Cuba's first 5-star hotel opens its doors to guests

Record ID: 876654

  • Title: Cuba's first 5-star hotel opens its doors to guests
  • Date: 23rd May 2017
  • Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (MAY 23, 2017) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF THE GRAN MANZANA KEMPINSKI HOTEL WITH VINTAGE CARS PASSING OUTSIDE STREET LIGHT WITH HOTEL ENTRANCE BEHIND SIGN ON BUILDING READING (IN SPANISH): 'MANZANA CENTRAL BY A. GOMEZ, 1894." ENTRANCE TO GRAN MANZANA KEMPINSKI HOTEL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN CITIZEN, TERESA BEATRIZ GALA, SAYING: "It seems magnificent to me to give another face to the city, so far I have liked everything, really they have done a great job here." SHOPS IN THE GRAN MANZANA KEMPINSKI HOTEL'S SHOPPING CENTRE WITH VINTAGE CARS PASSING IN FRONT GIORGIO G. VIP SHOP WINDOW SHOES AND PURSE BY GIORGIO TOURISTS ENTERING SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN CITIZEN, JUAN ORLANDO CAMPANIONI, SAYING: "I think it turned out marvellous, it gives the city more charisma and in part represents economic progress." EXTERIOR OF UPPER FLOORS OF HOTEL BALCONIES OUTSIDE HOTEL ROOMS GENERAL VIEW OF HOTEL EXTERIOR WITH VINTAGE CARS PASSING GENERAL VIEW OF CENTRAL PARK WITH GRAN MANZANA KEMPINSKI HOTEL IN BACKGROUND
  • Embargoed: 6th June 2017 19:22
  • Keywords: tourism hotels Expedia Cuba
  • Location: HAVANA, CUBA
  • City: HAVANA, CUBA
  • Country: Cuba
  • Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016I2A72B
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Cuba's first five-star hotel opened its doors to guests on Tuesday (May 23) ahead of the official inauguration in June, as the Ministry of Tourism pushes to exploit foreign investment in the hotel industry and attract increasing numbers of visitors to the Caribbean island.
    The Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski is set within a renovated 19th Century building originally known as the Manzana de Gomez, the first European-style shopping centre on the island. The renovation was executed by the French company Bouygues and will be run by the Kempinksi group.
    The 246-room hotel is found in a privileged position between the National Fine Arts Museum and the Central Park, boasting a swimming pool with a panoramic view of the Capitol building.
    Some Cuban citizens welcomed the development, saying it represented economic progress and added charisma to the city, though many will be struck by the stark difference between the designer brands and luxury living on offer for tourists, whilst many locals struggle to make ends meet with an average $25-dollar monthly wage.
    It is just one of 110 projects on the Ministry of Tourism's portfolio involving foreign investment, a new model Cuba hopes to exploit to continue to attract tourism to the island, where a record four million visitors came in 2016 following the historic detente with the United States.
    A survey recently showed the number of American visitors alone could multiply sevenfold to 2 million by 2025.
    The developments come as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration conducts a full review of U.S. policy toward Cuba. U.S. law still bans general tourism to Cuba, but former President Barack Obama's administration allowed Americans to travel more easily to Cuba for educational, cultural and other authorized purposes without having to go on organized group tours.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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