We had a two week stay in Varadero and following an organised overnight tour to Havana we wanted to go back again and explore the city and nightlife at our own pace so we booked the Chateaux Miramar as a last minute thing through the agent at our resort. With it being last minute, all of the hotels in the city were full so we were just grateful to get something and had no idea what to expect.

We appreciated that we were in Cuba and all of the difficulties that they have with embargoes etc so didn’t go with any pre-conceived ideas.

The hotel is located a few miles outside of the city so transport will always be required. We were lucky that the taxi driver we first got (as booked by Miramar reception) was a really nice guy who wanted to show us the city (and not rip us off) and was very enthusiastic about Havana, so we kept him on as our driver for the weekend and he took us wherever we wanted at whatever time. He even sorted out our train tickets to Matanzas for us (that’s a whole other story in itself).

The hotel is located right next to the sea, so our room with a very large balcony had an excellent sea view and large patio doors that lead to the balcony from the bedroom. The room was a reasonable size and the bathroom clean. There was a fridge in the room that was empty and switched off. Wow, when you opened the door, did it smell!!! I switched it on and it did work, but there is no way I would wish to put anything in this with the odour and when it was on it made such a noise, but equally when it was off it stank.

All of the staff were very friendly and genuinely wanted to help and ensure that all was well.

OK then, on to the negative points. As mentioned, the location is a little remote from the city so access to transport is a must. Most of the hotel is carpeted in deep pile and their vacuum cleaners jus aren’t up to the job of pulling the dust out from them which leaves a dusty atmosphere and from this I ended up with a mild cough that didn’t clean for three weeks. I try to look on the bright side and adjust to situations, but this was the only place in Cuba that we went to where the food was absolutely inedible. Breakfast is a small buffet affair in a small room with maybes about 8 or 10 tables and when they don’t have the air conditioning on it is like a greenhouse. Any breads are dried out, meats taste distinctly dubious and the cold cuts and cheese are just sweating in the heat of the room within minutes of them being put on the buffet. The only thing I could put on my plate was the watermelon and the only drink was water as the coffee was appalling.

OK, we are in Cuba, not the gourmet capital of the world and they do have their problems so I don’t want to dwell too much on the negative aspects.

For us, we were just grateful to have a place to stay following our last minute booking as we would have been so disappointed if we did not have the opportunity to have our second private trip to this wonderful city. And we did have a fantastic few days in Havana on our own where we sampled the fantastic bars, local clubs, saw the daytime sights and enjoyed the company of the local people. This hotel did not distract from our enjoyment, it was simply a base to sleep at.

I wouldn’t recommend this hotel due to location, dust and the food, which is a shame because the staff were so friendly and helpful, but the end we do pay for our vacations to enjoy ourselves when we work so hard for the rest of the year so I would say try to find better that is closer to the centre.

Stayed here for 2 nights at the start of our Colonial Cuba Tour with Travel Collection/Kuoni. Our room was on the second floor opposite the aquarium, but not high up enough to enjoy the show!! The room was spacious with 2 double beds. The bathroom was also quite large and there was plenty of hot water and the shower worked well. The room was clean and comfy but a bit dated and definately only equivalent to a 3 star.
We had a buffet breakfast one morning which was fine and the second morning we had to order from the menu, once again it was fine but nothing special.
Some of the staff were very friendly the bellboy particularly but some were a bit indifferent.
The saltwater pool was very welcome place to cool down in, but we did find a piece of broken glass by our loungers.
The location of the hotel is a bit removed from central Havana and we were not offered the shuttle bus as mentioned in other reviews.
There are two supermarkets nearby, one on Ave 1 over the bridge and on the right hand side - this has a good selection of local beers and also rum and bottled water. The second one is out of the hotel turn right towards the hotel Panama, go past the hotel Panama and down to the junction, it is across the road on the left. Don't take any big bags with you as you may have to hand them in, and also keep your receipt handy as you may need t show it on the way out.
The area felt very safe to walk around even in the dark. We walked back from the El Ajibe restaurant one evening and the most dangerous thing we encountered were the pavements - lots of unexpected holes and uneven surfaces!! We took a small torch which proved very useful.
All in all, we had an ok stay but if you have a choice I would suggest you pick a more central hotel

Reading the other reviews tells me that we all seem to be in agreement that this hotel is not 4* but at best 3*. There are refurbished rooms facing the Aquarium try to get into those as the rooms on the sea side are in need of a serous overhall. Ther are also some fast food outlets where the locals eat nearby so go to these for a quick tasty meal.Be warned though that the local music is played rather loudly. Our room had all the faults that other visitors complained about but was clean and the beds comfortable. Staff were pleasant and helpful. Pool was clean but had many local children in it. Plenty of sun beds. Breakfast was waiter service and the food and drink uneatable.

Miramar is in the quiet Embassy district some miles from the Old Town of Havana. Travel to and fro was provided by Kuoni a bit iffy and in taxis without seat belts in the back. This service was essential as it would cost you 16 - 20 CUP per return trip to the Old Town. One particularly awkward driver left us stranded in the 35 degree heat one afternoon. Room was of a good size but marred by faults with the doors sticking. Staff a bit lacksidaisicle, breakfast orders forgotten etc. There is a nice seawater pool with towels provided for you and a pool bar & snack service.