Plaza Hotel (Havana)
History
The Hotel Plaza was founded by Captain Walter Fletcher Smith, and was built from an existing colonial building. It was designed by Ricardo Galbis Abella, and constructed by the New York firm of Purdy and Henderson, Engineers. The hotel opened in 1906 and was inaugurated in 1909. The hotel was renovated in 1919 with a roof garden that included a ballroom and restaurant. Guests at the hotel included Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth, Isadora Duncan, and Anna Pavlova.
A casino was opened in the hotel during the 1950s. It was owned by Philadelphia crime family member Angelo Bruno, along with Joseph "Hoboken Joe" Stassi and his son Joe Stassi Jr. Stassi was an associate of mobster Meyer Lansky. The casino was destroyed by mobs in early January 1959 as Fidel Castro's rebel army overtook Havana.
During the 1980s, the hotel was restored and it was reopened in 1991 and became part of the Gran Caribe hotel group.
In 2023, it was announced that the hotel would join the luxury Meliá Collection division of the Spanish Meliá Hotels International chain.
References
- ^ The History of Havana by Dick Cluster and Rafael Hernández. p116
- ^ Havana: History and Architecture of a Romantic City by Maria Luisa Lobo Montalvo. pp245-247
- ^ Hotel Plaza Havana - History hotelplazacuba.com
- ^ Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It to the Revolution by T.J. English. p298
- ^ Batista and Regime Flee Cuba; Castro Moving to Take Power; Mobs Riot and Loot in Havana New York Times January 2, 1959
- ^ Celebrating Overthrow Madera Daily News-Tribune January 6, 1959
- ^ "Meliá Starts a New Chapter in Cuba, Driven by the Island's Recovery, and Introduces New Lifestyle Experiences".
