Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana

It's not so surprising why there have been some negative feedback on this property already, saying that the hotel is nothing close to ultra-luxury. As an experience luxury traveler, I agree that this is probably not so luxury if you compare it to other luxury hotels in the rest of the world. Nevertheless, I think it is already the best Cuba can offer. I planned my trip to Cuba with a local travel company and they suggested that i stayed at the "casas" instead of hotels to understand more the genuine Cuban culture. I did and stayed 7 nights in different casasa throughout Cuba. I got to learn more about the real daily life of Cubans and the fact that they still struggle to find good toothpaste, shampoo and even hair dryers in Cuba. In the casas i stayed, the only toiletry provided was a soap bar. Hair dryers were provided most of the time, but not always. I booked my stay at the Kempiniski for the last night of my trip before leaving for Cuba. Honestly when i stepped into the lobby, i was feeling very sorry for my Cuban friends because i knew this kind of hotels was very far from real life for them. After seeing what the real Cuban households were like, i felt grateful in a way for the room i had in Kempiniski, despite the fact that it may not be the most luxurious room I've stayed, but i believed it's really the best they could do, considering the whole context. The bathroom was nice enough with separate shower and bath. even though i thought the toiletry was a bit bland, but at least, there was even facial tissue paper!! The high ceiling room was beautiful and there was even wifi in my room?? (It is really rare in Cuba to be able to connect to wifi in the room.) The breakfast was in buffet style and there was even a small a la carte menu and champagne. Perhaps, the pastries and other food selection was not the best compared to other luxury hotels in other part of the world, but I thought it was really the most scrumptious i could imagine in a cuban hotel. ( My cuban friends were keen to know what kind of breakfast would cost CUC30 and asked me to take pictures of it.) Based on my experience travelling in Cuba, trust me, the hotel has done its best to please the luxury travel market. Last but not least, make sure you go to the roof-top for a nice dinner. The view is amazing. You don't want to miss that!

We have been in Cuba for almost 2 months and we decided to visit the famous "kempinski". When arrive in the hotel, they ask us where we were going to go, and we told the security person that we were going to the rooftop, he told us we had to first check with reception because the rooftop was full, so we checked. The girl in the reception told us that is was full, but she would check again, after that she told us that they had place for 2 persons. We went up and the place was empty...there were only 2 tables busy. I guess they did this in order to not let everybody in, but in my opinion they should search for another excuse.. 2. the service is really really slow, the waiters are nice, but they are slow. 3. the food it's not great and the prices are not cheap.. The rooftop is amazing! if you want to have a drink and have a great view, you should go there, but it is not a place that I would go to have something to eat.

Inside the restaurant the air-conditioning does not work properly. Not sure why they keep the doors open all the time. The hit, inside, is irresistible. The food is, at best, mediocre. We ordered cabernet sauvignon. Got Frontera served. A $6 per bottle wine in the US. If multiple people order, in one table, and you want a separate bill, waiters can't accommodate. Not without calling the manager, arguing, etc. The fish they serve (merluza) is not fresh. When one asks for hot sauce, all they offer is tabasco. At a Kempinski; really? A great view. A horrible experience. A long time Kempinski customer, I shall return. Let's see how long does it takes them to fix it, or pull out of Cuba. An even more discomfortable experience when trying to park outside the restaurant. The Havana parking mafia -very active in this part of town- hit us hard.

fairly new, low occupancy so far. we were there in July (ALERT, bring cash) had no idea that no cc were taken at most hotels if from the US. Staff was all very good, in particular our concierge Regina who went way beyond the call of duty to assist us on many occasions. Rooftop pool/bar/restaurant was very good. Great location for shopping, dining or renting a ride from a '50s convertible, and there are many. Rooms were new, European style. Visited other hotels, this was by far the nicest. Would stay there again. I really don't understand the less than average reviews. Have stayed at many hotels, the service was excellent considering Cuba is still very Casto like, and is very third world in most areas. The beds were a bit too firm, but got use to it after one night. Other than that, a very charming refurbished building, rooms have 20 foot ceilings and all staff was excellent. Would rate 4 stars if in Europe but definitely one of the best in Cuba.

This hotel is brand new, VERY clean and gorgeous. I read a few "bad" reviews below and I am very surprised, because I am not sure what people could expect more of a hotel, especially in Cuba. The hotel is perfectly clean, brand new... the rooms are charming and modern (the water pressure was better than my place in New York). It has all the amenities you need : comfortable mattress, safe, coffee machine, AC, bathroom products... It is so nice to get back to the hotel after a sweaty day roaming around in Havana. I don't know the name of the person who was cleaning our room everyday, but she was the sweetest person ever and did a very good job. The pool area is AMAZING, you get such a gorgeous view, and it really is fancy. The only "negative" comment I would have is probably that the service for drinks at the pool is slow. But besides that, everything is great. In terms of location, you can't get better, you are in the center of everything. Yes, it is probably one of the most expensive hotels in Havana, but it is also the best one you'll find, so you just get what you pay for. I would not stay anywhere else in Havana and I strongly recommend Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana. I saw the IBEROSTAR Parque Central since it is located next to it, but you can't compare, Hotel Manzana Kempinski is a true 5 stars. Don't hesitate twice, make the most of your trip to Cuba and stay at the Hotel Manzana Kempinski, you won't regret it.