Mexico City, Mexico.- In front of the sea and with a height that exceeds 70 meters, in Paseo and Malecón, the hotel Havana Riviera on December 10, 1957, as one of the most emblematic buildings in Cuba.
This building had a cost of over 12 million dollars, which the historical chronicles say came out of the mafia’s pocket. Even Mafia ringleader Meyer Lansky took up residence in a suite on the 20th floor and ran the arcade from there.
For this building, no expense was spared in the luxury and comfort of the space. They even decorated with works by artists such as Cundo Bermúdez and Florencio Gelabert. The Riviera also had its own gaming casino, the most luxurious in Havana in those years. In fact, it was the largest hotel-casino built anywhere in the world, except Las Vegas. In addition, it had almost 400 rooms in its 21 floors.
Among the other curiosities of this hotel we can mention that it had the largest pool in Havana. It was also one of the first in the world to have central air conditioning.
The station counts Radio Havana Cuba that at its opening it was a social event of such impact that it was broadcast in the United States. The ceremony was attended by Cardinal Manuel Arteaga Betancourt, who blessed him. Also Rafael Guas Inclán, Vice President of the Republic; Justo Luis del Pozo, mayor of Havana, and about a hundred Americans linked to the mafia. Hollywood figures like Ginger Rogers and Lou Costello came to Pradro and Malecón.
“In its first year of operations, the Habana Riviera left net profits close to 400,000 dollars,” the text points out.
Such was the expectation that they opened the hotel with a musical revue presented in their Cabaret “Copa Room” with Ginger Rogers, under the direction of Jack Cole.
This building, declared a National Monument on April 18, 2012, is no longer the shadow of what it once was. The lack of maintenance and its proximity to the sea have exposed it to severe deterioration.
On the other hand, the dispute over him is still going on. in 2015 it was news the Riviera when the relatives of the late Meyer Lansky sued the Cuban government to return the Hotel to them or to compensate them for its expropriation. That, of course, never happened.
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