Hotel Ambos Mundos

Ambos Mundos - Hotel Description
Though the figure of Ernest Hemingway is immediately and almost invariably invoked in any description of the hotel, the Ambos Mundos' most attractive attribute is doubtless its magnificent location: steps away from the Plaza de Armas, the restored, 1920s establishment stands at one of the liveliest intersections in the Old Town, close to just about all of the most interesting sites of Havana's colonial centre.

Hemingway, who stayed and wrote most of For Whom the Bell Tolls here during the 1930s (his room, 511, is today a much-frequented museum), is not the only famous writer or luminary the hotel welcomed in times past: Federico García Lorca is rumoured to have made a stop here, and Cuban filmmaker Tomás Gutierrez Alea (director of Strawberry and Chocolate) was among the young intellectuals who participated in the festivities once held in its roof garden.

A spacious and tastefully decorated lobby opens to Obispo and Mercaderes, main arteries of the sightseeing circuit often crowded with tourists. The lobby, decorated with an attractive and modern-looking corner fountain, housing art exhibits and featuring a piano bar where jazz and other musicians occasionally perform, is itself often crowded with visitors and is a lively stopover in its own right. The old, 1930s elevator, though said to demand some patience, is a charming detail.

The Del Monte meeting room, with capacity for as many as 100 people, can accommodate conferences, business gatherings and weddings.

Not all of the Ambos Mundos' rooms have views, but those that do overlook the cobbled and picturesque expanse of Obispo and Mercaderes, which benefit from their proximity to the Plaza de Armas: costumed performers, including mulatta florists in colonial attire, old fortune tellers, a squad of soldiers in period English uniforms and a carnivalesque troupe of actors on stilts, are sure to enliven these vistas during your stay at the hotel.

Though close to the action, the Ambos Mundos is not lacking in the quietude and intimacy one will probably seek after a day around town.

Ambos Mundos - Hotel Modalities

• City

• Historic

Ambos Mundos - Hotel Details

Address: Calle Obispo No. 153 esq. a Mercaderes. Ciudad de La Habana

Number of Rooms: 52

Distance to Airport: 20 km

Breakfast included in price.

Property Amenities:

• Lobby Bar	• Bar	• A la Carte Restaurant
• Laundry	• Tour Booking Desk	• Lifts
• Conference Room	• Roof-top Terrace

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Ambos Mundos - Room & Rates

Standard Room... from $64
Sparsely furnished and with a rather pale colour scheme, accommodations at the Ambos Mundos may strike some as somewhat plain. Rooms with windows, however, get plenty of natural light and have privileged views of the picturesque surroundings (the traditional, red-tiled colonial houses are particularly attractive). Atrium-facing rooms get no sunlight but benefit from greater quietude.

• Air Conditioning	• Phone	• Satellite TV
• Safety Deposit Box	• Room Service	• Hair Dryer
• Minibar	• Private Bathroom	• Twin beds
• Power 110V/60Hz	• Cold & hot water

Mini-Suite Room... from $119
Two mini-suites are balconied and have excellent views of the intersection. One corner suite has a rather awkward L-shape that makes for a cramped feeling, but extra space is clearly the advantage offered by these rooms.

• Air Conditioning	• Phone	• Satellite TV
• Safety Deposit Box	• Room Service	• Hair Dryer
• Minibar	• Private Bathroom	• Balcony or terrace
• Power 110V/60Hz	• Cold & hot water	• Living area

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Ambos Mundos - Location

At the vibrant intersection of Obispo and Mercaderes, the Ambos Mundos is just down the street from the Plaza de Armas and close the Old Town's other major squares. Horse-driven carriages, parked outside, offer tours down cobbled thoroughfares and historic sites of interest. The Bodeguita del Medio bar and restaurant is less than three blocks away.

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