Caracol, the largest store chain devoted to meet the need of those who visit Cuba, is redesigning and specializing its Cigar Houses.

As a giant palace that on the occasion of New Year's eve beautifies its rooms, this enterprise not only has renovated the facilities devoted to Havana cigar sales, beginning the year with a new image and comfort for customers, but has also changed the philosophy of its services. No sale limitation is now established in the new concept that is offered in these "homes" of the cherished leave, this is an incentive that widens the services and the style of their sale rooms has also been improved. Caracol counts on four Havana Cigar Houses, the one recently opened in the National Hotel, the emblematic hotel of the Cuban hotel industry, Habana Libre Tryp Hotel in the Palacio de la Artesanía (Craft Palace), situated in the old area of the city and in Varadero Beach, the most important tourist resort of the country. These centers have rooms designed for smokers, storage places, niches and door to door service. Likewise, the place offers a wide assortment of related souvenirs and its consumption as humidors, cigar boxes, cigar accesories, lighters, t-shirts. Veguero Havana cigar exhibits one of the exclusive characteristics only found in these lands. Cigar brands as Cohíba, Montecristo, Romeo and Julieta and Partagás have a great demand, they all show a fine design and a graphic printing quality as well. Caracol store chain is in crescendo as long as the tourism sector is revitalized. The chain opened some 30 stores in the last months of 1999 and for the year 2000 is aimed at opening 60 more. Among the new arrivals for this year is the opening of a virtual shop in Internet and the franchise out of Cuba.