Hotel Inglaterra

• georgelondon
• Reviews: 3

User Rating

old style chic

we spent 2 weeks at the inglaterre which is bang in the centre of havana.
you really can lap up the atmosphere in this old style french colonial hotel.

we found all the staff very friendly, helpful and polite. if you visit the rooftop bar, the manager "richard" is a real character. he taught himself english listning to beatle records on the radio.
ask him to get his guitar out and he will sing you a few songs...he is very good and made our trip memorable.

the breakfast was good with plenty of choice. i'd recomend this hotel and hope to stay again if im in havana.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Historical Travel, Seniors, Romantic Travel and Honeymoons

Hotel Inglaterra Photo: richard manager rooftop bar

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• rubytuesday43
• Reviews: 1

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A Slice of Days Past

Recommend this hotel to experience a slice of the past. If you are seeking luxury... go some place else. Choice for our first five of ten day trip. Towels are a little thin, but changed every day and formed into towel art. Very clever. One supply of toiletries upon arrival. No replacements. One-ply toilet paper that they encourage you to deposit in a container so as not to clog up the plumbing. Price and location was right. Visit Aug to Oct 31st and get the best deals. Ours included two free dinners in the main dining room and a cocktail each as advertised, but we had to ask for it when we checked in. Arrived Oct. 19th. Made reservation on line and asked for two beds with a balcony. Friendly staff was very accommodating through out our stay. The room was adequate. A little worn around the edges, but after all this hotel is one of the oldest in Cuba at over 130 years young. Bathroom is huge in comparison to newer hotels in same price range. The removeable shower head had more water coming out of the hose than the shower head. Reported it to the front desk and was fixed next day. Then got good pressure and very hot water. Wow...squeaky wheel gets...! Art deco in the public areas is amazing. Included breakfast was nothing special, but did have a variety more than continental style. So enough to fill up on to start the day. Our one evening meal was generous and good. It was the free one as we didn't plan to eat in hotels. Our balcony was on the first floor above the outdoor terrace restaurant. A little noisy early evening with music and traffic, but settled down as to not disturb our sleep. The view from the balcony was right on the square so could watch the world go by and one night when we locked ourselves out, the cabbies waiting for fares got a big laugh when we asked them to get security to rescue us. Within a few minutes we were back in our room.

We chose to book our other five days at the Hotel Plaza which was across the square and a little quieter. We did it online and got a cheaper rate than at the front desk. We were worn out and needed to retreat. Hotel Plaza review another day soon.

Unique Quality: Located in Central Havana on Parque Central Plaza within walking distance of the Malecon and Old Havana, the Old Capitol Building, San Rafael Pedestrian street, with a number of museums also close by. The Nacional Theater is next door with some ballet, operettas, and orchestra performances. The Floridita Restaurant and bar is one block over. The Edificio Bacardi, Art Deco building from 1929 is there also, with a view from the tower on the eighth floor.

The is a roof top bar/restaurant with a nice view of the area. It seemed to be undergoing renovation, perhaps getting ready for the high season. We were still allowed to walk around, but no service. We probably could have taken our own bottle of wine to enjoy at sunset. There is an adequate mini mart type store a couple blocks down a side street next to the Hotel Telegrafo that is on the same block as the Inglatera. A variety of items, but most important, wine.

The lobby bar open all night. Good for a cup of coffee if you are up before the breakfast at 7 to 10 am.

Internet is available with five computers that you can purchase a card with access codes. Cost is $6 cucs for an hour. You can use your time in segments. It is really sloooow.

The outdoor terrace cafe had light sandwiches, etc for lunch. Several musician groups would come and go over the course of late afternoon and evening. Good music. CD's were sold by all the groups, but reasonable at $10cucs. We took home only three as we were serenaded too many times. The serenading gets old after a while, so we sought out quieter places. As tourist you are a target everywhere you go. Hustlers on the streets that follow you with "Hi Friend, Happy Vacation. Where are you from?" Ignore them as they want you to buy Pampers and powdered milk for their child! Ok, do they really have children. Also want to sell cigars! Don't buy them off the street. We have never been ANY where that we were hustled as much as in Havana! Very annoying!

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Historical Travel, Photography, Architecture

Hotel Inglaterra Photo: Street view from balcony of Inglaterra

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• geoveo
• Reviews: 30

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Best Location

We stayed here twice during our Jan 09 trip to Cuba. The central location on the Parque Central at the top of Obispo is right in the heart of Old Havana, ideal for visiting Havana Vieja. As others have stated it is the oldest hotel in the city and quite frankly it shows in the bedrooms. The public areas are very lively and really evoke the feeling of a colonial era and are well kept, however the rooms, at least the ones we stayed in (211 front & 219 side) do suffer from the problems of faded grandeur; doors that don't fit, windows that don't close, dim lighting and generally a gloomy ambience to the rooms. The bathrooms work as does the aircon. The rooms are well tended and the room staff are cheerful and helpful and do a good job of keeping the rooms clean and tidy, and have excellent skills of towel origami. I can't recommend it if you are a light sleeper; life outside goes on around the clock with something of a lull between 3 and 6 in the morning.

We had pre-booked our stays for arrival and departure and if you’re thinking of staying here I'd suggest you do that as the cost as a walk-in customer is almost twice that available on any internet booking sites that we looked. We found out mid way through our visit when we returned to Havana for one night and were going to stay here; we had paid the equivalent of $68 on-line but they charge $120 walk-in and would not entertain any sort of discount and would only take cash no credit card or only very, very reluctantly with an 11.82% surcharge. For that night we went to the next door Hotel Telegrafo, a very recently modernised hotel with whisper quiet aircon/climate control and tight fitting double glazing and had a wonderfully tranquil nights sleep for an extra $40.

Unique Quality: The original internal décor and architectural details. Rooftop terraces restaurant with views over the city. The outside cafe/restaurant with live music and great atmosphere. The excellent location. The room balconies do give a good vantage point from which to observe the city life below.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Architecture, Arts and Culture, Music

Hotel Inglaterra

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• ainsleigh
• Reviews: 72

Great Location

Although we didn't stay at this hotel, we were inside the place so many times that I felt a review was in order. The hotel, built in 1875, is a national monument with elegant colonial decor. There are historic photos in the lobby that illustrate the hotel's history and celebrity patrons, interspersed with stained glass windows and Cuban art. The rooms are simple and cozy.

There is a great Internet cafe on the main level, as well as a terrace bar and grill on the roof and a great patio. There are 3 places to eat in total in the restaurant, and the cafe-style restaurant has beautiful tables, each painted by a local Cuban artist. The location of this hotel couldn't be more central; next to Paseo del Prado and Parque Central, a 5 minute walk to El Capitolio and Gran Teatro.

• Opinion of Price: N/A

Hotel Inglaterra Photo: Hotel Inglaterra

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• austen1973
• Reviews: 80

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La Sevillana...Inglaterra's bar

Get a drink or one those great ice-creams in this beautifully decorated bar/coffee shop in Sevillan style

• Opinion of Price: about average

Hotel Inglaterra

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• mim95
• Reviews: 421

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Another historic hotel

Unique Quality: A National Monument that was built in 1875. It was visited by the famous and a number of notable Cuban politicians. Jose Marti gave his independent speech here in 1879.

Richly decorated interior contrasts its plain exterior, with beautiful iron fences, intricately carved ceiling, colourful mosaics and grand arches.

Not much I can say about this hotel since I only visited the lobby and the restaurant.

• Opinion of Price: N/A

Hotel Inglaterra Photo: The extravagant interior of Hotel Inglaterra

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• austen1973
• Reviews: 80

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Colonial Hotel

Style and location....the hotel is idealy located rigth in the heart of Havana, in front of the hugely popular Parque Central, next to el Gran Teatro and 2mins walk to el Capitolio.

The hotel is a slice of Cuba's Heritage as it's the oldest hotel in town, over 120 years old, and is considered as a National Monument. The mixed style of rococo, baroque and colonial makes it even more exceptional.

You have an amazing view of Havana from the rooftop bar and the streetside terrace is a must for those who want to see the bustle of the city while drinking the best mojito in town and listening to the brass band.

Rooms and bathrooms are a bit dated (to remind us that we're in a monument ?) but spotlessly clean and the airconditionning was slightly noisy.

The service was good and the staff was really friendly and helpful.
Good breakfast in the morning.

To sum it up, a "must stay-in hotel" and I won't go to any other hotel next time I'm in Havana !

• Opinion of Price: about average

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• sourbugger
• Reviews: 2954

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Gently fading...but bags of nostalgia

The oldest hotel in Cuba, it is still one of the best.

What it lacks in the opulence and modern amenities found in the seaside resort hotels it more than makes up with bags of character and it's superb location.

The lobby area certainly evokes the colonial period, whilst the bar area is a riot of over-the-top decoration not dissimilar to a London Gin Palace of the Victorian era.

Due to the age of the build, the bedrooms sometime lack the polish of more modern places, but the plumbing and air-conditioning works well (at least by Cuban standards)

Unique Quality: The rooftop bar is a great place to relax, and they sometime put on dancing and serve cocktails the equal of anywhere on the Island.

The cafe area on the front of the hotel is also a great place to watch the world go by, although true to colonial times (and some may have a problem with this) Cuban nationals are clearly unwelcome.

• Opinion of Price: more expensive than average

Hotel Inglaterra

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• Luchonda
• Reviews: 2339

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Tradition in Habana

Room and flashy windows in the dining room of this famous Hotel Inglaterra
i had a mojito for 3 us dollars but the occasion to have a inside look !
Great memory of my second journey in Habana city

Unique Quality: The inner part - the cocktail and the view on persons walking by

• Opinion of Price: N/A

Hotel Inglaterra Photo: Dining Room

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