Havana: Meet the hotel in Cuba with a colourful past

It is said that many Hollywood celebrities once frequented the hotel’s bar. — AFP

In its 91 years, Havana, Cuba’s majestic Hotel Nacional has borne witness to some of the biggest events of Cuban history. It was once bombed as part of a conflict between rival units of Cuba’s military, hosted a summit of mafia dons, was a key site of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a holiday jaunt for Hollywood’s most eccentric figures.

Yet for 20 months during the pandemic, this building that mixes Art Deco and neoclassical elements along with Moorish tiles was deserted.