So much has happened in San Antonio, and the layers of the city’s past lend to its tremendous vibrancy today. Native American, Mexican and Spanish cultures converge with the history of Texas and the American West to create a place rich in diversity, epic narratives and new worlds to discover.

In 1914, local grocer Edward Franz Melcher opened Hotel Havana with a vision to recreate the tropical allure of the hotel’s Caribbean namesake. He built in the Mediterranean Revival style popular in Cuba at the time, and many of the surrounding cypress, palm and magnolia trees he planted still remain.

The hotel served as a temporary residence for Melcher’s visiting vendors, beginning a storied legacy that includes FBI stings, acts of God and other colorful events befitting a grand and legendary hotel.

In April 2010, Hotel Havana was reopened under the humble care of Liz Lambert and her team at Bunkhouse. The hotel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, but manages to maintain its youthful spirit nonetheless.

Other random and intriguing facts we love about San Antonio:

• Elusive bluesman Robert Johnson made his first and most notable recordings at the Gunter Hotel downtown in 1936.
• Musician Phil Collins is the world’s preeminent collector of Alamo memorabilia. Learn more about this bizarre fact here.
• Pancho Villa allegedly planned the Mexican Revolution at the Buckeye Saloon.
• San Antonio is the birthplace of barbed wire, Texas longhorn cattle, Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and many other national treasures.

NEIGHBORHOOD
Explore the vibrant culture of the North Museum Reach and Downtown San Antonio. Below are a few of our favorite things to do in the area, and our Front Desk staff are happy to share additional tips and recommendations when you check in.

This is a great spot on the newer part of the River Walk, away from the tourist crowds. Its an easy stroll to everywhere you want to go, including places like the Blue Star and the Pearl. The place has been respectfully restored to maintain the feel of an early 20th century hotel, with sufficient updates to make it hip & comfortable.

AMENITIES
Hotel Havana’s greatest offering is the beauty of the original 1914 Mediterranean Revival design – Bastrop Pine floors, 20′ ceilings, large colonial shuttered windows, elegant terraces and historic elements.

In addition to its architectural assets, the hotel provides a variety of useful services and amenities to enrich your stay.

SERVICES & AMENITIES

• Attentive, bilingual staff available around the clock
• Concierge and luggage services: we are here to help
• Complimentary wifi, local and long distance calls
• Complimentary coffee offered in the lobby from 6:30 to 10 am daily
• In-room or on-veranda dining and drinks available from Ocho
• Canine companions are welcome for a fee of $25 per visit (excluding Service Animals)
• SMEG refrigerators with amply stocked minibars
• Custom, supersoft serape robes and heavyweight linen bedcovers
• Flat screen televisions, iPod docking stations and other modern conveniences
• Complimentary safe deposit boxes at the Front Desk
• ADA lift accessible to lobby
• Complimentary gym day-use passes for guests on request

PENTHOUSE

This is what hotel dreams are made of. The 650 square foot, split-level Penthouse offers old world elegance and comfortable space for lounging, sleeping and entertaining. There is a large living area and half bath downstairs, as well as an adjacent shared veranda.

The second floor bedroom overlooks the living area with a king bed, writing desk and an exquisitely unique full bath. The Penthouse is perfect for brides on the big day and those looking to live out fantasies as elegant Hollywood layabouts, foreign diplomats on secret mission, and other glamorous lives.

AMENITIES

• SMEG refrigerators with amply stocked minibars
• Custom, supersoft serape robes and heavyweight linen bedcovers
• Complimentary coffee in the lobby
• Complimentary wifi
• In-room or on-veranda dining and drinks available from Ocho
• Flat screen televisions and other modern conveniences
• USB Type C
• Canine companions welcome for a fee

OCHO
Situated in a glass conservatory overlooking the River Walk, Ocho serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night snacks indoors and on our breezeway. Ocho has created a menu rooted in the hotel’s pan-Latin cultural influences from Mexico, Cuba and Texas.

The cocktail menu highlights the tequila of the hotel’s San Antonio roots with the rum of its Cuban namesake, with a love for old school recipes and, when the occasion calls, the simple satisfaction of an ice cold Michelada. Ocho offers complimentary wifi and serves espresso drinks to stay or take away.

HAVANA BAR
Havana Bar offers cocktails in dimly candlelit basement setting suitable for intimate meetings and secret rendezvous. Voted Best Hotel Bar by the readers of the San Antonio Current.

EVENTS

Hotel Havana can provide a variety of unique spaces for business meetings and corporate events that reflect the spirit and beauty of San Antonio. Our flexible meeting room adjacent to Ocho, as well as our Terrace,

Library and in-suite options, can be tailored to support professional productivity and creativity. The hotel’s award-winning restaurant and lounge can create special breakfast, lunch, cocktail and dinner programs, and we offer a full range of services for your audio-visual needs.

Website: www.havanasanantonio.com

Rooms: 27

Price: from 175 EUR per night