, which is great for getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but could do with more shade. There is also a very modern and well equipped gym.

The most frustrating aspect of the Saratoga is the slow service. We were on holiday, and in no great rush, but still found the service exceptionally slow at the bars and restauarants. There seems to be no way of charging drinks and meals to your room account, so you have to carry cash constantly.

With the exception of Raul the concierge, most staff seemed disinterested and unhelpful. The hotel also seemed unable to accept credit cards, although this seems to be a problem in Cuba generally.

Overall, this is a good hotel, but could be a great one if the service was improved.

Stayed with my girlfriend in a top floor city view suite and agree with most that has been said. Cuba, and this hotel is a classic example, is something of a contradiction. The hotel looks fantastic, is contemporary, feels exclusive and blends African and colonial styles very effectively. But the management and staff clearly don't have a clue and the chefs aren't up to any definition of western standards (I too got food poisoning). A good hotel is not just aesthetics, it’s the experience of staying there.

Location wise it is a good ten minutes from the best parts of the old town and surrounded by some very dodgy areas, almost slums. Everyone says Havana is safe but really doesn’t feel it and is pretty intimidating because its so run down - we didn't feel safe at night in the area despite living in London. The Parque Central was more old fashioned in style, had more expensive drinks, was surrounded by building work and half of it covered in scaffolding. I think either the Saratoga or the PC are as good as you will get in Havana.

Sorry to those that love him but don’t be naïve, Raul is just trying to s***w every guest for commission, why do you really think he calls and calls your room trying to arrange a meeting the moment you arrive or interrupts when you’re having breakfast. Places you want to go aren’t available but ‘I have found you X place’. I thought he was a slimy salesman, nothing more.

Havana is a fascinating if extremely poor and dilapidated city with Cuba seemingly living on the verge of economic collapse, its pretty shocking to see the state of the place. Note that most Cuban brochures depict close-ups of buildings not the general look of the place!

I think the Saratoga is actually a top hotel by Cuban standards, and really was better than most we visited in Havana: the problem is that is lower than anyone else's standards. The best advice we could give is stay in newer hotels because they cannot repair anything properly once its built (toilet and shower not working and then not fixed properly twice in a 5* hotel !!). Try not to eat anything, anywhere and if you do think a bad example of chain restaurant, fried rubbish but at London prices and you'll be OK.

Many reviews excuse poor service and food by saying 'its Cuba' but given the choice in destinations around the world and the cost of visiting the country that just isn't good enough and makes me concerned if they are dependant on tourism. Speaking to friends who went a few years back Havana seems to be getting progressively worse. The irony is I think it really is worth seeing Havana as it has some stunning architecture and is like flying onto another planet: the problem is having to endure hotels like this, ‘interesting’ restaurants, slums and continual hassle from beggars and hustlers to do it.

This is a negative but realistic review of what a top class hotel in Cuba is actually like. Go there but plan to go somewhere else for a ‘nice’ holiday, Havana is an experience but could be so much better in the delivery (dare I say it if these hotels, where run by the Americans.)

We stayed at this hotel for 3 nights in April and I echo all of the excellent comments, it is a lovely hotel with nice staff and a good location.

One morning at breakfast, my boyfriend choose some mango, I thought it smelt a bit funny but he eat the lot, he started feeling ill within an hour but carried on with our tour. By 5pm he had violent sickness and stomach upset, so much so that we had to cancel our dinner at the famous Paladar, Guarida.

The next day at breakfast (avoiding fruit) I eat a rather uncooked sausage and suffered a similar fate. In total neither of us were 100% for 3 days (we started feeling better after a couple of days at Sandals). Neither of us have ever suffered like this before and have
never been that careful about what we eat, so I thought I would warn others. If it smells funny, don’t eat it.

OK, Saratoga is a lovely hotel. If you want to stay in a slick, high class hotel this is as close as you are going to get in Havana. We stayed here and NH Parque Central, and I reckon these two are the main contenters for the best hotels. We stayed in a junior suite, on two different occasions for one night and two nights.

Saratoga looks great, modern, hip, understated - all that. The rooms are gorgeous, the view from the roof pool of the Capitolio is breathtaking (similar as it is from Parque Central, but a different angle). The pool is a little bit minimalist and cold, not much atmosphere, and its a bit exposed to the wind. The bar looked the part, but there was not life. The cocktails however, were wicked.

Food, for a 5 star, was very poor. At breakfast the pastry was dry and not fresh, the fruit a bit soggy, and the coffee like syrup. In the evening, it changes to a restaurant - and it was awful, we only gave it one chance. Both myself and my girlfriend ordered different menu choices for the main course, but when the dishes arrived they were exactly the same! The meat was tough on both, the veggies looked like they came out of a can at Safeway and it was a bit grim really. We ate a polite amount, paid the bill and never went back again. In London, it would be out of business in a fortnight.

On balance, I would say go to Parque Central instead, its not quite as steep and the breakfast (which is really important; it is what sets you up for the day when exploring) is better there, even if it is not quite as new and sophisticated.