The Palacio del Marqués de San Felipe y Santiago de Bejucal is a charming boutique hotel which enjoys a privileged location at Plaza San Francisco de Asís, just facing the basilica and the monastery of San Francisco de Asis (which houses one of the most renowned concert halls in the city) and in front of Havana's Chamber of Commerce, today's Old Havana Business Center.
The other main squares: Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja and Plaza de la Catedral, are also very close, as are restaurants, museums and other places of interest in the historic center.
The colonial aristocratic mansion that houses the hotel, features a very beautiful baroque façade but is surprisingly modern in the inside, tastefully combining 18th century architecture with stylish furniture and very contemporary design. It is, no doubt, an example of a restoration work carried out respecting the historical and architectural values without compromising the current levels of comfort one looks for.
The 27 rooms are large, offering spacious bathrooms and most of them, lovely balconies.
Breakfast à la carte is well received by guests and can be enjoyed in the cozy interior patio.
Its 6th-floor roof terrace overlooks the square and well deserves a visit. It can make one's day just to sit and enjoy the sights of the Basílica of San Francisco de Asís, the many pigeons that usually come to the Plaza, horse drawn carriages and the coming and going of many visitors.
Recommended for architecture and history lovers, and for all those who prefer a charismatic small hotel to a great big one.