The Palacio Cueto Hotel in Old Havana

Photo Feature by Irina Pino

HAVANA TIMES – On the southeastern side of Plaza Vieja, on the corner of Muralla Street, stands a building with a very curious architectural design: the Palacio Cueto Hotel. Art Nouveau in style, it somehow evokes the designs of the Catalan artist Antoni Gaudí.

This structure features sinuous balconies and a variety of stone ornaments. On the façade, two striking figures stand out: two men with incomplete bodies, lacking legs, reminiscent of female caryatids.

Designed by architect Arturo Marques in the twentieth century, it was acquired by the Spanish merchant José Cueto, who named it the Hotel Vienna. Before that, the building had housed a warehouse and a hat factory.

Inside, the furniture has a more modern feel, reminiscent of the 1950s. There is a bar in the lobby and two restaurants in the back.

Here I leave you with the photographs; later you can tell me what you think of them. I am grateful for the kindness of the staff, who did not object when I took the pictures.

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