Hotel E Velasco

We had a spacious room with a balcony overlooking the main square, and the bed may have been the biggest I've ever seen. The reception staff welcomed us and were genuinely helpful, and everyone else we met was friendly too. Although it's operated by a state chain, this hotel felt different from the other ones I'd stayed in. Highly recommended.

The lobby is absolutely gorgeous, and putting my parents in an upgraded room was a kind gesture that we appreciated. But they first tried to send us to the “sister” hotel Le Louvre because a large tour group was staying there, and our room was awful: tiny, windowless, and more like a dungeon. The A/C leaked into a huge puddle on the floor, and the bathroom was gross. It really wasn't fit for paying guests. They also charged my mom $2 CUC for a one-hour WiFi card, while I paid $1 CUC for the same thing. The problems really took away from the nice parts 😞 We stayed in Feb 2020.

Our rooms were at the Louvre, though we checked in at the recently renovated reception at the Velasco. The place was nicely done and had a lot of atmosphere. Staff were friendly and helpful, and they found us a dinner table even with the restaurant full. The one problem was no hot water!

I only popped in for a drink, so I can't say anything about the hotel rooms. Their bar had a mocha-like drink, and J Alvarez videos were playing. The lobby bathrooms were decent. You can get paid WiFi here, or use the park across the street.