Best Five star hotels in Havana Cuba From An Expert (2024)

There are a variety of great options for finding a top-rated five-star hotel in Havana Cuba, for your holiday these days. Back in the day, Havana (and Cuba) was infamous for horrible accommodations, hotels, food, and service. But not anymore!

I have been traveling regularly to Havana for five years, and I have visited most of these hotels myself for one or more nights.

Outside of Havana, there are also lots of five-star hotels in Cuba in popular destinations on the island, should you want to explore in style. You find luxury hotels in destinations like Havana, Varadero, Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Coco, and Trinidad.

Here are five star hotels in Havana you are gonna love!

Find Your Favorite Five Star Hotels In Havana Cuba

There are a variety of five star hotels in Havana, Cuba now, and more are being built as we speak.

Many of the really good hotels in Havana are in Old Havana, along Prado Avenue, and along the Malecon between the old city and the modern part of Havana, the Vedado.

One of the absolutely best and most luxurious ones is right next to Parque Central, on the brink between Old and Central Havana.

1. Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski

In the exact center between Old Havana and Central Havana, sitting right on Parque Central, is one of the absolutely best hotels in Havana, Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski.

The reason this is not my overall favorite is that it is also by far the priciest hotel in Havana.

This hotel is in an amazing location for exploring Old and Central Havana on foot. It has modern, airy rooms and great amenities.

You will love the rooftop pool with a bar and restaurant with infinite views of the city in the afternoon after a long day of exploring inside or outside Havana (or for breakfast)!

The Manzana Kempinski also has an in-house spa and gym, and the staff can help you organize tours and excursions, taxis, and other services you might need.

The Manzana Kempinski really is an oasis in Havana where you can barely hear the city roar below; completely relax.

Enjoy recuperating before a night out or just getting ready for the next day to explore Havana and Cuba!

2. Iberostar Grand Packard

Just on the corner of the venerable Prado Avenue, by the entrance to the Havana harbor and the Malecon, is the Iberostar Grand Packard!

This hotel is incredibly delicate, from the airy foyer where the ceiling is multiple stories above your head to the nice elegant rooms and the quasi-rooftop terrace mid-building with an incredible L-shaped pool!

Here is also a bar, restaurant, and a large lounge area, and from your pool lounger, you can order lunch or a refreshing drink.

Or just soak up the views of the sea and one of the most famous landmarks in Cuba, El Morro, sitting across the bay. This is the tower guarding the entrance to Havana for centuries!

At the Grand Packard, you have amenities like a gym, spa, and in-house restaurant, AND you are minutes away from the liveliest area of Old Havana with restaurants, bars, and shops.

3. Iberostar Parque Central

A neighbor to the Manzana Kempinski, just across Parque Central, lining up with the venerable Avenida del Prado, is Iberostar Parque Central.

Parque Central is an elegant hotel in Havana with an equally amazing location and good amenities, although the hotel is a bit older and not as bright and shiny.

The prices at Parque Central are also normally a bit lower than the Manzana Kempinski, while you still get the rooftop pool, bar, and restaurant, as well as the incredible views of Havana.

The rooms are elegant but with traces of wear and tear, and the foyer is really elegant with a large open space with a cafe, bar, and restaurant.

4. Gran Hotel Bristol La Habana

Gran Hotel Bristol La Habana is one of the newest hotels in Havana; in fact, it was about to open when the pandemic hit, but it had to close down and reopen after the pandemic.

This hotel is not as much a resort type of hotel but more of a business hotel with pampering luxurious amenities.

From the rooftop with pool, bar, and restaurant, you have an uninterrupted view over to the Manzana Kempinski Hotel and to the Capitolio. This old parliament building is only a block away!

The rooms are clean, light, and modern, with a Scandinavian feel. The hotel is also close to Parque Central, which has many great paladares, bars, and sights in Old and Central Havana.

5. Hotel Nacional De Cuba

Hotel Nacional de Cuba is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks, as well as a historic building sitting right on the verge of the Vedado.

The building is impressive on a small hill and has a stunning view of the Malecon and the sea from the garden.

The entrance is also super elegant, with a small avenue leading up to the main entrance. Once inside, the atmosphere is elegant and oozes decades gone by; it is as if history sits in the walls!

And on the walls, there is a variety of Cuban art, with more than a hint of the revolution, like most things in Cuba.

There is an in-house restaurant that was not quite at the level one would expect at a place with this aura; despite high ceilings, the ambiance was a bit heavy from “a different time”.

There is also a bar, restaurant, and pool in the garden, which is a lot more charming!

The rooms at Hotel Nacional also bear testament to foregone elegance, but there is a bit of dusty energy, and they are not quite as elegant as they could have been.

This hotel in Havana has a magnificent history that you can live in the middle of if you want to; make sure you join one of the guided tours of the hotel and learn all about it.

6. Hotel Grand Aston La Habana

Sitting right on the Malecon in Havana, right in between Old Havana and the modern Vedado, is the quite new five-star Hotel Grand Aston La Habana!

This hotel is on the edge of Central Havana, and you can walk to both the Vedado and the old city, but it is not in immediate closeness to either.

The hotel itself, thoughout, is really nice. A delicate foyer with friendly staff, a lobby bar, light, airy rooms, and my favorite feature: a rooftop pool with an infinite view of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Grand Aston also has a modern gym with stunning views of the sea and a spa!

7. Hotel Royalton Habana

With a superb location on the corner of the Malecon across from El Morro Fortress, Royalton Habana (this hotel used to be called Paseo del Prado) is now a European Plan Resort.

Here the interior is a combination of modernism and luxury décor with incredible sea views!

The foyer welcomes you with a cool, calm interior, friendly staff, and a lobby bar that normally offers a fresh welcome drink while checking in – a nice touch in a city hotel.

The rooms are modern and delicate, and the spa and gym are excellent; the gym also has infinite sea views!

And, of course, the incredible pool with a pool bar serving mojitos and light meals, sheltered from the winds with only the sea in front of you.

This is one of my favorite hotels in Havana – priceless!

8. Paseo 206 El Prado

Along the historic and beautifully decorated Paseo del Prado separating Old Havana from Central Havana, you find the small and elegant Paseo 206 boutique hotel.

The Paseo 206 is situated in a classical family home from 1933 that has been completely renovated while carefully taking care of the original atmosphere from the elegant colonial house it was originally built to be!

You find rooms, suites, and even a rooftop suite with exquisite details here in the heart of Havana.

The rooms are soft and romantic in their interior, and on the first floor of the hotel, you find an Italian restaurant right on the sidewalk. Artists set up here, musicians, and sometimes even dancers, and along the Prado, you have a variety of bars and restaurants.

You can also walk to the sights of Old Havana, the central city, the Malecon, Parque Central, and the Capitolio.

9. Voya Boutique Hotel Havana

The Voya Boutique Hotel is not in the immediate vicinity of Havana’s most famous and popular sights; it is located in the La Vibora neighborhood.

However, this stylish boutique hotel is a “hidden” gem in Havana, with exquisite rooms, a garden, a restaurant, a garden pool, and an incredible classical colonial atmosphere. If you don’t need to be in the middle of the city vibe, this might be the perfect place for you.

The Voya has rooms and suites, restaurant room service, and thoughtful little details like fresh flowers!

In-house, you can enjoy great cuisine at the Brasserie 255, served on the patio, where the kitchen serves you Mediterranian dishes inspired by Cuban cuisine.

Unique Things To Do In Havana

From these locations, you are situated in the heart of Havana, where you have a plethora of things to do right outside your door!

Why not take a dance class in Old Havana, take a classic American car tour of the whole city, or even a top-rated tour in a motorcycle sidecar?

Right next to the Prado is the Museum of the Revolution; from Parque Central, there is a five-minute walk to the Capitolio, and at the end of the Avenida Prado, the Prado Avenue, you have the famous Malecon boardwalk.

Also, do a guided walking tour of the old city to make sure you don’t miss any details in the interesting history of Havana and Cuba!

FAQs Five Star Hotel In Havana Cuba

There are two sets of rules for travelers to Cuba; there are one set of rules for US citizens visiting Cuba and another set of rules for everyone else.

US citizens traveling to Cuba must adhere to the Cuba restricted list issued by the US Government.

Can I Stay In A Luxury Hotel In Cuba?

That is a good question.

If you are an American citizen, you need to make sure that the Cuban state does not own the place you stay in Cuba, as that is against US regulations for travel to Cuba for Americans.

The Cuban government has majority ownership of many of the large resorts and luxury hotels in Cuba.

So, if the Cuban government owns more than half of the luxury hotel or resort you want to stay at, as an American citizen, American citizens can not stay at that hotel.

This rule is regulated in the Cuba restricted list issued by the US government, regulating where US travelers to Cuba can stay and where they can shop and eat.

Citizens of any other country of the world do not have to adhere to the US restricted list and may stay in any kind of accommodation in Cuba.

Where Can I Eat In Havana Cuba?

Again, that depends on whether you are a US citizen or if you are from any other country in the world.

Non-US citizens can visit any restaurant or paladar in Cuba. A paladar is a Cuban name for a privately owned restaurant, and US citizens can eat at paladares – not at restaurants that are state-owned.

You can tell the difference by asking whether the place you want to eat is a restaurant or a paladar.

Now, that is not a noticeable problem, as the vast majority of places to eat in both Havana and across the country are paladares.

And if you were to make a mistake, you would probably understand anyway, as restaurants generally have an interior marked by wear and tear and not exactly top-notch service!

Wrap-Up Five Stars Hotel In Havana Cuba

If you have decided that you do not want to have the authentic Cuban casa particular experience, as you see, there are a variety of five star hotels in Havana, Cuba, that you will love!

For US citizens visiting Havana, I recommend you check the Cuba restricted list before you make your bookings or contact a US travel agency specializing in Cuba travel to learn about the rules and regulations for accommodation in Cuba.

For anyone else, I have personally stayed at almost all of these hotels, and I can confidently recommend staying here while exploring all the fascinating details and history of Havana City and even Cuba at large.

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