From what I saw, the Gran Hotel Manzana appears to be the fanciest hotel in Old Havana. The 5-star hotel is located centrally, close to the Parque Central.

This hotel has also already made an appearance on the blog in this post, from a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t go inside, and I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to. I was told there are restrictions on where I can visit as an American. I found the hotel’s website, which was wonderfully executed and a bit deceptive. The video shows an elegant city with glorious architecture in the surrounding neighborhood. Yes, they do exist, but not as much as they imply. I get it. The website is part of the marketing, so you want to show the best possible look.

I think my coverage of Old Havana is fairly balanced from a tourist perspective. I didn’t see what it looks like inside the average Cuban’s apartment, but I gave a balanced view from the streets. I showed the old, decrepit structures, but it’s also fair to show the lovely ones, like this hotel.

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