Hotels - Santa Isabel

About  Santa Isabel

The magnificent Hotel Santa Isabel has an enviable location in the heart of Old Havana, directly facing the charming cobbled square of Plaza de Armas, with its perfect blend of bars, museums & restaurants.

History & elegance go hand in hand at Santa Isabel dating back to the 19th Century, when it was owned by the Count of Santovenia (whose decorative initials can still be found in a variety of fixtures & fittings). The distinguished visitors of its colonial past continue to this day, with guests such as Jack Nicholson, Sting & ex-US president Jimmy Carter.

The grand facade is complemented by elegance inside, with a large, air-conditioned lobby boasting crystal chandeliers & beautiful period furnishings. Adjoining this is the inner courtyard where guests can relax in the sun or shade beside the tranquil fountain, while they can also enjoy the sun & spectacular views from the hotel rooftop.

The Condado restaurant has antique furnishings & maintains the elegant, colonial ambience of Santa Isabel Hotel. Breakfast can be taken there but, with views out onto the square where there are frequent markets, many guests enjoy taking breakfast outside under the shady arched gallery.

While Santa Isabel has an unparalleled location on the picturesque Plaza Armas, it is also surprisingly quiet & yet just one minute from the bustling Calle Opisbo, with its bars & music. It is easy to see why Hotel Santa Isabel is a favourite for visitors looking for a stylish stay in Old Havana.

 

Calle Mercaderes esq. Lamparilla, Habana Vieja, La Habana

Firefighters Museum

The Museo de Bomberos (Firefighters Museum) is located in the same place where more than 20 firemen died during a great fire. The purpose of this museum is to promote fire prevention throughout the population and to recognize the great work firemen do. The museum contains a bronze sculpture of a fireman, several water tanks, firefighter uniforms, and other related items. It also has an auditorium and offers guided tours and fire prevention courses for children and teenagers.

Calle Mercaderes No. 160 e/ Lamaprilla y Obrapia, Habana Vieja, La Habana

Simón Bolívar Museum

The Simón Bolívar Museum is situated within an old Neoclassical palace dating back to between 1806 and 1817., right in front of the bronze statue of Latin America’s liberator, in Old Havana. This museum in honor of Simón Bolívar was opened July 24th 1993, coinciding with the anniversary of his birth. It has permanent exhibitions dealing with the history of the Bolivarian nation and its main figures of independence. The museum also houses a great library with important book collections and Latin-American documents.

Calle Inquisidor e/ Muralla y Teniente Rey, Habana Vieja

Old Square

The neighbors of the town insisted to the town council on the need to create a new public square for their amusement. In 1587, the town council decided to use as a public square the area behind the Convento de San Francisco, which was being built at the time. During the latter decades of the 16th century, this square was called the Plaza Nueva (new square), but from the 18th century onwards, once the Plaza del Cristo had been built, it began to become known as the Plaza Vieja (old square). The most remarkable feature of this square are the buildings around it, with their unquestionable historical and artistic importance of having been the blueprint for a style of architecture which, along with certain developments, subsequently spread throughout the city and characterised the Cuban architecture of the 18th century.

Calle Mercaderes No. 114, Habana Vieja, La Habana

Maqueta Museum of Old Havana (Scale Model Museum)

The Museo Maqueta de La Habana Vieja (Maqueta Museum of Old Havana) (Scale Model Museum) hosts a 1:500 scale model of Old Havana, one of the most important of these models in all of Cuba, and is considered as a place of great interest, knowledge and entertainment by its inhabitants. It is continuously updated and is rather impressive due to the incredible attention to detail in its works in regards to some of the most important buildings of Old Havana. This is one of Old Havana’s must-visit museums, as it allows you to imagine what the historical center of Havana is like as a whole, and therefore being able to get a better look at it when walking its streets.

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