This is the most elite hotel in Havana. A former palace of a Spanish noble family in the early nineteenth century, the Hotel Santa Isabel has lost very little of the elegant ambience of that period. Small and exclusive, it's like staying in a large private home. There's a secluded lobby with a patio as well as a good restaurant. Everything is done in Spanish colonial style.
Rooms are large, with poster beds and reproduction antique furniture.
Many have large terraces overlooking the Plaza de Armas, the shaded square behind the Castillo de la Fuerza, where booksellers set up stands every day. A rooftop swimming pool is planned for this year. The Santa Isabel is a favorite with affluent European tourists and businesspeople. The inn is a former Spanish merchant's house built in the eighteenth century, and it has been restored to perfection. The rooms are large and airy, with all the modern amenities.