Smokecigareveryday Posted May 5, 2020 Posted May 5, 2020 I am looking forward to visit Havana as soon as the COVID19 restrictions are lifted. Do hotels and restaurants permit smoking indoors in Havana?
El Presidente Posted May 5, 2020 Posted May 5, 2020 5 minutes ago, Smokecigareveryday said: I am looking forward to visit Havana as soon as the COVID19 restrictions are lifted. Do hotels and restaurants permit smoking indoors in Havana? some yes and some no. You are never short of a place to smoke a cigar however. 3
Ryan Posted May 5, 2020 Posted May 5, 2020 I had this conversation with a security manager in the empty lobby of the Hotel Ambos Mundos back in March. I popped in for a phone call and a rum. I asked for an ashtray. He said fine. I asked about the smoking laws. He said hotel lobbies and bars which have doors and/or windows open to the outside usually allow smoking. For example, the lobby of the Hotel Ambos Mundos (big open windows, high up) or Bar Monserrate etc. Closed room bars and hotel lobbies with air conditioning like Floridita or the lobbies of the Habana Libre or Melia Cohiba don't. He said that that was basically a rule. There's at least one exception I can think of, the lobby in the Parque Central with closed doors to the outside and fierce air-conditioning, still has some smoking tables. Though I said this before about Cuba, ask the same question 100 times and you'll get 100 different answers. And 50 of them could be right. Things change all the time. As Pres says, lots of good places to have a smoke in Havana, indoors and outdoors. 2
Habana Mike Posted May 6, 2020 Posted May 6, 2020 Looks like Rob and I hit submit at the same time Appreciate you elucidating Andy. 2
StogieSteve23 Posted May 6, 2020 Posted May 6, 2020 17 hours ago, Ryan said: There's at least one exception I can think of, the lobby in the Parque Central with closed doors to the outside and fierce air-conditioning, still has some smoking tables. Parque central is a great late night spot to sit in the lobby bar with a cigar, cold beer and enjoy a grilled ham/cheese sandwich ?. I think this lobby bar is open 24 hrs, but don't quote me on that.. 1
Smokecigareveryday Posted May 6, 2020 Author Posted May 6, 2020 Seems like Havana is a paradise for cigar smokers with loose smoking laws.
StogieSteve23 Posted May 6, 2020 Posted May 6, 2020 2 minutes ago, Smokecigareveryday said: Seems like Havana is a paradise for cigar smokers with loose smoking laws. It is not doubt about it, but still be mindful of your location and those around you. Always ask if you don't see people smoking or know its definitely ok. 2
Chas.Alpha Posted May 6, 2020 Posted May 6, 2020 22 hours ago, Ryan said: There's at least one exception I can think of, the lobby in the Parque Central with closed doors to the outside and fierce air-conditioning, still has some smoking tables. As Pres says, lots of good places to have a smoke in Havana, indoors and outdoors. I will add that the quality of musicians that they rotate thru the Parque Central are nothing short of amazing. A perfectly serviceable little shop on the 2nd floor, and a pleasant rooftop/pool area, both of which allow (encourage?) cigar smoking. Not the most economical place to stay in Havana, but when you’re bringing your cigar mule (wife) down, I think it’s the best...? 4
Popular Post Ryan Posted May 6, 2020 Popular Post Posted May 6, 2020 50 minutes ago, Chas.Alpha said: I will add that the quality of musicians that they rotate thru the Parque Central are nothing short of amazing.. I only stayed there once, in February 2010. I shared a room with a friend to split the cost. It's where I first met these guys in the lobby. Are these the guys you mean? Angel and Gustavo, the band "Duo Sauce". They played Handel's Lascia Ch'io Pianga among others. I finally got them over to my place for a session in 2015. I was recording them, I needed music for some video stuff. I just put this one up on Youtube. Ended up with them trying to set me up with a Cuban wife. They liked my old Irish saying, "Two wives are allowed in the army, but one's too many for me!" Nice guys. 5
MigsG Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Ryan said: I only stayed there once, in February 2010. I shared a room with a friend to split the cost. It's where I first met these guys in the lobby. Are these the guys you mean? Angel and Gustavo, the band "Duo Sauce". They played Handel's Lascia Ch'io Pianga among others. I finally got them over to my place for a session in 2015. I was recording them, I needed music for some video stuff. I just put this one up on Youtube. Ended up with them trying to set me up with a Cuban wife. They liked my old Irish saying, "Two wives are allowed in the army, but one's too many for me!" Nice guys. Thanks for sharing that video. Don’t know if you live there or were on vacation but that’s the kind of personal experience that makes traveling worth it. As a lover of all kinds of music I was thrilled to watch it, understanding that they jammed with you as well as gave a personal performance. Awesome.
Ryan Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 9 hours ago, MigsG said: Thanks for sharing that video. Don’t know if you live there or were on vacation but that’s the kind of personal experience that makes traveling worth it. As a lover of all kinds of music I was thrilled to watch it, understanding that they jammed with you as well as gave a personal performance. Awesome. That was a vacation. I've been lucky enough to get there regularly and get to know some people there. That was an apartment near the Hotel Nacional I used to rent. I have more clips of them playing and listening to Irish music. It was great! 2
Fuzz Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 1 hour ago, Ryan said: That was a vacation. I've been lucky enough to get there regularly and get to know some people there. That was an apartment near the Hotel Nacional I used to rent. I have more clips of them playing and listening to Irish music. It was great! Did you do any Irish dancing for them? 3
Popular Post SigmundChurchill Posted May 7, 2020 Popular Post Posted May 7, 2020 I stayed at the Parque Central just this past November. My days in Havana were pretty crazy, running around on missions to find things, but my morning (before the other guys woke up) ritual was my peaceful, meditative part of the day. 1. Go to the restaurant and get my free coffee that came with the free breakfast that I never took. Just the coffee. 2. Bring the coffee to a table in the lobby, and light up a Siglo VI. 3. Sit there, drinking my coffee, smoking my cigar, and listening to the live music that always seemed be going on in the lobby at any time of day. And it was different music every day. One day it was a violin and a piano, the next day a mariachi type band, the next day a mandolin, a guitar, and a piano, etc. It was obvious that the Cubans thought my ritual was very strange. I am not sure if it is the part where I take the coffee out of the restaurant and into the lobby, or if it is that I don't eat a meal that is free, or maybe a bit of both. But every day they looked at me like it was the first time they ever saw anyone do this. 6
Smokecigareveryday Posted May 7, 2020 Author Posted May 7, 2020 Has anyone stayed at one of the casa particulares in Havana? How was the experience and do they allow cigar smoking on the terrace?
StogieSteve23 Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 13 minutes ago, Smokecigareveryday said: Has anyone stayed at one of the casa particulares in Havana? How was the experience and do they allow cigar smoking on the terrace? I have only stayed at these through Airbnb every time I've been. Smoking on balconies is always allowed and more or less encouraged. Usually most of them do not want you to smoke inside the units. 2
Ryan Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 22 minutes ago, Smokecigareveryday said: Has anyone stayed at one of the casa particulares in Havana? How was the experience and do they allow cigar smoking on the terrace? I only stay in Casa Particulares now, of varying reputations. Unless you are a seasoned traveler, I'd recommend a hotel for a first trip. Or at least a casa particular where you have a room and the owner lives there too, like a B&B, rather than a private place. Hotels will always have concierges, food, a bar and taxis outside (most hotels) B&B (B&B casa style) owners will help you with directions, probably food and they will always have a friend who does a bit of taxi driving. The type of car will be pot luck. The B&B style casa owners are always very nice and helpful. I've never heard a bad report. Though you can end up in a location where you've no idea where you are or even where the nearest bar is. After sunset, Havana's streets, outside of the popular tourist streets, can get very dark and can be off-putting for a first-timer. Though Havana is generally very safe. But you can find yourself wondering where everyone has gone and where there might be anywhere open for food or a drink, depending on where (neighbourhood) you end up. Some people are fine with that and find a way, not everyone likes that though. Smoking in casas seem to have similar rules. If it's a high-rise apartment with no balcony (rare) smoking in at least one of the rooms is usually allowed. Most casas have a balcony or a patio/garden and for those places, generally, smoking is not allowed indoors. 4
StogieSteve23 Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 59 minutes ago, Ryan said: Unless you are a seasoned traveler, I'd recommend a hotel for a first trip. As Americans, we're supposed to be staying in Casas regardless. This is per our US travel guidelines to Cuba. I have never stayed in a hotel for this reason. I'm somewhat with you on this but do your research and planning ahead of time and these issues of needing taxis, restaurant reservations, etc. can all be done in advance. My fiancé and I do travel quite a bit and know a good amount of Spanish, but we try and do everything as close to the "Support for the Cuban People" visa requirements as required by our government. The one obvious issue for me and the place we break all this? You guessed it. The cigars. She lets me have my fun here. We also have developed many great relationships with people down there and end up bringing extra suitcases of clothes, school supplies, toys, vitamins, etc.. So its not like all we're there for is to take take take (as most Americans are thought of always doing). If you're American and want to do it the right way, a casa particular is that way. It satisfies our governments requirements and puts money into the pockets of the Cuban people. 3
SigmundChurchill Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 10 minutes ago, StogieSteve23 said: As Americans, we're supposed to be staying in Casas regardless. This is per our US travel guidelines to Cuba. I have never stayed in a hotel for this reason. I'm somewhat with you on this but do your research and planning ahead of time and these issues of needing taxis, restaurant reservations, etc. can all be done in advance. My fiancé and I do travel quite a bit and know a good amount of Spanish, but we try and do everything as close to the "Support for the Cuban People" visa requirements as required by our government. The one obvious issue for me and the place we break all this? You guessed it. The cigars. She lets me have my fun here. We also have developed many great relationships with people down there and end up bringing extra suitcases of clothes, school supplies, toys, vitamins, etc.. So its not like all we're there for is to take take take (as most Americans are thought of always doing). If you're American and want to do it the right way, a casa particular is that way. It satisfies our governments requirements and puts money into the pockets of the Cuban people. I thought about this issue while I was there in my hotel, and I decided that it made no sense. Sure, the hotel chain was on the receiving end of my money, but they are paying the front desk people, the bellhops, the cleaning people, the restaurant workers, and other Cuban people that I am probably leaving out. 1
StogieSteve23 Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 5 minutes ago, SigmundChurchill said: I thought about this issue while I was there, in my hotel, and I decided that it made no sense. Sure, the hotel chain was on the receiving end of my money, but they are paying the front desk people, the bellhops, the cleaning people, the restaurant workers, and other Cuban people that I am probably leaving out. Are those people employed by the hotel or by the government to work the hotel though? I do see your point here and I guess it's just something we've become used to doing and really enjoying because we learned that was deemed required by our government. Plus, you can find some really nice, clean casas for extremely little money. Staying at a casa particular in Habana Vieja IMO is not the same overall experience as in a hotel but to each his own and you really cant go wrong either way. Havana is an incredible experience as a whole regardless of where you stay. 1
SigmundChurchill Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 2 hours ago, StogieSteve23 said: Are those people employed by the hotel or by the government to work the hotel though? I do see your point here and I guess it's just something we've become used to doing and really enjoying because we learned that was deemed required by our government. Plus, you can find some really nice, clean casas for extremely little money. Staying at a casa particular in Habana Vieja IMO is not the same overall experience as in a hotel but to each his own and you really cant go wrong either way. Havana is an incredible experience as a whole regardless of where you stay. Is that the way it works? Does the Cuban government supply international corporations, like Iberostar, with workers? Workers who's salaries the government is paying? I am asking because I really have no clue how things like this work in Cuba. It makes no sense to me, but a lot of things in Cuba (and here too for that matter) dont make a lot of sense to me. 1
MigsG Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 7 hours ago, Ryan said: That was a vacation. I've been lucky enough to get there regularly and get to know some people there. That was an apartment near the Hotel Nacional I used to rent. I have more clips of them playing and listening to Irish music. It was great! That’s just awesome. 1
Ryan Posted May 7, 2020 Posted May 7, 2020 It's in Club Havana. 20 minute drive west from the Hotel Nacional. GPS coords : 23° 5'25.30" N, 82°28'36.03"W 1
Chas.Alpha Posted May 8, 2020 Posted May 8, 2020 2 hours ago, Ryan said: It's in Club Havana. 20 minute drive west from the Hotel Nacional. GPS coords : 23° 5'25.30" N, 82°28'36.03"W 12 minutes, if you are riding in one of the ‘56 Chevy convertibles with no brakes! ? 2
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