Cuban Cigars, Culture & Lifestyle: Hotel Atlantico (Havana) My Thoughts

Have you ever thought about staying in one of the Hotels that are located on the Eastern Beaches of Havana about 20 minutes outside the city. Did you even know there was a beach, let alone hotels, that close to Havana. Don't get excited, the eastern beaches are home to three hotels, one worse than the other. I'm not saying that from personal experience with the other two hotels but the descriptions I've been given have lead me to believe that Hotel Atlantico is the best of the three. That doesn't mean that this 60 year old hotel will be everyone's cup of tea but from my experiences staying here I can honestly say if you don't have great expectations, this hotel isn't too bad. For me, it's most endearing features are...it's not a huge hotel (not a highrise) and it's right next to the beach, you don't have to walk a mile or cross a street to get there. The food served in the buffet restaurant was actually better than it was a few years ago but the one 'a la carte' restaurant on the property has suffered tremendously. The food at the 'a la carte' was horrible and I strongly advise you to stick with the buffet. There is one other spot to grab a meal during lunchtime only and that is behind the poolside bar overlooking the ocean. Here they offer chicken, pork and fish all done on the grill in an open air environment with a spectacular view of the ocean. The rooms are aged but not too bad, the bathrooms have suffered with the passage of time and the wear may turn some people off. Everything worked but as usual the water pressure was a little under what we foreigners are used to. However, the new air-conditioning worked and the toilets flushed, I was good with that. The lobby bar was open 24 hours with the usual local drinks available throughout that time while the poolside bar was open only during the day like the pool but it also offered hamburgers and hot dogs during that time. The pool is right next to the beach, 100 meters from the ocean. During the evening the hotel puts on a show like all the hotels do in Cuba, only on a much smaller scale.
If there's one thing that might be discouraging in my opinion is the extra visitors that come to the pool during the day. In case you're not aware, most hotels, in Havana at least, allow non-residents of the hotels to use their pool for a price that usually includes food or at least a portion of it. What does this mean? Depending on the hotel, meaning the price, some places can be overflowing with locals coming to spend the day by the pool with their families. In the case of Atlantico, the offer is so attractive that it's always full of people. It's neither good nor bad but in the summertime (Cubans don't go to the beach during the winter months) the pool gets quite full. The beach is gorgeous, at par with Varadero in my opinion, and not as crowded.
As far as entertainment in the area, there really isn't a heck of a lot to do. Guanabo is close by if you're looking at eating something off the property otherwise the bars at night are basically pick-up joints for the tourists. The hotel offers the usual activities which I took zero advantage of such as the Non-motorized watersports, billiards or snorkeling, to name a few. I was there to relax and spend time by the pool and beach with my Cuban family. The service in my opinion was pleasant enough, although I did witness some frustration by a couple of Canadians trying to change a few dollars. Guys, this is Cuba, relax and maybe change all your money at once so you're not going to the front desk everyday to change 20-30 bucks. I would return to this hotel simply because of the value and if I was wanting to be on a beach not far from Havana, this is the perfect place for me.

Number of Rooms: 92
Distance to Airport: 40 km
Check In Time: 4:00 PM
Check Out Time: 12:00 Noon

Hotel Atlantico
Ave. Las Terrazas
Santa Maria Del Mar, Havana

http://www.cubaism.com/en/hotels/view/hotel-club-atlantico/143