Hotel Casa Granda, Santiago de Cuba

One of the city's most famous and oldest hotels. Built in 1914, it offers all the modern comforts one might need, but still maintains its seductive early 20th century neoclassical atmosphere and renaissance decoration, with a certain French air to it all. Located in front of Cespedes Park, it has a large dining room from which you can watch all the comings and goings on the street outside. Famous past guests include Mexican artists Jorge Negrete and Pedro Vargas, singer and actress Libertad Lamarque, North American sportsmen Joe Louis and Babe Ruth, prima ballerina Alicia Alonso, and the English writer Graham Greene.