Park View

Localization

Located in a privileged place of Havana, where the old part of the city meets the modern one and next to important buildings such as the Fine Arts Museum, the former Presidential Palace and the crowded Paseo del Prado, Park View Hotel enriches the urban hotel environment developed in this part of the old Havana in the first few decades of the 20th  century.

Built in 1928, this hotel was one of the first to work with American capital and had a great comfort for that time.

Park View  Hotel  reopened. Its  prices are reasonable  and  it’s a comfortable and nice place, where our guests can rest and be satisfied of having chosen this place.

History

Park View Hotel was built in 1928. Its first owners were the Economides brothers who also own the Zaserac Cafe, located near the luxurious Inglaterra Hotel The hotel was built with American capital and its market was mainly American people.The stability given to the hotel by the confirmed arrival of middle-class Americans turn it into a product sold effortlessly. In 1941, the hotel was compared with others such as Lincoln, Inglaterra, Vedado , Bristol and Plaza. In 1947 Park View Hotel was considered by some specialists as the most exclusive of Havana, characterized by its American style, modernity, and reasonable prices.Its relevance among other hotels financed with American capital made it appear in several publications of the first decade of the 20th century such as a Carteles magazine published on April 21,1935, the book Habana Mañana (Havana of Tomorrow) written by Consuelo Helmer and published and printed in 1941, the Libro de Cuba (The Book of Cuba) 1952; and in important guides of that timesuch as: Guía Simplificada de Cuba (Simplified Guide of Cuba) 1930, Guía Telefónica de La Habana (Telephone Book of Havana) 1931 and 1935, Clipper Guide to Cuba 1947, Blue Guide to Cuba 1949 and 1952, and Guía de La Habana and Cuba-Ideal Vacation Land, both published in 1951.

There are some signs that show the possible hotel relationship with the American mafia and it also seems possible that there were some representatives of the high Cuban bourgeoisie among its clients. It is supposed that this preference was due to the relative anonymity the hotel had. This anonymity allowed those people to carry out certain illegal activities that would not be possible at renowned places. It is stated in a Carteles magazine published on April 21,1935, that the Cuban millionaire Eutimio Falla Bonet stayed there and that the inn was investigated by the police because of the stay of the American gangster Karpis who was considered society’s number one enemy The article is published due to the kidnapping of Falla Bonet, kidnapping known by the police five days later on April 10,1935.Tthe bourgeoisie took advantage of this moment and accused Guiteras of the kidnapping and this forces him to abandon the country a few days later.

The environment and location of this hotel was always the main attraction to be commercialized by the hotel management.
The people that gave notoriety to this place pointed out that this hotel had the typical American style of that era and modest
aspirations. Some of its service areas were said to be very nice and comfortable among them the Coctel Lounge bar and
the Roof Garden.

During the attack to the Presidential Palace one of the attackers sought refuge in the hotel and managed to escape from the police.
And because of this attack a client died of a gunshot while he was trying to see what was happening outside. After the Triumph of the Revolution the hotel was a place where some guerrilla men and other important personalities lived among them members of the left movement. However, with the loss of hotel culture and the decreasing importance of the hotel industry in the country, the buildingdeteriorated and lost its commercial value and it was then when it became the lodging of the students of hotel crafts and tourism first and then the lodging for construction workers.

After three years of intensive rehabilitation, on February 23,2002, the Park View Hotel reopened completely restored and with adequate comfort. It is operated by Habaguanex S.A., a branch that belongs to the City’s Historian Office.

We have 55 standard rooms:

-15 rooms with double beds and  40 double rooms with single beds.
-40 rooms with a view and  15 without a view.
-20 bathrooms with bathtub and 35 bathrooms with shower. 
-14 rooms with balconies.

Each room has:

-Central air conditioning
-National  and international telephone service.
-Satellite color TV
-Hot and cold water

Room additional services:
-Baby Cradles

Reception desk:

– Doorman, bellboy and parking service.
– Sending/receiving of faxes and e-mails.
– Photocopy
– Luggage keeping
– Selling of postcards, telephone cards, books, magazines, etc.
– Safe deposit box.

Gastronomic services:

– On the 7th floor a 50 seat naturally ventilated restaurant, offers creole and international meals. It also has a wonderful view to the city. Buffet breakfast from 7.00 to 10.00 AM. Lunch from 12.00AM and dinner up to 10.00 PM, menu service.

Other services this room offers:
  
1.      Banquet for 50 or so people.
2.      Cocktail  parties for  60 or so people.

– The Lobby Bar has 20 seats and offers national and international coktails  as well as refreshments.