After a pleasant flight and quick check through Customs was met with open arms by Mario and Pedro - the 2 Hola Sun reps. most of the group was travelling to Brisas Seirra Mar, so the few remaining were loaded into a smaller bus - we had plenty of time to grab a few beers and ham and cheese sandwiches in the restaurant and get money changed. the hotel is about 10 minutes from the airport in one of the best area of the city - old mansions, tree lined avenues and very little traffic. Check in was swift and i was presented with a bouquet of roses from a dear friend. the security/porter helped carry the 2 massive duffle bags and my bicycle box (with the assistance of my 2 friends) up the hill to my room. the hotel is comprised of 5 or 6 1950's style homes that have been renovated to contain the individual rooms. My room was large and clean with mirrors everywhere ! The bathroom looked like it was straight out of the movies with marble from floor to ceiling and a make-up mirror that would have made Marilyn Monroe jealous. my favourite part was the portico with 2 chairs where i could sit in the morning to enjoy my improved coffee and listen to the sounds of the city waking up. or in the evening having a final nightcap. The restaurant is on the second floor near reception and is very nicely appointed. A few funny things on the menu with the spanish/english translations. My fried eggs with ham became fried eggs witch ham and on the dinner menu the Poulo gordon blue became Gordon's blue chicken...lol. the service was professional, the bar plentiful and the food very good. dinner for me on the Saturday night with a bottle of vino tinto, Gordon's blue chicken and french fries ran me 11CUC. and i got to take the rest of the bottle back to my room. the swimming pool is amazing - very clean and a great view for the top of the stairs - yup, 3 flights of stairs up to the pool so not handicapped friendly unless you have a car and want to drive around to reach it. the pool bar was not open when i was there, but not to worry there is a small tienda(store) that sells beer,rum and other sundries right across the street from the reception. the reception area also has a small bar - we watched a Yankees game there and there is internet service.
My only complaint was that because this is a government owned hotel my cuban friends were not allowed to visit for the day to enjoy the pool, but more than welcome in the restaurant for a coffee.
I would go back if i wanted to do another trip just to the city.

The check in went smoothly until we saw the room - it wasn't just poorly furnished, it was dirty, beyond tired, damaged and the tiles had disgusting grout. we didn't even sit on the beds, let alone sleep in them -- we went down the road to the Melia which was a lot more expensive, but worth every penny!

I have stayed at this hotel three times. Each room has been different - sunny and small; dark; huge and full of windows. The staff I think do their best to be accomodating, the food is very good, and the pool is lovely. Yes the hotel is not centrally located but that adds to its charm, although those cab rides can add up.