This hotel is very well located (in Vieja Habana, yards from Plaza Vieja) and looks quite spectacular, especially at night when the outside of the building and the mouldings are illuminated. Inside, the illuminations from the first and second floor are also lovely. For the money, I felt I got a good deal - yes the showers were disappointing but they worked well enough. In Cuba don't expect boiling hot water. The furniture was fine - antiques and wrought iron, although don't knock your shin on the bed frame, ouch! People at reception were very helpful. They let me store my bag when I came back from a few days in Vinales on my last afternoon before I flew back to Europe. I had sorted it out before I left the hotel and it was no problem whatsoever. A good tip ensured good service and I'd like to mention the bellboy Yan (not sure of spelling) in particular who ordered taxis and negotiated decent prices on my behalf. Breakfast was fine (loved the wee pancakes), there was enough to keep you going until mid-afternoon, although the choice of teas was a bit weird - no 'proper' tea or green tea, only herbal stuff. I didn't try the bar. In the building at the opposite corner of Amargura and San Ignacio people have hens and a rooster on their roof. So I was wakened by the rooster in the early mornings... But that's the charm of Havana (and Cuba) so it was fine. I left a tip and a couple of notepads for the cleaners because they did a great job. The roof garden was a little disappointing - there was no bar and it was quite blowy, so not very warm (evenings are cool in December). But great views and I'm sure that in the very hot season it's lovely in the evenings. Note that some bedrooms have no windows. I personally didn't like the one I was given on the first night (Room 101 I think) although I take the point about not being bothered by the light. And no noise from the street. However the fridge and air conditioning were noisy and a nuisance. I prefer natural light and the crowing cockerel! If you prefer natural light, ask at reception for a change of room.

We stayed at Hotel Raquel for the first 2 nights when we arrived in Havana before staying in Casa’s for the remainder of the trip.

I’ll premise this review by saying that Hotel Raquel met most of my expectations; however I hadn’t set my expectations too high! Everything in Havana is a compromise between location, character, cost and quality. For me location and character were great, while cost and quality were both ok. The small irritations (leaky showers or flies around the food) weren’t massive concerns for me.

Hotel Raquel was a great base for our first couple of days; letting us find our feet and explore a lot of the old city. The building (a former bank) has been nicely restored a number of years ago, but as with many places in Cuba there isn’t a lot of money for ongoing maintenance and some of the non-public areas were a bit tired (the bath had rust starting to appear and splits in the shower head cord).

We stayed in room 211 (Hannah) which has a window over the street but we didn’t really notice much street noise in the room. The rooftop is perfect for a drink while watching the sun go down and the bar staff are happy to bring your drinks up for you (and keep the drinks coming) for a tip.

Yes, there may have been a few flies around at breakfast, but if you get in early you can beat the flies for some snacks to get you going for the day! I ate up every morning and didn’t have any ill effects.

I’d recommend Hotel Raquel to someone looking for a beautiful old building with character in a central location who isn’t expecting perfection.

I stayed at this hotel because of its excellent location and reasonable prices. The building is a reminder of the good ol’ days, very elegant. It was restored and is still in a good shape. The furniture though is old, as well is the tellie and bathroom appliances. The breakfast could be better, but the staff is kind. After I left I found out I had forgotten my cell phone. I called them, they found and kept it safe until I could pick it up 2 weeks later. Last tip: Visit their rooftop garden, it’s lovely.

Hotel Raquel is superbly located in Old Havana very close to Plaza Veija, so convenient for beer mojitos. The hotel itself is splendidly restored with a real sense of grandeur. The rooms were clean and the shower was ok, lukewarm mostly. We didn't have a window in our room but that helped us sleep. It was pretty noisy on a weekday morning though. The roof garden is nice, it's a shame there isn't a bar up there, but they do bring drinks up if requested (and tipped). Breakfast is this hotel's Achilles heel; buffet style but not kept too fresh and looked unappealing. I stuck to bread mostly, and fruit if I was feeling brave.