Founded in 1875, the Inglaterra is Cuba’s oldest hotel and has been declared a National Monument. It was exceedingly popular in the nineteenth century and is still favoured by visitors who particularly enjoy hanging out in its covered café, having drinks or sandwiches on tables individually decorated by Cuban contemporary artists and watching the world go by.
A hiss through the potted plants could signal your chance to buy a coin with Che on it, or a newspaper, or rather more exotic wares. But if that vexes you there is always the wonderful Seville-style tiled bar to visit, with its gilded flamenco-dancer statue, thought to be of the celebrated nineteenth century Spanish courtesan La Belle Otero.
The rest of the ground floor of the Inglaterra is also lavishly decorated, with chandeliers, stained glass, ornate wrought iron, marble floors and moulded ceilings.
The pavement café has a distinguished history. It used to be known as La Acera del Louvre (the pavement of the Louvre café which stood on the site) and became a meeting place for supporters of Cuban independence from Spain. A prominent Spaniard was even converted to their cause on the site – on 27th November 1871, when the Spanish military captain Don Nicolás Estévanez, heard the shots of eight innocent medical students being executed he broke his sword in two and renounced his military career with the words “Humanity and justice are more important than my fatherland.” Stirring stuff, and although the Inglaterra isn’t one of Havana’s most shipshape hotels it is extremely popular for its evocative atmosphere and location.
