• Submitted by: manso
• Travel and Tourism
• 06 / 18 / 2011

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The Hotel Telegrafo, belonging to the Habaguanex S.A. tourist chain at the Office of the Havana City Historian was awarded on Wednesday a National Vanguard distinction because of its extraordinary cultural work

By: José Luis Estrada Betancourt.juventudrebelde.cu. 2011-06-17 | 13:09:52 EST. The Hotel Telegrafo, belonging to the Habaguanex S.A. tourist chain at the Office of the Havana City Historian was restored in 2001 by the Office of the Havana City Historian, the Hotel Telegrafo has served for a decade as accommodation to personalities from the field of arts who have participated in international events such as the Havana Book Fair, the Boleros de Oro Festival and the Jazz Plaza Festival.

The hotel has also served as an art gallery for renowned artists. In recent years, it has hosted permanent exhibitions, for example the Habaneando photo exhibition by Nelkis Leonor Ramirez and Rolando Angel Peña, which is being shown in the lobby of the hotel.

Gema Despaigne, foreign relations officer of the Hotel Telegrafo, told JR that this institution houses important art works such as a famous 180 m2 mural by Eduardo Ruben, located in the interior courtyard of the building.

Yamile Perez, manager of the hotel, said that the staff is working to achieve excellence, “especially because we are surrounded by similar institutions with high international recognition. This is only possible when there is a high sense of belonging and dedication; when the most important thing is to offer a quality service and to show visitors the great values of Cuban culture.”

The Hotel Telegrafo is located in Prado and Neptuno and was built in1896. It was closed in 1964 and reopened in 2001 after undergoing a restoration process. In 2003, it was awarded a City of Havana prize for Architecture and Engineering.