We stayed 3 nights in Hostel El Comendador. The building is very old and beautiful, with open terraces and large wooden doors. The staff was friendly and helpful. On a good note, we were able to see a traditional building with much charachter. The room we were in (number 14), had a nice view of a beautiful small garden, with the water in the distance. I believe this room likely had the best view. It also had an outdoor balcony which was nice for viewing the street and garden. There is a mini-bar in the room stocked with beer, wine, water, and soft drinks with reasonable prices. We had minor issues with power outages - a staff member came up immediately both times and corrected the problem. The toilet would not stop itself up and fill with water, so we jiggled under the lid to make it stop. We never reported the toilet problem because we didn't think it was a big deal for our short stay. The bath is a large old style tub with a more modern showerhead you could use to spray yourself with if you preferred showering. It was a little awkward trying to shower with it and not get the bathroom wet, but it was an interesting and fun experience. The hotel breakfast was almost inedible. There were small pancakes with flies swarming around, cold eggs, and the milk was old, but there was bread and a toaster and you could always choose to have coffee with no milk. There are both 110v and 220v outlets in the room, but they require a different style plug than what is used in many places. The Front Desk happily charged our camera batteries at no cost. The hotel was around some interesting buildings, but we found that the most fun areas were near the Capitolio, which was a good 20 minute walk from this hotel. The Police are very astute and helpful to tourists. We definitely enjoyed our experience in this hotel, but next time will look for something closer to the Capitolio area. On a different note, if you want to enjoy traditional Cuban music and Mojitos, don't miss Bar Monserrate while in Havana!
- Hostal El Comendador Havana
