Cuban Cigars, Culture & Lifestyle: Hotel Comodoro, Miramar, Havana (my review)

I really wasn't expecting very much from this hotel so on that note I got exactly what I expected. The rooms were clean and well kept, the lobby bar was open 24 hours, they had phones for international calls but most importantly for me, my friend Crisantos Miranda was rolling cigars in the cigar shop in the hotel lobby. Being able to come downstairs from my room and pick out the cigar I was going to smoke with my morning coffee was a huge plus for me (and for the hotel).
They advertise this hotel as a 4 star but there's no way it's a four star. It's lucky to be thought of as a 3 star. Just walking around certain parts of the property will put you in a depression. There are areas that aren't being used and left to deteriorate due to neglect. The so-called beach (man-made) that they boast about looked so bad I couldn't take a picture of it. There's no way anyone would use it so forget about it. There wasn't any excuse either, it was summer. There was an area enclosed or protected from currents and larger waves but still ocean where guests would swim laps. I did notice a few people using this pool in the mornings. The lobby doesn't look too bad but certainly isn't anything amazing with the lobby bar to the right, the cigar shop to the left and reception in the middle. From here you can snake your way around to the various restaurants and facilities. However, I had the opportunity to sit in the lobby and the bar a few times at different times of the day and I can say the air-conditioning sucks. It was not comfortable at all in the lobby during the month of July.
Breakfast was included with our reservation so we decided to try it out one morning. The restaurant was at the end of the hall with a view of the horrible unkept beach. The breakfast mirrored the beach, it was terrible. The offerings were absolutely inedible for my tastes. I would suggest having the omelette guy fix you a couple of eggs and have them with some bread. A word of advise if you have an omelette, be careful of the ingredients they use to stuff it. I would have it as plain as possible. Along the buffet line the meats were a mystery as was most of the other stuff in the serving trays. The fruits were not ripe and the juices were watered down. The coffee was so-so.
The room was decent, although I didn't take a picture of it. We had a balcony facing the ocean and I love having my cigar with a view of the water. We couldn't really have asked for better. The TV worked well and had lots of channels. There was a safe in the room that could be used for a nominal fee. We didn't have enough hangers but once requested we were brought a whole bunch. The bathroom didn't look or smell that great but at least the toilet worked. My girlfriend complained about the lighting as she was getting ready. The beds were comfortable but good luck in finding an AC plug next to the bed, actually the whole room. We had to use the one in the bathroom to charge our phones and camera batteries. The pool, which is suppose to be an attraction wasn't too bad I guess but a little too noisy and sort of crammed for us. It snaked through the Bungalow section of the hotel and although it might be nice for some people to rent one of these Bungalows, I thought of the lack of privacy being right next to the pool. It's something I might have done years ago when I was younger.
They had activities throughout the day for the guests and an animation team that put on shows at night but we didn't take part in any of that. As far as the service goes, reception was very slow. No acknowledgement while you were standing there waiting for service, ignored us completely. The pool bar?? I grew a beard while I was waiting for service at the pool bar. The only time I got good service was at the Lobby Bar at anytime of the day. They even added a cocktail I asked for (The Negroni) on their cocktail list when I requested it one day. They didn't know what it was but once I showed them they added it to their list the next day. It didn't matter who worked there, they were always pleasant and always said hello. I also discovered room service on my last day there. That was decent as well.
Would I come back to this Hotel?? I preferred the Hotel Copacabana that's just down the street. If I booked in the area again, that would probably be my choice. However, as I said, if you are a cigar lover as I am, to be able to pick your cigar out of Crisantos' Humidor in the morning is heaven. If you think that would be special for you then this Hotel is worth trying. Regardless, it wasn't completely horrible and is worth trying anyway. What isn't so good for me might be okay for you. Who knows, after having said all this, I might return just the same. The price is definitely right coming from my city.