In a bid to enhance its image and elevate customer satisfaction standards, a significant number of actions are being executed at the Hotel Inglaterra in preparation for its 150th anniversary and the upcoming high season, sources from the establishment reported.
Melylegna García Wong, the Deputy General Manager, communicated that important restoration artists are currently working on the conservation and maintenance of heritage artworks and others that were patrimonial in their time and are now being rescued.
Among the principal actions, she added, are the maintenance and painting of the public areas of what is considered a Cuban Boutique Hotel, the repair and painting of the facade and balconies, and the replacement of doors to help improve the image and soundproofing of the rooms in a first stage.
Also, she continued, balcony railings and light fixtures are being replaced, public bathrooms are being repaired, the kitchen floor is being fixed, and the furniture in the restaurants and lobby is being maintained and painted. Furthermore, the restoration and fabrication of chairs for the Louvre is underway, and new furniture has been acquired for the terrace area.
According to García Wong, important Cuban artists such as cabinetmaker, draftsman, sculptor, and restorer Andrés Bazabe Hernández and his wife Loyda are involved in remodeling the installation's elevators.
She recalled that the elevators show advanced deterioration in their interior and exterior finishes; the metallic surfaces show wear and oxidation, the original panels and moldings have lost a great part of their aesthetic integrity, and the decorative elements present scratches and paint peeling.
The restoration intervention proposed by the artists seeks to recover the original splendor of these historic pieces, and it involves respecting the period design and style that has characterized the hotel since its inauguration in 1875, specified the official, who is also the economic director.
The Deputy General Manager of the iconic facility also pointed out that the rescue process contemplates recovering the original appearance of the elevators, respecting the hotel's architectural and decorative style from the late 19th century, whereby they will regain their historical character and once again become a symbol of the place's distinction and authenticity.
Additionally, the executive stated, the Cuban company COMETAL, of the Ministry of Industries (Mindus), has a project to replace parts and pieces of these elevators to improve their functioning.
Likewise, she noted the restoration of the heritage piece La Sevillana and other works in the Lobby by artist Octavio Aruca Vázquez, a distinguished sculptor endorsed by the Office of the Historian and a close collaborator of Eusebio Leal, who, together with sculptor José Duverger, created the bell for the city's 500th anniversary and restored the Gelabert sculpture for the Havana Auction.
She indicated that the tables in the Louvre, which showed evident deterioration from years of use, were restored by artists Olivia Torres and Georgina María Ravelo López and are widely appreciated for their artistic value, as their surfaces feature original works that were decorated and intervened by Cuban visual artists who currently have significant reputations and recognizable artistic careers in the country's cultural landscape.
Furthermore, she revealed, another transcendental action has been performed on the lamps, three of which are heritage pieces, with the Commission of Monuments involved in carrying out this project, especially Vilma Rodríguez Tápanes, president of that provincial institution and vice-dean of the Colegio San Gerónimo de Havana, and a close collaborator on the hotel's restorations and protection.
Finally, García Wong announced that until October of this year, the establishment received 10 percent more tourists than in 2024.
The Hotel Inglaterra was founded on December 23, 1875, and declared a National Monument in 1981. Throughout the years, it has hosted celebrated figures from the world of entertainment and literature, such as Sarah Bernhardt, Luis Mazzantini, Imperio Argentina, Anna Pavlova, Rubén Darío, Jacinto Benavente, Frei Betto, and personalities like General Antonio Maceo and Winston Churchill, among others.
The facility, which has 83 rooms distributed across three floors, has today become the home of the most prominent Cuban visual artists, writers, and composers who present their creations in this place, ideal for lovers of architecture, history, and Cuban culture.
Located right on the Paseo del Prado at number 416, between San Rafael and San Miguel streets, facing Central Park, the building shows traces of neoclassical inspiration fashionable at the time, while the interior decoration possesses Moorish influence.
In 1879, José Julián Martí Pérez, founder of the Cuban Revolutionary Party and organizer of the Island's War of Independence, gave a speech on Cuba's independence during a banquet in this very place.
Currently, the establishment belongs to the Gran Caribe hotel business group and is managed by Blue Diamond Resorts, a Canadian chain that assumed administration in November 2022. (CubaSí)