Hotel Packard: a luxurious greeting from Havana

Texts: Gabriel E. Laguna

The 500 years of beautiful history that the city of Havana is about to turn are rewarded with the inauguration, next August, of a new architectural and tourist jewel. This is the Packard Hotel, located on the iconic Paseo del Prado, a privileged site in Old Havana with a sea view and an easy and quick access to the most important areas of this older part of the capital. It will be the second luxury hotel with 5 star plus category in the country.

The construction took into account the preservation of elements of the facade up to the fourth level on two of its sides, due to their architectural values. That is why the design mixes tradition and modernity in a balance that, far from being an uncomfortable sight, has a high impact due to its heterogeneous beauty. This is the same characteristic that the city conjugates in the historical evolution of its architecture: after so many years, it has witnessed how the old constructions coexist with other more modern ones. This, in addition to bringing freshness and dynamism, points out that the Cuban capital manifests its heritage as a phenomenon in constant deve-lopment and pursuit of perfection.

Havana has another reason to celebrate its half-millennium: from August, a famous hotel visited in the past by celebrities such as Marlon Brando and Pablo Neruda will open its doors again to the world.