Hotel Havana

I’ve stayed here with my husband for my birthday and the room 33 was phenomenal. I recently went to the haunted tour of the hotel and Kate the Brave was amazing with the rich history of the hotel and the interactive ghost experience. I would recommend the ghost tour here at Havana. This hotel is old world charming and definitely haunted.

Old world charm

I asked for a paper receipt on check out. It’s a business trip - I need a receptionist for my expenses account. I was told it wasn’t possible at that time - 8:30am - the young lady on reception said she would email it to me. It never came. I then emailed the property asking for the receipt. It never came. For this reason alone, as charming as theplace is, I wouldn’t stay there again.

I’ve always loved this hotel but I think it’s time for a refresh. Upon arrival there were people sleeping behind the hotel. We arrived early but the little bar didn’t open until 6 .the rooms just seem tired. The bath vanity was warped and had water damage in the side . The old furniture used to seem quirky and kitschy but now seems just worn out. Probably won’t stay here again unless they refresh. C’mon Hotel Havana you used to be the darling of San Antonio!

The room was perfect, overlooking the River Walk. The location was very close to the venue we were attending. The restaurant, Ocho was absolutely delicious! I had some of the best mussels I've ever had and would definitely recommend staying at Hotel Havana! Eat at the restaurant, and don't forget to check out the bar!

There was really nothing that we did not like

The place is run down and sits out on the edge of town. It's one of those places that looks better in the pictures than it is.

Charming, shabby chic. No bellman. Comfortable beds. Lighting is very dim throughout, even in the room itself. The restaurant is lovely, but they did not have our reservation and were not very helpful about it. Some of the tables are tiny!

The location is great and walkable to downtown, the Pearl district and Pullman Market. While the room was nice and quite large, it was located beside a main door and so we could hear that each time given it’s an older building.

Let me preface by saying that the people who work here are extremely lovely and polite. The location is perfect for those wanting to go to the Tobin Center. What I can't get past was the intense, overbearing, pungent burning of the incense throughout the hotel. You can smell it in the lobby, stairwells, hallways and in the rooms. You can literally see the smoke haze in the lobby. It was nauseating. What was most alarming was the fact that they would leave the burning sticks unattended in the stairwells. Talk about a fire hazard! How this is not against fire code is beyond me. The rooms are extremely shabby for what you pay. While I understand that this is a historic hotel, the rooms were cold, drab and reeked like burning incense. This hotel needs to be mindful that not everyone relishes the smell of burning wood. Some people have asthma. Some people have allergies. Most importantly, never, EVER leave a burning incense stick unattended in a stairwell.