The Canadian chain Blue Diamond reported this Monday that it will reopen the Paseo del Prado hotel, under the name of Royalton Habana, on August 1. The news is still a surprise, since the establishment, one of the most luxurious in the Cuban capital, was managed, together with the state-owned Grupo Gaviota, by Accor.
Just in December 2019, the French firm announced with great fanfare the opening of the hotel, with 250 rooms, designed by the architect Michel Regembal with inspiration in dance. Also collaborating in the project, according to what Accor reported at the time, was the Spanish Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, who designed the staff’s uniforms.
However, the establishment, located in one of the most privileged corners of Havana, between the Malecón and Paseo del Prado, months later faced the closure of the borders due to the covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement released Monday, Blue Diamond does not detail whether it has redesigned the interior, simply announcing that it will “provide stunning views from inside and out,” thanks to “its modern look, as well as the views afforded by the rooms, its three restaurants and bars, and the rooftop infinity pool that overlooks the Bay of Havana and the Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta.
The Canadian, which was recently granted the exclusive administration of Cayo Largo del Sur, promotes itself as “the fastest growing hotel chain”
The Canadian, which was recently granted exclusive management of Cayo Largo del Sur, promotes itself as “the fastest growing hotel chain, now with 36 properties in its portfolio and more than 10,000 rooms.”
The construction of this hotel, the third five-star hotel in the same area of the capital, was not without controversy. Architects and ordinary citizens lamented the enormous height of the new building, which does not respect that of the adjoining properties and which erects a wall that blocks the view between Central Havana and the Havana coastline.
Other recurring reproach on the part of Cubans towards the Government is that, in the midst of the most serious economic crisis of the last thirty years, it continues to spare no expense in the construction of luxury hotels, in a desperate hunt to recover ground in a sector, tourism , which does not raise its head after the covid-19 pandemic.
Unlike its competitors in the Caribbean, such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic or Costa Rica, which after the restrictions due to the coronavirus have improved their figures and are close to those prior to the pandemic, tourism on the Island has fallen 73% compared to 2019.
The works of the big hotels, however, have not stopped. One of them will be in what will be the tallest building in the capital, the so-called “López-Calleja tower” because it is the work of the military conglomerate Gaesa, commanded, until his recent death, by the former son-in-law general of Raúl Castro. Next to this mass, other accommodations under construction are 1st and D, in El Vedado, or 3rd and 70, in Playa.
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