Hotel Saint John's
About
See why so many travelers make Hotel Saint John's their hotel of choice when visiting Havana. Providing an ideal mix of value, comfort and convenience, it offers an array of amenities designed for travelers like you.
Close to some of Havana's most popular landmarks, such as Callejon de Hamel (1.3 mi) and Paseo del Prado (2.4 mi), Hotel Saint John's is a great destination for tourists.
The rooms offer air conditioning, allowing you to rest and refresh with ease.
In addition, as a valued Hotel Saint John's guest, you can enjoy a rooftop pool and free breakfast that are available on-site.
Travelers looking to enjoy some shrimp can head to La Bodeguita del Medio, San Cristobal Paladar, or Dona Eutimia. Otherwise, you may want to check out a Mexican restaurant such as La Taberna del Duque, Los Compadres, or Casa Tacos Bar.
During your visit, be sure to check out popular attractions like Fabrica de Arte Cubano (1.0 mi), El Malecon (1.2 mi), and Vedado (1.1 mi), which are all within walking distance of the hotel.
At Hotel Saint John's, your comfort and satisfaction come first, and they look forward to welcoming you to Havana.
Location
Reviews
- 14
- 39
- 82
- 68
- 77
- Filter
- English
Paper is a scarce commodity in cuba, so most public restrooms do not provide toilet paper. I would advise walking with an adequate supply of both toilet paper and tissues and basic medication such as asprin, panadol etc.
The hotel because of its proximty to night clubs, and vehicular traffic is very noisy so if you are seeking peace and quiet this is not the environment for you.
Hanava has lots of characer but it is a smokers paradise so be prepared to be surrounded by smoke on a 24 hour basis. despite these minor irritations I would recommend havana to anyone looking for a holiday experieece with a difference
Front desk / Reception-The front desk staff were unfriendly at best. I always felt as if I was bothering them. Bellmen were nice.
Pool-It was clean and on the rooftop which was awesome! There was an event so they were playing house music, had bubbles and foam which was fun!! No real area to tan.
Room-I had a suite so it was spacious but that’s about it. Water was mostly cold. The maid didn’t really clean but she definitely stole from me. Lock your suitcase...my clothes went missing.
Staff –Restaurant and lobby bar staff were friendly enough but nothing out of this world.
Cleanliness-The hotel was definitely clean.
Food / Restaurants- I only ate breakfast at the hotel . Omelets were good.
Location-Perfect location if you like to explore. This hotel is in the Vedado area at Calle 23 y O which is La Rampa. The gorgeous Malecon is steps away and it is lively in the district both day and night. My personal favourite is Sofia’s right on the corner. If you like to people watch, you will thoroughly enjoy the show. Live bands every day and night. You can also enjoy a Bucanero and 10 croquetas for $2 a block away next to the artisan market. It is a $5 cab ride to Old Havana (any location) or if you take an Almendron it’s 50 cents and drops you off at The Capitolio.
Our toilet didn't flush, our windows would not close and when we spoke to reception about it they didn't seem to be able to help. There was a pool but again it was in very bad shape.
There are much better hotels that are much more central than this one.
Staff are friendly and accommodating and will do their best to help you. Breakfast is included in the price and is made up as a buffet including fried eggs, fruits and toasted sandwiches. Plenty of coffee and tea and juices. Will keep you going for quite some time.
There are lots of reasonably priced restaurants close by that cater for all your requirements including vegetarian. But double check that vegetarian does not include fish or chicken! Use a phrase book or Google Translate to help you get by. Many Cubans in Havana speak some English so you should be ok.
A small tip is expected for good service, around 10 % of the meal value. And not when you just buy a drink. If you stay more than one night, you will find that your room maid will leave a personal message for you in the form of some lovely towel arrangement. Leave a tip for the maid but no more than one CUC. The average income is around 10 to 15 CUC per month so do not overdo it.
If you use a taxi to and from the airport, take a properly logoed taxi (usually yellow) with writing such as Cuba Taxi. Ask for a fixed price to the hotel. Usual price is around 25 to 30 CUC. Proper taxis also have a meter! If you are not sure at the airport and hotel re a taxi, ask a member of staff to help you. Depending on how you get to Havana, you can also ask your travel agent to book a taxi transfer to and from the airport for you which is much easier and more comfortable. You will get a voucher from them which you hand over to the taxi driver who picks you up. You cannot get CUCs outside of Cuba so get some at the ATM machine at Havana Airport or change cash at the Change Bureau.
I enjoyed my stay at this hotel, and could not have picked a better location to see a slice of Havana! There were few frills, so this hotel is not for everybody. Most of the guests during my stay were from Latin America - Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Guatemala. There were a couple of business men from Quebec, us from Toronto, and a French guy with his Cuban girlfriend.
The staff were friendly, and do try to speak a bit of English, if needed. I speak Spanish so this was not an issue. Please bring the staff a treat from your country - little candies, trinkets, big tubes of toothpaste go a long way!
ROOM;
The room was clean, and most things worked. The TV remote was missing, but only my son watched tv, as he was missing English - we had 2 English stations including CNN! The toilet made a strange sound when flushed. The shower sometimes trickled out, but was good enough to wash. The bathroom mirror was not new, but was functional. The decor was dated. The towels were not changed over the week so make sure to hang them up so that they dry. On the plus side, the beds were comfortable. The view of the Hotel Nacional and the ocean were great. The A/C worked well. The closet had ample space for the two of us. The room was cleaned everyday. The elevators worked and were quite fast.
FOOD:
Our package included breakfast. Great variety of fruit, juices, and breads. There were made to order omelettes, hot pancakes with honey, as well as cereals. The Cuban touch included a variety of cheeses, chorizo (cold sausages), and a very rich rice pudding. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate were available.
Rooftop bar:
I did not go there, but my son checked it out. He said there were 4 people in their 50s from Cuba, all looking very bored!
Lobby bar:
Great prices and service. Javier was very friendly. The bar and lobby were dark but this did not bother me as it was a relief from the bright sun outside.
POOL:
The Saint John rooftop pool was closed during my stay, but we had a free pass to use the Havana Libre pool, which was even better! A large elevated deck overlooking the city with a bar - bring some money for drinks and flip flops. The Havana Livre has a cachet of glam 1950s to it still so this was a bonus to use their pool!
Surrounding services:
Cuban coffee stall 1 door away - great espressos and Cafe con leches! 2 places with big water bottles - at the coffee shop and across the street. There is an outside bar / restaurant with a roof 2 doors away with live Cuban music till 1 in the morning! All the collectivos going to Capitolio (the entry to Old Havana) pass by the doorway of the hotel.
23rd street is 2 doors away, and is a well lit street with many bars, restaurants, and services. Within a five minute walk, there are a cash machine, at least 5 to 10 bars, a salsa club, a deluxe cigar / rum shop. Within a 10 minute walk, there is the Malecon, the Nacional Hotel (great bar with mojitos, music and garden), coco taxis, Copelia ice cream, the wifi zone, the great restaurants on 21st street and L, a little art market. A direct route collectivo can be taken up 23rd street to close to John Lennon Park. University of Havana is a 15 minute walk away.
This hotel was more than adequate for our basic needs. It is a quiet street metres away from the buzz of Havana, far from the hustlers of the more touristy area of Old Havana. To enjoy this hotel, it is necessary though to have an open mind and not expect North American or European standards. I would stay at this hotel again, if I don't stay at a casa particular.
A very warm welcome from all staff, clean room, central location and hot shower.
When we got to our room the air con was not working but straight away was fixed. The breakfast is good and again very good service. The location is good, central where you can walk everywhere during day or night. At the top of the hotel there is a night club open to all, it gets really busy and sometimes they got good music and you get to entertain with the locals but CAREFUL with the manager, a tall baldy guy who is very rude and try to overcharge foreigners.
Overall a very good 3 star hotel with lovely helpful staff!
The BEST thing about this hotel is the location. It is two blocks from the Malecon, one block from Calle 23 (La Rampa) and two blocks from Hotel Nacional. We visited the Hotel Nacional almost daily as the views from the terrace areas at the Nacional are beautiful.
The WORST thing about this hotel is the noise from the music at the Disco on the 14th floor. We had requested a room on a higher floor in order to have some view but this meant we were awake most of the night from the loud music at the Disco. We knew there was a disco but we did not know that on the nights it was open, it would run until 3 am. If you decide to stay at this hotel, try to choose a room on a lower floor. You will not have a view but you are not in your room to see the view for most of the day anyway. You can go to Hotel Nacional for much better views than you will get out of your room at the Saint John’s and you will be able to sleep.
The breakfast offered by the St John's is in a dining room on the 2nd floor of the hotel. They have an omelette station where you can also get plain fried eggs if you do not want an omelette. They also offer scrambled eggs, black beans, cabbage, potatoes, mixed vegetables, toast, fresh fruits and fruit juices. They have coffee and tea as well as a few types of cake and pastry. The omelettes were tasty and prepared fresh so they were hot. The rest of the food offerings were often not hot and therefore not as tasty.
As to other amenities, the hotel does have internet access in the lobby and there is a charge. We did not use this service so we cannot speak to the speed of the connections. There is a small bar at the back of the lobby where you can get most anything you want to drink. You can have your drinks at the tables there or take them to your room. In general, the staff was friendly and helpful, right from the front desk clerks to the bartenders. We had no problems with maid service or with anything missing from our room. We would stay at this hotel again for a return trip to Havana (just on a lower floor)
"The location is a big remote from the old town, but next to the Malecon and the hotel Nacional "Read full review
"Our room (1202) was street-side. If you want quiet, ask for a room on the opposite side of the floor. We had GREAT views."Read full review
"Higher rooms and connecting rooms have more space if you are traveling with friends that don't mind sharing the space."Read full review
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing