I stayed at the Havana Libre from Nov 16-19, 2011. Hotel used to be the Havana Hilton before it was nationalized in 1962. Great location in Havana for restaurants and shops. The lobby/reception area has that 1960's feel to it. First the bad: They have an issue with the carpets in the rooms and hallways. They have a moldy smell that you can sense the moment the elevator door opens. Suggestion: Ask for a tile-floor room (usually 16th & 19th floors). ANother bad is the A/C. It mostly works but on some floors you have issues. The Good: Great service, excellent breakfast, pool is clean and nicely set up, the front desk+switchboard operators+tourist office+restaurant staff are all super friendly and helpful. They know the hotel has issues and they are ready to help. For example, my A/C was not working for the three days I was there....but on day 1 that brought me 3 fans. More good: great cable system, good water pressure, great views from balconies (city or ocean views).
Going back in March and already made my reservation.

We stayed here on an overnight trip from Varadero.Chek in was a little slow,but then,nothing gets done quickly in Cuba so just chill out and accept it.
Rooms are a little dated but comfortable enough.The sealant round the bath was growing mould and the toilet paper was the cheapest they could buy.
The buffet meals were not of the best quality and not kept very hot.
The best thing about this hotel was the rooftop nightclub (free admission to residents)The drinks are a little on the expensive side but so what,the entertainment was first class.The main act was the top salsa singer in Cuba.
As this was the old Hilton Hotel,Conrad must be turning in his grave.

The Hotel Habana Libre in Havana was perhaps when it was built as the Hilton was a 5 or 6 star establishment but since the name change the hotel has slight gone down and is now perhaps a 2 or 3 star although the reception area still had its splendour, and the lady that booked us in was so slow that at stages you would not have been surprised if she had stopped breathing, firstly she needed to copy our booking confirmation which she took to the photocopier machine which was right next to her desk but took her nearly 30 mins to switch on, and take the copies, then she insisted you fill out the normal forms such as names, passports etc, overall it was nearly an hour before we were given our room key, and once upstairs you could see the water stains on the corridor floors, although the room we had on the 5th you could not complain about, the bed was comfy, and the room was clean, being bed + breakfast the food was typical eggs, bacon, cereals, toasts etc , and you just helped yourself although they would cook omelettes for you whilst you waited.
AT this hotel, and via the travel company we booked a day + night package which consisted of a 4 personal tour with an English speaking guide in a taxi around Havana, and although we had already done our own tour it was really good to dive into the places that you surely had missed and told things that the guidebooks did not want to tell you, so this was really worth it. The evening part of the trip consisted of a night at the Tropicana nightlife which is a place you must surely go to, where you are given a single flower for the ladies, a cigar for the men, followed by a half bottle of local rum and 2 cans of coke per couple this whole experience cost 99 tourist pesos each

I stayed here for 1 night in December for my 3rd visit. It isn't my prefered choice of hotel in Havana, but as we have always gone on an arranged trip we haven't had a choice of hotel. I would prefer to stay in Old Havana, however, it is interesting to go a little further out to see more of the City.

The hotel has a large Reception area and is very impressive on first viewing. There is a lobby bar. The staff are welcoming and accommodating. The hotel rooms are large, but shabby. The carpets could do with a clean. My main problem was all the hair in the bathroom.

Each time we have stayed we have been given a high floor. If you don't like heights ask for a lower floor. At breakfast time it can be a bit of a wait for a lift, although there are 6.

The food is buffet style in the main restaurant and is ok.

Overall this hotel is ok for a 1 night stay.