Hotels - Saratoga

About  Saratoga

Up till recently, discerning visitors have bemoaned the lack of a really luxurious hotel in Havana. The Saratoga, which opened in November 2005, has rectified the situation. 

Standing on the western edge of the Historical Centre of the city, its elegant facade overlooks the other nineteenth century architectural glories of the Prado and Parque Central. The interiors, designed by European consultants, are simple, spacious, elegant and exceedingly comfortable.

We particularly recommend the seventh floor ‘Saratoga’ rooms overlooking the street, which have inviting window seats upon which one is terribly tempted to recline for hour upon relaxing hour, reading or watching Havana’s street life from the air conditioned quiet in the hotel – mercifully the designers thought to double glaze the windows, so the usual Havana cacophony does not prevail. 

The pool, gym and bar on the roof are also oases of calm and have wonderful views over the city and the sentinel angels on the roof of the Gran Teatro de La Habana.

All the rooms have up-to-the-minute technology, the mudéjar-style restaurant is very attractive and the central courtyard has been glazed over and air conditioned so that neither extremes of heat nor Cuba’s occasional torrential downpours need interrupt guests’ enjoyment of their mojitos. 

Excellently located for evenings at the opera and ballet, drinks and dinner at the Floridita and exploration of Old Havana.
It is run by the Office of the City Historian of Havana, so much of its profits are reinvested in the restoration of the city’s historical centre

Calle Empedrado, (al lado de la Plaza de la Catedral), La Habana

La Bodeguita del Medio

La Bodeguita del Medio is a must-visit, typical restaurant of Havana, and one of the most attractive tourist spots. Old Havana has been frequented by countless visitors, from well-known writers like Ernest Hemingway to important politicians. Its interior offers a typical Cuban atmosphere, as well as excellent music, Creole cuisine (slow-roasted pork, ropa vieja, black beans, yucca with mojo, tostones, arroz morro, etc) and a fantastic typical drink like the mojito. Following the initiative of Leandro García, a journalist who signed the restaurant’s wall, all famous people who visit the place do the same. They leave a memento there in the form of a print, a picture, an object, or some graffiti; it is even possible to find the signatures of some historical figures, like Salvador Allende, Ernest Hemingway, or Pablo Neruda. You can’t miss your chance to visit this place on your way through Habana Vieja. If you don’t book a table in advance you won’t probably have another chance to get one, but you will for sure enjoy an incredible atmosphere surrounded by Cuban history.

Calle Brasil esq. Compostela, Habana Vieja, La Habana

Farmacia Habanera Museum

A few steps towards Calle Brasil from Plaza del Cristo Square is where the 1886 Museo de la Farmacia Habanera is located. Founded by the Catalonian José Sarrá, it is a shop-museum and nowadays still functions as a pharmacy. The museum displays the history of pharmacies in Havana and their evolution in Cuba. This Pharmacy preserves its original Neo-gothic furniture with Moorish influences, and host a large collection of medicine bottles and medical tools, extracted from archeological excavations in the old city, as well as a book collection with valuable prescriptions for the study of Cuban pharmacopoeia. The museum also exhibits an elegant scale model of an old pharmacy with captivating historical explanations.

Fortaleza de San Carlos de La Cabaña, Carretera de La Cabana, Habana del Este

The Cannon Blast Ceremony

The Cannon Blast ceremony (El Cañonazo de las Nueve) is one of the oldest and attractive traditions of Havana. In colonial days, the shots signalled the closing of the gates of the walled city and the rising of the chain across the entrance to the harbour. The tradition of firing a cannon every night at 9:00 pm was kept even after the wall was torn down and is still used for checking your watch.

Calle Trocadero No. 162 e/ Industria y Consulado, La Habana

José Lezama Lima House Museum

The José Lezama Lima House Museum is located in the former house of the Cuban writer José Lezama Lima, in Centro Habana. The museum exhibits several objects belonging to the writer, placed in the same way Lezama had them. The visit to this museum is compulsory for those who wish to get into Cuban literature. In this place were written worldwide known novels, like Paradiso and Oppiano Licario.

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