Address: Obispo st. 153 and mercaderes st. , Havana , Cuba Show on map
You probably already know about this place as the digs where a besotted and inspired Hemingway holed up to write the first chapters of For Whom the Bell Tolls. The literary legacy is alive and well, and the hotel is (over)working it to the fullest.Fans of Papa will delight in the devotion this hotel extends to the man and his work: Room 511 has been maintained exactly as it was when he was writing his novel. The lobby is plastered with photos and ephemera relating to his life in Cuba and all the restaurants and bars are named for him. Other guests might be less enchanted, however, as the plain rooms are cramped and the service is less-than-attentive by staff that seem perpetually overwhelmed. Standard rooms are very... standard, with beige everything and not much breathing room between the small armoire and saggy beds. Small balconies overlooking the street save those rooms that have them, but dark, interior units have little to recommend them, except the hotel's preferred location steps from the Plaza de Armas on the Obispo pedestrian boulevard. Hit the atmospheric upstairs terrace bar to take the edge off.
Fans of Papa will delight in the devotion this hotel extends to the man and his work: Room 511 has been maintained exactly as it was when he was writing his novel. The lobby is plastered with photos and ephemera relating to his life in Cuba and all the restaurants and bars are named for him. Other guests might be less enchanted, however, as the plain rooms are cramped and the service is less-than-attentive by staff that seem perpetually overwhelmed. Standard rooms are very... standard, with beige everything and not much breathing room between the small armoire and saggy beds. Small balconies overlooking the street save those rooms that have them, but dark, interior units have little to recommend them, except the hotel's preferred location steps from the Plaza de Armas on the Obispo pedestrian boulevard. Hit the atmospheric upstairs terrace bar to take the edge off.
Hotels & hostels home Hotels & hostels in Havana Need help?
Author pick
Atmosphere: International and Busy
US$113.42 per night
(US$56.71per person per night)
Book with us, send your confirmation email to hotels@lonelyplanet.com and we'll email you a FREE Lonely Planet chapter for the city you're staying in. Terms & conditions apply
All hotels & hostels in Havana
Leave the package tourists in the lobby to enjoy the charms of the Plaza de Armas - the luxuriant Museo de la Ciudad, modern art at the Sala Galería Raúl Martínez or El Templete, the spot where the city was founded in 1519. The area's best lunch spots are upstairs at Al Medina, or on Calle Oficios. Or take cocktails at the Restaurante Mirador de la Bahía.
Of the Hotel Ambos Mundos, Ernest Hemingway said, 'it's a good place to write'. And it's also a good, centrally-located stumble home from his favorite neighborhood bars.
Special rate - Best rate guarantee
You need to have cookies enabled to view the site
Search Lonely Planet
My profile
Tweak your wanderlust
With you all the way
Tweets, feeds and more
Go behind the scenes
Travel inspiration to your door