Plaza Hotel (Havana)
| Hotel Plaza | |
|---|---|
| Map | |
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General information
| |
| Location | Ignacio Agramonte No. 267 Cuba Havana, Cuba |
| Coordinates | 23°08′19″N 82°21′29″W / 23.13873129°N 82.35802193°W / 23.13873129; -82.35802193 |
| Opening | 1909 |
| Owner | Gran Caribe |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ricardo Galbis Abella |
| Developer | Purdy and Henderson, Engineers |
The Hotel Plaza is a historic four-story hotel in the Old Havana section of Havana.
History
The Hotel Plaza was founded by Captain Walter Fletcher Smith, and was built from an existing colonial building. It was designed by Ricardo Galbis Abella, and constructed by the New York firm of Purdy and Henderson, Engineers. The hotel opened in 1909.[1] The hotel was renovated in 1919 with a roof garden that included a ballroom and restaurant. Guests at the hotel included Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth, Isadora Duncan, and Anna Pavlova.[2][3][4]
A casino was opened in the hotel during the 1950s. It was owned by Philadelphia crime family member Angelo Bruno, along with Joseph "Hoboken Joe" Stassi and his son Joe Stassi Jr. Stassi was an associate of mobster Meyer Lansky.[5] French Canadian Lucien Rivard also purchased casino interests.[6] R. D. Matthews of Texas owned the hotel bar.[7] The casino was destroyed by mobs in early January 1959 as Fidel Castro's rebel army overtook Havana.[8][9] Slot machines were pulled out of the casino and thrown on a bonfire.[10]
During the late 1980s, the hotel was restored. It reopened in 1991 as part of the Gran Caribe hotel group.
In 2023, it was announced that the hotel would join the luxury Meliá Collection division of the Spanish Meliá Hotels International chain,[11] but before this happened, the company ceased all operations in Cuba in 2026.[12]
References
- ^ "Hotel Plaza de La Habana, history and tradition - Covering Cuba Tourism & Travel, Food & Cuisine, Culture, Health, Business, Events". www.cubaplusmagazine.com. Retrieved 2026-09-04.
- ^ The History of Havana by Dick Cluster and Rafael Hernández. p116
- ^ Havana: History and Architecture of a Romantic City by Maria Luisa Lobo Montalvo. pp245-247
- ^ Hotel Plaza Havana - History hotelplazacuba.com
- ^ Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It to the Revolution by T.J. English. p298
- ^ Saenz Rovner, Eduardo (2008). The Cuban Connection: Drug Trafficking, Smuggling, and Gambling in Cuba from the 1920s to the Revolution. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 109–10.
- ^ Appendix to Hearing Before the Select Committee on Assassinations of the U.S. House of Representatives Ninety-Fifth Congress Second Session: Volume IX. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1979. p. 525.
- ^ Batista and Regime Flee Cuba; Castro Moving to Take Power; Mobs Riot and Loot in Havana New York Times January 2, 1959
- ^ Celebrating Overthrow Madera Daily News-Tribune January 6, 1959
- ^ English, T. J. (2008). Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It to the Revolution. Harper. p. 305.
- ^ "Meliá Starts a New Chapter in Cuba, Driven by the Island's Recovery, and Introduces New Lifestyle Experiences".
- ^ Economía (2026-07-21). "Meliá abandona Cuba tres décadas después por las nuevas sanciones de EEUU". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-07-23.