I'm not sure if this is the same hotel I stayed in or not because my experience was very different. I was here just for 2 nights at the start of a tour and the Sevilla couldn't be more centrally placed for exploring Havana Vieja yet it has the advantage of a swimming pool too. I didn't bother with dinner on the night I arrived - just a snack in the patio bar and we had dinner out on the second night of the tour but breakfast was the usual Cuban buffet service with fresh cooked eggs done whichever way you wanted them. Despite the hotel being busy, service was prompt and efficient with tables being cleared quickly.

The staff in reception were quietly efficient and the porters couldn't have been more helpful. I only used the patio bar on my first night but found the waiter was helpful and patient - bearing with me while I placed my order very haltingly in my basic Spanish even though it became clear later that his English was much better than my Spanish. There was the usual 'Son' band playing in a corner of the bar which seemed to be the limit of the entertainment but that's all I would be looking for anyway, not personally being enamoured of the average 'animation' team's offerings!

My room was fairly basic and compact but then single rooms often are and it had a good view of the Malecon and across the river to the lighthouse and the El Morro fort which made up for it. After all, I didn't spend that much time in it and it was clean and comfortable. When I first arrived the towels were just laid out on the bathroom shelf but the clean towels the following day were folded into the shape of an elephant! Clearly something of a Cuban chambermaid party trick - in later hotels I had swans and dollies!

Overall, the Sevilla is a quiet hotel full of character and one of the best placed hotels for exploring the old colonial centre of the city. The swimming pool in such a central, urban hotel is an added bonus and despite bing at streeet level it is well screened by trees and bushes from the surrounding traffic. Some of the rooms are a little 'tired' and in need of sprucing up but everywhere was spotlessly clean, and 'shabby chic' has its appeal for me and felt in keeping with old colonial feel of Havana itself. The staff were very polite and courteous and friendly without being overgushing and/or 'in your face'. I would recommend it to anybody looking for somewhere to base themselves whilst exploring this fascinating city.

PS I know that we're not supposed to comment on other reviews but in July/August 2005 (I was in Havana then too) there were problems throughout much of Cuba with both electricity and water supplies because of the effects of Hurricane Emily which swept through the island in mid-July. Much of the city's population was completely without water and most people were reliant for water on the 'bowsers' parked on nearly every street corner. Most hotels were getting daily deliveries by tankers from which their roof level tanks were being filled. Power cuts were a daily occurence in both the east and west of the island because of hurrican damage to the national power grid. This has now largely been eliminated as result of the building of small local emergency power stations that can be got up and running quickly when the national grid or the big regular stations are knocked out of action. I'm afraid that these sort of problems are to be expected during the Hurricane season and are one of the things that need to be taken into account by anybody deciding to travel to Cuba between June and October/November

Hotel Cleanliness - For the 4 days we stayed my room was not cleaned by the maids. For two days we had no water. For 6 hours we had no electricity.

Hotel Food - The food was of a good standard, but to due to the rationing, the food was quite repetitive.

Hotel Location - The location was very good, a 3 minute walk will take you to the Capital Building, The Revolution Museum and the Malacon.

Hotel Staff - The staff at the hotel were the rudest and most unhelpful I have ever met. When waiting at the bar to be served, the staff ignored me at served other customers straight away while I waited for 30 mins. When I informed the reception that my room had no water, I was told "tough shit" and the woman hung up on me.

Entertainment - Entertainment was excellent.

Overall, the Sevilla is the wors hotel I have ever stayed at. The staff are rude and very unhelpful. However in their defense the hotel entertainment is of a very high standard and the food (considering the rationning) is also of a high standard.