Melia Cohiba

Cuban marble runs through the lobby, paired with details that nod to the Cohíba cigar brand the hotel takes its name from. The building stands in Vedado, a modern quarter of Havana, and faces the sea directly. It is 50 metres from the Malecón, the seafront drive that traces the city's edge. Rooms and public areas look out over the skyline on one side and open water on the other, a rare double aspect in a city built mostly along one waterfront. The hotel holds 462 rooms, sized for business travel as much as leisure, and most take three adults or two adults with two children under 12. Junior Suites are the exception, with tighter capacity limits. Design throughout favours a modern, uncluttered register over period styling, in keeping with the hotel's role as one of Havana's main business and meeting addresses. A fitness centre, sports facilities, and a freshwater pool with hydromassage cover the practical side of a stay. There is also a health and beauty section, currency exchange, and internet access at the desk. Reception runs around the clock. The result is a hotel built for people with meetings to attend and a sea view to come back to, rather than one styled purely for a beach holiday.