Hostal Conde de Villanueva

CA4
General sightseeing
Architectural style: Spanish colonial
CA Ranking: 4
Admission: n-a
Mercaderes #202, e/ Lamparilla y Amargura, Habana Vieja
  • The former 18th-century mansion of Claudio Martínez de Pinillos, Count of Villanueva, leader of Cuban Creole society in the 19th century, was restored in the 1990s to create a charming and comfortable nine-bedroom boutique hotel run by Habaguanex. The hotel also boasts one of Old Havana’s best cigar shops with private humidors to boot.

    The exterior is painted in sienna red and bulges outward from the base, giving the impression of impending collapse. It has an attractive and soothing inner courtyard while the upstairs suites contain stained-glass windows, chandeliers and arty sculptures.

    
  • Alameda de Paula

    Alameda de Paula  LH 3

    The construction of the Alameda de Paula, one of Havana’s first promenades, was commissioned by Captain General Felipe de Fondesviela, member of the court of King Carlos III, and built by architect An …

    Fachada del Teatro Fausto

    Fachada del Teatro Fausto  LH 3

    Built in 1915, it was reconstructed and remodeled in 1938 according to a project which was awarded the Gold Medal by the National Architects’ Association. Its pure Art Deco façade is faced with a mixt …

    Edificio del Retiro Odontológico

    Edificio del Retiro Odontológico  LH 3

    In 1953, architect Antonio Quintana won the competition for the design of a building which would house doctors’ offices, stores and other public spaces. The use of brise-soleil, popularized by the Fre …

    Calle San Lázaro

    Calle San Lázaro  LH 3

    Stretching 14 blocks, this street takes its name from the San Lázaro Hospital built in 1746. It was s=successively renamed as Calle Ancha del Norte, Calle del Basurero, Avenida Antonio Maceo and Aveni …

    Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Parroquia del Vedado)

    Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Parroquia del Vedado)  LH 3

    Built in 1892, this is Vedado’s oldest church; and is mostly known by its celebration of Corpus Christi in May, in addition to many other Catholic festivities. The wooden altar, pulpit and stained-gla …

    Cruz Verde

    Cruz Verde  LH 3

    The corner of Amargura and Mercaderes is known as Cruz Verde (Green Cross) due to a green-painted cross affixed to the northwest-facing cornerstone. The cross is one of twelve that were to be found al …

    Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta

    Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta  LH 3

    Given its strategic location on one side of the harbor mouth, this fortress was one of the two most important defensive constructions in Havana’s defense system in colonial times. Construction works t …

    Fuente de los Leones

    Fuente de los Leones  LH 3

    Designed in 1836 by Italian artist Giuseppe Gaggini, the Carrara marble Fuente del Conde de Villanueva is popularly known as “Fuente de los Leones” for its four lions, one to each corner, resting on p …

    Oratorio de San Felipe Neri

    Oratorio de San Felipe Neri  LH 3

    Originally a small church built in 1693, it was acquired two centuries later by a bank. The building was eventually returned to the city as a concert hall where lyric theater and song is performed. It …

    Hotel Saratoga

    Hotel Saratoga  LH 3

    The Saratoga Hotel – Reborn The oldest reference of what today is the elegant eclectic Saratoga Hotel dates back to 1879 when construction works for a three-story building began. The first floor was s …

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