The Saratoga Hotel Hotel

Prado 603, esq. a Dragones. La Habana Vieja, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba

Light, airy and stylish, The Saratoga is a pleasant surprise in downtown Havana, which is famous for its crumbling edifices and faded elegance. Equally impressive is the hotel’s location – just south of Parque central and directly opposite the iconic, elegant El capitolio, which, ironically, is modelled on the capitol building in Washington Dc. When The Saratoga was built in the 1930s it had just three floors and was a watering hole for the politicians at El capitolio. now, with two additional floors but retaining the original, elegant neo-classical facade, it attracts discerning travellers with its superior facilities.

There are 96 bedrooms and seven spacious suites, as well as a well-equipped gym, a modest spa and wifi in the reception and bar. But one of its most unusual qualities is that it doubles as an art gallery: all of the paintings and artworks in the hotel are for sale. (I hankered after a painting in room 204.) On the roof there is a small but perfectly designed pool, bar and restaurant, where you can relax over a refreshing mojito while taking in one of the best aerial views of the whole of Havana. chef Mario Berutti has developed an Italian menu featuring homemade pastas for the anacaona restaurant on the ground floor, which has an impressive wine list. While the Mezzanine Bar has a selection of inventive cuban ‘tapas’ such as fritters made from malanga, an indigenous vegetable, and plantain stuffed with ‘ropa vieja’ (cuban braised beef). around the corner is a lively slice of cuban life – a local peso market selling clothes, religious statues and other paraphernalia, such as dried herbs that are used in the ceremonies of the afro-cuban Santería religion. While, every Sunday morning a group of Santería dancers gather near the hotel to display their moves. Why go? For the only five-star boutique hotel experience there is in Havana.

Details Double from $380. Paseo del
Prado 603, esquina a Dragones, Havana (00 53 7 868 1000; http://hotel-saratoga.com).