Hotel Nacional Cuba

Hotel Nacional Cuba – Needs no further introduction as the pinnacle of Popular Places for Americans in Cuba, from every angle, inside and out we were in awe of the Hotel Nacional and you can feel the uncanny past presence of Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Mickey Mantle, Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Keaton, Jorge Negrete, Agustin Lara, Rocky Marciano, Tyrone Power, Romulo Gallegos, Errol Flynn, John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando and Ernest Hemingway as you enter and stroll around the grounds. Not to mention patrons such as Winston Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, scientist Alexander Flemming who all spent time at the Hotel Nacional Cuba. However this incredible place has become synonymous to historians as a favorite mob hang out for the likes of Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky and attended by Santo Trafficante, Jr., Frank Costello, Albert Anastasia, Vito Genovese and many others. I felt like I was on the set of Godfather II with my shades on and a cold beer at the terrace bar.

Hotel Nacional Cuba “I felt like I was on the set of godfather II”

It also exemplifies everything Fidel Castro said he wanted Cuba rid of. But today, the hotel is once again one of the most Popular Places for Americans in Cuba, possibly due to historical ties such as those mentioned or possibly because it’s just so immensely COOL in so many ways. First off, you have the ground of the hotel which is towards the back of the building. You walk through the foyer, past reception then back out through enormous doors to a mezzanine covered area. The lobby bar is found out here to your left. Directly in front is an immense lawn area with small paths running through it, all bejeweled with the exquisite view of the Malecon, Seafront, Moro Castle and the imposing Cristo statue in the distance. Strutting around these grounds are peacocks, apparently unperturbed by human presence. It’s really a place to behold and a photographers dream. Back inside the lobby the walls are decorated with photos of the past visitors as a blast from the past. Our stay at the Hotel Nacional was a one night affair but was enough for us to check out the nice but dated rooms and the Copa Lounge, other bars in the hotel plus the excellent cigar store and adjacent smoking rooms for aficionados. The amount of Americans we met will boggle minds of those thinking that Cuba is still off limits and, while the Hotel Nacional left a lasting impression, there were more things for our group to do on this vacation.

Hotels Near the Hotel Nacional are: Hotel Habana Libre, Hotel La Colina, Hotel Presidente, Hotel Deauville, Hotel St Johns, Hotel Capri BTW None of these even remotely compare with the Hotel Nacional….

Hotel Nacional Cuba – A truly awesome experience

Day or night, staying there or not, an American cannot miss spending some quality time at the Hotel Nacional Cuba