The book launch was attended by the Iberostar Group’s Chairman Miguel Fluxá, Havana’s Official Historian, Dr Eusebio Leal, and the book’s author, Daniel Vasconcellos.
The book, is a result of the magnificent work by researcher Daniel Vasconcellos Portuondo, and narrates the history of the Iberostar Grand Packard - this new luxury hotel that shares inextricable ties with the history of Havana over the last century.
The 2018 opening of this centrally located hotel, an icon of quality and exclusivity, was the highlight of the celebrations to mark Iberostar’s 25th anniversary in Cuba.
The Iberostar Group has launched a book titled Iberostar Grand Packard. En el corazón de la Habana (Iberostar Grand Packard. In the Heart of Havana), coinciding with the fifth centenary celebrations of the founding of the city and Cuba’s International Tourism Fair (FITCuba). The book narrates the history of the Spanish chain’s new grand luxury hotel in Havana, housed in one of the city’s landmark buildings standing right on the Paseo del Prado avenue, just a few steps away from the Malecón promenade.
The book, the result of the magnificent work by researcher Daniel Vasconcellos Portuondo, narrates the history of the Iberostar Grand Packard hotel and its close ties with the history of Havana over the last century. It provides an insight into the transformation of this site into a guest house that provided accommodation for immigrants in the early 20th century, before becoming the Biscuit Hotel in 1912 and the Packard Hotel in 1931. Its prime location and eye-catching architecture gave its ground floor premises an irresistible appeal for myriad commercial and business activities, including pioneering tourist development initiatives and institutions in Cuba, a car showroom and workshops, a traditional Spanish bar and restaurant, as well as the Packard scheduled passenger service operating between the cities of Havana and Santiago, from which the hotel would eventually take its name.
An icon of Havana reborn
Today, the Iberostar Grand Packard stands on the same corner that over the years has witnessed flourishing business concerns and provided accommodation for thousands of guests, including illustrious figures such as Chilean author and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Pablo Neruda and US actor Marlon Brando. Remaining true to the concept behind the building and following the restoration of two of the original façades, the restoration work led by French architect Michael Regembal included the addition of upper floors featuring a strikingly contemporary design in glass and metal. The result of this new hotel is a fascinating mix of ongoing tradition and avant-garde design that respects the building’s wealth of history and includes a nod to the Spanish wine bar and restaurant it once housed (with the Spanish tapas restaurant operating in the hotel) and the Biscuit luxury restaurant, which is also part of the Iberostar Grand Packard’s culinary offering.
The 2018 opening of this centrally located grand luxury hotel, an icon of quality and exclusivity, was the highlight of the celebrations to mark Iberostar’s 25th anniversary in Cuba. The chain currently operates 21 hotels in the country, with just under 8,000 rooms, which form part of a portfolio of more than 120 hotels in 19 countries on three continents.
The 321 luxury rooms at the Iberostar Grand Packard, and the wide range of exclusive services and amenities are merely the starting point of this space, which has been designed for cultural enrichment, including a superb range of dining options and its very own entertainment programme featuring leading local artists.
The book launch at FITCuba
Those attending the launch, which took place at the hotel today, coinciding with Cuba’s International Tourism Fair (FITCuba), were fortunate to receive a first-hand insight into the hotel’s past and present. The event was presided over by the Iberostar Group’s Chairman, Mr Miguel Fluxá, the city of Havana’s Official Historian, Dr Eusebio Leal, and the book’s author, Mr Daniel Vasconcellos.
“We are proud and honoured to present this book which narrates the history of the Iberostar Grand Packard; a hotel housed in one of the city’s most iconic buildings. The renovation of this magnificent early 20th century building has only been possible thanks to the hard work and dedication of many, who have successfully turned it into a hotel on a par with the finest hotels to be found in the world’s leading capital cities”, explained Mr Miguel Fluxá. During his speech, Dr Eusebio Leal highlighted the key role this hotel has played in Havana’s history and offered an intriguing insight into several of the unique events the building has witnessed. In turn, Mr Daniel Vasconcellos detailed the reasons why the Iberostar Grand Packard is truly worthy of a book such as this: “Due to its prime location, its architecture, the historic events it has witnessed, the unique history of its former commercial and business premises, the legacy left by its most illustrious guests, and above all, the magnificent work that has transformed it into Havana’s finest grand luxury hotel”.
