Hotel Habana Libre

Opened in 1958 under the Hilton brand, the Hotel Habana Libre is a striking example of modernist architecture. At the time, it was the largest hotel in Latin America, with 25 floors and 572 rooms. Beyond its size and style, the hotel is closely tied to Cuban leader Fidel Castro. After his rise to power in 1959, Castro set up his headquarters in one of the suites on the 24th floor. For three months, the hotel was a strategic centre of the Cuban Revolution— while daily life in the rest of the building carried on as usual. During that time, there were several CIA attempts to poison Castro — all of which either failed or were foiled. Now a 5-star hotel, Habana Libre has hosted several major international events, including the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1998 and the former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016. A night’s stay doesn’t come cheap, so many visitors admire this landmark from the outside — especially its giant ceramic mural by Cuban artist Amelia Peláez.