Hotel Tryp Habana Libre

The hotel was built as a Habana Hilton ( Spanish: Havana Hilton ) for $ 24 million ^[3] , under the personal supervision of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista , was managed by the American hotel group Hilton Hotels . The hotel was designed by the well-known Los Angeles-based architect Welton Becket ^[4] , who previously designed The Beverly Hilton ^[5] , in collaboration with Havana architects Lin Arroyo ^[6] and Gabriela Menendez. It was built by contract workers through a retirement plan of the Union of Cuban Enterprises and Food Workers, managed by Frederick Snare Corporation. Lin Arroyo was the Minister of Public Works, appointed by Batista. ^[7]

The start of the opening ceremony began on March 19, 1958 . The hotel and its staff were as prepared as possible for the opening, at which a large-scale banquet was planned. Quite a lot of famous people and figures were invited to the banquet. Among them were Marta Fernandez Miranda de Batista , wife of the President of Cuba; Jose Suarez Rivas , Minister of Labor ^[8] Eusebio Mujal ( port. Eusebio Mujal ); Francisco Aguirre Vidaurreta , influential member of the oligarchy in Cuba ^[9] and other individuals associated with government and tourism.

Opened March 22, 1958, as the largest hotel in Cuba ^[10] , in the presence of the founder of the chain Conrad Hilton ^{[11] [12] [13]} . It opened the Trader Vic's Restaurant ^[4] , as well as a casino , night club , pool and rooftop bar. All employees hired by the hotel were subjected to a probationary period of four months with the possibility of promotion ^[14] .

January 8, 1959 , after assuming the post of head of Fidel Castro , the hotel became its headquarters ^{[15] [16]} . Castro lived and worked there for three months in room number 2324 ^[17] , on the 22nd floor ^[18] . During this time, he held press conferences , meetings with the leaders of the republic and gave interviews ^[19] . Casinos throughout the city were temporarily closed ^[20] , but protests by workers led to their opening in February.

Despite the bad relations between the United States and Cuba , the hotel continued to operate until October 1960 , when all American hotels in Cuba were nationalized and the casinos closed. The hotel was then renamed Hotel Habana Libre ( Spanish Hotel Habana Libre ).

In the early years of the Cuban revolution, the hotel was losing its attendance position. For some time the 18th floor of the hotel was occupied by the first embassy of the USSR in Cuba ^[21] . In the 1960s, Habana Libre worked as part of the National Tourism Institute (INTUR), whose goal was to proclaim activities to create more affordable hotels, clubs and beaches ^[22] .

In 1974, the restoration of international tourism in Cuba began. Habana Libre has undergone many changes since its nationalization, among them: the creation of a tourist shop, administered by the Cubatur Company, the office of which was located opposite the hotel, and living rooms were equipped for national and international press. Since 1982, restoration work began. The premises of the Antilles Bar and the Siboney Hall were enlarged, and the latter, in turn, provided services and support to the XIV Games of Central America and the Caribbean . After the end of the games, Siboney began to work as a restaurant with Creole food. The Polinesio restaurant was restored that day.

In the 1990s, during the peak of tourism in Cuba, the hotel worked with the Gran Caribe Hotel Group ^[23] , together with the Spanish Guitar Hotels Group ^[24] .

In 1996, the Spanish hotel chain Sol Meliá Hotel Group, in collaboration with the Cuban government, took over the management of the hotel. It was placed in a network of city hotels and renamed Hotel Tryp Habana Libre . The hotel was refurbished between 1996 and 1997 . Among the main points of the work was the restoration of the huge original panel by the artist Amelia Pelaes over the main entrance ^[25] , which for many decades has been hidden from the public eye. The hotel opened its doors again in December 1997 with many cosmetic improvements and the work of Alfredo Sosabravo ^{[23] [26]} , located above the entrance to the buffet restaurant; clepsydra (water clock) in the hotel lobby is the work of Rita Long , a Cuban sculptor ^{[14] [27] [28]} .

• Che Guevara and Fidel Castro - commanders of the Cuban revolution ^[29] ;
• Salvador Allende - President of Chile since 1970 ;
• Richard Pierce is the highest-ranking American military defector in the history of the Cold War;
• Valentina Tereshkova - the first female astronaut ;
• Elizabeth Taylor - British - American film, theater and television actress;
• Sara Montiel - Spanish film actress and pop folk singer;
• Camilo Cienfuegos - Cuban revolutionary;
• Cantinflas is a Mexican comic actor , screenwriter and producer.

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  Hotel Tryp Habana Libre

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  Hotel Tryp Habana Libre - Lobby

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  Hotel Tryp Habana Libre, view from Coppelia Park

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  The restored fresco of Amelia Pelaez above the main entrance

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  Hotel Tryp Habana Libre

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  Hotel Tryp Habana Libre

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  Hotel Habana Libre, 1973

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  Main entrance of Hotel Tryp Habana Libre

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  Havana public bus near the fresco of Amelia Pelaez

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  Amelia Pelaez fresco over the main entrance

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  Amelia Pelaez fresco over the main entrance

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  View of the Vedado area and the hotel itself

•   Portal Cuba on Wikipedia
• Sol Meliá Cuba - Habana Libre - hotel on the official website of Sol Meliá Cuba
• Hotel Habana Libre.com - Hotel Fan Site
• Construction of Hotel Habana Libre, 1958 on YouTube