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hinking of celebrities, from the Prince of Wales to Frank Sinatra, Al Capone to Marlon Brando, who all passed through the arches of its immense corridors, one begins to imagine a cross between Monte Carlo and Macao. The building, conceived and erected in 1930 by an American property developer, is surrounded by austere columns and lines, flanked by two Renaissance bell towers. The Nacional surveys the town from where Santa Clara 's former battery used to stand. Certain vestiges, such as Ordonez Cannon, one of the biggest and of the most powerful of its time (1830), never seem to have stopped guarding the tranquillity of the romantic gardens around the hotel and its swimming pool. From these delicious gardens shaded by trees in flower gardens, you can contemplate the slow excitement of the world.
Ideally located on the Bay of Havana , overhanging Malecon on the Atlantic Ocean , this luxury hotel advances imperturbably towards the district of Vedado, famous for its frenetic nights filled with cigar smoke. This massive and fantastic 8-floor colossal-looking construction testifies to the tempestuous spirit of visitors from the 30s to the 50s. In 1988 this jewel of Cuban hotels was declared a national monument. The visitors are captivated by the galleries of the gardens that recollect monastic cloisters of Moorish-Spanish arcades, the main hall resembling three parallel aisles of a Medieval church, or the simulated beams of the ceiling that recall an old Catalan monastery with Arab reminiscences.
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Its eclectic architecture combining Art-Deco, neoclassic and neo-colonial designs, the handsome Apartment of the Republic, with its direct entrance and the insured privacy for state guests and its comfortable Presidential Suite, have time and again attracted many distinguished personalities from the fields of art, literature, politics, commerce, science and business.
Neither ostentatious luxury nor decoration of splendor disturb the peace of mind and the sophisticated elegance of its felt lounges and majestic volumes. Sometimes diverted from its function, Nacional became a fortress in the hands of hundreds of revolutionary officers which were going to knock down the dictator Machado in 1933 by coup d'état.
Admirably restored and maintained, this palace has lost nothing of its charm except the casino opened by sulphurous gangster Meyer Landsky, formerly godfather of North American mafia. Today the hotel prides itself in offering another form of entertainment: the Parisian Cabaret, famous for its musical reviews which are not second to those of Paris ' Lido or Crazy Horse, with dances to Cuban rhythms. The Comedor de Aguiar Restaurant: the most fancy and exclusive restaurant in Havana offers the best of national and international cuisine and an extensive wine list. The charm of the Hotel Nacional goes on, welcoming distinguished businessmen and ordinary folk from all over the world, hosting important international events while remaining that "Enchanted Castle" that Carpentier spoke of, as dazzling as it was on its opening night.
Karen Thiriet - © 2003
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