However, service is personable and attentive. The recently opened Parque Central has the potential to be one of the best downtown hotels, but it's still too early to tell. Located in Old Havana near the capitol, everything from the Partagas cigar factory to the Cathedral is a short walk away. It's a slightly strange-looking building, a pastiche of neocolonial and modern architecture. The lobby is light and inviting, with a large, airy bar.
Rooms are good-sized and well outfitted.
The rooftop swimming pool and Jacuzzi are bliss. There's even an excellent cigar shop and smokers' club and bar. The restaurants have potential because the hotel has arranged a special permit to import its own food. The big question mark is service. Late last year, I tried twice to reserve a room and the response was late and unaccommodating.