Hotel Florida

Description:

• This is my favorite of the converted old colonial mansions in La Habana Vieja. Built in 1836 and turned into a hotel in 1885, the Florida is stately and elegant and I'd give it an unqualified nod over the Hotel Santa Isabel , except for the fact that a couple of the rooms don't have any windows. However, if you do get one of the window rooms or one of the suites, you may find it hard to head out and explore the city. The rooms are decorated with a mix of imitation and real antique furnishings, wrought-iron beds, checkerboard marble floors, and tasteful framed prints. The entrance is right on the busy Calle Obispo, and it's possible to miss it amid all the hustle and bustle. The tranquil central courtyard provides immediate relief, surrounded by soaring stone columns connected by high arches. If the Florida is full, the newly opened Hotel Marqués de Prado Ameno (253 O'Reilly btw. Cuba and Aguiar), with its cloistered courtyard, is accessed through the Florida and shares the same management. Its 16 spacious rooms with marble floors still retain parts of the original friezes.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010