Hotel Marques de Prado Ameno

Situated in a historic building from the 18th-century, the Hotel Marques de Prado Ameno shares its common spaces and amenities with Hotel Florida, where guests are greeted in a small lobby that opens on to a grand and beautiful courtyard atrium. The bright and airy space impresses with its columns, arches, soaring ceilings, and checkered marble flooring, while wicker seating provides a place to relax amid potted plants. The greenery adds a touch of the tropical to the old colonial-style interiors, while bright and vivid abstract art work displayed on easels offers a pop of color here and there. The Hotel Marques de Prado Ameno is attached and located in the back of the property, with an additional open-air colonnaded courtyard patio dripping with lush, tropical greenery and a secluded, oases-like atmosphere. The hotel's restaurant overlooks this enchanting green scene, with tables on the patio as well as inside a main dining space.

The property draws both leisure tourists and business travelers attracted by its prime location and grand interiors, and it also hosts spillovers from the Hotel Florida. Note that many past guests have complained of poor service, however, and rooms do not match the elegance of the common spaces; for the price, they're quite basic, and fall decidedly short of the hotel's advertised four-star status.

The hotel is situated right in the middle of Old Havana, right off of buzzing Obispo and O'Reilly Streets, two of the most popular tourist arteries in the neighborhood. The pedestrian-only Obispo is lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops, and essentially bisects the neighborhood, with one end near the water and the other abutting Parque Central (across from Hotel Saratoga and catty-corner from El Capitolio). Tourists would be hard-pressed to find a better location, and almost every notable sight is within walking distance. The downside, of course, is that the bustling street stays noisy late into the night, which can be an issue for light sleepers. It is worth noting that Old Havana -- despite being Havana's main tourist neighborhood -- is still gritty in many parts, and tourists can expect to see crumbling streets and buildings, and plenty of locals going about their day -- buying fruit from a cart, walking to school, or riding their bicycles.  

Some of the popular attractions nearby include Plaza de la Catedral (four-minute walk), Castillo de la Real Fuerza (five-minute walk), Museum of the Revolution (eight-minute walk), Parque Central (eight-minute walk), and the Capitol (14-minute walk). The Malecon can be reached in about 15 minutes on foot. The railway station is a five-minute drive away or an 18-minute walk, while José Martí International Airport is a half-hour drive from the hotel.

Rooms feature fairly basic colonial-style decor, pairing traditional wooden furniture with checkered flooring, cream-colored walls, and cream bed coverings. The only pop of color comes from bright aqua-hued doors, including French doors (in many rooms) that lead out onto balconies and feature inset windows. The windows are small, however, and many guests remark that the spaces are dark because of this; some rooms don't have any windows at all. Other complaints include cleanliness issues, mold, and noise in street-facing rooms. (Note that worn or slightly stained linens and towels aren't uncommon in Havana, even at luxury hotels.) For the price, many guests expect more; know that you are paying a premium for the grand common spaces and terrific location.

Standard amenities include air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, minibars, safes, and telephones. Junior Suites add sitting areas in separate spaces with sofas and chairs. Bathrooms are dated, covered in blue and white tile and equipped with shower/tub combos with old fixtures, toilets, bidets, and sinks set in marble-topped wooden vanities.

The hotel has an on-site restaurant and bar that serves Cuban fare, plus breakfast is included in rates -- though food here gets mediocre reviews. Guests can also make use of the features and services of the Hotel Florida, including its restaurant, daily breakfast buffet, two atmospheric bars -- including one with live music and salsa -- and a souvenir store. There is Wi-Fi in the Hotel Florida lobby and guests can pay a fee for a Wi-Fi card that provides an hour of service; the connection is typically slow, but often serviceable (this is the case just about anywhere in the country where Wi-Fi is offered). There is also a computer with a teensy monitor and internet for a fee.