Hotel Valencia

In the heart of historic Habana Vieja, just 200 metres from the iconic Plaza de Armas.

High-ceilinged with huge mahogany and cedar beams, the rooms at Hotel Valencia are overflowing with character: most of them contain some original antique furniture alongside reproduction colonial-style pieces, and a couple still boast fragments of original eighteenth century mural paintings. Their individual Spanish names reflect the décor, which comprises Hispanic memorabilia and beautiful photographs of festivals from across the Iberian peninsula.

Hotel Valencia’s aptly-named bar Nostalgia is a throwback even by Cuban standards, with a playlist dedicated to the best music of the fifties as well as live performances of traditional bolero. The adjacent restaurant is well worth a visit, too, renowned as the home of the finest paella in Havana.

Habana Vieja – Havana’s Old Town – is a UNESCO Heritage of Mankind Site, and a treasure trove of beautiful architecture and historical sights. These include the Plaza de la Catedral, which is one of the most beautiful squares in all the Caribbean; El Templete, a small neoclassical temple marking the spot where Mass was first held in Cuba in 1519; and Castillo de la Real Fuerza, one of the oldest forts in the Americas, which today holds modern art exhibitions downstairs and boasts stunning views over the harbour from its battlements.