First five star plus hotel opens in Cuba

The Gran Hotel Manzana became last Monday the first hotel with category five star plus within the country.

The facilities are propriety of group Gaviota, of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, and is managed by the Swiss group Kempinsky.

It counts with 246 rooms and among them 50 suites. In addition, there are bars, restaurants, spa, gym, heated pool on the roof, and an exclusive room for smokers of Cuban cigars. All of it for a minimum of $440 dollars per person and a maximum of $2.500 dollars.

It also has a gallery with international brands like Versace, Giorgio Armani, and Lacoste. Although the prices are too high for them, many Cubans seized the opportunity to pass by the gallery.

While the monthly average income in Cuba is around $29 dollars, the slow and cautious economic opening has allowed a private sector to expand with purchasing power.

Furthermore, the diplomatic reconciliation with Washington has increased the number of American tourists in the island.

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