“Dont hate it, but also dont love it. ”
This is a great hotel if you plan on being out the whole day. the hotel is not bad, its just not great. there are no internet or money exchange services (you will need to walk to the hotel nacional de cuba for these. the restaurant does serve a full breakfast and the beds are comforatable and clean. This hotel will not stick out in you memory but its location will be fine for the traveller who like exploring. The hotel will keep items in storage while you travel around Cuba and fetch it when you get back to Havana.

“Hard to sleep”
To be fair, we didn't arrive in the best of moods having been packed off here because our room at Nacional had been over-booked. We were told it was of a comparable standard but clearly not the truth! Reception staff were friendly (a relief after the Nacional). However room was badly run down and damp. Also on a very noisy street with lots of noise and yelling until 3.00 in the morning - windows seem to let all the noise in even though they were closed. Location for Havana was ok but we were relieved to check out and get our room at Nacional for the second night. We dont stay in hotel room much so all we need it for is a good nights sleep, but this was impossible here.

“Average, no charm ”
The location in Vedado is good and it is quiet, but the hotel itself not charming. The pool was out of operation, when we were there, and the hotel has no cafe (only a dark bar) or terrace. The rooms are okay and clean, the staff speaks partly English. In summary, it is an average hotel but lacks athmosphere and would need some refurbishment.

“Ok but better off in a homestay and watch the water!!!! ”
We stayed here for three nights (unfortunately) before our tour started that we had booked through intrepid and trailfinders. It should have been two but they swapped the tour round so we stayed longer in Havana at the start. My partner and I have travelled a vast amount and are used to low standards at times but we do always always expect clean places even if basic. We also knew we had to lower our expectations for cuba. The hotel itself is in an ok location and we found a decent restaurant near it on the first night as we arrived late. The room itself was basic but not as clean as expected. The bathroom had tiles missing in the floor and the majority of the grout was missing from all the floor and wall tiles which probably made it look grottier than it was. The hotel staff (reception) were not particularly friendly or welcoming - again as expected to an extent from government employees in a communist country. Breakfast was poor and was not topped up very quickly at all. Having later stayed in Home Stays throughout our tour all over the island (which were far superior to this hotel), I would suggest if possible to stay in a homestay in Havana. We stayed in the Saratoga at the end of our tour for a few days (again not five star by western standards but much better) and if the Victoria is supposed to be a four star by comparison the difference is absolutely huge. However, we accepted it as it was. It's just one of those things but if you have other options please take them! Fortunately we did not spend a great deal of time in the hotel. The one thing that is a big problem though and people need to be aware of is the BOTTLED WATER here. Our group consisted of 12 people and myself and my partner and many others on the tour bought bottles of water here. You could not always tell immediately but they had clearly done something to the water either replaced it with tap water and tried to purify it or used some other substance like bleach. Seriously it smelt of bleach and one girl had a sulphur smell in hers a couple of days later (that again she did not notice at first). It's clearly a scam by the hotel staff to make some extra money and I would rather pay more and not be ill. We had the same with one of the shops (like a diner van) further down the street but were fine with another shop up the hill from the hotel). We had got wise to it by then though so the water went straight in the bin. Anyway the water made 9/12 people on our trip ill, myself and partner included (severely ill for two days)and one of the girls was ill for at least five. The water was effectively poisoned. I am going to advise the travel company of what occurred just for their information as I would hope they can let the hotel know that this scam needs to stop!. Please just be very aware of this and do not walk away or pay until you have open the bottled and checked it. Smell it, taste it. Check the seal (although ours seemed to be sealed ok). Only one girl had a very obvious bottle that had had the lid clearly swapped for a white one instead of grey. The rest you would never know by just looking the bottle. It is clearly an on-going scam and what is sad is that they don't care that they are effectively poisoning people. People who i am sure would rather pay ten times the price than suffer. We had a fanstastic time in Cuba and really enjoyed the majority of it but We didn't notice that they were not sealed

“Big mistake which we managed to avoid.. ”
This was the meeting point for the beginning of our Cuba tour group. We checked into our room, saw the state of our room in disgust, took some of our belongings and went to a nearby hotel to stay the night. The room was filthy to a point we were afraid of touching anything. There was a layer of dust on the furniture, the shower tiles on the ground were not only broken, but sticking out and potentially getting your skin caught on it. We tried to get rid of the smell in the room by opening the windows, but that just blew the dust everywhere. The toilet seat with its neatly placed seal of "approval" indicating its cleanliness, had a layer of light brown dirt over it when we wiped it with toilet paper. Interestingly, this hotel has been recommended by a popular guidebook as a next best option from the more luxurious Hotel De Nacional. I completely disagree. They either need to do some serious refurb work or shut the place down.

“Not my first choice... ”
This was not my first choice, but I was with a group and did not have a choice. They only really had a breakfast buffet, and nothing else foodwise in the restaurant. Our toilet was continually leaking in the same spot almost our entire stay there.

“Avoid ”
This place is digusting. We unfortunately stayed there for 2 nights at the start of a tour. Our room was tired & smelt of mould, a real health hazard. The staff were helpful at the main desk but that is the only positive I can think of. There would be many Casa's far better that you could stay at.

“Stay away from this hotel ”
Stayed at this hotel for 5 nights. Where to beginning... I know to lower your expectations when you are in Cuba, I have travelled many times to Cuba. This being said, this hotel should be shut down and entirely renovated. It was dirty, ALL pieces of furnitures were broken. The bathroom was beyond belief, the counter was totally rotten and would not even support a bottle of water; the counter would cave in if you put one on it... The food was terrible. There is nothing positive to report, except maybe the location which is not bad in Vedado. Would not stay there again unless I have to. As said many times you are much better to stay in a Casa if you are on a budget in Havana.

“staff stole money and clothes from our suitcases”
stay here if you feel about about the large gap between the $20 a month salery the hotel staff makes and the nightly rate for your room and you want to make up for it through this kind of donation. everyone was very friendly and no one in our group notice the missing items until we left. havantur booked our group here

“Down at heel but friendly ”
Stayed here at the start of a tour, with the whole group moved from a nicer looking hotel (President) that didn't have room for us all. It is not what I would have chosen myself. Having seen the reviews we got more or less what we expected - scruffy rooms in dire need of updating (for example there were gaps in the carpet near the head of the bed) with a damp smell. Good breakfast though and the receptionist was very friendly and helpful. Not in a great location really, as it's not close to the main sights, but it was ok for one night. We stayed in casas on our tour and these were all much nicer (and cleaner) than this place - but that's why we opted for a tour in casas not hotels.

“Wouldn't stay there again ”
This hotel is rather run down to begin with. There is a pool at the hotel but looks dirty and while I was there, never saw anyone in the pool. The location of the hotel is rather far from most of the interesting sights and food wise, it is not conveninent. The room itself is again tired and dated. The airconditioning was noisy and I was staying on the first floor of the hotel and did not get much sleep as I was constantly disturbed by people walking outside the hotel and talking loud and then early in the morning, trucks passing by kept me awake. The sound insulation is hopeless. Breakfast was included in what I paid but food and coffee often ran out and I had to wait for sometime before it was refilled. And the restaurant wasn't even crowded. In short I'd rather stay at a Casa than to stay at a hotel when in Havana.

“Bed bugs ”
We stayed here at the start of our tour. My husband woke up with bites all over his body. You guessed it - bed bugs. Now I know why they had mattresses in the hall ways and staircases. They obviously have had this problem for a while. Also our room. was very damp smelling and we had little hot water. The breakfast was ok if you could find a plate, coffee cup or cutlery. They were very slow at bringing clean tableware. Pick another place to stay.

“Not a 4* hotel by our standards, but its ok ”
We stayed here for two nights at the start of our trip. It claims to be a 4* hotel, but by Irish standards, it would maybe make a 2*. It was fine, just very scruffy - it needed a very good clean and lots of maintanence work. The staff were very friendly, and it was near the Malecon. We found that the homestays (Casas) in Cuba were far better than the hotels, so I would suggest staying there instead!!

“Servicable hotel in Havana ”
Stayed here as part of a group tour and it was fine. Others weren't so happy in the side rooms, but we were in a corner room and whilst it could have been cleaner, everything worked and we got a good night's sleep. Breakfast had a very good selection, but can get crowded in the small serving area.

“Disgusting ”
We stayed here for one night (supposed to be two but we left) Jan 2013 and this is the worst hotel i have every seen. The bathroom was missing many of the tiles and had mould growing all throughout the bathroom. There was also dirt and hair pieces throughout the shower floor. After requesting to change rooms the lady said it is old and all the rooms are like that. Very basic room in general. The staff were also unfriendly and rude. They did not address our concerns. When we told them the time we wanted to check out they did not take this time into consideration and ordered a taxi despite saying we did not want to. They then argued with us saying we needed to take the one they ordered approximately 2 hours early. We stayed in casas particulars for 2 weeks prior and every single one of them was much better than this hotel and for 1/4 of the price.

“Decent hotel when staying in Havana”
Hotel Victoria has een goed location, it is close to the Mallecon and hotel Nacional. It is clean has a good working A/C and breakfast has all standard items (eggs, bread, cakes) It is a 15 min walk to Havana Vieja. The staff is friendly, especially those who clean your room.The water supply was short off, and one day it was cold. But we had set our expectations low for Cuba, so we were not bothered. It is noisy however, but we found that almost anywhere in Cuba, since people socialize outside on the streets at night. For Cuban standards this is a good hotel.

“Not a 4 star ”
We spent one night in this hotel as we wanted to experience nightlife in Havana, having been at a Varadero resort for 2 weeks. We were not satisfied with the service or the cleanliness of the room. We had no towels on arrival (only face cloths) and the water from the shower was barely warm. Elevators are very small and the restaurant was short-staffed with nothing really good to offer in terms of food and service. The overall hotel ambience was depressing and we were glad we were there for only one night. I would give it a 2 star.

“Not good ”
I have just been there. It's sold as 4 stars hotel but it might worth as 2. Expensive compare to what has to offer. Better look for CASA particular with good reviews for which you will get a much better deal for money value.

“Very good Business Hotel! ”
I travel a lot to Cuba, I've stayed in the best and the worst places around Habana. Now I found this small and friendly hotel. Staff is very warm and friendly, across the street you can find one of the best restaurants in Habana (Cafe Laurent). The hotel has everything you might need. Restaurant, small shop inside and a lovely pool. The price of the rooms is reasonable for a hotel in Vedado (downtown). Don't think twice for choosing this small "business hotel".

“Reasonable for Cuba ”
Stayed here on a few occasions throughout an Intrepid trip. Spacious rooms, reasonably clean, good air conditioning and staff are pretty helpful. Good selection of food for breakfast including: toast, coffee, fruits, meats, cheese, juice, eggs. Showers took a little while to heat up, very tiny elevator and hallways smelt like mould. Shampoo/conditioner not provided in all the rooms we stayed in. Is a small shop and bar in the lobby.

“Fresh relief ”
I moved hotels from the Melia Habana, a collosal waste of money to this small wonderful and cheap hotel. I think I spent 50 bucks a night. The hotel is in a quiet residential neighborhood only a 5-10 peso ride to the center of town. There is a nearby Market. Small bar and restaurant. Staff was amazing. You don't need much more than this in Cuba. Its basic. Bed, Hot Water, Lousy Internet. But lousy internet in Havana is better than most places which have none. Loved this place. Will go back if I ever return to Havana.

“Pros and Cons of the Victoria ”
Located between the Nacional and the Havana Libre, where we could exchange money and buy tours, the Victoria provided access to tons of restaurants and a more relaxed atmosphere than Habana Vieja. Good air conditionning, double paned windows for excellent quiet, TV worked fine. Cleanliness passable (clearly the furniture was not moved for cleaning, what looked like blood spots on the wallpaper) blankets suspicious, we used the sheets (also spotted) to keep them well away from our bodies, but we slept very well. Breakfast quite adequate, eggs, ham fruit toast and coffee. Staff attitude varied from nonchalant to full surly. After a 7 day stay, we requested a 3 hour extension to await our late flight, were told it would cost half a day's rate. So we brought down our bags and were charged $1 peso each to store them for a few hours, a service usually provided free in other parts of the world. We loved Havana. Some hints: take lots of cash, you can leave it in the safe. US funds severely penalized in terms of the exchange rate and a 10% charge to exchange. All credit card transactions, including cash advances charged 11.5% fee. Take a taxi and ask the driver to use the meter, which will usually work out to cheaper than negociating a price before hand. Cocotaxi drivers initially quoted us 8 pesos for a windy noisy ride that cost 2.5 in a comfy vintage taxi. Have a great time, we did!

“Not bad.”
Rooms were a good size and cleanish but decor dated and air conditioning noisy. Felt slightly old school Cuban. Most of the staff were very polite and helpful. Good location opposite a fantastic restaurant (look up) and only a short retro taxi ride from the centre of town.

“Stayed at Hotel Victoria again - for the last time ”
We have been loyal customers of this hotel for eight years (see my previous review: "Good Experience at Hotel Victoria", 13 March 2006), but sadly, it is time to move on. We usually have a group of about 20 people, and usually stay for a week. We have noticed in the last couple of years that the rooms were not being cleaned very well, and now it is apparent that there are increasing problems with the general maintenance that are not being addressed. We like the staff at this hotel and in seeing them year after year, many of them recognize us and it is nice to see them each time. We will miss them, but we have reached the point at which we can no longer put up with serious deficiencies. This year we had some rooms with toilets that wouldn't flush (someone came promptly at 11:30 PM to look at mine but said the handle was broken and maintenance would have to come in the morning; it was fixed the next day but broke again after one use). A water leak - presumably from the shower - resulted in water on my bathroom floor at all times. Some complained of musty rooms. My room smelled fine and the sheets and pillows were clean, but the extra cushions and curtains had a sour smell which a friend told me was mould. On the evening of the day we arrived, one room discovered the bed was missing sheets entirely; the front desk (always polite) seemed unprepared to deal with it until others got involved and insisted it be addressed. The elevators are very small so some of us preferred to use the stairs. The staff routinely use the stairwells to store items such as vacuum cleaners or extra mattresses (a bit of a fire hazard). Once they saw that we were using the stairwell, though, I think they did make an effort to move those items elsewhere - at least for the duration of our stay. The hotel restaurant is decent; we enjoyed our daily breakfast of eggs, breads, fruit, and some other local dishes. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner but most of the guests are out during the day and there are many decent restaurants in the area, so I they get very little business. As a result, there was no one in the restaurant and the lights were off when we stopped by one day for lunch; we thought they were closed and were about to leave when a passing staff saw us and notified someone to come and serve us. The hotel store was closed during our stay but was undergoing renovations, so that is encouraging. But if the hotel has money for renovations, some of the cleanliness and general maintenance problems definitely need to be addressed before we return. I will keep checking reviews on Tripadvisor, but will not be returning to Hotel Victoria until I see evidence that the problems have improved.

“Great little business hotel in heart of Vedado ”
I had been coming to Havana on business for 10 years before I came across this little gem of a hotel. Small and intimate, the WIFI is USUALLY working and the staff are warm and friendly. It has a great little restaurant, good breakfasts, and reasonably large rooms by Havana standards, all with nice big windows. Centrally located a few blocks from Nacional and Habana Libre hotels, it has a very small, friendly feel to it. Always hot water Safes in rooms. a GOOD BET.

“Location & Staff are Wonderful, BUT.... ”
Havana has many lovely hotel, unfortunately this is not on the top of the list. Before I share the bad news, let me say that the hotel staff is absolutely wonderful - friendly, helpful, gracious! And the location could not be better - near all major points of interest and the Malecon is just a block away. I traveled with a group of 12, so we were exposed to a range of rooms through out the hotel, and overall, the rooms are below standard: musty smell of mildew in more than half of the rooms (lots of allergies got kicked up); toilet that didn't work; poor upkeep (drapes falling off rod, old and falling apart furniture, plaster cracking); and, to top it off, four in my group got stuck in between floors in the elevator for a good while until staff was able to get it open. So, if location is important enough, then you might be able to tolerate all else.

“it's good, what you need for a place to sleep ”
The staff at the Hotel Victoria are super friendly and kind. The location is ideal if you want to be in Vedado. Rooms are bigish and comfy, tho for sure some musty smells. The restaurant is ok (I had the breakfasts and one dinner), it's simple (go around the corner to the Cafe Laurent for great food). Internet is really fast for Cuba.

“Great staff, good food at the restaurant and overall decent hotel. ”
Since we are talking about a hotel in Havana, rating standards have to be adjusted. A 4 star hotel in Havana is completely different from a 4 star hotel in San Francisco, CA. The location is convenient to La Rampa and other sites. The restaurant prepares quality tasting food for dinner and breakfast. The breakfast buffet has a decent variety. The hotel also has a cute little hotel bar with very nice bartenders. The hotel rooms are decent and the bathrooms are modern with good water pressure.

“Ok hotel, good restaurant ”
The hotel is not exactly in the center of Havana, but everything is easy to reach. The beds are really big, the rooms are quite clean and spacious. The breakfast is ok, especially for a small hotel in Cuba. The restaurant of the hotel offers a good menu for 10 cuc which includes soup, bread, main meal and desert or coffee. Good quailty and enough food. Friendly staff.

“nice and quite”
A very quite and kindly hotel. People are nice, rooms and foods are good. I like it.

“dont stay here, awful place with bad service ”
stayed here for two nights. we were meant to stay a third but decided against it. dirty rooms, sticky carpets, wires sticking out everywhere. staff too busy talking and mucking about to help. poor breakfast. our hairdryer didnt work, minor issue but staff were so rude when i asked to have it fixed. music blared all night from the pool and could be heard from every room. horrible stay from start to finish.

“A pleasant surprise ”
Just having returned from a week-long stay with 14 other American teachers, I was pleasantly surprised by the Hotel Victoria. The rooms were neat and clean, although a bit run down. The beds were small yet comfortable. Air conditioning worked nicely. The morning breakfast was quite good. Staff was competent and at times friendly. Location is good. Nothing to rave about but we stayed an entire week and enjoyed the property as the visit wore on. Finally, a nice yet small pool in the back. I would recommend.

“Good price, excellent location! ”
This hotel is in a great location - easy to walk to such places as Copellia ice cream parlour and Hotel Nacional and only a twenty minute walk to Revolution Place and thirty mins to Centro Havana. Loads of taxis for those that don't want to walk! Hotel had friendly counter service with English spoken. Room was great, but just needed a lick of paint (as with most places in Cuba it seems!). Comfy beds, window opening onto the road below for a great view of the passing American Classics and Russian Ladas. Breakfast at the hotel was good - choice of eggs, toast, fresh fruit every day, juice and tea/coffee. Not many touts nearby too, which makes life around the hotel quite peaceful. Good price too! Well worth staying at!

“Beware of theft ”
I traveled with a large group, and numerous individuals had clothing and money stolen from them. I had money stolen from inside the safe in my room. When we told the management, they couldn't care less and acted like we were being difficult. After we kicked up a fuss, they "searched" the hotel, and gave us a bag full of dirty socks and underwear, none of which was on our list of missing items. Never stay here if you want to keep your possessions and money.

“Hotel Victoria...very overrated in all travel guides! ”
I was very disappointed with the quality for the price I paid for one night at the Hotel Victoria. The rooms are dark, dingy and kind of have a musty smell. Also, the bed was uncomfortable and lumpy. Not exactly the best way to start a long overdue vacation. Thank goodness we only stayed here for one night. The only positive thing I have to say about this place is about the strong water pressure in the shower. After a long flight, there's nothing more welcome than a nice relaxing shower to start my vacation all refreshed.

“Its excellent location in Vedado is its one saving grace, otherwise a mediocre hotel. ”
When we arrived in Havana we weren't expecting luxury. Having said that Hotel Victoria is not a 4 star hotel by European standards. The hot water in the showers was temperamental. The pipes creaked all night which made sleeping difficult. Breakfast was unispiring. The room we were in was dated and very dusty. We got a very indifferent reception on arrival. Its location however is very good for exploring the nightlife around Vedado (which is not centred around a few streets but spread around the area) and the beautiful city of Havana. It is close to Hotel National and two great music venues (La Zorra y El Cuervo and El Gato Tuerto) which are worth a visit. There are much better hotels in Cuba. I would recommend staying in some of the Casa Peticulares instead which offer a more authentic experience and more comfortable rooms.

“Not what I was expecting (towards better!) for my money”
I was having a look on TA during Xmas days, as I wanted to give to my fiancee the dream trip of her life; that was in Cuba... So after visiting a well known travel agency in London, We found out an Easter offer for ­£620pp, B&B&Flights&Transfers for Hotel Victoria (as individual deal), and only 8 slots remaining! So with no second thought, we booked it the very next day from checking the comments in here, and taking my risks due to the complicated feelings from the other visitors... After a non-ending 11hr connecting day flight (London-Paris-Havana) with Air France (Jesus Christ....), we arrived and settled in on the 17th of April. The hotel has a small lobby, even smaller reception, and a tiny bar. It also features a normal-for-its-capacity restaurant area (really clean), and a decent shop where you can buy gums, chocs, toiletries and cigars, 10am to 8pm. A good first impression was the fresh flowers at the reception, and the smell of freshness at the lobby. As soon as we got in the room, guided by a friendly yet somehow old porter, who stayed there to explain everything about power voltage, switches, aircon, lighting, windows, fridge, we got our first 2 bad impressions. Due to the extreme humidity of Cuba, the matresses were somehow damp, but all clean and fresh! The second bad thing was with the entrance tent, that was circulating the air and was whstling to an annoying level whenever we had our windows open (we were just above the main entrance. Pool Area: just not a pool.... More like a water tub, 110cm deep, 5m x 3m long... Bar area: Decent, very good prices, but open only 10am-10pm (same hours are for room service) Staff: Friendly and helpful. Restaurant: Didn't eat anything for dinner in as we were dining out, but breakfast was ok whenever we had breakfast. Not that we were missing it... Breakfast was missing its spot though!!! On the first morning, it was all there in a rich buffet! Second morning, there was no omelette and no cheese... 3rd and 4th morning we were to Cayo Largo (but they provided us the previoud night a "basket Breakfast", with 2 cheese and had sandwiches, 1 juice, 1 banana and 1 bottle of water each, as we departed at 5am), 5th morning there was no buffet, and no staff at the restaurant area!!!! It was all cooked-on-order, but that "all", was cheese, and omelette, toasted bread, jam and butter. Oh, and coffee or tea! No Chocolate, no milk, no fruits, no nothing. As if there was an overnight raid in the kitchen!!! Area: Not as dodgy as it may look; and it is also just 6 minutes walk from both National Hotel and Habana Libre, 2 of the biggest and better hotels in Vedado area.. People were all friendly and helpful, even with my near-zero knowledge of spanish. It's also really close to the Playa de la Revolucion and the seaside area, where is a good place to visit at night and blend in with locals! They stay until 4-5 in the morning, just sitting by the wall that seperates sea from the seaside avenue, and snog, listen to music, having a laugh, or drinking a beer! That's their main form of entertainment! :) Cost of living: 17-22 April = £980, including £320 in cigars. Not really as cheap as expected... Overall: By reading the reviews, I was expecting a nightmare. But afterall it turned to be a pleasant experience, even better from what I expected to find in a city hotel to an area like Cuba. A place that I could stay again if I return sometime back :)

“Nice Little Hotel ”
This is a really great hotel to stay in Havana if you are looking for a low-key, clean and friendly place to stay. Centrally located in Verdado, its within walking distance to many attractions and a short taxi ride from Havana Vieja. We weren't sure of quite what to expect when we booked in online, but was a great choice and we booked in again when we returned to Havana at the end of our travels. In comparison to another Havana hotel we stayed at, Hotel Victoria is great value and has a lovely atmosphere. The staff are really friendly - didn't try the restaurant for anything more than breakfast, which was tasty. There is a great little restaurant across the road which we enjoyed.

“Homely friendly atmosphere ”
This is a small old style hotel. Our bedroom was a good size and very clean. The hotel is well located with a taxi rank a couple of streets away. Two minutes walk brings you down to The Malecon and the sweeping sea walk. The food was quite good with friendly waiters and bar staff. Whilst the bar shuts early(10pm) there were numerous other bars and restaurants nearby. There is a small swimming pool (10 metres) outside along with an area for soaking up the sun. I would recommend this Hotel to anyone who wants comfortable facilities at a reasonable price and situated in a good area. I will go back as we thought it was good value for money.

“Fleeced in Cuba ”
I stayed here twice, the first time (2000) was average in all respects the second time (2002) the hotel seemed to have deteriorated quite a lot even though it was only a year or so later. It's a small place and getting old and musty. The room was not very clean, nor were the common areas of the hotel. There is a small pool on a roof terrace which is nothing special, and a bar by the lobby where they fleece you for overpriced drinks. Breakfast is very poor, absolutely nothing offered apart from some soggy toast and tired looking eggs. If you are lucky maybe a miniscule glass of juice. But judging by the local people's standard of living, this must be a feast for them so you cannot complain too much for fear of being insensitive to the hotel staff, who are on the whole OK and quite friendly (but we found this friendliness is only a prelude to them asking you for money or to trying to sell you counterfeit cigars). The hotel overcharged me by quite a bit on my second stay, and would not ammend the bill despite a lot of arguments. In general I would NEVER visit this place again. In fact I would not ever set foot in Cuba again as the place is incredibly expensive. You are fleeced wherever you go, and the locals take every advantage to relieve you of your money. In short, a blatant rip-off.

“Good Experience at Hotel Victoria ”
I stayed at this hotel in 2005, and again in 2006. Both stays were very pleasant, with no complaints. The staff were wonderful and always helpful, from the front desk to the restaurant to the housekeepers. While this hotel may be below North American standards, by Cuban standards it is very good - much nicer than 3 other hotels we stayed in (Las Yagrumas, Hotel Ancón, Hotel Plaza). I would definitely stay there again.

“Do not stay at the Hotel Victoria ”
On a recent stay in this hotel, we had money stolen out of the safe in our room, something that occurred after a series of dubious events with a room change and problems with our keys. The response of the hotel management to this unfortunate event was simply atrocious. The hotel managers refused even to consider our claim, but instead aggressively insisted we were the ones who were lying. We tried to report the theft to the police, but they immediately accepted the hotel's version of events -- they seemed to be very friendly with the hotel management -- and they would not even make a proper report. It was all very unpleasant. It's a real shame because I had stayed in this hotel before and liked it for its small size and great location, and the housekeeping and other maintenance staff are really nice. But until the management changes, stay away from this hotel unless you want to carry all your valuable around with you everywhere you go, and hope you have no other cause to ask for anything from the managers!

Normal
Small, quiet hotel, centrally located in the Vedado district. The swimming pool is a pleasant surprise.