Room Service: The Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana

Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner slept here, though not at the same time. The Hotel National de Cuba, which opened on 30 December 1930, has had more than its fair share of illustrious guests. Photographs of Ernest Hemingway, Errol Flynn and Fred Astaire line the walls of the Salon de la Fama (Hall of Fame). The feeling that you have stepped back in time is everywhere: Fifties film posters cover the walls of the cafeteria del Cine, while modern-day celebrities buy hand-rolled Montecristos at the old-fashioned cigar shop, and 1957 Chevrolets rattle up the palm-fringed drive to the entrance.

Walk up the stairs to the grand lobby, where chandeliers hang from the wooden ceilings and mosaic tiles decorate the arches. From the reception, head outside to the Bar Galeria and sip a Mojito (rum cocktail) in a cushioned armchair on the red-tiled verandah overlooking lush green gardens. Huge stone pillars line the terrace and peacocks parade proudly past the fountains and plants, adding to the tropical setting.

Location, location, location

The Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Calles 21 and 0, Ciudad de La Havana, Cuba (00 53 7 87 33 564, www.hotelnacionaldecuba.com) lies in Vedado, the entertainment district. It overlooks the Malecon, the promenade that stretches along the Atlantic Ocean.

Time to airport: the Jose Marti international airport is 20km and a 20-minute taxi ride away. A taxi costs about $25 (£17).

Are you lying comfortably?

The 464 rooms are comfortable but mostly simple. Some offer views of the gardens and ocean, but most face the muddle that is Havana's skyline. I was looking forward to seeing the Suite de la Republica where Churchill had stayed, in a spacious area at the end of the lobby, but it's been transformed into meeting rooms.

Freebies: the usual bathroom products: shower gel and shower cap and, for good measure, a needle and thread. Keep track of what you drink from the mini bar, though. They tried to charge me for miniatures that mysteriously went missing.

Keeping in touch: all rooms have satellite TV, radio and international phones. Internet access, at around £10 an hour, is extremely rare and slow in Cuba, but is available on the sixth-floor business centre, which also has fax machines. There's a post office too.

The Bottom Line

Doubles cost $170 (£117) a night. Package holidays booked in the UK will work out much cheaper. The Presidential Suite costs $1,000 (£690).

I'm not paying that: The Hotel Florida (Obispo 252, 00 53 7 8 624 127) offers rooms for $130 (£90). It is a beautiful colonial edifice with a picturesque courtyard and, unlike the Nacional, is in the heart of Old Havana.