Excellent central location close to Old Havana sights
Top-floor restaurant with attractive view serving all meals
Simple rooms with AC, safes, and minibars
Small lobby bar serving Cuban cocktails
Free buffet breakfast included in room rates
Babysitting services and cribs available on request
Luggage room and 24-hour front desk
Dim, dated interiors throughout
No Wi-Fi; Internet corner was under repairs as of fall 2015
No gym or business center
Food gets mixed reviews
The 55-room, lower-middle-range Park View Hotel is best suited for urban explorers looking for an inexpensive place to sleep. Its location, in the center of Havana -- just off the Paseo del Prado and walking distance to the Malecón -- can’t be beat. But overall, the
hotel is low on atmosphere, with dim and uninviting public spaces. The one
exception is the top-floor restaurant, a sunny perch where guests can enjoy a
free breakfast and look out over the city. With dated furniture, rooms are rather
unremarkable aside from their photos of Havana landmarks. But budget travelers that don't need oodles of features or a stylish veneer could find the Park View meets all their needs. Another hotel to consider could be the Hotel Telegrafo, which has slightly more features on offer.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Historic property offering a no-frills atmosphere for urban explorers
Built in 1928, the Park View Hotel has a few little touches
that convey its jazz-age history. The facade, baby blue masonry with wrought-iron details
gives a hint, as does the elevator edged in a gilded frame. But for the
most part the narrow, dim lobby feels more dated than historic, with carved
wood furniture in a passé print and a little bonsai tree for decoration.
Hallways are also dim and unremarkable, save for the Art Deco-style mirrors
with swooping designs that brighten things up a bit. By far the best public space
is the top-floor restaurant, a sunny spot with molded ceilings sporting corner
rosettes and modern wrought-iron lanterns. The entrance is marked by a
stained-glass depiction of the Prado (the city's leafy promenade). But the restaurant's best feature is the view looking
toward the ocean with a vista out over Havana’s fort. In general the Park View draws tourists looking for a
tranquil environment and a simple, no-frills place to make their base camp while they spend their time out exploring the city. Couples, solo explorers, and the occasional student groups make up the clientele,
although a few families are drawn here as well.
Location
In the heart of Havana, right by museums, restaurants, and attractions
The Park View’s location is truly it’s best feature. In
fact, it’s a prime spot that shares real estate with other more upscale
hotels such as the Hotel Mercure Sevilla, Hotel Telegrafo, and Hotel Inglaterra. One of the city’s main promenades, the Paseo del Prado, is half a block away. And the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) and the Museo de la Revolution (Museum of the Revolution) are both a three-minute walk away. The Malecón, Havana's main waterfront street ideal for people-watching, is a 10-minute walk away. The surrounding blocks have loads of
cafes, bars, and restaurants, and right around the corner sits a school for ballet.
(It’s not uncommon to see clusters of students adjusting their tights or
warming up for a grand jeté on the sidewalk.) José Martí International Airport is a 30-minute
drive away.
Rooms
Straightforward, simple rooms with some dated furnishings
As with the rest of the property, guest rooms are simple and a touch dated with old-fashioned wood-framed beds topped
with faded bedspreads. White tile floors and seagreen walls brighten these spaces that get little natural light. One appealing touch is the artwork: Two side-by-side photos of the same Havana landmark, one recent and one historic, show the
passage of time. All rooms include older tube TVs with cable, air-conditioning,
safes, and minibars. White-tile bathrooms are equally basic, outfitted with pedestal sinks, hairdryers, and individual
toiletries. Some have shower stalls while others have shower/tub combos. Some
rooms have partial sea views while others face the interior.
Features
A top-floor restaurant with excellent views, but few other features
There are few features at the Park View, and its restaurant is far and away the best of the lot. The top-floor restaurant serves all meals along
with excellent city views. A free breakfast is served here with a full spread
of eggs, juices, fruits, milk, and baked goods. But the food here gets mixed reviews. There’s also a tiny lobby bar that offers cocktails and the usual Cuban
rum. Wi-Fi is not available, and on our visit, the Internet corner with a
computer workstation was down for repairs. For families, cribs are available on request as is babysitting
services. The front desk operates 24 hours a day, and a luggage room is
available. There’s street parking at the front of the hotel, and while it isn’t owned by the property, it’s watched over by the staff.
