Saturday, October 13, 2018

The Famed Hotel Presidente in Havana

Famed Hotel Presidente in Havana
Surf Breaking Over the Malecon

     The Hotel Presidente was opened by the then President of the Republic Gerardo Machado, on December 28th 1928.  It was at Calzada street and G Avenue, in El Vedado.  The building was the  masterpiece of Architect Tella & Son providing everything a hotel could expect in comfort and luxury. Steel structures were used during construction, the first two levels stone built and the rest with bricks.

     In 1981 a 2 million pesos renovation was undertaken adding additional services on the ground level including a bar, shop and a modern cabaret. A central air conditioning system was also installed, providing a new level of comfort in the hotel.   A complete restoration in the year 2000, lifted this  hotel to a level of comfort that is expected in a modern hotel.  Tdhe Hotel Presidente where many famous political, business and artistic figures have stayed, still echoes a bygone era. Meticulous care has been taken to preserve all the historical details of its original construction and décor.  Visitors will immediately be struck by the 400 works of art, an impressive Cuban legacy, housed within its walls.

     Located in downtown Havana, only 200 meters from the famous Pier of  the famous Havana Malecon, on the well-known Avenue of the Presidents and flanked by the Cuban Forign Office, the 10 story Hotel Presidente with its striking vermilion and beige colors is a building steeped in history. 

     Being able to wander around the streets along the famed Malecon on the northern edge of Havana, where the city meets with the sea.  I love to run across many of the truly historic building that make up the mystique that is "Old Havana".