This five-star lodging ranks as Spain-based hotel chain Sol Melia’s flagship establishment in Cuba. Since its grand opening in 1995, the place has been a priceless ally of Habanos S.A. by providing exclusive smoking areas, refined fanciness and hands-on involvement as a venue for events in which tobacco has been the star of the show.

Like the Habano brand, the Melia Cohiba Hotel is synonymous of the very best hotel service and comfort money can buy. Located just 50 yards from the Havana Malecon, at the end of the Paseo Avenue, the lodging stands tall with 22 stories and 462 rooms. A faithful ally of Habanos S.A., in this year’s festival the hotel is accommodating VIP guests attending the event and is giving them the Royal Floor on the top of the building where they could relish a breathtaking view of Havana. This is one of the hotel’s areas of excellence, as new general manager Juan Tuñon said. “It’s one of the best in the Caribbean, better yet the very best, featuring top-notch services and attention to all details, with employees keen on pleasing the guests. No wonder many guests have told us the Royal Floor makes them feel like home.” Now with preps revving up at the Melia Cohiba Hotel on the eve of the world meeting of the ultimate smoke, Tuñon adds that many of the establishment’s halls have been fitted out for the rehearsals of the festival’s artistic shows, let alone the making of the menu for the welcome cocktail. “This is a challenge to us and it’s a tremendous privilege for us to cater to 1,200 people in the Carpentier Hall at the Havana Grand Theater. And we’re working on this very seriously and professionally, with all the knowhow the Melia Cohiba has acquired through all these years.” But the confab between Habanos S.A. and the hotel goes beyond the weeklong festival. At any day of the year, the El Relicario tasting bar on the first floor is home to those who crave for a special and intimate spot to puff on a good cigar. On the other side of the floor, the Casa del Habano in this hotel is one of a kind in the city for having a piano bar in it that provides guests with live music on weekends. To top it all off, the Melia Cohiba Friends’ Club opened in 2010, a place that features on the last Thursday of every month a meeting in which the pleasure of cigar smoking is combined with chats on the origin of tobacco, its growth and the secrets of good matching, staged by several experts. In its 16th anniversary, the Melia Cohiba Hotel has been through an all-out refurbishment process. In addition to airing a new two-hour show at the Habana Café, the lodging has spearheaded an overhaul of its gastronomic network, currently embracing five restaurants. One of the highlights of this remodeling is the Med –so nicknamed for its entirely Mediterranean style in terms of décor and menus– that opened last November. “It’s a very living space, with plenty of light and a special menu card that homes in on season products,” the General Manager says as he also points at the in-house art gallery that exhibits the works of the country’s top artists all year round. Mr. Tuñon says he’s a passionate lover of the Cohiba Siglo VI, especially late at night when the quietness of his home lets him spare a few minutes to mull over the workday and plan on activities for the next morning, always with a view in mind to “surprise guests”.

The Melia Cohiba Motel is the venue of choice for a number of events, like the International Ballet Festival, the Havana Jazz Festival or the Bridge Championships. It’s outfitted with everything it takes for professional meetings, featuring nine halls and a variety of rooms, three all-purpose locales, all of them equipped with top-of-the-line conveniences and services

Hotel Meliá Cohiba Ave. Paseo e/ 1ra y 3ra, Vedado La Habana, Cuba

Tel.: (53 7) 833 3636 Fax: (53 7) 834 4555 melia.cohiba@solmelia.com www.melia-cohiba.com