Park View - Havana, Cuba     

We only booked here because of an airline charter deal. If you have a choice, stay at a Casa Particular - much cheaper ($25-35/night), friendlier, and just as well located, if not better. Day 1: Bellhop demanded $5CUC for showing use to the room, not bad when the average monthly salary in Cuba is $20CUC; the advertised welcome cocktail was not delivered and the advertised discounts on local museums were not served. The staff claimed to not know what we were talking about, despite the fact that our written documents included these notes. Day 2: The security guard demands $40CUC from us because 2 of our Cuban friends came by to visit. He insists that it is illegal for Cuban citizens to enter the hotel, despite the fact that the Cuban government has already ended this unjust practice. We give him $40 to leave us alone and to avoid further embarrassment to our local friends (a doctor and a professor who I met through Cuban-American relatives... not just anyone off of the street...). Then we go with our Cuban friends to the Hotel Sevilla (next door) for lunch, where the staff have absolutely no problem with Cubans entering the building... Day 3-5: We avoid the hotel and stay with our friends. Day 6: The chamber maid begs us to give her extra money because her grandson needs new pants, this is right after we gave her $15 to watch several small pieces of clothing. Day 7: The security guard tries to stop us while we are leaving the hotel, and then follows us for 1 block trying to sell us cigars (insisting that he really likes Canadians because he has a sister in Toronto...). We return to the hotel to complain to the manager. Later in the day, he stops us again when we try to leave, insisting that he misunderstood us - that he thought we were the ones who asked him about cigars... We tell management to fire him for harassing the guests. They say they will look into it. Day 8: The hotel security guard is still there stopping guests right outside the door, harassing them for money. Day 9-14: We avoid the hotel and stay with our friends and travel, staying at casa particulars. Day 14: We return to collect our things and check out (it was pre-booked and paid through an airline deal - so we kept the room to hold some of our bags, even though we couldn't handle staying there anymore). While checking out, the receptionist demands extra money for the "gift". She says we should give her $20CUC, We refuse, and the security guard follows us to our rental car telling us that we must return, that we do not have permission to leave... We give him the option of moving or letting us drive into him, and head to the airport. We loved Cuba, had a fabulous time in Havana, Matanzas, Las Tarrazas... This hotel has a good location, ok facilities, but several corrupt staff members - including at least 2 of the security guards and the receptionists. The hotel advertises that profits from this hotel go to the restoration funds for old Havana (thus the reason we selected it over some of the other package options). After dealing with their staff, however, and experiencing first hand a constant level of corruption and harassment, I'd suggest looking elsewhere. Stay at a casa particular, where the owners/operators will do everything they can to make you stay happy and comfortable. In our experience, they were not only friendlier, but the facilities were far superior for the value. This hotel is only a deal if you are comparing it with the tourist traps that are deeper within old Havana.