Best Hotels in the Malecón Area
Malecón Introduction
The Malecón is a famous area within Havana and one which is favoured by many visitors to the city as the preferred area in which to stay.
The beauty of this area is that it is in effect the coastal area of the city and a great area to take a walk each day and very popular when the sun sets in the evening.
By staying in the Malecon area you get the best of the hustle and bustle of the city with a chance to breathe the ocean air and enjoy the stunning coastline.
This is certainly my favourite area and the location many prefer to stay in.
The Malecón area of Havana is also within walking distance of many attractions and points of interest including the University of Havana, the Necropolis Cristobal Colon, Monumento a Calixto García, Parque Antonio Maceo and, at one end of the Malecón, Hemingway Marina.
The main coastal road through Malecón runs for four to five kilometres and is a lovely walk if you enjoy stretching your legs.
Where to Stay
There are a number of accommodation options in the Malecón area and these range in quality and price quite significantly.
As a tourist, I would recommend the following five hotels in the area.
Hotel Nacional de Cuba
(Calle 21 y O, Vedado – 5 Stars)
Without a doubt, the best hotel in the Malecón area in my view and the one I always book provided they have availability is ‘Hotel Nacional de Cuba’.
This hotel is just a stone’s throw from the sea and you have the option also to choose a sea-view room.
The hotel also caters for both business travellers and tourists, with a business centre, sauna, swimming pool, gardens and a decent restaurant and the internet worked when I stayed there (getting internet access is not easy in some hotels in Cuba).
Hotel Nacional de Cuba can get quite busy because of its popularity and, like much of the country, this hotel is a kind of living museum and which admittedly could do with a make-over.
Having said that, for me, part of its charm is its antique look and design and a welcome escape for the standardised hotels in many other countries.
Overall, I rate this hotel highly and it is a hotel which I use often.
The main city centre of Havana is a short taxi ride, so you have the best of both worlds if you stay here in that you are by the coast but with relatively easy access to the main downtown area of Havana.
Hotel Habana Libre
(Calle 23 y 25, Vedado – 4 Stars)
A relatively new modern hotel, which some of you may prefer, is the Hotel Habana Libre, now owned by the Tryp chain.
This is the perfect hotel for those of you looking for a modern touch whilst exploring the historical Havana in the daytime.
The view of the coastline from the restaurant is stunning on a clear day and, with twenty-five floors, this is also one of the largest hotels in Havana.
The Hotel Havana Tryp is very popular with business travellers in particular, because of the conference and business facilities which this hotel provides.
It has a nice pool area and is close to everything going on in the Malecon area.
Gran Caribe Hotel Victoria
(Calle 19, Vedado – 5 Stars)
My experience in this hotel was good, but my friends do not enjoy this hotel anywhere near as much as the ‘Hotel Nacional’ and I can see why.
Overall this hotel is not to the same standard and internet access, and the food and views are not as good as Hotel Nacional.
The location of the Gran Caribe though is excellent if you want to stay close to the coastline. I would suggest using this hotel only if Hotel Nacional is full in all honesty.
Location
Melia Cohiba
(Avenida Paseo, Vedado – 5 stars)
Within walking distance of the marina, this is an excellent hotel at least from my own experiences.
Spacious rooms, good internet connections, very good food and wonderful views of the coastline.
This is not in the city centre, but you can get there by taxi ride, which is very cheap, or you can use the free shuttle bus they have running to certain locations.
There are a couple of bars within the hotel, which I especially liked in that my wife and I would be out sightseeing most of the day and then we could relax in the hotel at night with a few cocktails.
They also have a quite decent Italian restaurant if you need a break for one night from the Cuban food (which I also like though).
Overall, decent staff, a nice pool area and, although the hotel looks a little dated, what hotel in Havana doesn’t?
