Tryp Habana Libre Hotel Havana

The Tryo Habana Libre is located in the business district of Havana and was formally the Havana Hilton. My first impression of the place was good. It's quite a modern looking high rise building with a huge mosaic above the entrance. The lobby is big and spacious with a nice water feature.

Checking in was NOT easy. There was no queueing system at all, the staff gave the impression that they couldn't care less and they didn't smile once!

We eventually got a room allocated on the 11th floor. The lift area and corridors were very clean and seemed newly decorated. Our room was HUGE!! We also had been given a room with a beautiful view of the city. Unfortunately, the windows were that filthy you just couldn't see out of them at all. Trying to get out on the balcony to check it out was the next challenge. The sliding door seemed a little stuck so we stood at either end and had to proper fight to get the door open but once we did, were able to take in the stunning views.

The balcony was a bit dodgy though and a quick inspection revealed a crumbling stucture in need of some serious tlc.

The general cleanliness in our room was ok except for the bathroom. It was grotty and very old and worn. All the taps were corroded and the shower head attachment was only just attached to the wall! The last paint job was evident as there were paint splashes all over the bath tub!

We stayed for 3 nights so we got a chance to try some of the restaurants in and around the hotel. Their names escape me at this moment but they were all good and the service friendly. Every morning there was a big breakfast buffet which was included in the price of the room. The buffet was excellent and the choice extensive. It was on par with some of the buffets I've been to in Las Vegas! Never left hungry!

The hotel has a nice pool with full waiter service which was very nice. There are 2 bars. One in the lobby and one on the first floor. We'd got back from a long walk one day and decided to head to the lobby bar for a mojito. It was the worst one I've ever had. It had been watered down and the mint leaves were brown!!

The hotel also has a nightclub on the top floor and it's free for hotel guests. I really liked it. The music was great and they had people on the stage showing what dance moves to do to what song. And everyone in there were super friendly!

It wasn't a bad stay. The hotel is worn but not compared to the surrounding buildings. After speaking to holiday makers that were staying in other hotels it seems they had the same experience. I wouldn't NOT recommend it. Just be aware that the 4 star rating it's got there would not be a 4 star rating anywhere else.